What's The Connection? True 2

Yesterday I posted a connection of all true songs (songs with True in the title) and it was pretty good and all over the place in genres and the connection continue today. These are all different, but continue with the numbering (as will the next couple) but are all more or less in the same category and feel as each other. They sort of all just belong. I do want to say that right about at the time this song of their's came out the Red Hot Chili Peppers were one of the bands I was seeing live a lot (them and Fishbone) and this album was just so good. Got mine autographed and they slurred all over it, lol! Don't think they would do that today. Also notice the cool Buddy Holly cover at the end (I'll post Buddy's version tomorrow).

What's The Connection? True 2

17 Teenage Fanclub – God Knows It’s True
18 The Undertones – True Confessions
19 The Icicle Works – One True Love
20 Bangles – Some Dreams Come True
21 Aztec Camera – Birth Of The True
22 Ric Ocasek – True To You
23 Tom Verlaine – True Story
24 The White Stripes – Well It’s True That We Love One Another
25 X – True Love
26 Red Hot Chili Peppers – True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes
27 Steel Pulse – Rumors (Not True)
28 UB40 – Tell Me Is It True (Fugees Remix)
29 Roxy Music – True To Life
30 World Party – All Come True
31 The The – True Happiness This Way Lies
32 Tracey Thorn – It’s All True
33 Radiohead – True Love Waits
34 Erasure – True Love Ways

What's The Connection? True 1

Lots of True songs available. Before I even begin, I have at least four volumes of this connection. I'll post this one first with a variety of genres and then do a couple more aimed at specific ones. I met Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde a couple of times. She and James Mankey were really nice, down to earth, real people. She told me they came up with their name because it was hard and soft at the same time. I probably have said this story before, but hung out a couple of times during their first tour in various places. They always had time. Go check out my Hardly Soft pick from a few years ago, it actually has the same song here and there, but the rest are different.

What's The Connection? True 1

01 Spandau Ballet - True
02 New Order - True Faith (Shep Pettibone Mix)
03 Concrete Blonde - True
04 Cyndi Lauper - True Colors
05 Cabaret Voltaire - Everything Is True
06 Bill Nelson - When Your Dream Of Perfect Beauty Comes True
07 Stevie Wonder - Never Had a Dream Come True
08 Jimmy Ross - First True Love Affair
09 Prince - Strange But True
10 Ladytron - True Mathematics
11 Ray Gant & The Arabian Knights - I Need A True Love
12 Sly & The Family Stone - Color Me True
13 Hot Chocolate - We Had True Love
14 Al McCarther - His True Love For You
15 Daryl Hall & John Oates - You Make My Dreams (Come True)
16 The Beach Boys - Be True To Your School

Top Pick Albums 1988

In 1988 I started a new part to my top picks of the year. I still did the top songs (see yesterday's post) and I still did the top albums, but I added the top compilations of the year. So the top compilations I was able to get in 1988 with the top albums I got that year. Somehow or another an extra track was thrown in for the top albums, so it wasn't the top ten albums but rather the top 11 albums. So you get one extra track. Every year after this one, I did the same thing until I stopped doing these each year. I included all the album covers and I know that M+M were really 1987, but I couldn't get it until 1988, so it stays. Click on ONE of the covers, you'll get both if you choose well.

Top Pick Albums 1988

01 The Primitives - Crash
02 Bill Nelson's Orchestra Arcana - Why Be Lonely
03 The Sugarcubes - Birthday
04 Ministry - You Know What You Are
05 Everything But The Girl - I Always Was Your Girl
06 Pere Ubu - We Have The Technology
07 Pixies - Gigantic
08 M.E.S.H. - Meet Every Situation Head On
09 Luxuria - Public Highway
10 Siouxsie & The Banshees - The Killing Jar
11 Sinead O'Connor - Troy

Top Pick Compilations 1988

12 The Damned - Smash It Up, Pts. 1 & 2
13 The Psychedelic Furs - Sister Europe
14 Alphaville - Big In Japan
15 The Jesus And Mary Chain - Sidewalking
16 Art Of Noise - Close (To The Edit)
17 The Clash - The Magnificent Seven
18 Human League - Don't You Want Me
19 Cabaret Voltaire - Gut Level
20 Joy Division - Novelty
21 Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach

Top Pick 1988

Happy Thanksgiving! But it's the last Thursday of the month and I am still doing my Top Picks of the year, this month being 1988. If you are looking for Thanksgiving songs go back one day and there are some there. But these are my top picks of songs for the year 1988. It's what I picked then, not neccesarily what I would pick if I was doing it over today. But they are mostly pretty decent. It's what I owned then of songs released in 1988 for my availibility. Tomorrow the Top Album Picks of '88. Almost no one has heard of Red Zone, but I listened to that track a lot back then. A few songs that actually reached the top 40, a few covers, some house music and a couple of medley's (four). And Spock, sampled!

