1. "Mr. Bitterness"--Soul Coughing, Ruby Vroom (1994):
I am a much bigger fan of Mike Doughty's solo work than I am of Soul Coughing. Based on the stories he tells in his memoir, I think he would be fine with that take. This album was their debut, and there are some good tunes on here. I like "Janine" best. To be honest, I don't remember this song at all, and it is not doing a lot for me at the moment. MEH.
2. "Tenderness"--General Public, Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of The 80s, Vol 14. (1995):
When I was actually living in the 80s, I was a hard rockin' teenager, so General Public was not in my wheelhouse. This compilation serves nostalgic purposes for guys like me who ultimately had to acknowledge that these were good songs. This song was one of the group's top 40 hits and was featured in a couple of John Hughes movies, so I ultimately gave in. I would not say that all the songs on these compilations are my bag, but I do dig this one. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
3. "Glass"--Joy Division, Heart and Soul [Disc 3] (2001):
This box set is awesome! I will admit that I like the story of Joy Division better than I like most of their songs. The two movies (the documentary and biopic) that came out in 2007 really fed my fire, so my friend Rogelio hooked me up with this box set. The bass lines are always amazing, and this song is no exception. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
4. "Return"--The Cure, Wild Mood Swings (1996):
From their 10th studio album, this song is pretty standard Robert Smith, pop goodness. He worked in a lot of horns on this one. The album is considered one of the least well-received Cure albums, and I think that is with good reason. Most of the supporting players had left after Wish. I love a lot of Cure albums but just do not know this one very well. This song is upbeat but not one I would ever choose to listen to. MEH.
5. "Out that Door"--Hoodoo Gurus, Blow Your Cool! (1987):
The opening track on this Australian band's 3rd album is one of the strongest on the album. I'm surprised it was not one of the singles. The Hoodoo Gurus consistently had at least 3 standout tracks on each of their albums. I saw them live in 1991, and they were great! They played the set they wanted to play and then just took requests from the audience for the last quarter of the show. It was excellent! If you do not know this band, this song is a great entry. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
Monday, March 17, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Winter Olympics Special: 5 Golds!!
1. "Little Fern"--Portastatic, Score! 20 Years of Merge Records, Volume 13: Mindy Kaling (2009):
A quick reminder that Portastatic is the side project of Superchunk front-man and Merge co-founder Mac McCaughan. This song was originally released on the 2005 album Bright Ideas. It appears here on the 2009, 20 year anniversary subscription box set from Merge Records on an album curated by actress, Mindy Kaling. Bright Ideas is my favorite Portastatic album, and I actually got to see them live in Houston on this tour. It was a nice live fix for me since Superchunk was on hiatus. It was a bittersweet night as the Astros were eliminated from their one and only world series appearance. They did not play this song but it is still definitely SHUFFLE GOLD!!
2. "Revelations"--Superchunk, Foolish (1993):
A deep cut from this album that featured "Driveway to Driveway" and "The First Part." Superchunk made their network television debut on Conan with "The First Part." The album gets a lot of attention because it came out after Mac and Laura (bassist and other Merge co-founder) broke up as a couple. Whatever the context, it is an excellent album and this song holds up as SHUFFLE GOLD!!
3. "Me, Myself, and I"--De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989):
I had listened to a fair share of rap up to this point (Run D.M.C., Public Enemy, et al), but this album blew my doors off. It was a completely different approach with built-in inside jokes and a different type of consciousness. It led me to Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers, and other Native Tongue groups. For me, there is not a better hip hop single than this song. Another SHUFFLE GOLD!!
4. "Living Loving Maid"--Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II (1969):
"Don't tell me you've never gotten the Led out!!??" (--Dewey from School of Rock). As a hard rock kid, it was inevitable for me to go through a Zeppelin stage. I had obviously heard them on the radio, but I remember in jr. high getting a hold of my step sister's records. She had Zoso (IV) on vinyl, and needless to say I was hooked. I would never say I was a super fan, but I had time periods where I would have Zeppelin on heavy rotation. They always resonated better with me than the Stones or the Beatles. This was the second single off of this album and is most definitely worthy of SHUFFLE GOLD!!
