The Not-Pop Jukebox

I’ve been hanging out in the “way back machine” lately. As I meander the back waters of my music collection I keep bumping into songs that make me think of others. For example, when I listen to Rump Shaker, the Wreckx-N-Effect hit of 1993, my brain immediately hops to the Suburban Legends’ song Blingity-Bling (from their album, “Rump Shaker”). The song Rump Shaker certainly received enough air play in the California suburb in which I lived that summer.

So let us listen to the two back-to-back (no pun int…well, okay, a little pun intended). I’ve got a digital cookie right here for the one who can identify the song referenced in Rump Shakin’, by the way. It has frosting and sprinkles (the imaginary cookie, silly, not the song). I suppose this is less a round of You Pick the Winner than another of those odd connections my brain makes but do let me know which song you like better.

I’d never really been a fan of Sparks’ This Town Ain’t Big Enough (For the Both of Us) from this mashup but, as an enormous fan of the Peter Gunn theme song, I didn’t care when I saw that it had been included. I had to have it. This mash, as they so often are, is more than the sum of its parts.

In this case that means that it was a great remix of a not-so-hot song (though there are an awful lot of Sparks fans out there who would disagree vehemently) into something I love. You can pick this one up from Mashuptown for free, as the "official" DJ Le Clown site redirects to his MySpace account. While you’re there you can peruse his other selections like Sweet Lobster or Bumble Star Galactica.

Sometimes you need a reminder that all of those bad things that happen to you are fleeting, that if you just pick yourself up and move on they can't keep you down. And who better to remind you of that in his own inimitable way than Danny Elfman with Oingo Boingo? Here's a song about all of the horrible things that happen to a man but still he says, "Darkness can never last too long if you laugh in its face."

It Only Makes Me Laugh is a big sing-along song for me when I having a tough day. Five minutes in the car with the volume cranked up never fails to put things in perspective. (Well, four minutes and few seconds but who's counting?) Have a listen and let me know if you agree with my interpretation.

What a lovely, New Wave sort of techno kind of song for a Saturday: When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing). For those of you unfamiliar with Sparks, you've got four decades' worth of back catalog to learn. They've been cutting the edge since the very early 70s, often in ways that influence a lot of mainstream acts without drawing a lot of attention to the band. They've evolved not as so many truly-creative musicians have, into the lowest common denominator, but along the pathways they choose.

Just wait until I get their latest EP on Grooveshark and you can hear what they released this year. In fact, if I can get the songs lined up I'll do something from early in their career and something brand new so that you can see how far they've come while staying recognizably their weird and wacky selves. Until then, enjoy When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing). And follow it up with When Smokey Sings. It seems like such a rational progression.

I don't have a lot to say about Mina do Condominio except that it's lovely and most certainly not pop. But I would love for you to enjoy it, too, and to let me know if you're familiar with Pierre Aderne. This is yet another gift from Putamayo but apparently he played SXSW in 2008 for the lucky folks who get to go to such things.

Here is yet another artist who lets someone write a glowing bio for his official web site that only talks about his most recent project. That's super and sounds like something that's right up my alley but sheesh, give me an actual bio on the about page, people! Apparently Pierre Aderne was born in France but grew up in Brazil and apparently had quite a lot of success with a band called Habeas Corpus before going solo. I guess you know what I'll be hunting down this weekend! In the meantime, let me know what you think. Thanks!