“Teal”, Wunderhorse

This way: Teal

Wunderhorse are an English rock band that originally started as a solo project by frontman and songwriter Jacob Slater in 2019, before becoming a full band in 2021. The band consists of members: Jacob Slater (Vocals), Harry Tristan Fowler (Guitar), Pete Woodin (Bass) and Jamie Staples (Drums).

Jacob Slater left home at age 17 and lived in London for five years. He was previously the frontman of punk trio Dead Pretties before the group's disbandment in 2017. After the Dead Pretties broke up, Slater moved to Newquay, Cornwall, where he found odd jobs as a labourer and worked as a surfing instructor while continuing to write music. During this time Slater also landed an acting role, playing drummer Paul Cook in Pistol, a six-part miniseries about the Sex Pistols directed by Danny Boyle. Slater has cited Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Frank On Tap and Elliott Smith as musical influences. 

Wunderhorse's debut album Cub was released 7 October 2022 by Communion Music, and was produced by Kevin Jones and Pete Woodin.

[Spotify] Teal

[Charming Live] Teal

“What Do I Get”, Buzzcocks

This way: What Do I Get

Does it get any better than this? eventually I will post every song they wrote. Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Bolton in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. They achieved commercial success with singles that fuse pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy; these singles were later collected on Singles Going Steady, an acclaimed compilation album music journalist and critic Ned Raggett described as a "punk masterpiece".

Devoto left the band in 1977, after which Pete Shelley became the principal singer-songwriter. The classic lineup of Shelley, Steve Diggle (guitar), Steve Garvey (bass) and John Maher (drums) recorded Buzzcocks' first three albums, after which the band broke up in 1981 following a dispute with their record label. The band reunited in 1989 and released six more albums before Shelley's death in 2018. Prolific members during that time included Tony Barber (bass) and Phil Barker (drums).

[Spotify] What Do I Get

“1234 Go Rock”, NO CARS

This way: 1234 Go Rock

NO CARS is a Japanese pop band formed and based in Hackney, London UK. The band consists of four Japanese girls (allegedly 17 years old, including a racoon), performing original songs mainly written by the guitarist/vocalist, Haruna Komatsu, since 2007. ‘No car (no-u-ka)’ means ‘farmers’ in Japanese. 

[Spotify] 1234 Go Rock

[Charming Live] 1234 Go Rock

“See A Little Light”, Bob Mould

This way: See A Little Light

After Hüsker Dü broke up in 1988, Mould sequestered himself in a remote farmhouse in Pine City, Minnesota, having quit drinking and drugs, and wrote the songs that would make up his first solo album. Signing to the newly formed Virgin Records America label, 1989's Workbook eschewed Mould's trademark wall-of-noise guitar for a lighter tone. Drummer Anton Fier (of The Feelies and later The Golden Palominos) and bassist Tony Maimone (of Pere Ubu) served as Mould's rhythm section. 

[Spotify] See A Little Light

[Charming Live] See A Little Light

“Memories Can't Wait”, Talking Heads

This way: Memories Can't Wait

This album was a real wham. The Talking heads were heading off into exciting new territory and we were all along for the ride. Fear of Music is the third studio album by the American new wave band Talking Heads, released on August 3, 1979, by Sire Records. It was recorded at locations in New York City during April and May 1979 and was produced by Brian Eno and Talking Heads. The album reached number 21 on the Billboard 200 and number 33 on the UK Albums Chart. It spawned the singles "Life During Wartime", "I Zimbra", and "Cities".

Fear of Music received favorable reviews from critics. Praise centered on its unconventional rhythms and frontman David Byrne's lyrical performances. The album is often considered one of Talking Heads' best releases and has been featured in several publications' lists of the best albums of all time. Near Perfect LP.  

[Spotify] Memories Can't Wait

“Vapor Trail”, Ride

This way: Vapor Trail

Ride are an English rock band formed in Oxford in 1988. The band consists of vocalists and guitarists Andy Bell and Mark Gardener, drummer Laurence "Loz" Colbert and bassist Steve Queralt. They have been recognised as one of the key pioneers of shoegaze, an alternative rock subgenre that emerged to prominence in the United Kingdom during the early 1990s.

