Music Box: The Bangles

Today's (abbreviated) Music Box post was inspired by Bangles drummer Debbi Peterson, who turns the big 5-0 today. (Happy Birthday, Deb!) Besides being a world-class instrumentalist (she's quite handy on the guitar too), Vicki's little sister also sang lead on two the group's singles, "Going Down to Liverpool" and "Be With You." (Check her out singing from behind her drum kit on David Letterman circa 1984 below!)

With the Bangles back together, you probably won't be seeing a UB40 in Debbi's hands

As it would happen, I found out just last week that the Bangles -- now a trio since the retirement of bassist Michael Steele in 2005 -- are doing a concise tour of the East Coast this fall supporting a new album, "Sweetheart of the Sun," due out Sept. 27. (Pre-order HERE.)

The forthcoming single, "Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun)," is pure delight, much like "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" was on the band's initial reunion album in 2003, only this one's penned by the group. (The sound is more EP than "Everything.") It was shame that the label -- or the band? -- relied on so many covers and outside writers and co-writers for the group's singles when the bulk of the albums were written by these incredibly talented women, including fan favorites "Hero Takes a Fall," "James," "Dover Beach," "Following" and "Bell Jar." ("Bell Jar" is Belinda Carlisle's favorite Bangles song, btw!) If the rest of the album is even half as interesting as the single -- and the recently released artwork -- we may have a winner.

(Read my full-length Music Box on the Bangles HERE.)

Sizzling songs

To Where You Are Lyrics Jackie Evancho	Concrete Angel Lyrics Jackie Evancho
You Can't Have Everything Lyrics Little Big Town	Something Good Coming Lyrics Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Why, Oh Why Lyrics Little Big Town	Love at First Sight Lyrics Vybz Kartel
Bun Fi Bun Lyrics Vybz Kartel	Street Pharmacist Lyrics Vybz Kartel
Saving Grace Lyrics JT Spangler	Do Anything Lyrics Matt Pokora

Get your blog's here.

Music Box: Eddie Money

Hey, it's Kenneth here. After staying away from a computer for nearly five days now, I finally caved in when I got to my parents' house this evening. (Even a blogger needs a break once in a while, plus I know Frank will good care of you.) Still, I didn't think it would truly be kenneth in the (212) without a weekly Music Box post, so I had to sneak one in. Last week Michael, my brother Bill and I were debating what is Eddie Money's greatest song ever (there are a lot to choose from). I'm going with "Shakin'," which, if not his greatest, is certainly the best cruising song of all time, as I found out this week on the Sunset Strip. Be sure to cast your vote in the comments section below.

 

Read all Music Box posts HERE.

Music Box: Tom Tom Club

I still remember how excited I was when I got the debut album by the Tom Tom Club for Christmas in 1982. It was wrapped along with Yaz's "Upstairs at Eric's," the Scandal EP (with "Goodbye to You"), and Toronto's "Get It on Credit," which I had stupidly asked for after being sucked in by their MTV hit "Your Daddy Don't Know." But it was Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz's side project -- along with Tina's sisters Lani and Laura and an exciting group of other musicians -- that most intrigued me. After hearing "Genius of Love" I was convinced I'd found my next "fave band ever," and for a short while there they pretty much were. While I'd always liked Talking Heads, the idea of Heads caliber music but with chicks singing (and not so serious!) was just what the music doctor ordered. "Wordy Rappinghood" -- with its opening typewriter "chords" and playful refrain ("What are words worth? WORDS!") -- quickly became my second favorite rap song ever (sorry, Tina. Blondie will always be on top!). And the mysterious "As Above, So Below" and "Loralei," plus the anthemic "On, On, On, On ..." and 10th-grade French lesson "L'Elephant" made for a wonderfully fun and breezy debut, cementing the Tom Tom Club's status in my heart.

Next up, the band released a stopgap a cover of "Under the Boardwalk," which was more fun than a day at the beach (admittedly I hate sand and have a thing for covers sung by the opposite sex of the original recording artist).


"I tell you he was a masterpiece ..."

