“That Kind of Girl”, All Dogs

This way: That Kind of Girl

All Dogs is a pop punk quartet from Columbus, Ohio. Its members are singer/guitarist Maryn Jones, who has also played with Saintseneca, drummer Jesse Wither, who has also played with the punk band Delay, bassist Amanda Bartley of the band Swearin’, and guitarist Nick Harris, who also played in the Philadelphia based band Slaughter Beach, Dog.

All Dogs was founded in 2012, and released their first cassette in July 2013, as their half of a split cassette with Slouch, another Ohio band. On this cassette, All Dogs contributed 6 songs, 5 of which were originals and one of which was a cover. In 2015, the band released their debut album, Kicking Every Day, on Salinas Records. In the fall of 2016, the band performed their last show together before going on an extended hiatus. All Dogs' frontwoman, Maryn Jones, moved from Columbus to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania after Kicking Every Day was released. In 2018, Gabriela Claymore pointed out that "All Dogs’ fate remains uncertain now that its members are scattered between two cities, and Jones is no longer able to play in Saintseneca from out of state." In an interview with Claymore, Jones stated that "All Dogs stopped touring because of personal things." In June 2023, they reunited for their first show in seven years, opening for Wednesday in a performance at the Philadelphia music venue Union Transfer.  

[Spotify] That Kind of Girl

“IF YOU DO”, Trace Mountains

This way: IF YOU DO

Trace Mountains is the musical project of American indie rock musician Dave Benton. Benton was formerly the lead singer of lo-fi band LVL UP. 

In 2016, Benton released a collection of songs titled Buttery Sprouts & Other Songs, his first release under the moniker Trace Mountains. Benton released his first full-length album as Trace Mountains in 2018 titled A Partner to Lean On. In 2020, Benton released his second album as Trace Mountains titled Lost in the Country. Benton released his third full-length album as Trace Mountains, House of Confusion, on October 22, 2021. 

[Spotify] IF YOU DO

“Requiem”, Killing Joke

This way: Requiem

Killing Joke are an English rock band formed in Cheltenham, England in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (bass).

Their first album, Killing Joke, was released in 1980. After the release of Revelations in 1982, bassist Youth was replaced by Paul Raven. The band achieved mainstream success in 1985 with the album Night Time and particularly the single "Love Like Blood" which reached the top ten in Belgium, the Netherlands and New Zealand. Their style evolved over many years, at times incorporating elements of gothic rock, synth-pop and electronic music, but always featuring Walker's prominent guitar and Coleman's "savagely strident vocals". Killing Joke have influenced many later bands and artists, such as Metallica, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden. 

Following Raven's sudden death in 2007, all four founding members returned to the band's lineup the following year. Coleman and Walker were the only constant members of the band until Walker's death in 2023.

Paul Ferguson was the drummer in the band Matt Stagger when he met Jaz Coleman (from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire) in Notting Hill, London in late 1978. Coleman was briefly the keyboard player in that band. He and Ferguson then left to gradually piece together Killing Joke.[4] In the following months, they placed advertisements in Melody Maker and other music papers. Guitarist Geordie Walker joined them in March 1979, followed by bassist Youth. The band was formed in June 1979. Coleman said their manifesto at the time was to "define the exquisite beauty of the atomic age in terms of style, sound and form". 

[Spotify] Requiem

“Nothing Lasts”, Bnny

This way: Nothing Lasts

Bnny is an American indie rock band led by Jessica Viscius. The band also consists of Alexa Viscius Adam Schubert, Tim Makowski and Matt Pelkey. Originally a solo project of Jessica's named Bunny, Jessica Viscius released a couple of singles in 2017 before releasing her debut EP, Sucker the same year. The band released their first full-length album, Everything, in 2021. Their second album, One Million Love Songs, was released April 26, 2024.  

In 2017, Jessica, also known as Jess, Viscius formed a musical solo project called Bunny. She came up with the name after purchasing a vintage patch with a red bunny on it. Bunny had been preparing to tour and release an EP when Viscius' partner Trey Gruber died. Viscius moved away from the initially EP and recorded new music at Public House in Chicago. Bunny's debut EP, Sucker, was released in 2017. 

