MOG - ebuzzmiller's Posts

I know it's wrong, but this song makes me want to hunt pandas

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:09:16 GMT

Watch this classic performance from 1989, Grace Slick singing "Panda" with Graham Nash. Read the lyrics...then dry the single, tiny tear which runs from your eye. Why doesn't music this sincere get on the radio anymore?

He lives all alone but the bamboo forest knows him
Now his land is taken by man he's got nowhere left to go
When he used to roam through all of China's mountains
It was his home--the only place he knows
He was born on the mountain's Eastern side
Where the sun brings the morning to the sky
In the snow the human hunters hide
A shot is heard but no one hears him cry
Oh Panda Bear--my gentle friend
I don't want to say goodby
Oh Panda Bear--when will the killing end
When will we see the light?
He can feel the night, the last sunset is in his eyes
They will carry him away, take his beauty for their prize
Ah, but hunger would have come when the bamboo forest died
Oh Panda Bear--you can't seem to win
No matter how hard you try
Oh Panda Bear--my gentle friend
I don't want to say goodbye
Now his body lies on the mountain's Western side
He was sold to a man whose money has no pride
Shining fur traded for gold but the price is too high
His kind is almost gone He wants to survive
He was born on the mountain's Eastern side
Where the sun brings the morning to the sky
If we will try to share that morning light
We will find that we all have the right to life
Oh Panda Bear--my gentle friend
I don't want to say goodbye
Oh Panda Bear--when will the killing end
When will we get it right?
Panda

Lionel Ritchie sings "Hello" on helium - Great German TV!

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 03:59:51 GMT

You know, it's little quirky stuff like this that keeps the blood pumping thru my veins. You've just got to love German TV, especially when they make Lionel Richie suck down some helium and sing his signature hit, "Hello". The only way this could be funnier would be if they gave him a clay sculpture of his own head to fondle while he sang.

But my favorite part of this video is Wolfie, the hemophiliac Prince, resplendent in red velvet, bouncing and clapping his approval from the couch as Lionel Richie performs. You've just got to give it up for German television, this sure beats American Idol.

Quick, someone inject Jimmy Page with heroin immediately!

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 02:15:17 GMT

Just saw Jimmy Page "play" with Leona Lewis on the Olympics closing ceremonies, and Dear God in Heaven, it SUCKED! Just when I thought he couldn't plunge any lower than the "Godzilla" video he did with Puff Douche or whatever the fuck his name was, oh how wrong I was. Leona Lewis, Clive Davis' latest global I-sing-like-a-strangled-cat protege, moaned incoherently through "Whole Lotta Love", while Page pretended to play guitar. Dammit, now Page is infected with her SUCK VIRUS.

I never thought I'd say this, but Jimmy, BUBELA, please get back on heroin IMMEDIATELY. You made better music when you were high, wrote better songs, and didn't gorge yourself on the teat of corporate mediocrity. Dude, I'll BUY YOU THE HEROIN. If that's what it takes to keep you away from these no talent shitbags desperate to glom onto your legacy, damn, I'll even tie you off myself, be your "yes man", and I won't ever put a hat on a bed, I promise.

Leona Lewis - you have big legs and your bright eyes make you look like a robot. Have you been sent from the future, a Terminator who has come back in time to debase our musical heroes? Please get off my television and do something more appropriate to your talent, perhaps a few months in the road company of Phantom of The Opera, or maybe singing Pepsi commercials. You have no SOUL! You make Lance Bass seem like Aretha Franklin!

Gotta go back down into my Bomb Shelter and update my "Signs Of The Apocalypse" calendar....

Essential 80's Track, Part 129 - Elliot Easton "Like A Wheel"

ebuzzmiller — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:07:04 GMT

Elliot Easton, supremely tasty lead guitarist for The Cars, released his debut solo record, "Change No Change" in 1985. Easton worked on the record with Jules Shear, host/founder of MTV Unplugged (and ex-boyfriend of Aimee Mann).

The album wasn't a hit by any stretch of the word, but it features a few tracks that are worth remembering, most notably this song, "(Wearing Down) Like A Wheel)". Easton always managed to jam wicked little solos into every Car song, using 10 seconds economically and memorably. His riffs on this track are no exception.

The video isn't that fun, but the overblown lighting and saturated colors are textbook 80's. Check out "Like A Wheel" - an essential 80's solo track from the lead guitarist of The Cars, Elliot Easton!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 128 - No More LIES!

ebuzzmiller — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:11:25 GMT

Here's a healthy dose of 80's cheese. Journey guitarist Neal Schon and Miami Vice thememaster Jan Hammer released two albums in the early 80's. Both releases were a unique mix of virtuoso musicianship and textbook 80's pop/rock cliches. These two guys are unquestionably great musicians, but the production and artwork is hilariously dated.

The video, which was shown extensively in the first year or so after MTV went on the air, is classic 80's - muscle T-Shirt, bright red lipstick, keyboard guitar, wacky string cage, and of course, Jan Hammer's oh-so-sexy "I Need To Join The Hair Club For Men" look.

The plot is hilarious - a cute young girl can't decide who she loves more, the studly guitarist, or the paunchy, balding keyboard player. So she LIES!!!!!!!

Check out some classic 80's fromage - "No More Lies", from Neal Schon & Jan Hammer - another essential 80's track!!!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 127: Mi-Sex "Computer Games"

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:28:21 GMT

OK, haven't done an 80's post in a while, but I was listening to this old track and thought, I forgot about this one!

Here's a classic from 1979 - "Computer Games", from the Aussie band Mi-Sex. This band pretty much nails the definition of "one hit wonder"; I remember hearing this a few times back in the 80's, but then nothing from these guys. The track is quintessential 80's, as is the video, with the "vector graphics" background behind the band.

I'm sure a gazillion other people have posted this video, but as a lost 80's classic, I had to include it on the list - so check out Mi-Sex's 1979 classic "Computer Games" - an Essential 80's track!!!!!

Now THIS is New Wave....

ebuzzmiller — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:36:58 GMT

Screw The Ting Tings.....THIS is real new wave!

Some more dub, this time: Keith Hudson

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:08:08 GMT

Another dub masterpiece, this time from the late Keith Hudson, who died in NYC of lung cancer in 1984. Ian Curtis of Joy Division was a huge fan of Hudson's.

Getting on da King Tubby Wavelength

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:47:17 GMT

Maybe it's because it's summer, or maybe because I'm jobless and feeling like I need to bathe myself in bubbly, warm splashes of echo and groove, but I've been on a real dub kick lately, all stuff from the 70's. I didn't know a damned thing about dub 3 months ago; luckily I was in SF watching Hyman rock the NARM convention and I stopped into Amoeba Records, who have a huge section dedicated to dub. I grabbed some King Tubby CDs on a whim, and since then I haven't been able to stop listening to this stuff. Somehow it makes me forget, just for a while, about all my troubles, and I just nod my head, on the Jah wavelength. Hope you dig it too.

Whatever Happened To Rock Stars? Part 1 - Bowie

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:02:20 GMT

Maybe it's because I'm an old fart, but it seems to me that there are very few musicians that generate awe these days.

When I was a kid, you'd look at people like Bowie, Zeppelin, David Byrne and think "where did these people COME FROM?" They all seemed to have otherwordly presence and talent. There was no blueprint, no formula that could be copied in order to make endless iterations of these acts.