Striking while the iron was hot, the Tom Tom Club released their sophomore album, "Close to the Bone," in 1983. While it was inevitable that following up such an offbeat and eclectic debut would be difficult, in a lot of ways "Close to the Bone" was the "King" to Belly's "Star": fewer "big" moments, but a much more solid and satisfying effort. The album's lead-off single, "The Man With the 4-Way Hips," kept the party going. Its even better follow-up, "Pleasure of Love," picked up where "Genius of Love" left off (it, too, has been sampled over the years). "On the Line Again," "Measure Up" and "Never Took a Penny" were as good as or better than anything they would ever do, and the album also included the ERA anthem "This Is a Foxy World," which I think may well be their best song to date. The band didn't record again until 1988 and by then they'd moved in a different direction. The albums were less about the Weymouth sisters singing and more about funky experimentation. Occasionally they'd catch my ear again -- "Suboceana" with its "boom boom chi boom boom" refrain and nice covers of Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale" and Hot Chcolate's "You Sexy Thing" -- but for the most part, to me, the band will always be those two glorious albums that came out during that exciting moment in music history that was the early 1980s.

While the band's label, Sire, did a loving job issuing the debut album on CD -- complete with three remixes and the "Under the Boardwalk" single -- they never even bothered to release "Close to the Bone." Therefore, in my never-ending role as the Robin Hood of '80s music (sort of?), I am making available to you MP3s ripped from my very own vinyl collection, complete with bonus tracks (from a 12-inch single) and homemade artwork (in case you're like me and prefer to make a CD). The sound's not perfect, but not having this album at all is far more imperfect. If interested, please e-mail me HERE (put Tom Tom Club in the subject). (This is a limited time offer, until the Feds or, better yet, Tina!, threaten me with legal action.)

(Artwork by Greg Jelinek)

Read all Music Box posts HERE.

Look Forward to These Songs

Gangsta's Paradise Lyrics Coolio	Yellow Lyrics Coldplay
Apple Bottom Jeans Lyrics T PAIN	Cookie Jar Lyrics Gym Class Heroes
Lover Come Back To Me Lyrics Ne-Yo	This Is Me Lyrics Camp Rock
Sober Lyrics Pink	I'm So Paid Lyrics Akon
See You Again Lyrics Miley Cyrus	Lost Lyrics Coldplay

Get tools for your blog here.

Music Box: 'Words and Music by Saint Etienne'

We got our first taste of the new Saint Etienne album last month when "Tonight" was made available on the Internet. Now details about the group's first album in seven years are here, too. "Words and Music by Saint Etienne" (available for pre-order now HERE) will be released on May 21st in multiple formats (duh -- it's Saint Cashing-in Etienne), with this note from Sarah, Bob and Pete arriving in my in-box yesterday: Do you remember that special alchemy that transforms even the most mundane of experiences - walking home with the headphones on at night, sitting in a bedroom with your friends in the day, getting ready to go out on the weekend - into a lingering moment of seamless enchantment, one that resonates for the rest of your life? Our new album, Words and Music by Saint Etienne, is about that. About how music affects your life. How it defines the way you see the world as a child. How it can get you through bad times in unexpected ways. How songs you've known all your life can suddenly develop a new attachment and hurt every time you hear them. More than how it affects and reflects your life though, the album is about believing in music, living your life by its rules. See you soon Love, Sarah, Bob and Pete xxx The album will be released on 21st May on CD, 2-CD Deluxe Edition, LP and a special boxset version. The tracklist is:

1. Over the Border 

2. I've Got Your Music 

3. Heading For the Fair 

4. Last Days of Disco 

5. Tonight 

6. Answer Song 

7. Record Doctor 

8. Popular 

9. 25 Years 

10. DJ 

11. When I Was Seventeen 

12. I Threw it All Away 

13. Haunted Jukebox 

 The official video for "Tonight" is a bit low-rent. But I'm guessing there's not the budget there used to be for this kind of thing, so no worries so long as they tour.

 

Music Box: Brookville

Whether he's operating as one-third of Ivy, one-fourth of Paco, or solo under the moniker of Brookville, Andy Chase is consistently writing, playing and producing a low-key brand of music that's always catchy, always intelligent and always makes me want to hear more. (I wonder if his citing Blondie, Prefab Sprout, the Go-Betweens and Everything But the Girl as influences has anything to do with my hero worship feelings for him, or his being kinda cute?)

His delightful wife Dominique Durand handles most of the vocals in their group projects, so it was his Brookville albums -- 2003's "Wonderfully Nothing" and 2005's "Life in the Shade" -- that I felt like I got to know him best, on which he mixes atmospheric instrumentals and infectious Euro-romantic pop songs, If you're looking for a place to start, check out "Summer Parade" and "This is How It Ends," two songs that my iPod -- and my ears -- seem to love coming back to over and over again. Or check out the video for "Nothing's Meant to Last" below.