Tim Makowski, Matt Pelkey, and Jessica's twin sister, Alexa Viscius, joined the band and changed the name to Bnny. Adam Schubert joined later. Jess Viscius sings and is the group's primary songwriter. Alexa Viscius is the band's bassist. Schubert and Makowski play guitar while Pelkey is the group's drummer.

[Spotify] Nothing Lasts

“Annie's a Witch”, LVL UP

This way: Annie's a Witch

LVL UP was an American lo-fi band from Purchase, New York, United States. 

LVL UP formed in 2011 at SUNY Purchase as a recording project between Mike Caridi, Dave Benton, and their friend Ben Smith, with the original intention of releasing a split cassette with Nick Corbo's then-solo material. They instead released their debut album, Space Brothers via Evil Weevil Records, as one band, and Greg Rutkin joined shortly afterwards for the group's first show. Smith left the band for personal reasons just before the release of second album Hoodwink'd, a joint release on Caridi and Benton's label Double Double Whammy and Exploding in Sound.

In 2016, the band's third LP Return to Love was released by Sub Pop. The album received favorable reviews with comparisons being drawn to the works of Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement.

On June 11, 2018, the band announced they were retiring the project after their fall tour. Their last show was September 28 in New York City. 

[Spotify] Annie's a Witch

“What's Going On”, Hüsker Dü

This way: What's Going On

Best band of all time? Could be, certainly one of my all time favs. And this LP Zen Arcade is so good it hurts. 

Hüsker Dü was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, in 1979. The band's continuous members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notability as a hardcore punk band, and later crossed over into alternative rock. Mould and Hart were the band's principal songwriters, with Hart's higher-pitched vocals and Mould's baritone taking the lead in alternating songs.

The band issued their debut studio album Everything Falls Apart on Reflex Records in 1983 and subsequently released three LPs and an EP on the independent label SST Records, including the critically acclaimed Zen Arcade in 1984. Hüsker Dü signed to major label Warner Bros. Records in 1986 to release their final two studio albums. They disbanded in January 1988. Mould later released two solo albums before forming Sugar in the early 1990s, while Hart released a solo album on SST and later formed Nova Mob.

[Spotify] What's Going On

“Black Sheets of Rain”, Bob Mould

This way: Black Sheets of Rain

Black Sheets of Rain is the second solo album by former Hüsker Dü guitarist and singer Bob Mould and features the Modern Rock Top 10 hit "It's Too Late." The album was a return to a heavier sound following his folk influenced solo debut, Workbook. Bassist Tony Maimone and drummer Anton Fier, both veterans of Pere Ubu, once again served as Mould's rhythm section. 

Following this album, Mould would take a detour from his solo career to lead the band Sugar, before returning to it once again with his self-titled 1996 album. 

[Spotify] Black Sheets of Rain

“Beauty Queen”, Roxy Music

This way: Beauty Queen

Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by lead vocalist and principal songwriter Bryan Ferry and bassist Graham Simpson. By the time the band recorded their first album in 1972, Ferry and Simpson were joined by saxophonist and oboist Andy Mackay, guitarist Phil Manzanera, drummer Paul Thompson and synthesizer player Brian Eno. Other members over the years include keyboardist and violinist Eddie Jobson and bassist John Gustafson. The band split in 1976, reformed in 1978 and split again in 1983. In 2001, Ferry, Mackay, Manzanera and Thompson reunited for a concert tour and have toured together intermittently ever since, most recently in 2022 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first album. Ferry has also frequently enlisted band members as backing musicians during his solo career.

Roxy Music became a successful act in Europe and Australia during the 1970s. This success began with their first album in 1972. The band pioneered more musically sophisticated elements of glam rock while significantly influencing early English punk music, and provided a model for many new wave acts while innovating elements of electronic composition. The group also conveyed their distinctive brand of visual and musical sophistication with their focus on glamorous fashions. Roxy Music's final studio album was Avalon (1982), which was certified Platinum in the United States, where the band had spent their first ten years as a moderately successful cult band.

