Water All Around

Taking a Water Break

2007-01-14T12:28:00.000-05:00

...Maybe a permanent one. If I don't come back, thanks for visiting.

-Kent

Rare Strummer Tune

2007-01-02T15:04:00.000-05:00

Happened upon this on eMusic today. It's Joe Strummer performing under the pseudonym Electric Dog House. Not sure what year it was released. In fact, I can't find any info on EDH. Anyone know anything?

[MP3] Electric Dog House – "Generation"

Five fer Friday XI

2006-12-22T12:26:00.000-05:00

[MP3] Generation X – "100 Punks Rule" EXPIRED
That first album by Billy and the boys was awesome. Here's my favorite track.

[MP3] The Jam – "Saturday's Kids" EXPIRED
I really need to devote an entire entry on the Jam. Until then......

[MP3] Hoodoo Gurus – "I Want You Back" EXPIRED
This is from their 1983 Stoneage Romeos debut disc – it spent quite bit o' time on my turntable back in college.

[MP3] The Pink Fairies – "Between the Lines" EXPIRED
Early Stiff Records band that I know little about – this is from the Stiff Singles, Vol. 1 disc.

[MP3] Mick Farren and the Deviants – "Let's Loot the Supermarket Again Like We Did Last Summer" EXPIRED
Ditto.

This might be it for '06, gang. Happy holidays to all of you!
-Kent

The Fratellis

2006-12-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Water-rat Sparkylulu for turning me on to the Fratellis. These fun-first Scots are kinda like an amped-up, rocked-out Beatles, infused with the bounciness of early XTC.

Their lyrics tend to the jokey side, which is sorta disappointing. They seem to have the talent to go farther. They're said, though, they're definitely a band to watch.

These are from the 2006 debut disc Costello Music:

[MP3] The Fratellis – "Henrietta" EXPIRED
[MP3] The Fratellis – "Chelsea Dagger" EXPIRED
[MP3] The Fratellis – "Baby Fratelli" EXPIRED

Here's the cheapest place I could find to buy their disc online.

Andy Partridge/Fuzzy Warbles

2006-12-20T06:31:00.000-05:00

Andy Partridge of XTC fame recently compiled an entire musical life of outtakes, alt takes, and unreleased takes into an eight-disc set titled The Fuzzy Warbles. As I understand it, this was originally only available through his website as a British import (and it cost an ungodly sum).

Well, this past weekend, a co-worker and co-lover of XTC stumbled upon the set at Border’s. He happened to have a 20% off coupon on him so he decided to make the investment. He was kind enough to share volume one with me – and I’m now being kind enough to share it (or some of it, anyway) with you.

Now, volume one boasts a whopping nineteen tracks, which puts the entire collection in the vicinity of 150 songs. The obvious conclusion: There’s a lot o’ frivolous filler here. That said, there’s also some really good shite too (well, at least in volume one). To me, it sounds like later-years XTC. See (or hear) what you think:

[MP3] Andy Partridge – “Dame Fortune” EXPIRED
[MP3] Andy Partridge – “Born out of Your Mouth” EXPIRED
[MP3] Andy Partridge – “Goosey Goosey” EXPIRED

BONUS:
[MP3] Andy Partridge – “That Wag” (Andy goofin’ in the studio – worth a listen for his send-ups of the Cure, the Smiths, and Dylan) EXPIRED
[MP3] Andy Partridge – “That Wave” (the resulting song) EXPIRED

More Xmas

2006-12-18T15:53:00.000-05:00

Santa went to the Island of Misfit Blogs this weekend and brought back these two gems:

[MP3] Spinal Tap – "Christmas with the Devil" EXPIRED
[MP3] Steve Martin – "Five Christmas Wishes" EXPIRED

Five fer Friday X

2006-12-15T06:19:00.000-05:00

[MP3] Aimee Mann – "Stupid Thing" EXPIRED
Let's begin ballady with this track from Mann's first solo disc.

[MP3] Ben Kweller – "Hear Me Out" EXPIRED
Love this Kweller tune from his '04 disc On My Way.

[MP3] Nirvana – "Breed" EXPIRED
Recently saw a VHI "Classic Album" episode on "Nevermind" and it reminded just how great this disc is.

[MP3] Pavement – "Range Life" EXPIRED
For me, it's hit or miss with Pavement. This one's a hit.

[MP3] Police – "Peanuts" EXPIRED
I can remember "singing" to this song in my bedroom during my high school years.

Picks fer '06, Part 2

2006-12-14T09:17:00.000-05:00

From The Tragic Treasury:
[MP3] Gothic Archies – “Walking My Gargoyle” EXPIRED
From Funnel Cloud:
[MP3] Hem – “Not California” EXPIRED
From Ole Tarantula:
[MP3] Robyn Hitchcock – “(A Man’s Gotta Know His Limitations) Briggs EXPIRED
From Boys and Girls in America:
[MP3] The Hold Steady – “Chips Ahoy!” EXPIRED
From Ben Kweller:
[MP3] Ben Kweller – “Penny on the Train Track” EXPIRED
From Dead American Radio:
[MP3] Left Alone – “Justino” EXPIRED
From Rabbit Fur Coat:
[MP3] Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins – “The Big Guns” EXPIRED
From We Are the Pipettes:
[MP3] The Pipettes – “One Night Stand” EXPIRED
From The Animal Years:
[MP3] Josh Ritter – “Girl in the War” EXPIRED
From Modern Gameplay:
[MP3] The Sprites – “George Romero” EXPIRED
From The Body, The Blood, The Machine:
[MP3] Thermals – “Test Pattern” EXPIRED

Picks fer '06, Part 1

2006-12-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

This is the best I’ve heard in 2006, a good but not great year fer rock ‘n’ roll. Of course, I only have two ears so there’s only so much I can listen to. I’d love to hear others opine on the subject. Or even share a track or two.

Look for Part 2 tomorrow.

From The Longest Meow:
[MP3] Bobby Bare Jr. – “The Heart Bionic” EXPIRED
From The Life Pursuit:
[MP3] Belle & Sebastian – “The Blues Are Still Blue” EXPIRED
From Back to Higher Ground:
[MP3] The Briggs – “Back to Higher Ground” EXPIRED
From Flat-Pack Philosophy:
[MP3] Buzzcocks – “Wish I Never Loved You” EXPIRED
From The Crane Wife:
[MP3] Decemberists – “Sons and Daughters” EXPIRED
From Cannibal Sea:
[MP3] Essex Green – “Penny & Jack” EXPIRED
From Shattered:
[MP3] Exploding Hearts – “Busy Signals” EXPIRED
From Skeleton:
[MP3] Figurines – “Ambush” EXPIRED
From Monster House Soundtrack:
[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – “Monster House” EXPIRED
From News and Tributes:
[MP3] Futureheads – “Back to the Sea” EXPIRED

Five fer Friday IX

2006-12-08T05:45:00.000-05:00

[MP3] 101ers – “Sweet Revenge” EXPIRED
Joe Strummer from his pre-Clash days (thanks to Pete for this!).

[MP3] Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros – “Coma Girl” EXPIRED
Joe Strummer from his post-Clash days.

[MP3] The Clash – “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais” EXPIRED
Why not? Joe Strummer from his in-Clash days.

[MP3] Of Montreal – “Art Snob Solutions” EXPIRED
Of Montreal says: “Kill all Phillistines!”

[MP3] Talking Heads – “(Nothing But) Flowers” EXPIRED
Great tune from the final days of the Heads.

The Gothic Archies

2006-12-06T09:52:00.000-05:00

Read on only if you have an affinity for wickedness, wretchedness, and woe. You’re still reading? You are a sick person. But that’s not all! You’re also a prime candidate for the books popularly known as A Series of Unfortunate Events. As some of you may know, particularly if you’re sick, this set follows the nasty, nefarious Count Olaf as he schemes to get his grubby, greedy hands on the fortune of the kindly, caring Baudelaire children, who have been cast out into the cold, cruel world after the mysterious death of their parents.

Over the past two years, I have been reading Unfortunate Events to my grade-school son (see how sick I am?), and we have taken great joy in the misery, moroseness, and mistreatment of the Baudelaires.

The series recently concluded with book thirteen (ha!), which was released on Friday the thirteenth (double ha!). At the same time, a band known as the Gothic Archies (actually Stephen Merritt of Magnetic Fields fame, along with Unfortunate Events author Lemony Snicket on accordion and John Woo on electric sitar) unveiled The Tragic Treasury: Songs from a Series of Unfortunate Events. Each track on the disc brings tunefully (in most cases) to life one of the dark, tragic tales.

Well, as you can imagine, my son and I immediately started scheming to get our grubby, greedy hands on the CD. Fortunately, our schemes met with greater success than those of Count Olaf. Which is why I’m sharing the following three tracks with you. Of course, to get the fullest pleasure from these songs, you should read the books. And you can do just that by clicking here and buying them. Though keep in my that the CD sleeve posts this warning to potential readers: “Books by Lemony Snicket are even more miserable than the music they inspire.”

[MP3] The Gothic Archies – “Scream and Run Away (from The Bad Beginnings) EXPIRED
[MP3] The Gothic Archies – “In the Reptile Room (from The Reptile Room)” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Gothic Archies – “Freakshow (from The Carnivorous Carnival)” EXPIRED

Spend some of your fortune on the Gothic Archies

Snow Tracks

2006-12-04T16:39:00.000-05:00

Well, December is here. Time to drag the Christmas songs down from the attic.

