“867-5309”, Tommy Tutone

This way: 867-5309

Tommy Tutone is an American power pop band, known for its 1981 song "867-5309/Jenny", which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band's lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and occasional keyboardist is Tommy Heath. He is the only active original member currently touring as Tommy Tutone. Heath grew up in Philadelphia, Texas, and Montana before moving to San Francisco during the Summer of Love to become a hippie. There, he formed the band with Jim Keller and Terry Nails in 1978, naming it after his nickname. The band's first single, "Angel Say No", was released in 1980 and reached the top 40, and they opened for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on his US tour for Damn the Torpedoes.

The band's second album, Tommy Tutone 2, was released in 1981 and featured "867-5309/Jenny". The song became so popular that people in the United States still prank call the number and ask for Jenny today.[citation needed] In 2006, VH1 named it the 36th-greatest song of the 1980s.

As of January 2024, Heath is living in Portland, Oregon, and back touring as Tommy Tutone.  

[Spotify] 867-5309 

“777-9311”, The Time

This way: 777-9311

The Time, later known as Morris Day and the Time and the Original 7ven, is an American funk rock band founded in Minneapolis in 1981. They contributed to the development of the Minneapolis sound, an eclectic fusion of funk, R&B, new wave, synth-pop and dance. Led by singer-songwriter Morris Day the band members are known for having been close associates of musician Prince, and are arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him, achieving success with singles such as "Get It Up", "The Bird", "Cool", "777-9311", "Jungle Love" and "Jerk Out".

Former members Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis went on to a prominent production career after they left the band in 1983, while Day and guitarist Jesse Johnson recorded solo material in addition to their work with the Time.

The Time in 1981. From left: Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam, Morris Day, Jellybean Johnson, Monte Moir, and Jesse Johnson. The Time was assembled under a clause in Prince's contract with Warner Bros. that allowed him to recruit and produce other artists for the label. Inspired by the musical film The Idolmaker (1980), about a rock promoter, Prince decided to create a pop-funk group that would serve as an outlet for his material in the vein of his own early albums, while he explored other genres and styles in his own career.  

[Spotify] 777-9311 

“6060-842”, B-52’s

This way: 6060-842

The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's (with an errant apostrophe; used until 2008), are an American band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, percussion), Ricky Wilson (guitar, vocals), and Keith Strickland (drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals). Ricky Wilson died of AIDS-related illness in 1985,[9] and Strickland permanently switched from drums to lead guitar. The band has also added various members for albums and live performances.

The B-52s have had many hits, including "Rock Lobster", "Planet Claire", "Party Out of Bounds", "Private Idaho", "Whammy Kiss", "Summer of Love", "Wig", "Love Shack", "Roam", "Funplex" and "(Meet) The Flintstones". They have been nominated for three Grammy Awards: twice for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1990 and 1991, and for Best Alternative Music Album in 1992. In April 2022, the group announced they were retiring from touring.[10] A 2023 Las Vegas residency was announced in November 2022.

The group evoked a "thrift shop aesthetic", in Bernard Gendron's words, by drawing from 1950s and 1960s pop music, rock and roll, and camp/kitsch culture. Schneider, Pierson, and Wilson sometimes use call-and-response-style vocals (Schneider's often humorous Sprechgesang contrasting with Wilson's and Pierson's melodic harmonies), and their guitar- and keyboard-driven instrumentation is their trademark sound, which was also set apart from their contemporaries by the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used on their earlier albums.  

[Spotify] 6060-842 

“Because we Built it”, John Maus

This way: Beacause we Built it

John Maus (born February 23, 1980) is an American musician, composer, singer, and songwriter known for his baritone singing style and his use of vintage synthesizer sounds and Medieval church modes, a combination that often draws comparisons to 1980s goth-pop. His early lo-fi recordings anticipated and inspired the late 2000s hypnagogic pop movement. On stage, he is characterized for his intense displays of emotion while performing. He is also a former teacher of philosophy at the University of Hawaii, where he later earned his PhD in political science.

