Zak and Sara - Ben Folds

Zak and Sara - Ben Folds

3:11

Rockin' the Suburbs, 2001

Written by Ben Folds

In what at first blush seems like a charming vignette, a couple of teenagers in the 1980s are sitting around.  The girl listens to the boy play guitar, and claps at the end.  But there's an inner story going on beyond that.  Sara (without an h) has visions of the future and hears voices in her head.  "The kind of voices she would soon learn to deny / Because at home they got her smacked."  She has a vision of techno and electronica, with a bunch of white kids on ecstasy dancing along to acid house.  It's like an alternate universe version of the drugged out couple in the Hold Steady's "Chips Ahoy!"

Zanzibar - Billy Joel

Zanzibar - Billy Joel

5:17

52nd Street, 1978

Written by Billy Joel

A jazzy Billy Joel number, with louche lyrics and enough harmonic feel and jazzy arrangements that if you didn't know better, you might swear it was by Steely Dan.  Freddie Hubbard provides two terrific trumpet breaks in the middle and the end.  The narrator is in a sports bar watching Muhummad Ali fight on a black and white TV, hoping to score with a waitress, couched in terms of a beleaguered baseball metaphor ("Me, I'm trying just to get to second base / And I'd steal it if she only gave the sign / She's gonna give the go ahead / The inning isn't over yet for me").  It’s a wonderfully odd combination of sophisticated musicianship and extremely uncomplicated male lust.

Zip Gun Boogie - T. Rex

Zip Gun Boogie - T. Rex

3:26

Bolan's Zip Gun, 1975

Written by Marc Bolan

This song was originally issued as a Marc Bolan solo credit, but subsequent releases have listed it as a T. Rex work.  It got some middling reviews at the time, and some fans seem to think it's a shambling parody of his earlier work, though today opinion is divided.  Me, I'm no longtime Bolan aficionado, so I can't see the forest, just this particular tree.  To my ears, the funky disco keyboards provide a nice complement to Bolan's indulgent vocals, and the whole is a catchy, peppy burst of glam rock.  

Zip City - Drive-By Truckers

Zip City - Drive-By Truckers
5:16
Southern Rock Opera, 2001

Written by Mike Cooley

A semi-autobiographical tale, this unflinchingly raw song details the frustrations of a seventeen-year-old boy who needs to drive 26 miles to Zip City where his girlfriend lives ("Don't know why I put up with his shit / When you don't put out and Zip City's so far away").  The narrator is not particularly likable: He runs his car into a ditch and his dad needs to come get them out, and he reflects on a variety of plaints.  The RJ Reynolds company has an economic grip on the town, his girlfriend's sister won't sleep with him, his girlfriend's brother is in the closet, and she'll probably stay in this dead-end town all her life, while he has bigger plans.  "So keep your drawers on, girl, it ain't worth the fight / By the time you drop them I'll be gone / And you'll be right where they fall the rest of your life."  She says he takes her for granted, but he just sneers that "for granted" is a pretty big word for a fifteen year old country girl.  It's as harrowing in its way as any Springsteen song of desperate souls and outlaws on the road.  

Zulu - Santana

Zulu - Santana

3:22

Moonflower, 1977

Written by Tom Coster and Carlos Santana

Unlike nearly all of the (admittedly limited) Santana material I've heard, this instrumental is a far-out fusion of funk, progressive rock, bebop jazz, disco, and funk.  It's a trippy, bass-heavy jam that seems like it should be found on a Yardbirds album, if they were raised on King Crimson records.  Very much of its era, it's a song that makes you want to turn on the lava lamp, dress up in a fringed vest, and toke the night away.