[MP3] Apples in Stereo – “Holiday Mood” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Boys – “Run Rudolph Run” EXPIRED
[MP3] Dance Hall Crashers – “I Did It for the Toys” EXPIRED
[MP3] Dr. Elmo – “Grandma’s Killer Fruitcake” EXPIRED
[MP3] Dressy Bessy – “All the Right Reasons” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Essex Green – “Deck the Halls” EXPIRED
[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – “I Want an Alien for Christmas” EXPIRED
[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – “The Man in the Santa Suit” EXPIRED
[MP3] John Denver & the Muppets – “Twelve Days of Christmas” EXPIRED
[MP3] Ramones – “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight)” EXPIRED
[MP3] Sufjan Stevens – “Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time” EXPIRED
[MP3] Sufjan Stevens – “Get Behind Me, Santa!” EXPIRED
[MP3] XTC – “Thanks for Christmas” EXPIRED
[MP3] XTC – “Countdown to Christmas Party Time” EXPIRED

Five fer Friday VIII

2006-11-29T16:13:00.000-05:00

[MP3] The Hong Kong – "Tongue Tied" EXPIRED
New wave, Blondie-like pop from another blondie-led band.

[MP3] Elvis Costello – "Radio, Radio (Live on SNL)" EXPIRED
Thanks to Franz for this one – he also shared this YouTube link to the circa-1979 performance.

[MP3] Elvis Costello – "Mystery Dance" EXPIRED
This is for Senap who bemoaned the fact that I left it off the My Aim Is True post (okay, no more Costello for a while, promise)

[MP3] Tim Armstrong – "Hold On" EXPIRED
From Armstrong's forthcoming solo disc – much mellower than Rancid and the Transplants.

[MP3] Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – "Whatever Happened to My Rock 'n' Roll" EXPIRED
Dirty, grungy 70s rock from the BRMC.

999

2006-11-29T06:52:00.000-05:00

This post goes out to Greg, the childhood buddy who introduced me to punk back in high school and in the process saved my rock ‘n’ roll soul from the likes of Journey, Styx, and REO Speedwagon.

Thank you, Greg. I am forever indebted. The thought of tootling around town as a 43-year-old to the strains of You Can Tune a Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish gives me the willies.

One of Greg’s favorite bands back in the day was 999, a bubble-gummy Brit punk outfit who took its name from the English version of our 911 emergency number. I can still vividly recall Greg, fueled by far too many Molsons, leaping about our Michigan State dorm room to 999’s The Biggest Prize in Sport. That same year, we saw Nick Cash and the 999 gang in Ann Arbor for the Biggest Prize tour. It was a heckuva lotta fun and remains one of my cherished college memories.

Which is why I was euphorically surprised yesterday when I saw that eMusic just added a bunch of Anagram releases – including 999’s Biggest Prize in Sport. I hit download with great alacrity.

So here ya go, Greg. These goes out to you:

[MP3] 999 – “Fun Thing” EXPIRED
[MP3] 999 – “The Biggest Prize in Sport” EXPIRED
[MP3] 999 – “English Wipeout” EXPIRED

BONUS
Greg and his wife just had a baby girl so in her honor here’s 999’s fairytale rocker “Little Red Riding Hood”:
[MP3] 999 – “Little Red Riding Hood” EXPIRED

Get the Biggest Prize in Sport FREE by checking out eMusic!

Promo: Memphis

2006-11-29T06:46:00.000-05:00

If you any of you are pondering doing a music blog, here’s one of the perks: As you become established and start getting some traffic to your site, record companies begin offering you free discs in hopes that you’ll give their band a plug.

This has happened twice now at Water. One I turned down. The other – a band called Memphis – I accepted after listening to the single they sent.

Memphis is a Vancouver-based band that strays to the mellow, contemplative side of indie pop. Here a couple of my favorite tracks from their brand spanking new disc, A Little Place in the Wilderness:

[MP3] Memphis – “I’ll Do Whatever You Want” EXPIRED
[MP3] Memphis – “Incredibly Drunk on Whiskey” EXPIRED

Go to the Memphis website to learn more

Stupid Songs

2006-11-28T06:42:00.000-05:00

This is a post I’ve been wanting to do for a while. A few months back as I was listening to “Beer for Breakfast” by the Replacements, I realized that there are a lot of wonderfully stupid songs out there – songs whose subject matter is so crass, juvenile, and/or moronic that they induce guffaws and/or grins.

Below are some that I found. If any one of you can think of others, let me know and I’ll try to post ‘em.

STUPID SONG INSIGHT!!!
Note that most stupid songs run less three minutes. Apparently, stupidity can only go so far – with the government and the movie industry being the two obvious exceptions.

[MP3] Replacements – “Beer for Breakfast” EXPIRED
[MP3] Camper Van Beethoven – “Take the Skinheads Bowling” EXPIRED
[MP3] Cramps – “Goo Goo Muck” EXPIRED
[MP3] Dead Milkmen – “Punk Rock Girl” EXPIRED
[MP3] Jilted John – “I Was a Pre-Pubescent” EXPIRED
[MP3] Old 97s – “Coahuia” EXPIRED
[MP3] Peter and the Test Tube Babies – “Elvis Is Dead” EXPIRED
[MP3] Ramones – “Pinhead” EXPIRED
[MP3] Tommy Womack – “I’m Selling Mom’s Urine on eBay” EXPIRED
[MP3] Wreckless Eric – “Personal Hygiene” EXPIRED
[MP3] Young Fresh Fellows – “Sittin’ on a Pitchfork” EXPIRED

My Aim Is True

2006-11-27T05:47:00.000-05:00

By popular demand (one person constitutes popular demand at the Water All Around blog), here are three tracks from Costello's classic 1977 debut disc, My Aim Is True:

[MP3] Elvis Costello - "Watching the Detectives" EXPIRED
[MP3] Elvis Costello - "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" EXPIRED
[MP3] Elvis Costello - "Waiting for the End of the World" EXPIRED

BONUS
[MP3] Elvis Costello - "Radio Sweetheart"
"Radio Sweetheart" is from the remastered 1993 Rykodisc release of My Aim Is True. It represents the first "professional recording" (his words) of Costello. It was released by Stiff Records as Costello's first single, though it was left off My Aim Is True "due to a difference in sound."

Buy My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

2006-11-25T07:42:00.000-05:00

You young uns might not know this, but there was a time way back in rock ‘n’ roll days of old when Elvis Costello didn’t take himself too seriously and played with rockin’ back-up bands, not crusty classical quartets. In those days, when punk was in its infancy and E.C. had far more hair and far less girth, he was an angry man who played angry songs.

And boy was he good.

As historical evidence, I present four tracks from This Year’s Model, his 1978 release that remains one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll discs of all time.

[MP3] Elvis Costello – “No Action” EXPIRED
[MP3] Elvis Costello – “You Belong to Me” EXPIRED
[MP3] Elvis Costello – “Lip Service” EXPIRED
[MP3] Elvis Costello – “Lipstick Vogue” EXPIRED

Get your grubby hands on This Year’s Model

Five fer Friday VII

2006-11-24T06:25:00.000-05:00

[MP3] Garbage – “I Just Wanna Have Something to Do” EXPIRED
Saw Shirley Manson singing with the Pretenders on VH1 last night, and it reminded me of this great Ramones cover that Garbage did.

[MP3] Green Day – “Outsider” EXPIRED
Well, as long as we’re doing Ramones covers, here’s Green Day having at one.

[MP3] Husker Du – “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (Live)” EXPIRED
Let’s make it a Ramones Covers Friday! Husker Du does Joey and the boys.

[MP3] U2 – “Beat on the Brat” EXPIRED
Bono does some brat beatin’.

[MP3] Kiss – “Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio?” EXPIRED
Kiss? The grease-paint guys? Really?

Grandpaboy

2006-11-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

When Paul Westerberg was with the Replacements, there were only a handful of songs I didn’t love. Since he left the Mats, there’s only a handful I don’t hate. And most of this handful come from his alter-ego efforts as Grandpaboy.

In general, the Grandpaboy work is far more rockin’, far less maudlin, and altogether cleverer and funnerer than the tunes he’s released under his own name. It’s as if the Grandpaboy moniker distances Westerberg from the “artist” label he seems to take far too seriously – and, oddly, it gets him much closer to art.

The following three tracks are from his self-titled Grandpaboy EP:

[MP3] Grandpaboy – “Hot Un” EXPIRED
[MP3] Grandpaboy – “Psychopharmacology” EXPIRED
[MP3] Grandpaboy – “Homelessexual” EXPIRED

BONUS (here’s a non-Grandpaboy solo track I love):
[MP3] Paul Westerberg – “It’s a Wonderful Lie” EXPIRED

Buy Grandpaboy

Five fer Friday VI

2006-11-17T17:22:00.000-05:00

[MP3] Cracker – “Movie Star” EXPIRED
Gotta love a song with the lyric: “The movie star crashed her car but everyone said she was beautiful even without her head.”

[MP3] Devo – “Uncontrollable Urge” EXPIRED
Devo could really throw down in their day. I sometimes forget that.

[MP3] Guided by Voices – “Glad Girls” EXPIRED
Poppy fun from G-by-V.

[MP3] Replacements – “I Hate Music” EXPIRED
“I hate music…it’s got too many notes!” sings Westerberg back in 1981.

[MP3] Young Canadians – “I Hate Music” EXPIRED
Same sentiment, different song, sung a couple years earlier by the Young Canandians.

