I see the statistics, from Mixcloud, and they are very clear: not all of you guys listen to these playlists all the way through. In fact, it’s quite the overwhelming majority of listeners who listen to some but not all of the songs, playlist after playlist. And I get it: it’s human nature–or, at least, human-on-the-internet nature; twenty-song playlists may prompt the aural equivalent of TL;DR in this click-happy, distraction-filled environment.
But I intermittently feel compelled to point out that these playlists are not like an album front-loaded with its best songs only to fizzle out on side two. They are, instead, packed with excellent songs from top to bottom. What’s more, I often find myself installing a particular favorite as the last track–I suppose this is me in “always leave them wanting more” mode, aimed towards the intrepid few who take the whole journey with me. But a lot of listeners, alas, don’t hang in there long enough to hear it.
Consider this a long-winded way of urging you not to miss the last song this month, which is an unassuming gem from newcomer Selma Eriksen called “By Now.” I won’t further describe; go listen and discover it for yourself. Even if you just want to skip right down to it.
Repeat reminder from last month: for an overview of (almost) all songs featured to date in an Eclectic Playlist Series mix, check out the master EPS playlist that I update on Spotify every month. As noted in the past, Spotify does not have available every song I place on every list–it’s almost always missing one or two songs every couple of months (this time, for instance, “I Don’t Wanna Lose Him” is unavailable). Another obvious drawback is that you don’t get the contexts of the original mixes with this master list, or the crafted segues. But what you do get is a unique, super-long-lasting listening experience presenting as a quirky, genre-free radio station, minus any interruptions. And at 1,900 songs, it’s a playlist many times larger than most 21st-century radio stations would dream of offering.
As for this month, here’s what you’re in for:
1. “That Great Love Sound” – The Raveonettes (Chain Gang of Love, 2003)
2. “Susannah’s Still Alive” – The Kinks (single, 1967; The Kink Kronikles, 1972)
3. “Lights Light Up” – Fenne Lily (Big Picture, 2023)
4. “Don’t Look” – Nervus Rex (single, 1978)
5. “Possession” – Sarah McLachlan (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, 1994)
6. “It’s Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 World)” – The Ramones (Pleasant Dreams, 1981)
7. “Tomorrow Today” – Kippington Lodge (single, 1968)
8. “Comet” – Lonely Drifter Karen (Poles, 2012)
9. “Red Pepper Blues” – Art Pepper (Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, 1957)
10. “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” – Radiohead (In Rainbows, 2007)
11. “I Don’t Wanna Lose Him” – Gigi and the Charmaines (unreleased single, 1966)
12. “Running Back” – Thin Lizzy (Jailbreak, 1976)
13. “Heartbeat” – King Crimson (Beat, 1982)
14. “Rains Came” – Shelby Lynne (Tears, Lies, and Alibis, 2010)
15. “Violent Times” – St. Vincent (All Born Screaming, 2024)
16. “Burning Down the House” – Tom Jones and the Cardigans (Reload, 1999)
17. “Takatanga” – Antônio Carlos Jobim (Tide, 1970)
18. “Le Salon” – Autour de Lucie (Faux Mouvement, 2001)
19. “As If You Read My Mind” – Stevie Wonder (Hotter Than July, 1980)
20. “By Now” – Selma Eriksen (single, 2024)
Stray commentary:
* A few internet music veterans out there may remember “That Great Love Sound” being a bit of a blog-based sensation back when MP3 blogs were a shiny new thing. The Raveonettes–whose name was based on the Buddy Holly song “Rave On”–were and are a Danish duo who clothe their neo-garage rock in layers of noise. And if “That Great Love Sound” has the inexorable vibe of a classic, consider that the song’s co-writer was none other than Richard Gotterher, who wrote or co-wrote some actual classics, including “Hang On Sloopy” and “I Want Candy,” before becoming a trailblazing producer of acts such as Blondie, The Go-Go’s, Marshall Crenshaw, and many others. Gotterher produced this first Raveonettes album, Chain Gang of Love, which is interesting also for the oddity that every song on it was written in the key of B-flat major. The Raveonettes, meanwhile, press on as an active band; a cover album called The Raveonettes Sing… is due out next month.
* Gigi and the Charmaines were another hard-working ’60s R&B group that struggled to make it commercially, recorded a number of songs, including some–such as “I Don’t Wanna Lose Him”–that went unreleased for decades, and ultimately faded away without fanfare. It strikes me that the less well-known the group, the more complex their backstory can be. I can’t summarize quickly; read the notes for a compilation put out by the UK label Ace Records, in 2006, if you’re interested. All I will report is that Gigi was the nickname used by lead singer Marian Jackson, that the group started in Cincinnati in 1960, and landed in Canada at some point. They lasted in one form or another until 1974.
* This Talking Heads cover by the unlikely partnership of Sir Tom Jones and The Cardigans is bizarrely compelling. Jones’ allure is not to be underestimated, ever. The song appeared on his 1999 album Reload, which featured mostly cover versions and mostly had the dynamic Welshman singing with a variety of guest artists, including the Pretenders, Van Morrison, Robbie Williams, and Portishead. Wikipedia reports that Reload is the best-selling album of Jones’ career; at the time it was his 34th studio album. That number is now up to 40.
* Kippington Lodge was the psychedelic/baroque-pop-ish forerunner to the venerable pub rock band Brinsley Schwarz, and was itself an outgrowth of a band Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwarz had previously formed named Sounds 4+1. When Lowe left the country for a while after that, Schwarz formed a new band, called Three’s A Crowd, which got signed to EMI Records, and subsequently changed their name to Kippington Lodge. When Lowe returned to the UK, he joined the band, which proceeded to release a series of singles, including “Tomorrow Today,” but never a full album. (Much later, in 1998, an album emerged which gathered in one place all pre-Brinsley Schwarz recordings.) For the uninitiated, I should note that Brinsley Schwarz is the name of the lead guitarist but was also used as the name of the band after they jettisoned Kippington Lodge. What’s more, two members of Brinsley Schwarz–Schwarz himself and keyboardist Bob Andrews–went on to form the core of The Rumour, for a number of years Graham Parker’s ace backing band.
* I highly recommend the new St. Vincent album. Lots of good tracks including the James Bond-y one tucked into this mix. All Born Screaming isn’t any sort of concept album, and the music varies from song to song, yet there’s something subtle in the air that creates a consistent feeling by the time you’re through. And it definitely encourages repeat listens.
* A recent article in the New York Times profiling Sarah McLachlan reminded me what a big deal she was back in the day, and rightly so. McLachlan’s star run didn’t necessarily last that long, but the highlights reward the ears all these years later. I especially like her second album, Solace, one album before her songs began to hit the charts. But there’s little wrong with Fumbling Towards Ecstasy as well, and “Possession” remains one of her most fully-realized and absorbing compositions.
* “By Now” appears to be the first release by the aforementioned Selma Eriksen. Eriksen was born in Norway but has lived for some time in the U.S., in Los Angeles and New York City. She is both a singer/songwriter and a model; at this point online information seems more oriented towards her modeling than her music. “By Now” was released in May. Hat tip to the Luna Collective’s weekly Spotify playlist for this one.
* The Vin Scelsa reference in the Ramones song is there for those who know. I will always be musically and creatively indebted to that man.
Fingertips 