Albums »Bang Bang Rock & Roll

by Art Brut (2005)

If you described Art Brut to me: tongue in cheek, hip, indie, in the same art wave boat as Franz Ferdinand, I’d probably tell you I wasn’t interested.

But songs kept popping up on shuffle and every time I’d be loving if and wondering who it was.

The catchy tunes with Eddie Argos’ stecato speak/ singing are infectious and they manage to be humorous without being cute or obnoxious.

Bang Bang Rock and Roll seems to be universally adored by critics and I agree with them.

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Posted on January 9, 2012

Songs »Needles and Pins

by The Searchers (1964)

Been very into The Searchers’ catchy tune “Needles and Pins” lately.

Was surprised by all the covers I never knew existed: The Ramones, Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks?!

Also had no idea it was originally sung by Jackie Deshannon at a slower pace. All are worth checking out.

Not as much? The weird 1989instrumental “club remix”.

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Posted on November 8, 2011

Albums »Part One

by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (1966)

Part One by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band began and it was like putting on a long time favorite album that I had never heard before.

While the Zappa cover Help I’m a Rock grates me in the same way Syd Barrett’s ode to bikes and Donovan’s to his shirt do, incredibly lovely songs like the first two tracks Shifting Sands and I Won’t Hurt You took hold of me completely. I am in love with this album.

I’ll bet money that within a year you will be hearing this in those hip bars. It’s just so lovable, cool, odd, and best of all (in many peoples opinions) a bit of a secret.

But wait! That’s not all. Not only are you getting the scoop on a highly listenable album that rivals (my favorite band of the era) The Animals but you get one hell of a back story.

See, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band was a pet project of one Bob Markley, a trust fund jerk (according to band mates) who wanted to be a rock star and had the money to kind of make that happen.
After minimal success he then went on to play the part of a beach dwelling bohemian, landing in hot water with young girls, then even hotter water with some lady in Detroit and ended Howard Hughes style nuts sitting on tons of inheritance in an insane asylum. Read all about it here.

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Posted on November 4, 2011

Songs »Night of the Vampire

by Roky Erickson (1979)

I have the feeling that I am just scratching the surface of the work of cult icon Roky Erickson with this catchy tune.

Night of the Vampire will not only add a much needed shaking up to your normal Halloween party mix, but probably give you some pretty cool street cred as well (depending on the street).

Erickson’s life has been rife with tragedy (and the subject of a pretty depressing documentary called You’re Gonna Miss Me).

This song is fun, lumbering, campy, and though it was originally recorded in 1979, feels like the rocking-est parts of the very early 1990’s.

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Posted on October 29, 2011

Songs »America We Stand As One

30 Day Song Challenge – Day Thirty: Best Song (and Video) for Memorial Day:

America We Stand As One by Dennis Madalone

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Posted on May 30, 2011

Songs »We Belong

30 Day Song Challenge – Day Ten: Best Song With Which To Close A Karaoke Bar:

We Belong by Pat Benatar (1984)

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Posted on May 10, 2011

Songs »Itchycoo Park

30 Day Song Challenge – Day Seven: Best Song for A Bunch of Nice Kids to Get High To:

Itchycoo Park by Small Faces (1967)

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Posted on May 7, 2011

Albums »Grinderman

by Grinderman (2007)

Grinderman’s self titled debut swaggers. It sways and struts around the stage in tight pants while extravagantly yanking the mic around thrusting its hips. It is pretty much the embodiment of most of the rock and roll fantasies of most of the men I know.

It’s racous, simple rock and roll and the world absolutely loved it when it was released. I enjoy it too, though if I had to pick, I am more partial to the weirder, genre bending stuff from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

It’s interesting seeing this other side to these musicians though. Grinderman is made up of Cave plus various “Bad Seeds” and it sounds like they’re having fun; leaving behind some of the signature gloom while still retaining enough to set this apart from other rock albums out there.

Now that I’ve finally got caught up with this release, I need to look into Grinderman 2, released last year.

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Posted on February 17, 2011

Songs »Honky Tonk

by Bill Doggett (1956)

Honky Tonk is an early classic of instrumental rock and roll. The kind of tune that makes you want to sway by the jukebox with your bobby sox, cute straight cut bangs with a beer in your hand and a bad boy in your sights.

I am not surprised to find that Bill Doggett, who made the song a hit before the Beach Boys adopted it later, was the pianist and arranger from one of my favorite 1940’s bands, The Ink Spots.

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Posted on January 23, 2011

Albums »Polyfonia

by Apparat Organ Quartet (2010)

If you took the biggest movies of the 80’s (specifically Conan the Barbarian and Beverly Hills Cop to name a couple) and set them in the future (I can tell you already like where this is going) then asked a talented avant garde orchestra with rock and roll leanings to write a score, then let video game musicians play it – you’d end up with something like Polyfonia, a bold, instrumental album from the Icelandic band Apparat Organ Quartet.

According to founder Johann Johannson, a think tank leader (of a group called Kitchen Motors) in his country, the band’s latest release is “more suited to the musical tastes of the masses” so even us common folk will find it enjoyable.

Before you think their band name was just chosen by the latest facebook game, they are in fact a quartet of organ players (plus one drummer) who use old, cast away keyboards, synthesizers, and other machinery. Fellow young and talented Icelander, Siggi Eggertsson is the artist behind the sweet cover.

Thanks to Shaun for introducing me to this unique album.

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Posted on January 12, 2011