SHT Musik

I am not much of a metal fan, heavy or otherwise, but this song is so funny that I just love it.  It´s from the 1986 album Turbo.   .The name of the song says it all.    With lyrics like this who can resist? We hold each other closer, as we shift to overdrive And everything goes rushing by, with every nerve alive We move so fast it seems as though we've taken to the sky Love machines in harmony, we hear the engines cry. I'm your turbo lover Tell me there's no other I'm your turbo lover Better run for cover Pure poetry!!! TURBO LOVER - JUDAS PRIEST

ALBUM SYNOPSIS: Well I was poking around on Bandcamp looking for something interesting and boy did I find it.   The album is called Neon Musk by Hat Films/Yogscast and it instantly caught my attention.   First off it has this intro with this otherwordly deep voice talking about the Crocoman Empire with half-human, half-crocodile creatures and a bunch of crazy history.    There is track after track of songs and interludes that keep the sci-fi vibe going strong and the songs are catchy, funny and cool.    I recommend dimming the lights, having a drink or a smoke or something and enjoying the whole album from start to finish.  Starship troopers prepare for takeoff! DON´T BORE US, GET TO THE CHORUS!: The more traditional pop songs include The Sleigh Man (kinda a Christmas song and as the lyrics say "wildly inappropriate") and Pleasure Elf (acoustic) .   WARNING:   There is a bit of adult content in...

Like a lot of young boys growing up in the 80s I couldn´t help but be attracted to  "that Bangles girl". I just found out that her name is Susanna Hoff.   Anyway, indie singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks seems to share my feelings.     THAT BANGLES GIRL - ROBBIE FULKS

Jim´s Big Ego is a Boston-based band that was formed in 1995.   On their website they claim to be " the greatest band in the history of recorded music."  As you can see from this quote,  these guys have a good sense of humor and their songs are quite funny.  The founder, and I believe principal member of the group, is Jim Infantino, songwriter, author and nerd.   He has an interesting website with all his creative ventures on it.  Anyway, I recommend you start with the classic song Stress.   It has one of the coolest trumpet parts that I have ever heard in a pop song. It is a conversation between the horn and a person and you can actually understand both sides of the dialogue.   Very original and very funny. STRESS - JIM´S BIG EGO

Skin, Bone and Silicone     Susan Enan is best known for writing and performing the song "Bring on the Wonder" which was featured in the television show Bones.  However,  the song of hers which I find th most interesting is Skin, Bone and Silicone which appears on her 2009 album Plainsong.   This song is sad and sweet and really communicates to me the quiet desperation of the character portrayed. As always, if you know of any other cool songs by this artist or something similar in style or sentiment please leave a comment.  

People just love to hate Coldplay, which I understand.    Like U2 and other supergroups of our time they seem to be jammed down our throats by a music industry bent on forcefeeding us whatever they think that we will buy.  Also, Coldplay has a pretty mainstream sound that is easy to get tired of.    However, I remember discovering Don´t Panic on a sampler CD that came with a music magazine way back in the day when I still bought music magazines and nobody knew the band.  It is off Coldplay´s first album, Parchutes, which came out in 2000.   While preparing this post I discovered that Coldplay really doesn´t like this album and have publicly stated, "We know that's terrible music".   Well I beg to disagree.    Coldplay´s first two albums, Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head, are my favorites and I lost interest in them after hearing  their third album X & Y.  However, Don´t Panic, besides being the phrase pr...

First of all, here is my Bandcamp site where most of my music can be found.   The SHT in SHT Musik stands for Stupid Human Tricks a recurring segment on the old David Lettermen Show.  So, I am a stupid human and here are my tricks. OLD SHT I (Demos & Stuff) The album OLD SHT I (Demos & Stuff) is a compilation of old demo songs that I have recorded over the years.    The recordings of these songs are as good as they will probably ever get.    However,   I think a lot of these songs have some nice moments and/or lyrics and so I have posted them for your listening pleasure.   All lyrics are on the Bandcamp site. The tracks on the album: Addiction (Figured Out) I have been working for years to overcome my addictions to food and drugs and even patterns of thought. I have been pretty successful but it has been an extremely long and winding road. The shotgun line in the song  comes from Ol´Kur...