Outside of the band, Ferry and Eno have had influential solo careers, with Eno also becoming one of the most significant British record producers of the late 20th century. In 2019, Roxy Music were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

[Spotify] Beauty Queen

“I've Never Been Married”, Blood on the Saddle

This way: I've Never Been Married

Blood on the Saddle are an American country-punk band, though often referred to as a cowpunk band, from Los Angeles, California, United States. Greg Davis (vocals, guitar) formed the band in early 1983 with the original line-up of Ron Botelho (upright bass, bass) and Hermann Senac (drums, vocals). Annette Zilinskas (vocals, guitar) joined in the summer of 1983. They released three albums and songs on one compilation before that line-up broke up in 1987. Band leader Greg Davis has continued the band to present day, with one break to work with The Vandals and Candye Kane. Eventually the band recorded two more EPs and six more albums, getting three of them out officially, which were released in 1993, 1995, and 2001, respectively. A fourth album, The Mud, the Blood & the Beer, was recorded in 2008 and released to all digital platforms in 2020. A fifth album, True Blood, was recorded in 2013, and has been available since 2019 on all digital platforms. 

[Spotify] I've Never Been Married

“Saudade”, Love and Rockets

This way: Saudade

Love and Rockets are an English rock band formed in 1985 by former Bauhaus members Daniel Ash (vocals, guitar and saxophone), David J (bass guitar and vocals) and Kevin Haskins (drums and synthesisers) after that group split in 1983. Ash and Haskins had recorded and performed in another band, Tones on Tail, between 1982 and 1984.

Love and Rockets' fusion of underground rock music with elements of pop music provided an early catalyst for alternative rock. Their 1989 single "So Alive" reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They released seven studio albums before breaking up in 1999 and reformed briefly in 2007 for a few live shows, before splitting again in 2009. They reformed in 2023, and announced several tour dates.  

[Spotify] Saudade

“Ideologically Unsound”, Poison Girls

This way: Ideologically Unsound

The Poison Girls were an English anarcho-punk band from Brighton. The singer/guitarist, Vi Subversa, was a middle-aged mother of two at the band's inception, and wrote songs that explored sexuality and gender roles, often from an anarchist perspective. The original Poison Girls line-up also included: Lance D'Boyle (drums); Richard Famous (guitar/vocals); Nil (tapes/bass/electric violin); and Bernhardt Rebours (bass/synthesiser/piano). This track from 1979. 

[Spotify] Ideologically Unsound

“The World's Largest Paving Slab”, English Teacher

This way: The World's Largest Paving Slab

English Teacher are a British musical group from Leeds, who formed in 2020. They consist of vocalist Lily Fontaine, guitarist Lewis Whiting, drummer Douglas Frost, and bassist Nicholas Eden. The band appeared on Later... with Jools Holland in November 2023. Their song "Nearly Daffodils" was named one of the 10 best songs of 2023 by Time magazine. Low Praise. 

[Spotify] The World's Largest Paving Slab

[Charming live] The World's Largest Paving Slab

“Kerosene”, Big Black

This way: Kerosene

Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun. In 1985, Pezzati was replaced by Dave Riley, who played on Big Black's two full-length studio albums, Atomizer (1986) and Songs About Fucking (1987).

Big Black's aggressive and abrasive music was characterized by distinctively clanky guitars and the use of a drum machine rather than a drum kit, elements that foreshadowed industrial rock. The band's lyrics flouted commonly held taboos and dealt frankly—and often explicitly—with politically and culturally loaded topics including murder, rape, child sexual abuse, arson, racism, and misogyny. Though the band's lyrics contained controversial material, the lyrics were meant to serve as a commentary or a display of distaste for the subject matter. They were staunchly critical of the commercial nature of rock, shunning the mainstream music industry and insisting on complete control over all aspects of their career. At the height of their success, they booked their own tours, paid for their own recordings, refused to sign contracts, and eschewed many of the traditional corporate trappings of rock bands. In doing so, they had a significant impact on the aesthetic and political development of independent and underground rock music.

In addition to two studio albums, Big Black released two live albums, two compilation albums, four EPs, and five singles, all through independent record labels. Most of the band's catalog was kept in print through Touch and Go Records for years following their breakup. 

[Spotify] NO!

“John the Revelator”, Blind Willie Johnson

This way: John the Revelator

Is there a better song ever recorded? Blind Willie Johnson may be the greatest recording artist of all time. Let's just say so far.

