“Chocolate River”, The Seeds

 This way: Chocolate River

The Seeds were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The group became known for psychedelic rock music and is considered a prototype for garage punk rock bands.

The Seeds were formed in 1965 when lead singer Sky Saxon responded to an advertisement. Saxon, who had relocated to Los Angeles from Salt Lake City, had recorded a string of 45s under the name Richie Marsh. The band secured regular gigs at the LA club Bido Lito's and quickly gained a local reputation for high energy live performances.

Keyboardist Daryl Hooper was a major factor in the Seeds' sound; the band was one of the first to utilize keyboard bass. Guitarists Jan Savage (born Buck Jan Reeder) and Jeremy Levine along with drummer Rick Andridge completed the original quintet, but Levine left shortly after the first recording sessions for personal reasons. Although Sky Saxon was usually credited as bass player, he did not play bass on any of the Seeds' recordings. This was handled by session musicians, usually Harvey Sharpe. On stage, keyboardist Daryl Hooper would perform the bass parts via a separate bass keyboard, in the same manner as Ray Manzarek later did with The Doors. Jan Savage died on August 5, 2020, aged 77. 

[Spotify] Chocolate River

“Outshine”, Makthaverskan

This way: Outshine

Makthaverskan began in 2008 with the release of both a mini CD with a collection of demos and their debut self-titled album, released by Luxury Records. According to vocalist Maja Milner, the name Makthaverskan has no real meaning. She stated that "The band name just came from Hugo’s friend who made it up, and we thought it sounded cool, so we took it. The meaning is really hard to describe in English, but it’s the female form of someone with a lot of power. 'Makthavare,' is the male version, so 'makthaverskan' is the female version." She also went on to state that, "We didn’t have any background thoughts about meaning, but I think it describes Irma and me pretty well, since we both take charge and are powerful". In 2011, the band released a single titled Antabus. Two years later, the band released both a 7" single titled Something More and their second full-length album, titled Makthaverskan II. 

[Spotify]  Outshine

“A New Kind of Water”, This Heat

This way: A New Kind of Water

This Heat were an English experimental rock band, formed in early 1976 in Camberwell, London by multi-instrumentalists Charles Bullen (guitar, clarinet, viola, vocals, tapes), Charles Hayward (drums, keyboards, vocals, tapes) and Gareth Williams (keyboard, guitar, bass, vocals, tapes). 

This Heat were active in the ascendancy of British punk rock and post-punk, but stood apart from those scenes due to an experimental, confrontational, and politically charged approach. This Heat's commercial success was limited, and their discography consisted of only two albums and an EP, but in later years the band have been widely considered a link between early 1970s music styles such as krautrock and later experimental genres such as industrial music and post-rock.

Williams died of cancer in 2001. From 2016 until 2019, Bullen and Hayward reunited, playing under the name This Is Not This Heat.

[Spotify] A New Kind of Water

“Sittin‘ On a Pitchfork”, The Young Fresh Fellows

 This way: Sittin‘ On a Pitchfork

The Young Fresh Fellows are an American alternative rock group, that was formed in 1981 in Seattle, Washington, United States, by Scott McCaughey and Chuck Carroll. Tad Hutchison, Chuck Carroll's first cousin, joined for the recording of the group's debut album in 1983. Their first album was The Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific Northwest (1984) after which Jim Sangster joined the group on bass and McCaughey switched from bass to guitar. Carroll left the group in 1988, and was replaced by Kurt Bloch from The Fastbacks. 

The band are still together, although after 1996's A Tribute To Music they released no new material until Because We Hate You (2001), a split release with McCaughey's other band, the Minus 5. McCaughey has given more attention to the Minus 5 since then, while Bloch and Sangster have formed the band Sgt. Major, and Hutchison is working more on visual art and design, as well as performing/recording as Chris & Tad with Chris Ballew of The Presidents of the United States of America. However, the Fellows released I Think This Is in 2009 and embarked on a tour of Spain that October.

From 1994 to 2011, McCaughey was a "fifth member" of R.E.M., playing guitar with the band both onstage and in the studio

[Spotify] Sittin‘ On a Pitchfork

“Cheese and Onions”, The Rutles

This way: Cheese and Onions

The Rutles were a rock band that performed visual and aural pastiches and parodies of the Beatles. This originally fictional band, created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes for a mid-1970s BBC television comedy programme, later became an actual group—while remaining a parody of the Beatles—which toured and recorded, releasing two albums that included two UK chart hits.

