Blindfold Test

by Jen Eide and Jack Probst

Last week I was playing "Straight To Hell" from Combat Rock by the Clash when Jack had the realization that M.I.A used it as a sample on the song "Paper Planes" on her recent album Kala. Since I grew up with the Clash song and Jack had not, this got me thinking about the cultural disconnect between generations, sub-cultures, economic classes, etc. Sometimes listeners don't always have the same reference point for what they are hearing. While I didn't have a mix prepared with songs that were later sampled elsewhere, I did have this mix of obscure and not-so-obscure covers. So I'm giving Jack the old blindfold test--he's hearing these tunes for the first time and trying to guess who is performing the songs or who the original songs were written by. We didn't have a blindfold, so he's obscuring his vision with headphones. We'll be better prepared with a blindfold next time.



Jack--"I Heard it Through the Grapevine"... I know it's a famous soul singer, and not the California Raisins. Otis? Marvin?

Jen--You got the tune right. The one you're probably thinking of is by Marvin Gaye, although Gladys Knight and the Pips recorded it first. Knight's version is the definitive one for me with it's frenzied gospel throwdown. This cover--or deconstruction, perhaps--is by the late 1970's UK punk/ska band The Slits, from their album Cut. This album is a early punk classic and influenced an entire generation of musicians.


Jack--The tune sounds familiar, but I have no idea.

Jen--This would have been a stretch for most people, as you don't expect a surf-punk interpretation of a Duke Ellington tune. That was "Caravan," by Marc Ribot & the Rootless Cosmopolitans from the album Requiem For What's His Name. Marc Ribot has played guitar with Tom Waits, among other high profile musicians.


Jack--Kinda sounds like Kim Deal? Or not? This totally sounds like the Who.

Jen--This is "So Sad About Us" by the Who as covered by The Breeders on their sadly out-of-print Safari EP.


Jack--Is that Sleater-Kinney playing? Maybe?

Jen--Close! That was Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein's collaboration with Mary Timony of Helium fame. This is also a Who cover entitled "I Can't Explain" and it's featured on the only EP recorded by The Spells called The Age Of Backwards.


Jack--I know that's X playing. That's all I can tell you.

Jen--I'll never understand how Ray Manzarek from the Doors wound up producing a bunch of L.A. punks, but the best result was this cover of the Doors' "Soul Kitchen." From the definitive American punk album Los Angeles by X.


Jack--A weird version of Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary." I like it better than the original...

Jen--Me too. As much as I love the original I must give this instrumental the nod. This is Marc Ribot again from the album Rootless Cosmopolitans. I love his interpretive powers, his ability to tear things down and make them fresh again. I always thought he was the first musician to take Thelonious Monk's approach and bring it to the guitar.


Jack--"Happiness is a Warm Gun" by The Beatles... Wait, is this Kim Deal now? The Breeders? I'm pretty sure they covered it at some point.

Jen--Yup, this is The Breeders from their first album Pod. I like their post-modern spin on this tune, but the smartest decision they made was to leave out the corny lyrics "When I hold you in my arms / And I feel my finger on your trigger / I know nobody can do me no harm." I always thought those lyrics were a foolish songwriting device on the Beatles part.


Jack--I should know this... "I Can't Stand the Rain." Is that the title? I'm drawing a blank. Joni Mitchell?

Jen--You've got the title correct. This was Memphis soul diva Ann Peebles' big hit, though I was guessing that your reference point for this was gonna be Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)." This is jazz vocalist supreme Cassandra Wilson from the album Blue Light 'Til Dawn. By reinterpreting contemporary pop songs she has redefined jazz music for an entire era--and in a much more successful and creative way than by Wynton Marsalis.


Jack--"Oops I Did It Again", Britney Spears as performed by Richard Thompson. I've not heard this before, but I heard about it. I guess it's good that Neil plays his albums a lot. There's no mistaking that voice.

Jen--Bingo! I love the role reversal here. The fact that an older man is singing these particular lyrics make it creepy in a truly interesting way. From Richard Thompson's 1,000 Years of Popular Hits.