Blind Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945) was an American gospel blues singer, guitarist and evangelist. His landmark recordings completed between 1927 and 1930—thirty songs in total—display a combination of powerful "chest voice" singing, slide guitar skills, and originality that has influenced generations of musicians. His life was poorly documented, but over time, music historians such as Samuel Charters have uncovered more about Johnson and his five recording sessions.

A revival of interest in Johnson's music began in the 1960s, following his inclusion on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, and by the efforts of the blues guitarist Reverend Gary Davis. Along with Davis, he has since been considered the dominant player of "holy blues" music, which conveyed religious themes in a blues idiom and often with the genre's style of guitar accompaniment.

Johnson's work has become more accessible through compilation albums such as American Epic: The Best of Blind Willie Johnson and the Charters compilations. As a result, Johnson is credited as one of the most influential practitioners of the blues, and his slide guitar playing, particularly on his hymn "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground", is highly acclaimed. Other recordings by Johnson include "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed", "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine", and "John the Revelator". This track most likely for 1930. 

[Spotify] John the Revelator

“Say Yes”, Elliott Smith

This way: Say Yes

This guy can write a song. Elliott Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), was an American musician and singer-songwriter. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he gained popularity. Smith's primary instrument was the guitar, though he also played piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica. He had a distinctive vocal style in his solo career after Heatmiser, characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery", and often used multi-tracking to create vocal layers, textures, and harmonies that were usually finger picked and recorded with tape.

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 his final 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 the 1998 Academy Award for Best Original Song. 

Smith was a heavy drinker and drug user, 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. He died at his Los Angeles home from two stab wounds to the chest at age 34 in 2003. The autopsy evidence did not determine whether the wounds were self-inflicted. At the time of his death, Smith was working on his album From a Basement on the Hill, posthumously produced and released in 2004.

[Spotify] Say Yes

“Tell Me”, SPECTRES

This way: Tell Me

Spectres are a post punk band from Vancouver BC that have been on the forefront of the genre resurgence since 2005 and are commonly cited as kicking off the renewed interest in this sound. Emerging from the DIY Punk underground, Spectres vocalist and founder Brian Gustavson wanted to blend the grassroots and independent ethic of anarcho-punk with the anomie and cold, modulated sounds of 1980’s Post Punk and death rock. Though the band’s output has matured with time to embrace a wider range of new-wave and shoegaze influences their ethos remains rooted in anarcho punk. The blending of these influences allows for the curious juxtaposition of 80’s influenced pop sensibilities with lyrics that explore the alienation and cynicism of modern life and the search for hope in an increasingly terrifying world. One of the band’s core strengths is its sonic aesthetic, which ranges from brooding and confrontational dark punk to ethereal pop influenced dance anthems. Spectres’ live show harkens back to their punk origins bringing a direct and aggressive approach to their performances intended to convey a feeling of estrangement and urgency to the audience. After working with several different DIY labels over their first 12 years as a band Spectres signed with Artoffact records in the summer of 2018. 

[Spotify] Tell Me

“Sun God”, Squirrel Bait

This way: Sun God

I always remember the band listings after the demise of Squirrel Bait as spawning 100 bands: (Ex Squirrel Bait). Squirrel Bait was an American punk rock band from Louisville, Kentucky active from 1983 to 1987. Squirrel Bait's dense, moody, melodic hardcore sound, featuring pronounced tempo shifts, foreshadowed the grunge sound of the late 1980s as well as math rock. Squirrel Bait, along with Hüsker Dü, are often noted as precursors to the emocore ("emotional hardcore") sound that arose from the D.C. hardcore punk scene with bands like Rites of Spring, Beefeater and Fugazi.

Squirrel Bait signaled the second coming of American punk – bands of little brothers and sisters who got to grow up on Black Flag and Hüsker Dü without a preparatory course in Supertramp. ... Like a hundred other little Düs across the country, Squirrel Bait managed to make a couple of records before spintering off to form five more bands. Unlike most of that punk rock loam, the members of Squirrel Bait chewed up their legacy and shat out something curious and consequential.

