The Not-Pop Jukebox

For those of you who were never Oingo Boingo fans and think that Danny Elfman is just some Tim Burton toady, I offer Try to Believe as proof that the band had more to offer than a wicked horn section, political commentary, and catchy lyrics. That’s not to say that I don’t love all of those things about the Boingo bunch, but this song shows the group's breadth as well as their depth. It’s a feel-good tune and a sort of love song, a reminder to believe in yourself and your dreams. For those of you who are thinking, “What a cheesy-sounding song for Oingo Boingo to perform,” have a listen. The fire is still there.
Boomp3.com
Buy Dark at the End of the Tunnel (because you’ll get Skin, Run Away, Flesh N’ Blood, and Is This to go with Try to Believe, plus you can't buy mp3s of the album from Amazon).

Ferraby Lionheart's best song, period. Most of his music meanders and wallows a bit much for my taste, but Before We're Dead has a Dixieland, Beatle-esque thing going that gets me tapping my toes every time. This one is a musical pile of fun, and Mr. Lionheart hearkens back to the day when people routinely used stage names because someone (the performer or some smarmy biz exec somewhere) thought the real name was too...something. I must admit that Ferraby Lionheart elicits more curiosity than Mike Jones (for instance). While you ought not judge a band or artist by its name, let's be honest and admit that we all do it from time to time. Ferraby's got a hook, so why not use it?

As a child of the 1980s, I spent my fair share of quarters playing Spy Hunter at arcades and local convenience stores. The game appropriated Henry Mancini's Peter Gunn for its theme song, and firmly established the song in the hearts and minds of a new generation, even if most of us didn't know what it was at the time. Of course, I'm a fan of spy music anyway.

Older folks are likely familiar with this song as the theme song for the suave and sophisticated detective Peter Gunn, as performed by Henry Mancini and his orchestra. Duane Eddy had a huge hit with his twangy take on the song as well, while Dick Dale nailed the surf rock possibilities.

Then there were the Blues Brothers version and Art of Noise, with Duane Eddy. I uncovered this last during one of my frequent trips to The Hype Machine. If people weren't still intrigued by this instrumental set piece, they wouldn't still be posting about it, would they? I knew it couldn't be just me.

And I couldn't take skipping one of the best versions just because I couldn't find anywhere to hear it for free: The Blues Brothers.
Boomp3.com
Buy the Henry Mancini version.
Buy the Dick Dale version.
Buy the Duane Eddy version.

Being a sucker for a horn section - and for hearing different interpretations of a song- I'm a fan of Big Band music and the standards that dozens of groups covered from that era. One of the best was Caldonia, from the inimitable Louis Jordan. It seems that all of the big names have done their own take on Caldonia, from simpler, bluesy versions to full-bore, big band swing.

Heck, even Mos Def has his own version of Caldonia from Lackawanna Blues. The New Morty Show offered their fabulous horn-filled take as a hidden track on "Mortyfied!" If you've got a favorite version, please let me know. I'd love to hear more. And if you're looking for more, try searching for Caledonia, as well. You'll find a few dozen more versions, as the name was commonly misspelled.

Louis Jordan rocks Caldonia
BB King's version
A wailin' version from Woody Herman (one of his 800 recorded versions)
The new Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis version
Clifton Chenier's Version, for a little zydeco
James Brown with a full horn section

Today’s song leapt to my attention almost as soon as I booted up this morning. I quite enjoy songs where the lyrics are in direct opposition to the feel of the music. Passenger has captured this juxtaposition with creepy, psychotic lyrics over bouncy, jangly pop music. Night Vision Binoculars sounds rather like a Vampire Weekend tune, but they lyrics belie the happy beat. I love it when they do that.

You can listen to Night Vision Binoculars on Passenger’s MySpace page as linked above or you can wander by the Culture Bully and listen to a pile of free stuff there, including this one, and get the scoop on the Twin Cities music scene for this weekend.