So much of the new music I like these days is made by people who look like my friends - approachable, normal looking people. And that's kind of a bummer to me. Arcade Fire, Cold War KIds, The Killers - these people don't look like rock stars, they all look like they have Match.com profiles because they can't get laid.

David Bowie NEVER looked like that. Check him out from the Dinah Shore show in 1976 doing "Stay" from Station To Station:

Swervedriver Fans! Unreleased Adam Franklin song!

ebuzzmiller — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:04:39 GMT

The live set from Adam Franklin today was awesome - hope some of you guys got a chance to listen to the show and the interview afterwards. The set is available as a free on demand stream at http://www.jamnow.com/adamfranklin

I did a one hour interview with him that we'll be posting within the next day, we discuss a ton of stuff including the upcoming Swervedriver reunion tour.

This is an unreleased track called "Teardrops Keep Falling Out My Head" from the show today. Enjoy Moggers!!!

ebuzz

Swervedriver Fans! Adam Franklin Webcast Next Week!

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:44:52 GMT

Hey all - Adam Franklin will be doing a free audio webcast next week from The JamNow Bomb Shelter in Tinton Falls, NJ. Adam will be performing tracks from his new record "Bolts Of melody", and a sprinkling of other stuff from his career (maybe a Swervedriver song or two). Them I'll be interviewing him live, and amongst other things we'll get to hear all the details on next year's Swervedriver reunion tour.

To check out the webcast, just go to http://www.jamnow.com/adamfranklin next Wednesday, December 12 at 3PM Eastern Standard Time. Click on the live stream in the JamPlayer and you'll be good to go, no registration required.

If anyone has a question for Adam, please let me know and I'll be sure to ask him!

Nope, no pussies in this band.

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 03:55:38 GMT

Damn, 1979 was a great year, even if I was a candy ass playing Atari who didn't know it at the time. The bands all lived it, felt it, BELIEVED it.

Watch. Joy Division. 1979.

Tired Of Pussy Music By Pussy Bands?

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 03:45:05 GMT

I know I am. Too much overrated, rehash crap getting pimped these days. So listen to this. Wire. From 1979.

iPhone = iTurd

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 02:58:16 GMT

OK, Ok, it doesn't totally suck. But don't buy into the Steve Jobs horseshit about this being the "best iPod ever".

The headphone jack is recessed so many headphones won't work with it:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1019078&tstart=0

So great - every pair of headphones I've bought over the years is rendered useless by the iPhone - I have to use the awful free pair they give you with it. Genius!

You can't manually manage music - meaning you can't just drag songs to the iPhone like every other iPod, you have to create playlists and then synch those, which is just incredibly counterintuative for anyone who's used an iPod, especially if you've been using one for 5 years.

You also can't just drag a movie to the phone either, and best of all, when you do manage to figure out this new way of adding media to the phone, then you plug it into your Mac and guess what?

All the songs on the iPhone are greyed out - meaning you cannot listen to the tunes when the iPhone is plugged into your Mac.

UNLIKE every other iPod. It took real genius on Apple's part to hobble the best digital music interface ever created, but they've done it with the iPhone. Of course, they don't tell you this in any of their hype ads. F*ckers.

Think I'm being a little hardcore? Check the Apple iPhone support forums, littered with people asking "how do I add music & movies to my phone????":

http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1140

The reason why the iPod was so successful in the first place was because it was easy to use. They really screwed the pooch by building hurdles into the iPhone.....this makes no sense.

I'm just wading into this little toy, lots of features. It is very cool in many ways, but it does have issues. Being a less capable iPod is a big one, hopefully they'll address this in an update, soon.

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 126 - I'm One Year Old!

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 02:25:37 GMT

Today is my one year Mog-iversary. Baby's all growed up!

(Don't worry, the baby isn't crying, I dosed his formula with a huge hit of windowpane, he's just trying to get the talking mushroom to pass him the hacky-sack.)

I'm feeling psychedelic today. So I am going to post a happy song. A brilliant song. XTC's "The Mayor Of Simpleton." It's nearly 20 years old, so it's even more grows up than me.

Happy Birthday to Moi (G).

Wilco Live, Count Basie Theater, Red Bank NJ 6/23/07

ebuzzmiller — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 13:32:00 GMT

I saw Wilco live last night at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ. It was my first time seeing them play, which is shameful I know, especially as I have been a fan of the band since A.M. For whatever reason, I kept missing them when they came into town. As it turns out, I'm really glad that last night was my first time, because the show was very special.

Having worked in the music industry for 20+ years, I've seen a tremendous amount of shows. I've seen too many awful gigs, lots of good gigs, but only a handful of great gigs. And every 5 or ten years, I've see a show that boggles my mind and heart, transcends all the rock and roll cliches, and just fucking stuns me. That was Wilco last night.

There are a lot of reasons why they blew me away. The band plays with a mixture of competence and passion that is so so rare these days. Clearly, they're having fun playing together, which adds to the enjoyment of watching them. The crowd was absolutely in tune with the dynamics of every song, jumping up & down, singing along quietly, loudly, dancing, we were on our feet the whole time. The gig was a celebration of every verse, every chorus or tasty little guitar lick, drum fill. Strangers were laughing and hugging all around me. We stood from the beginning to end, something I've done 1,00 times at shows, but I have never been so light on my feet at a gig.

Something incredible happened about 3/4 of the way into the show. There had been some minor technical glitches with Tweedy's rig during the evening, which he seemed to take in stride. He was goofing on Bon Jovi, saying he was on the guest list but didn't come as usual, we were all laughing, and then the PA blew. The microphones had no level, and the band improvised for about a minute before Tweedy, looking frustrated, took off his guitar, handed it to a tech, and walked offstage. The band looked at each other and left the stage too, while the techs scurried around trying to figure out what was wrong.

But Tweedy walked back out with an acoustic guitar, came to the front of the stage, and started talking to the crowd. "I guess it's bad luck to goof on Bon Jovi in New Jersey," he quipped. A minute later, after a lot of "shushing" amongst the audience, Tweedy started to sing and strum loudly, without any amplification. The Count Basie Theater holds about 1500, a good sized theater with a balcony, and he was doing his best to reach the people in the back row, to keep entertaining, keep the momentum going. Just as he finished the song, the PA got fixed, Tweedy smiled and said thanks, and the band came back out to continue playing. To see Jeff Tweedy standing alone with his guitar like that, singing to an auditorium while everyone struggled to be silent so they could hear him, was a very special thing indeed.

What else to say - Nils Cline was amazing. But so was the whole band, just total virtuoso playing from everyone, everyone played really tasty. If you pick up the Sky Blue Sky CD, it unlocks a website where you can hear a live show recorded in England back in May, and you'll get an idea of how great these guys are playing right now.

There have been a fair amount of reviews that are critical of the new Wilco record. I don't know what the critics are smoking, but it is a collection of amazingly good songs. Wilco is just as good as any other American band who have ever played, far better than most - I'd say they're on par with The Band without question. Wilco has captured that 1960's-ish spirit of undiluted, important and thrilling Rock And Roll. This band could have played Woodstock, Monterey Pop or The Isle Of Wight right alongside The Who, Hendrix, or The Stones.

Tweedy may not be Bob Dylan, but he's pretty damned close. If you love music you just have to see them on this tour.

