The Payroll Union: Peggy’s Tavern

The Payroll Union - Peggy's Tavern

 

Our men from Sheffield, the Payroll Union, are preparing to release their first full-length album and have offered a preview in the form of the rousing “Peggy’s Tavern” (available for free download).

 

 

A reading of singer/guitarist/songwriter Pete David’s blog (a read I definitely recommend) indicates more fascinating stories of early American history will be coming our way, set, of course, to the fine stomps and dirges we’ve come to expect from the Payroll Union. If you’re in the Sheffield, UK, area, you can help the men welcome their new album, The Mule & the Elephant, into the world at their album launch show at Club 60 in Sheffield on January 19.

The Payroll Union Club 60 poster

 

The Payroll Union Official Website

The Payroll Union @ Bandcamp

The Payroll Union @ Facebook

Feel Bad for You, December 2012

 

Time again for the groovin’ internet sensation that all the hip kiddies are talking about, the Feel Bad for You mixtape!

“Hello my little red-nosed reindeers! It’s the last Feel Bad for You mixtape of 2012! And good riddance 2012, and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Please welcome The Mad Mackerel from Charlbury, England, as our newest contributor! (FYI: If you accidentally Google “The Mackerel” instead of “The Mad Mackerel,” the top hit is a disturbing Picasso painting.) Thanks to TooMuchCountry for the artwork. Although, after tonight’s game, maybe we should Feel Bad For the Texans.”

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Feel Bad for You, December 2012

Feel Bad for You, December 2012

1. Title: The Money Goes
Artist: The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Album (year): Between The Ditches (2012)
Submitted By: hoosier buddy
Comments: I saw this band at the 8×10 in Baltimore. It was a transformative experience, standing in the middle of a crowd of screaming, stomping, whiskey-fueled, wild-eyed music fans. The Reverend, who hails from Brown County, IN, could teach Jack White a few things about playing guitar…and about performing. I’m completely serious. Catch ‘em if you can.

2. Title: Molotovs
Artist: Dorado
Album (year): Anger, Hunger, Love And The Fear Of Death (2013)
Submitted by: Corey Flegel
Comments: This is a side project by Birmingham badasses Through The Sparks. The Dorado full length will be released 1/5/13 via This Is American Music.

3 Title: I’m Going Back
Artist: Kitty, Daisy & Lewis
Album (year): Smoking in Heaven (2011)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: I was recently directed to this fun, retro-50s group consisting of multi-instrumentalist siblings. Just good fun.

4. Title: Stupa
Artist: District Attorneys
Album (year): Jr. (2012)
Submitted By: TheOtherBrit
Comments: These guys have my favorite album of the year but this is off their just released free EP from thisisamericanmusic.com!

5. Title: Endeavor
Artist: Timo Räisänen
Album (year): Endeavor (2012)
Submitted By: @philnorman
Comments: Fizz bop Swedish pop! A friend posted this on the tweeters a week or two ago and the damn hook won’t get out of my head. Bonus saxophone solo!

6. Title: Get Me In A Room
Artist: Hallelujah the Hills
Album (year): No One Know What Happens Next (2012)
Submitted by: Simon
Comments: Thanks to everyone who’s contributed and given their time to creating the posts and artwork, so much music, so little time – you filter the great from the mediocre. This is an ear-worm of a track and the video features our erstwhile collator and editor-in-chief Amy https://vimeo.com/38678429.

7. Title: The Cigarette Song
Artist: The Patinettes
Album (year): Bliss (2011)
Submitted By: @popa2unes
Comments: I’m sure like me, this monthly exercise always gets you rooting deep into all the music you’ve accumulated and saying Oh yeah haven’t heard this album in a while! The Patinettes only album Bliss is filled with retro surf rock flair, beautiful vocals and a catchy bluegrass/country vibe and it just found it’s way back onto my pod. They are a five piece crew from Zaragoza, Spain.

8. Title: In Pacific Time
Artist: Micah Schnabel
Album (year): How to Quit Smoking/In Pacific Time CDR (2012)
Submitted By: scratchedsoul
Comments: I travel a lot for work which can be shitty sometimes and sometimes it’s great. At the end of the summer I found myself in Buffalo for work and went and saw Two Cow Garage open for Lucero. Micah and Shane were selling their wares after the show and this is from a CDR Micah was selling. Both songs are ridiculously good.

9. Title: Little Mystery
Artist: Todd Thibaud
Album: Little Mystery (1999)
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: Thibaud was one of the early artists introduced to me by the randomness of Pandora. Not terribly edgy – yet this Boston singer has some solid, creative pop tunes. I revisited Little Mystery for FBFY and realized the multiple meanings of that song title this time of year. The song itself tells the story of the girl about town who craves the return of a little mystery in her life – but who is resigned to know it ain’t happenin’. But don’t we all crave the return of a little mystery? Hell, is mystery even possible in a world of Facebook, Twitter and iPhones? Whacked relationships. Gender-known deliveries. Loathed gift cards vs. wrapped presents bought with intent and a smile. The mystery of Santa that recedes with each generation more quickly than any glacier melts. Those damn Mayans. The journey to Bethlehem and the everlasting impact of the events that may have happened there. But hey, Merry Friggin’ Christmas y’all. Thanks for listening, downloading, sharing and/or ignoring my submissions this year. Have a drink on me, kiss the ones you love and pray for the ones you don’t.

10. Title: To Sir With Love
Artists: Lulu
Album (year): To Sir With Love (1967)
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: I’ve been listening to Steve Earle’s SiriusXM radio show, and he recently discussed the work of producer Mickie Most. This track stands out among his many, many great recordings.

11. Title: I Wanna Live
Artist: The Ramones
Album (year): This version is from the “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: The Anthology [Disc 2]” (1999) but it’s originally on “Halfway to Sanity” (1987)
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: I’ve been on an 80′s Ramones kick in between surf music and crazy Christmas music…so…here ya go.

12. Title: Keep the Boy Alive
Artist: Sebadoh
Album (year): Secret EP (2012)
Submitted By: Ryan (verbow over at altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: I guess the successful Dino Jr reunion has inspired Lou Barlow to revive Sebadoh. They snuck this EP out earlier this year, a teaser for a forthcoming full album in 2013. This is the first song off that EP – and I love the hell out of it. I’ve always dug Lou’s stuff – I wish I had a bunch of enlightening things to say about it, but I don’t. Its just a base instinct I guess. Viva la Sebadoh!