Test Break: "Expectations" by Belle & Sebastian. While not a cover, it does mention The Velvet Underground. Do I get points for that? It's from the album Tigermilk.


Jack--Camera Obscura doing "Super Trouper" by ABBA. I've not heard this before. Lovely!

Jen--I adore this cover. As much as I enjoy the original, Tracyanne Cambpell brings so much melancholy to the vocal that I finally took notice of these very sad lyrics for the first time. I think this cover completely surpasses ABBA's version. This is from Camera Obscura's three song single Tears For Affairs.


Jack--Britt Daniel doing a Sam Cooke song. Is the title "Bring It On Home to Me"? I have this on some compilation.

Jen--Very good! I stumped Steve with this one the other day. This is one of the few solo pieces that I know of by the Spoon frontman. Britt quite simply has the best howl and falsetto in the business--both are on good display here. This is from a various artists compilation called Bridging The Distance which features artists from Portland, OR (where Daniel is now a resident).


Jack--Spoon - "Don't You Evah", which Jen told me was a cover a while back. I don't know the original. That little yellow robot dances to it in that video on youtube.

Jen--This is from Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. They recently released "Don't You Evah" as a single with remixes by Ted Leo, Diplo, Matthew Dear and some other folks. But the thing that really impressed me was that Spoon actually put the original version by The Natural History on the single. I thought it was very magnanimous on Spoon's part to give that kind of exposure to a little known band who had already broken up. Go here to hear the original.


Jack--Nirvana doing David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World". I remember the day I figured out the opening guitar part to this while noodling around with the guitar in high school. Yay Bowie!

Jen--From Nirvana's Unplugged In New York.


Jack--Xiu Xiu doing the Bowie/Queen track "Under Pressure."

Jen--This is from the new Xiu Xiu album Women As Lovers. That's Michael Gira from Swans guesting on vocals. Xiu Xiu threw one of the best concerts I've seen earlier this year at the Lemp Arts Center, though they did not perform this song.


Jack--No clue.

Jen--This is another Marc Ribot instrumental, "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" from Rootless Cosmopolitans.


Jack--Elliott Smith doing "Because" by The Beatles from the American Beauty soundtrack.

Jen--I think this was the first Elliott Smith song that I ever heard, though it is so true to the original that I was not sure if I was hearing the Beatles or a cover when I initially heard it in the end credits of the movie.


Jack--Sounds familiar, but in a different language.

Jen--This was from the Mulholland Drive soundtrack--it's Rebekah Del Rio singing "Llorando" in Spanish--which is actually Roy Orbison's "Crying." The performance of this song was a pivotal part of the movie...so emotional. I have no idea if Del Rio has any other recorded output, although if she does I'm certain it's outstanding.


Jack--Xiu Xiu doing Tracy Chapman.

Jen--"Fast Car" from Xiu Xiu's album A Promise. I always thought that this is how Jamie Stewart would sound if he were singing his way through a nervous breakdown. Honestly, this tune is so deconstructed that I didn't recognize it as the infamous Tracy Chapman song until after a dozen listens.


Jack--Someone doing "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young.

Jen--This is Cassandra Wilson from the album New Moon Daughter. I love how organic this sounds...replete with cricket noise in the outro. Absolutely gorgeous. I hope that Neil Young has the opportunity to hear this someday.
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Well, Jack's promised to turn the tables on me sometime in the near future, so check back to see how I do on his blindfold test.

The Look of Love and Other Things

Steve Scariano, who works tirelessly in the mail order department here at Euclid Records, hipped us to some very cool Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66 videos. For your consideration, then:







This is pretty wild, as it's part of a 1967 tv special. An A&M Records all star medley of Burt Bacharach hits led by Burt himself and featuring Herb Alpert (who would soon marry Brasil '66 singer Lani Hall), Mendes & Brasil '66, Wes Montgomery(!!!!!!!!), a young and fabulous Liza Minnelli(!), and that crazy Baja Marimba Band.
Dig this crazy '60's scene:

Early Nominees for Best of 2008

by Jen Eide

Best song for a future Apple product commercial--Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, "Beat (Health, Life and Fire)."
Oh, you know how this works--camera shots of yuppie domesticity...happy consumer sitting in his home office...toddler runs by...close up of dog licking camera lens...more lifestyle shots...happy consumer, happy consumer...here comes the voice-over..."Introducing...the new Apple blah-blah-blah"...the music kicks into to the chorus...and here comes the product shot. "Ooh...ooh-ooh. Ooh-wee-ooh-ooh-ooh." Sweet. Screw Feist. Thao rules.

