Coheed & Cambria

I’ve been getting that itch again. It comes and goes, the urge to write here, and it’s unclear what’s causing it. I think it’s a combination of Music League, finding a new music newsletter to subscribe to, and getting some tunes corralled for a music library for my daughter. But whatever it is, I decided to jump back in here!

Which is when I discovered that this blog needed updates badly, and I wasn’t entirely sure how to get it upgraded, and the next thing I know I’m rebuilding the server, re-figuring out how to configure stuff…nobody cares. Anyway, I think it’s working again? We’re gonna find out, because it’s time for Five Songs! Back in the saddle baby! How in the hell do I write these things?

Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, “Tralfamadore”

One day, I will discuss this band without mentioning their name. Today is not that day. Hee hee!

The Ethiopians, “Give Me Your Love”

A thing that’s magical about good rocksteady is that it can make it feel like the sun is shining, even if it’s 10:30 at night, you’re tired, and your eyes are itching due to allergies. You know. Hypothetically.

The Regrettes, “Pale Skin”

There’s a very strong throwback feeling to the Regrettes’ first album. Everything in here reminds me of another band, even if I can’t always put my finger on what that band is. Exactly which band shifts pretty constantly, but there’s always something there. It’s kind of déjà vu, but music. Uh, déjà entendu?

Wilco, “Kicking Television”

“Kicking Television” appeared on a tour EP for the A Ghost Is Born tour, and later lent its name to their live record. Here, the track is collected onto Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994-2014, and it’s nice to have a rocker like this be widely available again. Wilco was never really just an alt-country band, but it’s always fun to hear their style wander around a bit from their assumed baseline.

Steakdaddy Six, “Sweaty Betty”

Indie rock out of Champaign-Urbana, Steakdaddy Six released two solid albums in the early 90s before ending their run. This is from the second of those records, Houstonia, but they’re pretty comparable. The most notable thing about the band is that they featured an extra drummer in the lineup, which distinguished them from most of their contemporaries. Not very many bands roll with two drummers, but more should.

Spanish Love Songs, “Routine Pain”

I missed the first couple Spanish Love Songs albums when they came out, because I’m an out of touch loser. So this is the first song I ever heard from the band, and it’s simultaneously a seriously impressive tune, totally affecting, and frankly kind of hard to listen to. I think this record is amazing and also I just can’t handle listening to it very often.

Boris, “Furi”

The first Boris album I encountered was Akuma No Uta after reading a good review of it online somewhere, and I was blown away. To have “Introduction” get followed by two absolute rippers like “Ibitsu” and today’s track, from the same band, I was just in love. Boris has paid that love back with a ton of classic records, many of them better than this album. But it’s still one I return to again and again, because your first album is often special with a band.

Well, that was fun! Nothing like coming back after a big hiatus. I mean, the music was still the same routine, and I’m just typing the same nonsense, so…uh, why do I do this again?

The Greyboy Allstars, “Jack Rabbit”

There are times when I end up with a record, and can’t figure out where it came from or why I have it. This record, I can’t figure out where it came from, but can at least can figure out why I have it. I’m sure I read a good review of it, and I’m just a sucker for instrumental funk, so here we are. Good tune! I should listen to the rest of this, and I would, except I’m going to listen to five random songs. Well, four more.

Today’s tunes!

Queens of the Stone Age, “The Way You Used To Do”

2013’s …Like Clockwork never really grabbed me (despite extensive critical acclaim), so I was pretty delighted that 2017’s Villains got me pretty fired up. Mark Ronson helped to sharpen things up, and the whole thing feels pretty glam-y and fired up. This song, for instance, is just razor sharp, from Homme’s guitar tone to the vamp of his lyrics.

Barely got this done today.

Sharon Jones, “Natural Born Lover”

Look, I don’t think I’m a great writer, or even a good one, when it comes to music. Hell, I probably don’t really rise to “adequate”. My failing is that a lot of these entries are pretty shallow. I’m also unable to really evoke what it’s like to listen to these folks. Also, my comparisons are not great. And…

…hang on, let’s try this again. I’m saying that these mostly suck, but whatever, listen to this fucking song. Goddammit, this is some great shit.

Today!

The Rolling Stones, “Stray Cat Blues”

Because they hung around so long and turned into basically Rolling Stones Inc., a licensing corporation with a neglected music production arm that would occasionally squeeze out a desultory album, it’s easy for folks of my generation (old, but not super old) to lose track of the fact that for for a while there in the late 60s and early 70s, the Rolling Stones were pretty amazing. The run from Beggars Banquet through Exile on Main Street is one of the foundations of modern rock, and still sounds pretty great today.