Jukebox 34
We are about to enter 2016, and that means a lot to me. This January I’m turning 34, and given that I entered Universidad de los Andes on January 1999, quick math tells us that this January marks the moment in my life where half of my life has been somehow devoted to that institution, for example. Also, this 2016 I’ll be (hopefully) travelling to India for nine days for a short study abroad experience, finally making the best out of being in the US and part of one of the most worldwide spread institutions (if you want to know, side by side with Math Education I’m also trying to learn about Higher Education and NYU set a course to visit Turkey –changed to India for security reasons– to learn about their Higher Ed system).
Anyway, the important thing is that I’m turning 34 and just by coincidence –not the happiest one– I’ll be spending 34 days between begin and end of my trip to Colombia for the holidays. So, to celebrate this weird coincidence, I’ll try to take note of all the songs that get stuck in my head from the moment I arrive to JFK to the moment I leave LaGuardia finishing my trip.
Have you ever realized that suddenly, out of the blue, a song is playing in your head and there is no way to change it? It is just happening and even if you consciously try to “inner-play” another song, the first one is stuck and comes back, and suddenly, as suddenly as it began, it finishes? Well, that happens to me all the time (may be I’m just a non-diagnosed schizophrenic) and I want to keep note of those songs as much as possible and to share with you.
I’ll post the songs on Twitter on my account @osbernal and at the end of the trip I will update this post with the full list.
THE LIST
For every song I’ll post the title and the artist, that is going to be also a link for the video, and links have been checked to be available for the USA (one thing I’ve learned is that sometimes the official video channels apply filters for regions). Right below that, the text of the post as it appears on Twitter, and an additional comment if there is anything to be said. And finally, if there are any, videos related to that song that I think may be relevant.
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The very first of my #Jukebox34 project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPOIS5taqA8 … If you are in the mood look for Gwyneth Paltrow’s cover, just amazing too
Well, this is the kind of song that really hits the spot with me. And you have to see Gwyneth Paltrow’s version.
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Project #Jukebox34 continues, now with a song in Spanish https://youtu.be/ZfqiSI17EIo
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Now playing on #Jukebox34 … https://youtu.be/mgekmOqCFTU
I like this song, but trust me when I say “The Vapors” are a new name to me. One-hit wonders perhaps?
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My mind played this song for the final part of my trip to Colombia #Jukebox34 https://youtu.be/zKIAuIg-GaE
I hope no one gets mad at me for mixing classics with small booms, but Magalenha reminds me of Balada Boa by Gusttavo Lima.
Nunca es para siempre - Presuntos Implicados
Spanish is back to #Jukebox34 https://youtu.be/3_F_VQbcVbI An official video (copyright), for a better version look for Sole Giménez’s vocals
Sorry, I feel really sorry about the new singer of Presuntos Implicados, because sadly she is just not enough to even be in the same league with Sole Giménez.
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More in Spanish for #Jukebox34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_5oi7GforQ …
This is one of my favorite songs in Spanish, and I have no idea why. And the group performing is really good, they have a couple more hits, maybe if you have heard rock in Spanish you have came across “Como un burro amarrado a la puerta del baile”.
Eres para mí - Julieta Venegas
Today on #Jukebox34, Julieta Venegas (not my favorite from her work, but the one in mind now) https://youtu.be/yFVbSQdJYBg
Let’s be clear: I don’t like the rap part by Anita Tijoux, and that’s the reason for me not to like this particular song that much. But Julieta Venegas is great and has great songs, with emphasis on her work previous to being so famous and romantic in her lyrics.
Te lo agradezco, pero no - Alejandro Sanz
Alejandro Sanz featured today on #Jukebox34 (sadly, featuring Shakira too) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABRL8-tPXPc …
I admit it, I don’t like Shakira at all. Her posing as the savior of Colombian childhood and Colombian culture is just extremely fake.
He sido tan feliz contigo - Alejandro Sanz
Alejandro Sanz again in #Jukebox34, this time one of my favorites https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbqq2SXOIXQ …
This is a really good one, happily without Shakira. But there is another one by Alejandro Sanz that deserves to be at least mentiond, doesn’t matter if is not official part of the list, we have the “additional” videos for that.