13. Title: God Damned the Rain to Fall
Artist: Horsehead
Album (year): Sympathetic Vibrations (2012)
Submitted By: Trailer
Comments: If you’re gonna do an impression of The Black Crowes, you might as well do it this damn good.

14. Title: Black Tar Carpet Ride
Artist: The Lollipops
Album (2012): Pop Narcotics (2012)
Submitted By: The Mad Mackerel
Comments: “We’ll shoot some heroin, and take to the skies.” Told over a simple acoustic strum, this is an unapologetic, woozy, hypnotically brilliant paean to the delights of chasing the dragon. The best addition to the Sex and Drugs and Rock’n’Roll mantra we’ve heard all year. The only apology? For “the times we almost died.” It comes from The Lollipops sublime May release, Pop Narcotics – available as a Pay What You Want deal from their Bandcamp page.

15. Title: Blood, Sweat & Murder
Artist: Scott H. Biram
Album (year): The Dirty Old One Man Band (2005)
Submitted By: Bryan Childs (ninebullets)
Comments: My father was a HUGE Scotty Biram fan. I’m glad he got to see him live before he got sick. This was one of my dad’s favorite SHB songs.

16. Title: Beer Cans
Artist: Old 97’s
Album (year): Too Far To Care (Bonus track, 2012 reissue)
Submitted By: Gorrck
Comments: Sums up my existence these days.

17. Title: Letters Home From the Garden of Stone
Artist: Everlast
Album (year): Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford (2008)
Submitted By: tincanman
Comments: A soldier ponders his place in the battlefield. Masterfully crafted lyrics and production. And that voice is so seductive!

18. Title: Dead Souls
Artist: Joy Division
Album (year): live (1980)
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: This is from a show Joy Division played at the University of London Union on February 8, 1980, recently remastered by audio engineer Drew Crumbaugh. I’ve been listening to Joy Division since I was in my early teens, and everytime I listen to them, I still think it is some of the greatest music I’ve ever heard.

19. Title: Armegideon Time
Artist: Willie Williams
Album: Armegideon Time (1978)
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: Dec. 21, 2012: Armegideon Time

Feel Bad for You, November 2012

 

It’s that time again, kids. The Feel Bad for You mix for November is live!

“Hidely-ho neighbors! We’ve back, and feeling bad for November. Your favorite bloggers, twitters, hurricane survivors, pinko commie liberals, and conspiracy theorist wingnuts present this month’s mix. Thanks to Hoosier Buddy for the artwork – he took the photo while standing in the ocean near La Jolla, California. Feel bad for those of us standing in snow (or worse).”

Download

Feel Bad for You, November 2012

1. Title: Done Got Old
Artist: Heartless Bastards
Album: Stairs and Elevators (2005)
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comment: I just turned 40. This is my new theme song.

2. Title: Outrageous
Artist: Paul Simon
Album: Surprise (2006)
Submitted By: @philnorman
Comments: It’s outrageous a man like me can stand here and complain.

3. Title: Sadie
Artist: Hound Dog Taylor
Album: Natural Boogie (1974)
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: just three guys laying the groove down, no big deal

4. Title: A Horse Called Music
Artist: Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard
Album: Heroes (2012)
Submitted By: Gorrck
Comments: The original of this song is almost too clean and pure beauty. This has some rough edges but retains the beauty of the song.

5. Title: Beat Surrender
Artist: The Jam
Album: Direction Reaction Creation (1997)
Submitted By: Simon
Comments: Thirty years ago this month the ‘best fucking band in the world’ released their final single and were on the road for their farewell Beat Surrender tour – what else could I choose this month – more on the blog later this month.

6. Title: Blackberries
Artist: Boca Chica
Album (year): Transform Into Beasts (2007)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: I can’t remember how I stumbled upon Boca Chica, but I’ve had them on my ‘buy’ list for a while. I finally picked up one of their earlier albums and have been enjoying it this week. I had a tough time choosing a song for this month’s FBFY, but I keep going back to this one, so here you go.

7. Title: California Dreamin’
Artist: Barry McGuire
Album: Dunhill LP 50005 (1965)
Submitted By: tincanman
Comments: Sounds like someone taking the piss (UK saying), but this is the original. The Mamas & Papas were in the studio at the same time, so supplied the backing vocals. The Cave-like harshness over the sappy sweet harmonies make it almost punky … or is it because McGuire can’t hold a tune?

8. Title: Everybody Knows
Artist: Allen Thompson Band
Album: Salvation In The Ground (2012)
Submitted By: Bryan Childs (ninebullets.net)
Comments: “Everybody Knows” isn’t a comfortable song. It doesn’t really have a groove and you’ll never dance to it, but like The Eagles “Desperado,” you might find yourself wanting to hold up a lighter while it’s playing. The track eschews “a catchy tune” and goes for the “honesty so brutal you can’t help but sit down and pay attention” lyrics…

9. Title: Separation Anxiety
Artist: Mutts
Album: Separation Anxiety (2012)
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: I figured there could hardly be a more fitting contribution to a mixtape that encourages drunken commentary than this shambling, drunken, everybody-sing-now ditty from Chicago’s Mutts.

10. Title: Jamie
Artist: Weezer
Album: DGC Rarities, Volume 1 (1994)
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow @ Altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: Been on a Weezer kick lately. This is a fine track that didn’t make the Blue Album – just a sweet slice of power poppy goodness. It also comes with a cool story – it was recorded by a friend of the band for his college final – he got a B on it. Nice. Also reminds me of a girl I knew named Suzanne – I keed I keed, a girl named Jamie. Swoon. Good times.

11. Title: Two Riders
Artist: Bohannons
Album: Unaka Rising (2012)
Submitted By: TheOtherBrit
Comments: While the bulk of Atlanta was down the street at the democrats’ bar watching the election results, the Bohannons were putting on a scalp-peeling show for less than a dozen people that rivaled the show I saw for a near sold out crowd in their home-town Chattanooga. This album doesn’t do their live show justice (which is one of the best I’ve seen in years), but for $5 from thisisamericanmusic.com it’s gonna be one of your favorite albums this year.

