Man, I have been digging this song like crazy recently. It’s always been somewhere buried deep in my brain, but the other day it surfaced at a mix when I started singing “Ain’t nobody who can read like me” in response to someone who could not replicate the speed and clarity of my scratch VO read. Then it got me thinking that I hadn’t heard it in ages so I checked it out on Spotify and now I can’t stop singing it.
The song’s lyrics were originally penned by folk music legend Woody Guthrie, but he never got around to writing music for it. So, Guthrie’s daughter got Billy Bragg and Wilco (and a bunch of other folks) to write music to a bunch of lyrics that Woody left laying around after his death in 1967. And the song is damned good. My only disappointment is that we’ll never hear Guthrie’s specific voice belting these words against his acoustic guitar. That would be really wonderful.
I was reading Stuff You Will Hate earlier today and saw a post about their current podcast featuring the drummer from Downset. This, of course, got me thinking about Downset, specifically about their 1996 album Do We Speak A Dead Language, a shining example of mid-90s SoCal hardcore. It’s got the era-specific mix of rap and hardcore, the chunka chunka guitars, the social positive outlook, multiculturalism, punky as fuck drums. Everything! It’s got everything! I can’t even tell you how many times I listened to this album in high school. Many hundreds of times.
How many times have I listened to it since then? Maybe zero times.
I popped on over to Spotify to see if it was there (it was) and I have been jamming out to this thing for a little bit. And, man, it’s still so good. You all are probably going to listen to it and think, “But, Joe, this sounds dated as shit.” Sure, it does, but so does Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony and we all stil like that also. So fuck off. This album rules. It’s actually giving me chills.
Last week my brother sent me this song and it is my new favorite song of all time forever. Please enjoy it. Although, this track—also sent by my brother—might be my favorite cover since Travis covered “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and Bonnie Prince Billy covered “Am I Demon”.
I know, you didn’t wake up this morning and think, Man, you know what I need today? 6 hours of awesome Kraftwerk jams. I find that pretty weird since I’m not sure a day goes by that I don’t think that.
Luckily for you, DJ Food—Matt Black and Jonathan More(Coldcut) from Ninjatune—have been spending all of March posting about Kraftwerk after being inspired by their upcoming dates at MOMA. Additionally, they’ve put out six hour-long mixes of Kraftwerk remixes, covers, and originals interlaced with interview audio and other soundbits from Kraftwerk’s legendary career.
Tracklisting:
Michael Bailey – Solid Steel intro
Fearless 4 – Rockin’ It
Pelding – It’s More Fun to Compute
Trouble Funk – Trouble Funk Express
Makoto Inoue – Europe Endless / Neon lights
The Divine Comedy – Radioactivity
Senor Coconut – Trans Europe Express
Senor Coconut – The Man Machine
Souxsie & the Banshees – Hall Of Mirrors
Senor Coconut – The Robots
Balanescu Quartet -The Robots
Tafkafb – Waltz Mit Der Robot
Apoptygma Berzerk – Ohm Sweet Ohm
Frenchbloke & Son – Neon Love (Cha Cha Cha)
Jason Moran – Planet Rock
Tremelo Beer Gut – Das Model
Big Black – The Model
Rammstein – Das Model
Ride – The Model
Frenchbloke & Son – Sexy Model
Buffalo Daughter – Autobahn
Dark Side of the Autobahn
Rot Front Trikont – The Robots
Senor Coconut – Showroom Dummies
Girls On Top – I Want To Dance With Numbers
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force – Planet Rock (Elecktric Music Classic Mix)
Coptic Rain -The Robots
Erasure – Blue Savannah (Der Deutsche mix)
DMX Krew – Showroom Dummies
Melt Banana – Showroom Dummies
Aqua Vista – The Model
Senor Coconut – Home Computer
Senor Coconut – Tour De France
Elakelaiset Poro – Reindeer/Robots
Tracklisting:
Das Erste Wiener Gemueseorchester (First Viennese Vegetable Orchestra) – Radio Activity
Casio VL80 calculator – Computer World
April Nine – Radioactivity
Papa Dee – The Model
Laether Strip – Showroom Dummies