The band started as a hardcore punk trio of high school friends, originally known as Squirrelbait Youth, with David Grubbs on guitar and vocals, Clark Johnson on bass guitar, and Rich Schuler playing drums for the band's first demo tape in August 1983. By the time Squirrel Bait recorded their second demo in 1984, Peter Searcy had taken over vocal duties and Britt Walford was playing drums. Three of this demo's songs would later appear on the band's vinyl releases.

This track from 1985.

[Spotify] Sun God

“The Book I Read”, Shaun Cassidy

This way: The Book I Read

I don't typically post terrible songs, but this one is interesting to say the least. For those not in the know on Shaun Cassidy he is the younger brother of pop star David Cassidy and he had a string of AM hits in the seventies. The words Teen Heart-throb come to mind. And this is a deep cut Talking Heads song. But the whole LP is filled with items of note. 

Wasp is the fifth and final studio album by teen idol Shaun Cassidy, released in 1980. In an attempt to salvage a sinking pop career, Cassidy recruited Todd Rundgren to help "reinvent" his music career. Members of Rundgren's group Utopia also played on the record, and the work had a decidedly "new wave" feel.

The majority of tracks featured on Wasp were cover songs. The album featured a version of David Bowie's song, "Rebel Rebel," in which Cassidy included a passage from The Crystals' "He's a Rebel." Other covers included The Who's "So Sad About Us," Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," "The Book I Read," The Animals' 1965 hit "It's My Life," and The Four Tops' 1966 hit "Shake Me, Wake Me." All of the other songs were written by Rundgren and various members of his band. Unlike his previous four albums where he wrote at least one song, Cassidy was given a co-writing credit on "Cool Fire." The reinvention of teenybopper Cassidy as an edgy new wave artist was not enough to capture the attention of audiences. The album was Cassidy's second album not to chart on Billboard, effectively ending his pop music career. Cassidy would score a final hit in Europe in 1989 with the standalone single "Memory Girl."

[Spotify] The Book I Read

“Infinite Sadness”, Xeno & Oaklander

This way: Infinite Sadness

Xeno & Oaklander is an American electronic music group formed in 2004, consisting of musicians Sean McBride and Liz Wendelbo. Originating from Brooklyn, the band is considered to be among the cold wave revival scene of the 2000s and 2010s.

Maryland-native Sean McBride and French-Norwegian conceptual artist Liz Wendelbo met in 2003; the former was involved in solo projects such as Moravagine and Martial Canterel, which were based on modular synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines. The duo started recording music in an abandoned factory building near the East River; its debut album, Vigils, recorded in a single take, was released in 2006. The band then signed to Wierd Records, which released 2009's Sentinelle. Following its 2011 record Sets & Lights, which was also released on Wierd and showcased elements from darkwave, Italo disco and techno, the duo issued the single "Sheen" for Electric Voice and collaborated with Fabian Marti, composing a soundtrack for the Swiss artist. 

Xeno & Oaklander signed to Ghostly International for 2014's Par Avion, which featured Serge synthesizer and was inspired by synesthesia. Sessions for Par Avion produced 2015's Movements, a 35-piece commissioned by National Center for the Arts, Grenoble and Ecole du Magasin. Following 2016's Topiary on Ghostly International, the duo released Movements II, which was only available on their tour that May; in October, the bossa nova-tinged single "Moonlight" appeared on a split 7-inch released by the UK magazine Electronic Sound. Shortly thereafter the duo signed to Dais Records, which issued the album Hypnos in 2019.

[Spotify] Infinite Sadness

“Ain't it Strange”, Patti Smith

This way: Ain't it Strange

Patti Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, and author whose 1975 debut album Horses made her an influential member of the New York City-based punk rock movement. Smith has fused rock and poetry in her work. In 1978, her most widely known song, "Because the Night", co-written with Bruce Springsteen, reached 13th on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and fifth on the UK Singles Chart.

In 2005, Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In November 2010, Smith won the National Book Award for her memoir Just Kids, written to fulfill a promise she made to Robert Mapplethorpe, her longtime partner. She is ranked 47th on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, published in 2010, and was awarded the Polar Music Prize in 2011.