If you are a big fan of  Cocteau Twins  like I am you might appreciate this new musical discovery.     Sometimes the vocals sound a bit Bjorkish also.    Anyway, the singer of this group has a very unique female voice and both the vocals and the general style of Clouds Aside really remind me of Cocteau Twins.      In spite of this strong resemblance to Cocteau Twins the music is interesting and quite original sounding.    I am surprised at how much I actually enjoy it.  I discovered them in a Bandcamp article about Sweden´s indie music label Luxury Records.   You can listen to Clouds Aside on Bandcamp or check out the video below. CLOUDS ASIDE - SCHOOL ´94

Well I just couldn´t resist making a little video inspired by the recent events in Catalonia.    Those crazy Catalans are at it again trying to leave Spain and become their own country.   I do believe that the more local the government the better but in this day and age it´s hard to understand just what the Catalans feel they have to gain from becoming independent. They have already lost a lot of businesses that have relocated because of the instability and uncertainty caused by the move towards independence.   I am sick of the whole topic but, like a car accident, it´s hard to look away.   REFUGEE - PUIGDEMONT

Here is a song I wrote quite a few years back about  the public healthcare debate.   I have heard a lot of bad things about "Obamacare" but it seems that Trump is going to take Americans out of the frying pan and into the fire.    Anyway,  here are my thoughts on the subject.  HEALTH CARE (IT´S NOT FOR EVERYONE)

Robert Pollard has recorded 20 albums as the indie band Guided By Voices.  He has 19 solo LPs and countless side projects with groups like Boston Spaceships, Airport 5, Circus Devils, Acid Ranch, Lifeguards, the Moping Swans, Lexo & The Leapers, Hazzard Hotrods and Howling Wolf Orchestra.   He is also famous for being a very heavy drinker (alcoholic) and that makes this first song that I am recommending especially poignant when he sings "I do my job each day / Empties crushed and filed away".   Pollard said in an interview that he realized he was really drinking a lot when he saw the pile of empties he had created.  I also like this song for another great line, "There is nothing worse than an undetermined person."   I remember this line a lot when I am wimping out or someone is bitching about something without putting in the necessary work to get things done.    The song Subspace Biographies is from the solo album Waved Out which came ...

Now the music I am recommending here is a little different than what I usually listen to.    The film Repo Man came out in 1984. Emilio Extevez stars in the movie and it has become a cult classic.   The soundtrack is a wonderful time capsule of indie/punk music that was popular at the time.   The whole album is fun to listen to but I am going to single out three of my personal favorites. The first is the classic Institutionalized by Suicidal Tendencies.  This songs captures the tension between teens and their parents better than any other song that I know. INSTITUTIONALIZED   The next song is from an equally epic band from back in the day, Black Flag.     The song title tells you exactly what the song is about and it also mentions some of the hit TV programs of the time. That's Incredible ! Hill Street Blues ! Dallas ! Fridays ! Saturday Night Live ! Monday Night Football ! Jeffersons ! Vega$ ! TV PA...

This song appears in the first episode of the second season of the Showtime series Weeds.   If you are a music lover then I recommend this series just for all the cool songs you can discover watching but that is going to be a different post.   Anyway,  Fuck Was I  comes on at the very end of the episode and fits the plot perfectly.    Of course it fits a multitude of situations in my life as well and I find myself singing the song many times as I ask myself just what the fuck I was thinking. Now these lyrics are dark and some of the best that I have found in a simple pop song.  It´s a great anti-love song. Love grows in me like a tumor Parasite bent on devouring its host I'm developing my sense of humor Till I can laugh at my heart between your teeth Till I can laugh at my face beneath your feet Yeah, this is the painful love I am most familiar with.   So if love is so painful why do I keep going back to it?  Well Youngs ...

Neil Young is so famous that you might think that you´ve heard all his best stuff. However, there is one little-known gem that is worth checking out.    The song is the title track from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.  It was recorded  with Young´s trusty backup group Crazy Horse and came out in 1969.   Although the album contains a lot of Young´s better-known songs like Cinnamon Girl, Cowgirl in the Sand, and Down by the River, I had never heard Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere until I bought the album.  The song says: Everybody seems to wonder What it's like down here I gotta get away from this day-to-day running around, Everybody knows this is nowhere. Was Neil missing his native Canada after being in the US for a while?   I don´t know.   I do know that this is a very catchy song and one of my favorites, especially because I haven´t heard it a gazillion times like all his hits.     EVERYBODY KNOWS ...

A lot of people roll their eyes when it comes to modern country music.   Like commercial pop music, there are a lot of country songs that sound quite similar and soulless.    However, there are a few modern country songs that have caught my attention.    One of my favorites is Alan Jackson´s The Talkin' Song Repair Blues.   It is the classic country song that tells a funny story.   In this case it is about the narrator taking his car in to be serviced.  The mechanic raised up from under my hood He shook his head and said, "This ain't good Your timin' belt's done shrunk one size too small Those spark plug wires are a little too long And your main prodsponder's nearly gone Your injector ports are stripped and that ain't all" "Your torque converter's runnin' low on torque And that water pump's nearly down a quart If you know anything about car´s you know that the mechanic´s comments are complete nonsense.    ...