I've had Brookville on the brain this week because I saw on the official MySpace page that there's a new album on the way and three New York gigs have been booked -- Dec. 11 at Union Hall; Dec. 18 at Arlene's Grocery; and Dec. 19 at Rockwood Music Hall. For details, click HERE. I can hardly wait -- Liza and Andy in one week, who needs presents?

See all Music Box posts HERE.

Music Hits

Kill The Lights Lyrics Britney Spears	Blur Lyrics Britney Spears
Amor Inmortal Lyrics Chayanne	Angels on the Moon Lyrics Thriving Ivory
Moving Mountains Lyrics Usher	Streetlights Lyrics Kanye West
My Baby Lyrics Britney Spears	Last Christmas Lyrics Taylor Swift
Chinese Democracy Lyrics Guns 'N Roses	Kiss Me Lyrics New Found Glory

Get tools for your blog here.

Music Box: Gender ReasSONGment

With the release of "War Child presents Heroes," a new album of cover songs to benefit children affected by war that features Duffy doing the Wings classic "Live and Let Die," it got me thinking of some of my all-time favorite gender-bending covers. While I understand why some people think covers are an cop out, I've always felt there's something magical about a transgender cover, the way the new point of view always makes me hear the song as if it were completely new. (How often do you get to fall in a love with the same thing twice?) Occasionally, I will know the "new" version first -- as in the case of Blondie's "Tide Is High" -- and will enjoy discovering it in reverse (an equally thrilling proposition).

Off the top of my head, I came up with this list of winning gender-reassigned cover tunes. While I prefer female vocalists, there are a few FTM songs that might surprise you. Now tell me some of yours.


"Crimson and Clover" (Tommy James and the Shondells)
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Arguably the greatest cover song of all time.

"Tougher Than the Rest" (Bruce Springsteen)
Everything But the Girl
My favorite song from my favorite Bruce album, "Tunnel of Love."


"All I Want" (Lightning Seeds)
Susanna Hoffs


"The Tide Is High" (The Paragons)
Blondie
This clip uses the original 1965 Paragons version and sets it to the 1980 video of Debbie Harry & Co.

"(They Long to Be) Close to You" (Carpenters)
Paul Weller

"Don't Worry Baby" (Beach Boys)
Ronnie Spector
Brian Wilson apparently wrote this song for Ronnie, but Phil Spector wouldn't allow her to record it (so the Beach Boys did). She finally got to do it as a solo artist many years later.

 

"If Not for You" (Bob Dylan)
Olivia Newton-John
Hard core Dylan fans make fun of this, but I still say it's the definitive version of this masterpiece.

"You've Got a Friend" (Carole King)
James Taylor


"When You Were Mine" (Prince)
Cyndi Lauper


"Baby, I Love You" (Ronettes)
Andy Kim
Thought of as a one-hit wonder for the 1974 No. 1 smash "Rock Me Gently," the Montreal-born Andy Kim actually had a Top 10 hit with this rollicking cover of the Ronettes' "Baby, I Love You," making the song all his.

"Stormtrooper in Drag" (Gary Numan)
Saint Etienne

"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" (Beatles)
Rosanne Cash


"September Gurls" (Big Star)
Bangles
How the girls could let Michael Steele sing lead on this pop gem but REMOVE the line "I was your butch"(!) is one of the great mysteries of pop music.

"You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" (Smiths)
Kirsty MacColl

"(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" (REM)
Natalie Merchant


"I Want You" (Marvin Gaye)
Madonna
Working with the incredible Massive Attack, Madonna was never more sensual.

"The Scientist" (Coldplay)
Aimee Mann

"Out of Control" (Rolling Stones)
Pal Shazar (download HERE)


"Hazy Shade of Winter" (Simon and Garfunkel)
The Bangles

"For What It's Worth" (Buffalo Springfield)
Holly Beth Vincent

"The First Cut Is the Deepest" (Cat Stevens)
Sheryl Crow


"My Guy" (Madness)
Tracey Ullman
Turning a girl into a guy, Tracey Ullman rode this Madness favorite to No. 23 on the U.K. charts back in 1984.

