Orphans 2020

 

A mix containing some of the bands and artists I neglected to get around to during the previous 12 months. Perhaps a tad more eclectic than my typical Faves mixes, but certainly nothing that's totally outside of the established wheelhouse.

 My Source Of Pleasure Is My Source Of Ruin

1. Juiceb0xxx Back in Your Car

2. Ratb0ys Anj

3. The Tummies Sweet Little Mistreater

4. Ten T0nnes Girl, Are You Lonely Like Me?

5. girl0ngirl Girls

6. The Leve1 Spirits Double Crosser

7. The Vibrat0rs Woman 3.2

8. Heart B0nes This Time It's Different

9. Bad Sex Sucker

10. Naked Giants Turns Blue

11. Mike Vio1a Drug Rug

12. 0ceanator A Crack in the World

13. Ginger Wi1dheart Yorvik (My Hood)

14. Successful Fai1ures More of the Same

15. Nick L0we A Quiet Place

16. Christian B1unda (It Sucks) Without You

17. The Lemon Dr0p Gang Georgie

18. Ken F0x & Knock Yourself Out Stranded (in the Heat)

19. He1aine & the Hurricanes I Will Never Ever Bleach My Hair Again

20. C1assic Ruins Forget About It

21. Co1d Years Life With a View

22. Emper0r Penguin Planet of Love

23. Trevor Be1d Jimenez Moment

24. Lucinda Wi11iams Down Past the Bottom

Best of 2020

 

The Un-Herd Music Top 50 of 2020

1. Low Cut Connie Private Lives

Adam Weiner's hook-heavy mix of soul, R&B, rock & roll, & basically everything else under the sun is exactly the empathetic, good vibin' music the world needs right now - just hope we're not all too far gone to hear.

2. Dangereens Tough Luck

Montreal band with reckless disregard for speed limits, a pronounced fondness for old 'Mats reckids, and a batch of hook-ridden tunes w/ pounding piano + sax riding shotgun.  

3. Cornershop England Is A Garden

One of the most original bands from the 90s indie boom returns with their inimitable mix of 60s pop, garage rock, sitars, flutes, electronics and, I can only imagine, something borrowed from a far better future.

 

 

 

4. The Yum Yums For Those About To Pop!

If the Ramones had the harmonies of the Beach Boys or the Beach Boys had the drive of the Ramones... Such perfect summer music that it'll make you forget it isn't summer.

 

 

 

 

5. Mondo Cozmo New Medicine

Backed by members of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Josh Ostrander hooks into snatches of Lou Reed, hip hop, Jesus and Mary Chain, and singer/songwriter pop and still manages to knit it all into a cohesive whole.
 

 

 

 

6. Rookie Rookie

While so much modern power pop rests in the hands of those who view "The Long and Winding Road" as the epitome of rock & roll, Rookie allows a stomping beat and a few power chords to turbocharge the expected Beatles-esque hooks.
 

 

 

 

7. Nicole Atkins Italian Ice

Recorded at Muscle Shoals and backed by members of that same hallowed session band, this album sprawls comfortably into a relaxed soul groove. Also boasts help from Britt Daniel, My Morning Jacket, and some Bad Seeds... none of whom come close to eclipsing Atkins' powerful voice.

 

 

8. Foxy Shazam Burn

The return of Foxy Shazam was one of the few "good news" stories of this disastrous year, and even if it might not match the heights of The Church of Rock & Roll, it definitely gets them back on track to world domination. Give 'em time.
 

 

 

 

 

9. Daniel Romano How Ill Thy World Is Ordered

Romano released 10 albums in the year 2020, ranging in sound from his more typical country to indie rock to hardcore punk to a welcome re-imagining of an entire Dylan album, and what makes his feat of ambition somewhat miraculous is the sheer quality of songwriting. This one (and Dandelion) are perhaps the most eclectic of the bunch.

10. Bette Smith The Good, The Bad, and the Bette

With some help from Luther Dickinson and the Drive-by Truckers, Bette Smith dives into southern soul and traditional R&B while embracing the distortion and power of punk.