Tom Petty  (RIP 1950-2017) I heard the news today, oh boy.    I am really sad to hear that Tom Petty is no longer with us.    Unlike other musicians who I have covered in this blog, I don´t really know of any forgotten songs that people might have missed.    However, some people might not have had the pleasure of listening or watching his VH1Storytellers program.   I have never seen the video but I have listened to the album many times.    Tom was just hilarious, like his music, in a very simple but authentic way.   Here is his dialogue about the movie Titanic. TOM PETTY - VH1 STORYTELLERS TITANIC Tom goes on to give some background about many of his hit songs and this is what makes the show truly special.  He talks about the censoring of the lines "Let´s get to the point/let´s smoke another joint"  from You Don´t  Know How It Feels and tells many other entertaining stori...

I forgot to include one of my favorite Ani songs in my other post.   The song is Freakshow and it is from the album To The Teeth (1999).    It is all about the world of show business and how the audience only sees the show and not what goes on behind the scenes.    I think for entertainers we common folk seem a bit like muggles to them.   So the song explores this topic and because it came out right around the time I saw Ani live it really reminds me of that great concert and of how she put on such an awesome show for so few people. Life in the circus ain't easy But the folks on the outside don't know The tent goes up and the tent comes down And all that they see is the show And the ladies on the horses look so pretty And the lions are lookin' real mad And some of the clowns are happy And some of the clowns are sad But underneath There's another expression That the makeup isn't making Life under the big top It's about freedom It's about faking T...

I think I ended up getting this album through the old BMI music club.   I had heard the single My Favorite Game and was hoping for more catchy songs like that one.    I was pleasantly surprised to find out that not only were there more catchy songs on the album but also that they were nice and dark, just the way I like them.  The Cardigans are from Sweden and the album came out in 1998.   This album is different than their other stuff  in that it has a much more electronic sound.   One of my favorite songs on the album is a classic anti-love song, Do You Believe.   Here is a short sample of the lyrics.   Do you really think That love is gonna save the world? Well, I don't think so Yup, that´s my kind of song.   DO YOU BELIEVE The next song that I would like to recommend it Erase/Rewind.   I like the fact that it refers to outdated media that I grew up with.   I still say "tape something" when I mean to ...

Air Traffic Controller is an indie pop band from Boston, Massachusetts.    The song that I am recommending is Hurry Hurry which describes pretty accurately how a lot of us feel always hurrying through our lives.  Here is a taste of some of the lyrics:  And on my way to seize the day, I start to think Did I leave something on the counter by the sink? Check my pockets, never mind Hurry, hurry there's no time And on it goes: I hurried when I should've been in the zone I hurried my loved ones off the phone I hurried through sex, I know, I know I hurried my quiet time alone  The song comes from the album NORDO(2012).   You can listen to and buy the song  on Bandcamp.   (Hello fellow Bandcamper.)   HURRY HURRY - AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER  

The first thing you need to know is that Bettie Serveert is not the name of a person but instead the name of the band.  "Bettie Serveert are a Dutch indie rock band. Their name translates to "Bettie Serves", or "Service to Bettie", which is the title of a book written by Dutch tennis player Betty Stöve, who made it to the Wimbledon ladies singles final in 1977" (Wikipedia).    I saw them live here in Valencia about 20 years ago.    It was a good show but they didn´t play my favorite song, Rudder.    This song is about a band achieving popular success which is the supposed goal of most music groups but which many times leads to the band´s undoing. Bow down for the band on the cover They seem to make it all across the USA Bow down, the band's been discovered They even made it on the R.S-tones these days RUDDER   

If you know the Violent Femmes then you almost certainly know their classic self-titled debut album Violent Femmes (1982)  which is just full of great songs.  This album is owned and enjoyed by tons of people but I don´t think a lot of people are as familiar with many of their other songs and albums.    Now  I am a pretty diehard Femmes fan and I even like their country-ish second album quite a bit for its dark songs about throwing children down wells and such.  However, I want to recommend their third album, The Blind Leading the Naked, which was released in 1986. The first track I am going to recommend is Good Friend.  Here´s an excerpt of the lyrics: If only you could know How I'd love you so The way good friends do The way I would be you One thing I noticed when looking for the lyrics is that none of the versions I found included what is said at the very end of the song.   He says, "someone who won´t let me down like I was let down."...