Ivy

2006-11-16T09:03:00.000-05:00

I probably wouldn’t have heard of and certainly wouldn’t have dropped dough on Ivy if it weren’t for Fountains of Wayne. Regular visitors to Water who read my posts (there’s gotta be at least one of you….......right?) know of my affection for FofW. Well, FofW bassist and co-songwriter Adam Schlesinger doubles as the drummer for Ivy.

But be warned:

If you’re expecting “Radiation Vibe,” “Red Dragon Tattoo,” and “Mexican Wine,” you’ll be disappointed. Ivy’s sound is nothing like FofW. The best way I can describe it: Take 70s AOR, late 60s movie soundtracks, contemporary indie pop, and the silky voice of a female lounge singer, throw ‘em all in a donut-dusting bag, and shake it around. You’ll end up with something close to Ivy.

Too, Adam Schlesinger takes a back (drum) seat in this band. The real star of is French-born Dominique Durand. It’s her beautiful voice that translates all of their songs – and her beautiful visage that dominates all of their photo ops.

The following tracks are from 1997’s Apartment Life, which is generally considered Ivy’s best disc.

[MP3] Ivy – “This Is the Day” EXPIRED
[MP3] Ivy – “I Get the Message” EXPIRED
[MP3] Ivy – “You Don’t Know Anything” EXPIRED

Buy Ivy’s Apartment Life

Libertines

2006-11-15T15:06:00.000-05:00

I love the Libertines. Which makes the abrupt, highly publicized descent of co-founder Pete Dougherty into drug-dazed dereliction – a descent that led to the premature end of the band – all the more painful and frustrating.

Like the Beatles (Lennon/McCartney) and the Clash (Stummer/Jones) before them, the Libertines brought together two songwriters (Dougherty/Barat) who benefited from each other’s strengths. And just like the Beatles and the Clash, the solo efforts of said songwriters pale in comparison to their collaborative efforts (Dougherty’s Babyshambles and Carl Barat’s Dirty Pretty Things do little for me).

There is, however, one unfortunate area where the Beatles/Clash-comparison falls apart: The Libertines left us with a far-smaller catalog. Two albums and a handful of demo and EP tracks. As well as countless thoughts of what could have been.

Below are a few of my faves. I’ll begin with one of the earliest Libertines tunes – “What a Waster” – in which Dougherty ridicules a cocaine addict. Sadly and ironically, he could have been writing about himself.

[MP3] Libertines – “What a Waster” EXPIRED
[MP3] Libertines – “Up the Bracket” EXPIRED
[MP3] Libertines – “Last Post on the Bugle” EXPIRED
[MP3] Libertines – “What Became of the Likely Lads” (Dougherty and Barat take a final hard look at their own relationship) EXPIRED

Buy the Libertines

Old 97s

2006-11-13T12:57:00.000-05:00

I’m gonna start this one by asking: Why do so many rock-o-philes hate the term “alt-country”? I mean, bands like Whiskeytown, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, and the Drams sure ain’t country. To define them in the same way as Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks (those are the only country performers I can come up with right now) would misrepresent them to potential buyers. Before I shell out my dough for a band, I want to know as closely as possible what they sound like. If you classify everyone within the rock genre as “rock”– as some purists would have it – you’re suggesting that Britney Spears is no different than Black Flag. All of this has led me to adopt the following policy:

At Water All Around, we openly embrace and freely engage in rock ‘n’ roll profiling. All bands are unjustly pigeonholed and compartmentalized by their sound. We feel it’s the only way to keep the rock world safe from fuzzy, nebulous musical-genre generalities that can lead to misspent cash and highly regrettable and/or embarrassing record acquisitions.

Now that that’s behind us, let’s adhere to the policy and discuss one of the great unsung “alt-country” bands: the Old 97s. To me, their 1997 disc Too Far to Care is one of the most underappreciated albums of the 90s. Just give a listen to songs like “Timebomb,” “Barrier Reef,” and “House That Used to Be” (which you can do below) to see how good these guys can be, musically and lyrically.

Lately, the 97s have moved much closer to “alt-pop” (see how helpful rock ‘n’ roll profiling can be). So if you like Too Far to Care, I’d try Hitchhike to Rome (1994) next, then maybe Fight Songs (1999). Or if you’re partial to live discs, they released the 30-song “Alive and Wired” last year, and it’s an outstanding overview of their entire canon.

[MP3] Old 97s – “Timebomb” EXPIRED
[MP3] Old 97s – “Barrier Reef” EXPIRED
[MP3] Old 97s – “House That Used to Be” EXPIRED

BONUS! BONUS! BONUS!
[MP3] Old 97s – “The Bug Song” (Demo) EXPIRED
[MP3] Old 97s – “Singular Girl” (from the Satellite Rides bonus disc) EXPIRED

Buy Too Far to Care

Test

2006-11-10T16:54:00.000-05:00

I need to check if my new file management site is linking up with elbo so you guys get my favorite Epoxies track. Enjoy!

[MP3] Expoxies – "Radiation" EXPIRED

Five fer Friday V

2006-11-10T09:33:00.000-05:00

[MP3] Soviettes – “Multiply and Divide” EXPIRED
If you haven't heard the Soviettes, you're in for a treat – they're like punked up B52s.

[MP3] Sham 69 – “Borstal Breakout” EXPIRED
I was never a fan of Sham 69…except for this song – a true punk classic.

[MP3] Tsar – “Band-Girls-Money” EXPIRED
It’s glam! It’s metal! It’s punk! Presenting the amazing sounds of Tsar!

[MP3] Young Fresh Fellows – “Swiftly But Gently” EXPIRED
Magnificent mellowness from Scott McCaughey’s former band (he now fronts the Minus 5).

[MP3] Weezer – “Uptown Girl” EXPIRED
Weezer covers Billy Joel!

Cock Sparrer

2006-11-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

Somehow, these guys escaped my punk purview back in ’82. Which is kinda surprising cuz those were my college days when I’d scour the bins of Flat Black and Circular in East Lansing and read NME and other alt pubs cover to cover in search of new bands.

So I was somewhat taken aback when I recently saw the album that these songs hail from – Shock Troops – placed on the same pedestal as London Calling. Now after several listens, I can tell you with utter surety that Cock Sparrer is no Clash. However, these London lads do (or did) kick out some really good stuff. The comparison I’d make is the Undertones, with maybe a pinch of Ramones added to the mix (listen to the guitar work on “England Belongs to Me”). They produce pubby, poppy, sing-along punk, and in my view, the band probably deserves more attention than they got in ’82 or are getting today.

[MP3] Cock Sparrer – “Where Are They Now” EXPIRED
[MP3] Cock Sparrer – “Riot Squad” EXPIRED
[MP3] Cock Sparrer – “England Belongs to Me” EXPIRED

Subscribe to eMusic where you can download Cock Sparrer!

Rancid

2006-11-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

If the Clash had stuck it out and stuck to their punk roots, they’d sound a lot like Rancid. Led by HellCat Records co-founder Tim Armstrong, Rancid carries on the Clash torch of ska-fueled, punk-fired rock. They rank as one of my two or three favorite modern-day punk bands – mainly because each of their releases sounds fresh and not refried.

BUT HERE’S THE BIG, BIG, BIG NEWS: Tim Armstrong is in-studio recording a solo disc. He posted a couple tracks on the HellCat site, which you can download here. If you read Armstrong’s post next to the tracks, he announces that the next Rancid album will be given away *FREE* as a thank-you to fans. It will be available for download at the HellCat site.

Wow. Apparently, Rancid also carries on the Clash torch of thumbing their noses at commercialism in the rock industry.

Armstrong doesn’t say when the disc will be available. But to give you an aural taste of what to expect, here are some of my favorite Rancid tunes.

From Out Come the Wolves (1995):
[MP3] Rancid – “Junkie Man” EXPIRED
[MP3] Rancid – “The War’s End” EXPIRED

From Indestructible (2004):
[MP3] Rancid – “Indestructible” EXPIRED (note the ref to Clash-frontman Joe Strummer)
[MP3] Rancid – “Otherside” EXPIRED (about the death of Rancid-member Lars Frederiksen’s brother)

From Life Won’t Wait (1998):
[MP3] Rancid – “Hooligans” EXPIRED
[MP3] Rancid – “Cash, Culture and Violence” EXPIRED

Now buy some Rancid – they’re giving you an album for free!

The Briggs

2006-11-06T17:24:00.000-05:00

The moment I heard the Briggs sing "I wouldn't be so paranoid if the world wasn't out to get me," I knew I had to do a post on them. Ha! What a great lyric. You'll find it below in "My Own Enemy," which appears on the band's 2006 Back to Higher Ground disc.

The Briggs are SoCal rockers who hail from The Clash school of punk. Rancid is another influence I hear – so much so that I originally guessed they were on Rancid-frontman Tim Armstrong's HellCat Records label (wrong - they're on Side One Dummy).

But why read what I think when you can hear for yourself? Without further adieu....The Briggs.

[MP3] The Briggs - "My Own Enemy" EXPIRED
[MP3] The Briggs - "Song of Babylon" EXPIRED
[MP3] The Briggs - "Blacklist" EXPIRED

Invest your hard-earned $$$ on Back to Higher Ground!

Five fer Friday IV

2006-11-03T13:40:00.000-05:00

[MP3] Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3 – “(A Man’s Gotta Know His Limitations) Briggs EXPIRED
Don’t much care for Hitchcock’s new disc (on which he’s joined by Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey) but love this tune.

