YOU DESERVE ROCK TODAY!

ARTIST: SUGAR
ALBUM: FILE UNDER EASY LISTENING
SONG: GEE ANGEL
DATE: 1994
STATUS: NOT ACQUIRED

Sugar was A moderately big deal when they came out because of front man Bob Mould's previous work with Husker Du.

Its really not surprising that Sugar never made it huge. There's something a little to pure in their approach to music. They're like a craft beer. They expect an audience to think while they sip and enjoy they simple mix of  barley, yeast and water. Then again, you can always hope.

Gee Angel is a perfect example of the kind of assuredness that a punk rock veteran like Mould can bring to a rock music. Never dressing it up, just driving it down.

THEN AGAIN, THEY MIGHT NOT...

ARTIST: THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
ALBUM: FLOOD
SONG: BIRDHOUSE IN YOUR SOUL
DATE: 1989
STATUS: NOT ACQUIRED

This is about as mainstream as these guys get.  This may sound weird, but don't these guys feel like Primus' kissing cousins. Granted Primus has more of a tweaked out biker vibe, but can you think of two other bands who make such willfully unpopular music. Might Be Giants appear a little more hugable, but when it comes down to it, they really don't care weather you get it or not, and there's some deep down weird creepiness in their work if you look closely.

It's all so delightful

... GIVE ME GIN AND TONIC

ARTIST: OASIS
ALBUM: DEFINITELY MAYBE
SONG: SUPERSONIC
DATE: 1994
STATUS: ACQUIRED

I always likes Liam Gallegher's reason for never holding a microphone  That would be work, and he's not a worker, he's a star.  Supersonic has that Oasis mix of grandiosity and threat.

FOR A MINUTE THERE EVERYTHING WENT ALL WONKY

ARTIST: PRIUMS
ALBUM: PORK SODA
SONG: MY NAME IS MUD
DATE: 1993
STATUS: NOT ACQUIRED

There are times in your life when you're filled with self righteous anger at the constraints that others put on you, and you just know how perfect the world would be if those others would just get out of your way. Then one day, sitting at home, drinking a Dr. K and watching a little MTV before your parents gets home mass media just vomits Primus all over you and you realize you can only see one small sliver of the possibilities that await you.

LEONARD

ARTIST - SUGAR RAY
ALBUM - FLOORED
SONG - FLY
DATE - JUNE 17, 1997
STATUS - NOT ACQUIRED

Fly was a sharp ninety degree turn from the work on Sugar Ray's debut "Lemonade and Brownies", but this song strikes a sweet spot between the hard goofball rock of that earlier album and their flat out sell out latter pop efforts. By the way, not hatting. Get them checks boys!

Three marks for awesome

Mark One - Super Cat (aka Wild Apache and older brother of Junior Cat)
Mark Two - DJ Homicide
Mark Three - "All around the world status crumble for me" I have no idea if this song is about anything at all, but with lines like that who cares.

COMING AT YOU SUNDAY-SUNDAY-SUNDAY!

ARTIST: RADIOHEAD
ALBUM: THE BENDS
SONG: STREET SPIRIT (FADE OUT)
DATE: JANUARY 22ND 1996
STATUS: ACQUIRED

In Thom York Radiohead is one of the few artsy rock bands whose voice stands up to the its artistic aspirations. Equally this video is aesthetically seamless and stands up today as well as it did nearly twenty years ago.

In the song I think you can hear Echos of R.E.M.'s "Drive" and a prelude to bands like Ours.

I TOTALLY HAD THAT HAIR CUT

ARTIST: THE CHARLATANS UK
ALBUM: SOME FRIENDLY
SONG: THE ONLY ONE I KNOW
DATE: MAY 14 1990
STATUS: ACQUIRED

First of all, if you were an American teen, boy or girl, who took your soccer seriously, you had that hair cut, and it was so ambig-ya-sexy.

Second, Hammond Organ is the most underrated instrument in rock

Third, guitar is awesome, and that my friend is the secret to British pop per-capita dominance.

MADCHESTER!

SORRY, BUT HERONIE IS COOL

ARTIST: MORPHINE
ALBUM: CURE FOR PAIN
SONG: BUENA
DATE: 1993
STATUS: ACQUIRED

Don't ask. Just don't. the panties are coming down. That's what Morphine does. They are like the jazz version of straight-punk, only with drugs. Short haired girls just went nuts for these guys. Bass and Sax are baby making music.

PATRANYM: THE JOY OF THE UNPLANNED

ARTIST: SUGARCUBES
ALBUM: STICK AROUND FOR JOY
SONG: HIT
DATE: 1992

We're a little late this week, but we come back ridiculously awesome.

Bjork burst onto my consciousness fully formed, but then I remembered a brief encounter with "Hit" in the early 90's. Hit churned away in all its glowing late era glow only to break down into some bizarre rap by "ouch that really hurts". It was so wrong I knew no one I knew would admit to liking it. Yet its oh so good.

ITS FRIDAY AND OUR PRODUCTION BUDGET IS RUNNING LOW

ARTIST: CAKE
ALBUM: MOTORCADE OF GENEROSITY
SONG: ROCK AND ROLL LIFE STYLE
DATE: 1993
STATUS: ACQUIRED

I first heard this song on the radio and then never again. The DJ never told us who it was. It wasn't until Fashion Nugget was a world number one smash hit that I rediscovered the song while digging through Cake's back catalog, for what it was. It is the ultimate hipsters anti-hipster lament.

SECOND SINGLE EQUALS CONCERT VIDEO

ARTIST: GREEN DAY
ALBUM: DOOKIE
SONG: WELCOME TO PARADISE
DATE: OCTOBER 4, 1994
STATUS: ACQUIRED

Punk rock never seamed so responsible and wholesome until Green Day.

JUST CRAZY GOOD ON A WEDNESDAY

ARTIST: RADIOHEAD
ALBUM: KID A
SONG: IDIOTEQUE
DATE: OCTOBER 2000
STATUS: ACQUIRED

"Kid A" was hailed as the future, but only if the future was going to be awesome. It turns out the future is no more or less awesome than the past, but Idioteque is a beautiful song that blures the line between instruments and electronics to create a fuzzy, crackling, beeping tone.

36 JOHNNY PAY CHECKS

ORGANIZATION: WU TANG
ALBUM: ENTER THE WU TAN (36 CHAMBERS)
SONG: C.R.E.A.M.
DATE: JANUARY 31, 1994
STATUS: NOT ACQUIRED

Yesterday was fun, but back to work, after all cash rules everything around me, and Wu Tang is the kind of Metaproject that connects us back to a deeper truth that keeps creative types knuckled down.

OPENING DAY, WHICKED PISSER J'ELLO

ARTIST - G. LOVE AND SPECIAL SAUCE
ALBUM - G. LOVE AND SPECIAL SAUCE
SONG - COLD BEVERAGES
DATE - MAY 10, 1994
STATUS - ACQUIRED

Usually we'd save this one for a Friday, but its Opening Day, meaning millions of people are taking the afternoon off to get together and throw back a few cold ones, watch some baseball, and write it off as "marketing". We're on to you everyone in Boston!

We'll be heading over to Turner Field this evening to catch a Braves game with Fidel, Lil' Bro, and Ayn. The mush-mouthed styling of G. Love are the perfect thing to put us in that summer semester mood. Even if you're drunk, they still count you as present on the roll.