“You're Dead”, Norma Tanega

This way: You're Dead

Norma Tanega (January 30, 1939 – December 29, 2019) was an American folk and pop singer-songwriter, painter, and experimental musician. In the 1960s, she had a hit with the single "Walkin' My Cat Named Dog" and wrote songs for Dusty Springfield and other prominent musicians. In later decades, Tanega worked mostly as a percussionist, playing various styles of music in the bands Baboonz, hybridVigor, and Ceramic Ensemble. She is also known for "You're Dead", the theme song of the film What We Do in the Shadows and the TV series of the same name. 

[Spotify] You're Dead

“Us Ones in Between”, Sunset Rubdown

This way: Us Ones in Between

Sunset Rubdown was a Canadian art rock music group from Montreal. The band began as a solo project for Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, who released his debut, Snake's Got a Leg, in early 2005. By the next year the project expanded to become a full band which included Camilla Wynne Ingr (former Pony Up!), Jordan Robson-Cramer (Magic Weapon), and Michael Doerksen.

[Spotify]  Us Ones in Between

“Army (Dream Song)”, Boiled in Lead

This way: Army (Dream Song)

To my old pals: Boiled in Lead is a rock/world-music band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and founded in 1983. Tim Walters of MusicHound Folk called the group "the most important folk-rock band to appear since the 1970s." Influential record producer and musician Steve Albini called the band's self-titled first album "the most impressive debut record from a rock band I've heard all year." Their style, sometimes called "rock 'n' reel," heavily influenced by Celtic music, folk, and punk rock, and has drawn them praise as one of the few American bands of the 1980s and 1990s to expand on Fairport Convention's rocked-up take on traditional folk. Folk Roots magazine noted that Boiled in Lead's "folk-punk" approach synthesized the idealistic and archival approach of 1960s folk music with the burgeoning American alternative-rock scene of the early 1980s typified by Hüsker Dü and R.E.M. The band also incorporates a plethora of international musical traditions, including Russian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Scottish, Vietnamese, Hungarian, African, klezmer, and gypsy music. Boiled in Lead has been hailed as a pioneering bridge between American rock and international music,[1] and a precursor to Gogol Bordello and other gypsy-punk bands. While most heavily active in the 1980s and 1990s, the gro up is still performing today, including annual St. Patrick's Day concerts in Minneapolis.Over the course of its career, Boiled in Lead has released nearly a dozen albums and EPs, most recently 2012's The Well Below.was later revealed that the band signed to Jack White's Third Man Records label. 

[Spotify]  Army (Dream Song)

“First Drum Set”, Pedro the Lion

This way: First Drum Set

Pedro the Lion is an American indie rock band from Seattle, Washington, United States. David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. In 2006 Pedro the Lion was dissolved as Bazan went solo; Bazan reformed the band and resumed performing under the Pedro the Lion moniker in late 2017. Releasing five full-length albums and five EPs over 11 years, the band is known for its first person narrative lyrics with political and religious themes.  

[Spotify]  First Drum Set

“Needles in the Camel’s Eye”, Brian Eno

This way: Needles in the Camel’s Eye

Here Come the Warm Jets is the debut solo album by British musician Brian Eno, released on Island Records in January 1974. It was recorded and produced by Eno following his departure from the band Roxy Music, and blends glam and pop stylings with avant-garde approaches. The album features numerous guests, including three of Eno's former Roxy bandmates (guitarist Phil Manzanera, saxophonist/keyboardist Andy Mackay and drummer Paul Thompson), drummer Simon King (of Hawkwind), bassist Bill MacCormick (of Matching Mole), guitarist/bassist Paul Rudolph (of Pink Fairies) and guitarist Robert Fripp and bassist John Wetton (both of King Crimson).

[Spotify]  Needles in the Camel’s Eye

“Buffalo Stance”, Neneh Cherry

This way: Buffalo Stance

Neneh Karlsson (born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, occasional DJ and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a number of punk and post-punk bands in her youth, including the Slits and Rip Rig + Panic.