12. Title: Snake Song
Artist: David Olney with Sergio Garcia
Album: Unreleased – Live at Grimey’s (2012)
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: Back in February, author Brian Atkinson made an in-store appearance at Grimey’s New and Preloved Music in Nashville to promote “I’ll Be Here In The Morning”, his book about Townes van Zandt. Grimey added to the promotion of Brian’s book by inviting incredible talents such as Will Kimbrough and the legendary Steve Young to sing covers of Townes’ songs or their songs that may have been somehow influenced by him. The striking highlight for me, however, was David Olney’s cover of Snake Song featuring jaw-dropping guitar work by Sergio Webb. My video of the performance is also on YouTube (as well as the performances by Kimbrough and Young).

13. Title: Oxblood
Artist: The Donkeys
Album: Born With Stripes (2011)
Submitted By: hoosier buddy
Comments: Like your second trip to the kissing booth, this song is as thrilling as it is comfortable. With echoes of Marc Bolan, Ray Davies, and the Commotions (minus Lloyd Cole), the alt-country psychedelia whangs and burbles along. The musical question, “could there be a relationship here?”, applies as much to the listener as it does to the girl who says she’s “got friends in from out of town.”

14. Title: Reefer
Artist: Harlan Pepper
Album: Young and Old (2012)
Submitted By: @popa2unes
Comments: I spent most of the week trying to weed out a song to submit, and then Colorado and Washington State made this old stoner a very happy hippie.

15. Title: Joe
Artist: The Pollies
Album: Where the Lies Begin (2012)
Submitted By: Trailer

16. Title: Fields of June
Artist: Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo (featuring Frank Turner)
Album: Field of June single (2012)
Submitted By: scratchedsoul
Comments: I don’t know much about Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo but Frank Turner tweets about them a lot. Now he’s singing with her and it’s obvious why he likes her. She was part of the Revival Tour in Europe this year.

17. Title: Calm Me Down
Artist: Port O’Brien
Album: Threadbare (2010)
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: Lately this has been my “ease me into the morning while driving” song.

18. Title: Rotten Alabama
Artist: Ramsay Midwood
Album: Larry Buys A Lighter (2011)
Submitted by: Corey Flegel (This Is American Music)
Comments: Ramsay is a Texas legend in my eyes. Every record he’s put out is stellar. If you’re ever in Austin…

Feel Bad For You, October 2012

It’s Fifty Shades of Come Make Fun of Us for What We Listen to When No One Is Looking for FBFY this month. I tried to save a little face with my entry.

“Embarrassed by some of the music that you love? October is for you! Honestly, I was expecting more bad country music submissions for this month, but we got a nice variety. And by nice I mean embarrassing. Your favorite bloggers, twitters, self-important a-holes on the internet, and other jokesters present 50 Shades of Feel Bad for You: Guilty Pleasures Edition. Thanks to @philnorman for the killer cover art.”

 

Download

 

1. Title: Killer Whale
Artist: Underground Resistance
Album (year): 1992
Submitted By: Slowcoustic
Comments: I don’t want to say this is a “guilty pleasure” as much as it is a genre that most folks are surprised that I really really love (once and awhile). Early Detroit Techno. The “techno” today tends to be a bit too shiny for me and I am just too far removed from any sort of scene now to get the good stuff I guess. So, like every other aging dude who used to like metal or techno while growing up – I will always enjoy the classics as a guilty pleasure. I am pretty sure I owned the white label vinyl for this track back in the day – sold from a DJ from the trunk of his car…obviously…

2. Title: Planet Earth
Artist: Duran Duran
Album: Greatest Hits (1998)
Submitted by: Simon
Comments: Time to confess I guess, I’m a bit of music snob, sometimes I may voice an opinion on my good ladies choice of music, most times my comments are frowned upon or brushed off with more than a little disdain, in truth I’m lucky I don’t get a punch in the nose for my generally scurrilous commentary, in my defense I am often tortured by Absolute 80′s on the radio and Now That’s What I Call Music Volumes 1 to 6 on the stereo, so my choice is a real guilty pleasure – hopefully I’ll get away with it….

3. Title: Here For The Party
Artist: Gretchen Wilson
Album (year): Here For The Party (2004)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: Shut up! I told you it was a guilty pleasure.

4. Title: I’m Raving
Artist: Scooter
Album (year): Wicked! (1996)
Submitted By: tincanman
Comments: I know this is a sacrilege, so no need to rub my nose in it :) . Scooter’s fast tempos and happy melodies are infectious and this is one of their signature covers. You just gotta get over being a big ole stick in the mud to enjoy it.

5. Title: Que Veux-Tu
Artist: Yelle
Album (year): 2011
Submitted By: @scratchedsoul
Comments: I have no idea what this song is about as my French isn’t that strong. I just hope they’re not singing about fascist topics. Listening to dance/pop songs in a foreign language is much easier because you don’t have the insipidness of the lyrics distracting you from the catchiness of the song.

6. Title: The Background
Artist: Third Eye Blind
Album (year): Third Eye Blind (1997)
Submitted By: Trailer
Comments: This whole album is a guilty pleasure for me, full of ridiculously catchy pop-alt-rock, but it’s this tearjerker about a hospital-bound ex-lover that always gets me.

7. Title: Greatest Night
Artist: Vulture Whale
Album (year): Bamboo You (2010)
Submitted By: TheOtherBrit
Comments: I don’t usually condone singing with a fake British accent, but this Vulture Whale album is awesome.

8. Title: Extraordinary
Artist: Liz Phair
Album (year): Liz Phair (2003)
Submitted By: hoosier buddy
Comments: I’m a process guy, so I started with a list of about twenty “possible” artists, then chose three representative songs from each artist to review. I rejected Lily Allen (too obvious), Delerium (pointless), and ¡Bowling for Soup! before landing on this rough gem from Liz Phair. I am a Phair fan, and I respect her songwriting abilities. She’s made some important contributions to pop music, including Exile in Guyville. But I digress…

“Extraordinary” was manufactured to be like the girl all the bad guys want. But even made up like a teen beauty pageant contestant by über-pop producers The Matrix, this pop-rocket failed in its mission to penetrate the chart stratosphere. It landed with a critical thud. But, as a guilty pleasure, it delivers in spades on both counts. Listen to that industrial-strength garbage can guitar tone, the Johnny-Barbata-drum-school dropout drumming, the Nutrasweet-cum-Chipmunks backing vocals, and you know this is the one you want to take home from the dance. Phair sings these cringe-worthy lyrics lustily, and you can hear the self-image crisis (average every day sane psycho supergoddess) within the this-is-almost-a-relationship crisis within the what-are-the-chances-of-getting-radio-airplay crisis – the Russian dolls of pop angst! This is what a plaisir coupable should be: more pleasure than guilt.

