“The Height of the Fighting”, Heaven 17

This way: The Height of the Fighting

Heaven 17 are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1980. The band were a trio for most of their career, composed of founding Human League members Martyn Ware (keyboards, drum machine, vocals) and Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) with vocalist Glenn Gregory.

 

Although most of their music was recorded in the 1980s, they have occasionally reformed, and played their first live concerts in 1997. Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware were the founding members of pioneering Sheffield synthpop group the Human League; Glenn Gregory (who had previously been in a punk band called Musical Vomit with Marsh) had been their original choice when seeking a lead singer for the band but as he had moved to London to work as a photographer at the time, they chose Ware's school friend Philip Oakey instead. When personal and creative tensions within the group reached a breaking point in late 1980, Marsh and Ware left the band, ceding the Human League name to Oakey. They formed the production company British Electric Foundation (B.E.F.).

 

[Spotify] The Height of the Fighting 

“Venom”, The Din

This way: Stonewallin

Way out there. From up in the attic, in the village of Cincinnati - the third album from the Drin has arrived to commence 2023. Cold rhythms reverberate through the layers of tape spliced together by Dylan McCartney and his impressive cadre of musical companions. The Drin spawned from a debut cassette edition of 50 on the Future Shock label, since teaming up with both Drunken Sailor and Mangel to issue two LPs. Their loose, careening live unit features members of Corker, Crime of Passing, the Serfs and Fruit LoOops.

'Today My Friend You Drunk the Venom' is the Drin's finest hour as a creative entity. McCartney's incredible command of rhythm lies at the forefront of the mix, complimented by a group that is able to seamlessly transport between post-punk, acid guitar jangle, and krautish experimentalism. There's even a stellar dub track on here. As much as contemporary artists tend to flaunt their affinity for the past - it's entirely worthless to apply such trappings to the Drin. Their genre-expansive abilities and deep knack for rhythm and layering are something entirely new and futuristic. Ohio has never sounded so close to outer space. Released January 27, 2023

The Drin is Cole Gilfilen, Dakota Carlyle, Dylan McCartney, Luke Corvette, Ryan Sennett and Eric Dietrich.

 

[Spotify] Venom 

“Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo”, Rick Derringer, RIP

This way: Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo

Here's a terrible good song. I recall Derringer opened for Alice Cooper at the Coliseum that I saw circa 1977. Rock and Roll, "Hoochie Koo" is a rock song written by American musician Rick Derringer. It was first recorded in 1970 by Johnny Winter and his band Johnny Winter And, of which Derringer was a member. In 1973, Derringer recorded a solo version, which was his only Top 40 chart hit as a solo artist in the U.S. It became a staple of 1970s classic rock radio and rock music compilations. Both Winter and Derringer have recorded multiple live versions of the song. Derringer was also behind the McCoys hit "Hang on Sloopy". Lawdy Mama, that's a line that doenst get said enough.

  

[Spotify] Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo 

“Keep on the Sunny Side”, Carter Family

This way: Keep on the Sunny Side

The Carter Family was an American folk music group that recorded and performed between 1927 and 1956. Regarded as one of the most important music acts of the early 20th century, they had a profound influence on the development of bluegrass, country, southern gospel, pop, and rock, as well as the American folk revival in the 1960s.

They were the first vocal group to become country music stars, and were among the first groups to record commercially produced country music. Their first recordings were made in Bristol, Tennessee, for the Victor Talking Machine Company under producer Ralph Peer on August 1, 1927. This was the day before country singer Jimmie Rodgers made his initial recordings for Victor under Peer.

The success of the Carter Family's recordings of songs such as "Wabash Cannonball", "Can the Circle Be Unbroken", "Wildwood Flower", "Keep on the Sunny Side", and "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes" made these songs country standards. The melody of the last was used for Roy Acuff's "The Great Speckled Bird", Hank Thompson's "The Wild Side of Life" and Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels". The song became a hit all over again in these other incarnations.

