Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Looks Like My College Radio Playlist (3 Golds!)

1. "I Just Want to See His Face"--The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street (1972):
I know that I should know this album better, but only know a few songs. This is not one of the songs that I know.  It is a bluesy jam with a gospel vibe and definitely not my style. MEH.

2. "Out of Your Life"--Bob Mould, Black Sheets of Rain (1990):
One of the strongest songs off of Bob's second solo album. I was fully on the Bob bandwagon by the time this album came out.  After a more acoustic first solo album (after the Husker Du) breakup, this album was a return to the electric rock.  Bob just released Silver Age on Merge Records this past year, his strongest solo album in a long time.  He will be on PBS's Austin City Limits later this month playing solo, Husker Du, and Sugar material.  He is one of my all time favorite songwriters, and this song is definitely SHUFFLE GOLD!!

3. "The Big Parade"--10,000 Maniacs, Blind Man's Zoo (1989):
Like most of their early fans, I came on board with 10,000 Maniacs in 1987 with their album In My Tribe.  However, I did not see them live until they toured for this album.  I remember Natalie Merchant mesmerizing the crowd with her stage presence and dancing.  The band did not have much presence, so she was really the show.  This song is good but not one of my favorite tracks.  The band was never the same when she left. I had pretty much lost interest about the time she moved on.  SHUFFLE GOODNESS.

4. "Sexy Mexican Maid"--Red Hot Chili Peppers (1989) Mother's Milk:
This shuffle is shaping up into one of my playlists when I was a DJ for my college radio station.  I played at least 2 RHCPs songs on every show.  Since they had not really broken into radio airplay, they were standards on college radio.  This song was on heavy rotation as were several songs off of this album.  This album was their first with John Frusciante on guitar, after the death of original guitarist Hillel Slovak. Recently, I have tried to remain a fan but am not terribly interested in the newer material.  Whenever I hear their newer stuff, I just want to go back and listen to this album and the Uplift Mofo Party Plan.  SHUFFLE GOLD!!

5. "Fire"--The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced? (1967):
Amazing way to end this week's shuffle.  Coincidentally, the RHCPs do a great cover of this song on Mother's Milk, which also got a lot of play from my college radio DJ days. If not my favorite Jimi Hendrix song, it is one of my top 3.  One of the singles off of this amazing debut album and another SHUFFLE GOLD!!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Welcome to 2013!

1. "Motorist"--Jawbox, For Your Own Special Sweetheart (1994):
Jawbox is one of my all-time favorite bands.  I saw them live multiple times in the 90s and love their music.  J. Robbins, the lead singer/guitarist, is now leading Office of Future Plans, who put out a great debut album in 2011 on Dischord Records.  I discovered Jawbox through Dischord and came on board with their second full-length album. This album is considered one of their better albums and was their first major label release.  This song was inspired by the novel Crash, by J.G. Ballard.  A great way to kick off 2013 and my return to the blog with SHUFFLE GOLD!!

2. "Predictable"--Avail, Satiate (1992):
My good friend Todd loved Avail and still loves them more than anyone I know. This song is off of their first album.  It is not a real raging song but solid for sure.  SHUFFLE GOODNESS.

3. "Stray Heart"--Green Day, Dos! (2012):
The second part of the most recent trilogy from Green Day, I am still in the process of digesting this album.  But, let's be honest, Green Day is not really breaking new ground.  They do their thing, and I dig it.  I am more history with their older stuff and think of their newer stuff, it will be awhile before they match what they did with American Idiot, but SHUFFLE GOODNESS for sure.

4. "Plumbline"--Archers of Loaf, Seconds Before the Accident (live) (2000):
All of Archers of Loaf's catalog was just re-mastered and re-released by Merge Records last year.  They were all packaged with bonus discs and are excellent.  The one exception is this album. This was their last release, a live album recorded in 1998 at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC.  This song is one of my favorite Archers song, though this live version is a bit slower than the studio version. Either way, definitely SHUFFLE GOLD!!

5.  "Bodhisattva"--Steely Dan, A Decade of Steely Dan (1986):
Steely Dan was always a radio band for me that I knew but did not pay much attention to.  However, while in college, a friend of mine shared this album with me, a greatest hits collection that brought me a greater appreciation of the Dan.  I find this album to be great driving music.  I definitely do not get all of the musical intricacies of the Dan's nerd rock, but I dig it.  That being said, this song is not one of my favorites but is still absolutely SHUFFLE GOODNESS.