A little taste of some live Wilco:

Seefeel's classic "Quique" reissued

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 22 May 2007 00:38:28 GMT

Seefeel's landmark 1993 IDM/Chill album "Quique" was reissued on import last week, in a deluxe package with an extra disc of bonus tracks, which is a joyous thing. Why? Because this album is essentially the missing link between the shoegazing genre, which was peaking around 1993, and the next decade of ambient/chill influenced rock and electronic bands. If you like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Swervedriver, etc, you will love this album.

Mind you, it doesn't rock per se - the album is one sleepy, effortlessly relaxed drone of wailing feedback and dubby beats. The best way to describe it would be where "Soon" ends after a nighttime listen of MBV's Loveless album, you drop the needle on "Quique" just as dawn is breaking, and you're driving home before the world wakes up. This is an absolutely superb album and I am honored to fill in the gaps on this superb and obscure band.

Although not from "Quique", here's some very rare live footage of Seefeel from 1994 - enjoy!

In Praise Of Good Songwriters, Part 6

ebuzzmiller — Fri, 04 May 2007 17:44:28 GMT

Ex-Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley recently released her 2nd solo album "The Deep Blue" (in the UK - it's available as an import here). I didn't really dig the first single "I Want You To Know", which has one of the worst videos of all time, so the video for the other single from the record was a really pleasant surprise.

"Behave" really sneaks up on you, like the best songs. The video really blew me away, reminds me of Tron, and work by Moebius from Heavy Metal magazine back in the 80's. The whole sci-fi angle is really unexpected given the lyrics of the tune. Her guitar playing is twangy, funky and twisted. This is really different, interesting pop music, with a brilliant video - quite a rare combo these days.

I've got the CD on order, so I'm not sure how the album is as a whole, her last album was pretty spotty. "The Deep Blue" is on Charlotte's own label apparently, and to have produced such a superb video, and a memorable song, seems quite an accomplishment - hopefully it bodes well for the rest of the album.

Check out "Behave" - hope you like it:

Another crappy Rush album dammit

ebuzzmiller — Thu, 03 May 2007 21:14:31 GMT

Rush's new album "Snakes & Arrows" came out this week, and I was pretty excited about it. I'm a card carrying old fart Rush fan - I was the singer in a Rush cover band in High School, way back in 1982! I've seen them live a bunch of times. They certainly seem invigorated at the moment, going out on a major tour, and I thought their recent R30 DVD was superb.

The band has been thru many periods, and I have to admit my favorite started with "A Farewell To Kings" and ended with "Grace Under Pressure". They're had a bunch of great songs since then, but albumwise, they just haven't been able to put together anything consistently good in a long time. "Counterparts" was probably the last truly solid record Rush released, and honestly even that pales in comparison to "Permanent Waves", "Moving Pictures", or anything from the period I mention above. Their last record "Vapor Trails" was basically unlistenable, one or two good tracks aside (and sonically it sucked.)

It really bums me to say that their new album continues their trend of bad songs played with virtuosity. Rush still plays really well, and some of the riffs are pulled straight from the old days. But the arrangements don't allow for any memorable melodic structure, it just ends up being a tough, forgettable listen. Write a SONG, fellas!

Rush used to mix great riffs with great songs, that's why they're 50-ish and still have a loyal fan base and can do big tour without big hits. But "Snakes & Arrows" is just another letdown, as thankful as I am for it being the reason they're touring again.

Any other Rush fans care to chime in with your thoughts on the above??? And while we're at it, here's a great "modern" Rush song - "Animate", from the R30 DVD:

In Praise Of Good Songwriters, Part 4

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:17:41 GMT

Following along on the little chain letter type post Mtack and I got going - see her #3 post here:

http://mog.com/mktackabery/blog_post/67363

I got turned on to Everything But The Girl via The Style Council's "Cafe Bleu" album, on which Tracy guest sings the song "The Paris Match". Great, smoky chanteuse vocals. Soon after, I heard the track "Never Could Have Been Worse" by EBTG, and recognizing the voice, picked up their debut US record, which is wonderful. Throughout their career, EBTG have written some fantastic songs, reaching their creative zenith on the "Amplified Heart" album, which featured the worldwide smash "Missing".

There are a ton of great tracks on that album, and the production is superb. But a great song can be stripped down to it's basic element and remain great - here's a perfect example, Ben and Tracy performing "Rollercoaster", from their 1994 album Amplified Heart, with just an acoustic guitar and vocals - just beautiful stuff!

In Praise Of Good Songwriters, Part 2

ebuzzmiller — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 03:04:42 GMT

Now this is a classic. The La's were a great band, and Lee Mavers wrote an album's worth of genius songs for their 1990 debut. They also were totally inspiring live performers - check out this vid from Much Music (and try to ignore the dipshit VJ):

In Praise Of Songwriters - Good Ones!

ebuzzmiller — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 01:41:23 GMT

I was talking with a friend of mine at a record label today, and asked him to turn me on to a few bands that were new and exciting. He named 5 acts of various genres, and I spent all day listening to them on Rhapsody. They've all got full length albums out.

I heard a lot of style, atmosphere, dynamics, color in the music of all the bands. None of them "sucked". But honestly, what I didn't hear, from any of these bands, was a great SONG. Maybe it's because I just got back from the Ascap songwriter's conference, and spent 3 days listening to brilliant songwriters talk about their craft. There were a bunch of people there who run publishing companies and they all spoke about how they pick songwriters to sign. It basically came down to "does the song give me goosebumps?"

I "consume" a tremendous amount of new music every month, something that's probably pretty common among moggers. I try to get a hold of stuff that people are talking about, and at the risk of sounding like an old fart (again), I am amazed at how often a hype artist has plenty of style, but doesn't have more than one decent song on the album. The latest letdown for me was Cold War Kids - "Hang Me Out To Dry" is pretty great, but the rest of the songs are pretty forgettable. The new Arcade Fire was kinda ish too.

I'm not saying that these bands aren't talented in their way; I'm just saying that they don't know how to write a great song consistently. It's a rare thing to find an album that's great straight thru - it's always been rare, but these days it's just such a fluke to have one with even 3 good songs on it. I know it's a pop record, but Amy Winehouse is one of the few artists who has made a record full of truly great songs recently.

So instead of just whining about the dearth of great songwriters/songs/albums, I figured I'd post a song that I think is great from a band that makes pretty good albums - Stars. "Elevator Love Letter" is from their "Heart" Album. It's not exactly new, but I think it's a truly well written song. Unfortunately, thye pretty much suck live, and the lead singer just released her first solo album, which (you guessed it) doesn't have any great songs on it! OOF!

So what recent songs do you guys think are really great?

Something For Robert Fripp Fans

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:10:51 GMT

Normally I don't post MP3s, but Robert Fripp's 1991 band project with wife Toyah Wilcox "Sunday All Over The World" seems to have vanished beneath the prog rock waves. In digging around for videos etc for this post, I found this interview with Toyah Wilcox, who sings on the record, commenting in regards to the obscurity of the project:

Question: With the current digging through the Toyah vaults, will the Strange Girls sessions or any live Sunday All Over The World material ever surface?

Toyah Wilcox: "Strange Girls may not surface but hey! It's early days and there is a renewed interest in my music, I think thankfully a new generation has rediscovered it, which feels lovely because it will be out of context with me the person and the period. As my lyrics where always ambiguous and predictive I hope they have more power out of the context of that century.