9. Title: Joyride
Artist: Roxette
Album (year): Joyride (1991)
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow @ altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: When I think guilty pleasures, I think of bands/songs that you would be completely horrified to have your friends find out about. What better guilty pleasure, then, than an early 90′s crap pop song from a Swedish crap pop powerhouse? Ladies and gentleman – “Joyride” by Roxette. I want to hate myself for liking this song, but I can’t. I will sing it at the top of my lungs any time I hear it, unless I happen to be within 100 feet of another actual human being who may hear me and judge me for my forbidden love. I’m so sorry for this.

10. Title: Toxic
Artist: Nickel Creek (covering Britney Spears)
Album (year): live (2005?)
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: This tune is such a guilty pleasure for me that I can’t even bring myself to submit the original, so I’m hoping to preserve a modicum of respect with this Nickel Creek cover, serendipitously recorded at the House of Blues (blech) in Cleveland (yay). I’ve never been fond of Spears’ work, but the unique instrumentation and the abjectly sexual vibe of this song hit me in an irresistible spot.

11. Title: I Believe In a Thing Called Love
Artist: The Darkness
Album (year): Permission to Land (2003)
Submitted By: @philnorman
Comments: I love the complete campy perfection of this song, from the falsetto hook to the hair band homage video complete with Ghostbusters photon streams shooting from the guitars. My life as the singer in a party cover band will be complete when we do this song.

12. Title: Shakin’
Artist: Eddie Money
Album (Year): the 80′s
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: I really struggled with this submission, normally my go to for “guilty pleasure” is Alabama, but those guys are like classic country now I suppose. There were others I considered but did not really feel guilty about enjoying (such as The Eagles), many nostalgia and irony laced acts and then there were many that I enjoy when I hear them on the radio or in a store (such as I Saw The Sign or You Belong To Me) but I don’t actively seek out to listen to. That led me to this, of which I have an Eddie Money greatest hits tape in the car and I genuinely dig. I only feel partially guilty though, and that’s only because I also once enjoyed a scene on King Of Queens featuring this song. For the record Eddie Money’s best song is “Gimme Some Water,” but I have zero guilt about that one.

13. Title: Hit the Switch
Artist: Bright Eyes
Album (Year): Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: I am completely embarrassed to admit that I like Bright Eyes. Go ahead. Judge. I can take it.

14. Title: Dirty Song
Artist: Cars Can Be Blue
Album (year): All The Stuff We Do (2005)
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: This was a hard decision for me! Uh, don’t listen to this song with any kids around.

15. Title: Hand Me The Crown
Artist: The Dirty Urchins
Album (2011): Just In Time
Submitted By: @popa2unes

16. Title: Second Chance
Artist: .38 Special
Album (1988): Rock & Roll Strategy
Submitted by: TheSecondSingle/Beldo
Comments: This was tough for me. There were a lot of songs I considered: “Love In The First Degree” by Alabama, “No One Is To Blame” by Howard Jones, “Live To Tell” by Madonna. Anyone who knows me even a little bit knows I have a soft spot for guilty pleasures. Sometimes the guilty pleasures override the respectable pleasures, but I digress….38 Special released what is easily one of the wussiest monster ballads of the ’80s and definitely the wussiest song by a band named after a gun, but you know what? I don’t care. Cause this song rules. It has kick ass harmonies and a killer chorus. It also sounds nothing like the shit kickers who recorded “Caught Up In You.” It sounds like Richard Marx. I also recommend checking out the video for the director’s hilarious attempt to try and make a bunch of mulletted Florida rednecks look sensitive by filming their mullets in black & white: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRkaPdfjzEk

Mudlow: Sawyer’s Hope

photo credit: Nhung Dang

 

This past spring, I was honored to be asked to edit the liner notes Rick Saunders was writing for the new Mudlow album, Sawyer’s Hope, and there couldn’t be a more evocative description of not only the music, but also the feel of the album than Rick’s words.

 

 

The music of Mudlow has been referred to as “noir blues”, and like any good noir story, their songs are packed with colorful characters. And like any good blues, their songs are packed with emotions that can scrape out the bottom of your soul, an effect achieved sometimes with the most simple but telling phrase and sometimes with the sound that spreads between the moment the blade pierces your heart and the moment you begin to feel the sting.

 

 

This album is one of the most gorgeous I’ve heard in a long while, and I was pleased to get a few words with band members, and damn fine people, Matt (drums) and Tobias (vocals, guitar) about the band and their new album.

 


 

Let’s give the readers some background: where are you all from and how did you get together?

(Matt) Me and Tobias have known each other for years and have played in bands together for most of that time, when our previous band ‘Crawl Limbo’ folded Tobias moved to Brighton and decided to start a new band. We had always played on the gig circuit in Brighton so knew most of the other local band members and had become friends with quite a few of them so finding a new line-up actually wasn’t too difficult, Trimble was there from the start with another Sax player Jules, our first bassist could only play ska because of his unusually fat fingers so we had to let him go. We asked Paul to join and Mudlow was born. We’re definitely a ‘Brighton‘ band and we all live in the city or surrounding area.

 

Based on the 8-year span between full-length albums, I’d guess the band isn’t what keeps food on the table. What are your daytime alter egos (day jobs)?

(M) Me and Tobias work for a friend in the heating trade. Paul works as a sound recording engineer/producer at Church Road Studios in Brighton (which is where the Mudlow magic happens!). Not sure what Trimble does, I think he’s either a pirate or a spy, depending on what he’s wearing.

 

Where does the title Sawyer’s Hope come from?

