Lazy - They Might Be Giants

Lazy - They Might Be Giants

3:12

single, 2024

Written by Irving Berlin, 1924

The Giants treat this hundred-year-old song with respect, letting the fantastic rhyme scheme ("I want to peep / Through the deep / Tangled wildwood / Counting sheep / 'Til I sleep / Like a child would") speak for itself.  I love the interior rhyme and multi-word rhymes that the old masters of the era, like Berlin and Cole Porter, used.  I'm not sure, because I'm not very familiar with the Crosby or Monroe versions, but I believe that the Johns have cheekily added some lyrics about Mr. Dickens and Omar Khayyam.  Their lyrics ("I hate to hurry through life and worry...") fit in wonderfully to the existing lyrics, so either they;re using a full lyric that didn't get recorded, or they're masters of the craft themselves.

Oliver's Army - Hayseed Dixie

Oliver's Army - Hayseed Dixie

2:51

Free Your Mind... And Your Grass Will Follow, 2017

Written by Elvis Costello, 1979

My favorite bluegrass-rock cover band does one of my very favorite Elvis Costello songs!  Adding in a fiddle line that evokes "Here Comes the Sun," they don't exactly transform this anti-imperialist tirade, but they definitely put their stamp on it.  They clearly love the source material and treat it with equal parts reverence and glee.  

Belfast Telegraph - Shock Treatment

Belfast Telegraph - Shock Treatment

2:24

single, 1979

Written by Shock Treatment, probably?

Ulster political punk, a sharp burst apparently directed at the lurid and salacious nature of the titular newspaper's reporting.  Reminiscent of Stiff Little Fingers, with powerful main vocals, forceful chanting background vocals, and a musicality that far exceeds other proto-punk bands of the era, for example the primitive Ramones.  A little-known and short-lived band, ahead of its time.

Connection - the Rolling Stones

Connection - the Rolling Stones

2:07

Between the Buttons, 1967

Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

A tight, no-frills burst of British Invasion, stepping slightly away from American roots and giving a brief nod to the melodic stylings of the Beatles.  The song seemingly was inspired by the band's frustration with being targeted for their drug use: "But the bags, they get a very close inspection / I wonder why it is that they suspect of 'em / They're dying to add me to their collections /And I don't know if they'll let me go."  He's just trying to make his connecting flight, man.  Or is it the kind of connection that was meant in 1969's "You Can't Always Get What You Want?"  Probably that one.

Izembe Mfana - Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Izembe Mfana - Ladysmith Black Mambazo

3:41

Always With Us, 2014

The album this track comes from is a tribute to the group's founder's wife, Nellie Shabalala, who was murdered by a masked gunman.  It blends the women's voices of Nellie's group with Joseph Shabalala's typically male-only group.  This adds a nice counterpoint to the tenor blend of Ladysmith; this particular track sounds almost like a conversation, punctuated by clicks and whoops.  The vocal control and harmonies flow over the ear like honey.  Not Sweet Honey in the Rock; that's a different group.

Zu Zu - the Bonnevilles

Zu Zu - the Bonnevilles

2:42

single, 1960

Written by William Maxwell and Albert George

Very little is known about this doo-wop group.  Some sites say the song was released in 1959, some say 1962.  Some say it was written by Maxwell and George, and some have an A. Cooper listed as the co-author.  The Bonnevilles seem to have released only this song, and its A-side, "Lorraine."  Anyway, this is a fine example of late '50s doo-wop, all soaring falsetto, harmony background, and "bop bop bop bop bop" backing.

Ye Banks and Braes - The Real McKenzies

Ye Banks and Braes - The Real McKenzies

2:24

Oot & Aboot, 2003

Written by Robert Burns and Paul McKenzie

Also known as "The Banks O'Doon," this is the third version of the poem written by Robert Burns in 1791.  McKenzie turns it into a fiery Celtic punk number, the ultimate in genre fusion.  The narrator is a proto-Emo, groaning about how even the chirping birds remind him of how life brings him no joy any more.  Even flowers suck now.  "And my false love did steal that rose / And all she left me was but a thorn."

What'll I Do - Bob Dylan

What'll I Do - Bob Dylan

3:16

Shadows In the Night, 2015

Written by Irving Berlin

I haven't put in a great deal of time listening to Dylan's four albums of Sinatra covers, which is a shame, because he made some great versions of classic songs from the greatest songwriters of the era.  In this song, the narrator laments that his love is gone, and he has only a photograph and dreams that won't come true.  The pedal steel guitar really shines on this track, giving it a hollow, noir feeling.

V-Neck Sweater - The Greyboy Allstars

V-Neck Sweater - The Greyboy Allstars

2:35

What Happened To Television?, 2007

Written by ?

A blend of old school funk jazz informed by modern hiphop sensibilities.  The band is apparently named after its founder, a DJ, but there's little of that sound on this particular track.  It's all horns and organ and wailing funk vocals that have a lot of soul but not much semantical content.  It's a decent song, but I'm a bit underwhelmed; it never really gets in your face like it seems it wants to.

Us Of Lesser Gods - Flogging Molly

Us Of Lesser Gods - Flogging Molly

3:19

Float, 2008

Written by Dave King

I'd say this is an almost archetypical Flogging Molly track: a blistering Celtic rock with traditional instruments blended with electric, backing Dave King's off-brand Shane MacGowan voice.  The lyrics convey anger, but are rather abstruse: something about how life is a hell on earth now because of, possibly, acid rain, coastal erosion, sex on TV?  But whatever King's shouting about, this post-punk with an Irish lilt makes it sound great!