"Femme Fatale" (Velvet Underground)
Tracey Thorn

"I'll Keep It With Mine" (Bob Dylan)
Susanna Hoffs

"These Days" (Jackson Browne)
Nico


"Long Train Running" (Doobie Brothers)
Bananarama
I was never a fan of Doobie Brothers music, but after hearing this Youth-produced track by the Nanas, I sure was.

View all Music Box posts HERE.

New Music

I'm On A Boat Lyrics The Lonely Island	Police In Helicopters Lyrics Burning Heads
My Life Would Suck Without You Lyrics Kelly Clarkson	Poker Face Lyrics Lady GaGa
Shone Lyrics Flo Rida	Hooked On You Lyrics Jennifer Lopez
Supa Dupa Lyrics Big Sean	Last Train To Paris Lyrics Diddy
Love Sex Machine Lyrics Ciara	Halo Lyrics Beyonce Knowles

Get tools for your blog here.

Music Box: Everything but the Girl

When I thought about writing this post about Everything but the Girl, I was trying to figure out the right way to frame it. As regular readers know, Blondie has long held the No. 1 spot on list of favorites bands. But to say that omits a huge chapter of the book, a time when it seemed like nothing was real but The Girl. It began when Blondie split up in the early '80s. The Pretenders were my backup band, but after a thrilling post-tragedy return to form on "Learning to Crawl," the "band" became a revolving cast of characters that backed up Chrissie Hynde, and the music suffered from it.

It was around the same time this band -- albeit a modest duo -- went from being a group I liked (I'd discovered "Each and Every One" on Rock Over London when I was in high school) to being my "current" fave, catapulted to the top with the release of their epic "Baby, the Stars Shine Bright" in 1986, a stark collection of songs about love, loss, loneliness and betrayal. (You have not lived until you've heard "Sugar Finney (for Marilyn Monroe)," "Cross My Heart," or "Don't Let the Teardrops Rust Your Shining Heart") If the bossa nova and alt-country influences of their earlier albums made me a fan, this lushly orchestrated masterpiece put me under a complete spell that would literally go on for years. (I'm not going to lie, I was obsessed. In my defense, they made it awfully hard for a true fan not to be, what with their endless gatefold singles, rare b-sides and obscure collaborations.) When I finally got my first CD player in 1990 I quickly found imports of EBTG's first three albums at a record store at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif., not far from where I was living when I took my first post-college job at The Orange County Register. (I was only making $23,5000, so these $30 CDs -- 90 bucks total -- were a major expense, but one from which I would get my money's worth.) Because I worked nights and weekends (sound familiar? I pride myself on never having had to start work before noon in my life!), I was allowed to bring my "boom box" into the newsroom, and I would play those three CDs on repeat all night for the course of my shift. If my co-worker Mike minded, he never let on. And Lois definitely became a fan as I remember her going out and buying some of their albums on her own -- like she needed to hear them more often!

By then I'd gotten "Idlewild" and "The Language of Life," and would occasionally find myself living my life as if it were a musical set to EBTG songs. (Another Derek-induced heartache? I'd break into "Take Me": "Baby, baby, baby. I'm lonely can't you see? ... ) Seriously. It was that same year that the HUGE news came that the band was touring America. It was a moment I'd waited years for, so I rushed out to the mall to get tickets. (Remember when you had to go a box office at a department store?! I miss you, Dillard's.)

Mark, my best friend with whom I'd been crashing until I found a place of my own, kindly agreed to go along, and even drove us up to the Wiltern, a glorious Art Deco theater on Wilshire Boulevard in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles. (Mark and I would also end up seeing Pat Benatar on her "True Love" tour that summer at the Wiltern.) While I know I'm prone to hyperbole, I truly cannot remember being this excited at a concert before. Our seats were nowhere near the front, but I was certain Tracey was singing directly to me, and I just remember being so happy to finally have this event happen. (OK, some people have loftier goals -- jobs, marriage, children -- what can I say, I was beside myself.)

