Five On Friday: Music At A Click

I was ever so briefly hooked on the iTunes store.

It happened the other night, although if we were being pedantic it happened in the early hours of the morning. Bored and procrastinating, I was surfing the internet and listen to Lastfm. For those that haven’t discovered this wonderful website, you should. Type a singer or a band or a genre you like and the site plays you similar stuff. Great for discovering new music or for when you just get bored of your current musical selection.

Anyway, a song began playing that was simply amazing. I forget the name of the song, or even the singer, now but at the time I was determined to hear that song again. The problem with Lastfm is that, due to copyright law, you can’t rewind.

My quest eventually led me to Facebook and the ‘iLike’ feature contained within. It held a snippet, a thirty-second clip, of the song. This wasn’t good enough to call my quest a success of course, so I took iLike’s suggestion to buy the song. It said I could purchase it from the iStore.

I couldn’t.

Seriously. I clicked the iLink, went to the iStore and found out that they were iLying.

What I did find however, ruined my life. Millions and millions of songs were all there, waiting for me to sample. Of course, my first love is film, but music is pretty close up there. My life has a constant soundtrack, either through iPods, radio or just the music in pubs and clubs.

And here was EVERY SONG EVER (well, almost), all waiting for me just to click. And I did, because I’m curious and weak. I picked ‘Walking in Memphis’, an awesome song that I didn’t own. It asked me whether I was sure. I was. It gave me the song.

It was that easy. Scarily easy.

I browsed and clicked more songs, not quite acknowledging that each click was costing me 79p. I mean, I was aware, but my brain wasn’t quite processing this experience as shopping.

I stopped after I bankrupted myself, but the whole thing still cost me the price of three CDs. I guess the upside is that I got to choose what songs went on those discs.

Anyway, since I need a topic for today’s ‘Five on Friday’ I thought that a pick of five of the downloaded songs would work pretty well. They have a similar feature on the actual site, with celebrities choosing favourite songs.

I’m not a celebrity and these are not my favourite songs, but they are good and I’m all you’ve got.

So there!

‘Fascination’ – Alphabeat


I didn’t like this song the first time I heard it. We were in a car, on a day that listening to music wasn’t high on my priority list, and it began playing from the CD. It instantly reminded me of ‘High School Musical’ and I screwed my face up with disgust.

I haven’t actually seen ‘High School Musical’ but I loath it in principle; if enough idiots like something, I find myself taking the opposite stance to balance the world. Seriously, if enough stupid people wore t-shirts proclaiming how much they just adored oxygen, I’d probably stop breathing.

So yeah, my first experience with the song didn’t go all that well. I walked away thinking it was just another generic, cheesy-pop song and it walked away thinking absolutely nothing, since it was a song.

And let’s be honest, I was right. It is a cheesy-pop song.

However, my next encounter with ‘Fascination’ was in the basement of a club, a little and celebrating a friend’s birthday. That was me, by the way. I reiterate, it is a song! And this time, all the negatives became virtues, despite the music not changing one iota.

Played loud enough, you can forget the cheesiness and the Disney-musical similarities and just enjoy it as the hugely danceable song that is, well, fun.

I still hate ‘High School Musical’ though!

‘Misery Business’ – Paramore


This was another song that was discovered to be genius in the basement of a club, whilst tipsy. Different club though and, also, I had never heard the song.

I danced to it, because it was catchy, and I sang along, despite not knowing the words. I guessed for some parts, and I copied my friend for other parts and when I didn’t know the words I just flailed my arms around and hoped no-one noticed.

When I had the chance to download it and actually find out the words, I did so without hesitation. I still don’t know them, but at least I can listen to an awesome song whenever I please.

And before it’s pointed out, looking up lyrics on the internet is for wimps!

‘Work’ – Jimmy Eat World


The amazing talent that Jimmy Eat World have is to write songs that are fun and connect in equal measure. At least they connect to the emo kid that still lurks inside me, who is crying as I type. He cries a lot.

Anyway, this song really seemed to be speaking about me, way back when (four years ago). I live in a small town and school in an even smaller village, and a big part of me felt that I would never escape. I guess that’s one of the reasons I chose to go to university so far away.

This song reminds me of those days, feeling trapped in small-town life.

Also, one day I really would like to grab some friends, get in a car and drive to anywhere, just to escape. Guess I have to learn to drive a car first.

‘Scar’ – Missy Higgins


This is a happy song about something really depressing. It is usually the case with songs like this that it takes me an age to figure out just what they’re singing about, and when I do the shock is genuinely shocking. How can they sing so happily about something so utterly depressing.

Seriously. Listen to the lyrics. Boys suck!

I don’t know why I downloaded this song, but recall hearing it in my sister’s collection. I’m just a copycat.

‘Absolutely (Story of a Girl)’ – Nine Days


Songs have that amazing ability to take us back to the days we first heard them. This is why I downloaded this song.

It was one of the songs in my collection I played whilst crushing on a girl. The slightly bitter romantic lyrics appealed to me back then.

Because nothing ever happened with my crush (This could be a lie. The crush could be one of two girls) but I can just replace her with a different girl now. I don’t stand a chance with this girl either, so not a lot has changed in six years.

Sad times.

Why did I download this song again?

:D