Super Fudge Friday

We haven't had a hit single in heavy rotation here at R&S Labs in a while. So imagine my delight when I realized I was listening to "Fuck The Valley Fudge" from the new Grandaddy EP for the sixth or seventh time yesterday. It's got all the elements necessary for a Ribaldry & Schmaltz anthem: racy title, instrumentation by piano and lawn mower, tender delivery of hare-brained revolution tactics, and nods to the Portuguese, drywall, bicycling DUI students, and of course, fudge.

Fine stuff for a Friday.

Fuck The Valley Fudge - Grandaddy

TCOB Thursday Playlist

I've got a mound of work to wrestle to the ground today, so here's a brief playlist of songs to inspire a little productivity.

TCOB Thursday Playlist

Immigrant Song - Dread Zeppelin
Puercos - Cypress Hill
High Heel Sneakers - Eddie Floyd
You Dropped A Bomb On Me (12" version) - The Gap Band

If I Should Fall From Grace With Zauhn Playlist

So last night I was watching Gregg Zaun stand at the plate for the Toronto Blue Jays, and realized I haven't seen a single movie trailer featuring Steve Zahn in over a year. And for some strange reason it made me happy to realize his brief reign of terror is over. These two bear both a surnomenclatural and physical resemblance.

It turns out Zahn is from Minnesota, which sounds pretty close to Canada. Zaun is from California, but plays for a Canadian baseball team. Confused? Don't worry. It all sounds like a fine excuse for a random Rush-related playlist to me.

If I Should Fall From Grace With Zauhn Playlist

John The Fisherman - Primus
Fly By Night - Rush
The Trees - Rush
Closer To The Heart - Rush
Take Off - Bob & Doug McKenzie

Adult and Blue Playlist

I likes my ribaldry and I like my schmaltz, but even I sometimes face reality. Here's a handful of somber, hard-nosed, elegant tracks.

This customized version of Alone Again, Naturally is from a 1982 Nina Simone album recently issued on CD for the first time and newly added to Rhapsody. Alot of the tracks are encrusted with a bit much Nina Simone iconoclasm for me, but this one is a thorough, tender, vicious autobiographical farewell to her father. It's full of potent contradiction (from the choice of foundation ditty to build such a song over on up) and an appropriate chant to offer at the coming of the cold months.

Adult and Blue Playlist

Alone Again, Naturally - Nina Simone
Am I Blue - Sheila Jordan
Rose Petals - Branford Marsalis

Joe Jack Talcum On Lead Vocals Playlist

Because I know you were about to ask, here's a playlist of the Rhapvailable Dead Milkmen songs with lead vocals from guitar man Joe Jack Talcum. There are a few later Dead Milkmen albums that aren't in Rhapsody.

This list actually has quite a bit in common with the Keith Richards lead vocals playlist I compiled earlier: both are guitarists, both bands put out a heap of forgettable albums after hitting their peak, and both had more lead vocals on the later records. See how far you can listen into this one!

Mister Talcum currently plays the keyboards for a freewheeling garage outfit called the Low Budgets. Their new album Aim Low, Get High is Rhapvailable and is worth a listen.

Joe Jack Talcum Lead Vocals Playlist

Dean's Dream - Big Lizard In My Backyard
I Hear Your Name - Eat Your Paisley
Watchin' Scotty Die - Bucky Fellini
Rocketship - Bucky Fellini
Punk Rock Girl - Beelzebubba
The Guitar Song - Beelzebubba
Methodist Coloring Book - Metaphysical Graffiti
Dollar Signs In Her Eyes - Metaphysical Graffiti
I Hate You, I Love You - Metaphysical Graffiti
I'm Flying Away - Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig)
The Man Who Rides The Bus - Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig)
I Can't Stay Awake - Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig)
Khrissy - Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig)
Like To Be Alone - Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig)
Big Deal - Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig)

Out To Lunch Friday

Mmmmm, yes. Another Friday's upon us. Last week I ended up eschewing that tuna melt and a-chewing a dark, moist, delicious pulled pork sandwich from Outlook Farms, the finest (and only?) pig processing establishment I've ever lived within a few miles of. I'm starting out today with an open mind and stomach.

Today's playlist gets going with a few tracks in tribute to the arrival of RJ Burke Da Third, the newest addition to the Radish family. A very wise friend of mine once said "You think having a second kid would be less than twice as much work, but it turns out to be more like the work squared." Welcome Junior, with hearty congratulations and good luck wishes to mom, dad, and big sister.

I listened to a few of the early KISS records yesterday, and alot of the songs are laughably bad after not hearing them for twenty five years. That said, a song that had totally slipped from my memory, Watchin' You, was curiously musically fascinating.

In other news, the song Rhythmorama, though on a Kenny Burrell record, is an aptly named percussion conversation between conga player Candido Camero and drummer Kenny Clarke. Fascinating fact: Mr. Clarke is credited as the jazz drummer who shifted the time-keeping rhythm from the bass drum to the ride cymbal. Until today I just assumed jazz was born that way.