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Merry Christmas! Today #Jukebox34 comes with a horrible version of a great song by Aleks Syntek https://youtu.be/WkRKJV0YHMw
Yes, yes, yes. I know. If you have ever heard the studio original version, this one plainly sucks. But the truth is that nothing much better is available, sorry.
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It doesn’t matter if you like The Cure’s or Adele’s version the most, this is a great song (today on #Jukebox34) https://youtu.be/ks_qOI0lzho
I found that there is actually another cover, by a band that goes by the name 311. And it sucks. And they call the song “Love Song”, two words.
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Today on #Jukebox34, The Vines! https://youtu.be/asOvnGHwtDU
So… this one got stuck with me in the most embarrassing way. I was zapping in front of the TV and picked up a short part of “Agent Cody Banks” featuring Frankie Muniz and Hilary Duff, and this is part of the soundtrack. Great song, shameful movie.
La fuerza del destino - Mecano
Mecano is also contributor to #Jukebox34 https://youtu.be/HoDFcUJ0ImE
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This morning #Jukebox34 features classics https://youtu.be/cvChjHcABPA
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Spanish in language, Spanish in origin, La oreja de Van Gogh on #Jukebox34 https://youtu.be/nYnLVWXmRm8
Luckily, the original singer. Another Spanish group that failed replacing their lead singer.
Music Gets the Best of Me - Sophie Ellis Bextor
(Dec30) This song came to mind, #Jukebox34 material that makes me proud https://g.co/kgs/2pQPI
Well, I messed it up with the link in the original post, but the song is there. And it is Sophie Ellis Bextor, so… just wow! Check her out on “I Won’t Change You”, and take your time to enjoy a classic like “Groovejet”.
Strangelove Addiction - Supreme Beings of Leisure
Have you heard about “Supreme Beings of Leisure”? Almost for sure you know this song, playing today oh #Jukebox34 https://youtu.be/VVSk__Dw9Vc
Yes, this is my “techno” side surfacing, I love this song! And the band seems to be another one-hit wonder, at least I have no idea of their other songs.
Cartas sin marcar - Andrés Calamaro
(Dec31) Not the best clip, but the song is a real classic by Andrés Calamaro on #Jukebox34 (Spanish) https://youtu.be/doouuOuoat8
This one deserves a special mention, because is the only one that popped up twice during the experiment not because I was trying to remember, but with a second out-of-nowhere rise.
Back to Spanish, a classic song by Andres Calamaro on the #Jukebox34 list for today (actually a couple of days ago) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doouuOuoat8 …
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More “stuck after hearing it” than just coming to mind, Radiohead becomes part of part of #Jukebox34 https://youtu.be/BciOfJsqh7M
Back in Colombia my sister has a car and I use it all the time I’m there. And that particular day I set the sound system in the car to play the “Greatest Hits” album from Radiohead. And that was the result.
The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me is You - Bryan Adams
This morning I walked for about an hour, enough for my mind to dig deep and find jewels for #Jukebox34, like this https://youtu.be/onn8x-qDrtg
One of the best things about this song, on top of being great by itself, is that it reminds me of the Walk Off in Zoolander, featuring the recently late David Bowie (and some of the restrictions of the tridimensional world explored by Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory).
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Another from yesterday’s walk, Pseudo Echo on #Jukebox34 (Lipps Inc. original is better, but no good clip was found) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE-itlGNap4 …
I was looking for a good video of the original performed by Lipps Inc. but nothing looked like the real one, so in the end this was the most reasonable choice. However, let’s show one of the unreasonables.
Corazones - Miguel Bosé y Ana Torroja
Weird enough, my mind plays music while I play FIFA muted. Today’s song, Ana Torroja and Miguel Bosé on #Jukebox34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH9vCXbEqOw …
Well, they have great careers on their own, so it is almost a must to add a song from each one. Also, Bosé’s video is probably the funniest of this list.
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A few days ago this was my thoughts’ soundtrack (unrelated, just background song). Aleks Syntek #Jukebox34 (Spanish) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GByLQlxboVs …
Just to not miss the opportunity, I’ll share with you another great song from Aleks Syntek.
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Maroon 5 comes to #Jukebox34 with some passive-aggressive lyrics (as usual) and a very party-like rhythm https://vimeo.com/54769362
This time the best option was not YouTube but Vimeo, weird enough to be noticed. Also, without strong relation to the lyrics, this song reminds me of a here-unnamed friend back in Colombia.
