newgazzi Vol 12

I had a lot of fun creating newgazzi Vol 12, and I hope you enjoy listening to it.  I've decided to stop posting the final sequencing of newgazzi as a youtube playlist, since there are always a few artists featured that are not on youtube.  Having me use photo booth to pick up audio from my iTunes library doesn't do the artist justice, so I have decided to go back to posting each track one at a time.  I've also decided that starting next month, I will go back to unveiling all the newgazzi artists and the final playlist on one day.  I realize that I've changed the format a few times since we started this a year ago, but the feedback I've received recently is that on the day the playlist comes out, less people are coming back, because they've already heard the tracks, and miss experiencing all the new songs at once.  And that was what I loved about the old Paste samplers, was being exposed to all the great new music at once, and diving into the playlist on a Friday night.

I say it every month, but thank you for reading newgazzi.  I hope you enjoy newgazzi Vol 12, and I also hope you're enjoying Fugazzi Grand III thus far.  

Here it is !  newgazzi Vol 12 ...

1) "Stranger To My Happiness" by Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings   Official Website of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

2) "Back" by Peter Chung   Official Website of Peter Chung

3) "She Keeps Me Warm" by Mary Lambert   Official Website of Mary Lambert

4) "Cavalier" by James Vincent McMorrow   Official Website of James Vincent McMorrow

5) "Is This Who You Are" by Shy Boys

Listen to the track here ... "Is This Who You Are"

6) "Skin" by Rae Morris   Official Website of Rae Morris

7) "None of This Will Matter" by The Autumn Defense   Official Website of The Autumn Defense

8) "Cinnamon and Lesbians" by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks   Official Website of Stephen Malkmus

9) "I Want Blood" by Water Liars   Official Website of Water Liars

10) "Traces of You" by Anoushka Shankar & Norah Jones   Official Website of Anoushka Shankar

11) "Pear Tree" by The Lowest Pair   Official Website of The Lowest Pair

You can stream the whole album right here ... The Lowest Pair (36 cents)

12) "Happy Pop" by Elizabeth & The Catapult   Official Website of Elizabeth & The Catapult

13) "E" by Luke Peach   

14) "Everyday Robots" by Damon Albarn   

15) "Fuck Everybody" by Mike Angelo & The Idols

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#440 and #439)

(#441, I'm the Man by Joe Jackson)

This is the first of three Joe Jackson records you will see on the list.  In 2006, if memory serves me correctly, VH1 Classic (is that still a thing?) was playing a Joe Jackson concert film from 1982, and I believe "On Your Radio" was the first song of the setlist.  I bought this on impulse later that night.  Not a weak song in the bunch.










I can't find that same performance, but here is "On Your Radio" from a 1980 show ...

(#440, Flaming Pie by Paul McCartney)

I need to invest in this man's entire solo catalogue.  What I appreciate about Paul McCartney is his love for songwriting and his love for the recording process.  Some of his best solo songs are on this record ... "The Song We Were Singing", "The World Tonight", "Calico Skies", "Flaming Pie" and "Beautiful Night", just to name a few.  I pull this record out on a regular basis.











Here's the video for "Calico Skies", which I love ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#442 and #441)

(#442, Do the Collapse by Guided By Voices)

Robert Pollard.  The most prolific songwriting factory of the past 30 years.  This is the GBV record that Ric Ocasek produced, which gave the album a glossier feel than most of the Guided By Voices discography over the years.  Like most GBV / Pollard albums, this album has 5-6 incredible songs, and a few stinkers, but that's what gives a Pollard album its character.  The standout tracks here are "Zoo Pie", "Things I Will Keep", "Dragons Awake!" "Much Better Mr Buckles" and "Liquid Indian".  This has become a favorite of mine on Saturday afternoons.







Take a listen to "Things I Will Keep" ...