The band's first two albums, Nowhere (1990) and Going Blank Again (1992), have been critically acclaimed as two of the greatest shoegaze albums of all time. The latter's lead single, "Leave Them All Behind", was the band's most commercially successful song, reaching No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart. Both Going Blank Again and its 1994 follow-up, Carnival of Light, peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. 

Ride broke up in 1996 prior to the release of their fourth album Tarantula, which received negative reviews. Bell joined Oasis in 1999 as their bassist. The band reunited in 2014 to tour again, and also put out the albums Weather Diaries (2017), This Is Not a Safe Place (2019) and Interplay (2024). 

[Spotify] Vapor Trail

“24 track loop”, This Heat

This way: 24 track loop

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 during the ascendancy of British punk, but stood apart from that scene due to an experimental and confrontational approach. This Heat's commercial success was limited and, during the group’s existence, their discography consisted of only two albums and an EP. The band would influence 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.

This Heat first came together in 1976 by Charles Hayward and Charles Bullen. Hayward was a member of the progressive rock band Quiet Sun, fronted by guitarist Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music. In 1975, Quiet Sun had signed a deal with Island Records to record an album entitled Mainstream. Mainstream was critically acclaimed and became the New Musical Express' album of the month, and Island Records' fourth or fifth biggest seller at the time, close to sales figures of Bad Company and Cat Stevens. Whilst touring to support the record, Manzanera stepped down as his commitments with Roxy Music were taking up his schedule, so Bullen stepped in as a replacement. Quiet Sun dissolved shortly afterwards, but Bullen and Hayward, who had bonded over their similar tastes and attitude to music making, decided to continue working together. After playing in a variety of improvisational groups such as Dolphin Logic and Friendly Rifles, they were joined by visual artist Gareth Williams, who despite his lack of formal musical training had an intuitive ear for sound. Hayward had also hoped to bring Quiet Sun bassist Bill MacCormick on board; MacCormick however, declined due to personality clashes between him and Williams. The trio settled upon the name This Heat in reference to the 1976 British Isles heat wave, regarded at the time as the hottest summer on record.

This Heat's first radio airplay came in early 1977 from legendary DJ John Peel, to whom they sent a demo tape recorded in the top room at Hayward's parents' house in Camberwell, prior to moving into their 'Cold Storage' studio — a disused cold storage room converted into a studio, which was part of an "Acme Studios" artists studios complex in Brixton. During this time, they also recorded a session with Ghanaian percussionist Mario Boyer Diekuuroh, parts of which later appeared on a 1982 split cassette with Albert Marcoeur.

[Spotify] 24 track loop

“The Breakup Song”, Greg Kihn

This way: The Breakup Song

It is very possible that you can have a whole career in Music just with one good song. Here may lie the proof. This song is fantastic and in honor of Greg Kihn who died last week. Apologies in advance for the earworm.

Greg Kihn (July 10, 1949 – August 13, 2024) was an American rock musician, radio personality, and novelist. He founded and led the Greg Kihn Band and he wrote several popular horror novels. He is best known for the hits "The Breakup Song)" in 1981 and "Jeopardy" in 1983.

Kihn's early influence was the Beatles and their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. "Just about every rock and roll musician my age can point to one cultural event that inspired him to take up music in the first place: The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. If you were a shy 14-year-old kid who already had a guitar, it was a life-altering event... In a single weekend everything had changed. I'd come home from school the previous Friday looking like Dion. I went back to class on Monday morning with my hair dry and brushed forward. That's how quickly it happened."

Kihn began his career in his hometown of Baltimore, working in the singer/songwriter mold. But he switched to straightforward rock and roll when he moved to San Francisco in 1974. He started writing songs and playing coffee houses while still in high school in the Baltimore area. When Kihn was 17, his mother submitted a tape of one of his original songs to the talent contest of the big local Top 40 radio station, WCAO 600 AM. Kihn took first prize and won three things that would change his life: a typewriter, a stack of records, and a Vox electric guitar.

