Old Friends On CD .. How Soon We Forget!!

I love music. I really do. It's a passion of mine. I love "discovering" some small band that has great music that I can call all my own before they hit it big time just so I can say something like "Ted Leo and The Pharmacists? Are you kidding? I've been listening to them for years now. I'm surprised you only found out about 'em now!" So it was with great joy tonight I was going through a series of recorded CD's when I popped one in and found that I loved every song on it. It was my "Next 20" CD ... roughly those songs just outside my all-time Top 20. I savored every song and here is the list ...

1. "Mannish Boy" - Muddy Waters : Fucking brilliant song. I remember this one from Better Off Dead when John Cusack drives his bitchin' Camaro out of the garage.
2. "Saint Behind The Glass" - Los Lobos: Brilliant song from one of my fave bands. These guys are so versatile; they'll play straight rock one minute, whip out the accordion and start in with the old Mexican standards the next.
3. "Blister In The Sun" - Violent Femmes: Aaaahhh, yes!! I grew up in the 80's; but when I hit a bar here and this plays, I'll notice people who are all of 22 singing this one.
4. "Boom Boom" - Big Head Todd & The Monsters: It's not often I like a remake, especially of this song. The original is so gritty, so raw, so awesome that it would take a damn good remake to get to me. With John Lee Hooker on this one, they did it.
5. "Simmer Down" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones: I will always love ska and probably will always love ska-punk. I always thought the Bosstones were at their best when they did more of the ska sounds and put a little distance away from the hardcore punk stuff. This Marley remake is brilliant.

Evan Dando of The Lemonheads

6. "Confetti" - The Lemonheads: One of my all-time fave bands. With opening lyrics of "He kinda shoulda sorta woulda loved her if he coulda ...", this song is one that you never forget and is always a welcome return.
7. "Hey Jealousy" - Gin Blossoms: This is one of the greatest Arizona bands ever (along with Jimmy Eat World and The Replacements). These guys play around Arizona State from time to time still.
8. "I Want You Back" - Jackson 5: Pre-creepy Michael. I earnestly challenge you to listen and not tap your toes or bob your head.
9. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police: One of the most perfect songs ever. If I ever fall in love again, I hope this song will explain how I feel.

Aaahhh yes; The English Beat still get me to move in my chair as I write this

10. "Save It For Later" - The English Beat (or The Beat in the UK; thanks to Alan for explaining that one to me): This was the first ska song I remember hearing and I automatically fell in love with ska. Ska just speaks to me. VH1 tried to reunite the band but a couple of members held out. I was crushed they didn't get back together
11. "Love Plus One" - Haircut 100: This came out around the same time as Save It For Later. I loved this song as well. This band reunited on VH1 making the Devil very very happy.
12. "But Not Tonight" - Depeche Mode: I still love 80's synth pop with everything from Erasure to Yaz to Dead or Alive. I first heard this in the movie Modern Girls and I instantly had that special feeling for Virginia Madsen.
13. "Laid" - James: The perfect lyric: She only cums when she's on top!! Plus everyone tries to hit the notes after "you think you're so pretty ....eeeeeeeee"
14. "Panic" - The Smiths: Fun sing along about hanging a DJ .. not that Morrissey is a morbid guy. I have never seen so many people happily singing along about murder in my life. Let's all sing "Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ..."
15. "Amor Latino" - Carlos Vives: Irresistible beat. This guy makes traditional Colombia coastal music known as vallenato absolutely cool. This tune has one of the most irresistable accordion riffs ever ... yes, I did say accordion! Another challenge to listen to this one and not tap your feet, drum your fingers or move with the music.
16. "Lucha De Gigantes" - Nacha Pop: This is a beautiful song. If you've seen the movie Amores Perros, this is the song playing when Gael Garcia Bernal finally gets to make love to his brother's wife who he is love with. A little incestuous, very Springer-like but a damn good movie. My friend Edel from Ireland loves this song; she said "you needn't know how to speak Spanish to understand what the song is about".
17. "What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye: Oh how you can you hear this and wonder what has happened to music today. This song is so full of soul and passion, you can feel it.
18. "I'm Like A Bird" - Nelly Furtado: OK, I'll admit it. I've always had a thing for Nelly Furtado. She is flat out sexy, but when I first heard this when she performed on SNL, I loved the tune instantly. Deny it all you like, you find yourself enjoying this tune when others are out of the room.
19. "What I Got" - Sublime: This is one of those tragic rock star stories. Right when this band blows up, the lead singer Bradley Nowell overdoses. This band did it for me; some reggae, mix in some Spanish lyrics from time to time, just enough rock to mix it up. Absolute perfection to me.
20. "Roll Out" - Ludacris: I get to roll out my ghetto side with this. "Who dem girls you be wit' when you be ridin' through ..."; it makes for a damn good song to listen to in your car. You've got to wonder how ghetto a guy driving a Jeep with a Dave Matthews sticker in the back window can be!!!
21. "Live In A Hiding Place" - Idlewild: Simple acoustic song that is a powerful testament to stripping down the studio and just playing some great riffs. It's a testament to a great band with a great song.
22. "Chick Magnet" - MxPx: The nice guys of punk. These guys have been around forever and still somehow put out great tunes after all these years. The video for this is absolutely hilarious.

Molotov: A great Mexican band. Check 'em out!!

23. "Puto" - Molotov: Damn this song is that one I talked about listening to at Spring Break in Mexico. From what I understand, the crowd will chant Puto until the band takes the stage. The band has taken more of a political/socioeconomic turn with songs like Frijolero ("beaner" in English which of course is a derogatory term for Mexicans).

I highly suggest you find an old CD where you're not quite sure what's on it and give it a listen. Tell me what you hear on it!!