Happy Holi!

Happy Holi! Here's a crazy pick that is a lot like the chaos of all that color flying around. Interestingly, the acronym for the rainbow is usually ROYGBIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet), but in my school the honors class had a club and they called it Vibgyor. Somehow, I was in it. I ended up getting kicked out for being disruptive and smart alecky, which is actually a lot like the disruptive nature of the holiday itself. This is a Connection of songs that are just as disruptive, with a whole rainbow of flavors ending in the most Holi way I could think of.

Happy Holi!

01 Rolling Stones - She's A Rainbow

02 Leslie Gore - Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows

03 Bob Marley & the Wailers - Rainbow Country

04 The Box Tops - Neon Rainbow

05 Alan Jackson - Chasin' That Neon Rainbow

06 The Marshall Tucker Band - Searchin' For A Rainbow

07 Donna Summer - I'm A Rainbow

08 Salsoul Orchestra - Salsoul Rainbow

09 Katy Perry - Double Rainbow

10 Ke$ha - Rainbow

11 Kacey Musgraves - Rainbow

12 Gwen Stefani - Rainbow Connection

13 Ramones - She Talks To Rainbows

14 The B-52's - She Brakes For Rainbows

15 Man - Rainbow Eyes

16 Lemon's Chair - Vibgyor

17 Jimmy Fallon - Reading Rainbow

18 Israel IZ Kamakawiwo'ole - Over The Rainbow

19 A.R. Rahman - Rang De Basanti

What's The Connection? I Want To 1

This connection is sort of part of a series of Want connections. I Want To tell you more, but I think you will figure it out.  There are more of these songs to make another volume, but I am waiting for a short while. On my backstage area, I call this Want I To to keep it alphabetically in some order that makes sense for me. The cover of this one is similar to the other ones.

What's The Connection? I Want To 1

01 UB40 - All I Want To Do

02 Soft Boys - (I Want To Be An) Anglepoise Lamp

03 Johnny Cash - I Want To Go Home

04 Magazine - I Want To Burn Again

05 Elvis Costello - I Want To Vanish

06 Bill Withers - I Want To Spend The Night

07 Queen - I Want To Break Free

08 Eartha Kitt - I Want To Be Evil

09 Nina Hagen & Leipzig Big Band - I Want To Be Happy

10 Nazareth - I Want To (Do Everything)

11 Pet Shop Boys - I Want To Wake Up

12 Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is

13 Talking Heads - I Want To Live

14 Ultravox! - I Want To Be A Machine

15 Ohio Players - I Want To Be Free

16 John Denver - I Want To Live

17 Steve Miller Band - I Want To Make The World Turn Around

18 Toyah - I Want To Be Free

19 Eight To The Bar - I Want To Rock

What's The Connection? Talk 1

I was digging through some folders and kept tripping over the same word. There isn't a real connection here, it’s just twenty tracks where people are either talking or telling someone else to shut up. It’s a dead-on connection for the speakers, even if it's really just all talk in the end. You get everything from the art-school side like Brian Eno and Cabaret Voltaire to the straight-up radio noise of Salt 'n' Pepa and Toby Keith. If you want to keep the conversation going, I’ve got Some Kind Of Talk posted over at the other link.

What's The Connection? Talk 1

01 Brian Eno - Dead Finks Don't Talk

02 Cabaret Voltaire - Ghost Talk

03 Cheap Trick - You're All Talk

04 Paul Revere & the Raiders - Too Much Talk

05 Chocolate Watch Band - Let's Talk About Girls 

06 Tubes - Talk To Ya Later

07 Pretenders - Talk Of The Town

08 Earth, Wind & Fire - Let Me Talk

09 English Beat - Pato And Roger A Go Talk

10 Chris And Cosey - Talk To Me

11 Olivia Newton-John - Talk To Me

12 Gary Myrick And The Figures - She Talks In Stereo

13 Chris Isaak - Talk To Me

14 REM - Talk About The Passion

15 Prince - Ronnie, Talk to Russia

16 Salt 'n' Pepa - Let's Talk About Sex

17 Toby Keith - A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action

18 Alisha - Baby Talk

19 Beach Boys - Talk To Me

20 Rihanna featuring Jay-Z - Talk That Talk

What's The Connection? Trouble Double

Here's another fun connection in the series: From classic blues heartache to dubstep drops and bubble-popping chaos, Every track here doubles down on 'Double Trouble' (or bubbles it up). Trouble comes in pairs... and ends with a burst! Funny how many songs with the same or nearly the same title are completely different. I added the Bubble variations at the end just for fun. I put Team Rocket on the cover since they are the epitome of Double Trouble in the Pokemon universe. Grab the playlist, crank it up, and let the double dose of trouble roll.

What's The Connection? Trouble Double

01 Big Bill Broonzy - Double Trouble

02 Otis Rush - Double Trouble

03 Elvis Presley - Double Trouble

04 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Double Trouble

05 Travis Tritt - Double Trouble

06 Cars - Double Trouble

07 Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Double Trouble

08 Public Image Limited - Double Trouble

09 Half Japanese - Double Trouble

10 Fourplay - Double Trouble

11 Sly & Robbie - Double Trouble

12 Mad Lion - Double Trouble

13 The Roots - Double Trouble

14 Diva - Double Trouble

15 Cluster Buster - 12 Gauge Double Trouble

16 Team Rocket - Double Trouble

17 Will Ferrell & My Marianne - Double Trouble

18 Book Of Love - Trouble In A Bubble

19 M.I.A. - Double Bubble Trouble

20 Cookie Monsta - Bubble Trouble

Moss 3

Three rounds in and the moss is still growing. I honestly thought I’d bottomed out the barrel with the last two, but the deeper I go into these sub-folders, the weirder the connections get. This session feels like the heaviest of the lot—moving from the sheer soul-power of Aretha and Ike & Tina to the raw basement noise of Reagan Youth without blinking. It’s a jagged, high-energy run through the Stones' catalog that trades the obvious radio edits for a bit more grit and some serious volume. This is my latest Pick for when the original versions just feel a little too safe and you need something that stays deep in the red. What does that drivel even mean? I think it means it may be a while before you get volume 4.

Moss 3

38 The Residents - Satisfaction

39 Scorpions - Start Me Up

40 Deep Purple - Paint It Black

41 Grand Funk Railroad - Gimme Shelter

42 Opium Jukebox - Brown Sugar

43 Ike & Tina Turner with The Ikettes - Honky Tonk Women

44 Reagan Youth - Rocks Off

45 Death Of Samantha - Salt Of The Earth

46 The Shop Assistants - Respectable

47 Deana Carter - Ruby Tuesday

48 The Pink Fairies - Street Fighting Man

49 Johnny Cash - No Expectations

50 The Ultra 5 - Off The Hook

51 Anakelly - Under My Thumb

52 Shake Keane with the Ivor Raymonde Orchestra - As Tears Go By

53 Jason & The Scorchers - 19th Nervous Breakdown

54 Etta James - Miss You

55 Aretha Franklin - You Can't Always Get What You Want

Poke Pick (Repost)

It's National Pokemon Day! I did not even know there was such a day, but since there is here is this repost. Go see the original Poke Pick for the story behind it all. I decided to update the link and while I was at it I also added some songs to the original post. No real Pocket Pokemon songs exist, but I did add some from more recent Pokemon shows and even a Go Remix. I did not change the cover, or how I started and ended the pick, because I liked that (see the story behind it on the original page) Either way, you get more and updated stuff this time. Prepare for Trouble! And make it double!