Cherry has released five studio albums under her own name. Her first, Raw Like Sushi, was released in 1989 and peaked at number three on the UK Album Chart, thanks in large part to the worldwide hit single "Buffalo Stance". Her second studio album was 1992's Homebrew. Four years later she released Man, with her next studio album, Blank Project, coming in 2014. Her most recent album, Broken Politics, was released in 2018. In addition to releasing these studio albums, she formed the band cirKus in 2006 and has collaborated with the Thing, releasing an album entitled The Cherry Thing in 2012. Cherry has won two Brit Awards and an MTV Europe Music Award (with Youssou N'Dour). 

[Spotify]  Buffalo Stance

“Me In Honey”, R.E.M.

This way: Me In Honey

One of the great bands of all time, I followed them from record one. Here is a solid gem from 1991. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. Liner notes from some of the band's albums list attorney Bertis Downs and manager Jefferson Holt as non-musical members. One of the first alternative rock bands, R.E.M. was noted for Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style; Stipe's distinctive vocal quality, unique stage presence, and obscure lyrics; Mills's melodic bass lines and backing vocals; and Berry's tight, economical drumming style. In the early 1990s, other alternative rock acts such as Nirvana and Pavement viewed R.E.M. as a pioneer of the genre. After Berry left the band in 1997, the band continued its career in the 2000s with mixed critical and commercial success. The band broke up amicably in 2011 with members devoting time to solo projects after having sold more than 85 million albums worldwide and becoming one of the world's best-selling music acts.  

[Spotify]  Me In Honey

“She Does it Right”, Dr. Feelgood

 This way: She Does it Right

Dr. Feelgood are an English pub rock band formed in 1971. Hailing from Canvey Island, Essex, the group are best known for early singles such as "She Does It Right", "Roxette", "Back in the Night" and "Milk and Alcohol". The group's original distinctively British R&B sound was centred on Wilko Johnson's choppy guitar style (Spectacular!). Along with Johnson, the original band line-up included singer Lee Brilleaux and the rhythm section of John B. Sparks, known as "Sparko", on bass guitar and John Martin, known as "The Big Figure", on drums. Although their most commercially productive years were the early to mid-1970s, and in spite of Brilleaux's death in 1994 of lymphoma, a version of the band (featuring none of the original members) continues to tour and record to this day. Also Stiff records was started with a loan of £400 from Lee Brilleaux of Dr. Feelgood in 1976, as if they needed more street cred.

[Spotify]  She Does it Right

“Come by”, Carrie Biell

This way: Come by

Seattle singer-songwriter Carrie Biell has been moving audiences for decades with her gentle, graceful hooks and concrete, heartfelt lyrics.  As a twin and daughter of Deaf parents, her upbringing was anything but ordinary. Carrie came out as a teenager, and after connecting with other Queer artists, music became the outlet that found her a home in Seattle's expansive indie rock scene. At 20 years old, her first solo release in 2001 "Symphony of Sirens" launched her music career - landing her on some of Seattle's top stages, and frequent radio play on indie stations like KEXP, KBOO, and KCRW.

[Spotify]  Come by

“They're Killing Us All”, Celibate Rifles

This way: They're Killing Us All

The Celibate Rifles were an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1979 with a line-up that included mainstays Dave Morris on rhythm guitar and Kent Steedman on lead guitar, within a year they were joined by Damien Lovelock on lead vocals. They released their first album, Sideroxylon, in April 1983 on the Hot Records label. The band has toured both America and Europe extensively, and released their ninth studio album, Beyond Respect on 19 July 2004. In 1985 the group's style was described as post-Radio Birdman sound which is "a combination of fast, guitar-driven, hard rock and power pop". In November 1987 Sounds magazine's Roger Holland described their album, Roman Beach Party as showing the group's "sawn off rock potential all the way down to the bleached white of the bone, the lyrics reveal all the anger, insight and humour that makes [them] one of the most powerful rock bands in the world today". In April 1994 The Celibate Rifles issued Spaceman in a Satin Suit which according to Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane "was [their] best studio album since Blind Ear". Lovelock undertook a solo career and issued two albums as well as becoming a TV sports presenter prior to his death in 2019. 

