Rancid: …And Out Come the Wolves

Rancid – …And Out Come the Wolves (1995)

Jeff: What, you might ask, is the prestigious and well-esteemed SWR blog doing reviewing a derivative 90’s pop-punk-revival album? The answer is multifaceted but the first component of it is that it’s an amazing album. Another part of that answer is that I for one first began coming of age in musically the mid-’90s–the major labels were well into their signing spree of “alternative” bands, and MTV was playing music that was like nothing else I’d ever heard (it’s not Debbie Gibson, it’s not Guns ‘n’ Roses, it’s something else entirely). Weezer, Green Day, the Offspring, and Hole seemed like a breath of fresh air to a kid who wouldn’t hear indie music for another four years.  It was an exciting time to be a 7th grader.

“You put the hurt on me”

Isaac Hayes – “Walk On By” from Hot Buttered Soul (1969)

I don’t love Isaac Hayes — at least not his gold-chain shaved-head solo career. His singing doesn’t usually do it for me — he often lacks poise and urgency. Few of his molasses-thick string arrangements hit the sweet spot. While his keyboard work tends to be quite good, I wish he let the funk grooves carry the songs. There’s a cheesiness to his music that tends toward the embarrassing.

All that said, his version of Bacharach/David’s “Walk On By” that opens the recently remastered Hot Buttered Soul is damn awesome. It’s a great song, with a great organ sound, a cool string melody, a funky bassline, spooky back-up singing, a simple in-the-pocket drumbeat, weird ringing noises, fuzzy guitar, triumphant brass, flutes, a helluva crescendo. And bad mixing toward the end that cuts and raises the volume of the song willy-nilly. Everything you want in a psych-soul masterpiece.

If you like your buttered soul appetizer sized, try the single edit:

Issac Hayes – “Walk On By (Single Edit)” (1969)

Dionne Warwick made the song famous — I believe that Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote it for her. Check out her very different, very good version:

Dionne Warwick – “Walk On By” (single, 1964)

The Stranglers, too, apparently had a UK hit with a punk rock version:

The Stranglers – “Walk On By” (single, 1978)

Buy “Walk On By”

Posted by Glenn

Like food?

The Descendents – “I Like Food” from Fat (1981)

Man does not live by psychedelic fusion freakouts alone. Those of you who like to nosh on, y’know, actual food would do well to check out my girlfriend’s new food/cooking blog, The Food Processor. Simple, tasty food, with simple, tasty commentary. Warning: you may get hungry. And you may find a photo of me chowing down on a delicious pita.

Buy the Descendents

Posted by Glenn

“Joan of Arc rules Northeast, where the poor and the hipsters meet”

the protaganist of the S-K song below

Sleater-Kinney – “Light Rail Coyote” from One Beat (2002)
Bill Fox – “Portland Town” from Transit Byzantium (1998)

I’m off to Portland, OR for a week of this, this, and this. So I offer two of my favorite Portland songs, including one from our main man, Bill Fox.

What are your fave geography tunes?

Buy S-K

Bill Fox is on iTunes, but you can check him out here

Posted by Glenn

A Clash Triptych

The Clash – “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais” single (1978)
The Clash – “Safe European Home” from Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978)
The Clash – “Rudie Can’t Fail” from London Calling (1979)

“Safe European Home” tells the now-famous story of Joe Strummer and Mick Jones’s disappointing trip to Jamaica. Thematically, it echoes one of their best singles, “White Main In Hammersmith Palais,” a stream-of-consciousness Strummer rant set off by a dopey reggae showcase in London: “On stage they ain’t got no roots rock rebel.” Taken together, these two songs set up ideas about cultural imperialism and idolization that the Clash would explore, lyrically and musically, on London Calling, Sandinista!, and Combat Rock.

And since “Safe European Home” ends with the words “Rudie come from Jamaica, ’cause Rudie can’t fail,” I include the stone-cold classic from London Calling.

These also happen to be three of my favorite Clash songs.

Buy The Clash

Posted by Glenn

Hope

consider this an endorsement

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – “Hearts of Oak” from Hearts of Oak (2003)

Hope, not only the moniker of the alma mater to 3/4s of SWR, is an emotion called forth by some of my favorite music.

As noted here before, Ted Leo writes great songs about walking around–which, for whatever reason, I tend to associate with feelings of hopefulness. In “Hearts of Oak,” I can’t figure out whether he’s talking about a new band or a new love. Either way, it’s a great one to sing to yourself as you walk or bike (as I’ve been doing during the recent heatwave down south, hoping for more nice weather).

(Though this heat is probably attributable to global warming, a surefire killer-of-hope if there was one.)

Get your prescription from Ted Leo, Pharm.D.

Posted by Glenn

“You can’t afford to close your doors so soon no more.”

Bad Brains – “Banned In D.C.” from Bad Brains (1982)

I’m headed to our nation’s capital this afternoon, to visit my fellow SWR-ite, Jordy, and his wife. Hopefully I won’t be kicked out for destroying the Capitol with a bolt of lightning or anything.

