Knock Yourselves Out!

Many of us are getting very excited for the upcoming New Years Eve bash featuring Jon Brion and Friends at The Harris Theatre here in Chicago. While many of you may not know the name, I guarantee you've heard his work, whether via his soundtracks for films such I Heart Huckabees, Magnolia,and Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, or his production work for Aimee Mann, Elliot Smith, Rufus Wainwright, Kanye West, Fiona Apple, Spoon, and so on. Though often uncredited, he also played many of the instrument parts on several of these albums as well.

His live shows are simply astounding, as he jumps from guitar, to piano, to bass, to uke, to chamberlin, employing loops to build a multi-layered one-man sonic extravaganza. Nearly half of his show consists of spontaneous and often simultaneous requests from the audience. Look on youtube, for example and you can find him playing Radiohead's Creep AS Tom Waits after separate audience members called out the two requests at the same time.

His shows have everything I hope for in a concert setting, creating that feeling that something very special is happening in front of you for the first and last time ever. As he recently told the Onion " I think my life is a version of my show played out over a very long time. There are periods of structured things. There are periods of improvisation. There are periods that go better than expected and there are periods when you fall flat on your face, and you get back back up if you really love what you're doing..."

DOWNLOAD KNOCK YOURSELF OUT FROM I LOVE HUCKABEES

If you want to see the show, I happen to know that tickets are still available. Do it, you won't be disappointed.

Buy Tickets Here

Best of 2007 Fingerhut

Happy Holidays to you all! For the final sprint to the New Year, I've created two Best of 2007 mixes which I hope you will enjoy. The first (today's download) is of tracks actually released (i think) in 2007 The tracks are listed in no particular order. The second mix, coming next week, will be songs from the past that I either discovered or became obsessed with in 2007.

Love Comes to Me-Bonnie Prince Billy
What a Job- Devin the Dude
Our Hell- Emily Haines & Soft Skeleton
Down The Line- Jose Gonzales
The Opposite of Hallelujah-Jens Lekman
North American Scum-LCD Soundsystem
Headache City-Headache City
Wild Mountain Nation-Blitzen Trapper
Headphones-Illinois
Lucky Ones-Kevin Drew
I don't Feel Like Dancing-Scissor Sisters
The Equestrian- les Savy Fav
When I Say Go-The 1900's
88-Cool Kids
Silently-Blonde Readhead
1234-Feist
North American Scum-LCD Soundsystem
Intervention-Arcade Fire
Songs of National Freedom-Richard Swift
John Allyn Sails-Okkervil River
I am Waiting-Lindsey Buckingham
I don't Feel Like Dancing-Scissor Sisters


Download Fingerhut Best of 07

Cat Power-The Covers Album

This 2000 album features reinterpretations of songs by The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Smog, Bob Dylan, and Nina Simone, all performed with Chan Marshall's trademark hushed delivery and sparse arrangements. She has a second covers record, Jukebox, due out in January featuring works by Billie Holiday, James Brown, and Hank Williams!


DOWNLOAD SATISFACTION (I CAN'T GET NO)

Tropicalismo

The Tropicalia movement was an artistic response to the Brazilian coup of 1964 and the military dicatorship that followed. Passionately and intelligently articulated through music, poetry, and fashion, the movement was a brief explosion of cultural transformation and upheaval, spanning a period of five years, from 1967 to 1972.

Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil are considered the leaders of the movement, who, along with Os Mutantes, experimented with unusual time signatures and other means of unorthodox song structures in their music. In 1969, Veloso and Gil were jailed for about a month and, shortly after their release, exiled by the military government. (They relocated to London until 1972.)

For those interested, pick up Veloso's 2002 book Tropical Truth: A Story of Music and Revolution in Brazil

Heres a track from his second solo album "Caetano Veloso" (a.k.a. Álbum Branco, which means White Album, in Portuguese), released in Brazil in 1969. The album vocals and acoustic guitars were recorded in a small recording studio in Salvador, where Veloso was confined for defying the authoritarian Brazilian government of the time, after spent some time arrested in Rio de Janeiro. He recorded the vocals, and Gilberto Gil the acoustic guitar, which were sent to arranger and producer Rogério Duprat, who added layers of electric guitars, horns, bass, drums and other instruments in a more professional studio in São Paulo.

