TVD's Shuffle Bored | January 18, 2008

Simply. At. Random.
David Vandervelde - Murder in Michigan (Mp3)
The Chameleons - Caution (Live) (Mp3)
Blue Ash - Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?) (Mp3)
20/20 - Tell Me Why (Mp3)
Two People - Rescue Me (Mp3)

TVD's Daily Wax | Crowded House "Together Alone"

The late Tower Records' self-published magazine 'Pulse' crossed my mind the other day. If there ever was a publication with less discerning taste, I've yet to see it. Each CD or artist interview was positively fawning. "Well honey, here we are RIGHT in the Tower Records ready to purchase this new Insane Clown Posse CD but Tower themselves says it's a boatload of crap - so why bother?!" That'd be self-defeating, right? So, every review spoke to SOMETHING redeeming for ANY CD, and let's face it, Insane Clown Posse? (Shite.) What 'Pulse' did have as a feature was something called "Desert Island Discs" -- the ten or so LPs or what have you that you'd want to turn your new pal Friday onto while stranded on the aforementioned desert island -- and just listen to forever. And it was a pretty decent monthly feature. You could tell basically who you'd want to immediately hang out with given their taste in music versus the guy you'd wanna whack with a bat. Which brings me to today's selection: "Together Alone" by Crowded House. I'd turn to Friday and he'd be singing "Well, I've been locked out/ I've been locked in..." and we'd laaaaaugh. He makes great Mojitos too, that Friday.

Crowded House - Kare Kare (Mp3)
Crowded House - Black And White Boy (Mp3)
Crowded House - Walking On The Spot (Mp3)
Crowded House - Skin Feeling (Mp3)
Crowded House - Together Alone (Mp3)

Mojito Recipe
3 fresh mint sprigs
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 oz light rum
club soda

In a tall thin glass, crush part of the mint with a fork to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lime juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice. Add rum and mix. Top off with *chilled* club soda (or seltzer). Add a lime slice and the remaining mint, and serve. Enjoy!

TVD's Daily Wax | The Plimsouls Debate

I'd like to postulate that there are some bands who should never enter a studio and simply play live - forever. Like, just never record. Producers most often simply don't know how to harness the energy and power of a killer live act. The results are too clean, glossy, and well, commercial. Case in point (no pun) are The Plimsouls -- a band I first heard live for the most part via a cassette of the LP right up there. "One Night In America" is a much better example of how the band really sounded, with swagger to its rhythms, grit in the vocals, and spectacularly honed and inventive vocals from Peter Case, who also gets some good duel guitar action with Eddie Munoz on every track. Not only doesn't the band sound slick, like their one Geffen album does, it sounds dangerous, in the best rock 'n' roll tradition.

So, today, a little TVD experiment: The Plimsouls live from 1981 at The Whiskey A Go Go -vs- The Plimsouls' 1983 Geffen release "Everywhere at Once" produced by Jeff Eyrich -- who for today's purposes I'll dub "The Cleaner." (I guess my leanings are uh, rather apparent...)

From 1983's "Everywhere at Once":
The Plimsouls - A Million Miles Away (Mp3)
The Plimsouls - I'll Get Lucky (Mp3)
The Plimsouls - Inch By Inch (Mp3)
The Plimsouls - Shaky City (Mp3)

Live at the Whiskey, 1981:
The Plimsouls - A Million Miles Away (Live) (Mp3)
The Plimsouls - I'll Get Lucky (Live) (Mp3)
The Plimsouls - Inch By Inch (Live) (Mp3)
The Plimsouls - Shaky City (Live) (Mp3)

TVD's Daily Wax | The Babys "On the Edge"

Uncomplicated. Unfussy. Anti-intellectual. Confectionary. Yet, constant rock for me and my Girl Friday.

The Babys - Postcard.mp3
The Babys - She's My Girl.mp3
The Babys - Darker Side Of Town.mp3
The Babys - Downtown.mp3
The Babys - Gonna Be Somebody.mp3

TVD's Daily Wax | Blondie "Eat to the Beat"

"Here at TVD, we're all about breaking new bands. So let us introduce you to a wonderful 6-piece combo from NYC who have big things ahead of them..."

Nothing like being right in retrospect, huh? Seriously, this is one release I've owned in every format -- vinyl, CD, even cassette. (Sadly, not 8-track.) And is "Union City Blue" one of the best rock songs EVER?! Well, yes.