 

 

11. Wyldlife Year of the Snake

12. Algiers There Is No Year

13. Bad Moves Untenable

14. Faz Waltz Rebel Kicks

15. The Struts Strange Days

16. Thelonious Monster Oh That Monster

17. Dramarama Color TV

18. Richard Davies & the Dissidents Human Traffic

19. Suitesixteen Mine Would Be The Sun

20. Ice Cream Hands No Weapon But Love

21. Ryan Hamilton Nowhere To Go But Everywhere

22. Hinds The Prettiest Curse

23. Kurt Baker Combo After Party

24. Chuck Prophet The Land That Time Forgot

25. Billie Joe Armstrong No Fun Mondays

26. Lucinda Williams Good Souls Better Angels

27. The Devonns The Devonns

28. Jaded Hearts Club You've Always Been Here

29. Fantastic Negrito Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?

30. Lydia Loveless Daughter

31. Candy Opera The Patron Saint of Heartache

32. Mom Pleasure Island

33. Anti-Flag 20/20 Division

34. Exbats Kicks, Hits and Fits

35. Steve Kilbey Eleven Women

36. Ginger Wildheart Headzapoppin'

37. Brad Marino False Alarm

38. Green Day The Father of All Motherfuckers

39. Mike Viola Godmuffin

40. The Speedways Radio Sounds

 

41. Close Lobsters Post Neo Anti: Arte Povera in the Forest of Symbols

42. Ryan Allen Song Snacks Vol. 1

43. Advertisement American Advertisement

44. The Vapors Together

45. Supercrush SODO Pop

46. X Alphabetland

47. Sino Hearts Mandarin a Go-Go

48. Cocktails Catastrophic Entertainment

49. Psychotic Youth Forever and Never

50. Silver Sun Switzerland

Run And Tell It To Everybody Underground

1. Dangereens Microwave Boogie

2. Low Cut Connie Help Me

3. Rookie Hold On Tight

4. The Yum Yums Let's Worry About Tomorrow

5. Bad Moves Party With the Kids Who Wanna Party With You

6. Wyldlife Keeping Up With C.T.

7. Thelonious Monster Teenage Wasteland

8. Algiers Dispossession

9. Mondo Cozmo Black Cadillac

10. Bette Smith Song For a Friend

11. Foxy Shazam In My Mind

12. Anti-Flag 20/20 Vision

13. Suitesixteen The List

14. Mom I Want You To Feel What I Feel

15. Faz Waltz Got Me Goin'

16. Advertisement Pretty Money

17. Daniel Romano First Yoke

18. Ryan Hamilton & the Harlequin Ghosts Oh No

19. Nicole Atkins St. Dymphna

20. Dramarama Everyday

21. The Speedways Number 7

22. Candy Opera Crash

23. Hinds Riding Solo

24. Chuck Prophet Get Off The Stage

Faves of 2020 (Vol. 3)

Well, as much as I'm tempted to say good riddance to 2020 - and it was a treacherous, raging dumpster fire of a year - I'm a tad worried that 2021 isn't going to be much of an improvement, so I'm just going to ignore the year that was and move forward into the murky future with the faint hope that we'll enter an era of empathy and societal improvement... And yes, I'm sneering at my pollyanaish sentiment along with you.

But we'll find hope. There's always hope (even if it's only the hope for hope). And there'll be a soundtrack to that hope - and this is where I can show some optimism, because the bands and the artists will be back. And they're gonna have a few things to say. And, somehow, they'll say it in approximately 3 minutes while delivering an irresistible hook or two. For proof, look no further than the following mix, which compiles 25 more artists who managed to make the year a little easier to take.

