Category: Fictive Fridays

I wake up and skim the news, and I think:

Bastard – Mekons
Piece of Shit – Wet Leg
Jack-Ass – Beck
Pinhead – Ramones
Slack Motherfucker – Superchunk
Little Bitch – Specials
Dickhead – Kate Nash
Low Life – PiL
Scumbag – Green Day
Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole – Martha Wainwright

I know I can be a bit subtle and nuanced at times, so here’s what I’m actually getting at:

Cunts Are Still Running the World – Jarvis Cocker

Accidents Will Happen – Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Apparently written after an “awkward tryst” with a cab driver at her home in Tucson, Arizona. The second single from Armed Forces, when EC and the boys could only make outstanding albums.

Accidents Never Happen – Blondie

Written by keyboardist Jimmy Destri as a parallel to Elvis’s song (they were both released in 1979). Supposedly about the mysticism former bassist Gary Valentine inspired in the band. Incongruously, featuring Judy Garland‘s daughter Lorna Luft on background vocals.

I Believe You –  Todd Snider

Poor Todd Snider. He died of pneumonia this past November, aged 59. He was a great storyteller, with songs full of funny lines about serious situations. (See Some Songs Are Great Short Stories, Chapter 35). From his 1996 LP Step Right Up.

I Don’t Believe You –  Magnetic Fields

If there’s a better lyricist than Stephen Merritt writing today I can’t imagine who it could be. He’s our century’s Cole Porter. This song comes from the 2004 album i, which is a collection of 14 songs beginning with the letter ‘I’ in alphabetical order. In other words, he’s as weird as I am.

Everyone Knows – Slowdive

The shoegaze stalwarts disbanded in 1995 and lead songwriter Neil Halstead went on to form Mojave 3. When that outfit packed it in he released all kinds of music before resurrecting the Reading quartet with a new drummer. The band’s self-titled comeback album came out in 2017–22 years after their last release.

No One Knows –  Queens of the Stone Age

First single from 2002’s Songs for the Deaf. Co-written with the late great Mark Lanegan who at the time was a band member. Lanegan isn’t on the single but the ferocious drums are courtesy of Dave Grohl. And the strings are performed by Ana and Paz Lechantin, before the latter joined Pixies.

Too Little Too Late – Metric

Has Metric ever made an appearance here at TVV?  (JC interjects – NOPE!!!) If not, it’s high time. The Canadian group, led by the wonderful Emily Haines, has been at it for almost 30 years and have released 10 solid records since 2003. This is an album track from the second one, 2005’s Live It Out, which featured a great single called ‘Monster Hospital.’ [note to JC, add that one as a bonus track at the end, if possible]

Too Much Too Soon – Green Day

I loved Green Day when they hit the scene. They were just the right mix of energy, irreverence, pop, and punk. Then they got popular, which is always irritating. But they kept making solid records, including 2004’s American Idiot, which this track is taken from. My cover band plays the title track, which I’m ashamed to say became the theme song for our government.

Everything I Need – Men At Work

The Australian combo only released three records in their day. They all went gold, including Two Hearts, which includes this track as its lead single. But the band was fracturing, and only three of the five original members appeared on it. Guitarist Ron Strykert actually bailed during the sessions. But MAW were always all about Colin Hay, anyway. He has that singular voice and wrote their best songs. Hay proved to be a nice guy that moved to my adopted hometown of Santa Monica, CA. I see him at Truetone guitar shop from time to time, and he gets involved with the music program at my kids’ high school.

Nothing I Need – Lord Huron

You’d be right in observing that half the music I listen to was released in 1979. But that doesn’t mean I don’t keep an ear open for great new music. This single was released by the Los Angeles indie stars in March of this year, from the album The Cosmic Selector Vol. I, which came out in July.

JC says…….Delayed by 24 Hours as I’m an idiot!!! Apologies to Jonny and those who tune in regularly to this series.

Sound System by Operation Ivy.

From Energy (1989). The San Francisco punks were best known as the precursor to Rancid, formed by OpIvy alums Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman. The band anchored the Gilman Street scene and put Lookout Records on the map. The definitive version of this tune is by Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, who recorded it for the Take Warning: The Sounds of Operation Ivy tribute album.

Pretty Vacant by The Sex Pistols.

From Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols (1977). For all the hype and history and analysis and legacy, it’s worth noting that the Pistols only released one studio album. Recorded essentially as a trio, with Steve Jones playing bass on all songs except ‘Anarchy in the UK,’ which featured Glen Matlock. Noel Gallagher had this to say about it: “I made 10 albums and in my mind they don’t match up to that, and I’m an arrogant bastard. I’d give them all up to have written that, I truly would.”

Such Great Heights by The Postal Service.

Fom Give Up (2003). An indie supergroup, kinda, with Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley and Producer Dntel. The band name came about because the members posted DAT tapes to each other instead of recording together in a studio.

I’m A Pretender by The Exploding Hearts.

From Guitar Romantic (2003). This pop/punk band seemingly had the goods to go a long way. The Portland, Oregon’s debut is loaded with tunes in the vein of UK standard bearers Buzzcocks, the Clash and the Undertones. But tragedy struck when the group’s van crashed in the early hours after a gig. Singer/guitarist Adam Cox, bassist Matt Fitzgerald, and drummer Jeremy Gage were all killed. Cox, at 23, was the oldest band member.

Teacher Teacher by Rockpile.

From Seconds of Pleasure (1980). Bassist Nick Lowe, guitarists Dave Edmunds and Billy Bremner, and drummer Terry Williams recorded five albums between 1978 and 1981. Labour of Lust was released as a Nick Lowe solo album, while Repeat When Necessary, Tracks on Wax 4, and Twangin’ were all Edmunds’ solo LPs. The quartet also served as the backing band for Mickey Jupp and Lowe’s wife at the time, Carlene Carter. The four would record together off and on in later years, but Seconds of Pleasure is their only release as Rockpile.

Include Me Out by Young Marble Giants.

From Colossal Youth (1980). YMG were a truly post-punk act. As minimalist as possible; just bass, guitar, and vocals played to pre-recorded drum tracks. The slide guitar on this song is the only instrument overdubbed on their lone album. A favorite of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, the latter of whom recorded a version of ‘Credit in the Straight World’ with her band, Hole.

Lexicon Devil by The Germs.

From GI (1979). The Germs were such a chaotic mess. You get a big dose of singer Darby Crash‘s barely listenable schtick in the seminal LA punk film, The Decline of Western Civilization. It was years later before I saw that his lyrics were actually pretty good, especially for a 21 year old. Produced by Joan Jett, who was 4 days older than the doomed singer. After Crash’s suicide, guitarist Pat Smear performed as a member of Nirvana, eventually joining Foo Fighters.

Born To Lose by Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers.

From L.A.M.F. (1977). When the New York Dolls split up, Thunders took drummer Jerry Nolan and formed the Heartbreakers with Demons’ guitarist Walter Lure and Richard Hell, who’d been booted from Television. Then they booted Hell in favor of Billy Rath and went to England where punk was just underway. After joining the Pistols, the Clash and the Damned on the ill-fated Anarchy in the UK tour, the boys cut L.A.M.F. for Track Records. The sessions and mixing were so contentious they broke the band up. Thunders stayed a little longer in England to record his debut, So Alone, featuring Phil Lynott, Chrissie Hynde, Steve Marriott, and members of the Sex Pistols and the Only Ones.

Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley.

From Grace (1994). It didn’t light up the charts, but Grace was a major critical success. Jeff Buckley had a knockout voice with tremendous range, power and emotion. His version of Leonard Cohen‘s ‘Hallelujah’ on the album is so beautiful it makes your teeth hurt. But Buckley accidentally drowned before he could complete a follow up. He was only 30, just two years older than his star-crossed father, Tim Buckley, was when he died of an accidental overdose.

Feelin’ by The La’s.

From The La’s (1990). I’ve tried to look into why Lee Mavers packed it in after the Liverpool combo’s only LP. I never learned any satisfying reasons. Everyone loved the album and half the songs were singles. But Mavers said he hated it and never made another. It’s a shame, because the tunes still sound fresh 35 years later.

BONUS TRACK : Sound System – Cherry Poppin’ Daddies

As I said earlier, the definitive version of the tune.

JC explains……I hate to move Jonny’s column around and I’ll do my damnest going forward.  But Mark E Smith & co have long been slated for tomorrow’s slot.