DOWNLOAD THE EMPTY BOAT BY CAETANO VELOSO

Buy the album here

Check out the book

My Real Life Started Tonight

Congratulations to David Singer, as the show he scored, August Osage County, has opened on broadway to unprecedented raves for a non-musical. Here's a song that the character Little Charles sings during the show, which also appears on David's latest album East of the Fault Line.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

DOWNLOAD LITTLE CHARLES

Only Julia Knows

In preparation for the first Chicago Ukelele Cabaret on February 17 at Silvies, I borrowed a sweet little Uke from DAS and set out to learn "God Only Knows". Turns out its a tough song to learn, so I did a search on youtube for help. I happened upon and found myself charmed by Julia's version, which appears below.

Folks, if Julia can do it, so can we, so grab your ukes and start brushing up for the cabaret. All are welcome to participate. Since it will be just after Valentines Day, the theme will be songs of love, lust, and heartbreak.

You Can Follow My Voice

Its been covered by everyone from The Breeders to Ben Kweller, but the original version of Wicked Little Town from Hedwig and The Angry Inch remains the definitive version.

DOWNLOAD WICKED LITTLE TOWN

Watch it here and check out Quang Yi on guitar!

Ike Turner RIP

too bad, he was such a swell guy

DOWNLOAD RIVER DEEP MOUNTAIN HIGH

Goin' to Acapulco

Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan

Last night we saw I'm Not There, Todd Haynes'inventive and visually stunning Dylan Biopic, featuring performances by Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Christian Bale, and others as different incarnations of the bard. The soundtrack features cover versions from Sonic Youth, Antony, Sufjan Stevens, The Hold Steady, Jeff Tweedy, Cat Power, and others. This version of Goin' to Acapulco by My Morning Jacket's Jim James and Calexico provided one of the films greatest moments of emotional impact.

DOWNLOAD GOIN' TO ACAPULCO



check out the Soundtrack

El Perro Del Mar

El Perro Del Mar is the project of the unfortunately named Swedish songstress Sarah Assbring. Reminiscent of 60's French pop, the music is relaxed and the vocal delivery childlike, making it a nice Sunday morning sountrack.

Download Candy by El Perro Del Mar

Over The Garden Wall

The Musical Box-Black Show

Last Thursday, The Hitmaker took me to see the Musical Box at The Vic. Not your garden variety tribute band, this Montreal quintet, officially sanctioned by Genesis, creates a note-for-note musical and visual reproduction of specific vintage-era (1972-1974) tours, including the original sets, costumes, slides, and even the stage banter.

As a fan of early Genesis, I admit I was a bit skeptical going in, but from the opening notes of "Watcher of the Skies" through to the end of the show, I was mesmerized at the musical dexterity and visual splendor of the band. It was worlds better than the overblown Genesis reunion tour I saw with the Hitmaker earlier this year.

From the Sun-Times:

"Airy woodwinds, acoustic guitars and symphonic keyboards reinforced the narratives' pastoral themes. Surreal images, black-light illumination and vivid costumes underscored meaning and suggestion. Filling Gabriel's role, vocalist/flutist Denis Gagne donned an array of unusual get-ups. With his eyes highlighted by a day-glo mask, he pecked like a bird during "Watcher of the Skies." The opening song's churchy undercurrents and ominous moods were indicative of the evening's shifting dynamics. Devoid of simplicity and steeped in drama, compositions featured demanding tempo changes and odd time signatures"

Here, then, is "I Know What I Like (in your wardrobe)", an ode to a cosmic lawnmower, from the 1972 album Selling England By the Pound. Also, a video of a live performance from the original tour, which is virtually indistinguishable from the one I saw last week.

DOWNLOAD I KNOW WHAT I LIKE (IN YOUR WARDROBE)

The World's Fastest Banjo Picker

For FI's 101st post, we have a special guest post from the man himself, Mr. Benjamin Fingerhut

For those who don’t know, for the past two and a half years I’ve been shooting a documentary on world record breakers called Breaking and Entering… and by the time this is posted on the blog I'll be on a plane to Boston to shoot the last bit of footage before editing begins.

So to celebrate I thought it would be nice to have the world’s fastest banjo player Todd Taylor and his song El Cumanchero make an appearance on the Invitational. Todd is a 3 time Grammy nominee and a really nice guy to boot. Details need to be worked out, but it’s likely this song will be on the soundtrack.

DOWNLOAD EL CUMANCHERO

Watch him go!