Blondie - Dreaming (Mp3)
Blondie - Union City Blue (Mp3)
Blondie - Accidents Never Happen (Mp3)
Blondie - Slow Motion (Mp3)
Blondie - Atomic (Mp3)

BONUS:
Radiohead - Union City Blue (Live) (Mp3)

TVD's Weekend Shots | 200th Post Edition

Teardrop Explodes - Bouncing Babies (Mp3)
The Stranglers - Five Minutes (Mp3)
Modern English - Gathering Dust (Mp3)
Medium Medium - Hungry So Angry (Mp3)
The Passions - Hunted (Mp3)
Wire - Our Swimmer (Mp3)
Echo and the Bunnymen - Pictures On My Wall (Mp3)
Wild Swans - Revolutionary Spirit (Mp3)
New Model Army - The Prize (Mp3)
Joy Division - These Days (Mp3)

There IS a theme here.

TVD's Shuffle Bored | January 11, 2008

The Random Friday Five hot off the 'pod. Anyone else?

Sylvian and Sakamoto - Bamboo Houses (Mp3)
Kent - Unprofessional (Mp3)
Felt - Primitive Painters (Mp3)
greatestnamelessband - Felt (Mp3)
Of Montreal - The Past is a Grotesque Animal (Mp3)

TVD's Daily Wax | Arnold "The Barn Tapes"

Mark Saxby, Phil Morris and Phil Payne WERE (we think?) Arnold - initially signed to Alan McGee's Creation Records and later on his Poptones imprint. These tracks come from their demos (recorded over 12 days in a medieval barn in Kent) which impressed McGee so much he released them -- as is. Some of these tracks later appeared on Arnold's wonderful debut "Hillside" which was followed by "Bahama" and subsequently a self-titled EP of new (fantastic) material. Then well, Saxby and Payne now record as Little Massive. So, Arnold - where are you? (Yes, we're big fans...)

Arnold - Float My Boat (Mp3)
Arnold - Face (Mp3)
Arnold - Windsor Park (Mp3)
Arnold - Medication Time (Mp3)

TVD's Daily Wax | The Posies "Amazing Disgrace"

"Nobody does it better / makes me feel saaad for the rest..."

The Posies - World (Mp3)
The Posies - Throwaway (Mp3)
The Posies - Everybody Is A Fucking Liar (Mp3)
The Posies - Hate Song.mp3
The Posies - Will You Ever Ease Your Mind (Mp3)

TVD's Daily Wax | Marshall Crenshaw "Marshall Crenshaw"

Five today from the hugely underrated Marshall Crenshaw from his first LP. Always just loved this cover too...

Marshall Crenshaw - Someday (Mp3)
Marshall Crenshaw - There She Goes Again (Mp3)
Marshall Crenshaw - Girls... (Mp3)
Marshall Crenshaw - Cynical Girl (Mp3)
Marshall Crenshaw - Mary Anne (Mp3)

TVD: Twee'd Off

We're delighted to have been invited to contribute to the interesting international collective known as Fun and Heartbreak. Come join us, won't you?

TVD's Daily Wax | Joe Jackson Band "Volume 4"

At one point during the past weekend with the house to myself and a cold one in hand, I blasted last Monday's Daily Wax -- the Joe Jackson Band's "Beat Crazy" followed by the reunited band's '03 release "Volume 4." Now, Joe's taken some serious detours between these two 'band' releases...swing, salsa, film scoring and more -- but you wouldn't know it playing these two LP's back to back. There's a continuity of energy, attack and wit like those divergent musical paths of Joe's were never taken. See what I mean:

Joe Jackson Band - Bright Grey (Mp3)
Joe Jackson Band - Fairy Dust (Mp3)
Joe Jackson Band - Take It Like A Man (Mp3)
Joe Jackson Band - Awkward Age (Mp3)
Joe Jackson Band - Thugz 'R' Us (Mp3)

TVD Recommends (for your weekend): The Martial Arts

...via Glasgow. Redd Kross meets Silver Sun by way of (...er) Weezer...?

The Martial Arts - Murry & Audree (Mp3)
The Martial Arts - Mod Val (Mp3)
The Martial Arts - Kicking And Screaming (Mp3)
The Martial Arts - Contemptuous Disdain (Mp3)
The Martial Arts - Finale (Mp3)

...and they're giving away their entire release right here. Me thinks we're off to a fine start to the year...

TVD Comes Alive!

Ten live tracks to kick off the first Friday of '08...

