Indian Handcrafts, “Starcraft”

Hooray for rock duos! Major riffage here, you almost don’t notice the absence of a bass player.

Stevie Wonder, “Another Star”

Stevie Wonder allowed himself some space to stretch out on the second album of Songs In The Keys Of Life. That sort of thing can dissolve into self-indulgence, but of course Stevie is one of the best ever, so it’s really just more of his stuff. It’s great!

The Aggrolites, “Reggae Hit L.A.”

The Aggrolites, a ska and reggae band from L.A., are somewhat unusual. The got started after the third wave had receeded, and there aren’t that bands working in this space that didn’t get rolling back then and just keep going. Or, at least, not many that I know about. At any rate, Reggae Hit L.A. is full of energy and sounds good, so I recommend it.

Screeching Weasel, “The First Day Of Summer”

Bark Like A Dog is the first Screeching Weasel album that came out after I’d graduated from college. It was also the first record after Ben Weasel decided to end his Ramones worshipping band, the Riverdales. And, you know, return to his previous Ramones worshipping band. At any rate, this stuff wasn’t quite hitting me totally right, and it was the first Screeching Weasel album where I found myself questioning why I was still picking up the records. I did last one more, though, because of course I did.

Helium, “XXX”

Amazingly, despite having Mary Timony show up here with Ex Hex, Wild Flag, Autoclave, and even as a solo artist, we’ve never actually had her show up with the band she’s most famous with, Helium. That ends today! If you couldn’t tell with my following her career across five different acts (maybe the most of any artist in my library!), I’m a huge fan. And I really do love her later work, but Helium is my favorite of her bands. It’s indie rock, yes, but the songs are really interesting and just so well done. I think this song speaks for itself, though.

Flop, “Regrets”

I sometimes think about what band I would wave a magic wand and just make famous. The bands that have the widest gap between my love for them and the wider perception of the band. At this point, if you’re a close student of Five Songs, first: what are you even doing? Why? But, you can probably guess some of these bands. Hammerhead, for instance. Pond (the one from Portland). The Slackers. Bands that I adore that never really moved the needle. Well, add to that list Flop, who tossed off pop rock as effortlessly as anybody ever has.

Vampire Weekend, “Unbelievers”

Vampire Weekend’s third album was a return to form to my ears. Contra was a little bit too scattered, and sounded a little bit tired, and just didn’t quite hang together. But Modern Vampires of the City had some of that ineffable charm back, with this song serving as a good example. This could easily have gone on the debut album, and that’s a high complement.

Flying Saucer Attack, “Rainstorm Blues”

Hmmm. I wonder what I’ve said about Flying Saucer Attack in the past? I’m sure I had opinions. I am also not going to look. I shouldn’t have to do all the work here! I tag these things, go look it up yourself!

Ghostface Killah, “The Champ”

This production from Just Blaze (you can tell it’s him because he announces it in the track, in his his trademark understated manner) needs to be played at maximum volume to be properly appreciated. Just trust me on that.

The Spinanes, “72-74”

Been a while since we’ve had The Spinanes, the duo of Rebecca Gates and Scott Plouf, who put out three albums in the 90s before disbanding. Defined by Gates’s lovely songs and a generally spare sensibility that ran contrary to the prevailaing approach in rock (especially for a Seattle band), this stuff holds up really well today. This is from the third and final Spinanes record, Arches and Aisles, which has the biggest arrangements on it, but is still pretty uncluttered.

NoFX, “Dinosaurs Will Die”

By the time they reached 2000’s Pump Up The Valuum, it was clear that NoFX were dedicated to never evolving for any reason. Which just makes them writing a song about the impending destruction of the music industry for, uh, not evolving just that much funnier. At any rate, this is where I got off the train with NoFX, I figured I had more than enough music from them.

The White Stripes, “Fell In Love With a Girl”

White Blood Cells still strikes me as such an unusual breakout album. The White Stripes didn’t particularly soften their approach or anything, it’s still the same kind of garage rock they’d been making to this point, and yet it really got huge. I’m not sure why them and not some other act.

Tune in to this space tomorrow when I will be baffled by other commonplace things.

METZ, “Drained Lake”

The closest that noise rock ever really got to any kind of mass popularity was in the late 90s, when the grunge tide lifted up the boats of related acts like Helmet and some folks got major label contracts. But this stuff is intentionally abrasive, and none of it every broke through for good reason. While some grunge acts and followers became huge, noise rock went right back into the underground. But, happily, there’s still bands like METZ keeping the flame alive, and this is even from 2017! Recent! Although, again: I listen to the same shit, even if some of it was made not long ago.