(#441, 21st Century Breakdown by Green Day)

As far as Green Day "rock operas" go, I didn't really care for "American Idiot", but I really enjoy this one.  Maybe it's Butch Vig.  The album is made up of 3 acts ... Heroes and Cons, Charlatans and Saints, and Horseshoes and Handgrenades.  I've said this before, if you make a 70 minute record, it has to be really good in order for me to stay engaged.  This is something I like to listen to on longer car rides.










This is the official video for "Know Your Enemy" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#444 and #443)

(#444, Harper Simon by Harper Simon)

How much do I like this record?  When I shared Fugazzi Grand : My Top 1000 Songs with all of you in 2010, this record had as many songs on it as "Bridge Over Troubled Water" did, a little album you may have heard of from his father and a guy named Art.  It's amazing how much Harper sounds like his dad, vocally.  "Tennessee" and "Berkeley Girl" are my favorites from this album.











I flipped a coin, and tails was "Berkeley Girl", so here it is  ...

(#443, Piano Man by Billy Joel)

I've never cared for "Somewhere Along the Line" but the rest of this record is incredible.  When Billy was touring in 1980 and 1981 in anticipation of the Songs in the Attic live album, many of these songs were re-recorded with a bit more "muscle", featuring Liberty DeVitto, Doug Stegmeyer and the rest of the band that would create Joel's signature sound in the late 70's and 80's.  Four of these songs were included on Fugazzi Grand : My Top 1000 Songs ... "Travelin' Prayer", "The Ballad of Billy the Kid", "Captain Jack" and of course, "Piano Man".  But if I'm being honest, I can't stand the album art ...






Billy Joel's Yankee Stadium shows in 1990 are among my favorite of his.  Here's "Piano Man" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#446 and #445)

(#446, Aries by Gary Banach)

Gary Banach is a friend of mine.  But even if he was an "A-Hole", this would make the list.  This isn't me throwing a bone at a buddy, Gary is a fantastic guitar player and has written and recorded a damn fine album.  When I started newgazzi last February, I chose "Alleywall" as the first track of my first playlist, and my daughter loves the song "Wearin' Pajamas".  Other standout tracks include "Pretty Picture", "Cold Side of the Moon" and "Move On".  The album concludes with a cover version of "Sugar, Sugar", recorded for his wife, Lori.  Gary, thank you for the art you've given us!





Here's "Alleywall" ...

Sell music on Amazon at ReverbNation.com

(#445, Gold by Ryan Adams)

This is one of my favorite stories of all time.  Back in 2002, Ryan Adams was playing a show in Nashville.  In the middle of his set, someone in the crowd yelled for Adams to play "Summer of '69", which of course was a hit for Bryan Adams in the mid 80's.  To say Ryan Adams was not amused is an understatement.  Adams reacted with a number of f-bombs, ordered the house lights to be turned on and refused to play another song until the gentlemen was escorted out of the building.  This reminds me of people who still go to Andrew "Dice" Clay shows and yell "Mother Goose" at the start of his shows, because you know that people still go to Ryan Adams shows and sarcastically request "Run To You" or "Heaven" during his shows.

That being said, I'm a fan.  Todd Kemper is not.  This is another album that I think was given to young Rita Aron in late 2002, but my good friend, Jamie Armata was able to hook me up with a copy a few years back.  The only thing that prevents this album from ranking higher is that it comes in at just under 71 minutes, and I find it hard to make time for this as much as I'd like to.


Here's the video for "Answering Bell" from Gold ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#448 and #447)

(#448, Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen)

This album almost didn't make the list, for the same reasons I almost did not include "The Bridge" by Billy Joel.  There are some great songs on this record.  And it reminds me of childhood.  I can't tell you how many times Scott Etzel and I listened to this together in third grade.  But, just like "The Bridge", I've always seen this album has a collection of songs, that don't really fit together.  This is probably an unpopular opinion, as I know many of my friends rank this record pretty high on their lists.  Rolling Stone ranks it # 86 of all time.  Let's put it this way ... if I was ranking my all time favorite Springsteen songs, 3 or 4 would be from this record, but 2 or 3 would be considered my least favorite of his songs.  In the end, that's what keeps this from being ranked higher.  This is the Springsteen album I'm most likely to shuffle, rather than listen to all the way through, much like "The Bridge" by Billy Joel.


