"Wack Wack" Young-Holt Trio Beg, Scream, and Shout: The Big Ol' Box of '60s Soul
"Wading Through a Ventilator (live)" The Soft Boys A Can Of Bees
"Wagon Wheel" Lou Reed Transformer
"Wah Wah Man" Young-Holt Unlimited What It Is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves
"Wail" The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Now I Got Worry
"Wailing Wintry Wind" Baroness Red Album
"The Wait" Chris Joss You've Been Spiked
"The Wait" Pretenders No Thanks! The 70s Punk Rebellion
"The Wait" Pretenders Pretenders
"Wait 'Til We Get Home" Lone Justice Lone Justice
After almost the whole alphabet, my past is starting to show through in the past couple sets. Half of these songs are from my 1980s late adolescence. Lou counts among these - there was a renaissance of interest in both VU and all things Reed at the time. It could be argued that this was when the rest of the world finally caught on.
Still not sure how I missed Jon Spencer before. There are16 tacks on that album, so expect to hear that a few more times.
Chrissie Hynde is from Akron. She has a vegan restaurant here in town, and I have been a couple of times. I think I find the premise behind a vegan restaurant to be the same as Dick's Last Resort. Dick's is just more honest about the fact that you are paying to be insulted. That said, they have the best patio in town, and some of their mixed drinks are very good. I like to go there on St. Patrick's day because they won't serve Guinness, so we have the place mostly to ourselves. "The Wait" is from the Pretender's punk past and the version on No Thanks! is the single version (b-side to "Stop Your Sobbing") and is not nearly as clean as the album version. The bridge at about 1:30/1:50, leading into the guitar break, in particular is more urgent - just thumping bass and drums.
I only own two songs from the Young-Holt Trio/Unlimited and here they are.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
V. Thirteen to Valley of Tears
"V. Thirteen" Big Audio Dynamite No. 10 Upping St.
"Vacation Time" Chuck Berry
"Vai Viver A Vida" Tania Maria Jazz Lounge (Water Music)
"Valentine" The Replacements Pleased To Meet Me
"Valentine's Day" Steve Earle I Feel Alright
"Valerie" Beausoleil Beat The Retreat: Songs By Richard Thompson
"Valeurs Personelles" Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby The New Mixes, Vol. 1
"Valley Girl" Frank Zappa Like Omigod! The '80s Pop Culture Box
"Valley Hi!" Stereolab Chemical Chords
"Valley of Tears" Fats Domino Fats Domino Jukebox: 20 Greatest Hits The Way You Originally Heard Them
"Good Morning Sinners"
I was going to try out "Lord God King Bufu" from "Valley Girl" as a new title for the blog. but I think I like this one from "V. Thirteen" better. It is (unlike "Electric Sheep") is at least tangentially tied to the music I listen to here. So . . . here we go. Whether it takes or not, well . . . I promise nothing.
At this point, "Valley Girl" and its commercial success fascinates me. Like a lot of Zappa, it is laced with bitter social criticism. Yet, somehow this was missed by the society as a whole and it became Zappa's only top 40 hit and led a movement in wardrobe and speech pattern from which we have never fully recovered
"V. Thirteen" is a song that has stuck in my head for over 20 years. Even as Clash tunes move intoclassic old rock radio, B.A.D. is not extended the same courtesy. This song was not played anywhere but inside me for at least ten years. Nonetheless, when the opportunity to buy some CDs arose, No. 10 Upping St. was among those I had to have. That is almost entirely because of this song. Whether others think this is a "great" song is irrelevant. Even though I went years without hearing it at all, this song compels me, resonates with me, takes me outside myself. It strikes me in a way that I could go years without hearing it and still felt an urging to hear it again. Some of this is admittedly tied to the place I was in my life when I first heard it. The music is the other part of it. I have never known all of the lyrics, but I think it is the droning guitar and the hook in the drums, as well as just the tone of Mick's voice that has hung in my brain for half my life. The samples and the drum beat date it, but for me it does not matter. This is a track I will take to my grave.
A little over a year ago my father gave me the greatest gift he could. He handed me all of his vinyl still in his possession. Among 78s and LPs, and numerous others, this includes about 35-40 Chess and Checker 45s. These are not just a collection of great music, but for me they connect me with my dad in a way that nothing else does. My dad has always been the person I look to for advice and for moral guidance. These records connect me to him before I was around. They tell me that no matter how old he gets, my father was once (however briefly) cool. It is kind of sad that the first of these songs is such a mediocre track. The guitar break is fun, but for the most part it is just a song. Not exactly "Maybelline."