Poke Pick (Repost)

01 Billy Crawford - Pokemon Theme

02 Walk Off The Earth - The Journey Starts Today

03 Pokemon - 2 B A Master

04 Weird Al Yankovic - Polkamon

05 Vitamin C - Vacation

06 B-Witched - Get Happy

07 M2M - Don't Say You Love Me

08 Angela Via - Catch Me If You Can

09 Haven Paschall - Becoming Me

10 Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd & Haven Paschall - My Favorite Pokémon

11 Mandah - Lullaby

12 Pikachu's Rescue Adventure - Dance Of The Bellossom

13 NSync - Somewhere Someday

14 Michelle Ray - Heart of a Hero

15 Cam Steady - Good Game

16 Illit - Secret Quest

17 9Lana - Let Me Battle

18 Alter Loy featuring SaraSandwich - Pokémon GO Night (Remix)

19 Youngstown (featuring Nobody's Angel) - Pokemon World

20 O-Town - Comin' To The Rescue

21 Blessid Union Of Souls - Brother My Brother

22 Donna Summer - The Power Of One

23 The B-52's - The Chosen One

24 Team Rocket - Double Trouble

25 Team Rocket - Team Rocket Motto

What's The Connection? Suck 1

This is one of those connections that really suck. I am sure you will agree that you would have to be a sucker to not think that's true. All that to just get a link in to a previous, somewhat related pick. The hoops I jump through to do that are sometimes amazing. I made this while I was making the other one and it's the leftover sucky ones. I say that but each is a pretty darn good track, just all over the place like usual with these. Notice that the cover is very similar to the other one with octopus parts inside. I really like the Milo track.

What's The Connection? Suck 1

01 Nine Inch Nails - Suck

02 Bikini Kill - Suck My Left One

03 Mark Knopfler - Don't Suck Me In

04 Dregs - Bloodsucking Leeches

05 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Suck My Kiss

06 Nina Hagen - Dope Sucks

07 Johnny Cash - Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog

08 Consolidated - You Suck

09 Moe. - Suck A Lemon

10 Wire - Being Sucked In Again

11 Shriekback - Suck

12 Red Crayola - War Sucks

13 The Slickee Boys - This Party Sucks

14 Teddybears Sthlm - The Art Sucks It Up

15 KMFDM - Sucks (12' Mix Edit)

16 Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You

17 Toy Dolls - Sciatica Sucks

18 Descendents - My Dad Sucks

Cops & Robbers

There’s always a moment right after the score and right before the sirens — where the fantasy starts to crack. Cops & Robbers lives in that tension: a back-and-forth duel between street swagger and patrol grit, heists and highway lights, jailbreak bravado and the weight of the badge. The robbers run hot, the law runs steady, and somewhere in the chase the jokes fade and the consequences don’t. Seventy minutes. No fluff. Just the rhythm of the street meeting the hammer that always comes down. This is the Pick when you need to hear both sides of the siren. When you just need more police click there. Don't look too close at the lettering, those bills are too modern looking for the rest of the cover.

Cops & Robbers

01 Bo Diddley - Cops & Robbers

02 The Clash - Bankrobber

03 Junior Brown - Highway Patrol

04 Notorious B.I.G. - Gimme The Loot

05 Steve Miller Band - Take The Money And Run

06 Inner Circle - Bad Boys

07 Judas Priest - Breaking The Law

08 Devo - Supercop

09 George Strait - The Weight Of The Badge

10 Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak

11 Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought The Law

12 Marty Robbins - Big Iron

13 Talking Heads - Psycho Killer

14 Bad Wolves - Officer Down

15 Jim Croce - Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

16 Waylon Jennings - Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out Of Hand

17 Merle Haggard and The Strangers - Mama Tried

18 Warren Zevon - Lawyers, Guns And Money.mp3

19 Johnny Cash - God's Gonna Cut You Down

20 Who - Won't Get Fooled Again

Jive Talkin' to Jail Lockin'

I’ve never had much time for the idea that the law is just a suggestion (for another view on Cops click there), especially when you see people gaming the system on everyone else’s dime. This session of Jive Talkin' to Jail Lockin' is a direct response to the anti-ICE noise—a deep dive into the reality of the Minnesota fraud scandals and the fact that "illegal" is a legal status, not a debate. It moves from the slick jive of the daycare scammers to the heavy reality of the front line, ending with the voices of people who are tired of watching the rules get stepped on. It’s an absolute Pick for when the room needs a reminder that accountability isn't up for negotiation. We go through Country, Disco, Funk, Rock and even Somali Pop to get to it.

Jive Talkin' to Jail Lockin'

01 Bee Gees - Jive Talkin' 

02 Puppetgate - Minnesota Fraud Squad

03 Frey & Walz - Learning Centers (Somali Mix)

04 Tackhead - Stealing

05 Ruts - Criminal Mind

06 Wild Horses - Criminal Tendencies

07 Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought The Law

08 Inner Circle - Bad Boys

09 George Strait - The Weight Of The Badge

10 Bad Wolves - Officer Down

11 Chris Darlington - Hold That Line

12 Minnesota Fraud Fighters - ICE Strong

13 Bobop McDerbit - Paid Protestor

14 Jason Aldean - Try That In A Small Town

15 Bryan Martin featuring Charlie Farley - FAFO

16 Mesus - FAFO

17 Metallica - Sad But True

18 Aaron Lewis - Am I The Only One

19 Merle Haggard & The Strangers - Mama Tried

20 Johnny Cash - God’s Gonna Cut You Down

21 The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again 

Jawaiian 1

To be honest, I hadn’t really heard the term "Jawaiian" before I started working on this set. It turns out it’s just the shorthand for that specific mashup of Jamaican reggae and local Hawaiian music that started taking over the islands back in the late 80s. I always just knew it as that upbeat, backyard sound that never seems to slow down. Perfect for what you get. This session is an absolute Pick for anyone who wants to stay in that particular groove without any of the slow stuff getting in the way.

