Baby, It's Warm Outside

I apologize to anyone who is enduring harsh weather right now for the title of this mix. But if you live in Southern California, you know that we've skipped right over Spring and have gone straight to Summer. So here's a sweet mixola of tuneskis for that will make you long to be outside while you are stuck at your computer. Enjoy!

Dean & Britta

I know I may be a little late to this video but I think it's awesome. It's so simple and warm, and it fits the song just perfectly. If you've seen it already then just move on (or drink from it's loving cup a second sip (what?)), but if you haven't, enjoy!

By the way, they're playing a free show at the Getty on April 6th, you just need to RSVP. You can do that starting March 22.

Beach Boys Disco

The Grateful Dead did one, so did the Rolling Stones, but one of the most unlikely bands to ever crank out a disco song is The Beach Boys. This thing has Mike Love’s smell all over it. Just as he didn’t get that songs about hot rods were going out of style well after Rubber Soul was released, he apparently didn’t notice that disco was on it’s last gasp as well. It may be disco, but hey, it’s The Beach Boys, so it’s actually pretty catchy. For your listening pleasure I’ve included three different versions.

Here Comes The Night (Original) - This is the original non-disco version of the song, a stripped down, bare bones rhythm and blues affair. This is off of Wild Honey, which is an amazing album top to bottom.

Here Comes The Night (Radio Edit) - This is a 4-minute version I have from a compilation called The Platinum Collection. I assume this version was intended for radio.

Here Comes The Night (Full Version) - And here we have the big daddy 10-minute version, which was definitely intended for the coked out disco bunnies at Studio 54 to shake their groove thangs to. This full version was released as a single, (which you can find at most record stores for a couple bucks) and it was also included in its entirety on the L.A. (Light Album). This is definitely not the most solid of Beach Boys albums, but it should be noted that there are some Dennis Wilson gems to be had.

Cooke’n

I believe it was Tyler Florence who once said, “Great food starts with simple ingredients.” Ooooooh really? No shit. Thanks for the tip. You may be asking yourself right about now, “What’s this have to do with Sam Cooke?” It doesn’t. I just wanted to point out how stupid that quote is. On this song, however, Cooke cooks with some simple ingredients, and creates a delicious cuisine, the kind you can’t find at Applebee's.**

**I apologize to anyone who read this, enjoy the song, get more of them from this amazing compilation.

(Ain't That) Good News - Sam Cooke

Remix of ‘Easier’

You like Grizzly Bear? Me too. Rough Trade has a single track for sale ($1.35) and it a very nice remix of ‘Easier’ from Yellow House. You can stream it here. They’re taking down the track after January 15th so get it while you can... if you want. Speaking of Grizzly Bear remixes, here’s one of my favorites from the Horn of Plenty remixes. There’s just something about that part around the three-minute mark that kills me.

Stream: Easier (Alternate Edit) – Grizzly Bear

Eavesdropping (Simon Bookish Remix) – Grizzly Bear

Gooden’s Corner

Once I asked the clerk at Atomic Records why I can’t seem to find Grant Green records anywhere and he said, “on the occasion that someone lets one go, it gets bought the next day.” This is odd because usually popular jazz artists with lots of records in circulation aren’t too hard to find, but that’s just a testament to the brilliance of this Blue Note guitarist. This track is off of a great compilation of Grant Green and Sonny Clark recordings. It’s one of those tunes that you just want to listen to again right when it’s done. Get it, and more like it, here!

Gooden's Corner - Grant Green

Bwana Buckingham

Law and Order is one of those albums that suffers from 1981 cover art, but luckily that’s all it suffers from. If you liked tracks 2,4,6,8,9,12,15,18,19 off of Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, well my son (and/or daughter), you’re in for a treat here. As you will soon hear on these two tracks, Buckingham continues to invent new sounds with the studio. And them sounds is goooooooooood!

Bwana - Lindsey Buckingham

It Was I – Lindsey Buckingham

Have A Chicago Indie Rock Weekend!

I may live in LA but it’s always great to see some sweet bands come out of my hometown. Thanks to the folks over at Daytrotter and their extensive collection of in-house performances, here’s a couple of gems from Chicago acts The M's and The Changes. Head over to Daytrotter for the complete sessions, there’s seven tracks to be had from these two bands, and a whole lot more where that came from. Links to the sessions below. Have a nice weekend!

Plan Of The Man - The M’s

Water Of The Gods - The Changes

The M's at Daytrotter
The Changes at Daytrotter

Making Good On My Eleventh Dream Day Promise

A few months ago I promised I’d upload some tracks when I got the new Eleventh Dream Day, and wallaah (sp?) here they are! Apparently being overlooked can do wonders for a band’s durability. I mean, check these songs out, they’re absolutely incredible! If I ever get around to making a list for the top albums of ’06, Zeros and Ones will be on it for sure. The whole album is beyond solid, so go get it here! Enjoy!

New Rules - Eleventh Dream Day

For Everything - Eleventh Dream Day

Free Talib and Madlib Album!!!

First things first, go to Rappcats to get the free Talib Kweli and Madlib album! It’s great. It’s free. What more do I have to tell you? Why are you still here reading? You should be over there getting a free album that’s really good. Seriously! Stop reading. Go there. Get yer ass to Mars, get yer ass to Mars, get yer ass to Mars…

There’s Something About Jonathan Richman’s Shitty Car

Once you get past the 2-minute intro to this Modern Lovers song there is a paradise awaiting you. As grating as Richman's slacker toned one-sided conversation can be at times, I think it’s worth it for you to resist fast forwarding on your first listen for two reasons: (1) It provides a context for the song’s hilarious subject matter and (2) heaven is all the sweeter if you’ve been scorched by the flames of hell. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic. Anyways, enjoy the tune. And if you like it, get more like it here.

