The Not-Pop Jukebox

I have been debating what song to share with you all, today, but it finally dawned on me that what you need is to know the story of the Saturday Night Fish Fry.For those of you unfamiliar with the rock-and-roll pioneer, Louis Jordan, one of the inventors of the genre, this is a great introduction. It's also the best version of the song I've ever heard, particularly in comparison with the Eddie Williams original, which drags along with no fun whatsoever. Louis Jordan's cover makes me wish I'd been there, that Saturday night.

I thought I'd posted this one long ago, but a quick search of The Not-Pop Jukebox brought me no joy. I'm frankly surprised, because I've been enjoying Around the Bend for months, now. It's a bouncy, slinky, quirky little tune, sung by Mette Lindberg, whose voice gets on my nerves in some of the band's other songs but which suits this one beautifully. Actually, in Sunshine Coolin' she rather reminds me of Amy Winehouse, for whom they opened last year, but that doesn't hold true for this one. Perhaps if you crossed Ms. Winehouse with The Cranberries you'd get closer to the sound of most of their music. Most of their songs make me think Animal Alpha's song Bundy, so I'll have to post that sometime as well so you can see if they remind you of each other, as well.

Regardless of they sound, this is simply a happy song, great for singing at the top of your lungs in the car and for chair dancing on a crappy day at the office. Imagine my chagrin when I discovered that Around the Bend was used in an iPod commercial, which means that you likely have heard at least clips of it before. I'm hanging my head in shame, but I still like the song and I'm posting it anyway.

I'd like to thank CRPitt for introducing me to the Golden Silvers several months ago. While some of the songs on "True Romance" languish a bit more mellow than I'm wont to enjoy, you can find enough bouncy, synth-heavy, well-crafted songs to make the album well worth owning. Were I to nominate the top three songs on the album it would be the title track, True romance, subtitled True No. 9 Blues, the slightly mournful but ever-so-fun Magic Touch, and this song, Arrows of Eros, which was the first song I hear from them. The band is a combination of 80s sensibilities, a little doo wop, and a dash of indie style. If Elton John were to get a massive dose of up-to-the-minute sound, he'd be a part of Golden Silvers. That somehow doesn't sound as appealing as it should, but enjoy the song anyway and check out "True Romance" if you like this one. Thanks, Claire!

I think it's about time for a groovy little jazz standard. Today, let's enjoy Watermelon Man, from such diverse sources as Sly and the Family Stone, Woody Herman, Herbie Hancock, and Dave Benoit. Certainly, such a list would be incomplete without a fabulous version from Miles Davis and a wailing, horn-filled cover by Maynard Ferguson. Even Jimmy Smith has gotten in on the watermelon action and Julie London has some words to add to the the horns in her own version. (Note: the songs don't appear on the play list below in this order.) I didn't include the King Curtis version of this classic, as I just posted his Watermelon Man a few days ago. At any rate, enjoy the many takes on this jazz classic and drop me a note if I've neglected your favorite artist's interpretation.

While reading the Mashuptown interview with DJ Schmolli and I realized both that it's been far too long since I shared a mash-up with you folks and that I've never posted my admiration for his Falco-based tribute album, Falco re:loaded, which you can download in its entirety at the site linked through the title. You'll also find plenty of links there to videos that other fans have made, in addition to the lovely Nelly/Falco video for Mash Me Amadeus below.