Jawaiian 1

01 Rebel Souljahz - Irie Beach Party

02 Three Plus - Driving Me Pupule

03 Common Kings - Since I Woke Up

04 J Boog - Let's Do It Again

05 The Green - Recipe

06 Fiji - Jowenna

07 Kolohe Kai - Ehu Girl

08 Spawnbreezie - Hula Girl

09 Maoli - Sunshine

10 Ho'onu'a - Feel Good Island Music

11 Tomorrow People - Irie Music

12 Natural Vibrations - Better Believe

13 Sons Of Zion featuring Israel Starr - Stuck On Stupid

14 Mana'o Company - Drop Baby Drop-Who Loves You Pretty Baby

15 Sean Na'auao - Fish and Poi

16 Ka'au Crater Boys - Tropical Hawaiian Day

17 Chardonnay - Honey Baby

18 High Watah - Black Pearl

19 Ho'aikane - Kona Red

20 Ekolu - Shores of Waiehu

Tiki Party 4

I'll take a cold Mai Tai over a bowl of poi any day of the week, and that’s coming from an honorary brah who’s spent enough time on mopeds around Diamond Head to know better. This music hits a different way for me—it’s the sound of grabbing pupus at the Shorebird or those hazy mornings heading down the road to Hana. I actually got into collecting records because of the Moffat family, spending time in Tom’s studio back in the day and even though I was keeping the dial on Q-FM and not KPOI. This session of Tiki Party is basically the encore to my own wedding reception, ditching the slow stuff for the kind of backyard rhythm that actually moves. If you can't make it to the islands today, just fire up the grill by the pool and let this be the soundtrack to your own mainland kanikapila. It’s an absolute Pick for when the sun is out and the grill is started.

Tiki Party 4

64 Kalapana - Naturally

65 Cecilio & Kapono - You And Me

66 Kulana - Typical Hawaiian Day

67 Brother Noland - Coconut Girl

68 Loggins & Messina - Lahaina

69 Bruddah Waltah - Sweet Lady of Waiahole

70 Peter Moon Band  - Cane Fire

71 Justin Young - Shake Me

72 Jimmy Buffett - Volcano

73 Kolohe Kai - Ehu Girl

74 Pablo Cruise - Island Woman

75 Ten Feet - Windward Skies

76 Robi Kahakalau - Pi'i Mai Ka Nalu

77 Kimié Miner - Bamboo

78 Anuhea - Higher Than The Clouds

79 Pure Heart - Tokada

80 Kapena - Reggae Train

81 Natural Vibrations - Put A Little Love

82 Big Every Time - Don't Stop

83 Henry Kapono - Friends

84 Mackey Feary Band - You're Young

Qawwality Bhangra 4

I probably love a good dhol beat almost as much as I love a hot plate of Aloo Gobi, and that’s saying a lot. There’s just something about that specific Southall swing that hits right every time. This new session of Qawwality Bhangra is easily the most danceable one I’ve put together yet. I cut out all the long, slow movie parts and just kept the stuff that actually makes you want to get up and move. And you still will want to Bend It Like Beckham! It’s loud, it’s heavy, and it’s definitely my latest Pick for the next time you need to clear the furniture and just let the speakers do their thing.

Qawwality Bhangra 4

41 Malkit Singh - Tootak Tootak Tootiyan

42 Panjabi MC - Moorni (Balle Balle) (Ajit Singh Groove Mix)

43 Safri Boys - Putt Sardara De

44 Surjit Bindrakhia - Tera Yaar Bolda

45 Apna Sangeet - Vaje Apna Sangeet

46 Heera Group UK - Dowain Jaaniya

47 Rama & Bally Sagoo - Mera Laung Gawacha

48 B21 - Darshan

49 Bally Jagpal & Shazia Manzoor - Aaja Sohneya

50 AS Kang featuring Miss Lee - Gidhian Di Raniye (Hip Hop Mix)

51 Premi - O Tina O Tina

52 Shankar Mahadevan & Somya Baoh & Loy Mendonsa - Nach Baliye

53 Shaan & Vasundhara Das & Shankar Mahadevan - Where's The Party

54 Anushka Manchanda - Mit Jaaye Gham (Dum Maaro Dum)

Qawwality Bhangra 3

Three chapters deep and the frequency is finally jumping the tracks. Qawwality Bhangra has moved on from the skeletal, crate-dug feel of the earlier runs and slammed into something thicker, louder, more saturated. It’s a heavy low-end shove that trades dust for real club sweat - the point where the chant and the dhol stop being a curiosity and just start doing damage. No posturing, no polish, just a direct push that stays deep in the red and keeps the room moving. An absolute qawwality Pick for when it needs to get heavy.

Qawwality Bhangra 3

26 Sukhbir - Dis Da Bhangra

27 Achar On The Side - Desi At Heart (Tandoor 12 Inch Drop Mix)

28 Bally Sagoo Featuring Malkit Singh - Gur Nalon Ishq Mitha

29 Tigerstyle - Nachna Onda Nei

30 Safri Boys - Chan Mere Makhna

31 Dr Zeus - Lets Dance

32 Shabaz - Lagian (Joyful Bhangra Dance)

33 Mamta Sharma & Aishwarya - Munni Badnaam

34 Mika, Sunidhi Chauhan & Sajid Khan - Aapka Kya Hoga (Dhanno)

35 Vishal Dadlani & Sunidhi Chauhan - Sheila Ki Jawani (Remix)

36 Yo Yo Honey Singh - Lungi Dance

37 Dhanush - Kolaveri Di (Tigerstyle UK Bhangra Remix)

38 Sonu Nigam & Jayesh Gandhi & Amrita Kak - Just Chill

39 Shankar Mahadevan & Shaan & Mahalaxmi Iyer - Rock n Roll Soniye

40 Sukhwinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, Mahalakshmi Iyer - Jai Ho

In-Frelling-Fix 3

I  have made a couple of these and a few sideways trips (see In-Frelling-Fix and Commingled) and I liked the last volume of this pick, but I wasn't happy that I kind of went down a rabbit hole with it. It was a good rabbit hole, but not one I intended to go on. It just works out that way sometimes. This one is more true to the original idea (in my mind). Let me know how it ranks with the other volumes. Not too many songs, as they tend to go longer. Rock that isn't quite Jazz and Jazz that isn't quite Rock. Borderline Prog, but not. Some call it Fusion. I call it:

In-Frelling-Fix 3 

24 Chicago - Introduction

25 If - Your City Is Falling

26 Frank Zappa - Big Swifty

27 Nucleus - Torrid Zone

28 Billy Cobham - Stratus

29 Gong - Master Builder

30 Herbie Hancock - Sly

31 Brand X - Nuclear Burn

32 Colosseum - The Machine Demands a Sacrifice

33 Soft Machine - Nettle Bed

Bananas & Rice

What with all the news in Minnesota about fraud and all kinds of weird stuff, I got interested in what Somali music sounded like. And like all the music in the world, I found I liked some of it and some not as much. Did a bit of searching and listening and came up with a pick of songs I thought was kind of cool. This is it. Some of it has bilingual lyrics, but most does not. So I have no idea what most of the lyrics mean, could be good, could be lame. But each of these would probably be great mixed with afro pop or even rai. I am pretty sure that each has Somali connections somewhere. I didn't add a couple of songs that I understand are big in the Somali community because I found out they were not Somalia related artists, even though they fit in sound-wise (my favorite which I would play at a wedding or event is French Montana but, oh well). I'm not an expert on the genre, so if you have suggestions of what I am missing, let me know.