I would love Sunday All Over The World to resurface. There is great writing there and great performances. Not too long ago Robert played me a live performance of a song that never made the album, it was in Madrid and the song was You Bring Out The Worst In Me. After many years of the British press telling me I am worthless and crap, which does start to rub off on you, I burst into tears when I heard this performance. It was fucking blinding. And I looked at Robert and thought why do we let people influence us so disruptively. As I get older I have no role models and take crap from no one, it's a lovely place to be. Sunday All Over The World deserves to be heard."

Being as Toyah wants the band to be rediscovered, I figured I'd help her out! So here is the title track "Sunday All Over The World" from the one album the band released - future King Crimson "double trio" stick player Trey Gunn plays on it too. If you're a KC fan, you'll certainly hear some tastes of both the 80's and 90's versions of that band - SAOTW was kind of a bridge between the two.

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 125

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:12:13 GMT

Level 42 splashed onto the scene in 1985 with their huge hit "Something About You", featuring bassist/singer Mark King slapping the sh*t out of his instrument. That song and the one this post is about, "Lessons In Love", are two of my absolute favorite 80's tracks.

"Lessons In Love" was released as a single in 1986, and included on Level 42's "Running In The Family" record in 87. As much as I tried to like the band's other material, I never thought they bested the pop perfection of "Lessons" and "Something". Obviously, "Something About You" still gets tons of airplay, so I figured I'd post about the "other" great Level 42 hit - "Lessons In Love", from 1986, another essential 80's track!!!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 124

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 03:02:48 GMT

(Quick disclaimer - my essential 80's posts are just that - "my 80's", which for me started in about 1977 and ended in about 1990. All the music I loved fit into some weird casserole of time during those years, and a lot of great songs and artists have vanished into obscurity. Therefore, some of the songs are from either before 1980, or after 1990).

One of the first records I ever bought (at age 13) was the 1978 debut US album "Mirror Stars" by The Fabulous Poodles. I heard their single "Mirror Star" on the radio, and actually caught them on American Bandstand. The song was kind of post punk, real garage band-y, and kinda new wave at the same time, with a fiddle player of all things. The sound just sucked me in.

The Who's John Entwistle played on a couple of songs, and Poodles drummer Bryn Burrows actually was the drummer on Underworld's first couple of albums. Unfortunately, The Fabulous Poodles never really connected with US audiences, and their 2nd album "Think PInk" completely tanked. The band broke up soon after, which was a shame, as they really were unique (maybe that's what hurt them - not to mention their name!)

Check out the stipped down, live version of their "hit" US single "Mirror Star" from 1978 (from the mad genius Peter Cook's show Revolver) - another essential 80's track from The Fabulous Poodles!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 123

ebuzzmiller — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 13:03:34 GMT

Just got back from the City Of Angels, went there to attend the Ascap Songwriter's Expo. On the first night of the conference, Randy Newman did a "piano-side chat", where he was interviewed about all his great songs, and played them spontaneously. He was incredibly funny and insightful, telling all these great stories and breaking the interviewer's balls. It was a really unique setting to see him perform in, only a couple hundred people there.

He spent a fair bit of time bitching about the shitty job Dreamworks did promoting his "Bad Love" album, so I mosied over to Amoeba and bought a copy, along with 200 bucks worth of other stuff.....that place is EVIL! It's a great record, but honestly has the least flattering photo ever taken of him as a cover, which may have just a little bit to do with nobody buying it.

Most folks know him via "Short People", or "I Love L.A." or his movie soundtrack work. Me, I kinda like him best sitting in front of a piano doing his thing. Here's a classic from his 1983 album "Trouble In Paradise" - a beautiful song called "Real Emotional Girl". This performance features Linda Rondstadt on vocals, but the album version, which I like better, has Randy doing it. BTW, for all you Tad Allagash fans - the video is pulled from the "Randy Newman Live At The Odeon" DVD, which is the Tribeca bar/restaurant on the cover of Jay McInerney's "Bright Lights, Big City". So we've got some heavy 80's mojo going with this post!

Randy Newman's 1983 gem "Real Emotional Girl" - another essential 80's track!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 122

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:43:32 GMT

It's kind of funny that with all the 80's retro rehash bands that have come out over the past few years, nobody has copped the look or sound of Japan. They weren't particularly well know in the U.S. at any point in their fairly brief career, so maybe that's it. In the U.K. and (not surprisingly) Japan, they were massive stars.

The video here, for "Life In Tokyo", from 1979, is just superb. Late 70's synths, period footage of Tokyo, and the band clearly providing a stylistic blueprint - both visually and sonically - for future stars Duran Duran. Skinny ties galore! And bassist/horn player Mick Karn looks like a cotton candy alien.

The song was written by David Sylvian and Giorgio Moroder (the guy who did Donna Summer's classic "I Feel Love", the Midnight Express soundtrack, a a ton of other bits of electronic genius). Check out Japan's classic 1979 track "Life In Tokyo" - another essential 80's track!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 121

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:42:26 GMT

Now here's a really great live video from Tears For Fears, recorded live in London in spring 1984. Their first album, "The Hurting", was a big import record around my hometown (Long Island NY), sounding a bit like an evolution of the New Romantic sound - TFF was way less fashion conscious, more song oriented, looser. Every 12" release from the band seemed to have really strong live tracks, so we were dying to see them play Stateside. They may have done a few gigs, but didn't end up touring extensively until their next HUGE record, "Songs From The Big Chair".

So if you had the first TFF record in 1984, you were probably a kid that bought imports, clubbed a lot, listened to college radio. TFF was actually pretty good live, and I still like their first two records which sound quite fresh today, despite their largely electronic framework. Besides the synths, there's some interesting guitar playing, drum and bass work too. The band was great until they got "Americanized" with they hooked up with Oleta Adams, and they got too slick for their own good. Unlike U2, who committed a similar cardinal sin of getting American on the "Rattle & Hum" album, Tears For Fears' career never seemed to recover. Shame really. Meanwhiel, check out this great live vid of "The Hurting", the title track from Tears For Fears' 1983 debut album - an essential 80's track!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etbI2THbGtE

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 120!!!

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 18:41:34 GMT

Face To Face was a new wave band formed in Boston during the early 80's. Their self titled debut album was released in 1984, and was packed with great songs. The production and arrangements are very much "of the time", but the songwriting is solid 80's pop/rock. They never really hit it big, released three studio albums and disbanded. The schwingy lead singer, Laurie Sargeant, ended up singing with former Morphine band members in Twinemen.

None of Face To Face's records are available on CD, which is a real shame - check out the lost classic, "10-9-8", another essential 80's track!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 119

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 05:22:07 GMT

Split Enz released what is probably their masterpiece, "Time And Tide", in 1982. The band were familiar to American audiences via MTV, as commercial rock radio barely played their music. The song they were most well known for obviously being "I Got You", which has appeared on every chessy 80's compliation ever released.

So most people simply didn't know what to make of the Time & Tide record when it came out. The songs weren't quick little pop ditties - the instrumentation was more lush, complex, the themes more ceonceptual in nature. The centerpiece of the record was the 6 minute mini-epic "Pioneer/Six Months In A Leaky Boat", a rousing, Gilbert & Sullivan-esque track complete with a whistled mid section. MTV played it a bunch, but it was at a time when they were starving for video content. The video is appropriately goofy, and long - MTV edited the "PIoneer" intro, and chopped the outro. 25 years later, it is still very adventurous music - so check out "Pioneer/Six Months In A Leaky Boat", by the legendary New Zealand band Split Enz - an essential 80's track!!!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 118

ebuzzmiller — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:36:35 GMT

When I first heard U2's "The Unforgettable Fire" back in 1984, I was kind of puzzled. It was a real evolution from their previous albums, and kind of abstract. I had seen the band live on the "War" tour (at Stonybrook Gymnasium on Long Island - incredible), and the impression I had was that they were going in a pop direction. So "Unforgettable" was a real surprise, especially side 2.