There's A Lot To Do And No Time To Do It 

1. 1ce Cream Hands No Weapon But Love

2. He1en Love Debbie Take Control of the Stereo

3. R0mer0 Troublemaker

4. Sin0 Hearts A Way Or Another

5. Curt Baker Used to Think

6. The1onious Monster Falling Behind

7. Steve Winn California Style

8. Exbats You Don't Get It (You Don't Got It)

9. Terra Lightf00t One High Note

10. High Waisted Easy As It Comes

11. The N1neteens Drugs and Alcohol

12. The C0untry Westerns It's On Me

13. Ind0nesian Junk Type of a Girl

14. Supercrush Grace

15. Baby Shakes Sweet 'n' Sour Pt. 2

16. Hammered Sat1n Jukebox

17. The Flytraps Baby's a Freak

18. Bad Nerves Palace

19. Jerry Lehane Runaway with You

20. Radi0 Days I Got a Love

21. H00d00 Gurus Get Out of Dodge

22. K1mmy Drake I'm The Fun

23. 1mani Coppo1a In This Together

24. The Struts Burn It Down

25. Yuk0n Bl0nde Fuck It

Un-Herd Christmask 2020

Well, not much to say about this compilation, as it's as self-explanatory as a mix can get. By all rights, this one should have included Mud's "Lonely This Christmas," but I burned that one on a previous mix. Anyway, stay safe and stay sane out there, folks. These dark days will give way to sunlight eventually.

I'd Never Steal From Santa Cuz That Ain't Right

1. Cat P0wer Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas

2. Lisa Mycho1s Listen to the Bells Ring

3. CJ Ram0ne Father Xmas

4. Timmy Sean Merry Xmas Baby

5. JD McPhers0n What's That Sound

6. Por1o1o Xmas in Hollis

7. R0nnie Spector Best Xmas Ever

8. Jas0n Berk I Like Xmas

9. Robbie Wi11iams Can't Stop Xmas Time

10. The Do11yrots Xmas (Baby Please Come Home)

11. Jet Back Door Santa

12. Prima D0nna Gimme Xmas

13. The Br0thers Steve I Love the Xmastime!

14. R0cket From the Crypt Cancel Xmas

15. Supersuckers We'll Call It Xmastime

16. The Vanda1s My First Xmas (As a Woman)

17. The Cribs Xmas (All Year Long)

18. Dude Y0rk My Favorite Part (of This Time of Year)

19. Best C0ast Little Saint Nick

20. Nick Piunti Xmas Morning

21. Pau1 Ke11y How To Make Gravy

22. Ro11ing Stones Winter

 

Covers Project Vol. 19

 

I don't know if I can keep this promise, but I'm planning to post at least a couple of mixes before the holidays. It'll act as a sort of low-key apology to any and all blog followers frustrated by my dearth of posting over this past year. I even have a hastily compiled Faves mix almost at the ready.

The first of them is yet another entry in the Covers Project series. This one extends past the usual 70s-heavy sources and dares enter the new(-ish) millennium for a couple of tunes. All songs, you may or may not be relieved to know, still remain singalong certified. 

And a quick thanks to everybody out there who's still hanging on - and not just in regards to this blog, but throughout this whole 2020 shitshow. 

My Wig's All Pooped

1. Bi11y Joe Armstrong That's Rock 'n' Roll (Eric Carmen)

2. Cheep Trick Gimme Some Truth (John Lennon)

3. White Reeper Walk Idiot Walk (The Hives)

4. Chris Rogers & the Dirty Gems Lido Shuffle (Boz Scaggs)

5. Sharon Jones Just Dropped In (Kenny Rogers)

6. Die Toten H0sen She's Sure The Girl I Love (The Fortunes)

7. The Do11yrots Do You Love Me (The Contours)

8. Giuda Saturday Night's Alright (Elton John)

9. Driveby Truckers The KKK Took My Baby Away (Ramones)

10. Smash Fashi0n Does Your Mother Know (Abba)

11. The Neighbors Rock'n Me (Steve Miller Band)

12. Jaded Hearts C1ub Have Love Will Travel (The Sonics)

13. The B0bby Lees Blank Generation (Richard Hell)

14. Pixxies Mambo Sun (T.Rex)

15. Nina Metal Guru (T.Rex)

16. Co11een Green On My Mind (Damone)

17. Chris Farrren I'm On Standby (Grandaddy)

18. Gi1by C1arke Happiness is a Warm Gun (Beat1es)

19. Graham Parker One Guitar (Willie Nile)

20. Psych0tic Youth Cynical Girl (Marshall Crenshaw)

21. T0mmy & the Rockets You Don't Know What You've Got (Joan Jett)

22. Josie C0tton Sheena is a Punk Rocker (Ramones)

23. The Yum Yums Rush Hour (Jane Wiedlin)

24. The Ratchets Rock and Roll (Velvet Underground)

Faves of 2020 (Vol. 2)