Bananas & Rice

01 Hassan Gantaal - Bogsiya

02 Rooda Kayf - Noloshu Waa Wada Jirkee

03 Marwaan Yaar featuring Haboon Nuura - Xulasho

04 Sharma Boy - Macalimoo

05 Ilkacase Qays - Iskiifo

06 Kiin Jaamac - Bye Bye

07 Waaberi - Cidlaan Dareemaya

08 Sabriina Musse - Ciyaarta Noo Wada

09 Ugbaad Aragsan - Boqolow

10 Elmi Original - Dhag Dhag (Remix)

11 Mustafe Kante - Dhakhtarkaygii Maan Helin

12 DJ Hunky featuring Kiin Jaama & Hassan Gantaal - Bal Dareen Remix

13 Frey & Walz - Learing Centers (Somali mix)

14 Dur-Dur Band - Dooyo (Airbird Remix)

15 Aar Maanta - Dhadhami

16 Suldaan Seeraar - Ha Samrin

17 Nimco Happy - Isii Nafta (Love You More Than My Life)

18 Maryam Mursal - Lei Lei

19 Khaalid Kaamil - Soomaaliya Hanooolato

20 K'Naan featuring Adam Levine - Bang Bang

Bayou Boogie 5

Happy Mardi Gras! So I was ready with this one for a bit but decided to wait until today to spring it on you. Another Bayou Boogie pick (click there for some more of this and some Zydeco). It's programmed to run as is for a nice dancing and drinking night. I probably would mix it up with the previous volumes, but you could just play this and keep your bar going for an hour while you take a dinner break. You'll notice the ebbs and flows designed in to get people on and off to order drinks. Everytime I look at the cover, I just like the design. The mirror ball crawdad, the Pirates of the Caribbean type shack on a swamp with the fireflies and all.

Bayou Boogie 5

75 Tony Joe White - Roosevelt And Ira Lee

76 Lee Dorsey - Do-Re-Mi

77 Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole - Zydeco Paradise

78 Earl King - Come On (Parts 1 & 2)

79 Nathan & The Cha Chas - If You Got a Problem

80 Geno Delafose - C'est Pas La Peine Brailler

81 Shirley & Lee - Let The Good Times Roll

82 C.J. Chenier - Man Smart, Woman Smarter

83 Tab Benoit - I Got Loaded

84 Brian Jack & The Zydeco Gamblers - Git It Check It Out

85 Li'l Brian & the Zydeco Travelers - Z-Funk

86 Horace Trahan & The New Ossun Express - That Butt Thing

87 Major Handy - Te Ni Nee Ni Nu

88 Sean Ardoin - Get Right Girl

89 Willis Prudhomme & The Zydeco Express - Zydeco Queen

90 Soul Rebels Brass Band - Let Your Mind Be Free

91 Chris Ardoin & Double Clutchin' - Papa Was a Rollin' Stone

Moss 2

Since I posted Volume 1 yesterday, I’ve been digging through my hard drive and realizing just how much of this stuff I've hoarded. It’s actually a bit overwhelming trying to narrow it down when you have fifty different versions of the same song. I tried to keep this second pick just as scattered as the first one. You’ve got everything from the Scorpions to some really quiet, dusty country takes that I’ve always liked. I threw in the Brave Combo track just because it’s so weird it had to go somewhere. It’s mostly just me clicking through folders and picking the tracks that actually made me stop and listen. I’m nowhere near the end of this list, and I am sure I could get a third volume out soon. This batch should bridge the gap while I keep digging through the rest of the mess. Plenty more to come.

Moss 2

19 Bjork and PJ Harvey - Satisfaction

20 Echo & The Bunnymen - Paint It Black (Live)

21 Bryan Ferry - Sympathy For The Devil

22 Scorpions - Ruby Tuesday

23 Peter & The Test Tube Babies - Mother's Little Helper

24 The Family Cat - Rocks Off

25 Inspiral Carpets - Gimme Shelter

26 What Noise - Under Cover Of The Night

27 Brave Combo - No, No, No, Cha, Cha, Cha

28 Marcus King - Can't You Hear Me Knocking

29 The Primitives - As Tears Go By

30 Sammy Kershaw - Angie

31 Maren Morris - Dead Flowers

32 Blue Mountain - Torn & Frayed

33 Everest - Sweet Virginia

34 Handsome Family - Faraway Eyes

35 Barbara Kessler - You Got The Silver

36 The Henry Kaiser Band - Tell Me

37 Hem - You Can't Always Get What You Want

Moss 1

I really am too clever for myself (at least I think so). Hence the title. This pick of the Rolling Stones covered tried not to be too obvious. Of course there is a little obvious, but doing the trademark genres all over the place, a little loony and a little sane. It's mostly just versions I like. I have so many covers of Stones songs, that I was sure I had made this pick before, but I could not find it, so here it is, with another one waiting to be dropped in. Be patient.

Moss 1

01 Devo - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

02 Motörhead - Jumpin' Jack Flash

03 The Soup Dragons featuring Junior Reid - I'm Free

04 Jah Wobble & Jon Klein - Start Me Up

05 Ministry - Under My Thumb

06 Laibach - Sympathy For The Devil

07 Sisters of Mercy - Gimme Shelter

08 Opium Jukebox - Ruby Tuesday

09 D'Angelo - Brown Sugar

10 The Residents - Paint It Black

11 Cowboy Junkies - Moonlight Mile

12 Angry Samoans - Miss You

13 Psychic TV - As Tears Go By

14 Sundays - Wild Horses

15 Dr. Phibes - 2,000 Light Years From Home

16 Rotary Connection - The Salt Of The Earth

17 Polyphonic Size - Mother's Little Helper

18 The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony

What's The Connection? Sweetheart

Happy Valentine's Day! This connection (I almost called it schatje, because I am partially Dutch) all has songs with Sweetheart in the title. I have a previous one about sweetest songs. But this wtc goes from the Golden Age to Teen Idol & Doo-Wop through traditional, soul and R&B right through my modern post -punk deconstruction where you say don't dream it, be it. Which sounds a little like a lot of scholastic bullshit. They're just cool songs and have nothing to do with the changing mores (or better: a-mores) of intimacy throughout the years.