Don't get me wrong though, I like the album, but it took a few listens for it to sink in. One track that jumped right out at me was "Wire". The song is really speedy, amped up, and huge sounding, and The Edge's playing on this track especially got everyone talking about his playing style. "Wire" seems to have become a bit of a forgotten U2 track, most people remembering "Bad", "A Sort Of Homecoming", or of course "Pride In The Name Of Love". Check out this smoking live 1985 performance of "Wire" from U2's classic album "The Unforgettable Fire" - another essential 80's track!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 117

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:42:24 GMT

I've been rocking DM for the past week, because one of my favorite albums of theirs was just reissued in a deluxe package with videos and bonus tracks - 1983's "Construction Time Again". It was their first album with Alan Wilder as a full time member, who "replaced" Vince Clarke, and stayed with the band thru the "Songs Of Love, Faith & Devotion" studio album. Wilder is as much a genius sonically as Martin Gore is lyrically and melodically, and the "Construction Time" was a huge step forward for the band. Wilder contributed several tracks during this period, including "Two Minute Warning", and "The Landscape Is Changing". Of course, this album featured the massive hit "Everything Counts".

There are a bunch of great songs on this CD which aren't well known, and "Told You So" is probably my favorite. It starts with a confused flutter of cheap horn sounds, and then bangs into a pulsing electronic groove. Check out this live video of "Told You So" from Depeche Mode's classic "Construction Time Again" album - another essential 80's track!

Obsessed with Gretsch......

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 19:36:30 GMT

Started learning guitar recently, although I played in bands for like 15 years, never had enough balls to try to learn. Always loved Fender Teles, Strats, Jazzmasters, and pretty much ever guitar Gretsch ever made. So as much as I hate to be "that guy" (sucker with the expensive guitar who doesn't know how to play a damned thing), I purchased a new Gretsch Anniversary, in two tone smoke green lacquer, with TV Jones pickups. As I stumble through Beatles and Radiohead songs, building up my blisters, I look down at the wonderful instrument in my hands and I'm nearly moved to tears. This thing has crazy soul built in, that even a stoopid newb like me can feel. If I could afford it, I'd have a room full of Gretsch guitars....I've even started listening to Brian Setzer records!!! I LOVE my Gretsch......

Kathleen Edwards on Austin City Limits

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:59:30 GMT

It's such a great feeling to discover a great artist by accident, like a piece of jewelry buried in the sand on a beach. This weekend, I recorded Alison Kraus and Union Station on Austin City Limits, supremely tasty stuff, but the 2nd half of the show was Canadian singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards, who I was not familiar with. If you're into "alt-country", Lucinda Williams etc, she's kind of in that pocket. Her guitar player, who I think is her boyfriend, played a vintage Gibson SG and got this incredible tone, using his fingers instead of a pick. The songs were just great, really well written, and rocking. I watched her whole performance and was waiting for a clinker or two and it just never happened, it just got better and better. Austin City Limits always is worth watching, and honestly I prefer her songs live vs. her albums (which are both on Rhapsody.) That said, her records, particularly "Back To Me" (the video below), are beautiful, they are just more polished.

The video below is not from ACL, but what the heck, figured a little taste is better than nothing! Hope you enjoy Kathleen Edwards - this is a talented musician!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 116

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:51:00 GMT

Robert Palmer (1949-2003) has been largely consigned to the 80's trash heap, because of his eternally tacky video for "Addicted To Love", and his somewhat goofy work with The Power Station, with Duran Duran's John Taylor and Nick Rhoades (and the late, brilliant drummer Tony Thompson.) This is a real shame, because Robert Palmer was a highly adventurous artist who covered many genres and really reached over the course of his career. His most solid work is surely 1980's "Clues", which featured several international hits, including "Looking For Clues", "Woke Up Laughing", a cover of Gary Numan's "I Dream Of Wires" with Numan guesting on keyboards, and this brilliant track, "Johnny and Mary". The sound is very dated, in a retro cool kind of way, with a minimal, repetitive keyboard riff throughout. It would also sound very cold, were it not for Palmer's suave crooning - and the video is priceless! "Johnny and Mary" from Robert Palmer's 1980 smash album "Clues" - an essential 80's track!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 115

ebuzzmiller — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:01:19 GMT

"The 80's are an extension of the 60's. And the 70's was a broken bridge." - Nico

Nobody has ever meant "My Funny Valentine" as much as Nico did.

Happy Valentine's Day, all

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 114

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:26:11 GMT

Ahh, British guys playing Rickenbackers - spring 1984. Icicle Works' "Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream) was getting played like crazy on alternative radio and MTV - and then we never really herad from them again. I bought the US version of their record, and the other song that really grabbed me was "Cauldron Of Love" - really dark but poppy at the same time.

Icicle Works' "Cauldron Of Love" - an essential 80's track!!!

(Oh, and btw - death to all YouTubers who disable embedded links by request!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLLhksW1YeI

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 113

ebuzzmiller — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 21:24:54 GMT

OK, anything related to the film "Sixteen Candles" is pretty hard to tag as a lost 80's gem, but this song just about qualifies. The Thompson Twins were between albums, having had success stateside with "Love On Your Side", "Lies" and "In The Name Of Love", all of which were staples during the early days of MTV. "If You Were Here" closes out Sixteen Candles, and I remember hearing it and looking for the track on TT albums, but I couldn't find it, on an album or as a single, and I was too damned cheap to buy the Sixteen Candles soundtrack LP I guess. Anyways - here's a pretty faithful live version of the song, from Liverpool in 1983 (haven't been able to find an official promo clip for this song - anybody ever see one?) "If You Were Here" from the Sixteen Candles soundtrack - an essential 80's track by The Thompson Twins!

Essential 80s Tracks, Part 112

ebuzzmiller — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 21:04:57 GMT

I can't believe I didn't fit any Nik Kershaw into my top 100, he made some really fun, interesting sounding records in the 80s. Oh sure, his hit "Wouldn't It Be Good" is one of the quintessential overplayed songs from that decade, but there were so many other great songs this guy wrote (and is still writing.) Kershaw's third album, 1986's "Radio Musicola" was a deeper record, a bit more thematic, and in fact it kind of stiffed. That said, the title track was awesome, sounding a bit like Kershaw meets Level 42, the album version featuring a voice over intro from alternative radio djs from my neck of the woods, Long Island, WDRE (or WLIR, depending on how old you are.) Nik Kershaw's "Radio Musicola" - another essential 80's track!!!!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 111

ebuzzmiller — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 18:35:39 GMT

It's hard to believe that the BBC actually banned the title track from Pete Shelley's 1981 solo debut "Homosapien", saying that they did so because of the song's "explicit reference to gay sex". Although, I have to admit, in High School in 1981, there was a lot of discussion in our cafeteria about if the song was a "gay song". Most of the curiousity was because the song had the word "homo" in it, and none of us paid enough attention on science class to understand that we were all homosapiens. A friend of mine got the cassette, but didn't tell anyone, because he didn't want to be accused of being gay! Everybody was pretty dumb back then about such things - hopefully, today kids are a little smarter and more tolerant, right? Right?

