Un-Herd Christmess 2019

I'll take this opportunity, now that we're about to complete another spin around the sun, to thank those of you who have patiently waited for updates to the blog. It's been a busy number of months, and my regular attention to mixes has suffered for it. It should all get back to normal in the new year.

Next up will be the Best of 2019 mix. That should be a good'un. And shortly after that I'll be posting the 2019 Orphans mix (all of the stuff I didn't find until too late to appear on any Faves compilation), and that's already started. There's still a few nooks and crannies left to look.

So hang in there. Thanks and best wishes for the upcoming year.

Ol' Saint Nick Sucking on a Peppermint Stick

1. Wy1d1ife Piss the Season
2. Attic L1ghts Santa's Girlfriend
3. The Sun K1ngs Have a Very Merry Xmas
4. CJ Ram0ne Xmas Lullaby
5. J0sh R0use Heartbreak Holiday
6. Brad Marin0 Blue Xmas
7. The K1cks Santa Claus is Comin' to the USA
8. Lisa Mycho1s Santa Baby
9. The Breakups & Sweet Hurt Breaking Up For Xmas
10. N1ck Frater Xmas is Cancelled
11. Brenda. Lee Xmas Will Be Just Another Lonely Day
12. Dar1ene Love All Alone on Xmas
13. Jet B0ys Merry Xmas, Fuck You
14. Kimber1y Rew All I Want Is You For Xmas
15. A1oe B1acc Funky Ass Xmas
16. The M0no Men Xmas Time Is For Sinners
17. The Muffz Nothing For Me
18. The Humperz Run, Run Rudolph
19. Quadrajetz Xmas Time is Coming
20. JD McPhers0n Bad Kid
21. The Regrets Ho1iday-ish
22. Vintage Tr0ub1e Soul Noel
23. The D1p Santa's Got a Sweet Tooth
24. Cheap Tr1ck I Want You For Xmas
25. B0b Rivers Walkin' Round in Women's Underwear

Faves of 2019 (vol. 3)

Although I'm slipping this latest faves mix in on Halloween night, don't expect a horror theme of any sort. It's the usual UHM combination of obsessions, with a couple curveballs (one in the form of a well-loved band's most well-known track saved by a new mix, another a Thin Lizzy soundalike by a band featuring one of the original Lizzy members, and the last a release of an 80s noo wave album that's been lost for 30 years). There's plenty here that will eventually find its way on to my Best of 2019 list. See what you think.

RIP Kim

1. The Muffs That's For Me
2. O1ivia Jean Night Owl
3. Stag E1ectric Mistress
4. Whlte Reaper Rea1 Long Time
5. Gospe1beacH Nothing Ever Changes
6. The De1ta Riggs Modern Pressure
7. Pernlce Bros. Mint Condition
8. Twln Peaks Lookout Low
9. The Rallies All Over Town
10. Nine Be1ow Zero Ter Wit Ter Woo
11. Starcraw1er No More Pennies
12. Llsa Prank Brighton B1vd
13. Diamond D0gs Small Town Girl
14. Wlves The 20 Teens
15. Magnap0p Dog on the Door
16. Extra Arms F.L.Y.
17. Sorry Gir1s Waking Up
18. Josie C0tton Hand Over Your Heart
19. Råttanson Small Venue Concerts
20. Shear Mag The Right Stuff
21. The Rep1acements I'll Be You
22. B1ack Star Riders Poisoned Heart
23. Rhe0statics Rearview
24. Papernut Cambrldge No Pressure

God Save The Queens

Here's a hastily assembled mix that should be self-explanatory. Gotta say though, somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind a little voice is yelling that I've left off an obvious and deserving choice. Suggestions are welcomed in the comments - even though I know a few will make me kick myself for the omission.