A very happy Friday to one and all.

Out To Lunch Friday

Young 'Til I Die - 7 Seconds
Slip Kid - The Who
Big Sister - Dio
Watchin' You - KISS
Oh Marie - Dean Martin
Up Town Top Ranking - Althea and Donna
Don't Sniff Coke - Pato Banton
Rhythmorama - Kenny Burrell

Flatt & Scruggs Side Thursday

Today: part two in a two-part series on a two-part box set, featuring a playlist from a legendary bluegrass two-man team.

For today's playlist, I repeatedly sifted through the Flatt & Scruggs half of the "Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Stanley Brothers Selected Sides 1947-1953" split box set, and baked up the tasty pie of a playlist below. See yesterday's post for a few more details on the box set.

Flatt and Scruggs Thursday

I'll Never Shed Another Tear
Foggy Mountain Breakdown
So Happy I'll Be
Doin' My Time
Cora Is Gone
Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
Old Salty Dog Blues
Will The Roses Bloom (Where She Lies Sleeping)
The Old Home Town
Earl's Breakdown
I'm Lonesome and Blue
Why Did You Wander?
If I Should Wander Back To You

Split Box Set Wednesday

Despite the urges to interrupt, today continues a series featuring some great music on the Rhapsody Just Added list last weekend.

You've heard of the split single. Well, today's feature takes things up a few orders of magnitude. "Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Stanley Brothers Selected Sides 1947-1953" is a split box set ninety four tracks long.

This is a remastered four-disc set of the original first recordings of these bluegrass greats. The first two discs are from the Stanley Brothers. The second two discs are from Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. Today's playlist is a sampler from the Stanley Brothers portion. Tomorrow we'll serve up a sampler of the second half.

Split Box Set Wednesday

Molly and Tenbrooks
The Rambler's Blues
Mother No Longer Waits For Me At Home
Little Maggie
Death Is Only A Dream
A Vision Of Mother
Gathering Flowers For The Master's Bouquet
Have You Someone (In Heaven Waiting)
The Old Home
Pretty Polly
Little Birdie
Our Last Goodbye
Dickson County Breakdown
I Long To See The Old Folks

Roots Man Tuesday

Today we continue a little series featuring some great music on the Rhapsody Just Added list over the weekend.

All summer long Rhapsody has been filling some of the cracks in its classic reggae library. This playlist features some fine tracks from albums added in this last batch. Now, I and I no come to judge a man, but each of these tracks come from albums worth hearing in their entirety. Lick the chalice and click the link, rasta.

Roots Man Tuesday

New Name - Ras Michael
Operation Eradication - Eek-A-Mouse
Ballroom Floor - Bunny Wailer
Addis-A-Baba - Augustus Pablo

Josh White Monday

There was a bumper crop of oddball albums right up my alley on the Just Added list over the weekend. I'm going to highlight a couple or three here. Huge thanks to whoever it is at Rhapsody that keeps mixing things up and adding things that will obviously never show up on the Top Artists list.

First up, three volumes of Josh White on Document Records. These old blues recordings have been pouring in all summer, and are a real education unto themselves.

These versions of Paul & Silas and Timber will be of particular interest if you also happened to spend a significant part of the late 80's and 90's waist deep in a pile of XLII-90 cassettes of Phish shows. And, last week I had a playlist with One Meatball on it, but my brief search didn't turn up a version by Mr. White, the man who wrote the song. I'm fixing that today.

Josh White Monday

Paul and Silas Bound In Jail
Timber (Jerry the Mule)
Down On Me
One Meat Ball

Friday Out To Lunch Playlist

A little something to incite that Friday out to lunch love. Right now I'm thinking tuna melt, but anything could happen between now and noon. Happy Friday.

Friday Out To Lunch Playlist

I've Got My Ascot 'N' My Dickie - The Upper Crust
You Got A Hard Time Comin' - Barry And The Remains
Grimly Fiendish - The Damned
Another Song - Swell Maps
Rock And Roll Tried To Ruin My Life - Supagroup
Tonight Show Theme - Tonight Show Band



P.S. I'm not big on the birthday or eulogy playlists but even I gotta offer praise and respect on the eightieth birthday of Riley B. King. Cheers, sir! I can only hope I can keep doing what I love and spreading a little joy anywhere near that long.

For a song, I'm partial to this version of Leon Russell's Hummingbird.

Apollo Sunshine Sampler

Apollo Sunshine started as a band in Boston by some youngsters attending the Berklee College of Music. But apparently they live out here in the western part of the state, which explains why I suddenly started seeing their name in every paper, on every telephone pole, and announced in the lineup of every local benefit all spring and summer.

Their self-titled second release came out Tuesday and is Rhapvailable. They purvey a wanton multi-instrumental fuzz harmony joy beast sort of sound. I'm just getting acquainted with the record, but can unreservedly endorse these two tracks as an initial sampler.

