Kudos to Philipp Klinger.

The moon is not only beautiful
It is so far away
The moon is not only ice cold
It is here to stay

This compilation was partially inspired by Apollo 11.

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Click Song for Savefile Download Link
“Dancing in the Moonlight” – Van Morrison
“Goodnight Moon” – Shivaree
“My Moon My Man (Live)” – Feist (YouTube)
“Shine On, Harvest Moon” – Ruth Etting
“The Killing Moon” – Nouvelle Vague
“The Moon” – Cat Power
“Lua” – Conor Oberst & Gillian Welch

Kudos to sionfullana.

“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.”

It just won’t stop pouring.

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Click Song for Savefile Download Link
“Hypnotized” – Ani DiFranco
“Buckets of Rain” – Bob Dylan
“Pray for Rain (Live)” – Allison Crowe
“And It Rained All Night” – Tom Yorke
“rain song” – a.w. feldt
“The Rain” – k-os
“Rain” – Bishop Allen
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Covered in Rain (Live)” – John Mayer
“Rain King (Live)” – Counting Crows
“Rainy Day People” – Gordon Lightfoot
“Black Rain, Black Rain” – A.A. Bondy
“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” – Willie Nelson
“A Day Without Rain” – Enya

Purchase this adorable mini bicycle painting from Fred Flare.

May is Bike Month in New York City, and this Memorial Day weekend was a perfect weekend to go outside and ride. I didn’t get to spend as much time with Etty, my green ‘72 Schwinn Cruiser, as I would have liked, but we did enjoy the warm weather and sunshine for a bit. Here are a few bicycle-related songs for your summer listening and riding pleasure.

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Click Song for Savefile Download Link
“Bicycle Race” – Queen
“Bicycle” – Hollywood Gossip
“Bicycle (Demo)” – Timothy Rabbit
“Bicycle” – St. Vincent
“When I Was A Boy (Live)” – Dar Williams
“Bicycle” – Mark Olson & Gary Louris
“Old New Bicycle” – Helvetia

Kudos to JenniPenni.

The moral to the story goes:
Never leave your heart
Never leave your heart… alone.

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Click Song for Savefile Download Link
“Is This Love, Or Isn’t It?” – Jaymay
“Break My Heart In Two” – Raise High the Roof Beam
“Cold Cold Heart” – Norah Jones
“Don’t Break My Heart” – Kate Walsh
“The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts” – Sufjan Stevens
“Young at Heart” – Frank Sinatra
“Little Silver Heart (Live)” – Lucero
“Your Heart Is An Empty Room” – Death Cab for Cutie
“How My Heart Behaves” – Feist
“In the Shape of a Heart (Live)” – Jackson Browne
“Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?” – Moby
“I Think I Need A New Heart” – The Magnetic Fields
“Never Leave Your Heart Alone” – Butterfly Boucher
“Duet (with Ray LaMontagne)” – Rachael Yamagata

My love of wrapping paper is on par with the love that others have for good food or porn (side note: they do make pornographic wrapping paper). The obsession I have generally extends to all paper goods and most likely began when I started collecting stationery and origami paper as a child. By the time I was ten years old, I had enough paper products to open my own store. As a teenager, I spent some time designing my own paper goods.

Most of the rolls that I have purchased are still wrapped in their original plastic and have traveled with me though several moves. They are hidden in the back corner of my closet like a dirty secret. I rarely bring them out, and though I’ve thought about framing some of the prettiest papers in my collection, I have yet to do so. Their mere presence in my bedroom and in my mind satisfies my non-sexual fetish.

I had the day off today, so I decided to head up to Target in the Bronx to pick up a few things. Somehow I managed to find myself in the Christmas section surrounded by rows and rows of gift wrap. I tried so hard to escape without anything, but caved and purchased a roll designed by Ayomi Yoshida (for only $2.99!). It’s all I could do to resist coming out of the store without 10 rolls in my hands.

PS: It’s snowing!

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Click Song for Savefile Download Link
“Wrapping Paper” – Cream (see YouTube video above)
“Pretty Paper” – Roy Orbison
“Tired of Wrapping” – Judd and Maggie
“Gift Wrap” – Che Grand
“Wrap It Up” – Whitey
“Christmas Wrapping” – The Waitresses
“Christmas Wrapping” – Kate Nash

+ Snow Bonus
“Snowbeds” – Ryan P. Conaty

Is it December already?

SEVEN SONGS: DECEMBER
Click Song for Savefile Download Link

“December” – Basia Bulat
“Flowers in December” – Mazzy Star
“December” – Collective Soul
“December Morning” – Me and the Horse I Rode In On
“A Long December (Live)” – Counting Crows
“Looks Like December” – Antônio Carlos Jobim
“December, Month of Plenty” – Joy Of Sex

As FLUORESCENT FATE makes the transition from a personal blog to a music blog, I have decided to introduce a new feature: Seven Songs. Every so often I will choose a topic word, then select seven songs that include the chosen word in the title, artist name, lyrics, or somehow relate to it. The seven songs won’t necessarily be favorites or “go together” well, but will fit with the topic in some way. Why seven songs? No significant reason, but I am quite fond of alliteration and odd numbers, and seventeen would be a few too many.