The original group consisted of Sara Carter, her husband A. P. Carter, and her sister-in-law Maybelle Carter. Maybelle was Sara's first cousin, and was married to A. P.'s brother Ezra Carter (Eck). All three were born and raised in southwest Virginia. They were immersed in the tight harmonies of mountain gospel music and shape note singing. The latter dated to the early 19th century and revivals in the South.

Throughout the group's career, Sara Carter sang lead vocals and played rhythm guitar or autoharp. Maybelle sang harmony and played lead guitar. On some songs A. P. did not perform at all; on some songs he sang harmony and background vocals, and occasionally he sang lead. Maybelle's distinctive guitar-playing style became a hallmark of the group. Her Carter Scratch (a method for playing both lead and rhythm on the guitar) has become one of the most copied styles of guitar playing. 

 

[Spotify] Keep on the Sunny Side 

“Vice Verses”, John Berenzy Group

This way: Vice Verses

Here is a great track I first heard on a Killed By Death complilation from 1978. John Berenzy Group, Born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, John discovered music early on in life, and immediately began immersing himself in it.

He was quickly discovered by Seymour Stein to do an album for Sire Records. At this time he played on the C.B.G.B. scene, the epicenter of the Rock n' Roll renaissance, with Patti Smith, Television, Mink Deville and the Talking Heads. Later on, Willy Deville remembering the impact of John's commanding performance when they jammed at the C.B.G.B. club, asked him to fill Mark Knopfler's role on the Miracle Tour of Europe (1988-1989). Together they played throughout Paris, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland.

His 1977 45 rpm record, "Vice Verses," (written to, for and about Miles Davis) is now a valuable collector's item and is still played on many radio stations in Europe and Scandinavia. The press notices for Berenzy's performances and subsequent album "The Final Resolve" were extremely favorable. A remastered "Vice Verses" can also be found on his "Far Cry" Anthology CD.

 

[Spotify] NO!

“2541”, Grant Hart

This way: 2541

2541 is the first solo EP by Grant Hart, formerly of the band Hüsker Dü. It was his first solo release after the break-up of Hüsker Dü in January 1988 and was released as a 3-inch mini CD single and as a 12-inch, 45 rpm vinyl single.

"2541" and "Come, Come" were re-recorded for the album Intolerance (1989). The name was inspired by 2541 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, the headquarters of influential independent record label Twin/Tone Records. For a time, Hüsker Dü had an office space next door to Twin/Tone at 2539. Marshall Crenshaw, who later covered "2541" for his 1996 album Miracle of Science, said of the song, "I know that it was real personal to [Hart] when he wrote it, but there's something universal about it."

 

[Spotify] 2541 

[Good Cover] 2541 

[Also a good cover] 2541 

“While You Were Sleeping”, Annahstasia

This way: While You Were Sleeping

Annahstasia Enuke is an artist and musician from Los Angeles, California with a great dark voice.

 

[Spotify] While You Were Sleeping 

“Pictures of You”, Alien Boy

This way: Pictures of You

This Portland quartet amps up its sound—and stirs up an even more turbulent emotional whirlwind. Six albums/EPs in to a great sounding career. Started in 2015.  

 

[Spotify] Pictures of You 

“Slow Burn”, Ezra Furman

This way: Slow Burn

Ezra Furman (born September 5, 1986) is an American musician and songwriter. Furman was the lead singer and guitarist of Ezra Furman and the Harpoons, formed in 2006, which ended with Mysterious Power (2011). Her subsequent work has included the albums Day of the Dog (2013), Perpetual Motion People (2015), Transangelic Exodus (2018), and All of Us Flames (2022), as well as parts of the soundtrack for all four seasons of the Netflix series Sex Education.

Furman announced her tenth studio album Goodbye Small Head in February 2025 with the single "Grand Mal", also announcing a UK and North American tour. The title of the album references a line from the 1999 Sleater-Kinney single "Get Up," whereas "Grand Mal" refers to an antiquated term for a seizure. She has described the record as "an orchestral emo prog-rock record sprinkled with samples", with 12 songs that portray "12 variations on the experience of completely losing control, whether by weakness, illness, mysticism, BDSM, drugs, heartbreak or just living in a sick society with one’s eyes open." Brian Deck, who had previously produced Harpoons albums Banging Down The Doors and Inside The Human Body, returned to produce this album.

