The (un)harmonic dissonance of Mr. “Lust for Life/I Wanna Be Your Dog” Iggy Pop getting the Christmas playlist is so hilarious to me, I’m not even going to comment any further. Enjoy with your eggnog.
playlist
Hugh Masekala
Many of these round 2 lists are artists who made a 1- or 2-song appearance on a genre list in round 1, but whom I decided were important enough to get the full shebang. Hugh Masekala makes the cut, and not just because he is a borderline member of the “quite the looker in his younger days” club. I’m not that shallow. Much.
Howlin’ Wolf
As blues nicknames go, I still think “McKinley Morganfield” to “Muddy Waters” was the Best. Business Decision. Ever. But “Chester Arthur Barnett” to “Howlin’ Wolf” is a close second. On a related note: On the list of “presidents I want to name my son after,” who picks Chester Alan Arthur? (Yes, that’s actually where his given name comes from.)
Harry Nilsson
Bonus points for naming an album “Nilsson Schmilsson,” which is the kind of goofy thing I’d probably do (if I had an album, which would imply that I have any musical talent, which would be incorrect). On the other hand, dock points for naming one song “Without Her” and another “Without You” (somewhere in his catalog there’s probably a “Without Me” and, if he was feeling sexually frisky, maybe even a “Without Him” and/or “Without Them”). That’s just cheating.
Graham Parker
He was supposed to be equal to Elvis Costello, but he never had any hits, and I’d be surprised if anyone can name at least one of his songs. On the plus side, he never did a country album or duets with Burt Bacharach, so there’s that.
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
New category! In addition to, “Artists Who Were Quite the Looker in Their Younger Days,” we now have, “Artists Who Are Pushing [insert appropriate age here] and Are Still Quite the Looker”! Charter member: Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
Gil Scott-Heron
You know the whole Charlie Parker/Rhianna thing? Same with Gil Scott-Heron and … well, pretty much any rapper who came up after about 1995.
Gil Evans
Not to be confused with Bill Evans. Also, not someone that Marcia threatened to stop speaking to me if I didn’t give him a list. But better safe than sorry.
Geri Allen
Geri Allen is by far the coolest person I know of named Geri. Of course, the only other person I know of named Geri is my older sister’s mother-in-law. So the competition isn’t exactly fierce.
George Harrison
OK, my conscience wouldn’t let me do it. After I gave in on McCartney, I just had to give “favorite Beatle” Harrison a list. Sure, after he got the (very non-quirky) spiritual stuff out of the way, he mostly produced quirky pop. But so do They Might Be Giants, and I didn’t hesitate to give them a list.
Playlist of the Day 