This is an awesome performance of "Glory Days" from Glastonbury 2009.

(#447, four by Blues Traveler)

Look, if you wanna sit here and tell me that you didn't own a copy of this in 1995, I can't prove that you're lying to me, but I won't be able to trust you anymore if you're gonna stick to that.  This album owned 1995 like "Sports" owned 1984.  As it turns out, when I moved back to Wisconsin from Minnesota in 2002, I believe this is one of the records I gave to Rita Aron.  I re-purchased it at The Exclusive Company recently for $2.99.  Still sounds as good as it did 19 years ago.









I've always enjoyed the video for "Hook", featuring the late Ken Ober, so here it is ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#450 and #449)

(#450, The Lone Bellow by The Lone Bellow)

At the end of last year, I ranked this album as my 8th favorite of 2013, but quite honestly, it's the record I've been listening the most to the last few weeks.  It is solid from start to finish, but my favorite songs include "Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold", "Two Sides of Lonely", "You Never Need Nobody" and "The One You Should've Let Go".  I have a great feeling that, if I re-rank these albums 10 years from now, this will be much higher.









Here is my 9th favorite song from 2013, "You Never Need Nobody" ...

(#449, Last Days at the Lodge by Amos Lee)

Amos Lee is an artist I discovered on the Paste samplers in the summer of 2008.  I was instantly drawn to his musicianship and vocals, and he's slowly become one of my favorite artists.  Much like The Lone Bellow, I expect his records to climb if I were to ever re-rank these in the future.

The stand out tracks for me are "Listen", "Won't Let Me Go", "What's Been Going On" and "Better Days".








Take a listen to "What's Been Going On" from the record ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#452 and #451)

(#452, Phantoms by Ume)

I'm not even sure this band has a Wikipedia page. Dan Lozoff has recommended a lot of music to me in the past, and consider this one of the better records he asked me to make time for.  I remember him telling me, "I envy your virgin ears for being able to hear this for the first time".  I'm having a hard time finding anything else about this band, but I can only name about 451 albums I'd rather listen to right now.









Here's a song from the album called "Captive" ...

(#451, This One's For the Ladies by Young Fresh Fellows)

A favorite of Todd Kemper's, this is another band I know relatively nothing about, other than Todd burned this me for me years ago, and I'm glad that he did.  "Taco Wagon" made Fugazzi Grand in 2010 as my 966th favorite song of all time.












Here's a live version of "Taco Wagon" ...

newgazzi 01.24.14

Happy Friday, everyone ...

Here's four new songs I want to share with you, and one song that is 34 years old ... more like oldgazzi,  am I right, ladies ?

"Is This Who You Are" by Shy Boys

Love the vibe of this song.  Ah, the beauty of spending three hours on iTunes and finding new stuff ...

click here to listen to "Is This Who You Are"

"Everyday Robots" by Damon Albarn

You know him from Blur and Gorillaz.  This is his first solo album, and a must listen.

Here's the video ...

"Traces of You" by Anoushka Shankar & Norah Jones

I hope you're not tired of Norah Jones, as she was featured last month as well.  Anoushka Shankar is her half sister, and this is her 6th album.  Norah Jones provides the vocals on three tracks, including this one ...

"Happy Pop" by Elizabeth & the Catapult

I discovered Elizabeth & the Catapult on the Paste samplers in 2009, and when I saw this new record was out, I was curious to hear it.  Great record, and I love the album art ... I really think you'll like this song ...

"Fuck Everybody" by Mike Angelo & The Idols

This is for Andy Gilmartin, and for anyone else who bought "The Wrestling Album" in 1985.  "Rowdy" Roddy Piper's cut on the album, "For Everybody" is a cover of this song.  I didn't realize it was a cover until a few weeks ago.