After his move to California, Kihn worked at painting houses, singing in the streets, and the behind the counter job at Berkeley record store Rather Ripped Records. His co-worker was future bandmate and Earth Quake guitarist Gary Phillips. The next year, Kihn became one of the first artists signed to Matthew King Kaufman's Beserkley Records. Along with Jonathan Richman, Earth Quake, and the Rubinoos, Kihn helped to carve the label's sound—melodic pop with a strong 1960s pop sensibility—an alternative to the progressive rock of the time.

[Spotify] The Breakup Song

“What a Pleasure”, Beach Fossils

This way: What a Pleasure

Beach Fossils is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2009. They are currently signed to Bayonet Records, having previously been signed to indie label Captured Tracks. The group's live band currently includes founder Dustin Payseur (vocals, guitar), Jack Doyle Smith (bass), Tommy Davidson (guitar), and Anton Hochheim (drums). They are known for their lo-fi, atmospheric sound, confessional and nostalgic lyrics, and Payseur's laid-back vocal style.

Payseur originally conceived the project in late 2008 when he moved to New York City after leaving school in his home state of North Carolina. To date they have released four studio albums, including their eponymous debut album (2010), Clash the Truth (2013), Somersault (2017), and Bunny (2023), as well as one EP titled What A Pleasure (2011). Beach Fossils, along with fellow Captured Tracks label mates DIIV, Wild Nothing, and Mac DeMarco, are considered forerunners in the lo-fi dream pop sound that grew out of the underground indie scene in the 2010s.

[Spotify] What a Pleasure

“The Crane Wife 3”, The Decemberists

This way: The Crane Wife 3

The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals), Nate Query (bass), and John Moen (drums).

As of 2024, the band has released nine studio albums with their lyrics often focusing on historical incidents and folklore. Audience participation is a part of their live performances, typically during encores. The band stages whimsical reenactments of sea battles and other centuries-old events, typically of regional interest, or acts out songs with members of the crowd.  

In 2011, the track "Down by the Water" from their album The King Is Dead was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 54th Grammy Awards.

[Spotify] The Crane Wife 3

“Might”, Archers of Loaf

This way: Might

Archers of Loaf is an American indie rock band originally formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1991. The group toured extensively and released four studio albums, one compilation, numerous singles and EPs, and a live album which was released after the band broke up in 1998. In 2011 the band began a reunion tour that coincided with the reissue of four of its albums by Merge Records. In July 2022, the band announced the release of their first album in nearly 25 years, Reason in Decline, released also via Merge Records in October of the same year.

Eric Bachmann is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. He rose to prominence as the frontman of Archers of Loaf and Crooked Fingers. Originally a saxophone major at Appalachian State University, Bachmann's music is distinctive for its creative and innovative arrangements. In addition to the guitar, he plays the piano and banjo regularly on tour. He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and grew up throughout the Southern United States. He currently lives in Athens, Georgia.  

[Spotify] Might

“Car Wash Hair”, Mercury Rev

This way: “Car Wash Hair

Mercury Rev is an American rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York. with singer/guitarist Jonathan Donahue and guitarist/clarinetist/sound generator operator Sean "Grasshopper" Mackowiak as the only constant members. The band's music has incorporated indie rock, psychedelic rock and American roots, amongst other forms. Mercury Rev have been closely associated with The Flaming Lips, and the two bands have shared historical ties.

Mercury Rev was formed in 1989 by students at the University at Buffalo, partially inspired by the drone music of composer/media studies professor Tony Conrad (then working as a teacher at the university, and a strong artistic influence on co-founder Grasshopper). The initial line-up was Donahue, Grasshopper, vocalist David Baker, bass guitarist/in-house producer Dave Fridmann, flute/French horn player Suzanne Thorpe and drummer Jimy Chambers. The band was initially formed to score its members' student films, and had a loose playing and recording existence. The band's initial music was a blend of experimental, psychedelic rock, drone and noise rock, which would gradually shift over time towards a melodic, ornate sound. 