Buy Night Vision Binoculars

What do you get when you take a Canadian comedy troupe and give them a crappy hatchback? You get The Arrogant Worms singing a tribute to their 1984 Plymouth Horizon. It’s funny, it’s got great harmonies, and it sticks in your head. For what more could you ask from a simple acoustic song?
Boomp3.com

While I love Manu Dibango’s older afro-jazz classics, his 1994 release, “Wakafrika”, still holds the number one spot in my heart. On the album he’s teamed up with Peter Gabriel, Sinead O’Connor, King Sunny Adé, and Ladysmith Black Mombazo. They power through re-recordings of Biko, Homeless, and Emma with verve and style. Soul Makossa is, as on so many Dibango “Best of” albums, the first track.

Some folks prefer older versions of Soul Makossa, like this one from “Afridelic”, but the “Wakafrika” version stands out as a clean, powerful recording prefaced by Manu Dibango’s deep (and sexy) voice introducing the song. It’s also got a kick-ass horn section, which is no surprise with Dibango. Unfortunately, you can’t buy mp3s of the songs on “Wakafrika”, but the album is cheap and well worth the money.
Boomp3.com
Buy Wakafrika

For their 2001 album, “Wonderbrass II”, Wonderbrass recorded a lovely Dixieland jazz version of Blueberry Hill. Yes, the song that made the charts in 1940 for Glen Miller, 1949 for Louis Armstrong, and 1956 for Fats Domino. Elvis Presley and Led Zeppelin have covered the tune, as have The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, and Elton John.

All of these covers have one thing in common: they are all downbeat and sad. Even Jerry Lee Lewis didn’t sound particularly happy about having found his thrill. Finally, Wonderbrass took a trip to Blueberry Hill and actually played like they enjoyed it. It’s about time enjoyed the nostalgia instead of singing like they were mourning a loss.

Buy the Wonderbrass version.
Pick up the Fats Domino version or the Louis Armstrong version. Grab the Elvis Presley and Little Richard versions while you're at it.

If you missed They Might Be Giants’ 1992 release “Apollo 18”, go get it, now. While I’m a fan of the band and would recommend all of their albums from this release and before, "Apollo 18" has nary a miss on the album and offers a steaming pile of TMBG weirdness. Even Hall of Heads has its moments. The Statue Got Me High, the first song I heard off the album, demonstrates this perfectly. Where else would you find saxophone-playing astronauts playing a song that seems to be about spontaneous combustion? If you like that one, check out Spider.

Buy The Statue Got Me High

I wanted to thank Stephen Crawford for his invaluable assistance in moving the sidebar from the left to the right side of my content. I like it much better over there but had no idea how to go about tackling such a move. Thanks, Mr. Crawford!

I also wanted to note that my post for today about Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis and their new New Orleans Jazz album "Two Men with the Blues" is actually at The Other Blog, as linked. It's my first guest post ever, and I was gratified by how easy and quick it was.

Otis Rush's Violent Love turned out to be the quintessential Oingo Boingo song, part love song and part wild ride. In 1980, Oingo Boingo released an EP with four songs that would launch them into the New Wave movement with a vengeance. On it was Violent Love. Through the next 15 years' worth of innovation and energy, Danny Elfman and the band came up with hundreds of amazing songs. Violent Love still numbers among my favorites. The live version from 1988's "Boingo Alive" is more hyper than the studio version, and less ska-like. (I saw Oingo Boingo live in 1990, and the live version had the crowd on their feet in two notes.) Both capture the bands frenetic style at its most enjoyable.Boomp3.com
Buy the EP (with Only a Lad, Ain't This the Life, and I'm So Bad as well)
Buy Boingo Alive (a two-disc set, including Dead Man's Party, Cinderella Undercover, and No One Lives Forever)

One of the best things about the Internet and digital music, is the insane availability of mash-ups. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, get off to a search engine and educate yourself. Short of that, consider this combination from Party Ben of The Clash’s Rock the Casbah with The Killers’ Somebody Told Me. Now two of my favorite songs can be heard at the same time, and you can download the mash-up for free. Don’t let anyone tell you that nothing good is free. I’ll definitely be posting more free mash-ups to download over time. The creativity of these DJs can be astounding.

