it's another Shuffle-a-gogo - more fun with MP3 player randomness

Yup - time for another shuffle...

1. FLASH and the PAN - Walking in the Rain (Flash and the Pan 1979) This is from the debut album by the studio only project of the Easybeat's Harry Vanda and George Young. The band is best known for their hit "Hey St Peter", but this song got a bit more attention when Grace Jones covered it.
2. JOAN ARMATRADING - Romances (Walk Under Ladders 1981) This was Joan's new wave album - produced by Steve Lillywhite and included guests like Andy Partridge, Thomas Dolby, Sly & Robbie, and Tony Levin.
3. SHOES - Snap! (Bazooka 1976) Recorded before their legendary debut DIY Black Vinyl Shoes, the Bazooka album was never officially released until it was included on the double rarities collection As Is. A little weirder and more eclectic than what would follow, there are some great pop gems here.
4. SCREAMIN JAY HAWKINS - (She Put the) Wamee (On Me) (Voodoo Jive: the best of) I remember hearing Screamin Jay for the first time, sitting at the Hillside Theater watching Jim Jarmusch's "Stranger Than Paradise" and instantly becoming a fan. As Eva says in the movie, "It's Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and he's a wild man, so bug off."
5. HALL & OATES - "Johnny Gore and the "C" Eaters" (War Babies 1974) This is the from their third album, which has to be the oddest record in the H&O catalog. Produced by Todd Rundgren and using Utopia as the band - they abandoned blue-eyed soul in favor of hard rock. This song sounds to me like a cross between Utopia and Funkadelic's Warner Brothers era. My friend Randy had been looking for this album for ages, which is what prompted me to seek it out. I'm really glad he did - a wonderfully weird listen.
6. SWERVEDRIVER - Duress (Mazcal head 1993) I tend to prefer short songs, but I don't think this epic would work so well  without using all eight minutes. The wall of guitar wah-wah is just stunning.
7. the dBs - You Got It Wrong (Ride the Wild Tom Tom 1993) This Chris Stamey song is one of the highlights of this dB's odds and ends collection.
8. MAGNETIC FIELDS - Quick! (Love at the Bottom of the Sea 2012) From the new album, which doesn't sound as charming as it did a few months ago.
9. the CHURCH - Is This Where You Live (Of Skins and Heart 1981) From the debut album - loaded with fine psychedelic tinged pop with ringing guitars. This one has a wonderfully hypnotic drone  and a slow build melody, capped off with a great Steve Kilby vocal and some of the band's best guitar work.
10. CARDINAL - Radio Birdman (Hymns 2012) It took them 17 years, but Richard Davies and Eric Matthews finally followed up their much loved debut with a damn fine album of eclectic pop. 

MP3 Player Shuffle-a-gogo

Here's another round of Shuffle-a-gogo.:

1. BLACK FLAG - Out of this World (In My Head 1985) This is one of the bonus cuts tacked onto the CD reissue of the last Black Flag album. Rhythm section is super tight, some great guitar lines, and Henry sounds a bit like Keith Morris in his delivery. To my ears it holds up a bit better than much of the material from the actual album.   
2. NEW ORDER - True Faith (20 Years of New Order) I always thought that this 1987 single was pretty bland, but I think I'm in the minority on that one.
3. the MARMALADE - Lovin Things (the Very Best of Marmalade) On this 1968 light pop single with big string and horns production the Scottish band mines the same territory as the Buckinghams.
4. MESSER CHUPS - Sentimental Bass (Black Black Magic 2002) Spy guitars, theremin, and weird sound effects. Par for the course for one of Russia's oddest and most fun exports.
5. PEREZ PRADO - Mambo del 65 (Al compas del Mambo 1950-52) From a stellar comp of early Perez singles - it's always a treat when anything by the King of the Mambo comes up on shuffle.
6. MYRACLE BRAH - Faux American (Plate Spinner 1999) Barroom power pop from Baltimore.
7. CHIC - Dance Dance Dance (Chic 1977) Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah! Straight ahead disco from the first Chic album. But in the hands of Niles Rodgers and Bernard Edwards even a straight ahead disco song became so much more. Chic disco holds up much better thirty plus years later than most of their contemporaries.
8. the HANDCUFFS - I Just Wanna Be Free, Man (Electroluv 2008) Fun pop from the band's second album. Brad Elvis' drums sound absolutely huge on this song.
9. the POLICE - Too Much Information (Ghost in the Machine 1981) Cha!
10. PET SHOP BOYS - Was That What It Was (Alternative) As much as I love the Pet Shop Boys singles, the record I play the most by them is this collection of 30 b-sides. This was one of the "Opportunities" b-sides. There are several bits that sound like Art of Noise - enough so that I had to double check and see of Trevor Horn produced or mixed it (he didn't). 

