The Jam is one of my favorite bands of all time. I knew right from the second I heard "In The City," that something special was going on. It was everything I had been listening to and loving up to that point, from British Invasion and Motown, right on into my first experiences with punk. The Jam had it all- great riffs with words to back it up, courtesy of Paul Weller, and a relentless rhythm section featuring Bruce Foxton on bass and Rick Buckler on drums.
Rick Buckler was only 69.
Listen to "Extras" today. This is a collection of b-sides, demos, alternates and covers, that is miraculously cohesive, and one of the best collections of its kind.
Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys had an amazing run of releases starting with their 1990 debut right on up to their last studio record to date, 2015's "Voyageurs." I came in around 1998 with "Bayou Ruler," mostly because of my love for C.C. Adcock's 1994 debut. C.C. played some guitar on "Bayou Ruler," and that album kickstarted my love affair with the Mamou Playboys.
Riley was also a key member of Lil' Band O' Gold, a supergroup of Lousiana legends that featured Adcock, Warren Storm, David Egan, Dickie Landry and Richard Comeaux. The output of all of these people, either separately or together, constitutes some of my very favorite music from Louisiana.
Yesterday, I revisited The Mamou Playboys 2011 release "Grand Isle," a record that I played to death upon its release. Listening again after a long layoff made me realize just why I loved it so much then. It perfectly captures the heart and soul of traditional Cajun music, and yet sounds like something fresh and unique. Some of it reminded me of Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros, which makes sense since Joe was a fan.
I'm not sure where you stand on Cajun music, but if you have even a modicum of interest and weren't sure where to start, listen to "Grand Isle." It's more than just fiddles and washboards. I bet dollars to donuts, it will surprise you in the best ways.
It's easy to miss out on a good record. Even as a guy who listens to more music per day than most, it's impossible to be on top of it all. So, I can be forgiven for not knowing that Australia's Icecream Hands released an absolute gem of an album in 2020. But, I cannot be forgiven for not knowing that this band has been around since 1992. I mean, what the hell?
That said, if I didn't check in with my friend Dave to see what he was listening to yesterday, I could have possibly gone another 30 years without hearing "No Weapon But Love," a smart, hook-filled, power pop (sort of) jewel of a record.
This is not your by the books, power pop crunch fest. These guys employ Beach Boys harmonies underneath what I can only describe as an Americana version of "Revolver." Or maybe not. That might be pushing it. You listen to it and you figure it out. I'm hearing Petty/Heartbreakers, The Jayhawks and yes, Big Star. The lead singer, at times, has Peter Wolf's phrasing, and it's damn good, especially if you have ever dreamed of J. Geils Band making a power pop album. (I'm fine, really.)
Check out these tracks and then, maybe you will want to buy the record like I did.
Liar- Sex Pistols Slow Motion- Ultravox Lost My Girl- Rick & Sandy I Give It All 2 U- The New Orleans Bingo! Show Everlasting Love- David Ruffin Race- Prince Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home- Preservation Bass
Liar- Sex Pistols (An obvious choice, maybe, for best punk album of all time. But "Bollocks" rocks, too.)
Slow Motion- Ultravox (I've gone on about the first three Ultravox albums, especially the debut. But "Systems Of Romance," the third and final album with John Foxx, has become just as important in that trilogy.) Lost My Girl- Rick & Sandy (Who are Rick & Sandy? Ya got me. But I love this one-off British single from 1965.)
I Give It All 2 U- The New Orleans Bingo! Show (One of the greatest live acts I have ever seen in New Orleans. It was performance art, a circus act behind Clint Maedgen's songs. Bingo is done, but Maedgen's since played sax in the Preservation Hall Band. Bingo's records
are solid, but pale in comparison to the live show. Good to hear this
one, though. It's been awhile. This one might surprise you.)
Everlasting Love- David Ruffin (I've been wanting to write up the Ten Best Non-Compilation Motown Albums for some time. Ruffin's "My Whole World Ended" would make the list.)
Race- Prince (Revisited Prince's contract breaker "Come" last week. Without the baggage, it ended up being a fun spin. Time heals!)
Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home- Preservation Bass (Really? "Bill Bailey?" Yes, really. The only way to cover this oft covered standard is to make it special. And Preservation Brass does just that. If this doesn't put a smile on your face and some pep in your step, well, you're just being difficult.)
As far as I can tell, no official Dennis Coffey compilation is currently in print. The Detroit guitarist, as part of Motown's Funk Brothers, can be heard on dozens of your favorite songs, including "Cloud Nine," "Ball Of Confusion," War" and "Psychedelic Shack," for starters. Not to mention scads of soul hits like Freda Payne's "Band Of Gold" and The Wicked Pickett's "Don't Knock My Love." He hit the big time with his solo single "Scorpio," that featured a drum break so badass, it was sampled years later on countless hip hop tracks, including Young MC's "Bust A Move."
But it isn't just "Scorpio" that excites me. All of these tracks are brilliant exercises in funky riffage and groovy goings-on.
This compilation was put together many years ago by an anonymous philanthropist, who then distributed them to various record and CD shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn, where they were clandestinely sold for $15 a pop. I just happened upon my copy this week after not listening to it for years. I hope you dig it as much as I do.
TRACKLIST Scorpio Getting It On Taurus Ride Sally Ride Son Of Scorpio Capricorn Thing Theme From Enter The Dragon If You Can't Dance To This Finger Lickin' Good Wild Child Boogie Magic Back Home Wings Of Fire Free Spirit
It's been almost 30 years since TubeTopMania took over the staff of NYCD.
Who is TubeTop?
TubeTop were a one and done power pop band out of Seattle that consisted of The Posies rhythm section, Mike Musberger and Dave Fox, along with songwriters Gavin Guss and Brian Naubert. Their only release, 1997's "Three Minute Hercules" features a couple of tracks produced by Peter Buck, as well as Posy Jon Auer adding some harmony on a track or two. We all loved this record so much, one staff member created an expanded deluxe CD version for in-house enjoyment, pulling all the stray tracks from various indie singles and power pop compilations, including fine covers of Dave Davies' "Susannah's Still Alive" and the Ace Frehley classic "Getaway."
We were, in a word, nuts...about this record!
I haven't thought about this album in ages, partly because I haven't had a working CD player in years. All of my listening is done either by playing vinyl or plugging in my iPod. So while I was uploading a few stacks of CDs into the pod, the TubeTop CD caught my eye. It's every bit as wonderful as I remembered it.
If you dig these tracks, treat yourself to the whole thing over at Bandcamp.
