Day 97: Shitgaze

This week's genre tour is a newer one (circa mid-2000s). Now, I'm not exactly sure if I have 100% grasp on what truly defines this genre (Shitgaze), but from what I gather is, it is a form of lo-fi indie rock that relies heavily on many tenets of noise-pop. So, you're going to find a lot of fuzz and heavy distortion, lyrics about disaffection, and more fuzz.

The genre emerged from the Shoegaze movement in the 90s, but really can look all the way back to albums like White Light/White Heat. I'm not completely sure why this genre appeals to me. Maybe incorporation of noise and new methods of avant garde is going to be what the next stage in punk rock will be. Time will tell. But until then, enjoy all of this fuzzy fuzzy rock.

Note. This blog is deeply indebted to Raven Sings the Blues; which appears to know everything there possibly is to know about this and similar genres. Check it out!!

MySpace (support the artist!):
01. Women - January 8th
02. Meercaz - Future News
03. Fergus & Geronimo - Harder than It's Ever Been
04. No Age - Here Should Be My Home
05. Wavves - So Bored
06. PENS - Networking
07. Mayyors - Clicks
08. Tonstartssbandht - Midnite Cobras
09. So Cow - Casablanca
10. railcars - Bohemia is Without A Sea
11. Ganglians - Hair
12. Eat Skull - Stick to the Formula
13. Times New Viking - No Time, No Hope
14. Woods - Echo Lake
15. Wet Hair - Saturn
16. Tortoise - Yinxianghechengqi

8tracks: External:


Hot Fuzz,
Erik

(Image by wetwebwork, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 81: Doo-Wop

Today's genre tour is Doo-Wop, an American pop genre in the 50s and 60s. It's a cool genre because it served as a bridge between gospel and the more stylized R&B that defined the 60s. It's also pretty cool because it was really only commercially viable between 1955 and 1960. I put together a list of songs that weren't all about holding hands and milkshakes and shit (though almost every song in the genre is about walking someone home).

YouTube:
01. Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - Why Do Fools Fall In Love?
002. The Visions - A Teenagers Life
003. Nicky & The Nobles - School Bells
04. Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs - Stay
005. The Videos - Moonglow You Know
06. The Kodaks - Make Believe World (N/A)
007. The Clickettes - Because Of My Best Friend
008. The Matadors - Vengeance
09. The Willows - Church Bells May Ring
10. The Marcels - Blue Moon
11. The Dell Kings - Come Go With Me
012. The Bluenotes - She Is Mine
13. Gene Chandler - Duke of Earl (what a bizarre persona...)
014. The Monotones - Who Wrote The Book of Love?
015. The Bop-Chords - So Why
016. The Corsairs - Smokey Places
017. The Heartbeats - Tormented
018. The Keynotes - I Don't Know
019. The Pelicans - Aurelia
20. The Penguins - Earth Angel

imeem: External:
(Note: There were way too many songs that had to be uploaded for this list to work. There were only 8 songs on imeem. If you'd like to check the songs out, I suggest sessioning the YouTube videos)

Day 81: Doo-Wop

Sh-Bop, Sh-Bop,
Erik

Videos!


and.

(Image by Svadilfari, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 76: RnB/Soul (2)

Originally this week's genre tour was going to not be the second part of the Soul list, just to build a little tension. But, I couldn't decide on genre for this week in time, so here we go. Commence with the soul!!!

YouTube:
01. Martha & The Vandellas - Nowhere to Run
02. Johnnie Taylor - Who's Making Love
03. The Spinners - Could It Be I'm Falling In Love
04. Sam Cooke - Twistin' the Night Away
05. The Stylistics - You're A Big Girl Now
06. Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops
07. The Shirelles - Mama Said
08. The Dells - I Can Sing A Rainbow/Love Is Blue (N/A)
09. Donny Hathaway - A Song For You (N/A)
10. The Delfonics - La La Means I Love You
11. Diana Ross & The Supremes - Stop! In The Name of Love
12. Sly & The Family Stone - Runnin' Away
13. The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman
14. The O'Jays - Backstabbers
15. James Brown - Try Me

imeem: External:

Day 76: Soul/R&B (2)

Have Mercy,
Erik

Video!!!


(Image By Soul Portrait, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 71: Soul/R&B (1)

Well, this week's genre tour is Soul/R&B. Much like I did with the Classic Rock lists, this is going to be more of an R&B Radio play-list. This list is half of a larger list, which will conclude in a week or two.

Note: I draw distinctions between older R&B and newer. Like, Boyz II Men won't share a list with the Temptations. But modern R&B is a genre in itself (which may be a list some day!!!...?)