After I moved back East, I had a second chance to see them, this time at the equally gorgeous Lincoln Theatre, located on "Washington's black Broadway." (It served the city's black community when segregation kept them out of other venues,) This time, I had a more-than-willing co-conspirator in my co-worker Paula Bohan, and again I was beside myself with excitement. (When Tracey did one of the songs she'd recently recorded with Massive Attack, "Protection," I thought I'd die on the spot!) Truth for told though, at this point fans were lucky the band was even around as Ben Watt had nearly died after coming down with a rare life-threatening auto-immune disease (Churg-Strauss syndrome). But they were on the road again to promote "Amplified Heart," which was a beauty of a "comeback," and one that would propel them to international stardom as "dance" artists as a result of Todd Terry's inventive revisioning of the single "Missing." (That original version of that song and the rest of the album were actually very low-key and acoustic. Richard Thompson even contributed guitar.) While the new "direction" this dance exposure took them was something I enjoyed, it definitely ranks on the lower end of their work.

The band essentially called it quits after touring for "Tempermental" in 1999 (a show at the Hammerstein Ballroom that I missed because I went home for Thanksgiving that year). But somewhat ironically, that was THE SAME YEAR Blondie returned with "No Exit," their first album in 17 years. And instead, I saw them live FOR THE FIRST TIME ever, at Madison Square Garden with my friend Leah. Was it was the music gods not wanting my heart to have to decide between my two favorite bands? Perhaps. But even though EBTG dropped off the face of the earth when the new century rolled around, the Internet only fueled my obsessive collecting habits -- and THANKFULLY led to my FINALLY getting my hands on every known recording of theirs, including the Holy Grail of Ben and Tracey work, Tracey's collaboration with James McMillan covering "Over the Rainbow." (It's funny that these two would be such gifted songwriters yet many of my favorite recordings of theirs are covers, something they have an amazing knack at selecting and reworking.) It's been an emotional roller coaster over the years, corresponding with people all over the world. Meeting total strangers at their house (and mine) to rip bootleg and homemade CDs. (This was pre-YouSendIt, guys!) But when all was said and done, my friend Greg Jelinek and I produced the three albums of which I am most proud, "Kitchen Sink Treasures" Vol. 1 and 2, plus the odds and ends sister CD, "Live, Demos and Remixed." I would offer to share them with my fellow fans, but I understand that Ben Watt himself is none-too-pleased that I've even made them at all (well, OK, a couple of them maaaaaay have wound up on eBay years ago), but I will share the artwork Greg made as I absolutely love it. (Greg actually revised it HERE, but I prefer the original covers.) And Ben, if you're reading this PLEASE release something like this yourself. My vinyl transfers of "I Fall to Pieces," "Don't You Go" and many other obscure songs are just dying to be replaced by remastered versions for which I am willing to spend virtually any amount. (I've traveled the world tracking this stuff down, what's another 100 bucks?) We'd love a new Everything but the Girl album. But even if you don't put one out, you've got enough stuff to keep us satisfied for years to come. Please, don't leave me behind ...

Everything (including the kitchen sink)

Read all Music Box Posts HERE.

Music Box: Bucks Fizz

I'm not sure why, but out of nowhere last week I started singing "My Camera Never Lies," a ridiculously infectious 1982 hit for the Eurovision-winning U.K. band Bucks Fizz, who ruled the British charts in the early to mid-1980s. (Just out of curiosity, I did an Internet search of them later that day and found they'd just announced a reunion tour, the latest in a weird series of coincidences that began with EBN-OZN last year.) Without having heard a single note, my brother and I were fascinated by the band's look and reputation and wound up buying their self-titled American debut, which I would later realize was a combination of the band's first two U.K. releases. I can't really remember playing the whole thing much (the cover was awfully pretty, though), but the opening track -- "My Camera Never Lies" -- just blew me away, like a brilliant lost ABBA song -- only everyone knew how to speak English.

Thinking I had one that my fellow pop-music junkie friend Christopher likely hadn't discovered yet, I e-mailed him to see if he was a fan, to which I received this most predictable response: I’m about as big a Bucks Fizz fan as one can be. My favorite was "I Hear Talk." It still sends me.

Long story short, he has been educating me on the joys of Bucks Fizz ever since. They had many great original song -- "Invisible," "If You Can't Stand the Heat" and "Making Your Mind Up" to name a few -- but I've since discovered some of the their covers -- like the Romantics' "Talking in Your Sleep" and Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" -- push their camp likeability to an even higher level.

My fave:

Christopher's fave:

(Was this video directed by the same "genius" who did "2000 Miles" for the Pretenders?)

Read all Music Box posts HERE.

