Chanson du Jour

Sorry about the lack of video for today, but I really like this song for some reason. Maybe because it accurately portrays my gloomy mood as I head into a weekend full of...studying!!! Does anyone else find it interesting that the first proto-oncogene ever discovered was the Src gene, found in chickens, which is a tyrosine kinase? Why does phosphorylating a tyrosine amino acid cause a mutation that speeds up cell proliferation (or does it inhibit apoptosis? - I can never remember that)? I have more powerpoints to go over. I will get back to you on that one. I still have no idea what my professors are talking about.

Black Tables by Other Lives

Chanson du Jour

O The Vampyre by A.A. Bondy

Chanson du Jour

After hours and hours of molecular biology and biochemistry, I just want to listen to some nice music from a guy with a funny name. I have just the thing. Take this and call me in the morning.

Enjoy Meet Me In The Garden by Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele

Chanson du Jour

Greetings from my new headquarters at the UNTHSC library. I hope all are doing well. Before I get back to learning the multitudinous differences between lysosomes and peroxisomes, I will post a little musical delight for all (but mostly for myself).

Enjoy Cheer For Fate by Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

Chanson du Jour

Songs may come at weird times now that I am in school again. But, I promise to keep them coming. Enjoy Tokyo by Telekinesis.

Chanson du Jour

Next Time Around by Little Joy

Chanson du Jour

This is kind of a country/bluegrass/folk meets rock meets Abercrombie & Fitch. I guess the official genre is "Old Time Music". But, I kinda like it.

I can't be sure, but I think this song is about cocaine. It's subtle, but I am pretty good at pulling meaning out of lyrics. Enjoy Tell It To Me by Old Crow Medicine Show


Covering The Rolling Stones...Down Home Girl by Old Crow Medicine Show

Chanson du Jour

I'm just hitting home run after home run this week. Another awesome song. You're welcome.

Click, Click, Click, Click by Bishop Allen

Chanson du Jour

And we thought nothing good ever came from Oklahoma. This proves we were wrong. Check out this Norman, OK band.

Popsickle by Starlight Mints

A Voice For Baseball

I have an analogy for all you preparing for the SAT: Baseball:Sports :: Conservatism:Politics. Now, I explain.

Baseball is quickly becoming the pariah of the sports world. It is no longer cool to admit that you enjoy baseball, played baseball at any time in your life, or enjoy the occasional baseball game on TV. What we have forgotten is that baseball, as America's pasttime, is an American staple. It is part of the founding of this country (although it came much later). Just like conservatism is at the founding of this country and is now becoming the butt of any pundit's joke. Why does this happen to baseball? What did baseball do that is so offensive to everyone? Why do we pay more attention to sporting imports like soccer and hockey? Why do we worship a game in which its players can't even make it through a 16-game season? Why do we obsess over a sport that thugs and criminals can excel at? Scratch that. Basketball is good, too. Why is Nascar even considered a sport? All we need as Americans are the Big Bad Games. BBG. Get it? Big Bad Games. Remember that. Big Bad Games. BBG. Baseball, Basketball, Golf. Big Bad Games. BBG. BBG.

Let's talk about the merits of baseball (and yes, this is a response to my cousin's thrashing of baseball on his blog and to the constant ribbings of my in-laws, who as we speak are on one of their abundant soccer trips - because you have to fly to all parts of the country to find one other person interested in playing soccer).

1) Baseball, unlike other sports with the exception of golf, rewards talent and skill over athleticism. In what other sport can an aging man throw 70 mph knuckle balls and be an all-star, like Tim Wakefield? The younger, more "talented" pitchers just can't do what he can. They have stronger arms, better health, younger bodies. But, they cannot excel like he can because he has the skill and know-how to dominate batters.

2) Which brings me to this point: baseball is the smartest game. This highly offends football players (and yes, there is strategy in football; just ask John Madden - "you see, you want to get the football in the endzone more times than the other team in order to be successful and win the game, you see"), but your sport can be understood and played by any blockhead. Just take a look at the average intelligence of the football fan. MORONS. It's a simple game. Baseball, on the other hand, is full of strategy, trickery, game-manipulation, strategic roster changes, mind games, etc. Other sports just don't have that. Baseball is kinda like chess in that you need to anticipate what your opponent is going to do in order to make your move. Don't guess wrong. Football players just memorize what they are supposed to do in certain formations and do it. Simple as that.