[Spotify]  They're Killing Us All

“Who are You This Time”, Tom Waits

This way: Who are You This Time

One of my all time favorite LPs. Damn is this a great song. Bone Machine is the eleventh studio album by American singer and musician Tom Waits, released by Island Records on September 8, 1992. It won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and features guest appearances by David Hidalgo, Les Claypool, Brain, and Keith Richards. The album marked Waits' return to studio albums, coming five years after his previous effort Franks Wild Years (1987). Recorded in a room in the cellar area of Prairie Sun Recording studios, described by Waits as "just a cement floor and a hot water heater", the album is often noted for its rough, stripped-down, percussion-heavy style, as well as its dark lyrical themes revolving around death and chaos. The album cover—a blurry, black-and-white, close-up image of Waits apparently screaming while wearing a horned skullcap and protective goggles—was taken by filmmaker Jesse Dylan, son of Bob Dylan.

[Spotify]  Who are You This Time

“Divine Intervention”, Matthew Sweet

This way: Divine Intervention

Matthew Sweet (born October 6, 1964) is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician who was part of the burgeoning music scene in Athens, Georgia, during the 1980s before gaining commercial success in the 1990s as a solo artist. His companion albums, Tomorrow Forever and Tomorrow's Daughter, were followed by 2018's Wicked System of Things and 2021's Catspaw, his 15th studio effort. 

[Spotify]  Divine Intervention

“Needle in the Hay”, Elliott Smith

This way: Needle in the Hay

One of the best by one of the best. Elliott Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity. Smith's primary instrument was the guitar, though he also played piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica. Smith had a distinctive vocal style, characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery", and often used multi-tracking to create vocal layers, textures, and harmonies.

After playing in the rock band Heatmiser for several years, Smith began his solo career in 1994, with releases on the independent record labels Cavity Search and Kill Rock Stars (KRS). In 1997, he signed a contract with DreamWorks Records, for which he recorded two albums. Smith rose to mainstream prominence when his song "Miss Misery"—included in the soundtrack for the film Good Will Hunting (1997)—was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Song category in 1998. Smith was a heavy drinker and drug user at times throughout his life, and was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression. His struggles with drugs and mental illness affected his life and work, and often appeared in his lyrics. In 2003, aged 34, he died in Los Angeles, California, from two stab wounds to the chest. The autopsy evidence was inconclusive as to whether the wounds were self-inflicted or the result of homicide. At the time of his death, Smith was working on his sixth studio album, From a Basement on the Hill, which was posthumously produced and released in 2004.

[Spotify]  Needle in the Hay

“Drag Queens and Limousines”, Mary Gauthier

 This way: Drag Queens and Limousines

Mary Gauthier is a Grammy-nominated American folk singer-songwriter and author, whose songs have been covered by performers including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kathy Mattea, and Jimmy Buffett. She has won multiple awards, including at the International Folk Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards, and from the Americana Association. Mary's songs often deal with marginalization, informed by her experience of addiction and recovery, and growing up gay, and demonstrate an "ability to transform her own trauma into a purposeful and communal narrative". Her 2018 album Rifles & Rosary Beads, co-written with military veterans and their families, has been hailed as a landmark achievement.  Gauthier was born in 1962 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a mother who gave her to St Vincent's Women and Infants Asylum, where she spent the first year of her life. In adulthood, Mary spoke to her biological mother once by phone, but there was no further contact between them. She was adopted by an Italian Catholic couple from Thibodaux, Louisiana. Her father was an alcoholic. Struggling with a variety of issues, Gauthier abused drugs and alcohol, as did her brother, who was three years younger and also adopted. He was later jailed for armed robbery. Mary says she had drunk herself unconscious on sloe gin by the time she was twelve. When she was fifteen she ran away from home, recalling that "I was a gay kid, and back then, that just didn’t fly. Back then, gay kids were taking their own lives. It was horrible, and I just wanted to get away.” Mary spent the next several years in drug rehabilitation, halfway houses, and living with friends; she spent her eighteenth birthday in a jail cell. These experiences provided fodder for her songwriting later on. Spurred on by friends, she enrolled at Louisiana State University as a philosophy major, dropping out during her senior year. After attending the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and working in an upmarket restaurant, she got financial backing to open a Cajun restaurant in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, calling it Dixie Kitchen. This from 1999. 