Soon to be hits

Panic Switch Lyrics Silversun Pickups	Lights Out Lyrics Cosmo
How You Love Me Now Lyrics Hey Monday	.Paparazzi Lyrics Lady GaGa
Secret Lyrics Ciara	Lincoln Continental Lyrics Ne-Yo
Get Involved Lyrics Ginuwine	This Hot Lyrics Adrienne Bailon
I Can't Make You Dance Lyrics Black Eyed Peas	Eyes For You Lyrics Esmee Denters

More blog tools found here.

Music Box: X

It was nearly two weeks ago, but I would be remiss not to mention just how fantastic the X show was at the 9:30 Club in Washington. From the opening chords of "In This House That I Call Home" to the final drum beat of "Because I Do," with my eyes closed I would have been hard-pressed to tell the difference between this show and the one other time I saw them -- at the Devil House in Tempe, Arizona, when they were promoting "More Fun in the New World" back in 1983. While they may look a little worse for the wear -- I think three of them are in their 50s and Billy Zoon is in his 60s! -- the sound was vintage X, led by Billy Zoom's trademark rockabilly guitar, and the plaintive harmonies of John Doe and Exene Cervenka -- the Stevie and Lindsey of punk rock. Unbeknownst to my brother Bill and me, the set list was decided by fans through an online poll. While we were bummed that we'd been victims of voter suppression, when all was said and done we both had to admit that the electorate had done us right. I could have gone home happy with just "Blue Spark" played over and over all night. And Bill had thought he was the only one who lived and died by "The Have Nots" (notice both songs are off "Under the Big Black Sun," which was our first X album, a review copy Bill brought home from his summer job at The Phoenix Gazette in 1982).

  The show happened the same week we got word that Exene was suffering from multiple sclerosis. The diagnosis was not mentioned that night, but if her performance was any indication -- and they rocked A LONG TIME -- she's still in fine shape. I won't be waiting another 26 years to see X again, on that you can be sure.

   

 An incomplete set list (sorry): 

"In This House That I Call Home" 

"We're Desperate" 

"Adult Books" 

"Under the Big Black Sun" 

"We're Having Much More Fun" 

"Sex and Dying in High Society" 

"Burning House of Love" 

"Some Other Time" 

"The Have Nots" 

"Universal Corner" 

"The World's a Mess (It's in My Kiss)" 

"Riding With Mary" 

"Johnny Hit and Run Pauline" 

"Los Angeles" 

"How I (Learned My Lesson)" 

"Motel Room in My Head" 

"Devil Doll" 

"Your Phone's Off the Hook (But You're Not)" 

"Blue Spark" 

"The New World" 

\"Hungry Wolf" 

"I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts" (acoustic) 

"White Girl" 

"Because I Do"

Read all Music Box posts HERE.

Music moment

Stronger Lyrics Mary J Blige	Wake Up Lyrics Trey Songz
25 To Life Lyrics JoJo	Obsessed Lyrics Mariah Carey
Sunny Days Lyrics Young Jeezy	Black Keys Lyrics Jonas Brothers
I’m Not Perfect Lyrics Christina Milian	Fearless Lyrics JoJo
Don't Need You Lyrics Letoya Luckett	My Dolla Bills Lyrics Bone Thugs N Harmony

Get your own here.

Music Box: Marina and the Diamonds

 

Thanks to Christopher, I'm really starting to get the hang of this new music thing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this song by Marina and the Diamonds is about the funnest thing ever! (Review of "Under the Covers Vol 2" by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs TK.)

Read all Music Box posts HERE.

Music Box: Prefab Sprout

Here's "Golden Calf" by Prefab Sprout, one of my favorite songs off the group's "From Langley Park to Memphis" album. I've been a HUGE Prefab Sprout since "Lions in My Own Garden (Exit Someone)" and still think they're one of most underrated bands of the 1980s.

Read all Music Box posts HERE.

New Music

Loso's Way Lyrics Ryan Leslie	Keep On Lovin' Me Lyrics Cassie
You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home Lyrics Miley Cyrus	Crazier Lyrics Taylor Swift
Stand And Deliver Lyrics No Doubt	Hot Revolver Lyrics Lil' Wayne
It's Yours Lyrics J. Holiday	Round Here Lyrics Chris Brown
Deja Vu Lyrics Teairra Mari	I Will Rise Lyrics Chris Tomlin

Get your blog's here.

