I thought this album cover would be a fitting tribute to the ascension of our new Democratic overlords. As all of the Republican talking heads warned us, the reign of Nancy Pelosi (D-Faaaaaabulous!) would force all Americans to get gay married, to gay Mexicans, in a gay Islamic ceremony, in a gay poorhouse, with totally gayed-up hors d'oeurves made out of snowflake babies and the pages of a Gideon Bible. Get used to it, people. You're here, you're queer, you don't want any more bears.
Alright, time for the first Friday Random Ten of the Glorious Gayed-Up Revolution.
1. Catherine Wheel, "Strange Fruit" -- Well, here's a band I haven't thought about in several years. Some nice overly-strummy, very-catchy, mid-90s Britpop. No, no, it's not the Billie Holiday song. But you have to admire the king-sized huevos it takes to give a song the same title as a sad dirge about lynching. 8/10
2. Black Keys, "She Said, She Said" -- No, this is a cover, a rendition of the Beatles classic. The raw vocals and distorted geetars add some nice touches here. I like it. 7/10
3. Joe Tex, "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" -- Joe Tex always seemed like the poor man's Otis Redding, in that he always had pretty good vocal chops, but his tendency to record songs with titles like "Ain't Gonna Bump No More With No Fat Woman" sort of made him seem a little less legit. This is a fairly solid soul number, though. 9/10
4. Wanda Jackson, "Let's Have a Party" -- Some classic rockabilly from a pioneer riot grrrl. Even if you're not a fan, you may have seen this song in the semicrappy Dead Poet's Society when the nerdy kids build a radio to rock out and stick it to the man. It's very, very sad. 6/10
5. Wilco, "Jesus, Etc." -- One of my favorites off Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I can never decide if Jeff Tweedy is a genius or just a self-obsessed douche, but this song is one that makes me vote for the former. Any thoughts on this? 8/10
6. Dinosaur Jr., "Just Like Heaven" -- J Mascis does a kickass cover of the Cure classic here, complete with a screaming fit that, to this day, scares the shit out of me. Nice work, indie geeks! 7/10
7. Leonard Nimoy, "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" -- Anyone want to take Leonard up on this offer? Anyone? 2/10
8. The Hives, "A Get Together to Tear It Apart" -- Eh. This band is sounding more and more like a one-album wonder. Well, a one-hit wonder. Would you believe, a one-hit mediocrity? 4/10
9. Outkast, "B.O.B." -- Damn. Saddam may be heading to the gallows, but he'll always have the funk. 9/10
10. The Kinks, "Sitting by the Riverside" -- A fairly forgettable tune from the hit-or-miss album, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society. Eh. 4/10
Well, I was off to a nice start there, but ended up poorly. Rumsfeld knows what that's like, I guess. Final average: 6.4.
I don't want to end the first FRT of the brave new era on such a down note, so let me recommend this excellent clip of Eddie Vedder, singing a rendition of Phil Ochs' "Here's to the State of Mississippi" that's been updated to pay tribute to the administration of George W. Bush. Great stuff.
8 comments:
Joe Tex Ain't Gonna Bump No More With No Fat Woman, nor did he want the girl with Skinny Legs And All.
Damn, he was hard to please.
Also cool to see a cover of one of the Beatles cooler songs. It never appeared on any of their albums far as I know, but the Feelies (one of my all-time faves, by the way) used to cover it live quite often, if I'm not mistaken.
Everybody's Got Something To Hide ('Cept For Me & My Monkey) is on Crazy Rhythms.
My liver hurts and my voice sounds like I drank a gallon of hard whiskey through a filter of cigarette smoke. It must be time for the FRT.
1) "Prison Song," SOAD. Jesus. I SO didn't want a song this hyper this morning. At all. I love the message in this song and all but at 9:30 on a morning when I am hung like a muddy Carhart, it's not very pleasing. 6/10.
2) "Agent 00 Funk," Jon Cleary. Now here's what I'm talking about. Slow, smooth funk, just a little pep to its step, from a keyboard master. A secret agent of funk. That's how smooth. 8/10.
3) "Plague Rages," Napalm Death. Right the Hell back into it. Crunchy guitars and hippopotamus-belch vocals make for a wildly mediocre British death metal band. 6/10.
4) "High & Dry," Jamie Cullum. I really like Jamie Cullum. He's a truly talented jazz musician at the ripe old age of like 23. GREAT album. This is, I believe, a jazzed-up version of the Radiohead tune. 9/10.
5) "Natural Man," Taj Mahal. Blues song about what an awesome kind of man he is, presumably sung to get him laid by a woman who might have doubted otherwise. It's Taj, it's roots music. 8/10.
6) "This Was My Life," Megadeth. This is off the Countdown to Extinction release, which is the album Megadeth used to proclaim having sold-out to the almighty corporate sound for the almighty corporate dollar. Much like Metallica's "black" album. A few good tracks, mostly radio-friendly bunk. 5/10.
7) "The Scotsman," Blackthorn. This is a local Michigan-based Irish band. All the dudes are either first or second generation Irish, and they play great great Irish music, from ballads to jigs and reels to even their own stuff. This is a joke song with an awesome punchline about a drunk Scotsman who wakes up to find a ribbon around his dick. Priceless. If you want, I'll post the lyrics. 8/10.
8) "Volare," Dean Martin. Sorry. I just fell asleep in my martini. 5/10.
9) "Professor Nutbutter's House of Treats," Primus. The title is awesome, but I continue to remain confused by Primus in general. Maybe I'm just not "sophisticated" enough to get it. But it mostly sounds like noodling around on instruments while thoroughly baked. 5/10.