[Spotify]  Drag Queens and Limousines

“I Want Candy”, Bow Wow Wow

This way: I Want Candy

"I Want Candy" is a song written and originally recorded by the Strangeloves in 1965 that reached No. 11 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is a famous example of a song that uses the Bo Diddley beat to perfection. Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band behind 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on vocals. They released their debut EP Your Cassette Pet in 1980, and had their first UK top 10 hit with "Go Wild in the Country" in 1982. The band's music was characterized by a danceable new wave sound that drew on a Burundi beat provided by Dave Barbarossa on drums, as well as the subversive, suggestive, and sometimes exuberant lyrics sung and chanted by their teenage lead vocalist. This from May 1982. 

[Spotify]  I Want Candy 

[Original, The Strangeloves, 1965]  I Want Candy 

“Without My Sight”, Zeitgeist (The Reivers)

 This way: Without My Sight

I wore this damn tape out. Hellofvah record. Near perfect album for sure.The Reivers were an American pop band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 1984 as Zeitgeist, they were forced to change their name before releasing their second album in 1987, due to another group claiming prior rights to the name. They chose the name The Reivers from the title of the William Faulkner novel.

The band included John Croslin, songwriter, vocalist, guitars; Kim Longacre, vocals, guitars; Cindy Toth, bass, violin; and Garrett Williams, drums. They were the best-known of a cluster of Austin-based bands loosely grouped under the name New Sincerity. Writing for No Depression in 2008, critic Peter Blackstock described The Reivers as "a classic pop band...They balanced memorable melodies and unstoppable energy with seemingly effortless ease, contrasting the rough and sweet vocals of frontfolks John Croslin and Kim Longacre (respectively) amid an infectious swirl of chiming guitars and the unbelievably lively rhythms of drummer Garrett Williams and bassist Cindy Toth."

The band released four albums, all of which received critical praise but not much commercial success, then disbanded in 1991. Croslin worked as producer and engineer on records for a number of bands, notably Spoon and Guided by Voices. Two Reivers songs, "Almost Home" and "Araby," were covered by Hootie and the Blowfish on their 2000 collection Scattered, Smothered and Covered. In 1998, Stereophile critic Robert Baird called The Reivers "one of America's great lost bands."    

[Spotify] Without My Sight

“Longarm”, Wall of Voodoo

This way: Longarm

One of my favorite all time bands. A fantastic unique sound. Wall of Voodoo was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States, best known for its 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based new wave music with the spaghetti Western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone. This track from 1980.

[Spotify]  Longarm 

“I don't know the Truth (But I've Memorized the Rumors)”, The Beatings

This way: I don't know the Truth (But I've Memorized the Rumors)

The Beatings are a Boston band. Welcome to the Country. We will be playing our final show on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at Great Scott in Boston, MA. It will have been 20 years since we started the band, and we feel it will be a fine night to call it a day.  