Comeback of the Year--Portishead, Third.
It's always a triumph when a band re-imagines their sound and are wildly successful. The Euclid staff reviews Third--Portishead's first album in a decade--here. It's worth a read and worth a listen. Ask to hear it next time you're in the store. You'll feel overwhelmed, astounded and a little off-kilter--this is no longer your mom's warm and fuzzy trip hop. Portishead retains their essential style while experimenting with abrasive sounds, tricky rhythms, and crazy kraut rock leanings. And it all works, surprisingly enough. Now if only My Bloody Valentine could pull off such a triumph.

Best song in a foreign language by non-native speakers--The Breeders, "German Studies."
From their new album Mountain Battles. In German with a rockin' oom-pah-pah beat on the high hat! You have no idea how much fun this song is until you hear it--check out the video. Catch the Breeders at Pop's this Saturday, May 10th.



For those who are curious, Song Facts has some interview quotes explaining Kim Deal's decision to record this song in German. Why would you marginalize one of the albums best tracks by singing it in foreign language? Perhaps ultimately it doesn't matter. I've recently discovered that I prefer the German language version of ABBA's "Waterloo", but that could be because one of the male singers is wearing a costume that reminds me of the comic book hero Thor.



Worst song in a foreign language by non-native speakers--The Breeders, "Regalame Este Noches."
Also from Mountain Battles. The problem with the Breeders, it seems, is their inability to edit themselves--Mountain Battles would have made a great six song EP--but this song in particular was a bad idea. "Regalame Este Noches" is sung way too emotively by Kelley Deal. While I've never heard the original Spanish version of "Regalame Esta Noche" by Los Tri-O, I'm quite sure it is performed in a traditional way which is gorgeous--not amateurish and sappy.

Best concert of 2008.
Jack--Holy Fuck at the Bluebird.
Jen--Bon Iver at the Billiken Club. Ok, also Xiu Xiu and Thao with the Get Down Stay Down at the Lemp Arts Center. Don't make me choose!
Steve--Mavis Staples at the Sheldon or Sharon Jones at the Duck Room.

Best Imagined Tour With Bands Featuring Anatomical References.
We were joking around about this the other day when we reviewed the new Elbow album, The Seldom Seen Kid. Steve suggested that Elbow, The Shins and Head of Femur go out on tour together. I always thought that these bands were unambitious in their naming attempts. Why, if Head of Femur had just traveled 7 cm around the superior end of the bone they could have had a much better name--Greater Trochanter. I could rock the hell out to a band named Greater Trochanter! Head of Femur...not so much.

Best Postcard from an ex-employee.
Kevin Buckley (of St. Louis' own Grace Basement) had a month long fiddle gig up at Dolly Parton's joint in Pigeon Forge, TN. Kevin, you must regale us with stories now that you're back from Dollywood. I hear the gift shop is fabulous!


Best Manufactured Holiday--Record Store Day.
If you weren't here to see all the great local musicians performing on our new stage and using our killer new PA gear you really missed out--but check back with us because we will be scheduling some amazing in-stores in the near future. Those who couldn't make it missed out on the great BBQ (and killer vegetarian black bean hummus--thanks HWY 61!). Customers also received free music giveaways, so you'll definitely have to check it out next year. A good time was had by all who turned out! Read about the festivities here.

Best Music Blog--Monitor Mix, by Carrie Brownstein.
If Euclid Records were a kingdom we surely would have bestowed knighthood on ex-Sleater-Kinney guitarist turned NPR music blogger by now. But since we aren't--and also since we so often link to her posts--I think that we shall declare her Lockwood & Summit's honorary guest blogger instead.