Anyways, the video got played on MTV like crazy, and featured a Commodore Pet, the PC we all wished we could afford back then. Along with Gary Numan, "Homosapien" really seemed to point the way towards the new millenium, musically. "Homosapien" from ex-Buzzock Pete Shelley's 1981 album of the same - an essential 80's track!!!!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 110

ebuzzmiller — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 23:34:49 GMT

Every once in a while, you just NEED to see a devil baby! So in 1983, Black Sabbath released "Born Again", an album with ex-Deep Purple lead singer Ian Gillan. Lyrically, they kind of got away from the devil music thing, because frankly that vibe just wouldn't work with Ian Gillan on lead vox, because he was always about getting laid and wasted, but they had to keep the visual imagery going, because hey, they were Black Sabbath! So the single from Born Again was "Trashed", a song about a guy who um, drinks and drives, and kind of has a lot of close calls. The video is such a goof, weird mutants driving ambulances, race cars crashing, a haunted Church, and this dude wearing a really bad new wave outfit who gets turned into a zombie. Oh, btw, the album actually has a song on it called "Stonehenge", LOFL! Check out "Trashed", from the otherwise awful 1983 Black Sabbath album "Born Again" - an essential headbanging 80's track!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 109

ebuzzmiller — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 22:17:10 GMT

Marianne Faithfull spent most of the 1970s strung out on heroin and hoovering coke, so when she dropped "Broken English" on the world in 1979, it knocked everyone on their ass. The angelic voice that sang "As Tears Go By" in the mid sixties was replaced by a haggard, bleak moan, every bit of earned over years of living on the streets and just trying to get high. The album is just unbelievably real, visceral stuff, including her legendary cover of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero", and the notorious "Why'd Ya Do It?".

The title track is the one that caught my ear, driving home late one night, quite stoned, when I chanced upon the funky, repetitive keyboard riff, and this terrifying, weary woman singing on top of it. I wish someone would do an extended remix of "Broken English", because it's a song that should just go on and on, played really loud.

Legend has it that when Faithfull apppeared on SNL during this period, she hung out with Belushi, and they did so much drugs the night before the show that both she and JB were dehydrated to the point of being unable to speak! I was lucky enough to have lunch with Marianne in Dublin in 1993 (or maybe 1994?) and she was one of the most absolutely lovely, engaging, brilliant people I've ever met.

"Broken English" by Marianne Faithfull - another essential 80's track!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 108

ebuzzmiller — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:58:56 GMT

Bob Dylan's 1983 album "Infidels" will always be considered a controversial album, as Bob was still in the grips of a religious identity crisis at this time. If you can get past the rhetoric, "Infidels" is quite an interesting album, produced by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, and ex-Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor is all over the record (if you're going to have 2 guitar players on your record, it doesn't get much better than this.) To top it off, Sly & Robbie were the rhythm section! The key single from Infidels was "Jokerman", which actually got played on MTV a lot, and I remember it being quite jarring when there was a segue from The Thompson Twins to Dylan - but it is a pretty great video.... "Jokerman", from Bob Dylan's 1983 album "Infidels" - an essential 80's track!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 107

ebuzzmiller — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 14:54:11 GMT

Robert Hazard is a Philly musician who wrote "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", which was obviously a huge hit for Cyndi Lauper. But he also recorded his own early 80's MTV classic, "Escalator Of Life", and the video is absolutely priceless. It's 3 minutes of 80's excess, fashion, makeup, and attitude. And you've just got to love the chorus - "We're riding on the escalator of life - we're shopping in the human mall" - who writes lyrics like this nowadays? Robert Hazard's "Escalator Of Life" - an essential 80's track!!!!

And HOLY CRAP! I just noticed that one of the girls in the video is the late Patty Donahue, lead singer of The Waitresses! Who knew...

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 106

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 22:58:54 GMT

Man, didn't Prince just kill at the half-time show the other night? Sometimes it's easy to forget just how ON he can be, even when he's giving songs to other people, like this track from Sheila E's 1985 album "Romance 1600". The 80's were pretty good to Sheila E, touring with Prince, doing a movie (Krush Groove) and releasing several solo albums. My favorite song of Sheila's is the Prince penned jam "A Love Bizarre", which got a bunch of MTV play. Interestingly, the single version is only 3 minutes long, but the album version clocks in at over 12 minutes long! Prince guests on vocals and guitar, and there's a nasty sounding sax blowing over the whole record - amazingly funky stuff, the long version just KILLS. The attached video is the short version, and it's clipped at the end - but you'll get the idea! "A Love Bizarre" - an essential 80's track from Sheila E. and Prince!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 105

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 22:38:49 GMT

'Til Tuesday's 1986 album "Welcome Home" was produced by Rhett Davies (who also helmed Roxy Music's "Avalon" - my fave album of all time), and the sound throughout is lush, warm, and with pristine clarity. While 'Til Tuesday is best known for MTV fave "Voices Carry", and Aimee Mann is known best for being, well, Aimee Mann, one song stands as perhaps the best she's ever written, the wistful ballad "Coming Up Close", from Welcome Home. Aimee Mann has written a lot of catchy, clever music over the past 20 (!) years, but "Coming Up Close" is just beautifully played, sung, and recorded. Check out the live (not really) performance vid: "Coming up Close", from 'Til Tuesday's 1986 album "Welcome Home" - an essential 80's track!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 104

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 23:48:39 GMT

When "Some Girls" came out in 1978, it completely took over the airwaves, with black radio and disco stations playing "Miss You", rock playing "Shattered", pop radio playing "Beast Of Burden". Some Girls was clearly the best thing the Stones had done since Mick Tayor left the band, the album covering so many genres, even the punks had to give it up for songs like "Respectable" and "Lies". But there was another gem on the record, a song that doesn't get too much airplay these days - "Far Away Eyes". It's a classic Stones singalong.

The video is an amazing glimpse back to a time when Keith Richards could still make that "death warmed over" look CHIC. Ronnie Wood looks like a little kid. The Stones had reinvented themselves, showed they were still relevant, even vital, going toe to toe with anyone in the world making music, and really, nobody even tried to take a swing at them, unlike most other huge rock bands from the 1970s (like Led Zeppelin who were absolutely reviled by the punk & new wave scene.)

Coincidentally, the album artwork posted here is the original sleeve, which was recalled because the Stones hadn't gotten the right to use the images of the celebrities on it - can you imagine bitching because The Rolling Stones put your face on their album cover! "Far Away Eyes" from the 1978 Rolling Stones album "Some Girls" - an essential 80's track!

"Far Away Eyes"

I was driving home early sunday morning through bakersfield Listening to gospel music on the colored radio station And the preacher said, you know you always have the Lord by your side

And I was so pleased to be informed of this that I ran Twenty red lights in his honor Thank you jesus, thank you lord

I had an arrangement to meet a girl, and I was kind of late And I thought by the time I got there shed be off Shed be off with the nearest truck driver she could find Much to my surprise, there she was sittin in the corner A little bleary, worse for wear and tear Was a girl with far away eyes

So if youre down on your luck And you cant harmonize Find a girl with far away And if youre downright disgusted And life aint worth a dime Get a girl with far away eyes

Well the preacher kept right on saying that all I had to do was send Ten dollars to the church of the sacred bleeding heart of jesus Located somewhere in los angeles, california And next week theyd say my prayer on the radio And all my dreams would come true So I did, the next week, I got a prayer with a girl Well, you know what kind of eyes she got

So if youre down on your luck I know you all sympathize Find a girl with far away eyes And if youre downright disgusted And life aint worth a dime Get a girl with far away eyes......

