5 songs for feeling amused
Mar. 28th, 2007 12:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
enthusiastickamused. a·mused. uh-myoozd. pleasurably entertained, occupied, or diverted. aroused to mirth.
Honorable Mention: "My Dad's Gone Crazy" by Eminem
5. "Asshole" by Denis Leary
Denis Leary is a funny guy, and in my opinion a seriously underappreciated comic. The first track off his 1993 comedy album No Cure For Cancer is a song, often alternately called "I'm An Asshole," and its frankly delightful. Its extremely sardonic humor, to be sure, but the line "while handicapped people make handicapped faces" always manages to bring a smile to my face. And, if you're in the right mood, there's nothing like singing along to this song's chorus, which Leary sings with such unbridled delight he's practically yodeling it.
4. "I'm Downright Amazed At What I Can Destroy With Just A Hammer" by Atom & His Package
The minute I sat down to compile this list it was clear to me that at least one song by Adam Goren (aka Atom & His Package) was going to make an appearance. But why this one? To those familiar with Goren's work (and I understand that we are a smallish club) it may seem like an unorthodox choice. It isn't one of his "joke" songs like "Using the Metric System" or "What We Do On Christmas." I can only answer that, as much fun as his joke songs are, they're not always particularly good songs. In my eminently debatable opinion this song is good as a song, and above and beyond that its chorus always puts a smile on my face. Also I've been known to get a few chuckles out of watching people's horrified reactions to the fact that I consider this song music.
3. "You'll Have Time" by William Shatner
In 2004 Ben Folds went into the studio with legendary scifi actor William Shatner, and proceeded to produce and arrange an album that frankly defies comprehension. From its first notes (a cover of Pulp's "Common People") the album is a roller coaster ride of surpassed expectations: it manages to not only provide all of the ridiculous William Shatner spoken-word singing we've all come to know, love and parody, it also manages to be musically thoroughly enjoyable. In an album filled with surprise stand outs, this gospel-type song distinguishes itself by being both funny and also about death. Who doesn't smile when they hear William Shatner rhythmically say, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're gonna die"?
2. "Re Your Brains" by Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan Coulton was even more of a foregone conclusion to appear on this list than Adam Goren. His geek rock has been making people laugh ever since he burst onto the scene an indeterminate length of time ago (damn you, internet) and became abruptly ubiquitous in nerd culture. This song was written as part of Coulton's famous "Thing A Week" project, in which he wrote and released a new song every week for an entire year, and appears as the last track on the second "Thing A Week" compilation CD. "Re Your Brains" gives the leader of a horde of zombies a voice as an asshole corporate type who is treating the whole thing like an unproductive business meeting, complete with buzzwords. The bridge is particularly chortle-worthy, as the zombie sings, "I sure appreciate the way you're working with me; I'm not a monster Tom -- well, technically I am."
1. "Enormous Penis" by Da Vinci's Notebook
I like a capella, although I wouldn't necessarily describe myself as an a capella fan (I've bought an album here or there, but I know almost nothing about the scene.) I first became aware of DVN when the Brothers Chaps comissioned them to write "The Ballad of the Sneak" for Homestar Runner. This song, from their 2002 album Brontosaurus, is considered one of their signature works, and its not very hard to see why. At once a traditional barbershop quartet tune impeccably executed and a celebration of puerile humor that manages to keep a single joke funny for almost 3 full minutes, its catchy and easy to get stuck in your head. Its also childish and more than a little crass, and it gets me every time.
Next week: 5 songs for feeling angry.
Honorable Mention: "My Dad's Gone Crazy" by Eminem
5. "Asshole" by Denis Leary
Denis Leary is a funny guy, and in my opinion a seriously underappreciated comic. The first track off his 1993 comedy album No Cure For Cancer is a song, often alternately called "I'm An Asshole," and its frankly delightful. Its extremely sardonic humor, to be sure, but the line "while handicapped people make handicapped faces" always manages to bring a smile to my face. And, if you're in the right mood, there's nothing like singing along to this song's chorus, which Leary sings with such unbridled delight he's practically yodeling it.
4. "I'm Downright Amazed At What I Can Destroy With Just A Hammer" by Atom & His Package
The minute I sat down to compile this list it was clear to me that at least one song by Adam Goren (aka Atom & His Package) was going to make an appearance. But why this one? To those familiar with Goren's work (and I understand that we are a smallish club) it may seem like an unorthodox choice. It isn't one of his "joke" songs like "Using the Metric System" or "What We Do On Christmas." I can only answer that, as much fun as his joke songs are, they're not always particularly good songs. In my eminently debatable opinion this song is good as a song, and above and beyond that its chorus always puts a smile on my face. Also I've been known to get a few chuckles out of watching people's horrified reactions to the fact that I consider this song music.
3. "You'll Have Time" by William Shatner
In 2004 Ben Folds went into the studio with legendary scifi actor William Shatner, and proceeded to produce and arrange an album that frankly defies comprehension. From its first notes (a cover of Pulp's "Common People") the album is a roller coaster ride of surpassed expectations: it manages to not only provide all of the ridiculous William Shatner spoken-word singing we've all come to know, love and parody, it also manages to be musically thoroughly enjoyable. In an album filled with surprise stand outs, this gospel-type song distinguishes itself by being both funny and also about death. Who doesn't smile when they hear William Shatner rhythmically say, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're gonna die"?
2. "Re Your Brains" by Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan Coulton was even more of a foregone conclusion to appear on this list than Adam Goren. His geek rock has been making people laugh ever since he burst onto the scene an indeterminate length of time ago (damn you, internet) and became abruptly ubiquitous in nerd culture. This song was written as part of Coulton's famous "Thing A Week" project, in which he wrote and released a new song every week for an entire year, and appears as the last track on the second "Thing A Week" compilation CD. "Re Your Brains" gives the leader of a horde of zombies a voice as an asshole corporate type who is treating the whole thing like an unproductive business meeting, complete with buzzwords. The bridge is particularly chortle-worthy, as the zombie sings, "I sure appreciate the way you're working with me; I'm not a monster Tom -- well, technically I am."
1. "Enormous Penis" by Da Vinci's Notebook
I like a capella, although I wouldn't necessarily describe myself as an a capella fan (I've bought an album here or there, but I know almost nothing about the scene.) I first became aware of DVN when the Brothers Chaps comissioned them to write "The Ballad of the Sneak" for Homestar Runner. This song, from their 2002 album Brontosaurus, is considered one of their signature works, and its not very hard to see why. At once a traditional barbershop quartet tune impeccably executed and a celebration of puerile humor that manages to keep a single joke funny for almost 3 full minutes, its catchy and easy to get stuck in your head. Its also childish and more than a little crass, and it gets me every time.
Next week: 5 songs for feeling angry.