Similarly, it is unfortunate that this is the first 'Mats track to come by. This is one of the most influential bands on my youth, and "Valentine" is from probably their last truly good album. But it is not "Bastards of Young" or "Unsatisfied." I have this ass-theory that to be a great band, I mean a legendary band that survives the vicissitudes of opinion through the years, the band must make three great albums. I think the Replacements reach that number in an odd way. They have two that are indisputable - Let It Be and Tim. After that, I think it depends on who you are as to whether Pleased To Meet Me or Hootenany is that third great record.
More tragedy. I once owned nearly every Richard Thompson album released (Sunnyvista would be the exception through about 1994). The passage of time means that he has released a great deal more music that I have not purchased, and that there has been an attrition of music in my collection, so that Beausoleil's cajun cover is the only version of "Valerie" I currently own.
"Vacation Time" Chuck Berry
"Vai Viver A Vida" Tania Maria Jazz Lounge (Water Music)
"Valentine" The Replacements Pleased To Meet Me
"Valentine's Day" Steve Earle I Feel Alright
"Valerie" Beausoleil Beat The Retreat: Songs By Richard Thompson
"Valeurs Personelles" Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby The New Mixes, Vol. 1
"Valley Girl" Frank Zappa Like Omigod! The '80s Pop Culture Box
"Valley Hi!" Stereolab Chemical Chords
"Valley of Tears" Fats Domino Fats Domino Jukebox: 20 Greatest Hits The Way You Originally Heard Them
"Good Morning Sinners"
I was going to try out "Lord God King Bufu" from "Valley Girl" as a new title for the blog. but I think I like this one from "V. Thirteen" better. It is (unlike "Electric Sheep") is at least tangentially tied to the music I listen to here. So . . . here we go. Whether it takes or not, well . . . I promise nothing.
At this point, "Valley Girl" and its commercial success fascinates me. Like a lot of Zappa, it is laced with bitter social criticism. Yet, somehow this was missed by the society as a whole and it became Zappa's only top 40 hit and led a movement in wardrobe and speech pattern from which we have never fully recovered
"V. Thirteen" is a song that has stuck in my head for over 20 years. Even as Clash tunes move into
A little over a year ago my father gave me the greatest gift he could. He handed me all of his vinyl still in his possession. Among 78s and LPs, and numerous others, this includes about 35-40 Chess and Checker 45s. These are not just a collection of great music, but for me they connect me with my dad in a way that nothing else does. My dad has always been the person I look to for advice and for moral guidance. These records connect me to him before I was around. They tell me that no matter how old he gets, my father was once (however briefly) cool. It is kind of sad that the first of these songs is such a mediocre track. The guitar break is fun, but for the most part it is just a song. Not exactly "Maybelline."
Similarly, it is unfortunate that this is the first 'Mats track to come by. This is one of the most influential bands on my youth, and "Valentine" is from probably their last truly good album. But it is not "Bastards of Young" or "Unsatisfied." I have this ass-theory that to be a great band, I mean a legendary band that survives the vicissitudes of opinion through the years, the band must make three great albums. I think the Replacements reach that number in an odd way. They have two that are indisputable - Let It Be and Tim. After that, I think it depends on who you are as to whether Pleased To Meet Me or Hootenany is that third great record.
More tragedy. I once owned nearly every Richard Thompson album released (Sunnyvista would be the exception through about 1994). The passage of time means that he has released a great deal more music that I have not purchased, and that there has been an attrition of music in my collection, so that Beausoleil's cajun cover is the only version of "Valerie" I currently own.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
U Ass Bank to Uma Menina
"U Ass Bank" Lyrics Born Later That Day . . .
"U Can't Touch This" MC Hammer Whatever: The '90s Pop & Culture Box
"U Should Know Better" Robyn Body Talk, Pt. 2
"Ubangi Stomp" Warren Smith Rockin' Bones: 1950s Punk and Rockabilly
"Ugly" Violent Femmes Violent Femmes
"Uh Oh Plutonium" Anne Waldman In Their Own Voices: A Century of Recorded Poetry
"Uh, Zoom Zip" Soul Coughing Ruby Vroom
"Ultimate" Gogol Bordello Super Taranta!
