The Rob Gordon Shuffle: Beat The Heat Edition

It’s so hot in Los Angeles, it’s ridiculous. I’ve had about four bottles of water today and it’s not helping at all.

Ella Fitzgerald – “Too Darn Hot”: mp3
Can’t go wrong with Ella. This song is from the Complete Songbooks collection (which is essential if you like jazz standards at all), and is about the weather being too darn hot. Or is it?

The Microphones – “I Want To Be Cold”: mp3
From the limited-release Blood LP, this is an alternate version of a renamed track from the glorious Glow Pt. 2. Phil Elvrum plays guitar under a lo-fi hum and wants to be “buried in snow.” Man, me too.

Ben Folds – “There’s Always Someone Cooler Than You”: mp3
Not one of Mr. Fold’s finest moments, but it gets the point across even though I’m taking it completely out of context. Jealousy is the sincerest part of flattery. Although I suppose this song is of a “fuck you!” to the cool kids. What, perfecting the middle finger on “Underground” and “Song For The Dumped” wasn’t enough?

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The Rob Gordon Shuffle is a weekly Sunday rundown of fascinating songs without particular regard to genre or timeliness. It is absolutely not a top 5.