Today’s word is thanks, for obvious reasons. I think it would be wonderful if other bloggers played along; please post a link to your blog entry in the comments section if you decide to do so. Feel free to e-mail topic suggestions to me at fluorescentfate \\at// gmail \\dot// com.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

SEVEN SONGS: THANKS
Click Song for Savefile Download Link

“Be Thankful For What You Got” – Yo La Tengo
“Thanks For That” – Jon and Roy
“Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” – Sly & The Family Stone
“Thank You Very Much” – Kaiser Chiefs
“The Thanks I Get” – Coconut Records
“Thank You” – Le Volume Courbe
“Thank You For The Music” – ABBA

+ Thanksgiving Bonus
“Thanksgiving Song (Live)” – Adam Sandler

+ Economic Crisis Bonus
“We’d Like To Thank You, Herbert Hoover” – The Hooverville-Ites (from Annie)

Somewhere near the beginning of time, or at least a bloody long time ago, Chris tagged me with the seven song meme thing. You might have thought that by now, I’d forgotten all about it, or at least would be too embarassed to do anything at this late a date. In fact, embarrassment is something that I’m rarely hugely endowed with, except if I’m being asked to dance, and so here are seven of my most listened songs of late. Frankly, a couple of these might be a bit embarrassing, were I into that sort of thing. But I’m not.

1. White Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes

Here’s the achingly cool entry. Well sort of. They’re quite hippyish really so don’t quite count as achingly cool, but they are very popular at the moment. And rightly so, they’re an amazing band with a beautiful album that’s well worth a listen, and this song is catchy and touching. The video is beautiful too.

2. Psychosocial – Slipknot

Slipknot might not be one of the most charming bands around, but they know how to make lots of noise, and that counts for a lot in my book. Especially when twinned with some great tunes. This track is worth listening to for the introduction alone, which is aural equivalent of waterboarding. In a good way. But I’m still not getting the black hoodie, ‘k?

3. Make This Work – Magistrates

Saw them at Field Day over the weekend.

What. A. Voice.

Blimey.

4. We Are Your Friends – Justice Vs. Simian

When this song came out last year, it managed to pass me by entirely. It wasn’t until I saw Justice’s gig at Somerset House, and everyone appeared to know this track apart from me that I started to investigate. Glad I did. Cracking.

5. Council Estate – Tricky

He’s a weird one, Tricky. First he’s in one of the best Bristol bands at a time when all the best bands were from Bristol. Then he released probably the most distinctive album from the mid-nineties (the laid-back, and yet face-slappingly brutal Maxinquaye) and then other than a few odds and sods and a few less than perfect albums, disappeared. And now he’s ‘back’. I mean, he didn’t really go away, but it felt like it. Not any more.

6. Summer Wine – Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood

Yes, it’s pretty cheesy. And yes, I did hear this with mykreeve at a Suzanne Vega concert, and then use Shazam on my iPhone to find out what it was. My discovery, therefore, was a tale of geekery and cheese throughout, but you have to admit, it’s a pretty special song. And when summer comes back, it’ll probably sound even better.

7. Love Is Noise – The Verve

A couple of seconds into this, Richard Ashcroft does a pretty passable impression of Lee from The Apprentice doing his impression of a pterodactyl. But that’s not the only reason this is great. The tune’s typically strong, but it’s the little sample that was probably added as an afterthought that brings this whole track together and makes me think that I might not detest The Verve quite as much as I thought I did. Well, some of the time at least.

And now’s where I tag some other people. But most people I know online have done it already, and only tagging a couple of people just makes me feel like I haven’t got many friends. So, both of you who haven’t done it already, I’m looking at you, and waiting to hear your seven songs of the moment. Go on, make me look popular )

In no particular order:

Waylander – Beyond the Ninth Wave

From their latest album “Honour Amongst Chaos”. Waylander is a folk/celtic metal band from Ireland. I just got it last night, so I’m enjoying the album now.

Sheryl Nome starring May’n – Iteza Gogo Kyuuji Don’t be Late

A song from the anime series Macross Frontier, found in the “Diamond Crevase” single. This is the only anime I’ve watched after 2 years. I’m not a big fan of anime, but this is an exception since it’s MACROSS!!

Mithotyn – King of the Distant Forest

This song was in my head all day at work yesterday. Mithotyn was a viking metal band from Sweden, too bad they disbanded. They made a great viking metal sound, especially in the first album “King of the Distant Forest.”

