groove

WALK-UP WEEK! Funk Friday: “Goliath,” Monophonics

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Before Game 6 of the 1991 World Series, Kirby Puckett, center-fielder for the Twins and my childhood idol, gathered his teammates around for a quick talk before they took the field.  “You guys should jump on my back tonight. I’m going to carry us.”  Puckett made good on his promise.  The Twins had been behind 3-2 to the Atlanta Braves before Game 6, during which Puckett hit the game-winning home run and made the best outfield catch, against the center-field wall, possibly ever seen in baseball.  (Puckett, who was a very stocky 5’8″, had incredible and surprising athleticism.  What was so jaw-dropping about that catch wasn’t just the air he got, but how powerful his arm was.  Look how far he throws that baseball!  He totally windmills his arm around to get that distance.  Just amazing.)  That game propelled the Twins to a World Series win.

I miss you, Kirby.  Whenever I hear “Goliath,” I think of you.

Number 34 on his jersey, number 1 in your heart.

Number 34 on his jersey, number 1 in your heart.

WALK-UP WEEK! Worldly Wednesday: “Dougou Badia (feat. Santigold),” Amadou and Mariam

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Of all the songs on Walk-Up Week, this would be my own personal song.  I’ve used this song to push me through long runs and long rows.  I see no reason why it wouldn’t pump me up enough to clock one out of the park.

WALK-UP WEEK! Termagant Tuesday: “Blues Walk,” Lou Donaldson

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNR7822K_40

 

There are a lot of different kinds of ballplayers.  There are the players who are just so amazed to be getting paid to follow their passion that they come across as happy all the time.  Then there are the ones who come across as spoiled little brats, who are more concerned with preserving their badass self-image than they are creating such an image through making consistent contact with the ball.  Bryce Harper, outfielder for the Washington Nationals, is such a player. Harper is good, don’t get me wrong.  But the man can throw a tantrum better than a four-year-old.  If he strikes out, he’s been known to throw his helmet on the ground and jump up and down.  Bless his little $900,000-a-year cotton socks.  “Blues Walk” is a raised-chin, eyes-narrowed, stare-you-down, “see if I care because I’m just that good” kind of a jazz song.  You do you, Harper.

WALK-UP WEEK! Modernism Monday: “Seventeen Years,” Ratatat

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Baseball is my favorite professional sport.  “Why,” I hear you reluctantly mutter?  Because it’s easy to understand and doesn’t have the homicidal undertones that football and hockey have.  I’m also the most familiar with it, having played Little League and collected baseball cards as a kid.

The other major reason I love baseball is the awesome modern addition of the walk-up song – aka, the song that plays when a batter steps up to the plate.  I’ve had the same conversation for years with friends and family about what the perfect walk-up song would be, but I hate having to pick one.

WAIT OMG I HAVE A BLOG NOW.  HAH.  Welcome to Walk-Up Week, Part 1: The Non-Ironic Version.  (Part 2 will take place in a few months after my Minnesota Twins have once again blown their chances at the Series, probably after losing, again, to the Tigers or the White Sox, and I think baseball is a hateful and idiotic sport with which I wish to have no association.)  We begin the week with “Seventeen Years,” by Ratatat.  This is a song for that batter with a consistent record of pasting the ball high over the left field wall, but, being a little older than most, is only brought out when his* skills are absolutely imperative.

*His.  It’s always his.  Oh well.

Funk Friday: “Boomin’,” Slynk

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Today, for reasons not yet disclosable, I feel like a total badass.  Also, by a wonderful turn of serendipity, many good friends of mine are also feeling like total badasses – buying houses, getting selected for incredible jobs, sticking it to the man, etc.  We be boomin’.  Have a rad Friday, Tune-Up fans.

Worldly Wednesday: “Narcissus is Back,” Christine and the Queens

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Achievement unlocked, Tune-Up fans.  Yesterday’s throw-down saw your Yankette come out on top.  Now, in the aftermath, this song comes to mind.  Christine and the Queens, aka Heloïse Letissier from Nantes, France, writes excellent, moody, atmospheric music to help you process life’s periodic weirdnesses.

