I’m still here! There is not a better way to start the week than with some new tunes. This episode of Tales From The Drop Box explores a very poppy side of the musical world. This week’s episode is really a trip through some neglected pop music that inhabits the multiverse and that is not on any popular radio in the U.S. (for the most part). Episode 195 explores that indie pop genre with some lyrically catchy and somewhat dark themes sprinkled throughout. It is interesting to hear music that is somewhat upbeat and then takes that dark sharp left into the uncomfortable. It’s not all dark as you’ll quickly discover, but then that is the joy of these podcasts – you’ll discover that we like to do it with the lights on!
Here is what you will find in Episode 195 (2021-07):
Nessa Barrett – “I Hope Ur Miserable Until Ur Dead” (Pretty Poison)
Sly Withers – “My Bullshit” (Gardens)
Islands – “(We Like To Do It) With The Lights on” (Islomania)
Latewaves – “Too Much” (Hell To Pay)
Juliana Hatfield – “Suck It Up” (Blood)
The Reds, Pinks, and Purples – “Living On Sunday” (Anxiety Art)
Captain Kaiser – “Moscow Mule (The Drover’s Inn)
Sydney Sprague – “Object Permanence” (Maybe I Will See You At The End Of The World)
Why Elephant – “A Pair” (Today EP)
Nasty Cherry – “All In My Head: (The Movie EP)
Longstocking – “Teenage Angst At 27” (Once Upon A Time Called Now)
Adult Books – “Holiday” (Grecian Urn)
The Beaches – “Blow Up” (Future Lovers)
The Stranglers – “5 Minutes” (No More Heroes)
Remember Sports – ” Like A Stone” (Like A Stone)
Tales From The Drop Box Episode 195 (2021-07)
When I think of you I, I get angry and I – I see couples in love, I hope they die I don’t really, I’m not that violent . . .I lost my love on the holiday my drugstore flowers bought with change the smell of wet leaves in the fireplace . . .
Well, I’m back again for another week of new-ish fine-ish music. Thanks for the positive comments. I missed you all as well. So, there should be some candy in this week’s episode of Tales From The Drop Box because for some unknown reason there are more pop sounds than usual. So, don’t be alarmed if there is not a plethora of heavy music or you missed your favorite punk rock track. We will get back there at some point but for now,
here is what you will find in Episode 194 (2021-06):
Faded Paper Figures – “She’s Walking Out” (Kairos)
Bull – “Green” (Discover Effortless Living)
Cloud Nothings – “Things I Fucking Like” (April 2021 EP)
Fightmilk – “Hey Annabelle!” (Contender)
Polish Club – “Stop For A Minute” (Now We’re Cookin’)
Acid Dad – “Good Time” (Take It From The Dead)
Ferraro – “Fools Paradise” (Sweet Fever EP)
The Jungle Giants – “Treat You Right” (Love Signs)
Nonagon – “Hack” (They Birds)
Free Throw – “Ocular Pat Down” (Piecing It Together)
Authority Zero – Seas And Serpents” (Ollie Ollie Oxen Free)
LionLion – “Language” (Perspective)
Demolition Doll Rods – “Believe” (Into The Brave)
Eddie And The Hot Rods – “Do Anything You Wanna Do” (Life On The Line)
Maggot Heart – “Lost Boys” (Mercy Machine)
Tales From The Drop Box Episode 194 (2021-06)
Meet me in the club tell me that’s what’s up baby hold on hold on, wait stop for a minute … Well, I’m a lover, girl, I want you to know well, I will treat you right I got your number, babe …
Well I bet you thought that this podcast had evaporated into the sands of time. It still might, but I’m going to give it a shot. As this is only Episode 5 of Tales From The Drop Box in 2021, and we’ve had several COVID vaccine options in the time I’ve been away, I’m hoping that as things now, after some clusterfuckery, are heading on a positive trajectory. Maybe it was the January 6th insurrection and coup attempt that got me sideways, but I’ll try to get back on track. So, rather than jibber-jabber about nonsense, here is what you came for – nuggets of sonic goodness that will make you want to shake a body part or two.
Here is what you will find in Episode 193 (2021-05):
Neighborhood Brats – “Miss America Pageant” (Confines of Life)
Chubby And The Gang – “Coming Up Tough” (The Mutt’s Nuts)
Jake Bugg – “All I Need” (Saturday Night, Sunday Morning)
Kurt Vile – “Run Run Run” (I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute To The Velvet Underground)
Kenny Hoople/Travis Barker – “Estella//” (Survivor’s Guilt: The Mixtape)
New Candys – “Evil Evil” (Vyvyd)
Social Haul – “The Bayou” (Social Haul)
The Lillingtons – Project 313″ (Can Anybody Hear Me? A Tribute To Enemy You)
Mighty Oaks – “Ghost” (Mexico)
Useless I.D. – “Turn Up The Stereo” (Most Useless Songs)
The Snuts – “Always” (W.L. (Deluxe Edition))
Citizen – “I Want To Kill You” (Life In Your Glass World)
Skeggs – “Fantasizing” (Rehearsal)
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – “Coma Girl” (Assembly)
Halsey – “The Lighthouse” (If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power)
Tales From The Drop Box Episode 193 (2021-05)
Two broken hearts, but I won’t let you go until you are a ghosts to me…Coma Girl was beating with the oil drum gang some fast food fanatic was burning down a burger van . . .