At this early stage, several members also had other musical interests which prevented consistent Mercury Rev activity. Donahue worked as a gig promoter for other bands' concerts in Buffalo, which brought him into contact with The Flaming Lips in 1989: he then toured with them as guitar technician before formally joining as lead guitarist in time to play on their 1990 album In a Priest Driven Ambulance. The latter album was co-produced by Dave Fridman, who went on to co-produce every Flaming Lips studio album to date with the exception of 1993's Transmissions from the Satellite Heart.

Mercury Rev's debut album was 1991's Yerself is Steam, followed by the "Car Wash Hair" single, both of which typified the band's early merging of psychedelic rock and noise rock. During this year, the band had begun to solidify and concentrate on more sustained effort. Yerself is Steam had been completed during Donahue's breaks from Flaming Lips activity in tour and in Oklahoma: following creative disagreements with the band's frontman Wayne Coyne, Donahue left The Flaming Lips in mid-1991, shortly after recording the Hit to Death in the Future Head album. This enabled him to return to Buffalo and concentrate full-time on Mercury Rev.

[Spotify] “Car Wash Hair

“Cowboy Song”, Thin Lizzy

This way: Cowboy Song

I won 3 or 4 Thin Lizzy records at record shop when I was in High School. So there was a lot to pour over. Phil Lynott (Died in1986 aged 36) has since been enshrined in the pantheon. And rightly so, a great songwriter and musician. His band pioneered the 2 lead guitar set up. Falling somewhere in between hard rock and heavy metal and pub rock. Jailbreak is a masterpiece and this song still hits.  

[Spotify] Cowboy Song

“She is Mine”, The Psychedelic Furs

This way: She is Mine

The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene. Their music went through several phases, from an initially austere art rock sound to later touching on new wave and hard rock.

  

The band had several hits in their early career. In 1986, filmmaker John Hughes used their song "Pretty in Pink" for his film of the same name. They went on hiatus after they finished touring in 1992, but resumed in 2000 and continue to perform live. The band released Made of Rain, their first studio album in nearly three decades, on 31 July 2020. 

Richard Butler stated that the Psychedelic Furs began rehearsing in his family's front room but were soon banished because of the noise. The band was initially called RKO, then Radio. They later vacillated between calling themselves the Europeans and the Psychedelic Furs, playing gigs under both names before permanently settling on the latter. The word psychedelic was chosen to separate the band from punk rockers who ostentatiously scorned the legacy of 1960s rock music.

[Spotify] She is Mine

“The New Dictator”, Low Fun

This way: The New Dictator

Vinyl, 7" from Canada, 1983, Synth-pop. 

[Spotify] No! 

“White Punks on Dope”, The Tubes

This way: White Punks on Dope

The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band. Their self-titled 1975 debut album included the single "White Punks on Dope", while their 1983 single "She's a Beauty" was a top-10 U.S. hit and its music video was frequently played in the early days of MTV. The band also performed in the 1980 film Xanadu, singing the rock portion of the cross-genre song "Dancin'" opposite a big band. The Tubes formed on March 22, 1972, in San Francisco featuring members from two Phoenix bands who had moved to San Francisco in 1969. One, The Beans (alternately billing themselves as the Radar Men from Uranus), included Bill Spooner, Rick Anderson, Vince Welnick, and Bob McIntosh. The other, the Red White and Blues Band, featured Prairie Prince, Roger Steen, and David Killingsworth. After performing at Expo '70 in Japan, Killingsworth left the Red, White and Blues Band, leaving Steen and Prince to audition new bass players, albeit unsuccessfully. Before moving to San Francisco the Beans had been a local favorite in Phoenix, selling out shows with a tongue-in-cheek concept rock show called "The Mother of Ascension" featuring costumes and props. After moving, Bill Spooner worked at the Fillmore West concert hall sweeping floors in between Beans shows at the Longshoremen's Hall and other minor venues. The band's loud, heavy jamming style did not attract much attention, and the band needed to go back home to Phoenix. There they would sell out shows, which provided enough money to pay their rent. The Beans' manager and former Alice Cooper Group drummer, John Speer, suggested they add Prince and Steen along with their roadie John Waybill to one of these shows.  