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 103

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 23:28:19 GMT

The Vapors got a lot of MTV play with their classic "Turning Japanese", but most everyone has forgotten about the "other" Vapors song MTV played, "Waiting For The Weekend", also from their 1980 "New Clear Days" album. The single mix of this track is grittier and better, but this album/video version shows the boys working on cars, jamming on stage, basically a typical, simple early 80's video with very low production values. "Waiting For The Weekend" - the "other" Vapors song - an essential 80's track!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 102

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 23:21:47 GMT

King Crimson guitarist released his 5th solo album "Young Lions" in 1990. He had played on David Bowie's "Lodger" album, and would later act as musical director for Bowie's "Glass Spider" tour. So on Young Lions, Bowie returned the favor and performed a duet with Belew, the totally ripping "Pretty Pink Rose". The track has all the Belew signature guitar tricks - animal sounds, screeching noise, and loose rythmn playing, with Adrian and Bowie sharing vocals on top. It's a great single, and an Essential 80's track - David Bowie and Adrian Belew, "Pretty Pink Rose"!

Essential 80's Tracks are BACK! Part 101!

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 23:09:14 GMT

I just couldn't walk away from the 80's....so many more great tracks I didn't get to cover in my top 100 - so hopefully no one will mind if I crank up a few more obscure hits from my favorite extended decade (for the sake of this ongoing thread, the 80's started in 1977 and ended in about 1990.)

So let's kick things off with a great video from 1983 - Tom Tom Club's "Pleasure of Love" from their 2nd album "Close To The Bone". Tom Tom Club has 2 huge hits in 1981 with "Wordy Rappinghood" and "Genius Of Love", which they made right after "Remain In Light", Talking Head's masterpiece - fyi, Chris Franz and Tina Weymouth are the drummer and bassist of the THeads, respectively, and the creative force behind Tom Tom Club. TTC actually played live during 1983 with the THeads, during their "Stop Making Sense" Tour. Check out "Pleasure of Love" - from the Tom Tom Club's (sadly out of print) 1983 album Close To The Bone - an essential 80's track!

Feeling ISH about YS

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:56:21 GMT

I know I'm gonna to get killed for questioning the work of not one, but four sacred musical cows in one post, but I am compelled to risk it.

I absolutely love Joanna Newsom's "The Milk Eyed Mender", think it's a rare work of precious genius, and when I discovered her via MOG (I know, I was very late on this one) I just played the record over and over. I tried my best to turn friends onto her, even going so far as to buy copies of the CD as gifts for people.

At first, I was very excited when I heard her new CD was coming out, but then I heard it was going to be produced by Steve Albini, with arrangements by Van Dyke Parks, and Jim O'Rourke, and I immediately got worried. Try as I have over the past 2 months to dig "Ys", I just think it's a huge letdown.

Why? I dunno, I think Joanna sounds best in as minimal a setting as possible, and with the VDP orchestral treatment, "YS" ends up sounding like a wacky alternate soundtrack to The Lord Of The Rings. The innocence and subtlety that was so apparent on "MIlk Eyed Mender" is played up here with orchestral flourishes that add absolutely nothing to her performance; imho, they only distract from it. Putting strings behind her harp makes it sound traditional - hearing her play and sing solo was special and almost alien. In the few moments when VDP stops pouring gravy all over her performance, and Joanna sings alone, I find myself getting into the music, only to find myself yelling at my computer, "God, someone please tell Van Dyke Parks to shut up already!"

I don't know how much of the overbearing sonics are the fault of O'Rourke, VDP, or Albini, but I wish they'd release an alternate version of "YS" with Newsom playing solo, on a great stage like Carnegie Hall that provides a nice natural ambience. Either that or a version of the CD with every other instrument (and the annoying background vocals) turned off. I can't believe Albini was a party to tarting up an artist who so obviously doesn't need it.

While I'm ranting (!), what happened to the great songs? Does every tune need to be 8 minutes? There are very few coherent, linear musical moments on this album, i.e. well written songs, unlike "Milk Eyed" which had both genius playing and songwriting. "YS" sounds like a bunch of ideas, thrown up into the air and assembled when they hit the floor. Is this an unfair criticism? Well, for about three months after I got into "Milk Eyed", I couldn't stop singing the songs to myself, in the shower, on the train, at work. I can't even begin to remember any songs on "YS", because the songs are so incoherent. Honestly, if "YS" was a Yes album, it would be "Tales Of Topographic Oceans" (if you're not a Yes fan, umm, that's not a compliment.) I really wish somebody (Newsom, Albini, somebody) had been honest with themselves and questioned the wisdom of making a record where the shortest song is over 7 minutes long, the longest almost 17! I'm not saying she should be Britney Spears, but cmon, write a song, Joanna!

So I'm finally retiring YS to the used CD store. I've tried way too hard to like this CD, and it bums me out that it didn't work. I hope the die-hard Joanna fan MOGGERS out there will forgive me for dumping on this record - does anybody out there besides me LOVE "The Milk Eyed Mender" but not get "YS"??

Sorry, but this: plus this: and a little of this: equals "YS".

Getting Ink In New Jersey!

ebuzzmiller — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:37:03 GMT

I know this reeks of shameless self promotion, but I'm really loving my job these days, and we got some ink about what we do in the Asbury Park Press, plus some video on their web site - so I guess there's at least a remote possibility that Bruce Springsteen saw me singing while he ate his bagel this morning!

Basically I work for a startup, Lightspeed Audio Labs that enables musicians to jam together online in real time, over the web, in high quality. Given that we're based in Red Bank NJ, the APP came to write a story about what we do. It's cool but also embarassing to see myself online as I am old, fat, and balding, but hey, video adds at least 40 pounds, right?

Anyways, here's a link to the story and thanks for letting me enjoy my 15 minutes of fame!

Video here

Does Anyone Else Adore Ellen Allien?

ebuzzmiller — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 20:41:15 GMT

I've been on a major Ellen Allien kick lately, listening to her record with Apparat ("Orchestra Of Bubbles"), and her last solo record "Thrills", which is genius. I'm not a hardcore techno head by any stretch of the word, but it just seems like everything this woman gets involved wth is great. She runs a label, BPitch Control (http://www.bpitchcontrol.de/), plus makes her own music (http://www.ellenallien.de/). I really love Kraftwerk and warm sounding electronic stuff, her music really seems to fit the bill - any other fans out there? The videos below are a lot of fun, check it out:

Video from her recent album with Apparat - http://www.orchestra-of-bubbles.com/

Funny video for "Down" from her "Thrills" album:

100 Essential 80's Tracks, The Index!

ebuzzmiller — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:05:11 GMT

As per somewhat popular demand - here's your Essential 80's Tracks Index Buffet!

The idea of the posts was to focus on good music from the 80s that wasn't overplayed, so don't go looking for "Mexican Radio", OK???? Enjoy!

