“True”
by Spandau Ballet
from the album True
1983
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A quintessential classic 80’s song. There are songs that fit that description in all the wrong ways. This is not one of them. Unless you just have never heard it before, as soon as those breathy sighs start, I don’t think there’s a person who doesn’t love this song. It’s pure class (just look at the singer in the video!) and romance.
Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “True”
“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”
“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.
“Three Days”
by Jane’s Addiction
from the album Ritual de lo Habitual
1990
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The first song that came to mind when Chris picked Power Songs as this month’s theme was “Three Days.” Last year, while prepping for my move to Texas, I found a big cache of MiniDisc mixes I had assembled back in the late 90s. One of the cover labels read Epix of Rök. At the center of that mix was this almost eleven-minute monster of a song. So I’m going on record and saying that “Three Days” is a Power Epic.
“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.
“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”
“Earth Rocker”
by Clutch
from the album Earth Rocker
2013
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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.
“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.
“Kokomo”
by The Beach Boys
from the album Cocktail (Soundtrack)
1988
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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.
“Leavin’ Here”
by Pearl Jam (originally by Eddie Holland)
from the album Lost Dogs
2003
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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.