 

[Spotify] Slow Burn 

“The Beast with Five Hands”, Groovie Ghoulies

This way:  The Beast with

The Groovie Ghoulies were an American pop punk band from Sacramento, California, United States, whose music took inspiration from horror movies. They released numerous albums, EPs, and singles, and toured internationally. The band's name was taken from the 1970s animated television series Groovie Goolies, a spinoff of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. 

[Spotify] The Beast with Five Hands 

“Dragonfly”, Fleetwood Mac

This way: Dragonfly

Originally recorded on the September 1970 release for "Kiln House" (the fourth studio album by British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac). Mick Fleetwood recalled, "We met Danny at a little club in Brixton, the Nag's Head, one night when we played with a local band called Boilerhouse. Danny played beautifully, getting a subtle tremolo effect from his fingering." Fleetwood Mac's producer Mike Vernon booked Boilerhouse to play at his blues club, the Blue Horizon in Battersea, and he remembered, "Danny was outstanding. He played with an almost scary intensity. He had a guitar style that wasn't like anyone else I'd heard in England." Kirwan became a devoted fan of the band's lead guitarist, Peter Green, and followed Fleetwood Mac around the London clubs, often turning up at gigs during the afternoon to help to carry the gear in and jam with Green after the soundcheck. "Which is how Danny Kirwan came into our lives," Fleetwood said. "Danny was a huge fan of Peter's. He would see us every chance he got, usually watching in awe from the front row."

Fleetwood Mac had been constituted as a quartet but Green, the band's founder, wanted to move away from pure blues and had been looking for a new musical collaborator and backing guitarist to work with, as slide guitarist Jeremy Spencer did not contribute to his songs. Green found that he and Kirwan worked well together, and suggested to Fleetwood that Kirwan could join Fleetwood Mac. Although the rest of the band were not entirely convinced, Fleetwood invited Kirwan to join the band in August 1968. Fleetwood said, "Danny was an exceptional guitar player. It was clear that he needed to be with better players ... In the end, we just invited him to join us. It was one of those 'ah-ha' moments when you realise the answer is right there in front of you."] Kirwan's reaction was described as "astonishment and delight". His arrival expanded Fleetwood Mac to a five-piece with three guitarists.

Green described Kirwan as "a clever boy who got ideas for his guitar playing by listening to all that old-fashioned Roaring Twenties big-band stuff."Kirwan was known to be "emotionally fragile", and Green said that in the early days, Kirwan "was so into it that he cried as he played."

(Recommended by Michael Cornelius)

 

[Spotify] Dragonfly 

“Feel Like a Dollar”, The Moles

This way: Feel Like a Dollar

The Moles were formed in Sydney and debuted in 1990 with the EP Untune the Sky. In 1991 they released their second EP, Tendrils and Paracetamol. 1992 followed their first album Untune the Sky, after which The Moles relocated to New York, where they released a pair of seven-inch singles (later packaged together as the Double Single EP).

After a move to London, The Moles broke up in 1993. In 1994, Davies revived The Moles, which resulted in their second album Instinct. 

Davies was born in Sydney, Australia. He first came to prominence in the early 1990s as leader of the Australian band The Moles. Upon moving to the United States, Davies joined with Eric Matthews to form Cardinal, whose debut album, Cardinal, was released by Flydaddy in 1994. He has since released several solo albums including There's Never Been a Crowd Like This (1996), Telegraph (1998), and Barbarians (2000). In 2009, Davies and Guided by Voices front man Robert Pollard, collaborating under the name Cosmos, released an album, Jar of Jam / Ton of Bricks. In 2012, Davies and Matthews reformed Cardinal and released a second album, Hymns.  

