Pretentious Corksniffers

 

The list was bad enough. But watching these smug know-nothings trying to explain their way out of it is truly cringemaking. 

Jon Caramanica is especially punchable.

(h/t cmealha) 

"Look For Your Mind!": The Lemon Twigs Are Bigger, Better And Smarter

 

 

The Lemon Twigs' new one, "Look For Your Mind!" had me right out of the gate with the title cut, a brilliant homage to one of my favorite Who songs, "Disguises." By the end of track three, I had to stop, take a breath and start all over again. That third track "Nothin' But You" finds Michael D'Addario channeling Alex Chilton on a jangler that could have been on Big Star's "Radio City." That would have been enough, but they tag on the Raspberries' "Overnight Sensation" coda as this song's coda and well, I needed to hear it all over again.

Yes, I am gushing, and at the time of this writing, I've only heard the first three songs, twice. But I can't think of an active band or artist that manages to push all of my pop music buttons they way these kids do. 

Okay, back to the record. 

I've just listened to four more songs, including one called "Gather Round" that has a Jellyfish vibe, and the next stunner "Fire & Gold," which stopped me again. At this point I need to stop trying to figure out what I am hearing and just listen. It's fun to recognize chord changes, or quoted bits from older songs, like a nod to Todd Rundgren's melody on "Road To Utopia" in "Fire & Gold." But The D'Addarios are so good at calling up the past, whether in a production trick like phasing on a guitar, or a simple call and answer vocal from a 60's classic, it hardly matters where you first heard it. I'm thrilled to be hearing it all again in a fresh context.  

This isn't Rutles parody. The Lemon Twigs know better. This is hours and hours of playing records and proving it wasn't a waste of time. 

"Paul's Boutique," the Beastie Boys masterpiece, is said to have sampled between 100-150 songs. There is no sampling on this record. The D'Addarios have hundreds of their favorite songs in their heads that they seem to effortlessly call back whenever they deem necessary. 

Contrived? I don't hear it that way. It's been working thus far, so I have no issue with it now, especially when every Tom, Dick and Chilton wannabe power pop band releases the same weak Beatles meets Big Star record over and over again. The Lemon Twigs songwriting is miles ahead of most in their field and if they feel like winking and nudging their production with obvious references to Brian Wilson or Pete Townshend, more power to them.

If "Everything Harmony" was their folk rock record and "A Dream Is All We Know" was their sunshine/power pop record, "Look To Your Mind" feels like a deliberate tip of the hat to both Big Star and the Raspberries. I keep hearing both bands. Whether it's Michael doing that Eric Carmen scream or using chord changes from "I Can Remember," from the Raspberries debut, or the Ardent Studio tone of the guitars, "Look For Your Mind!" is a triumphant affair and should please not just fans of the aformentioned bands, but all fans of melody, harmony and of course, record making.

 

 

Songs Of The Week, 2026: 5/2-5/8

 

Lovely- Suicidal Tendencies
Heaven Tonight- Hole
J'ai Connais Pas- Rickie Lee Jones
Idle Hands- Harlem River Drive
I Won't Cry- Johnny Adams
Bassanova- DJ Smash
Look Out Mabel- G. Davey Crockett

zip 

"Soul (See Deep)": THE WEEKEND MIX

 

Obscure funk and R&B, deep soul and wacky jazz has taken up a good portion of my listening time for the last two weeks, spurred on by the discovery of a old hard drive filled with music that was mostly new to me. Not all of it was new and a good chunk of it wasn't very good. But I've been having fun with it, especially when gems like Jimmy Lewis, Gloria Jones and Spanky Wilson pop up.

Maybe you'll have some fun with this mix. Some of these tracks are from those CDs I mentioned in the Jimmy Lewis post. Others are recent discoveries. A few are faves of mine that I may or may not have shared before.

I think they sound good altogether.

TRACKLIST:

Sunshine Of Your Love- Spanky Wilson
Reach Out, I'll Be There- Lee Moses
Non Support- Ironing Board Sam
Fruitman- Kool & The Gang
Lulu Was That You- Cal Wayman
Taxman- Junior Parker
Biggest Fool In Town- Gorgeous George
Light My Fire- Rhetta Hughes
The Girls from Texas- Jimmy Lewis
Rubber Neckin' (Chick Checkin')- Lou Courtney
A Whiter Shade Of Pale- The Dells
Cold Duck Time, Pts. 1 & 2- Melvin Jackson

zip 

 

Jimmy Lewis From Itta Bena

 

Many moons ago, a friend gave me a half dozen or so CDs he created, all featuring deep soul and obscure R&B tracks. For every song I was familiar with, there were four that were new to me. And almost all of the tracks were special for one reason or another. From Ironing Board Sam and Cal Wayman to Gorgeous George and Ned Towns, these CDs brought endless pleasure.

One track that stood out was "It Ain't What's On A Woman" by Jimmy Lewis. This slice of soul from 1974 features a classic rap that would certainly not get beyond the studio walls if recorded in 2026. But I loved every second of it. It took over 20 years, but I finally listened to Jimmy's 1974 album, "Totally Involved" and it did not disappoint.

The band includes Wilton Felder on bass, Ed Greene on drums, with backing vocals by Oma Heard and Gloria Jones. Every track is a winner. Sometimes Lewis channels Bobby Womack and other times, Otis Redding. But, when Lewis raps or screams, he sounds like no one but Jimmy Lewis. This is definitely the best album I've heard by a singer from Itta Bena.