How often do you get a Chinese punk band singing with a ska pro like Dicky Barrett? If the results all turned out like Coming Down to Beijing, the answer would be, “Not often enough.” Brain Failure, the Chinese band in question, released an EP of tracks that they recorded with Big D and the Kids’ Table in 2007. On their own, Brain Failure sounds more like Rancid than the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, but their high energy combines beautifully with that of the ever-rough-sounding Mr. Barrett and his cohorts to create a fun sound. I wouldn’t link to a video this cheesy, but it was either this or a link to the Brain Failure MySpace page. Really, wouldn’t you rather stay here?


Buy Coming Down to Beijing

I Fought the Law is a song that really got around. I tend to remember it as a reggae song, probably because of I Shot the Sherriff. The two seem to go together. Sonny Curtis and the Crickets originally released I Fought the Law in 1959, however, not Bob Marley. The Bobby Fuller Four recorded the best-known version of the song in the mid-1960s. But that’s not what I wanted to write about.

The Clash revisited the song and punked it up for the Seventies sensibility. The harder, faster, rougher song seems a much better fit for the lyrics, and the tale of failed rebellion was perfectly suited to The Clash’s image. The original song was country, the Bobby Fuller version was fun, while the new version hovered between frustration and self-mockery, perfectly balanced on the pinnacle of punk rock.

Then the 1980s came, and the Stray Cats - otherwise fun and frantic - recorded I Fought the Law with a return to the original Sonny Curtis sound, slower and with more guitar twang. If there’s another version that you love, please let me know. If you’re like me, you want as many versions as you can get, if only for the purposes of comparison.

Buy the Ramones Version
Buy the Bobby Fuller Four Version
Buy the Sonny Curtis Version
Buy the Stray Cats Version
Buy the Hank Williams, Jr. version, if you just can't get enough.

I wouldn't normally put a file anywhere that unscrupulous folks could download it, but Farm Accident was never on the radar, as far as I can tell, and certainly doesn't appear anywhere I've looked for free places to listen to them, not even Burning Down the Hard Rock Cafe. Amazon doesn't seem to have ever heard of Farm Accident. At any rate, Burning Down the Hard Rock Cafe may sound like country and western at first, but it's a pretty clean folk song with fabulous lyrics that will get stuck in your head after a few listens. I just had to share it. You can buy the album or individual tunes here.

Polybore promises that this is the final version of the BlogCatalog avatar video. Rather than update my original post, since it's off of the front page, I thought I'd put it back on top. Again, this is Good Day by Ghost the Jukebox.

I must admit to having a bit of a "thing" for Chris Isaak. It's his voice, and how his recording often sounds so intimate, like he's really in the room there, talking to you (only you're starring in a musical, so he's singing, but it seems perfectly natural). What, you don't star in imaginary movies? You don't put together your own soundtrack?

Ahem. I was surprised to discover that H.I.M. had remade Wicked Game. I really love the Chris Isaak Elvis-like, country-crossover version of that song, off 1989's "Heart-Shaped World". It's like velvet sheets - it feels fantastic for a few minutes, and then you're slightly embarrassed by having enjoyed it so much.

The newer version, however, comes across more like lying on sandpaper. H.I.M. takes the love and mourning from Chris Isaak's song and focus on the anger, despite the karaoke-like singing. These people aren't sorry you're gone, they're still yelling at you for leaving. If you like the band's sound, you might like this version. I didn't, but I remember when the original was released (and I still have the cassette tape to prove it).

