Tag Archives: 120 minutes

Cover Friday: “Pictures of Matchstick Men”

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Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie

“Pictures of Matchstick Men”
by Camper Van Beethoven (originally by Status Quo)
from the album Key Lime Pie
1989
Buy the album on Amazon

I was totally scratching my bean this week trying to think of a cover song I wanted to blather about for a couple of graphs.  I keep a little notepad of cover songs going so I can write down ideas as they pop into my head or come up on shuffle, but nothing on there was really speaking to me.  So I started looking through recent posts to see if anything would spark a thought.  I saw the post about Cracker’s “Teen Angst” and started wondering if they had done some cover songs as B-Sides or something and then I suddenly remembered this CVB song.  I had always known it was a cover, but I thought it was by Strawberry Alarm Clock, however  I was nowhere near being correct.  But before we get to the original, let’s take a few minutes to watch the amazing, obviously late-80s music video for CVB’s version.  It’s about 120 Minutes-worthy as you can get.

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Karaoke Tuesday: “Teen Angst”

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Cracker
Cracker

“Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now)”
by Cracker
from the album Cracker
1992
Buy the album on Amazon

Lately I’ve been posting a lot about songs that I desperately want to perform at karaoke but couldn’t because the man didn’t deem them worthy of inclusion.  However, this entry falls more in line with the thought, “Wow, this would be a great song to sing at karaoke.”

I remember generally dismissing Cracker for years based on the video for this song, which has the guys in a field prancing around like dandy rednecks, with dirt bikes and half-collapsed barns littering the background.   When you’re trying to escape your shitty hometown you don’t want to be reminded of the situation everytime you turn on MTV.

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Cover Friday: “Money”

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Backbeat
Backbeat

“Money”
by the Backbeat Band (originally by Barret Strong)
from the soundtrack to Backbeat
1994
Buy the album on Amazon

Oh man, I had two songs in mind for my cover selection today, both covers of Motown classics, but this one gets the nod today because I’ve been listening to a lot of Afghan Whigs lately.  I’ll file that other one away for later.  This is actually an all-star 90s alternative cover of a Beatles cover of a Barrett Strong track.  It features members of REM, Gumball, Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Soul Asylum and Afghan Whigs.

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June Power Songs: “Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe”

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We Care
We Care

“Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe”
by Whale
from the album We Care
1995
By the album on Amazon

I have no idea where I first heard this, probably either on a CMJ CD sampler, or a Video Music Monthly VHS magazine, but I just know I was  hooked.  It’s one of those songs that just rocks so hard from the very first note.  Continue reading June Power Songs: “Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe” →

Karaoke Tuesday: “Girlfriend”

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Girlfriend
Girlfriend

“Girlfriend”
by Matthew Sweet
from the album Girlfriend
1991
Buy the album on Amazon

“Girlfriend” is unskippable.  If it comes up on shuffle, I’ll always stop whatever search I was on and listen.  The entire album is an amazing collection of songs.  It’s both timeless and very specifically early 90s.

I remember sitting at home on Sunday nights watching 120 Minutes and desperately hoping Dave Kendall would hint that this song was coming up after the break.  The video featured clips from the film Space Adventure Cobra and it was just the perfect choice for the song.  And who didn’t want that silver-haired, blue jumpsuited vixen as his girlfriend? Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Girlfriend” →

Karaoke Tuesday: “Under the Milky Way”

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Starfish
Starfish

“Under the Milky Way”
The Church
from the album Starfish
1988
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I’ve never quite nailed  this song to my satisfaction but it’s had a firm position in my karaoke song list for a few years.  As to when it made its first appearance, it was almost assuredly a drunken addition one evening at a NYC basement karaoke bar.  But the song weaseled its way into my heart a long time before that.

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June Power Songs: “Godhead”

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Ebbhead
Ebbhead

“Godhead”
by Nitzer Ebb
from the album Ebbhead
1991
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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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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
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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.

May Summer Songs: “Surf Wax America”

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Weezer
Weezer

“Surf Wax America”
by Weezer
from the album The Blue Album
1994
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There are a lot of Weezer songs that are summer songs to me. They’re fun, they’re poppy, they make me want to turn them up and sing along and move (it’s tough for me to listen to Weezer at work). A lot of them also have an undercurrent to them that move them beyond a standard pop song.

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May Summer Songs: “Give It Away”

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Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Blood Sugar Sex Magik

“Give It Away”
by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik
1991
Buy the album on Amazon

This song sweats, that’s all there is to it.  Even before Stéphane Sednaouie‘s gorgeous video confirmed it, the song had that dessert sun feeling to it.  It’s just stanky and funky.  I’ve performed this at karaoke a few times and it’s an exhausting song to sing.  The structure is relentless and punishing – there’s never a chance to catch your breath.   If you put it in the car and crank it and you’ll be excited for whatever adventure you’re driving towards, guaranteed.  It’s totally a summer party anthem.   Speaking of, this song brings to mind a very specific summer memory.

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