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Michael Bennett writes

iPod/MP3 Friday Shuffle — Happy Birthday Nico Edition

What’s the iPod/MP3 Shuffle? It’s just a way to get people to share music and foster some discussion. I started doing this on my Facebook page a while back and it’s been great seeing friends exchange comments on each others lists. Every Friday, I get out my 120 GB iPod (which has about 24,000 songs now), hit shuffle and write about the first 10 songs that come up. Sometimes the 10 songs are kind of conventional, sometimes there’s a lot of obscure stuff. So check mine out and please add your own shuffle or discuss other people’s shuffles!

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Everybody knows that she was a femme fatale — the late, great Nico, whose model-tastic looks and chilly vocals added a sophisticated yet decadent dimension to the early work of the Velvet Underground. In her honor, let’s celebrate by grabbing your iPod/iTunes/MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 tunes that come up (no cheating!) with everyone!

  1. Madness — The Sun and the Rain (Ultimate Collection): This is majestic, ’60s Beatles/Kinks/Move inspired Brit-pop balladry at its best.  This came out in America on the Keep Moving album, but I don’t think it was included on the British version.  This is keyed by the piano and is augmented by horns and strings, propelling this song into lush pop heaven.  There isn’t a moment on this song that isn’t melodically appealing and it ranks up there with the best of this brilliant band.
  2. Stevie Wonder — Girl Blue (Music Of My Mind): I’m still in catch up mode on Stevie’s amazing run of ’70s albums.  This song combines a pretty melody that has been stretched out, and has a bit of a psychedelic vibe to it.  Not only is Stevie’s vocal a bit distorted, but he sings over spare ornamentation with lots of creative drumming used to fill in the ample sonic space.  He could have tightened this up into a happy pop song, but instead decided to go for something more textured.
  3. The Model Rockets — The Dress Up Girls (Tell The Kids The Cops Are Here): This Seattle band plays fun jangly pop rock with whimsical lyrics.  This music touches on pub rock, power pop and some of the ’60s British Invasion.  Nothing earth shattering, but it raises a smile.
  4. The Jam — Private Hell (Direction, Reaction, Creation): They started out as a punked up Mod band, and really progressed so much.  This song, originally on Setting Sons, matches classic Townshend/Davies quality pop craft with a doomy, post-punkish approach in the verses.  Rick Buckler lays down a steady beat, Paul Weller plays atmospheric guitar chords, and Bruce Foxton is a bass fiend on this song, providing clever melodic and rhythmic accents.  This is a song The Stone Roses had to have listened to a lot.
  5. The Pointed Sticks — Somebody’s Mom (Waiting For The Real Thing): This late-‘70s Vancouver punk-pop band comes with the endorsement of Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover Magazine.  They offer a different approach than either Buzzcocks or The Undertones, while having similar virtues.  This song is angular and kind of new wavey.  And, compared to a lot of their material, it is in the vein of Buzzcocks and Wire, with the clipped guitar line.
  6. Robyn Hitchcock — The Devil’s Radio (Moss Elixir): Robyn is becoming a shuffle regular.  This is off my favorite of his solo records.  This album isn’t as stripped down as the previous Eye, but it had Robyn going back to the basics, stripping some of the gloss that was on the last couple of albums he did with The Egyptians.  This is simply a very inviting folkie tune, with just the right amount ornamentation to supplement Robyn’s voice and guitar.
  7. Harry Nilsson — Cuddly Toy (Legendary Harry Nilsson): This frothy pop concoction was first recorded by The Monkees, a bouncy ditty that was tailor made for the voice of Davy Jones.  Nilsson’s version isn’t nearly as produced, but the strength of the song is apparent.  The fact that this song is dissing a groupie for having sex with a whole lot of guys is masked by the seemingly innocent metaphors used by Nilsson (“You’re not the only choo choo train/who was left out in the rain/the day after Santa came.”) makes it quite disturbing.
  8. Sparks — Academy Award Performance (Number One In Heaven): This 1979 album is most influential album that nobody has ever heard of.   At an artistic and commercial crossroads, Ron and Russell Mael heard Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” and immediately sought out the track’s producer, Giorgio Moroder.  The three collaborated on what was an historic electronic dance album.  The combination of sequenced electronics, heavy BPMs and Russell Mael’s soaring falsetto announced the beginning of Hi-NRG dance music and provided inspiration for countless synth-pop duos like Pet Shop Boys and Erasure, and singers like Jimmy Sommerville of Bronski Beat. This pulsating track is about sexual role playing and faking orgasm.  Really.
  9. The Fall — Hey! Student (Middle Class Revolt): This was an old Fall song (1977’s “Hey Fascist”) revived and rewritten a bit for their 1994 Middle Class Revolt album.  This brings back memories of the band’s creaky take on rockabilly, but it’s a little bit faster and a little bit more forceful.  And Mark E. Smith is at the forefront, spitting out the lyrics with his patented sneer.
  10. Ultimate Fakebook — Soaked In Cinnamon (This Will Be Laughing Week): This Kansas band was fun to see live — the singer was a bespectacled geeky looking sort, while the rhythm section looked like the jocks who would have beaten him up freshman year in high school.  This album was released on an indie and got picked up by a major.  I’m sure the thought is that they could tap into the same audience as Weezer.  That’s a facile comparison, but this is a band that is clearly informed by The Replacements and Cheap Trick.  This song has a real strong guitar riff, which combines with a neck snapping stop-start rhythm, with a great melody to boot.

Posted on October 16, 2009 • Permalink • 3 Comments

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Michael Gibson, on Oct 16, 03:20 AM, wrote:

OK, let’s knock this out before I begin what is sure to be a hellish commute. Damn you crappy weather and the bad attitudes you bring on your clouds of despair.

