Guitar Wolf “Live at Concert Cafe, Green Bay, Wisconsin 10/3/1999”
The blessed Andy Junk YouTube archive keeps delivering the grainy punk goods. Green Bay really was a strange hotbed of rock and roll activity in the ‘90s and 2000s. Bands would skip Milwaukee and just play Titletown, which has to be the smallest city in America to have a professional sports team. Damaged Japanese garage legends Guitar Wolf seem to be a bit forgotten right now, too: I’m always surprised when someone says they haven’t heard of them. But I probably shouldn’t be because I’m an idiot who has wasted his life accumulating meaningless musical knowledge and I can’t expect anyone else to be as idiotic as I am. Seriously, though? If you haven’t already, maybe consider fucking with Guitar Wolf? The OG Tokyo Action Rock Unit.
One of the catchier LA rap hooks I’ve stumbled upon in a minute. Wouldn’t mind hearing this on the 101 after midnight, cruising in the passenger seat, going to get something from California Donuts.
Terry! I remember this band from back in the confusing Boxxx Report days, and I’m glad they continue to kick out that Aussie-style C86 for the heads. Can’t lie: We like a little bit of jangle pop over here at John’s Music Blog. “Talk About Terry” still bangs.
I have a bad TikTok habit and I need to reign it in. This is a mashup of Ice Spice’s “In Ha Mood” and Nikki Minaj’s “Check It Out,” which itself samples “Video Killed The Radio Star.” It’s the soundtrack to this one viral dance, the one that ends with cartoonish flailing, and it has wormed its way into my dumb brain. I don’t even know who to credit. I’m sharing the song I found on streaming. I doubt it is legally vetted.
All of us songwriters should be lucky enough to open a chorus with lyrics half as good as “I saw your Momma at Walmart/With your little girl.” Shout out to the “other” Sam Hunt, while I’m at it. I had a good time supporting Bonde Do Role in 2007.
De La Soul “Ego Trippin’ (Part 2)”
Again… Maybe I don’t have anything interesting to say about them, but the first three De La Soul records are perfect. They have meant a lot to me. At least once or twice a year I play this song and I get emotional. Never more than right now. I’m not trying to turn John’s Music Blog into a big RIP zone, but goddamn… Verlaine and Trugoy in the span of a couple weeks? That’s my alternate history of rap rock right there.
MIX OF THE WEEK: Jubilee @ The Lot Radio 2/1/23
It’s not hard to be an OK DJ. If you try a bit, you could probably even become a pretty good one. But it would be difficult to do it on Jubilee’s level: Jess has been an expert New York City DJ for as long as I can remember. Here she runs through all sorts of styles in a way that only a raver lifer could.