Yama Yama Pretty Mama - Richard Berry

Yama Yama Pretty Mama - Richard Berry

2:14

single, 1956

Written by Richard Berry and Joe Josea

Berry, no relation to Chuck, is the composer of "Louie Louie" and "Have Love Will Travel."  This is a similarly unhinged rocker, with Berry bellowing the lyrics like the best of the shouters, and unleashing a Little Richard-like "yooowww!" at the midpoint.  With its nonsense title, a sleazy sax break, and some boogie-woogie piano tinkling, this is about as good an example of early rock 'n' roll as you can get.

Yeah Yeah Yeah - The Minders

Yeah Yeah Yeah - The Minders

2:08

Hooray For Tuesday, 1998

Written by Marc Milhite

This song was produced by Robert Schneider, who also produced the masterpiece In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.  As part of the Elephant 6 collective, this band evokes the sound of Apples in Stereo, with power-pop chords and harmonies that echo the Beatles and other '60s acts.  It's far from innovative, but it's a bright, sunny piece of nostalgia in just over two minutes, so who can complain?

You Won't Make a Fool Out Of Me - Flogging Molly

You Won't Make a Fool Out Of Me - Flogging Molly

2:43

Float, 2008

Written by Dave King

Riding a breakneck drum beat as if frantic to get the message out, this imagery-laden screed against wealth inequality ("Work your arse off for the crumbs on the table / Where they fall hungry on your lap") features King's growling vocals, a shouted "No!" chorus, and the blend of pipes, accordion, and guitar that makes the Celtic rock fusion work.

Youngblood - Green Day

Youngblood - Green Day
2:33
Revolution Radio, 2016
Written by Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool

Although this fist-pumping punk love song leans a little too heavily on repeating its one-word chorus, it's got some of Armstrong's funniest and dorkiest lyrics.  Like Johnny cash before him, the narrator here is a dark soul saved by love.  "I'm a rough boy around the edges / Getting drunk and falling into hedges."  But I'm a real sucker for the kind of stream of consciousness list-lyrics that Steve Wynn is also a master of: "Supernova, Cherry Cola / She's the cedar in the trees of Minnesota."  What that could mean only Armstrong knows but I love it.

You Lied - Green Day

You Lied - Green Day

2:25

single, 1997

Written by Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool

An outtake from the Nimrod sessions, this minor Green Day work was released as the B-side of "Good Riddance" and later was issued on the 2002 compilation Shenanigans.  Basically a jeremiad against a mendacious addressee, the lyrics are perhaps more goofy than scathing ("Pinocchio has pierced your tongue / Your nose is growing into the third dimension").  Perhaps if they'd ripped through it at a fast tempo à la "Uptight," it would be more engaging.

Saxophones - Jimmy Buffett

Saxophones - Jimmy Buffett

3:22

Living And Dying in 3/4 Time, 1974

Written by Jimmy Buffett

One of the many self-referential songs about songwriters and playing music, this charming boogie-woogie sees Buffett talking about how he grew up on New Orleans jazzy rock, Dr. John and Clarence "Frogman" Henry.  He's got a band, he's got a guitar, and they rock, but he can't get his record on the radio and the patrons at the local dive bar don't seem to care much.  Then he has an epiphany, one I myself had not very far off in the past as a musical listener: brass always improves rock.  "If we had saxophones / Big baritone cleaning up the muddy breaks / If we had saxophones / I could make that joint shimmy like a big California earthquake."

Mexico - Cake

Mexico - Cake

3:26

Prolonging the Magic, 1998

Written by John McCrea

I read that this album was meant as an attempt to make an album without the typical Cake irony and wry wit.  You could have fooled me,  This song, all trumpet and pedal steel, is an entry, or possibly a pastiche, of the genre of star-crossed love south of the border songs, but with tongue firmly in cheek.  "I don't know much about Cinco DeMayo / I'm never sure what it's all about / But I said I want you and you don't believe me."  This isn't a serious song, and that's why we listen to Cake.  The deadpan delivery and the trumpet.