5. "The Breadman"--Superchunk, Tossing Seeds (Singles 89-91) (1991):
I seriously did not rig this shuffle!! This album was Superchunk's first compilation. It was a later purchase for me as I tended to focus on buying the studio albums. This song is a solid early single. It is not one of my all-time favorites but it clearly qualifies as classic Superchunk. History is made as all 5 rate as SHUFFLE GOLD!!
A quick reminder that Portastatic is the side project of Superchunk front-man and Merge co-founder Mac McCaughan. This song was originally released on the 2005 album Bright Ideas. It appears here on the 2009, 20 year anniversary subscription box set from Merge Records on an album curated by actress, Mindy Kaling. Bright Ideas is my favorite Portastatic album, and I actually got to see them live in Houston on this tour. It was a nice live fix for me since Superchunk was on hiatus. It was a bittersweet night as the Astros were eliminated from their one and only world series appearance. They did not play this song but it is still definitely SHUFFLE GOLD!!
2. "Revelations"--Superchunk, Foolish (1993):
A deep cut from this album that featured "Driveway to Driveway" and "The First Part." Superchunk made their network television debut on Conan with "The First Part." The album gets a lot of attention because it came out after Mac and Laura (bassist and other Merge co-founder) broke up as a couple. Whatever the context, it is an excellent album and this song holds up as SHUFFLE GOLD!!
3. "Me, Myself, and I"--De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989):
I had listened to a fair share of rap up to this point (Run D.M.C., Public Enemy, et al), but this album blew my doors off. It was a completely different approach with built-in inside jokes and a different type of consciousness. It led me to Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers, and other Native Tongue groups. For me, there is not a better hip hop single than this song. Another SHUFFLE GOLD!!
4. "Living Loving Maid"--Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II (1969):
"Don't tell me you've never gotten the Led out!!??" (--Dewey from School of Rock). As a hard rock kid, it was inevitable for me to go through a Zeppelin stage. I had obviously heard them on the radio, but I remember in jr. high getting a hold of my step sister's records. She had Zoso (IV) on vinyl, and needless to say I was hooked. I would never say I was a super fan, but I had time periods where I would have Zeppelin on heavy rotation. They always resonated better with me than the Stones or the Beatles. This was the second single off of this album and is most definitely worthy of SHUFFLE GOLD!!
5. "The Breadman"--Superchunk, Tossing Seeds (Singles 89-91) (1991):
I seriously did not rig this shuffle!! This album was Superchunk's first compilation. It was a later purchase for me as I tended to focus on buying the studio albums. This song is a solid early single. It is not one of my all-time favorites but it clearly qualifies as classic Superchunk. History is made as all 5 rate as SHUFFLE GOLD!!
Sunday, February 16, 2014
"Let's Start with Jr. High"
1. "Get it Hot"--AC/DC, Highway to Hell (1979):
A deep cut off of Bon Scott's final album before his death. My step-brother was big into AC/DC, and I listened to a lot of radio, so the hits from this album were in my head at a young age. A year later, when I was in 5th or 6th grade, I bought Back in Black on 8-track. I did not listen to much AC/DC after that album because I realized over time that I much preferred the Bon Scott era. This song is not as strong as the album's singles but solid nonetheless and definitely SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
2. "All Night Long"--Billy Squier, Signs of Life (1984) :
I am always amazed at how the shuffle somehow locks into a particular time period. Apparently, this part of the shuffle is focusing on my jr. high days. Billy Squier was a solid radio guy for me, and I purchased Emotions in Motion on cassette in 8th grade. This single came a bit later. I never bought this album but picked up the single in a nostalgic fit at some point recently. I do dig this song but would not consider it gold for Squier, just solid SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
3. "If It Wasn't For Me"--Roger Wallace, It's About Time (2007):
We just took a turn to the old style country of Roger Wallace, an Austin musician who is keeping the old sound alive. Similar in some ways to Dale Watson, Wallace has some great music. I prefer his album The Lowdown. This album is his most recent; he seems to be more focused on playing live and touring than recording here lately. This song is a pretty good taste of his sound and is definitely SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
4. "Rainy Streets"--Superchunk, Here's to Shutting Up (2001):
As I have made abundantly clear in the past, I have no objectivity when it comes to Superchunk. I will admit that this song is not necessarily one of my all-time favorites, but it is an excellent song and definitely one of my favorites off of this particular album. Technically, the version that popped up is from Clambake Series, Volume 1: Acoustic In-Stores East and West, which is exactly as the title suggests--stripped down versions of the songs as they play them in record stores. I do prefer the studio version, but this song does lend itself to the acoustic set well. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