What's The Connection? Sweetheart

01 Al Bowlly - Goodnight Sweetheart

02 Bing Crosby - Someday Sweetheart

03 Lawrence Welk - Let Me Call You Sweetheart

04 Dorothy Shay - Say That We Are Sweethearts Again

05 Jo Stafford & Gordon Macrea - Say Something Sweet To Your Sweetheart

06 Nat King Cole - Sweethearts On Parade

07 Peggy Lee - Sweetheart

08 Connie Francis - I Never Had A Sweetheart

09 Patsy Montana - I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart

10 Bobby Sheen - I Want You for My Sweetheart

11 Raindrops - I Don't Want A Sweetheart

12 The Cleftones - Can't We Be Sweethearts

13 Martin Denny - To You, Sweetheart, Aloha

14 Pentangle - Once I Had a Sweetheart

15 Dean Martin - Innamorata (Sweetheart)

16 Eddie Cochran - Sweetie Pie

17 Bee Gees - Sweetheart

18 Mariah Carey - Sweetheart

19 Candi Staton - I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than A Young Man's Fool)

20 Rainy Davis - Sweetheart

21 Elvis Costello - Radio Sweetheart

22 Magazine - Sweetheart Contract

23 Rolling Stones - Sweethearts Together

24 Thin Lizzy - Sweetheart

25 Cold Chisel - Breakfast At Sweethearts

What's The Connection? The Real Thing

I must have listened to too many Coke commercials, since that is the first thing that pops up in my head whenever I hear the phrase The Real Thing and there is that song at the end, but this connection is not about Coca Cola (although I like Coke Zero). It's about a lot of things that are real, but mostly about songs with Real Thing in the title. As you listen to this, have a coke and a smile. Aaargh! It's become so commercialized and I mean my brain. Because no one paid me for all this advertising.

What's The Connection? The Real Thing

01 Tina Britt - The Real Thing

02 Pearl Jam & Cypress Hill - Real Thing

03 Bill Nelson - Real Thing This Time

04 Russel Morris - The Real Thing

05 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing

06 Rick Riso - Gotta Have The Real Thing

07 D.C. Larue - Do You Want The Real Thing

08 Dean Martin - (It Will Have to Do) Until the Real Thing Comes Along

09 Newsboys - Real Good Thing

10 Syl Johnson - I've Got the Real Thing

11 Jellybean & Steven Dante - The Real Thing

12 Troy Dodds - The Real Thing

13 Intrepids - After You've Had Your Fling (Get Down To The Real Thing)

14 Super Eagles - Love's A Real Thing

15 Chip Taylor - (I Want) The Real Thing

16 Brothers Johnson - The Real Thing

17 Tony Di Bart - The Real Thing (New 7 Dance)

18 U2 - Even Better Than the Real Thing

19 Electric Express - It's The Real Thing Pt.1

20 2 Unlimited - The Real Thing (Extended)

21 KMFDM - Real Thing

22 Coca Cola - It's the Real Thing

What's The Connection? Disco 8

This one came together more from sequencing than from any set rules, which suits this Disco connection just fine. The order did more of the work than the idea ever did. Some tracks stretch things out, some feel slightly wrong in a way I like, and some are here simply because they kept insisting. This one happens to be part eight of the series, but it doesn’t behave much differently than the others. Previous volumes live under disco if that matters to you, with more turning up whenever they feel ready, but probably not for awhile since I am exhausted of disco for now. I know, I can't believe it either.

What's The Connection? Disco 8

114 Omni - Disco Socks

115 Rhond Durand - Disco Fever (Part 3)

116 Moderations - Ride The Disco Train

117 50 Cent - Disco Inferno

118 Lady Gaga - Disco Heaven

119 Television Personalities - Sooty's Disco Party

120 Syd Dale - Disco Tek

121 Seaquence - Disco Thing

122 Carole King - Disco Tech

123 Circle - Disco Break (Woody Bianchi Edit)

124 Matduke - Disco Dancer

125 Paul Jabara - Disco Wedding-Honey Moon-Disco Divorce

126 The Great Disco Bouzouki Band - Disco Bouzuki

127 Glam Sam and His Combo - The Last Days of Disco (Lemongrass First Kiss Rmx)

128 North By Northeast - Disco Unusual

129 Lake Shore Drive - The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos Remix)

130 Bloodhound Gang - Disco Pogo

What's The Connection? Disco 7

The rules are still intentionally loose on this Disco connection. Disco doesn’t have to describe the sound, it just has to genuinely appear in the title and not sneak in as a remix label. A few of these tracks had been floating around since earlier volumes and finally found a home here, while others simply made more sense once the pile shifted. This all landed as part seven of the ongoing run, with the numbering and cover style staying consistent. The earlier volumes are collected under disco and the boundaries remain deliberately blurry.

What's The Connection? Disco 7

100 Stringfield Family - The Sound Of Disco Rock

101 The Legal Defense - The Disco Stomp

102 Nasty City - Disco Baby

103 Aquasky Vx Masterblaster - Disco Biscuit

104 Yaad Aa Raha Hai - Disco Dancer

105 Pleze - Disco 2000

106 Sil Austin - Disco Music

107 Alex Gopher - Super Disco

108 Sir Ted Ford - Disco Music

109 Bill Avery And Love Co. - Disco Fever

110 The Live Experience - Disco Joint

111 Dizzee Rascal - Dirtee Disco

112 Bonnie & Klein - Disco Size

113 Rozza & Wine - Disco Boogie Woman

What's The Connection? Disco 6

This is part six of the ongoing Disco connection. The word disco comes from discothèque, which is mildly interesting and completely irrelevant here, much like the organizing logic of this series. It functions mostly as a loose thread rather than an idea anyone needs to follow too closely. Numbering continues, the cover stays similar, and there are plenty more of these sitting around waiting their turn. Previous volumes can be found by clicking disco

What's The Connection? Disco 6

86 Lonnie Jordan - Discoland

87 Bjørn Torske - Disco Members

88 Mathematiques Modernes - Disco Rough (Long Version)

89 Lee Perry and the Full Experience - Disco Devil

90 Universal Energy - Disco Energy (I)

91 Transvolta - Disco Computer

92 Pulp - Disco 2000

93 Lyman Woodard Organization - Disco Tease

94 Orlando Julius - Disco Hi-Life

95 The J.B.'s - Rock Disco

96 Juan Formell Y Los Van Van - Disco Azucar

97 Terry Callier - Disco In The Sky

98 Sassy - Theme from Disco 77

99 Ladytron - Discotraxx

fnj

This three-letter pick, fnj, is made up of leftovers from the last week or two of compilation picks - tracks I didn’t end up using, but couldn’t bring myself to drop. They didn’t land where I first imagined them, but they still move, still groove, still do the job. No theme, no cleanup, just a stack of rhythm-forward records that earned a second life together. Thrown into camelot key order and nudged along by bpm, because that’s how my brain hears them anyway. Just a mixtape of things that refused to disappear. The title is just randomly chosen letters I hit on the keyboard with my eyes closed, so don't gain any meaning from that.

fnj

01 Kongas - Anikana O

02 Maceo & The Macks - Cross The Tracks (We Better Go Back)

03 Imani Coppola - Legend Of A Cowgirl

04 Orgone featuring Fanny Franklin - Who Knows Who

05 Bunny Sigler - Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing

06 Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait (Long Dutch Remix)

07 The Blendells - La La La La La

08 Jimmy Castor Bunch - It's Just Begun

08 Johnny Guitar Watson - Gangster Of Love

09 Mandrill - Fencewalk

10 2Nu - This Is Ponderous

11 Laid Back - White Horse

12 The World's Famous Supreme Team - Hey DJ (Extended Version)

13 James Brown - Get On The Good Foot

14 Lala Guerrero - Pancho Rock

15 The Premiers - Farmer John

16 Cannibal And The Headhunters - Land Of 1000 Dances

ExiCumbias 2

I know it's not Cinco De Mayo yet, but I was excited about this compilation. I think of it as the floorbangers of cumbia. You probably could play almost any one of these when someone asks for a cumbia and they would be happy. Now it does wander a tiny bit since Cumbia wanders a bit. I have a few variations of cumbia, not all just one part of the world. If you like cumbia, you'll love this pick. If you have no idea about cumbia, this is a good sampling. Check out volume one (ExiCumbias 1) which I did post last year on Cinco De Mayo, for more, but this one is the one with the bangers. That doesn't always mean the hits, just the ones that will get or keep someone on the dancefloor.

