Zune Insider

Hello all!  Those of you long-time members of the Zune Nation probably remember when we posted what we were listening to in the past, and we decided to start that up again – and add in what we’re watching, too!  So without further ado:

• Jessica: “I watched ‘Salt‘ with Angelina Jolie this week. It’s not a great movie (pretty predictable), but it’s super fun to see Angelina Jolie behave like an action hero!  Bringing back a classic… George Acosta’s ‘A State of Mind‘. Perfect background music… probably the reason I’m still in the office at 8 p.m. today!”

• Matt A: “I’m going to bring a few singles that I’m digging this week, some old, some new. First, thanks to my buddy Nick, I’ve been jamming “Digital Dirt” By Zion I and The Grouch off their 2006 album ‘Heroes in the City of Dope‘. This track has some poignant lyrics, pay attention! I’ve also had some time to spend with the Wiz Khalifa album ‘Rolling Papers‘, and I’ve found that aside from the more popular tracks on that album, I’m digging “Hopes & Dreams”, “Fly Solo”, and “On My Level”. Switching it up a little bit, I’ll finish up with a Gorillaz remix, “Doncamatic (The Joker Remix – Feat. Daley)”. This track isn’t actually on their latest album ‘The Fall‘, so impress your friends by with this awesome, little known track. Cheers!”

• Rob: “The Alex Jones Show Podcast – This series is an daily nationally syndicated 3 hour radio show about the latest breaking news from around the world. Host Alex Jones gives you a glimpse into the current info war on main stream media and online. He brings you an in-depth look at the news between the day’s headlines.   Professor Blastoff Podcast – In the late 1940’s, professor R.L. Blastoff, PhD. – a noted genius and recipient of multiple Nobel Prizes who had obtained advanced degrees in several subjects such as nuclear physics, mathematics, and molecular chemistry – completed work on a prototype for a time machine. Upon hearing that the professor planned to have his own weekly radio show discussing these ideas, Tig, Kyle and David became so fascinated with the topics that they decided to start a podcast of their own. The result can be heard weekly, broadcast from the professor’s lab, as “Professor Blastoff”.”

• Marques: “I’ve been all over the place with what I’ve been listening to but I’ll give the quick overview. I’ve re-discovered ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” podcast (love the banter on that show) and I continue to get my news fix from a combination of NHK World and BBC Global News. Musically, I found an artist called Outasight and I’m enjoying his album ‘Figure 8‘. And I would have to mention a great track by Rakim called “How to Emcee“. There’s plenty more through the course of the week, but those following me on Twitter quickly find out what they are.”

• Matt S: “I’ve been traveling quite a bit this week, so I dug deep into the archives and pulled up some old and some new.  Pink Martini’s ‘Hang On Little Tomato‘ has been on steady rotation (great lounge music), so has Eric Church and his album ‘Carolina‘.  Loving a couple of the tracks off of Adele’s latest album ‘21‘, especially “Rolling In The Deep”.  It came out a few weeks ago, but I can’t stop listening to Foo Fighters ‘Wasting Light‘,  I think “White Limo” is one of the best workout songs of all time. And naturally I had to download ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part Two‘ from the Beastie Boys this week.  Solid Beasties! My random playlist of the week includes a couple of classics from The Pixies including “Where Is My Mind?” and “Wave of Mutilation”, you can find both on their ‘Best Of‘ album.”

• Josh: “This has been an interesting week of music for me – a mixture of some new albums and some throwbacks. I’ve had Atmosphere’s new album ‘The Family Sign‘ play absolutely all week long. Just a great album start to finish. I’ve also been on a Bon Iver trip lately, giving both his old album ‘For Emma, Forever Ago‘ play time as well as his newer single ‘Blood Bank‘. There has been a little O.A.R. in the mix – specifically “That Was A Crazy Game of Poker (live)“. Then to throw you for a complete loop, I’ve had a whole bunch of chillwave playing, mainly artists Neon Indian and Washed Out.  As far as singles go, I’ve been playing:  Jamaica – “Cross the Fader“, Aesop Rock – “None Shall Pass“, Tyler the Creator – “Yonkers“, Young the Giant – “My Body“, Lykke Li – “Get Some” remix by Beck, and Mogwai – “You’re Lionel Richie“.”

• Vicki: “I’m a huge Depeche Mode fan, so the 2 new remixes of “Personal Jesus” have been getting a lot of play – there’s the Stargate Mix and the Alex Metric Remix Edit – both are great!  I saw Prince in concert a few weeks ago and he was incredible, so I’m still listening to some of his greatest hits off ‘The Very Best of Prince‘ and ‘Ultimate‘.  Sheila E was Prince’s special guest that night and she nearly stole the show from him – not an easy task!!  So I’ve been listening to her older stuff, too – specifically “The Glamorous Life” and “A Love Bizarre“. New in my rotation this week are the Sounds with their latest album, ‘Something to Die For‘ and while I wouldn’t got quite that far, I’m really liking it.  And last but definitely not least, I’m still obsessed with Foster the People’s EP – I love all three songs, but “Pumped Up Kicks” never fails to get me whistling – and I can’t whistle!  Really can’t wait until the full album is out later this month!”

