Spotify Archives - The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Oct32018 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Greatest Misses: Van Halen

Even the most popular and successful bands have songs that speak only to a (relatively) devoted few. In Greatest Misses, I'll count off the least popular song on band's albums, not including brief interludes, joke songs, or generally any abnormally short song. I'm using the super scientific method of counting streams from a band's Spotify catalog, so you know it'll be accurate. First up: Van Halen. One interesting note about this first entry, that I would like to do some further research on. Of the 12 songs listed, 7 of them are the last song on the album. Do people just get to the end of a record and decide, "Nah I'm good, I'll listen to something else now"? Strange. Anyway, here's the list and then the Spotify playlist: "On Fire" - Van Halen "Outta Love Again" - Van ...

Mar82016 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Greatest Misses: Kiss (Spotify Playlist)

Music

I'm starting a new music series on this site that I call Greatest Misses, with a debt owed to the Devo collection of the same name. The premise is simple -- I ID the least listened-to song for every (or most) of a band's studio records available on Spotify. A few caveats: Short, interlude-type songs don't count for me, and I also don't count live albums, compilations, or records of the like. Up first is Kiss, for whom every studio albums is currently available as of this posting except for 2009's Sonic Boom. Not surprisingly, this 20-song playlist is composed almost entirely of deep cuts that only the diehards would know (think "Two Timer" from Dressed to Kill or "Murder in High Heels" from Animalize.) But there are a few ones I was shocked to see heard so little. "Escape from ...

Jan232015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

The Ultimate Hit Collection Spotify Playlists

Music

Because I can't get enough of Spotify playlists or of gathering things into lists, I have undertaken what I think you'll agree is a great public service that combines those two loves. I am in the process of creating playlists -- which I've helpfully dubbed "Ultimate Hit Collection" -- that gather together every song to chart in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100 U.S. singles chart. These aren't your typical hits playlists, in that I'm not curating but collecting. That means if a song ever got into the top 10 and it's on Spotify, it goes into the playlist. So you get to hear some all-time classics and some head-scratching dross. Thus far I've completed my playlists for the 1980s, am almost halfway through the '70s, and have just started the '60s. I may one day get to the 1990s but that...

Jan72015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Relax With My Weather Channel Classic Local Forecast Spotify Mix

Music

You don't even have to be a weather geek to appreciate the sublime beauty that once was the Weather Channel's local forecast segment. In addition to the classically spartan graphics -- courtesy the vintage WeatherStar I, II, III, and 4000 systems -- the 1980s and '90s brought us viewers perhaps the greatest collection of smooth jazz and New Age music ever. Bands and songs that I would not normally listen to under most circumstances somehow become not just tolerable but enjoyable when paired with those charmingly simple graphics and radar loops. And thanks to the yeoman-like effort put in over at The Weather Channel Classics, the names of many of those songs are readily available. So I decided to take my love of those old forecasts to the next level but compiling a Spotify Weather Cha

Oct282012 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Sunday Jazz: Fantastic New Music from Negroni’s Trio — On the Way

Music, Sunday Jazz

One of the downsides to so much good music coming out this year is that I don't get nearly enough time to enjoy or write about everything I want. And so I've been remiss in mentioning one of the many great new albums from this year -- On the Way by Negroni's Trio. I very recently discovered the trio -- Puerto Rican-born pianist José Negroni and his son Nomar on drums, as well as a rotating bassist -- through the magic of the internet and they are my favorite current jazz act. In many ways they've supplanted The Bad Plus as my go-to group for adventurous, muscular jazz. If you really want to get technical, you can consider their music Latin jazz, but that's just a label. What it is is stirring, melodic, daring music that any music fan can appreciate. On the Way -- the group's seventh

Oct162011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Sunday Jazz: Halloween jazz!

Music, Sunday Jazz

Halloween is just a few weeks away, so what better time to unveil a few vintage, spooky jazz numbers to get you in the mood? (Spotify users — you can listen to these and other featured Sunday Jazz songs by subscribing to my GFS Sunday Jazz playlist.) "Blues for Dracula" -- Philly Joe Jones Sextet "Halloween Spooks" -- Lambert, Hendricks & Ross "The Great Pumpkin Waltz" -- Vince Guaraldi "Skeleton in the Closet" (from Pennies From Heaven) -- Louis Armstrong

Aug212011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Sunday Jazz: Warren Wolf debuts on Mack Avenue

Music, Sunday Jazz

I'm happy to report that, despite what many think, jazz is indeed alive and well. Further proof of that can be found in the new, self-titled album from vibraphonist Warren Wolf (out now on Mack Avenue Records). After just one listen I knew this was a lock for my year-end best of list. Do yourself a favor and pick up Wolf's album today. But if you're one of those cautious types who needs a little proof, I've got you covered. Follow this link to SoundCloud to hear two tracks from the album -- "427 Mass Ave." and "Señor Mouse." "427 Mass Ave." puts me in mind of the Modern Jazz Quartet -- and it's no surprise that Wolf cites Milt Jackson as an influence -- but there's nothing retro or backward-looking about it. "Señor Mouse" is a Wolf solo showcase and as you might expect, it sports a s

Aug142011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Sunday Jazz: Herbie Hancock, “Wiggle Waggle”

Music, Sunday Jazz

Would you like to add a little funk to your Sunday Jazz? Good, 'cause I'd like to as well. Here's one of the best cuts off of Herbie Hancock's inspired 1969 LP, Fat Albert Rotunda -- "Wiggle Waggle." Instead of blathering on about this excellent disc myself, I'll let AllMusic Guide's Richard Ginell take it from here: Centered around some soundtrack music that Herbie Hancock wrote for Bill Cosby's Fat Albert cartoon show, Fat Albert Rotunda was Hancock's first full-fledged venture into jazz-funk -- and his last until Head Hunters -- making it a prophetic release. At the same time, it was far different in sound from his later funk ventures, concentrating on a romping, late-'60s-vintage R&B-oriented sound. with frequent horn riffs and great rhythmic comping and complex solos from ...

Aug52011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Here’s some stuff I enjoyed this week

Internet, Links

Here’s a fresh batch of some quality interweb finds I’ve come across over the last 7 days month or so: Awesome internet meme of the day -- Retro Spider-Man, bringing that classic '60s animated version of our favorite webslinger back to life in the internet age (Know Your Meme) Yet another way to get the most out of Spotify -- a ridiculous collection of shared playlists (ShareMyPlaylists) Not even the discovery of a fourth moon around Pluto can get it back in the big kids' club. (Defective Yeti) An extremely detailed and thoroughly riveting account of the operation to kill Osama bin Laden (The New Yorker) Productivity + internet = No Productivity (The Daily What) 21 Google+ circles you can actually use (HappyPlace) A giant list of movie references seen in The Simpsons (J

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