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!!
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