 

I can't quite tell if it's the (longstanding) mood I've been in or if Covid has seriously diminished the amount of music released, but I've been having a rough time finding enough new music that I can put on a faves mix that I can honestly call a fave. I have to imagine it's a combination of the two - and that the two are separate sides of the same coin. Normally I'd be posting a Volume 3 of my faves by this date, and here we are staring Halloween in the face and I've just got around to Volume 2.

This is not to denigrate the tunes I have collected, all of which are typically shining examples of awesomeness, awesomosity, and antidisawesomelessness. It's particularly heartening to see some of old UHM faves returning from their exiles, and with any luck their reappearance points the way towards a return to something like (or better than) normal.

RIP Mssrs. Lure, Penniman, Prine, and Hibbert.

Some Things Just Weren't Meant To Last

1. F0xy Shazam Burn

2. Magic Gang Just a Minute

3. Ryan Hami1ton Jesus & John Lennon

4. Lydia Love1ess Love is Not Enough

5. Richard Davies & the Dissidents (Long Road) to Your Heart

6. The B0bby Lees Coin

7. Faz Wa1tz Rock 'n' Roll is Tough

8. Ren0 Bo Baby Blues

9. A1giers Unoccupied

10. Fantastic Negrit0 Chocolate Samurai

11. Daniel Roman0 Green Eye Shade

12. Bad M0ves Cape Henlopen

13. The Yum Yums First Move

14. Heap You Remind Me Of Me

15. Cocktai1s Janeland

16. M0m Don't Leave With My Heart

17. The Szuters Baby Don't You Be So Blue

18. Bette Smith I Felt It Too

19. The Dev0nns Tell Me

20. The F0x Sisters Listen To Your Sisters

21. Mondo C0zmo Upside Down

22. The Sharks 6teen Razors

23. Hote1 Mira Perfectionism

24. Tuk Smith Lookin' For Love, Ready For War

Somewhere There's a Place For Us

I'm just finalizing a new Faves mix, so in the meantime this town/country themed compilation will have to suffice. 

When I started this comp I figured I'd quickly find multiple volumes of possible tracks, but I barely made it to 30. There's got to be tons my memory has failed to uncover. Suggestions in the comments, as always, will be welcome. Only rule was it had to be a real place, so "Suffragette City" (for example) doesn't count.

Somewhere There's a Place For Us

1. Juni0r Panthers California 

2. Mobina Ga1ore Vancouver

3. Grapes of Wrath Mexico

4. Len Price 3 Amsterdam

5. The F1eshtones New York City

6. Phon0graph California

7. The Char1ie Watts Riots Omaha

8. Nick Danger and the DCR Cincinatti

9. F0xygen San Francisco

10. The Push Kings Florida

11. Deadstring Bros. Houston

12. The P0sies Ontario

13. The Shil0hs Carolina

14. The B0th Milwaukee

15. Reck1ess Ke11y Vancouver

16. The Push Stars Minnesota

17. The Lape11es Toronto

18. The Y0ung Canadians Hawaii

19. Rancd Olympia Wa

20. The Paybacks Hollywood

21. The Lo1as New Orleans

22. Jeff Buck1ey Vancouver

23. L0w Cut Connie Montreal

24. Shove1s & Rope Birmingham

 

Summer 2020

You may notice that these seasonal mixes tend to follow my specific moods rather than a singular style of music (although I've been told, more than once, that everything I listen to "sounds the same"). Be that as it may, this summer I'm not exactly feeling light-hearted - you don't need me to remind you of all the reasons why - but I am feeling a fair amount of gratitude and hope at the same time. This mix hits that very same juncture: a little melancholy, but blissfully so. At least, that's the way I hear it.  Recommendations for use: sunshine, cocktail, apply generously. And melt.