The Rutles were originally created as a sketch in Idle's British television comedy series Rutland Weekend Television. Encouraged by the positive public reaction to the sketch, the mockumentary television film All You Need Is Cash (1978, aka The Rutles) was created, assisted by former Beatle George Harrison, who also appeared in the film. The mockumentary was written by Idle, who co-directed it with Gary Weis; it featured 20 Beatles' music pastiches written by Innes, which he performed with three musicians as the Rutles. A soundtrack album in 1978 was followed in 1996 by Archaeology, which spoofed the then-recent Beatles Anthology series. 

[Spotify] Cheese and Onions 

[Extra credit, Galaxie 500] Cheese and Onions 

“Jack Pepsi”, Tad

This way: Jack Pepsi

Tad was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1988 by Tad Doyle. They are often recognized as one of the first bands of the grunge era.

Led by Tad Doyle (born Thomas Andrew Doyle) on vocals and guitar, Tad was formed in early 1988 by Doyle, a drummer turned guitar player/singer, who asked bassist Kurt Danielson to play bass for the band. Danielson's band Bundle of Hiss played with Doyle's previous band (in which he played drums) H-Hour. Tad recruited drummer Steve Wied (formerly of Skin Yard) and guitarist Gary Thorstensen to complete the original lineup. Tad was among the first bands to be signed to the independent label Sub Pop Records. 8-Way Santa is the second album by the Seattle grunge band Tad. It was released on February 15, 1991 through Sub Pop.Tad ran into legal trouble after the man and woman featured on the album cover saw the record and sued the band. The cover was an altered photo, the original of which was found in a photo album purchased from a thrift store.

[Spotify—Jack (ha)]

Christmas songs playlist

This way: Christmas 2020

Here is a link to some Christmas songs I compiled on spotify.

Dead Gwynne Christmas

Have a listen to My bands collection of Holiday songs.

“Father Take”, Secret Shame

This way: Father Take

Carolina Goth, sounds reasonable. The members of the Asheville band Secret Shame never really address the roots of their name. But when guitarist Nikki Gish talks about the music on the band's new album, “Dark Synthetics,” Gish reveals a personal secret that could have broken up the band.  

[Spotify] Father Take

“Fire”, Anna St. Louis

This way: Fire

Anna St. Louis is a singer-songwriter, guitar .player, currently living in Los Angeles, originally from Kansas City.

“Being from the Midwest means a certain tone is woven into ones’ fabric. And every now and then, someone comes along who has the power to convey that feeling in their cadence alone. And so all hail Anna St Louis, who lets us into her world of heartache, wonder and a never-ending, never-beginning dance with time. Her album is for the mystics, reminding us that the world is full of magic at every turn, if only we let ourselves see it. Sometimes just by stating a simple observation, St. Louis lets us in on an infinite truth that perhaps we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. To step into the world of Anna St. Louis is to step into a world where the heart leads straight to the soul and where everything is cloaked in beautiful mystery. If Only There Was a River is a record of longing - of a soul reaching for more."

-Kevin Morby

[Spotify]  Fire

“Lipstick Vogue”, Elvis Costello

 This way: Lipstick Vogue

"Lipstick Vogue" is a blistering album track from Elvis Costello's debut with his new backing band, the Attractions. Appearing on the exceptional This Year's Model LP, the song serves as a showcase for the new group's extraordinary energy and impressive skill, while Costello plays the role of the scornful cynic, spitting bitter words of one who has suffered third-degree burns at the hands of love. From 1978. 

[Spotify]  Lipstick Vogue

“Soft Stud”, Black Belt Eagle Scout

   This way: Soft Stud

Released in September of 2018, Mother of My Children was the debut album from Black Belt Eagle Scout, the recording project of Katherine Paul. Heralded as a favorite new musician of 2018 by the likes of NPR Music, Stereogum, and Paste, the album was also named as a “Best Rock Album of 2018” by Pitchfork, and garnered further end-of-year praise from FADER, Under The Radar and more. 

