R.I.P. David Johansen (a/k/a Buster Poindexter)

David Johansen passed away from cancer on February 28.  In recent years I steadfastly listened to his Mansion of Fun show on SiriusXM.  It was a program in which Johansen would select a theme, and then choose songs that fit within it.  For example, if the theme was "New Years Day," he might select 'This Will Be Our Year' by The Zombies.  (This is actually a real life example of something he actually once did on his radio show a few years ago).  

David Johansen wore many hats during his career in the musical industry.  He rose to prominence in the 70s as the lead singer of pioneering punk band, The New York Dolls.  While Great Britain had their own parallel punk scene, The New York Dolls (along with The Ramones) were the "IT" band that brought the genre to the masses Stateside.   

In the 1980s, Johansen temporarily assumed a new persona in the form of Buster Poindexter.  B.P. enjoyed moderate success with 'Hot, Hot, Hot,' a Latin-inspired swing tune that employed horns and maracas.

Notwithstanding the many twists and turns his career took, David Johansen had an imposing and influential presence within the music industry.  Countless modern-day acts undoubtedly point to him as inspiring their own foray into music culture.

If there is one thing that might be remembered of David Johansen, it was his deep and resonant voice.  He had a smoker's vocal, and many believe it was cigarettes that caused the cancer.  However, a brain tumor has been listed as the only official cause of death at this time. 

Johansen's compelling voice is showcased in his 1982 medley of hits by The Animals.  In the medley, he sang three songs:  'We Gotta Get Out of This Place,'  'Don't Bring Me Down' and 'It's My Life.'  The command he has over the stage is impeccable, and it is merely a microcosm of his colossal effect he had on generations of music creators and fans.

You can watch 'Animals Medley' by David Johansen in the player below:

Superheaven - 'Youngest Daughter'

To the uninitiated, 'Youngest Daughter' by Pennsylvania band Superheaven (f/k/a Daylight) sounds like it was recorded and released circa 1995.  Indeed, the shoegaze/grunge track was actually released in 2013 on the album Jar.  

'Youngest Daughter' has gained monumental traction in recent years, having been featured as background music on several social media platforms, the most notable of which include TikTok.  Equal parts brooding, equal parts slow burning intensity, the song brings me back to my nineties childhood and the dominant rock music of that era.

You can stream 'Youngest Daughter' by Superheaven below:

Crumb - 'Ghostride'

For those who enjoy the gentle grooves of Men I Trust and Homeshake (see prior posts), Crumb is right up your alley.  The indie rock band's debut album Jinx was released in 2019.  But due to post-pandemic shifts in the perception of time, 2019 seems only two years ago as opposed to six.  It doesn't seem I have have been jamming to this band as long as that.  

'Ghostride' is the preeminent track from the debut.  It is a gentle carousel, rounding a curve of demure guitar riffs pressed up against dreamy vocals.  Although only a couple of minutes in length, the tune is just long enough to lull one into gentle relaxation.  

Check out Crumb's 'Ghostride' below:

Buffalo Tom - 'Taillights Fade'

Have you ever found yourself in a slump?  A slump so deep and cavernous all you saw was darkness?  And while you might speculate as to how you got to that forsaken spot, you could never truly understand how you arrived in the void in the first place? 

Boston's Buffalo Tom penned one of the band's most lionized hits when they composed a song dealing with this subject matter on 1992's Let Me Come Over.  

In a 2017 interview with Jeff Gora on Artistwaves.com, Buffalo Tom's guitarist/lead singer, Bill Janovitz, described 'Taillights Fade' as a song "about being resigned, giving up, feeling older than your years, feeling apart and alienated."

The lyrics most certainly channel that sentiment of anguish and despair:

I've hit the wall

I'm about to fall

But I'm closing in on it

I feel so small

Underneath it all

Watch my taillights fade to black

Admittedly, I was ignorant to Buffalo Tom in my teens and twenties.  But now as a middle-ager, songs like 'Taillights Fade' occupy new and significant meaning.  Life can be such a blur when it comes to parenting, spousing, and working, that it can be hard to keep up.  It can seem you have hit a wall with nowhere else to go.  And it is easy to feel small.  To escape, it can be tempting to drive off into the night, with those you left behind slowly watching your taillights fade to black...

Faye Webster - 'But Not Kiss'

Faye Webster could be this generation's Tori Amos.  Just as Tori was, in many ways, the 1990's Carole King, Faye uses her feminine experience to uniquely blend rock, country--and sometimes rap--to author some very authentic and vulnerable tunes.  

'But Not Kiss' depicts the classic battle between love and lust; the conflict between seeming too eager, versus trying to present oneself as being just out of reach to avoid the tremendous ache of rejection.  (Some old fashioned folks might simply call this "playing hard to get").

