Enter the Void

This blog was created solely as a place to post my annual top songs list, with the thought that it would lay dormant during the balance of the year. At least, that was the original intention. Now that the place exists and has some furnishings, it feels cruel to leave the poor thing completely unattended for 11 months.

So there will be the occasional post going forward. The posts won't be of-the-moment or be a particularly good way to discover new releases. There are plenty of better curated sites for that around the web. Instead, I will throw up the odd playlist structured around a single theme or idea. They will -- like the year-end lists -- include a mixture of genres with the added benefit of mixing time periods.

In each post, I will include only a Grooveshark widget (until Apple buys it and shuts it down, at least) to stream the playlist and a list of the tracks themselves, with limited commentary or graphics. In the spirit of that whole brevity thing, below is a playlist of my favorite songs under two minutes in length.

I can't necessarily recommend that you come back often before the December year in review begins again, but if you do there will be music.

Sub 2:00 Playlist (from shortest to longest)

"Die" by Iron & Wine from Dark Was the Night (2009) -- 1:07
"And no matter how hard we try / we are not afraid to die"

"An Accidental Memory" by Eluvim from An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death (2004) -- 1:12

"Before I Knew" by Basia Bulat from Oh, My Darling (2008) -- 1:15
"It was the first time I sang out loud all through the night"

"Inspection Wise 1999" by The Hives from Veni Vidi Vicious (2000) -- 1:38"
Check the time / T minus 5 / and you're still looking"

"Final Day " by Young Marble Giants from Final Day EP (1980) -- 1:44
"As the final day falls into the night / there is peace outside in the narrow light "

"Dark Place" by Barton Carroll from The Lost One (2008) -- 1:46
"I've never been here before / kinda digging the experience"

"Travel" by Thao from We Brave Bee Stings and All (2007) -- 1:47
"But I took / a million looks / how they ate me up / made me heavy and for what?"

"Optimist vs. the Silent Alarm (When the Saints go Marching)" by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone from Vs. Childen (2009) -- 1:51
"We've mapped a route with all right turns so lights won't get us caught / We've got a mess of cash in duffel bags and every penny's hot"

"Career Opportunities" by The Clash from The Clash (UK) (1977) -- 1:53
"And I won't open letter bombs for you"

"That's What I Want To Know" by James Carr from You've Got My Mind Messed Up (1967) -- 1:58
"I don't know / I don't know another man's sorrow"