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Talking talking your way out
While he’s still on the lookout
I lost my voice I think in colours
We make love a sorry hearse
I cry a thousand more mirrors
So that your eyes could get brighter
Obediently I bay a name
I share it with the wind I tamed
But can you see my heart (repeat)

Narcissus is back from underwater and kisses his lips again
Narcissus is back from underwater and kisses his lips again
Narcissus is back I shouldn’t bother I break the mirrors that I meet
Narcissus is back from under water and has his own lips to drink

The water, water, is so cold
It poisons anyone who calls
A loving hand, a daring kiss
Now watches everything you miss
It’s getting hard to look away
It’s not your office anyway
It’s much too easy to disperse
Et moi je prie pour une avers [I pray for the obverse]
Before you can see my heart
Narcissus is back (repeat 6)

Narcissus is back from underwater and kisses his lips again
Narcissus is back from underwater and kisses his lips again
Narcissus is back I shouldn’t bother I break the mirrors that I meet
Narcissus is back from under water and has his own lips to drink

Funk Friday: “Left Hand Free,” alt-J

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This is the second single off of alt-J’s forthcoming album, being released next month.  According to the band, this is the least alt-J-y song ever.  (For a point of comparison, search for alt-J in the search bar on the left hand side of your screen and play “Taro,” the song I posted a few months ago.  Different, right?)  According to me, it’s absolutely, completely, foot-stomingly awesome.  The tone of the song is a mild break from the classic funk music I tend to play on Fridays, but the sassiness of the guitar lick tipped the scales in its favor.  It just slays me.  This will probably be my remainder-of-summer 2014 song.  Happy Friday, Tune Sharks.

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Hey shady baby I’m hot
Like the prodigal son
Pick a battle eenie meenie miney moe
Hey flower you’re the chosen one

Well your left hand’s free
And your right’s in a grip
With another left hand
Watch his right hand slip
Towards his gun, oh no

I tackle weeds just so the moon buggers nibble
A right hand grip on his Colt single-action army

Well your left hand’s free
And your right’s in a grip
With another left hand
Watch his right hand slip
Towards his gun, oh no

N-E-O, O-M-G, gee whiz
Girl you’re the one for me
Though your man’s bigger than I am
All my days he disagrees, oh no

Well my left hand’s free
Well my left hand’s free

Hey shady baby I’m hot
Like the prodigal son
Pick a battle eenie meenie miney moe
Hey flower you’re the chosen one

Well your left hand’s free
Well my left hand’s free [x4]
Oh no

Modernism Monday: “Over Yet Blues,” Brian Wright

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0S2vXUmJ48

 

I saw Brian Wright live in DC a few months ago and he was incredibly awesome.  I recommend picking up everything he’s done so far.  This particular track is my favorite one of one of his most recently albums, “Rattle Their Chains.”

Okay enough about Brian Wright.  Two more days until I’m on vacation…just two…more…days…

Funk Friday: “Get Up Offa That Thing,” James Brown

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I’m not entirely unconvinced that I haven’t spent this week in some sort of strange sonic pressure cooker.  Actually, I’m not entirely unconvinced that all of us poor humans haven’t spent the week in a strange sonic pressure cooker.  It certainly feels like it.

SO.

Do you know what we do when things get hard?  Like really, really, in-your-bones, buy-a-plane-ticket-to-anywhere, screw-this-and-all-y’all hard?

You know what we do.

We DANCE.

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One other thing: THIS IS MY 200TH BLOG POST!  Cue balloon-drop!  Thank you to everyone around the world for making this blog so successful and so much fun to write.  It’s hard to write a post every single day but it’s such a blast to see new pings from all kinds of countries.  I am going to try and create a comment box to make this more interactive but for now – thank you, one and all.

 

Termagant Tuesday: “The Ritz Roll and Rock,” Fred Astaire

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These days it’s just about all I can do to keep pace.  Everything is moving just a little bit too fast.  But I’m still tap-dancing as best as I know how.  No one else mastered the art of this better than Fred Astaire.