P.O.D. – Die Roboter
The One You Love – Trans Europe Express
Uter – ohm sweet ohm
Terre Thaemlitz – Ruckzuck
The Manatees – The Model + Jerky Boys – The Gay Model
Chris Whitely – The Model
Hikashu -The Model
The Treble Spankers – The Model
Miladojka Youneed – Pocket Calculator (live)
Satoru Wono feat. Meiwa Denki – Dentaku
Black Wedding – Taschenrechner
Lloyd Cole & the Commotions – Pocket Calculator (live)
Senor Coconut – Radioactivity
Diplo – Percao feat. Pantera Os Danadinhos
Drop da Bomb – Computerworld
Dhiva – Tashenrechner
P.M. Dawn – If I Wuz U
The Balanescu Quartet – Pocket Calculator
Erasure – Blue Savannah (die Deutchse remix)
Laiboforcen – Numbers
Anthony Rother – Numbers/Computerwelt
Dynamix II – Techno Bass
Le Juan Love feat. DJ Man – Mega Mix (House Style)
Anthony Rother – Trans Europe Express
Kurtis Mantronik – Original Electron
Snakefinger – The Model
Galaxy Sound Orchestra – The Model
David Byrne & The Balanescu Quartet – The Model (live)
Frenchbloke & Son – Sexy Model (Strings)
Electric Six – The Model
Westbam – Monkey Say, Monkey Do
Think Tank – Hack Attack
The Balanescu Quartet – Computer Love
Tracklisting:
Skanfrom – Phon Sweet Phon
Compulsion – Home Computer live
Evil Twin – Trans Europe/ JT
DJ Danielson – Partisans of the Lesser Known (Man in Suit)
Mannequin Depressives – The Model
The Cardigans – Das Model
Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble Of Shadows – Modela
Jack n Madness – I Like Percussion
Z-Entropa – Antenna
Orchestral Manouvers In The Dark – Neon Lights
U2 – Neon Lights
Makoto Inoue – Europe Endless/Neon Lights
Koto – Trans Europe Express
Empire State Human – Hall of Mirrors
Terre Thaemlitz – Schaufensterpuppen
Bowery Electric – Freedom Fighter
X-Ecutioners – A Journey into Sound
Mitja V.S. – Neon Lights
Jay-Z – (Always Be My) Sunshine
MC Lyte – Cha Cha Cha
2 Live Crew – My Dick Almighty
Frenchbloke & Son – No Expo
Terre Thaemlitz – Mensche Machine
Fink – Autobahn
Tragic Comedy – Autobahn
Gary Lucas – Autobahn
Kimitaka Matumae – Atem/Harmonika
Beitthron – Airwaves
Teruo Nakano – Computer Love
Alva Noto – Man Machine
XCRanium – The Man Machine
Terre Thaemlitz – Tour de France
Terre Thaemlitz -Morgen Spazergang
Skanfrom – Phon Sweet Phon
Xingu Hill – Electric Café
Tracklisting:
DJ Flywheel – Solid Steel intro
Bigg Ocean Mobb IV-1-5 – Gangster Driven
Wagon Christ – unknown studio session
Coldplay – Talk (instrumental demo)
MC Duke – I’m Riffin’
X-Men – It’s More Fun To Sample
DMX Krew – Homecomputer
Luke Vibert – Homewerk
P.L – Transeuropa Express
Rodney Bakerr – Numbers
Torul – It’s More Fun To Compute
Alenia – Home Computer
LCD Soundsystem – Dicso Infiltrator
MAW – Electronic Tranz
Love Tractor – Neon Lights
Bass Junkie – Robotechno
Coldplay – Talk (Thin White Duke remix)
Beck – Get Real Paid
Poison Clan – Dance All Nite
Audio Science Trans Europe Express
Yoshinori Sunahara – The Telephone Call
Biochip C – Steal It and Deal It (DMX Krew edit)
Zoot Woman – The Model
Partia – Das Model
King Automatic – The Model
Top of the Pops – Autobahn
Gorefest – Autobahn
The Balanescu Quartet – Autobahn
Roni Size feat Rahzel – Out of Breath
DJ Godfather – Ping Pong / Ping Beatz
Ionic Vision – Tour De France
Fresh Prince and Ready Rock C – Live at Union Sq outtake
DJ Craze – DMC 2000 Final routine
Morocco Moe – Task
The Beat Konductor – Open (space)
Trans Am – Man Machine (live)
Coldcut – Everything’s Under Control (Theory 0.1)
Rozmarinke – Radioactivity
Videosex – Spacelab (Gus Gus remix)
Albert Kuvezin and Yat-kha – Man Machine
Tracklisting:
Samarkan | Solid Steel Intro
Turf Talk ft. E-40 & Young Mugzi | Do The Robot
Wallenstein | Exis O1 Intro
Kollo | Franz Schubert (Kollo remix)
LCD Soundsystem | Get Innocuous
(Soulwax version)
Bit Weapon | Spacelab
Bubblyfish | It’s More Fun To Compute
Death In Vegas | Kontroll
Para One | Showroom Dummies
Crazy Girl | Showroom Dummies
Breakout | Planet Rock (Jazz version)
Kollo | Autobahn (Kollo remix)
Bit Shifter | Antenna
Primal Scream | Autobahn 66
Sany Pitbull | Funk Alemao
Aurelius ft. Ashanti | My Number Babe
Modified Toy Orchestra | Pocket Calculator
Clones | Clones
6Blocc | Digits
Fink | The Model
Terre Thaemlitz | Die Roboter
Kalyanji Anandji | Y.O.G.A.
