Each month, since Feb of 2006, I start a playlist in my iTunes of the tunes that catch my ear that month. I started off writing a post to my Mog page with a short review or comments of each track, not only to keep a running diary for myself, but also to hopefully point others toward these tunes. In the last several months I have started to cross post this information on other sites where I keep blogs. (If you are reading this somewhere besides Mog, you can find all the old ones at www.mog.com/iren) I want to apologies for any weird formatting stuff right here and now, I type this in MS word and then post it on these various message places, some of which have…w ell formatting issues….
Anyway for this month here is what caught my ear…
The Poison by Alkaline Trio
www.alkalinetrio.com
www.myspace.com/alkalinetrio
Solid, and I mean Solid pop punk with just enough darkness and edge to not suck. This tune has the melody, the drive and the hook it needs to just inset it self under the layer of your brain that keeps telling you why bother with this when you have all those Ramones, Damned, and Descendents albums?
Backstabber by The Dresden Dolls
www.dresdendolls.com
www.myspace.com/dresdendolls
There is something about the Dark Cabaret sound that just works for me… maybe it’s the story telling element of the songs, maybe it’s that it’s a naturally noir setting, maybe it’s that it’s just… well.. about something. Speaking of which, if I am reading the lyrics correctly, and I am probably not, it’s about betrayal. It really reminds me of the title song from the second album by the band PAW… Death to Traitors… good stuff.
Flickan Och Jätten by Sagor & Swing
www.sagorochswing.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagor_&_Swing
Comp CDs get a bad rap… you know there is something to be said about a sampler or collection of stuff, and so often it take a while for something to really hit you. A couple of months back I was writing about Igloo by The Screaming Tribesmen, that track came from a Aussie comp… this track came from the Who Will buy these wonderful Evils comp of Swedish garage rock from the 60s to present. I was just letting the iTunes play that randumb mix thing and it popped up and I started to dig it’s instro-flutey-groove, and despite the fact is seems like a tune that you would hear and a Ren Fest I really enjoy it…
The Unheard Music by X
www.xtheband.com
No Hardcore on the Car Radio… I really don’t know what took so long for this tune to enter my brain, with it’s tribal pulsing psudochant and it’s imagery of the end of the world… and then it starts to get slightly angelic and in your face and then… and then… it’s over… oh yeah and there is that little passage that recall the Sagor & Swing tune from above
All Tomorrow's Parties by The Velvet Underground
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_Underground
Classic Nico era Velvets tune, with that drone and impending doom. It’s hypnotic and dejected and wonderful..
Nothing Means Nothing Anymore by The Alleycats
www.irscorner.com/a/alleycats.html
I think the title says it all, 70’s Punk nihilism, reaction to the betrayal by society and of course it’s filled with energy and blistering sound, as if they are trying to finish the tune before those missiles land and wipe out the city.
Who Do You Love? By Bo Diddley
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Diddley
R.I.P Bo!
Surreal…. Beat ….. Weird…. Daliesque… the question of life… who do you love?
Real Animal by Alejandro Escovedo
www.alejandroescovedo.com
My LP copy of this album is still on back order, and what I have managed to get my hands on include this live version of the title track… which is a straight up tribute to Iggy Pop, filled with that Stooges drive and along with a distinct late 70’s Iggy pop edge… good stuff, and I look forward to hearing more of this album.
Gunpowder & Lead by Miranda Lambert
www.mirandalambert.com
I like this song, even though it leans way to far towards the Nashville Pop Country sound, but lyrically it’s dark and has that back woods noir feel… and it rips along in a rocking blast that keeps things moving along nicely…. I wish that more country would sound like this…
Devils Bed by The Earps
www.theearpsrock.com
www.myspace.com/theearpsaz
Speaking of how I wish more country would sound, The Earps Devils Bed is a ripping Cowpunk yarn that wouldn’t be out of place in a Reverend Horton Heat set list, and hell this is a tune that I would love to hear Willie Nelson, Shooter Jennings, or The Supersuckers rip though. It almost makes me miss the era of the 7”, as this could easily be one of those discoveries that who ever follows in the steps of The Cramps would stumble over and feel that they have to add to their set list.
Thoughts, comments, spare change.
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