YouTube:

01. The Temptations - Ain't Too Proud To Beg

02. Jackson 5 - One More Chance

03. Al Green - Tired of Being Alone

04. Ben E. King - Stand By Me

05. Gene Chandler - Groovy Situation

06. King Floyd - Groove Me

07. Stevie Wonder - Living For The City

08. Sam and Dave - Soul Man

09. Marvin Gaye - Stubborn Kind of Fellow

10. Aretha Franklin - Chain of Fools

11. Wilson Pickett - I Found A Love (Cover Only)

12. The Four Tops - Are You Man Enough?

13. Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up

14. Billy Paul - Me and Mrs. Jones

15. Willie Hutch - I Choose You

imeem: External:

Move On Up,

Erik

Video!

(Image by Soul Portrait, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 66: Krautrock

This week's genre tour is Krautrock; an interesting music experiment that existed primarily in Germany, obviously, in the late 60s and early 70s. Drawing influences from all over the place from pop music and jazz to bands like the Velvet Underground, Krautrock laid the groundwork for heaps of other genres (electronic, some hip-hop, ambient, post punk, etc.)

Now, Krautrock isn't for everyone. A lot of it is based on minimalism and repetition, which doesn't appeal to most. But be patient with it.

I've assembled a list of what I consider some essential introductions to the genre, in order to provide a decent cross-section to get a full feel of the breadth of Krautrock (it does not all sound the same). I am greatly indebted to the A.V. Club and its readers, for this article, which really helped flesh out the list.

YouTube:
01. Tangerine Dream - Sequent C
02. Harmonia - Notre Dame
03. Can - Mushroom
04. Faust - Jennifer
05. Amon Düül II - Deutsch Nepal
06. Kraftwerk - Ruckzuck
07. NEU! - Negativland
08. Popol Vuh - Through Pain to Heaven
09. Embryo - Ticket to India (N/A)
10. Agitation Free - Laila
11. Cluster - Marzipan (N/A)
12. Ash Ra Tempel - Day Dream
13. Pink Floyd - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

imeem: External:

Day 66: Krautrock

Auf Wiedersehen,
Erik

Bonus Video!


(Image by Aenneken, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 56: Alternative Rock/Protogrunge

This week's genre tour comes by request from a friend of mine; he wanted an Alternative Rock-type list, so I tried to come up with some jams. What he was asking for is a relatively narrow genre that pretty much only existed in the 80s during the era between the post-punk movement and the rise of grunge.

Early Alternative had a relatively broad range of sound from more noise in bands like Sonic Youth to more folk in groups like the Violent Femmes. The list is sort of short, but I think it encapsulates the genre pretty well.

YouTube:
01. The Replacements - Unsatisfied
02. R.E.M. - So. Central Rain
03. Meat Puppets - Plateau (N/A on imeem, "Original Love" by The Feelies instead)
04. Pixies - Debaser
05. Pavement - Old to Begin (N/A)
06. Dinosaur Jr. - Little Furry Things (N/A on imeem, "No Bones" instead)
07. Violent Femmes - Add It Up
08. Throwing Muses - Not Too Soon
09. Hüsker Dü - Never Talking to You Again
10. Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot

imeem: External:

Day 56: Alternative Rock

Soy Bomb,
Erik

Bonus Vid:


(Image by Heather Powazek, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 51: Brolk

This week's genre tour is a term I am coining here: Brolk. Brolk is, obviously, a construction of Bro and Folk. Though many associate the term "Bro" with the obvious frathouse-blaring rap and butt rock, nu-metal and what have you, there is another, smaller enclave among the Bro populous that like to get their sensitive side out. Maybe they make a point to watch Grey's every week. Maybe they watch Garden State at least once a month. Or maybe they just throw on some Jack and pow-wow with the other bro-bros.

(Think of the Brolk fan as a combination of the "Sensy" [sensitive guy] explained on Scrubs and the frat guys who actually watch Scrubs.)

The thing is, Brolk is an anomaly. By all accounts these songs should be despised by this crowd. The themes they explore are soft and weak; but, at the same time, the way these subjects are addressed are done so usually in such a shallow way that they're ungodly identifiable. I mean, you look at a complex Folk song like "All Along the Watchtower" and there's a lot to wrap the head around, in comparison to something like, say, James Blunt's "You're Beautiful." I realize that's not a very fair argument, but it just illustrates how neutered, anesthetized and bland this genre is.

I guess that's about all. Oh, and don't give me shit about putting Bon Iver on this list. When heard back to back with the rest of these songs it isn't much different; I don't give a care how much praise that album got. And also, I don't dislike all of these songs. Some, but not all.