With John Belushi and Lady Di Close by

I lost my Aunt Joanie yesterday, so in her honor I dedicate this song about heaven (i think) by Supergrass. (posted Monday night for Tuesday)

Download Prophet 15

Teardrop on the Fire

Brand New Music from Argentinian born Swedish acoustic Troubadour Jose Gonzalez. From the new album "In Our Nature" this track is a cover version of Massive Attack's "teardrop". The album is edgier and moodier than its predecessor "Veneer", and it benefits his overall sound.

DOWNLOAD TEARDROP

The Strangest of Supergroups

More of a loose collective than a band, the Golden Palominos featured a revolving line-up for each new record. 1985's "Visions of Excess", features Richard Thompson, Michael Stipe, Jack Bruce, John Lydon, Bernie Worell, Bill Laswell,and GP core members Anton Fier and Arto Lindsay. Here is the lead track Boy(go), with Michael Stipe on Lead Vocals.

DOWNLOAD BOY(GO)

Soul Country

If I ever do you wrong
If I ever leave you all alone
If I ever tell you a lie
If I ever make you cry

I hope a fly lands on my pie
I hope a bee stings me over my eye...
I love my pie,
I love my eye,
so you know I'll never do you wrong.

So sings soul balladeer Joe Tex on this smooth and playful ditty from his 1968 album "Soul Country", which features several versions of country pop songs, including Bobbie Gentry's Ode to Billie Joe.

DOWNLOAD IF I EVER DO YOU WRONG

I Fall in Love with The Light

Many months back, David Anthony Singer sent me a gorgeous song, The Orchids, from Califone. I knew it was a cover and that the original version was by Psychic TV, a band I vaguely remember hearing about freshman year in High School. Born out of earlier punk bands Alternative TV and Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV began publishing a monthly series of 23 live albums in 1986, but stopped without explanation after 17.The tenth, a picture disk known as Album 10, could only be obtained by submitting tokens contained in each of the previous nine releases. The band subsequently earned an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for most records released in one year.

I hunted down the original version of The Orchids and enjoyed it immensely. Whereas Califone's version is hushed and melancholic, the original has an innocent, naive quality to it. Its the kind of track I would expect to turn up in the next Wes Anderson Movie, as at the rate he's moving through the Kinks catalogue, he'll soon be up to the "Come Dancing" era.

DOWNLOAD THE ORCHIDS BY PSYCHIC TV

VIDEO BONUS!!!! I enjoyed "The Orchids" so much that I went searching for more from Psychic TV and happened upon "Godstar", a pop nugget that pays tribute to Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones, using the riff from Brown Sugar as its main motif. It sounds entirely unlike "The Orchids". Rather, it sounds to me a lot like Echo and the Bunnymen, Love and Rockets, and even the Pixies. Heres the video:

El Perro Del Mar

El Perro Del Mar is the project of the unfortunately named Swedish songstress Sarah Assbring. Reminiscent of 60's French pop, the music is relaxed and the vocal delivery childlike, making it a nice Sunday morning sountrack.

Download Candy by El Perro Del Mar

Rusted Guns of Milan

Art Brut's Impotence anthem was the highlight of their blistering set at Metro on Halloween. I happen to love this band, but if you're not a fan, I can understand why, especially if melody is important to you, even a little. For me their sheer exuberance, brutal simplicity, and great sense of humor make up for that little omission. Oh, also, their drummer, dressed like an extra from Starlight Express or Xanadu, played the entire show standing up. I'm not talking about some Stray Cats thing with just a snare and a ride either... this was a full-on ROCK, and he was fantastic.

DOWNLOAD THE RUSTED GUNS OF MILAN

PS. If you should ever want to create your own Art Brut song, just follow these easy steps-

1.Pick A Phrase, any phrase- Shout it 3-4 for times in a row- this will be your chorus, and in most cases, your song title.
(Leave the lights on, we formed a band, modern art makes me want to rock out, my little brother just discovered rock & roll, and I'm considering a move to LA have all worked for Art Brut)

2. Make up a story and tell it in a spoken, conversational tone. If possible, it should be confessional and make some reference to how lucky you your are to be getting laid, or how unlucky you are not to be getting laid, or in the case of this song, how bad you are at it. This will become your verse.

3. Come up with some irresistable monster riffage behind it and some group chanted oohs and ahhs

A Little Trip To Heaven

Before Tom Waits was the junkyard growler we've come to love on stellar albums such as Swordfish Trombones, Rain Dogs, and Frank's Wild Years, he was a beatnik Cabaret act and a piano balladeer. Here's a sweet little ditty from his early demos, recorded when he was 22 years of age.

Download Little Trip to Heaven

Sail Away

DAS tells me this one is actually about slave trading, but I always just assumed it was about the early North American settlers. In any case, enjoy it and Happy Thanksgiving!
Its the title track from Randy Newman's 1972 album. Meet you back here on Monday!

Download Sail Away

Great Debuts-Herbie Hancock

Quickdraw's requested some Jazz, so here's the first track from Herbie Hancock's 1962 Debut album as a leader, Takin'Off. The album was recorded when HH was 22, and would catch the ear of Miles Davis, whose new band Herbie joined in 1963.

Download Watermelon Man


Herbie refashioned Watermelon Man for the Fusion/Funk Magnum Opus "Headhunters"in
1973, one of the highest selling "jazz" LPs of all time. Listen to it here:

Tribute Song

Many months back, David Anthony Singer sent me a gorgeous song, The Orchids, from Califone. I knew it was a cover and that the original version was by Psychic TV, a band I vaguely remember hearing about freshman year in High School. Born out of earlier punk bands Alternative TV and Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV began publishing a monthly series of 23 live albums in 1986, but stopped without explanation after 17.The tenth, a picture disk known as Album 10, could only be obtained by submitting tokens contained in each of the previous nine releases. The band subsequently earned an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for most records released in one year.

I hunted down the original version of The Orchids and enjoyed it immensely. Whereas Califone's version is hushed and melancholic, the original has an innocent, naive quality to it. Its the kind of track I would expect to turn up in the next Wes Anderson Movie, as at the rate he's moving through the Kinks catalogue, he'll soon be up to the "Come Dancing" era.

DOWNLOAD THE ORCHIDS BY PSYCHIC TV

VIDEO BONUS!!!! I enjoyed "The Orchids" so much that I went searching for more from Psychic TV and happened upon "Godstar", a pop nugget that pays tribute to Brian Wilson from the Rolling Stones, using the riff from Brown Sugar as its main motif. It sounds entirely unlike "The Orchids". Rather, it sounds to me a lot like Echo and the Bunnymen, Love and Rockets, and even the Pixies. Heres the video:

Honky Tonk Masters-Waylon Jennings

Chris Lozier sent me this, Waylon's version of Roger Miller's "I've been a Long Time Leaving (But I'll be a Long Time Gone) from his 1975 LP Dreaming My Dreams. This track is a lot of things at once...rowdy but playful, heartbroken but humored, growling but crooning too. The chorus would make a great singalong for the wiggleworms set. Consensus on the album seems to be that its Waylon at his absolute best. Whoop whoop!

DOWNLOAD I'VE BEEN A LONG TIME LEAVING (BUT I"LL BE A LONG TIME GONE)

BUY THE ALBUM HERE

My First Concert

I adore my father for myriad reasons, but the greatest thing ever was when he took me to see Rush at The Checkerdome in St. Louis (STL=Purina HQ) on the Signals Tour in 1982. I was in middle school and had just started to play the drums, and of course Neil Peart was my greatest hero, very soon to be replaced by Stewart Copeland, then Phil Collins, and finally, Nigel Olsson (Elton John). The Cardinals were in the World Series that year, and so for the entire concert, my father was listening to the game on these giant radio headphones (like the ones pictured). It was so deafeningly loud that he probably couldn't hear a thing about the game, but at least his hearing was being protected. I believe the Cards won that night, and after NP's drum solo, I felt like a world champion myself.

Do you remember your first show ever?

Start your weekend right and DOWNLOAD SPIRIT OF THE RADIO BY RUSH

BONUS VIDEO-Live in 88

**Bad Idea Grab Bag** The Stills-Young Band's Black Coral

"At Two hundred eighty seven feet
I saw Jesus
and it made sense that He was there"

So goes the lyric to "Black Coral", the epic scuba-diving-as-metaphor-for-the-fast -life song from the ill fated 1976 Stills-Young Band LP "Long May You Run".

"Take it easy down there, you've only so much air"

indeed, Stephen, indeed.

Sent to me by Tony B, the song is quite a curiosity, with its overblown arrangements and relentless extension of metaphor. Its gets pretty groovy in the middle there, though. The circumstances of the making of this album are pretty sketchy too.
The rest of CSNY recorded backing vocals for the record, which Stills and Young decided they didn't like and removed. Then, just a few dates into their 30 date tour, Young bailed, leaving Stills to finish solo. Apparently fed up with Still's booze and drug consumption (How else does a song like Black Coral get made?), he simply left the tour and sent a telegram "Funny how things that start spontaneously end that way... Eat a peach, Neil." God Bless Neil Young
DOWNLOAD BLACK CORAL

Between You and Me

You may know him as Cooper on Private Practice, but Paul Adelstein also writes, records, and performs under the Doris moniker. Many years in the making, "Between You and Me" is one of my favorite albums, and I've been listening to it quite a bit in recent days. Here is the opening track-Heartstrings.

DOWNLOAD HEARTSRINGS

BUY THE ALBUM HERE OR ON ITUNES
(Judging by the comments, I'd say Paul is big in Europe!)

Great Moments in Vocalese

Vocalese was born in the early 50's, when singers began writing lyrics set to solos in previously instrumental Jazz compositions. Whereas scat singing uses improvised nonsense syllables, vocalese uses lyrics... The word "vocalese" is a play on the musical term "vocalise" and the suffix "-ese", meant to indicate a sort of language.

King Pleasure was a pioneer in the genre. Here's a track from the classic album King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings. Its timeless, and also includes "Twisted" from Annie Ross, which Joni Mitchell Later recorded.

DOWNLOAD I'M GONE

Have You Been to the Carnival?

Todays's post comes courtesy of FI Modern Adventure Rock svengali Tony Bianchi
I dont' know too much about this band, except that they are aussies, and they are really good at sounding like all the founding fathers of metal, i.e. zeppelin, sabbath, etc. But after a listen or two you (well, I) don't mind because they are that good at it.

Plus the dude has incredibly cool hair (Click Here to See)

DOWNLOAD WHITE UNICORN

Bonus-Check out the awesome fantasy artwork on their site

Beautiful Boy

The FI Community Welcomes Cyrus Hyunjun Black to the world!!!
Born yesterday morning, the hardy boy is 8 lbs 5oz, with a full head of hair.
New Dad Brian reports that the family is exhausted but doing well.

Congrats to Brian, Heiji, and Cyrus!

In celebration, today's song is John Lennon's Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).

DOWNLOAD BEAUTIFUL BOY


For those to lazy to download, listen here

When Classic Rockers Went Disco

Back in the late Seventies, they all gave it a go, some with more success than others. The ones that quickly come to mind are:

1. Miss You- The Rolling Stones
2. One Of These Nights- The Eagles
3. Shakedown Street- The Grateful Dead
4. Hurricane-Bob Dylan
5. Do Ya think I'm Sexy- Rod Stewart

Miss You is listed at the top for a reason, as its head and shoulders above the rest. The whole album (Some Girls) is terrific, probably the last great Stones record, with the exception of Tattoo You a few years later.


DOWNLOAD MISS YOU BY THE ROLLING STONES

The King of Swamp Pop

Swamp Pop is a style out of Louisiana, akin to Cajun, but leaning heavily towards 50's rock and country twang. Its leading practitioner, Johnny Allan, is best known for this version of Chuck Berry's "The Promised Land". I came across it on a compilation a while back and was struck by how smoothly it rocks all the way through. Dig the accordian breaks!

DOWNLOAD THE PROMISED LAND

Thats You My Love-Johnny Cool

Guest Post Today from FI's Rare Soul expert David Berthy


I found "That's You My Love" on a deceased soul blog called, "Funk & Soul." It must be a pretty rare 45, because web searches reveal only one other song by Johnny Cool and the Counts and no biographical details whatsoever about the group. Whoever they were, they're responsible for one of my favorite songs. Neither the lyrics of the song nor the sentiments they express are especially original, the guitar isn't tuned all that well, and the singer can't really sing. Despite, or maybe because of these reasons, the song conveys an almost unbearable sense of ache. We can tell by the singer's tobacco-cured, middle-aged voice that this isn't the first song he's sung, and we can reasonably speculate the object of his affections isn't the first woman he's loved. Whoever she is, we know from the lyrics that she's taken her share of lumps. The result is the rare love song that works as a break-up song. It sounds good at a wedding, for sure, but it also sounds good to those who drink until last call because they don't want to go home to an empty bed. If anyone knows anything about Johnny Cool and the Counts, or has a copy of the other song mentioned mentioned on the web, "The Love Bounce" please let me know.


DOWNLOAD THATS YOU MY LOVE

A Ranch They Call No. 51

Heres a song about UFO's landing on the Vegas Strip, from the Pixies underrated 1990 album Bossanova.

Download The Happening

Rusted Guns of Milan

Art Brut's Impotence anthem was the highlight of their blistering set at Metro on Halloween. I happen to love this band, but if you're not a fan, I can understand why, especially if melody is important to you, even a little. For me their sheer exuberance, brutal simplicity, and great sense of humor make up for that little omission. Oh, also, their drummer, dressed like an extra from Starlight Express or Xanadu, played the entire show standing up. I'm not talking about some Stray Cats thing with just a snare and a ride either... this was a full-on ROCK, and he was fantastic.


DOWNLOAD THE RUSTED GUNS OF MILAN

PS. If you should ever want to create your own Art Brut song, just follow these easy steps-

1.Pick A Phrase, any phrase- Shout it 3-4 for times in a row- this will be your chorus, and in most cases, your song title.
(Leave the lights on, we formed a band, modern art makes me want to rock out, my little brother just discovered rock & roll, and I'm considering a move to LA have all worked for Art Brut)

2. Make up a story and tell it in a spoken, conversational tone. If possible, it should be confessional and make some reference to how lucky you your are to be getting laid, or how unlucky you are not to be getting laid, or in the case of this song, how bad you are at it. This will become your verse.

3. Come up with some irresistable monster riffage behind it and some group chanted oohs and ahhs

The Fabulous, Most Groovy, Bell Bottoms!

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion took Hound Dog Taylor's Two Guitar and Drums Blues assault to new heights in 1994, adding strings, samples, theramin, shrieking sax and a heavy dose of punk attitude on Orange, an epic party record. Still no bass though.

DOWNLOAD BELL BOTTOMS

VIDEO BONUS! Talk About The Blues Video featuring Winona Ryder, John C. Reilly, and Giovanni Ribisi as The Blue Explosion

Songs That Scared Me as a Child

I was thinking yesterday about songs that scared me when I was little. There were a bunch of them, and the ones that come to mind immediately are:

1. Theme from Mahogany (Do you Know Where You're Going to)-Diana Ross. Numero uno for sure, this song creeped me out big time. The chord progression is jarringly eery,and the question "Where are you going to, do you know?" spooked me at a young age, just as it does now!

2. Eleanor Rigby- The Beatles-Those tense string arrangements (which make up the entire song), all the talk of loneliness, and images of teeth in a jar by the door were all unsettling to little Simo

3. Sundown-Gordon Lightfoot. This one didn't scare me per se, but I found these lines confusing and menacing.

Sundown, You'd Better Take Care
If I find you've been creeping round my back stairs

What does that man? I didn't want anyone creeping round my back stair either.
I dug the groove so much, though, I didn't really care


DOWNLOAD SUNDOWN BY GORDON LIGHTFOOT

Do you have a song that scared you when you were little? If so, leave a comment!

That's Three Flavors -Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry Wafers

For masked rapper MF Doom, every day is Halloween. Here's a track from his epic MMMFOOD record, which is crammed with songs about food, as well as samples from Fantastic Four cartoons featuring arch enemy Dr. Doom. When I first heard this track about the wonders of Girl Scout cookies, I couldn't place the backing track, but knew it came from way back in my childhood. I believe its the closing theme from Sesame Street.

Download KOOKIES

Give Me Back My Wig

Chicago's Own-Hound Dog Taylor

Out on the town this past Saturday night, I was reminded of this song amidst all the Halloween revelers. I've never been a fan of the Chicago Blues, but when I came across this record back in my Jazz Record Mart days, I was struck by the raw organic feel of Hound Dog's two guitar + drums attack...raw and reckless... and the lyrics are priceless. This smokin' 1974 live recording was released as Beware of the Dog after Hound Dog's Death in 1975.

