Our weekly (or however often*) roundup of this week’s discoveries and old faves. Usually it’s friends of mine or just music I like. Now including “liner notes” to help guide you through this journey and hopefully introduce you to some new, great music!
MACKLEMORE –CHANT
I’ve been hooked on Macklemore since Downtown featuring Eric Nally from one of my fave acts Foxy Shazam. Plus his name is Mac, which is a name to which I’m personally partial.
GEMMA ROGERS –STOP
I listened to this album on the way to set one day last month and it was not half-bad. Edgy alterna-rock from the UK. I always find UK music to be clever. Almost every British person I come across seems to have been in a band. Such a musical culture! I’m definitely something of an Anglophile.
JANE’S ADDICTION –TRUE NATURE
Given that the last song was called Stop and …I’m sure you get it!
THIS MAD DESIRE –SO WHAT OH WELL (COCAINE IN THE LIMO)
The first track on our American Dream release. I always thought that the beginning of this had a bit of a Jane’s Addiction vibe (and part of what Mark on the drums at the beginning also made me think of Back In The Saddle by Aerosmith). I have some excellent bootleg recordings where Perry’s vocal echo is an instrument unto itself. This song is a true story about a gig I played at the Knitting Factory in New York (the old location not the current one).
FASTER PUSSYCAT –THE POWER & THE GLORY HOLE
I grew up on LA Glam Rock and Faster Pussycat were always one of my faves. I thought they had a tongue-in-cheek sly sense of humor, i.e. my tongue, her cheek type of thing. And the line “Your stimulation gives me good vibrations” is such a twisted Beach Boys callback. Too funny. And a rockin’ tune.
BUTTHOLE SURFERS –I SAW AN X-RAY OF A GIRL PASSING GAS
Ten foot tall and the nurse stuck a needle in my arm… Back when I first heard these guys, I knew I was into some weird stuff!!
SHIRLEY GNOME –GOVERNMENT LOVE
Since we were headed off into some strange territory, I thought we’d take a look at Canada’s fave porn-comedy-songstress Shirley Gnome. Always racy and always on point. “Booty calls with strict protocols…”
WAYLON NAPADOGAN –BABY, YOU COULD BUM MY LAST DART
I think Waylon is from eastern Canada and man, this guy is just as out there as Shirley Gnome, proving that Canada’s got coast-to-coast comedy tunes. I’ve always felt that comedy is one of Canada’s defining characteristics probably because we all watched SCTV and Kids In The Hall, which is pretty raunchy stuff.
AFTERNOON BIKE RIDE –SUMMERTIME
I don’t know anything about these folks except that they are from Montreal. Very dreamy song. Definitely makes me think of Belle & Sebastian or also Blonde Redhead.
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS –WE CALL UPON THE AUTHOR
Nick Cave is one of the coolest lyricists probably ever and this album Dig, Lazarus Dig!! is one of my faves from him. I remember one year one of my piano students gave me an iTunes gift card and with part of it, I bought this album. Buying music… sounds so quaint!
JONATHAN PERSONNE –ROCK & ROLL SUR TON CHEMIN
Also from Montreal, Jonathan Personne has a great vibe too although he seems to be angling a bit more towards the Dire Straits, guitar tone-wise. Sounds great!
IVYTIDE –MOVING SONG
We’re pretty heavy on Montreal this week! Ivytide is a bit more current-sounding with more hip hop rhythms in their melodies. Very cool stuff also. Catchy and smart-sounding, like it would sound good in a cool café or a trendy shop.
CLAMSHELL –LOSER
Cool tune from Clamshell (from Texas) who I came across on my friend Tianda’s Discord. I like the video too!
PURPLE DRIP –EMBRACE ALL
Another Tianda Discord member. This is some very trippy stuff!
HERBIE HANCOCK –WATERMELON MAN
Speaking of trippy, my FB friend Merry-Ellen is way into watermelons, which led me to rediscovering this classic.
JAZZ SABBATH –FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS
I thought I’d take us out of the madness of this playlist with this cool new take on a Sabbath classic. It’s amazing what a great job they do. They retain a lot of the melodic elements. I think this really demonstrates how great those melodies really are.
And with that, this wraps up this week’s playlist. Hope you enjoyed it!!
If you like this playlist, please share it and follow these artists. Music is the fuel that fills our soul.
If you are an artist that would like to be included in the future, reach out anywhere and I’d love to check out your tunes!
Yours in music,
Mac