Smooch and I are desperate for some new tunes on our iPod. We've been listening to the same 75 songs over and over and over again, and it's past time that we expanded our musical horizons.
THBPBPTHPTPFFT. I swear if you make me listen to "Single Ladies" one more time, I'm gonna barf. |
Jimmy Buffett! Now we're talkin'!
Seriously, will you help us out? I've got a balance in my iTunes account waiting to be spent, but I just don't know what to download. What is your favorite song? The one you stop and listen to every time it comes on the radio? The song that makes you want to get up and dance whether anyone's watching or not? A song that you think Smooch and I will enjoy as we walk down the road? Genre doesn't matter – we'll listen to most anything at this point.
To give you a vague idea of our musical preferences, here is a sampling of songs from our current playlist. If you've got a favorite song that might fit in with this bizarre mix, shout it out! Please!
• Save the Last Dance for Me, Emmylou Harris
• Choices, George Jones
• Are We in Trouble Now, Randy Travis
• Against All Odds, Phil Collins
• If I Had a Boat, Lyle Lovett
• Hey Good Lookin', Jimmy Buffett
• Dancing In the Dark, Bruce Springsteen
• A Case of You, Joni Mitchell
• Wave On Wave, Pat Green
• Silver Wings, Merle Haggard
• I'm Alive, Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews
• Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), Beyoncé
• People Are Crazy, Billy Currington
• Toes, Zac Brown Band
• 100 Years, Five for Fighting
• The Cowboy Rides Away, George Strait
• Red River Valley, Don Edwards
• Long Black Train, Josh Turner
• Graceland, Paul Simon
• All I Wanna Do, Sheryl Crow
Good question that should help you out and us too, who are also stuck on those favorite tunes and can't seem to move on.
ReplyDeleteI'm mostly into country, so anything by the Zac Brown Band is good, especially "Chicken Fried", also Sugarland "Stuck on You" is such a catchy little tune, and Little Big Town's "Little White Church". All help me along throughout the day. King George also rules, as do most of his songs and Jimmy Buffett also.
Smooch looks so cool with her iPod and headset ... Wally is totally jealous!!!!
Hey, Soul Sister - Train
ReplyDeleteYou and Me - Dave Matthews
Alabama Song - Allison Moorer*
Where I'm From - Shelby Lynne*
*sisters, tragic family story
Ocean Size Love - Leigh Nash
WHAT!?! No John Denver!!! Smooch, I am shocked with you!?!?!?!? ;-)
ReplyDeletesigned
Theresa in Alberta
You seem to be alot like me...a little bit of everything..some things on mine are
ReplyDeleteJack Johnson, anything by him
Lady GaGa, Poker Face
Jace Everett, Bad Things
Nora Jones, first albumn
Donna Summer, disco doesn't always suck
Pink, Who Knew, Funhouse, Glitter In The Air
George Straight, Troubador
James Taylor
Simon/Garfunkle
That's just a few things on mine...good luck and enjoy!
First time poster, long time fan ^_^
ReplyDeleteI suggest trying out Snow Patrol [especially their 'Eyes Open' album], the Guillemots, One Eskimo and Jack Johnson, to name but a few.
Methinks Smooch looks very fly with those headphones :P
Anything by Eva Cassidy. She has a voice that will stop you in your tracks.
ReplyDeleteTwo of my favorite songs of hers are Fields of Gold and What a Wonderful World.
But anything by her is amazing. Check out her Songbird CD.
I'm an artist-nut.. I don't pick "just one song".. Instead I'll bury you in artists..
ReplyDelete*Shannon Curfman - any of her three albums, tho the second to last is a bit, harsh? :)
*Punch Brothers
*Nickel Creek (though not still together, older stuff is awesome)
*Davey Knowles & Back Door Slam
*Revive
oooh.. I see "Case of You" Joni Mitchell..
ReplyDeleteCheck out Diana Krall, too, while you're at it.
ANYTHING by george strait...lady antebellum...sugar land...classic old rock songs. use google to look around, if you are like me you don't think of a song until you see or hear it...then it is like, WOW, how could i not remember that song!
ReplyDeleteYou better get yourself a little Chicken Fry. Unless you already have some. Or maybe some Kerosene by Miranda Lambert.
ReplyDeleteHow about 'Flame Trees' by Cold Chisel? It's about life in a country town, my favourite song. Also, those photo's of Smooch are so awesome :D She is such a cool dog, I hope she approves of my choice!
