Current Earworm

The Clash, Wrong 'Em Boyo

My wife Laura uses playlists on Apple Music to set up lists of versions of the same song, which she'll then listen to for hours. She was showing them to me the other day when it occurred to her that she didn't have one for Stagger Lee. So she set one up, which led to us talking about the Clash's cover of Wrong 'Em Boyo, which incorporates Stagger Lee into it. 99 times out of 100, if there's a ska original and then a cover, I'll prefer the original. But in this case, the Clash did the number such justice that it can't be denied. And so it's been my earworm this morning.

Link to The Clash, Wrong 'Em Boyo

Posted on Monday, August 18, 2025

Soft Boys, Mr. Kennedy

The Soft Boys were like the Velvet Underground. They only sold a thousand copies of their classic record, but every person who bought one started a band. Acolytes like R.E.M. went on to fame and fortune and spoke glowingly of their influence. In 2002, they did what I hate and got back together (bands should never get back together, except for Wire, who actually made great music after reuniting). They put out a new album. I got it. I never listen to it. But this, this one song from the album, sticks with me, and it's what's plaguing me this Sunday morning in New Jersey. It's even one of that worst of subgenres of rock songs, the tour diary. No matter, it works.

Link to Soft Boys, Mr. Kennedy

Posted on Sunday, August 10, 2025

100 Flowers, Strip Club

Yesterday, I was listening to the recent odds and sods compilation of World of Pooh, and one of the songs sounded familiar. Wait a minute, I know this song. Took me a minute, but I realized it was a cover of a song by 100 Flowers, the punkish band that The Urinals evolved into. Hearing Barbara Manning sing it was an interesting genderfuck moment. But it's the orignal that's been stuck in my brain ever since.

Link to 100 Flowers, Strip Club

Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2025

Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, Black Hole Sun

So we were discussing the difference between new Polaroid film and Fuji Instax, and one of the reasons I prefer Polaroid is the way specular highlights fail so abysmally on Instax. They show up black. If you ever have the sun in one of your shots, it will show up as a black hole in your picture. Which of course, brought this to mind, and is now my current earworm. The original, of course, was by Soundgarden, but this cover blows me away.

Link to Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, Black Hole Sun

Posted on Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Courtney Barnett, Avant Gardener

Feel like I'm emphaseming.

Link to Courtney Barnett, Avant Gardener

Posted on Sunday, August 3, 2025