Random Rules-Complete and Total Rip-Off from the Onion-10 songs

1.If Tomorrow Never Comes-Todd Snider
Todd Snider's that singer-songwriter that will be on every show promoting his new album periodically making his way to a major label but even if he starts selling out the GEC and the Gund he'll still belong to me and Mik and Dad and Mum. Dad bought Songs for the Daily Planet because he heard something intangible. I listened to That Was Me and told Daddy that I think the song is about me. He said of course it is. That moment-I love to tell it-explains my feelings about Todd and his music-saying everything and being completely general.

2.Second Option-Thad Cockrell and Caitlin Cary
"I've been alone on a Sunday, I've been alone on a Monday, I've been alone too many days baby"
To be honest, I downloaded this album because it got really good reviews and not because I knew anything about the artists. It was a good choice. Total Americana stuff.

3.This is the Night-Clay Aiken
Oh just stop looking at me like that. I like Clay Aiken, okay? His album sucked rotten eggs but dude can sing. The only reason the album blew was that it was over-produced. If he'd been allowed to just sing it would've been well worth my money. And when he showed up on the season finale of AI last spring-well, I got almost as excited as that Claymitator.

4.Dead to Rights-The Twilight Singers
Oh good, I get my indie cred back. I was worried for a minute. Albums are often uneven and tedious (hence the love of the random feature) but this is all around an excellent album. Addiction, anger, betrayal and disinterest. It's all there on this collection, and this song actually.

5.
The Arrest-Jesus Christ Superstar
Actually from a redux thing starring the Indigo Girls. As is de rigeur I will claim hatred of Andrew Lloyd Webber except for JCS (some people say Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, others fancy Phantom and I'm sure every musical has it's followers). I will admit with no shame-I love this musical and this song. The scene from the movie is so tense and terrible and melodramatic. I love it.

6.In the Deep-Bird York
I've never seen Crash. Don't want to. It wasn't the best picture of '05-that was Brokeback Mountain. But this song-I actually first heard it on an episode of House (Autopsy-the same ep that teased us with Elvis Costello singing Beautiful, an as of yet unrealeased version that would cause me to pay full price for the soundtrack just for that one song despite the fact that I've gone to the trouble of collecting all the songs off iTunes or Rhapsody or from my own personal collection.) This song has actual power, it stands without the movie, it just reflects.

7.Girls Talk-Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Who doesn't want to just hear girls talk? Get Happy was one of those perfect Elvis Costello moments during the 3 1/2 years when he could hit no wrong notes. He still does it occassionally, but mostly he just does what he wants.

8. Wondering, Wondering-Emmylou Harris
I guess the angels sing like Emmylou. (That's from an unreleased Todd Snider song-my bootleg and low quality copy of which I've long since misplaced-but I know it was Todd and I know it's true.) If I ever have a daughter she will be named Emmylou. If I ever were lucky enough to meet Ms. Harris I've been given clearance by my family to act like a fool. Because she reaches something that I can't quite express-just by doing what is natural.

9. Make the World Go Away-Eddy Arnold
Crooning is sort of more awesome than a lot of modern musical expression. In an equally sort of odd and why would anyone want to listen to this kind of way. I'd love this if someone removed the drab background singers. They're lame.

10.Half Breed-Cher
I.Love.Cher.
She's awesome and even when she was doing info-mercials she was cooler than me or you or anyone in the tri-state area. The trifecta of story-songs is American songwriting at it's most ridiculous-but when Cher interprets it we find ourselves dealing with high drama. Try to be as cool as Cher and you'll end up in the ER coping with internal bleeding from the strain. It's just not going to happen.

11. (Completely because it's amusing---a hidden track) Drive Slow-Kanye West
Coupland likes to sing Gold Digger. But he doesn't edit it for television. He's so un-PC that dog.

Everyone should do this-because it would amuse me and that is really what it's about. Keeping me happy.