Top Pick 1988

01 Red Zone - News From The Red Zone
02 Ultra Vivid Scene - Walkin' After Midnight
03 King Blank - Bagman
04 Information Society - What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)
05 Was (Not Was) - Spy In The House Of Love
06 Book Of Love - Tubular Bells-Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls (Regan's House Medley)
07 Depeche Mode - Behind The Wheel-Route 66 (Mega-Single Mix)
08 Escape Club - Wild Wild West
09 The Fall - Carry Bag Man
10 Pato Banton - Don't Sniff Coke
11 Ofra Haza - Galbi
12 John Hegley and the Popticians - I Saw My Dinner On TV
13 S-Express - Theme from S-Express
14 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Brides Of Frankenstein (US Release Megamix)
15 The Bollock Brothers - God Created Woman
16 The Replacements - Cruella DeVille
17 a;Grumh... - Another Brick in the Wall Part II
18 Pursuit Of Happiness - I'm An Adult Now
19 Debbie Harry - Liar, Liar
20 Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated (Ramones-On-45 Mega Mix)

Thanksgiving 3

Happy Thanksgiving to you, tomorrow, even if you might not be in the United States. It's a fun one to celebrate. It is a time to bring family and community together and be thankful for the opportunities we have been provided throughout our lives. Especially in the United States, it is still a land of opportunity. Previous years of Thanksgiving picks have had songs about thanks and things and food. This year no different, but new songs and one old song already posted one year. And this Friday is Black Friday (no new songs for that but a link today to the old pick of that.) I think most people nowadays are doing that shopping online, but knock yourself out if you want to do that early on Friday.

Thanksgiving 3

48 The B-52's - Big Bird
49 Massive Attack - Be Thankful For What You've Got
50 REO Speedwagon - Flying Turkey Trot
51 Destiny's Child - Apple Pie a la Mode
52 Brian Setzer Orchestra - My Favorite Things
53 Trashmen - Surfin' Bird
54 The Lennon Sisters - My Favorite Things
55 Ringo Starr - Thankful
56 Natalie Cole - Be Thankful
57 Ministry - What A Wonderful World
58 Ray Charle featuring James Taylor - Sweet Potato Pie
59 Joe Cocker - Thankful
60 Garth Brooks - What I'm Thankful For (The Thanksgiving Song)
61 Kenny G & Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World
62 New Kids On The Block - Thankful
63 Foetus - Be Thankful
64 Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant Massacree (LP Version)

Newfangled Again 7 (repost)

Repost and updated and I'm sorry to say it, but this was the last of this pick. No more Newfangled Again. Unless I get really inspired while posting and listening to this series again. We'll see. Let me know how it went for you. Let me know if you want to see more. Anyway, I like this one, because I finally added Brian Eno to it and that always makes any pick better. That and newish Bowie. A cool band from the Netherlands. It's all fun. I had a blast making and playing this. I hope you do too. And especially I hope that it helps lead you down a rabbit trail looking for other cool stuff. There's so much of it out there. Go find it!

Newfangled Again 7

132 Ok Go - Here It Goes Again
133 U2 - I Will Follow
134 TV On The Radio - Wolf Like Me
135 Quit Your Dayjob - Coconut
136 Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
137 Wire - Sand in My Joints
138 The Fratellis - Skinny Girls
139 The Dears - You And I Are A Gang Of Losers
140 Brian Eno - Baby's On Fire
141 The Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
142 Feargal Sharkey - You Little Thief
143 Shiny Toy Guns - Dont Cry Out
144 The Rapture - Whoo! Alright - Yeah...Uh Huh
145 The Futureheads - Hounds Of Love (Phones' Wolf At The Door Remix)
146 Klaxons - Golden Skans
147 Heideroosjes - De Portier (Blij Dat Ie Blaffen Kan)
148 The Long Blondes - Once And Never Again
149 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Satan Said Dance
150 David Bowie - I'm Afraid Of Americans (V1)
151 Be Your Own Pet - Bicycle Bicycle You Are My Bicycle

Newfangled Again 6 (repost)

Reposted and updated. We're in the home stretch on this pick series. Newfangled Again could be ongoing, but eventually I stopped and went on to other picks. Remember I said it comes in waves. Old is new and new is old. It's just the way life works. Every now and again we see something really new sounding and even that just seems new. My experience talking, which just means I'm old. For a while there some of these songs in this entire series were considered to be punk, I'd say not really. Some were considered new wave, again I'd say not really, but perhaps closer. Indie or power pop might be considered as a classification, but nah. It could be all of the above or it just could be rock. You decide. My decision still stands, It's:

Newfangled Again 6

110 Kinky - I Say Hey
111 Angels And Airwaves - The Adventure
112 Cute Is What We Aim For - The Curse Of Crowds
113 Dogs Die In Hot Cars - I Love You 'Cause I Have To
114 Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
115 Silversun Pickups - Well Thought Out Twinkles
116 Hawthorne Heights - Saying Sorry
117 Bloc Party - Helicopter
118 TV On The Radio - Province
119 The Killers - When You Were Young
120 Hoodoo Gurus - I Want You Back
121 The Dears - Whites Only Party
122 The Smiths - This Charming Man
123 The Zutons - You Will You Won't
124 The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down
125 Hellogoodbye - Here In Your Arms
126 Iggy and The Stooges - Search and Destroy
127 Ok Go - A Million Ways
128 Plan B - Let It Go
129 Rocco Deluca - Gift
130 Plimsouls - A Million Miles Away
131 The Feeling - Fill My Little World

Newfangled Again 5 (reposted)

Reposted and updated and it keeps on coming. Hopefully you are enjoying the series of my Newfangled Again pick, because here you are again. The track numbers keep increasing and we have more new wave pop disguised as rock and punk. Whatever it is, it is older and newer tracks that I felt would mesh well together. There are a couple of less old (or not quite new) tracks on this one when I out it together, but it all works out in the end. Leave a comment about what you think of the series so far. try not to be curmudgeonly (like the guy on the cover). Notice that the cover backgrounds changed slightly after volume 4.