1. Bad Religion – Dream of Unity (Dream of Unity EP)
2. Pedro The Lion – Big Trucks (The Only Reason I Feel Secure)
3. The Clash – Walking The Sidewalk (London Calling)
4. Acrimonie – Cloudburst (Split 7” w/ La Quiete)
5. Elliott Smith – Little One (From A Basement on a Hill)
6. Isis – False Light [The Oktopus] (Oceanic: Remixes/Reinterpretations)
7. Muslimgauze – Azzazin 10 (Azzazin)
8. Freezepop – Serious Genius Girl (The Orange EP)
9. Abyss – In The End (Split 7” w/ Iconoclast)
10. Terrible Twos – Jealous Boy (Self-Titled LP)

And now to blast through my day as quickly as possible so I can make it to the midnight showing of Office Space tonight. Hurrah!

Billy Kalb, on Oct 16, 08:27 AM, wrote:

The Young Jazz Rebels — Slave Riot (Yesterdays Universe)
Nearly every “artist” on this comp is actually hip hop producer Madlib under an alias, allowing the erstwhile beat konducta to go wherever and explore what feels like a hundred different styles throughout the disc. This jam is a little skronky for me, but I can certainly appreciate having a burst of free jazz to start my morning.

Johnny Cash — Big River (The Essential Johnny Cash)
Cash was always a master of the country travelogue, and this one is no exception — stubborn enough to follow a woman around the country (bonus points for a stopover in St. Paul!) and more than stubborn enough to flood a river with tears when he can’t catch up to her.

Department of Eagles — Herring Bone (In Ear Park)
I’m told DoE’s first record was a little less Grizzly Bearish — I’ve not actually heard it — but I’m fine with both of Dan Rossen’s bands treading the same sonic ground if it comes out like this.

Robert Wyatt — Maryan (Shleep)
Wyatt’s a fascinating bloke (and I do feel like “bloke” is the right word for some reason). I can’t honestly say I know enough to comment here, as I’ve only recently picked up a significant chunk of his discography and even then I’m missing a lot, but this one is feather-light and lovely, even at six minutes long.

Bob Dylan — Isis (Desire)
I’ve kind of always felt that Desire was Dylan’s “epic” album, since it has so many top-notch 6-minute-plus tracks (we’ll include “Sara” there, too, for being fairly epic regardless). My friends all gravitated toward “Hurricane,” but “Isis” is potent stuff, too. And I love the dialogue: “She said ‘Where ya been?’/ I said ‘No place speciall/ She said ‘You look different’/ I said ‘Well, I guess.’”

Polvo — D.C. Trails (In Prism)
I’ll freely admit I know nothing about Polvo save for that they’re occasionally namechecked in conjunction with the more straightforward ’90s indie rock scene, but I picked up this one after reading a number of positive takes on it, figuring if a revered band can reunite and make a solid record they’re probably worth a listen. I do like what I hear — I’d probably put this on a mix in between The Sea and Cake and Mission of Burma.

Fiery Furnaces — Lost at Sea (I’m Going Away)
I know plenty of folks love these guys, but the siblings Friedberger always turn me off in full-album mode — everything’s a little too disjointed. In small doses, however, they turn out some fantastically smart mid-‘70s-inspired pop. Haven’t spent a lot of time with this record yet, but I’m down with this track.

Thee More Shallows — Deadbeat Water (Monkey vs. Shark EP)
Vaguely sinister, a little like Grandaddy minus the tech fixation. Thee More Shallows can be hit more miss, but I’ve always kinda figured they’d be a little bigger than they actually are. This one is brooding and wispy, totally ideal for a rainy day like today.

Why? — These Few Presidents (Alopecia)
I understand that Why? is a great band with witty lyrics, but the vocals get can a bit They Might Be Giants for my tastes and so unfortunately this is another one I prefer in shuffle mode rather than album. But I generally do dig the feel of Alopecia as a record, and this is probably one of my favorite tracks from it.

Pixies — U Mass (Trompe Le Monde)
Is this why they called it “college rock” back then? Tough, wicked, and funny, this tune’s among my favorites as far as latter-day Pixies go. They’re not just kids, to say the least.

Todd A., on Oct 16, 08:29 AM, wrote:

1. Blur “Fade Away”. Anyone notice how well this album, The Great Escape, is aging?
2. Guster “Happier” – not a huge fan of this band but kind of a guilty pleasure. I think I remember hearing that they couldn’t play two days in a row because the drummer’s hands would be too swollen. He doesn’t use drumsticks.
3. Dance Hall Crashers “She’s Trying” – I had a crush on the lead singer of this band. I remember running around with her one day in Chicago. At one point i noticed that i stepped in poo, there was no way to get rid of it and look cool at the same time. I just had to stop and say, “hold on while i scrape this poo out of the tread of my shoe with this twig”.
4. Snow Patrol “Wow” – I had such high expectations for this band when this album, Final Straw, came out in 93 (?). That’s ok, Doves and Notwist filled in for them just fine.
5. Beastie Boys “Sabrosa” – Cool instrumental from them, wouldn’t have known who it was if it came on blindly.
6. Mike Watt “Liberty Calls” – from Contemplating the Engine Room. where is the new music?
7. Polvo “Title Track” – from This Eclipse EP. fits this bleary mood day in a good way.
8. Dinosaur Jr. “Budge” – from In Session. I don’t remember what these live recordings are from, BBC sessions or something like that, doesn’t sound like there is a crowd.
9. Frank Black & The Catholics “Robert Onion”.
10. Lifter Puller “Space Hump $19.99” – New name, same sound. maybe a little grittier. I guess new york took the edge off of them. from Fiestas + Fiascos.

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