Another year-end roundup, this time from NPR. Meanwhile, another good set today. I feel like shuffle has been doing well for a little while.
Bim Skala Bim, "Shoes"
I'm surprised we haven't seen Bim Skala Bim yet. One of the earliest bands of the third wave, arguably early enough to not be part of the third wave at all. They certainly reached their peak of fame during the third wave, though. With a stable lineup and an approach much like the 2 Tone second wave acts, they produced a solid series of records throughout the late 80s and 90s. This comes from Tuba City, their second album, which somehow got miscategorized in my collection with this album art:
Yikes. There were some issues with Amazon's music service when it first started up.
(NB: This song starts at 8:56 in the linked video.)
Kool and the Gang, "Electric Frog (Pt. 1)"
You know the best part of a song called "Electric Frog (Pt. 1)"? It (correctly!) implies the existence of a part 2! At any rate, Kool and the Gang really were amazing back in the day.
People Under the Stairs, "The Double K Show"
Dammit, another repeat. I wish I wasn't too lazy to figure out if I get more repeats than you'd expect.
(NB: the song starts at 34:46 in the linked video.)
Andrew Bird, "The Idiot's Genius"
From his second album, Oh! The Grandeur, when he was still very much on his theatric/jazz kind of vibe, complete with guest help from the Squirrel Nut Zippers. It's a decent album, but it wasn't until his next record that he really got rolling for me.
Easy Big Fella, "Friday"
Sprightly and charming goes a long ways in making a band fun to listen to, and Easy Big Fella were certainly that.
Superchunk, "Animated Airplanes over Germany"
It's been too long since we've had Superchunk around here. I'm getting to go see them finally! Somehow, I've never managed it. And yes, it's arguably a couple decades after I should have, and yes, Laura Ballance doesn't tour with them any more...but, shut up, I'm excited!