Arriving just a year after that debut record, At the Party With My Brown Friends is a brand new full-length recording from Black Belt Eagle Scout. Where that first record was a snapshot of loss and landscape and of KP’s standing as a radical indigenous queer feminist, this new chapter finds its power in love, desire and friendship.

At the Party With My Brown Friends is a profound and understated forward step. The squalling guitar anthems that shaped its predecessor are replaced by delicate vocals and soft keys, sentiments spoken and unspoken, presenting something shadowy and unsettling; a stirring of the waters. The end result presents a captivating about-face that redefines KP’s beautifully singular artistic vision.

[Spotify]  Soft Stud

“Song For Richard Collopy”, Sun Kil Moon

This way: Song For Richard Collopy

This is a fantastic song about a guitar repairman of San Francisco. 

Sun Kil Moon is an American folk rock act from San Francisco, California, founded in 2002. Initially a continuation of the defunct indie rock band Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon is now the primary recording moniker of vocalist and guitarist Mark Kozelek. The project is named after the Korean super flyweight boxer Sung-Kil Moon.

Following the delayed release of Red House Painters' final studio album, Old Ramon (2001), vocalist and guitarist Kozelek began recording new material under the name Sun Kil Moon with bandmates Anthony Koutsos (drums) and Jerry Vessel (bass), alongside Geoff Stanfield and Tim Mooney. The resulting album, Ghosts of the Great Highway, was released in 2003 to critical acclaim. The project's second studio album, Tiny Cities (2005), was composed entirely of Modest Mouse cover songs.

Inspired by classical guitar music, Kozelek recorded Sun Kil Moon's fourth studio album, Admiral Fell Promises (2010), as a solo act, and continued to record mostly alone on its follow-up, Among the Leaves (2012). In 2013, Kozelek released three studio albums under his own name before releasing Sun Kil Moon's sixth studio album, Benji, in February 2014, to widespread critical acclaim and increased exposure, with the band releasing their seventh studio effort, Universal Themes, in 2015. 

[Spotify]  Song For Richard Collopy

“Motor Bikin'”, Chris Spedding

 This way: Motor Bikin

Chris Spedding (born Peter Robinson, 17 June 1944) is an English musician, singer, guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Spedding is best known for his studio session work. By the early 1970s, he had become one of the most sought-after session guitarists in England. Spedding has played on and produced many albums and singles. He has also been a member of eleven rock bands: the Battered Ornaments, Frank Ricotti Quartet, King Mob, Mike Batt and Friends, Necessaries, Nucleus, Ricky Norton, Sharks, Trigger, and The Wombles. 

AllMusic has described Spedding as "one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, [he] has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as sporadically attempting a solo career.

Spedding was a regular concert feature artist with "The Pretenders" on their US tour in 1980, especially known for his guitar solos on their concert versions of "Stop Your Sobbing".

Spedding pursued a solo career and released his debut album Songs Without Words in 1970. Since then, he has released fourteen studio albums, and two live albums. His solo albums have met no commercial success, failing to chart anywhere, while his only single to chart was "Motor Bikin'".

He also was the producer of the Sex Pistols' first demos, which were recorded on 15 May 1976. The three tracks recorded were "Problems", "No Feelings" and "Pretty Vacant"; there are persistent rumours that he played guitar and bass on their debut album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, however guitarist Steve Jones denies this entirely. 

[Spotify]  Motor Bikin'

"Curry Your Favor", Green

  This way: Curry Your Favor

The group was started by Jeff Lescher (guitar and vocals), John Diamond (bass and backing vocals), and John Valley (drums). This lineup recorded the 1984 four-song EP The Name of This Group Is Green and the group's 1986 self-titled debut album, which featured 14 songs, including re-recordings of all four songs from the earlier EP.

Green established themselves via live shows around Chicago and undertook several national tours with the assistance of manager Cindy Illig. In 1986, Diamond and Valley elected to leave the band as Lescher announced plans for a national tour. Recruited from local music papers and from among their Chicago fan base were new bassist Ken Kurson (who had his own band, Circles, and later fronted The Lilacs), rhythm guitarist Stuart Shea, and drummer Rich Clifton. Shea departed following a brief U.S. tour, and the remaining three-piece recorded Elaine MacKenzie, including the tracks "Heavy Metal Kids", "She Was My Girl", and "Radio Caroline."  

