The iPod Shuffle Game

The Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet has picked up on a new "game" presented in the English magazine The Word by David Hepworth. Randomize! Set your mp3-player to shuffle, and see which five songs it picks out for you.

It’s labled the game "everyone-but-cheats-can-play", so it’s all about honour I guess. Wouldn’t want it any other way... me? – I cheated...! (only a little bit of course), but I think the majority of people cheat (and especially online), here’s my list with the first five songs from shuffling my iPod:

• Hanging Around The Day --- The Polyphonic Spree
• Brand New World --- Cowboy Junkies
• Throw The Stone --- Micah P. Hinson
• Not So Far To Go --- Kelly Joe Phelps
• I Let Love In --- Nick Cave

In that order; and I just cheated to avoid Abba. I do listen to Abba occasionally, but they are everywhere these days, so I wouldn’t want to support that. Everyone ought to forgive me for that! (And Nick Cave is really a rather good replacement for the Swedish kings (and queens) of pop.)

Here’s the list from iTunes on my Mac today though (I’ll try not to cheat this time, but I can’t promise anything):

• Orleans [Traditional] --- David Crosby
• This Is On Fire --- Computerclub
• Torn Blue Foam Coach --- Grand Archives
• The Water Is Wide --- Bob Dylan
• Static On The Radio --- Jim White

(I didn’t cheat...)
Now go see what others have shuffled here at The Word, and here at that Norwegian so-called-newspaper – cause they do present news, though with a rather lame selection of important stuff, but with a stronger emphasis on celebrity-gossip, sports and such. I can live with that. I can always go elsewhere to get information.

Shortlist - Albums Of 2008

Obviously, the start of November is way too early handing out final votes for albums of the year, but here’s a shortlist from me thus far. (Listed here in no particular order, surely.)

01. Hello Saferide
– More Modern Short Stories from Hello Saferide
02. Anita Lipnicka & John Porter
– Goodbye
03. Rachael Yamagata
– Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart
04. Lambchop
– OH (ohio)
05. Marit Larsen
– The Chase
06. Bob Dylan
- Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8
07. Bonnie ’Prince’ Billy
– Is It The Sea?
08. Horse Feathers
– House With No Home
09. The Asteroid No 4
- These Flowers Of Ours: A Treasury of Witchcraft and Devilry
10. Hey Rosetta!
- Into Your Lungs (And Around In Your Heart And On Through Your Blood)
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11. Okkervil River
– The Stand-Ins
12. Late Of The Pier
– Fantasy Black Channel
13. The Lord Dog Bird
– The Lord Dog Bird
14. The Great Northwest
- The Widespread Reign of the Great Northwest
15. Calexico
– Carried To Dust
16. Conor Oberst
– Conor Oberst
17. The Rural Alberta Advantage
– Hometowns
18. Organic Stereo
- The Stories Linger In My Mind
19. The Walkmen
– You & Me
20. Kleerup
– Kleerup
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21. Kathleen Edwards
– Asking For Flowers
22. Thea Gilmore
– Liejacker
23. Emmylou Harris
– All I Intended To Be
24. The Hold Steady
– Stay Positive
25. Titus Andronicus
– The Airing Of Grievances
26. The Ting Tings
– We Started Nothing
27. Bonnie ’Prince’ Billy
– Lie Down In The Light
28. Willard Grant Conspiracy
– Pilgrim Road
29. Gemma Hayes
– The Hollow Of Morning
30. Tokyo Police Club
– Elephant Shell
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31. Fleet Foxes
– Fleet Foxes
32. Elbow
– The Seldom Seen Kid
33. Tindersticks
– The Hungry Saw
34. Taken By Cars
– Endings Of A New Kind
35. Hinterland
– Pan Pan Medico
36. Balmorhea
– River Arms
37. The Big Sleep
– Sleep Forever
38. Ida
– Lovers Prayer
39. Drive-by Truckers
- Brighter Than Creation's Dark
40. Goldfrapp
– The Seventh Tree
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41. The War On Drugs
– Wagonwheel Blues
42. Susanna
– Flower of Evil
43. Cut Copy
– In Ghost Colours


Bon Iver’s "For Emma, Forever Ago" have been re-released this year, but as it figured in my list for 2007, it will not be included even if it is such a good album that it easily could have made any list for the coming five years (at least).