Part 1 - Stan Ridgeway & Stewart Copeland Don't Box Me In Part 2 - New Order Perfect Kiss Part 3 - OMD Souvenir Part 4 - Peter Godwin Images Of Heaven Part 5 - Red Rockers China Part 6 - The Replacements Bastards Of Young Part 7 - Loudness Crazy Nights Part 8 - Shona Laing Soviet Snow Part 9 - Grace Jones Demolition Man Part 10 - XTC Towers Of London Part 11 - Spinal Tap Stonehenge Part 12 - Sinead O'Connor I Want Your Hands On Me Part 13 - Laurie Anderson Sharkey's Day Part 14 - David Byrne & Brian Eno Mea Culpa Part 15 - Wire Eardrum Buzz Part 16 - Burning Sensations Belly Of The Whale Part 17 - The Members Working Girl Part 18 - Todd Rundgren For The Want Of A Nail Part 19 - Blue Oyster Cult Godzilla Part 20 - Heaven 17 Let Me Go Part 21 - Echo & The Bunnymen Bring On The Dancing Horses Part 22 - Simple Minds Speed Your Love To Me Part 23 - Yngwie Malmsteen I Am A Viking Part 24 - Talking Heads Crosseyed And Painless Part 25 - Pretenders Tattooed Love Boys Part 26 - Japan Gentlemen Take Polaroids Part 27 - Blade Runner S/T Blade Runner Blues Part 28 - Bauhaus Bela Lugosi's Dead Part 29 - XTC Love On A Farmboy's Wages Part 30 - The Producers She Sheila Part 31 - The Shoes Too Late Part 32 - Tenpole Tudor Wunderbar Part 33 - Ministry Flashback Part 34 - Nitzer Ebb Murderous Part 35 - Nazareth Holiday Part 36 - Wang Chung To Live And Die In LA Part 37 - Front 242 Headhunter Part 38 - The Specials Gangsters Part 39 - Depeche Mode Get The Balance Right Part 40 - Icehouse No Promises Part 41 - The Clash This Is Radio Clash Part 42 - Gary Numan Are Friends Electric? Part 43 - The Buggles Living In The Plastic Age Part 44 - Yes Tempus Fugit Part 45 - Art Of Noise Close Part 46 - World Party All Come True Part 47 - Yello I Love You Part 48 - Split Enz Dirty Creature Part 49 - King Crimson Sleepless Part 50 - Young Ones/Motorhead Ace Of Spades Part 51 - Bryan Ferry Is Your Love Strong Enough? Part 52 - The Passions I'm In Love With A German Film Star Part 53 - Propaganda The Murder Of Love Part 54 - Danielle Dax Cathouse Part 55 - The Mission Tower Of Strength Part 56 - The Cure A Forest Part 57 - Tanita Tikaram Twist In My Sobriety Part 58 - Thomas Dolby Flying North Part 59 - Lene Lovich New Toy Part 60 - Ryuichi Sakamoto/Thomas Dolby Field Work Part 61 - David Sylvian Red Guitar Part 62 - Yellow Magic Orchestra Light In Darkness Part 63 - Bourgeois Tagg I Don't Mind At All Part 64 - The Cars Touch And Go Part 65 - Paul McCartney/Elvis Costello My Brave Face Part 66 - Pat Metheny Are You Going With Me? Part 67 - The Fixx Less Cities, More Moving People Part 68 - Lou Reed Dirty Blvd Part 69 - Peter Gabriel San Jacinto Part 70 - Translator Everywhere That I'm Not Part 71 - Payolas - Eyes Of A Stranger Part 72 - The Smiths Shoplifters Of The World Unite Part 73 - Aztec Camera Oblivious Part 74 - Killing Joke Love Like Blood Part 75 - Tears For Fears The Way You Are Part 76 - B 52's Song For A Future Generation Part 77 - David Bowie DJ Part 78 - Wendy And Lisa Waterfall Part 79 - Blue Oyster Cult Take Me Away Part 80 - Public Image Limited Rise Part 81 - Strawberry Switchblade Since Yesterday Part 82 - The Flirts Jukebox Part 83 - Roxy Music Angel Eyes Part 84 - Adam & The Ants Ant Rap Part 85 - Grandmaster Flash The Message Part 86 - Deep Purple Perfect Strangers Part 87 - Judas Priest Hot Rockin Part 88 - Pete Townsend Slit Skirts Part 89 - Visage Fade To Grey Part 90 - Ultravox Dancing With Tears In My Eyes Part 91 - Duran Duran Planet Earth Part 92 - Dokken In My Dreams Part 93 - Iron Maiden The Number Of The Beast Part 94 - Peter Murphy Final Solution Part 95 - Jeff Beck Cause We've Ended As Lovers Part 96 - Ian McCullough Proud To Fall Part 97 - Siouxsie & The Banshees Dazzle Part 98 - Concrete Blonde Caroline Part 99 - The Church Metropolis Part 100 - The Waitresses I Know What Boys Like

Essential 80's Tracks - Number 100!!!!!

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 16:53:05 GMT

It was REALLY hard to decide what song was going to be number 100 in this series of essential 80's tracks. When I started, I thought I'd post 10 or so, thinking it would run out of steam, but I quickly hit 25. Now I've hit 100 and there are so many great songs I didn't get to include....so what way do you go for 100? A big hit that everyone knows? Or something really obscure? I had about 10 different songs bouncing around my brain this weekend. I could easily do 200 given how much great stuff is out there.

In the end, I decided to make #100 1982's "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses, which kind of splits the difference. Most people know this band because of "Christmas Wrapping", which gets played to death every holiday season. IMHO, "I Know" is a much better track, and the video just kills. Back in the day, MTV played this track a lot, with good reason - it's funny as hell, and it rocks. I remember sitting by the TV waiting for them to play this, and turning the TV up so loud it would distort.

Not to end #100 on a down head, but the vixen who sings "I Know What Boys Like", Patty Donahue, died in 1996 of lung cancer at the age of 40. She apparently gave up music after the band broke up, became a file clerk for a while (!), then a talent scout, doing A&R for RCA Records, but she smoked like a chimney, and it caught up with her. OK, enough doom & gloom!

It's been really fun putting these posts together, and I want to thank all the moggers who provided comments & encouragement (especially Mktack, Dale, The Pimp, Fedge, and Anna). Once I figure out how to do an index of the posts, I'll post the 100 list, so it will be easier to jump to a specific band. Thanks all, and enjoy the 100th Essential 80's track - "I Know What Boys Like", by The Waitresses!

Essential 80's Tracks, Part 99

ebuzzmiller — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 05:08:26 GMT

As I wind down the final videos to 100, I wanted to be sure I hit some of most favorite tracks, and this certainly qualifies. As an album, The Church's 1990 "Gold Afternoon Fix" LP was a major disappointment after "Starfish", which featured their worldwide hit "Under The Milky Way". But there was one great thing about "Gold"; it contained a song that I have literally listened to thousands of times since 1990 - "Metropolis".

To me, "Metropolis" is The Church's perfect moment. The Rickenbacker guitars just jangle like jewelry, the laid back, wistful lead vocal, the pure honey of the background vocals, over a driving beat, that just rings and rings as it fades out....if someone made me pick one last song to hear before leaving the planet, this would unquestionably be it. Sorry about the video file quality - the encoding kinda sucks, but it's the only version on YouTube.

Now comes the tough part - what will #100 be???

Until then, enjoy "Metropolis", my favorite essential 80's track!