Once again I have to give thanks to my old friend Ed for turning me on to these guys.   I had a TDK cassette with Sparks crazy album Angsts in My Pants on one side and Was (Not Was) Born to Laugh at Tornadoes (1983).   Wikipedia calls Was (Not Was) an "art-funk" band but I never really knew how to categorize them.    I do know that a lot of people are probably more familiar with their song I Feel Better Than James Brown, which I think is a pretty funny and cool song, or Walk the Dinosaur, which I´m not too crazy about.    The album I want to recommend, Born to Laugh at Tornadoes,  comes from years before and IMHO it is their best work.   One thing that makes the album special is that there were guest vocalist for all but one of the songs including Mel Torme and Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy´s song, Shake Your Head (Let´s Go to Bed)  is probably one of the most "normal" of the bunch although hearing Ozzy sing a song in this st...

Tanya Donelly is probably best known as the co-founder of Throwing Muses or for her work with The Breeders or Belly but I am more interested in a couple of songs that appear on her 1997 solo album Love Songs for Underdogs.  The album starts off with one of my two favorite songs, Pretty Deep.  She sings: Do i look like a liar Do i look like a liar to you Fighting crime in this time brings a girl down Makes a body sink so low…  PRETTY DEEP  The second song from the album that I still listen to on  a regular basis is the song Mysteries of the Unexplained.  I always thought that it was called Sometimes It Rains Fish because that is the main hook but I was wrong.    Anyway,   this songs seems to reference the reports of strange creatures raining down on the earth like the story from the Bible in Exodus where it rains frogs.    Here are the lyrics leading into the chorus: All your heroes are whores ...

OK, I am bumming around YouTube and I stumble across this chick playing some badass bass.      I don´t usually enjoy watching musicians perform that much.    Sometimes guitar face can get to be downright painful to watch but this woman is burning it up and just watching her makes you want to dance or at least move in your seat a bit, bob your head, feel the music.   So my hat is off to Marta.    I am sure that she will be very successful in the world of music even if she never becomes a household name.    You can really tell when someone is doing what they love. Here she is playing a Jamiroquai song.  It isn´t really a cover in my opinion.   It´s more like karaoke with her playing over the bass part.   Anyway, it is as fun to watch as it is funky. Jamiroquai - Time Won't Wait [Bass Cover]

OK, I recently saw the video for this song Over Everything from the upcoming album Lotta Sea Lice which Courtney Barnett is putting out with Kurt Vile.   (October 2017)     Over Everything -  Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile I have only heard the song Over Everything and that is enough to convince me that the album is going to be something special. I seldom get excited waiting for albums to be released but this is going to have to be an exception.    I had never heard of Kurt Vile before but just this one song has made me look forward to hearing more.  And just from this one song I know that the album will be one of my favorites of the year.   I am willing to bet on this one. Here is my first and probably still my favorite Courtney Barnett song, Dead Fox.    It is wry and catchy and fun.    I wish I could write songs like that.  It´s from the album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I...

Sparks have their own sound and I´m sure it´s not for everybody.   Personally I find them hilarious and several of their songs form a part of the soundtrack of my life.    I will start with my all-time favorite Sparks´ song, Eaten by the Monster of Love.     It appears in one of my favorite 80´s movies Valley Girl and is a classic anti-love song.   It also appears on the 1982 album Angst in My Pants EATEN BY THE MONSTER OF LOVE Here is another track from the album to check out.    When I think of my nicotine addiction I think of this song, Nicotina.     We had to break up due to irreconciliable differences.   NICOTINA The final track from the album that I will recommend is the title track, Angst in My Pants.     As a teen, full of angst (in my pants), I could relate.  ANGST IN MY PANTS     Sparks´  18th album was released in 2000 and contains an...

I remember the headline when Michael J. Fox did a movie as a musician with Joan Jett (Light of Day) :  "Singer can act but actor can´t sing."    This is NOT the case with Ms. Johansson and I really enjoyed several of the songs off her collaborative album with Pete Yorn, Break Up.   It´s bitter and sweet in all the right places and I wish she would do more musical projects but I´m sure it´s hard to find the time with the number of movie offers she likely receives. I just discovered that I Am the Cosmos is a cover.  LOL the things I learn while writing this blog.   Anyway, this is one of my favorites. I AM THE COSMOS OK this one has an official video and is very catchy.    SHAMPOO The last personal favorite on the album is Relator.   Pete and Scarlett appear in this video and it´s pretty cute. RELATOR BONUS SONG!!! I found this song on YouTube a while back and it says that it is a cover of Th...