(Tobias) It’s a partly-imagined place that crops up as a lyric in a couple of our songs. I use maps and place names for inspiration and this came from combining the name of a farm and a wood. To me ‘Sawyer’s Hope’ sounds like an old man’s lifelong aspirations, did he achieve or fail? or is it just a name on a map?

 

 

I know you were shopping around for a label to release this album for a while. What was that process like? How did the deal come together with Motor Sounds Records?

(M) It wasn’t really a ‘process’ as such. We had in mind quite a few labels that we liked so we sent them copies/press etc but didn’t hear much back. We’d pretty successfully self-released our first record but we really wanted to work with someone else on this one and kinda have a labels name on which to hang our hat. We know the guys at Motor Sounds so we approached them to see if they would assist with putting this one out. Thankfully they were really keen to be involved so that was that. I guess you could say it’s a self-release but via an independent label.

 

Your songs are so cinematic and contain so many interesting stories. How do you approach songwriting? Any thoughts about writing a novel?

(T) The songs approach me. You can’t write anything until it’s ready to be written. Sitting and trying to force ideas doesn’t work. A train of thought might be triggered by one line that pops in to your head and then once it gets going let it flow and write down everything, then scrub out the crap and join the dots. The lyrics are mine but we work on the music as a band, we don’t have a formula for creating the songs and we approach each song differently so each has it’s own individuality.

I think about writing a book a lot but who has the time to do that?!

 

What’s next for the band? Any chance of an American tour in the foreseeable future?

(M) We will be playing some shows in support of the new record and will most likely tour here and in Europe. We have already ear-marked band funds for a return trip to the States so we’ll have to see how well Sawyer’s Hope sells. We definitely want to come back.

 

And because I get some of my best music recommendations from musicians, what have you been listening to lately?

(T) I like that Bruce Peninsula band, they’re like a choir trying to upset God.
(M) I vote for The Bonnevilles.
(T) Wait… I want to choose the Bonnevilles
(M) Well, you can’t. I did.
(T) Right! I’m leaving the band. [stomps out]

 


 

In addition to Sawyer’s Hope, Mudlow is generously offering an EP of bits and bobs called The Last Rung Down to Hell, which you can listen to and download right here.

 

Mudlow Official Website

Mudlow @ Bandcamp

Mudlow @ Google+

Mudlow @ Facebook

Feel Bad For You, September 2012

 

I don’t have a horse in this race this month, but I can’t deprive you all of the goodness that is FBFY just because I blanked on a contribution.

“Feel bad for September? No way! It’s football and chili season! First, thanks to AnnieTUFF for the cover art. Second, for the first time in the history of FBFY mixtapes (I think) two people submitted the same track (see #7). Third, notice how loaded TinCanMan was when he submitted his track (# 14). That’s what I like to see! Let’s get some drunken commentary on this mix, pronto!”

Download

1. Title: Young Blood
Artist: Black Pistol Fire
Album: Big Beat ’59 (2012)
Submitted By: @mikeorren
Comments: Saw these guys open for The Scabs in Austin a couple months back and thought they were great. Songmanship takes a jump in their new album– first time I heard this, I swore it was an old favorite.

2. Title: Everybody’s Devil
Artist: Some Dark Holler
Album: Hollow Chest (2012)
Submitted by: Corey Flegel – This Is American Music

3. Title: One Time Thing
Artist: Michael Chapman
Album: Rainmaker (1969)
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: Had the joy of meeting the man and seeing him perform at a private party recently. He sat on the porch with an amped acoustic, no vocals….and proceeded to blow us all away.

4. Title: Miénteme
Artist: The Moonstones
Album: Fuzz, Farfisa y Fiesta (2011)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: These guys started following me on twitter. I found their Bandcamp site (http://themoonstones.bandcamp.com/) and was floored by their retro 60s sound. Instant fan! About half the songs are in Spanish, the other half in English. I finally found a label in Australia where I could buy their CD (and got a couple of samplers too).

5. Title: Wanted
Artist: Town Hall Brawl
Album: demos (2010)
Submitted By: hoosier buddy
Comments: “I remember when called me up, asked me out to the laundromat, playin’ pool on the dry cycle, can’t have more fun than that. Never told anyone your secret, even though I know you told mine. I could never do that to another; some things should always be protected.”

6. Title: There’s More Pretty Girls Than One
Artist: Ricky Skaggs & Tony Rice
Album: Skaggs & Rice (1980)
Submitted By: @philnorman
Comments: Been doing more duo gigs lately, and there’s not many better bluegrass duo records to study than this one. Also, girls are pretty.

7. Title: Like A Drug
Artist: Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
Album: Dirty Radio (Deluxe Version) (2012)
Submitted By: Bryan Childs (Autopsy IV)
Comments: Ding a ding dang my ding a long ling long.

Also Submitted By: @popa2unes
Comments: I’m Hooked

8. Title: Define A Transparent Dream
Artist: Olivia Tremor Control
Album: Music From The Unrealized Film Script Dusk At Cubist Castle (1996)
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow at Altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: RIP Bill Doss.

9. Title: Missing You
Artist: Chris Knight
Album: Little Victories (2012)
Submitted By: Simon
Comments: Not made a bad album Mr Knight and his new one is no exception, best of the plugged in releases so far for me.

10. Title: Coax Me
Artist: Sloan
Album: Twice Removed (deluxe reissue) (1994)
Submitted By: @scratchedsoul
I loved Sloan when they first came out, but then I hated this record when it was originally released in 1994. It’s absolutely grown on me over the years. I always loved the line ‘I think Consolidated’s OK, It’s not the band I hate, it’s their fans.’ That line definitely applied to Consolidated at the time and has applied to many bands since.

11. Title: For A Time
Artist: Guster The Face Buster (G.F.B)
Album (year): G.F.B (2011)
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: Well, is it that time again? September? Already? The start of fall is upon us? We could still go to the lake right now and take a dip during the middle of the hot day, but by the end of the month I bet we’ll be wearing sweaters and eating only foods made with pumpkin. Is the pumpkin thing just me? Maybe… Anyway. Back to music. Part of fall is feeling a little bummed, summer is ending, stuff is dying, its starting to get darker in the morning, but you’ve got to embrace those feelings…and then punch them in the face. So, this month I’m embracing the bummer. Next month I’ll continue my fall tradition with the punching my bummer in the face. For now, I’ll introduce you to my brother…Guster The Face Buster.