5. "Little Golden Age"--Wolf Parade, Expo 86 (2010):
Wolf Parade is new for me, even though they are broken up at this point. This album appears to be their last studio release. I was drawn to them because lead singer Dan Boeckner is the co-songwriter for Divine Fits with Britt Daniel from Spoon. Wolf Parade clearly carries a lot of his sound that I have heard in Divine Fits. I have not listened to them much and am still processing this album, but this song is solid SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
A deep cut off of Bon Scott's final album before his death. My step-brother was big into AC/DC, and I listened to a lot of radio, so the hits from this album were in my head at a young age. A year later, when I was in 5th or 6th grade, I bought Back in Black on 8-track. I did not listen to much AC/DC after that album because I realized over time that I much preferred the Bon Scott era. This song is not as strong as the album's singles but solid nonetheless and definitely SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
2. "All Night Long"--Billy Squier, Signs of Life (1984) :
I am always amazed at how the shuffle somehow locks into a particular time period. Apparently, this part of the shuffle is focusing on my jr. high days. Billy Squier was a solid radio guy for me, and I purchased Emotions in Motion on cassette in 8th grade. This single came a bit later. I never bought this album but picked up the single in a nostalgic fit at some point recently. I do dig this song but would not consider it gold for Squier, just solid SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
3. "If It Wasn't For Me"--Roger Wallace, It's About Time (2007):
We just took a turn to the old style country of Roger Wallace, an Austin musician who is keeping the old sound alive. Similar in some ways to Dale Watson, Wallace has some great music. I prefer his album The Lowdown. This album is his most recent; he seems to be more focused on playing live and touring than recording here lately. This song is a pretty good taste of his sound and is definitely SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
4. "Rainy Streets"--Superchunk, Here's to Shutting Up (2001):
As I have made abundantly clear in the past, I have no objectivity when it comes to Superchunk. I will admit that this song is not necessarily one of my all-time favorites, but it is an excellent song and definitely one of my favorites off of this particular album. Technically, the version that popped up is from Clambake Series, Volume 1: Acoustic In-Stores East and West, which is exactly as the title suggests--stripped down versions of the songs as they play them in record stores. I do prefer the studio version, but this song does lend itself to the acoustic set well. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
5. "Little Golden Age"--Wolf Parade, Expo 86 (2010):
Wolf Parade is new for me, even though they are broken up at this point. This album appears to be their last studio release. I was drawn to them because lead singer Dan Boeckner is the co-songwriter for Divine Fits with Britt Daniel from Spoon. Wolf Parade clearly carries a lot of his sound that I have heard in Divine Fits. I have not listened to them much and am still processing this album, but this song is solid SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
A Couple of WTF Moments on this Shuffle
1. "Indigo Eyes"--Peter Murphy, Love Hysteria (1988):
I accidentally saw Peter Murphy on this tour. He opened for the Church on their Starfish tour. I had no idea who he was. There were tons of kids there with Bauhaus t-shirts on who were clearly there for him. I was still catching up on a lot of music that I missed when I was focused on 80s rock, so I got a quick lesson from a friend who was at the show with me. It's fair to say that Murphy blew the Church off the stage. To be honest, it was not a great pairing. Murphy has a strong stage presence. As good as the Church are, they did not bring the same energy. I became a fan of Murphy's solo work and got a little bit into Bauhaus. This song is easily the best on this album and is definitely SHUFFLE GOLD!!
2. "Lectric"--Film School, Hideout (2007):
I may have to create a new rating for "WTF is this?" The most common question about this blog is "how can you have music on your ipod that you don't like?" So, here is my chance to answer. I do select what I put on my ipod manually but tend to do so in broad strokes. I have always been more of an album person, so I tend to put whole albums on my ipod, which explains why there may be songs that I don't necessarily like on the ipod because they are by bands that I like. I also like to listen to new music in the car, so I put music on the ipod that I don't necessarily know and then may not ever pull it off. In a case like this one, I can only guess that this song was on a mix CD that I received from a friend as I don't know the band or the song. It is the only song that I have by this band and it is not doing much for me. I am certainly not ashamed or embarrassed to have this song, but don't see any reason to keep it on my ipod. MEH.
