Friday, November 17, 2006

Soundtrack to My Life: Why Winamp Isn't All That Random

So the idea is "If your life were a movie, what would its soundtrack be?" The plan is to put on your entire library and just go down the list filling in spots as songs come on.

First of all, let it be known that once you get a certain amount of music, random no longer works quite as randomly as it should.
Also, I have some seriously weird music, and a lot of it, and as such, I felt the need to try this more than once. So without further ado,

My soundtrack as picked by Winamp's random selection of my complete library.

So I did this a few times, because I'm quite aware of just how random my random playlist actually is. Some of these results are weird, some are dead on, and some are slightly terrifying.

Opening Credits:
  • Footloose - Deniece Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy
    • This amuses me a great deal.
  • Green Day - Jaded
    • Heh, yep.
  • The Black Lodge - Zelda 64 Ocarina Boogie (OC Remix)
    • It needs to open with me doing something very cool and techy, but yes, I like the idea.
  • Housemartins - Caravan of Love
    • I can't even fathom a movie starting this song.
  • Death Cab for Cutie - Someday You Will Be Loved
    • My life isn't emo enough for this to start things out, despite my like for Death Cab.

Waking Up:
  • Dredg - Movement IV RR
    • Good song to wake up to, fair enough choice.
  • Matchbook Romance - Farewell to Friends
    • Again, I'm not enough of a whiny emo-kid.
  • 2Pac - Run Tha Streetz
    • Maybe, just maybe this one could work.
  • Rayagon Hitman: Codename 47 Chained to a Barcode (OC Remix)
    • No, I'm not a trained assassin waking up for a kill.
  • Justin Timberlake - Rock Your Body (DV8 Remix)
    • I'll accept this, only because of the remix.

First day at school:
  • David Bowie - Too Dizzy
    • I approve wholeheartedly.
  • Led Zeppelin - I Can't Quit You Baby
    • As much as I like it, I can't find the relevance.
  • Sting - Lithium Sunset
    • Still not finding any relevance.
  • Kansas - Geodesic Dome
    • This song doesn't even make sense, let alone make sense in this context.
  • Fine Young Cannibal - Good Thing
    • I can picture this one working if I meet some amazing girl on the first day of school and then she disappears.

Breaking Up:
  • Three Day's Grace - I Hate Everything About You
    • Well done random shuffle.
  • Kill Bill Vol.1 - The Lonely Shepard
    • Also well done.
  • Dave Matthews Band - Two Step
    • Hmm, this is almost the opposite of a breakup song.
  • Limp Bizkit - It'll Be OK
    • OK, so it's doing reasonably well on this category.
  • The Beatles - Help!
    • Yep, another good choice.

Prom:
  • Firefly Score - Jaynestown - The Ending
    • Odd, just very odd.
  • Firefly Score - Jaynestown - Jayne and Stitch Fight
    • And I'd like to note that out of some 17000 songs, it picks two out of the same episode of Firefly to play on two completely separate times doing this.
  • Spoon - Lines In the Suit
    • Good enough, I'll accept it.
  • Hoobastank - From the Heart
    • Winamp wins again.
  • U2 - Mothers of the Disappeared
    • Yeah, I don't think there's any war orphans at my prom.

Life:
  • Bandolero - El Tiburon
    • I don't know Spanish well enough to know what this song is about, it seems fun enough, but I don't think it should represent my life if I don't know what it means.
  • Alizee - Moi Lolita
    • Hmm, another in a language I don't understand, unless random is telling me that Alizee is going to be a part of my life. That I am totally OK with.
  • Limp Bizkit - Counterfeit
    • Fuck you Winamp. Fuck you.
  • Korn - Twist
    • This is unacceptable, not to mention the song is nonsense.
  • Squirrel Nut Zippers - Memphis Exorcism
    • Cool song, funky jazz, no lyrics. OK, this one works.

Mental Breakdown:
  • Kid Creole and the Coconuts - Endicott
    • I approve of this one. Lyrics and music are both good for me going crazy.
  • Justincase - Megan's Song
    • Not even touching this one. Stop screwing with me Winamp.
  • Bob Dylan - Billy 1
    • Can't go wrong with Bob Dylan for feeling down and out.
  • Damien Rice - Weatherman
    • Yes, this one would also work if I was losing it.
  • Aurora - The Day It Rained Forever (Lasgo Vocal Mix)
    • In keeping with the theme, and this particular mix is good for listening too if you're going stir-crazy.