[Spotify] Ain't it Strange

“Hanging Around”, The Stranglers

This way: Hanging Around

The Stranglers are an English rock band who emerged via the punk rock scene. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 19 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have originated in the UK punk scene.

Formed as the Guildford Stranglers in Guildford, Surrey, in early 1974, they originally built a following within the mid-1970s pub rock scene. While their aggressive, no-compromise attitude had them identified by the media with the emerging UK punk rock scene that followed, their idiosyncratic approach rarely followed any single musical genre, and the group went on to explore a variety of musical styles, from new wave, art rock and gothic rock through the sophisti-pop of some of their 1980s output. They had major mainstream success with their 1982 single "Golden Brown". Their other hits include "No More Heroes", "Peaches", "Always the Sun", "Skin Deep" and "Big Thing Coming". 

The Stranglers' early sound was driven by Jean-Jacques Burnel's melodic bass, but also gave prominence to Dave Greenfield's keyboards. Their early music was also characterised by the growling vocals and sometimes misanthropic lyrics of both Burnel and Hugh Cornwell. Over time, their output gradually grew more refined and sophisticated. Summing up their contribution to popular music, critic Dave Thompson later wrote: "From bad-mannered yobs to purveyors of supreme pop delicacies, the group was responsible for music that may have been ugly and might have been crude – but it was never, ever boring."

This track from 1977.

[Spotify] Hanging Around

“Doers”, BODEGA

This way: Doers

BODEGA is an American punk band from New York City. 

BODEGA's name comes from the name of a corner shop in New York City. They released their first full-length album in 2018, titled Endless Scroll. The album was produced by Parquet Courts member Austin Brown and released through record label What's Your Rupture? In 2019, BODEGA released their first EP titled Shiny New Model.

Band members: Ben Hozie – vocals, guitar, Nikki Belfiglio – vocals, Dan Ryan – guitar, Adam See – bass guitar, Adam Shumski – stand-up percussion.

[Spotify] Doers

“Mutilator”, Sonny and the Sunsets

This way: Mutilator

Sonny Smith (born 1972) is an American musician, playwright and multimedia artist from San Francisco. He has released fourteen albums since 2000, largely with group Sonny & The Sunsets. His work has variously encompassed blues, folk, pop and rock elements. AllMusic noted that his 2002 album, This Is My Story, This Is My Song, lifted him from obscurity to cult status.

Smith is a songwriter in the tradition of Ray Davies whose songs are often populated by characters with an emphasis on outcasts, weirdos, freaks, death, love and atypical transformation. They sometimes recall the 1950s era doo wop of The Falcons combined with the direct sincerity and positive spirit of Modern Lovers’ Jonathan Richman, the kitchen sink wisdom of Michael Hurley and the absurdity of The Hairy Who? art collective, as well as the dark confessional humor of cartoonists like Robert Crumb. 

[Spotify] Mutilator

“Damien Lovelock”, The Moles

This way: Damien Lovelock

The Moles were an Australian indie pop band founded and led by Richard Davies. 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 full-length 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. 

[Spotify] Damien Lovelock

“Broken Bottle”, John Langford, Sally Timms

This way: Broken Bottle

Here is a great cover of a song by Alejandro Escovedo. Langford and Timms are two British artists who moved to Chicago light years ago while making music as the Mekons. They have embraced the sound of American music and have created a fantastic broken bottle of work. 

[Spotify] Broken Bottle

[Spotify, original] Broken Bottle

“Even if it's a Lie”, Chin-Chin

This way: Even if its a Lie

It is hard to find out too much about this band on line. 

An all-female group formed in 1982 in Biel, Switzerland. Chin Chin, an all-female group consisting of Karin (guitar/vocals), Esther (bass/vocals) and Marie-Anne (drums/vocals), was formed in 1982 in Biel, Switzerland. At the time experience wasn't needed, a desire to play was. Technical ability was a bonus, a hunger to perform a must. So, although Esther and Marie-Anne had experience as singers for local band Sophisticated Boom Boom, neither had actually played bass or drums respectively before. Similarly, while Karin had some training in classical acoustic guitar, she'd never been in a band or played electric guitar before. 