We hope you check out some of the things we’ve recommended here.  Now you tell us – what’re you listening to and watching right now?

I should have done this yesterday! I totally would have said I was listening to Viva La Vida by Coldplay over and over again…but it wouldn’t have worked, because anyone who knows me would have realized it was an April Fool’s joke.

So, what are the Zune Insiders really listening to?

Well, Candice (Bliss16) is currently obsessed with Dave Matthews Band’s song “Crush,” and I have to admit, I love this one, too. “It’s perfect for a die-hard romantic like me,” she says…and I agree. It’s very sweet.

Matt – skipdeez – has this to say: “At first, I wasn’t sure what to think of Gorilla Zoe’s new album “Don’t Feed Da Animals.” It seemed a little too much like Kanye’s new hip-hop/RnB/pop/diva trend. But after a few days it’s grown on me. Check out “Echo,” “I Got it,” and “What it is.” Anyone else think some of this sounds like what Kanye tried to do with “808’s and Heartbreaks”? I like some of that, but with all due respect, I hope it’s not the new trend…”

And Justin says, “I’m listening to the Video Games Live disc, with memories of the concert they did in Seattle earlier this year. From classics like Tetris and Castlevania, to modern epics like World of Warcraft, video game music is an art form of its own.”

What about me? Um…okay, I fail. I know I’m supposed to be checking out new stuff for you, but I’m still obessed with The Prodigy and Pendulum. And The Prodigy will be here in Seattle May 30!!! YAY!!! Okay,but for new stuff, this week I downloaded Ferry Corsten’s latest album Twice in a Blue Moon, and a bunch of remixes by Martin Roth (to find ‘em, you’ll have to search in the Zune software and check out the songs, as he’s not the main artist on any of the new ones I found this week).

As for somebody random in Zune, this week I ambushed a software developer named Scott. Scott has pulled quite a few all-nighters recently, so I was curious as to what he might be listening to. “Dan Auerbach. I love the Black Keys- he was their guitarist. He’s a bit more mellow and really easy to listen to,” Scott says.

I would have thought you’d need, well, The Prodigy to stay up all night, but to each his own! Post your current obsessions in the comments!

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I heard a song on the radio yesterday that reminded me totally of Matt…it’s Asher Roth’s “I Love College.” A couple of things about this song:

– Totally NOT my genre (it’s hip hop, I pretty much only like Kanye West’s “Stronger” and that’s because of the Daft Punk, of course)

– It’s so obnoxious that if my kids had been in the car, I would have had to change the radio station immediately!

But it’s catchy and it made me laugh out loud. To be fair to Matt, the song only reminds me of him because it’s hip hop, and when I think hip hop, I think Matt. I mean, Matt is a software developer…I’m sure the song doesn’t really reflect his college years. I hope.

Okay, so here’s the truth: I had to tell this story about something else because my picks haven’t changed from last week – I’m still obsessed with “Invaders Must Die” from The Prodigy and “In Silico” from Pendulum.

Now Matt – he’s got some fresh picks for you. “I was listening to the Marketplace channel “Hip-Hop Hosted by The Leadbelly” last week and found a great gem, “Drivin’ Down the Block (Low End Theory)” by Kidz in the Hall from their album The in Crowd. I can’t believe I slept on this album all year! This song is especially dope; bonus points to anyone who knows where the sample came from for the hook… “Drivin’ down the block / Low end theory tape in / open up the trunk / bass bass crazy kickin’ and…”

Justin chimed in with this one this week: “Battlestar Galactica’s series finale is this Friday, and I’ve been preparing by listening to the original version of the final five’s Cylon song—Bob Dylan’s All Along The Watchtower—and pondering Kara Thrace, apparent harbinger of death.   If you can’t hear the resemblance, check out Bear McCready’s cover.”

I have no idea what that means. I missed the BSG train, apparently.

Next up would be Candice, but I couldn’t find her – so I asked her manager Joe what he’s listening to. After he told me it was an extremely invasive and personal question, I told him it was for this blog – so he said he’s listening to the new Franz Ferdinand (Tonight: Franz Ferdinand), which he likes because it’s a good mix of rock and funk, and also The Decemberists, an indie band out of Portland.

I didn’t want to stop there, though, so I found Joe’s boss too and got him to say on the record what he’s listening to: Caleb says, “Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak – it’s a departure from his previous album with regard to sound, it’s more melodic. The beats are still tight, the lyrics still creative.”

Okay, sweet – you know what to do, post your current obsessions in the comments!

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Okay, I go first! I have fallen in love…deeply in love. It’s kind of obsession, actually…and with my Zune Pass, it borders on stalking.