ExiCumbias 2

20 La Sonora Dinamita - Mi Cucu

21 Aniceto Molina - La Cumbia Sampuesana

22 Los Immortales - La Pollera Colora

23 Selena - Bidi Bidi Bom Bom

24 Los Angeles Azules - El Liston De Tu Pelo

25 Banda Blanca - Sopa De Caracol

26 Rafael Coides - Cumbia En Do Menor

27 AJ Harris and the Pink Tacos - Brisket Beats (Smokehouse Sonidero Mix)

28 Bareto - Carinito

29 Chico Trujillo - La Escoba

30 Los Mirlos - La Danza De Los Mirlos

31 Margarita La Diosa De La Cumbia - Que Bello

32 Joe Arroyo - La Rebelion

33 Fruko Y Sus Tesos - A La Memoria Del Muerto

34 Grupo Canaveral - Tiene Espinas el Rosal

35 Los Palmeras - El Bombon Asesino

36 Super Lamas - La Pelusa

37 Systema Solar - Yo Voy Ganao

38 Gilda - No Me Arrepiento de Este Amor

39 Los Tucanes de Tijuana - La Chona

In-Frelling-Fix 2

When I made the first In-Frelling-Fix, I wasn’t trying to define a genre so much as name a feeling. This Pick lives inside categories without sitting comfortably in any of them - jazz that isn’t really jazz, rock that doesn’t behave like rock, and fusion that never quite resolves. I sequenced it for tension and motion rather than groove or payoff, letting the tracks lean forward and rub against each other instead of settling in. The title doesn’t change the music, but it still fits — and if you want a slightly different view of this idea, try Commingled.

In-Frelling-Fix 2

11 U.K. - In The Dead Of Night

12 Billy Cobham - Quadrant 4

13 Frank Zappa - Eat That Question

14 Jean-Luc Ponty - Enigmatic Ocean Part II

15 Colosseum II - Desperado

16 Egg - Enneagram

17 National Health - The Bryden 2-Step (For Amphibians) Part 1

18 Mahavishnu Orchestra - Vital Transformation

19 Santana - La Fuente del Ritmo

20 Soft Machine - Hazard Profile Part 1

21 Bill Bruford - Beelzebub

22 Dixie Dregs - Free Fall

23 Al di Meola - Race With Devil on Spanish Highway

Michael Schenker Family

This Pick is the Michael Schenker Family. I first heard him playing with his brother in Scorpions, and I loved Scorpions, so naturally I started paying attention to what he did next and where he showed up after that. One thing led to another, and this is what I found. Different bands, different projects, guest spots, and side roads, all pulled from following his name and his guitar over the years. When did you first hear his guitar and on what track? Any of these?

Michael Schenker Family

01 Michael Schenker Group - Attack Of The Mad Axeman

02 Michael Schenker - Save Yourself

03 Michael Schenker Group - Into The Arena

04 UFO - Doctor Doctor

05 Hear 'N Aid - Stars

06 Scorpions - I'm Goin' Mad

07 Michael Schenker Group - Armed And Ready

08 Scorpions - It All Depends

09 Michael Schenker Fest - Heart And Soul

10 UFO - Rock Bottom

11 Contraband - Loud Guitars, Fast Cars & Wild, Wild Livin'

12 Michael Schenker &  Pete Way - You And Me

13 Sex Machineguns - Heavy Metal Thunder

14 Derek Sherinian - Die Kobra

15 Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock - Vigilante Man

16 McAuley Schenker Group - When I'm Gone

Hagar Family Pick

This Pick is the Hagar Family the way I hear it, not Horrible, just my favorites from Sammy pulled from across the whole Hagar universe because they naturally sit together for me. Solo stuff, bands, side roads, b-sides, different moments (not ALL the big hits, but some) all tied together by the same voice and the same attitude that first hooked me and never really let go, including a little unspoken Van Hagar energy baked in whether you notice it or not. I’m only sad I didn't sneak Helga into the background somewhere, because she probably would've rocked with this, sipping mead (or a Waborita).

Hagar Family Pick

01 Montrose - Bad Motor Scooter

02 Van Halen - Summer Nights

03 Sammy Hagar & The Circle - Crazy Times

04 Sammy Hagar - Birthday

05 Sammy Hagar & The Circle - Can't Hang

06 Sammy Hagar - Three Lock Box

07 Sammy Hagar & The Waboritos - Shag

08 Van Halen - Why Can't This Be Love

09 Montrose - Space Station #5

10 Chickenfoot - Soap On A Rope

11 Sammy Hagar & The Waboritos - Mas Tequila

12 HSAS - Top of the Rock

13 Sammy Hagar - I Can't Drive 55

14 Sammy Hagar with Nancy Wilson & Mickey Hart - All We Need Is An Island

15 Sammy Hagar - Don't Get Hooked

16 Sammy Hagar - High Hopes

17 Sammy Hagar - There's Only One Way To Rock

18 Sammy Hagar - Red

19 Sammy Hagar - Encore, Thank You, Goodnight

What's The Connection? Baby Blue

This Connection is all about Blue Babies, and yes, the elephant in the room is Bob Dylan. Once that door is open, a lot of other artists walk through it in very different ways. Some follow the path closely, some take a hard left, and others just borrow the color and the attitude. Lined up together, the similarities and the differences both matter. I didn’t build this one to be tidy; I built it to be interesting. If you’ve followed my other blue connections, you already know how this works. If not, listen through once and see where your ear lands.