[Spotify] Even if its a Lie

“Hold on Firefly”, Matthew Ryan

This way: Hold on Firefly

Matthew Ryan (born November 7, 1971) is an American musician, singer and songwriter,cborn in Chester, Pennsylvania and inspired by such artists as U2, The Replacements, and Leonard Cohen. He logged several years in a series of bands before signing with A&M Records as a solo artist in 1996. No Depression magazine has described him as "Equal parts Springsteen, Westerberg and Ryan Adams, Ryan is a powerhouse of a storyteller for almost two decades. A forefather of the Alt-country scene, Ryan has yet to receive as much commercial success as some of his contemporaries." Ryan is known for his "hushed rasp, with words catching like vows destined to be broken – one of modern music's most potent whispers." 

Ryan has released 18 solo albums to date, and two collaborations: one with Neilson Hubbard in the band Strays Don't Sleep, and the other with ambient/post-rock band Hammock. His music has been featured in One Tree Hill, Ash Wednesday, Dawson's Creek, The 24th Day, The Unit, and House. His most recent album, The Future was Beautiful, was released in November 2019. 

[Spotify] Hold on Firefly

“Isaiah 45:23”, Mountain Goats

This way: Isaiah 45:23

The Mountain Goats are an American band formed in Claremont, California, by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. The band is currently based in Durham, North Carolina. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle, despite the plural moniker. Although he remains the core member of the band, he has worked with a variety of collaborators over time, including bassist and vocalist Peter Hughes, drummer Jon Wurster, multi-instrumentalist Matt Douglas, singer-songwriter Franklin Bruno, bassist and vocalist Rachel Ware, singer-songwriter/producer John Vanderslice, guitarist Kaki King, and multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark. 

Throughout the 1990s, the Mountain Goats were known for producing low-fidelity home recordings (most notably, on a cassette deck boombox) and releasing recordings in cassette or vinyl 7-inch formats. Since 2002, the Mountain Goats have adopted a more polished approach, often recording studio albums with a full band.

[Spotify] Isaiah 45:23

“Give You all my Love”, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers

This way: Give You all my Love

River Shook (born September 15, 1985), known professionally by their birth name Sarah Shook, is an American country singer-songwriter from Chatham County, North Carolina. Their "high lonesome" style incorporates country-punk, twang, and outlaw country.

Shook was born in Rochester, New York. They were homeschooled and grew up in a fundamentalist Christian family where music was restricted; they were permitted only to listen to classical and worship music. When Shook was 9 years old they taught themselves piano, and in high school they taught themselves acoustic guitar.

[Spotify] Give You all my Love

“Ring of Fire”, Wall of Voodoo

This way: Ring of Fire

Wall of Voodoo was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Though largely an underground act for the majority of its existence, the band came to prominence when its 1982 single "Mexican Radio" became a hit on MTV and alternative radio. The band was known for surrealist lyrics drawing on iconography of the American southwest. 

Wall of Voodoo had its roots in Acme Soundtracks, a film score business started by Stan Ridgway, later the vocalist and harmonica player for Wall of Voodoo. Acme Soundtracks' office was across the street from the Hollywood punk club The Masque and Ridgway was soon drawn into the emerging punk/new wave scene. Marc Moreland, guitarist for the Skulls, began jamming with Ridgway at the Acme Soundtracks office and the soundtrack company morphed into a new wave band. In 1977, with the addition of Skulls members Bruce Moreland (Marc Moreland's brother) as bassist and Chas T. Gray as keyboardist, along with Joe Nanini, who had been the drummer for the Bags, the Eyes, and Black Randy and the Metrosquad, the first lineup of the band was born, named Wall of Voodoo before their first show in reference to a comment made by Joe Berardi, a friend of Ridgway's and member of the Fibonaccis.

[Spotify] Ring of Fire

“John Sinclair”, John Lennon, RIP John Sinclair

This way: John Sinclair

They gave him 10 to 2. 

John Sinclair (October 2, 1941 – April 2, 2024) was an American poet, writer, and political activist from Flint, Michigan. Sinclair's defining style is jazz poetry, and he released most of his works in audio formats. Most of his pieces include musical accompaniment, usually by a varying group of collaborators dubbed Blues Scholars.