"Um Segundo" Bebel Gilberto Momento
"Uma Menina" Gogol Bordello Trans-Continental Hustle
A weird set of songs. It is a strange day when the most approachable song is probably by Soul Coughing.
My niece is a baton twirler, and she goes to these competitions all over the country. My experience is that there are two kinds of music at these competitions. At one, they play the same John Philip Sousa song on an eight-hour loop. At the other, they play incredibly upbeat, headache-y electronica. Some years ago, I began making mixes for my niece of music I thought she should use for her twirling. These songs have been consistently inappropriate in one form or another. I like the Robyn track for this purpose - it is particularly good because it would fit the up-tempo dance motif, but the lyrics would make her judges cringe in horror ("even the Vatican knows better than to fuck with me.")
"Stop! Hammer time!" Is this how the '90s say Loverboy? It is always nice to hear "Superfreak" though.
"Ugly" wasn't originally on Violent Femmes. It was released as a 12" with "Gimme The Car." These are two pieces of vinyl I still own. (as a vinyl aside - I just got a copy of Shaft that I have to rip)
I think Gogol Bordello is a New York-based gypsy version of Southern Culture on the Skids. I mean that in a very good way. Despite getting lost in the act at times, both bands are musically sound first, which separates them from mere gimmick. They ride the edge of complete parody most of the time, but like Rick Miller in SCOTS, Eugene keeps them from slipping over.
Given the events of the past week, listening to "Uh Oh Plutonium" is a strange and sad experience. What was an odd period piece from the Reagan 80s becomes cruel, comically insensitive anachronism. Anne Waldman is a contemporary of Allen Ginsberg and other beats. This song sounds like someone's bad idea to capitalize on the odd commercial success of Laurie Anderson's "O Superman" by slapping a synth track behind her poetry. (I have nothing beyond timeline to support that, but it is a blog - so snarky theories pulled wholly from my ass are par for the course)
"U Can't Touch This" MC Hammer Whatever: The '90s Pop & Culture Box
"U Should Know Better" Robyn Body Talk, Pt. 2
"Ubangi Stomp" Warren Smith Rockin' Bones: 1950s Punk and Rockabilly
"Ugly" Violent Femmes Violent Femmes
"Uh Oh Plutonium" Anne Waldman In Their Own Voices: A Century of Recorded Poetry
"Uh, Zoom Zip" Soul Coughing Ruby Vroom
"Ultimate" Gogol Bordello Super Taranta!
"Um Segundo" Bebel Gilberto Momento
"Uma Menina" Gogol Bordello Trans-Continental Hustle
A weird set of songs. It is a strange day when the most approachable song is probably by Soul Coughing.
My niece is a baton twirler, and she goes to these competitions all over the country. My experience is that there are two kinds of music at these competitions. At one, they play the same John Philip Sousa song on an eight-hour loop. At the other, they play incredibly upbeat, headache-y electronica. Some years ago, I began making mixes for my niece of music I thought she should use for her twirling. These songs have been consistently inappropriate in one form or another. I like the Robyn track for this purpose - it is particularly good because it would fit the up-tempo dance motif, but the lyrics would make her judges cringe in horror ("even the Vatican knows better than to fuck with me.")
"Stop! Hammer time!" Is this how the '90s say Loverboy? It is always nice to hear "Superfreak" though.
"Ugly" wasn't originally on Violent Femmes. It was released as a 12" with "Gimme The Car." These are two pieces of vinyl I still own. (as a vinyl aside - I just got a copy of Shaft that I have to rip)
I think Gogol Bordello is a New York-based gypsy version of Southern Culture on the Skids. I mean that in a very good way. Despite getting lost in the act at times, both bands are musically sound first, which separates them from mere gimmick. They ride the edge of complete parody most of the time, but like Rick Miller in SCOTS, Eugene keeps them from slipping over.