Brixton - Rancid

Brixton - Rancid

2:26

Rock Stars Kill, 1994

Written by Tim Armstrong

This relatively lower-energy Rancid single imagines Oakland in a series of disasters — riots, police brutality, bombs, and tidal waves.  And out of the chaos and carnage, perhaps a reimagined society.  "Two-fifty dead the Tribune read / Oakland's going off like a bomb / I saw a new generation coming / Under the smoke over Oakland."  What does this have to do with Brixton, other than Tom Armstrong's Clash fixation?  He takes inspirations from British hooliganism.  "Thirty cops beaten, another one dead / The fight lasted on through the Brixton night / A thousand angry looters who knew they were right."

Mexico - James Taylor

Mexico - James Taylor

2:59

Gorilla, 1975

Written by James Taylor

A shaker, conga, and some salsa-infused vibraphone give this wistful country-rock song an appropriately Latin tinge.  David Crosby and Graham Nash provide backing vocals.  The song is a paean to Mexico, painted as a sweet-sounding paradise with "a sleepy señorita with her eyes on fire."  The joke of the song is that the narrator admits "I've never really been / So I don't really know."  It's little wonder that laid-back tropical jokester Jimmy Buffett covered it.

Boxer - The Gaslight Anthem

Boxer - The Gaslight Anthem

2:47

American Slang, 2010

Written by Brian Fallon, Alex Rosamilia, Alex Levine, and Benny Horowitz

Not getting the band any further from the Springsteen comparisons, this blazing rocker features chugging guitars, fist-pumping, sing-along choruses, and Fallon's working-class street poet lyrics.  The boxer is a metaphor for someone fighting to save a relationship that's, to continue the image, on the ropes.  "You took it all gracefully on the chin / Knowing that the beatings had to someday end / You found the bandages inside the pen / And the stitches on the radio."

Wargasm - L7

Wargasm - L7

2:42

Bricks Are Heavy, 1992

Written by Donita Sparks

This is the leading track off an album that is touted as one of the best "grunge" albums of all time, but I think it got that label simply be virtue of the era in which it was released.  This is white-hot punk rock, with clear vocals, machine-gun guitar, and breakneck tempo.  This is no mumbling, disaffected Nirvana, or a loutish, stumbling Soundgarden.  It's all snarling contempt and biting, even shocking lyrics: "Wargasm, wargasm, one two three / Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the amputee / Masturbate, watch it on TV."  Just like the Johnny Rotten of old, L7 are going to do their thing, state their case, and don't care if you don't like them.  

Why I Lie - Liz Phair

Why I Lie - Liz Phair

3:21

Somebody's Miracle, 2005

Written by Liz Phair

At one point, I thought Liz Phair was one of the greatest and most impressive, arresting, and original talents going.  Then she released her eponymous album, and it smacked of derivative teen pop, an attempt to grab onto some of that Avril Lavigne popularity.  Not my thing.  But this follow-up has the wry, brash, open lyricism of Exile in Guyville, but with a sturdier, more commanding vocal.  This song opens Phair's head and examines why she self-sabotages romantic relationships.  "I can't help myself / It's a special combination / Of predatory instinct and simple ill will."

Wilder Side - Carter Sampson

Wilder Side - Carter Sampson

4:34

Wilder Side, 2016

Written by Carter Sampson

Sampson, a country-Americana musician, has a beautiful voice with a warm tone.  Here, she belts this soft ballad out with both power and delicacy.  It's a farewell song and a bold expression of identity.  "I've got a lonesome heart / But you only need light when the daytime is dark / I'm always putting love together to take it apart."  It's the kind of song that's perfect for a ride in a convertible on a sunny day.  Obviously sheet talent doesn't lead to success in the music industry for a variety of reasons, but often I can't understand why some acts, like Sampson, "the Queen of Oklahoma," don't make it bigger.  

Watching Over Me - Green Corn Revival

Watching Over Me - Green Corn Revival

4:21

Say You're a Sinner, 2010

Written by Green Corn Revival?