From 1986.

[Spotify] Curry Your Favor

“Who Made the Man”, Urainium Club

   This way: Who Made the Man

From Minneapolis: 

Matt Stagner — drummer with excellent taste in striped button-down shirts. Brendan Wells — bassist and singer, soft-voiced with an authoritative presence. Teen Man — guitarist with a gentle drawl. Harry Wohl — Minneapolitan L.A.-dweller who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2014 with a double major in CSCL and art. n

The group typically practices when Wohl is in town, which happens for three to six weeks, a few times a year. This is from 2017.

[Spotify]  Who Made the Man

“Your Hologram”, Mac McCaughan

This way: Your Hologram   

Mac McCaughan is an American musician and record label owner, based in North Carolina. His main musical projects have been Superchunk since 1989 and Portastatic since the early 1990s. In 1989 he founded the independent record label Merge Records with Superchunk bandmate Laura Ballance.

McCaughan is a founding member of the rock band Superchunk. Formed in 1989, they are one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s. Their energetic, high-velocity style and do-it-yourself ethics is influenced by punk rock. The band released a string of full-length albums and compilations throughout the ‘90s. After releasing their eighth studio album in 2001, the band went into a period of reduced activity. In 2010, the band released a new studio album Majesty Shredding and followed it up in 2013 with their tenth studio album, I Hate Music.

He also heads the band Portastatic, which began as a lo-fi side project from Superchunk and has blossomed into his main musical project. Prior to this, he was the head of another lo-fi band named Bricks with Andrew Webster of Tsunami, Josh Phillips and Laura Cantrell. Other bands he played with prior to Superchunk include Slushpuppies, Wwax and Metal Pitcher (with Ballance).

Merge Records—Along with his Superchunk band mate Laura Ballance, he founded the successful independent record label Merge Records in 1989 as a way to release music from Superchunk and music created by friends. The label has expanded to include artists from around the world and records reaching the top of the Billboard music charts, including the highly successful band Arcade Fire.

[Spotify] Your Hologram

“Caught in the Rain”, Preston School of Industry

This way: Caught in the Rain

Preston School of Industry is an American indie rock band formed by Scott Kannberg (a.k.a. Spiral Stairs) in 1999, following the dissolution of his previous band, Pavement. Its name is taken from the well known US reform school of the same name, Preston School of Industry in Ione, California.

The band's earliest studio release was a cover of Phish's "Axilla II" for the charity tribute album Sharin in the Groove. In 2001, Preston School of Industry released All This Sounds Gas. The band released its second album, Monsoon, in 2004, with studio contributions from members of The Minus 5 and Wilco.

Preston School of Industry went inactive after their September 2004 Australian tour, though Kannberg revealed in late 2006 he had been slowly working on a record: "Don't know when it's going to be released. Just taking my time, nothing special. I've got the songs, I just haven't figured out how I want to do it yet. This winter, I'll probably get it done."  However, in 2009, Kannberg released a solo album under the name Spiral Stairs. 

[Spotify] Caught in the Rain

“Paris 1919”, John Cale

 This way: Paris 1919 

Paris 1919 is the third solo studio album by Welsh musician John Cale. It was released on 25 February 1973 by Reprise Records. Musicians such as Lowell George and Wilton Felder performed on the release. It was produced by Chris Thomas, who had previously worked producing Procol Harum.

In contrast to the experimental nature of much of John Cale's work before and after Paris 1919, the album is noted for its orchestral-influenced style, reminiscent of contemporary pop rock music. Its title is a reference to the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, and song contents explore various aspects of early 20th century Western Europe culture and history. 

[Spotify] Paris 1919

“Let's Stick Together”, Bryan Ferry

This way: Let's Stick Together   

"Let's Stick Together" is a blues-based rhythm and blues song written by Wilbert Harrison, released in 1962 by Fury Records. He further developed the song and in 1969, Sue Records issued it as a two-part single titled "Let's Work Together". Several artists subsequently recorded the songs; "Let's Work Together" by Canned Heat (1970) and "Let's Stick Together" by Bryan Ferry (1976) were both chart successes. 

[Spotify] Let's Stick Together

“Hammond Song”, The Roches

 This way: Hammond Song

Does it get any better than this song?

