The Mountain Movers – “When I Die”
The Mountain Movers hail from New Haven, Connecticut, which is under mountains of snow right now, so I guess they have their work cut out for them. A friend recently described their record “Let’s Open Up the Chest” to me as “hipster church music,” which sounded promising but I wasn’t sure exactly how. Pleasantly surprised I am – what we have here is big, wide open country rock, with shades of Camper Van Beethoven / Cracker as well as a bit of Cake and Mother Hips. Going back further, this actually sounds a lot like The Band. On the single “When I Die,” a massive Hammond organ grows tornadoes around a miles-deep-in-the-pocket bass and drum groove, with rootsy guitar and piano accompanying sublime, chill vocals like a sunset over calm seas. Quite lovely.
The Mountain Movers
“When I Die” (mp3)
from “Let’s Open Up the Chest”
(Safety Meeting Records)
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Oh My God – “Fools Want Noise”
On the subject of “Fools Want Noise” by Oh My God, I have to start by simply saying, they’re right. These lyrics are brilliant – kind of a “Satisfaction” updated for the Idiocracy. Celebrate the downward spiral into high decibel mindlessness? Or rage against it? Can we do both? This song is loud, fast and brash, but unlike the cultural Twinkie-filler it confronts in horror, this is actually very smart. And it rocks, too. Damn fine work.
Oh My God
“Fools Want Noise” (mp3)
from “Fools Want Noise”
(Split Red)
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The Uptones – “East Of A Western Bay”
This instrumental track from The Uptones “Live!! 924 Gilman” CD is a hi-energy ska punk jazz opus. The album influenced a lot of great bands that followed, and it’s a joy to listen to. This was my Sunday morning dance in the kitchen wake up record for a year! Superfan sez pick it up.
The Uptones
“East of a Western Bay” (mp3)
from “The Uptones Live!!”
(Fun Fun Fun Recordings)
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X – “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” (Single)
Now why exactly would LA’s legendary punk band X do a version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” we wonder. Ah! Because theirs is the coolest take ever conceived of the song. It’s a lot of fun. So whatever holidays you may celebrate, you’ll want to punk out with the greats Exene, John Doe, D.J. Bonebrake and Billy Zoom as they summon pogoing elves, stage diving reindeer, and a corpulent laughing man in red sporting a white mohawk. Be good.
X
“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” (mp3)
from “MERRY XMAS From X”
(Anko Records)
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