This is rock with country roots, but as the song progresses, a more operatic, palatial sound develops.  It's got a Roy Orbison vibe, but with with soaring harmonies, a concert piano and pedal steel rising up behind him.  The song fuses a peppy, twangy '50s beat with modern, dark lyrics ("I believe in a heaven / But I'm not sure I want to go").  This band has been disbanded, which is a shame, because they really have chops.

We're Here To Save the Day - The Constellations

We're Here To Save the Day - The Constellations

3:30

Southern Gothic, 2010

Written by the Constellations?

This is a psychedelic hip-hop/rock fusion, unspooling over a bouncing electronic circus-like groove with playground-inspired chants as the chorus.  It features Asher Roth on guest vocals, but I don't know who that is.  The main vocals are delivered in a slinky whisper, giving the song, as the title indicates, an eerie, gothic vibe.  I's always glad to hear something original in hip-hop, and this song's weird brashness is refreshing.

Virginia Plain - Roxy Music

Virginia Plain - Roxy Music

2:58

single, 1972

Written by Bryan Ferry

This catchily weird art-pop burst of bent notes, feedback, and vocal vamping was Roxy Music's first single, later added to their debut album in the US.  The title, based on a painting by Ferry, likely refers to  a cigarette without a filter.  The lyrics, Ferry said himself, are "slightly imponderable," but generally evoke a band just starting out and hoping for the big time.  "Throw me a line, I'm sinking fast / Clutching at straws, can't make it / Havana sound we're trying / A hard edge, a hipster jiving, oh."  An earlier line about taking a deal to "Robert E. Lee" refers to a music-industry attorney, while "Can't you see her Holzer mane?" refers to Andy Warhol protogée and model Baby Jane Holzer, known for her voluminous teased blonde hair.

Vincent Van Gogh - Jonathan Richman

Vincent Van Gogh - Jonathan Richman

3:03

Not So Much To Be Loves As To Love, 2004

Written by Jonathan Richman

A sort of antithetical piece to Richman's "Pablo Picasso," this song is all brightness, color, and joy, rather than the ironic mocking and deliberately jejune punk vulgarity of the earlier song.  "And he loved, he loved life so bad / His paintings had twice the color other paintings had."  Richman recounts feeling blue in a museum, but being cheered by Van Gogh's work and sensing his presence alongside him.  Richman was 53 at the time of this recording, but his voice still has that youthful, yearning croak.

Vaccination Scar - The Tragically Hip

Vaccination Scar - The Tragically Hip

2:57

In Between Evolution, 2004

Written by Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair, and Johnny Fay

The people who make it their business to interpret such things find this searing rocker to be an anti-war, anti-jingoistic song.  You couldn't convince me from these recondite lyrics: "The sky just reddened / Heading home under dusk / Is life just forgetting / Another word for frivolous / And little silver boulders / And silence from Mars."  Previous lines, about a threatening sky, give a vague hint of a political stance. as does this part: "And I'm not the saddest cheerleader to forget the American word / For the gang in the head / That dwindles to no members when the mystery's met."  To me that evokes the much-vaunted coalition assembled by Bush, that eventually fell apart when it became clear there were no WMDs.  But who knows?  Whatever the words may mean, the thing that always sells me on a Hip song is Downie's utterly distinctive voice.

Vaya Con Dios - Les Paul & Mary Ford

Vaya Con Dios - Les Paul & Mary Ford

2:54

single, 1953

Written by Larry Russell, Inez James, and Buddy Pepper, 1952

This slow, languid Western pop ballad, with Paul's masterful but subtle guitar and brushed drums, is as lulling as the prayer the narrator offers up to his love.  It's a song of sorrowful parting.  "Now, the hacienda's dark / The town is sleeping / Now, the time has come to part / The time for weeping."  Ford's hushed vocals convey the quiet village and the sad scene: you can practically see the narrator, giving the mission church one last sad look before turning to go.