The Roches (Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy Roche) were a vocal group of three songwriting Irish-American sisters from Park Ridge, New Jersey, United States. They were known for their "unusual" and "rich" harmonies, quirky lyrics, and casually comedic stage performances.

The Roches were active as performers and recording artists from the mid-1970s through 2017, at various times performing as a trio and in pairs.

From 1979.

[Spotify]  Hammond Song

“Brand-New-Life”, Young Marble Giants

This way: Brand-New-Life

How is it possible that I havent posted anything by this band yet? If I had to chose just one Desert Island disc it might be this one. An almost perfect record beginning to end.

Young Marble Giants were a band formed in Cardiff, Wales in 1978. Their music was based around the vocals of Alison Statton along with the minimalist instrumentation of brothers Philip and Stuart Moxham. Their early sound was a sharp contrast with the more aggressive punk rock that dominated the underground at the time. Young Marble Giants released just one full-length studio album, Colossal Youth, in 1980.

[Spotify]  Brand-New-Life

“Falling Rain”, Reigning Sound

This way: Falling Rain

Reigning Sound is an American garage punk band originally based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, now located in Asheville, North Carolina. In 2012, it signed to Merge Records. The band's current lineup includes songwriter Greg Cartwright (lead vocals/guitar), Benny Trokan (bass), Mike Catanese (guitar), Mikey Post (drums) and Dave Amels (organ).

As of 2019, along with fronting Reigning Sound, Cartwright also reformed his past band Greg Oblivian and the Tip Tops. In 2020, he also reformed with the original "Memphis lineup" of Reigning Sound is once again playing shows with the outfit's first incarnation. 

[Spotify] Falling Rain

“King of California”, Dave Alvin

This way: King of California   

Dave Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, music producer and poet. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s and has been involved in various side projects and collaborations. He has had brief stints as a member of the bands X and the Knitters. 

[Spotify] King of California

“Red Hot Halos”, Go Back Snowball

This way: Red Hot Halos   

Calling Zero is an album by Go Back Snowball, a side project of Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices) with Mac McCaughan (Superchunk), released in 2002. It was generally hated and forgotten . . .  

[Spotify] Red Hot Halos

“North by North”, The Bats

This way: North by North

This band has a ton of great material. The Bats are an influential New Zealand rock band formed in 1982 in Christchurch by Paul Kean (bass), Malcolm Grant (drums), Robert Scott (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards) and Kaye Woodward (lead guitar, vocals). Though primarily a Christchurch band, The Bats have strong links to Dunedin and are usually grouped in with the Dunedin sound musicians that emerged in the early 1980s. The band has retained the same four members from 1982 to the present day.

[Spotify] North by North

“And You Drive Your Pretty Car”, The Strawberry Zots

This way: And You Drive Your Pretty Car

The Strawberry Zots are a psychedelic pop band from Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States.

1987: Zots Mach One (James Blond: Mark Andrews: Lead Vocals; Ron Blood: Bass & Vocals; Brad Clement: Keyboards & Vocals; Don Hill: Guitar, Vocals & Sax; Geno Jones: Drums; Ray Valdez: Guitar & Lead Vocals). The Strawberry Zots are born as a show set performed by the band “James Blond.”

Originally called GI Joe & The Strawberry Zots, the band featured the character G I Joe, a military vet who loved LSD and who had a propensity for flashbacks. The Band performed 60s bubble gum rock while GI Joe would drift in and out of this plane of consciousness sometimes curing up in a fetal position and emitting primal screams to the strains of the Monkees, Herman’s Hermits, or the Ohio Express — Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I’ve got Love in My Tummy, indeed. The Original GI Joe & The Strawberry Zots offended pretty much everyone.  

[Spotify] Not likely 

"Sex Drive", The Embarrassment

  This way: Sex Drive

The Embarrassment was an American quartet formed in 1979 in Wichita, Kansas, that was active from 1979 to 1983, but has reunited several times since then. The band consisted of guitarist Bill Goffrier, lead singer and organist John Nichols, bassist Ron Klaus and drummer Brent Giessmann. After the break-up, Giessmann played for The Del Fuegos and Goffrier formed Big Dipper. The band was considered a prominent part of the Lawrence music scene of the early 1980s. 

[Spotify] Sex Drive