I noticed last week that The Prodigy had put out a new album – “Invaders Must Die“, so I gave it a listen, and had one of those immediate, visceral reactions. I can’t explain it – I just love it. I only really knew a couple of songs from The Prodigy before – so now I feel like I have all this new-to-me stuff to explore. Yay! Along similar sounds, I saw Pendulum in a live show Saturday night and oh my goodness, it was a goooood week for drum & bass (I also saw Dieselboy here in Seattle last Tuesday). Pendulum completely rocked the live show and made me love the album “In Silico” even more than I already did.

As for the rest of the Zune Insiders…Justin says, “I’m having a dirty pop kind of week. My playlist has been a bit of a Circus and it makes me want to dance.  None could be called the best song in the world, not even a tribute.  So what?  I like a catchy hook; it’s all I want out of a song, really.”

From Matt, we have this: “I’m diggin’ K’Naan’s new album “Troubador.” It’s definitely different than the mainstream stuff that’s out right now. Check out the tracks “ABC’s” and “People Like Me”. Anyone else think K’Naan sounds kinda like Eminem? Certainly some similarities in style and sound there. Check it!”

And Candice was the last to share what she’s listening to…probably because she’s a bit embarrassed. She confesses, “I have been listening to Ashlee Simpson – Outta My Head. Yeah I know it’s a lame song, but it does have a catchy hook.”

Okay, for our guests this week, we’ve got Sara and Michael from the Zune Social team. Now, I have to preface Sara’s picks by saying that I really don’t like Coldplay. It’s kind of a joke around the office…one co-worker teases me by asking how many fewer albums my favorite artists have sold compared to Coldplay, somebody else suggested that they take my kid to see Coldplay, you know. It’s like that. So Sara answered my question about what she’s currently into with, “Coldplay. Viva la Vida is haunting. I’m going to go see them at the Gorge and can’t wait to listen to that with the pitch black backdrop of the Gorge behind them and a clear, clear sky above.”

(So I was like, “You did that to me on purpose!” She said, “Not quite, but I relished it.” Well, I guess millions of people can’t be too wrong…so it must be me. Anyway.)

As for Michael, he says, “I like Adriana Calcanhotto.  She does great samba-pop. I  like Marisa Monte.  Her music is intelligent and danceable. I’ve been re-living my youth by listening to The Smiths. They are depressing and hilarious at the same time. I’ve also been listening to a lot of XTC – Smart Punk/New Wave.  The old XTC – pre “English Settlement.”

That’s it for this week! Post your thoughts and current obsessions in the comments…and tell me who you think would win in a street fight, The Prodigy or Coldplay.

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Here’s a thing about software development. This dude I used to work with would sometimes, in the winter, head up to the mountains for some pre-work skiing before rolling in to the office at noon or 1, and in the summer, take off early for some afternoon wakeboarding. When asked about it, he pointed to the cyclical nature of our jobs: during certain parts of the software development lifecycle, he works from dawn until the wee hours of the morning…and during other parts, not so much. He called those long days the time when we earned our money.

Right now, I’m in a phase where I’m earning my money. I see the light at the end of the tunnel – the week after next is going to be much easier – but right now, it’s crazy. And all this is my way of apologizing for being a day late with this post. In fact, since Seattle and Redmond are blanketed with a few inches of snow, I’m working from home – so time to get a lot done, whee!

My guest listener this week is going to be my kid, because he’s the only person walking by my “desk” (otherwise known as my kitchen table).

“I’m listening to AC/DC (High Voltage and Back in Black) and some Metallica right now,” says eight-year-old Gabriel. “I really like Metallica’s “And Justice for All” because I just like hard music like that.” (Note: the album “High Voltage” is as old as I am. Weird.)

Okay, he’s not the best interview. Oh well. The Zune Insiders this week have a decent variety of music:

Matt (Skipdeez) says, “I  heard this new track “Magnificent” from Rick Ross and John Legend last week on G-Unit radio. I fired up the Marketplace on Tuesday and was stoked to see that it’s already in the catalog. Rick Ross’s new album should be out soon, but this should hold you over until then. Check it!”

Candice – Bliss16 – adds, “Red Hot Chili Peppers – Can’t Stop. I love the harmonies and if you are looking for the real Chili Peppers rap/funk styled song, this is the one you should listen to from this album. The music video is also available on the marketplace, check it out when you can…It has the band members doing all these random things and my fav part is John Frusciante singing while sitting in a trash can.”

And The Social himself, Justin, answers, “‘Beautiful’ by Akon. The new features I’m working on in Zune right now are populated with test data, and this song happens to always come up in the tests.  So I’ve heard it dozens of times in the last week, and I love it.”

As for me, today I’m going old-school with my introduction to electronic music – Delerium. Two of their older albums, Karma and Semantic Spaces, will forever be a couple of my favorites for listening to while working hard. Melodic, trancey, and chill – check them out!

K, post what you’re listening to in the comments. And before you ask…no, Justin and I can’t tell you what we’re working on.

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