[Spotify] White Punks on Dope

“Harborcoat”, R.E.M.

This way: Harborcoat

This may be a good antedote to The Darkness. Reckoning (alternatively titled File Under Water) is the second studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on April 9, 1984, by I.R.S. Records. Produced by Mitch Easter and Don Dixon, the album was recorded at Reflection Sound Studio in Charlotte, North Carolina, over 16 days in December 1983 and January 1984. Dixon and Easter intended to capture the sound of R.E.M.'s live performances, and used binaural recording on several tracks. Lead singer Michael Stipe dealt with darker subject matter in his lyrics, with water-related imagery being a recurring theme on the album.

Released to critical acclaim, Reckoning reached number 27 in the United States—where it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1991—and peaked at number 91 in the United Kingdom.  

[Spotify] Harborcoat

“I Believe In A Thing Called Love”, The Darkness

This way: I Believe In A Thing Called Love

The Darkness is a British rock band that formed in Lowestoft, England in 2000. The band consists of Justin Hawkins (lead vocals, lead guitar), his brother Dan Hawkins (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Frankie Poullain (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Rufus Tiger Taylor (drums, backing vocals).

The Darkness came to prominence with the release of their debut album, Permission to Land, in 2003. Backed by the singles "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", "Growing on Me", "Get Your Hands off My Woman", and "Love Is Only a Feeling", the album was certified quadruple platinum in the United Kingdom, with sales of over 1.3 million. In 2004 the band won three Brit Awards: Best British Group, Best British Rock Act, and Best British Album. After extensive touring in support of their debut album, Poullain left the band in 2005, and was replaced by former guitar technician Richie Edwards. The band's second studio album, One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back, was released in November 2005. The following year, Justin Hawkins departed from the band after successfully completing a course of rehabilitation from alcohol and cocaine abuse. This, combined with the poor sales of the album, resulted in Atlantic dropping the band in October 2006. After the split, the remaining members formed Stone Gods, and continued to perform and record without Hawkins, who subsequently fronted his own project, Hot Leg. 

[Spotify] I Believe In A Thing Called Love

“Demolition”, Amy Rigby

This way: Demolition

Amy Rigby is an American singer-songwriter. After playing with several New York bands she began a solo career, recording several albums which had only modest sales despite enthusiastic reviews. She settled into a career of touring while raising a daughter, then formed a duo with Wreckless Eric whom she also married. As of November 2011 they continue to tour from a base in upstate New York. She is the author of a memoir, Girl to City.

Rigby was born in the Pittsburgh suburbs and raised Catholic. She moved to New York City in 1976. She married dB's drummer Will Rigby in the 1980s, and during the late 1980s and early 1990s recorded with New York bands such as The Shams and Last Roundup. She had a daughter with Rigby. In 1999 Rigby moved to Nashville to pursue a publishing deal, and continued to record and tour.

Rigby wrote a memoir of her journey from suburban Pittsburgh to New York City, and her journey to becoming a musician. Girl to City was published in July 2019.

Rigby released her first full-length recording under her own name, Diary of a Mod Housewife, in 1996. Village Voice critic Robert Christgau praised the album, calling it "concept album of the year". Spin voted Rigby "Songwriter of the Year" for 1996. Middlescence and The Sugar Tree (like Mod Housewife, recorded for Koch Records), also were well received by critics and listeners. Koch also released Rigby's compilation album, 18 Again. 

[Spotify] Demolition 

“Painting Colors”, Bigott

This way: Painting Colors

Bigott is a Spanish artist and this is from his most recent LP.  

[Spotify] Painting Colors

“The Way it Goes”, Gillian Welch

This way: The Way it Goes

Gillian Welch is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, country and Americana, is described by The New Yorker as "at once innovative and obliquely reminiscent of past rural forms."