[Spotify] Feel Like a Dollar 

“Bloody Nose”, Earlimart

This way: Bloody Nose

Earlimart is an American indie rock band formed in 1998 in Los Angeles, California, United States, and named after the town of Earlimart, California. The main members are Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray. Their early sound has been described as "post-punk", and compared to that of Pavement, Pixies, Sonic Youth and Sparklehorse; later music has been compared to that of Grandaddy and Elliott Smith. In 2009, Espinoza and Murray joined with Jason Lytle and Aaron Burtch of Grandaddy to record an album entitled I Heart California, which was released in 2010 under the name Admiral Radley.  

[Spotify] Bloody Nose 

“Hal-an-Tow”, Oysterband

This way: Hal-an-Tow

Oysterband (originally The Oyster Band) is a British folk rock and folk punk band formed in Canterbury around 1976. The band formed in parallel to Fiddler's Dram, and under the name "Oyster Ceilidh Band" played purely as a dance band at first. The name Oyster comes from the group's early association with the coastal town of Whitstable, Kent, known for the quality of its oysters. Their first album, released under the Oyster Ceilidh Band name, was Jack's Alive (1980) on the Dingles record label. Subsequent albums, as "Oyster Band" were released on the band's own Pukka Music label: English Rock 'n' Roll: The Early Years 1800–1850 and Lie Back and Think of England, followed by 20 Golden Tie-Slackeners and Liberty Hall. 

When Chris Wood left the band to go travelling in Canada, he was replaced on bass guitar by returning founder member Ian Kearey. Cathy Lesurf subsequently left to join Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band, and Will Ward also departed so that by the time they recorded Lie Back and Think of England, the personnel had settled down to John Jones, Ian Kearey, Alan Prosser, Chris Taylor and Ian Telfer. For the album Step Outside they added Russell Lax on drums. Step Outside mixed self-penned songs, often with a political theme, with reworkings of traditional standards such as "Hal-an-Tow". 

In the 1990s, the band adopted a more overtly political stance, recording the harder The Shouting End of Life and collaborating with Chumbawamba to record "Farewell to the Crown", released as the B-side of the "Tubthumping" single. But recent releases Deep Dark Ocean, Here I Stand, Rise Above and Meet You There have seen the band return to a softer, more melodic sound, while recent tours under the banner The Big Session have seen the band offer exposure to several young, emerging folk musicians like Dan Donnelly, The Handsome Family, as well as veterans such as June Tabor. James O'Grady (Uilleann pipes, fiddle, flute, vocals) regularly appeared on the Oysters' albums and tours in the last few years.

[Spotify] Hal-an-Tow 

“Disco Pope”, The Pratts

This way: Disco Pope

The Prats were an Edinburgh-based punk rock group, active from 1977 to 1981. More recently, their track "General Davis" was featured in the opening credits of Jonathan Demme's 2004 film, The Manchurian Candidate. The group was founded in 1977 at St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Comprehensive by Paul McLaughlin, David Maguire, Greg Maguire, and Tom Robinson, whose ages at the time ranged from 12 to 15.[1] While their instruments were basic - including a cardboard drum kit - they were able to quickly produce a demo tape which they sent to a local indie label Fast Product, who also produced the Human League. Inspired by The Slits and Mekons, the Prats debuted with three tracks on the Fast EP Earcom 1.

In 1979, the band recorded a session for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show. Peel also offered his fee from a DJing appearance in Edinburgh to finance a single release by the band. A series of singles then followed, including "General Davis" and "Die Todten Reyten Schnell," which was released on a German indie label.

 

[Spotify] Disco Pope 

“Magnetic”, Tunde Adebimpe

This way: Magnetic

Tunde Adebimpe is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is best known as a founding member and co-lead vocalist of the Brooklyn-based band TV on the Radio, with whom he has recorded five studio albums.

As an actor, Adebimpe has appeared in the films Twisters, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Marriage Story and Rachel Getting Married, alongside several independent feature films. He appeared in the 2024 science fiction television series, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and provided voice acting on the animated series, Strange Planet, Lazor Wolf and Tuca & Bertie. 

