The Friday Five

Friday Five : |ˈfrÄ«dā – fÄ«v| : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button in iTunes and share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up the media player of your choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.

The Five:

“Crowing” by Toad the Wet Sprocket (from All You Want, 2011)

It was never a question, he was crowing for repair

Dulcinea contains a few of the songs that would take with me on that imaginary deserted island we music-obsessive types love to talk about. This song is full of lyrical moments that make me wish I had written them myself; the type of honest, soul-bearing expression that comes from a place that few can tap into. This version is from the band’s recent release of re-recorded fan favorites. Which leads into the bigger news, which is the fact that there will be a new Toad the Wet Sprocket record in 2013.

“Head to Toe” by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (from Sounds of the Eighties: 1987, 1995)

If there were ever a song to bust out the cabbage patch to, “Head to Toe” is it. I recall this tune being inescapable during its run on the charts, and for the next few years. Maybe its the fact that this and the follow-up, “Lost in Emotion,” are pretty damn similar.

“It Won’t Be Long” by The Beatles (from With The Beatles, 2009)

Side one, track one of With The Beatles certainly sets the tone for the record. This is rave up 101, right here.

“Casey’s Song” by City and Colour (from Live, 2007)

Man, the shuffle is being awfully kind today. I discovered City and Colour during my stint commuting to Toronto for business a few years back. “Save Your Scissors” was a regular fixture on MuchMusic and I was instantly hooked by Dallas Green’s unique timbre. The most confounding thing was the fact that I was fully aware of his ‘day job’ as guitarist for Alexisonfire, yet I had no idea he was putting out tunes that would stick with me far beyond anything that the post-hardcore quintet was producing.

“The Band’s in Town” by The Del McCoury Band & Preservation Hall Jazz Band (from American Legacies, 2011)

Now this is the way to end a Friday Five and kick into the weekend. If you have not listened to this record, I cannot possibly urge you all enough to go and remedy that fact, as soon as possible. The pairing of Del McCoury with the exceptional Preservation Hall Jazz Band made for a record that is about as perfectly Americana as it gets. Have a great weekend, my faithful Fivers!

What’s on your shuffle today?

About the Author

Michael Parr

Husband, Father, Writer, Musical Voyeur, Pop Culture Glutton, Gourmet in Training. I'm the tall guy behind all these short guys. You can find me on the Twitter.

View All Articles