Newfangled Again 5

88 Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays
89 The Feeling - Sewn
90 Soft Boys - I Got The Hots
91 Orson - No Tomorrow
92 REM - Radio Free Europe
93 Dirty Pretty Things - Bang Bang You're Dead
94 The Automatic - You Shout You Shout You Shout You Shout
95 She Wants Revenge - Tear You Apart
96 David Bowie - Panic In Detroit
97 The Strokes - You Only Live Once
98 Arctic Monkeys - The View From The Afternoon
99 Donnie Iris - Ah! Leah!
100 Bang! Bang! - Candystop
101 Barenaked Ladies - One Week
102 Citizen King - Better Days (And The Bottom Drops Out)
103 Greg Kihn Band - The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'em)
104 Less Than Jake - She's Gonna Break Soon
105 Razorlight - In The Morning
106 Echo & The Bunnymen - Do It Clean
107 Muse - Supermassive Black Hole
108 The Jam - The Modern World
109 The Rakes - 22 Grand Job

Newfangled Again 4 (repost)

Repost of the ongoing saga of the Newfangled Again pick that continues with volume 4. By now you've got an idea of what the older and newer combinations of mostly new wave songs are sounding like, unless you happened upon this series right here, in which case, go find the others in the series. Anyway as an old punk rocker (again with a mohawk of sorts, I always wanted to be the grandpa with a mohawk), I picked these to show how everything changes and is still the same. These songs fit together just fine.

Newfangled Again 4

69 Snow Patrol - Run
70 Coldplay - Speed Of Sound
71 The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize?
72 Television - Marquee Moon
73 Nerf Herder - Mr. Spock
74 Everclear - Volvo Soccer Driving Mom
75 Bowling For Soup - 1985
76 Buzzcocks - I Believe
77 Arctic Monkeys - Who The Fuck Are The Arctic Monkeys?
78 Supersuckers - Hey Ya!
79 Click 5 - Catch Your Wave
80 Cheap Trick - Surrender
81 American Hi-Fi - The Geeks Get The Girls
82 Cazals - Poor Innocent Boys
83 Joy Division - Transmission
84 Lit - My Own Worst Enemy
85 Lou Reed - I Wanna Be Black
86 The Strokes - Juicebox
87 Elvis Costello - (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea

Newfangled Again 3 (repost)

Repost and updated: Here it goes again (foreshadowing volume 7) another Newfangled Pick. Some of this barely makes it on the criteria, but what the heck let's keep it in. Older and newer picks regardless. Some of these should have been big hits as far as I am concerned. I will never understand how the Buzzcocks did not get played on every major radio station, for example. If I programmed a radio station with all of these tracks, people would dig it. For now, you will have to be happy with this playlist, again.

Newfangled Again 3

48 Coldplay - Yellow
49 Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
50 Violent Femmes - Gimme The Car
51 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
52 Refreshments - Mekong
53 Maroon 5 - Harder To Breathe
54 Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa - Baby One More Time
55 Click 5 - Just The Girl
56 Cure - Killing an Arab
57 Stranglers - Nice N Sleazy
58 Television - Friction
59 The Libertines - Up the Bracket
60 Buzzcocks - You Say You Don't Love Me
61 Franz Ferdinand - What You Waiting For-
62 Jesus And Mary Chain - I Love Rock N Roll
63 Simple Plan - Addicted
64 The Strokes - Razorblade
65 Action Action - Photograph
66 The Ataris - In This Diary
67 American Hi-Fi - Flavor Of The Weak
68 Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We're Goin' Down

Newfangled Again 2 (repost)

Repost: A continuation of the "punk, new wave" pick I call Newfangled music. And yes, it is always Newfangled Again. With a stress on the again. Music comes in waves and it doesn't repeat itself, exactly, but it comes close sometimes. So here's my volume two of this pick of older and newer Newfangled punk and new wave kind of stuff. I hope you like it. Several more volumes are coming, so make sure you leave a comment about any tracks you'd like to see in them.

Newfangled Again 2

25 The Strokes - Is This It
26 The Flaming Lips - Mr. Ambulance Driver
27 Fabulous Poodles - Mirror Star
28 Guillemots - Trains To Brazil
29 Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Pablo Picasso
30 Half Japanese - Secret
31 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth
32 Cobra Killer - Let's Have A Problem
33 The Faint - Glass Danse
34 Raconteurs - Steady As She Goes
35 dB's - Amplifier
36 Son Of Dork - Ticket Outta Loserville
37 Snow Patrol - Crazy In Love
38 The Knack - My Sharona
39 The Killers - Mr. Brightside
40 Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies
41 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
42 Bowling For Soup - I Ran (So Far Away)
43 Shnazz - (I Want To) Jump On Your Bones
44 Fall Out Boy - Dance, Dance
45 Buckcherry - Crazy Bitch
46 Action Action - Don't Cut Your Fabric
47 Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

Newfangled Again 1 (repost)

Repost and update: This pick started because I was hearing some new music that reminded me of old music, So I put some old and new together for the current generation to discover some older music that fit in with their "new" music. All it really did was get me re-acquainted with some of my old favorites and start to really enjoy some of the bands coming out. But you get to benefit from my OCD-ness by listening to the first of many volumes of new and old wave, punk, whatever you want to label it. I label it: Newfangled, because I am becoming a cantankerous old punk. Get off my lawn! BTW, this was also posted on the fabulous ButterBoy site, so check out that blog.