Given the events of the past week, listening to "Uh Oh Plutonium" is a strange and sad experience. What was an odd period piece from the Reagan 80s becomes cruel, comically insensitive anachronism. Anne Waldman is a contemporary of Allen Ginsberg and other beats. This song sounds like someone's bad idea to capitalize on the odd commercial success of Laurie Anderson's "O Superman" by slapping a synth track behind her poetry. (I have nothing beyond timeline to support that, but it is a blog - so snarky theories pulled wholly from my ass are par for the course)
Friday, March 11, 2011
T.C.B. or T.Y.A. to Tainted Love
"T.C.B. or T.Y.A." Bobby Patterson Beg, Scream, & Shout: The Big Ol' Box of '60s Soul
"Ta Det Lugnt" Dungen Ta Det Lugnt
"Taal Zaman" Transglobal Underground International Times
"Table Tennis" Flying Lotus Cosmogramma
"Tack Ska Ni Ha" Dungen Ta Det Lugnt
"Taco Wagon" Dick Dale & the Del-Tones The King of the Surf Guitar: The Best of Dick Dale
"Tailspin" Walter "Wolfman" Washington Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens: The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans
"'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" Bessie Smith The Collection
"'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" Billie Holiday Billy Holiday's Greatest Hits
"Tainted Love" Gloria Jones Beg, Scream & Shout: The Big Ol' Box of '60s Soul
In addition to one of the truly great screams in music to open the track, "T.C.B. or T.Y.A." always reminds me of Charles and some of the less stable periods in our relationship. I have not always been the portrait of professionalism and responsibility I am now, and sometimes this would . . . strain our relationship. Starting in October 2001, I had an extended period of unemployment. This is a time I describe as "sorting myself out," and Charles considers "clinical depression." Regardless, by 2003 it was clear that I either "Take Care of Business or Turn Myself Around." So . . . law school, and here we are now.
Dungen was Charles' find. I like these tracks a great deal, and apparently it is 1969 in Sweden.
I am trying to sort out if the title of the Dick Dale track, given the song's Mexican influences, is blatantly racist or simply echos a particular image. Probably the former.
Bessie Smith's version of "'Tain't Nobody's Business . . ." is a mono recording of just her and piano accompaniment. Considerably less produced than Billie Holiday's. It is all the more impressive for it. Her voice just carries the song. She simply seizes the listener and pushes them into the song. Despite the almost casual quality of the recording, her voice comes through as an instrument that simply cannot be ignored. I am saying this in the context of one of my favorite Billie Holiday songs, and I have the same experience comparing her version of "Gimme A Pig Foot . . . " to Nina Simone's, and that is a quintessential Nina track for me. Bessie Smith might be from a different world.
I had a house party once, and "Tainted Love" came on. I overheard a discussion among some of my friends that made it clear that they had no idea that Soft Cell's version (it'll be there when we get back around to the T's) was not the original. Given my self-imposed criteria, that might make that the perfect cover song. A song that was not well known to the public, an interpretation that brought the song back into the popular lexicon, and an interpretation that made it the covering artists' "own." It fits this criteria in abundance. (Gloria Jones, among other things, was Marc Bolan's girlfriend - I have no way to fit this in elementally, but find it a fun fact I want to share).
"Ta Det Lugnt" Dungen Ta Det Lugnt
"Taal Zaman" Transglobal Underground International Times
"Table Tennis" Flying Lotus Cosmogramma
"Tack Ska Ni Ha" Dungen Ta Det Lugnt
"Taco Wagon" Dick Dale & the Del-Tones The King of the Surf Guitar: The Best of Dick Dale
"Tailspin" Walter "Wolfman" Washington Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens: The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans
"'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" Bessie Smith The Collection
"'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" Billie Holiday Billy Holiday's Greatest Hits
"Tainted Love" Gloria Jones Beg, Scream & Shout: The Big Ol' Box of '60s Soul
In addition to one of the truly great screams in music to open the track, "T.C.B. or T.Y.A." always reminds me of Charles and some of the less stable periods in our relationship. I have not always been the portrait of professionalism and responsibility I am now, and sometimes this would . . . strain our relationship. Starting in October 2001, I had an extended period of unemployment. This is a time I describe as "sorting myself out," and Charles considers "clinical depression." Regardless, by 2003 it was clear that I either "Take Care of Business or Turn Myself Around." So . . . law school, and here we are now.
Dungen was Charles' find. I like these tracks a great deal, and apparently it is 1969 in Sweden.
I am trying to sort out if the title of the Dick Dale track, given the song's Mexican influences, is blatantly racist or simply echos a particular image. Probably the former.
Bessie Smith's version of "'Tain't Nobody's Business . . ." is a mono recording of just her and piano accompaniment. Considerably less produced than Billie Holiday's. It is all the more impressive for it. Her voice just carries the song. She simply seizes the listener and pushes them into the song. Despite the almost casual quality of the recording, her voice comes through as an instrument that simply cannot be ignored. I am saying this in the context of one of my favorite Billie Holiday songs, and I have the same experience comparing her version of "Gimme A Pig Foot . . . " to Nina Simone's, and that is a quintessential Nina track for me. Bessie Smith might be from a different world.