Check back next week for newgazzi Vol 12, featuring these five artists, as well as Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Luke Peach, The Autumn Defense, Water Liars, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Rae Morris, The Lowest Pair, James Vincent McMorrow, Mary Lambert and Peter Chung.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#454 and #453)

(#454, Morning Tide by The Little Ones)

If you're a regular visitor to newgazzi, you know that "Sing Song", the debut EP of The Little Ones, was ranked as #4 on My Top 20 EP's of All Time post last month.  This was their follow up, and while I prefer the EP, still quite enjoyable.  Thanks for the referral, Matthew Schewe!












Please enjoy the video for the title track, "Morning Tide" ...

(#453, Datarock Datarock by Datarock)

Give me a moment to confirm ... Yes.  This is officially my favorite album of all time, in the genre of Norwegian Dance Punk.  The definition of an impulse buy, I remember calling Todd Kemper one night, and asking him to recommend something that he thought I would love that I'd never heard of, and I would pick one album completely at random, based solely on the titles of the songs on the back.  He chose something from Los Campesinos (which you will see later this year), and I chose this Datarock album.  I can't say that I pull this out a ton, but when I do, I've always enjoyed it.  I guess I have to be in the proper mood.  By the way, if memory serves me correctly, Todd hates this record.



Here's "Bulldozer" from the album ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#456 and #455)

(#456, Hideaway by The Weepies)

The Weepies are made up Deb Talan and Steve Tannen, a married couple from Cambridge, MA.  I discovered them on the Paste samplers in early 2008, and almost immediately ate up the rest of their discography.  This was my introduction to the band, and not the last time you'll see them on this list.












This is the first song I ever heard from them, "Hideaway", followed by the video for "Can't Go Back Now" ....

(#455, Water in a Whale by Jillette Johnson)

Jillette Johnson was one of the first artists I discovered on NoiseTrade a year ago.  She had posted an EP of songs that would eventually end up on her debut full length, "Water in a Whale".  This record has a good numbered of great songs, "Torpedo", "Cameron", "When the Ship Goes Down", but the Piece de resistance is a song called "Pauvre Coeur", which translates to "Poor Heart".  Just a fantastic recording, I can't wait to see what Jillette Johnson does next ...








Here is a mind blowing version of "Pauvre Coeur" for your enjoyment ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#458 and #457)

(#458, Real Emotional Trash by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks)

Todd Kemper gets full credit for getting me into Pavement and Malkmus.  I never heard of them until 2003.  His records are fun.  I don't take them too seriously, but I think that's what he's going for, with song titles like "Dragonfly Pie", "Hopscotch Willie" and "Elmo Delmo".  The bottom line is, they sound really good, and again, they're fun records.  I'm looking forward to listening to the new one soon ...








My favorite song from this record is called "Baltimore" ...

(#457, Crazy For You by Best Coast)

Impulse buy at Best Buy a few years back.  If I remember correctly, I picked this up for $6.99, and wore the hell out of this for a few months.  I still pull it out quite frequently, and this isn't the last you'll see of Best Coast on Fugazzi Grand III.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#460 and #459)

(#460, Pictures by Katie Melua)

Sue Benson gets credit for introducing me to Katie Melua, and I believe it was one Jamie Armata who got me into this record.  If I'm mistaken about any of this, don't hesitate to correct me.  I love her voice, and this particular album has some of her best songs.  For reasons I can't explain, this is a record I enjoy listening to while it's raining.










Here's "If You Were a Sailboat" from the album ...

(#459, Shake! Shake! Shake! by Bronze Radio Return)

My buddy Nick Korth surprised me by giving me a bunch of records when I got back from the hospital after my heart attack in July of 2012.  This was one of the albums he got me.  I wasn't familiar with them, but I instantly liked what I heard.  Perhaps one day I'll have another heart attack, and Nick will get me more of their stuff ...










