Song: I Lost (My Mind)Artist: Angry SamoansAlbum: STP Not LSD The Angry Samoans are best remembered for the silly manic punk tirades of their first couple of albums, but they released an EP and an LP of cool, fun psych/garage/punk albums in the mid-to-late 80s that often get overlooked. This one comes from 1988’s STP Not LSD which, for all… Read more »
Song: Love in an Elevator / Shut the DoorArtist: Aerosmith / FugaziAlbum: Pump / Repeater I’m not a Fugazi fan, but it’s amazing how good “Shut the Door” sounds after enduring the first 27 seconds of “Love in an Elevator.”
Song: Dusk and SummerArtist: Dashboard ConfessionalAlbum: Dusk and Summer “Dusk and Summer” makes me feel how I felt during the summer between 6th and 7th grades, when I would sit in the front yard and stare at thousands of stars in the night sky and listen to “Don’t Stop Believing” and dream of what it would feel like to be… Read more »
Song: FallibleArtist: Blues TravelerAlbum: Four If someone plays a wanker guitar solo on a harmonica, is it still a wanker solo?
Song: Dire WolfArtist: Grateful DeadAlbum: Workingman’s Dead “Dire Wolf” finds the Dead at their best. The song’s country-flavored, laid-back lunacy is the combination of their unique and distinctly American music and Robert Hunter’s great gift with words. It’s really cool how the story can exist on many levels.
Song: Police and the PrivateArtist: MetricAlbum: Live It Out “Police and the Private” takes the synth pop of Metric and infuses it with warmth. It’s the first time I’ve heard a Metric song and immediately wanted to hear it again.
Song: MadmanArtist: The JayhawksAlbum: Rainy Day Music Why is it that the same people who celebrate the alt-country genius of The Jayhawks also dismiss The Eagles as being a bunch of fluffy baby-boom wankers? Listening to “Madman” makes me wonder how long will it be until someone from The Jayhawks releases a solo album called No Fun Aloud.
Song: KathleenArtist: Josh RitterAlbum: Hello Starling The opening line of “Kathleen” is one of the best declarations of love I’ve ever heard.
Song: A Gallon of GasArtist: The KinksAlbum: Come Dancing with The Kinks: the Best of 1977-1986 If this is one of the best songs The Kinks recorded between ’77 and ’86, I’d hate to hear the stuff that didn’t make the cut.
Song: Cold BloodedArtist: Tim ArmstrongAlbum: A Poet’s Life When “Cold Blooded” started, my first thought was “Huh, this must be some King Tubby or Impact All Stars song that I never noticed. Cool.” It’s not King Tubby, though, and it’s not Impact All Stars. It’s Tim Armstrong. As in, Tim Armstrong, the dude from Rancid. Could I have paid this… Read more »