12. Title: Bible on the Dash (featuring Hayes Carll)
Artist: Corb Lund
Album: Cabin Fever 2012
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: Corb Lund and Hayes Carll (and Todd Snider) are among the few songwriters still following the long tradition of using humor in country music. This song is one of the highlights off of Lund’s new album.

13. Title: New York
Artist: Sex Pistols
Album: Never Mind The Bollocks (1976)
Submitted By: Bowood
Comments: this popped up on my iPod, the whole album is just a middle finger to everyone and everything.

14. Title: Best Song Everrr
Artist: Wallpaper
Album: Ultimix 181 (2011)
Submitted By: tincanman
Comments: I’m jush wanna say I love you FB…FMB…shit…FBFUCKY peoples. Yesh, I’ve had a few brwskiiiiiiiiiis ha haha, but thatsh not it. No, I shwear, I just love you. all. Video is the NSFW version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr7pEzgW_7Y

15. Title: Storms (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Artist: Matt Sweeney & Bonnie “Prince” Billy
Album: Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute (2012)
Submitted By: TheSecondSingle/Beldo
Comments: My love for soft rock is no secret to those on ACT. This earnest, stripped down cover by one of my favorite duos brings out the beauty and songwriting perfection that has made so much of Fleetwood Mac’s material age so well (and shine through the admittedly dated production). Now if Matt and Will would make a follow-up to Superwolf…

16. Title: If Money Talks
Artist: Jason and The Scorchers
Album: Rockpalast – Hamburg Germany (1985)
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: I couldn’t let the recent passing of Scorchers’ drummer Perry Baggs slip by without some sort of trib. Two songs written by Baggs – White Lies and If Money Talks – were also two of the most iconic for the band and were staples in their setlists. R.I.P. Perry.

17. Title: Take The Fall
Artist: Elliott Randall
Album: Take the Fall (2007)
Submitted By: Cowbelle www.morecowbelle.net
Comments: New favorite SF Americana artist

18. Title: Calgary (Live at Triple J Studios)
Artist: Bon Iver
Album: Live at Triple J Studios (2012)
Submitted By: Slowcoustic
Comments: I know the crowd around here doesn’t always give the time of day to Mr. Vernon but I thought I would be the softie who provided a Bon Iver track to FBFY. I like this version of Calgary as it is one where Bon Vernon uses his actual speaking voice to sing and leaves a lot of the ‘signature’ falsetto-style singing out of the equation. And I live in Calgary…so, there is that.

19. Title: I Am The Cosmos
Artist: Chris Bell
Album (year): I Am The Cosmos (1992)
Submitted By: Trailer
Comments: If you don’t like this song, I probably don’t like you (much).

Feel Bad For You, August 2012

 

It’s one of those times when the FBFY coordinators have decided to suspend the usual laissez faire operation of our monthly mix party and ask the unruly horde to attempt to coordinate around a theme, vis:

“‘Rock and roll is all about sticking it to the man!’ – Someone

The dogs days of summer are only made worse by sitting in your cubicle and slaving away for THE MAN! At least that’s how I came up with the theme for the August Feel Bad For You Mixtape. Though THE MAN could be your boss, the government, whitey, your woman, Nashville record executives, your landlord, etc. I told the contributors to be creative with this one.”

 

Sidenote: @rockstar_aimz and @Truersound took to the Twitter waves last week to live tweet their reactions to the mix, tagging their tweets with “#fbfy”. In one of those quirks of the internet age, the hash tag grew tentacles, and, for one confounding, ridiculous night, #fbfy topped the list of Twitter trending topics (predictably, about 30% of those trending tweets were along the lines of “WTF is #fbfy?”). Here’s the visual evidence.

 

 

 

Download

 

1. Title: Corporate Slave
Artist: Snog
Album (year): Remote Control (1997)
Submitted By: Bryan http://ninebullets.net/
Comments: This one was easy. Snog was bashing corporate america long before it was fashionable to do so and I knew as soon as you said the theme was “The Man” I had to include one of their songs. This song originally appeared on their 1997 album “Remote Control” but this particular version of it is from their 2006 retrospective “Sixteen Easy Tunes For The End Times.” Hope y’all like it as much as I do.

2. Title: The Ascent of Stan
Artist: Ben Folds
Album (year): Rockin’ the Suburbs (2001)
Submitted By: @philnorman
Comments: You wondered why your father was so resigned. Now you don’t wonder anymore…

3. Title: Clampdown
Artist: The Clash
Album: London Calling (1979)
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: “The men at the factory are old and cunning / You don’t owe nothing, so, boy, get running / It’s the best years of your life they want to steal”

4. Title: American Man
Artist: Chuck Prophet
Album (year): ¡Let Freedom Ring! (2009)
Submitted By: hoosier buddy
Comments: Chuck Prophet is the Captain America of guitar-slinging singer-songwriters. His trademark scarf and vest let you know he’s comfortable with the way he looks. The musical influences in this one song alone are a veritable melting pot of American culture. Twang meets classic rock and celebrates the love child with shameless 80′s riffage, His shield is the honest truth about what’s wrong, what’s weird,and what’s going on: “American man, three times your size, with blood on my lips, milk in my eyes.” We all recognize this American man. Heck, some of us are him. Proud as hell, too!

5. Title: Ohio
Artist: Neil Young
Album (year): bootleg (1971)
Submitted By: tincanman
Comments: I had so many ‘Man’ punisms running through my head to impress you with I almost forgot the ultlimate ‘The Man hath run amuk’ song.

6. Title: Vigilante Man
Artist: Woody Guthrie
Album (Year): Dust Bowl Ballads (1940)
Submitted By: Gorrck

7. Title: I Am The Man, Thomas
Artist: Ralph Stanley
Album (Year): 1971-1973 (1995)
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: I AM THE MAAAAN!

8. Title: Dear Employer (The Reason I Quit)
Artist: Minus 5
Album (Year): Down With Wilco (2003)
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: Oh yeah? Wow now you’re minus SIX my friend! I’m outta here.

9. Title: Heaven is a Half Pipe
Artist: OPM
Album (year): Menace to Sobriety (2000)
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow @ altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: I remember this song getting a lot of play round the turn of the millenium. I don’t know if I would say its a good song but it makes me bob my head and laugh thinking, “yeah all I need is my board and my weed – the man can go eff himself!”

