The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, “Mars, Arizona”

Damage was the last album before a hiatus, and so I kind of group it with the other albums from their initial sequence, and think of the post-hiatus records as a different thing. Two of these albums kind of stand out as different from the others, by virtue of having outside producers working extensively with the band and adding some new sounds into the mix. There have been electronics around since the days of the theremin, but on both Acme and this record, there is more variety to the sound. It’s all still unmistakably the Blues Explosion, of course, with the rock and blues sounds front-and-center. But the additional texture gives the two records a new sounds. Of the two, I slightly prefer Acme, but they’re both a bunch of fun.

Two Fingers, “Moth Rhythm”

Most of the tracks on the Amon Tobin side project feature Sway rapping on them, but this is one of the two songs that does not. As a result, this just sounds like an Amon Tobin song. Contemplative for him, sure, but still a Tobin song. Not that that is a bad thing.

British Sea Power, “Be Gone”

British Sea Power play pretty nuts-and-bolts indie rock. This is from their second album, which doesn’t show a ton of evolution from the first record. It’s good, but I’m not sure it’s super memorable.

The Police, “King Of Pain”

By the time Synchronicity came out, the Police were really out of gas. There are some fine pop songs on it, but lots of filler, and even the good songs are kind of tame compared to some of their previous songs. I really liked this album a lot back when it came out, but find myself listening to it only very rarely now.

Budos Band, “Old Engine Oil”

There are about three seconds at the beginning of this song when you think it’s going to be a classic rock vamp. But then the horns kick in, and it’s a regular Budos vamp. But with some classic rock touches here and there in the guitar, which is a lot of fun. It kicks off another classic record from the Budos Band, an album which dials back the psych stuff from Burnt Offering just a little bit. It ends up being right in the middle for their albums, behind Burnt Offering and I, but ahead of III and II. I haven’t placed Long in the Tooth yet, but I think it winds up probably right around III somewhere.

Homeboy Sandman, “Name”

I first encountered Homebody Sandman through his (excellent) collaboration with Edan. I liked it enough to pick up his next record, Dusty, which I also enjoy. Lots of jazzy loops providing a great backdrop for his flows, which are a good time.

David Bowie, “Sound and Vision”

I’m not a Bowie scholar (I find myself saying a lot what kind of scholar I am not around here!). I have tried to stick to just some of his essential albums. In practice, for Bowie, that means I have five albums, Low being one of them. I’m not sure what else to say about it, other than it’s one of his essential albums.

Rockabye Baby!, “Beautiful Day”

This is ostensibly a cover of the Green Day song. This was a gift to us, I think, a while back. And I suppose you can see the intended joke here - it’s lulliby music! But also Green Day! Har! But overall, this is so far from anything resembling the original that you’d probably have to explain it to anybody to attempt to convey the levity. Please try to slip it in-between the giggle-snorts.

Flying Lotus, “Takashi”

It’s a little hard to describe Flying Lotus accurately. “Electronic” feels wholly inadequate. “Fusion” is accurate, yes, but also feels like it’s not really highlighting what he’s fusing. There’s lots of jazz and experimental electronic music here, some funk…just kind of lots of everything. It’s great! But hard to describe. Luckily, you can just listen to it.

The Mekons, “Wicked Midnite”

I don’t always have a ton to say about bands. The Mekons were good!

Dodecahedron, “Interlude”

Dodecahedron is a black metal band that plays in the very dissonant end of the pool like a bunch of my favorite metal bands. It’s all murky noise and ugly churn, warty and unpredictable. They only have two albums out, and I’ve only got this one based on a positive reivew I read somewhere, but I like it pretty well.

A Forest of Stars, “Drawing Down the Rain”

Almost seems wrong to put this in the same genre of black metal as Dodecahedron, doesn’t it? I mean, there are blast beats and tremelo picking, I guess, but there’s something resembling melodies here, not to mention some clean singing, strings, and other non-grim shit. If you played this to somebody who had no exposure to modern metal, it would at least make some sense. Dodecahedron? Not so much.

Goin’ with a theme today!

Sleater-Kinney, “Buy Her Candy”

Now, seriously, what’s the point of a Sleater-Kinney song without Janet Weiss?

Andrew Bird & His Bowl of Fire, “Candy Shop”

Very early material from Andrew Bird, when he was still recording with a band credited as His Bowl of Fire. This version lasted for three albums, with the first two albums staying pretty close to a hot jazz formula like you hear on this track. The third album found the band adding some more rock influence, to great effect, leaving the first couple albums as just sort of a fun dead-end. He does have many of his strengths on display here, though, especially his great vocal delivery, the maserful violin, and the dynamic songwriting.

Modest Mouse, “3rd Planet”

The opening of The Moon & Antarctica, “3rd Planet” sets the expectation that Modest Mouse had moved beyond the sound of The Lonesome Crowded West to a little bit more of a melodic place. While this is still unmistakably the same band, it’s a cleaner, more mature sound. It suits them very well, and the album fulfills the promise of this first song.

Phil Ranelin, “Vibes From The Tribe”

Another cut from Soul of a Nation, this falls squarely into music I’m not qualified to talk about. But goddamn, just listen to that!

No Age, “Turned To String”

Long running punk duo No Age fill out their sound by using the occasional sample, which helps keep things a little fresher than the formula might otherwise result in. At this point, six albums in, they’re really getting by on the strength of their strongwriting, but that songwriting is keeping up. This is from their 2020 album Goons Be Gone.

The Toasters, “Thrill Me Up”

The Toasters were one of the key bands of the third wave, as they not only got things rolling very early and blazed a trail for other bands in New York City to follow, but they ran the most important label of the third wave, Moon Ska. Early on, the Toasters didn’t have as much punk in their sound, as this track from 1988 demonstrates.