El Aviador Dro | El Modelo
Fatboy Slim | Radioactivity
Cha Cha 2000 | Autobahn
San Jose Cow Muzak | Autobahn
Case Managers | Autobahn
Tracklisting:
New David – Computer Love (mp3)
Glass Candy – Computer Love (Italians Do It Better)
8-bit Operators – Computer Love (Astralwerks)
Kraftwerk – It’s More Fun To Compute (Busy P remix) (mp3)
DJ Tameil – Trans Newark Express (Money Studies)
Between The Sheets – Late Night Radio (Bootlegs)
Keith Mansfield – Electromatics (A&B) (KPM)
The Simonsound – Tour de Mars (Project Blue Book)
8-bit Operators – The Robots (die roboter) (Astralwerks)
Santogold – Anne (Switch mix) (CDR)
Dreamland Happy Times For All – Showroom Dummies (Spill)
Christian Prommer – Trans Europa Express (Sonar Kollektiv)
Doormouse – Werkin’ It (Addict Records)
Para One – It’s More Fun To Compute (Phonofile.dk/The Orchard)
8-bit Operators – Pocket Calculator (Astralwerks)
Hajime Fukuma – Musique Non Stop (FGL Productions)
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet -Autobahn (mp3)
New David – Autobahn (mp3)
Antediluvian Rocking Horse – Craft Work Out (Spill)
Fleetwood Mac – The Chain (Warner Brothers)
Vibravoid – Ruckzuck (Fruits De Mer)
Clowns Smiling Backwards – Hall of Mirrors (Spill)
The Cure – Like Cockatoos (Rhino /WEA)
Death in Vegas – Zugaga (Drone)
Soma Mestizo – Trans Europe Express (Soma Mestizo)
Two Litre Dolby with Chris Smith – Radioactivity (Spill)
Huon – Upfield Bike Path (Spill)
New David – Expo 2000 (mp3)
You know you remember my awesome friend Mandy of Akwarian Sea Rebel fame? Yeah, you totally do. Anyway, she recently collaborated with a friend of hers on this adorable video for Sesame Street. The task was to reimagine the 12345-678910-11-12 song (you’re singing it right now). I think the result is great. If I had kids I would force them to listen to this until they needed years and years of very expensive therapy.
I heard Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ Murder Ballads the first time maybe a year and a half ago. I was in a telecine session with Ben over at Smoke & Mirrors and he put it on. One of the advantages of a telecine session is that you don’t need to hear audio from the cut, so you can listen to whatever the hell you want. I’ve discovered a load of new music that way over the years, and this record is a prime example of that.
When he put it on, I immediately perked up and was all, “What the hell is this?!” and he told me that it was Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads. “Murder Ballads?!” I said. “Murder Ballads,” he said. “I LOVE murder ballads,” I said.
“Where The Wild Roses Grow”
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And, really, what good, red-blooded son of a bitch doesn’t enjoy a murder ballad? I can only take so many love songs before I want to get sick. But dish me up a plate of songs about murder and you’ve got my attention the whole time. And we’re not talking your typical heavy metal, horror movie murder stories. No, we’re talking about salt-of-the-earth, regular folk kind of murders. The best kind.
Murder ballads are a sub-genre of the traditional ballad form, the lyrics of which form a narrative describing the events of a murder, often including the lead-up and/or aftermath. Traditional ballads are independent from broadsheet ballads insofar as the typical broadsheet form does not use the same formulas or structures and is rooted in a literate society: traditional ballads flourished within non-literate groups within society.
Pretty dry for something so juicy.
“Stagger Lee”
Armed with a direction and something to look for, I left my telecine and sought out the album. This was, perhaps, March of last year, and I was, even then, still buying a lot of music on compact disc. Remember those? Unfortunately the album was long out of print and not readily available. So I did what any conscientious consumer of music would do; I pirated Nick Cave’s entire discography.
I am glad I did it too, because the album is amazing. Originally released in 1996, I completely missed it the first time around. I was 14 years old and did not have ears for anything that wasn’t metal. I remember I had a CD alarm clock then and was woken to Napalm Death’s Fear. Emptiness. Despair. every day for a year or so. Murder Ballads would have been lost on me at this point in my life even if I had heard it. Besides, who wants to listen to some crap record that has not only PJ Harvey but also Kylie Minogue on it?? (Read: I do.)
I added this album to my “For the Phone” playlist on Spotify recently and it has provided a perfect companion for nighttime walks through the suddenly-below-freezing New York City streets. I wander around, looking at people, singing “I’m a bad motherfucker, don’t you know/And I’ll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get one fat boy’s asshole” from “Stagger Lee” to myself, and wonder what they would think to hear the music I am using to hide from them in plain sight.
Yesterday I was complaining about how the “singer” from The Man-Eating Tree can’t sing. And the truth is that Nick Cave does not have a good voice at all, but he’s in that same realm as Lou Reed or Tom Waits. That is, it doesn’t matter if he can’t sing, because that’s part of his schtick. His vocals would actually be worse if he had some dulcet singing voice. His coarseness complements his lyrical content, and that is what is important.
“The Curse of Millhaven”
Give the album a listen. And then listen again. It’s that good. Then listen again with headphones and pay attention the lyrics. If you generally like the recommendations I make here on The Black Laser, I promise you will like this.