10) "Tired of My Tears," Susan Tedeschi. Great release off of her Hope and Desire release, which is a release of obscure (and some not obscure) remakes. She does a great job. She has a Bonnie Raitt voice and plays a solid guitar. Must have had lessons from her husband Derek Tucks of Allman Brothers fame. Mmm, no. She can play all by herself. 9/10.
Ended strong, but a weak week this week. 6.9.
"Agent 00 Funk," Jon Cleary.
Nice one! You, my friend, have a license to thrill.
I can never decide if Jeff Tweedy is a genius or just a self-obsessed douche, but this song is one that makes me vote for the former. Any thoughts on this?
I won't hand down a verdict on Tweedy's douchiness, but I will say I am much more of a Jay Farrar guy. It's one of those deals where you ally with one over the other...
Like David Gilmour over Roger Waters...
Or George Michael over Andrew Ridgely...
Yeah, I was always pro-Farrar. And Gilmour too.
But I am unwavering in my allegiance to Ridgley.
1. David Bowie – “The Bewlay Brothers,” from Hunky Dory
Isn’t it beautiful when actors are also talented musicians? Milt predicts this guy’s going places. 8/10
2. The Coup – “Tight,” from Party Music
Is there even a close 2nd to bad pop culture timing than these hip hoppers releasing an album w/ a cover pic of the WTC exploding within 1 week of 9/11? Gotta think they’d be bigger if that hadn’t happened. They can do better than this one though. 6/10
3. Tom Petty – “Learning to Fly,” from Greatest Hits
This song should totally be the theme song to the NBA playoffs! 7/10
4. Pixies – “Palace of the Brine,” from Trompe Le Monde
Milt fears the worst for this new Pixies album. But maybe it’ll be good. But probably not. 7/10
5. Sonic Youth – “Bull in the Heather,” from Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
It boggles the mind that this is the closest thing the Sonics had to a “hit.” This and that Carpenters cover. Does it sound snobbish to say, “All of America is idiotic”? 8/10
6. Feist – “Now at Last,” from Let it Die
Won tix to see the beauteous Feist open for Sonic Youth at a Lolla after show in a tiny ass club in Chicago. Well, it wasn’t an “ass club,” but… um… right. 2006 shortlist for that show. And tiny asses. 7/10
7. Stevie Wonder – “Fingertips Pts. 1 & 2,” from At the Close of a Century
Apparently he was still in the womb when this was recorded. They should make a movie about him called The Natural 2: This One’s About Stevie Wonder. Really, There’s no Baseball. 7/10
8. Love is All – “Felt Tip,” from 9 Times That Same Song
The Best Album You Haven’t Heard in 2006. Rockin’ + brass, but no Mighty Bosstones. 8/10
9. The Streets – “Empty Cans,” from A Grand Don’t Come For Free
Of course everyone and everyone’s mammy saw Lance running last wkend’s NYC 26.2, but Milt was the only one in his group who knew what The Streets looks like, so he was challenged with being the one to spot him. He didn’t. Only to learn Skinner had to pull out last minute. Bitchin’. 7/10
10. My Morning Jacket – “Wordless Chorus,” from Z
An autobiography: Buy Z. Think it’s okay. Accidentally catch 15 mins of their Coachella set. Exclaim, “Wow! They bring the rock like this?” Warm up to MMJ. 7/10
72’s okay. Easily the lowest standard deviation Milt’s ever had, and any PB is good, right? No homeruns, which is a little disappointing but more than made up for by this dudless effort.
Sometimes seeing an artist (even on TV) is all it takes. Happened for me with several DirecTV Freeviews and Austin City Limits shows...
Had no use for Coldplay or John Mayer until I saw them bring it home in concert (on tv). Both were excellent. Now, I'm not running around singing "Your Body is a Wonderland" or anything, but it got me to buy "Try!", which is stellar.
Here's me, late to the party again. I wasn't feeling well enough to type much yesterday. Here is my Saturday Random Ten wif notes:
1. Set--Youssou N'Dour--I know everyone is supposed to love Youssou, but this is really one of the few of his songs that I like 8/10
2. Empty--Ray LaMontagne--Yeah, yeah, singer-songwriters are so passe. I still like this guy, this is a fabulous song, and he's one of my people (French-Canadian-American) I think, and I love his voice even though I though he was a girl when I first heard him. 9/10
3. Jimmy Mo Mihle Stor--Dolores Keane and John Faulkner--This is off one of Dolores' first albums. She looks so young on the cover! No, I don't know what it means. I asked a friend who speaks Irish, and he didn't know what it meant, either, so just enjoy. 9/10
4. Tom Traubert's Blues--Tom Waits--I've been on a Waits kick lately, listening to a lot of the old stuff, and the new album has some great songs on it. This is still one of my faves. 10/10
5. In Another Life--XTC--Everyone thinks that Andy 'is' XTC, but Colin writes some damn fine songs. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them. But it's cute and funny. 6/10
6. 'Tas Caliente--Ruben Blades--Ruben's tribute to Paris Hilton. And yes, it's hawt. 8/10
7. My Friends--The Heavenly States--I used to like this song a lot because it's sorta snotty. I think I've grown out of it (the song, not the snottiness), cuz now it just sounds whiny. 5/10
8. The Big Light--Elvis Costello--Wow, this came up just in time for us all to face the big light of our post-election hangovers. It's Elvis. He is a god and I am his prophet. Get used to it, every Elvis song gets a 10. 10/10
9. Secrets and Lies--Jonatha Brooke--Another snotty song, but this one holds up much better. 7/10
10. Song For A Sleeping Girl--Devics--I like Devics a lot, but this is not one of their best songs. 6/10
Well, let's see how we did, shall we? 7.8 Yes, I'm definitely mediocre. This will not be news to a lot of people.
Post a Comment