Thursday, May 31, 2012

80s Soundtracks: Back to the Beach and Tapeheads

    A couple of months ago, Robbie Fulks decided to test his hypothesis that "80s Popular Music is the most godawful music of all popular musics in recorded history" by playing a bunch of 80s songs for his 14 year old son who, of course, confirmed Robbie's suspicions.  Now, I would never argue with Robbie about music (btw, Doc Watson fans should check out his tribute to Doc) and it's true that even the good stuff of that period was often plagued by certain unfortunate excesses.  And the two late 1980s soundtracks I've posted tonight are no exception to those tendencies.  But there's a bunch of interesting curios on both (no, I'm not putting Pee-Wee Herman's Surfin Bird in that category) and they're both long out of print. (Btw, the Swanky Modes are Sam Moore and Junior Walker.)


Back to the Beach

Catch A Ride Eddie Money
Pipeline Dick Dale, Stevie RayVaughan
Sign Of Love Aimee Mann
Absolute Perfection Private Domain
Surfin Bird Pee-Wee Herman
Sun, Sun, Sun, Sun, Sun Marti Jones
Jamaica Ska Annette Funicello & Fishbone
Wipe Out Herbie Hancock
California Sun Frankie Avalon
Wooly Bully Dave Edmunds


Tapeheads

Ordinary Man Swanky Modes
Roscoe's Rap King Cotton
Surfer's Love Chant Bo Diddley
You Hooked Me Baby Swanky Modes
Betcher Bottom Dollar Swanky Modes
Baby Doll (Sung In Swedish) Devo
Slow Bus A-Movin' (Howard's Beach Party) Fishbone
Audience For My Pain Swanky Modes
Language Of Love Swanky Modes
Ordinary Man (Can't Keep A Good Man Down Mix) Swanky Modes

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Another Detour to Fist City

     It's really humid out in the northeast today. so I'm a little more addled than usual.  Alas, I don't have too much to say about Volume 2 of Detour to Fist City.  I will, however, say that if you like the Sunny Sweeney cut on here, you should definitely get her entire first album - Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame.  It's one of my fave alt-country releases of the last 5 years.  I just checked and the mp3 album is only $3.61 on Amazon now.

Download


The Day We Met Sarah Borges & Broken Singles
Every Little Thing Carlene Carter
Walk of Shame Nikki Lane
Honky Tonk Hiccups Neko Case & Her Boyfriends
His Rockin' Little Angel Rosie Flores
Crazy Mixed Emotions Rosie Flores
Love Me To Pieces Janis Martin
I'm Head Over Heels In Love Eilen Jewell
Loose Talk-(w Carl Smith) Carlene Carter
Playin' Every Honky Tonk In Town Heather Myles
Don't Be A Lemming Polka k.d. lang
Baby Loves Him Wanda Jackson
Baby Ride Easy Carlene Carter
Tulsa Love Affair Molly & the Heymakers
Please Be San Antone Sunny Sweeney
Dent In My Heart Rosie Flores


Thursday, May 17, 2012

Detour to Fist City

    Back in the late 1970s, Carlene Carter famously (or infamously) introduced a song off her debut album with the claim that it would put the cu-- back in country.   (According to wikipedia, her mom and stepdad were, unbeknownst to Carlene, in the audience and she spent a decade trying to live the quote down.)   I invoke this story only because I put together a compilation which features a bunch of cuts from Ms. Carter and other female country artists with a similar style and because I couldn't think of good way of characterizing the music - brassy, spunky, scrappy, etc. just don't work.  But since this is a family blog, I thought I'd just go with the only slightly banal Detour to Fist City since I kinda see Loretta Lynn as the godmother/high priestess to this kind of music.  Oh well, it's about the music, right? :)
Volume Two comes next week.

Download

I Fell in Love Carlene Carter
Girl Haggard Rosie Flores
Fist City Loretta Lynn
Lies Nikki Lane
That's Where I'm Going Eilen Jewell
Rock-A-Bye Boogie Rosie Flores
Cry Carlene Carter
Too Bad About Sandy Carlene Carter
Who Says God Is Dead Eilen Jewell
Let's Elope Baby Janis Martin
Drink Myself Single Sunny Sweeney
Jesus Was A Wino Lydia Loveless
Daniel Lee Sarah Borges
The Bitter End Carlene Carter
Blue Side Of Town Rosie Flores
Next Big Nothing Sunny Sweeney

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Tales of the Drummer - A Tony Allen Sampler

      I was really glad to see Fela Kuti get a little more recognition a couple of years ago when the play Fela made it to Broadway.  Now, I don't expect to see a play about his life, but Tony Allen also deserves more a lot more appreciation.  Not only was he Fela's drummer and musical director, but he put out  a number of great solo albums in the 1970s.  He didn't record much in the 1980s or 1990s, but he's been very prolific over the last 15 years as both a solo artist and as a collaborator with various acts.  The Wrasse record label did put out a greatest hits collection (Eager Hands and Restless Feet) in 2002, but it's only available as an import for us North Americans and I also thought a broader career retrospective was necessary.  (Most of his great 1970s albums have been reissued are easily available as both cds and mp3 downloads.)  


The Same Blood Tony Allen
Crazy Afrobeat Tony Allen
Secret Agent Tony Allen
Against The Wall Jimi Tenor / Tony Allen
Nepa Tony Allen
Ako Fela Kuti
Don't Fight Tony Allen
Afropusherman Psyco On Da Bus
Gbedu Tony Allen
Nature Springs The Good, The Bad and The Queen
Sankofa Hypnotic Brass Ensemble featuring Tony Allen
Progress Tony Allen

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Sucking in the 70's - Volume 4

   Yes, it's time again for another volume of 70's music.  This one's heavier on the popular soul music of the 70's.  There's still a few of them durn guilty pleasures, but I defy you to say anything bad about The Jackson 5's take on Clifton Davis' (who, of course, was on the short lived 70s sitcom That's My Mama) Never Can Say Goodbye.  (The first three volumes are still available, btw.)

Download

Livin' Thing ELO
Strawberry Letter 23 The Brothers Johnson
Everlasting Love Carl Carlton
#9 Dream John Lennon
You're Only Lonely J.D. Souther
If You Don't Know Me By Now Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes
Never Can Say Goodbye The Jackson 5
You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go Bob Dylan
Dueling Banjos Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell
American Girl Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Jeepster T.Rex
I Can't Stand the Rain Ann Peebles
Band of Gold Freda Payne
Suavecito Malo
Without You Nilsson
Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong B.J. Thomas
Show and Tell Al Wilson
Grandma's Hands Bill Withers
The Air That I Breathe The Hollies
Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) The Delfonics