Welch and Rawlings have collaborated on nine critically acclaimed albums, five released under her name, three released under Rawlings' name, and one under both of their names. Her 1996 debut, Revival, and the 2001 release Time (The Revelator), received nominations for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Her 2003 album, Soul Journey, introduced electric guitar, drums, and a more upbeat sound to their body of work. After a gap of eight years, she released a fifth studio album, The Harrow & the Harvest, in 2011, which was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. In 2020, Welch and Rawlings released All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone).

Welch was an associate producer and performed on two songs of the soundtrack of the Coen brothers 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a platinum album that won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2002. She also appeared in the film attempting to buy a Soggy Bottom Boys record. Welch, while not one of the principal actors, did sing and provide additional lyrics to the Sirens song "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby". 

[Spotify] The Way it Goes

“Automatic”, Mobius and Plank

This way: Automatic

En Route is the fourth full-length album released by German electronic music duo of Dieter Moebius and Conny Plank. It was actually the fifth and final album recorded before Plank's death in 1987. En Route was recorded in 1986 at Conny's Studio outside of Cologne. As Plank's health deteriorated the recordings were left incomplete. The album was completed and mixed by Moebius & Gebhard. The 11th through 13th tracks on the CD are remixes by Manu Guiot done in 1995. It was released by the Dubuque, Iowa-based Curious Music label in 1995. 

[Spotify] Automatic

“Der Computer Nr. 3”, The Loved Drones

This way: Der Computer Nr. 3

Cosmic music and weird Post-Punk from The Freaksville Mutant musical Collective.  

[Spotify] Der Computer Nr. 3

“Imagine That”, Dos

This way: Imagine That

dos is an American rock group composed of Mike Watt and Kira Roessler, who both sing and play bass guitar. Critic Greg Prato describes their unusual instrumentation as "a haunting yet intriguing and original sound." 

Both performers have substantial experience in pioneering punk groups: Watt has been a member of the Reactionaries, the Minutemen, Firehose, Banyan and the reunited lineup of the Stooges, while Roessler was in Black Flag for about two years. Watt and Roessler met not long after Roessler replaced Chuck Dukowski as the bassist of Black Flag in 1983.

The actual origin of dos came about in the fall of 1985 when Watt and Kira, who were already dating, began improvising two-bass jams in their free time, sometimes recording these results into Watt's four-track recording machine.

The sudden death of Minutemen guitarist and lead singer D. Boon in a van accident on December 22, 1985, led to the end of the Minutemen and left Watt deeply depressed. Kira had parted company with Black Flag not long beforehand and moved to New Haven, Connecticut, to work at Yale University. Watt considered abandoning music altogether. But intending to keep him playing after Boon's death, Kira and Watt began collaborating via four-track cassettes sent back and forth in the mail. The activity led to Kira flying back to California to formally work on dos in September 1986.

They recorded their first album, an all-instrumental affair save for Kira's closing track, "Taking Away the Fire", almost immediately, and made their performing debut as dos opening for ex-Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn's instrumental group Gone that same week. Watt released dos' self-titled first album, dos on New Alliance Records, the label he had formed with D. Boon in 1981. Around the same time, Watt formed Firehose; many of the songs on Firehose's first album Ragin', Full On, are actually dos songs with lyrics added (by either Watt or Kira) and rearranged for a power trio format.

In 1987, Watt and Roessler married, but they divorced seven years later around the time that Firehose broke up.

[Spotify] Imagine That

“I Figured You Out”, Mary Lou Lord

This way: I Figured You Out

Mary Lou Lord (born March 1, 1965) is an indie folk musician who started out performing as a busker in Boston. 

Mary Lou Lord first gained attention playing acoustic guitar and singing in and around Boston's subway stations, particularly on the Red Line, as noted by the name she chose for her music and lyric publishing company, On the Red Line Music, administered by BMI.