Dodge Veg-O-Matic

Early 90’s Ramones

Even though their hey day was 15 or so years before Mondo Bizarro hit the flip racks, The Ramones proved that they’d never really lost a sense of what made their music so great: infectious hooks with simple memorable lyrics that burrow themselves way down passed the cerebral cortex and into the corpus callosum area (see diagram). The songs on this album have to fight early 90’s production values that suffocate that raw Ramones power under glimmering guitar and washed up drums, but they usually overcome. None more so than on today’s song, a sweet little ditty that owes more than a little to “I Should Have Known Better” by The Beatles.

I Won't Let It Happen

Unicorns Are Also Forever

As much as Nick Diamonds & J'aime Tambeur band Islands occupies the place in my heart set aside for really great and quirky music created by Canadians, the void left by their former band was far too big for any other band to completely fill. The Unicorns lone album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? had so many strange thematic and musical choices that worked so brilliantly that the album sounds fresh with every play. Enjoy this track, it’s one of three songs about ghosts on the album.

Ghost Mountain

Shuffle

I apologize to anyone who popped in today to read and/or listen to some actual music, but the Bears played so great last night I can’t believe it. I know it’s only 4 games into the season and I shouldn’t be thinking about the Super Bowl, and yet that’s exactly where my head is. So, for your listening (and viewing) pleasure, here is the cockiest football team in the history of the NFL, the 1985 Chicago Bears with a little ditty they like to call, The Super Bowl Shuffle. They actually made this video BEFORE the Super Bowl. Also, I love that they let Steve Fuller (their backup QB) have a verse. At least Kyle Orton has that going for him.

Super Bowl Shuffle

Chrome Mixola

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that there is no other label that gives away nearly as much great music as Stones Throw Records. I mean, it’s insane. It seems like every week my iTunes is downloading yet another hour long podcast of great material. Now they’re at it again. With the Chrome Children album on it’s way into stores on Oct. 3rd, the label dropped this 21 minute mix on their website for all the world to have. There’s nothing I can possibly say that could put it better than how they describe it on the website:

“Half the songs are from Chrome Children, and the other half are just plain dope.”

How’s that for concise. I’ve linked to the mix below, but go here for the breakdown of what’s on it…

PB Wolf's Chrome Mix

Monk Rock

If you’re an American GI based in Germany and you decide to:

1. Form a band with other GI’s
2. Get Monk haircuts
3. Buy Monk robes
4. Name your band The Monks

Well, then, you’d be wise to bring the rock. And that’s exactly what The Monks did on their 1966 release Black Monk Time. Every song on this album seems like it’s going to explode at any second. And if you’re wondering why the songs are so lyrically simple and repetitive, keep in mind that they were playing for non-English speaking audiences. So please, open your ears and hearts for some angst ridden, electric banjo driven proto-punk…

Shut Up

And here’s a little bonus video…

Sail Plane

There are few things more enjoyable to listen to than Brian Wilson tapping out a tune on his piano and singing some high notes. Top that off with mouth made airplane sound effects and you’ve got something extra blissful. The Beach Boys would also record an amped up version of this song under the title “Loop De Loop (Flip Flop Flyin' In An Aeroplane)” with none other than Al Jardine helming the production. This stripped down version, however, shows just how brilliant a songwriter Wilson was even without his bells and whistles. Both versions of this song are available on the Endless Harmony Soundtrack, which I highly recommend picking up.

Sail Plane Song

Moby Grape

Much like yesterday’s band, Moby Grape is another band that should be a household name, but aren’t. They were one of the most talented and inspired bands to come out of the 60’s Haight-Ashbury scene, but they were also one of the most mismanaged. Despite making some amazing music, their singles didn’t chart much and they watched as their peers went on to become legends. Here’s a little taste from their second album, Wow.

Murder In My Heart For The Judge

Eleventh Dream Day

In an alternate dimension Eleventh Dream Day is a very well known band with scores of fans and Sonic Youth is an incredible band that some how went criminally unnoticed by the masses. But in this universe, it happens to be the other way around. Prairie School Freakout is one of the most brilliant debuts ever and every release since has been beyond solid. They just released yet another critically acclaimed album called Zeroes and Ones, but I don’t have it yet. When I get it I’ll post a track, but in the meantime enjoy this track from their last album. And hey, while you’re at it, check this one out from Prairie School Freakout. Enjoy!

Ice Storm - from Stalled Parade

Among The Pines - from Prairie School Freakout

Van Dyke Parks & Madlib

Sometimes I get the feeling that Madlib has some secret machine that he plugs into his encyclopedic mind that materializes his musical whims on command. His knowledge of music is so vast and well digested that he can seemingly effortlessly crank out albums, mixes, and side projects at the speed of thought. That is why I was caught off guard when I actually did recognize one of the many obscure musical references on The Beat Konducta: Vol. 1-2. The rest are still a mystery to me. For your listening pleasure I’m posting ‘The All Golden’ by Brian Wilson’s SMiLE collaborator Van Dyke Parks (off of Song Cycle) and Madlib’s re-working of it ‘Left On Silverlake (Ride)’. Enjoy!

The All Golden by Van Dyke Parks

Left On Silverlake (Ride) by Madlib