Bim Skala Bim, “Wandering Soul”

Yeah, let’s hear it for 90s ska! Hey, what are you doing with that tomato?

Bim Skala Bim’s Bones is the one where they really cemented their sunny sound, sort of a pop/ska approach that they would more or less carry through the rest of their records. I think I’ve listened to their version of “Brain Damage” more than Pink Floyd’s original.

Elf Power, “Upside Down”

That’s a pretty tough sound for Elf Power! I’d like them better with more of this kind of thing.

Flop, “Anne”

If you’re a longtime reader/listener of Five Songs, first, I deeply apologize. But second, you’re probably tired of me moaning about how Flop was unfairly ignored when they were active. Well, guess what? They were! I’ll keep saying it, because dammit, the world needs to know.

Also, I thought the name of this album was & the Fall of the Mousesqueezer for a really long time until someone on Usenet corrected me.

I need some more high concept entries here. Something where I can actually have a connection between the elements. I’m stymied, of course, by my format. And the fact that I write these as I play the songs, so I don’t know what the next song will be as I’m writing about the current song. I guess I could play all five and then write?

Judy and the Loadies, “I’m Not Drunk”

OK, I swear, I was going to try it, and then that terrible trombone bit happened, and I had to mention it. I’m sorry, I’ll try again tomorrow!

matt pond PA, “Measure 3”

I ran out of interesting (?) things to say about matt pond PA a couple tracks ago. So, as per the standard Five Songs Style Guide, that gives me license to just blather here.

…

Turns out I don’t have anything interesting to say that’s not about matt pond PA either. Oh! The new Belle and Sebastian is pretty good! That’s almost relevant to this band.

DZ Deathrays, “Reflective Skull”

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating - make some friends in Australia and hit ’em up for music recommendations. You can’t miss! This is from a different friend than the last time I mentioned this particular life hack, that’s how I know that it just works generally.

Circus Lupus, “Cyclone Billy”

Delightful post-hardcore here from the first Circus Lupus record. They would only get better on their second album, but both are excellent if you’re into the sound.

Mary Wells, “Bye Bye Baby”

A real rager here from the early Motown days from Mary Wells. It’s certainly easy to see how this did so well for them.

Labradford, “Disremembering”

Here’s a track from the first drone record by Labradford, the record that found them with their most minimal lineup. Labradford was always most effective setting a mood, and I think that the mood comes through the most with fewer tools in the arsenal.

Jan Jelinek, “Universal Band Silhouette”

Sounds like being slowly dipped in warm syrup.

Jean Grae & Quelle Chris, “Gold Purple Orange”

Goddamn, Jean Grae absolutely kills it on this track. Somehow, she always startles me when she comes in, and then my skull melts.

Dance Hall Crashers, “Beverly Kills”

A lot of the Dance Hall Crashers songs were really not super inspiring or anything. And really, the point of the band is just listen to the harmonies and vibe. Isn’t that pleasant?

Palmistry, “In The Mountains…”

A mystery here. This is from a release just labeled Demo, and it doesn’t appear to be from Bandcamp. It’s from 2017 according to the metadata (and Metal Archives), but I don’t know where else I would have gotten it other than Bandcamp. Well, whatever. Let’s listen! Pretty basic doom here, not unpleasant, but not lighting me on fire either.

Hüsker Dü, “Something I Learned Today”

This opens one of the most impressive and important albums in all of hardcore, Zen Arcade. Hüsker Dü proved that hardcore could still be recognizable and even thrive in an environment of trying unorthodox things. That they pulled this off with a double album that was recorded in as much of a rush as the music itself makes it doubly impressive. Pound for pound, it’s probably not their best record, but for the ambition and impact, you can’t argue with it as a holistic piece of work.

Boldy James and the Alchemist, “Scrape the Bowl”

Boldy James and the Alchemist got together for a second record, The Price of Tea in China, seven years after the first record. They’ve got great chemistry together, something they must agree on as they subsequently went on to make a third record. It’s very good, and if this track strikes your fancy, you’ll definitely enjoy it.

Public Enemy, “Miuzi Weighs A Ton”

I was going to use the phrase “old school” in my description back there, but thought better of it because I’m not even entirely sure I know what old school means to people these days. Sometimes it seems to just mean “in a style I like”. Anyway, to me? This is what it means.

Pavement, “Stereo”

I dunno, I just love Pavement. Just hearing the intro to this song puts a grin on my face. I haven’t gotten sick of it yet, and I hope I never do. Pavement will probably be one of those bands that my kids will look back on fondly as reminding them of their old man, and maybe they’ll even listen to them occasionally as a result. I’ll still be distorting their taste from beyond the grave!