Maus' early influences included Nirvana, a-ha, Syd Barrett, Jim Morrison, and composers of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque eras. In 1998, he left his hometown of Austin, Minnesota to study experimental music at the California Institute of the Arts. When he befriended and first worked alongside classmate Ariel Pink, he took a greater interest in pop music. He produced most of the music from his first two albums Songs (2006) and Love Is Real (2007) on cassette tape with an early 1990s sound bank. The albums generally drew negative reviews upon release, and it was not until the success of his third, We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves (2011), that he became more widely accepted as an outsider artist. 

[Spotify] Because we Built it 

“OK Hieronymus”, Graham Parker

This way: OK Hieronymus

Graham Parker (born 18 November 1950) is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.

The 1980s were Parker's most commercially successful years, with well-financed recordings and radio and video play. His follow-up to The Up Escalator, 1982's Another Grey Area, used session musicians Nicky Hopkins and Hugh McCracken. This album charted at UK No. 40 and US No. 51, and spun off a top 50 UK single in "Temporary Beauty". 

Record label changes came quickly after the mid-1980s, partly accounting for the number of compilation albums in Graham Parker's discography. Particularly unproductive was Parker's tenure at Atlantic Records, where he released nothing and signed to RCA Records. He began producing his own recordings and issued The Mona Lisa's Sister. The backing band for this album included former Rumour-mates Schwarz and Bodnar; keyboardists James Hallawell and Steve Nieve; and drummer Terry Williams (replaced on one cut by Andy Duncan, and two others by Pete Thomas, who, like Nieve, was a member of Elvis Costello and the Attractions). Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Mona Lisa's Sister at No. 97 on its list of The 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s.

[Spotify] OK Hieronymus 

“Car Crash”, The Bones of J.R. Jones

This way: Car Crash

Lovew this near perfect song. The youtube vid is spectacular. The Bones of J.R. Jones is a project from American singer, guitarist, and songwriter Jonathon Linaberry (born in central New York State in 1982). Jonathon Linaberry looks back on Radio Waves, his sixth album as The Bones Of J.R. Jones, but there’s more than just nostalgia at play. Recorded with producer Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Bahamas), the collection is moody and hypnotic, drawing on the sonic landscape of Linaberry’s youth as it reckons with the doubt and uncertainty of adulthood. The arrangements are entrancing, built on the tension between acoustic instruments and retro synthesizers, and Linaberry’s performances are raw and visceral, at times aching in their vulnerability. Put it all together and you’ve got a poignant exploration of memory and longing delivered by a relentless searcher, a revelatory work of personal reflection rooted in the endless beauty, pain, and chaos of growing up.

Born in central New York, Linaberry got his start playing in punk bands before becoming enamored with the field recordings of Alan Lomax. He launched The Bones of J.R. Jones in 2012 and began releasing a series of albums and EPs that would land his songs in films and TV shows like True Detective, Suits, and Daredevil, and lead to countless tours across the US and Europe, including stops everywhere from Telluride Blues to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. 

[Spotify] Car Crash 

“Tomorrows Girls”, U.K. Subs

This way: Tomorrows Girls

U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. One of the first hardcore punk bands, elements of rhythm and blues music - including harmonica - also remained an occasional element of their work. 

Although the U.K. Subs were part of the original punk movement in England, the band originally started playing as part of the pub rock scene under the name The Marauders. In 1976, after seeing a couple of punk rock shows at The Roxy, the band decided to become a punk rock band, changing their name at first to the Subversives but later modifying it to the U.K. Subs. The band consisted of founder Charlie Harper, guitarist Nicky Garratt, bassist Paul Slack, and a drummer who went under the name Rory Lyons. By the time the band recorded their first single, Pete Davies had replaced Lyons and was the band's regular drummer. 

This track from 1979.

