The Not-Pop Jukebox

I thought it might be nice to post a little wake-up music for that dude who's been out for a couple of days. What better to welcome him back than a cautionary tale about the dangers of Big Brother from Oingo Boingo? In case that was too obscure, Wake Up (It's 1984).

Now, when the "Good for Your Soul" album dropped in 1983 people naturally assumed it was a song about the following year. I heard this quite a bit in 1984 and then people thought it was stupid and dated and stopped listening to it. Those people clearly don't read.

Happily, I was just at the right age for Orwell and so read 1984 and Animal Farm right about this time. Naturally, the song speaks to me, more so every year--or at least ever legislative session. So, happy Jesus wake up day to you all and have a little Boingo to get you going.

I bumped into Claude VonStroke yesterday and spent a fair chunk of time giving his music a listen. While I like a lot of what he does (and am fairly worn out from dancing), it was Beat That Bird that I knew you had to hear.

Distasteful as I find the song around which it's based, I can't resist the bizarre flavor of it. And, of course, it put me in mind of Nuclear Rabbit's Sweet Nothings. Naturally, that means you get both, my dears.

I've decided not to make this a You Pick the Winner post because Sweet Nothings is so short, though it can definitely stand up in the "freaky" category. Have a listen to the pair and let me know if you don't think they go together like...bats and chickens.

When a funk all-star songs a song about The Jazz Greats you know it's going to be good. And when that funkster is Bootsy Collins it's got to be goofy. In case you need a reason to listen, try the lines, "If the funk gets too hot for your rump, turn the other cheek bump." It's Friday on Thursday, which means that's all the reason you need. Have a listen, get your groove on with the jazzy horns, and let me know what you think.

Was Boogie Nights in Saturday Night Fever? Who knows? Who cares? All I know is that it should have been, and that I bet John Travolta boogied his bootie off to Heatwave, back in the day whether on film or not.

I certainly did, and still do. While this was definitely a pop song, long ago, you don’t hear a lot of disco any more. I prefer this sort of aged cheese to the modern-day versions by Kesha and the like. Neither is deep or particularly good music but at least disco made the vocalists actually sing about partying at clubs rather than letting the computers do it.

(In case you were about to point it out, I do know that Boogie Nights was the titular song in the movie Boogie Nights, not Saturday Night Fever. That was tongue-in-cheek, kind of like this paragraph. Shush it and boogie, darlings.)

Saturday afternoon is the perfect time for some old-school funk. That Hammond, that bass, that fuzz! But Lefties Soul Connection has fooled you--this album was released by the Dutch band in 2006, those sneaky things. For me, that just makes Sling Shot all the better. There are still people in the world eager and able to play music like this!

In case you missed my last post on them, have a listen to more Lefties Soul Connection and groove in the brand-new, old-school sound. And if you've got a new-fangled funk or soul band to share, I'm ready and waiting!

Of late, no one seems to know the difference between "jive" and "jibe". For those of you who want to know how to use jive properly in a sentence, I have eight songs, from across a few decades and at least six genres, to help explain it. Also, I'm fond of making theme posts like this, much like my Big Shuffle list.

Have a listen to The Four Charms and then Grammatik remixing the same song (though the Nat King Cole version). Don your roller skates and jive with the Bee Gees and then take them off again for some 80s goodness from Men at Work. Swing between Guns n' Roses and Mojo Nixon, with a little Screamin' Jay Hawkins thrown in the mix. And if you just can't get enough, pop over to my playlist of Java Jive for a steaming pile of coffee-flavored jive talkin'.

It's come to my attention, via my shiny new headphones, that Morphine's first album, "Good", sounds muffled compared to their later efforts. That's okay, though. It just means you have to turn it up louder.

As an example of what made the band an instant hit, and as a great alternative love song, I offer you You Speak My Language. Much like Van Canto, the premise of the band is that you don't need guitars to make great rock. This song makes their case perfectly.

