The 'Mediocrity -- It's Okay' Friday Random Ten

I've been slacking off the past couple of weeks with the Friday Random
10, so here it is. Enjoy!

1. The Bangles -- Following
I was never what you'd call a huge Bangles fan, but once I bought their
greatest hits, I discovered they made a lot of very good songs. Like
this one.

2. Velvet Rope -- Janet Jackson
When I was living in Korea, I was very, very desperate for new music. I
bought JJ's 'Velvet Rope' album on the strength of 'Got Til it's Gone,'
but unfortunately the album was filled with mediocre songs like this
one.

3. Ride -- Puya
This is from one of my 2001 CMJ discs. A lot of the older CMJs have
songs that don't hold up well, but this isn't one of them. This one
still rocks.

4. Juliana Hatfield -- Everybody Loves Me
I somehow managed to miss most of the indie JH craze (?) of the early
'90s so I didn't discover this song until years later. It's very good.

5. XTC -- The Disappointed
I don't know how anyone can not like XTC.

6. Meat Beat Manifesto -- Prime Audio Soup
From 'The Matrix' soundtrack; it's okay.

7. Kanye West with Mos Def, et al -- Two Words
From KW's first album. One of my least favorite songs on what is a very
good album.

8. Dinosaur Jr. -- Yeah Right
I also missed the Dino Jr. bandwagon, but he too has some good songs I
am only recently discovering. Like this one.

9. Elvis Costello -- Good Year for the Roses
EC at his most maudlin (and country-tinged); one of my least fav songs
of his

10. Outkast -- She Lives in my Lap
Rosario Dawson or no, this song is kind of 'meh,' though I liked the
album a lot. And what the hell does 'she lives in my lap' mean? In the
context of this song, of course.