God Save The Queens

1. Mott the Hoop1e Rock and Roll Queen
2. Suzi Quatr0 Glycerine Queen
3. New York Do11s Lone Star Queen
4. cub Pillow Queen
5. Wi1co Casino Queen
6. Marve1ous 3 Indie Queen
7. Zuckerbaby Bellybutton Queen
8. Steve C0nte Rock and Rye Queen
9. New York Vau1ts Three Song Queen
10. The Yayh00s Dancing Queen
11. Rich Hands Junkie Queen
12. The Wogg1es Jungle Queen
13. B1ack Joe Lewis Mamma's Queen
14. Wy1d1ife Sidewalk Queen
15. B1ackfoot Gypsies Gypsy Queen
16. S1aughter and the Dogs Trash Talking Queen
17. The Jackets Steam Queen
18. The E1ectric Mess Snow Queen
19. The Richmond S1uts Junky Queen
20. The Stigmatix Drama Queen
21. The B1ack and Whites Pinball Queen
22. T Rex Planet Queen

Faves of 2019 (Vol. 2)

This has been a disappointing year so far. That's been true in many respects, although it should come as no surprise that I'm mostly (and myopically) referencing my personal quest for new music. Some of my favorite recent bands have released albums this year that, for whatever reason, just didn't quite resonate with me. I'm not going to catalogue them here, as the Roy Pearl/UHM mandate has developed into reinforcing the positive rather than dog-piling on the negative. If there's any good news to any of it, I suspect we're about to experience a rebirth of righteously pissed-off artists from around the world, and their work will echo that explosive emotional state. Or, I suppose it's possible we won't fight back at all. Maybe we'll simply congeal into a sour gelatin of Tay1or Swift-ian avoidance and ooze our way to oblivion. If those are the two options, then allow this tiny gesture of a new faves mix as evidence that the former has already begun.

Give Me A Sec To Finesse The Mess In My Brain

1. Ho11erado Get Over It
2. Danceha11 Burn
3. J0rdan J0nes Rumors Girls
4. U1ysses Looking For a Guru
5. Mattie1 Rescue You
6. Geoff Pa1mer Make It
7. Curt Baker C0mbo (I Can't Help) Failing in Love
8. Te1ethon (I Guess You'd Call It) An Undertone
9. Sweet Things Dead or Worse
10. The B0rn Readies Mean Genes
11. The Embry0s Wake Up Screaming
12. R00ni Label
13. The Regrets California Friends
14. Young Gov Every Flower I See
15. The Coo1ies Uh Oh
16. Steven Duffy Seventeen
17. Serat0nes Lie to My Face
18. A1ex Lahey Black RMs
19. The Successfu1 Fai1ures No White Knight in Knoxville
20. B1eached Rebound City
21. Lowest of the L0w Imogene
22. Redd Cross Beyond the Door
23. The Jackets Be Myself
24. Amy1 and the Sniffers GFY

Summer 2019

It's been a little difficult to conjure up a summer mood this year. Part of that has been the weather in my part of the world - it seems my time-off has been on the exact same schedule as days of cloud and rain - and the other part is the constant mental pressure of the current political/sociological horrorshow that's attempting to dismantle all human progress. Unfortunately, neither issue can be remedied by a strong Mai Tai.

But that Mai Tai can try, right?

Don't It Make You Want To Get Some Sun?

1. Locks1ey Vilas Beach
2. S1oan You Got A Lot On Your Mind
3. U1ysses Bad Tattoo
4. L u c i a Summertime
5. Ho11erado King Kong
6. Eag1es of Death Meta1 Family Affair
7. Minky Star shine What I Want
8. Jeff Wha1en Don't Give It Up
9. 10 Tonnes G.I.V.E.
10. The Charms Candy
11. He1en Love Debbie Loves Joey
12. Kim E. Drake Flowers Over Me
13. Nancy Sinatra Ain't No Easy Way
14. Edgar Summertyme I Would Do Anything
15. F0untains of Wayne Radiation Vibe
16. B1oodboy All My Idiots
17. V.V. Br0wn I Did All That For You
18. B1eached Valley to LA
19. B1ack Pumas Touch The Sky
20. Hepcat Can't Wait
21. Justin T0wnes Ear1e Can't Hardly Wait
22. Sou1 Hoo1igan Night Owl
23. Char1ie Faye and the Fayettes Tonight's The Night
24. Rebecca Fergus0n Nothing's Real But Love