Music Box: Terry Hall

Considering how I am, it's surprising I've never gotten more obsessive about Terry Hall. His fun hair and acute anhedonia alone make me love him. But then you throw in the fact that he's been a part of some my favorite songs of the last 30 years -- "Ghost Town," "Ain't What You Do," "Really Saying Something," "Our Lips Are Sealed," "Can't Get Enough of You Baby," "Thinking of You" and "Walk Into the Wind" -- you'd think I'd have more than a compilation CD to show for it. Listen to what I mean:



Vegas featuring Siobhan Fahey: "Walk Into the Wind"



Fun Boy Three: "Our Lips Are Sealed"



The Colourfield: "Can't Get Enough of You Baby"



The Specials: "Ghost Town"



Bananarama featuring Fun Boy Three: "Really Saying Something"

And here's an exciting update to my Tom Tom Club post from January. Further supporting my belief that you should never give up on old music finally making it into the digital age, it's been reported that in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Island Records, a two-disc deluxe edition of the Tom Tom Club's debut album is about to be released, with the deluxe-ness being the hitherto unreleased "Close to the Bone" album! Unbelievable news. Can Slow Children be far behind?

View all Music Box posts HERE.

Upcoming Songs

Caveman Lyrics Cam'Ron	Live Your Life Lyrics Rihanna
It Just Makes Sense Lyrics Ne-Yo	Low Lyrics Flo Rida
Producer Lyrics Marques Houston	Blame It Lyrics Donnie Klang
Chillin' Lyrics Wale	Put Out The Flame Lyrics Lloyd
Sexy Ladies Lyrics Ray-J	Playa Playa Lyrics Kanye West

Get your own here.

Music Box: Aztec Camera

Aztec Camera was the smartest pop band to emerge from the '80s new wave scene, with the Scottish boy wonder Roddy Frame its star attraction. "High Land, Hard Rain" (1983) was one of those flawless debuts that almost screamed that the only way from there was down. But with the likes of songs as brilliant as "Oblivious," "Walk Out to Winter," "We Could Send Letters" and "From Pillar to Post," there certainly was plenty of room on the fall to keep making great music for a lifetime. Five more Aztec Camera albums (really in name only, as Roddy was the only consistent performer) never failed to have shining moments, from "All I Need Is Everything" on "Knife," "Deep and Wide and Tall" on "Love," "The Crying Scene" on "Stray" (a surprise hit in the homeland), the Ryuichi Sakamoto-infused "Dreamland," and so on, before Roddy decided to officially go "solo" in 1998 with "North Star" (yet another delightful effort). "Surf" in 2002 and "Western Skies" in 2006 were equally enjoyable as loyalists thoroughly enjoyed watching Roddy mature as a writer. Yet looking back 25 years since that stunning debut, nothing (naturally) will ever compare to those Scottish glory days ... 

  You said you're free for me, that says it all ...

From pillar to post, I am driven, it seems

Read all Music Box posts HERE.

Music Box: Sid 'n' Susie

It's no secret that I'm a HUGE FAN of Susanna Hoffs. With the Bangles, without the Bangles. With a guitar, without a guitar. I'll take her anyway I can get her. So when she teamed up with Matthew Sweet in '06 for "Under the Covers, Vol. 1," an album of songs from the 1960s, I didn't think it could get any better than that. (Full disclosure: I actually didn't have any idea who Matthew Sweet was when this album came out. Apparently he was part of that 1990s music blackout period of my life, when I was deeply entrenched in a lengthy relationship with a guy from Colombia, and our car/home stereo was dominated by the musical stylings of Carlos Vives, Luis Miguel, the Gipsy Kings and a teenage Shakira.)

I was completely captivated by the duo's take on classics like "Different Drum" by the Stone Poneys (aka Linda Ronstandt), "Sunday Morning" by the Velvet Underground and "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere" by Neil Young, and even flew out to Los Angeles to see them perform the album in its entirety that spring at the Roxy on the fabulous Sunset Strip. (It was at the Tower Records down the street that I got a disc with the bonus track of Buffalo Springfield's "On the Way Home," which I swear is better than anything on the actual CD!)

So, like I said, I didn't think it could get any better than my fave Bangle covering some of the greatest songs of her childhood. Or could it? Truth be told, I had never heard of many of those songs, so while learning them was fun, I couldn't sing along from the get-go. My favorite was, in fact, the only song they slipped in from my 1970s childhood -- the splendid "Run to Me" by the Bee Gees, which still gives me goosebumps each time I play it. So how might Sid 'n' Susie top themselves? With a new collection of covers from the 1970s -- including Fleetwood Mac, Carly Simon and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers! Set for release on July 21, 

"Under the Covers, Vol 2" is already on track to be my favorite album of 2009. Can a return the Sunset Strip be far off? 