I had a house party once, and "Tainted Love" came on. I overheard a discussion among some of my friends that made it clear that they had no idea that Soft Cell's version (it'll be there when we get back around to the T's) was not the original. Given my self-imposed criteria, that might make that the perfect cover song. A song that was not well known to the public, an interpretation that brought the song back into the popular lexicon, and an interpretation that made it the covering artists' "own." It fits this criteria in abundance. (Gloria Jones, among other things, was Marc Bolan's girlfriend - I have no way to fit this in elementally, but find it a fun fact I want to share).
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
S.I.B. (Swelling Itching Brain) to Sad Eyed Girl of the Lowlands
"S.I.B. (Swelling Itching Brain)" Devo Greatest Misses
"S.K.J." Milt Jackson Goodbye
"S.U.V." Mem Shannon & The Membership Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens: The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans
"Sabali" Amadou & Mariam Welcome to Mali
"Sabor a Mi" Los Lobos Just Another Band From East L.A.
"Sacu Tu Mujer" Tito Puente & His Orchestra Dance Mania
"Sack O' Woe" The Mar-Keys The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968
"Sacre Francais" Dimitri from Paris Pink Panther's Penthouse Party
"Sacred Attention" Sebadoh Bubble & Scrape
"Sad Eyed Girl of the Lowlands" Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde
The weekend was hectic, and I apologize to you readers for being away from the blog over the weekend. I don't have enough readers to be alienating them with my absence. I hope you will find it possible to forgive me, and I will try to stick to boring you with my writing.
Charles and I hosted a Mardi Gras-themed house party on Saturday night. Coupling that with the Mem Shannon song, and that today actually is Mardi Gras, let me point you to WWOZ and especially DJ Soul Sister on Saturdays, 8-10 NOLA time.
Compared to U2 and REM, I am probably on the other side of Devo. I admit, despite being from right near their home town, that my first exposure to them was "Whip It." I feel like I have to justify myself as someone who doesn't think of them as a one-hit wonder. "NO! Really! I like Devo, honest. Are we not men? Please believe me . . ." Again, completely stupid.
Of course, my first exposure to Tito Puente is a line from the movie Stripes, and the Senor Burns song from the Simpsons. In fact, most of these bands I came to late. Tito Puente, Devo, Milt Jackson and Bob Dylan this is a matter of age. With Sebadoh . . . just a failure of character on my part.
The Los Lobos track is an old Alvaro Carrillo song that has been covered by numerous artists - almost none of them American.
There are pages and pages of criticism and interpretation of "Sad Eyed Girl of the Lowlands." What I know - it goes on for a really long time.
"S.K.J." Milt Jackson Goodbye
"S.U.V." Mem Shannon & The Membership Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens: The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans
"Sabali" Amadou & Mariam Welcome to Mali
"Sabor a Mi" Los Lobos Just Another Band From East L.A.
"Sacu Tu Mujer" Tito Puente & His Orchestra Dance Mania
"Sack O' Woe" The Mar-Keys The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968
"Sacre Francais" Dimitri from Paris Pink Panther's Penthouse Party
"Sacred Attention" Sebadoh Bubble & Scrape
"Sad Eyed Girl of the Lowlands" Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde
The weekend was hectic, and I apologize to you readers for being away from the blog over the weekend. I don't have enough readers to be alienating them with my absence. I hope you will find it possible to forgive me, and I will try to stick to boring you with my writing.
Charles and I hosted a Mardi Gras-themed house party on Saturday night. Coupling that with the Mem Shannon song, and that today actually is Mardi Gras, let me point you to WWOZ and especially DJ Soul Sister on Saturdays, 8-10 NOLA time.
Compared to U2 and REM, I am probably on the other side of Devo. I admit, despite being from right near their home town, that my first exposure to them was "Whip It." I feel like I have to justify myself as someone who doesn't think of them as a one-hit wonder. "NO! Really! I like Devo, honest. Are we not men? Please believe me . . ." Again, completely stupid.
Of course, my first exposure to Tito Puente is a line from the movie Stripes, and the Senor Burns song from the Simpsons. In fact, most of these bands I came to late. Tito Puente, Devo, Milt Jackson and Bob Dylan this is a matter of age. With Sebadoh . . . just a failure of character on my part.