Nothing embarrassing or that I felt the need to explain this round! Whooh whooh!

s with a key

"S with a Key" 2006 picture from a parking garage.

Downton Abbey + Tivo = Yo Momma

While searching for Downton Abbey Tivo decided that what we must really be looking for was "Yo Momma".

Mausoleum Seating: Queen of Heaven Mausoleum in Hillside Illinois

Hear are a few pictures of the seating options at the the Queen of Heaven Mausoleum in Hillside Illinois. The chairs and couches make you feel like you're stepping into a whole other era. I'll be quite bummed if the day comes that they upgrade to something more modern.

[ CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE ]

There are a few more pictures in my flickr set Mausoleum Seating

Vinyl! Vinyl! Vinyl! Jazz Record Mart in Chicago

I was going through some old photos and found a batch of pictures of Jazz Record Mart from 2006 and 2008. That wall of 78's just fascinates me.

A Jazz Record Mart t-shirt autographed by Iggy Pop in the 80's.

MP3 Shuffle-a-gogo

And now we shuffle...

1. the TROGGS - Summertime (Archeology 1867-1977) This is not the George Gershwin tune (which was a standard for many of the British Invasion bands to tackle). Instead, it's an easy going ode to the joys of Summer, with Reg Presley's vocal delivery that makes everything sound just a little bit naughty.
2. JON LANGFORD - Hard Times (All the Fame of Lofty Deeds 2004) The former Mekon in full blown Johnny Cash mode.
3. TENPOLE TUDOR - Fashion (Wunderbar: the Best of) Edward Tudorpole could hardly carry a tune, but he had a grand sense of sing-along fun. And thanks to his association with the Sex Pistols (namely for singing "Who Killed Bambi" in the the Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle) he achieved enough notoriety to get a few records out.
4. REM - the Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight (Automatic for the People 1992) Not one of my REM faves.
5. DISPOSABLE HEROES of HIPHOPCRISY - Water Pistol Man (Hipocrisy is the Greatest 1992) One of the more laidback tunes with a hypnotic groove from Michael Franti's post Beatnigs/pre Spearhead band. Michael always has a bit of Gil Scott-Heron in his delivery, but here it seems extra Gilesque.
6. the BEACH BOYS - I'm the Pied Piper (Holland 1973) One of the bonus cuts from the Mount Vernon and Fairway EP. This is probably my least favorite Beach Boys record of their first decade and a half.
7. SAM the SHAM & the PHARAOHS - (I'm in With) the Out Crowd (Best of) Dumb fun 60's pop. "We don't have fancy clothes and cars but we're as groovy as can be"
8. the STOOGES - LA Blues (Fun House 1970) The crazy-ass freejazz closer to the band's second album with Iggy kicking out some even-more-freaked-out-than-normal howling.
9. the SHOP ASSISTANTS - Nature Lover (Will Anything Happen collection) A manic and delightful number from the Edinburgh band's self titled 1987 debut.
10. POP WILL EAT ITSELF - She's Surreal (Box Frenzy 1987) From the band's debut.