 

[Spotify] Tomorrows Girls 

“Okay”, Girl and Girl

This way: Okay

Girl and Girl are a four-piece Australian rock band from Brisbane. They were formed in the Gold Coast by Kai James on lead vocals, Jayden Williams on lead guitar and Aunt Liss (Melissa James) on drums. Fraser Bell later joined on bass guitar. Girl and Girl were signed by Sub Pop in 2023, and their debut album was released on May 24, 2024. 

Vocalist Kai James and guitarist Jayden Williams began jamming in James' mother's garage. One day, James' Aunt Liss (Melissa James) joined them on drums after walking her dog. Girl and Girl were formed in Gold Coast, in 2020, by James, Williams, Liss and Jayden's brother Coby Williams on bass guitar. The quartet's early singles were "Shame Its not Now" and "White Tiles" (April 2021). Their first extended play, A Typical Friday Night (Shame, Sex And Misery), was released in September alongside a 10" released by Colossus Records, together with a music video for its single, "Doctor Marten". Initially intended as a temporary arrangement, Aunt Liss became a permanent member of the band.

 

[Spotify] Okay 

“Mess”, Scratch Acid

This way: Mess

Scratch Acid was an American post-hardcore/noise rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1982. One of the pioneers of noise rock in the 1980s, the band is best remembered as a stepping stone for its frontman David Yow, and bass player David Wm. Sims, both later of the Jesus Lizard. Scratch Acid was launched in Austin, Texas, in 1982. When they first began, their lineup was Steve Anderson (vocals), David Wm. Sims (guitar), Brett Bradford (guitar), David Yow (bass), and Rey Washam (drums). Anderson was kicked out of the band before they ever recorded an album, prompting Yow to move to vocals and Sims to move to bass.

Scratch Acid's first EP was released in 1984, by Texas indie record label Rabid Cat and featured the song "Lay Screaming". 

The band returned to Rabid Cat for their debut album, Just Keep Eating, released in 1986. When queried about the significance of the title in a February 1987 interview, the band called the title "kinda silly" and "an inside joke", related to the fact that they all had lived together and done well to just keep surviving. Eschewing pop sensibilities but instead pushing boundaries with noise, the band listed Sonic Youth, Big Black, and Butthole Surfers as their stylistic peers.

 

[Spotify] Mess 

“Today your Love, Tommorow the World”, Domkraft with Entombed & Solace members

This way: Today your Love, Tommorow the World

I love the Metal overblown take on the simple Ramones classics as heard here. Tere is a whole LP of such meandearings coming soon from Magnetic Eye records . . . Although it is 5:48 minutes that you will not get back again. 

 

[Spotify] Today your Love, Tommorow the World 

“Jerry Lee”, Didjits

This way: Jerry Lee

Didjits were an American punk rock band formed in Mattoon, Illinois in 1981, composed of Rick Sims on guitar/vocals, Doug Evans on bass, and Rick's brother Brad Sims, on drums. Didjits were known for the aggressive guitar playing and persona of Rick Sims, who often baited the audience between songs, and took plenty of abuse for it. Moreover, the band also added odd stunts and theatrical bits to some of their stage shows, particularly when playing in Chicago and Champaign. 

They released their first album in 1986 on Bam Bam Records and disbanded in 1994, but briefly reunited in 2006. Brad Sims left the band in 1992. Former Scratch Acid drummer Rey Washam filled in for the Little Miss Carriage EP, and Todd Cole eventually took over as the drummer. Their song "Killboy Powerhead" was covered by The Offspring on their breakthrough 1994 album Smash.

 

[Spotify] Jerry Lee 

“Across the Sea”, Salem 66

This way: Across the Sea

Salem 66 was an American indie-rock group formed in 1982 by Judy Grunwald, Elisabeth Kaplan and Susan Merriam. At the time, a serious almost-all-female rock band was somewhat unusual. Through the band's existence, it added and subtracted members, including Robert Wilson Rodriguez, Stephen Smith, Tim Condon, and Jim Vincent. Salem 66 lasted until 1989 and was an important part of the Boston alternative indie music scene. They recorded and released records on Homestead Records, a label founded by Gerard Cosloy. Their music was described as folk punk, but they could be called jangle pop and a loose association can be made with the Paisley Underground and groups such as R.E.M. The first reissue of Salem 66’s music, Salt collects ten songs chosen by the songwriters from their cult-classic Homestead EP, singles, and four full-lengths, accompanied by a critical essay by musician Franklin Bruno, and retrospective notes by Grunwald and Kaplan.