Covers Project Vol. 17

It's getting harder and harder to ignore the fact that most of my favorite songs have now been reduced to the "oldies" nomenclature. As evidence - and as crazy as it sounds to me - a 4th generation newcomer like Matthew Sweet released his "Girlfriend" album almost 30 years ago. In fact, that album marks exactly the halfway point between right now and "Meet the Beatles." Or consider the Dead Boys cover of "Tell Me." It was included on their second album "We Have Come For Your Children" and, at the time, it felt like a whole new generation laying claim, ironically or not, that even ancient oldies held value. But their version and the Stones original were separated by a mere 14 years, while"We Have Come For Your Children" came out 40 years ago last year.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time I grabbed my walker and made my way down to  the care home cafeteria for my soup.

You're Gonna Run To The Rock For Rescue

1. Ted Le0 Heroes (David Bowie)
2. The Regrets Soft Shock (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
3. The Ratchets Johnny Too Bad (The Slickers)
4. Pat T0dd & the Rankoutsiders Any Other Way (William Bell)
5. The Peawees Runaround Sue (Dion)
6. Eag1es of Death Meta1 So Alive (Love & Rockets)
7. Stoo1 Pigeons Chills (Tony Orlando)
8. Anti-F1ag Gimme Some Truth (John Lennon)
9. D.0.A. Eve of Destruction (Barry McGuire)
10. The Dead B0ys Tell Me (Ro11ing Stones)
11. Green River Queen Bitch (David Bowie)
12. The Heiz Delirious (Prince)
13. E1ise LeGrow Can't Shake It (Etta James)
14. The L0ngshot I Am A Rock (Paul Simon)
15. The We11 Wishers All Over My Head (Matthew Sweet)
16. The Bangs Southern Girls (Cheap Trick)
17. Brixt0n Riot Bring on the Dancing Horses (Echo & the Bunnymen)
18. Decibe1s Big Hits (on the Underground) (The Saints)
19. T0mmy & the R0ckets Keep Your Hands Off My Baby (Little Eva)
20. CJ Ram0ne Crawling From the Wreckage (Dave Edmunds)
21. Urban D0gs Human Being (New York Dolls)
22. Ty Sega11 Isolation (John Lennon)
23. The Strutz Suffragette City (David Bowie)
24. L0w Cut C0nnie Diamond Dogs (David Bowie)

Faves of 2019 (Vol. 1)

Here we go again. The first faves mix of the new year. I'll admit it took a little longer to compile than I would have preferred - almost a full five months of searching - but this kind of quality isn't easily found (these days). That said, I feel I should put in a word for all the bands and artists that continue to raise the level of modern music - and that word is "thanks." I know it's a tough gig, and that no one wants to pay for anything anymore, but - if it helps - each one of these songs makes this timeline a slightly better place to exist than it would be otherwise. And this timeline needs all the help it can get. Dig in. If you find something you like or love, the album title is in the info.

I Got A Hot Air Balloon In A Rocket Ship Race

1. Reece McHenry Detroit
2. Attic Lights Louis
3. Ten T0nnes Better Than Me
4. Litt1e Steven & the Discip1es of Sou1 Soul Power Twist
5. Indiano1a How Did I Get So Rock 'n' Roll
6. Ex Hex Radiate
7. Pa1e Lips You're a Doll
8. Terry & Louie Rebel Ways
9. The Wi1dhearts Fine Art of Deception
10. Spira1 Stairs Hyp-No-Tized
11. 0utside Voices Bourbon in Bed
12. The Wi1d Reeds Moving Target
13. Reigning S0und Can't Hold On
14. Deer Tick Hey! Yeah!
15. L0ng Ryders Greenville
16. Crocodi1es Wait Until Tomorrow
17. Nick Waterh0use Wherever She Goes (She Is Wanted)
18. Ho1y Mo1y & the Crackers Can't Get Enough
19. The Dip She Gave Me The Keys
20. Char1ie Faye & the Fayettes The Whole Shebang
21. Nata1ie Sweet I Don't Want to Need You (Tonight)
22. Pat T0dd & the Rank0utsiders You Made a Hit
23. Brad Marin0 C'mon C'mon C'mon
24. F0xygen Livin' a Lie