The Los Lobos track is an old Alvaro Carrillo song that has been covered by numerous artists - almost none of them American.
There are pages and pages of criticism and interpretation of "Sad Eyed Girl of the Lowlands." What I know - it goes on for a really long time.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) to Radio Free Europe
"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" Florence + The Machine Lungs
"Rabbit In Your Headlights (3D Mix - Reverse Light)" UNKLE Chillout 04
"Race For The Prize" The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin
"Race For The Prize (remix)" The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin
"Rachel" Sleigh Bells Treats
"Radiation Vibe" Fountains of Wayne Whatever! The '90s Pop & Culture Box
"Radio Cure" Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
"Radio Daze" The Roots How I Got Over
"Radio Free Europe" R.E.M. Murmur
"Radio Free Europe (Live)" R.E.M. Reckoning (deluxe edition)
I figure there are certain things that a certain subculture feels, with virtually no justification, belong to them. When that thing gets found out by a broader audience, those early fans feel resentment, and maybe betrayal. There is probably some misplaced sense of superiority - words like "phony" and "poseur" get thrown around. I recognize the stupidity of it, but it doesn't change the fact I have never owned an R.E.M. album later than Fables nor a U2 album after War (although I think I saw the latter on the Joshua Tree tour). I know - totally ridiculous. I am sure I own a lot of music that is considerably worse than "Everybody Hurts" but on a purely emotional level, it just feels like a different band. No justification for it - just straight stupidity. The live version (from a concert in Chicago, 1984) may not have sucked at the time, but the recording is total shit - nigh unlistenable.
What the hell is a Fountain of Wayne? Apparently it is a fountain store in Wayne, New Jersey. For that matter, what is a radiation vibe? Ah well - maybe "Stacy's Mom" will be in Rhino's '00s Pop & Culture Box when they get around to it.
Sleigh Bells is one of those bands that my girlfriend (who apparently is named "Charles") and I disagree about vehemently. For Charles they elicit a near-physical revulsion. For me, they are the best thing I have heard in five years - the kind of band that makes me regret living in flyover country.
So apparently Wilco has left Warner again. Honest to god, for reals this time, we promise. They have left Nonesuch and started their own label, to be distributed by Anti-, an affiliate of Epitaph, which is a part of the Alternative Distribution Alliance, which is 95% owned by . . . oh for fuck's sake!
"Rabbit In Your Headlights (3D Mix - Reverse Light)" UNKLE Chillout 04
"Race For The Prize" The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin
"Race For The Prize (remix)" The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin
"Rachel" Sleigh Bells Treats
"Radiation Vibe" Fountains of Wayne Whatever! The '90s Pop & Culture Box
"Radio Cure" Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
"Radio Daze" The Roots How I Got Over
"Radio Free Europe" R.E.M. Murmur
"Radio Free Europe (Live)" R.E.M. Reckoning (deluxe edition)
I figure there are certain things that a certain subculture feels, with virtually no justification, belong to them. When that thing gets found out by a broader audience, those early fans feel resentment, and maybe betrayal. There is probably some misplaced sense of superiority - words like "phony" and "poseur" get thrown around. I recognize the stupidity of it, but it doesn't change the fact I have never owned an R.E.M. album later than Fables nor a U2 album after War (although I think I saw the latter on the Joshua Tree tour). I know - totally ridiculous. I am sure I own a lot of music that is considerably worse than "Everybody Hurts" but on a purely emotional level, it just feels like a different band. No justification for it - just straight stupidity. The live version (from a concert in Chicago, 1984) may not have sucked at the time, but the recording is total shit - nigh unlistenable.
What the hell is a Fountain of Wayne? Apparently it is a fountain store in Wayne, New Jersey. For that matter, what is a radiation vibe? Ah well - maybe "Stacy's Mom" will be in Rhino's '00s Pop & Culture Box when they get around to it.
Sleigh Bells is one of those bands that my girlfriend (who apparently is named "Charles") and I disagree about vehemently. For Charles they elicit a near-physical revulsion. For me, they are the best thing I have heard in five years - the kind of band that makes me regret living in flyover country.
So apparently Wilco has left Warner again. Honest to god, for reals this time, we promise. They have left Nonesuch and started their own label, to be distributed by Anti-, an affiliate of Epitaph, which is a part of the Alternative Distribution Alliance, which is 95% owned by . . . oh for fuck's sake!
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