She met Elliott Smith through Slim Moon, the owner of Kill Rock Stars and her boyfriend at the time. Lord toured three times with Smith during the 1990s. Smith also wrote and helped Lord record a song called "I Figured You Out" in 1997.

Lord signed with the Sony subsidiary Work in 1997 and released the album Got No Shadow in 1998. On December 31, 1998, Lord and Kevin Patey, from the band Raging Teens, had a daughter.

Her recording of Daniel Johnston's "Speeding Motorcycle" (which originally featured on her self-titled 8-song Kill Rock Stars release) was featured in commercials for Target stores, after which her label reissued the song as the lead track of a CD single which also included two demo recordings from the sessions for Got No Shadow.

[Spotify] I Figured You Out

“Tumbling Down”, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

This way: Tumbling Down

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel were an English rock band who formed in the early 1970s in London. Their music covered a range of styles from pop to progressive rock. Over the years, they have had five albums on the UK Albums Chart and twelve singles on the UK Singles Chart. Steve Harley grew up in London's New Cross area and attended Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Boys' School. His musical career began in the late 1960s when he was busking (with John Crocker aka Jean-Paul Crocker) and performing his own songs, some of which were later recorded by him and the band. 

After an initial stint as a music journalist, Harley hooked up with his former folk music partner, Crocker (fiddle / mandolin / guitar) in 1972 to form the original Cockney Rebel. Crocker had just finished a short stint with Trees and they advertised and auditioned drummer Stuart Elliott, bassist Paul Jeffreys, and guitarist Nick Jones. This line-up played one of the band's first gigs at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London on 23 July 1973, supporting the Jeff Beck Group. Nick was soon replaced by guitarist Pete Newnham but Steve felt that the Cockney Rebel sound did not need an electric guitar and they settled on the combination of Crocker's electric violin and the Fender Rhodes piano of keyboardist Milton Reame-James to share the lead. The band was signed to EMI after playing five gigs. Their first single, "Sebastian", was an immediate success in Europe, although it failed to score in the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album, The Human Menagerie, was released in 1973. Although the album was not a commercial success, the band attracted a growing following in London.

Harley himself was much written about in the musical press, and the other members began to consider themselves regarded and treated as sidemen rather than co-equals, so there was tension in the band even as they were having a big hit with their second single, "Judy Teen". In May 1974, the British music magazine, NME reported that Cockney Rebel were to undertake their first British tour, including a show at London's Victoria Palace Theatre on 23 June. The album The Psychomodo followed.mA Live at the BBC album from 1995 included material recorded during a 1974 BBC Radio 1 broadcast. Following the European single "Psychomodo", a second single from the album, "Mr. Soft", was also a hit. "Tumbling Down" was issued in America as a promotional single. By this time the problems within the band reached a head, and all the musicians, with the exception of Elliott, quit at the end of a successful UK tour, to become session musicians. The original keyboardist, Milton Reame-James, recalled in 2010 that the original band "said goodbye on the steps of Abbey Road studios and were never to meet up again". Crocker continued to write songs and perform, forming a duet with his brother. After a brief period with Be-Bop Deluxe in 1974, Reame-James and Jeffreys formed the band Chartreuse in 1976.

[Spotify] Tumbling Down

“Wounds of Love”, Nation of Language

This way: Wounds of Love

Nation of Language is an American indie pop band that formed in Brooklyn, New York, in 2016. The group consists of Ian Richard Devaney (lead vocals, guitar, synthesizer, percussion), Aidan Noell (synthesizer, backing vocals), and Alex MacKay (bass guitar). Michael Sue-Poi was the bassist prior to the band's 2022 tour.

Devaney and Sue-Poi were both members of the Static Jacks, but the band became inactive after the release of their second album. Devaney was inspired to start a new project after hearing "Electricity" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark in his father's car, a track he listened to in his childhood. What started out as Devaney "fooling around" on a keyboard later evolved into Nation of Language, with the addition of Devaney's partner Noell and former Static Jacks bandmate Sue-Poi. Current bassist Alex MacKay joined the band in 2022. 

[Spotify] Wounds of Love