June Power Songs: “Killing in the Name”

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Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine

“Killing in the Name”
by Rage Against the Machine
from the album Rage Against the Machine
1992
Buy the album on Amazon

Obviously pretty much every RATM song is a power song in every sense. It’s probably why I can’t claim to be a huge fan – I didn’t get into them until I was old enough to need to take them in smaller doses. I own 2 or 3 of their albums and could only name 2 or 3 of their songs. This one is pretty much the king of the hill.
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June Power Songs: “Earth Rocker”

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Earth Rocker
Earth Rocker

“Earth Rocker”
by Clutch
from the album  Earth Rocker
2013
Buy the album on Amazon

Power.  This song has it in spades.

“Earth Rocker” starts with a slow build, just simple bass line and a ride cymbal, but even then you can tell it’s about to pummel you over the head with something.  It’s not until a couple of verses in that you understand the message – quit being a whiney shit Lance and do something worthwhile.

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Karaoke Tuesday: “Boys Don’t Cry”

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Boys Don't Cry
Boys Don’t Cry

“Boys Don’t Cry”
by The Cure
from the album Boys Don’t Cry
1979
Buy the on Amazon

When I was a tween/teen and getting really into most of the music we talk about on this blog, I was firmly against the Cure. I would make fun of them, I would say they sucked, etc. The truth is, which I can freely admit now and probably at least subconsciously knew then, is that I was just so against them because my best friend at the time was so into them. We’re talking dressing as Robert Smith on Halloween, etc. Never mind that we shared most of our other bands in common, The Cure is where I placed my (ridiculous) stake in the ground. It wasn’t until he and I stopped being friends that I was finally able to listen to them properly.

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Karaoke Tuesday: “Banditos”

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Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy
Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy

“Banditos”
by The Refreshments
from the album Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy
1996
Buy the album on Amazon

I’ve mentioned this song to a few people and no one I’ve come across remembers it, which is a shame because it’s such a fun tune.  I thought it would be relegated to my list of songs I really want to sing, but will never be able to find ever, until we stumbled across it (and “Jane Says“) at weird little sports bar in Austin.

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June Power Songs: “Godhead”

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Ebbhead
Ebbhead

“Godhead”
by Nitzer Ebb
from the album Ebbhead
1991
Buy the album on Amazon

I was a big Nitzer Ebb fan back in the day. In my memory, I was thinking that I didn’t really love “Ebbhead”, which this was from (and their follow-up “Big Hit” cemented the break-up), but looking at the tracklist, there are quite a few songs I actually really like, so time for a re-listen. Regardless, this song does it for me every time. It’s just filthy. It’s salacious. And that part around 3:00 where you think you’ve already experienced the max heaviness of the song and then it really kicks in always gives me chills.
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June’s Music Theme: Power Songs

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The theme for this month is slightly ambiguous. I considered calling it “Hardcore Songs”, but I know that’s a music genre itself (though not one I prescribe to), so I’ll go with “Power Songs”. These could be considered a different kind of summer song. They’re the songs that have a bit (or more) of an edge to them, that can give you chills, that are equally perfect when you’re working out and need the extra boost or when you’re angry or you just want to feel like punching something or kicking ass or doing the Sailor dance.

Too ambiguous? We’ll figure it out as we go along.

May Summer Songs: “Kokomo”

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Cocktail
Cocktail

“Kokomo”
by The Beach Boys
from the album Cocktail (Soundtrack)
1988
Buy the album on Amazon

To finish off May Summer Songs, yes, another Beach Boys song, and again, that’s probably too easy for this month’s theme. But what can I say? I loved this movie. Tom Cruise doing all sorts of awesome tricks with liquor bottles, the gorgeous (especially to my 15? year old self) Elisabeth Shue, “the guy from FX” (probably how I thought of Bryan Brown at the time) – this was one of the good ones. I don’t think I’ve seen it as an adult, so no idea if it still holds up.

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Cover Friday – “Leavin’ Here”

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Lost Dogs
Lost Dogs

“Leavin’ Here”
by Pearl Jam (originally by Eddie Holland)
from the album Lost Dogs
2003
Buy the album on Amazon

I first caught Pearl Jam’s cover of “Leavin’ Here” on the Home Alive compilation which contained tracks by (mostly) Seattle-based bands.  Sales from the album benefited the Home Alive project which teaches self-defense on a sliding scale payment system and was started following the brutal rape and murder of Gits vocalist, Mia Zapata.  To be honest, none of the tracks really did much for me at the time, but I always loved this PJ track.  Short, fun, and everyone gets a little riff to play.

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Cover Friday: “Cactus”

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Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard

“Cactus”
by Glen Hansard (originally by The Pixies)
from the Acoustic Lakeside Festival, Austria
2012

Ok, I’m breaking convention a little here, since I posted a different cover version of this last week, but the Wikipedia page for the song mentioned that Glen Hansard and The Frames had covered it in concert once, so I went on a search, and found this. I said I didn’t love the Bowie version, but this version is fantastic, so I thought it deserved its own post.

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May Summer Songs: “Up the Beach”

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Nothing's Shocking
Nothing’s Shocking

“Up the Beach”
by Jane’s Addiction
from the album Nothing’s Shocking
1988
Buy the album on Amazon

Lance already started off this month’s theme with Jane’s, but it’s this song in particular that matches the theme for me, for a very specific reason/memory. I grew up in CO, and one summer (probably after my sophomore year of HS?), my friend Chris and I decided to go camping at the Great Sand Dunes (totally recommended). I have lots of good memories from the trip, but one that’s always stuck with me is completely blasting this album on the drive there, awesome stereo, open road, being able to look for miles in all directions, windows down, hand riding the air (I’m a dolphin!), feeling epic.