Won't you please enjoy the title track ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#462 and #461)

(#462, The Golden Age by Woodkid)

Up until last March, I didn't know anything about Yoann Lemoine.  I stumbled upon this album while looking for new music for newgazzi Vol 2, and was instantly drawn to sounds I heard on this record.  As it turns out, he's directed many videos for relevant pop stars over the past five years (Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, just to name a few).

This album is fantastic, and I can't wait to see what he does next.








Check out "Run Boy Run", which I featured on newgazzi Vol 2 last March ...

(#461, All of Us in Our Night by Modern Skirts)

Another band that was discovered on the Paste Samplers.  I don't spend enough time with this record, but I think I'm going to make up for lost time and listen to it about 6 times tonight.  Because I can ...













Here's "Soft Pedals" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#464 and #463)

(#464, Elephant Jokes by Robert Pollard)

This is the first of many Pollard entries on Fugazzi Grand III.  If anyone other than Todd Kemper is wondering, one of the biggest decisions I struggled with while coming up with this list was whether to include this or "Jack Sells the Cow" in the top 500.  I went back and forth for quite a while.  I'm still not sure I made the right decision.

I've always loved the Circus Devils record "Sgt Disco", and this is the Pollard album that reminds me the most of that record, but I really can't tell you why.  One thing I can say about this album, and many other Pollard long players, is that this release features about 5 or 6 fantastic songs, 2-3 absolute stinkers ("Newly Selected Dirt Spot", one of the worst Pollard songs of all time), but in the end, this is a pretty solid album.  I enjoy listening to this one in the car on the way home from work.


Here's track #1 ... "Things Have Changed (Down in Mexico City)" ...

(#463, The Wrestling Album by The World Wrestling Federation)

Go ahead, make your fun.  29 years after it was originally released, I still know every word to this album, and that includes the commentary by McMahon, "Mean" Gene and Jesse "The Body".  I'll bet you didn't know that Cyndi Lauper appears on 4 of the 10 songs on this album.  If you can name them without googling it, I want to be your friend.  Any guesses, Andy Gilmartin ?








Try not to enjoy this version of "Land of 1,000 Dances", featuring the Superstars of the World Wrestling Federation ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#466 and #465)

(#466, A Wasteland Companion by M Ward)

Big fan of Matt Ward, so much so, I may start going by the name J Buchholz.  Eventually, I am going to have to dive into the older records, as my appreciation for his work grows more and more each day.

The stand out tracks on this record are "Primitive Girl", "Crawl After You" and "Pure Joy", but this is a solid listen, 1-12.










Here is "Crawl After You" ...

(#465, Trouble Will Find Me by The National)

I went to see these guys live a few years back with Jamie and Todd.  I left disappointed.  One song from "Alligator" ??  That doesn't take anything away about how I feel about their records.  This is their newest one, and I'm enjoying more and more with each listen.  I hope I change my mind about wanting to see them live again, but next time, MORE ALLIGATOR, boys.










This video for "Sea of Love" is the goods ...

newgazzi 01.16.14

Really excited for this weeks newgazzi tracks ... newgazzi Vol 12 is shaping up to be a great one!

My friend Sophia recommended Rae Morris to me, and I've been listening to this song non-stop for a few days.  The song is called "Skin".




16 days into 2014 - this is my album of the year so far.  Yes, I understand that we have 349 days left, but as of this very second, "36 cents" by "The Lowest Pair" is what you all have to shoot for!  "Pear Tree" is the song that will be included on newgazzi Vol 12, but take some time to hear the whole album here ...




This is just a fantastic song, called "Cavalier" by James Vincent McMorrow.  Man alive, there is a lot of great music that has come out recently ...




Saw this young lady on Leno last week.  Really enjoy the song, it's called "She Keeps Me Warm" by Mary Lambert ...