The Plimsouls - Hush (Mp3)
(Live at The Whiskey A Go Go, 1981)
The La's - Timeless Melody (Mp3)
(Live at the Marquee, 4/23/91)
Jellyfish - The King is Half Undressed (Mp3)
(Live in San Juan Capistrano, 4/4/93)
Suede - Heroine (Mp3)
(Live in London, 9/23/03)
Japan - My New Career (Mp3)
(Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, 7/2/81)
Tears For Fears - Start of the Breakdown (Mp3)
(Live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour, 1985)
Thin Lizzy - The Sun Goes Down (Mp3)
(Live at the Regal Theatre, 1983)
Joe Jackson - It's Different For Girls (Mp3)
(Live at the Hatfield Polytechnic, 11/29/79)
The Clash - Train in Vain (Mp3)
(Live at the Bob Marley Centre, Montego Bay, 11/27/82)
Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now (Mp3)
(Live in London, 1975)

TVD's Shuffle Bored | January 4, 2008

TVD kicked this off in '07 and it becomes a regular Friday feature for '08 -- Shuffle Bored. The premise is simple -- the iPod's selections have become predictable and boring, so here's my random five for your random five. List, post, link -- whatever -- just hit us with your Friday five...

The Melodians - Rivers of Babylon (Mp3)
Psychedelic Furs - Into You Like A Train (Mp3)
Paul Hyde and the Payolas - All That I Want (Mp3)
Danny Wilson - Aberdeen (Live) (Mp3)
Longpigs - She Said (Mp3)

TVD HQ Upgrades

I'm not sure how many of you who read TVD with any frequency do so for the the music alone or for the vinyl rips to Mp3, but shortly TVD HQ will have a new addition for the latter -- the ION Audio TTUSB10 pictured above. As with most purchases of this sort, research was conducted, options were weighed, and the dice was rolled in favor of the ION model. When the new turntable arrives (mid-January) TVD will delve into the set-up and usability of the product and will follow the progress from box to broadband. Feedback, advice and warnings from current ION owners quite welcome along the way...

Update: And it is with much love that TVD thanks Ms. TVD for the kick-ass Christmas gift!

TVD Recommends: The Grants

...via Liverpool.
The Grants - I Am the One (Mp3)
The Grants - Nothing to Lose(Mp3)

TVD's Daily Wax | Grant Lee Buffalo "Fuzzy"

just a girl who can’t say no / and her sweetheart on parole / parents named her jupiter / blessed her with a lucky soul / he’s a boy who never cried / when they locked him up inside / and she nicknamed him her teardrop / for the tattoo by his eye / now she’s sleeping in her bed / and he’s sleeping in her bed / and it’s jupiter and teardrop / and it’s jupiter and teardrop / she divines by radio / pushing buttons show to show / and she wonders ’bout the fate of / lovers in the barrio / she forgets after a while / when she tunes in on the dial / jackie wilson’s lonely teardrops / and she drives another mile / now she’s sleeping in her bed / and he’s sleeping in her bed / and it’s jupiter and teardrop / and it’s jupiter and teardrop / and they want to have a child / walk together down the aisle / but the world they live in is mean / and its built on sheer denial / the phone rings it’s for her / "got to see ya jupiter" / "i’m in trouble with the law" / "bring my 38 caliber" / now she’s sleeping in her bed / as she pulls the phone plug dead / and it’s jupiter and teardrop.

Grant Lee Buffalo - Jupiter And Teardrop (Mp3)
Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy (Mp3)
Grant Lee Buffalo - Wish You Well (Mp3)
Grant Lee Buffalo - Stars N' Stripes (Mp3)
Grant Lee Buffalo - You Just Have To Be Crazy (Mp3)

...and hey, if you're not in DC but some far-flung locale -- what's spinning on your turntable?

TVD's Daily Wax | Joe Jackson "Beat Crazy"

"This album represents a desperate attempt to make some sense of Rock and Roll. Deep in our hearts, we knew it was doomed to failure. The question remains: Why did we try?"

Joe Jackson - Beat Crazy (Mp3)
Joe Jackson - In Every Dream Home (A Nightmare) (Mp3)
Joe Jackson - Mad At You (Mp3)
Joe Jackson - The Evil Eye (Mp3)
Joe Jackson - Fit (Mp3)

TVD: In no particular order...

...a few favorites from '07.






And undeniably the best release of the year:



The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Mp3)
(acoustic with new strings, 'Love' version)
Foreign Born - In the Shape (Mp3)
David Vandervelde - Nothin' No (Mp3)
Bee and Flower - Don't Say Don't Worry (Mp3)
The Clientele - Isn't Life Strange (Mp3)

TVD will return 0n 1/2/08. Happy New Year!