Buy the Chris Isaak Version
Buy the H.I.M. Version

Irving Berlin wrote some of my favorite songs, and Bobby Darin hung on to a few of them on the Las Vegas circuit of thirty and forty years ago (you know, back when it swung). On Blue Skies, you can almost hear the man smiling, as he's swingin' it for all he's worth. A lot of people have recorded this track, but Bobby, man, he really nailed it here.

Ella Fitzgerald recorded a great version, herself. Apparently, Willie Nelson's version is well known, although I never heard it until today. He sounds pretty down about being happy, but the song is on a few of his "Best of..." and "The Essential..." albums. Frank Sinatra swung through Blue Skies, himself, on several albums (this version with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra). Crooner Harry Connick, Jr. recorded it, as well, but without what I consider the necessary horn section. Of course, Bing Crosby sang it; he did whole movies of Irving Berlin music. While I love Bing, this version just isn't up-beat enough for the lyrics.

Buy the Bobby Darin Version

What do you get when you combine an almost death-metal ska band, dancing anime characters, and a 1970s canned fish jingle? You get Mephiskapheles singing The Bumblebee Tuna Song, as seen on YouTube. If all of the group’s songs were this much fun, they’d be my favorite band. Enjoy!

Amazon doesn’t have the song individually, but you can buy 1995’s "God Bless Satan".

You know you’re hearing good music when you find yourself unconsciously grooving to a song you’ve never heard and you sit in the car for an extra ten minutes just to hear the DJ tell you who the heck that was. One of these days, David Dye is going to get me fired for that. One of the (many, many) songs he’s introduced me to was Jim White’s Crash into the Sun. It was the free mp3 of the day at Spinner last December so I grabbed it while the grabbing was good. It gets better every time I hear it: a little groove, a little horn section, and some vocal gymnastics woven around them. Jim White’s been called alt-country, but I think he’s more alternative than country, despite his cowboy hat. This is also much lighter and more optimistic than his usual sound.

If you want more Jim White, try the 2007 release, "Transnormal Skiperoo". The man has a way with words.

Ah, Fishbone. How could you resist the infectious ska-funk sound, the in-your-face lyrics, the horn section? When you are having a bad day or suffering from road rage, singing along to Ugly at top volume, and picturing the day’s worst offenders as your audience, will relieve stress and boost your spirits. You may even manage to restrain yourself from displaying your frustration to the little old lady who was blocking two lanes and driving ten miles an hour below the speed limit. Good music is just that strong.

The song was on their self-titled, 1984 album, along with that song about a mean woman that lies, the name of which I can’t spell out on a PG-rated blog. Ugly also appeared on their 1996 compilation “Fishbone 101 – Nuttasaurusmeg: Fossil Fuelin' The Fonkay”, but was inexplicably left off of 2003’s “The Essential Fishbone”.

Buy Ugly

I’ve been listening to Mocean Worker’s album “Enter the Mowo” the last couple of days, and his lovely Chick A Boom Boom Boom has been firmly implanted into my head. It’s a relatively mellow mix, but with plenty of energy to get your hips moving. That’s the Mocean Worker (a.k.a. Adam Dorn) style: put a good beat under some jazzy music and sample a bit over the top. It may not be the most original concept, but it’s done with such panache on this album that you can’t help but like it. Some, like Salted Fatback, focus more on the music, but Chick A Boom Boom Boom shows a more playful side.

Buy Chick A Boom Boom Boom

Taj Mahal has been around, singing and playing the blues, since before I was born (yes, that long). For some reason, his 1991 album, “Like Never Before”, seems to either have flown under the radar or been purposely ignored by blues purists. That’s too bad, because they’re missing some real gems, including a terrific upbeat version of Cakewalk into Town. My favorite track on that album, Squat That Rabbit, blends a high-energy, naughty little boogie with some classic blues lyrics. What’s not to love?

