Remember these guys? I'm not really sure why I dusted them off today, but behold! — a wicked guitar riff. Seems like trends move so quickly nowadays that the time is ripening for golden-age-of-buzz-bands nostalgia. Which is sort of the snake eating its own tail, if you think about it. Think about it long and hard. HARDER!
Wild Bill Balazo
Marcos Valle - Previsão do Tempo
Grittings, urthlings! Been a while, but don't fear: I'm still kickin' harder than a crazed baby in the womb. Here's a chill samba-funk instrumental from Marcos Valle. Great bell-ish Rhodes melody, with a splash of UFO Moog.
Charlotte Leslie - Les Filles C'est Fait ...
Visions.
Visions of yé-yé girls.
Yé-yé girls dance in your head.
They're doing the "Mashed Potato."
They're doing the "Watusi."
They're doing the "Ickey Shuffle."
Do U #Believe?
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Black Mold
Run your fingers along the corners of the shower in your crappy apartment, close your eyes, and take a big wet lick. You know what I'm talking about, your momma knows what I'm talking about; hell, the whole neighborhood know what I'm talking about, and I'll tell ya, those neighbors are some nasty gossips.
BLAAAAACK MOOOOOOOLD!
The Brogues - Don't Shoot Me Down
Was ever a garunge rock band so garungey? On compilation-classic "I Ain't No Miracle Worker," the fellas kicked your dog in the ribs, then translated its primal yawp to musical form. But wait, there's more! If you flip that hardened puddle of wax to the B-side, you'll find "Don't Shoot Me Down," a gunked-up explosion of fuzz and snot and spit.
The Dictators - Faster and Louder
Look out, ladies. Among the things Handsome Dick Manitoba claims to be able to do faster and louder: talk, eat, screw, mow the lawn, walk the dog, and so much more!
The Astronauts / The Trashmen
Most surf bands were huge phonies (NOT DICK DALE, NEVER, EVER, SO SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!), but land-locked groups like The Astronauts (Colorado) and The Trashmen (Minnesota) took it to a new level. Aww hell, who am I to tell these boys they can't have a surf party? Perhaps the TRUE surf party is in the mind of the partier—as long as the mind has cleared out all distractions, all music theory, and all non-party desires, surfness can take one over completely, an endless summer of lapping waves from womb-to-tomb / birth-to-earth / sperm-to-worm, etc.
Miles Davis vs. Grateful Dead
In honor of Andrew Lau's great essay on the recent Miles Davis @ the Fillmore release (from his set of concerts in 1970), here's a Miles tune from that collection paired with a tasty Grateful Dead Fillmore jam from 1969.
Bonnie St. Claire - Clap Your Hands and Stamp Your Feet
Ah, the long tradition of pop songs giving instructions, then providing sound FX to imply that yes, the instructions have been followed. The greatest of these songs is the Shangri-Las' "Give Him a Great Big Kiss," obviously. Mwah! At the bottom of the barrel, you'll find massive turds like Tony Orlando's "Knock Three Times."
Maybe it's just her accent, but I'm down with this glammy jam from Bonnie St. Claire. Life is meant for living, so do what Bonnie would do, ladies: lace up your man-stompin' boots and go break a few hearts!
Here's the vid. Bonnie and the boys hanging out in some factory. Looks like a good time!
The Shells - Whiplash
Dance party!
Tune-Yards - Wait for a Minute
Water Fountain was a barn burner, and after this second strong single from her upcoming album Nikki Nack, I'm outta-my-mind excited for Merrill Garbus's next release. At some points, the bass reminds me of 80s Nintendo samba.
The Notorious B.I.G. - I Love the Dough
Song of the day! Not everything has to be a deep cut. I've been spiraling down the G-funk rabbit hole this afternoon after listening to William Onyeabor all morning.
