My top 10 of 2011, according to Last.fm

2012-02-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

Since nobody reads my Last.fm journal, I've decided to put this here.

I've been a faithful member of last.fm for almost five years now, and it's been fruitful, to say the least. I would never have met my wife if it hadn't been for this website.

One of my favourite features on the site is the charts, which allow you to monitor your listening habits with pinpoint precision. Here are my ten most played songs from the past year.

10. R.E.M. - Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter (15 plays)

One of the truly upbeat, liberated songs that constituted the only element missing from R.E.M.'s otherwise perfect Accelerate (2008). They brought in that final ingredient on Collapse Into Now, and "Alligator" is only one of several examples. If you haven't seen the video yet, now you can. Oh, and Peaches is in it!

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;b&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/b&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9. Yevgueni - Welkenraedt (15 plays)

This is another 2011 release, this time from my favourite Belgian band, Yevgueni. We went to see them in the spring, and that was one of the best gigs I've ever been to. This track is groovy, intelligent, and oh so Flemish. And the video is a little masterpiece. Lyrics and English translation can be found on my other blog.

8. Laïs - 't Smidje (15 plays)

This is one of the first Belgian songs my wife got me into, and it's sticking like glue. I expect Laïs to return for next year's list as well.

7. Rage Againt the Machine - Kick Out The Jams (16 plays)

I bought RATM's cover album Renegades (2000) a few years ago, but it was my jogging stint at the dawn of 2011 that allowed me to explore it, as some of the tracks are brilliant for a good workout. I quite like MC5's original version, but this one's perfect. Other personal favourites from the album include "Maggie's Farm" (Bob Dylan), "Renegades of Funk" (Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force), and "I'm Housin'" (EPMD).

6. The Book of Mormon (Original Broadway Cast) - Hasa Diga Eebowai (17 plays)

Another album I discovered on my jogging trips was the original cast recording of Trey Parker and Matt Stone's then-brand new musical, The Book of Mormon. As a fan of South Park, musical theatre and religious satire, I instantly fell in love with it. "Hasa Diga Eebowai" is the best-known number from the musical, probably because of its catchiness and the title's translation: "F*** you, God!".

5. The Book of Mormon (Original Broadway Cast) -I Am Africa (19 plays)

If I lived anywhere near New York City, I would have seen this show a dozen times already. "I Am Africa" is performed towards the end as the Mormon missionaries celebrate their feeling of oneness with the people of Uganda and the African continent in general.

4. Cast of Glee - Don't Stop Believin' (19 plays)

I haven't watched a single episode of Glee (yet!), but some of these cover songs kick ass. Also so with Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'". Of course, it's not as legendary as the final scene of The Sopranos, but still. This rocks.

3. R.E.M. - It Happened Today (24 plays)

Around the release of Collapse Into Now, R.E.M. commissioned independent artists to create music videos for each of the new songs. Some were better received than others, but I think "It Happened Today", directed by Tom Gilroy, is a fine addition to R.E.M.'s videography. It not only looks great and has a distinct R.E.M.-esque feel to it, it also features a different mix of the song that puts more emphasis on the brilliant vocals of Michael Stipe, Eddie Vedder and Joel Gibb.

2. R.E.M. - Orange Crush (25 plays)

From a song released last year to a song released in 1988, the year I was born. "Orange Crush" is not only my second-most-played song of 2011, it is also my 22nd-most-played song of all time, which is the highest placement for a song in this list. It is also one of my top five R.E.M. songs. Enjoy.

1. The Book of Mormon (Original Broadway Cast) -You And Me (But Mostly Me) (28 plays)

This is the best duet on the soundtrack, and strangely reminiscent of "What Would Brian Boitano Do?", one of my favourite tracks from the South Park feature. I guess that accounts for the plays.

I couldn't find a clip from the actual play, but here's second-best: a storyboard animatic by someone who (presumably) has seen it.

"Show me your music, and I will tell you who you are." So who am I?

I learned something today #3

2012-01-31T23:30:00.000-08:00

A murex is a medium to large sized predatory tropical sea snail.

I learned something today #2

2012-01-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

Saint Luke is the patron saint of artists. For this reason, Saint Luke painting the Virgin became a recurrent motif in Renaissance art. Additionally, painter's guilds in the Netherlands during this period were also called Sint-Lucasgilden.

I learned something today, #1

2012-01-12T23:30:00.000-08:00

The prefix quasi- is pronounced /ˈkwɑzi/ or /ˈkwɑzaɪ/ in US English, and /ˈkweɪ.zaɪ/ in UK English. Thanks to the BBC History Magazine podcast for bringing this to my attention.

Art: Roberto Mangosi.

E.J.A.

My top 10 of 2011, according to Last.fm

I learned something today #3

I learned something today #2

I learned something today, #1