As an emerging young poet in the mid-1960s, Sinclair took on the role of manager for the Detroit rock band MC5. The band's politically charged music and its Yippie core audience dovetailed with Sinclair's own radical development. In 1968, while still working with the band, he conspicuously served as a founding member of the White Panther Party, a militantly anti-racist socialist group and counterpart of the Black Panthers.

Arrested for possession of marijuana in 1969, Sinclair was given ten years in prison. The sentence was criticized by many as unduly harsh, and it galvanized a noisy protest movement led by prominent figures of the 1960s counterculture. Sinclair was freed in December 1971, but he remained in litigation – his case against the government for illegal domestic surveillance was successfully pleaded to the US Supreme Court in United States v. U.S. District Court (1972).

[Spotify] John Sinclair

“Papa Was a Rodeo”, The Magnetic Fields

This way: Papa Was a Rodeo

If you don't know this LP you are in for a treat. 69 of the finest songs ever recorded on a 3 CD set. Released in 1999. It has a ton on jems and is one of the finest records ever recorded. 

The Magnetic Fields (named after the André Breton/Philippe Soupault novel Les Champs Magnétiques) are an American band founded and led by Stephin Merritt. Merritt is the group's primary songwriter, producer, and vocalist, as well as frequent multi-instrumentalist. Merritt's lyrics are often about love and feature atypical or neutral gender roles, and are by turns ironic, tongue-in-cheek, bitter, and humorous. The band released their debut single "100,000 Fireflies" in 1991. The single was typical of the band's earlier career, characterized by synthesized instrumentation by Merritt, with lead vocals provided by Susan Anway (and then by Stephin Merritt himself, from the House of Tomorrow EP onwards). A more traditional band later materialized; it is now composed of Merritt, Claudia Gonson, Sam Davol, and John Woo, with occasional guest vocals by Shirley Simms. The band's best-known work is the 1999 three-volume concept album 69 Love Songs. It was followed in the succeeding years by a "no-synth" trilogy: i (2004), Distortion (2008), and Realism (2010). The band's latest album, Quickies, was released on May 29, 2020.

[Spotify] Papa Was a Rodeo

“Astro Zombies”, Misfits

This way: Astro Zombies

Another classic from these boys of beyond. Walk Among Us is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Misfits, released in March 1982 by Ruby Records and its parent label Slash Records. It was the first full-length album to be released by the band, although it was the third to be recorded, after Static Age and 12 Hits from Hell. The recording sessions for Walk Among Us took place at multiple studios between June 1981 and January 1982, and the album also includes the track "Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?", which was recorded live at the Ritz in New York City. The album features a re-recording of the single "Night of the Living Dead", which was released on October 31, 1979.  

[Spotify] Astro Zombies

“Kool Thing”, Sonic Youth

This way: Kool Thing

"Kool Thing" is a song by American rock band Sonic Youth, released in June 1990 in the United States (as a promotional single) and September 1990 in Europe, as the first single from their sixth studio album Goo. The song was inspired by an interview bassist/singer Kim Gordon conducted with LL Cool J for Spin. Although he is never mentioned by name, the song's lyrics contain several references to LL Cool J. Gordon's lyrics make reference to several of the rapper's works, including the single "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and the album Walking with a Panther. She also repeats the line "I don't think so", which appears in LL Cool J's "Going Back to Cali". Chuck D also contributed spoken vocals to the song.  

[Spotify] Kool Thing

“Evil Spawn”, Waxahatchee

This way: Evil Spawn

Ok, this woman can write a damn song. She already has a ton of great ones. Great new LP.

Waxahatchee is an American indie music project, formed in 2010 by American singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield (born January 4, 1989) following the break-up of her previous band P.S. Eliot. The band is named after Waxahatchee Creek, in Alabama, where Crutchfield grew up. Originally an acoustic solo project, her recordings now tend to involve a full backing band. As Waxahatchee, she has released six solo studio albums to date: American Weekend (2012), Cerulean Salt (2013), Ivy Tripp (2015), Out in the Storm (2017), Saint Cloud (2020) and Tigers Blood (2024). Away from Waxahatchee, Crutchfield was also a member of alternative country duo Plains alongside Jess Williamson. 

[Spotify] Evil Spawn