I discovered Peter Chung last night browsing on iTunes.  Another incredible song, called "Back", I'm looking forward to hearing his record, called "i write WE sing" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#468 and #467)

(#468, Get Sharp by Limousines)

When I committed to see Weezer play their "Blue Album" and "Pinkerton" full album shows in Chicago three years ago, I wasn't aware that they would have an opening act.  That opening act was Limousines, and I would have to say they were the best opening act I'd seen since Guster in 2000.  You won't find their genre of music playing from my car or home too often (indietronica, I guess the kids are calling it), but I pull this out quite often, and haven't tired of it like I thought I might have.

One thing I'll never forget is the first night I saw them play, Eric Victorino gave a heartfelt thank you to the audience for coming out, and a big thanks to Weezer for putting them on the bill.  He seemed very humble, then almost immediately after that, I hear him say, "This song is about masturbation".

Here is that song ... it's called "Very Busy People".

(#467, New by Paul McCartney)

Paul McCartney is going to be 72 years old by the time this list is completed.  I hope I'm half as productive as he is when I'm 42, let alone 72.  This is his newest album, aptly titled "New", and features a wide range of musical flavors.  McCartney used four different producers on this album, and clearly isn't afraid to try new things in the studio. This is a fantastic recording, and I wish Billy Joel would take a hint from a fellow legend, and get back in the studio himself.






Take a listen to "Queenie Eye" from the new record ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#470 and #469)

(#470, November by Grace & Tony)

This album came out like three months ago, and I'm already putting it on my Top 500 of all time list.  But I have to remind everyone that longevity may help you with a higher spot on the list, but it's not necessary to make the list.  This list comprises the 500 records I would like to take with me if I was sent to outer space for a period of time, and I've been playing the hell out of this for some time now.  One of these days, I'm gonna muster up the courage to grow one of those moustaches, too.








This song was featured on newgazzi Vol 10 in November, and it's called ... "November"

(#469, Parachute by Guster)

If I ever get around to ranking my all time favorite album covers of all time, this would make the top 10 for sure.  I'm not even sure why.  The band has gone on record that this is their least favorite recording, and they don't play these songs live too much these days, but I have always enjoyed it, since I became a fan of theirs in 2000.  Brian Rosenworcel is one of my favorite musicians, and his signature hand percussion technique can be heard all over this, and the next two Guster records they released.







Here is track #1 from the record, it's called "Fall in Two" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#472 and #471)

(#472, Laughing Down Crying by Daryl Hall)

Funny story behind this record.  A few years back, I'm at an Applebee's an Wauwatosa, ordering appetizers at the bar in anticipation of another intense night of Madden's with Todd Kemper.  This really catchy song comes on, that I haven't heard before.  I looked at the bartender and said, "this guy is trying a little too hard to sound like Daryl Hall".  The song was so Goddamn catchy, that even after only hearing once, it was stuck in my head all night.  So after Madden's, I googled it, and what do you know?  It was a new Daryl Hall song.  This was also right around the time that his show, "Live from Daryl's House" starting popping up on my TV screen.  So I bought this on impulse shortly afterewards.  As it turns out, this gentleman still has the knack to create tunes that stay stuck in our head for years and years.  This is a really enjoyable album, and is the last record that T-Bone Wolk ever appeared on, before passing away in 2010.  I enjoyed this enough to go back into his catalogue and purchase his album "Sacred Songs" a few months later.

That song from Applebee's?  It's called "Talking To You (Is Like Talking to Myself)", and this is from Live From Daryl's House ...

(#471, The Features by The Features)

These guys were featured on mPlayer a few years back, and I liked what I heard.  Last May, when I was looking for tracks for newgazzi Vol 4, I stumbled upon this release.  I ended up using "This Disorder", and I named that song as my favorite song of all of 2013.  We were able to see them at Summerfest, and I thought they were pretty solid live.  This record has been in heavy rotation for the last 8 months.