3. "Incense and Candies"--Prince, 3121 (2006):
I'm a huge Prince fan. I saw him live on the Lovesexy tour. He was incredible and was still a big deal at the time. This album is one of his more recent. I missed a lot of the albums in between. I have maybe listened to this album all the way through once. I suppose if I am going to forgive anyone for experimenting with auto-tune it would be Prince, but this song has too much of it. It's not a bad song, but the auto-tune ruins it for me. MEH.
4. "Harlem House"--Booker T. Jones, The Road from Memphis (2011):
I am sad to say I just learned about Booker T. Jones. Luckily my obsession with listening to Marc Maron's podcast, WTF, paid off. Maron recently interviewed Booker T., and I was amazed with how humble this extremely accomplished and influential musician is. If I try to list his credits here, I will do him a major disservice. I will just say start with Stax Records house band. Once I started listening to some of the Booker T. and the MGs' songs, I recognized them. This album is his recent collaboration with the Roots. He also just put out another album this passed year called Sound the Alarm that is on my list. Go listen to Booker T.'s music and get your hands on some of his interviews. He is amazing!! SHUFFLE GOLD!!
5. "Bewitched"--Luna, Bewitched (1994):
I am not a huge Luna fan but love this album. They should have been right in my wheelhouse, but since I was never a Galaxy 500 fan, I did not pick up on Luna either. However, a few years ago I read Dean Wareham's memoir. That book is the single best music memoir I have read. I am not sure why it struck such a chord with me, but Wareham is honest and self-effacing while still hanging onto his ego. Maybe I was more objective since I did not know the music, but I highly recommend the book. Since reading it, I have definitely grown to appreciate his music, though I would not count myself as a huge fan. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
I accidentally saw Peter Murphy on this tour. He opened for the Church on their Starfish tour. I had no idea who he was. There were tons of kids there with Bauhaus t-shirts on who were clearly there for him. I was still catching up on a lot of music that I missed when I was focused on 80s rock, so I got a quick lesson from a friend who was at the show with me. It's fair to say that Murphy blew the Church off the stage. To be honest, it was not a great pairing. Murphy has a strong stage presence. As good as the Church are, they did not bring the same energy. I became a fan of Murphy's solo work and got a little bit into Bauhaus. This song is easily the best on this album and is definitely SHUFFLE GOLD!!
2. "Lectric"--Film School, Hideout (2007):
I may have to create a new rating for "WTF is this?" The most common question about this blog is "how can you have music on your ipod that you don't like?" So, here is my chance to answer. I do select what I put on my ipod manually but tend to do so in broad strokes. I have always been more of an album person, so I tend to put whole albums on my ipod, which explains why there may be songs that I don't necessarily like on the ipod because they are by bands that I like. I also like to listen to new music in the car, so I put music on the ipod that I don't necessarily know and then may not ever pull it off. In a case like this one, I can only guess that this song was on a mix CD that I received from a friend as I don't know the band or the song. It is the only song that I have by this band and it is not doing much for me. I am certainly not ashamed or embarrassed to have this song, but don't see any reason to keep it on my ipod. MEH.
3. "Incense and Candies"--Prince, 3121 (2006):
I'm a huge Prince fan. I saw him live on the Lovesexy tour. He was incredible and was still a big deal at the time. This album is one of his more recent. I missed a lot of the albums in between. I have maybe listened to this album all the way through once. I suppose if I am going to forgive anyone for experimenting with auto-tune it would be Prince, but this song has too much of it. It's not a bad song, but the auto-tune ruins it for me. MEH.
4. "Harlem House"--Booker T. Jones, The Road from Memphis (2011):
I am sad to say I just learned about Booker T. Jones. Luckily my obsession with listening to Marc Maron's podcast, WTF, paid off. Maron recently interviewed Booker T., and I was amazed with how humble this extremely accomplished and influential musician is. If I try to list his credits here, I will do him a major disservice. I will just say start with Stax Records house band. Once I started listening to some of the Booker T. and the MGs' songs, I recognized them. This album is his recent collaboration with the Roots. He also just put out another album this passed year called Sound the Alarm that is on my list. Go listen to Booker T.'s music and get your hands on some of his interviews. He is amazing!! SHUFFLE GOLD!!
