Your Songs Too Short To Box With iPod

“Buddy? I’m gonna punch you in the face, if you don’t get your hands on the f***ing dash!!!”

Let the pugilism begin:

1. General Patton vs The X-Ecutioners, “Doctrine & Declaration”
This is an introduction from the Marvel(ous) Team-Up of Faith No More’s Mike Patton and turntablists extraordinaire The X-Ecutioners. I first heard its introductory vocal sample in an old Stereo MCs song, but it serves its purpose better here.

2. The Flaming Lips, “Fight Test”
A lot of the Lips’ music seems to reference some great unseen war going on between Heaven & Hell, light & darkness, sentient mushrooms & glowing orbs, and of course giant robots & little girls. Wayne Coyne is apparently the only one aware of this chaos going on all around us, and attempts to warn us all through song.

3. Depth Charge, “Depth Charge”
Although overshadowed by contemporaries Norman Cook and Adrian Sherwood, J. Saul Kane quietly made some of the best sample-based electro / dub / hip-hop records of the 1980s. His particular specialty was to utilize bits of audio from films, mainly horror and spaghetti western, which is probably why most of his catalog is out of print. This song chooses to look on the chop-socky side of life.

4. Pietro Mascagni, “Cavalleria Rusticana (intermezzo)”
If you’re wondering why, just picture a black & white Robert DeNiro jumping around a boxing ring in slow motion.

5. Public Enemy, “Fight The Power (12″ mix)”
For someone of my philosophical makeup, one of the things that “punching” can evoke is the image of a raised black-gloved fist, breaking its way through prejudice and racism. There aren’t many songs that sum that spirit up better than PE’s anthem from the “Do The Right Thing” soundtrack. Here’s the original 12″ single mix, complete with noisier brighter mix, sax by Branford Marsalis, and un-bleeped-up commentary on Elvis and John Wayne.

6. Malcolm Middleton, “Fight Like The Night”
A track from 2007’s addictive parasitic audio meme “A Brighter Beat”, sneakily disguised as a pop album.

7. Tomoyasu Hotei, “Battle Without Honor Or Humanity”
There are certain songs that are just made for scenes of psycho samurai chicks walking at the camera. This is one.

8. Shel Silverstein, “Hitting”
In case you can’t make it out (I didn’t at first), that indistinct word that makes the whole joke work is “feather”.

Download: General Patton vs The X-Ecutioners, “Doctrine & Declaration” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Flaming Lips, “Fight Test” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Depth Charge, “Depth Charge” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Pietro Mascagni, “Cavalleria Rusticana (intermezzo)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Public Enemy, “Fight The Power (12″ mix)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Malcolm Middleton, “Fight Like The Night” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Tomoyasu Hotei, “Battle Without Honor Or Humanity” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Shel Silverstein, “Hitting” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)