Adebimpe was born into a Nigerian immigrant family in the United States. He attended Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania for high school, where he is still active on the board. His deceased father was a psychiatrist in Pittsburgh. He is married to French cartoonist Domitille Collardey, with whom he has a child.  

[Spotify] Magnetic 

“Spiderhead”, Cage the Elephant

This way: Spiderhead

Cage the Elephant is an American rock band formed in 2006 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They moved to England and settled in London in 2008, shortly before their self-titled first album was released. The band currently consists of Matt Shultz (vocals), his older brother Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar), Nick Bockrath (lead guitar), Matthan Minster (guitar, keyboards), Daniel Tichenor (bass), and Jared Champion (drums). The band's first album was released to much success, spawning several successful radio singles and gaining the band a large following in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It was influenced by classic rock, '90s alternative, blues, punk rock, and funk music. Lincoln Parish served as the band's lead guitarist from their formation in 2006 until 2013, when he left on good terms to pursue a career in producing. 

The band's second album, Thank You, Happy Birthday, was released in 2011 and was heavily influenced by punk rock as well as bands such as Pixies and Nirvana. The band's third album, Melophobia, was released in 2013 as the band's concerted effort to find its own distinct musical identity. The band's fourth album, Tell Me I'm Pretty, was produced by Dan Auerbach and released in 2015. The band released a live album, Unpeeled, in 2017. Their fifth studio album, Social Cues, was released in 2019,[2] and their sixth, Neon Pill, was released on May 17, 2024.[3] They won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album twice, in 2017 for Tell Me I'm Pretty and in 2020 for Social Cues.

[Spotify] Spiderhead 

“Spiderman”, Ramones

This way: Spiderman

In 1995, Ramones recorded a version of the song for the tribute album Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits. A different recording of the song appeared on the American version of their album Adios Amigos, and later as part of the compilation album Weird Tales of the Ramones. This version omits the hyphen, spelling it "Spiderman".  

[Spotify] Spiderman 

“Boris the Spider”, The Who

This way: Boris the Spider

"Boris the Spider" is a song written by the Who's bass guitarist, John Entwistle. It appears as the second track of their 1966 album A Quick One. This song is claimed to be Entwistle's first composition, and became a staple of live shows. This song, along with "My Wife", "Heaven and Hell" and "The Quiet One", were Entwistle's most popular songs to perform live. Though this song was popular, it was not released as a single in the US or UK. In Japan, "Boris the Spider" was released as the B-side to "Whiskey Man" in 1967.  

[Spotify] Boris the Spider 

“Spider”, Mary Eliza

This way: Spider

Mary Eliza, Portland-based singer/songwriter, grew up playing music in a family band in Oakland, CA, and has spent the years since traveling, living in her van, and busking on city sidewalks. She finds community in the mountains she situates between, the streets she steps through, and the communities she opens her heart towards. The catchy hooks of her songs are reminiscent of the bluegrass origins of Mary’s music, while the old-time, indie folk carried through her instrumentation captures the years she spent on the road.  

In her debut album “Spider,” Mary reminds us how the softest things are the strongest, and the sweetest things can stop you in your tracks. She pours her soul, unapologetically, into the poetry of her lyrics, and in collaboration with Preston Cochran and Jake Finch at Trace Horse Studios, she breathes an electrifying life and fire into this new record. 

[Spotify] Spider 

“The Black Widow”, Alice Cooper

This way: The Black Widow

Welcome to My Nightmare is the debut solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released on March 11, 1975 by Atlantic Records. A concept album, its songs played in sequence form a journey through the nightmares of a child named Steven. The album inspired the Alice Cooper: The Nightmare TV special, a worldwide concert tour, and his Welcome to My Nightmare concert film (1976). The tour was one of the most over-the-top excursions of that era. Most of Lou Reed's band joined Cooper for this record. Great cameo by Vincent Price on the vocals. 