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Some Linkin Park on #Jukebox34, not my favorite work from them but a great one anyway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51iquRYKPbs …
As I said in the post, not my favorite. So, just to make this complete, here comes my favorite, or actually two, because I was not able to decide.
Shut Up and Dance - Walk The Moon
A weird video and a great song, although I’ve never heard of “Walk the Moon” before… anyway, #Jukebox34 presents https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JCLY0Rlx6Q …
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Party song from a two-hit wonder, LMFAO on #Jukebox34 with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyx6JDQCslE …
If I’m going to call them a two-hit wonder, better to show the other hit too. And the first part of the video plays “Sexy and I Know It”.
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And closing the #Jukebox34 catching-up session, Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0 …
This song reminds me of two things. First, when I went to the USOpen with a couple of friends, because this was playing during one of the recess times. Second, a video I found on the Facebook wall of a friend –who has a certain weakness for Korean girls– that I’ll share here.
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Some good old memories came to the surface with this one, Blur playing on #Jukebox34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSbBvKaM6sk …
And here I share those memories with you.
De música ligera - Soda Stereo
Soda Stereo, including the voice of the eternal Gustavo Cerati, today on #Jukebox34 https://youtu.be/iYlvtcjnpZk
Soda Stereo. Few things are left to say after just mentioning Soda Stereo. Let me just share here one of the songs I find more moving from their work, and on top of that another one, Bajofondo featuring Cerati.
Olvídame y pega la vuelta - Pimpinela
I hope there is something Pimpinela-like in English, if not, they are missing a lot. Today (yesterday) on #Jukebox34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOHrY0jV6Hg …
I used to give to my students, as a penalty when their cellphones rang in class, the task to come the very next day and sing for their classmates. Amazing coincidences, once over a single session the cellphone rang for both a boy and a girl, and therefore the choice was clear: they had to perform this one. And they did, not a great job, but something. Also, at the end of the semester my students raised the money to give me Pimpinela’s “Grandes Éxitos” (Greatest Hits) album and I still have it.
Dueño de nada - José Luis Rodríguez
The story of why is this song included in #Jukebox34 is very funny, but too long for tweet. Will appear on the blog. https://youtu.be/7l-QLKlQnpA
This is the story. I had a dream, there was a big soccer game and suddenly, while they were still playing, Colombian comedian Antonio Sanint walked through the field, stood still close to the center and begun a performance as imitator of José Luis Rodríguez “El Puma” lip-syncing to this song. I woke up and there was the song.
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Some Dido for #Jukebox34 to go back to English https://youtu.be/571_EOvR7y0
Just like lots of people I know, I got to know Dido through Eminem’s Stan. I don’t like Eminem, but it was just everywhere, and happily I got Dido’s “Life for Rent” album after that.
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This song has a lots of performers, here a “recent” one on #Jukebox34. For classic, look for Xiomara Alfaro’s https://youtu.be/wY0LUJ_WIVw
If you are from Colombia and you are old enough, like my age or older, you know the story of an Spanish duet called “Azúcar Moreno” that was invited to perform during the crowning of the new Miss Colombia –the beauty pageant– in 1994, and they opened their show with “Buenas noches Bolivia”. Well, you can see them here performing what was one of their biggest hits, a traditional Latin song called “Moliendo café”. It is traditional, so there are lots of performers.
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Just one day left on #Jukebox34, and here comes Jamiroquai to take their well-deserved spot https://youtu.be/D-NvQ6VJYtE
What can I say? The most amazing cars in one single video, and as the cherry of the sundae the song is just fabulous! Well, it is Jamiroquai and I have to share at least one other song, also with an amazing video.
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And some INXS also on today’s update for #Jukebox34, I feel somehow proud of this one coming to mind https://youtu.be/hv_zJrO_ptk
This song is great, really great, but if I’m talking about INXS there are two musts, and here they are.
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I think this will be the last one for the #Jukebox34 collection. Ladies and gentlemen, The Killers: https://youtu.be/7SxTyvOixJA
SOME STUFF THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED
This was a conscious exercise to take record of my unconscious choices, and unconscious they were, some great songs I really love –because they are fantastic or because they mean something to me– didn’t make the cut. So let me just add some of them here, to build peace of heart on the fact they were mentioned.
Spanish
English