 

[Spotify] Across the Sea 

“Our Hometown Boy”, Hard Quartet

This way: Our Hometown Boy

The Hard Quartet is an indie rock supergroup formed in May 2023. Its members are Stephen Malkmus, Matt Sweeney, Jim White, and Emmett Kelly. Malkmus, Sweeney, and Kelly all share vocal, guitar, and bass duties in the Hard Quartet, while White is the group's drummer.

Malkmus is primarily known for being the frontman and primary singer-songwriter of Pavement during the 1990s, while Sweeney was the frontman and guitarist of the band Chavez during the same decade. White is one of the founding members of the Australian instrumental rock band Dirty Three. Kelly, in addition to being the leader of the Cairo Gang, previously collaborated with White on numerous projects, beginning with Will Oldham's 2006 album The Letting Go. Malkmus and Sweeney knew each other for many years before Sweeney first proposed the idea for the Hard Quartet, which he did while he and Malkmus were collaborating on the latter's 2019 solo album Traditional Techniques. 

The Hard Quartet was first announced in July 2024, and they released their first single, "Earth Hater", that same month.The following month, they released their second single, "Rio's Song", accompanied by a music video based on the video for the Rolling Stones' 1981 song "Waiting on a Friend".The Hard Quartet's debut studio album, also called The Hard Quartet, was released on Matador Records on October 4, 2024. 

 

[Spotify] Our Hometown Boy 

“Beautiful Girl”, Robyn Hitchcock

This way: Beautiful Girl

Robyn Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the influential Underwater Moonlight with them in June 1980, Hitchcock launched a prolific solo career.

Hitchcock's earliest lyrics mined a rich vein of English surrealist comic tradition and tended to depict a particular type of eccentric and sardonic English worldview. His music and performance style was influenced by Bob Dylan, and by the English folk music revival of the 1960s and early 1970s. This was soon filtered through a then-unfashionable psychedelic rock lens during the punk rock and new wave music eras of the late 1970s and early 1980s. This combination of musical styles won Hitchcock's band of the time, The Soft Boys, an enthusiastic if small fanbase. However, the Soft Boys' final album together, Underwater Moonlight, posthumously earned them a glowing reputation (particularly in America) as a major influence on bands like R.E.M. 

After finding a measure of success in the latter 1980s in America, Hitchcock's lyrical and musical horizons broadened further to encompass a range of approaches while still retaining a recognisably surreal, but more serious, signature style. He has recorded for two major American labels (A&M Records, then Warner Bros.) over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, and was the subject of a live performance/documentary film (Storefront Hitchcock) by major motion picture director Jonathan Demme in 1998. Since the turn of the millennium he has also finally received belated critical recognition in his home country. Despite this, mainstream success remains limited. 

[Spotify] Beautiful Girl 

“Vegetables”, Beach Boys, Brian Wilson RIP

This way: Vegetables

Brian Wilson was a crazed maniac and this song is proof. I sort of gravitate towards the margins when it comes to the Beach Boys. "Johnny Carson" is also a close runner for the best song in this category. 

[Spotify] Vegetables 

“Virgina Tech”, Panda Bear

This way: Virgina Tech

Noah Benjamin Lennox (born July 17, 1978), also known by his moniker Panda Bear, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founding member of the band Animal Collective. In addition to his work with that group, Lennox has released six solo LPs since 1999, with his 2007 album Person Pitch inspiring the chillwave genre and numerous other acts. His subsequent albums Tomboy (2011) and Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper (2015) both reached the Billboard 200.

