Gentleman Agitator

The Gentleman's Favorite Music Discoveries of 2009: A WC3PO Special Presentation

Welcome to this WC3PO Channel 10A special presentation here at Gentleman Agitator. These are my top 25 musical discoveries of 2009. Some of these did not come out this year, but all have come out this decade and most within the last five years. It is really hard to pick one favorite from all of these. These are in alphabetical order, not in order of liking one better over the other. The songs with the asterisks are my favorites on the list. 

1)  Acceptable Losses,  Lisa Miskovsky

2)   Brutality, Black Box Recorder

3)   Burn Bridges, The Grates *

     This is my favorite video discovery of the year. Who can't love someone molding  mashed potatoes in a music video?

4)  Collide, Howie Day

5)  Everything, Stereofuse

   Another video that looks like it was shot in the blank, neutrality of the high desert north of Los Angeles. It drives me nuts that so many people in the media industry think this sort of scenery makes such a great back drop for their production. It shows a lack of originality in my opinion. Despite that, I do like this song.

6)  Faith Hope Love, Starsailor *

   I  really like this song, but the video showing Grey's Anatomy scenes should not be construed that we here at WC3PO watch this show. Nope.

7)  Gunhild, I'm From Barcelona feat. SoKo

8) I Do, Abra Moore *

  Definitely one of my favorites I found this year. I love the tempo.

9)  Kaleidoscope, Kate Havnevik *

   Kate Havnevik is my artist find of the year. See also #9 and #23 and my WC3PO Channel 10A playlist, "21st Century in Song." 

10)  Light in the Window, April Verch *

    This is another song I love for its shameless positivity. It's tone also reminds me of West Virginia where I visited and came to love this year.

11) Molten Lava, Bora Yoon

12) My Guiding Star, Rosetta Life *

   Click on the link to take to this song's video. It is beautiful. You will not be sorry. It reminds me of the love of my wife and myself.

13) My Magic Glasses, Shonen Knife

   This is such a kooky song. So, kooky in a kind of 80s way. It also reminds me of the new glasses I got this year, vintage 1950s black horn rimmed type.

14) Oceans of Light, Aradhana Silvermoon

15)Paper Planes, I'm From Barcelona

16) Portland, Far Beyond Frail *

   This is one of those up beat songs where the refrain just gets me.

17) Slide, The Grates

   I try to get the best quality videos possible on WC3PO, but sadly, this one is not the best. I did want you hear this song though. So....Slide! Slide!

18) Some things get lost,  Alice Peacock 

   I like this song, but the video showing Grey's Anatomy scenes should not be construed that we here at WC3PO watch this show.

19) Something to Live For, Yann Tiersen and Shannon Wright

   The student made video is not the greatest, but I think it was shot in a place I am very familiar with, Antelope Valley, California. It is the song I like. The music begins 42 seconds in.

20) Song With A Mission, the Sounds

21) Take A Chance, Quincy Coleman (Click on the link to take you to the page to listen to this song.) * I love this song's tempo and upbeat theme.

22) Tram #7 to Heaven, Jens Lekman

23) Travel in Time, Kate Havnevik

24) Vertebrae, Christine Fellows

   The video from YouTube is entitled, "What I did today," but the song is indeed Vertebrae by Christine Fellows

25) Why? Why not?, Marie Haddad

Want to hear more? You can go to WC3PO Channel 10A or WC3PO Radio

Stinky Sandwich Award: Governor Joe Manchin of West Virginia

Last week, mountain top removal mining has begun on Coal River Mountain in West Virginia. While West Virginians pleaded with their Governor Joe Manchin (D) to put a hold on the mining permit, he did nothing. In fact, caught on tape was the indictment that for me makes him worthy of one of my Stinky Sandwich Awards. Citizens of the area came to speak to the Governor at the state capitol recently. In responding to them, he let slip, "Its tough to find balance in an extraction state." No governor! You state is the "Mountain State!" 

According to West Virginia's state constitution, the governor may removed for, "maladministration, corruption, incompetency, gross immorality, neglect of duty, or any high crime or misdemeanor. I think the governor's reaction to this situation falls under maladministration and gross immorality. He is not looking to alternatives to strip mining, such as continuing to mine the coal underground and turning to wind energy as an alternative for energy production and long-term jobs. He is endangering his own citizens by allowing strip mining such as this to occur with the possibility of toxic sludge being produced. He is also willfully abetting the rape of God's own creation in beautiful West Virginia.  For that reason, Governor Joe Manchin receives the Gentleman Agitator’s Stinky Sandwich Award. 

For more information on this ecological emergency, go to: iLoveMountains.org: COAL RIVER MOUNTAIN and Massey begins blasting on Coal River Mountain   

Governor Manchin's meeting with citizens before they are arrested:

Multi-Colored Rolling Memories: West Virginia, October 2009 Part:1

The lanky young man flicked away a cigarette butt as he stood by his dirtbike. He looked like he had seen it all, even in his twenties. Was he the quintessential West Virginia mountaineer? Rugged clothes, rugged look to his continence and yet not a stereotype.

"Hello," I said.

He said something back I could not make out as I passed him. A greeting back I thought as I entered the general store in Sandstone, West Virginia. After paying for my gas, I stepped back out to notice there was a little dog little dog strapped to the gas tank of the dirt bike. He barked with excitement at the sight of the UPS truck that had pulled up in front of the store. 

The young man decided it was time to go. He swung onto the seat of the bike and started the ignition. It revved up with a roaring buzz. His little friend could be heard, even over the buzz making sure the UPS man knew he was there.

Quickly though, the man tore out of the small depression the general store sat upon, up over a set of railroad tracks. He then tore a left hand turn onto the main road and popped a wheelie. It was quite a sight from where I stood. The man popping the wheelie set against the black wall of rock behind him. His hair flying, the dog looking like a hairy blur on the bike. Off they went into the late afternoon day. That was my first impression of West Virginia.