ReplyDeleteHave you tried Pandora? Here's how they describe their "music genome project":
ReplyDeleteOn January 6, 2000 a group of musicians and music-loving technologists came together with the idea of creating the most comprehensive analysis of music ever.
Together we set out to capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level. We ended up assembling literally hundreds of musical attributes or "genes" into a very large Music Genome. Taken together these genes capture the unique and magical musical identity of a song - everything from melody, harmony and rhythm, to instrumentation, orchestration, arrangement, lyrics, and of course the rich world of singing and vocal harmony. It's not about what a band looks like, or what genre they supposedly belong to, or about who buys their records - it's about what each individual song sounds like.
You set up your own free online radio station by first putting in some music that you like, Pandora will suggest other songs that you might like, and you get to say yes or no; and it expands from there. It's a great way to find music you don't even know about.
Btw, thanks for getting All the Single Ladies stuck in my head for the day!
You gotta have Rawhide on there...lol no matter what kind of music you like...."Fast cars and Freedom" by Rascal Flatts. "Alright" by Darius Rucker.
ReplyDeleteShakira is great to walk and exercise to too...like Waka waka....hips don't lie etc....just to name a few. Hope that helps....-Tina
Almost Jamaica by the Bellamy Brothers.
ReplyDeleteRead your blog every morning. My family is all from New Mexico, but I've lived in Nevada since the first grade.
Check this out http://www.pandora.com/mgp.shtml. They've done all the work for you, put in the songs you like and they give you a list of other songs based on your preferences. Smooch is adorable! Thanks for your wonderful blog, it brightens my days.
ReplyDeleteLaurieB
Since you seem to like more country how about All The Road Running - Mark Knopphler(spelling?) joining with, I think Emmy Lou Harris.
ReplyDeleteIt's sort of country cross over. The whole album is pretty good, (same name title). It's one of my favorites. I'm surprised there's no Bonnie Raitt on your list, I like her a lot too. Happy dancing and singing.
I'm like you....will listen to about any genre. And love music so there are so many songs that make me happy. Don't know why but here are 2 that I thought of
ReplyDelete(I would walk)5000 miles by They Might Be Giants
Breathless by the Cranberries
If you want a long classical piece I love Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussogorsky or a shorter one is Night on Bald Mountain
Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners
ReplyDeleteThe Proclaimers - (I'm gonna be) 500 miles
Makes me get up and dance every time!
Cappy
Oh, I just read C in WI's comment about Eva Cassidy... I used to work with her at a nursery/garden center in MD. I'd be working potting up hostas, she was out watering mum cuttings singing... What a voice! Great person! Probably how she got the melanoma that ended her life waaaay to early...
ReplyDeleteCappy
Anything by Journey, you can't go wrong with that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the Pandora suggestion, I've found many new artists that way. Here are some out of the way folks
ReplyDeleteDel Castillo - Vida
Jack Johnson - Belle
Corinne Bailey Rae - Butterfly and Put your records on
Jason Mraz - Live High
KT Tunstall - Suddenly I see (LIVE - get ready to dance, Smooch!)
Los Lonely Boys - Heaven
Vienna Teng - Lullaby for a story night
Sheryl Crow - Good is good
Vanessa Williams - Open your eyes, you can fly
Paula Cole - Where have all the Cowboys gone
and my current fav:
Carbon Leaf - A Girl and her horse
Too many, I know. :)
"My wish" by Rascal Flatts..anything
ReplyDeleteby Rascal Flatts.
Rodney Atkins
"Born in the Boondocks" by Little Big Town.
Some artist suggestions:
ReplyDeleteGreg Brown (Country/Singer/Songwriter)
Guy Clark (Country/Singer/Songwriter), writes his own stuff and the lyrics are wonderful!)
Ian Tyson (western)
Edwina Hayes (Singer/Songwriter)
Cheryl Wheeler (Singer/Songwriter)
Eliza Gilkyson (Singer/Songwriter)
Ellis Paul (Singer/Songwriter)
An album called Going Driftless, a Tribute to Greg Brown. It is awesome.
Then there are the old standbys
Don Williams
Eddy Raven
Earl Thomas Conley
The Eagles
Alison Krauss
Dan Seals
I could go on and on
I have almost 3,000 songs on my ipod!
Sweet Home Alabama makes me stop what I am doing and crank the radio!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely try Pandora - it will turn up some new songs for you that you'd likely never find otherwise.