I've got something almost brand new for you for this month's MotM. It's Michael Jackson versus -M-, which turns out to make the King of Pop even poppier (as if that were a word). It doesn't seem possible, but last month had Rick James with extra funk so why not ViC making MJ bounce?

I defy you not to enjoy MoJo to the point of chair dancing strenuously, if not actually getting up and jamming. Go on, click play. And if the track alone doesn't do it for you (don't lie, darlings, I know it did) you can watch the hysterical video mashup as well.

So get ready for a massive, double dose of pop from the Not-Pop Jukebox. Not only can you listen to Mojo, you can download it for free right here thanks to official.fm and ViC.

Once upon a time, Thomas Dolby had an enormous hit and then fell from the chart's graces with an almost-audible thud. That, my dears, was a crying shame. For proof that he had more to offer, have a listen to Hyperactive!, a song that's only gotten more relevant over the decades since it was released.

In case you weren't aware, Mr. Dolby is still out there making great music. Proof? How about "A Map Of The Floating City"? You've got an awful lot of catching up to do.

Partial as I've always been to the phrase "knee-deep in the hoopla", and as often as I danced my fool head off to We Built This City, I have a challenger to Jefferson Starship's ownership of city building songs. While Bright Lights Social Hour didn't specify in their song title, that's what Bare Hands, Bare Feet is about: building a city.

And so I ask you, my darlings, to listen to the song back-to-back (because, if you're like me, you'd forgotten how interesting the lyrics for We Built This City actually are) and tell me which you think more inspiring for the builders among us. Also, dance. Both songs are worthy and I won't tell anyone.

Thanks to the wonderful listening to...music community at Google+ I've got another new band for you all. While Wild Cub's latest video has gotten a fair amount of play, what with their having been at SXSW this year, not all of their music has such a big sound.

It does, however, make you say, "Hey, that reminds me of..." The trick with these Nashville natives is that it's not generally the same recollection twice running. For one song you're thinking, "Nice! I hear David Byrne." Then the next you're saying, "They must be old-school U2 fans."

So have a listen to (and watch) Wild Cub. Groove on their indie chops and their catchy music. And if you want to see a video that makes you wish you were in the room even more than Colour does, click over and watch Thunder Clatter from their December, 2012 release. Let me know who you think of when you hear that one.

I know, I promise you darlings songs that will force you to dance like some sort of beat Jedi and I hope you can admit to having jammed against your will from time to time. Today I have a song that practically picks you up and shakes you, it drives that hard.

The Kills are pretty hardcore but no song makes me move as instinctively as Sour Cherry. It's three-plus minutes of sheer joy. While I'm sure I look like an utter spaz, twitching to the beat in a vain attempt not rock out at my desk, I just can't help myself. I hope you can't, either.

You know that feeling, when you say to yourself, "My roots are grown but I don't know where they are"? Well, The Head and The Heart does. While Cats and Dogs isn't as achingly full as Lost in My Mind, it's a lovely little ditty that sticks in my head.

My only complaint about Cats and Dogs? It's too short. I never thought I'd ask a band to stretch it out, but would one more chorus have killed you guys? That's enough whining from me. Enjoy the video and listen to the song a couple/four times.

Okay, boys and girls, I've got something for you that takes ten minutes to watch, and then several more to slide back to the start and watch it again...and maybe again. I've posted Janelle Monae at The NPJ before (and I'm certain I'll post her again) but this live performance absolutely blew me away.

Come Alive is from her amazing sequence based on a Blade-Runner-esque future about an android that falls in love. The recorded version showcases her amazing vocal range but this...this is sheer personality bolstered by wondrous talent. And she's not even there the last minute-plus of the song!

Have a watch and see if you can't figure out why I find Janelle Monae one of the most exciting performers out there. The idea that she's becoming quite popular fills me with glee. If anyone deserves it, it's the Archandroid. Now stop reading and watch her Come Alive.