What makes Brownstein's writing so interesting is that while she does provide traditional music journalism fare such as reviews and interviews, she also provides some interesting insights into how we feel about music, about music as a branding tool, and--on occasion--strays outside the realm of music to discuss books, film, dogs and *ahem* her love of the reality tv show The Bachelor. Which just goes to show you that braniacs have guilty pleasures, too. That she reveals those guilty pleasures in a public forum just makes it that much more endearing.

I Saw Randy Newman at the Sheldon

by Steve Pick




"This is a chord Schubert didn't know, so he never used it," Randy Newman said after pointing out his accomplishment of living twice as long as Schubert had. He was introducing one of his funniest songs, the as-yet-unrecorded "Girls I Have Known Pt. 1," which he claimed to have written while attempting a song cycle to give him a shot at achieving enough to be considered for inclusion on a best of the 20th Century list.

Self-deprecating humor is one of Newman's strong suits, but really, he did write enough classics to be worthy of such an honor. He's comparing himself to the classical composers he apparently always wanted to emulate, but as a songwriter of great wit, heart, and satirical bite, not to mention melodic ingenuity, there haven't been many better. I'd never seen him before, and with nothing to distract my attention from his words, tunes, and piano playing, my respect for Newman has now risen immensely.

I love his records, of course, but live, I concentrated so much more on the lyrics - simple rhyme schemes, basic images, and enormous power - and structures of the songs - Newman mixes European classical song elements with New Orleans interjections a la Professor Longhair.

And, his little stories concerning many of the songs were hilarious and full of insight into his material. "This is a love song for my first wife which I wrote when I was married to my second wife," he said about "I Miss You." "They were both a little concerned about it, but I got a song out of it, and for me that's the most important thing."

In the context of this show, the fluff of "You've Got a Friend in Me" stood out as far more disappointing than it seemed when it charmed me at the end of Toy Story. But, he redeemed himself when he spoke of his work with Disney on the forthcoming Princess and the Frog film. He's arguing with the producers that there is no way black and white people ate in the same restaurant in New Orleans in 1925, when the movie is set.

I was surprised at the strength of his new material, especially "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country," which once ran in an abridged version as a New York Times op-ed piece. Here's a video of him performing this song:

Just Wow!

by Steve Pick

I'm not going to try to count up the great songs written by all three of these guys over the last 30 years, but it sure is cool to see them all standing together on the same stage at a concert last month. This video starts in the middle of a lovely "If I Fell" before going into a spirited "Mystery Train" which really hits its stride when Nick Lowe finally feels confident enough to sing a third harmony part near the end. Here's Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello backing up Robyn Hitchcock.

Mark Your Calendars

EUCLID RECORDS PRESENTS

An Evening with Ian McLagan & The Bump Band

Leave Thursday July 3 open folks, as Euclid Records is pleased to announce that we’ll be bringing Ian McLagan & the Bump Band to the Duck Room. Mac and his band, featuring Don Harvey, Mark Andes and Scrappy Jud Newcomb; will be making there first ever appearance in St. Louis.

Mac’s bio is a who’s who of the greats in Rock & Roll history. He began his career with The Small Faces which begat The Faces and then off to tour and record with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Billy Bragg, Paul Westerberg, Patti Griffin, Bruce Springsteen and many more. All his adventures and more are well documented in his autobiography “All the Rage” which is essential reading for all fans of Rock & Roll. For more info on Ian and The Bump Band check out www.ianmclagan.com

More details to follow, but tickets will $15.00 and should be available soon.

Here’s a little taste of Bump



And Mac Talks…



And I would be remiss to not add some classic Small Faces.

The Staff Chats It Up About Music

Hey, we haven't done one of these in a few weeks. It's a beautiful day outside, so we ought to all be in just the mood to tell you what we're playing in the store today, and to have some wacky fun.



Funkadelic, One Nation Under a Groove.

