(Gonna Have A) Happy Birthday

Check out my latest podcast, (Gonna Have A) Happy Birthday. These are the tracks off of the birthday CD Jim, aka The Johnny Depth, gave me in 2006. 'Nuff said.

1. The Johnny Depth "(Gonna Have A) Happy Birthday" One of probably a dozen of great birthday songs from Jim. From 2006, this mentions Lisa and our bun in the oven, our not yet introduced to the world son, Cooper. Jim also references our former band, The Bad Days, of which I plan on posting a mix of our demo recordings. I'd point you to our website, but that's long since gone. Remember, the lo-fi sound quality of the song adds to the ambiance.
2. The Go! Team "The Power Is On" I wish these guys would come out with a new album. They satisfy so many of my needs: solid beats, lo-fi/ retro sampling, and girls singing double-dutch songs.
   
3. Chow Nasty "Ungawa" I was shocked to discover that this is a) by a contemporary group, and b) the singer is a white dude. I honestly thought this was some old off-the-track R&B nugget, like from the "Savage Kick" comps, and I not so secretly still wish it was. Bitchin' song.
   
4. JJ Barnes "Chains Of Love" For a rockin' good take on this, check out The Dirtbombs' godhead soul song cover album, Ultraglide In Black.
   
5. Jon Auer "Gold Star For Robot Boy" Nice cover of a Guided by Voices song, off of arguably one of GbV's most accessible, if not best, albums, Bee Thousand.
   
6. Enon "Shave" This is what Jim's songs would sound like if he access to a well-equipped studio and session musicians.
   
7. Little Milton "Lovin Stick" Jim listens to a lot of good soul and R&B. I have concluded, besides talent, this is why he is such a good vocalist.
   
8. Marco & Rita "Golden Years" Mom? Dad?
   
9. Dick Rivers "Things We Said" Yeah, Dick Rivers. That's not his given name. Foreign versions of pop songs like this remind me of this terrible compilation I heard of Mexican garage bands from the 60's doing "Mother's Little Helper" and covers of other hits of the day. The best track was one that was sung in English, but the accent was so impenetrable that you would have never know it unless you were told.
   
10. Arctic Monkeys "Cigarette Smoke" There's a category for bands like these guys and, say, Franz Ferdinand, where I think they're decent enough groups, and have absolutely no interest in ever listening to them. Weird. This is a nice song, though.
    
11. The Monkees "No Time" Regardless if they played their instruments or not, The Monkees had a halfway decent catalog of songs, but that goddamn show of theirs overshadows any of that. Like "Porpoise Song." That's a nice trippy slice o' psyche.
    
12. Mark Lanegan "Clear Spot" Jim and I both went to Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA, home of The Screaming Trees. At the time, they had just released their first LP, Clairvoyance, produced by one of my oft-mentioned idols, Steve Fisk, who was also local at the time, working out of his Velvetone Studios. Steve invited me over once to see the studio and played me a bunch of source material from his masterpiece, 448 Deathless Days. I was ga-ga like a little girl at her sweet sixteen. Anyway, our good friend Jena, (who was also The Bad Days first drummer) and Mark, singer for the Screaming Trees, were very much in love at the time. She's even mentioned by name in one song, and is in the thanks yous for at least the first three albums. Jim was always a big fan of the Screaming Trees and of Mark's solo work. You can't tell on this song so much, but Mark has one great damn voice.
    
13. The Catheters "Pale Horse" These guys played once under the name "The Cat Heaters." That is funny.
    
14. The Raspberries "Overnight Sensation" Is it my imagination, or does this remind you of Journey playing a Beach Boys song too?