The heads of every football player and fan just exploded looking at this!

3) Todd, my cousin, criticized the fact that baseball teams play their rivals 20 times a year and that takes away from the magic. Well, what about interleague play? Baseball, for the most part, does not have it. So, the AL and NL are truly 2 different leagues with different rules even. Then, when they meet in the championship, it is something truly special because there is a good likelihood the teams have never played before. Nice.

4) Todd also mentioned that any sport where you can eat sunflower seeds and play at the same time is not a real sport. Just the opposite, amigo. That is true talent. And the sign of a true sport. Remember when the official drink of the MLB was All-Sport, the CARBONATED sports drink? Awesome. Next it will be Budweiser that is in the coolers (I would be surprised if it's not already there). That is a true sport.

A true athlete

5) He has me on the managers wearing uniforms thing. That is pretty funny. They all look like The Penguin from Batman Returns out there. But, we baseball fans just chalk that up to physical comedy, which spices up our game.

Plus, no cheerleaders, games played in warmer weather, no drill/dance teams, dot races, the risk of losing your life at any moment by taking a foul ball to the temple, the memories that can be formed with your father as he throws you into the row in front of you to catch said foul ball, 7th inning stretch, the fact that studies have shown that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in all of sportsdom, combined with the fact that uber-talented teams like the Yankees and Red Sox can be outplayed and beat by a bunch of ragtag players like the Rays make baseball THE GREATEST GAME ON EARTH.

That being said, I can't wait for football season (pro, not college, of course).

Chanson du Jour

Now this is a great song.

Bye Bye Bye by Plants And Animals

Chanson du Jour

Did you miss me? Well, whether you did or not, I am back. I am bringing the heat for the next little while with all manner of crazy songs, just for all the reader out there.

Sometimes, you listen to music just 'cuz you want to. It has no redeeming qualities, no talented musicians, no deep lyrics, no harmonized femmy vocals (Eagles slam!), no nothing. Just fun music that you can rock out to. Today's band is such band, such dutiful band (you are welcome for the Vincent Dooly reference joke).

Please enjoy the fun-loving cacophony that is O Katrina! by Black Lips

Chanson du Jour

Another pick from the liberal menace.

Papa Was A Rollin' Stone by The Temptations

Chanson du Jour

Here is a selection by Anonymous.

All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down by The Mavericks

Chanson du Jour

Greetings from Times Square New York. We would like to thank the Residence Inn for the wi-fi so we can keep the songs a-comin'. This is one of the liberal menace's pick-me-up songs that always gets her moving.

Evil Woman by ELO

Chanson du Jour

Here is the suggestion for this week's songs of the day, made by Anonymous.

Here is my suggestion: WE all have songs that are on a very short list of songs that anytime we hear them; does not matter the time day, what we are doing, the mood we are in or how many times we have listened to it, we turn up the volume and get lost in the song. It would be interesting to have anyone out there tell us the song(s).

Ok, let's play. I will start. We already have contributions from Anonymous and the liberal menace. Any other contributions are welcome. We will get them all up, as long as they are in on time. And by the way, I am not going to Cheyenne and will not say hi to Dick Cheney, but Cami does not know where we are going yet so I had to make something up. But, it will be fun. I have always wanted to go to Roswell, NM. HA!

Here is a song that will make me shake my tailfeather every time I hear it, no matter what...

Whenever I have to do some chores I don't want to do, or mow a lawn in hot weather, I can listen to this song and feel energized and excited about the dreaded task, no matter what.

You Only Live Once by The Strokes

Next Week's Chanson du Jour

Who wants it? Cami and I will be out of town in Cheyenne, WY and I don't want the stress of choosing a song each day. I will turn it over to the highest bidder (first person that shows interest in doing it). Just comment here, I will give it to you, and then you can email me the songs for next week. Capish? Let the bidding begin....right......now!

Chanson du Jour

Since yesterday's song was maybe not played at stake dances (which is still being debated), I will put up a song that for sure was played. We have put it on the blog before, but it is great enough to put up again.

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers

Always end with a slow song at a stake dance. For a while, it was always this song...at the request of a girl with some pull with the DJ (no not my sister). We go from the Scots (Proclaimers) to the Irish...

