Shufflin' the Pod II

Shufflin' the pod (and avoidin' homework):

1. "Dr. Bombay" by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

Fantastic ode to Parliament/Funkadelic, right down to the cartoony sped-up robotic voice rapping along.

2. "Blue Leaf Clover" by Firecracker Jazz Band

Old-time Nawlins-style jazz by ex-Squirrel Nut Zipper members. It kinda goes on a bit long, but it's still fun.

3. "Orgasm Addict" by Buzzcocks

Short, sweet and to the point. Wicked cool.

4. "Soul Finger" by The Bar-Kays

Rocking soul instrumental (well, except for the people yelling "soul finger" in the background) used to great effect in Mystery Train, although it's been so long since I've seen that movie, I can't tell you how.

5. "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

I actually can't stand Nick Cave, but I do like this song. It has a gospel-noir feel to it that's a lot of fun. Cave sounds a lot like Warren Zevon here, actually.

6. "Leave the Past Behind" by The Baldwin Brothers

Generic pop take on 70s soul. Cutesy, and John Legend does this type of thing better. Not unlistenable, but not memorable. Generally, I like Baldwin Brothers though. Jennifer and I saw them open for Supreme Beings of Leisure at the House of Blues in Chicago, and they put on a good show.

7. "Swan Lake" by Madness

Ska take on "Swan Lake." Enough said.

8. "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" by Parliament/Funkadelic

Speaking of the cartoony sped-up robotic voice, Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk hates water so put him down. This song is far trippier than anything anyone wrote in the sixties. I remember a hip hop song that sampled the "psychoalphadiscobeta" part, but I can't remember who.

9. "When the Beatles Hit America" by John Wesley Harding

This is the first Wes song I ever heard, which was on a compilation CD called "Just Say Da." An updated version is on the expanded version of "John Wesley Harding's New Deal," but this version is better. My two favorite lines in this song: "It sounded a lot like XTC" and "A place reunions aren't expected of anyone, not even the Buzzcocks." These lyrics aren't funny out of context, of course.

10. "Tony" by Chumbawamba

A great "fuck you" to Tony Blair set to a sixties doo-wop ballad melody.