Where's the blog?

Okay so I continue to slack on this blog I realize this. However I've been shaping up a special set for my Show at Awkward Stage on the 27th. This is my first solo show in awhile and it's not what you would come to expect of a four star daydream set.

Needless to say some new music for your eyes while I wrap up on some lyrics to a new song that will be posted soon. Two great garage rock songs from the '60's have entered my life and filled a mysterious void. One song that I'm in love with is "What am I gonna do" by the Dovers. I loved it when I thought it was an Atlas Sound song. To find out it's really a great song before Bradford Cox sampled it.

Another song that has come to my attention is The Creation's "If I stay too long" This song was first brought to my attention on my friend Doug's facebook wall. I listened to it, like it, but sort of forgot about it. It was quickly brought back to my attention when Doug slagged my love songs of the 60's blog. Which is fair. After downloading the song and playing it again, I really loved it. It's like The Animals, and The Troggs but cooler.

love love love love.

Here's the songs ------> songs!

Songs of V-Day: I Want Her, She Wants Me.

Alright. Here is a Valentines day mini mix of the best '60's pop love songs.

I've been talking with friends lately on two topics that inspired this blog.

1. I dislike the majority of band names that are 'the (insert noun here)' The 1960's were chock full of these types of band names but they were good names and they were the fad of the decade. However since the start of the last decade and the re-explosion of garage rock, with bands like The Strokes, The Vines, The White Stripes, the trend has come full circle again. Only these are getting watered down with thoughtless boring names like The Microphone, The Stereo's, The Drums. Sadly this is parodied in a Sum 41 video, with a sleezy manager trying to capitalize on the 'the' trend making them change the band name to 'the sum 41's'.

2. In the 1960's all the bands did start with 'the' but were generally all awesome. The Beatles, The Rolling stones, The Kinks, The Who. Need I say more? And all of the love songs from this decade are so innocently dramatic. You'll never hear a song from another decade where a girl needs a boy so desperately, or where a boy needs to prove to his girl beyond a reason of any doubt that he'll always be true. However as long as this music exists chivalry will never die.

So this blog is dedicated to the top 5 love songs for boys and girls of the 1960's. These are the most heart wrenching, reverb drenched, tales of lust and heart ache of all time. It always leaves me wanting for simpler times when love was a hopeless ideal dying to be fulfilled. Those two minutes and twenty seconds of willful suspension, that love is all you need. And maybe The Beatles were right.... All you need is love.


Girl Meets Boy:

The Ronette's - Be My Baby.
Probably the best pop song of all time, and a prime example of Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" production. From the reverb drenched bass drum thudding intro, to Ronnie Spector's Soaring Whoa-ohs, you can't help but swoon.

The Crystal's - Da Doo Ron Ron.
One of the most exciting songs about meeting someone while abusing a rhyming scheme. Infectious hand claps, hammering piano's and fat saxophones. It's impossible to listen to this song with out tapping your toes let alone resisting clapping along.

The Crystal's - He's A Rebel.
What more exciting than meeting the boy of your dreams than having you parents and society disapprove of him. And while falling in love with the misunderstood bad boy of your town may seem romantic, chances are it won't be long until you're listening to Tammy Wynette's "Stand by your man" debating your choices.

The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and there is no better part of love than pining over someone. However now that we don't have to wait a week for letter these days, it sort of renders this song obsolete. However you can still feel obliged to write people handwritten letters. I'm sure they would be really surprised, as well baffled at how something that wasn't a bill got delivered to them in the first place.

The Shirelles - Will you still love me tomorrow?
The '60's was a decade when girl groups totally owned it. Regardless of how awesome The Beatles were, even they loved these girls and they're bombastic melodrama.

Boy Meets Girl:


Manfred Mann - Do Wah Diddy.
The male equivalent of Da Doo Ron Ron *. A raucous over sensationalized song about meeting a girl. One of the many gems to come out of the Brill Building group of song writers that included Jeff Barry( who has written most of the songs on this list already) Carole King, and Neil Diamond who wrote for the Monkee's and later didn't do too badly writing songs for himself I hear.

The Turtles - Elenore.
First of all, how can you not sing along to this song? One of my favourite song for the fact that the chorus is so simple stating that "Elenore, Gee I think you're swell. And you'd really do me well. You're my pride and joy etc." The Turtles would later break up over being in contract disputes and multiple law suits over copyright ownership. Flo and Eddie would later join Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, often performing The Turtles hits with the Mothers.

