Center Of The Universe #6

Giant Sand, “Center Of The Universe”

(Welcome to the Center Of The Universe, where - at my least inspired - the algorithm sifts through my many folders of songs on Spotify and I “curate” from that. I spent most of the last week spinning decades’ worth of Yo La Tengo albums, so I haven’t gotten around to hearing anything new, or even new-to-me, other than their new LP, This Stupid World. So this week’s make-believe episode is going to be a real random batch of goodness. I bought a two-dollar record of Listen by A Flock Of Seagulls for the lulz in high school, only melt like butter at track one - which I’d never heard before, as MTV only cared about showing kids “I Ran” in the ‘90s. Here it is, “Wishing.”)

A Flock Of Seagulls, “Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)”
Everclear, “Strawberry”
Robert Palmer, “I Dream Of Wires”

(Robert Palmer, simply irresistibly covering Gary Numan on his 1980 album, Clues. Everclear, doing their west coast alterna-Mellencamp thing on “Strawberry,” from 1995’s Sparkle & Fade, a great portrait of twentysomethings who think life's going on long after the thrill of living is gone. Let’s keep things on the cutting edge with some Wings.)

Paul McCartney & Wings, “Junior’s Farm”
Soul Coughing, “Lazybones”
The Mountain Goats, “Transcendental Youth”
Public Image Ltd., “Seattle”

(While I have zero regrets about seeing Public Image Ltd at the Borgata Casino a decade or so ago, I do regret that they didn’t play “Seattle.” It’s jive that college DJs slightly older than me gave more love to “Disappointed.” Jive! Before that, the Mountain Goats horned it up on the title track of their 2012 album Transcendental Youth. Is that album really a decade old? And Soul Coughing, unexpectedly ominous with “Lazybones" from 1996's Irresistible Bliss. More bands need a guy playing samples on a keyboard. While the Descendents were from Manhattan Beach, their first practice location was on 9th & Walnut in Long Beach, hence the title of their 2021 album 9th & Walnut, made up of songs they wrote way back when. They had a billboard up for it about block away on 10th! Here’s “To Remember”).

Descendents, “To Remember”
Animal Collective, “Winter Wonderland”
Thom Yorke, “Black Swan”
New York Dolls, “Maimed Happiness”

(With everybody but David Johansen and Syl Sylvain dead, the New York Dolls reunion albums sounded a lot more like David Johansen’s solo work than anything connected to Johnny Thunders. Good thing David Johansen’s made some great solo albums, and 2006’s One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This has some great David Johansen songs, “Maimed Happiness” being one of them. Before that, Thom Yorke, more maimed than happy on his own 2006 album, The Eraser. Both albums actually came out that July! Animal Collective’s Strawberry Jam - the only album of theirs I currently go to bat for - came out the following January, featuring “Winter Wonderland.” Up next is Sophie’s “VYZEE,” from their 2015 compilation Product. Years and album titles. Is there anything else to talk about?).

Sophie, “VYZEE”
Ben Webster, “That’s All”
The Sound, “Heartland”
Sonic Youth, “New Hampshire”

(Dare I say 2004’s Sonic Nurse is my favorite Sonic Youth album? If just a notch over Sister? I may, and that was “New Hampshire” from it. Before that, “Heartland” from The Sound’s 1980 debut, Jeopardy. Ben Webster with “That’s All” from his 1954 album King Of The Tenors. As you should probably guess when you hear me play jazz, I know about this album cuz Robert Christgau raved about it. Up next is synth duo ADULT., around for more than two decades now, with a song from last year’s Becoming Undone and my 22 New Songs I Knew In 2022 playlist.)

ADULT., “Our Bodies Weren’t Wrong”
Devin The Dude, “I-Hi”
Lianne La Havas, “Please Don’t Make Me Cry”
Erasure, “Chorus (Fishes In The Sea)”

(Erasure being atypically obtuse, if unquestionably dark on the typically infectious title track of 1991’s Chorus. I could have segued to this from Lianne La Havas’ cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes,” but I played “Please Don’t Make Me Cry” instead. Both are on her great self-titled album from 2020. Before that, Devin The Dude riding a sax sample I can’t find a source for on “I-Hi” from 2002’s Just Tryin’ Ta Live. Oooh, what if it's Ben Webster? We’re going to keep on keeping it random with Amy Rigby’s “I Don’t Want To Talk About Love No More” from 2005’s Little Fugitive.)

Amy Rigby, “I Don’t Want To Talk About Love No More”
Tracy Nelson/Mother Earth “(Staying Home And Singing) Homemade Songs”
Black Sabbath, “Children Of The Grave”
The Kinks, “Arthur”

(Black Sabbath foretelling a youth uprising and the riff from Blondie’s “Call Me” on “Children Of The Grave” from 1971’s Master of Reality, Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth covering swamp-rock songwriter Bobby Charles a year later. And after that pair, The Kinks with the title track of 1969 album Arthur. Why did I break the usual pattern of my make-believe back-announce? Because I wanted to acknowledge going from the Kinks before Yo La Tengo, easily the biggest band of Kinks fans in rock history. Don’t even mention Blur. That was only true for like, two years. Not that you can hear it on the new album This Stupid World, the first Ira, Georgia, and James not just performed and recorded themselves, but mixed as well. They’ve been kicking ass pretty consistently since 2013’s Fade, as I suggested in the last chapter of my aforementioned run through the discography, and World doesn’t change that hot streak. I’m not ready to say just how much I like it yet, but after a spin or three it almost felt like a dark reboot of Electr-O-Pura, still full of beautiful distorted sound, but with a more haunted vibe. Instead of a joyous, cacophonous climax like “Blue Line Swinger,” the album ends with “Miles Away,” the closest they’ve come to that dreamy, Twin Peaks lodge sound. Your move, Beach House! We’ll end our time in the Center Of The Universe with that song as well. Thank you for your time!)

Yo La Tengo, “Miles Away”