[MP3] The Briggs – “Back to the Higher Ground” EXPIRED
Sing-along punk from the Briggs’s 2006 effort of the same name.

[MP3] Libertines – “Lazy Sunday” EXPIRED
The Libertines cover the Faces.

[MP3] Magnetic Fields – “Papa Was a Rodeo” EXPIRED
Weird and wacky...just what you'd expect from the MFs.

[MP3] Modernettes – Barbra EXPIRED
Beach-Boy punk from 1980s Canadian rockers.

Tricks or Tunes

2006-10-25T13:41:00.000-04:00

Halloween's right around the dark corner. Here are some tunes to get you in the “spirit” of things.

[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – “Monster House” EXPIRED
[MP3] Green Day – “Ha Ha You’re Dead” EXPIRED
[MP3] Hives – “I’m a Wicked One” EXPIRED
[MP3] Horrorpops – “Ghouls” EXPIRED
[MP3] Horrorpops – “Horror Beach” EXPIRED
[MP3] Horrorpops – “Walk Like a Zombie” EXPIRED
[MP3] Libertines – “Horrorshow” EXPIRED
[MP3] Pixies – “Wave of Mutilation” EXPIRED
[MP3] Pointed Sticks – “The Witch” EXPIRED
[MP3] Raconteurs – “Store Bought Bones” EXPIRED
[MP3] Radiohead – “Creep” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Rakes – “Terror!” EXPIRED
[MP3] Joey Ramone – “I’ve Got a Spirit in My House” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Ramones – “Pet Sematary” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Ramones – “I Don’t Want to Go Down to the Basement” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Ramones – “Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La)" EXPIRED
[MP3] Rancid – “G host Band” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Specials – “Ghost Town" EXPIRED
[MP3] The Sprites – “George Romero” EXPIRED
[MP3] Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – “Ghosts” (Jam cover) EXPIRED
[MP3] XTC – “Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” EXPIRED

Wreckless Eric

2006-10-09T15:47:00.000-04:00

Well, this guy’s not gonna generate much traffic for the site, but what the hell. Wreckless Eric was a product of the great Stiff Records, which in the early punk years was responsible for such acts as Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Madness, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Any Trouble, Graham Parker, and the Damned.

While all of these acts bore the distinctive Stiff stamp, each had its own distinctive quality – and none was more distinctive than Eric’s. Think Tiny Tim for alternative music. The man made Bob Dylan sound like a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. However, if you can get past Eric’s vocals, you find yourself humming along to some really outstanding punk-pop.

Hear for yourself:

[MP3] Wreckless Eric – “Whole Wide World” EXPIRED
[MP3] Wreckless Eric – “Reconnez Cherie” EXPIRED
[MP3] Wreckless Eric – “Take the Cash (K.A.S.H.)” EXPIRED

Buy some Wreckless Eric for your record collection!

Five fer Friday III

2006-10-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

[MP3] The Clash – “The Beautiful People Are Ugly” EXPIRED
Before it became Combat Rock, it was known as Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg – and this is a track that was nixed from the disc when the name changed.

[MP3] Pinhead Gunpowder – “Achin’ to Be” EXPIRED
Billy Joe Armstrong’s side project covers the Mats.

[MP3] The Cult – “She Sells Sanctuary” EXPIRED
The only song I like by the Cult but I like it a whole bunch.

[MP3] The Avengers – “The American in Me” EXPIRED
Early American punk featuring the incomparable shriek of Penelope Houston.

[MP3] The Briefs – “Silver Bullet” EXPIRED
Clearly, the Briefs share my sentiments of Bob Seger.

Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins

2006-10-02T14:16:00.000-04:00

What a delightfully wacky record. Jenny Lewis (whom I knew nothing of before stumbling upon her disc at the local library this past Saturday) offers a loopy look at the world through comic-tragic tales that leave you wondering whether to laugh or cry. Each of Lewis’s tales is brought to musical life by a kinda gospelly/kinda country indie pop and backed by the choir-like chorus of the beautifully voiced Watson twins.

Know what? I’m gonna make a quick trip to the All-Music Guide to see what I can find out about this Lewis lassie.

Okay. Back. It appears Lewis is the lead singer/songwriter for Rilo Kiley, an indie-pop outfit with three fairly well-received records to their name. This disc is Lewis’s first solo effort. They say and I quote, “Born in Las Vegas in early 1977, singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis is one of indie rock's treasured saints. Lewis' talent is a near match for classics such as Loretta Lynn and Petula Clark as well as contemporaries like Neko Case.” They then go on to give the disc a mere three and a half stars (why is it that AMG’s write-ups rarely jibe with their ratings?).

Well, forget AMG. You give it your own rating. Here are three songs from Rabbit Fur Coat by Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins:

[MP3] Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins – “The Charging Sky” EXPIRED
[MP3] Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins – “Rabbit Fur Coat” EXPIRED
[MP3] Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins – “Born Secular” EXPIRED

Buy Rabbit Fur Coat

Five fer Friday II

2006-09-29T10:06:00.000-04:00

[MP3] XTC – “Funk Pop a Roll” EXPIRED
Andy Partridge is at his best when he’s angry, and in this song he’s very angry at the music industry.

[MP3] Bash & Pop – “Never Aim to Please” EXPIRED
When I heard Tommy sing “Tried to keep the party rolling … it rolled over me” in this his first post-Mats effort, I knew he was still a Replacement at heart.

[MP3] Stiff Little Fingers – “Alternative Ulster” EXPIRED
A true punk classic – SLF would never reach these heights again.

[MP3] Dropkick Murphys – “Good Rats” EXPIRED
Great DM tune featuring Shane MacGowan of the Pogues.

[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – “Bowling Shoes (Live)” EXPIRED
This would later become “The Girl I Can’t Forget” which appears on their B-side collection, Out-of-State Plates.

Have a great weekend. Go state!

Transplants

2006-09-27T08:55:00.000-04:00

Founded in 2002 and finished in 2005 after just two discs, the Transplants were a side project of Rancid’s Tim Armstrong. Unlike Rancid – which kicks out a ferocious ska-punk – the Transplants throw down a bassier, groovier sound with rapped out lyrics. Gangsta-punk, maybe? Regardless of what you term it, it’s pretty doggone good.

I prefer their 2002 self-titled disc to the slicker, glossier Haunted Cities from 2005. Which is why these three tracks hail from the earlier effort:

[MP3] Transplants – “Diamonds and Guns” EXPIRED
[MP3] Transplants – “Sad But True” EXPIRED
[MP3] Transplants – “We Trusted You” EXPIRED

Buy the Transplants

Mats on SNL

2006-09-27T08:37:00.000-04:00

I happened upon this circa-1985 Replacements video and it reminded me of just how great the band was. I saw them in Ann Arbor, MI, during this tour, and that performance remains the best I’ve ever seen (some day when I have more time I’ll write about it).

This is them performing “Bastards of Young” on SNL. Later in the show, they do “Kiss Me on the Bus” – with Tommy, Paul, and Chris swapping each other’s clothes from the “Bastards” performance (guess Bob couldn’t fit into anyone else’s).

And as a little bonus I’m throwing in a link to their “Bastards” video. At the time, Westerberg hated videos so much he refused to do them. The record company, however, had different ideas and forced them to do one. Westerberg’s solution: Film a stereo speaker playing “Bastards of Young.” Classic.

[VIDEO] Mats performing "Bastards of Young" on SNL
[VIDEO] “Bastards of Young”

U.S. Bombs

2006-09-25T15:07:00.000-04:00

Nothing new or underground-breaking here, just good ol’ old-school punk – sung with the sneer of Johnny Rotten, written with the political consciousness of Joe Strummer, and played with burning, hooky riffs of Mick Jones. The U.S. Bombs hail from Boston, Mass., and their music is best played when you’re in need of expelling a great gob of pent-up anger.

The following tunes are from their 2000 Epitaph disc, Back at the Laundromat.

[MP3] U.S. Bombs – “Tora Tora Tora” EXPIRED
[MP3] U.S. Bombs – “Lunch in a Sack” EXPIRED
[MP3] U.S. Bombs – “The Wig Out” EXPIRED

More downloads at their myspace page

Buy Back at the Laundromat

Five fer Friday

2006-09-22T15:54:00.000-04:00

[MP3] The Adverts - "One Chord Wonders" EXPIRED
One of the greatest song titles of all time!

[MP3] Exploding Hearts - "Teenage Faces" EXPIRED
Whoo-hoo! New Exploding Hearts! This is from their forthcoming B-side collection, Shatttered. (Due 10/2)

[MP3] Hold Steady - "Chips Ahoy!" EXPIRED
Great new tune from their soon-to-be released Boys and Girls in America disc. (Due 10/3)

[MP3] Hungry For What - "Last Seven Days" EXPIRED
Little-known early 80s punkers from Switzerland - clearly influenced by the Clash.

[MP3] Old 97s - "Rollerskate Skinny (Live)" EXPIRED
This live track - from this year's Alive and Wired double disc - may be better than the original.

FofW/PW Soundtrack Songs

2006-09-20T10:53:00.000-04:00

Here are two shiny new tunes from Fountains of Wayne and Paul Westerberg – both from recent films. FofW weigh in with a goofily great theme song for Monster House, while PW contributes a disappointingly dull track to Open Season.

Which brings me to the point of this post: What the %&*$@# has happened to Paul Westerberg? Since the dissolution of the Replacements many moons ago, he’s written what – maybe five great songs at best? I know that some attribute his demise to the sobering up of his life and softening up of his music. Me – I don’t have a problem with either. My beef is with his lyrics. The guy who once wielded a wicked wit and poignant emotional power now pens lyrics that make Hall & Oates seem mind-expanding.

