Somebody Likes It

It seems that long ago ‘The Hip’ (again, Canada) achieved critical mass, and it’s with that idea in mind that we dive into their 1998 release Phantom Power.

It would seem that I couldn’t rest until we’d covered the other of the mighty triumvirate of proto-punk bands (see also: Iggy and the Stooges, The New York Dolls), and thus unearthed this 1969 classic-to-many.

Hey ya’ll! Have you heard about this Elvis dude? Me too! Didn’t he shake that “pelvis” on the T.V. that one time?

You wouldn’t call them a Gang, exactly (as two constitutes a pair), and hard to argue that they were the brightest stars in their own right, at least compared to some of their contemporaries, but if they were anything, Gang Starr were hotly anticipated by those in the know.

As producer Todd Rundgren reportedly put it as he recorded the glam-punk-whatever pioneers that he’d seen at Max’s Kansas City: “Get the glitter out of your asses and play.”

A couple of years ago I used to go to happy hour at a bar where the beautiful Scottish bartender was fond of listening to Poison, Warrant, Ratt and countless other mid-80’s hair metal bands.

The Music Men put together another mixtape for ya, this time in honor of Memorial Day, as they talk about all the songs on their collection…

Welcome to another riveting installment of Somebody Likes It. Wherein our heroes brave the beginnings of another endless Texas summer heat wave to bring you beautiful musings on the 2009 inaugural release from London’s Fanfarlo, Reservoir.

For whatever reason, singer songwriters who write obsessively hook-laden, occasionally Beatlesque pop-rock tracks tend to be overlooked (or outright dismissed) by certain tastemakers.

A sorely somewhat-forgotten genius record that bridges Radiohead and every misbegotten relationship you’ve ever had. It’s forlorn, and it’s beautiful.