Introduction
Five Songs, 6/4/2017
Five Songs

Five Songs, 6/4/2017

I recognize that saying you listen to everything is kind of a lame move. It's a refusal to put a stake in the ground and express your preferences, and mostly seems to be used by people who aren't really that into music. What this project really brings home, though, is I really am kind of into everything. I feel good about that. Today's tunes!

Kool and the Gang, "Jungle Boogie"

If you're my age, there's a good chance the first thing you think of when somebody says "Kool and the Gang" is "Celebration". And that's a damn shame, because for years, Kool and the Gang were an amazing funk band. Records like Live at PJ's, Spirit of the Boogie, and this one, Wild and Peaceful, were just filled with incredible tunes. This song is actually the one that really brought Kool and the Gang to my attention, as it was used in Pulp Fiction, and I had to figure out what it is. It took some time before I could find some of their albums, but it was worth the wait.

But seriously, listen to that groove. Amazing.

SWANS, "Heaven"

More SWANS from the early period, this time from Greed. Here, we find SWANS still plodding and grinding away, although there would be hints of their future evolution, with Jarboe starting to have more of a presence on this record. Still, the hypnotic drone and shouting are what you're here for, and this record delivers.

They Might Be Giants, "She Was A Hotel Detective (In The Future)"

This track comes from Cast Your Pod To the Wind, a compilations of songs that showed up on the TMBG podcast and was later included as a bonus disc for The Else. Like any b-sides collection, it's kind of a mess, but there are still some fun ideas in it.

Art Brut, "Bad Weekend"

Part rock band and part performance art project, Art Brut is basically dominated by Eddie Argos's unique partly spoken vocals and stupid/brilliant lyrics. It can be a bit exhausting listening to too much in a row, but Bang Bang Rock & Roll is a really fun listen.

Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Think Again"

Other than No Doubt, the Bosstones were probably the best known of the various bands that got lumped into the third-wave of ska. The Bosstones got started earlier than the rest of the third-wave, though, putting out their first album in 1990, and they were always more punk than most of the rest of the bands were. Question the Answers will probably always be my favorite album from them, although I'm very fond of most of the early material. This is a cover of the Minor Threat song, which appeared on the EP Ska-Core, The Devil & More.

Joshua Buergel
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