Lennox was primarily raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where he sang tenor in his high school chamber choir, and studied piano and cello. The name "Panda Bear" derived from his habit of drawing pandas on his early mixtapes as a teenager. He and the other members of Animal Collective began collaborating in the late 1990s. He has also collaborated with other artists, including Daft Punk on their 2013 single "Doin' It Right", Dean Blunt on his song "9" and Sonic Boom on the 2022 album Reset. Since 2004, he has lived in Lisbon, Portugal. 

 

[Spotify] Virgina Tech 

“Everyday People”, Sly—RIP

This way: Everyday People

Sly and the Family Stone was an American funk band formed in San Francisco, California in 1966 and active until 1983. They are considered to be pivotal in the development of funk, soul, R&B, rock, and psychedelic music. Their core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and included Stone's brother and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone, sister and singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Greg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham. The band was the first major American rock group to have a racially integrated, mixed-gender lineup.

Formed in 1966, the group's music synthesized a variety of disparate musical genres to help pioneer the emerging "psychedelic soul" sound. They released a series of Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits such as "Dance to the Music" (1968), "Everyday People" (1968), and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" (1969), as well as critically acclaimed albums such as Stand! (1969), which combined pop sensibility with social commentary. In the 1970s, it transitioned into a darker and less commercial funk sound on releases such as There's a Riot Goin' On (1971) and Fresh (1973), proving as influential as their early work. By 1975, drug problems and interpersonal clashes led to dissolution,[6] though Sly continued to record and tour with a new rotating lineup under the name "Sly and the Family Stone" until drug problems forced his effective retirement in 1987.

 

[Spotify] Everyday People 

[Fav cover] Everyday People (Joan cover) 

“Ripped + Torn”, Lifeguard

This way: Ripped + Torn

Lifeguard is an American indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois. The band is currently signed to Matador Records. Formed in 2019, Lifeguard consists of bassist and vocalist Asher Case, drummer and percussionist Isaac Lowenstein, and guitarist and vocalist Kai Slater. Case and Lowenstein were originally in the band Horsegirl, which Lowenstein's sister is a member of. The group released their debut EP, In Silence, in 2020. The band self-released their first album, DIVE, in 2021.

The band signed to Matador Records in 2023, where they released two EPs, Crowd Can Talk and Dressed in Trenches. Crowd Can Talk was originally issued by Chicago label Born Yesterday in the summer of 2022, while Dressed in Trenches featured five previously unreleased songs. Both EPs were recorded at Chicago's Electrical Audio studio with engineer Mike Lust within a span of 12 months.

  

[Spotify] Ripped + Torn 

“Doom Monger”, Gina Birch (The Raincoats)

This way: Doom Monger

Gina Birch (born October 1955) is an English musician and filmmaker, best known as a founding member of post-punk rock band the Raincoats.

Born in Nottingham, Birch attended Nottingham Girls' High School and subsequently Hornsey School of Art, where she formed the Raincoats with Ana da Silva in 1977. Following the first breakup of The Raincoats in 1984, Birch worked with experimental musician Mayo Thompson and his ensemble, Red Crayola, for a period in Germany. After this time, Birch formed the band Dorothy, with fellow ex-Raincoat Vicky Aspinall. The band was subsequently signed by Geoff Travis to Rough Trade. Following Dorothy's breakup, Birch matriculated at the Royal College of Art, where she studied film direction, and produced several dramas. In the early 1990s, the Raincoats were asked to perform on tour with grunge band Nirvana, and were consequently invited to make an album by DGC Records. This temporarily interrupted Birch's filmmaking endeavors. However, Birch did produce several music videos in this period, including the DVD video for the Libertines, released with their album. Gina has directed videos for Daisy Chainsaw, (2) the Libertines (3), Palma Violets, the Raincoats, Dorothy, and many others. She directed New Order's "Crystal" with artist Simon Tyszko, as well as multiple video installations. Birch's musical career continued through the 1990s, with the 1998 release of album Slow Dirty Tears, with the Hangovers, a band she had formed in 1996. In 2000 and 2007, Birch performed live at Ladyfest, and continues to perform regularly in London. In September 2007, she performed at the Modern Art Oxford to commemorate the end of the museum's Stella Vine exhibition.[5] Additionally, Birch has performed with Hayley Newman and Kaffe Matthews, as the Gluts, playing in several art museums and festivals. Currently, Birch pursues painting, and continues to produce music for subsequent albums. 

