Divine Hammer, Big Sur

Mister! He said with a sawdusty sneeze,
I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees
I speak for the trees,
for the trees have no tongues

Monkey Rocker II

A friend recently made a reference to Lancelot Link, and it went right past me.

You’d think I’d have heard of a secret agent / rock star chimp!
Are you bastards fans?

Pop/Punk Fix

Good punk/pop from Tucson.  They drink the same Buzzcocks/Clash/et alia Kool-Aid as their more talented predecessors, The Exploding Hearts.  I also detect some Johnny Thunders and Hives, and this seems to channel Love.  Some weaknesses in lead vocals, but strong guitar work and decent hooks compensate.  I’d put them on par with The Number Ones from a few years ago.  Formulaic perhaps, but it’s still a great formula after almost fifty years. As for lyrics, does anyone care in this kind of music?

The above songs are not necessarily the best from a recent album worth listening through.  There are a couple of semi-duds, but even those have some strong points.  I think they have two earlier albums, but I haven’t gotten to them yet.

Watch Me Jumpstart

I recently stumbled onto a Spotify playlist called Guided by Voices 100 Best Songs. It’s incredible, packed with tons of amazing songs I’ve never heard before.

By total coincidence, YouTube reminded me today that I once watched this mini documentary about the band. Definitely worth a look, and only 36 minutes long. See what you reckon!