Lady In Red by Chris De Burgh - this song was re-made famous by the recent Tina Fey movie, Baby Mama

Chanson du Jour

I have a confession to make. I can't remember if this song actually made the stake dances of yesteryear, but this song really reminds me of the DJ. I know for a fact that we bought the single for this song, and I am 99% sure we used that single at the dances. Please help me out, if there is anyone out there who knows if this song was used. If not, it at least reminds me of searching for music with my dad...for the stake dances.

How Bizarre by OMC

Chanson du Jour

Unfortunately, each stake dance included a country line dance. Usually one of these two songs...

Boot Scootin' Boogie by Brooks and Dunn

Any Man Of Mine by Shania Twain

Sorry for the country music, liberal menace. It is as hard for me to post as it is for you to listen to. When these songs came on, I would, fully knowing the proper way to line dance, either grab a chair and sit in the middle of the line dancing monkeys (which drew the immediate ire of the old man) or try and walk through the line dance without touching anyone (tricky because you have to anticipate the dancers' moves). But, I was less than enthused when the DJ Extraordinaire decided to play these songs.

But, this one I participated in...and I pretty much felt like this video looks.

Cotton-Eyed Joe by Rednex

Chanson du Jour

No stake dance would be complete without a swing song. Here is a favorite of our DJ, my dad, Bruce Jensen.

Rock This Town by Stray Cats

Canción del Día

Love the movie. Love the music. Love this song. It's crazy...this is exactly how I clean my house!

Hobbies Part (5th Prime Number Starting From 0)

Click on the pictures to enlarge them...

Going to very public places and pretending to be MI6 agents with malfunctioning earpieces (British accent and all)


Just being plain smart (this is how William Tell discovered gravity with the pear)


Gangsta Camping (don't worry, T-Les and I are wearing shorts - Molly, on the other hand, is butt nekkid, as usual)




Posing Forlornly



Testing people's honesty by leaving electronic equipment unattended while feigning sleep in public places (recommended only if you want a new camera - as we learned the hard way)

Message From The Liberal Menace To Me

The liberal menace sent me the link to this video, which is stinking hilarious by the way, and I had to ask myself: Why did she think of me? What is it about this video that reminds her of me? Curious. Is it because of my poor eating habits? Is it my well-known love of fast food that inspired this welcome, if not uninvited, email? Maybe it is my, as Bill Maher would put it, "flat-earth" mentality towards the global warming hoax.

I don't think it is any of that. I just think it is funny and she wanted to share it with all of you reader. So, here it is, compliments of the liberal menace.....fixing humanity one funny video at a time.


Taco Bell's New Green Menu Takes No Ingredients From Nature

Chanson du Jour

We will continue Stake Dance Week with another fast one. I was never much into The Beatles growing up. Little did I know that I would marry the biggest Beatles maniac in the world. Luckily, I was able to salvage the relationship and come up with a song of theirs I knew, thanks to the stake dances. Here she is; the song that got me married...

Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da by The Beatles


And yes, I am a big Beatles fan now. Thanks Cami.

Chanson du Jour

Ever since I bought my first cds (Live - Throwing Copper, Blues Traveler - Four, Batman Forever Soundtrack, Pearl Jam - Vitalogy) I have been on a never-ending quest for good music. But, my dad taught me something when I was a teenager that I will never forget (and rarely use). Good music is not always good dance music. Good dance music is not always good music.

As DJ for the Stake dances, my dad was responsible for the musical entertainment of the teenagers in our area. This is a responsibility he really enjoyed. I would help him pick out the music, along with several other teenagers, for the dances. Late night trips to Barnes & Noble to listen to new music each month was one of our favorite pasttimes. We would gather and collect music and then present our discoveries to the committee for review. Thumbs up or thumbs down. That was all we needed. And remember, you are not voting if you like the song or not, but rather you are voting on whether that song is a good dance song or not. Clean, upbeat (unless it's a slow song), relatively short, danceable.

So, in honor of my dad who taught me the difference between good music and good dance music, we will have Stake Dance Week this week. Songs I remember from the Stake dances of my youth. Songs that I have associated with my dad in some way or another (yes, this is a cheap ploy to pay him back for the torture I put him through last week). Enjoy.

