Chune

Oneohtrix Point Never, “Lost but Never Alone”

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never is probably my favorite record from him since Replica. In a lot of ways, it evokes that record, giving a rare treat of throwback sounds from an artist who is always restlessly exploring. There’s a metaphor of flipping around a radio that ties the record together, which also feeds into my love of plunderphonics.

Madness, “One Step Beyond”

The second wave of ska, the two-tone bands from the UK, did not last very long, and didn’t really encompass that many bands. Part of the problem is that by the time this stuff got noticed outside of the UK, the key bands had pretty much all broken up or stopped playing ska. But the highlights of the second wave are great, and Madness’ first album is one of those highlights. It’s a fine example of the melding of ska with punk energy, and it’s hard not to smile through this.

Samiam, “Blank Expression”

Samiam, the melodic punk band from Berkley, came out of the gate more or less fully formed. While I think their mid-career albums would be stronger and more refined, their first album still was solid work. I think Samiam was a little too early to catch on to the emo revival that would happen later, and so they’re kind of forgotten today.

Mustard Plug, “Away From Here”

I told my only real Mustard Plug story already, and I don’t want to tell it again. It’s sad! I think it’s understandable that I stopped listening after that, but I gotta say, this is a good little tune. It’s pretty Bosstones, but I like that sound. It’s not their fault they were part of the soundtrack to one of the worst nights of my life.

Labi Siffre, “I Got The…”

This is from the 1975 album Remember My Song, a record that became famous due to sampling (especially in Eminem’s “My Name Is”). As with so many of these great old funk records, it’s a delight that it was resurrected by interest in the source material, because it’s absolutely incredible. I mean, yes, the break that Dre flipped is astounding, but listen to this entire thing. The temperature in this room dropped about ten degrees when this kicked on, it’s so cool. And, for real, look at this album cover. Goddamn!