Now, I realize the song that has prompted this diatribe is from a soundtrack to a family film. But so is the Fountain of Wayne’s track. And the Waynes manage to make theirs witty and entertaining. Westerberg’s, on the other hand, is insipid and dull.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think maybe it’s time to run the closing credits on the music of PW.

[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – “Monster House” (highly recommended) EXPIRED
[MP3] Paul Westerberg – “Love You in the Fall” (highly disappointing) EXPIRED

Buy the Monster House soundtrack
Buy the Open Season soundtrack

New Bobby Bare, Jr.

2006-09-19T13:38:00.000-04:00

Whoa. Where did this come from?

Over two outstanding albums and an EP, twang-rocker Bobby Bare, Jr. wrapped his world-weary, little-guy-that-couldn’t attitude inside a sorta quiet/sorta lazy stripped-down sound.

Well, on his just-released The Longest Meow, Bobby’s still weary and he’s still the guy who can’t, but little is lazy and even less is quiet.

The Longest Meow rocks – with a bigger sound, beefier guitars, and a much more in-your-face production.

At first, I was unsure but now I’m liking it. See if you agree:

[MP3] Bobby Bare, Jr. – “The Heart Bionic” EXPIRED
[MP3] Bobby Bare, Jr. – “Uh Wuh Oh” EXPIRED
[MP3] Bobby Bare, Jr. – “Gun Show” EXPIRED

Buy The Longest Meow

More, Please

2006-09-18T15:38:00.000-04:00

Haven't had time to post much here lately. So in honor of those who've been wanting more music from me, here are some bands that I've been wanting more music from.

I have just one tune by each of the groups below but I likes em so much I'm looking to fill up with more.

[MP3] The Adored - "Tell Me, Tell Me" EXPIRED
[MP3] Dusty 45s - "My Heart Bleeds"EXPIRED
[MP3] The Lashes - "Death My Mixtape" EXPIRED
[MP3] The Pink Spiders - "Modern Swinger" EXPIRED
[MP3] Puma Frenzy! - "Hard to Breathe" EXPIRED
[MP3] Sprites - "George Romero" EXPIRED
[MP3] You Am I - "Useless Information" EXPIRED

Minus 5

2006-09-06T11:47:00.000-04:00

Some albums on an iPod, I’ve found, are like that can of Bean with Bacon soup that sits in the far reaches of the kitchen cupboard. You keep ignoring it with every meal, thinking you have better options. Then one day you’re tired of everything else and you figure, what the hell, I’ll have this can of Bean with Bacon soup. And – surprise – it’s delicious. With each spoonful, you wonder why you didn’t try it sooner.

The Gun Album by the Minus 5 is my latest can of Bean with Bacon soup. It had been sitting on my iPod for several months. But every time I saw it, I kept going for what I thought was a better option. Then last week I figured, what the hell.

And, as the recent analogy suggested, surprise.

What a great disc it is. Every song involves booze or weapons or both – and how can any rock ‘n’ roll lover not love that? Musically, it sorta blends a Wilco-like alt-country sound with a nostalgic 60s pop similar to Young Fresh Fellows. Which isn’t surprising at all, given that the Minus 5 is a revolving collective formed by Scott McCaughey of Young Fresh Fellows fame, and the band’s last two discs have featured Jeff Tweedy of Wilco (one of which was humorously titled Down with Wilco). You’ll also hear Peter Buck of REM and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies.

Here are three spoonfuls for your listening enjoyment:

[MP3] Minus 5 – “With a Gun” EXPIRED
[MP3] Minus 5 – “Twilight Distillery”EXPIRED
[MP3] Minus 5 – “Bought a Rope”EXPIRED

Buy the Gun Album

Labor Day

2006-09-04T07:16:00.000-04:00

Ahh, the eternal clash between labor and management. The boots and the suits. The have-nots and have-gots. The card-carrying union workers and the club-clutching union breakers.

The greedy and, well, the greedy.

Happy Labor Day, everyone!

[MP3] Against Me! – “Baby, I’m an Anarchist” EXPIRED
[MP3] Bedouin Soundclash – “Immigrant Workforce” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Clash – “Career Opportunities (Live)” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Clash – “Magnificent Seven” EXPIRED
[MP3] Elvis Costellos – “Welcome to the Working Week” EXPIRED
[MP3] Dropkick Murphys – “Worker’s Song” EXPIRED
[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – “Hey Julie” EXPIRED
[MP3] Old 97s – “Buick City Complex” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Police – “Dead End Job” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Pretenders – “Millionaires” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Ramones – “It’s Not My Place (in the 9 to 5 World)” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Ramones – “The Job That Ate My Brain” EXPIRED
[MP3] The Replacements – “God Damn Job” EXPIRED

Left Alone

2006-09-02T09:17:00.000-04:00

I discovered these guys at the Rock Star Journalist blog (to which you'll find a link conveniently located in the list to your right). If you like Rancid, you'll like Left Alone. They are clearly influenced by the CA ska-punkers, and recently signed with Hellcat Records (which was co-founded by Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong). While ska and punk play large roles in their music, Left Alone also brings in country, Tex-Mex, rockabilly, and reggae. And they move easily between punk screamers and more melodic, introspective numbers (a trait I’ve always had a weakness for).

All of the songs below are from this year’s Dead American Radio disc. “City to City” was written by and features Tim Armstrong, and “La Pregunta” is a duet with Patricia Day of the Horropops (see my H-pops entry here). “Waiting for You” slows it down a bit, while “Dead American Radio” rocks and rages against the money-grubbing suits who control our airwaves.

This is a great disc – one of my faves of 2006. If you like what you hear here, I strongly urge you not to leave Left Alone alone. Buy the whole disc via the link below.

From Dead American Radio:
[MP3] Left Alone – “City to City” (featuring Tim Armstrong) EXPIRED
[MP3] Left Alone – “La Pregunta” (featuring Patricia Day) EXPIRED
[MP3] Left Alone – “Waiting for You” EXPIRED
[MP3] Left Alone – “Dead American Radio” EXPIRED

Buy Dead American Radio

Songs about the Mats

2006-08-25T15:05:00.000-04:00

Even if you’re here strictly to snatch songs and not to read my scintillating prose (that’s only like one or two of you, right?), you’ve likely detected my affinity for the Replacements. Well, it seems my affinity is shared by many who’ve actually taken up instruments and formed bands.

In addition to countless covers of Mats tunes (click here for a recent tribute disc), several groups have written songs about the ramshackle Minneapolis rockers. Indeed, even the Mats have written songs about the Mats (see the two songs below that Paul and Chris penned about deceased guitarist Bob Stinson – as well as the Mats songs “Treatment Bound” and “Someone Take the Wheel” which cover, respectively, the early and late part of their touring years). I’ve even read that the Mats song “Never Mind” inspired the title of Nirvana’s 1991 breakthrough disc. As a final song, I’ve included “Misery” by Green Day because it gives a cameo role to the title character from the Mats tune “Mr. Whirly.”

[MP3] They Might Be Giants – "We’re the Replacements" EXPIRED
[MP3] Tommy Womack – "The Replacements" EXPIRED
[MP3] The Cigarettes – "Paul Westerberg" EXPIRED
[MP3] Paul Westerberg – "Good Day" (his song about Mats guitarist Bob Stinson) EXPIRED
[MP3] Chris Mars – "It’s a Long Life" (Chris’s song about Bob) EXPIRED
[MP3] The Replacements – "Treatment Bound" EXPIRED
[MP3] The Replacements – "Someone Take the Wheel" EXPIRED
[MP3] The Replacements – "Never Mind" (the song that inspired the title of the 1991 Nirvana disc) EXPIRED
[MP3] Green Day – "Misery" EXPIRED

Against Me!

2006-08-22T15:16:00.000-04:00

Okay, I don’t agree with much of their politics. And the exclamation point in their name is downright silly. But the Florida-based rockers Against Me! are making some of the most interesting punk I’ve heard in years.

Now I realize that in today’s world, you don’t often want to see the term “interesting” used to describe any heartfelt personal endeavor. For example, when you spend the greater part of an October weekend trudging from store to store in search of the perfect skirt-and-blouse ensemble to give your wife as a anniversary gift, you don’t want to have her open the box, stare at the contents for several longs seconds, and say, “Hmm, this is interesting.” (Not that such a thing has ever happened to me.)

But in the case of Against Me!, I’m using “interesting” in its more traditional sense. Their music – which sounds kinda like a punked-up Billy Bragg – sparks true intellectual curiosity and pleasure. From the diverse (and surprisingly accessible) instrumentation to the impassioned vocals to the socially conscious (and frequently leftist) lyrics, their songs challenge your sensibilities at the same time they have you tapping your toes.

Below is a sampling from three of their releases. Apparently, they have a new live album that’s been getting good press but I have not yet heard it myself.

From As the Eternal Cowboy:
[MP3] Against Me! – Cliché Guevara EXPIRED
From Reinventing Axl Rose:
[MP3] Against Me! – Baby, I’m an Anarchist EXPIRED
From Searching for a Former Clarity:
[MP3] Against Me! – From Her Lips to God’s Ear (The Energizer) EXPIRED
[MP3] Against Me! – Don’t Lose Touch EXPIRED

By music by Against Me!

Pointed Sticks

2006-08-21T16:42:00.000-04:00

Here’s yet another of my eMusic discoveries: the Pointed Sticks.

