Black Tambourine's OneTwoThreeFourFive Ramones Covers

 

I've previously expressed love for Black Tambourine and love their five-song tribute to one of my all-time favorite bands (available at Bandcamp for name-your-price download). It’s fun hearing different vocal interpretations of these classics because let’s face it, Jeff Hyman’s voice (which I loved) was the weak link of the Ramones. Visually he was stunning and his enunciation was appropriately d-u-m-b, but I would wager his voice—and not the violent, dysfunctional lyrics—was the main reason the band never achieved decisive mainstream success.

Now calm down, bratbeaters, headbangers, gluesniffers, pinheads, cretins, animal boys, apepersons, loudmouths, slugs, succubi, commandos, warthogs, psychotherapists, lobotomists, and regular Joeys/Judys/Sheenas/Suzys/Ramonas like myself who just happen to love ‘em and did so from the first second of hearing “Glad to See You Go” in my sister’s living room in the spring of ‘77. (It was a pretty crowded living room.) I also got to see ‘em in Austin on Bastille Day that summer on the Leave Home tour. Standing in that giant buzzsaw (front row of the Armadillo, five feet from Johnny and with a perfect view of the incomparable Erdelyi) was one of the most glorious experiences of my rock and roll life. Maybe I’ll write more about it sometime, although probably not. Come to think about it, I did mention it here and here. I also mentioned seeing them eleven years later in this post about The Buck Pets.

Around the Blogosphere: Beatles, R.E.M., Primitives, Church, Midnight Oil, Split Enz, a-ha, Ramones, Earlimart, Apples in Stereo, Built to Spill, etc.

I wanted to say a little something about this Around the Blogosphere series. I only do it to point you toward music I either already know and like or am newly discovering and like. I don't pretend to be hosting the music and only use the color coding to help you easily find the artists' names and to give credit to the generous bloggers who are hosting it. My thought always goes something like, "This is good stuff. I'll bet some visitors to Powerpopulist might like it, too." So far no hosting bloggers have complained about my sending them more traffic, but I would certainly cease mentioning them at the drop of a word.

I have been very grateful to the excellent aggregator Totally Fuzzy for letting me update at their blog and by their leave will continue to do so, but only songs that are downloadable from my blog. (I do post such music here, even if lately it hasn't been all that obvious.) At the Fuzzy Crew's request I will no longer be updating the Around the Blogosphere posts at Totally Fuzzy. If you have found these posts useful, please continue to stop by Powerpopulist to see some of what's available in the big, beneficent blogosphere, mainly in the realm of powerpop and indie but also "whatever we like." (You might also consider subscribing to a feed by clicking that orange feeder thingy in the upper right-hand corner.) I totally respect Totally Fuzzy and will abide by the rules and vision under which they operate. I have found tons of great music at TF and look forward to continuing to do so. As indicated, I will also continue to post music downloadable right here at Powerpopulist. My only purpose is to put you in touch with music we all might like.

Soooooo, here's some of what I've recently found. As I've said before, I try and post this information soon after finding it because most of these hosted songs only remain posted for a relatively short period of time, usually one or two weeks. I envy the bloggers who have been able to work out arrangements with the artists and record labels who let them host the music. A score or so artists and labels have allowed me to do so as well, and perhaps the longer I blog, the more I will have opportunities to host music here.

The Beatles - Across the Universe - Retro Music Snob - One of my very most favorites by my very most favorites
R.E.M. - So. Central Rain & Fall on Me & Talk About the Passion & The One I Love - Retro Music Snob - + a couple more
The Primitives - Crash & Secrets & Way Behind Me - Retro Music Snob
The Church - Under the Milky Way - Retro Music Snob

Midnight Oil - King of the Mountain & Blue Sky Mine - Retro Music Snob
Split Enz - Six Months in a Leaky Boat - Retro Music Snob
a-ha - Take on Me - Retro Music Snob
Ramones - Here Today, Gone Tomorrow & Little Bit O’ Soul - Retro Music Snob
Ramones - We’re a Happy Family - Retro Music Snob

Earlimart - Answers & Questions - 5 Acts
The Apples in Stereo - Can You Feel It - BragginBilly
Built to Spill - Mess with Time - Instrumental Analysis
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - American X - Instrumental Analysis

Around the Blogosphere: RMS Edition

Holy Mother of Malachi but Gary's on a torrid tear over at Retro Music Snob! I had to repeatedly lift my fingers from the keyboard and cool them in the font of ice water I keep beside the computer. This slowed operations considerably, but the fruits are worth it. Do I feel unease at posting so many from one site and having four days of Around the Blogosphere posts in a row? Nnnnnn-a bit, yes, but this is as nothing to the pleasure you will get from the songs. Credibility, I hardly knew ye anyway. "Thanks, Gary," sounds so paltry, but say it I gladly must. Thanks, too, to the bloggers towards whom Gary points us.

The Stone Roses - I Am the Resurrection - Retro Music Snob
Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon (12” Remix) - Retro Music Snob
Pete Townshend - Rough Boys - Retro Music Snob
The Donnas - You Don’t Wanna Call - Retro Music Snob
Devo – Watch Us Work It – Retro Music Snob
Urge Overkill - Sister Havana - Retro Music Snob
Ramones - Havana Affair - Retro Music Snob
The Replacements - Nobody - Retro Music Snob
America - Daisy Jane - Retro Music Snob
The Pretenders - Day After Day - Retro Music Snob
The Go Gos - Our Lips Are Sealed - Retro Music Snob
Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach - Retro Music Snob
Dream Academy - Life in a Northern Town - Retro Music Snob

Around the Blogosphere: "Classics": XTC, R.E.M., Morrissey, Psychedelic Furs, Devo, Modern English, Cure, U2, Ramones

As promised, here are some of the "classics" I found at other blogs. These are the ones I like best at each post, most of them old friends. There are plenty of others you might like better. Thankee, hosts.

XTC - The Mayor of Simpleton - An Aquarium Drunkard - Follow the bass line if you like. Amazing.
XTC - Dear God - 5 Acts - This and the next two are found at the same post at 5 Acts. I don't really know what's the best way to do this, so I'm inconsistent, based on the way I feel on any given day.
R.E.M. - Electrolite - 5 Acts
Morrissey - We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful - 5 Acts

These next three are found at the same post at Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?
R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe - Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?
The Psychedelic Furs - Into You Like a Train - Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?
Devo - Jocko Homo - Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?

The next five are found at the same post at Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?
XTC - Senses Working Overtime - Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?
Modern English - Melt With You - Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?
The Cure - Boys Don’t Cry - Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?
U2 - I Will Follow - Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?
Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop - Can You See the Sunset from the Southside?