Blank Blue's Elvin Estela, right, picks five watery/blue classics (and is Joni Mitchell pissed).

In this week's Sprawl of Sound column, I review Blank Blue's Western Water Music, Vol. II. I had hoped to include a list of the duo's favorite albums with the words “blue” or “water” in their titles, or those with strong allusions to those qualities. Unfortunately, BB's instrumentalist/producer Elvin Estela didn't get the list to me in time for the print edition, but thanks to the generous expanses of the intraweb, I can present his interesting list and explanations on this here blog.

In other news, Blank Blue's album-release party gig at the Airliner in LA last night vividly recreated the disc's aquatically glorious melodies, splashy funk, and immersive bliss.

Without further ado, here are Estela's seaworthy classics...

Songs of Blue, the Sea, and Things in It...

1. Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Caribou, 1977). This album is FINALLY being reissued [by Rhino on June 17]. The Beach Boys were a hard band to accept as cool when I first started college radio at KXLU way back in 1996. All I'd known by them were the songs I'd heard with my parents in Pic'N Save. Lo and behold when I find out that my favorite song by Ladybug Transistor is actually an original by Dennis Wilson! I was flabbergasted! I immediately dug into Pet Sounds, but found their '70s albums much more fascinating, especially Sunflower, Surf's Up, and this special album by Dennis. They were given state-of-the-art recording equipment and they utilized it perfectly. The production and special effects on their records from this time are just insane. This record is heartbreaking, and the aforementioned song I spoke of is called “Special Angel,” [which] perfectly epitomizes the beauty, trippiness, and sadness that is woven throughout this album. When I think of the color that Pacific Ocean Blue would be, it's always the deepest blue imaginable.

2. Shocking Blue - Shocking Blue (Pink Elephant, 1969). Most known for their hit "Venus," this Dutch band specialized in sitar-tinged freak pop that was simultaneously funky and psychedelic. This is their second album but first to feature Mariska Veres on lead vocals. She pretty much steals the show here, adding perfect drama at times and at other times reserved cool. Nirvana were even moved enough by this band to cover “Love Buzz” as their first single. Shocking Blue really fits the band, as the only color Shocking Blue could really be is the beautiful blue that emanates from Mariska's icy stare!

3. The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers (Columbia, 1968). No blue or body of water in the title, I know, but when it comes to creating aural image of the sea, look no further than this album and its nautical classic, “Dolphin Smile.” Roger McGuinn opens the tune with some bizarre guitar effects, meant to make his guitar sound like the squeals of a dolphin. From there the song breezes by on a sweet ascending and descending melody that truly creates the image of cruising through the sea. As he sings, "Out at sea for a year/ Floating free from all fear," he makes being a water mammal seem like the coolest thing in the world. The middle section is a psychedelic freakout with more McGuinn dolphin squeals and swirls of effects. A perfect little aquatic symphony.

4. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland (Track, 1969). Specifically “1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be).” My friend Steve (AKA Plastic Crimewave) pointed out the similarity between my Blank Blue idea and this song, so I immediately started listening to it a ton. Hendrix, as McGuinn had done with “Dolphin Smile,” really uses his guitar to create an underwater sort of sound, even the way he plays the main riff is a bit lose and watery. The song is an amazing epic journey, one that seems appropriate if you are turning into a merman, and yet it still comes back to the main theme at the end of the song. Jimi had a way of making the pictures appear in your mind with his production, which is insanely ahead of its time and under-appreciated due to his insane skills on the guitar. Songs like this and “Are You Experienced?” really show that he had a [futuristic] vision, and show that he had the talent and drive to make sure it was alway fully realized.

5. Wendy & Bonnie - Genesis (Skye, 1969). For a perfect creation of a song dedicated to the sea, look no further than this female duo's stunning “By the Sea.” Using the sea as a metaphor for their heartbreak, the song spins a stunningly [moving] and beautiful tale of loss. The combination of their voices needs to be heard to be believed and the minimal instrumentation provided by the mighty Skye session players creates an atmosphere that is definitely aquatic and liquid. There is little more than cymbal splashes, chimes, subtle guitar harmonics and acoustic guitar, but its effect is simultaneously spacey and intimate. The rest of this album is also highly recommended.

According to this Australian site—and who knows gay music better than those Down Under dandies? (Well, probably a lot of other folks, but play along for a minute, eh? Although over here, you can find some dissenters, who are adding their own ideas to the list.)