Newfangled Again 1

01 Radiohead - Creep
02 Lou Reed - Dirt
03 All American Rejects - Dirty Little Secret
04 Blink 182 - All The Small Things
05 Puffy Amiyumi - Friends Forever
06 Sum 41 - The Hell Song
07 Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
08 Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen in Love (with Someone You Shouldn't've)?
09 My Chemical Romance - I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
10 Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
11 The Strokes - Someday
12 Wire - Three Girl Rhumba
13 Elastica - Connection
14 Bowling For Soup - Girl All The Bad Boys Want
15 Garbage - Boys Wanna Fight
16 Good Charlotte - Girls & Boys
17 Pixies - Vamos
18 The Killers - Somebody Told Me
19 XTC - Generals and Majors
20 Shonen Knife - Hot Chocolate
21 Switchfoot - Meant To Live
22 Hole - Violet
23 Bauhaus - Passion of Lovers
24 White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl

Two, Two Mints In One (repost)

Repost of this rom 2022 (and for some reason I lost my Three Mints In One and haven't re-made it yet, so it still isn't up) Some Connections are easy to pick, some are harder. You can't just search for doubles in song titles using regular search. Anyway, here is my pick of this What's the Connection? I named it Two Mints In One, because of the old commercial with twins in them. I'm too clever for myself. It doesn't really make sense unless you are me. Sometime in the future look for Three being the magic number. Three word songs that repeat the same word three times. I just have to get it ready. If you haven't seen what I do to prepare my mp3's, then you should look at that, read the complete instructions. In the meantime, please, please enjoy enjoy. I know I missed some, so if you think of any, let me know in the comments. BTW, this post was Inspired by Manolis who posted up a great comp when words are hard to find at ButterBoy

Two, Two Mints In One

01 Wire Train - Love, Love
02 Matt Bianco - Yeh-Yeh
03 Buggles - Clean Clean
04 The Beau Brummels - Laugh, Laugh
05 Squeeze - Bang Bang
06 The DI's - Yo-Yo
07 Paul Lekakis - Boom Boom 
08 Descendents - Hey Hey
09 Devo - Please Please
10 The Residents - La La
11 Music Machine - Talk Talk
12 Plastic Bertrand - Wha! Wha!
13 Freur - Doot Doot
14 The The - The The
15 Blondie - Rush Rush
16 Talk Talk - Talk Talk
17 Trio - Ya Ya
18 Butthole Surfers - Dum Dum
19 Nina Hagen Band - Wau wau
20 Dome - Ur-Ur

World Domination (repost)

This is a repost of a compilation playlist of various dance music from around the world. There's no rhyme or reason, except that I thought it had a danceable beat. We have all sorts of genres here, Reggae, Salsa, Soca, Bhangra, Rai and more. Music from the Americas, India. Africa, France, Yemen and much more. What's exciting to me is that this disparate music all kind of fits and flows. Be interesting to see what choices you would make. Leave a comment on what you would add or leave off this Pick. I would love to program a radio station to do a format like this. Top forty style DJ's with this music playing in rotation. I still think this is a great radio format. I would now add some zydeco and ska.

World Domination

01 Malkit Singh Golden Star UK - Jugni
02 Chaba Fadela - N'sel Fik
03 Black Uhuru - Guess Who's Coming To Dinner
04 Orquesta De La Luz - Salsa Caliente Del Japon
05 Boukan Ginen - Nati Kongo
06 Les Negresses Vertes - Zobi La Mouche
07 Luiz Gonzaga - O Fole Roncou (The Bellows Roared)
08 Black Stalin - Let The Soca Play
09 Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens - Kazet (Dance Remix)
10 Anne Dudley & Jaz Coleman - Ziggarats Of Cinnamon
11 Yothu-Yindi - Djapana
12 Ofra Haza - Im Nin'alu
13 The Clash - Armagideon Time
14 Love Jones - Li'l Black Book
15 Brian Eno & David Byrne - Regiment
16 Sonora Dinamita - A Mover La Colita
17 Alpha Blondy - Yeye
18 Dub Syndicate - Reggae Raga
19 Clara Nunes - A Deusa Dos Orixás
20 Mustafa Ashraf - Yenes
21 Apache Indian - Chok There
22 Banda San Miguel - Disco Rayado
23 Gangbusters - Bad Attitude
24 Lee Perry & Dub Syndicate - Train to Doomsville
25 Jonga - Marcatchá

I'm Just A Dreamer (repost)

Repost from a few years go, All updated: I admit it. I like ballads. Smooth seductive sometimes. Slow most of the time. I've made many picks of ballads, slow songs. This is just another one. The title is from the Jacksons lyrics. I like the song. Notice that some of these songs are not about love. So I wouldn't use all of these at a wedding. A few are about loss or cheating. That doesn't stop it from being a great ballad. At the time, these were some of the slow ballads I was listening to. I hope you enjoy the playlist.

