January's Picks

1. MEL TORME-"Games People Play"
I was in Starbucks a few weeks back and I swear they have a sensor that knows when I come in because there's inevitably always something cool playing there that I later wind up buying from iTunes.  This was the latest one which I heard a few weeks back. I love it, Mel can pull most things off including Joe South.  Smoove.

2. THE LEN PRICE 3-"Mr. Grey"
I've been digging these guys a lot lately, which is unusual for a new band, so I've been checking their stuff out little by little.  This Ray Davies-esque little ditty was put out by that prat Little Steven's label believe it or not!?  Though being on that label kinda goes against the types they were railing in "Rent-a-crowd" doesn't it?

3. NICK LOWE-"The Rose Of England"
Who'd have thought there'd be a great song I hadn't heard on one of those throwaway/giveaway crap CD's that comes with "Uncut", but indeed here's this jangly/poppy killer cut from the Jesus of Cool on "An Autumn Almanac:15 Songs In The Spirit Of Ray Davies"!

4. STIFF LITTLE FINGERS-"Roots, Radicals, Reggae"
A bit dated and more than a bit naive in it's "throw away the guns and the wars all gone" ethos, but it's got a great riff, a solid beat and however overly optimistic Jake Burns is you can't deny the fire in his belly and the energy in his delivery!

5. FREEDOM-"Where Will You Be Tonight"
Some ex-Procul Harum members formed this band in '68 and cut this mellow number with a great piano led melody and some cool Melotron and Dylan-esque vocals.

6. GIL SCOTT-HERON-"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
A blast from the past, too bad old Gil let his demons get the best of him, but this was back when he had it all sussed.

7. THE MARTINIS-"Hung Over"
A Packy Axton (Packers, Markeys et al) vehicle, a groovy little r&b instrumental with vomit sound affects halfway through some gritty jamming.  From one of the "Mod Jazz" volumes, of which I cannot recall as they're all brilliant.

8. SANDY-"Solitary Man"
This is a great U.K. cover that appeared over there in '66 on the Columbia label, stumbled upon it on the good old YouTube.  It's always been my fave Neil Diamond track and since I've always had a soft spot for obscure mid 60's British acts covering American pop records this one blew me away.

9. DAVID BOWIE-"I'm Not Losing Sleep"
I was reading the new Bowie book "Any Day Now: David Bowie The London Years (1947-1974)" and dug out some '66 tracks from his Pye era and this was always my fave and it still is.  It's got everything thrown in but the kitchen sink but still never charted, criminal!

10. MOD FUN-"Nothing Can Be Everything"
From a few years back on there "Now And Then" CD, Mod Fun cover a track by San Diego's legendary mod band Manual Scan and put some venom into it, hard hitting but without losing the power pop friendliness of the original.