YouTube:
01. Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me
02. Five For Fighting - Superman (It's Not Easy)
03. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
04. John Mayer - Your Body Is A Wonderland
05. Joshua Radin - Closer
06. Bon Iver - Skinny Love
07. Ray LaMontagne - Trouble
08. Coldplay - Sparks
09. The Fray - How To Save A Life
10. Howie Day - Collide
11. James Blunt - You're Beautiful
12. Colin Hay - Beautiful World
13. Damien Rice - 9 Crimes
14. Matt Nathanson - Come On Get Higher
15. Jack Johnson - Fortunate Fool

imeem: External:

Day 51: Brolk

Thanks to Zach Braff,
Erik

Bonus Vid!


(Image by Michelle, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 41: Hip-Hop (1)

This week's genre tour is hip-hop. But this hip-hop genre tour is a little different, because it's done by (mostly) white people. I wanted to do a hip-hop list, but I didn't know how to refine it. I thought maybe East Coast/West Coast, and that may happen down the road, but I figured white rap is a pretty special genre in itself. Now don't give me shit because these guys aren't all the traditional definition of white guys. Brother Ali for example: I don't care if you're born to Wesley Snipes and that chick from A View to A Kill, if you're albino, you're white. With that said:

YouTube:
01. Beastie Boys - What Comes Around
02. Brother Ali - Dorian
03. Atmosphere - Guns & Cigarettes
04. Dirt Nasty - 1980
05. Deep Puddle Dynamics - I Am Hip-Hop (Move the Crowd)
06. Cage - Shoot Frank
07. El-P - Up All Night
08. Andre Legacy - Mondrian
09. Eminem - As the World Turns
10. Eyedea & Abilities - Kept
11. Fort Minor - S.C.O.M (N/A on imeem, "Dolla" instead)
12. Mickey Avalon - Jane Fonda
13. Sole - Tourist Trapeze (N/A)
14. Aesop Rock - Battery
15. Sage Francis - Runaways

imeem: External:

Day 41: Hip-Hop (1)

Whiteness,
Erik

Bonus Vid (good shit!):


(Image by white_fundude, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 36: Pre-1980s Punk

This week's genre tour was a little tough to define. I wanted to do a strictly Roots Punk list coming off the heels of The Clash list. But the genre definitions within the punk movement are shady at best. So I decided that I'd limit the list to songs released before 1980. This sort of narrows down what's fair game. On one hand there are Protopunk bands that set the ground rules for punk (The Stooges, The Modern Lovers, Velvet Underground), more straight-up Punk acts (Dead Boys, Ramones, Sex Pistols), alongside the first wave of Post-Punk bands like Gang of Four. Overall the list is just a collection of some of my favorite songs from this era. The attitude, message and relentlessness of the music encapsulated the movement. Enjoi Oi Oi!

YouTube:
01. The Velvet Underground - I'm Waiting for the Man
02. Patti Smith - Pumping (My Heart)
03. New York Dolls - Personality Crisis
04. The Modern Lovers - Roadrunner
05. Iggy & The Stooges - Search & Destroy
06. Ramones - Judy is a Punk
07. The Clash - Janie Jones
08. The Jam - The Modern World
09. The Damned - New Rose
10. Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer
11. Sex Pistols - God Save the Queen
12. Stiff Little Fingers - Suspect Device
13. Wire - Ex Lion Tamer
14. Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict
15. Gang of Four - Ether

imeem: External:

Day 36: Pre-1980s Punk

Hey Ho! Let's Go!
Erik

Video:


(CBGB Image by Joseph Holmes, Licensed Under Creative Commons)

Day 31: Hair Metal

I know that I should apologize for making this genre tour list. But I'll stand by it. This is my definitive 80s (maybe there's an early 90s song or two on here) Hair Metal list. Not all of the "artists" on here are as glam as it gets, but this era kinda spawned a diversity of pop metal variations. It wasn't all just cock rock, there were surprisingly some really talented groups during this era.

YouTube:
01. Night Ranger - (You Can Still) Rock in America
02. Stryper - To Hell With the Devil
03. Hanoi Rocks - Tragedy
04. Dokken - In My Dreams
05. Billy Squier - The Big Beat
06. Skid Row - Youth Gone Wild
07. Victory - Rebel Ready
08. Def Leppard - Photograph
09. Whitesnake - Slide It In
10. L.A. Guns - I Wanna Be Your Man
11. Poison - Unskinny Bop
12. The Quireboys - Sex Party
13. Winger - Seventeen
14. Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive
15. Extreme - Hole Hearted
16. Firehouse - Don't Treat Me Bad
17. Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It
18. Mötley Crüe - Girls, Girls, Girls
19. Quiet Riot - Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
20. Scorpions - Wind of Change

imeem: External:

Day 31: Hair Metal

Rock Hand,
Erik

Bonus Videos!


and.


and finally.


(Image By Pierre Nel, Licensed Under Creative Commons)