Q: Where do great songs come from?
A: Other songs!

Q: Is that okay?
A: Sometimes!

Q: What the hell are you talking about, fictive boy?
A: I’ll show you.

Devil’s Haircut by Beck. This standout track from Odelay is credited to Beck and the Dust Brothers, who produced the album. The trio were pretty heavily into sampling back in the 90’s, and this song contains a couple by Pretty Purdie and Irish band Them. But Beck played the guitar riff from another Them tune himself, rather than sampling it. Here’s where it came from:

I Can Only Give You Everything by Them. The Belfast garage rockers are most noteworthy for launching Van Morrison‘s solo career and his side gig as the antagonist in the Leprechaun horror/comedy film series. Pretty sure Geffen paid to use the samples; not sure if the original songwriters got any cash from Beck’s hit.

Panic by The Smiths. This non-album single from 1986 proved to be controversial because its “burn down the disco” lyric was interpreted as an anti-black sentiment. Remember, this was several years before Morrissey took to flaunting his racism. Johnny Marr was offended by the criticism: “Show me the black members of New Order!” he barked, Mancunially. But perhaps he was pleased that no one was on his case for nicking the song’s music. Here’s where it came from:

Metal Guru by T. Rex. Marr actually copped to the theft: “The Slider came out and it had ‘Metal Guru’ on it. It was a song that changed my life as I had never heard anything so beautiful and so strange, but yet so catchy.” So he jacked it. Finders keepers!

Connection by Elastica. The eponymous debut by Elastica was a welcome blast of Britpop. We all needed it since Kurt Cobain‘s suicide bummed everyone out and knocked the grunge craze off its trajectory. Frontwoman/songwriter Justine Frischmann had the voice, the looks, and the ‘tude to make the big time. And unlike some of her contemporaries, Elastica immediately crossed over in the US. ‘Connection’ was a hit in both the UK and Stateside, with its punchy opening hook. Here’s where it came from:

Three Girl Rhumba by Wire. When I was lawyering the technical legal term we’d use for this sort of appropriation is ‘a total fucking rip off.‘ Wire thought so, too, and sued about it. It was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. The Stranglers also sued Elastica because the single ‘Waking Up’ bore more than a passing resemblance to their song ‘No More Heroes.’ The Meninblack got 40% of Elastica’s proceeds and a co-writing credit for that one.

Get Free by Lana Del Rey. LDR is another musician that my daughter Jane put on my radar. Not sure how I missed her, since she’s released lots of EPs, numerous singles, and an album every other year since 2010. This song, which closes her fifth LP Lust for Life, might sound familiar. Here’s where it comes from:

Creep by Radiohead. Lana contended she wasn’t “inspired” by the single that put the Oxford quintet on the map, but the chord progression is unmistakable. So her label offered the boys 40% of the publishing royalties. Not sure how the matter was resolved–no lawsuit was ever filed, and writing credits were never updated. The whole thing is pretty ironic because Radiohead themselves were sued over Creep‘s similarity to the 1972 song “The Air That I Breathe”, written by Albert Hammond (dad of the Strokes’ guitarist) and Mike Hazlewood, who ultimately received co-writing credits and a percentage of the royalties.

Interzone by Joy Division. The Tangier International Zone was a geographic area in Morocco subject to the rule of multiple governments in the early- and mid-twentieth century. William S. Burroughs wrote the classic beat novel Naked Lunch while he was living there in the 1950’s. The book describes a lawless “interzone” rife with espionage and drug smuggling, and was a favorite of Ian Curtis. His lyrics don’t have too much to do with Burrough’s masterwork, but at least we know about the music. Here’s where it came from:

Keep on Keepin’ On by Nolan Porter. Before they recorded for Factory, Joy Division had a go at recording for the RCA label. Legend has it that RCA A&R guy Richard Searling wanted the band to cover one of his favorite Northern Soul singles recorded by LA soul singer Nolan “N.F.” Porter in 1971. Apparently the band weren’t too adept when they tried to cover the song, and the RCA sessions were aborted. But Joy Division hung on to the riff and ‘Interzone’ appeared as an album track on their debut, Unknown Pleasures. For which Porter received nothing.

1. King’s Lead Hat. Brian Eno

The song title is an anagram of Talking Heads.