Apollo Sunshine Sampler

Today Is The Day
Phyliss

Wednesday Wake Up Playlist

A short, simple duo of the songs that popped up in my head this morning before I even got to the bathroom. What triggers such things?

Of note, the Jethro Tull version of Living In The Past isn't Rhapvailable, so a take by the London Symphony Orchestra will fill that role.

Wednesday Wake Up Playlist

Tired Of Waiting For You - The Kinks
Living In The Past - London Symphony Orchestra

Fresh Roasted Tomatoes Playlist

That harvest time is upon us. As today's post comes together I'm roasting some fresh plum tomatoes with just-snipped basil and oregano, mixed up with a bit of onion, garlic, and olive oil. When the sun goes down we'll ladle it over that proverbial one meatball. Now this is the smell to craft a playlist to.

Roasted Tomatoes Playlist

Core 'Ngrato - Sergio Franchi
King Harvest (Has Surely Come) - The Band
On An Evening In Roma - Dean Martin
One Meatball - Lightnin' Hopkins
When I Paint My Masterpiece - Bob Dylan

P.S. I was dying to garnish this playlist with that song Uncle Junior sings in that season finale of the Sopranos. None of the Dominic Chianese albums are Rhapvailable, so we'll settle for this Sergio Franchi version.

Monday Message To Michaelectomy

Message to Michael: Get the Hell out of my brain.

I don't know how it happened, but this song sprung up in my head while mowing the lawn over the weekend, and refuses to leave. Once again, I'm forced to foist my affliction out through Ribaldry & Schmaltz in a vain attempt to exorcise this bit of delightfully malignant Bacharachia.

Message To Michael - Dionne Warwick

Starts With Telephone Noises Playlist

I've been gradually accumulating this list of songs that start with telephone noises. I know there's plenty of classics I must be missing, so let's just call it a work in progress. If you know any others, do share. Otherwise I'll post an updated list if I make any major breakthroughs in my Rhapsody wanderings.

Starts With Telephone Noises Playlist

She's Tight - Cheap Trick
Super Hoe - Boogie Down Productions
I Go To Rio - Pablo Cruise
You Would Know - Queens Of The Stone Age

This Playlist Stole My Gal

Is it odd that what endures as one of my favorite Jimi Hendrix songs is a ninety second one-off joke radio jingle? It just kind of packs all the rock, jollies, and guitar wail into a sweet bite-size morsel.

Radio One - Jimi Hendrix

Waylon's Way Playlist

I was getting my Wayl on yesterday, and these two tracks really stood out. By a happy coincidence, both have the word "way" in the title. I've based playlists on less, so here you go.

I don't bandy phrases like "achingly beautiful" about that often, but Waylon's vocal on this version of It's Not Supposed To Be That Way is that and quite a bit more. Of note, neither song is from Are You Ready For The Country, pictured above, but that album cover is too priceless not to use.

Waylon's Way Playlist

It's Not Supposed To Be That Way
Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way

Teething Pain Fresh Catch Playlist

An assemblage of last week's most played finds, sure to reduce inflammation and ease molar breakthrough. (Trademark hat tip to Robert of the Radish for inspiring the ELO binge)

Teething Pain Fresh Catch Playlist

Rags To Riches - Elvis Presley
Sunshine Superman - Mel Torme
Just An Old Fashioned Love Song - Three Dog Night
Bold As Love - Jimi Hendrix
Telephone Line - ELO
Soul Intro/The Chicken - Jaco Pastorius

Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend Soundtrack Playlist

I had a fascinating epic, cinematic dream last night, perhaps inspired by eating a bacon and pepper jack frittata for breakfast, a bag of kettle corn for lunch, ice cream for supper, and leftover ribs for an evening snack. Events unfolded throughout a sprawling, dark hotel city and prominent roles were played by Tom Petty and his identical twin teenage sons and a horde of Chinese zombies.

Among other odd scenes I saw a local band perform a riveting version of Edgar Winter's Frankenstein, and there was a night club sequence involving Rat Race by Bob Marley & the Wailers. And that's just the bits I remember. I'm thinking of having peach pie for breakfast. We'll see what dreams may come tonight.

Rarebit Fiend Soundtrack Playlist

Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group
Rat Race - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Breakdown - Tom Petty

County Fair Playlist

Now it's official: the fair started yesterday afternoon and the humidity's breaking just in time. Here's a brief but effective playlist to prepare for a weekend of fried dough, polka, demolition derbies, racing piggies, and generally stepping in various unidentifiable sticky puddles. A fine reduced-labor weekend to one and all.

County Fair Playlist

Carney - Leon Russell
Too Fat Polka - Frankie Yankovic
Rusholme Ruffians - The Smiths

Taking Care of Bizzyness

I've got a crapload of work staring me in the face today, so I'm going to keep this short with a single song to inspire a little TCOB.

White Punks On Dope - The Tubes

P.S. I'm going to interpret it as a positive omen that a Google image search for "baby's arm holding an apple" actually returned an image titled "babys_arm_holding_an_apple"