Friday Random Ten

Another Coolness-Factor Edition

1. "Nineteen" Old 97s from Fight Songs: Oh, to be 19 again. Or to have been 19 when this song came out. "Watch me now," indeed. 9/10.
   
2. "When You Come Back Down" Nickel Creek from Nickel Creek: They say the Holy Trinity is carrots, celery, onions. I say it's fiddle, mandolin, guitar. Though this isn't a favorite song. 5/10.
   
3. "I'm Not Down" Jon Svetkey from yeahyeahyeah: "I'm not down/ I'm just not looking up too far/ I would rather hold your hand on this earth/ than keep reaching for the stars." From memory, since I wore this CD out in college. 7/10.
   
4. "Second Chance at Romance" Kate MacLeod from Waterbug Artists' Collective Anthology 2: She's from that genre of songwriters who are really, really talented, but whose music I don't care for. Great lyric, mediocre listen. 3/10.
   
5. "Maori" Girlyman from Remember Who I Am: There are some songs from this record that I really, really dig. This is not one. 6/10.
   
6. "All in the Groove" Blues Traveler from Travelers and Thieves: Remember when listening to Blues Traveler meant you were cool? And this song is so dated--back up vocals from that guy from the Spin Doctors, an in-line reference to MC Hammer . . . But it rocks, even yet. 8/10.
   
7. "Lied" Myshkin's Ruby Warblers from Vote in November 2004: Election Anti-Theft Device: Yes, that's what it's about. While I generally agree with the sentiment ("The first time I saw your bastard face," is how it starts, "I knew you lied"--it gets more heavy-handed after that), I can take or leave the song. 5/10.
   
8. "Shape I'm In" The Band from The Last Waltz: Once, in high school, a debate teammate (yes I was a nerd!) asked hypothetically, "Wouldn't it be funny if someone formed a band and called it 'The Band'?" I explained it to him. 9/10.
   
9. "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" Bruce Cockburn from Anything Anytime Anywhere: I hate that the production dates this song inevitably to the eighties, but, man, is it a good lyric. 9/10.
   
10. "You Can Go Now" Vance Gilbert from Unfamiliar Moon: "You can go now/ I will not celebrate this leaving in a song," with that light jazzy guitar belying the sadness of the story. 8/10.

Total: 69, dude! Or 69% cool. A little better than last time.