2. Shot by Both Sides. Magazine

Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley wrote this song when the former was still a member of Buzzcocks. When it appeared on Magazine‘s 1978 debut, Real Life, Shelley got a co-writing credit. But Devoto got nuthin when Shelley recycled the riff later that year for Lipstick, a b-side to the Promises single.

3. Los Angeles. X

Exene, John Doe, and Billy Zoom are all pseudonyms. Only drummer D.J. Bonebrake uses his real name.

4. TV Party. Black Flag

Singer Henry Rollins and Minor Threat frontman/Discord Records founder Ian MacKaye worked together in a Haagen Dazs ice cream shop as teenagers in Washington DC.

5. Let’s Get Back. No Doubt

Eric Stefani, founding keyboardist and older brother of Gwen, left the band to become an animator on The Simpsons.

6. The New Timmy. Lotion

The liner notes for Nobody’s Cool, the unheralded NYC band’s 1996 second LP, were written by Thomas Pynchon.

7. Destination Unknown. Missing Persons

Singer and drummer Dale and Terry Bozzio, guitarist Warren Cuccorullo, and bassist Patrick O’Hearn were all veterans of Frank Zappa‘s band.

8. Cretin Hop. Ramones

Johnny only ever played downstrokes so the trickier guitar parts on the first 4 Ramones albums were played by Tommy Ramone or producers Ed Stasium and Craig Leon. On later albums guest guitarists included Graham Goulding, Walter Lure, Dave Stewart, Jean Beauvoir, Daniel Rey, and Vernon Reid.

9. Isolation. Joy Division

Peter Hook and Stephen Morris were questioned as suspects in the Yorkshire Ripper case.

10. The Blues Are Still Blue. Belle & Sebastian

On a 2017 tour, the band accidentally left drummer Richard Colburn behind in a North Dakota Walmart. They appealed to twitter to find a fan that drove Colburn to the airport for a gig in Minnesota.

I read JC’s post the other day about Trump smashing up the White House, and it occurred to me: America’s fucked all the way up. Maybe I should start thinking about other options. Where to go? No idea, really, so instead I did what I usually do–make a list of songs. Let’s get out the Atlas and see what’s on offer around the globe!

Cuban Slide. Not sure why this banger was an unused out take from The Pretenders‘ debut. Thankfully, it showed up a couple of years later on the US-released Extended Play and in the UK as the b-side to the ‘Talk of the Town’ single.

Spanish Bombs. As the years go by, London Calling just gets better. Here our man is evoking images of the Spanish Civil War, brought to mind during the recording of the album when Joe Strummer heard a radio report about ETA terror bombings along the Costa Brava.

Mexican Radio. A college radio staple from back in 1982. If I’m honest, I can’t think of any other songs by Wall of Voodoo, and I wonder if this tune got any airplay outside the States. I just remember that when this song came on at parties everyone would shout “What does he say?” at the appropriate moment.

Chinese Rocks. Right up there with ‘Waiting for the Man‘ as the best song about scoring heroin in Manhattan. Written by Dee Dee Ramone and recorded by Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers for the classic L.A.M.F. I guess it doesn’t have too much to do with China. Unless I develop a habit.

Italian Horror. Kasabian never cracked the US, perhaps due to the questionable decision to name themselves after a Manson Family spree murderer. But they’ve been at it for a while and this track, from 2024’s Happenings, is a good snapshot of what they’re like.

Swedish Fish. From Luna‘s 2002 collection, Romantica. Crap, now I have to make a playlist with husband and wife band members.

Japanese Cowboy. Ween are like an alt-rock Frank Zappa: brilliant musicianship, complex songwriting, juvenile and often offensive lyrics. From 1996’s 12 Golden Country Greats (which had 10 songs on it).

French Navy. I don’t know too much about Glasgow’s Camera Obscura, but it looks like they’ve been a going concern for nearly 30 years. This is from their fourth LP, My Maudlin Career. Maybe our host can enlighten us as to whether diving into the band’s catalog is a good idea.

