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

Orphans 2019

Try as I might, I just can't seem to catch all the great music that's released over any given year. A big part of the reason for that, of course, is that this blog tends to mine for the most obstinately obscure nuggets in the most hidden corners of modern pop culture (with the occasional exception). And that's not going to change, so these Orphans mixes are necessary as a catch-all for all the cool tunes that I missed. And jeebus, I missed a lot of cool tunes. Like, there's an underground re-visitation of 70s style glam rock that somehow evaded my grasp during 2019 - but I found a bunch of it, and it's dispersed among the more typical entries on the mix, so be warned if you have any personal allergies to the junk shop stomp of bands like Slade. Me? I can't stop blaring it.

All We Need Is An Accident

1. Sp00n No Bullets Spent
2. Ha1ey Mary The Piss, The Perfume
3. Sunf1ower Bean King of the Dudes
4. Detroit C0bras Stay Down
5. Sister J0hn I'm The One
6. The Dates Star
7. Creem Circus Automatic Style
8. Rusty Strange Game
9. Hammered Satin Dynamite
10. The Sore1s She's in the Gang
11. Linda Kay I Wanna Love You
12. Wyatt B1air Cherry Rose
13. Dead Furies Stay Gold, Ponyboy
14. The Vicious Cyc1es Life Insurance
15. Crimina1 Hygiene Incompletely
16. Yo1a Love All Night (Work All Day)
17. The Last Bees Can't Wait
18. The King Khan Experience Turkey Ride
19. James Ha11 Purr...
20. Martha Orange Juice
21. Baby Shakes Cause a Scene
22. BB Sea Be Bop Palooza
23. The Nuc1ears Lightspeed Getaway
24. Rea1 Sickies Bye Bye

Best of 2019

The Un-Herd Music Top 50 of 2019

1. White Reaper You Deserve Love

Early fans may complain about the added sheen, space, and (gasp) maturity in the mix, but any initial resistance will be steamrollered by the boatloads of hooks. Prepare to fall in love immediately.

 2. The Sweet Things In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time

I was recently lamenting the dearth of bona fide sleazoid Exile-On-Main-Street worship in modern music, and then this album shows up to kick my ass around the block and teach us all how it's done.





 

 3. The Delta Riggs Modern Pressure

An album difficult to adequately describe, using elements of classic rock in its melody and disco in its bottom end, some punk here and indie there, all of which is topped by Elliot Hammond's oddly charismatic (or charismatically odd) drawl.



 

 4. Imani Coppola The Protagonist

A seemingly personal statement that ties together some of the various strands of Mr. Coppola's immense talent, ranging from R&B cool to indie rock to a cuttingly sardonic folk complaint. 





 

 5. Twin Peaks Lookout Low

At this point existing perfectly out-of-time, Twin Peaks continue to follow their own obscure muse, making a loosely structured version of (uh, let's call it) classic rock that requires some patience and - most importantly - richly rewards that patience.




 

 6. Natalie Sweet Oh By The Way... It's Natalie Sweet

Bouncy, hook-filled rock 'n' roll that splits the difference between the most bubblegum Ramones tunes and most bubblegum of the 60s girl groups, with welcome help from the estimable Morten Henriksen of the Yum Yums.

 7. Jordan Jones Jordan Jones

The song "Rumors Girls" might be the best pure power pop song of the year, and the rest don't land too far off that lofty target.

 8. Attic Lights Love in the Time of Shark Attacks

Scottish group reappears after a 6 year lay-off with their absolute mastery of hooks, harmonies, and crunchy melancholy wholly intact.

 9. Pat Todd & the RankOutsiders The Past Came Callin'

From his days with the Lazy Cowgirls to the present, Pat Todd has married Johnny Cash to Johnny Thunders in ways that'll either have you crying in your beer or moshing in a frenzy.

 10. Starcrawler Devour You

While still trafficking in big riffs and chaos, the band has opened the door to honest-to-god hooks and (swear to god) subtlety, as evidenced most notably on the Stonesy "No More Pennies."







11. Sheer Mag A Distant Call
12. Ryan Hamilton & the Harlequin Ghosts This Is The Sound
13. The Brothers Steve #1
14. Ulysses On Safari
15. Charlie Faye & the Fayettes The Whole Shebang
16. The Dip The Dip Delivers
17. Josie Cotton Everything Is Oh Yeah
18. Terry and Louie ...A Thousand Guitars
19. Olivia Jean Night Owl
20. Velveteen Rabbit Velveteen Rabbit

21. More Kicks More Kicks
22. Ten Tonnes Ten Tonnes
23. Nick Waterhouse Nick Waterhouse
24. The Successful Failures Saratoga
25. Diamond Dogs Recall Rock 'n' Roll and the Magic Soul
26. Alex Lahey The Best of Luck Club
27. Pale Lips After Dark
28. The Whiffs Another Whiff
29. Asa Lucid
30. Ex Hex It's Real

31. Amyl & the Sniffers Amyl & the Sniffers
32. Reese McHenry No Dados
33. The Regrettes How Do You Love?
34. Extra Arms Up To Here
35. Rusty Dogs of Canada
36. Pernice Bros. Spread the Feeling
37. Geoff Palmer Pulling Out All The Stops
38. The Rallies Upside Down
39. Råttanson I'd Much Rather Be With the Noise
40. Hollerado Retaliation Vacation

41. Brad Marino Extra Credit
42. New Swears Night Mirror
43. Papernut Cambridge Outstairs Instairs
44. Long Ryders Psychedelic Country Soul
45. Rheostatics Here Come The Wolves
46. Lisa Prank Perfect Love Song
47. Foxygen Seeing Other People
48. Bloodboy Punk Adjacent
49. Redd Kross Beyond the Door
50. Baby Shakes Cause a Scene

Man, This Is What I Call An Epidemic

1. Imani Coppo1a Blackteria
2. The Br0thers Steve We Got The Hits
3. New Swears Concrete Cowboy
4. The Sweet Things Drained
5. Terry & Louie (I'm) Looking For A Heart
6. Attic Lights Ruby's Song
7. The De1ta Riggs Fake That 
8. O1ivia Jean The Hunt
9. Ryan Hami1ton & the Har1equin Ghosts Mamacita
10. Pat T0dd If Only I Could Fly Backwards in Time
11. Jordan J0nes No Makeup
12. White Reeper Might Be Right 
13. The Whiffs My Vision of Love
14. Diamond D0gs Somebody Have Mercy
15. M0re Kicks What a Mess You Make
16. Successfu1 Fai1ures Love You So
17. Pa1e Lips Some Sort of Rock 'n' Roll
18. U1ysses Piper's Chest
19. Nata1ie Sweet Pizza Man
20. Asa Good Thing
21. Twin Peaks Better Than Stoned
22. Nick Waterh0use Undedicated
23. Ve1veteen Rabbit Mind-Numbing Entertainment
24. Sheer Mag Blood from a Stone
25. Starcraw1er Hollywood Ending