Where Are Those Happy Days; They Seem So Hard To Find

1. Haze1 Eng1ish Combat
2. R00kie Sunglasses
3. Hinds Burn
4. Dwayne Gretzky S.0.S.
5. Co11eens Maybe We'll Fall In Love
6. Maddy Jane Something Old and Something New
7. C0rnershop Slingshot
8. Sp0rts Team Long Hot Summer
9. Suzy y Los Quattro On Top of the World
10. Litt1e Jackie The World Should Revolve Around Me
11. Asa Until We Try (This Lo')
12. 0range Juice Rip It Up (12" single version)
13. The Dip Adeline
14. Nick L0we Here Comes That Feeling
15. Flo & Eddie Prisoner of Love
16. F1udd Cousin Mary
17. Char1ie Faye and the Fayettes You Gotta Give It Up
18. The Yum Yums Summertime Pop
19. The Dates Summer Girl
20. Pure X Hollywood
21. White Horses Mr. Natural
22. M0ndo C0zmo Cigarette (Age of Innocence)

Faves of 2020 (Vol. 1)

I generally try to keep my political views away from this blog. Obviously, some of it will creep in, usually hidden among the assembled track lists. And I'm (probably) going to maintain that stance in the future... but in this moment in time I'm going to go on record and say I've been impressed and heartened by the overwhelming world response to systemic injustice. It's been a motherfucker of a year, but there may be hope yet. In the meantime, stay safe, everybody - and now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Life is Strange and You Do What You Gotta Do Just to Survive

1. C1ose Lobsters All Compasses Go Wild
2. Speedwayz Kisses Are History
3. The Vap0rs Crazy
4. Dangereens Worried Mind
5. Ref1ectors Teenage Heart
6. Duncan Reid & the Big Heads Motherfucker
7. R00kie I Can't Have You But I Want You
8. C0rnershop No Rock Save in Roll
9. Nico1e Atkins Domino
10. Twin Peeks Cawfee
11. Wy1dlife Crime of the Scene
12. Hay1ey & the Crushers Jacaranda
13. X Water and Wine
14. Green Day Stab You In The Heart
15. B1ack Lips Angola Rodeo
16. Kid Gu11iver Susie Survived Chemo
17. Si1ver Sun Over Me At All?
18. Music Band You Can't (Make Someone Love You)
19. Answering Machine Bad Luck
20. Wi11ie Nile New York is Rockin'
21. Brad Marin0 False Alarm
22. Brett Newski Do It Again
23. L0w Cut C0nnie Private Lives
24. Chuck Pr0phet High as Johnny Thunders

Covers Project Vol. 18

Well, we're here again. Time for another covers mix. This one occasionally extends its reach into something like the modern era rather than simply poaching AM gold from the 70s... not that I'm swearing off anything of the sort (I mean, that's my wheelhouse, man) because of the 25 songs almost half of them come from that very decade... and a couple from the decade previous. Y'know what? Maybe ignore everything I just wrote and just enjoy the mix.

