The Friday Five: November 8, 2013

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:

“Binary Mind” by Ra Ra Riot (from Beta Love, 2013

Beta Love has this odd, narrative thread running through it that suggests that the band may have been treading into “concept record” territory, without fully committing to it. Either way, this record has grown on me through the year and would probably land in my Top 20 of 2013.

“Rich Hipster (feat. Wale)” by Chrisette Michelle (from Better, 2013)

Another 2013 entry! Chrisette Michelle’s fourth record is worlds better than her last, Let Freedom Ring, and finds Miss Michelle back with her constant companion, Wale, in tow.

“Heart of Glass” by Blondie (from The Disco Years, Volume 2: On The Beat (1978-1982), 1990)

I can’t help myself, I truly love this tune.

“What’s New” by John Coltrane (from The Classic Quartet: The Complete Impulse! Recordings (disc 1), 1998)

Two weeks in a row with a bit of ‘Trane in them! This week it’s the tender side of ‘Trane, from one of my favorite records, 1963’s Ballads. Back in my record store days, this was my Sunday morning record. I’d usually alternate between Coltrane, Davis, Mobley, and Green until the second shift came in and started complaining.

“Money Don’t Matter 2 Night” by Prince and The New Power Generation (from Ultimate, 2006)

This cut always seemed like a bit of an anomaly in the Purple One’s cadre. It’s completely out of place on the record it was originally included on, an seemed like a completely off-the-wall choice for a single. Yet, it stands as one of my favorite Prince tunes; if for no other reason than it seems less polished than every other tune in his bag.

What’s on your shuffle today?