What's The Connection? Baby Blue

01 Badfinger - Baby Blue

02 Virgin Prunes - Baby Turns Blue

03 Bob Dylan - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

04 Jerry Wallace - Blue-Jean Baby

05 Beach Boys - Baby Blue

06 Mel McDaniel - Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On

07 Chocolate Watch Band - Baby Blue

08 Eurythmics - Baby's Gone Blue

09 Bad Religion - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

10 Jeff Beck & The Big Town Playboys - Baby Blue

11 SPK - Baby Blue Eyes

12 George Strait - Baby Blue

13 The Cramps - Baby Blue Rock (Live)

14 Bryan Ferry - It's All Over Now Baby Blue

15 Giorgio Moroder - Baby Blue

16 Stray Cats - Baby Blue Eyes

17 Echoes - Baby Blue

18 Graham Bonnet - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

19 Micky Moonshine - Baby Blue

20 Steve Howe with Annie Haslam - It's All Over Now Baby Blue

21 King Krule - Baby Blue

Digging Your Groove 5

I'm already on Volume 5 and this series keeps moving for the same reason the others exist. I loved the groove on these songs, but they didn’t quite fit anywhere else, so this pick is where they landed. A lot of this one leans into extended mixes, club versions, and strange hybrids where the rhythm or bass line is doing something just a little different. Some of these tracks were big, some barely registered, and some only ever really worked in the right room at the right time. If you’ve been following along with Digging Your Groove, you already know the headspace I’m in. If not, just listen and you’ll hear it.

Digging Your Groove 5

68 Cameron Paul - Bonus Beats 112 BPM

69 Herbie Hancock - Autodrive

70 M - Pop Musik Remix (12 inch)

71 D-Train - You're the One for Me (Special Dub Vocal)

72 Max Graham & Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart

73 Kraftwerk Vs Human League - Don't You Want The Robots

74 Soft Cell - Sex Dwarf

75 SSQ - Fire

76 Pat & Mick - On the Night

77 The Clash - Rock The Casbah (Ultimix)

78 Rock The Party - Word (Original Mix)

79 Yazoo - Situation (US 12-Inch Remixed by Francois Kevorkian)

80 Lounge Lizards - Incident On South Street

Groundhog Day 2 (again?)

Also posted at 6:00 AM this is a continuation of the volume one pick and also a repeat posting of Groundhog Day 2 last year. Nothing more to say, just read last year's post (or the year before or before that). Do it again. For Punxatawney Phil if no one else. There are slight differences, but you will not notice them. Are you Goofus or Gallant today? Is that the Hi-Light?

Groundhog Day 2

22 George Benson - Let's Do It Again

23 Elevation Worship - Do It Again (Radio)

24 R5 - Repeating Days

25 Wall Of Voodoo - Do It Again

26 Nightlife Unlimited - Let's Do It Again

27 Beach Boys - Do It Again

28 Prince - History Repeats Itself

29 R5 - Do It Again

30 Steely Dan - Do It Again

31 Queens Of The Stone Age - Do It Again

32 Kinks - Do It Again

33 David Guetta - Repeat

34 Herbie Mann - Do It Again

35 Nada Surf - Do It Again

36 Budgie - On Repeat

37 Sweet - Do It All Over Again

38 Camera Obscura - Do It Again

39 Staple Singers - Let's Do It Again

40 Little Boots - Stuck On Repeat

Groundhog Day 1 (Wait, haven't you seen this before?)

This is a loop reposting of the pick Groundhog Day. Go look at it. It's almost exactly the same, with slight differences only you will be able to see. LOL. Based on the premise in the Bill Murray movie the next two volumes will repeat every year. Here you go again. Something you won't play, but once a year. And it probably won't ever change. How many Groundhog Day songs could possibly be left? BTW, I love that I posted this at 6:00 am again.

Groundhog Day 1

01 Eminem - Groundhog Day
02 Injury Reserve - Groundhog Day
03 Big Sugar - Groundhog Day
04 Double Trouble - Groundhog Day
05 Street Talk - Groundhog Day
06 1000Mods - Groundhog Day
07 Melanie - Groundhog Day
08 Bob Dylan - Groundhog Day
09 Simon Lynge - Groundhog Day
10 Tom T. Hall - Happy Groundhog Day
11 The Rifles - Groundhog Day
12 Lane 8 - Groundhog Day
13 D.O.A. - Groundhog Day
14 Primus - Groundhog's Day
15 Paul Hardcastle - History Keeps Repeating It's Self
16 John Mccutcheon - Groundhog Day
17 Shirley Bassey - History Repeating
18 Spirit - Groundhog
19 We Are Scientists - History Repeats
20 Corin Tucker Band - Groundhog Day
21 The Alarm - History Repeating

Pop Rocks 6

I certainly am cleaning up my holding area. I last made a Pop Rocks pick in 2022. It's not that there aren't millions of candidates waiting to be added, it's just I saw a squirrel and went another direction for awhile. Go check out the other ones and please if you get this, tell me what's the difference between Pop Rocks and Yacht Rock. I think one might be a subset of the other, or maybe not. There definitely is a difference, but I am not sure I can articulate it. I do have an unposted pick of Yacht rock (150 tracks so far), I even have a cool cover, but I never finished it up to be ready for posting here. A couple of overlaps, nyacht many. Anyway I ran out of real flavors, so grape will have to do for this one.

Pop Rocks 6

106 Don Felder - You Don't Have Me

107 Chicago - Harry Truman

108 Reed Nielsen & Mark Pearson - Hasty Heart

109 Richard Marx - Don't Mean Nothing

110 David Soul - Don't Give Up On Us

111 Exile - Kiss You All Over

112 Redbone - Come And Get Your Love

113 Bad Business - Turn it On

114 Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride

115 Jefferson Starship - Count on Me

116 Gary Wright - Dream Weaver

117 Dan Hartman - I Can Dream About You

118 Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Night Moves

119 Grand Funk Railroad - Some Kind Of Wonderful

120 Quarterflash - Harden My Heart

121 Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun

122 Billy Swan - I Can Help

123 Gerry Rafferty - Right Down The Line

124 Moody Blues - I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)

125 Jackson Browne - Doctor My Eyes

126 Pages - You Need A Hero

Paisley 7

It's been awhile since I posted a new volume in this Paisley series. The last pick was a few years ago, but there have been tracks in my "holding area" ready to go. I have a few really long tracks I want to post too. A couple of longish tracks on this one, but not as long as the ones I have waiting. Someday I will get to them, when I get the guts to put out a three to four track playlist. If you want my definition of Paisley go see the other volumes. I explain the whole story. Just know I love this stuff. Did you notice the cover? There is a pattern...

Paisley 7

127 Spirit - Life Has Just Begun

128 Aphrodite's Child - The Four Horsemen

129 Todd Rundgren - International Feel

130 Doors - The End

131 The Temptations - Runaway Child, Running Wild

132 Prince & the Revolution - Paisley Park

133 Cream - Strange Brew

134 Dr. John - I Walk On Guilded Splinters

135 The Dukes Of Stratosphear - Your Gold Dress

136 Grateful Dead - What's Become Of The Baby

137 Country Joe And The Fish - Flying High

138 The Small Faces - Lazy Sunday

139 Nirvana - Wings Of Love

140 Donovan - The Trip

141 Jefferson Airplane - The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil

142 Gal Costa - Cinema Olympia

143 Bubble Puppy - Keep Your Mouth Shut Once In A While

What's The Connection? Brains 2

Four years ago, I made part one of this Brain connection and I am finally getting to part two. I had the bulk of these already waiting (well, let's be honest, if you have Hawkwind, PTV and Flaming Lips that could already be considered the "bulk" of it, but I had more than that). I added two songs and I was done. You won't guess which ones I added at the last moment, so I'll just tell you it was Green Day and Shays. So here you go, more washing and stuff on your scattered brain!

