Sound System: A Rough Introduction to Ska & Rocksteady
It all begins with Rancid, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and No Doubt. Or rather, it did for me as a suburban white boy growing up in the 90s. The pop punk scene headed by Green Day was just going mainstream.
Song of the Day: Alex Cameron – “Sara Jo”
Released: 2022Album: Oxy MusicAlthough each album by Alex Cameron has been a slight step down from the previous, his latest LP Oxy Music still presents a handful of memorable moments. As usual, he's at his best when churning out tales
Song of the Day: The Pogues – “Streets of Sorrow / Birmingham Six”
Corned Beef is gross. The Pogues are great. Happy St. Patrick's Day.LyricsOh farewell, you streets of sorrowAnd farewell, you streets of painI'll not return to feel more sorrowNor to see more young men slainThrough the last six years, I've lived
Song of the Day: Cate Le Bon – “Moderation”
Released: 2022Album: PompeiiWe're in a golden age of art pop, and Cate Le Bon is one of the artists who continues to shine brightest. Her latest album Pompeii is another gem of disorienting, ice cold funky pop in the vein
Song of the Day: Bob Andy – “Too Experience”
Released: 1972Album: Bob Andy's Song BookI've been digging into classic ska and rocksteady over the past several weeks, and this is one of the real treasures that I've come across. Bob Andy was an original member of The Paragons, who
Song of the Day: Fats Domino – “Be My Guest”
Released: 1959SingleWith the way music is so often compartmentalized into genres, it can be easy to forget how seamlessly it all connects. Take for instance Fats Domino's "Be My Guest". Released in 1959, the New Orleans piano R&B pioneer was
Song of the Day: Trupa Trupa – “Twitch”
Released: 2022Album: B FLAT AOver the years, many many bands have emailed me their music. In the early days, I listened to almost all of it. As time went on, it was all too much, and much of it just
Song of the Day: Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Into The Light”
Released: 1981Album: JujuOvershadowed by Joy Division and The Cure, Siouxsie & The Banshees have never quite gotten the credit they deserve as one of the most groundbreaking and influential bands of the post-punk/new wave era. It's possible that this has
Song of the Day: Spiritualized – “The Mainline Song”
Released: 2022Album: Everything Was BeautifulThere's a small handful of artists who I know will never disappoint me. Along with Low, Radiohead, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and a few others, Spiritualized has been mindbogglingly consistent over the past few
Song of the Day: Bill Fay – “I Hear You Calling” (Still Some Light)
Released: 2010/2022 (archival)Album: Still Some LightFew artists get a second act in the manner that Bill Fay has. The English singer-songwriter released a couple stellar albums in the early 70s. Neither sold particularly well, so his career died young. Then
Song of the Day: caroline – “Skydiving onto the library roof” (live version)
Released: 2022Album: carolineI haven't been excited about much of the new music being released this year, but British 8-piece caroline's self-titled debut has been a really pleasant surprise. The leisurely paced, mostly-instrumental sounds recall Dirty Three's classic instrumental folk. And
Song of the Day: Yasuaki Shimizu – “Shiasate”
Released: 2022Album: KirenSeveral years ago, I stumbled upon Palo Flats' reissue of the obscure Japanese record Utakata No Hibi by Mariah. The album blew my mind. While it had elements of art rock, synth pop, and no wave, it really