Been a while since I’ve done a special, so let’s do this. For those who haven’t seen them, I usually pick a word, search the library for that word, and then randomize among those songs. Today, I’m going with “school” in honor of the kids going back to school. Let’s see what we get!

The Nation of Ulysses, “Cool Senior High School (Fight Song)”

Oh fuck yeah, good start. This urgent tune comes to us from the first Nation of Ulysses album, 13-Point Program To Destroy America, which is probably my favorite of the two just by virtue of being first. But they both rule, the sort of post-hardcore that actually ends up shading just back into hardcore. The drive and energy of this album is palpable.

Fennesz, “Endless Summer”

Fennesz’s Endless Summeer is a lovely glitchy, ambient thing, full of processed guitar and languid, stretched out melodies. I’m not always a big ambient guy, I generally like my music to get places faster than this, but every now and again, I’m up for something like album.

Earl Sweatshirt, “EAST”

Among the many interesting things about Earl Sweatshirt’s career is how willing he is to put out short records. It cuts against the general direction with rap albums, which have tended towards a bit of sprawl and a lack of editing. Some Rap Songs was a short record in running time, 25 minutes or so, and his followup is a 15 minute, seven track EP. It allows him to get his ideas out there in compact form, which makes them all stand out even better than they might otherwise. More artists should be willing to make shorter records. As always, this is a pro-EP space.

Black Flag, “Loose Nut”

We’ve had this song before, and I told the store about how I bought it at random after deciding I should probably hear some Black Flag. That was the sort of thing we did in those days, when the Usenet wasn’t really searchable in any useful way, and you had to rely on either word-of-mouth, college radio, or magazines to learn about stuff. I would just take a flyer on records, because that was what you did. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes you ended up with a so-so Black Flag record.

Ari Lennox, “Whipped Cream”

I really know very little about modern R&B, and mostly I just kind of randomly stumble on albums from year-end reviews or whatever. And then even when things come up here, I’m not sure I can say a whole lot. This is good?

U-SCO, “high and rising”

oh hell yes goddamn fuck yeah gimme that shit i need it i wanna deliberately concentrate and inhale this

Rocket From The Crypt, “My Arrow’s Aim”

There’s a non-trivial amount quality in rock that is just purely in how things sound. The tone of the instruments, the production, the arrangements - there’s an alchemy there that works extremely well, and nailing the formula of the sound can propel a band a long way just on its own. And RFTC always sounded great, one of the reasons they were always a ton of fun.

Coil, “Dark River”

Coil is one of the most interesting bands to emerge from the original industrial scene, where they quickly went off in their own direction. By the time we get to their third proper album, Love’s Secret Domain, there wasn’t really anything industrial left. Instead, we’re left with creepy, gothic, atmospheric stuff that filters electronic music through a cracked mirror. It’s one of their essential records, and there’s nothing else really like it.

Pile, “touched by comfort”

Quite a lovely build-up on this one. The urgency that PILE bring to this song, the climax they build towards, doesn’t at all pay off on the album, which lurches into a quiet instrumental that they call “fuck the police”. But it’s a good run-up for all that.

The Isley Brothers, “I Turned You On”

I’d say that this is an amazing period for the Isleys, but that’s honestly kind of silly to call out. Their career is made out of amazing periods. But, anyway, the late 60s albums, and especially the 1969 albums, are savage. The groove on this is absolutely vicious, just try and listen without at a minimum nodding your head.

The Baseball Project, “¡Hola America!”

Baseball Project, yes, yes, very good, love ’em AS OF THIS WRITING THE MARINERS ARE IN THE LEAD IN THE AL WEST AND WOULD BE THE AL’s #2 SEED IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY WOOOOOO

Poster Children, “Evidence”

There was a very good scene in Champaign-Urbana in the late 80s/early 90s, with Hum being probably the best known these days, but at the time the Poster Children probably were a little more famous. It’s hard for me to tell for sure, of course, but I seem to remember more buzz around them. They ended up on Reprise before Hum was on a major label, got some MTV play, and generally were pretty prominent for a little while for an indie rock band. I hardly see any mention of them any more, though, and honestly had kind of forgotten them myself. Probably should remind myself about their records, I’m enjoying this track.

Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, “Whip the Blankets”

Fuck yeah, Neko Case doing a convincing June Carter impression here, great stuff.

One Eye Open, “Blue Gene Blues”

This is from a split LP with Janitors Against Apartheid, the final track, and it’s…look, it’s not good. I mean, even if you skip all the silence from the CD fuckery, this is still just fuckin’ around. This record also got Dill Records flattened in a lawsuit over the cover art, so it’s just a bad scene all around.

Stone Temple Pilots, “Big Empty”

I was going to say that this is the only STP track in my library, their contribution to The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack which I bought because it had a new track from Nine Inch Nails and Helmet. Anyway, I was wrong: they also contributed to a Led Zeppelin tribute album, a covers album notable mostly for David Yow getting together with Helmet for a fun “Custard Pie” and not a lot else. Anyway, STP are and always were boring, flannel wallpaper for people who thought that the only thing that the old hard rock hegemony on raido needed was more grunting.