Free Time - The Aggrolites

Free Time - The Aggrolites

3:01

Reggae Hit L.A., 2007

Written by the Aggrolites

A decent ska-reggae track by a bunch of white Californians.  In this song, the narrator is really excited to see his lady ("I've done left things behind, oh / Oh, that always come and go / But not that little brown-eyed girl"), but finds, to his shock, that she has moved on without him and prefers it when he's gone.  Should have put a ring on it, buddy.  Anyway, it's a standard ska, nice background music for a levelheaded frat party or a barbecue.  

Frankie's Gun! - The Felice Brothers

Frankie's Gun! - The Felice Brothers

4:06

The Felice Brothers, 2008

Written by Ian Felice, James Felice, Jeremy Backofen, Josh Rawson, and Simone Felice

This song evokes the Band in its ramshackle, careening, sloopy Americana.  This story-song concerns an small-time outlaw, picking up an unspecified cargo, along with his partner Frankie.  Somehow, the narrator gets shot.  "I could have swore the box said Hollywood blanks but / If you see my mama please tell her / I left a little rock in a box in the cellar / That's for her to wear till kingdom come."  With accordion, drunken "sha na na" choruses, and handclaps, the whole track sways around with lurching abandon, perfectly mirroring this tale of the unlucky palooka who only tried to make a little dough for his girl and his mom.

West Coast Town - Chris Shiflett

West Coast Town - Chris Shiflett

2:59

West Coast Town, 2017

Written by Chris Shiflett

I had no idea who Shiflett was when I heard this song.  He's the guitarist for Foo Fighters, trying on an alt-country hat and channeling Merle Haggard's attitude. "Yeah, mom held it down on a county wage / Clothes on our backs and food on our plates." t's interesting that he applies the music's hardscrabble working-class image specifically to Santa Barbara; I know there are plenty of depressed and middle class areas in California, of course, but when blended with the roots country sound there's a danger of it sounding artificial to many listeners.  But the South doesn't own growing up hard and working for a living, so good for Shiflett, I say.

What Lack Of Love Has Done - Nick Lowe

What Lack Of Love Has Done - Nick Lowe

2:50

Dig My Mood, 1998

Written by Nick Lowe

The narrator of this song has an occupation, a vocation, maybe an obsession.  He goes around the world, goes up on stage, and tells people about his bad love affair.  "And though I do it nightly / It never is the same / For it's a never ending story / Of jealousy and blame."  This is a man whose past haunts him, weighs heavy on him.  The title is a deliberate misnomer.  It isn't lack of love that's done this to him, it's perfidy.  But doesn't all betrayal stem from lack of love?  The song has a cool, relaxed vibe with understated vocals that belie the hurt in the words.

Workin' Man Blues - Merle Haggard

Workin' Man Blues - Merle Haggard

2:35

A Portrait Of Merle Haggard, 1969

Written by Merle Haggard

This was a number one hit, but I'd never heard it.  This song is where Dylan got his line "sing a little bit of these workingman's blues!" Dylan's song is about a million times more eloquent than Merle's, but you have to admit Merle's got the beer-drinkin', rough-hands-having, welfare-eschewing, blue collar stiff routine down cold.  The constant sharp metallic tink sound in the background, made by a guitar accent, probably meant to be a pickaxe or some such implement, is a little affectatious, but what the hell, right?

Wishing the Days Away - Billy Bragg

Wishing the Days Away - Billy Bragg

2:30

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry, 1986

Written by Billy Bragg

In this song, the socialist songbird paints a scenario in which the narrator pines for an unnamed "you," presumably a lost love.  Each day, he wishes it was the day after ("On Monday I wished it was Tuesday night / So I could wish for the weekend to come"), apparently so he can see her.  But it's not clear; she's also sending letters, which he finds wanting in some way.  And this being Bragg, the narrator also has politics on his mind: Lenin Shipyards is busy, but it seems as though he isn't.  He should put on his stinking working clothes, but for some reason, he's hanging fire in the Hammersmith Hotel.  I don't think that's a literal hotel; see Elvis Costello's "Fish 'n' Chip Paper" reference: "If you've got something to hide, if you've got something to sell / If you've got somebody's bride she might kiss and tell / Or wind up with a fight fan in the Hammersmith Hotel."  Google is of no help here.

Wake Up Dolores - Los Lobos

Wake Up Dolores - Los Lobos

2:55

Kiko, 1992

Written by David Hidalgo and Louie Pérez 

A folk-rock song with razor sharp guitars and a lyric that evokes ancient Aztec rituals ("Oh sacred night / On quetzal plumes / Of dying suns / And purple moons").  The voices are subdued, the words mysterious.  Where are they going at night on a hard rocky road?  Why is Dolores failing to wake, though they seem to be in flight?  The arrangement is halting, jittery; guitars and voices echo the lead vocal like a chorus of chanting ghosts as the final lines lapses into Nahuatl, saying something about moving on.  It's an ethereal, compelling track.

You Can't Do That - Harry Nilsson

You Can't Do That - Harry Nilsson

2:18

Pandemonium Shadow Show, 1967

Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

This song is elevated from the common ruck of Beatles covers by slowing the tempo and setting it against a steady, almost playful hand-percussion beat. What really makes it shine, though, is Nilsson’s sly collage of other Beatles titles and lyrics woven throughout: "Paperback Writer," "Day Tripper,” "Beep beep yeah," and snatches of a dozen more Fab Four works. It's equal parts homage and wink. Two swelling string passages rise up like echoes of the Beatles' later orchestral flourishes, only to recede and drop the track back into its mellow, grooving pulse. The result is both affectionate parody and inventive reinterpretation, showing off Nilsson’s wit as much as his voice.

(You Will) Set the World On Fire - David Bowie

(You Will) Set the World On Fire - David Bowie

3:32

The Next Day, 2013

Written by David Bowie

While this is a straightforward (for Bowie) rocker full of big guitars and anthemic sound, the song is set in the 1960s Greenwich Village scene.  The song appears to be about, and addressed to, Odetta ("Ochs takes notes / When the black girl and guitar / Burn together hot in rage").  Noting that esteemed folkies Van Ronk, Ochs, and Dylan are taking notes, the narrator of song appears to proposition Odetta (or whoever the black girl with the guitar may be) and promises her headlines and stories in magazines.  "I can hear the nation cry," he roars.  It's a fascinating juxtaposition of music and words, leaving the listener to wonder if the real result of all the promises was that rock, primary the purview of the white male musician, won out in the world's eyes.  Maybe it's even a nod to Bob, who plays this kind of loud rock these days but initially built his vast reputation by imitating the sounds and words of others in the Village scene.

You Did Good Kid - The Hold Steady

You Did Good Kid - The Hold Steady

4:09

Thrashing Thru the Passion, 2019

Written by Craig Finn, Tad Kubler, Franz Nicolay, Bobby Drake, Steve Selvidge, and Galen Polivka

A somewhat murky, mood-setting track that doesn't quite reach the anthemic highs of their best work.  Of course, Finn's sotrytelling is as always on point.   which centers on drug-addled drifters and the seedy, tense atmosphere of their lives. Critics noted the song is a dark, atmospheric example of Craig Finn's narrative storytelling and the band's signature sound, The song is characterized by its up-tempo energy, gang vocals, and Thin Lizzy-esque riffs, providing a sound that is both familiar to fans and accessible to new listeners.