I'm Just A Dreamer

01 George Michael - Careless Whisper
02 Honeydrippers - Sea Of Love
03 Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time
04 Culture Club - Time (Clock Of The Heart)
05 Bronski Beat - It Ain't Necessarily So
06 The Cars - Drive
07 Tina Turner - Private Dancer (extended remix)
08 Corey Hart - It Ain't Enough
09 USA For Africa - We Are The World
10 Jacksons - Dreamer
11 Spandau Ballet - True
12 Quincy Jones & James Ingram - 100 Ways
13 Al Green - I'm Still In Love With You
14 Heatwave - Sho'nuff Must Be Luv
15 Commodores - Zoom
16 Billy Ocean - Suddenly
17 Smokey Robinson - Being With You
18 Rose Royce - I Wanna Get Next To You
19 Jermaine Jackson - Do What You Do
20 Sade - Smooth Operator (Long Version)

Africa 2 (repost)

All updated. I told you yesterday how I got started listening to African music. I found that African music had influenced quite a bit of "western" music as well. I through in a few here along with some of the picks I didn't fit on the first compilation. And some cheesy tracks that were popular when I put this together. I started the journey in the 80's, but I didn't put this together until much later (as witnessed by the Lion King). Remember this is not an end all be all compilation of African music. It would be falling very short if that was the case. It is just a starting point that I had with a couple added bonuses. There is so much to find. Please look for it. I cannot say that I liked everything I got. I have my favorites, but I had some busts too. These picks are a springboard for you. Find what you like and go forth.

Africa 2

15 Rhyth-O-Matics - Afro-Ska
16 King Sunny Ade - Kira Kira
17 Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens - Yebo! (Mbaqanga Mix)
18 Fela Kuti - Army Arrangement
19 The Chakachas - Jungle Fever
20 Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa
21 Babatunde Olatunji - Jin-Go-Lo-Ba
22 Kanda Bongo Man - Zing-Zong
23 Edikanfo - Something Lefeh-O
24 The Bhundu Boys - Jit Jive
25 Lebo M - The Lion Sleeps Tonight
26 Angelique Kidjo featuring Peter Gabriel - Salala

Africa 1 (repost)

I updated this. It is Brian Eno's fault. I started listening to African based pop music because of him. He had something to do with Edikanfo, so I bought the album. I had no idea about anything to do with Africa. But that one album opened up a stream of music that I could not stop. I am ignorant enough to label this all African, but I know that it is a large continent with a variety of styles of music and so much I still have no idea about. I made two compilations of my pick of African pop music. There is so much more available. I'm sure someone will post in the comments where to go next, This is just to whet your appetite, BTW, Edikanfo led to Fela Kuti, which led to Manu Dibango, which led to the rest. All because I listened to one album. I took a chance and it paid off. More tomorrow.

Africa 1

01 Zap Mama - Brrrlak!
02 Manu Dibango - Electric Africa
03 Fela Kuti - Government Chicken Boy
04 Osibisa - Music for Gong Gong
05 Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens - Kazet (Dance Remix)
06 Kotoja - Sawale
07 Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited - Hondo
08 Babatunde Olatunji - Soul Makossa
09 Mory Kante - Ye Ke Ye Ke
10 Edikanfo - Nka Bom
11 Kanda Bongo Man - Sai
12 Papa Wemba - M'Fono Yami
13 Baaba Maal - Mariama
14 Youssou N'Dour - Fakastalu

Death In June: Runes & Roses

I've done a few picks where I had Death In June on them and some that were inspired by their work. Just yesterday I had Sixth Comm on a Dark Wave-ish pick (featuring Patrick O-Kill who was in Death In June at one point) and Revelio several months ago, where I talked about the band in that Neo Folk pick. These guys, (really Douglas P and whoever he wants to work with at that moment make up the band) have been post-punk, neo folk, industrial, dark wave, martial marching music and whatever other things people think they are. I don't care what it's labeled, but I do like a lot of their music. So this is my choice of songs of their's. It covers 10 or eleven of their albums over the years - not all of them, but it's a decent sampling. I came up with the name and the cover for it (it sounded like something they would do, but haven't). I see the skull being embossed...

Death In June: Runes & Roses

01 Death In June - Nirvana
02 Death In June - The Calling (Mk II)
03 Death In June - Rain Of Despair
04 Death In June - She Said Destroy
05 Death In June - Heaven Street
06 Death In June - We Drive East
07 Death In June - Come Before Christ And Murder Love
08 Death In June - Hail! The White Grain
09 Death In June - Runes And Men
10 Death In June - To Drown A Rose
11 Death In June - Giddy Giddy Carousel
12 Death In June - Fall Apart
13 Death In June - Nothing Changes
14 Death In June - He's Disabled
15 Death In June - Little Black Angel
16 Death In June - The Giddy Edge Of Light
17 Death In June - Hollows Of Devotion
18 Death In June - But,What Ends When The Symbols Shatter
19 Death In June - Rose Clouds Of Holocaust
20 Death In June - 13 Years Of Carrion
21 Death in June - All Pigs Must Die
22 Death in June - Disappear In Every Way

Avada Kedavra 1

This pick is a companion to the Revelio comp from last June. That one was more Neo Folk and this one leans more to the Dark Wave, to me they overlap a lot. I almost had enough that I liked to do a part two, maybe sometime in the future. This past Halloween we had many kids dressed as characters in Harry Potter, besides making sure they said Trick or Treat we always asked for a spell and the one all of them said was Avada Kedavra. If they would have used the spell Accio, we would have given them more candy, but they didn't. Another compilation that is very slightly connected is my Viking one for Leif Erikson day. Not so much in sound, but maybe in feel. That one is more rock and metal. This not so much.

