July's Picks

THE ACTION:The original classic five piece version.

1. THE ACTION-"Girl Why You Wanna Make Me Blue"
I've been playing the crap out of this Temps cover The Action cut in '64 as an audition disc for EMI, brilliant harmonies, tinny Rickenbackers and incredible harmonies driven with full throttle youthful aggression.  Reissued as a facsimile acetate 7" 45 with the deluxe edition of their amazing book and available on YouTube if you're like me and haven't got around to acquiring an MP3 turntable!

2. LIONEL HAMPTON-"Psychedelic Sally"
Funky jazz instrumental, made famous by the Eddie Jefferson vocal version on Prestige and the Horace Silver instrumental on Blue Note, this one is the best of the lot thanks to a tasy mix of Hammond, vibes and congas from his 1975 LP "The Works".  Yeah!

3. THE MOVE-"Can't Here You No More" 
Before manager Tony Secunda brought them down to London from Birmingham and slapped them into gangster suits and then the dreaded kaftan and permed phase The Move were a mod band kitted out in plaid trews and vertical stripe sweaters with bouffant hair playing soul covers that bridged the era between beat group and mod band, perfectly captured by this unreleased Betty Everett cover from 1966.

The Insomniacs bringin' it all back home, Maxwell, Hoboken, NJ 6/22/13

4. THE INSOMNIACS-"The Pudding Club"
Our local New Jersey power pop/moddy heroes add a Hammond and come out minty fresh with my fave track from their 2004 Estrus LP/CD "Switched On!".

5. 126-M.E.S. (Mailbox Execution System)
Discordant, bleak sounding stuff from Norway's Sixties band 126 from their amazing CD on Ugly Thing's "Graveyard Paradise".  This song is positively jaw dropping.

6. THE ELASTIC BAND-"Last Person In The Bar"
Boozy, bluesy but jazzy stuff from their ace 1969 LP "Expansions On Life". It's full of great hooks from the stale beer soaked bar-room piano to the proto-pub rock guitar licks to it's melodic maudlin little sax licks and the overwrought vocalist singing an ode to his need to (as one now deceased alcoholic co-worker put it) "howl".

Image c/o http://www.45cat.com

7. CLIFF BENNETT'S REBELLION-"Amos Moses"
Down and dirty swamp rock via England version of Jerry Reed's classic done by Cliff and friends in '71.  There's a driving bluesy harp that calls to mind late 60's U.K. blues acts (early Jethro Tull(Toe) and The Savoy Brown Blues Band to be precise) and one can't help but feel the influence of C.C.R on it and as always Cliff Bennett's voice is a mighty force to be reckoned with!

8. THE GLORIES-"I Stand Accused (Of Loving You)"
Groovy Motown-ish female vocal number (not be confused with either the Tony Colton or Jerry Butler numbers of the same title) from '67 on the Date label (home of The Zombies late 60's U.S. releases). That's all I know about it, oh I think the dreaded Northern Soul mafia adopted it too.  Pity.

Paul Weller @ the legendary Apollo Theater 7/25/13: "Play it mutha fucker!"

9. PAUL WELLER-"Has My Fire Really Gone Out"
Caught Weller at the Apollo last night in Harlem and I spent this morning going through his solo back catalog and rediscovering this old fave (in addition to nursing a slight hangover).  It still holds up and judging by last night's gig his fire has not gone out, not in my book anyway.  No social commentary in between songs just thanks to the audience and recognition of all the old and familiar faces he saw and no bullshit rock n roll.

10. THE SPECIALS-"It Doesn't Make It Alright"
I've done my best to avoid the George Zimmerman/Trayvon business  that's turned everyone into a legal expert cum civil rights activist and don't really have any strong opinions on it all.  The Specials played this one live in NYC on July 17th and dedicated it to Trayvon Martin.  I looked around me during the end of it and the entire venue was singing along, black and white which is what The Specials were all about and thankfully, still are.