Looking over this list [see below], I find I like five (17, 22, 32, 36, 50) of the 50 tunes. Does that make me 10-percent gay? Or just a guy with discerning taste? One could debate the issue, literally, for minutes.

But seriously, I'm straighter than 6 o'clock (not that there's anything wrong with being gay). And this het mofo is wondering where David Bowie's “John, I'm Only Dancing” is on this list. Where's Lou Reed's “Walk on the Wild Side”? Pete Shelley's “Homosapien” [see vid below]? Soft Cell's “Sex Dwarf”? Something off the Frogs' It's Only Right and Natural? The entire Motörhead canon? (Hehe, just kidding fellas.)

Anyway, which tracks do you think are unjustly missing from this deeply flawed list of gayest songs ever?

50. Elton John and George Michael “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”
49. Dead or Alive “You Spin Me (Like A Record)”
48. Pet Shop Boys “New York City Boy”
47. Diana Ross “Chain Reaction”
46. Deborah Harry “I Want That Man”
45. Cher “Strong Enough”
44. RuPaul “Supermodel (You Better Work)”
43. KD Lang “Constant Craving”
42. Culture Club “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me”
41. Chaka Kham “I’m Every Woman”
40. Wham “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”
39. Paul Lekakis “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back To My Room)
38. Kym Mazelle “Young Hearts Run Free”
37. George Michael “Outside”
36. Donna Summer “I Feel Love”
35. Dannii Minogue “This Is It”
34. Belinda Carlisle “Summer Rain”
33. Peter Allen “I Go To Rio”
32. Sylvester “You Make Me Feel Mighty Real”
31. Heather Small “Proud”
30. CeCe Peniston “Finally”
29. Madonna “Express Yourself”
28. Cyndi Lauper “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
27. Charlene “I’ve Never Been To Me”
26. Tim Curry “Sweet Transvestite”
25. Barry Manilow “Copacabana”
24. Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer “No More Tears”
23. Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”
22. Sister Sledge “We Are Family”
21. Queen “I Want To Break Free”
20. Dolly Parton “9 to 5”
19. Coming Out Crew “Free, Gay and Happy”
18. Village People “In the Navy”
17. Frankie Goes To Hollywood “Relax”
16. Village People “Macho Man”
15. Judy Garland “Over The Rainbow”
14. Bronski Beat “Smalltown Boy”
13. Diana Ross “I’m Coming Out”
12. Cher “Believe”
11. Gloria Gaynor “I Am What I Am”
10. Alicia Bridges “I Love The Nightlife”
9. Madonna “Vogue”
8. Olivia Netwon-John “Xanadu”
7. Kylie Minogue “Better The Devil You Know”
6. Pet Shop Boys “Go West”
5. Kylie Minogue “Your Disco Needs You”
4. The Weathergirls “It’s Raining Men”
3. Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive”
2. Village People “YMCA”
1. ABBA “Dancing Queen”

Pete Shelley, “Homosapien”

Brian at catsandbeer.com has bestowed what he thinks is the definitive list of rap tracks that are closest to the hearts of honkies [he posted this in Oct. 2007, but it's just come to my attention through a friend's tip].

Bri's right on right on most of the time, but I have some bones to pick. For example, this statement: "[Vanilla Ice's 'Ice Ice Baby' is] one song on the list that White People pretend to only like ironically. Don't be fooled: deep down White People still think Ice is 110% gangsta." Load of shite, mate. Plenty of Caucasians dismiss this track (ever see the video to 3rd Bass' "Pop Goes the Weasel"?) and even whiteys who like it wouldn't consider Robert Van Winkle 10% "gangsta."

Here's another dubious claim: "If you've ever seen Black People comedy, you'll be familiar with the notion that White People have no rhythm and can't dance. This is true." This is false—unless you never go to clubs (some of the best breakdancers I've seen have lacked melanin and just last night this ofay who looked like a plump plumber bust some incredible double-jointed, funky-robot moves at Avalon Bar's dubstep biweekly)—and if you conveniently forget about the hundreds (thousands?) of history' s great white drummers, many of whom were sampled by black hip-hop artists. Ah, but don't let reality get in the way of cheap racial humor, right?

As for the list, where's the Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks on Me"? Where's Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise"? Where's anything off De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising? Something off Definitive Jux, say, El-P or Atmosphere or Aesop Rock, perhaps? Nada. Dude, Brian, your stereotyping skills are tight, but they could be sharper.