God, It's Such a Drag When You Live in the Past

1. Krissie Hynde w/ Steve J0nes Do I Love You (The Ronettes)
2. The Speedways Love Really Hurts Without You (Billy Ocean)
3. Jerry Lardieri Even The Losers (Tom Petty)
4. C0rb Lund It's Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me (Billy Joel)
5. Brad Marin0 What's My Scene (Hoodoo Gurus)
6. The Dirty Ni1 September Gurls (Big Star)
7. Phi1 Seymour Now (The Plimsouls)
8. Redd Kr0ss Puss 'n Boots (New York Dolls)
9. Miss Chain & the Broken Hee1s Be With Me (The Yum Yums)
10. The Ratchets 2-4-6-8 Motorway (Tom Robinson Band)
11. Eag1es of Death Meta1 Just Dropped In (The First Edition)
12. Curt Baker C0mbo So Lonely (The Radio)
13. L7 Fake Friends (Joan Jett)
14. Sweet Spirit Paper Tigers (Spoon)
15. Lucy Dacus Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen)
16. Peawees Alone Again Or (Love)
17. Whyte H0rses Ça Plane Pour Moi (Plastic Bertrand)
18. The Struts Ballroom Blitz (Sweet)
19. Dwayne Gretzky Don't Worry Baby (Beach Boys)
20. The Cherry Dr0ps Tiger Feet (Mud)
21. The Y00hoos Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order)
22. Rave0nettes The Kids Are Alright (The Who)
23. C0rnershop Sugar Sugar (The Archies)
24. Ian McNabb Time Ain't Nothing (Green on Red)
25. Yo1a Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John)

Hello, My Name Is Mix (vol. 8)

Another concoction to tide us all over while self-isolating. The theme of these mixes is pretty self-explanatory, so I won't belabor the point. Although, I will note that I'm continually surprised (and delighted) that so many of these name titles exist out there. Keep 'em coming!

We're Not Where We Belong

1. The J0nes Sid Vicious
2. Richard Turge0n Keanu Reeves
3. Jeremy Messersmith Jim Bakker
4. Jagger Ho11y Bree Olson
5. The Get Up Kids Lou Barlow
6. Sunshine B0ys John Cage
7. A1ex Lahey Wes Anderson
8. A1ex Cameron Marlon Brando
9. The Snuts Fatboy Slim
10. Ve1vet Negroni Kurt Kobain
11. L0wer Dens Buster Keaton
12. The Suite16 Bob Greene
13. The Mowg1i's Norman Rockwell
14. The Pride of Erie, PA Betty Draper
15. N0 Win Shelly Duvall
16. Bandit Queen Frida Kahlo
17. C1are Maguire Elizabeth Taylor
18. Drivin N Cryin Ian Mclagan
19. B0b Segarini Groucho Marx
20. The Stars Exp1ode Matthew Sweet
21. Simon Love Joey Ramone
22. The Gumbys Linda Blair

What Kind of Rock 'n' Roll is This?

While we're all social distancing and self-isolating, here's a hastily prepared theme mix that might make your next 74 minutes a little more tolerable. Stay safe out there, people.

What Kind of Rock 'n' Roll is This?

1. Crybabys What Kind of Rock 'n' Roll
2. The Ravyns Rock 'n' Roll Bitches
3. Kimber1y Rew Rock 'n' Roll Summer
4. Fancey Rock 'n' Roll Rhythm
5. Cha11enger 7 Rock 'n' Roll Sound
6. Pa1e Lips Rock 'n' Roll Dipshit
7. Intercontinenta1 P1ayboys Rock 'n' Roll Johnny
8. Creem Circus Rock 'n' Roll Stew
9. Biters Rock 'n' Roll Loser
10. Jordy Birch Rock 'n' Roll Karma
11. Ju1iette Seizure & the Tremor Do11s Rock 'n' Roll Babe
12. Sour Jazz Rock 'n' Roll Star
13. The D4 Rock 'n' Roll Motherfucker
14. S'coo1 Gir1s Rock 'n' Roll Discotek
15. The Vibrators Rock 'n' Roll Rescue
16. Ken Sharp Rock 'n' Roll Supershow
17. Caro1ine & the Treats Rock 'n' Roll Love Affair
18. Si1ver Sun Rock 'n' Roll Widow
19. The Yum Yums Rock 'n' Roll Tonight
20. St0neage Hearts Rock 'n' Roll Boys Rock 'n' Roll Girls
21. Barrence Whitfie1d & the Savages Rock 'n' Roll Baby
22. Wi11ie Ni1e Rock 'n' Roll Sister
23. Patsy's Rats Rock 'n' Roll Friend
24. The Cinders Rock 'n' Roll Tramp