 

[Spotify] Doom Monger 

“a thousand lies”, Smerz

This way: a thousand lies

Smerz is a Norwegian music duo consisting of Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt. The duo splits their time between Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark. Their debut studio album, Believer, was released in 2021. Their name comes from the German word herzschmerz, meaning "heartbreak". Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt met at high school in Oslo and moved to Copenhagen in 2011. 

Smerz released their debut single, "Because", on SoundCloud in 2016. Later that year, they followed it with the EP Okey, released on Escho in Denmark and HardUp in the UK. In 2017, the duo signed with XL Recordings and re-released Okey under the new label. Their next EP, Have fun, arrived in 2018, also through XL. In 2021, Smerz released their debut studio album, Believer, on XL Recordings. That same year, they released the mixtape Før og etter on their own label, Shopping.

Smerz have been hosting a monthly radio show on NTS Radio since 2017

 

[Spotify] a thousand lies 

“Big City”, Wall of Voodoo

This way: Big City

At a certain point Stan Ridgway left Wall of Voodoo and Andy Prieboy took his place on vocals. He is doing his best impersonation of Stan as far and I can tell. There is a new Live LP of the Andy period out now. Always one of my favorite bands, but I have sone sort of allegiance to Stan for some reason. Still has some good songs though . . . . Mohave dust and paper cuts.

 

[Spotify] Big City 

“Should Have Known Better”, Becky and the Birds

This way: No

Swedish musician Thea Gustafsson——who writes, records, and produces under the moniker Becky and the Birds——has recently turned a new leaf, entering an era of creative freedom and emotional release with her self-produced debut album, Only Music Makes Me Cry Now, out now on 4AD.

 

[Spotify] Should Have Known Better 

“Don't take Your Love Away”, MOVIELAND

This way: Don't take Your Love Away

Vancouver’s Movieland is a cult shoegaze trio from the early '90s, blending melancholic melodies with lush, textured soundscapes. Their early recordings are being re-issued as Then & Now (2024) with new music to follow in Now & Then (2025) on 604 Records. 

 

[Spotify] Don't take Your Love Away 

“Red Yellow”, Swans

This way: Red Yellow

Swans are an American experimental rock band formed in 1981 by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. One of the few acts to emerge from the New York City-based no wave scene and stay intact into the next decade, Swans have become recognized for an ever-changing sound, exploring genres such as noise rock, post-punk, industrial and post-rock. Initially, their music was known for its sonic brutality and misanthropic lyrics. Following the addition of singer, songwriter and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to incorporate melody and intricacy into their music. Jarboe remained the band's only constant member with Gira and semi-constant guitarist Norman Westberg until their dissolution in 1997.

In 2010, Gira re-formed the band without Jarboe, establishing a stable lineup of musicians which has toured worldwide and released four albums to critical acclaim. This iteration of the group performed its last shows in November 2017, ending the tour in support of its then most recent album The Glowing Man. Since 2019, Gira has been touring and recording with Swans as "a revolving cast of contributors". The band's latest album, Birthing, was released on May 30, 2025. Since 1990, all Swans records have been released through Gira's own label, Young God Records.

Birthing is the seventeenth studio album by the American experimental rock band Swans. It was released on May 30, 2025, through Mute and Young God Records. Frontman Michael Gira stated that the album was the last to focus on "all-consuming sound worlds", with future albums taking on a "significantly pared down form".

[Spotify] Red Yellow 

“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