[QUICK AND UNRECOMPENSED COMMERCIAL ENDORSEMENT: If you haven’t yet tried eMusic, you really should. It’s the closest thing we alt-music lovers got to outright stealing crap from blogs like this one. eMusic has several plans, but I paid about $100 up front for a year subscription and get 65 downloads a month. That’s … let’s see … I’ll do the math in my head … um, 780 downloads a year … at $100, that equals (okay, I’m using my computer calculator now) about 13 cents a download … or approximately (back to the calculator) $1.95 for a 15-song CD. So whaddaya waiting for? Click here for a free, no-obligation eMusic trial that gives you 25 complimentary downloads. The site has music from every imaginable genre and all of it is from independent labels. I can’t recommend eMusic enough. (Jeeze, maybe I should get recompensed for this.)]

And now, back to the Pointed Sticks. These guys were a late 70s/early 80s Canadian band that produced a poppy New Wave sound mildly reminiscent of Squeeze. Nothing they did altered the history of rock ‘n’ roll. However, their music possesses a cool catchiness that sends you right back to 1981 when the combination of skinny leather ties, ultra-tight pants, and Converse high-tops was presumed by many young males to be the essence of hip. Some even donned funky-colored socks, although I myself felt that was going a step too far.

While I downloaded the second and third songs below from eMusic, the first one – “Lies” – hails from the highly recommend blog Killed By Death Records. If you’ve never gone to this site, you should. In fact, you can just click here. They post loads of old 7-inchers in MP3 format. (Sorry, another commercial endorsement).

From Lies 7”:
[MP3] Pointed Sticks – Lies EXPIRED
From Out of Luck EP:
[MP3] Pointed Sticks – What Do You Want Me to Do? EXPIRED
From Perfect Youth LP:
[MP3] Pointed Sticks – Marching Song EXPIRED

Buy Pointed Sticks (though you should get ‘em at eMusic!)

Rare Mats Tune

2006-08-17T17:22:00.000-04:00

The bad thing about work is that they make you work. Lately, I haven’t had any spare time to devote to Water. So in the little time I have today, I’m gonna post a little-heard Replacements tune – “Lookin’ for Ya.”

I happened upon this somewhere in the blogosphere (wish I could remember where and give credit, but I’m at a loss). “Lookin’ for Ya” apparently appeared on some promo disc for a local Minneapolis radio station back in ‘82. A year later, the music from this song would be used in “Lovelines” on the Hootenanny album.

Here’s both tunes so you can compare notes (so to speak).

Okay, gotta get back to work.

[MP3] Replacements – Lookin’ for Ya EXPIRED
[MP3] Replacements – Lovelines EXPIRED

Buy Hootenanny

Tommy Stinson

2006-08-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

I just learned that Tommy Stinson – the former Replacements bassist who was too young (13) when the band started to play shows where liquor was served – has been playing bass for Soul Asylum (he's on the left in the photo above from a recent Soul Asylum show). Apparently, he appears on their new album, the Silver Lining. This is in addition to his long-time stint as bassist for Guns N Roses.

What the hell – if Tommy’s gonna be the bassist for old, has-been bands, why not the Replacements? I’ve heard that he’s been shunning Westerberg’s overtures to get the Mats back together for a tour and to record a new disc.

Come on, Tommy. Be a Replacement – not a replacement!

In other Replacements news, a new tribute disc is due out soon, We'll Inherit the Earth. Here’s a track list:

1. The Ergs - I'm in Trouble
2. Hi Ho Six Shooter - If Only You Were Lonely
3. Basement Black - Raised in the City
4. Drunken Boat - Kids Don't Follow
5. Off With Their Heads - Goddamn Job
6. Blotto - Color Me Impressed
7. Modern Machines - Mr. Whirly
8. Bay of Pigs - Favorite Thing
9. The Tim Version - Nowhere Is My Home
10. The Queers - Unsatisfied
11. Tiltwheel - Skyway
12. Whiskey Sunday - Can't Hardly Wait
13. North Lincoln - On The Bus
14. The Obsoletes - Waitress In The Sky
15. Against Me! - Bastards of Young (I really want to hear this)
16. J. Page - Left of the Dial
17. The Draft - Little Mascara
18. Thomas Barnett & Rob Huddleston - Here Comes a Regular
19. Jason White - Torture
20. The Urchin - Rock'n'Roll Ghost
21. This is My Fist - Beer For Breakfast
22. Drag The River - Portland
23. Almighty Do Me a Favor - Treatment Bound

You can order the disc here.

Now, back to Tommy. In addition to his bass work for Guns N Roses and Soul Asylum, he’s formed two bands of his own since his Replacements days – Bash & Pop and Perfect – and has also recorded a solo disc. Of all the post-Mats work by the various members, Tommy’s is the rockingest and most Mats-like. Tommy’s vocal limitations aside, his discs are well worth some ear. Here’s a sampling:

By Bash & Pop:
[MP3] Friday Night (Is Killing Me)
[MP3] Loose Ends

By Perfect:
[MP3] Little Drum
[MP3] Making of an Asshole

By Tommy Stinson:
[MP3] Motivation
[MP3] Moment Too Soon

Buy Tommy Stinson discs
Visit Tommy’s website

Still More Child's Plays

2006-08-10T10:09:00.000-04:00

[MP3] Ramones – Surfin’ Bird
[MP3] Ramones – Needles and Pins
[MP3] Replacements – All He Wants to Do Is Fish
[MP3] Joe Strummer – Johnny Appleseed
[MP3] Sugar – If I Can’t Change Your Mind
[MP3] Talking Heads – Burning Down the House
[MP3] U2 – “40”
[MP3] Paul Westerberg – Mr. Rabbit
[MP3] White Stripes – Hotel Yorba
[MP3] White Stripes – We’re Going to Be Friends
[MP3] XTC – Stupidly Happy
[MP3] Young Fresh Fellows – Swiftly But Gently

More Child's Plays

2006-08-09T11:34:00.000-04:00

Here are more alt tunes that induce my kids to forgo Kelly Clarkson, Daniel Powter, and others of that Top 40 ilk. (I know, I know. Some of these are Top 40 too – but at least they're good Top 40.)

Read the original entry on Child’s Plays here.

[MP3] Blondie – Dreaming
[MP3] Camper Van Beethoven – Take the Skinheads Bowling
[MP3] Devo – Whip It
[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – Radiation Vibe
[MP3] Gorillaz – Feel Good, Inc.
[MP3] Green Day – Castaway
[MP3] Rhett Miller – Four-Eyed Girl
[MP3] Old 97s – Coahula
[MP3] The Police – Message in a Bottle
[MP3] The Police – Walking on the Moon
[MP3] The Police – Roxanne

Chris Mars

2006-08-06T07:38:00.000-04:00

Paul was the sensitive singer/songwriter with the prankish, self-effacing wit. Bob was the drunk ‘n’ disorderly guitarist who’d moon an audience as readily as he’d don a woman’s skirt. Tommy was the impish, underage bassist whose natty attire and wild, flowing locks lent him heartthrob status. And Chris was the drummer who…well, drummed.

Of the four original Replacements, Chris Mars was the least colorful and the least known. It’s fitting that, as drummer, he took a seat behind the band because he also took a seat behind them in the public and press. You certainly wouldn’t expect Chris to kick out the first and best solo disc after the band broke up. But this is just what he did.

1992’s Horseshoes and Hand Grenades is darn near brilliant. Indeed, it made you wonder if Chris had more input than originally thought into the “songwriting genius” that was attributed to Westerberg (and Westerberg’s so-so solo efforts only help fuel this speculation). Chris’ three follow-ups – 75% Less Fat (a playful jab at his former band mates), Tenterhooks, and Anonymous Botch – don’t shine as brightly as Horseshoes. They find Chris delving into stranger and more experimental territory, but certain songs are still worth checking out (particularly Anonymous Botch’s “It’s a Long Life” which he wrote about Bob Stinson after Stinson’s death from a drug overdose).

Today, Chris seems to have abandoned music. His last disc came out a decade ago and he has refused Westerberg’s overtures to rejoin the Replacements for a reunion tour. Instead, he devotes his time to his art (one of his works is shown above), and he apparently makes a nice living off of it. Good for him, bad for those of us who dug his music.

From Horseshoes and Hand Grenades:
[MP3] Chris Mars – Reverse Status
[MP3] Chris Mars – Before It Began (a song about Westerberg?)
[MP3] Chris Mars – Happy Disconnections

From Anonymous Botch:
[MP3] It’s a Long Life

Buy Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
Check out Chris Mars’ artwork

Holiday Time

2006-07-29T09:09:00.000-04:00

During the next week, Water All Around will be sitting idle – as will I (though in my case it will involve well-reclined pool chair). So as I’m off imbibing an alarming number of umbrella-topped fruity drinks with sword-speared cherries, you can dream of your next holiday with these:

[MP3] Elvis Costello – The Beat
[MP3] Cruiserweight – Vacation/Vacate
[MP3] Dead Kennedys – Holiday in Cambodia
[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – Trains and Boats and Planes
[MP3] Get Up Kids – Holiday
[MP3] Green Day – Deadbeat Holiday
[MP3] The Jam – Strange Town
[MP3] Chris Mars – Car Camping
[MP3] Old 97s – Lonely Holiday
[MP3] Pixies – Holiday Song
[MP3] Police – Man in a Suitcase
[MP3] Radiohead – The Tourist
[MP3] Ramones – Rockaway Beach
[MP3] Replacements – Waitress in the Sky
[MP3] Sugar – Panama City Motel
[MP3] Weezer – Island in the Sun
[MP3] White Stripes – Hotel Yorba
[MP3] Wilco – Hotel Arizona
[MP3] Tommy Womack – You Could Be at the Beach Right Now

Swingin' Party

2006-07-27T06:09:00.000-04:00

I just realized that if you’re going to lift the name of your music blog from the lyrics of a song – as I have done with Water All Around – you should probably post said song on said blog. So here it is. “Swingin’ Party” by the Replacements from their must-possess 1985 album Tim. (And to make up for not doing this sooner, I’m throwing in a live version of “Swingin’ Party” from one of Westerberg’s solo tours.)