Here is newgazzi's song of the year for 2013 ... "This Disorder"

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#474 and #473)

(#474, Making Mirrors by Gotye)

When Gotye was announced a few years back for as the musical guest on SNL, I was probably one of six or seven people on earth who hadn't heard "Somebody That I Used to Know" yet.  I saw the performance, really liked each song, and ran out to buy this the following Monday.  Then I started to hear the song on the radio, and was probably one of six or seven people on earth who didn't get tired of the song.  This is not a novelty record, like many people think he might be remembered for.  One hit wonder?  I doubt it.







Here's the performance from SNL that made me a fan ...

Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) (On SNL) (Live) (2012)

(#473, Souljacker by Eels)

Right before I became a father, I discovered the music of one Mark Oliver Everett on VH1's website, of all places.  It was the summer of 2005, and he had just released his double album, "Blinking Lights and Other Revelations".  I read the review, streamed the record, and became an instant fan of his music.  I'm pretty sure I now own most, if not all of his stuff.  This is a solid listen, and if the bonus disc tracks were included on the album proper, this may have been ranked even higher.








Here is a mellow version of "Fresh Feeling", as performed on Jools Holland in late 2001 ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#476 and #475)

(#476, Good Evening New York City by Paul McCartney)

The first ever concert at Citi Field.  Great set list.  Wish I could have been there.  I still think Abe Laboriel Jr. looks like the Bjork stalker ... My favorite performance, is of course Billy Joel joining Macca on "I Saw Her Standing There".











And here it is !

(#475, Live at Shea Stadium by Billy Joel)

The last ever concert at Shea Stadium.  Great set list.  Glad I was there! The blu ray for this show is fan-fucking-tastic.  Many guest stars ... Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, John Mayer and of course Paul McCartney.  This is a must for Billy Joel and/or Mets fans.












Here's a great version of "Allentown" ... I like what he does with the vocals.  Andy Gilmartin knows what I'm talking about ...  See if you can find the celebrities !

R.I.P. Dr Martin Jack Rosenblum

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#478 and #477)

(#478, Waiting for the Sun by The Doors)

Sure, I was introduced to this album by Bruce McCulloch, like a lot of was were when we bought Shame-Based Man in 1995.  But I never heard it until I found it at Barnes and Noble for, I don't know, $5.99 about 3 years ago.  And I guess I'm ashamed to admit that I found out that night that "Hello, I Love You" was a Doors Song, as I always assumed it was an Adam Ant song.  This is a good Saturday night, the family is asleep, I'm writing, I'm enjoying some Greek Yogurt kind of record ... whatever that means.







Here's "Waiting for the Sun" ...

(#477, The Life Pursuit by Belle & Sebastian)

Barry from High Fidelity may not be a fan, but I'm with Dick and Rob Gordon.  I like it.  Belle & Sebastian have become favorites to listen to in the car over the past 5 years or so.  I'm still in the process of getting familiar with the rest of their discography, but this is not the last time you will see them on this list.

Hey, Tim Vertz, if you're reading this.  Can I have my High Fidelity DVD back?  Or Amber, since you took Tim's place at IKON, can you buy me a new one?






This ...



And here's "For the Price of a Cup of Tea" ... and no, he's not saying "Billy Joel", he's saying "village joke".  But I thought the same thing, too ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#480 and #479)

(#480, Volume One by She & Him)

James, do you remember when you played the Miramar years ago, and in the middle of your show, you asked if I was a fan of She & Him ?  On that night, I was only aware that the quirky gal from Elf was She.  I wasn't aware that M. Ward was Him, until a few days later.  I either "borrowed" this from Jamie, or rented it from the library, but I became a fan instantly.  I've been a fan of Ward for a while, and I really enjoy the gal from Elf's voice.  Yeah, I know her name, I just don't feel like going to Google for the spelling of her last name.  I do realize this is bad journalism, but I found out yesterday I need all four wisdom teeth pulled, and daddy's in a lot of pain right now.