Driving:
  • J Ralph - One Million Miles Away (Instrumental)
    • OK, this one's really good, both because of its subject matter and my tendency to listen to techno-ish songs while driving.
  • Queen - Tear It Up
    • Yeah, this one too. Awesome driving song.
  • Rush - Driven
    • I couldn't make this up if I tried.
  • U2 - Pride (In the Name of Love)
    • I see nothing wrong here.
  • The Dandy Warhols - You Were The Last High
    • Totally acceptable road trip song.

Flashback:
  • Pilotdrift - So Long
    • Damn good choice, and a great song as well.
  • Mark Collie - In Time
    • Yes. Hell yes. Absolutely perfect.
  • Daknit, Bard of Tarot - Kid Icarus LittleKidsCan't Fly (OC Remix)
    • Sure, if I'm having a flashback of playing Kid Icarus on the NES.
  • MST3K - The 70's
    • Heh, Mystery Science Theater, I like this one.
  • Clinic - Come Into Our Room
    • I can see this as a flashback, shot with a blue tint, going through events really quickly while I lie awake in bed.

Wedding:
  • Badly Drawn Boy - Walking Out Of Stride
    • Good choice.
  • Dynamite Hack - Boyz N Da Hood
    • Umm, maybe not so much.
  • Shaggy - It Wasn't Me
    • Yeah, this either.
  • Big Giant Circles - Final Fantasy Adventure Begin the End of the Beginning (OC Remix)
    • Nope, still not feeling it.
  • Monty Python - The Lumberjack Song
    • This doesn't even come close to making sense.

Birth of Child:
  • Christina Aguilera - Beautiful (DJ Gemini Remix)
    • OK, this one is actually really good, and I like the remix.
  • Matchbox 20 - Kody
    • Like the song, not so relevant though.
  • Guns N' Roses - New Rose
    • Another good random choice.
  • DJ Keoki - Crash
    • Unless my child is born in a techno club, I think not.
  • Kelly Osbourne - Papa Don't Preach
    • Yeah, I can deal with this one.

Final Battle:
  • 2Pac - Check Out Time
    • This is one of the few 2Pac songs that actually isn't violent enough to qualify.
  • University of Tennessee - Rockytop Street Beat
    • The final battle will be a drum off!
  • Star Salzman - Xenogears Pillar of Salt (OC Remix)
    • I'm going to fight in a huge mech, Xenogears style. Sounds alright to me.
  • Notorious BIG - The What
    • Again with the downtempo rap.
  • Stone Temple Pilots - Sex Type Thing
    • STP is always good fight music.

Death Scene:
  • 4-Eyes - Earthworm Jim TitleTopSoil (OC Remix)
    • Umm, no. Sorry Earthworm Jim, but no.
  • Neil Benjamin - Chrono Trigger Far Away Memories (OC Remix)
    • This one however, works quite well.
  • Michael Nyman - A Borrowed Ladder
    • Gattaca soundtrack works pretty well.
  • Motley Crue - Tommy Lee Drum Solo
    • Why isn't this one with the other drum battle?
  • David Bowie - Time
    • Great choice, Ziggy Stardust soundtrack doesn't hurt things any.

Funeral:
  • Cradle of Filth - BlackMetal
    • Death metal funeral? I think not. Maybe file this one under the battle.
  • Rob D - Clubbed to Death
    • Winamp apparently now has a sense of irony.
  • Tool - Schism
    • Be a weird, dark funeral, but it could work.
  • Macy Gray - I Try
    • You're kidding, right?
  • kLuTz - Final Fantasy 7 A World of Piano (OC Remix)
    • Yes, and I will dissolve into the Lifestream and save the planet from a meteor. Awesome.

End Credits:
  • The Frames - In The Deep Shade
    • This song has the perfect tone for a melancholy ending. I approve.
  • Justincase - I Can Be The Death In You
    • This could work if my life was some teen movie.
  • Wolfmother - Woman
    • Sorry Aussies, no Wolfmother over the credits.
  • Foo Fighters - Big Me
    • This is almost a stereotypical end credits type of song and I like it that way.
  • Panic! At The Disco - Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks
    • Wrong Panic song for the end credits, good attempt though.