Boy Looked At Johnny

Presenting the third and final part of our Johnny saga. Sensual six pack artwork again by Tinca. "Just trying to tell a vision..."

Television - Little Johnny Jewel

Mission Of Burma - The Ballad of Johnny Burma
The Replacements - Johnny's Gonna Die

Nikki Sudden - Johnny Smiled Slowly

Die Haut - Johnny Guitar
Liz Phair - Johnny Sunshine

Blow Up

A 'mad, crazy, careening out of control, fighting with my guardian angels rock 'n' roll story' anyone? Thought so. Cue Everything Is Combustible, the memoir of former Television guitarist Richard Lloyd. Fun anecdotes galore, as Lloyd is a wacky guy with a huge appetite for drugs, drink and debauchery, never afraid to pay the price, daft philosophies a specialty. Small wonder he lived to tell the tale.

Television - Oh Mi Amore
Television - Adventure
Richard Lloyd - Misty Eyes

Call Me

All heed the call, as we call the tune. Presenting yet another six pack for your listening pleasure. After all, "if you're gonna try, you gotta face the music..."

Plainsong - Call The Tune
Television - Call Mr. Lee
The Monkeywrench - Call My Body Home
MC5 - Call Me Animal
Kenny McKennon - Call Your Daddy, Baby
The Cramps - Call Of The Wighat

To The Top

In Roky we trust. "Climb the ladder of your own design in my fire engine..." Go on, you know you want to. The boys from Television often climbed said ladder in concert, to great effect. This blistering take was recorded at CBGB's, way back in 1975.

13th Floor Elevators - Fire Engine
Television - Fire Engine (live '75)

Darkest Light

Presenting an illuminating ten pack. Let it shine over you.

Shirley Ann Lee - There's A Light MP3

Todd Rundgren - I Saw The Light MP3

Horace Andy - Love Is The Light MP3

Television - Guiding Light MP3

Common - The Light MP3

The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out MP3

The Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Darkest Light MP3

Holopaw - Losing Light MP3

The Winkies - Put Out The Light MP3

Little Walter & His Jukes - Boom, Boom, Out Goes The Light MP3

A Short Musical History Of Evil

"I understand all destructive urges, it seems so perfect". Presenting an evil ten pack. "You better watch your happy home..."

Monster Magnet - Evil MP3

Jan Howard - Evil On Your Mind MP3

John Fahey - On Doing An Evil Deed Blues MP3

Cabaret Voltaire - A Touch Of Evil MP3

Rocket From The Crypt - Evil Party MP3

The Seeds - Evil Hoodoo MP3

Travis Wammack - Easy Evil MP3

The Pop Group - She Is Beyond Good And Evil MP3

22-Pistepirkko - Don´t Say I'm So Evil MP3

Television - See No Evil MP3

Wild Weekend Vol. 31

Right at its tail end, here´s another edition of Wild Weekend, which means the iPod shuffle once again came up with a flaming six pack of goodies. This week it´s all about getting your fortune told, running the voodoo down while blood runs down King Street, meeting the Venus de Milo, and chasing a vampire. All for a price of course. All for a price.

We´ll get this show on the road with a track from one of my all-time fave albums: the amazing Marquee Moon. An organic musical entity if ever there was one, Television defined artrock for years to come. And no one ever came close. "Didja feel low? Not at all... Huh?" I´ve never been too fond of jazz fusion to be honest, as it often tends to disappear up its own backside, mindboggling virtuosity notwithstanding. But I have to make an exception for that revolutionary 1970 Miles masterpiece called Bitches Brew. Jazzy on the outside, funky on the inside, now that´s how you run the voodoo down.

Television - Venus MP3

Miles Davis - Miles Runs The Voodoo Down MP3

Recently saw Werner Herzog´s brilliant movie Nosferatu on the telly again, and it struck me just how perfect the soundtrack by krautrockers Popol Vuh accompanied the on-screen action. Or is the fact that their music works just as good on its own, as the minimalist Höre, Der Du Wagst shows, an even bigger feat? Anyway, it´s time for a Vuh revival, folks. New Orleans soul singer Benny Spellman is best known for his cool hit single Lipstick Traces, but the uptempo Fortune Teller should have been an even bigger smash. No wonder the Stones covered it early in their career. Listen up and get your fortune told for free.

Popol Vuh - Höre, Der Du Wagst MP3

Benny Spellman - Fortune Teller MP3

Vivian Jackson a.k.a. Yabby You, who sadly passed away last January, was a Christian dread who recorded an amazing oeuvre both as a singer and as a producer. Never really famous during his heyday, his talent was finally recognized in the nineties thanks to the tireless work of reggae reissue label Blood & Fire. This heavy heavy track comes from the much-recommended Deliver Me From My Enemies (´77). And for the last song in this weekend´s installment, we turn to one of the best postpunk singles ever: We Are All Prostitutes by Bristol´s finest avant-funk noisemakers The Pop Group. "Everyone has their price..." Right? You bet.

Yabby You - Blood A Go Run Down King Street MP3

The Pop Group - We Are All Prostitutes MP3