Here's the video for their first single, "Why Don't You Let Me Stay Here?"

(#479, The Bridge by Billy Joel)

I suspect the Andrew C Fefers and Andy Gilmartins of the world are gonna want to sit me down, gather my family and friends, and start an intervention.  This should be higher, Joey !!  Yes. It should be.  The only reason I don't have it higher is that, as Billy Joel albums go, in 2014, I'd rather spend time with most of his other records.  Now, in 1986, I wore the hell out of this.  And I love most of the songs on it.  But I've never felt that the album gels, flows as a singular listening experience like many of his other long players do.  And he admits this in the documentary I'm going to share with you.  This is an album of singles, and the songs have no real relation to each other.  So as an album, it's #479.  But as a collection of songs, it would rank much, much higher.  As a matter of fact, three of the nine songs on this record were featured on Fugazzi Grand : My Top 1000 Songs, in 2010 (Modern Woman, Big Man on Mulberry Street and Baby Grand).

This is called "Building the Bridge", a short film about the making of this LP ...

newgazzi 01.10.14

Here are the first newgazzi tracks of 2014 !  Check back every Friday for 5 new songs, and newgazzi Vol 12 will be unveiled on Friday, January 31st ...


Sharon Jones was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last summer.  She's doing well, and has a new album coming out next week.  Here's the first single, "Stranger to My Happiness"



Todd Kemper will appreciate this selection ... here's Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks with "Cinnamon and Lesbians".  Todd's a huge Malkmus fan, and may or may not be a huge fan of cinnamon and/or lesbians.



The next three artists were all discovered on noisetrade, a website I leaned heavily on the first few months of newgazzi, but regrettably, found myself going away from during recent months.  I regret that, and will be utilizing them more going forward ...

This song is called "E" by Luke Peach, which can be downloaded for free with the rest of his EP "Letters", right here ...



Here's a song called "None of This Will Matter" by The Autumn Defense ...



And finally, this is "I Want Blood" by Water Liars ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#482 and #481)

(#482, Darkness on the Edge of Town)

Admittedly, I'm not a big enough Sprinsteen fan to drop $100 on The Promise, which was the box set that included this original album, 21 unreleased tracks and a whole bunch of other goodies.  But I am a big enough fan to drop $7.99 at Barnes and Noble for an older pressing of the record.  This was the long awaited follow up to Born to Run, and saw Springsteen dive into more mature themes than what his listeners were used to on his first three records.   While this record doesn't have any monster hits on it, it's a solid listen from start to finish.






One of my favorite songs The Boss does live is "Badlands".  This is from Madison Square Garden ...

(#481, The Bearer of Bad News by Andy Shauf)

I discovered Andy Shauf while reading reviews in  one of my Paste Magazine editions back in 2008. When I was looking for songs for the first ever volume of newgazzi, I was pleasantly surprised to see that he had put out a new record.   This has become one of my Saturday afternoon staples over the past 12 months.











Here's "Hometown Hero", which is the song I featured on newgazzi Vol 1 back in Feb of 2012  ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#484 and #483)

(#484, Bigfoot by Cayucas)

Discovered these gents in May of last year while selecting tracks for newgazzi Vol 4.  This was right around the time I started my job with AAA, and spent five weeks in a hotel.  You can bet the farm I spent a lot of time listening to music, and the next two albums were the two new albums I spent the most time with during my stay in Madison.  Yeah, they've sold out to Verizon, but at least it's for the Red Zone Channel.









Here's there video for "High School Lover", which pays homage to Wang Chung ...

(#483, Dormarion by Telekinesis)

This is another artist that Matthew Schewe can take credit for introducing to me.  Matt, if I'm mistaken on this, let me know.  The man behind Telekinesis is Michael Benjamin Lerner, and hel plays everything you hear on this record. I'm really excited to hear what Mr Lerner has up his sleeve next.











Won't you please enjoy a performance of "Lean on Me", live on KEXP ...