Sell Out by Reel Big Fish

Chanson du Jour

The latest Radiohead album is called In Rainbows. In a show of defiance to the greedy you-know-whats at the record labels, Radiohead released this album online that you could download for the price that you named. $0? No problem. The album is yours. Pretty awesome. Here are my favorite songs off the album.

15 Step - performed at the Grammy's this year and also the song played at the end of Twilight


Nude


Videotape - my favorite song on the album


Well, I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that Radiohead is in the recording studio right now banging out #8 for all us peasants to enjoy soon. I can't wait and I know you can't either.

As for Anonymous, happy 4th of July. You are officially free of the British and can claim your independence. The Red Coats won't attack you on this blog ever again. This blog is done with Radiohead (but probably not all British artists), forever (say it like Squints, for me).

Chanson du Jour

The sixth album is Hail To The Thief. The album title tells you everything you need to know about their political views and their opinion of George W. Bush. But, I digress. Let's get crack-a-lackin'. Here are my favorite songs off the album.

We Suck Young Blood (Your Time Is Up) - not the official video


A Punch Up At A Wedding (No No No No No No No No)


I Will (No Man's Land) - short song, just for Anonymous


My favorite song on HTTT has 2 F-bombs in it (at 37 and 38 seconds - if you want to mute it there), making it PG-13 Rated. Watch the following video at your own risk.
A Wolf At The Door (It Girl, Rag Doll)

Canción del Día

This song is dedicated to my dad. He would bust out this record at the end of every semester at BYU and blast it in our little Wymount apartment. I have many fond childhood memories of this song. It meant that dad was done (at least for the time being) and that life was awesome. I even carried on the tradition when I attended BYU. When I would talk to my dad at the end of a semester he would invariably ask if I had played the song and I would respond with a resounding YES! I love.this.song and hope you enjoy it too (and the AWESOME 70's getup featured in the video)! Enjoy "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry.

Chanson du Jour

Album #5 is Amnesiac. If I were having an argument with myself, I could see myself convincing me that this is my favorite Radiohead album. Hard to pick a favorite, but I might could convince myself that this is the one. Who knows? But, the answer, in case you were wondering, to the question "What is your favorite Radiohead album?" is "The one I am listening to". Just in case you were wondering.

Today is another day where there are too many good songs to narrow down, so I didn't. There is too much music here to just listen to. Go ahead and get the videos playing and then go on to something else and enjoy the music. Here are my favorite songs off the album.

Anonymous, you may just want to skip the next few days. But, I do have a special treat for you. Maybe you will like a Radiohead song if it's not an original, but a cover. Radiohead doesn't do these often, but this one is pretty good. I will put it at the end, just for you.

Life In A Glass House (favorite song on Amnesiac, favorite Radiohead song period, maybe my favorite SONG, period) - best listened to VERY LOUD


Pyramid Song


You And Whose Army? (a close second - almost my favorite song on the album)


Knives Out


I Might Be Wrong


Radiohead cover of Nobody Does It Better by Carly Simon from the James Bond "The Spy Who Loved Me" soundtrack

Chanson du Jour

I have been looking forward to today for a while. Not because Kid A is my favorite Radiohead album (actually, unlike jenfra, it is the one I know the least), but because today is going to be such a THRASHING for Anonymous. Kid A is arguably Radiohead's "weirdest" album. It won a Grammy for best Alternative album and was nominated for Album of the Year, and was the only Radiohead album to debut at #1 in America and it went platinum in 1 week in the UK, but I think that is because of the greatness of OK Computer and NOT because this album is so great. That is just my opinion, though. Some people, critics and fans, call Kid A Radiohead's greatest album and some think Radiohead was intentionally trying to commit commercial suicide with this album. I fall somewhere in the middle. It is not my favorite, but I do like it...a lot.

Regardless, today's selections are going to push Anonymous over the edge. I bet he doesn't make it through these beatings songs. Cami is going to really have to bail him out today. But, here are my favorite songs off Radiohead's fourth album, Kid A.

**WARNING** Today, I was very indecisive (too much greatness to narrow it down), so I would definitely recommend getting these videos playing, and move on to something else and use these songs as internet browsing background music. You won't regret it. But, it may be worth everyone's time, even you Anonymous, to watch Thom Yorke spazz out dance at the end of Idioteque.

How To Disappear Completely (my favorite song on the album)


Idioteque


Morning Bell


Motion Picture Soundtrack (tied for my favorite song on the album)