William Onyeabor - Why Go to War
Another great release from David Byrne's Luaka Bop label. This African beat pioneer / cowboy brings the grooves that dreams and babies are made of. Plus, get ready for some unchained P-funk Moogiteering around the 5-minute mark. An unnecessary covers album of his stuff was released for Record Store Day. Why listen to Hot Chip do these jams when the originals were such hot shit?
Sir Victor Uwaifo / Frankie Francis & Simbad - Ohue
Y'all ready for Record Store Day? Thinking of lining up with a bunch of collector-types to buy the 2,725th early-70s Grateful Dead live triple-album? No?
Not much for me in this year's offerings, but Rough Trade is releasing a few of its compilations on vinyl. These could be pretty interesting for someone looking to get into, say, African blues or psychedelic Bollywood. Of course, their stuff is usually on streaming services, and I'm not sure there's much sonic value added in buying the vinyl (can't find info on their wax mastering process).
So enjoy this African dance track. Does this count as "disco?" Sounds a lot like a Franco et l'OK Jazz song with a bit of thippy Moog. Either way, it's an ass-shaker.
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks - Strange Colores
Are you a rowdy ranger? A true cowboy? A Rrrrriot Grrrrl? If so, you may or may not dig this maximalist tune from the shoutier dude in Animal Collective. And if you listen closely, you may detect some odd remnants from late-90s white-boy hip hop (minus the simulated DJ scratching). Kinda got that chant/sing thing going on at about 0:44, like the Beastie Boys if you're being generous, or like Chumbawamba if you're being an asshole.
Backhanded compliment? Maybe! Pleasurable track? Definitely!
I Wanna Be the Free-est Man
I met a guy in Santa Barbara named Ken Loch. He may or may not have been homeless at the time. He kept a meticulous blog about the Tennissance. You see, the Tennissance is the ultimate mind / body confluence, a perfect melding of peak psychic powers with a mastery of physical motion, all embodied in the sport of tennis. I can't find the blog anymore, but his internet presence pops up every now and then on comment boards.
Ken Loch told me the next major advancement of the human race would come once enough people practiced the true technique of tennis, not that rinky-dink competition shit, but real tennis, which is meant to be a melding of tennis and yoga, sort of.
Anyone who's had an up-close encounter with religion or religious people can attest to the weird inverted freedom that comes from complete assuredness accompanied by unquestioning devotion. You wanna sit in a pew? Ken Loch is out there swingin' a racket! He's whacking a tennis ball with a tightly-wound thing specifically made for whacking tennis balls. His legs are pumping, his mind is focused; damn—he's a body in motion breathing air and sweating and pausing and then whacking that ball—inscape, know-whaddi-mean? He is a thing meant for hitting tennis balls.
No time to be the soft pink nugget of flesh encased in a car, a speeding mechanical insect, going from his house to his job and back again, he told me. He's a Tennissance man.
Tennissance forever.
The Savages - The World Ain't Round, It's Square
Not to be confused with the modern P4k darlings (or the millions of other pimply teen rage cases who formed bands named "The Savages"), these boys were based out of Bermuda and ended up cutting the classic garage scorcher "Live 'N Wild." Here's a fittingly low-quality YouTube upload of one of the best tracks from that record. You can find it here:
Killing Floor - Acid Bean
Major riffage! The boys from Killing Floor are here to kick your ass right outta town, or maybe they'll just pants you in front of the club and steal your date. And you'll like it, you sicko.
The Train Soundtrack
My original intention was to post one song from this soundtrack, but I like 'em all! Sweet artwork, too. Bollywood soundtracks usually clock in under a half hour, so you're not really in for a huge commitment here. Highlights include all Asha's songs (of course). Classic example of RD Burman's early-70s B-Funk, which was all the rage circa 2007.
Lee Dorsey - Ride Your Pony
Get your morning started with something totally stoopid! Here's an inconsequential little ditty from Lee Dorsey. It ain't Ginuwine, but it still grooves. I came to this party for the occasional goose-honkin' sax and the cut-rate gunshot FX. Sadly, the washboard promised in the photo doesn't make an appearance.