Beyond its lyrical implications, 'But Not Kiss' presents some tasty chord changes and ear worms as well. And for those who like piano singer-songwriters, this tune does not disappoint.

Watch the video for 'But Not Kiss' by Faye Webster in the player below:

Jessie Baylin - 'A Song For While I'm Away'

A little bit Duffy coded, Jessie Baylin delivers a Mid-Century Modern strain with 'A Song For While I'm Away.'  Her voice is commanding and steady amidst an electro-organ, which serves as the obvious
hook that grasps me to this one.

You can stream the song via the YouTube link below:

Rayland Baxter - '79 Shiny Revolvers'

Like most of my music discoveries of late, I stumbled upon '79 Shiny Revolvers' six years after its release.

The tune is penned by Rayland Baxter, a more grounded version of Mac DeMarco.  But he happens to hail from Nashville, as opposed to the Great White North.  Rayland's dad is Bucky, a guitarist in his own right, who passed away in 2020.  

'79 Shiny Revolvers' presents itself as a Jeff Buckley-meets-John Prine exegesis;  it is a wistfully plaintive ditty about America's great firearm obsession. (Think 'Pumped Up Kicks' by Foster the People, but without the electronica and reverb).  

I am honestly surprised that Rayland hasn't had more press or hype than I am aware of.  He seems to have a lot of potential.

While there is no official music video for this track, Rayland Baxter performed it live for Paste Magazine a few years ago.  You can stream that performance below:

Video Age - 'Away From the Castle'

Video Age is a New Orleans duo that makes Elephant 6 sounding indie power pop.  Brian Wilson-inspired vocal hooks lay themselves upon jangled guitar strumming.  Fans of Real Estate will enjoy this one.

Check out 'Away From the Castle' below:

Guest Poster Cassidy: Fontaines D.C. - 'Jackie Down the Line' & 'Roman Holiday'

The following post is from Guest Poster, Cassidy.  For more information about Cassidy, click here.

Fontaines D.C. has become one of my new favorite “discovered” bands.  They formed in 2014, so they have been around for quite some time. Even so, I first heard 'Jackie Down the Line' by this Dublin-based band on Sirius XMU in the Spring of 2022. I was going through a tumultuous time and was heavily relying on music to get through – (a shameless SiriusXM plug coming up) – so I resubscribed to SiriusXM, as I love discovering those “newer” bands.  It hits different than Spotify’s “weekly discovery.” The DJ was likely Jenny Elescu.

I have become very fond of the Skinty Fia album, which is the third for Fontaines.  The entire album has a way of inducing an innocence-inspired nostalgia. For me, this album reminds me of my college years, as this would be something that would be on my rotation while studying or walking to class. 

While 'Jackie Down the Line' may sound upbeat, the lyrics suggest the insecurities and potential hurt we can experience in a relationship.

'Roman Holiday'’s psychedelic rock-esque beat and lyrics have a way of reeling you in and making you stay for the entire ride. It reminds me strongly of Jim James or something that a modern-day Zeppelin would produce. 

I sincerely hope that Fontaines D.C continues to move in a direction where they gain more exposure, as they are one of the good ones.

Check out the music videos to  'Jackie Down the Line' and 'Roman Holiday' below:

['Jackie Down the Line']

['Roman Holiday']

Homeshake - 'Midnight Snack'

Awhile back I wrote a post on how enamored I was with Men I Trust. Since then, I have stumbled across another artist who captures the same diffident spirit.

The project is called Homeshake.  And its architect is another Quebec-based artist named Peter Sagar.  The kicker is that Homeshake recorded almost half a decade before Men I Trust’s Oncle Jazz, yet I only learned of it now.  It’s a shame I am late to the party, because Homeshake perfectly captures the aura of solitary indie rock.

The song I would like to feature today is ‘Midnight Snack,’ which is reminiscent of a Mac DeMarco production.  That is because Peter was Mac’s touring guitarist for some time before his solo breakout. 

The general vibe is flaccid, yet longing.  The instrumentation is thinly layered, with a proper sprinkling of despair.  In other words, it is the perfect jam for a pensive, introspective day.

Check out the video to ‘Midnight Snack’ by Homeshake below:

Talk Talk - 'Life's What You Make It'

For many years, the only song by Talk Talk I knew of was ‘It’s My Life,’ the megahit popularized by Gwen Stefani’s dynamic cover decades later.  Recently, though, I encountered the band’s lesser-known single, ‘Life’s What You Make It.” 

The track was released in 1985, but its sound was way ahead of its time.  Lacking a traditional pop hook, its structure is rather unconventional:  a shadowy piano lick repeats itself ad naseum, while Mark Hollis broodingly echoes the title, “Life’s What You Make It.”  Synth and guitar eventually complement the track, but it is otherwise a relatively bare bones production—at least when compared to other records of the time. 

Stream ‘Life’s What you Make It’ below: