Heres a track from Athens GA's Olivia Tremor Control, one of the three original bands in the psychedelic pop collective Elephant Six, along with Apples in Stereo and Neutral Milk Hotel. NYC-25 is from their first album, Music from an Unrealized Script-Dusk at Cubist Castle, released in 1996.

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Speed Folk

Back in the mid-eighties, Velvet Underground disciples The Feelies and Yo La Tengo rose up out of the same scene at Maxwell's in Hoboken. In 1986, The Feelies releases their second LP, The Good Earth, with REM (another VU influenced band) guitarist Peter Buck producing. After another two albums, they disbanded, but have re-united in 2008 for some shows in New York with Sonic Youth. I had a chance to see them open for Lou Reed on the New York tour and dug'em. Thir version of The Beatles' Everybody's got something except for Me and my Monkey brought the house down. It was the first show of the tour, in Boston, and I remember that Lou couldn't memorize his own lyrics and had them taped down all over the stage.

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DOWNLOAD EVERYBODY"S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT ME AND MY MONKEY

David Berthy Posts

Alzo & Udine used to play in a band called the Insanities, but when the band split up, they formed a duo (what happened to duos?) and took the name Alzo & Udine. They made one record for Mercury in 1968, opened for The Association, and then called it quits. Alzo was rediscovered in the Ampex Tape mail room in 1970, and went on to record a solo album that also got lost in the record bin when the label folded. Both albums have since been rediscovered by collectors. I just got the Alzo & Udine record at Dusty Groove and it has been my favorite of the summer so far. It reminds me of a cross between seventies soft rock giants like Bread and America with some of the jazzier things happening on records like Love’s “Forever Changes.” But really, the most salient point is that it’s impossible not to get happy when you hear these songs, and that’s what summer records are all about.


C'Mon and Join Us


Hey,Hey,Hey, She's OK

In contemplation of this coming Friday's violence fraught run-off sham elections in Zimbabwe, FI harkens back to Bob Marleys 1979 album Survival-a musical plea for African unity. He performed this song at Zimbabwe's independence celebration on April 17, 1980.

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West Side Story

With 1979's Damn The Torpedoes, Tom Petty surfed the edge between new wave and classic rock into the mainstream. He also developed a persona and vocal style which I subconsciously associated with a West Side Story type Puerto Rican Protagonist. I swear to this day that he is singing gems like Here Comes My Girl, Refugee, and Don't Do Me Like That with a vaguely hispanic accent. There are those that have assured me that I'm delusional and others who laugh and say they know exactly what I mean. In any case, I hear it every time one of these songs comes on the radio.

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Sparks!

Brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals) formed Sparks in Los Angeles in 1970. Since that time they've put out 20 studio albums, hopping from genre to genre as they went..glam pop, power pop, electronic dance music and mainstream pop. Though they never made it big here in the states, they were huge in Europe, and have been cited as a major influence by peers such as Depeche Mode, New Order, Pet Shop Boys and They Might Be Giants.

In 1978, after 7 albums of avante-pop, they released this album of electronic dance music, teaming with production team Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey, who had just crafted Donna Summers Disco anthem I Feel Love.

In May and June of this year, they played all of their albums in their entirety during a 21 night stand in London.

DOWNLOAD NO. 1 IN HEAVEN

David Berthy Guest Posts Today

Summer is a great time for French pop music from the sixties. Once, I greatly impressed two tight-suited Frenchmen at a wedding when I knew who Jacques Dutronc was. As it was late, they both started singing “Les Cactus” accompanied by irony-free fist pumping. “Les Cactus” is a great song, but the fantastically titled “Hippie Hippie Hourrah” is still my favorite. I love the dramatic stops and starts, the inexplicable kissy sounds, and the melodrama of the tolling bells at the end. I don’t know French and therefore have no idea what the lyrics are about, but I assume they make as much sense as the average Monkee’s episode, and would be disappointed if a translation proved otherwise. As a bonus, Cactus is included as well


HIPPIE HIPPIE HOURRAH

CACTUS

My #1 One Hit Wonder

Top on my list is this gem from Irish born Singer Gilbert O'Sullivan from 1972. Its one of the few songs that I've become obsessed with repeatedly at different times in life, from 5 years old to present day. I simply never tire of hearing it. Such a sad song, it opens with the narrator explaining his plan for suicide and then recounts the death of his parents. Still, somehow, I find the melody uplifting in a melancholy sort of way.

ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY)

Cars, Bars, Guitars and the Man from Mars

I won this 45 at the Shaare Emeth Purim carnival in 1981 and listened to it until the grooves were worn through. Combining new wave with rap, it was not only the first crossover hit featuring rap to go to #1, it was the first rap hit of ANY type to top the charts. Earlier Tracks by Grandmaster Flash and Fab Five Freddy (both name checked in this song) as well as Kurtis Blow and The Sugarhill Gang did not make it into the top ten, though The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band made it to #3 two years earlier.

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One Hit Wonders

If you're a fan of early 80's new wave pop like Adam and The Ants and Culture Club, then you'll like this one from Haysi Fantayzee's one and only studio album, 1983's battle Hymns for Children Singing. Shiny, Shiny, a dance floor tune about the apocalypse , was a hit in the UK, but never made it to the US Charts

SHINY SHINY

WARNING- Listening to this song even one time may cause neurological melody infestation leading to unpredictable acts including swatting at one's own head. You thought Loveshack was bad? BEWARE

Friday The 13th

From Psychedelic Rock Pioneer Roky Erickson who founded the seminal 13th Floor Elevators in the 60's, embarked on a solo career, and then disappeared from the scene amidst drug abuse and mental illness until playing the 2006 Intonation Music Festival here in Chicago, his first appearance outside of Texas in 25 years.

DON'T SHAKE ME LUCIFER

Great Debuts

First Song, First Album...enough said

PRECIOUS

Behind The Lyrics

"Somewhere in the Quisling clinic theres a showtime typist taking seconds over minutes"
Green Shirt by Elvis Costello

Those of you are die-hard Elvis Costello fans may have always wondered just what the heck a Quisling clinic is. Well, I'm here to tell you, its located in Madison Wisconsin, and I used to drive by it everyday back when I lived there. Madison folks will be the first to tell you that Elvis drove by it too, in his tour bus, and wrote it down in his notebook. The clinic was founded by Sverre Quisling, a member of a prominent Madison medical family who lived to be 102.

There. Aren't you glad you know?

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Two bands in One

New Music from Denton, TX Indie Rockers Centro-matic, who have just released a split disc Dual Hawks with South San Gabriel, a band with the same members who play a slightly mellower style.

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When the Fuller Park Teen Band was asked what song they'd like to work on next, guitarist Breyana replied "The Heart of the Matter". I gave a blank stare and said, "you mean by Don Henley?" She stared back and said "Don who??....its by India Arie". She brought in the remake and its been growing on me ever since.

Heart of the Matter

In 1978, at the peak of their popularity, the four members of Kiss pulled an unprecedented marketing move, each releasing a solo album, all on the same day.
The campaign backfired and a high percentage of the 5 million shipped by Casablanca were returned.

The most successful of the lot was Ace Frehley and his single New York Groove made it into the US Top Twenty.

New York Groove

A Bright Sunshiney Day

I Can See Clearly Now

More music today from Superstar Bollywood Playback singer Kishmore Kumar, who appeared in over 81 films over the span of his career. A playback singer records songs to be used in films, which are then lip synched by the actors. Today's track, from the 1961 film Jhumroo, is wonderful a sort of yodeling polka hybrid.



Download Main Hoon Jhoom Jhoom Jhumroo

Summer is Ready When You Are

To start the week and welcome Summer, heres one of the nuggets the Breeders played at their show Saturday night off of 1993's Last Splash. A great selection of songs and visible joy from the Deal sisters and co. made for a great show.

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