1 ADRIAN BELEW: “PEACEABLE KINGDOM”
This is from my fave Belew album, “Mr. Music Head.” As with a lot of his other albums, he pretty much plays all the instruments. This song is a very hummable, catchy little tune about living in the jungle, playing with the monkeys … “Why would you ever want to leave/Leave a peaceable kingdom?” Lots of nice percussion, subtle animal sound effects; it just has a relaxed and friendly sound to it.

2 TALKING HEADS: “Making Flippy Floppy” (12″ remix)
A 12″-only release that I transferred from vinyl onto CD and then put on iTunes. It’s not terribly different from the album version, just longer (more of a good thing!) with some added instrumentation. This is one of those TH songs I’ve always loved because it sounds different every time you hear it, depending on your mood. It can be a happy song, or just some nasty funk, or even sinister. And David Byrne’s lyrics are tops: “Faces pressed against the window/They’re just my friends.” The piano and bass are kind of locked together during parts of the track and it gives a really cool effect. Hard not to move your body when you hear it.

3 MOHAWK LOUNGE: “TV ABOVE”
From a CD I saw one day at the Brown Elephant that looked cool, so I bought it. He’s a Canadian guy and it has a vaguely folky sound to it: some bendy guitars, quiet drums, acoustic strumming. His vocals are charmingly flat at times. This song is about being lonely ’cause his roommates aren’t home, so he invites a friend over to “drink gin and juice into the night.” A short, sweet song. Very homey.

4 KEITH CARRADINE: “I’M EASY”
O gee, this is from the “Nashville” soundtrack. It has these smarmy lyrics that are somehow equal parts disquieting and smug, and the tune itself is haunting. His voice is inscrutiable. This has to be one of the most unlikely Top 40 hits ever.  It wasn’t written for that at all! I love the scene in the movie: Lily Tomlin staring at him onstage as he sings. She knows he’s a bastard and yet there’s a deep feeling in the ways he holds her body as she sits there.

5 CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL: “GREEN RIVER”
I probably heard this song on the radio all the time growing up, and then I saw it used in some movie recently that I can’t remember. So I bought it. Toe-tapping. Still don’t know what the lyrics are all about. I just like how simple and solid the song is.

6 U2: “New Year’s Day”
I had never paid much attention to this song until a few months ago. I was very tired and was soaking in a hot bath, and Andy was playing this CD in the other room. And this song came on. I studied the lyrics as the song played. It seemed to mirror how I was feeling at that moment in some abstract way. It was like an icy blast as I floated in the hot water. Bleak, but heartening. Gorgeous soundworld too.

7 THEIVERY CORPORATION: “HOLOGRAPHIC UNIVERSE”
Groovy track. Got it from online somewhere. TC have the best taste: they sample from the best vintage music, and even though they rework it they never lose sight of the SWING. That’s key. Abstract dance music: I don’t undserstand it. How is it danceable? The best stuff has an arc to it. It’s not just 10 minutes of a drum machine.

8 AMON TOBIN: “BRIDGE”
Wow, cool juxtaposition. Tobin always has this amazing TEXTURE to his stuff. I like him a little better when he’s not as frenetic. This track is awesome: a rockin’ percussion part and these spacy, floaty horns and keyboard samples drifting in and out. He grew up in Brazil but now is based out of Montreal I believe. Once again, a guy with amazing taste. Even his wacked-out stuff is impeccably constructed.

9 ELLA FITZGERALD: “REACHING FOR THE MOON”
I don’t know this song very well. But the guitar and violins go really nicely with her voice. I don’t think this track is very well-known. I found it online some time ago. She couldsing anything and you’d believe it. Hmm, pretty melody. 

10 NEIL YOUNG: “THIS NOTE’S FOR YOU”
Grr vintage Neil: “Ain’t singin’ for Pepsi/Ain’t singin’ for Coke/I don’t sing for nobody/Makes me look like a joke/This note’s for you.” There’s his cranky fuck-it guitar and this really tight soul horn section behind him! Who else could pull that off. And it’s a live recording too; you hear the audience getting riled up. It’s just one big “Screw You” to commercialization. Love it. And damn it if the tune isn’t catchy too.