10. Title: Legalize It
Artist: Peter Tosh
Album (year): Legalize It (1976)
Submitted By: Simon
Comments: On the eve of Jamaican Independence 50th Celebrations http://www.jis.gov.jm/ja50/v2/ and on the day the country is poised to make it a male/female sprint double gold at London 2012, then it’s got to be Peter Tosh’s “Legalize It,” this Wailer gave the bird to The Man and if the stories are to be believed that’s what cost him his life. Beat this Snoop Dogg.

11. Title: This Is Not A Song, It’s An Outburst: Or, The Establishment
Artist: Rodriguez
Album (year): Cold Fact (1970)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: It’s the establishment, man.

12. Title: Jesus Christ Superstar
Artist: John Keating
Album (year): Sound Gallery Vol 1 (1972)
Submitted By: Bowood
Comments: Andrew Lloyd Webber on FBFY, it was always on the cards.

13. Title: I’m the Man (Def Uncensored Version)
Artist: Anthrax
Album (year): I’m the Man (1987)
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: Gorrck sent this CD to me in 2001 when the anthrax scare hit the east coast. We told one of our other friends that “I got Anthrax in the mail.” She said, “Are you serious!!!” Our friends are not too bright. And we are immature.

14. Title: We Love You Tipper Gore
Artist: Furnaceface
Album (Year): Just Buy It (1992)
Submitted By: Lord Summerisle
Comments: A song about “The Man” that’s about A woman.

15. Title: A New Tomorrow
Artist: Screeching Weasel
Album (year): 1993
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: So, when I heard the theme for this month was “The Man,” I thought of rebelling against status quo, rejecting the norm and living your life the way you want to live it. Instantly I thought of this song, Screeching Weasel is a band I’ve loved for years. It doesn’t matter what music I’m listening to, or if I’m going thru a “only listening to Buck Owens on repeat/surf music 24-7/or whatever else constantly” phase, I’ll always be able to add a Screeching Weasel song to my mixtape (or really…we all know it’s a playlist…but mixtape just sounds better dudes, ok?). Anyway, back to this particular song, anytime I’m starting to question my life choices I can listen to this song and instantly feel better, really. Sound dumb? Who cares, it works for me.

16. Title: Cars and Guns
Artist: Roger Alan Wade
Album (year): Stoned Traveler (2009)
Submitted By: Adam Sheets

17. Title: Puttin’ People On The Moon
Artist: Drive By Truckers
Album (year): The Dirty South (2004)
Submitted By: TheOtherBrit
Comments: This was the first song that came to mind when I thought about The Man keeping ya down, especially convenient with the Mars landing just happening.

18. Track: Friday Night is for the Drinkers
Artist: Bradley Wik and the Charlatans
Album (Year): Burn What You Can, Bury the Rest…
Submitted By: Cowbelle www.morecowbelle.net

19. Track: The Man
Artists: Pete Yorn (w/Natalie Maines)
Album (Year): The Nightcrawler (2006)
Submitted By: Trailer

20. Title: Money Man
Artist: The Countdown Five
Album (1969): B-Side/ Shaka Shake Na Na/Money Man
Submitted By: @popatunes
Comments: This theme seemed a bit of a challenge finding something that wasn’t an obvious ‘The Man’ protest song, (my interpretation of the theme) so I was lead deep into the garage for an enjoyable excursion that distracted me to from my initial, but thought this little b-side gem from Texas City’s The Countdown Five was worth sharing. Y’all know by now I have soft spot for low-fi psych garage grooviness. The band had two Billboard Top 100 hits, “Uncle Kirby” and “Shaka Na Na.”

JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound Return to Cleveland + mp3

In the time since we lost wrote about JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, you may have seen their name thrown around some more, garnering more fans with their incredible live shows, and being added to this year’s Lollapalooza lineup. And maybe you’ve become curious enough to want to experience the ass-moving power for yourself. Or, at least, you damn well should have.

But do you want more (eh? See what I did there?) to entice you? Check out the video for “Sister Ray Charles” (eh? See what they did there?) below and download the mp3.

 

 

Download: “Sister Ray Charles” – JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound

 

Now that you realize the regret that would dog you all the days of your life if you didn’t experience this fantastic band of entertainers live, mark your calendar for August 19, when JCBUS will return to the Beachland Tavern. R.A. Washington and the Family Dollar will play support (Washington was named among the most interesting people of 2012 by Cleveland Magazine) and DJ Charles McGaw will keep the sounds rolling between sets. I cannot properly express here how worth your time this show is, so go see and hear for yourself.

Sun, Aug 19 | 8:30 PM (7:30 PM door)
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound

R.A. Washington & The Family Dollar
DJ Charles McGaw spins before & between sets

$10.00 adv / $12.00 dos
Tavern | All Ages

 

JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound

The Beachland Ballroom & Tavern

 

Feel Bad For You, July 2012

 

The new phonebook’s here! The new phonebook’s here!

What’s that you say? No one uses phonebooks anymore, yet the things keep piling up on your doorstep every year? Well, how about something you can use that takes up absolutely no space on your doorstep. The new FBFY mix is here! The new FBFY mix is here! Contributed to by your friendly internet-neighborhood bloggers, musicians, tweeters, etc., and brought to you by the good people at Feel Bad For You, it is, as always, an eclectic mix.

 

 

Download

 

1. Title: The Crease
Artist: Arliss Nancy
Album (year): Simple Machines (2012)
Submitted By: Captainsdead
Comments: great rock record, nothing more, nothing less

2. Title: I Love Lucy
Artist: The Producers
Album (year): The Producers/You Make The Heat (2000, CD Reissue of the band’s first two albums)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: I make no apologies for my love of all things ‘power pop’. The Producers put out a couple of albums in the early 80s and seemed to fly under the radar of most people, which is too bad because these guys crafted some great songs.

3. Title: Travel On
Artist: Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Album (year): Americana (2012)
Submitted By: @mikeorren
Comments: This song IS summer in America. Drive fast on a long highway and put it on repeat.