Here at TVD it's well known that we love the 70's, but it seems you guys REALLY love the '70's if the web tracking is any indication. Those two weeks of posts are still the highest viewed pages for any tracking period, but alas -- those links have all expired.

But fear thee not! As a little gift for the holidays, we've compiled all the tracks from those two weeks of posts into three handy (but large!) links below. So set those PCs to download while you're out clogging the malls exchanging gifts and upon your arrival home -- a nice bit o' nostalgia awaits.

Thanks for reading folks and Happy Holidays!

TVD'S 70's COLLECTION | 1970 The Beatles - The Long and Winding Road | Carpenters - Close to You | Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime | B.J. Thomas - Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head | Partridge Family - I Think I Love You | George Harrison - My Sweet Lord | Badfinger - Come and Get It 1971 Badfinger - No Matter What | David Bowie - Changes | Alice Cooper - Eighteen | Donny Osmond - Go Away Little Girl | T-Rex - Jeepster | The Temptations - Just My Imagination | Steven Stills - Love The One You're With | Rod Stewart - Maggie May | Jackson 5 - Never Can Say Goodbye | Osmonds - One Bad Apple | Chicago - Saturday in the Park | Marvin Gaye - What's Going On | Elton John - Your Song 1972 America - A Horse With No Name | Mott the Hoople - All The Young Dudes | T-Rex - Bang A Gong (Get It On) | Looking Glass - Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) | Raspberries - Go All The Way | Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now | Jim Croce - Operator | Doobie Brothers - Listen To The Music | Paul Simon - Mother and Child Reunion | Gary Glitter - Rock & Roll Part 2 | Elton John - Rocket Man | Alice Cooper - School's Out | David Bowie - Space Oddity | Seals & Crofts - Summer Breeze | America - Ventura Highway | Nilsson - Without You 1973 The Four Tops - Ain't No Woman (Like The One I Got | Alice Cooper - No More Mister Nice Guy | Jim Croce - Bad, Bad Leroy Brown | Sweet - Ballroom Blitz | Wings - Band On The Run | Doobie Brothers - China Grove | The Spinners - Could It Be I'm Falling In Love | Elton John - Daniel | Seals & Crofts - Diamond Girl | Steely Dan - Do It Again | Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | Todd Rundgren - Hello It's Me | Paul Simon - Kodachrome | Doobie Brothers - Long Train Runnin' | Wings - My Love | Ringo Starr - Photograph | Steely Dan - Reelin' In The Years | David Essex - Rock On | Stealers Wheel - Stuck In The Middle With You 1974 Elton John - Bennie And The Jets | The Eagles - Best of My Love | ELO - Can't Get It Out of My Head | Harry Chapin - Cat's In The Cradle | Joni Mitchell - Help Me | Wings - Jet | Wings - Junior's Farm | Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting | Pilot - Magic | Barry Manilow - Mandy | Maria Muldaur - Midnight At The Oasis | Steely Dan - Rikki Don't Lose That Number | Hues Corporation - Rock The Boat | Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun | Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown | Steve Miller Band - The Joker | Grand Funk Railroad - The Locomotion | ABBA - Waterloo | John Lennon - Whatever Gets You Thru The Night 1975 ABBA - SOS | Sweet - Action | Doobie Brothers - Black Water | Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody | ELO - Evil Woman | Sweet - Fox On The Run | Ace - How Long | 10cc - I'm Not In Love | Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Jackie Blue | Wings - Listen To What The Man Said | Minnie Ripperton - Loving You | Paul Simon - 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover | Elton John - Philadelphia Freedom | KISS - Rock and Roll All Nite | America - Sister Golden Hair | KC and the Sunshine Band - That's The Way (I Like It) | The Eagles - Take it to the Limit 1976 Eric Carmen - All By Myself | KISS - Beth | Peter Frampton - Do You Feel Like We Do | Elton John & Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart | Gary Wright - Dream Weaver | Elvin Bishop - Fooled Around and Fell in Love | Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon | Seals & Crofts - Get Closer | Hall & Oates - Sara Smile | Mary MacGregor - Torn Between Two Lovers | Starbuck - Moonlight Feels Right | Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music | Fleetwood Mac - Say You Love Me | Peter Frampton - Show Me The Way | Rod Stewart - Tonight's The Night | Barry Manilow - Weekend in New England | John Sebastian - Welcome Back | C. W. McCall - Convoy 1977 Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By The Light | Linda Ronstadt - Blue Bayou | Foreigner - Cold As Ice | Fleetwood Mac - Dreams | Steve Miller - Fly Like An Eagle | The Eagles - Hotel California | Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love | Wings - Maybe I'm Amazed | ELO - Mr. Blue Sky | The Eagles - New Kid in Town | Hall & Oates - Rich Girl | Bay City Rollers - Saturday Night | Paul Simon - Slip Slidin' Away | Glen Campbell - Southern Nights | Fleetwood Mac - The Chain | 10cc - The Things We Do for Love | ELO - Turn To Stone | Queen - We Are The Champions | Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat 1978 ABBA - Take A Chance On Me | Eddie Money - Baby Hold On | Patti Smith - Because The Night | Queen - Bicycle Race | Kansas - Dust In The Wind | Queen - Fat Bottomed Girls | Nick Gilder - Hot Child In The City | Alicia Bridges - I Love The Nightlife | Exile - Kiss You All Over | Chic - Le Freak | Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good | Sweet - Love Is Like Oxygen | Bee Gees - Night Fever | Steely Dan - Peg | Randy Newman - Short People | Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing | Meat Loaf - Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad | The O'Jays - Use Ta Be My Girl 1979 Styx - Babe | Player - Baby Come Back | Rod Stewart - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy | ELO - Don't Bring Me Down | Chic - Good Times | Supertramp - Goodbye Stranger | Blondie - Heart Of Glass | Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me | KISS - I Was Made For Loving You | Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive | Supertramp - Logical Song | Donna Summer - MacArthur Park | The Knack - My Sharona | Peaches & Herb - Reunited | Anita Ward - Ring My Bell | Supertramp - Breakfast in America | Bee Gees - Too Much Heaven | Bee Gees - Tragedy | Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes

TVD's 70's Collection | Part 1 - 1970-1973 (252 MGs)
TVD's 70's Collection | Part 2 - 1974-1976 (259 MGs)
TVD's 70's Collection | Part 3 - 1977-1979 (285 MGs)

(The links will stay active until 1/2/08 or until the bandwidth is exceeded.)

TVD's Daily Wax | ABC "The Lexicon of Love"

I'm reminded of how the Melody Maker would often do reviews of shows or new releases. Everett True, for example, would ostensibly be writing about this or that -- and never even mention this or that. Just a free-form, associative meandering on the page. Worthwhile reading, for sure - just not, shall we say, pertinent to the topic.

Twenty five years ago this LP was a gift for the holidays. Lightening lamps of memories.

ABC - Tears Are Not Enough (Mp3)
ABC - 4 Ever 2 Gether (Mp3)
ABC - Many Happy Returns (Mp3)
ABC - Date Stamp (Mp3)
ABC - All Of My Heart (Mp3)

TVD's Daily Wax | David Sylvian "Brilliant Trees"

I had a pen pal back in the day when people used pens who turned me onto Japan. Hilde was a bit older, worldlier, with an established taste in music at times far from my own. So, it was "Oil on Canvas" posted to me in the mail after numerous letters and raves about the band -- copied from her LP onto cassette. Seduced, I was. I mean, what was THIS? That opening bass line - those vocals...off-putting and embraceable at once. Japan was done by then and 'Brilliant Trees' slithered into my consciousness in Winter '84 as a senior in high school. I was working at a KB Toy Store in the Mall -- holiday help for the Christmas season then. This odd, brooding, troubled LP became the soundtrack to such wonderful memories only enhanced by the rush of a crush on Lisa, the cashier. I think we dated for about an hour. One of those girls who was just too pretty to not stop dating just in GENERAL -- why waste all those good looks, right? She could do no wrong, I could do no right and Sylvian's singing "...why do I fail, just when I'm needed?" amid the toys and the children and the Christmas lights. I came upon 'Brilliant Trees' in the dollar bin over at Som Records last weekend. I was almost tempted to repurchase it despite owning it on vinyl and CD. I miss this record, I thought. I miss the me then, eons ago, amid the toys and the children and the Christmas lights and the pictures of the people who've come and gone, the lives and loves, who I've actually shared this record with. ...Sylvian's singing "..the sound of waves in a pool of water, I'm drowning in my nostalgia..." in the dollar bin.

David Sylvian - Backwaters (Mp3)
David Sylvian - Nostalgia (Mp3)
David Sylvian - Red Guitar (Mp3)
David Sylvian - The Ink In The Well (Mp3)
David Sylvian - Weathered Wall (Mp3)