The Beatings have been described as noise pop but have obviously worked on their writing and singing, giving their latest effort a more complete if not poppy feel. From the start of their gig it was clear these guys have been honing their craft for sometime and are truly grizzled veterans. Leading off with “Bury You” from their newest effort, The Beatings set the tone early and rocked the Pilot Light for over an hour. The Beatings are led by drummer Dennis Grabowski, who plays a ferocious - in the pocket style that never lets up. E.R howls and sings while playing guitar along side bassist / vocalist Erin Dalbec. Greg Lyon, a late addition but long time friend and collaborator with The Beatings rounds out this stellar lineup on keys and guitar respectively.

If you ever wondered what is the maximum character count for a song title on Spotify this song will point out that it is 50 characters. And this song has nothing to do with Rum.

[Spotify]  I don't know the Truth (But I've Memorized the Rumors) 

“Another Day Again”, The Sadies

This way: Another Day Again

There is a lot to listen to here. A lot of gems. The Sadies are a Canadian rock and roll / country and western band from Toronto, Ontario. The band consisted of Dallas Good, Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky. Dallas and Travis are the sons of Margaret and Bruce Good, and nephews of Brian and Larry Good, who are members of the Canadian country group The Good Brothers. The Sadies were formed in 1994. In 1998 the group released their first album, Precious Moments. Several more albums followed, including In Concert Vol. 1 in 2006.

In addition to their own recordings, the Sadies often collaborate with other artists, such as Blue Rodeo, Jon Langford, Gord Downie, Andre Williams (on the 1999 country-influenced Red Dirt and the 2012 release entitled "Night and Day"), They have also toured and recorded with Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray as Heavy Trash, as well as John Doe. They consider themselves honorary members of The Mekons. The Sadies' music is featured in many films and television shows, for example, Adult Swim's 12 oz. Mouse. An instrumental performed by the band can be heard in episode 5 of season 1, during a scene in which Rhoda the bartender is murdered. On 18 May 2010, The Sadies released Darker Circles CD/LP through Outside Music and Yep Roc Records. Darker Circles was a shortlisted nominee for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize and in 2012, won a Juno Award with Mike Roberts for best video. The Sadies are collectively members of the group The Unintended, along with Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo and Rick White of Eric's Trip/Elevator. 

Dallas Good died unexpectedly on February 17, 2022, at the age of 48. The cause was a recently-detected heart condition.

[Spotify]  Another Day Again 

“Time Walk”, Bnny

This way: Time Walk

Bnny is an American indie rock band consisting of Jessica Viscius, Alexa Viscius, Tim Makowski, Adam Schubert, and Matt Pelkey. Originally a solo project of Jessica's named Bunny, Viscius released a couple of singles in 2017 before releasing her debut EP, Sucker the same year. In 2021, BNNY announced they had signed with Fire Talk Records and plans to release their debut full-length album. In August, the group released the second single from the album, titled August.  

[Spotify]  Time Walk 

“Just Like Arcadia”, Psychic TV

This way: Just Like Arcadia

Psychic TV were an English experimental video art and music group, formed by performance artist Genesis P-Orridge and Scottish musician Alex Fergusson in 1981 after the break-up of Throbbing Gristle.

Contributors to Psychic TV have included artists such as Coil, Current 93, Monte Cazazza, Larry Thrasher, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Soft Cell, Fred Giannelli, Hafler Trio, The Cult, Master Musicians of Jajouka, William Breeze, Derek Jarman, John Gosling, Timothy Leary, Rose McDowall, Andrew Weatherall, and Z'EV. Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth (a.k.a. T.O.P.Y.) formed as an organisation at the inception of the band, who conceived it as a magical order and the philosophical wing of Psychic TV. T.O.P.Y. also functions as a cult-like fan-club for the group.

 

Psychic TV have released over one hundred full-length albums to date, and earned an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for most records released in one year (1986). This occurred after the band attempted to release 23 live albums on the 23rd day of 23 consecutive months.