[MP3] The Replacements – Swingin’ Party
[MP3] Paul Westerberg – Swingin’ Party (live)

Buy Tim

Child's Plays

2006-07-25T10:01:00.000-04:00

When you have children, you quickly learn how to negotiate daily vegetable consumption, calm irrational fears of harmless arachnids, and burn kid-cool alt-music CDs to spare yourself the incessant replays of Kelly Clarkson, Crazy Frog, and Daniel Powter’s @$%&#! “Bad Day.”

The following tunes have met with the gleeful approval of my 7- and 9-year-old (pictured above). Just as importantly, they’ve been sanctioned by the exceedingly stringent Parental Ratings Board (my wife).

If you have kids – or come in close contact with them for extended periods – I highly recommend the downloads below for those times when you’re confronted with the suggestion, “Let’s play Kelly Clarkson – again!”

[MP3] Apples in Stereo – Ruby
[MP3] Apples in Stereo – Go
[MP3] Bedouin Soundclash – When the Night Feels My Song
[MP3] Blur – Song 2
[MP3] Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire
[MP3] The Clash – Hitsville UK
[MP3] English Beat – Ranking Full Stop
[MP3] The Essex Green – Don’t Know Why (You Stay)
[MP3] The Flaming Lips – She Don’t Use Jelly
[MP3] The Pipettes – Pull Shapes
[MP3] The Pipettes – Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me
[MP3] R.E.M. – It’s the End of the World as We Know It
[MP3] Smoke Like a Fish – Just Another
[MP3] Vapors – Turning Japanese

(More Child’s Plays to follow at future dates.)

Gear Daddies

2006-07-24T11:30:00.000-04:00

If you asked people about Minnesota when I was growing up in the 70s, most would have described it as a place of sub-zero temps and knee-deep snow. I can’t imagine anyone responding with: “Minnesota? Oh, that’s that hotbed of independent rock.” But during the 80s and early 90s, this is exactly what Minnesota became. The state known for snow was suddenly knee-deep in great – and greatly influential – bands. Husker Du, the Replacements, Soul Asylum – even Prince and his funk-rock legion hailed from the state.

While most everyone knows about the aforementioned bands, much fewer are aware of another great Minnesota group: the Gear Daddies. The Daddies’ lifespan was short and their output small – just three albums between 1988 and 1992 – but they produced some really good, really heartfelt, country-infused rock (which now stands as one of the earlier and more rocking examples of what would come to be known as alt-country). The 1990 disc Billy’s Live Bait is certainly the band’s high point. Here are three tunes from it (well, four actually, as “One Voice” features a goofy, don’t-miss bonus ditty at the end).

[MP3] Gear Daddies – Don’t Look at Me
[MP3] Gear Daddies – Time Heals
[MP3] Gear Daddies – One Voice

Buy Billy’s Live Bait

Songs that sizzle, CDs that fizzle: Part II

2006-07-22T07:05:00.000-04:00

A few more One Hit Blunders on my part (see entry below for details).

[MP3] INXS – Don’t Change
[MP3] Only Ones – Another Girl, Another Planet
[MP3] Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark – Enola Gay
[MP3] The Peacocks – Last Words

Special bonus: The Replacements covering “Another Girl, Another Planet” – live!

[MP3] The Replacements – Another Girl, Another Planet (Live)

Songs that sizzle, CDs that fizzle

2006-07-21T15:52:00.000-04:00

This is sorta like One Hit Wonders – if I were the only person on the planet listening to music. “Songs that sizzle, CDs that fizzle” represents those times when I heard a song by a band and dug it so much that I rushed out to get their CD – only to find that I undug everything else on the disc.

My earliest sizzle/fizzle memory – and I’m sure I’ll take some heat for this – centers on the Smiths. Back in the 80s, I was big fan of the Jam, and when I heard “This Charming Man” on a Detroit alt rock station, I was certain I had unearthed a worthy successor to those fiery mod rockers. But when I picked up the Smiths’ debut disc–––––ugh. Too gloomy. Too downbeat. Too artsy. I was left with one song that sizzled and a whole CD that fizzled.

This has even happened with my beloved Replacements. I remember Don’t Tell a Soul meeting with critical disparagement before its release in 1989. But when I heard “Talent Show,” I thought the critics were loopy. Then I popped the disc into my player and–––––ugh redux.

So here’s some sizzles that led to fizzles. If your musical tastes run similar to mine, I’ll hopefully save you a few ughs. But listen at your own risk. There’s always the chance that these will lead you to rush out and squander a month of lunch money on the CDs.

[MP3] The Replacements – Talent Show
[MP3] The Smiths – This Charming Man
[MP3] Anti-Flag – Turncoat
[MP3] Avoid One Thing – Yakishoba
[MP3] Concrete Blonde – Joey
[MP3] Dresden Dolls – Coin-Operated Boy
[MP3] Group Sounds – Things Fall Apart
[MP3] Happy Bullets – Vice and Virtue Ministry
[MP3] The Hong Kong – Mazerati
[MP3] Jilted John – Jilted John
[MP3] Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict a Riot
[MP3] Madcap – Lovesick
[MP3] Morticia’s Lovers – Smash the Radio

Horrorpops

2006-07-20T09:17:00.000-04:00

Horror and serendipity are two terms that rarely find themselves together, though this is the case with the Horrorpops. I knew nothing about these Denmark-based rockers when I stumbled upon them on eMusic’s list of “Recent Arrivals.” Their name and the cover of their 2005 Bring It On! disc (pictured above) lured me to downloading – and this resulted in one of those not-so-frequent instances when you take a musical chance and it pays off.

Led by vocalist Patricia Day, the Horrorpops play a fired-up, rockabilly punk. Their live shows are supposed to be amazing, with Patricia slapping away at her standing bass and go-go dancers teasing and tantalizing the crowd (there’s a link below to their videos where you can see the band in action).

I’ve posted three from Bring It On!: “Freaks in Uniforms” (check out the go-go girl backups singing H-O-R-R-O-R-P-O-P) and “Caught in a Blond” are two rockers, while the daffy, dancey “Walk Like a Zombie” should be a staple at every Halloween party.

So if you haven’t heard the Horrorpops, give them a try. Maybe horror and serendipity will come together for you as well.

[MP3] Horrorpops – Freaks in Uniforms
[MP3] Horrorpops – Caught in a Blond
[MP3] Horrorpops – Walk Like a Zombie

Buy Bring It On!
Check out videos at the Horrorpops site

Link

2006-07-16T06:01:00.000-04:00

I know little about this band, other than that they’ve been aptly described as the Japanese Clash. In fact, it was this description that led me to download their disc at eMusic (a subscription-based site devoted to independent music that I highly recommend). If anyone knows more about this these guys – particularly if they have any other discs – I’d love to hear it. For those who don’t know anything about them, here’s the best introduction I can offer:

[MP3] Link – Our Sensation
[MP3] Link – Reality Says to Me
[MP3] Link – Freedom Style

Check out eMusic

Exploding Hearts

2006-07-15T13:22:00.000-04:00

Great music often ends in a tragic tale. This is one of those tales. Only it’s not about a drug overdose or a suicide or a killing. No one’s really at fault here, and that somehow makes it more painful. Maybe because there’s no obvious place to direct your anger.

The Exploding Hearts were a young punk band who had released just one album – the exceptional Guitar Romantic. On this 2002 disc, the Hearts eschewed those first-album hints of brilliance and went straight there. They were like a young Clash, blasting out powerful, poppy punk with a purpose. Only their purpose wasn’t the hopeless social conditions of working-class kids in England – it was the romantic, emotionally fragile psyches of American youth today. “Throwaway Style” and “Sleeping Aides & Razor Blades” below serve as two standout examples. It was songs like these that made you wonder what might come next – a London Calling for the romantically crippled?

But before the Exploding Hearts could even think of a second album, tragedy struck.

On July 19, 2003, the band played a San Francisco show in support of Guitar Romantic. After the show, they decided to make the drive back to their home city of Portland. At 6 a.m., bassist Matthew Fitzgerald fell asleep at the wheel. He and two other members of the foursome – vocalist Adam Cox and drummer Jeremy Gage – died in the ensuing accident. All were in their early 20s.

Only guitarist Terry Six lives on – as well as 11 outstanding songs that stand in tribute to a band that achieved so much in the little time they had.

[MP3] Exploding Hearts – Throwaway Style
[MP3] Exploding Hearts – Sleeping Aides & Razor Blades

Buy Guitar Romantic
Learn more at the Exploding Hearts website

More XTC

2006-07-14T13:24:00.000-04:00

Above is an Andy Partridge-designed postcard that I stumbled across in the Scrapbook section of the XTC website. Apparently, he created it for a promotion in the Japanese market. Partridge is the bloke in the glasses. Next to him is Colin Moulding, his bandmate of 30 years. I was so taken with it – with the richness of the colors and the childlike qualities of the illustrations – that I had to post it. Seems very XTC to me.

