“Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe”
by Whale
from the album We Care
1995
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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”
“Physical”
by Nine Inch Nails (originally by Adam and the Ants)
from the album Broken
1992
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I still clearly remember buying Broken when it first came out. My friend Keegan and I went to our favorite indie record store in Littleton the day it came out to pick it up. This was when CDs were still coming in the ridiculously wasteful double-length cardboard sleeves (Broken may have been one of the sleeves I opened up and hung on my wall). I remember opening it in the car and having the little mini CD fall out, which we thought was so cool, and there was the additional (in our minds) coolness factor later when it became known that the mini CD was a limited item. A few years back when I sold all my CDs, that was one of the few that I had hesitations about getting rid of.
“Girlfriend”
by Matthew Sweet
from the album Girlfriend
1991
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“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”
“Crazy Mary”
by Pearl Jam (originally by Victoria Williams)
from the album Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams
1993
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Following Lance’s example of a random Pearl Jam cover. When the benefit album this cover was part of first came out, I didn’t know anything about Victoria Williams, and I admittedly still don’t, but I used to always go for these types of compilation albums if there was at least one artist I liked. I don’t really do that anymore, partly because I never know about them, and partly because I finally realized I usually only liked one or two songs on them. This is one of three songs on this album that actually stuck with me.
Continue reading Cover Friday: “Crazy Mary”
“Violet”
by Hole
from the album Live Through This
1994
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I never got too into Hole, but I remember there used to be a commercial for a contest for some beer where you could win tickets to see Hole live, and they would show a clip of them playing this song in concert. I saw the commercial so many times that I got totally hooked on this song. It’s got that great loudquietloud thing going on.
“Cinnamon Girl”
by Smashing Pumpkins (originally by Neil Young)
from the album Pisces Iscariot (Remastered)
1994
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The Pumpkins again? Sue me. Billy picks great songs to cover and they do them up. Besides featuring a repeat artist, this song also qualifies for the popular I had never heard the original until I realized the cover was a cover lament. I wanna be a Neil Young guy, I really do. But I guess I’m just not ready for a one-to-one relationship with him. Sorry Neil, we’re gonna have have to connect via covers.
“Killing in the Name”
by Rage Against the Machine
from the album Rage Against the Machine
1992
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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.
Continue reading June Power Songs: “Killing in the Name”
“Boys Don’t Cry”
by The Cure
from the album Boys Don’t Cry
1979
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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.
“Banditos”
by The Refreshments
from the album Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy
1996
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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.
“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.
Continue reading June Power Songs: “Godhead”