Ignored, Maligned, and Forgotten Music

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Stab You - Album

I have to admit that I don't really know why I like Stab You so much. It's partly the vocalist for Album, whose voice reminds me of...someone. And there's a lot going on over the course of the song that I keep coming back to it. The fuzzed-out beginning is supplanted by some smoother (and cleaner) sound later only to come roaring back at the end. The beat thumps along behind all of the changes and there are call-and-answer bits and I swear I heard some hand claps along the way.

But whatever the reason, Stab You gets me moving and I thought I'd share it with you. I'll admit that I've never found anything else by Album so I don't have an "if you liked this" recommendation to add. Just have a listen and let me know what you think.

Spirits in the Material World - Various Artists

I had one of those idle thoughts that leads to interesting posts today: I wondered if anyone had covered Spirits in the Material World. The song of revolution and frustration was such an iconic Sting song that I thought perhaps people hadn't much touched it, at least without him.

Indeed, I found that Pato Banton recorded a version with Sting, a more reggae-toned cover and a duet that I actually like better than the original. And I found instrumental covers from Antoine Dufour and Michael Manring (the former much more interesting than the elevator-music latter). Then there's the version in Spanish from Puya titled Almas that ventures into hard-rock territory with a chorus much angrier than the Police made it. Last, I included Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Uppressors with their full-on reggae take.

I'm still working on getting the colors down for widgets so excuse the excesses you might see in the meantime. The important thing is that you get six versions of Spirits in the Material World today. Which one did you like best?

Can Your Monkey Do the Dog - Bo Diddley & Jay Mobey

As a super-quick, forty-two ounces of weird song for today let's enjoy Can Your Monkey Do the Dog. This particular version hails form a wacky, old sixties show called Shindig! (no, really, complete with exclamation point) and includes Bo Diddley and Jay Mobey along with, of all things, Cher behaving shyly. I kid you not, my dears--shy Cher! It may not be the Rufus Thomas original but at least it's live.

Hello - The Cat Empire

In the search for a song to say, "Hello!" to my new template I ran into the downfall of all music snobs: no commercial radio means you miss the occasional great music that everyone at whom you look down your snooty nose already heard. And so I come ten years late to the party that is The Cat Empire. Seriously, I rely on you people to tell me about a band that combines ska, salsa, and straight-forward rock into something wildly wonderful.

Of course, I really only have myself to blame, though how I missed Strong Coffee in my fascination with songs with the topic I may never understand. But I intended to write about my new template. I have one. It's colorful and I finally got my jukebox. I'll be tweaking it further, naturally (particularly as it's eaten my post tags) but I'd love some feedback whether you love or hate it. Have a look while The Cat Empire says Hello.

Super Freaky Blues - Gutbucket Slim

While more a remix than a mash-up, Super Freaky Blues takes the best of two things (fuzzy guitar blues and, well, the vocal track from Super Freak) and combines them into a song that is more than the sum of its parts. Not all of the songs on the Gutbucket Slim album work as well but this one shows the possibilities of the band's approach.

If you like Super Freaky Blues have a listen to Da Way Ya Make Me Feel which is, as you might imagine, a reimagining of Michael Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel. You can find the whole album on Grooveshark The question is: what song should Gutbucket Slim take on next?

Got the Time - Anthrax and Perfect Thyroid

Anthrax's Got the Time is one of those songs I absorbed as some point in my misspent youth trolling with skaters and and metalheads without realizing it had burrowed in there except when someone mentions ticking, at which times it leaps out full-blown. When I got the second volume of "Skandalous: I've Gotcha Covered" and found Perfect Thyroid's cover I never even bothered to look for the original. I love their take on it.

But you know that couldn't stand forever, so naturally I have both. And, as a special treat for you all tonight, I offer both of them to you, as well. Metal? Ska? Now you don't have to choose!

Rev It Up - Deluxetone Rockets

Sometimes you bump into the most interesting things accidentally. Today I was looking for a Modest Mouse song that the DJ mistakenly titled Rev It Up. I'd heard part of it and wanted to give it another listen. As happens every time I hear a Modest Mouse song that makes me say, "Interesting!" on second listen I thought, "Meh." The lyrics are great but the music just isn't to my taste.

All of which was to explain how I ended up listening to the Deluxetone Rockets and Rev It Up. This one made me say, "Interesting!" twice in a row. In part it's the tempo changes but I really like what they do with the chorus. And if you've read more than two posts here at The NPJ you know I'm a sucker for a name like Deluxetone Rockets. In fact, they've got some other great rockabilly stuff that I may well post later...and they've got horns.

As an apology for my slacker-ness of late (it's just so NICE outside, people) I'm posting both Fire It Up and Rev It Up. Now I'm off to rev up my own stuff. Enjoy!

