Straight No Chaser

Edificaci�n Music�l

list ten musical artists that you like. do this before reading the following questions.

1. jamiroquai
2. john coltrane
3. a tribe called quest
4. cody chestnutt
5. celine dion
6. the isley brothers
7. andre benjamin
8. ella fitzgerald
9. dave matthews band
10. piotr tchaikovsky

what was the first song you ever heard by 6?
probably "atlantis," unfortunately, which was why it took such a long time for me to develop a meaningful appreciation for the group. i have never liked "atlantis."

what is your favorite album of 8?
it seems weird, because generally i don't like most of her later recordings, but i think my favorite is the one she did with joe pass. i think. but really, i'd have to say, any album that features "how high the moon" and "night and day," which is probably most of them.

what is your favorite lyric of 5?
er...with celine dion, it's definitely not about the lyrics. i literally cannot think of a single celine dion lyric that isn't so corny and cliched that i feel ridiculous citing it. so i won't. i like when she says "it's all coming back to me nowwwwwww-howwww!"

how many times have you seen 4 live?
once, freshman year with sean, and that was amazing.

what is your favorite song by 7?
"she lives in my lap," easily. the love below was, i thought, one of the best albums of 2003, and that was definitely my favorite track. i think it's really sad that he doesn't want to record anymore, because he is quite clearly the talented half of outkast.

is there a song of 3 that makes you sad?
maybe not, but "electric relaxation" damn near comes close, as evidenced by the effect it's had the last three times i've played it.

what is your favorite lyric of 2?
ha!

what is your favorite song by 9?
"two step," still. followed closely by "warehouse." the drug song.

how did you get into 3?
maybe from their music videos; i don't remember. however it happened, i think it was mostly just that i liked the sound of "bonita applebum," which, oh! came from averi! so, that's how. averi. she is a big tribe called quest fan.

what was the first song you heard by 1?
undoubtedly it was "virtual insanity." which, by the way, was also the track that inspired me to purchase traveling without moving, the oldest album in my collection and, to date, the one i've replaced the greatest number of times since the original purchase. i can't listen to "virtual insanity" anymore, but there are at least seven other tracks on that album that i love.

what is your favorite song by 4?
before seeing his live performance it was "the seed"; afterward, it was "if we don't disagree." both were highlights of their respective sets, but he built "if we don't disagree" to monumental proportions, which was amazing considering the relative tininess of the venue and the fact that he was using a stand-in drummer...at that point in the show, if i remember, the gay guys behind us started making out, and one spilled his zima down the back of my shirt.

how many times have you seen 9 live?
once, and it was WONDERFUL. totally worth driving fourteen hours, sleeping in a kroger parking lot, putting untold miles on my old car, peeing on the ground behind a liquor store, deceiving my parents and putting up with flu-afflicted marcus's pouting and germs throughout the entire journey.

what is a good memory concerning 2
he was dead eighteen years before i was born (i missed out royally), but nevertheless, my favorite memory definitely involves marcus and "naima." go browse my portfolio if you need more clues.

is there a song by 8 that makes you sad?
all the love songs, right now. as of maybe twelve hours ago, i completely don't believe in love anymore. i mean, i believe in it. i just don't believe it's a good thing. and i'm going to die a virgin, i've decided.

what is your favorite song of 1?
that bonus track on traveling without moving, whose name even amazon.com doesn't know. i'd have to guess it's called "always look down," or something.