Track Listing: 1

. "Sugar Magnolia" (The Grateful Dead) 

2. "Go All The Way" (The Raspberries) 

3. "Second Hand News" (Fleetwood Mac) 

4. "Bell Bottom Blues" (Derek & The Dominoes) 

5. "All The Young Dudes" (Mott the Hoople) 

6. "You’re So Vain" (Carly Simon) 

7. "Here Comes My Girl" (Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers) 

8. "I’ve Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People" (Yes) 

9. "Hello, It’s Me" (Todd Rundgren) 

10. "Willin’" (Little Feat) 

11. "Back of a Car" (Big Star) 

12. "Couldn’t I Just Tell You" (Todd Rundgren) 

13. "Gimme Some Truth" (John Lennon) 

14. "Everything I Own" (Bread) 

15. "Maggie May" (Rod Stewart) 

16. "Beware of Darkness" (George Harrison)

   

Read all Music Box posts HERE.

Music Box: Sex Pistols

I was very young and deeply ensconced in my Olivia Newton-John period the entire time the Sex Pistols were around. (Get serious, people: '77 wasn't THE YEAR of punk. It was THE YEAR "Making a Good Thing Better" came out!) But a few years later when new wave -- punk's sanitized distant cousin -- washed up on the shores of America then swept me out to sea, a lot of the angrier kids I grew up with were still being drawn to Sid Vicious and the gang, so I was more than casually acquainted with "Never Mind the Bollocks," the its impact on music. I tried, but truth be told pseudo-punker chicks like Debbie Harry, Siouxsie Sioux and Chrissie Hynde were always more my speed. (Exene Cervenka was about as scary as I was willing to go!)

But while my interest in the Sex Pistols was tepid, my fascination with Sid's crazy girlfriend Nancy Spungen was boiling over in 1983 when I read Deborah Spungen's harrowing tale of her daughter's life and death, "And I Don't Want to Live This Life." In it, Deborah describes Nancy as someone who spent her life trying to piss people off. Born in the Philly 'burbs in 1958, she said Nancy was difficult from birth: impossible to console, prone to tantrums, hostile, insatiable, demanding, and a bully to her younger siblings. "A 7-year-old ran our household," Deborah wrote. "When she wanted something, no matter how big or small, she hollered and screamed and backed us into a corner until we were the ones to back down. We gave in to her. Why? Because there was absolutely no peace in the house until she got what she wanted." Later, before running off to New York City, Deborah says Nancy attacked her with a hammer. (I remember wondering WHO would ever want to have a baby if this was a possibility?)

But in a fascinating new piece in New York magazine, Karen Schoemer revisits Nancy Spungen, and finds several people who remember her quite differently from the heinous groupie she's been portrayed ("Siiiiiid!") in the 30 years since her murder beneath a sink at the Chelsea Hotel. Schoemer notes that it's been easy to hate Nancy, but asks, has it been too easy? Read the article HERE.

A tribute to Nancy:


The Sex Pistols: 'Anarchy in the U.K.' (which sounds awfully tame today):

Music Box: Chris Isaak

Sometimes I forget what an insane Chris Isaak fan I am. But then every few years he puts out another great album -- this time it's "Mr. Lucky," which is delightful from beginning to end and contains three of his finest songs to date -- and it all comes rushing back to me. I'm bummed that his new talk show doesn't appear to be available on Time Warner Cable (I LOVED his Showtime series from a few years ago -- he's so cute and such a dork!). It's been a few years since Michael surprised me with tickets to see Chris in Atlantic City. I think I'm due for another show.

   

If you've stopped buying albums, do yourself a favor and at least download "Baby Baby," "Breaking Apart" (with Trisha Yearwood) and "I Lose My Heart." You'd be a fool not to get "Cheater's Town" and the reworked b-side, "Best I Ever Had," too, but who am I to tell you what to spend your money on?

 

 Oh, and I must say, "Undercover," the rarities/b-sides collection my friend Greg and I made a few years ago of his material, ranks as one of my all-time favorite music projects. See for yourself:

View all Music Box posts HERE.