De La Soul's "Eye Know" (with that FAT Steely Dan sample)

By Jeff Shaw at our sister paper, Citypages.

Love is a many-splendored thing and all, but it's also dependent upon a relationship's context -- and so is the associated music. You don't want Al Green's "Let's Get Married" to stream through the car speakers during your third date, you don't want your intended to think you stopped listening to new records after "I Love You Just The Way You Are" was released. . .aaaand you don't want "You Oughtta Know" to come on, well, ever.

Swapping out these embarrassing moments takes planning. Have you just hooked up or are you on the cusp of something more? Are you a hip hop head who just hasn't found the right tracks to put on that gift CD? Or are you just looking for some sweet songs to sip hot cocoa by as you stare into each others' eyes?

Whether you're making a mix for that special someone or just looking for a soundtrack for the day, here are 20 timely tunes to consider for your personal "Favorite Love Songs" list.

FIVE SONGS ABOUT VALENTINE'S DAY

Let's start with holiday-appropriate fare. Given that roughly 92.3 percent of all songs written are in some way about love, it should comes as no surprise that songwriters have produced a good deal of material about Feb. 14.

5. Various Artists, "My Funny Valentine"
Classics usually become so for a reason. This sultry standard originally performed in a 1937 musical has been exhorting Valentines to stay for more than 70 years in the voices of various jazz legends (and more modern artists). The video is a version by Chet Baker and Billie Holiday. For an updated take, try the piano-and-voice version by Ohio duo Over The Rhine.

4. The Get Up Kids, "Valentine"
This tune by the now-defunct emo band is as precious and bittersweet as you would expect. The fact that this YouTube video set to the song was evidently made by a sensitive high school student is also unsurprising and appropriate.

Two irrefutable facts about music critics: they have opinions about the shit they've heard over the course of a year and they're ever so lovable. Okay, maybe one irrefutable fact.

Anyway, music blog Idolator has tabulated the results of nearly 500 music scribes for its second annual critics poll, and the outcome may be of interest to the geekier readers of Heard Mentality. You can find my ballot here. Take notes, whip out your credit card and get purchasing, so as to help the terminally ailing music industry. It's good karma... and stuff.

From my web ed. brother in Minneapolis, Jeff Shaw:

On the Dreamer's day, we offer up five divergent songs about Martin Luther King and the holiday that bears his name. They are upbeat and somber, they are angry and hopeful, they are old and new.

5. Ray Charles, "Abraham, Martin and John"
First recorded by Dion, the soulful Ray Charles version is my favorite. Penned in response to the assassinations of King and Robert Kennedy, artists from Marvin Gaye to Bob Dylan have lent their voices to the tune.

4. Common, "A Dream"
The most modern and up-beat of these songs is Common's track from the 2007 film Freedom Writers. The track samples King's famous speech, expertly weaving words into an update of the preacher's pro-freedom themes.

Here's another roundup from our pal Jeff Shaw:

Ah, the New Year. Time of transformation, time of bubbly-spawned magic, time of awkward passes and resolutions you mean at the time. While you're preparing for the long sled ride down Hangover Hill, here's some topical listening material.

5. Death Cab for Cutie, "The New Year"
"So this is the New Year ... and I don't feel any different." Who among us cannot identify with these sentiments? The ennui associated with arbitrary calendar-flippage? We've all been there at one point, and this captures one aspect of the nouvelle annee experience: sitting around and waiting for life to start. Some years are like this, running in place while holding a drink. Try not to spill.

4. The Zombies, "This Will Be Our Year"
A delicious pop nugget from decades past, this track isn't explicitly about the New Year, but about starting a new romantic relationship with an old friend. The words I'm looking for to describe it are "thoroughly charming." Share it with someone you love -- or ensure that it's playing when a longtime pal you have a crush on walks by. More recently, OK Go covered this song, and that version is also well worth listening to. You can find it here. But I think the video below, with decades-old footage of somebody's parents shot with a Super 8, fits the tune's feel.

3. Asobi Seksu, "New Years"
About a metaphorical rather than literal New Year, this song (which you can hear streaming here) is the finest track from one of 2006's best albums. Yeah, its almost all in Japanese. Yeah, you'll enjoy it anyway, even if you don't speak the language. You can see people wrestling with the tune's English meaning here.