What's The Connection? Brains 2

18 Daft Punk - The Brainwasher

19 Hawkwind - Brainstorm

20 Green Day - Brain Stew (Clean Radio Faded Ending)

21 Jeff Beck - Scatterbrain

22 Foo Fighters - My Poor Brain

23 Paul Engemann - Brain Power

24 Den Harrow - Future Brain

25 Robyn Hitchcock - The Abandoned Brain

26 The Multicoloured Shades - Brain Patrol

27 Frank Zappa - Who Are the Brain Police

28 The Flaming Lips - Love Yer Brain

29 Psychic TV-PTV3 - The Alien Brain

30 Shays - Brainwashed

31 The Baseballs - Love On The Brain

32 Lords of Acid - Marijuana In Your Brain

33 Parliament - Presence of a Brain

Brisket Beats 11

I know. I have been building on this series a lot. This pick of Brisket Beats is already at volume 11. It's got a good ebb and flow for a bar. Probably not for the beginning of the night, but as it has progressed. Still good energy, good places to get a drink, but also very danceable and it leaves you wanting to go back on the floor with your partner. I think this may be my second favorite volume so far. What do you think? Do you like Texas Soul?

Brisket Beats 11

197 Steve Earle - Guitar Town

198 Randy Rogers Band - Buy Myself A Chance

199 Hal Ketchum - Small Town Saturday Night

200 The Nightcaps - Thunderbird

201 Jimmie Vaughan - Boom-Bapa-Boom

202 Joe Tex - Show Me

203 Question Mark and the Mysterians - 96 Tears

204 Archie Bell & The Drells - Don't Let Love Get You Down

205 Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - Sugar Moon

206 Black Pumas - Fire

207 The Derailers - The Right Place

208 Light Crust Doughboys - Pussy, Pussy, Pussy

209 Flaco Jimenez - Viva Seguin

210 Grupo Fantasma - Oye Mi Cumbia

211 Tejas Brothers - Boogie Woogie Mamacita

212 Marcia Ball - That's Enough Of That Stuff

213 Junior Brown - Highway Patrol

214 Roger Creager - Fun All Wrong

215 Joe Ely - All Just to Get to You

216 Bobby Patterson - T.C.B. Or T.Y.A.

217 Asleep At The Wheel - House Of Blue Lights

218 Al TNT Braggs - Earthquake

219 Cooder Graw - Llano Estacado

220 Don Walser - Rolling Stone from Texas

Wild West

This is my pick of songs from westerns in TV and movies. Some are my favorite westerns, one arguably is a western but is SciFi. A couple of comedies. Most are covers and lots are surf versions. I won't commit to each version being the best version of that song, but I like them all. You'll notice a few spaghetti westerns mixed in here with a couple of tracks from Alex Cox's western (and none of them the Clash or Elvis Costello, even though those songs are great, too). And just a couple are very iffy, but too bad, I liked them. Also if you like this, you may like the other versions of Ghost Riders In The Sky I have here and this connection of Western Cowboys and Indians! Only one double.

Wild West

01 Link Kuroda - Red Sun (Main Theme)

02 Johnny Cash - Bonanza!

03 Joss Whedon & Sonny Rhodes - Firefly Main Title

04 Zebulon Macahan - How The West Was Won

05 Dick Marko - Wild Wild West

06 The Lazy Aces - Bret Maverick (Theme Song)

07 Cosmonauti - For A Few Dollars More

08 Wall Of Voodoo - The Good The Bad & The Ugly-Hang 'Em High

09 Metallica - The Ecstasy Of Gold

10 Strangers 1800 - Ghost Riders (In the Sky)

11 Pray For Rain - Money, Guns and Coffee

12 Los Straitjackets - Theme From Magnificent Seven

13 Billy Strange - Gunsmoke

14 Zander Schloss - Salsa Y Ketchup

15 Parmalee's Rangers - Laredo

16 Los Lobos featuring Antonio Banderas - Cancion Del Mariachi (Morena De Mi Corazon)

17 The Dickies - Wagon Train

18 Avenged Sevenfold - Malaguena Salerosa (La Malaguena)

19 The Santa Anna Surfers - Ballad Of The Alamo

20 David Byrne - Don't Fence Me In

21 Earp & Holliday - Gunfight at The OK Coral

22 Painless Potter - Buttons And Bows

23 McCain & the Winchester Spin-Cocks - The Rifleman

24 The Perfect Disaster - Wanderin' Star

25 Duane Eddy - High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)

26 The Kentucky Headhunters - The Ballad Of Davy Crockett

27 Cornell Hurd Band - Rawhide

28 Tonto & Silver - The Lone Ranger

29 Dean Martin - Rio Bravo

Classical Gas (repost)

I posted this originally in 2022, but the link was bad and someone emailed and asked for a reup. So here it is: These are all songs with some sort of link to classical music. Elements of classical music, based on a classical song etc. Not just featuring violins or an orchestra on this pick. For instance the Toy Dolls play a classical song, but they do not sound like a classical orchestra (at all). There are plenty more that could be considered that I did not include like songs that are based on a classical melody, but were completely changed. I also added some songs that just mentioned classical artists: Like Play Bach, Rock Me Amadeus, etc. I had several more that I could have added, but I limited it to what fits on a CD. So you miss Gazebo's I Like Chopin. Anyway there are tons more. Somewhere on  Butterboy's blog he has a multi-disc compilation with lots more. I made this one before I ever saw his and I tried not to look at his version as I was writing this, so it would be just what I remember when I put this together. After I heard Bohemian Rhapsody for the first time, I thought it was brilliant and predicted that a lot more bands would try to do songs like that. I was wrong. some had done it before and some after, but no rush to emulate that.

Classical Gas Pick

01 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

02 Electric Light Orchestra - Rockaria!

03 Mason Williams - Classical Gas

04 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man

05 Falco - Rock Me Amadeus

06 Jive Bunny - Rock'N'Roll Beethoven

07 BNM Corp - Bach to the Future

08 Village People - Play Bach

09 David Shire - Night On Disco Mountain

10 Walter Murphy - A 5th Of Beethoven

11 Toy Dolls - Toccata In Dm

12 B. Bumble & The Stingers - Bumble Boogie

13 The Pogues - Night on Bald Mountain

14 Louis Clark & the Royal Philharmonic - Beethoven's Fifth

15 !!! (Chk Chk Chk) - Bend Over Beethoven

16 The Toys - A Lover's Concerto

17 Deodata - Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)

18 Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale

19 Tiësto - Adagio For Strings

20 Chuck Berry - Roll over Beethoven