4th of July Shuffle
I don’t know if any of these songs will have a theme related to the holiday, but I wanted to do something a bit different this year. I just set to iTunes on shuffle and hit play and this is what I came up with. I hope you like it!
Rilo Kiley – “15”
From their last album, 2007’s Under the Blacklight, I have to admit that it wasn’t one of the songs that I paid a lot of attention to when this first came out. Listening to it now, though, JENNY LEWIS‘s typically stellar vocals tell a cautionary tale of a man pursuing an underage girl whose age is the title of the song. This is very much in line with the attempt on this album to portray the seedy side of life in Los Angeles. It didn’t always work, but in this instance it does and it even features what I think is a little bit of theremin in several parts!
The Marketts – “Out of Limits”
From Rhino’s Brain in a Box set featuring songs from classic sci-fi and horror films and TV shows (this is the theme for the early ’60s TV shows of the same name), this is the original version of a surf instrumental I first heard performed by AGENT ORANGE (on their When You Least Expect It EP). It was also used in the movie Pulp Fiction I like it, but honestly I prefer Agent Orange’s more energetic version.
Crowded House – “A Sigh”
From 2007’s Time on Earth, this is one of their quieter numbers. In fact, it almost thought that it was a track by THE BLUE NILE when it first came on! Only a minute or so in length, it fits the title quite well.
Black Market Baby – “World at War”
From the excellent Coulda…Shoulda…Woulda… collection, this is a typically great and catchy track from the often overlooked DC punk band.
Guided by Voices – “He’s the Uncle”
This is from all sorts of releases, though I first got it on a homemade cd-r that a friend made entitled On with the Show. It appeared on their split EP with SUPERCHUNK, the bonus disc of Under the Bushes, Under the Stars and on several compilations as well.
In any case, it’s an instance where GBV get really, really close to classic power-pop ala THE SHOES or something in that realm. It even sounds a little like BIG STAR. Excellent!
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers – “One Track Mind”
This is from the 1994 Jungle Records mix of their awesome L.A.M.F. album.
Elastica – “Never Here”
This is a deep cut from their first, self-titled album. Much of the time, Elastica sound indebted to post-punk or new wave bands like WIRE, THE STRANGLERS, BLONDIE or THE FALL, so it’s notable that the drums on this track sound like they’re programmed similarly to what THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN did on their 1989 album Automatic.
Yung Wu – “Long Black Veil”
Yung Wu is a FEELIES off-shoot featuring percussionist DAVE WECKERMAN on lead vocals. Most of their material consists of covers and traditional songs like this one. This is from a CD entitled Rarities that was sold at a WINTER HOURS tribute show at Maxwells last year.
Townes Van Zandt – “Honky Tonkin’”
From 1972’s The Late, Great Townes Van Zandt, the second album he put out that year (High, Low and In-Between was the first), this is a cover of the HANK WILLIAMS song. Van Zandt’s version is faithful to the original, but anything he sang bears his unique vocal stamp on it.
The Futureheads – “Face”
From their disappointing second album, 2006’s News and Tributes, this starts off as an acoustic ballad and then promptly and without warning turns into a full-fledged rocker. Unfortunately, it sounds more like a supercharged BIG COUNTRY than XTC or THE JAM (the two influences that dominated their first album). It’s not bad, but it’s not great, either.