Buy Squat That Rabbit

I've been a fan of Keb' Mo' since I first saw him live at a local blues festival ten years ago. I've seen him three times since then and would go again in a heartbeat. His talent on the strings (guitar and banjo), his smooth voice, and his terrific songwriting form a strong base for his showmanship. While his sound has evolved, he still shows his bluesy roots as well as he did on his first, self-titled album. Take a listen to Perpetual Blues Machine, off the album "Just Like You", and try not to tap your toes.

Buy the Perpetual Blues Machine

Polybore has proven anything but boring, this week. He's provided the community at BlogCatalog with a nifty video of discussion board participants' avatars. He's set the montage to Good Day by Jukebox the Ghost, so of course I had to include it here. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. They remind me of The Connells. Keep an eye peeled for little ol' moi in the form of my little green shoes, about 2:34. (I've edited to keep you up to the newest verion 2.6 on 9/11/08.)


Buy the Song

I'm a big fan of all things spy--history, novels, movies, and the songs inspired thereby. Secret Agent Man, first recorded in the 1960s by Johnny Rivers, was the epitome of spy music, with its Bondian guitar riff and lyrics of international intrigue.

Devo took a crack at it in 1979, on "Duty Now and for the Future". If you're a geek rock fan, this one will satisfy. I like Devo, but this one didn't have the great feel of the original. Finally, The Toasters took on Secret Agent Man on "Hard Band for Dead" in 1996. The song appeared on "Skandalous: I've Gotcha Covered" as well, also released in 1996.

Buy the Toasters version
Buy the Devo version
Buy the Johnny Rivers version

Thanks to the Nerd Fellowship for this.

Part of the problem with liking older music lies in the refusal or inability of the band to make it available on-line because they are no more. The Dead Milkmen exemplify this, with millions of links about their music available but the music itself is difficult to find, especially given Rhapsody’s wonky search engine. At The Dead Milkmen’s site, you can play with the Punk Rock Girl paper doll, but you can’t listen to any music.

Luckily, you can sample the goodness that is Stuart at Rhapsody, along with the rest of the “Beelzebubba” album. Some people don’t find the Milkmen funny, but a song this sarcastic serves as proof of their collective sense of humor. Edit: I couldn't resist doing up the lyrics for Stuart.

You can’t buy Stuart individually from Amazon, but you can get the album.

Morphine successfully pulls of the trick of rockin’ without a single guitar. If you’ve ever seen someone playing air guitar to one of Morphine’s songs, you know they’re a poser who knows nothing about the band. While Morphine offers a lot of intriguing songs, including French Fries with Pepper and Top Floor, Bottom Buzzer. My favorite, however, remains the first of their songs that I ever heard (and thank heaven for college radio). Give Early to Bed a listen and tell me that you can resist that sound. It's also on my playlist at the bottom of this page.

Buy Early to Bed

I’ve been a David Byrne fan since the Talking Heads were Burning Down the House. He’s kept up the bizarre sensibilities that made the Heads such an alternative hit, adding more Latin sensibilities, as in Desconocido Soy or Asa Braca, his foray with Forro in the Dark. My favorite from his solo albums, however, remains Dance of Vaseline off 1997's “Feelings”. That link is from Mr. Byrne’s own site, where you can listen to dozens of other songs, as well.

Buy Dance on Vaseline

Michelle Shocked really speaks to me, between her smooth voice to her angry activism. I enjoy her range, from Paper in My Shoe showing her zydeco chops to the bluesy God is a Real Estate Developer to the country sound of On the Greener Side (one of my favorite songs of all time). Enjoy the video.

After a break of nearly thirty years, Trio Mocotó came roaring back into the Brazilian and world music scenes with Samba Rock, including the fantastic Cyrano de Beijorac, named after the Edward Rostand play.

But that's not what I came here to write about. The title track from their 2003 album, Beleza, Beleza, Beleza, was actually even better than that. An uptempo, samba swing that shows how much these men enjoy playing together, this song will get your hips moving and your toes tapping. Enjoy!

Buy Beleza, Beleza, Beleza