Steve: I remember back in 1976, I was working at the Arena as an usher, and I was told to report for some big concert. I had never heard of Parliament-Funkadelic, or Bootsy's Rubber Band, nor the other two artists whose names I've long since forgotten. Can you imagine how incredibly mind-blowing it would be to see the Mothership Connection tour when you have no idea what to expect from it? This album came out the next year, and it's probably still my favorite Funkadelic record, though several others can give it a good run for its money in my personal hall of fame. Eddie Hazel's fuzz-toned swirly guitar lines, Bernie Worrell's astounding keyboard lines, and the thousand and one vocal lines all blend together into intricate and intoxicating perfect songs. This is pretty much what it feels like to be stoned, and it's all good.


Various Artists, "Afro-Peruvian Classics: The Soul of Black Peru"

Steve: It's hard to believe that nearly 20 years ago, I was enough of an expert in international music to have been called into classrooms to speak on the subject a couple times. My chops are extremely rusty - I've only dabbled now and again in the last fifteen years - but even when I was eating this stuff up, I didn't know anything about Peruvian music outside of the Andean folk tunes most Americans only recognize when I say, you know, like Paul Simon's "El Condor Pasa." This Luaka Bop collection is recognizably from the same country as that - the lilting rhythms and trebly guitar-like instruments are prominent as ever - but there is also a distinctive African flavor mixed in. It's beautiful, and it's funky, and it's hypnotic.



R.E.M., Accelerate

Steve: Alright, everything I said a few weeks back was premature. This record is growing on me, with some fat Peter Buck riffs and zippy-zappy Mike Mills bass lines, not to mention a monster drummer whose name has been told to me at least a dozen times, yet I can't ever remember it. The album clocks in at only 30 minutes, and I'd still cut about twelve from it, but the good stuff is climb-on-a-chair-fist-in-the-air-scream-along-like-you-just-don't-care good.

Jack: I've liked this record from the get go. The last R.E.M. album was a big snooze, and that's a shame because even when they put out a so-so record I usually like at least one or two tracks. Short records are a good thing, and this one is really rockin'. I have loved this band for as long as I can remember. My uncle Wally was obsessed with them when I was growing up, and they will always mean a lot to me. I'll always buy their albums, even if they aren't that good. Luckily, this one is pretty awesome. The closing track, "I'm Gonna DJ", is my favorite. "Death is pretty final / I'm collecting vinyl / I'm gonna DJ at the end of the world." Ever since DJing for Record Store Day I finally caught the itch for wanting music on vinyl. (Honestly, I still don't think the quality is better than what's on a CD, considering that comes directly from the source and doesn't sound fuzzy, but they're great for DJing.) ANYWAY, this album has me excited about R.E.M. again. Hooray!



She & Him, Volume 1

Jen: Steve just went to lunch and Jack and I find ourselves standing around singing all the harmonies on this album like a bunch of total goofballs.

Jack: I can't help it. She sounds so sweet. She sounds like she needs me to snuggle her.

Jen: This is a great summertime album to drive around with...put the windows down, let the wind blow your hair around....

I know Zooey Deschanel has cited the Phil Spector girl group sound as a big influence on this album and the drum sound on "Sweet Darlin'" is so authentically recreated that--if I hadn't known otherwise--I might have thought it was sampled from the Crystals "Then He Kissed Me." I'm sure they had a production budget that most bands would die for.

While Deschanel has a unique and fully formed personality as a singer, I can't help but imagine some of these songs as performed by other vocalists. On "I Thought I Saw Your Face Today," the vocal delivery (and the keyboards...and the drums) remind me so much of Karen Carpenter that I felt compelled to check Wikipedia for Deschanel's birthdate to see if she might indeed be Carpenter's reincarnation. "Take It Back" and "Got Me" would be great material for k.d. lang except for the fact that Deschanel owns these two tunes--and where lang would turn these into way over the top torch songs, Deschanel gives it a lighter interpretation with a perfect country pop twang.

