Murder City Nights - Radio Birdman

Murder City Nights - Radio Birdman
2:24 

Radios Appear, 1979

Written by Deniz Tek

I'd never heard of this influential Australian punk band.  In this song the narrator is driving around the mean streets of an unidentified city (although he mentions a Woodward).  He's looking for some action.  He's bored with "the seventies stasis," which probably echoes how the band felt about the state of music at that point.  It's got a Springsteen feel, lyrically if not musically.  "Hanging on the edge of my self control / Looking in the mirror for the highway patrol."

Mona Lisa - Atlas Sound

Mona Lisa - Atlas Sound

3:05

Parallax, 2011

Written by Bradford Cox

A melancholy, lo-fi indie pop song, with high, ethereal vocals, piano, and gentle guitar.  It's a soft, ambient kind of sound, with hints of the Kinks in its yearning vibe.  The lyrics are rather abstruse.  "How many poverties / Were interrupted by / Learning how to read," Cox asks, then adds helpfully, "Mona Lisa's got you all."  This kind of shoe-gazing, swirling guitar sound isn't my cup of tea, but it's well done.

Make It Good To Me - Sharon Jones & the Dap-KIngs

Make It Good To Me - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

4:39

Dap-Dippin' With Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, 2002

Written by Bosco Mann

A slow-burn soul come-on.  The ultimate carpe diem, seize the moment song.  Over a chirping organ and pulsing horns, Jones sings it sultry, with some low and slow male chorus vocals behind her.  The narrator is brushing aside all fears of where you may have been, or what might happen tomorrow.  She doesn't want to hear any extenuating circumstances.  "Will you regret it tomorrow? / Tomorrow may not ever come / So you know you better make it good to me baby."

Mendocino - Sir Douglas Quintet

Mendocino - Sir Douglas Quintet

2:39

Mendocino, 1969

Written by Doug Sahm

A catchy pop tune with a laid-back blend of Tex-Mex flavor and stoner garage shuffle.  Spritely organ riffs carry the melody, with jangly guitars in the background, and Sahm's unique voice drawls the yearning lyrics with abandon.   "Teeny Bopper, my teenage lover / I caught your waves last night / It sent my mind to wonderin'."  Summer of '69 perfection!

Madison Blues - Elmore James

Madison Blues - Elmore James

2:23

single, 1960

Written by Elmore James

This a Chicago-style shuffle with bottleneck slide guitar, a tinkling piano, and a buzzy sax.  "All you cats talking about your Madison shoes / We do the thing we call the Madison blues."  Uh, who exactly is talking about Madison shoes?  And even better, what are Madison shoes?  It's unclear, but James' raw, gritty vocals give him a gravitas that makes me eagerly accept his non-sequiturs.

I Got a Sure Thing - Ollie & the Nightingales

I Got a Sure Thing - Ollie & the Nightingales

2:36

single, 1968

Written by Booker T. Jones and William Bell

This soul group was also known as the Nightingales and the Dixie Nightingales.  This song was also recorded by William Bell, but I prefer this version; it's got a little more punch.  It's a mid-tempo shuffler, restrained despite Ollie's impassioned, sometimes screaming vocal. The horns and the rising organ lines keep it bright.  I like how he yells "ha ha ha!" at about 1:50.

I Got a Name - Jim Croce

I Got a Name - Jim Croce

3:14

I Got a Name, 1973

Written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel

A slightly funky folk melody, that burst out into a little folk-rock at the very end of the song.  The cheeriness of the music belies the lyrics, which are fairly poignant.  In the song, the narrator declares he has a name like all the plants and animals, but that he also has a dream.  "And I carry it with me like my daddy did / But I'm living the dream that he kept hid."  He's going to go and follow his dreams, and if he fails, he'll be proud he tried.  Unlike his father.

I Got To Get To California - Marvin Gaye

I Got To Get To California - Marvin Gaye

2:52

M.P.G., 1969

Written by Shena DeMell and Ivy Jo Hunter

This was Gaye's first Top 40 album.  The album's title is an acronym for his full name, Marvin Pentz Gay.  In this song, the narrator meeds to get out west.  The reason?  Well, obviously, for love.  "In the sunset I can see my baby's face just haunting me / Reminding me of the tenderness that heaven knows was in her kiss."  He was jealous, he was a fool.  Now he can't sleep and dreams of her every day.  He's got to hurry!  "I pray it's not too late, oh, I might have to catch a freight."  He might even have to hitch hike.  Gaye's confident but urgent vocals are perfect here.

I Got a Whole Lot Of Lovin' - Joe Simon

I Got a Whole Lot Of Lovin' - Joe Simon
2:28
Better Than Ever, 1969
Written by Allen Orange and Joe Simon.

Never heard of this soul singer, but what immediately stands out is his rich baritone voice, with what is clearly a deep gospel foundation, that can convey gritty Southern soul as well as R&B.  He has a smooth, emotionally resonant delivery.  Buoyed by a steady percussion and slick horn lines, his warm deep voice carries an understated but plaintive message of love.

I Got a Rocket In My Pocket - Jimmy Lloyd

I Got a Rocket In My Pocket - Jimmy Lloyd

2:22

single, 1958

Written by Jimmy Lloyd (as James Logsdon) and VicMcAlpin

This is pure rockabilly.  Look up rockabilly in the dictionary and this song starts playing.  "I got a rocket in my pocket and a roll in my walk / So, baby don't fuss me with that North Forty talk."  Boogie-woogie piano, a guitar twanging, and a yodeling, jittering hillbilly at the microphone.  You can practically hear the sly winking with all the innuendo in the lyrics ("I got a rocket in my pocket and a roll in my jeans").  This guy's fuse is lit.  Personally I would keep a safe distance.