Bad Brains Live

Buy Bad Brains

Posted by Glenn

“If you had your way, I’d have a lobotomy”

The Exploding Hearts – “Sleeping Aides & Razorblades” from Guitar Romantic [2003]

Next up in the “Burned Out, Didn’t Fade Away” series is Portland power-pop punk band, the Exploding Hearts. After releasing a 28-minute debut album that sounded like a lost classic from London, circa 1977, the Hearts quickly gained notoriety and garnered notices from taste-making rags like Maximum Rocknroll and Pitchfork. On their way home from a show — where pop-punk powerhouse Lookout! Records reportedly scouted the band — the band’s van flipped over and three of the members were killed. Learn more here.

Only an odds-n-sods collection survives — and so the band’s reputation rests on Guitar Romantic, a few stray singles, and the thought of what might have been. And that’s one of the hallmarks of “Better To Burn Out” artists: the weird tragedy of never being able to hear the songs that might have been written. But of course, as Keats shows us in “Ode to a Grecian Urn,” the most beautiful thing is what we cannot grasp, that forever eludes us. Therein lies part of the charm of the Burned-Out.

What would you like to buy? Sleeping aids? Razorblades?

Posted by Glenn

“I can play along to every record/front and back every song”

Against Me! – “Rice and Bread” from As The Eternal Cowboy (2003)

My friend Becky asked me to make a guest post on her excellent vegetarian cooking blog, Meals; for Moderns. I wrote a bit about some Victory Loaves baked Monday in honor of the impending Obama win. Check out my bread (and Becky’s delicious blog, which will make you hungry) while listening to this Against Me! rocker.

Baby, I’m An Anarcho-Syndicalist

Posted by Glenn

“I started growing Bob Dylan’s beard.”

Check that beard.

Syd Barrett – “Bob Dylan Blues” from The Best of Syd Barrett: Won’t You Miss Me? (2001, org. recorded 1970s)
Minutemen – “Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs” from What Makes A Man Start Fires? (1983)
Wilco – “Bob Dylan’s 49th Beard” from More Like The Moon (2003)
Bob Dylan – “Bob Dylan’s Dream” from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1962)
Bob Dylan – “Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream” from Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

Over the past couple days, I’ve been re-watching the totally flippin’ awesome Bob Dylan documentary, No Direction Home, and got to thinking about songs with ol’ Zimmerman’s stage name in the title. Here is a Syd Barrett song of questionable quality (sorry, Crazy Diamond); a Minutemen barn-burner, stone-cold classic; and a wispy Wilco folk-er, off the great More Like The Moon EP, downloadable here.

As a bonus, I offer two Bob-Dylan-In-The-Title tunes by Bob himself (just try not to laugh along with 115th). Enjoy. And watch the movie if for some reason you haven’t already.

More Bob Dylan on SWR
Buy Syd

Buy the Minutemen

Buy the Wilc-sters

Buy Bob

Posted by Glenn

Heave away!

The Pogues – “South Australia” bonus track from If I Should Fall From Grace With God (1987) reissue

Here’s another, non-a cappella version of the sea shanty “South Australia.”

More Pogues at SWR

Buy it here

Posted by Glenn

2 great songs, 1 great riff

Television – “Marquee Moon” from Marquee Moon (1977)
Interpol – “Obstacle 1” from Turn On The Bright Lights (2002)

Never underestimate the power of skinny white guys playing dee-dee, dee-dee, dee-dee, dee-dee. We offer two nervous New York rockers, masterpieces of the slow burn.

Damn that Television
If the rat from Ninja Turtles joined the band, they’d have to call themselves Splinterpol

Posted by Glenn

“I’d be a mineral deposit”

Mission of Burma – “(That’s When I Reach For My) Revolver” from Signals, Calls, & Marches (1981)
Mission of Burma – “Mica” from Vs. (1982)

Of a piece with Joy Division and the Constantines (our previous two posts), Boston’s recently reunited Mission of Burma played (and play) a stoic, no-nonsense, anthemic version of punk rock anthems. This is the type of thing I can’t listen to over and over, but it sounds lifesaving every once in a while.

You mean Mynamar?

Posted by Glenn

“From the reservoirs/of our idiot tempers”

The Constantines – “Soon Enough” from Tournament of Hearts (2005)

Dang, I just remembered that these guys put out a new record a while back, and I’ve yet to pick it up. Their ’03 and ’05 releases, Shine A Light and Tournament of Hearts, were somewhat neglected by the critical establishment and by most of the people I know, and it seems that the new one, Kensington Heights, may suffer the same unfortunate fate. Too bad; the Constantines are a great Fugazi-esque rock band, albeit a Fugazi that sometimes write pop melodies. Speaking of: is it just me, or is this one of the most moving songs ever written by anybody?

Here’s a few live Cons videos. They’re damn good live.

Buy it here

Posted by Glenn

“Don’t you know about the bird?”

Ramones – “Surfin’ Bird” & “Rockaway Beach” from Rocket To Russia (1977)

Some of us here at SWR adore the Ramones. Some (ahem, Jordy) somehow lost a few of the chromosomes responsible for deriving pleasure from rock ‘n’ roll, and probably don’t even like the beach, where I’ll be spending the next week.

Take a shot of Wittgenstein-ian linguistic analysis and chase it with a paean to the Irish Riviera.

Apply for a scholarship to Rock n Roll High School

Posted by Glenn