Mangorilla Music Picks: #1

           Today I watched a documentary called "I Need That Record!" It's about the death of independent record stores in the wake of file sharing websites, legal MP3s, and super stores like Wal-Mart and Best Buy. It was hard to watch, because several of my favorite independent record stores around town have shut down over the years. First it was a store called Soundhole. It was a short drive from my house, and they specialized in punk rock and heavy metal, which happens to be my two favorite genres of music. You could walk in and hear Crisis blasting on the store sound system. Their used cd section was always well stocked, and I bought most of my Meat Puppets albums there. I also scored a free cool Radiohead banner from their "Take it! We don't want it!" box. Then the store moved further away, replaced by a tobacco store. But the new store was still reasonably close, thankfully. And then they folded. And now it's a pool supply store. Then there's Plan Nine Records. They used to have a store almost within walking distance from my house, and I was there very often. I applied for a job there every summer, but they never hired me. I spent hours there. It was my Mecca. Then, it went away. Now, it's a maternity clothing store. Thankfully, they still have the main Richmond shop open, but that's a hassle to get to at times, because it's about a 25 minute drive, and parking downtown isn't so great. And it's mostly used vinyl now, with the used cd section growing smaller and smaller. There was also a store in Williamsburg, which was nice because I found myself in Williamsburg pretty often. Then that store moved across the street, and wasn't nearly as good. And now, it's gone. And it's all really sad to me, because I had great times in independent music stores, and great finds. I found a copy of the Death Piggy album for $7. It sells on eBay for $25 or more. And I will always prefer physical media over digital media. You can't display your hard drive collection. But more importantly, I was introduced to great music that otherwise doesn't get noticed, as it's too old, or too obscure to get mainstream notice. That was the beauty of independent record stores; they often ignored trends and top 40 lists. They were run by music fans, for music fans. Best Buy clerks don't give a crap what music you like. And if you ask if they have any Boozoo Chavis, they'll likely blink at you and direct you to the refrigerators.

    Which brings me to the point of this post. I could rant about the current state of the entertainment industry, but I won't. Suffice to say, we really should support the local flavor, before it's extinct. Don't go to McDonald's; find a cool local burger joint instead. Don't go to Pizza Hut; go to the mom and pop Italian restaurant. And if you're lucky enough to still have one, go to the mom and pop video store, or record store when you can. No, the point of this post is to recommend some good songs that you may not have heard before.

1. Coffin Break -- Kill The President. I literally discovered this band's existence yesterday. I watched a documentary called "Hype" about the grunge scene of Seattle in the early 90's. That's my generation, so naturally I love that music. Nirvana, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Tad, etc. But naturally, there are plenty of bands that I missed from that era, and Coffin Break was one of them. It's a misleading song, which is what I love about it. It starts off sounding like a hardcore punk song, and the vocalist indeed is a shirtless, shaved headed behemoth reminiscent of the lead singer of the Cro-Mags. Then the tone changes, and he sings "I'm so happy." Frankly, I love this song right now.

2. The Pogues -- Fairytale of New York. I'm a sucker for controversial music, so I did an internet search for banned songs, and I discovered this one. Apparently it was banned by the BBC, basically for the words whore and faggot. The Pogues are a band that I need to delve into more deeply, as I'm a fan of Irish and Irish-tinged music, but somehow I don't own any Pogues albums yet. Fairytale of New York is a love song for a dysfunctional relationship, which really is the only type of love song New York should have. It's brilliant.

3. Jonathan Coulton -- Code Monkey. Nerd bliss. This song was used for the theme song of the gone before it's time cartoon, Code Monkeys. I loved that show. It was a cartoon in the style of an old Nintendo game, with the characters losing health from their heart health bar when they got hit by something, and jumping over pits to get to meetings. Anyhow, it made me want to look up this song, and I'm glad I did, because it's brilliant. It should be the anthem for anyone stuck working in a cubicle.

4. The Clash -- Straight to Hell. I'm not a gigantic Clash fan, but I definitely respect them. This song is from the album Combat Rock, which is the one I offered to the disinterested (and obviously misguided) youngster at the vinyl record yard sale. When he passed on it, I snatched it up, partly because it has this song on it. To me, this song is a hidden gem on that album; overshadowed by the hits Should I Stay or Should I Go and Rock the Casbah. It's one of their mellow songs, and isn't very punk rock in the stereotypical sense of the term. It's slow, and there's no guitar chords. But there's a ton of passion and frustration in Joe Strummer's voice here, and it's better than Rock the Casbah, in my opinion.

5. Aerosmith -- Critical Mass. I've become somewhat obsessed with early Aerosmith lately. They really haven't recorded much worth listening to since the Get a Grip album in my opinion (or the Pump album, according to most long time fans), and with Steven Tyler signed on to American Idol now, their future is pretty uncertain. But those early albums, Aerosmith, Get Your Wings, Draw the Line, and Rocks in particular, are classics. Critical Mass is a reminder of why they were ever considered to be a great band.