M. Ward provides a feisty guitar solo on "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here." My only complaint about this album is that, while I am a fan of M. Ward, I wish he had stayed a bit more in the background as a musician and singer because Deschanel is really the star here. Mostly he stays out of her way. Kudos to him for the gorgeous and dissonant string arrangement on the closing track "Sweet Darlin'"--it provides a perfect contrast for all this sticky sweet pop music.

We actually had a lot to say about the She & Him album in a previous post as well. Here's a video of them on Conan O'Brien a week or two back performing "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here" (watch out for that guitar solo)! Yo La Tengo is the backing band. Sadly, none of her lush overdubbed harmonies are featured here. You'll just have to buy the album.





Portishead, Third

Jack: I'm not too familiar with their back catalog, but I'm enjoying the creepiness of this record. The strange percussion and electronic things are pulling me in. This record makes you want to sit around in the dark with it blasting from your stereo. "Machine Gun" stands out the most with electronic beats firing off like bullets into the night air.

Steve: I was never a big fan of the old Portishead sound, though it was a pleasant sensation now and again, especially in the background somewhere. And, I doubt I'll be playing this one on my own, but there are some really cool sections on this record, some shredding sounds over interesting chords, and some tricky rhythmic ideas. I don't hear a single memorable melody out of the vocals, but as long as the rest of the record is holding my attention, that's not the worst thing in the world.

Jen: I'm not sure if it was ever Beth Gibbons' intention to create memorable melodies, though. I always thought that she was far more interested in creating languid, moody atmosphere and soundscapes. Portishead has always delivered on that front. What makes this a remarkable album is that they've creatively updated their sound while retaining what is essential. Comeback of the year!



Matthew Sweet, Sunshine Lies.

Jen: !s-d-r-a-w-k-c-a-B Oh, listen to the first track and you'll know what I'm talkin' about. It's a studio trick, folks!

Steve: I listened to it, but I still had to ask her, because I'm not all that bright. It's backwards spelled backwards.

By the way, still one of the best things about working at a record store is getting excited about new music before it gets released, and this is my favorite solo Matthew Sweet record since Girlfriend. After his teamwork with Susannah Hoffs last year on an album of classic cover material, Sweet sounds invigorated (and chock full of ideas for harmonies). I'm not sure who is playing lead guitar, but whoever it is sounds like he's memorized every lick played by the Beatles, the Byrds, and some other 60s icons who aren't popping into my head, and then figured out how to manipulate them into something fresh.

Jack: Aw, Matthew Sweet always makes me think of sunshine and summer. It's been a while since he's put out a record that isn't full of throw away tracks. I think that covers record might have refreshed his sound.

Jen: This is one of those perfect pop records. I approve.



John Hiatt, Same Old Man

Jen: Hmm...I am a fan, but I only hear a few songs here that I like. A very heavy Bob Dylan influence permeates this material but I'd rather be listening to, well, John Hiatt singing. Two songs sounds perfect for contemporary country radio and I wonder if he'd been shopping the demoes around Nashville before he recorded them for this album. We're listening to an advance copy of Same Old Man which comes out May 27, but I think he'll never top Bring The Family.

Steve: I'm probably even a bigger fan than Jen, as I own fifteen of Hiatt's previous eighteen albums, but I'm just as disappointed with this one. Oh, Hiatt is never less than listenable, but he sounds on auto-pilot a lot of the time here, and the open arrangements without much discernible lead guitar excitement don't do him any favors. There are far worse records in this world, but with all the good new releases coming out in the next few weeks, I fear this one will fall by the wayside.



Elbow, The Seldom Seen Kid.

Steve: I've been listening to these guys for a few years now, an unavoidable fact of life being married to my Elbow-loving wife. That's fine by me, as I would never have fallen in love with this band myself if she hadn't kept on playing them whenever I would be most vulnerable. This new record is chock full of reasons to love them - complex compositions with indelible hooks, majestic synthesizer chords, richly melodic vocals, and intricate rhythm changes. I don't want to make them sound all prog-rock, because at the same time, they've got a heart-on-your-sleeve emotional power that can't be denied.