5. "Bewitched"--Luna, Bewitched (1994):
I am not a huge Luna fan but love this album. They should have been right in my wheelhouse, but since I was never a Galaxy 500 fan, I did not pick up on Luna either. However, a few years ago I read Dean Wareham's memoir. That book is the single best music memoir I have read. I am not sure why it struck such a chord with me, but Wareham is honest and self-effacing while still hanging onto his ego. Maybe I was more objective since I did not know the music, but I highly recommend the book. Since reading it, I have definitely grown to appreciate his music, though I would not count myself as a huge fan. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Entering the Twitterverse! (Follow @blakeshuffblog)
1. "Achin To Be"--The Replacements, Don't Tell A Soul (1989):
I believe this was the second single off of this album and was a big hit in the dorm when it would come on "120 Minutes" in the t.v. lounge. The album took a lot of heat from old school Mats' fans but I like a lot of the songs on this one. While a bit more straight forward rock, I think Westerberg's songwriting is still solid here. To be fair, I was just getting on board with the Replacements at this point so at the time I was not comparing it to earlier stuff. I really love this song and it reminds me of a girl I had a crush on at one point. She was a bit like the woman described in the song. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
2. "Fat"--Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle (1993):
You can't go wrong with this album, the band's studio debut. This one is on the short side, running just a little over a minute, but it brings the AOL sound. Originally on Alias Records, the album was reissued on Merge a couple of years ago. Great stuff start to finish and pure SHUFFLE GOLD!!
3. "Apache Rose Peacock"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blook Sugar Sex Magik (1991):
This album broke the RHCPs wide open with "Under the Bridge" in heavy rotation on radio stations and Mtv. Rick Rubin worked his magic, and the band has never looked back. At the time, I was a huge fan and enjoyed the new direction. As suggested in earlier posts, I feel like the band became a bit more formulaic from this point forward. I'm still a fan, and this song is definitely SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
4. "Backroads"--fIREHOSE, If'n (1987):
I got on board a bit late with fIREHOSE. I did not hear this album until much later. They were a great live band and carried on beautifully from where the Minutemen left off (Watch We Jam Econo if you have not!!). I saw the band live in 1992. I actually left an earth day festival concert in Dallas, missing the headlining Pearl Jam, in order to drive back to my college town for the fIREHOSE show. Even though the Dallas festival show is considered epic in Pearl Jam lore, I had already seen them before and had never seen fIREHOSE. For me, it was the right choice. A slower jam, but still SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
5. "The Nurse"--the White Stripes, Glastonbury 2005 [live] (2005):
I'm pretty sure I got this live recording from my brother in law. He is a huge fan of all things Jack White. Like many live recordings, this one is hit or miss. This song does not resonate with me in this recording. I dig their studio albums and would love to see him live at some point (I think I've missed the boat on the band) but this song would not necessarily be on my list. MEH.
I believe this was the second single off of this album and was a big hit in the dorm when it would come on "120 Minutes" in the t.v. lounge. The album took a lot of heat from old school Mats' fans but I like a lot of the songs on this one. While a bit more straight forward rock, I think Westerberg's songwriting is still solid here. To be fair, I was just getting on board with the Replacements at this point so at the time I was not comparing it to earlier stuff. I really love this song and it reminds me of a girl I had a crush on at one point. She was a bit like the woman described in the song. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
2. "Fat"--Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle (1993):
You can't go wrong with this album, the band's studio debut. This one is on the short side, running just a little over a minute, but it brings the AOL sound. Originally on Alias Records, the album was reissued on Merge a couple of years ago. Great stuff start to finish and pure SHUFFLE GOLD!!
