Strummadoo

Some comp I picked up a long time ago had a Joe Strummer solo track on it that I really didn't like too much. I really love the Clash, and I didn't want anything to sour that, so I stayed away from Strummer's solo work for a while. Today, I happened to come across the (almost) titular track from the Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros album Rock, Art, and the X-Ray Style. I almost went to change it, but the hand percussion really caught my ear. The guitar is really subtle, taking a backseat to the percussion, and is very sweetly melodic. Strummer's vocals are gentle, but still keep his identifiable edge. I'm not sure if this will lead to me listening to more of Strummer's post-clash work (his cover of "Redemption Song" is just so terrible), but I'm definitely going to keep spinning this song.

"X-Ray Style" by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros

No, Not at all!

So I was listening to Conservative Talk Radio on the way home from work tonight (it helps me get riled up at the world.) and I caught a little bit of the Laura Ingraham show. Apparently one of her sound bites has a clip of "Train in Vain" tacked on to the end of it. Joe Strummer is rolling in his grave right now.

"Train in Vain" by the Clash

Cigarbox Fun Fact!
The Black Hammer and I were stopped by the police for drinking in public right across the street from that mural about a year ago. Luckily, no charge for underage drinking.

And after all this, won't you give me a smile?

I caught the tail end of a show on VH1 Classic today called Protest Video Hour. Kthulu knows I love me some rabble rousing, so I was pretty pysched. I got to see the last three videos of the show. Two of them were John Lennon videos. Two??? Are you really that lazy, VH1, that you need to go to John Lennon not once but twice within the last 10 minutes of the show? The other video I caught was "London Calling" and ya know what, I love "London Calling", but come on isn't that an obvious choice? I mean, I guess "Rock the Casbah" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" would be more obvious, but "London Calling" is like the "obviously trying to not seem obvious" choice. So anyway, today I'm here with...

5 youtube.com examples of the Clash being Awesome
(as usual, in no particular order)

1.

"Clampdown"
This is my number 3 song off of London Calling ("Spanish Bombs" is number 1, then comes "Train in Vain"). It has a much stronger spirit of protest than London Calling and I happen to think it rocks a little bit harder.

2.

"Police and Thieves"
I think most times you ask me, this is my favorite cover song that the Clash did. The original Junior Murvin version is great too.

3.
"This is Radio Clash"
Wherein the Clash get funky.

4.
"Protex Blue"
This song was only on the UK release of the Clash's self titled album, which happens to be my favorite Clash album. The video here is kinda shitty, but the song quality is surprisingly good.

5.
"Spanish Bombs"
Here it is, my favorite off of London Calling. This is from some Spanish documentary, so there's a guy speaking spanish over some of it.

6.
"Where it Started (NY)"
Okay, you might be saying, "Hey that's not the Clash" and you're right. This is the full version of the DJ Hi-Tek video that Raekwon the Chef was cut out of. Just a warning, don't play this one with the volume up. The first 45 seconds are a test pattern with an annoying beep.


In other news, Aaron McGruder pulls a Chappelle.

12 Rock and Roll Songs to make you shake that ass.

This started out as a top ten list, but I ended up with twelve songs, and I can't really say that it's an all inclusive list, since even I'm not pretentious enough to think I've heard enough music to cover every base possible. Plus I'll probably think of ten better songs the next time I read over this. I will say, however, that if you put on any one of the following twelve songs, you'd have even the stiffest of the living dead moving their hips like a snake.

1. Almost Crimes by Broken Social Scene -




even the video is all about ass shaking. I don't mind admitting that during my sophomore year of college, I would lock my door, put on this song, and dance like a madman. My life won't be complete until I hear this song while I'm actually out on the town, on the floor.


2. Crocodile Rock by Elton John -
Now say what you will about Sir Elton John, say what you will about this song, I don't wanna hear it. This song posesses one of the best kinds of danceability. The kind where you move to the groove whilst singing along in an absurd falsetto.


3. Damaged Goods by Gang of Four -
The dueling guitar and bass come at you so strong right from the get go. It's like a sonic invitation to get down. These guys may have played punk rock, but there is something undeniably funk about Andy Gill's guitar.


4. Me and Guiliani down by the Schoolyard (A True Story) by !!! -
Most level headed folk will agree that the only thing better than a protest song is a protest song that you can shake your ass to. Well how about a protest song, that you can shake your ass to, that's about being denied the right to shake one's ass??? Brilliant! Even outside the world of body movin', this song is a classic. The song actually builds in different movements, taking you to each and every corner of the dancefloor. That's right. it's so good it gets a travel metaphor.


5. Should I Stay or Should I Go? by The Clash -
The moment after Strummer utters that titular phrase, "Should I stay or should I go, now?" the ensuing dance explosion is among the most fun and frenetic dance breaks you're going to hear on Classic Rock Radio, Adult Contemporary Radio, Alternative Rock Radio, AND College Rock Radio.


6. Give It Up by LCD Soundsystem -
If I wanted to, I could've just put "LCD Soundsystem - Every song they ever thought of recording" and had that be the whole list, but I figured that might be a little too quick of a read, so I picked this song. It's easily one of the more rocking LCD songs, and the frantic drums tell you exactly how to move that butt. Soon you'll get to swingin those tight little fists along with that fuzzed out bassline, and screaming along, even though you don't know the words, and everything will be just fine.


7. Last Caress by the Misfits -
The combination of chugging guitars and Danzig's sultry croon basically begs teenagers, "Gel your hair down in a silly manner. Now do the twist," and it's really near impossible to tell them no. On "Last Caress", Danzig's voice hits a point where he goes from sounding like a silly Elvis knockoff to a silly Elvis knockoff with some serious vocal chops. Combine that with metronome instrumentals and you're ready to dance. Throw this on at a party, I guarantee all your punk friends will dance and sing like it was 1962 on speed.


8. Hooray for Humans by Q and Not U -
Here's another one that it's real hard to look good dancing to. The piercing, dueling guitars tend to inspire limb movements that would definitely be considered outside the realm of cool dance moves, but the rhythm section is just to strong to be ignored. With drums and bass that register just outside of 9.1 on the Richter, this song will make you move.


9. This Charming Man by The Smiths -
This is a cool one because with most of the songs on this list, it's really the rhythm section that puts that movement in your pants. This tune really is all about that pretty, jangly, guitar. The way the melody moves so quickly and so all over the place, the fingers just start snapping on their own and then it's on. Time to dance like Jon Cryer in Pretty in Pink.


10. Timorous Me by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists -
I saw Ted Leo in 2003 at a lookout! records showcase at CBGBs. For hours, my associate and I stood in the motionless hipster crowd, waiting through shitty band after shitty band. Finally at some point after midnight, Mr. Ted Leo and his wiley band of Pharmacists took the stage and started to rock for us. The crowd had been standing in place for quite a while though, so it really looked like Ted's set was going to stay danceless for a while. Until the bass and drums kicked in on this song. Then came the dancing and Oh! did we dance.


11. Not Witherspoon, but Silverstone by Thunderbirds are now! -
It starts off with great staccato keyboards to get you moving right from the start. Then the drums kick in and take over, plus they throw in some wildly incomprehensible lyrics to make it the perfect package for a dance party sing along.


12. Time of The Season by The Zombies
The hook of this song is just so damn infectious. With those couple bass notes, then the "ch", "ahhh", it's just impossible to put this on and sit still. This is another one where the likelihood of you looking cool while you dance to it is slim to none. It's just too damn easy to sing along and move to.