Below is a live version of “Making Plans for Nigel” from a 1982 performance in Amsterdam. Lamentably, this is the closest I’ll come to experiencing the band in concert. I had tickets to this very tour but Partridge had a stage-fright-driven breakdown before the band made it to Detroit. They cancelled the tour – and never performed live again. I had 10th row tickets so when I play this song I sit really close to my stereo.

[MP3] XTC – Making Plans for Nigel (Live)

Visit the XTC website

Fountains of Wayne

2006-07-13T17:41:00.000-04:00

Fountains of Wayne brought life to my record collection – and death to my car stereo. This semi-tragic tale begins a few years ago when I finally decided to purchase a Fountains of Wayne disc after reading numerous reviews proclaiming the band’s indie-pop greatness. Instantly, I was smitten. These guys produce some of the loopiest, wittiest, and catchiest rock gems I’ve ever heard. They move effortlessly among musical styles and genres, and the songwriting duo of Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood ranks with the best rhymesters in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. Some criticize FofW for being emotionally distant from their music, and I can’t disagree (they often employ a mock-serious tone reminiscent of David Byrne). But this doesn’t detract from their excellence. And it’s not like they can’t write beautiful, heartfelt songs (“Troubled Times” and “Valley Winter Song” are two that come to mind).

No, I’m fine with their emotional distance. My criticism pertains to their 2005 Out of State Plates double-disc set and a six-disc CD changer that had given me years of dutiful service in my Ford Focus. Having by this time become a rabid FofW fan, I pre-ordered Out of State Plates online for delivery on its release date. As soon as it arrived, I dashed to the aforementioned Focus and popped disc one into the player, eager to hear the first of 30 new FofW nuggets. Instead, my ears encountered a sickly drone redolent of a whale mating call I had once heard on a PBS special. The drone lasted a mere 9 or 10 seconds, then nothing. I pushed play. Nothing. I pushed eject. Nothing. I pushed next track. Nothing. I pushed eject again. Nothing. Thinking the disc had loaded improperly, I started pounding on the dash. Finally, it ejected.

Undeterred, I popped it in again – and, to borrow a musical term, experienced a refrain of the mating call, et al. More pounding and another ejection. Stupidly, I proceeded to insert disc two. One throbbing fist later, I managed to coerce the second disc out.

Must be a bad pressing, I surmised. And not wanting to wait for the roundtrip journey of returning Out of State Plates through the mail, I hurried off to buy a second copy at the local record store.

The same infuriating series of events happened again – only this time my pounding was met with indifference by the CD. I finally had to resort to prying the disc out with a sharp implement from my glove box (a nail file, I think).

Mistake.

I gouged the disc, lodged it more deeply in there, and – with a sharp SNAP! – broke off a part integral to the operation of the CD player. Now, I couldn’t play ANY music let alone Out of State Plates.

But I’ll tell ya what could be heard from inside my car: Fountains of Cursing.

Any way, I hold no grudges against the Wayners, despite being out two CDs and a car stereo (though I’d gladly accept reimbursement from their management).

Here’s a favorite tune from each of their four releases (and fortunately, you don’t have to play them on your car stereo):

[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – Leave the Biker (from Fountains of Wayne)
[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – Red Dragon Tattoo (from Utopia Parkway)
[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – Little Red Light (from Welcome Interstate Managers)
[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – The Girl I Can’t Forget (from Out of State Plates)

Buy Fountains of Wayne
Visit Fountains of Wayne official website

XTC/Dogs Die in Hot Cars

2006-07-10T17:38:00.000-04:00

There was a stretch in the very early 80s when XTC was my favorite band. I loved their combination of biting lyrics and bouncy, Beatlesque punk/pop. I recall as a senior in high school going with my father to a weekend convention where one of the youth activities was a design-your-own-T-shirt contest. Despite my certainty that no one within 5,000 miles of the convention would know who or what XTC is (a drug? a blue movie? a sex stimulant?), I set out to capture XTC’s Drums and Wires album (pictured above) on my shirt. As I carefully put the final brushstrokes on my masterpiece, I glanced over at the neighboring table and – !!! – there was some kid painting Drums and Wires on his shirt. An even bigger shocker came later in the evening: The kid’s shirt won.

Recently, I experienced a cheerier and less stunning XTC-related surprise: My discovery of the band Dogs Die in Hot Cars. While you wouldn’t know it from their unfortunate moniker, these guys produce an ear-pleasing sound remarkably similar to XTC. And their lead singer is nearly a vocal clone of XTC’s Andy Partridge. Hear for yourself:

[MP3] XTC – Helicopter
[MP3] Dogs Die in Hot Cars – Godhopping

Buy Drums and Wires by XTC
Read more about XTC
Buy Please Describe Yourself by Dogs Die in Hot Cars
Visit the Dogs Die in Hot Cars website

Buzzcocks

2006-07-09T07:19:00.000-04:00

Back in 1980, a buddy of mine used to drive me to high school in his Bug (an old beater in which – to my daily dismay – I could see the road flit by through the rust-eaten floorboards at my feet). He’d installed his own car stereo and would play homemade tapes on the trips to and from school. One day, he popped in a cassette loaded with music he’d recorded from his older brother. It was at this moment that my musical life was forever altered. Out of the speakers exploded a sound that grabbed me in way arena rock never had: It was aggressive yet hooky. Angry yet compassionate. Powerful yet in many ways fragile, ready to break apart. Most importantly, it seemed to speak to me – to my life and my concerns. One of the first bands to leap out of those speakers was the Buzzcocks. The album: Singles Going Steady. In the years that followed, I played that album as much as any one I’d ever owned. Amazingly, the Buzzcocks are still producing great music nearly 30 years later. Their 2006 disc, Flat-Pack Philosophy, may not be as groundbreaking as Singles Going Steady but it offers up 14 worthy rockers. Here are two of the best:

[MP3] Buzzcocks – Wish I Never Loved You
[MP3] Buzzcocks – I've Had Enough
[MP3] Buzzcocks – Ever Fallen in Love? (from Singles Going Steady)

Read about the Buzzcocks
Buy Flat-Pack Philosophy
Buy Singles Going Steady

Bobby Bare, Jr.

2006-07-08T07:54:00.000-04:00

To me, Bobby Bare Jr. is countrified Paul Westerberg. He writes music with all the hallmarks of the Mats’ singer/songwriter: wit, pathos, self-effacement, and a likeable crudity. Indeed, the lyrics of “Let’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” could have been penned by PW in his early days. One noticeable difference: Bare Jr. can get darker and more macabre than Westerberg as evidenced in “Valentine.” (Interestingly, Westerberg also has a song about unrequited love titled “Valentine”).

[MP3] Bobby Bare, Jr. – Let’s Rock ‘n’ Roll
[MP3] Bobby Bare, Jr. – Valentine
[MP3] The Replacements – Valentine

Review of Bobby Bare, Jr.'s New Album
Buy Bobby Bare, Jr.
Buy the Replacements

Breakup Society

2006-07-07T13:59:00.000-04:00

Here's a band that deserves a lot more attention - the Breakup Society. Led by singer/guitarist/songwriter Ed Masely (formerly of the Frampton Brothers), the Breakup Society kicks out some hooky, humor-tinged rock 'n' roll with a punk edge. They have a new disc due out soon (to be produced by Scott McCaughey of Young Fresh Fellows and Minus 5 fame). The following two tunes - "Robin Zander" (a funny love song about the Cheap Trick lead singer) and "The Summer of Joycelynn May" - come from their James at 35 album.

[MP3] Breakup Society - Robin Zande r
[MP3] Breakup Society - The Summer of Joycelynn May

Buy James at 35

Visit the Breakup Society Website

Tommy Womack

2006-07-07T13:31:00.000-04:00

I discovered Tommy Womack through (what else?) my love of the Replacements. I had read somewhere that he'd written a song about the Mats so I started investigating. Turns out the tune appears on his 2002 album, Circus Town. I picked up the disc expecting to add a novelty to my Mats' collection. What I didn't expect was how good the rest of Circus Town would be. This guy can rock. Here's the Replacements song, as well as "Tough" (a great tune he wrote after the death of his father) and "I'm Selling Mom's Urine on eBay" (a silly little ditty that got some radio play on rock stations in the south). Tommy has a new album coming out in 2006. Visit his website for details.

[MP3] Tommy Womack - The Replacements
[MP3] Tommy Womack - Tough
[MP3] Tommy Womack - I'm Selling Mom's Urine on eBay

Buy Circus Town

Visit Tommy Womack's Website

...never learn how to swim now.

2006-07-07T10:26:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Water All Around, a blog devoted to all forms of alternative music. Your host: a 43-year-old ad writer living outside Detroit. After listening to Foghat, Journey, Styx, and the like in the 70s, a buddy turned me on to the Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Jam, Gen X, and the Undertones. The year was 1979 - and my musical life has never been the same since. I've seen lots of shows and heard lots of great music. My goal is to share my 25+ years of alt-rock discoveries with visitors of this site. My greatest find to date: the Replacements (whose lyrics make up the name of this blog). I'll start by posting one of the first new songs the Mats have produced in nearly 20 years: Pool and Dive from their recent best-of compilation. It's not vintage Replacements, but hey, it's new. Enjoy....

[MP3] Replacements - Pool and Dive

Buy the album

Read about the Mats