The Beach Boys - Little Surfer Girl.
Probably the best pop waltz / rip off of "when you wish upon a star" ever. Lush harmonies cresting like gentle waves of sound with Dennis tapping away on the ride cymbal keeping the song swirling along. I have a feeling that in the early '60's Surfer girls were the equivalent of Scene girls today. Instead of tattoo's and piercings though a french bikini and bob hair do's were the order of the day. What boy wouldn't pine for classic beauty and innocence. *sigh*

Alright I'm going to listen to this one more time and continue the list.

The Beatles - I've Just Seen a Face.
The Beatles wrote a shit load of love songs. I think maybe ten of their songs aren't about love. But probably if you play those songs backwards they are subliminally about love. Anyways, I always thought this was a really cute song when I was a kid. Especially the parts that Paul hums after the verse. If I was drunk in a bar and there was karaoke, this would probably be my song of choice. Followed up by The Turtles Elenore.

Tommy James & The Shondelles - Crimson and Clover.
This song is sex. If I was trying to seduce someone to make out this would be the song I'd probably choose. Awesome tremolo guitars and vocals ambient reverb thrown all over the place. I'm not to sure what Crimson & Clover have to do with disrobing a girl you just met, but I imagine if I unlock this secret it would be too much responsibility for one man alone.

...Crimson and Clover... Over and Over !


So here's a link to listen to the playlist. This playlist is probably best listened to with someone, or while pining for someone who will never know how you feel because she doesn't even know you exist because you spend all your time listening to pop music and reading blogs.

...it's okay, I'm here for you. You're safe here.

I promise to try and stay on top of this blog, as it seems I've been slipping as of late.

Happy V-Day Everyone !



* Before somebody tries to correct me. There is a male equivalent of Da Doo Ron Ron that was released in 1977 by Shaun Cassidy**. Girls everywhere swooned for the Partridge Family's now "grown up" lead singer gone solo. However being released in the '70's voids it from this list. And out of general good taste as well.


** Somewhere along the lines i blurred Shaun Cassidy and David Cassidy together. Shaun Cassidy sang Da Doo Ron Ron. David Cassidy sang in the Patridge Family. Apparently I'm losing my touch.

New song finished.

Song one for the Rpm Challenge. Started writing it the other day and recorded it polished off the lyrics this afternoon. Day 1 of vacation is a success.




I'm trying to think of something to say but my head is adrift. Anyways it figures the first song i write is about how I spend my evenings and days at work. To get rid of writers block right about whats blocking it. Monotony!

Another new song in the works that I'm really excited about. It just sounds really fun.

Here it is. This one hasn't been matered but I'll edit the post if/when it does get mastered.

Pause and Reflect.

All we ever get out of you is polysyllabic put downs.

Alright so here's another one from the archives. This is a song that I'm revising and working on for the upcoming album/ e.p. that I'm working on recording with my roommate Jimmy. A.K.A James Allan Toth in the recording biz (for all of those looking for a good producer look no further. He's also playing in angular and haunting band The Guest Bedroom. who you should check out.) It's going to be good once we get it all recorded. For now here is a super long version or what the song will be. Super lo-fi and shoe-gazey with lots of reverb distortion and buried vocals. Believe or not there is a longer version recorded how ever it's no longer in existence since the great computer crash of 2008.

The story behind the song long windedly titled "All we ever get out of you is polysyllabic put downs." or simply Polysyllabic, came from my M.A.S.H. loving friend Siobhan. Somewhere in season 11 episode 2 I believe. I thought this was a clever quip and instantly began writing a song. I don't know how the title relates to the song. But this song was written about the hazardous summers of my late teens. Along with my friends, drinking a little too much, and picking up garbage on heavy pick-up days and smashing them to bits with crowbars in the park.

Why? Fuck if I know. It seems totally idiotic now but back then it made sense and burned off some energy.

And then the infamous cottage weekend with roman candles and too much cherry whiskey for one man to drink on his own. And then followed up by the lost summer that I disappeared in a fit of manic depression from these great people who I never see much of these days but I feel I should acknowledge(and make plans with). Because drinking underage has lost it's excitement with out you being around. I know it's hard to drink underage at 23, but I can always drink more with you guys around.

So for Siobhan, Jeff, Alison( and all the mischievous carter clan) Logan, Mallory and Tonja. Or really anyone who worked at Walmart with us that summer, this is for you. Although most of you have probably heard this already.



All we get out of you is polysyllabic put downs.