ReplyDeleteYou might like The Pretenders' Break Up the Concrete - it has a number of songs that have a sort of rock/country mix that I have really enjoyed. Oddly enough, I've been discovering a lot of new artists via shows I've watched on Netflix. Got a number of them from The Sopranos, a few from McLeod's Daughters, etc.
you can download my album. It's acoustic and kinda country. Search iTunes for my name and the album is called "Been Here Before." You can listen to clips to see if you like it.
ReplyDeleteYou need some Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood is awesome.
ReplyDeleteModern Day Bonnie & Clyde - Travis Tritt
ReplyDeleteAfter you watch this video you will never want to listen to single ladies again. Or at least not be able to without clawing your eyes out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_lrKhmx2WU
ReplyDeleteYou MUST have bohemian rhapsody by queen on there!
Several songs from "The best of Country sing the Best of Disney" come to mind, especially:
ReplyDelete"Someday my Prince will come" Tanya Tucker
"Baby Mine" by Alison Krauss (best.song.ever!!!)
And the entire Season one Soundtrack from True Blood, especially
"Bad Things" by Jace Everett
"Lake Charles" by Lucinda Williams
"I don't wanna know" by Dr. John
and
"Bones" by Little Big Town.
As always, your photos are amazing. Smooch is a real character!!
Gunpowder and Lead by Miranda Lambert gets me going and it's my ringtone on the cell.
ReplyDeleteKing George, Brooks and Dunn, Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins, Billy Covington, must have Reba in there too. Oh and don't forget Johnny Cash!! Chris Ledoux is another one.
I have some sort of disability when it comes to naming my favorite book, movie, song, etc. My mind goes blank - totally blank. It's not until I hear something, or see something that I realize, "Oh, I love that movie/book/song!" But later, I can't remember the artist or any other information.
ReplyDeleteSo, I'm sorry to say that I can't help you. However....the bloggers who have said stuff about Pandora are right. My son introduced me to it on a long drive. We had great music (luckily I like what he likes) and only a few selections that weren't his thing - which we gave thumbs down to and won't come on his playlist again.
This Never Happened Before, Pual McCartney (Theme from The Lake House).
ReplyDeleteA couple more Zac Brown Band songs and ya gotta have Sweet Home Alabama... a bit country but classic RR!!
ReplyDeletei listen to everything. my old favorite Johnny Cash. My new favorite over the rhine...woman with the most amazing voice ever
ReplyDeleteI just got an I-pod and one of my first songs is Morning Train by Sheena Easton..........I can't listen to that song without moving something. Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteJill A. in Kansas
Silver Wings, Merle Haggard - you too?? I have been singing Silver Wings to my horses since it first came out. How about some classic Johnny Cash or Hank Williams?
ReplyDeleteI am betting that you will like Ray Lamontagne. Try Beg, Steal or Borrow first
ReplyDeleteOMG - This is too fun! Four from my "RACE" playlist for the half marathon: "It's Raining Men" (The Weather Girls); "Evacuate the Dance Floor" (Cascada); "Come Talk to Me" (Peter Gabriel); and Johnny 99 (Bruce Springsteen - of course!)
ReplyDeleteHow about 'Amarillo by Morning' with George Strait. Have you tried Project Playlist? I don't use it on my main blog because not everybody likes my music; so it's just on my art blog-- http://rainsgallery.blogspot.com/-- but it's a good place to go and listen to music, their main site that is and see if you like this or that version of a song before you buy it.
ReplyDeleteTry Trish Hinojosa, especially her Culture Swing CD. THis Tejano singer writes country songs with a Hispanic twist, singing sometimes in English, sometimes in Spanish, but always with a great tune. Think a less earnest Joan Baez with a country twang.
ReplyDeleteHere are some of my fav's on my Ipod.
ReplyDeleteBrian Adams- have you ever really loved someone
George Jones- He stopped loving her today
Jackson Browne- STAY
From the Movie Crazy Hearts- Jeff Bridges and Colin Farrell-Fallin'Flyn'
Leon Russell- Lady Blue
Rhonda Vincent- Missouri Moon!! I am from Missouri!!
so many songs........
I don't know nothin' 'bout no ipods (yeah, I tried to watch Gone With the Wind again last night), but I have a whole bunch of "radio stations" set on Pandora on my computer. I'd say anything by Buffett or CCR....
