Interesting Noise
By Matt Baker, September 6, 2009
So a little while ago a friend of ours had a bachelorette party in Calgary and Roz made a cd of “fun” music for the drive down. I recently had the opportunity to listen to this album and to defend herself from my witticisms Roz said that she just likes “interesting noise”. Then S Club 7 came on. Yeah, I know. So, it got me thinking and I figured that in the interest of Roz’s musical education I would make a list of songs that might actually qualify as “interesting noise”. Roz, I hereby charge you with the task of listening to all of these songs and making some comment on each in the forum (doesn’t necessarily have to be positive, but marks will be assigned for effort and creativity). Obviously anyone else who cares to partake in this is welcome.
1. Lady Godiva’s Operation – The Velvet Underground (White Light/White Heat)
I’ll start you off easy here. There is not too much in the way of actual noise aside from some droning, screechy viola. Mostly it is just weird and interesting.
2. Knife Chase – Tom Waits (Blood Money)
3. Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict – Pink Floyd (Ummagumma)
4. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart – Wilco (A Ghost Is Born)
5. Gamma Hydra IV – Microbunny (Dead Stars)
6. Breathrough – Modest Mouse (This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About)
7. Cracked Actor – David Bowie (Aladdin Sane)
8. Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day) – Broken Social Scene (Broken Social Scene)
9. Nighttime/Anytime (It’s Alright) – The Constantines (Shine A Light)
10. Time Destroys Its Plan At The Reactionary Table – Frog Eyes (The Golden River)
11. Only Shallow – My Bloody Valentine (Loveless)
12. Rich – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Fever To Tell)
13. Washing Machine – Sonic Youth (Washing Machine)
14. Eric’s Trip – Sonic Youth (Daydream Nation)
15. Pow R. Toc H. – Pink Floyd (Piper At The Gates Of Dawn)
16. Heroin – The Velvet Underground (The Velvet Underground & Nico)
17. Sister Ray – The Velvet Underground (White Light/White Heat)
This is where things start getting hard to listen to. At least there is still some sort of driving rhythm in this song.
18. Metal Machine Music Part 1 – Lou Reed (Metal Machine Music)
This one doesn’t even have that. Apparently Lou Reed made this album because he was tired of working with the label he was under contract with and wanted them to get rid of him. I’m not sure anyone can really listen to this album.