Blur’s debut Leisure helped kickstart Britpop. I couldn’t help but notice that many of its song titles were shared by classic pop releases, and I wondered if that was deliberate. Specifically, Bowie had a song called ‘Repetition’ on the Lodger LP. The Carpenters had an international hit with ‘Sing.’ And ‘Come Together,’ ‘Birthday’, and ‘Slow Down’ are all songs recorded by the Beatles. I was thinking about an ICA based on those vintage nuggets when it occurred to me that TVV isn’t the best forum for ancient history. Nope–I’m so freakin’ old that it’s the next generation of musicians I should be looking to. So, let’s go back to Blur.

Repetition. Blur (1991).

This song probably qualifies as a shoegaze number, with its droning, sludgy guitars and Damon Albarn doing nothing to disguise his Essex twang. Graham Coxon would eventually emerge as a guitar god while Mr. Albarn morphed into 2-D and countless other personas. But Leisure, with its killer second single ‘There’s No Other Way’, put the boys on the map.

Repetition. TV on the Radio (2011).

From the Brooklyn band’s fourth LP, Nine Types of Light, the last to feature bassist Gerard Smith, who sadly died a few days after its release. TVOTR‘s song is a little artier, and fades out with Tunde Adebimpe cheekily chanting “My repetition, my repetition is this” a la Dream Warriors‘ My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style. A great live act if you get a chance to see them.

Crazy – Pylon (1983).

Pylon were a criminally overlooked band from Athens, Georgia. They released a couple of great records in the early 80’s and, at the urging of Michael Stipe, reformed to release one last LP in 1990. This song is from the band’s second album, Chomp. Knowledgeable folks like The Robster will remember R.E.M.’s cover version as the b-side of ‘Driver 8’, and as the lead track on their compilation album Dead Letter Office.

Crazy – Gnarls Barkley (2006).

Cee-Lo Green is from Atlanta, but his Georgia roots are the only thing he had in common with Pylon. He ditched hip hop outfit Goodie Mob and hooked up with Danger Mouse and the rest is history, as the saying goes. ‘Crazy’, the first single released by the duo as Gnarls Barkley, won a Grammy, was the first ever single to top the UK charts purely on downloads, and was eventually included in Rolling Stone’s list of the top 500 songs of all time, for what that’s worth. I like that the two performed the song at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards dressed as characters from Star Wars.

Wrong Way – The Undertones (1979).

The Derry pop/punk merchants’ eponymous debut was one of the top albums from The Best Ever Year For Music, 1979. ‘Wrong Way’ is an irresistible album track that is distinctive for being one of the few written by the band’s drummer, Billy Doherty.

Wrong Way – Sublime (1996).

From Sublime’s own eponymous album, although it was their third release. I like Eric Wilson‘s bouncy Madness/Specials-style bass, but I really love Jon Blondell‘s trombone solo. Singer/guitarist Brad Nowell sadly died of a heroin overdose in May 1996; the album was released two months later and went platinum five times over.

Alright – Supergrass (1995).

Another single from another debut. Supergrass arrived on the scene fully formed with their own distinct sound. Like, say, Vampire Weekend or Arctic Monkeys. Wiki tells me that I Should Coco was Parlophone’s best-selling debut release since the Beatles’ Please Please Me back in 1963. I was too dim to recognize that the album title was cockney rhyming slang.

Alright – Kendrick Lamar (2015).

To Pimp a Butterfly was a monumental success, the album of the year for many opinionated people and publications. I don’t know about that, but ‘Alright’, the fourth single from the LP, did win a couple of Grammys. Produced by Pharrell Williams, who sang background on the track along with monster LA bassist Thundercat.

Dreaming – Blondie (1979).

First single from the band’s fourth LP Eat to the Beat, which followed Parallel Lines to the top of the UK charts that same year. Kind of a bummer that the last great Blondie album was also from the magic year, followed by the good-but-not-great Autoamerican (1980) and the career ending disaster The Hunter (1982). This song features the legendary Ellie Greenwich singing background, one of the most successful of all the ‘Brill Building’ songwriters.

Dreaming – Mac DeMarco (2014).

There are too many songs called ‘Dreaming’ to count, but I chose this one from DeMarco‘s debut album because it’s got such an easy, trippy vibe. Probably had a lot to do with that $20 Teisco guitar dripping with reverb. Plus, it’s a DIY song as DeMarco played all the instruments on the album which he recorded in his apartment in Montreal, purportedly in his underwear.