ReplyDeleteNancy in Iowa
Since you mentioned Jimmy Buffett, my favorite artist, I’ll throw out a few of his tunes that I like. My all time favorite song ever is ONE PARTICULAR HARBOUR. It’s an island-y type song. I love the chorus. Give HE WENT TO PARIS a listen for a more country feel (the older version). It has more pedal steel in it than today’s country music. NAUTICAL WHEELERS, WOMAN GOIN’ CRAZY ON CAROLINE STREET, and TRYIN’ TO REASON WITH HRRICANE SEASON are more of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteFor hard core country, give Dale Watson a listen. I love most of his stuff, but particularly the stuff that rags on Nashville and the state of today’s country music such as COUNTRY MY ASS, NASHVILLE RASH, REAL COUNTRY SONG AND LEGENDS (WHAT IF).
The Gourds do a cool bluegrass version of Snoop Dogg’s GIN AND JUICE.
The Road Hammers do a rockin’ cover of GIRL ON THE BILLBOARD.
Check out Trent Summar’s version of HE STOPPED LOVING HER TODAY. Wait for the chorus to see what I mean.
My new favorite non-country song at the moment is LITTLE LION MAN by Mumford and Sons. If the f-word offends, then don’t listen, but it’s not done in a tacky way.
Reckless Kelly’s WIGGLES & RITTALIN is always fun.
I don’t listen to non-country much these days, so really can’t recommend much that is not country, which is funny since I used to detest country music. Anyway, I hope you enjoy at least some of the songs above.
Kendra
Thanks for the great post & the great tunes. Some I've forgotten & some I hadn't heard before. Music truly is the language of the soul. It was a big part of my life until I met with the worst tragedy a Mom can imagine. Music became too painful. Eight years have passed and I am grateful I am beginning to hear the music again. Can't pick a favorite. I enjoy discovering new artists. I listen to every genre. John Prine does make me smile!
ReplyDeleteLook at all these responses! I'm sure you're finding some great 'new' stuff, a few more artists to check out, and a few specific songs:
ReplyDelete+Iron & Wine
+Mason Jennings
+Missy Higgins
+'The Swimming Song' by Loudon Wainwright III
+Ingrid Michaelson
+Zach Gill
+'Lowlands' by Gillian Welch
I second (or third or whatever) Pandora! It's the best ... I think Sugarland's Stuck on You is really good.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try this Pandora thingy... just as soon as I get a few moments to myself....
ReplyDeleteBut before I toddle off into the insanity of my week I wanted to say that I personally think that Smooch would love Smashmouth's 'Crazy Bout My Baby' and 'Walking on The Sun' two of my absolute favorites to get up and going!
The remake of "life in a northern town" I love the vocals and the music!!
ReplyDeleteLove the Pandora suggestion. Haven't tried it but those who do swear by it.
ReplyDeleteRaising Sand - whole cd by Robert Plant and Allison Kraus. Not a weak track on it, hard to classify but produced by T.Bone Burnett.
My brother keeps tempting me to get an ipod touch. If I do I'll learn those skills too.
OMG I just went back and looked at the pics again and just realized you have earbuds on Smooch!!! I am CRACKING UP!!!! She is so damn cute - give her a smooch from me ^_^
ReplyDeleteThanks, enjoying suggestions. How about: Don't Let the sun go down on me,also I love most all of the Celtic Thunder. These guys are not to bad to look at......Fl Fan.
ReplyDeleteI love the Gillian Welsh album Soul Journey, also Cat Power (The Greatest) - Smooch should be assured it is not actually about cats (mostly). Neil Young's Prairie Wind is one that gets a lot of play on my iPod. Also have you tried Smog? (A River Ain't Too Much to Love - is my pick of his albums). Smog is not really dance music though, more strolling music.
ReplyDeleteTwo suggestions, both acoustic singer-songwriters with a country-folk edge. One is a duo, the other a solo artist:
ReplyDeleteThe Weepies (Deb Talan, Steve Tannen)
http://www.theweepies.com
Jaytee Minton
http://www.myspace.com/jayteeminton
Just copy-paste the URLs.
When I saw your title, I was worried!
ReplyDeleteOk-- here goes: Broken-hearted Savior or Soul for a Cowboy by Big Head Todd.
Also: Anything by JJ Cale, especially his 'After Midnight' which he wrote and couldn't be more different from Clapton's version.
Listen to some of Templeton Thompson such as "Must have a Cowboy" and "Girls and Horses"
ReplyDeleteI'm not a Kenny Rogers fan but love "In her dreams, she rides wild horses"
Not a Wynonna fan (sorry Wynonna) but love this "My Strongest Weakness" Brooks and Dunn "Cowgirls don't cry" Blake Shelton "Home" Allison Moorer "A soft place to fall" a few Eric Clayton and every ipod should have Bob Seager "Like a Rock"
Got room for 1 more?
