My buddy Howie left a CD in the side door of my car before I moved to California. That album, Tallahassee by The Mountain Goats, didn’t have actually have any of today’s songs. There is a song from the same band. Whatever.
The Mountain Goats “Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton”
We start with an amazing song from the boombox recording Mountain Goats days. John Darnielle showcases his stellar songwriting talent in spite of the recording quality. The man, and his historian level knowledge of ska, killed it on a recent episode of In Defense of Ska.
If I’m being completely honest, the song name has the “hey, I grew up near there” factor. But the lyrics and melody won me over.
When you punish a person for dreaming his dream,
The Mountain Goats
Don’t expect him to thank or forgive you
h/t: Howard/Howie/Roger for being a good human.
Billy Bragg “The Great Leap Forward”
The in continuing tradition of thank others for this week’s line. This hat tip goes to Paddy from Dillinger Four for including a lyrics from the Billy Bragg song below. In “The Great American Going Out of Business Sale” Paddy barks:
Because I’ve had enough of all this shit about,
Dillinger Four
“Making do” “playing ball” “the way things are” and “dealing with it”,
Mixing pop and politics, he asks me, what the use is?
I’m not into making excuses,
And I’ll die the day I find I’m fucking useless
The bolded part above comes from Bragg’s “Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards”. Both song offer unique view of their current state of the world, but this one covers 1987 British election, post-revolution Cuba, and the Soviet Union. Wiki rabbit-hole about the song the politics mentioned.
Mixing pop and politics, he asks me, what the use is?
Billy Bragg
I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses
While looking down the corridor out to where the van is waiting
I’m looking for the Great Leap Forwards
TL/DR: Catchy song with some memorable lyrics.
Mannequin Pussy “Drunk II”
Tim from Catbite is to thank for this one. He, being a standup person in Philadelphia, went looking for Manne P’s stolen tour van. Wouldn’t you know, he ended up finding it.
Not the typical lyrics I gravitate toward, but it is a good candidate for some loud singing.
