The greatest song to emerge from the Cleveland underground from the mid-late 1970s. I love how this song rides its sinister, minimalistic groove, gradually adding instruments, and then exploding at the end with a magnificent guitar solo by the late Peter Laughner. Arguably, Laughner’s finest moment on record, though it’s well worth it to check out the material he recorded with Rocket from the Tombs and his posthumous solo compilation “Take the Guitar Player for a Ride.”
Aside from “Roxanne’s Revenge,” “Brothers Ain’t S–t” may be Roxanne Shante’s most famous song. This may seem anti-male based on its title, but in reality, it’s a really smart and funny extended rap about the importance of maintaining your dignity and not being taken advantage of. Despite the fact that this is an otherwise positive song, the language on this number is really rough, so not safe for work or little ones.
A terrific hard rock song from The Move, circa 1971. Put to great use in the 1997 film “Boogie Nights” during the 1980 New Year’s Eve scene … right before everything goes to hell for the characters.
Had the Stones started during the mid-1970s, they may have sounded like the Saints. The Saints were considered punk, but mainly for their energy and casually disdainful attitude. No safet pins or spiky hair. Just raw, edgy, bluesy playing with a cool as f–k attitude.
Picking my favorite Matthew Sweet song is difficult, but “Time Capsule” from the 1993 album “Altered Beast” is a standout in my mind, especially the chord changes and lyrics. One of the best songs of the 1990s.
A rare and beautiful ballad by post-hardcore legends Fugazi. From the soundtrack of Jem Cohen’s Fugazi documentary “Instrument.”
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned … especially when she’s in her late 30s, has lived a very hard life, and sounds like she could literally tear your head off with her bare hands. You thought Alanis Morisette’s “You Oughta Know” sounded angry? You thought Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction” was nuts? Hell, you thought Trent Reznor sounded pissed off against the female race on NIN’s first two-three albums? Faithfull could easily kick all their asses without breaking a sweat and then go after the “bad boyfriend” in this song with a knife and fork. Yikes. A really, really angry song with a lot of bad language, so you know the drill.
Another gem from Green Day’s magnificent “American Idiot” album. If you take away the heavy guitars, this could easiliy pass for a Dion and the Belmonts song. I love the new millenial doo-wop groove they’re going for here.
Speaking of bands from another planet, here’s Von Lmo. Who’s Von Lmo, you may ask? Why, they’re the band from the future … here now! As geeky and insane as this premise is, Von Lmo backs up their monkey shines with some of the sickest and heaviest sounding lead guitar I’ve ever heard. C’mon Earthlings, get off your ass and ADVANCE YOURSELF!!
One of the weirdest, wildest, and coolest songs off the 4-CD Rhino Records “Nuggets” box set is the Elastik Band’s “Spazz,” from 1967. I don’t know anything else about this band, but I would love to hear more. This is truly from another planet.
Dave's Strange World 