Song of the Week 3/30/12

Gomez - "Jumping Jack Flash (Live)"

Who knew that Gomez -- a band that I have enjoyed for many years -- could come up with such an inventive and truly original cover? This was recorded at the Music of the Rolling Stones show at Carnegie Hall a couple weeks ago, and I can hear why people wanted to get a copy of it. I love how the crowd starts going nuts at :33 seconds in. They knew something awesome was happening.

Thanks for the free download guys. This cover rocks.

Song of the Week 3/23/12

Delta Spirit - "Empty House"

One of the things I've enjoyed about becoming a big Delta Spirit fan is that they're a band not afraid to perform new material long before it's released. (That's a rarity these days in the age of YouTube.) When History From Below was released in 2010 it already felt familiar as I had seen them play six songs from it live at various gigs. The band's new self-titled album includes three songs that I'd seen them perform before, including the album opener "Empty House." It's a perfect song to get the album going as it bridges the gap between the sound of their first two records and the new, slightly more-produced vibe of this third one. Matt Vasquez has such great pipes; his vocals are always straddling the line between singing and yelling one's throat raw with passion. And this song sees him balance those two sides perfectly.

Here's the band running through at Lollapalooza 2011, two months before I saw them play it at ACL Fest.

Song of the Week 3/16/12

The Who - "Baba O'Riley"

This is a lot of fun when you're leading a sing-a-long at a friend's going away party. A lot.

Damn, I still love this version.

Songs of the Week 3/9/12

Madonna - "Take a Bow"

I end each edition of Party Like It's 1999 with a few slow songs (or, slow jams, as the kids like to say) to mellow out the crowd and to signify that the night is over. I played "Take a Bow" this most recent edition, and I found myself humming the chorus the past few days. This song was the key to my getting back into Madonna. I was a massive fan of her first two albums, and then promptly ignored her catalog once I got into classic rock in high school. I flat out despised "Like a Prayer" when it hit the airwaves when I was in college. (I've grown to respect that song--and album--over the years.)

I thought "Vogue" was a while bunch of fun, but that "Justify My Love" and the Erotica album were pieces of crap. When I got a free copy of Bedtime Stories (somehow I scored my way on to the Sire Records mailing list in 1992) in 1994 I didn't expect to like it, but once I heard "Take a Bow" I knew that it was a keeper.

Party Like It's 1999 3/9/12

Wow, what another fun night. We're back at The Bell House on April 6th.

Here's what you heard in this edition:

Better Than Ezra - “Good”
Cake - “Never There”
Foo Fighters - “Big Me”
Tori Amos - “God”
Fiona Apple - “Criminal”
The Breeders - “Cannonball”
Garbage - “Stupid Girl”
Juliana Hatfield Three - “Spin the Bottle”
The Cranberries - “Linger”
Fastball - “The Way”
Smashing Pumpkins - “1979”
Toad the Wet Sprocket - “All I Want”
The Rembrandts - “I’ll Be there For You”
Third Eye Blind - “Graduate”
Matchbox Twenty - “Real World”
Del Amitri - “Roll to Me”
Goo Goo Dolls - “Slide”
Gin Blossoms - “Hey Jealousy”
Smash Mouth - “All Star”
Barenaked Ladies - “One Week”
The Presidents of the United States of America - “Peaches”
No Doubt - “Just a Girl”
Len - “Steal My Sunshine”
New Radicals - “You Get What You Give”
Fatboy Slim - “Praise You”
Ace of Base - “Don’t Turn Around”
Britney Spears - “…Baby One More Time”
Spice Girls - “Wannabe”
TLC - “No Scrubs”
Will Smith - “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”
Will Smith - “Miami”
Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Mase - “Mo Money, Mo Problems”
Notorious B.I.G. - “Juicy”
En Vogue - “Don’t let Go (Love)”
Salt-n-Pepa featuring En Vogue - “Whatta Man”
Aaliyah - “Are You That Somebody?”
Janet Jackson - “That’s the Way Love Goes”
Coolio - “Gangsta’s Paradise”
Dr. Dre - “Nothing But a G Thing”
Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre - “No Diggity”
NSync - “Tearing Up My Heart”
Backstreet Boys - “As Long As You Love Me”
Amy Grant - “Baby Baby”
Hanson - “MMMbop”
Nirvana - “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
Blink 182 - “What’s My Age Again?”
Green Day - “Basket Case”
Lit - “My Own Worst Enemy”
Harvey Danger - “Flagpole Sitta”
Eve 6 - “Inside Out”
Weezer - “Say It Ain’t So”
Spacehog - “In the Meantime”
Beastie Boys - “Sabotage”
Chumbawamba - “Tubthumping”
Aqua - “Barbie Girl”
La Bouche - “Be My Lover”
Real McCoy - “Another Night”
Dee-Lite - “Groove Is in the Heart”
Rupaul - “Supermodel”
Mariah Carey - “Fantasy”
Destiny’s Child - “Say My Name”
Salt-n-Pepa - “Shoop”
Shaggy - “Boombastic”
Warren G & Nate Dogg - “Regulate”
Notorious B.I.G. - “Hypnotize”
Montell Jordan - “This Is How We Do It”
Ace of Base - “The Sign”
Alanis Morissette - “You Oughta Know”
Sublime - “Santeria”
Beck - “Loser”
Cake - “The Distance”
James - “Laid”
Mr. Big - “To Be With You”
Sheryl Crow - “Strong Enough”
Madonna - “Take a Bow”
Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men - “One Sweet Day”

Song of the Week 3/2/12

The Figgs - "Do Me Like You Said You Would"

Oh my, this may be the funkiest song The Figgs have ever done. Mike Gent's guitar tone pays homage to Keith Richards from the mid-70s, while it echoes some classic Al Green. The first time I saw them perform this was just about a year ago at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn, and the crowd just ate it up.

The Day Gravity Stopped is due out April 17th. I suggest you get it.