Stone Rollin' - Raphael Saadiq

I'm not a huge fan of Raphael Saadiq, as he does a lot more of the "smooth R-n-B" sound than I generally like. Stone Rollin', however, is one of the few of his songs that really breaks type, in a great way. It's a part of my "men like curves" collection with things like Taj Mahal's Big Legged Mamas Are Back in Style but beyond the subject matter it's just a fun little song. Get your groove on and roll with it!

Ferris Wheel - The Living Sisters

I can't help it, I freaking love Ferris Wheel. Every time I listen to it I just smile. I love Ferris Wheels, I love the imagery of the lyrics, I love the sweet, twee little voices of The Living Sisters. It's pure sap and I refuse to apologize for adoring it.

I am, however, inflicting it on you all so that I can hopefully find a sympathizer or two among you. I know it's a bit kittens-and-rainbows for my usual fare but I am helpless before their harmonies. Heck, you should see me devouring the cheese of (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am with a...well, a cheese-eating grin on my face. How these ladies can feed me love song pap and make me like it I may never know. They do, though.

Ferris Wheel by The Living Sisters on Grooveshark

Spinning - Jack's Mannequin

For some reason, Jack's Mannequin seems to me like a band that recorded in the early 90s and I completely missed. That's untrue, of course. They've just released their third album (and I only heard of them because they're playing in town). Spinning in particular just seems like such an old song to me. But then again I lived through the 80s and that sound seems to be coming back into vogue again so maybe it's just the style.

I'm not in love with a lot of their songs but I listened to a whole pile of Jack's Mannequin stuff today and I can tell you that they do good work. The reason I wanted to listen to them wasn't the rather bland review I read (the writing, as the review was very positive) but the fact that the lead singer has recovered from leukemia and has a foundation called Dear Jack that raises money for cancer research. The great music was just a bonus.

If you like Spinning then definitely try Deep Blue and Bruised. You'll find them all and a whole lot more...including a nice cover of The Everly Brothers' (All I Have to Do Is) Dream...on Grooveshark.

Sweet Mama Janisse - Taj Mahal

I've left you all without a new Taj Mahal recommendation for far too long. Let's try one of my favorites, a Creole-flavored blues stomp celebrating a Southern woman who treats her man to the best of the Delta. And no, that's not as dirty as it sounds so get your minds out of the gutter.

I defy you not to move to this one. It rollicks, my dears, it simply romps. There are tubas, for goodness' sake! Enjoy this little bit of Cajun blues and do let me know if it brings to mind any similar songs. I can always use more chair-dancing fodder.

Jukebox Roots: I Dig Your Wig - Buddy Guy

Far back in the beginning of The NPJ I posted about Ben Vaughn's I Dig Your Wig but gave you no way to hear the song or its various versions. What in the world was I thinking?!

I'll tell you what I'm thinking now: why the heck can't I find the half-dozen versions I know exist? I've had a very frustrating day searching for a recording of the Ben Vaughn version that had me rockin' earlier this morning. But no, the closest I could get was a video with poor video and worse sound quality.

I Dig Your Wig still rocks my socks, though. And so I offer the consolation prize: Buddy Guy. (Note: this is not the same song at all.) If you know of a great-sounding recording of the Ben Vaughn version that I can embed or at least link to from here please do let me know.

A Chat with My Brain - Tristan Clopet

Several months ago I posted about Tristan Clopet & the Juice and his "Purple" EP. A couple of weeks ago he dropped his first album, "Name It What You Want" and released a video for his first single, A Chat with My Brain. The album seems much more introspective and mellow than the the EP, not necessarily a bad thing but you know I'm a high-BPM kind of girl.

However, A Chat with My Brain and La Naissance keep me interested in the boys from Florida. I'm still curious to see where they're going and how they develop (and whether more of that funk comes back). The whole album has flashes of brilliance and the fact that they write their own songs and manage to actually be interesting promises good things to come. You can listen to all of "Name It What You Want" on the official web site. Take a crack at 4:45 Through Remembrance when you're there.

Upside Down - Diana Ross & the Supremes

I woke up this morning with Upside Down, or, as I call it, The Adverb Song, in my head. I don't know why. But since I haven't heard the song for years I figured it out to be posted (and it gives me an excuse to listen to it so I can get it out of my brain).

Now, you may be wondering why I apply the adverb appellation. Well, I'll tell you: instinctively and respectfully are all over the verses and the chorus. It's a dumb song, with Diana Ross saying, "I know you're cheating but you make me so freaking hot that I'm going to stay with you anyway." But I can't resist, "I say to thee, respectfully, upside down you're turning me." It's just too weird in a disco song.

And besides, it's Saturday. There's no reason we can't indulge in a little pop-of-yesteryear on a Saturday! Don't be ashamed of your secret, crappy-music loves, my darlings. Confess them to me!