6. The Dollyrots -- A Brand New Key. Finally, a new band to be excited about. I picked up their Because I'm Awesome album after listening to a few podcasts praising the band, and it's some of the best music I've heard in a long time. Heavy and catchy, which is really all I ask for. Because I'm Awesome is probably an easier song to digest at first, but A Brand New Key is my favorite from this album, though every song is good.

7. Johnny Cash -- Straight A's In Love. I found a Johnny Cash box set at a wholesale bookstore, of all places. I have a few Johnny Cash albums, but I need more. He's the one exception to any "I don't like country" statement. I love serious, dark, brooding and somewhat depressing Johnny Cash stuff like Man In Black and his cover of Nine Inch Nails' Closer, but he had a playful side as well that's just as good. That's why I like this song so much. He rhymes "say" with "algebra." What more is there to love?

8. Ky-Mani Marley -- Warriors. I heard this song while in the Bahamas on my honeymoon. A vendor at the beach was playing it on his laptop. So maybe it has time and place memory nostalgic value, but I think it's a good song regardless. And I'm certainly not a big hip hop fan. I own maybe 5 hip hop albums total. So it's rare when a song pokes through and impresses me. But it's a Marley. You really can't go wrong with that last name when it comes to Reggae infused hip hop.

9. Les Paul & Mary Ford -- How High the Moon. Les Paul pretty much invented the quintessential rock and roll guitar. And he played live well into his 90's. Also invented the double tracking recording process. And he was an amazing guitar player. How High the Moon is a prime example of his playing abilities. Classic rockabilly, before rockabilly was even in our lexicon.

10. Meat Puppets -- Blanket of Weeds. I will not rest until at least one other person I know is at least somewhat appreciative of the Meat Puppets. Not all of their albums are great, I'll admit. Their first album is, in fact, pretty much unlistenable. But Sewn Together, their most recent album to date, is fantastic. Their playing and singing has never been better. There's not a single throw away or bad song on the album. Blanket of Weeds is one of the best, and a good introduction to the band for newcomers. If I could, I would give everyone I know a copy of Sewn Together. I stand behind it that strongly.

11. Proverbial -- Down Here. Ok, so this one is a bit self-serving. Full disclosure, my wife's aunt's nephew (so her second cousin, or something along those lines...) plays in the band. Even so, they're amazing, and before long, they'll be well known. They're already making a big splash in the local scene. And they're some of the most original sounding music I've heard in a very long time, mixing hip hop with reggae, soul, and guitar rock. If you can catch a Proverbial show, do so.

12. Sleater-Kinney -- Entertain. I first heard this song on the Henry Rollins Show. I love all-girl rock bands, and Sleater-Kinney were one of the best in recent times. It doesn't hurt that they were on Sub Pop records, one of my favorite labels. Unfortunately, they're split up now. But I can still hope for a reunion someday.

13. Sonic Youth -- Schizophrenia. Hard to pick just one Sonic Youth song. They've quickly become one of my favorite bands. But Schizophrenia is a good representation of what the band is all about. Mangled guitar tunings and monotone spoken word interludes abound, yet somehow it all works, when it really shouldn't.

14. Toshiyuki Honda -- El Bombero. I am not an anime fan. Nor am I a J-Pop fan. But I watched Metropolis not too long ago, and found myself enjoying it, which is the true sign of a good anime, if even I like it. This song stuck with me. It was one of the most unique songs I've ever heard. Frantic free form jazz mixed with techno elements, and somehow still very rocking and catchy. It won't be for everyone, but if you're looking for new sounds, look no further.

15. Thin Lizzy -- Running Back. Thin Lizzy are best known for their anthem rockers like The Boys Are Back In Town, and now Bad Reputation, thanks to the Guitar Hero games. But they also wrote great ballads. Running Back is one of the best. Phil Lynott was taken from us too soon.

16. Young @ Heart Chorus -- Fix You. Young @ Heart is a fantastic documentary about a group of nursing home residents who formed a chorus and toured playing stripped down and altered versions of modern rock songs. It's inspiring and heart breaking, and overall really powerful. I highly, highly recommend the documentary. This is their rendition of the Coldplay song Fix You, and it's so much better than the original. After watching the movie, it'll break your heart. But as a stand alone, out of context, it's just a hauntingly beautiful song. I find it also makes for a great last song to a mix tape, or cd as it were.

    Anyway, that's an hour's worth of music right there. And you're bound to find at least one song here that you'll love. At the very least, have mercy on your beloved hairy host and check out that Meat Puppets song. Have good mosh pitting.