Avada Kedavra 1

01 Danheim - Berserkir
02 Sieben - Love's Promise
03 The Hafler Trio - Suppressed Noise
04 Lustmord - Black Star
05 Nurse With Wound - Yagga Blues
06 Einsturzende Neubauten - Sabrina
07 Swans - God Damn The Sun
08 In Gowan Ring - Hazel Steps
09 Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud - 14
10 Sonne Hagal - Flackerndes Feuer
11 Sixth Comm - Neiflheim
12 Autechre - Bike
13 Non - Out Out Out
14 Sigur Ro´s - Hoppipolla

Soca Pick 2

Following yesterday's pick is more dance music from the Caribbean. It's soca number two. It's been a Long Time coming, these should have been posted years ago! And these are not current, new bands. They've been around or were around years ago. Check out the Arrow track which has Hot, Hot, Hot referenced in it. An old track from Roaring Lion, that is slightly naughty (where is that watch?) and one of my favorites, the Mighty Sparrow who sings about beer. But check them all out. Makes me want to look for more of these and more current songs. If you know some good current soca, let me know. BTW, every soca compilation you buy in the Caribbean seems to have a naked or near naked woman on the beach, so I went with the flow on these. Not that I minded.

Soca Pick 2

14 The Soca Boys - Follow the Leader
15 Rupee - Jump
16 Maximus Dan - Fighter
17 Mr Dale & Magnet Man - Kaylaylay
18 Sugar Daddy - Sweet Soca Music (Radio Edit)
19 Kitchener - Sugar Bum Bum
20 Roaring Lion - The Lost Watch (Tik, Tik, Tik)
21 Byron Lee - Tiney Winey
22 Mighty Sparrow - Stag The Recession Fighter
23 Wayne T and Silky Slim - Doye Doye
24 Arrow - Long Time
25 Crazy - Nani Wine
26 Calypso Rose - JuJu Warrior
27 Blackie - He Lie
28 Shadow - Bassman
29 Lord Shorty - Sweet Music

Soca Pick 1

This playlist is old. I made this pick years ago. In fact, I made a couple of these years ago and never posted it here. Just came across it again, and thought I must have posted this, but I hadn't so you get to have this today and probably tomorrow, too. My favorite (at the time) soca songs. I can tell you that most of these still play really well at gigs. They are happy songs and you know at least a couple of them. But the ones you need to really give a list to are the Dragonaires track and the Mighty Sparrow track! Both medleys, but done so well and even if you don't like soca (if you don't: go away, what's wrong with you?) you will end up dancing to these two at minimum.

Soca Pick 1

01 Byron lee - Shaving Cream
02 Roaring Lion - Wash Your Hands
03 Black Stalin - Let The Soca Play
04 Mighty Sparrow - Medley Jean & Dinah, The Lizard, Melda, Drunk & Disorderly
05 Kitchener - Parkway
06 Byron Lee & the Dragonaires - Happy-This Party Is It
07 Sparrow - Poom Poom Shorts
08 Arrow - Hot Hot Hot (Remix)
09 Baha Men - Who Let The Dogs Out
10 Duke - Soca Have Meh Tu Tul Beh
11 Spice - De Congaline (Bump and Wine)
12 Taxi - Dollar Wine
13 Colin Lucas - On She Cassette

What's The Connection? Party Sucks 1

This connection is one that has a lot of friends. Not the party perhaps, because these are all about parties that suck. I don't know about you, but some of these would suck for me. A death, an enema, bad ones and sucky ones of course, tears and, of course, the arrival of cops (although that may be the sign of a really, really good party in some instances). For other party songs (a few that overlap here, but lots of others) follow the party link. None of the songs suck at least.

What's The Connection? Party Sucks 1

01 Blur - Death Of A Party
02 The Wristrockets - This Party Sucks
03 The Wonder Years - This Party Sucks
04 Battery Cage - This Party Sucks, Let's Leave
05 The Dead Milkmen - Bad Party
06 Bey Paule Band - This Party's Done
07 Ryan Hurd - This Party Sucks
08 Everly Brothers - The Party's Over
09 Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - Tears At The Birthday Party
10 Hillbilly Hellcats - Dead Man's Party
11 Paul Curreri - Powwow At A Lousy Party
12 Gun Club - Death Party
13 Slickee Boys - This Party Sucks
14 Ludichrist - This Party Sucks
15 Go-Go's - It's Everything but Party Time
16 Slowburner - Party's Too Bad
17 Veronica Unlimited - What A Lousy Party
18 That Handsome Devil - Party's Dead
19 Wys - The Bad Party
20 Junior Brown - Party Lights
21 River Whyless - Another Shitty Party
22 Peter Kernel - Your Party Sucks
23 The B-52's - Party Out of Bounds
24 Catch 22 - Bad Party
25 Buck Naked  And The Bare Bottom Boys - Enema Party

Neo Folk 1

Not too sure about this genre. I think someone just made it up. But it's dark and gloomy in places, has folky sounds and who knows, this pick is my stab at it, Tell me how I did. I had a few I was going to add in here, but a couple were really long, so maybe in part 2. I have been a fan of Death In June (and some of their friends) for awhile now, so that's where this came from. Some of their stuff I would not classify as Neo Folk. In fact  some of these bands have put out some very good Dark Wave, Industrial, and even Pop music, but these, for me made the grade.