[Spotify] The Black Widow 

“Spider”, They Might Be Giants

This way: Spider

This track is from the Fingertips Suite. Apollo 18 is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants. It was released in 1992 through Elektra Records and was named after the cancelled Apollo 18 mission that was scheduled to have followed Apollo 17. The album was also associated with International Space Year, for which They Might Be Giants were declared the official "musical ambassadors" by NASA.

The album marked the first conscious effort by John Linnell and John Flansburgh to branch out of their early sound, opting for more traditional rock rhythms and fuller arrangements. The duo adopted a backing band with live drums during the supporting tour. It was their last album recorded as a duo, and the band expanded to include a regular rhythm guitarist, bass player and saxophone player for their subsequent releases. Apollo 18 also includes the "Fingertips" suite, a series of twenty-one short songs, most under thirty seconds long. The album generated three singles, "The Statue Got Me High", "The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" and "I Palindrome I", although only the first charted. 

[Spotify] Spider 

“She Said”, Hasil Adkins

This way: She Said

A unique American voice. Hasil Adkins (April 29, 1937 – April 26, 2005) was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His genres include rock and roll, country, blues and more commonly rockabilly, and because of his unusual playing and singing style, he is often cited as an example of outsider music. He generally performed as a one-man band, playing guitar and drums at the same time.

Adkins was born during the Great Depression and grew up in poverty. His spirited, unusual lifestyle is reflected in his music. His songs, which he began recording and distributing locally in the mid-1950s, explored an affinity for chicken, sexual intercourse, and decapitation, and were obscure outside of West Virginia until the 1980s. The newfound popularity secured him a cult following, spawned the Norton Records label, and helped usher in the genre known as psychobilly.

[Spotify] She Said 

[Definitive cover] She Said 

“Alone Together”, Daughter of Swords

This way: Alone Together

Alex Sauser-Monnig, also known as Daughter of Swords, is an American musician. Sauser-Monnig has released two albums as Daughter of Swords: Dawnbreaker (2019) and Alex (2025). They are also a member of Mountain Man.

Dawnbreaker (2019)

Dawnbreaker, Daughter of Swords' debut album, was released by Bella Union on June 28, 2019. It was preceded by the single "Gem". Having originally planned to use only vocals and guitar, on returning to Dawnbreaker Sauser-Monnig worked with Nick Sanborn of the electropop duo Sylvan Esso to incorporate other instrumentation. The songs "Grasses" and "Long Leaf Pine" also feature vocals by Mountain Man's Amelia Meath and Molly Sarlé. Pitchfork's Linnie Greene described the album as "a 10-song homage to the betwixt and between of a relationship in its twilight," consisting of "folksy riffs on well-trod terrain—heartbreak, confusion, hope that looks like the horizon on an open highway". Greene identified "Long Leaf Pine" as "the record's highest achievement" and commented: "Its hardly a new vista, but Sauser-Monnig's intimate, earthy songs make the view memorable all the same."

[Spotify] Alone Together 

“Beautiful World”, Devo

This way: Beautiful World

In 1981, Devo contributed a cover of "Working in the Coal Mine", recorded during the Freedom of Choice sessions, to the film Heavy Metal. They offered the song to be used in the film when Warner Bros. refused to include it on the album. Warner then included it as an independent bonus single accompanying their 1981 release, New Traditionalists. For this album Devo wore self-described "Utopian Boy Scout uniforms" topped with a "New Traditionalist Pomp"—a plastic half-wig modeled on the hairstyle of John F. Kennedy. Among the singles from the album was "Through Being Cool", written as a reaction to their new-found fame from "Whip It" and seen as a response to new fans who had misinterpreted the message behind the hit song. The album's accompanying tour featured the band performing an intensely physical show with treadmills and a large Greek temple set. That same year they served as Toni Basil's backing band on Word of Mouth, her debut album, which included versions of three Devo songs, recorded with Basil singing lead.  

[Spotify] Beautiful World