It’s Friday and I’m still not entirely sure what happened to Monday. One of the happy things that Friday brings with it is the chance to post a Random Friday Ten. You know the rules, but for the sake of clarity, here they are. Set your pod or other, admittedly inferior, digital music device to shuffle/random and report back the first ten (or eleven) songs it spits out. No omitting, hedging, or sleight of hand allowed.

1. Magic, Ben Folds Five (The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner)
2. Paint it, Black, Sneakin’ Out (Mississippi Studios Live)
3. I’m Nuthin’, Ethan Hawk (Reality Bites)
4. Logical Song, Supertramp (Magnolia)
5. Baba O’Riley, The Who (My Generation-The Very Best of the Who)
6. Jesus on the Mainline, Ollabelle (Ollabelle)
7. I Was in the House When the House Burned Down, Warren Zevon (Genius: Best of Warren Zevon)
8. Shining Through, Fredo Starr & Jill Scott (Save the Last Dance)
9. The Lighthouses Tale, Nickel Creek (Nickel Creek)
10. Mystery Train, Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Strawberry Jam)

Favorite Song: The Lighthouses Tale by Nickel Creek. I like songs that tell a good story, and this one does that brilliantly. Plus, there’s some good mandolin work.

Favorite Album: Strawberry Jam by the Butterfield Blues Band. I’m not sure when exactly I discovered the Butterfield Blues Band, but I’m certain that it was my dad’s responsibility. I went through a distinct and power blues obsession in my early college years, and was always asking him to send me more music, and I believe this was part of that era.

Least Favorite Song: Shining Through by Fredo Starr and Jill Scott. I don’t know why, but this one doesn’t do it for me.

Least Favorite Album: Ollabelle. I bought this album because XPN always played one song from it that I really liked. Then I bought it and discovered that it was just a little too much Christian rock for my tastes.

Seen Live: I’ve seen Ben Folds a couple of times, once two summers ago down at Penn’s Landing Festival Pier (which shouldn’t really be considered a concert venue, it’s a big stage on a parking lot with fences around it) and at a World Cafe Live free at noon thing last year on my birthday.

Portland Connection: Sneakin’ Out is a Portland area band that my sister has played with, and who, according to my parents, are absolutely hilarious. They’ll be playing at the High Sierra Music Festival this summer with my sister.

Need more Random Friday? Check out these folks:
Andrea
Ashley
Ben
Brian
Dodi
Fred
Howard
Jill
Luna
Mac
Mark
Matthew
Sherri

If you are playing along, let me know, and I’ll add you to the list.