Neo Folk 1

01 Olam Ein Sof - The Arrival
02 Danheim - Berserkir
03 Current 93 - All The Pretty Little Horses
04 Sol Invictus - Believe Me
05 The Hafler Trio - Suppressed Noise
06 Lustmord - Babel
07 Nurse With Wound - Yagga Blues
08 Einsturzende Neubauten - Sabrina
09 Sorrow - Songbird
10 Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud - 14
11 Sonne Hagal - Flackerndes Feuer
12 Sixth Comm - Neiflheim
13 Death In June - Little Black Angel
14 Non - Out Out Out
15 Sigur Ro´s - Hoppipolla

What's The Connection? Kings 1

I should have waited until King's day for this, but I couldn't wait until April to post this. I was too late for No Kings Day so this will just appear for no reason whatsoever. Plenty of songs about Kings, so I am sure I will be doing the next several volumes of this connection on one of the days I mentioned above (or maybe it will just appear). We don't have Kings in the United States (no matter what people say), but I know that around the world people love their royal families. Closest we ever got was the Kennedy family (and Camelot) but that was ended abruptly. Americans have issues with kings. Some great King Songs, though, no matter which country produced the artist. I like all these, for sure.

What's The Connection? Kings 1

01 Adam And The Ants - Kings Of The Wild Frontier
02 John Lee Hooker - Crawling King Snake Blues
03 Nina Hagen - King of Hearts
04 Run-DMC - King Of Rock
05 Hollies - King Midas in Reverse
06 Deep Purple - Speed King
07 Joe Jackson - King of the Day
08 Echo & The Bunnymen - King of Kings
09 Earth, Wind & Fire - King Of Groove
10 Roger Miller - King Of The Road
11 Johnny Cash - King of the hill
12 Cheap Trick - Who D'King
13 Cornell Hurd Band - From A Jack To A King
14 David Bowie - Bring Me the Disco King
15 James Brown - King Heroin
16 Kate Bush - King Of The Mountain
17 Brian Eno - King's Lead Hat
18 Electric Light Orchestra - Rock 'n' Roll Is King
19 Lou Reed - Warrior King

What's The Connection? Game Shows 1

I was looking for video games like Space Invaders and Frogger, etc and naturally thought about game shows. I put some obvious ones that had game show in the title and then some songs about specific game shows and even that were about games shows. I used Weird Al's version of the Greg Kihn song, because I think it's hilarious. The Kihn version is darn good though. A couple of songs with lyrics referring to Game Shows and one with a made up game show as part of the song (the Meatmen which btw, was the first song I thought of for this connection). I didn't use any theme songs or covers of theme songs, but I think there are a few of those around. What is/was your favorite Game Show?

What's The Connection? Game Shows 1

01 Bootsy Collins - Hollywood Squares
02 Godley & Creme - Sale Of The Century
03 Ray Stevens - Game Show Love
04 Kelis - Game Show
05 Kay Starr - Wheel Of Fortune
06 Train - Hey, Soul Sister
07 Tipper - Gong Show
08 Nelly featuring City Spud - Ride Wit Me
09 Eddie Walters - Makin' Whoopee!
10 Gloria Gaynor - Let's Make A Deal
11 Thompson Twins - Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
12 Weird Al Yankovic - I Lost On Jeopardy
13 Jimmy Buffett - Door Number Three
14 Giorgio Moroder - The Chase
15 George Strait - Hollywood Squares
16 Barenaked Ladies - It's All Been Done
17 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton - Can't Hold Us
18 The Meatmen - Punker-Ama
19 Lawndale - The Story Of Vanna White
20 Amos Lee - Game Show

What's The Connection? Frogs 1

This connection came about  because I was looking for songs about video arcade games I played years ago. Frogger was one of them. I didn't find many songs about the arcade game, but I did find a bunch of songs about frogs. A few really good ones and some not that great. I'm pretty sure I liked the Space Invaders one better, but then Iliked the game better, too. Frogger was fun though, for awhile. I wasn't great at it, but did decent enough. At least two of the songs on this playlist are actually about the game.

What's The Connection? Frogs 1

01 Gray Fox - Hawg Frog
02 Shonen Knife - Frogphobia
03 All - Frog
04 David Bowie-Lou Reed - Hop Frog
05 Todd Rundgren - Froggy Went A Pumpkin
06 Mad Professor Meets Gaudi - Frog Venom Dub Treatment
07 Peter Gabriel - Kiss That Frog
08 Les Brown - Leap Frog
09 Group 1850's Peter Sjardin - Night Of The Frogs
10 Whistling Alex Moore - Going back to Froggy Bottom
11 Buckner & Garcia - Froggy's Lament
12 Amanda Plummer-Fisher Stevens-Lou Reed-Willem Dafoe - Every Frog Has His Day
13 Ambrosia - Mama Frog
14 Dave Ball + Genesis - Sex & The Married Frog
15 Kool & The Gang - Electric Frog Part 1
16 Baba Brooks Band - Froggy
17 Big Daddy - Daddy Frog
18 Jimmy Stayton - The Hep Old Frog
19 The Flaming Lips - Frogs
20 Fish - Plague Of Ghosts - (Iii) Chocolate Frogs
21 Emerson Lake & Palmer - Bullfrog
22 Bad Religion - Frogger
23 Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - A Globe Of Frogs
24 Big Joe Maher - Froggy Bottom (Uptempo East Coast Swing)

What's The Connection? Free 4

Here in the United States, we're having elections. Every November 4th there are some elections somehwhere here. Not the major one (every four years) nor the midterms (next year) but this one will be important for certain areas of the country. Who knows how it will turn out, but having elections is part of being free (which is the connection today). It's part 4, so you know you can find more Free songs by searching. Some cool free songs today, so add them to your  collection of freedom. It's funny how for the last month or so people have been protesting about not being free and yet they can only protest, because they are free. It's ironic?

