day 01 - your favorite song
I used to religiously watch Casey Kasem present the Billboard Top 10, which would be shown in the small hours many years ago. I instantly fell in love with this track and it was getting a lot of play in the alternative clubs I was going to at the time. I'd seen Kamron in House Party 2 and didn't realise he was a legit rapper. I also thought the name of the group was quite amusing considering none of them were black. They did have a legit pedigree though, it was the DJ from Public Enemy who was producing them.
day 02 - your least favorite song
Just horrible and got so much airplay at the time that you couldn't avoid it even if you wanted to. 1 boy, 1 girl (who was in fact a boy) and a precocious brat you just wanted to smack in the face.
day 03 - a song that makes you happy
A classic Happy Hardcore anthem that has been copied, cloned and butchered over the years. This is the original Force & Styles version (and clearly part of a mix unfortunately). I'm quite proud to have their All Over the UK album in my collection. It's not available any more and I don't think many of their fans realised they ever released it! Pretty much every track on the album makes me happy but this is the best one!
day 04 - a song that makes you sad
This was easy to answer. There's too much emotion in his voice to not feel sad listening to it, especially knowing he died soon afterwards. One of a small group of cover versions that far exceed the original version of the track. Sorry Nine Inch Nails, but he made this track his own.
day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
This tune makes me both sad and happy and I'm not going into it anymore here. The concept behind the video is both simple and beautiful, and does take me back to my past. Just not that far back :)
day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
Hmm, could this possibly have something to do with my love of Japan? Morning Musume and AKB48 were the two biggest acts in the J-Pop scene when I first went to Japan. In fact I think I inadvertantly spotted the latter in a store in Tokyo on my first trip dressed as French Maids. But this track is from the Musume lot. It's just crazy bonkers and even more so when you read the lyrics.
day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
Yes it's a clubbing cliché now but this track takes me back to a club in Islington called Complex I used to go to a lot where Paul Oakenfold would play this well before it's association with the Trainspotting film. I just had my first proper clubbing epiphany where everyone was at one, and no drugs were involved; just the right music, up for it crowd, and overall atmosphere.
day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
Time for a rap track now and I loved Digital Undergrounds quirky style. 2-Pac's rhyming towards the end of the track was just incredible at the time, and has been copied quite a lot since. I was a big fan of ITV's Chart Show and I would make video mix tapes of the tracks I liked (watch the Saturday morning episode then record the repeat on Sunday night). This bit of the video tape got rewound a great deal as I'd scribble down line after line of lyric in an attempt to learn it.
day 09 - a song that you can dance to
I'm probably going to lose some friends for this one but I love the Step Up movies and the third one that this was taken from is probably my favourite 3D film of all time. The track is corny David Guetta hip hop pop but I find this track infectious and it makes me want to dance every time.
day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
There isn't much music that sends me to sleep but Tan Dun's soundtracks manage it every time. I love Crouching Tiger and Hero and all those sorts of films but I find it almost impossible to remain awake with music like this playing in the background.
day 11 - a song from your favorite band
Seen as a joke in the 80s, the Beastie Boys dusted off the abuse and came back as snow boarding buddhists but still a great rap act and this act was probably my favourite act through the 90s. Check Your Head is probably my favourite album. I have many fond memories of seeing them live and even got a high-5 off MCA :)
day 12 - a song from a band you hate
It's subject is a little unfair as I don't hate any band, but I chose this track because I don't get the Juggalo scene at all, even more so when they found religion. Another reason for choosing this one is that this track makes me laugh but I already had another track for that category :) They do have a point though, how do magnets work?
I love DJ Format's old school hip hop style and Jurassic 5 are one of the most under-rated acts of all time. Put both together and a video including mascots b-boying and the end result is something that I will never tire of.
day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
When Bjork blew up in the 90s she opened the doors to other Scandinavian acts to hit the mainstream. Stina Nordemstan sort of snuck in quietly but left a mark on me. Little Star is such a beautiful track, in fact the whole album is really good. Haunting yet uplifting.
day 15 - a song that describes you
This was a horrible category as I hate trying to describe myself and had I gone to friends I'd have likely ended up with a roller coaster themed track. So in my constant self-deprecating manner I've chosen this. It would have been Teenage Dirtbag but I'm too old for that title now :)
day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
Not "hate" as such as it's still a good tune. It's just dated pretty horribly. I remember going mental to this at various dance festivals and the acid hook is still pretty infectious. If I was to hear it being played in a club now I know I'd stop dancing and wander off. In fact I'd be surprised if anyone plays the video to the end.