ReplyDeleteBrandi Carlile... Dying Day
Pretty much anything from Nancy Griffith (Flyer is my favorite album).
ReplyDeleteOkay, Smooch, you cutie-patootie...you asked for it. Tell Linda this is an edited list, too...*smile*
ReplyDeleteWicked Way - Waylon (not Jennings)
Happy Song - Waylon (not Jennings)
Perfectly Lonely - John Mayer (the entire Battle Studies album is great)
Lucia di Lammermoor - London Symphony Orchestra immediately followed by: The Diva Dance - Inva Mulia Tchako (Fifth Estate Soundtrack)
I Heard it Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
Spente le Stelle - Emma Shapplin
La Notte Etterna - Emma Shapplin
Lie to Me - Johnny Lang
Tribal - Badmarsh & Sri
Mountain Path - Badmarsh & Sri
Smooth - Santana & Rob Thomas
Speedway at Nazareth - Mark Knopfler (the last half is an outstanding instrumental)
Stand by Me - Ben E. King
Suddenly I see - KT Tunstall
Sunday Morning - Maroon 5
Sweet the Sting - Tori Amos
That Thing You Do - Soundtrack title song of the same name
The Trouble with Love Is - Kelly Clarkson
Wikked Lil' Grrrls - Esthero.
You're bound to find SOMETHING in there that you like. *grin*
Lots of great suggestions above. I need to check out and broaden my horizons! When I saw the adorable pictures of Smooch and HER iPod, my first thought was, what type of music sparks her interest?
ReplyDeleteSneaky SNAKE - Tom T Hall
Mississippi SQUIRREL Revival - Ray Stevens
The CHICKEN Dance - a staple at Czech & German weddings & festivals
COYOTE - Don Edwards
Any song by WYNONNA
Get Along Little DOGGIES - Chris LeDoux
Milk COW Blues - George Strait
CATTLE Call - Don Edwards
Let that PONY Run - Pam Tillis
RIDIN' Down the Trail to ALBUQUERQUE - R W Hampton
The SUNSET TRAIL - R W Hampton
Sorry Smooch, I couldn't think of any good songs about jackrabbits or burros......
"The Hudson" by Dar Williams:
ReplyDeletehttp://new.music.yahoo.com/dar-williams/tracks/hudson--23837641
One of my favorites and great to sing along with!
I think it is so funny (in a good way) that everyone wants to tell folks what their favorite music. 59 comments so far.....that's a lot of comments! Goes to speak of the power of music.
ReplyDeleteI think you have a lot of good suggestions!
Try to find the sound track to Horse Whisperer. Even though there wasn't that much music in the movie, the sound track if full of good ol' country music new and old. Not sure if you can do that with ITunes or not, it is hard to find.
ReplyDeleteSuite Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young My absolute all time favorite song. Always puts a smile on my face and gets my feet moving!
ReplyDeleteT. Graham Brown, Jimmy Nalls, James Taylor, Carole King, Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, Bon Jovi, The Eagles................
Jackson Browne! If you need to stay away from his politics, try "I'm Alive" "Everywhere I Go" "Somebody's Baby" "The Pretender" "Running On Empty" "Nino" "I'm the Cat" (sorry, Smooch). Slower ballads: "Too many Angels" "For A Dancer" "Fountain of Sorrow" "Your Bright Baby Blues" "The Load Out/Stay".
ReplyDeleteOh, and "Redneck Friend"!
Tracy Chapmans "Give me one reason", "Sending me angels" and "Better off with the Blues"by Delbert McClinton. Hope it's not too late to make the cut.. these are good songs...
ReplyDeleteCouple more....*grin*
ReplyDeleteAin't Nothing Wrong With That - Robert Randolph & The Family Band (or Waylon. Both do a good version.)
Mud on The Tires - Brad Paisley
Whatever It Is - Zac Brown Band
Do you Believe Me Now - Jimmy Wayne
Anything by Buddha Bar. Alot of what they do has an exotic, eastern flavour.
The Inferno - Emma Shapplin
And, just for fun: The Truck Got Stuck - Corb Lund
I'll stop now...
You need you some Leon Redbone and and the group Ollabelle
ReplyDeleteLooking at that list makes me think you might like Queens of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures.
ReplyDeleteI also have the new CD by a band called Stone Sour ('Audio Secrecy') and though I'm totally biased I have to say it's very, very good :)