What's The Connection? Free 4

61 Cabaret Voltaire - Be Free
62 Hayseed Dixie - Rockin' In The Free World
63 Deniece Williams - Free
64 Violent Femmes - I'm Free
65 Foo Fighters - I Feel Free
66 Los Canarios - Free Yourself
67 Garth Brooks - We Shall Be Free
68 The KLF - Born Free
69 Sonny & Cher - Set Me Free
70 Depeche Mode - Free
71 Voice Farm - Free Love
72 Ratt - Nobody Rides For Free
73 Sweet - Set Me Free
74 Jimi Hendrix - Free Spirit
75 The Flaming Lips - Free Radicals
76 Scorpions - I've Got To Be Free
77 The Clash - Stay Free
78 Supertramp - Free As A Bird
79 Velvet Underground - I'm Set Free

Eff You We Do What We Want

I guess we shouldn't use the "F" word here, but the title of this pick is called Fuck You We Do What We Want. It's about rebellion, but more of a personal kind. Or at least it tends towards that. The title comes from Rage Against The Machine lyrics. I am pretty sure I broke my rules, but too bad, I like all the songs. Been really busy, so this is all I am writing about this.

Fuck You We Do What We Want

01 Judas Priest - Breaking The Law
02 Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
03 Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name Of
04 Who - My Generation
05 Steve Miller Band - Take The Money And Run
06 Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Bad Reputation
07 Grateful Dead - Friend Of The Devil
08 Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)
09 Suicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized
10 Paul McCartney - Band On The Run
11 David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
12 Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man
13 Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl
14 Alice Cooper - School's Out
15 Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The U.K.
16 Sweet - Teenage Rampage
17 Guns N' Roses - Out Ta Get Me
18 MC5 - Kick Out The Jams
19 Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought The Law
20 Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It
21 Elton John - Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
22 Bob Marley & The Wailers - Get Up Stand Up


What's The Connection? Shaker

I could have sworn that I had already posted this. I uploaded the playlist but never posted it here. Shaking My Head. I don't know why. I did post the Earthquake connection, but never got around to this one. Oh well, here it is now. All songs with Shaker in the title. And no matter what the cover looks like that is not the shaker these songs are talking about, well most of them aren't talking about that. You'll figure it out.

What's The Connection? Shaker

01 Spirit - Earth Shaker
02 Lancasters - Earthshaker
03 Anubian Lights - MutaShaker (Thank You)
04 Spyro Gyra - Shaker Song
05 Yo La Tengo - Shaker
06 Yesterday And Today - Earthshaker
07 Oasis - Shakermaker (Remastered)
08 Triumph - Little Texas Shaker
09 Ying Yang Twins - Salt Shaker
10 Wreckx-N-Effect - Rump Shaker
11 Midnight Oil - Shakers and Movers
12 James Gallagher - Ford And Shaker
13 Time - Shaker Shake
14 Star Quad - Booty Shaker (DJ Red Greg Edit)
15 Cabaret Voltaire - Theme from Earthshaker
16 Foghat - Motel Shaker
17 Twilight Circus Dub Sound System - Floorshaker
18 The Clash - Movers And Shakers
19 Bill Nelson - Shaker
20 Dr. Feelgood - Sugar Shaker

What's The Connection? Shake Your 2

It was less than a week ago that I posted part one of this Shake Your connection, so check that one out and all the other related Shake comps I have also already posted. Not really related is the Shaker post, which, I don't remember if I ever posted, but I did make it. Hmmm... I'll have to post it if I haven't already. Anyway, I transgress, This has more songs about Shaking your stuff. A couple of doubles with other shake comps and even the other volume, but hopefully different versions when I could find them. I do have two songs that are Shake You and not Your. The first two on this volume, but look who it is. I had to add them.

What's The Connection? Shake Your 2

20 Maceo Parker - Shake Everything You Got
21 Mr Jamo - Shake What You Brought With You, Baby
22 Lightnin' Hopkins - Shake Yourself
23 Slim Harpo - Shake Your Hips
24 Bunny Sigler - Shake Your Booty
25 Fleetwood Mac - Shake Your Moneymaker
26 Salt 'n' Pepa - Shake Your Thang (It`s Your Thang)
27 Universal Robot Band - Dance And Shake Your Tambourine
28 Barenaked Ladies - Shake Your Rump
29 Young Fresh Fellows - Shake Your Love
30 Debbie Gibson - Shake Your Love
31 Flies on the Square Egg, The Starlight Singers - Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)
32 Giorgio Moroder - Shake Your Booty
33 Cameo - Shake Your Pants
34 C.C.Catch - Shake Your Head
35 The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Shake Your Way To Heaven
36 The Throwdowns - Shake Your Bones
37 Blues Brothers with Ray Charles - Shake Your Tailfeather
38 Afroman - Shake Your Ass
39 13th Floor Elevators - Shake Your Hips