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
At the time of compiling the list this track was getting a lot of airplay and was perhaps the only single in this genre that I've bought which is why I've picked it. I'm not sure about the Miss Dynamite bits but Katy has a good voice and is looking good in her vest and pj bottoms. There's a nice old school vibe to the backing track.
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
I'm cheating on this one as it was played on the radio, albeit only once. DJ Yoda and Greenpeace included this in their first Essential Mix played on Radio 1. It's a crazy track with some great lyrics and rhymes that left such an impression on me that not only did I track down the artist (Ugly Duckling) but had me buying their entire back catalogue and seeing them live a couple of times. Their following in the UK is bigger than in their homeland of the US but is still under the mainstream radar. A rap equivalent of Bill Hicks perhaps, and equally good.
day 19 - a song from your favorite album
The album in question is the original version of Paul Oakenfold's Goa mix, released in 94 and which has easily stood the test of time. I still play it a lot. So full of great tunes but this one stands out. Timeless trance monster from the Man With No Name.
day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
I don't really get angry that often but this is where rock plays its part. Angry shouting tracks serve their purpose if I need to let the tension out. Transplants were introduced to me by a friend who knows this genre way better than I could ever do, and their upbeat shouty style works a treat when the time is right.
day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
By far the cheesiest selection in my list. Another early Happy Hardcore anthem but one that instantly puts a smile on my usually frowning face and has me singing along. I have been known to skip along walls at 5 in the morning to this :)
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
The Radiohead original is good too but I think the Kolacny all-girl choir's version has a little more emotion in it. Who listens to music when they're sad though?
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
Not that I ever seeing myself ever getting married but if I had to pick a tune then this is it. I love WK's first album, there are so many positive upbeat pure rock tracks on this album, just a shame some of them are so short. I guess I could have it put on a loop for the first dance. I do need to be aware that there's a fine line with playing rock at weddings though!
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
Orbital were a massive part of my growing up and showed how electronic music could elicit emotion, which most acts at the time couldn't do. The original Belfast is beautiful on its own but I recall hearing this bootleg version with Therapy?'s "Wasted" track which adds an extra dimension.
day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
I'm currently into mashups where two or more tracks are put together to make a new composition. Get the combination of tracks right you can end up with some genius tracks such as this one. If done properly the original tracks if heard on their own sound incomplete. This one makes me laugh every time I hear it.
day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
Many a lunchtime would be spent going over to Brent Cross and playing on the keyboards in Dixons. At the time this track was the measure of one-handed keyboard playing ability. It was as good as I ever got unfortunately, this and "If I Was A Rich Man" from "Fidder on the Roof".
day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
I'm so jealous of any scratch DJ and am a huge fan turntablists such as The Scratch Perverts and Mixmaster Mike of the Invisibil Scratch Pickles, who does an amazing job in this video with a single deck. When I listen to scratching on my ipod I do feel the urge to air-scratch, air-guitar just isn't my thing.
day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
Two reasons why I picked this one. Firstly I would play this on repeat very loudly so I need to apologise to my neighbours. Secondly Marilyn Manson's concerts have the hottest dressed female fans!
day 29 - a song from your childhood
I've chosen Kraftwerk but the video is from Breakdance The Movie which was a massive film during my childhood growing up in Cyprus, where there were very few films in English. Either I took up Breakdancing, motorcycle riding whilst singing (Grease 2) or running around with a machine gun (Rambo). From this clip I'm able to balance a broom, although this guy used wires.
day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year
This video almost went viral in 2010. Hot Chip are geeky but still pretty good. I've seen them live with LCD Soundsystem, fortunately no laser fight broke out on that occasion.