[Spotify]  Just Like Arcadia

“The Red House”, David Byrne

This way: The Red House

David Byrne is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American band Talking Heads.The Catherine Wheel is David Byrne's musical score commissioned by Twyla Tharp for her dance project. The Catherine Wheel premiered September 22, 1981, at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City. The tracks "Big Blue Plymouth", "My Big Hands", "Big Business", and "What a Day That Was", were performed live by Talking Heads in 1982 and 1983; the latter two appear in their Stop Making Sense film, and "What a Day That Was" appears on the album.

[Spotify]  The Red House

“I Stand Alone”, Keeley Forsyth

This way:  I Stand Alone

Here is a great new voice and sound. Keeley Forsyth is an English actress and musician. In October 2019, Forsyth released the single "Debris" on The Leaf Label, followed by "Start Again", with accompanying video by Andrew Hulme, in January 2020. Her debut album of the same name, released on 17 January 2020, features "minimal arrangements" that feature Forsyth's "elemental voice and an outpouring of candid, haunting lyrics". The album also features fellow Leaf Label artist and pianist Matthew Bourne. Talking to The Line of Best Fit, she detailed the inception of the record and finding Bourne via the BBC's Late Junction: "I recorded all my stuff on the harmonium and gave it to him. I was meant to re-record my voice over his sounds, but he sent back what he heard on the harmonium – the chords, the keys, the silences, the breaths in and out – and it was just like, wow. I was stunned and I didn't really do anything with it for a little while [...] He's the only person who I know making music who lives close enough for me to make anything happen."

 Spot This way:  I Stand Alone

“Yellow Pills”, 20/20

This way:  Yellow Pills

20/20 was an American power pop band based in Hollywood, California. They were active from 1977 to 1983 and reunited during the mid-1990s to the late 1990s. In the mid-1970s, Steve Allen and Ron Flynt played together in Tulsa. Allen and Flynt were graduates of Nathan Hale High School, and both attended Oklahoma State University, where Flynt earned a degree in music. Allen decided to move to Los Angeles in 1977 after fellow Tulsa natives Phil Seymour and Dwight Twilley met with success. Once in Los Angeles, Allen met with Mike Gallo (singer/songwriter/ keyboardist/drummer), who had already conceived of the idea and name for the band (after having spent time in the UK). Gallo first started writing with Allen, and later auditioned Allen's friend from Tulsa, Ron Flynt, for 20/20. The three-piece band signed with Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records in 1978 to record a single. Between the release of the single, and their first LP on Portrait Records, Chris Silagyi joined the band as a keyboardist.

[Spotify]  Yellow Pills

“Depression”, The Hillbilly Moon Explosion

 This way:  Depression

Hillbilly Moon Explosion is a European rockabilly band founded in Switzerland 1998. The group is known for a versatile mix of rock and roll, jump blues, swing, country, roots rock and surf music elements. I didnt see that coming.  

[Spotify]  Depression

“Right Here with You”, The Marked Men

This way: Right Here with You

The Marked Men is an American punk rock band[1] from Denton, Texas, United States, composed of guitarists/vocalists Mark Ryan and Jeff Burke, bassist Joe Ayoub, and drummer Mike Throneberry. They have released four albums through Rip Off Records, Dirtnap Records, and Swami Records. Their most recent album, Ghosts, was released in 2009 through Dirtnap.

Prior to joining The Marked Men, the members had all performed in other Denton-area punk rock bands. Burke was a member of The Vomit Punx, The Rolemodels, and E-Class. Burke, Ryan, and Throneberry all performed together in the Reds. When their bassist Chris Pulliam moved to Japan, they added Ayoub to form The Marked Men. Each member is also concurrently active in other bands.

[Spotify]  Right Here with You

“How I Wrote Elastic Man”, The Fall

This way:  How I Wrote Elastic Man

Here is the real Mark Smith, one of the greats, Mark E. Smith.

I can't rave enough about this band. 31 albums, 43 years? Such a sound, such a career in music. A lot of gold to mine here. 

[Spotify]  How I Wrote Elastic Man