Building a Play List - Various Artists

Let’s examine how I listen to music for a moment. Some days I like to skip from song to song, adding to the list whatever the song that’s playing brings to mind. I started this little trip down the primrose path with Run Chicken Run from The Felice Brothers. The line “push had come to shove” took me to MonkeyJunk and When Push Comes to Shove. The chorus says, “When push comes to shove, I ain’t the one who’s going down.”

Naturally, that took me to Coming Down to Beijing from Brain Failure. We’ll ignore the Bill Cosby Brain Damage side track I took that led to The Dentist because this isn’t a comedy blog. When Dicky Barrett complains to Brain Failure about living in the suburbs I immediately think of Gidget Goes to Hell from Suburban Lawns. (Who doesn’t, right?) That, naturally, leads me to Surfin’ Bird because Gidget makes me think of The Trashmen. (Well, not really, but surfing does.)

To follow something like that you need something equally as goofy. What better than Rubber Biscuit? And now I’m thinking about eating so I add I Eat Cannibals. Naturally, cannibals make me think of Stranded in the Jungle. That takes me to The Steve Miller Band’s Jungle Love which makes me think of rain which gives me Morphine and You Look Like Rain, naturally, as Mr. Miller states that “everything looks better when wet”.

So there you have it: the first ten songs I listened to this morning. And that, my dears, is why I don’t get anything done at work. If you’re curious, number eleven was Bobby Darin’s Blue Skies because “I can tell you taste like the sky ‘cos you look like rain”. What would yours have been?

Hot Shot - The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

In honor of the fact that I've been accepted by the BC Blog Reject Committee (by whom I was awarded this nifty badge) for the sheer lack of ability to grow an audience or garner attention through years of consistent blogging, let's have some grinding, fuzzed-out guitar rock with Hot Shotfrom The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

I've chosen JSBX because it's these sorts of selections that prove I'll never be mainstream...and because I like them, those weirdos. They have about a dozen different sounds. I like to call this one "Elvis punk". It's a live take so you get a real sense of their energy but it also means that the sound quality isn't fantastic. Then again, their studio work sounds a lot like this for the most part.

If you like Hot Shot (and She Said, linked above) take a listen to Do You Wanna Get Heavy? and Killer Wolf. You'll find a whole mess of their music at Grooveshark. And apparently I forgot to include the song. Sorry!

Poisoning Pigeons in the Park - Tom Lehrer

As a fan of the English language, humor, and old-fashioned music, Tom Lehrer owns my heart (particularly with Silent E and and N Apostrophe T. And as we spent the afternoon in the park, flying kites rather than feeding cyanide to local wildlife, I thought Poisoning Pigeons in the Park a particularly apt song. I was going to include the video but I think it's far more romantic with the strings.

If this one gives you a good giggle or two, have a listen to the Masochism Tango and, if you're a particular fan of chemistry, try The Element Song, in which he has set the names of all of the elements to the tune of the Modern Major General song from The Pirates of Penzance. Of course, you could enjoy his social commentary and protest songs, more. They're all on Grooveshark.

The Pimp, The Bitch, and the Magic Beans - Nuclear Rabbit

It's been ages since I posted some Nuclear Rabbit. I thought we could enjoy some Hobbit-related music for today. Now, I realize that the name The Pimp, the Bitch, and the Magic Beans doesn't sound very Hobbit-like but I promise, the song is.

For those of you unfamiliar with the band, Nuclear Rabbit combines Mr. Bungle with Primus and comes up with all sorts of hard-core, punk-flavored weird. And apparently they do Golum impressions. If this one (and the two linked above) don't fill your rabbit-meter, try Midgetaur and My Girl's Got Guts, or even Crane to the Head.

Jukebox Roots: Get a Gun - The Connells

When I first began The Not-Pop Jukebox I posted some of my absolute favorite songs right away, not realizing just how much I had to learn. Get a Gun is a perfect example of this. I adore the song, and The Connells in general, proto-indie gents from North Carolina that they are.

Today I want to share the song with you all because I still love it. The imagery is so clear and the metaphor supported so beautifully by the lyrics. Twenty-plus years later it stands as a wonderful example of the art of song crafting. If you don't the meaning, click on the title above for a brief explanation. Whether you do nor not, enjoy Get a Gun. You can hear Slackjawed on the third of my posts on fade endings in the music industry over the past 50 years, as well.

Cumbia Celtica - Salsa Celtica

You know you've found something with a true world beat sound when you see a name like Salsa Celtica. True to their name, the band uses Celtic fiddles and a banjo as the foundation for some pounding salsa music, horns and Spanish lyrics and all. It's like an Scottish-Mexican mashup of massive proportions.

And, yes, it's as much fun as it sounds. And, lest you presume these are Spaniards who have adopted the Celtic side of their sound, the 11-piece band hails from Edinburgh, Scotland. I selected Cumbia Celtica for today because, well, the band sounds like they're having a great time and the banjo and fiddle are so prominent in it. If you like this one try Ya Llego for sheer dance-ability and Fuerte for some great horns.

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