Blocked again from that promotion at work? Feeling bitter? Then Amy Rigby has just the song for you. The Good Girls takes all of that angry frustration and lays it bare. Some days, we all wonder why we try to do it all. Ms. Rigby doesn't have any answers but at least she shares your pain. In case you can't tell, it's pain I'm sharing right now, as well. Let's have a wallow, shall we, but one that's still toe-tapping and thought-provoking. That's a lot better than crying into your iced cream, isn't it?

After all of the offensive references to gold-digging women in music, I thought it fitting that we hear from some money-hungry men looking to be kept. Thus I offer you six versions of First I Look at the Purse.

Now, you won't be surprised by Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials or The Countours. You may, however, find yourself enjoyable taken with Rod Stewart's soulful take or the serious bluesy jam from the J. Geils Band. If you want an angry, growling take on it, try Nashville Pussy.

Have a listen to the whole set and let me know which you like best. I'm leaning toward J. Geils but there's so much jamming going on here that I can't quite decide.

Sometimes I forget that I'm not twenty any longer. Then I'll bump into a song that I love tagged with a reminder of how old it is. Once in a Lifetime is one of those songs. The story goes like this:

Once upon a time, cable television was a bit of a novelty. Then some geniuses decided that they should take this new-ish medium and make a station that played music videos all day, except for short breaks for news about music. It was the most amazing thing I had seen in my to-that-point short life. One of the videos that enjoyed heavy rotation was Once in a Lifetime.

That was 32 years ago.

A better part of the story goes like this: Brian Eno and David Byrne make amazing music together. The Talking Heads recorded some of what they wrote and Once in a Lifetime still stands as the best of those songs.

Now story time is over. You young whipper-snappers have a listen and find out what MTV was for, 'way back then, and then realize that David Byrne and Brian Eno are still making amazing music together. Go find it.

Weeks ago I posted Wildlife's lead single from their new album "...On the Heart..." but it was the only song I could listen to from the disc. Imagine my delight at being notified they'd posted the whole thing at bandcamp!

A listen (or three) through the new album has had me jamming all over the place but one song stood out as the song you all needed to hear. Thus I'm bringing you One for the Body as proof that Born to Ruin wasn't a fluke: these gents really do rock!

If you enjoy One for the Body pop over to pick up the album. If I've not yet swayed you, try Bonnie and Guillotine. How often to you get four recommendations from a single album? Yeah, they're that good. Your welcome.

I'm feeling old-school tonight so I'm reaching way back to 1985 for Slick Rick (then known as MC Ricky D) and Doug E. Fresh. La Di Da Di came out on the B side of The Show but, despite the "six minutes" ear worm the latter engendered, I think it's a more fun song.

La Di Da Di has been sampled and referenced by everyone from Beyonce and PSY to Sublime and Mos Def. It's also been covered by Snoop Dogg and Korn. If you're looking for a building block to basic 80s hip hop knowledge, you can't beat Slick Rick and Doug E Fresh.

The best part of the song, however, is the silly story it tells of a day in the life of Slick Rick. If you want more early hip hop (and who doesn't?) I've got 29 more songs that'll take you back to the days when you could understand every word and the backbeats were simple. In the meantime, have a listen to La Di Da Di and tell me if you think this was a true story.

With a name like Intergalactic Republic of Kongo, you might presume a few things about this band. If you make the same leaps I did, you'll be as wrong as I was about I.R.O.K. That's okay. Some of them sound right even when you listen to the music. Then you look them up and realize they just had the album release party in January of 2013.

I Work not only spearheads the album but gives you an excellent introduction to the band. It demonstrates their combination of electronic, raging guitars, shouting, and mellow moments that carries through the whole album. It's also got a driving beat that keeps you dancing even while you're trying to understand some of the lyrics.

Trickily, I.R.O.K. intentionally mixes and mashes genres so they're pretty defiant of labels. That's why I've given them so many. Have a listen and do click over to SoundCloud to hear a All My Children, Earthy Girls, and God, all helpfully posted by Acid Bath Records.

Do let me know what you think. Now pardon me while I get back to flailing about the living room. If you can get your digital fingers on Worms from Mars, put that one on the top of your intergalactic play list.