Valentine’s Day! Let’s do a special!

The Twilight Singers, “Candy Cany Crawl”

No! That’s the wrong kind of candy! Stupid randomizer.

Snoop Dogg, “Candy (Drippin’ Like Water)”

That’s the wrong kind of candy also! Starting to think that “candy” is mostly used as a metaphor in songs for other things than, you know, candy.

The Spinanes, “Kid in Candy”

First, before we examine the candy content of the song, let’s just take a moment and just marvel at how much fun it is to listen to Scott Plouf go on the drums. And Rebecca Gates is always a marvel. What a pleasure.

Lard, “Forkboy”

Lard, the collaboration between Jello Biafra (as you can clearly hear) and Ministry, usually sounded just like what you might expect that collab to sound like. But Ministry were having fun with it, and were just in full-on raging hardcore mode, and Jello was in fine form, so this album winds up being probably my favorite post-Kennedys Jello record.

People Under the Stairs, “Reflections”

People Under the Stairs hit their fifth album, and at this point, had really reached maturity as artists. They were now confident enough to not just crank out their old-school loop-based beats, but to add in some more compositions like this one. And to be able to write rhymes that can work together with this new style. It’s a nice addition to their toolbox, and as a result, this is probably my second-favorite album from them.

Powerrun, “Pulse of the Night”

As someone who actually lived through the 80s, I have a real mixed opinion of stuff like this. Yes, there’s a nostalgia that tugs at me, and some of these sounds are genuinely fun. At the same time, it also evokes a lot of boring, dreary stuff from that period. I suppose that nobody is really trying to recreate the lame stuff, but a whiff of that stink still clings to it in my memory. Well, anyway, I do enjoy listening to stuff like this sometimes.

Japandroids, “Younger Us”

Lots of music gets described as “anthemic”, and I’ve sometimes wondered what people mean by it. I think for me, it describes something that you want to shout along with, preferably with other people. Not sing, mind you. Shout. That’s an anthem, something to get you pumped up. The song has to ring, you know? Japandroids, of course, perfectly fit that template. How could you not want to shout along with this?

Jonwayne, “Afraid of Us”

A tasty drum loop here, and a nice lightweight structure up on top of it. Appropriate for a contemplative track like this one, this is just a solid song all around.

Delerium, “Sorrow”

A project from a couple of guys from Front Line Assembly, the industrial act out of Vancouver, Delerium goes in an ambient direction, as I suppose you can hear. This sort of thing doesn’t make my wheels squeak, so I only have this one EP from them. Maybe their other stuff is banging? Probably not.

They Might Be Giants, “Wait Actually Yeah No”

The latest TMBG album finds them returning to their mixed-media approach, producing a combination album/book entitled, uh, Book. It’s a typical late-period TMBG album, with lush arrangements and plenty of hooks. At this point, they know what kind of album they want to make and are very good at it. It’s the sort of thing that those of you who are into this sort of thing will like.

The Story So Far, “Line”

I don’t remember picking up this record, but I guess it’s not a huge surprise. Pure Noise Records might be how I found it? Anyway, pleasant enough.

But enough of that. Somehow Plex thinks that this album came out on something called “Ice Grill$”, and I really like an alternate universe where that was the only change, and thinking of baffled consumers on both sides encountering the album.

Jello Biafra with the Melvins, “Those Dumb Punk Kids (Will Buy Anything)”

Just a classic punk gallop here from the Melvins, with Jello’s warbling shout in fine form. Delightful stuff.

Polyrhythmics, “Cracked Pepper”

Those muted horns coming in at :32, that’s just lovely on top of this languid groove. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it agian: we need more horns in music. Gimme some grindcore with a trombone tearing it up. Some hardcore with someone on a trumpet blaring along beside it.

Prince, “Take Me With U”

Prince, yes please, take me with you.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, “‘78 Style”

The first JSBX was really very much a transitional record between Pussy Galore and what the JSBX would become. There’s just enough of the spastic, unpredictable energy in the proceedings to retain that gutter punk feel. Spencer would continue to draw on those sounds and attitudes throughout the JSBX run, but it’s nowhere as overt as on the first record.

Mary Wells, “My Guy”

Another classic Motown tune. I wish I could set up all my music streaming to just inject periodic Motown songs into whatever I’m listening to. Having a Four Tops song pop up in the middle of some Neanderthal death metal record would be pretty excellent.

Shenandoah Davis, “Gold Coast”

I like the choral bits in this, and the well placed additions to the piano. It’s a lovely piece.