Download Give me Back My Wig

ps. For those of you who missed it, be sure to scroll two posts down and watch the misheard song lyrics video. Its guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Pretty Green

Lead Track from the 5th album by The Jam, Sound Affects, released in 1980. Singer/guitarist/songwriter Paul Weller said at the time that he considered the album a cross between Michael Jackson's Off the Wall (huh?!) and Revolver. He's also been quoted saying that this was the Jam's Best Work.

Download Pretty Green

VIDEO BONUS-MISHEARD SONG LYRICS HALL OF FAME

You must watch this... hilarious...Props to Adel for sending it.

Sunday Morning Sweptaway

The Sweptaways Sing Changes by Black Sabbath

Sweptaways Myspace Page

Great Debuts- 1977-JEM & The Talking Heads

I know of at least two great debuts from 1977. One is the fiddle playin'neuropsych wunderkind Jennifer Elaine Medina, who celebrates her 30th birthday today. Another is The Talking Heads, a group of Rhode Island School of Design Students, who would become the quirky art-rock element of New York's burgeoning punk scene.

Here is the first song from the first album.

Happy Birthday JEM!


Uh-Oh Love Comes to Town

Its You That I Want, But its Him That I Need

This is my favorite Al Green song, an intimate and personal articulation of his growing conflict between the spiritual and sexual, released at a crossroads in his life and career. He'd just broken from the Hi Records crack rhythym section, and producer Willie Mitchell, who together crafted the polished sound of hits like Let's Stay Together, Still in Love with you, etc. In contrast, The 1977 Belle album was written and self-produced by Al in his home studio, featuring the man himself on lead and acoustic guitars. After its release, he would turn to the church for the remainder of his life and career to date.

Download Belle

Purple Floyd, Pink Rain

I've had a cassette copy of Purple Rain in my car tapedeck now for the last four days and don't think I'm gonna change it out any time soon. Its just one jam after another. I was driving expectant Brian home from the impromptu Half Acre Ping Pong Party last night, and he remarked that the solo section of the title track has a Pink Floyd vibe..at first I scoffed, but soon realized that he's dead on, and its the Division Bell era to be precise. Weeeeeird.

If you listen to this at work, how will you keep from swaying back and forth at your desk, orange highlighter held high, singing woo, ooh, ooh oooh? I don't believe that you will.


Purple Rain

Under The Influence-The Kinks Go Americana

One fine morning in 1970, Ray Davies woke up to find that his body and mind had been inhabited by Richard Manuel from The Band. A great song resulted-"Strangers" from Lola Vs. The Powerman and the Moneyground. The Kinks' love affair with The Band lasted through 1971's Muswell Hillbillies, a really fun album that I highly recommend. Its also widely considered their last good record.

Download Strangers

Guilty Pleasures-ELO

A twofer today! You get my favorite song from Electric Light Orchestra and the only song I know ever written ABOUT Electric Light Orchestra. I know I'm up against a mighty river of disapproval here, but I love ELO's bombastic orchestral pop..the strings, the Land of Oz backing vocals, all of it. I dug the 45's as a kid (Evil Woman, Living Thing, telephone Line, Sweet Talkin' Woman) and I dig them now. ELO mastermind and Beatle freak Jeff Lynne went on to produce George Harrison (he tastefulty finsihed GH's last album after his death) and Tom Petty among others, and even became that Traveling Wilbury that you never recognize.


Download Mr. Blue Sky


Randy Newman's "The History of A Rock & Roll Band":

Hello Ween

20 years before Flight of the Conchords, there was Ween. The difference is that while they're both hilarious, Ween are also great songwriters and amazing musicians. Rather than simply parody a genre as FOTC does, Ween inhabits a genre sincerely while still managing to be funny at times.

I was in St. Louis this past Friday and picked up a copy of the Riverfront Times, their equivalent of the Reader. I enjoyed Jordan Harper's article on Ween, which neatly sums up some of the reasons I love them so much. Its leaves out the main reason, though, which is that they write great songs. While I love every single Ween album since, I still think that 1994's Chocolate & Cheese is their definitive moment.
Here's their Philly Soul Nugget, Freedom of 76, featuring one of the greatest lines on the album:

"Mannequin was filmed at Woolworth's, Boys II Men still keeping up the beat"

Freedom of 76

The Article:

Why Ween is better Than your Favorite Band

Bonus Video! Flight of the Conchords Think About it

Chicago's Own- Cool Kids

Cool Kids are 19 year-old MCs Chuck and Mikey bringing the stripped down old school style into the present.

"88" from Cool Kids