3. "Apache Rose Peacock"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blook Sugar Sex Magik (1991):
This album broke the RHCPs wide open with "Under the Bridge" in heavy rotation on radio stations and Mtv. Rick Rubin worked his magic, and the band has never looked back. At the time, I was a huge fan and enjoyed the new direction. As suggested in earlier posts, I feel like the band became a bit more formulaic from this point forward. I'm still a fan, and this song is definitely SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
4. "Backroads"--fIREHOSE, If'n (1987):
I got on board a bit late with fIREHOSE. I did not hear this album until much later. They were a great live band and carried on beautifully from where the Minutemen left off (Watch We Jam Econo if you have not!!). I saw the band live in 1992. I actually left an earth day festival concert in Dallas, missing the headlining Pearl Jam, in order to drive back to my college town for the fIREHOSE show. Even though the Dallas festival show is considered epic in Pearl Jam lore, I had already seen them before and had never seen fIREHOSE. For me, it was the right choice. A slower jam, but still SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
5. "The Nurse"--the White Stripes, Glastonbury 2005 [live] (2005):
I'm pretty sure I got this live recording from my brother in law. He is a huge fan of all things Jack White. Like many live recordings, this one is hit or miss. This song does not resonate with me in this recording. I dig their studio albums and would love to see him live at some point (I think I've missed the boat on the band) but this song would not necessarily be on my list. MEH.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Shuffling into 2014
1. "Some Small History"--Portastatic, Some Small History [Disc 2] (2008):
Portastatic is Mac McCaughan's side project when he is not fronting Superchunk or helping run Merge Records. This 2-disc compilation contains the b-sides and rare tunes that did not make any of the studio albums from 1990-2007. This song is the title track of the compilation and a solid Mac tune. Portastatic is definitely a bit broader in range than Superchunk. Though Mac's voice is distinctive, Portastatic songs are clearly not Superchunk songs. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
2. "Last Ride In"--Green Day, Nimrod (1996):
I am definitely a Green Day fan going back to their album Kerplunk! and seeing them live in small venues with just a few hundred people. Of all the bands that I saw in small clubs, they rose to the greatest heights. I don't know this album as well and this instrumental tune doesn't do much for me. Green Day has potential for real gold but this one is just a MEH.
3. "Milk and Honey"--Wye Oak, The Knot (2009):
Wye Oak is a two-piece band on Merge Records. This song has appeared on some Merge samplers. Jenn Wasner's voice has an amazing quality. They have a big sound for two people. This song is a bit slow and not a favorite. I would highly recommend checking out their more recent album Civilian. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
4. "Skinny Sweaty Man"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, Uplift Party Plan (1987):
Here is another band that I got to see in some smaller venues before they blew up. If you only know the Red Hot Chili Peppers from their radio hits, you need to go back in their catalog. This album was the last for Hillel Slovak, the original guitarist. Unfortunately, he died of a heroin overdose on this tour. They were definitely less polished and more juvenile, but this record is excellent. It may be my bias, but their songs seemed more distinct on their earlier records. I think they have become formulaic but am still a fan. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
5. "California Roll"--Times New Viking, Dancer Equired! (2011):
Described as lo-fi and sometimes as "noise rock," this album on Merge Records has been the band's most accessible. I think it was one of the most under-rated albums of 2011 as it is solid from start to finish. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
Portastatic is Mac McCaughan's side project when he is not fronting Superchunk or helping run Merge Records. This 2-disc compilation contains the b-sides and rare tunes that did not make any of the studio albums from 1990-2007. This song is the title track of the compilation and a solid Mac tune. Portastatic is definitely a bit broader in range than Superchunk. Though Mac's voice is distinctive, Portastatic songs are clearly not Superchunk songs. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
2. "Last Ride In"--Green Day, Nimrod (1996):
I am definitely a Green Day fan going back to their album Kerplunk! and seeing them live in small venues with just a few hundred people. Of all the bands that I saw in small clubs, they rose to the greatest heights. I don't know this album as well and this instrumental tune doesn't do much for me. Green Day has potential for real gold but this one is just a MEH.
3. "Milk and Honey"--Wye Oak, The Knot (2009):
Wye Oak is a two-piece band on Merge Records. This song has appeared on some Merge samplers. Jenn Wasner's voice has an amazing quality. They have a big sound for two people. This song is a bit slow and not a favorite. I would highly recommend checking out their more recent album Civilian. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
4. "Skinny Sweaty Man"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, Uplift Party Plan (1987):
Here is another band that I got to see in some smaller venues before they blew up. If you only know the Red Hot Chili Peppers from their radio hits, you need to go back in their catalog. This album was the last for Hillel Slovak, the original guitarist. Unfortunately, he died of a heroin overdose on this tour. They were definitely less polished and more juvenile, but this record is excellent. It may be my bias, but their songs seemed more distinct on their earlier records. I think they have become formulaic but am still a fan. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
5. "California Roll"--Times New Viking, Dancer Equired! (2011):
Described as lo-fi and sometimes as "noise rock," this album on Merge Records has been the band's most accessible. I think it was one of the most under-rated albums of 2011 as it is solid from start to finish. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
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