Vampires - Logan Staats

Vampires - Logan Staats

3:00

Goodbye Goldie, 2015

Written by Logan Staats

This is an acoustic ballad in the style of Josh Ritter.  The lyrics depict an empty and broken town, where vampires and werewolves come out for love and lust.  Similarly, the narrator's heart is similarly torn: "Please, darling, take mercy on my broken heart, yeah / And take my soul if you want what's left of it."  I like the sentiment and the urgent, soulful delivery, but I can't help but wish Statts had written more complex lines, and more of them: the song is just pre-chorus, one verse, and chorus, then repeated.

Uranium Rock - Warren Smith

Uranium Rock - Warren Smith

2:08

single, 1958

written by Warren Smith?

Over a very simple rockabilly guitar riff, Smith sings of getting a big payday when he finds (and presumably sells) the titular uranium.  With Geiger counter in tow, he dreams of getting along Cadillac with that sweet sweet radioactive money.  "Money, money honey, the kind you fold / Money, money honey, rock 'n' roll," he yelps, sounding like a poor man's Jerry Lee Lewis.

Unlock the Lock - Jimmy Nelson

Unlock the Lock - Jimmy Nelson

3:03

single, 1960

Written by Jimmy Nelson

Oh dear.  I said yesterday that "Unlock the Door" was problematic, but this rhythm and blues rouser beats Lind's song for the title.  The slinky beat, punctuated by percussion and low horns, belongs on a bordello stage.  Nelson's booming, half-talking voice declares that he's "been with the boys, baby / And I'm all free of sin."  There's something about the delivery and his need to assure his baby that "if you let me in / I'll be sweet and nice" that gives entirely the wrong vibes.  Keep the door locked, queen!

Unlock the Door - Bob Lind

Unlock the Door - Bob Lind

4:09

Don't Be Concerned, 1966

Written by Bob Lind

I've never heard of Lind, despite having a minor interest in folk music and its history.  He was helped define the 1960s folk rock movement and had a big hit in both America and the UK.  He also became a playwright and, if rumor is to be believed, created the "Bat Boy" stories in the Weekly World News.  This song has a charming folk melody and Lind's voice is pleasant.  I can hear the Dylan influence in his lyrics, which compare his lover to a city: "Your living city seems to breathe beneath my restless feet / And unfamiliar laughter floats across the crowded street."  But it begins to get a little creepy: "It's a cold and ugly city when you're lonely / Please don't ignore me / Unlock the door."  To paraphrase Bo Burnham, he's hoping his folky charm offsets all these rapey vibes he's putting out.

Uncloudy Day - Staple Singers

Uncloudy Day - Staple Singers

2:57

single, 1956

Written by Josiah K. Alwood, 1879

Mavis Staples provides the main, soulful vocal on this song with a richness of tone and a maturity of deliver that belie her sixteen years.  The vocals begin in unison, then the others tail behind Mavis' lead. A tremolo guitar lends the whole an eerie, magisterial quality.   Bob Dylan said that hearing this slow, steady gospel was "the most mysterious thing I'd ever heard.  It was like the fog rolling in."  Dylan often speaks of his inspirations and those he admires in language cloaked in hyperbole, but I think here he's accurate.  In 1956 it must have seemed to have come straight from the mouth of God.

Ubangi Stomp - John Prine

Ubangi Stomp - John Prine

2:43

Pink Cadillac, 1979

Written by Charles Underwood, 1956

This is a full-on throwback rockabilly number, which I never imagined John Prine would have done.  The music is a typical, primitive rock beat, with the lyrics decidedly unfashionable.  They tell a story of rocker who comes upon an African tribe who rock like any cool cat.  There is some conflating of cultural stereotypes: "Well, I looked up the chief and he invited me in / Said a heap big jam session 'bout to begin / He handed me a tom-tom I picked up the beat."  It was a different, less educated, time.