Pigalina's Palace: Music

Pigalina Picks the Pops

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:20:26 GMT

I have been given the sacred task of making a selection of CDs to be played at my friend Rebecca's wedding.

So Trusting.

I am a bit of a geek (what you? really?! I never would have guessed) so it is a task that I was not only rather touched at being given but one that I am thoroughly enjoying too! It is giving me a chance to listen to a load of my CDs that have been sitting on the shelf for months, if not years, untouched. It is also an excuse to finally put to use a lot of impulse buys such as The Very Best of Culture Club (3 good songs) and Honey to the B by Billie (which is not mine. It belongs to somebody that we shall just call Mr P for now). Alas, my Jason Donovan CD, which I thought would have a wealth of lovely dancable songs on it, turned out to be a huge disappointment.

The task is a complicated one. There are many, many songs that I like but others probably hate. These must not end up on the final mix. Also, we can't have too many cheesy songs or else the reception may end up resembling a school disco, complete with LA lights shoes (how I wanted a pair for such occasions), strobe lights and that smoke that smells like bananas. Then there are songs that are too dancy - The Chemical Brothers for example. Fortunatley I don't own any "unce-unce" music as it is so fondly called in my house or else the job would be even more difficult sifting through that as well. Also, rock does not really seem appropriate which negates over half of the Pigalina and Mr Pigalina music collection. Naughty words is also a problem that one must be on the lookout for.

The biggest problem I am finding though is that all of the best songs seem to be about heartbreak. This is hardly good wedding fare. As we don't own many love songs (the trouble we had trying to arrange music for our own wedding!) it is slim pickings. I suddenly remembered that we had Always by Bon Jovi but upon listening to the words found out that it had to go into the break-up songs discard pile.

So, I am here, at the computer, sifting through thousands of songs to find a few that I hope Rebecca will like. At least I know at the wedding I will enjoy all of the music!<>

The White Stripes: My Doorbell

Tue, 27 Dec 2005 05:08:28 GMT

The White Stripes: My Doorbell

This is my new favourite song, it's great! The link above should take you to the video of the fab song so you can enjoy it too.

I haven't had a big look through ifilm yet but it looks pretty cool.

28 Days - Stealing Chairs

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 04:23:04 GMT

I think we won this CD. I certainly hope we didn't pay any money for it.

28 Days are an Australian band which, as far as I know, have had one hit single - What's The Deal ? (The one that goes: "The beer is ice-cold and it's sold from a supermarket that keeps their prices down...It's all very good at first, all the beer and cocaine.") Anyway, that song was obviously a hit because it is the only one on the album that seems to have any kind of tune.

Most of the songs are loud and fast with lots of scratching (think Linken Park though not as soft). I think it is track number 5 (I'm not listening to it again) that is very much like Limp Bizkit and we all know how great they are.

While I was listening to the album I thought I heard a really stupid line, but I thought, "No, they wouldn't write that, how stupid." However, I looked in the lyric book and sure enough in True Story there is the line: "He thinks she can do know wrong/Although secretly/She longs for every penis in the world". Goodness, it's the kind of crap you would write to insult someone when you are 15.

Disk 2 is a movie called Episode V: Enter the Dickhead. Bound to be some high quality drama. Sadly I will never know because my computer refused to play it. Probably has more sense.

2/5

Best track - What's the Deal?

(Next up: Air - Moon Safari)

2Pac - Do for Love (single)

Fri, 16 Sep 2005 00:33:52 GMT

This was one of Mr Pigalina's. He says it came in a pack of 10 singles for $10 (it is not a remnant from his wigga music taste phase as I had thought).

This single by 2Pac is one of his many posthumourous releases.

The title track - Do for Love - is more of an R'n'B song. There are "aaah-aahh-ooooh's" and all sorts throughout the chorus. 2Pac raps throughout about a troubled relationship. It's a rather average song and I probably wouldn't choose to listen to it.

Brenda's got a Baby the "B-Side" is way better. It doesn't start out very well, it sounds very 80s. The song is about a 12 year-old called Brenda. The story isn't a happy one - she has a baby to her cousin and she puts it into the rubbish. Her family don't care because they are junkies. Brenda ends up dying as a prostitute. The backing singers don't really add anything - warbling "bay-baaaaaaaay-hey" kind of detracts from the message of the song. However, out of the two songs I would go with this one as the best, it is far more interesting to listen to.

2/5

Best Track - Brenda's Got a Baby

(Next up 28 Days - Stealing Chairs)

12 Rounds - Jitter Juice

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 23:12:43 GMT

As I mentioned before I am going to review the many CDs that litter my house - most of which have only been listened to once, if at all. I have decided, as I have obssesively filed them in alphabetical order (to make them easier to find - I don't know why people find it a topic for mockery) I will listen to them in alphabetical order.

First up is Jitter Juice by 12 Rounds. This was originally Mr Pigalina's CD and was purchased for $1 out of a bargain bin.

The singer, Claude, has the tendency to sound a bit like Gollum on occasion - all throaty and angry. Most of the songs are similar in feel to the fabulous Skunk Anansie.

The first song - Spitting in the Sunshine had a sort of fairground feel to it with a syntesizer or a keyboard playing the tune. That is until it turns into a scream-fest. Pretty much all of the songs follow the (as Q magazine puts it) quiet-loud-quiet formula. The last track - Joyous - has a Kate Bush vibe and is my favourite track on the album. It is also the shortest, coming in at just 1 minute 44.

I think this album may grow on me, for now I will give it a 3/5.

Best track - Joyous.

(Next up 2Pac - Do for Love (Single))

The 99c bin might not be so great

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 10:19:47 GMT

Between us, my husband and I have over 400 CDs. With our powers combined we are owners of lots of bad music. You see, we are often lured to the clearance CD bin at The Warehouse and as a result we buy albums and single by artists we have never heard of. I am also the kind of person who would rather buy CDs with Christmas and birthday money than things like clothes.

So, I have decided, as I only really listen to the same 20 or so albums regularly, that the others deserve a fair go. I will attempt to listen to them all, from Jitter Juice by 12 Rounds to Mary Star of the Sea by Zwan; 50 Fabulous Disco hits to X-Files the album.

Yes, not content with forcing my movie watching habits upon you, you now will get to see my music taste too. You lucky little thing.