Jack: I agree with Steve on this record. I've been a fan since I saw them open for Pete Yorn back when I was in high school. Lead vocalist Guy Garvey delivers his beautiful lyrics with the sweet tones of his voice. In fact, I think there's a dark sweetness to all of their albums. I love how this record sounds on the stereo here at Euclid, but they are so many layers to each of their tracks that I always hear more with headphones on. Suggested tracks: "The Bones of You", "Grounds for Divorce", "The Fix". Here's the only song we can think of that they've covered: "Independent Women" by Destiny's Child... as performed by cats...



The Roots, Rising Down.

Steve: I'm definitely liking this. Monstrous grooves courtesy of the tightest live rhythm section working these days - did you see these guys bash out Stephen Colbert's theme song on The Colbert Report a couple weeks back? The weakest link on Roots records in the past has been the rapping, but there seems to be an old school-styled renaissance here, as the rhythms look to the future. Lots of guest stars, including Talib Kweli and Common, as well.

Jack: Don't forget Mos Def! He makes an appearance! When I hear hip hop records for first time I concentrate more on the beats. This album has some amazing percussion.


The Clash, Combat Rock

Jen: I'll probably always pull out my copy of London Calling first, but Combat Rock is an old favorite--and while these were certainly not the first songs that I heard by the Clash, it was the first Clash album that I ever bought. While the references to the Guardian Angels and the film Taxi Driver really date "Red Angel Dragnet" it rocks as hard as anything else on this album. I always loved the more subdued songs (for the Clash, at least) like "Straight To Hell" and "Sean Flynn" too. It's amusing to me now that on the danceable tracks like "Overpowered By Funk" I can hear that this is a band that is experiencing a musical split--one that is soon to spawn Big Audio Dynamite.

Jack: I told Jen I'm glad she put this on because I've never heard the whole record. I'm also glad to hear it because now I know that M.I.A. sampled "Straight to Hell" for her song "Paper Planes" on her most recent album Kala. It's definitely my favorite song on that record, so it's nice to hear exactly where it came from. She just uses a small instrumental section of it looped for her track. It's interesting to hear past the point of that sample. I think maybe I'll appreciate it even more now.

Jen: He's also glad that I put this on because I toyed with the idea of playing Supertramp's Greatest Hits!



Neva Dinova, You May Already Be Dreaming

Jack: This lovely band just released a new record on Saddle Creek a few weeks ago, and you can go see them tonight at The Bluebird when they open for Ladyhawk. Doors at 8, show starts at 9. It's all ages and it's only $10 bucks! Jen and I will be there. Will you?

This record is sweetly mellow, and rather acoustic, though they turn up the guitars around the middle of it. You May Already Be Dreaming is a very beautiful, but sad record. There's a lot pertaining to death in the lyrics. "Squirrels" is the first track that caught my ear because when singing about being underwater, the song suddenly gets filtered to sound as if the band has just been submerged in a pool. These lyrics after they resurface are perfect: "I called you up late at night / I just can't speak when I'm high / I must have been lonely and looking for a friend / I had a great idea but I couldn't find a pen." The rest of the record sunk in after a few listens, and I can't get enough.

Jen: Standout track: "What You Want."



ABBA, Gold

Jen: This selection wasn't my idea. However, I am totally delighted. Actually, the thought occurred to me earlier in the day, but I got distracted by something or other. Jack just mentioned that ABBA is Stephin Merritt's favorite band so we're in good company.

Jack: This was totally my suggestion after Jen joked about putting on Aerosmith. ABBA is a better band that starts with an 'A' than Aerosmith is, even if it was a joke. My mother & her sisters revisited their love of ABBA when I was in middle school, so I've heard these songs a million times and I still love them. Seriously. I think it's good stuff. As far as greatest hits collections go, this is still one of the best. I refuse to go see the musical "Mama Mia". That's just plain wrong.

Jen: I suppose Madonna is in the back of my mind this week since she just released a new album. Otherwise, I don't think I would have noticed how much her early songs rip off ABBA--check out the part in "S.O.S." right before it kicks into the chorus and you'll hear exactly what I'm talking about.
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See ya next time folks. We're heading out to the Neva Dinova / Ladyhawk show.