4. Title: I Wanna Be Your Marianne
Artist: Amy Cook
Album (year): Let The Light In (2010)
Submitted By: Hoosier Buddy
Comments: The most summer-soaked tune from an album produced by Alejandro Escovedo. A tasty confection: swirl cupcake in which relaxed rhythm guitar mixes with strangled cat lead tones, topped with Amy’s buttercream vocal track. You can never eat just one.

5. Title: Gotta Go Out West
Artist: The Woolly Bushmen
Album (year): The Woolly Bushmen (2012)
Submitted By: Autopsy IV (ninebullets.net)
Comments: Retro rock and roll from a group of kids from Orlando. I caught them live at Tropical Heatwave this year and they were a complete and total blast. Album came out last week and is available on Bandcamp.

6. Title: There Won’t Always Be an England
Artist: The Wind-up Birds
Album (year): The Land (2012)
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: This song cemented my love for this fantastic band out of Leeds, England. Even though it’s specifically about rabid nationalism in the UK, it’s an almost effortless exercise to translate it to the jingoistic patriotism that has been promoted in the U.S. over the past decade. The feeling of mounting frustration and anger in this song is a thing of beauty.

7. Title: Wasting Away
Artist: The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Album (year): Strung Out in Heaven (1998)
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow @ altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: Can anyone take the essential elements of 60′s music (garage, pop, psycheldelia, country rock) and blend them as seamlessly as Antone Newcombe? I think not. Great, mellow track from these freaky weirdos. Love the harmonica.

8. Title: You Ain’t Going Nowhere
Artist: Counting Crows (Bob Dylan)
Album (year): Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation) (2012)
Submitted By: @philnorman
Comments: Get your mind off winter time. You ain’t going nowhere.

9. Title: Joe Friday
Artist: Alvin Youngblood Hart
Album (Year): Big Mama’s Door (1996)
Submitted By: Adam Sheets

10. Title: Little Black Star
Artist: Hurray For The Riff Raff
Album (year): Look Out Mama (2012)
Submitted By: TheOtherBrit
Comments: Saw these gals & guy out of Louisiana in Waverly a couple months ago and they blew me away.

11. Title: Here They Come
Artist: The Doc Marshalls
Album (Year): Look Out Compadres (2012)
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: I’ve been playing this track repeatedly after first hearing it during one of Bill Frater’s Freight Train Boogie podcasts (a great source of new Americana music). In this month we celebrate our independence and are reminded of the costs paid to defend it, many of the lyrics from this song resonated with me.

12.Title: Like
Artist: We Run
Album (Year): We Run EP (2012)
Submitted By: @popa2unes

13. Title: Fall Skull
Artist: Little Wings
Album (year): Black Grass (2011)
Submitted By: Lord Summerisle
Comments: I didn’t hear this album until early 2012 but it has swiftly become my favourite album of 2011. Brilliant stuff, a touch of Will Oldham, a dash of Bill Callahan and some sweet electronics burbling in the background. Perfect.

14. Title: Give Back My Heart
Artist: Lyle Lovett
Album (year): Pontiac (1988)
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: In spring, 1993, I was in college in Chicago at a coffee shop listening to these two other students jam away on their acoustic guitars, really killing it. They were playing some song that I didn’t know, but it stuck in my head all of these years because it was so good. Thanks to the miracle of satellite radio, I finally figure out nearly two decades later on my commute to work that they were covering this Lyle Lovett song, only adding a few curse words and massive blues guitar riffs.

15. Title: Worry About Your Health
Artist: The District Attorneys
Album (Year): Slowburner (2012)
Submitted by: Corey Flegel (This Is American Music)
Comments: this was the song that reminded me to send in a submission…so, it then became my submission.

16. Title: Hard Times In America
Artist: Willie Nile
Album (Year): Live From The Streets Of New York (2008)
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: Now that the 4th is over, back to reality.

17. Title: Piledriver Waltz
Artist: Alex Turner
Album (year): Submarine EP (2011)
Submitted By: Simon
Comments: I treated myself to a few pieces of vinyl on Record Store Day amongst them a Caitlin Rose 7” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJWiUOIpUS8) featuring a pair of tracks from Arctic Monkeys album Suck It and See and have been ‘spinning’ both regularly over the last month, Piledriver Waltz has got stuck in my head and become a new favourite, I stumbled across another version of the track that appeared on Alex Turner’s film soundtrack for Submarine and thought I’d throw this into this months mix. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/v6cg

18. Title: Prime Mover
Artist: Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction
Album (year):
Submitted By: Gorrck

19. Title: Unk In Funk
Artist: Muddy Waters
Album (year): Unk In Funk (1974)
Submitted By: Bowood
Comments: Muddy Waters just letting us know that funk wasn’t born until he entered the world, presumably 7am on Sunday July 7th, with seven doctors in attendance. Today is July 7, the mojo is still strong..

20. Title: Racing in the Street
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Album (year): Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
Submitted By: tincanman2010
Comments: The bit about the girl sitting on her Daddy’s porch, all her pretty dreams torn is one of the saddest moments in song I know. Bruce’s band doesn’t get enough credit for the way they play this. And it’s not a car song; it just sounds at first like one.

21. Title: Continuous Thunder
Artist: Japandroids
Album (Year): Celebration Rock (2012)
Submitted By: Trailer

22. Title: Too Hot
Artist: The Specials
Album (year): The Specials (1979)
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: It’s full blown summer now, and the crazy heat always makes me think of summers as a teenager, and punk. Driving around in my first car (death trap of a car that I scrimped and saved to buy after working my first fast food job) no AC, windows down, sweating like crazy, and cranking music as loud as I could thru my little battery powered tape player that I brought with me (because the stereo in the car kept blowing out the fuses for the lights…see? death trap). So, in honor of all the record breaking heat and summer tunes and memories I’m picking The Specials. And yeah, I know, it’s not punk, it’s ska, but c’mon it’s toooooo hot.

We See Lights: Hopeless at Maths

Maths monsters! This explains everything.

Scottish trio We See Lights have returned to shoot sunshine into your earholes again. And your eyeholes! Here’s an enlightening video for us maths-challenged types, for the song “Hopeless at Maths” off We See Lights’ forthcoming album Bloody Twenties.

 

 

Want it? Get it.

 

Bloody Twenties is slated for release in the summer.

 

We See Lights Official Website

We See Lights @ Bandcamp