Yasunori Mitsuda – The Theme of Rogue Galaxy

I won’t be a real gamer if I didn’t post any gaming music! This here’s from the “Rogue Galaxy Premium Arrange” album, it’s a compilation of arranged tracks from Rogue Galaxy by several composers including Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenosaga), Yoko Shimomura (Parasite Eve, Kingdom Hearts series), Noriko Hibino (Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3), and Motoi Sakuraba (Vagrant Story, Valkyrie Profile), to mention a few.

Fire Bomber – Dynamite Explosion

Opening song of Macross 7. Fire Bomber is a band from the series, which is known for the music, instead of INSANE ROBOT BATTLES OMGLOL111one.

Otyg – I Trollberg Oeh Skog

Otyg is a folk metal band from Sweden. A side project by Vintersorg (which is also the name of his band), Otyg was put on hiatus 1999 due to lost interest and inspiration in the project. The song is from the first album “Alvefard”.

Moonsorrow – For Whom the Bell Tolls (Metallica Cover)

Moonsorrow is an epic/pagan metal band from Finland and is one of my favorite bands. This song is from their “Tulimyrsky” single. What’s great about this song is it’s not just a normal cover song, they were able to make it sound like one of their songs by incorporating the whole Moonsorrow style instead of just playing the Metallica style. Fucking awesome.

I think that’s it.

- vemp

So there’s this semi-new meme going around like electronic clap. List seven songs you are into right now, it says. No matter what the age or genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. So here goes:

1.) “Fill You In” – Josh Pyke

This one’s got a bit of a Simon and Garfunkle vibe going on, and I like that the lyrics are all cryptic and morbid without actually losing the melancholic imagery.

2.) “The Background” – Third Eye Blind

Yeah, I’m still obsessed with this song. Jenkins’s subdued (literally) vocals only adds to the sadness of this song’s acoustic landscape. Someone bring back Cadogan. Please?

3.) “Decepticons” – Transformers OST

This is one of the songs that don’t really sound like they’re from a movie about giant robots, but once you get into the evil tribe-li-ness of the bad robot camp, you get it. Man, do you get it.

4.) “This Could Be Anywhere in the World” – Alexisonfire

I enjoy listening to loud music when I’m dozing off. Seriously. I like having something loud to ignore. I hate the screamer in this band though. But Dallas Green should be… I dunno… a clock or something.

5.) “Man Overboard” – Polytechnic

Try commuting home in the rain with this pouring into your ears. Ten bucks says you’ll feel like kicking the guy to your left and sticking your tongue down the girl to your right’s throat. I know I did.

6.) “Finding New Ways” – Mint

So it’s not just sad endings but also lucky, convenient, I’m-switching-to-your-equally-hot-sister endings, yeah? Yeah. Noice.

7.) “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty” – Paolo Nutini

I sorta feel like Mayer’s lost a bit of what makes him Mayer, and I sorta wished this was his single, but I guess this works too. Ride-em-high opening riff carries over all the way to the end, at which point a lead riff pulls up the octave into an almost danceable identity. Listen, listen.

- johnamor

Some bastard has tagged me for this “seven songs” meme that’s been floating around:

“List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.” I’m okay with everything up to the last line, at which point it becomes a bit chain lettery for my tastes.  You don’t need me to tell you what to do, go for it if you want to.

I: The Kinks, Waterloo Sunset: One of the best songs ever written, never really heard much of it until a month or so ago.  Abby is a pretty huge Kinks fan also.

II: Randy Newman, Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield: In 1998, Randy Newman put out a best of album titled  “Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman.” How would you feel if a judge said this to you?  It’s seriously a good song, though.  Eeriest love song ever, in a good way.

III: Charles Mingus, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady:  Okay, this is an album, fine.  But it’s four tracks and they pretty much need to be listened to together, as jazz albums will tend to be.  It’s hard to do anything else and listen to this at the same time, complex as it is, but Abby and I have been managing alright.

IV: Iggy Pop, The Passenger: If this list was in order from most to least influential, this one would come first.  It seems to be playing whenever anything awesome is happening.

V: James McMurtry, Fireline Road: The chorus of this one is one of those “oh jesus, oh fuck, musicians have cameras in my brain” moments.

VI: Saul Williams, Wine: Made a room full of people stop and listen for its entire 11-minute run, and then collectively teleologically disect it in the way I’m told people behaved around Bob Dylan and pot, in the 60s.

VII: Gogol Bordello, Supertheory of Supereverything: Listened to it when the Large Hadron Collider went live.  LHC is Double Christmas for old science hands.

thisisnotchris16: My list has been formed by songs that have been playing

thisisnotchris16: Or were played

thisisnotchris16: As major occurances during my spring.

thisisnotchris16: Not so much that the songs had any influence on it

thisisnotchris16: But they were present when these things happened.

thisisnotchris16: So I don’t think I followed the list to a T.

Boneyard Jones: I can dig it.

Boneyard Jones: I’m not gonna fucking enforce the thing.

Boneyard Jones: “YOU HAVE NOT FOLLOWED THIS MYSPACE-STYLE MEME. WE ARE NOT FRIENDS ANYMORE.”