Not Nice But Loud

Another week. I can't even begin to tell the wonderful, wonderful events of the week. At least the California Supreme Court decisively struck down the idiotic gay marriage ban. Looks like weddings will be possible starting in June.

I would like to see someone track the economic impact of this. It's gonna be FABULOUS!!


So the Musical Poopery today will be on behalf of all our brothers and sisters out West now feverishly planning ceremonies. I trust my invites will be in the mail.

A Big Chili Dog of HANX!! to the help from my almost several readers, TWO thresholds on the iTunery: over 32,000 songs, and 1014 artists (although some of that comes from reclassifying a couple of Various Artist collections. woot11. I guess the next threshold will be the 3K mark for albums. 350 to go. Albums is such a quaint word.


Oh, and any Bad Religion that shows up is TOTALLY gonna irritate Pinko Punko. WHO THE HELL IS SALLY??!?!


1. Trampled Rose from the album "Raising Sand" by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss This is a pretty good, if subdued album. Plant and Krauss voice complement each other well. It's not as country as you expect. Kathleen mentioned it in a previous thread, and for once I'm not going to dwell on the potential hookup illustrated by the album cover. This song is completely Alison's, where she tries to do a Plant kind of wail over an Americana banjo. Wouldn't be out of place on The Executioner's Last Songs; wouldn't be out of place on a Nick Cave album either. It will, howsomever, be a fine song for confounding Zelmo's genetic disposition to pigeonholing.

I guess I did mention the Plant-Krauss connection after all. Oops. Hope they come through town on tour.

2. Redrum from the album "Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards" by Tom Waits Droney. Techno-industrial. Instrumental. Short. Tom Waits, America's most respected musician who most people can't listen to.

3. Brothers In Arms from the album "Brothers In Arms (Remastered)" by Dire Straits We saw them on this tour. A classic story was experienced, to which we still refer with the catchphrase "...guys? guys?.....where'd ya go, guys?" An underrated song from an overrated album. But I still played the hell out of it when it was new, at least until they became the MTV constants that they lampooned in 'Money For Nothing' Irony was still alive back then, and still had a sense of humor to fuck with millionaire rock musicians.

4. Useless Trinkets from the album "Useless Trinkets-B Sides, Soundtracks, Rarieties and Unreleased 1996-2006" by Eels As much as I like eels' albums, this one hasn't grown on me too much. It seems kind of scattershot, which is inevitable on a beesides album. Mediocre eels is still better than most other stuff though.

5. The Symphony of Man from the album "Trinity Seas Seize Sees (disc 2)" by Sigmund Snopek III Classic, sprawling prog-space epic concept album from Milwaukee Maestro. Sigmund is probably the only musician who often makes the claim that he once played Carnegie Hall and a bowling alley in Waukesha in the same week. He started writing this concept album in the 70's, claiming that it all came to him nearly fully-formed; the first disc was released on vinyl, then a few years back he assembled a stellar cast of local musicians to complete the three disc set and release it. I once saw him perform most of it live, being joined by British sax legend Dick Parry (remember the sax breaks from Dark Side of The Moon? That guy). He's playing at Summerfest on one of the first days.

6. Do You Think You're Beautiful from the album "Purr" by Dance Hall Crashers Another one for Kathleen. I bet they're playing this in front of a HUGE Bad Religion poster. While eating citrus. 10 out of ten. but I wish they'd pick the energy UP a little, you know?

7. King of Comedy (808 State Remix) from the album "Electrolite - EP" by R.E.M. Okay, even these guys swing and miss sometimes. An electro remix of this song? Probably not necessary. But I am kind of a completist on REM, and iTunes comes through by having all their EPs, plus lots of extra stuff.

8. The Last Stop from the album "Before These Crowded Streets" by Dave Matthews Band My secret is out. I am a closet fan of DMB. Not a neo-hippy jam band aficionado though; but I appreciate the severe musicianship of his band; plus Matthews has an ear for hooks and harmony that most jammers seem ignorant of; plus, he knows when to END a damn song.

9. Army Bound from the album "Living With The Living" by Ted Leo/Pharmacists

10. Mystery Title from the album "Pictures At Eleven" by Robert Plant More Plant, without Krauss. One of his 80's discs. It holds up surprisingly well. In 1977, who'd have thought that Plant would be the only one to have a respectable post-Zep output, rather than Page? But don't count John Paul Jones out; his work behind the scenes is surprising. He's played with Robyn Hitchcock, REM, and Heart, among others.

11. Screaming Skull from the album "Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No Star" by Sonic Youth Love these noisy boys. Not Nice But Loud indeed. Once saw them opening for Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and they hit the stage with Die Kreuzen name check.

12. First Lesson from the album "The Unreel Hits" by Wooldridge Brothers More local music stalwarts. In the late 80's these boys moved their entire band to Milwaukee from Indianapolis because the Miltown scene was so active. They recorded a couple of albums as The Squares before disbanding, since recording several albums as teh Wbs. Their song 'Star Of Desire' made them some bucks off the tv show Party of Five. Also in the movie Contact. Long been a favorite of miine, their discs are strong roots-pop, and well worth checking out.

13. Who Throwed Lye on my Dog from the album "Human Fly" by The Horse Flies woah. this is some old alt-folk-bluegrassy stuff. weird. fits right into this playlist. Goes on maybe a little too long.

14. Southern Girls from the album "D.I.Y.: Come Out And Play" by Cheap Trick classic. Cheap Trick is at Summerfest yet again this year. Better than another cover band though. Cheap Trick was the Bad Religion of the 70's.

15. Paranoid from the album "Ska The Third Wave Volume 2 - Cover It UP!" by Various Artists Ruder Than You contributes a fine skankin metal cover.

16. Where It Starts from the album "Who Killed Puck?" by Cloud Cult One of my favorite bands, although Canadians of Uncanny persuasion apparently find them too earnest. "I found god in a Dr. Seuss book... I found God in the words of Steve Miller" over a trip-hop beat. Plus a reference to box wine.


At this point, I have two choices; call it, or go until Bad Religion shows up. Unfortunately, the Workwagon comoes for me, although I'm not dead yet.

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