Valentines day. The day after the U.S. Senate’s shameful action in acquitting the traitor and insurrection inciter who lead an attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 resulting in the deaths of 5 Americans and numerous injuries to those who defended the same morally bankrupt and timid senators who voted to acquit. Shameful. January 6 marked the day that democracy was rendered meaningless by a corrupt leader but democracy died on February 13, 2021 when 43 senators knowingly and willfully violated their oath of office to preserve their power advancing their own individual interests over the people they were elected to represent and the Constitution they swore an oath to uphold and defend against all enemies foreign and domestic. Liars. Shameful and shameless.
Here is what you will find in Episode 192 (2021-04):
The Coathangers – “Parking Lot” (The Coathangers (Deluxe Edition))
Elder Abuse – “Take It Easy” (Take It Easy EP)
Ginger Wildheart – “Meet My Killer” (Headzapoppin)
The Giving Moon – “Scream In Joy” (Bloom)
Made Violent – “Two Tone Hair” (Wannabe)
The Levellers – “Sleep Well” (Peace (Deluxe Edition))
The Lickerish Quartet – Snollygoster Goon” (Threesome Vol. 2)
Billy No Mates – “Slap Top” (S.F. Sourdough)
Dummy Toys – “Not A Puppet” (Not A Puppet)
Band-Maid – “Youth” (Unseen World)
Winnetka Bowling League – “Congratulations” (Congratulations EP)
Black Country, New Road – “Athens, France” (For The First Time)
Sobriety, it’s killing me, its fucking me up. Oh, reality, you’ll be my killer….Can I come on over tonight skip less in the morning keep you up all night gettin’ me this drunk ain’t fair you know I’m awful crazy ’bout your two-tone hair…
Another Super Bowl Sunday. I’m not sure I have any skin in the game, but I’ll watch because it is a short attention diversion as I am still trapped inside because I am still trying to avoid crowds and gatherings until such time as we ( the royal societal we) are able to resume some type of safe human interaction with strangers. Even when the pandemic is over, I am not sure how safe we will be with the number of certifiable nut jobs on the loose in this nation. The real time coverage of the ass wipes who attempted the January 6 insurrection in the service of Trump – a repository of all things evil, does not give me much confidence that people will suddenly wake up from this 4 year nightmare saying “what happened? Let’s all be good to one another, right? Why can’t we all just get along? Trump exposed and gave voice to the evil that lies in the heart of man. Combined with a Republican party corrupted to its amoral core willing to accept evil under the “big Republican tent”, I am not sure that we are not headed to a full reckoning involving violence. Well, so that I don’t sound paranoid, let’s hope that I am incorrect and that humanity will course correct and head towards self-actualized positivity as a society rejecting the temptation to divide through arbitrary classification. I would posit that all of divisions are a symptom of an unconscious desire to classify and is so doing the failures of our society are a symptom of the useless need to divide people into the us and them. That is, society has difficult when we try to categorize people in all shapes and manners – race, political affiliation, gender, nationality etc. The disease is classification, the symptoms are the isms.
I’ve been alive for all of the Super Bowl games although I don’t recall any of them until the mid 70’s. So, I believe I have enough experience to spot the ills that interfere with our ability to live together i.e. a part of the whole and yet still retaining individuality. Trumpism is a cult where the individual, the I, is subsumed into the whole – the mass of Trump followers and thereby losing their fucking minds. History will reflect that the power of the masses is so great that the individual mind is lost. This is not a new philosophical construct. It is a pattern oft repeated. So, stop being a fucking follower of evil and retain your individual ability to think for yourself. Now I’m going to step off the soap box….
I’ve tried to capture this week a group of more melodic pop inflected tunes while still throwing in the weird and off beat!
Here is what you will find in Tales From The Drop Box Episode 191:
Tired Lion – “Drama Club” (Breakfast For Pathetics)
Billy Harvey – ‘Bullseye” (Bullseye)
The Instatute – “I Know This Girl” (Instatute)
Casual Friday – “Be My Babe” (Stay)
Newton Faulkner – “The Sun Is Coming Up” (Chapter II – Better Way/Here Tonight/The Sun Is Coming Up)
The Yum Yums – “For Those About To Pop” (For Those About To Pop)
Martha & The Muffins – “Echo Beach (Rework by Bass)” (Echo Beach (40 Year Anniversary))
Georgia – “About Work On The Dancefloor (The Blessed Madonna Remix)” (Seeking Thrills (The Ultimate Thrills Edition))
Dick Move – “Femoids Attack” (Chop!)
Get Dead – “Nickel Plated” (Dancing With The Curse)
Beabadoobee – “Worth It” (Fake It Flowers)
The Sewer Rats – “My Sweet Chun-Li” (Magic Summer)
Kleenex Girl Wonder – “All You Need Is Your Feeling” (Let It Buffer (Forever))
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – “I’m Just Looking” (Searching for The Young Soul Rebel)
Yumi Zouma – “Lie Like You Want Me Back (Alternate Version) (Truth Or Consequences)
Tales From The Drop Box Episode 191 (2021-03)
Pull me apart pour me a drink I know that you lost your everything they figured us out . . . Your eyes are just like his but your face is a bit different you’re a bit more fucked but I guess that’s fine…