SHT Musik is proud to present the third installment of  Deep SHT   Deep SHT 3

As far as I know there is no official video for this song but the video below is a film school project that was posted on YouTube that is pretty cool.     I like how the song talks about how molecules never really touch (like in the movie What the BLEEP Do We Know?)  The melody is catchy and the lyrics are funny so I give it two thumbs up.  Here´s a little sample for you: "There’s a million, billion, trillion stars but I’m down here low Fussin’ over scars on my soul, on my soul, on my soul, on my soul On my soul, I am so infinitesimal, oh" If anybody knows of other songs by these guys that are worth checking out please leave me a comment.   Mother Mother - Infinitesimal 

SHT Musik is proud to present the second installment of  Deep SHT       Deep SHT Part 2 These songs are all related to the common theme of my personal philosophies and what I find interesting and important.   There are lyrics and further info about each individual track on Bandcamp.     Any questions, drop me a line. Remember that if you are friends or family you can let me know if you´d like a free download code.   Just contact me.   Everyone else can listen to the stuff for free online which I think is a pretty fair deal.    Rock on music lovers.

So I see that MC Lars has just released some new music. Check out my review of it at the end of this blog.  Anyway,  the track I would encourage everybody to listen to is his song Ahab.  It is based on Moby Dick and I find it hilarious.    If you are familiar with the book, or even just with the basic story line,  you might find this song amusing as well.   AHAB One more song that I would recommend is called 23 and it is about suicide.   Unfortunately Lars lost a close friend to suicide which inspired the song.   It´s a very sad topic but the song and video really did turn out nice.  23   Here is my quick review of  MC Lars´ newest offering (as far as I know).  The Jeff Sessions I am listening to it for the first time right now.   The first song is about cyberbullying and I agree with the sentiment in spite of the fact that nobody wants to feel that people are preaching at them....

Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes have a lot of cool music but to cut to the chase I have two favorite songs that are always on my current playlist, Waste of Paint and Bowl of Oranges.   Although I mentioned  Waste of Paint first it should in no way suggest that I think that it is better (or worse) than the other song.   I love these two songs equally, like two kids.   I don't even think of them separately.    For me they are simply "those two Bright Eyes' songs that I love".       Mr. Oberst's has been quite prolific and I find a lot of his other songs interesting as well but with so much music out there and so little time to investigate things it is hard to keep up with everything.    So if you are not familiar with these songs I strongly suggest you take a listen.   Also,  if anyone has any personal favorites by Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst  I would love to get your recommendations.  ...

This is a very funny song and the video is hilarious.   A bunch of people from original movie appear in the video, including the guy who played Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and the bad guy Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).  On a related note, if you are into The Karate Kid you might enjoy a complete preliminary filming of the movie which is available on YouTube.   It´s the whole movie done in rehearsal.   Very cool for those who  just can´t get enough of the original classic film.   Enjoy.

Here is a little song I wrote out about religion.    I believe 100% in freedom of religion for everyone.    As long as they don´t expect ME to follow THEIR  religious beliefs  everything is cool.

This is one of my favorite songs about substance abuse.     It really conveys to me  the sadness that is addiction and how it tears apart not only the addict but those around  him or her. So far this is the only song from Miss Labrie that has caught my attention.  If anyone knows of any other especially cool songs that she has please leave a comment.

If It Was Up To Me - Stabilo I don´t remember how exactly  I came across the Canadian group Stabilo but I am glad I did.   They formed in 1999 in British Columbia and were relatively successsful in Canada.   They released a couple of albums and seemed to be on the rise but in 2011 they announced that they were going on permanent hiatus.   As usual, I discovered them right as they were breaking up.    However, they left us some really cool music. IF IT WAS UP TO ME    One of my personal favorites is If It Was Up To Me. "If it was up to you, I'd be happy and I'd Write songs that made you happy too I can't seem to care much for these things That you call life " It´s a pretty dark song but really good stuff. The other Stabilo song that is on my heavy rotation playlist is Everybody.  EVERYBODY  As far as I can tell If It Was Up To Me wasn´t one of Stabilo´' s hits.  However, Ev...

Read About Love - Richard Thompson British singer/songwriter Richard Thompson is pretty famous in the UK but as far as I know he isn't exactly a household name in the US.     He has a lot of cool songs and he is a really good guitarist.    However, for me there is only one Richard Thompson song that I listen to on a regular basis, Read About Love.  It's from the album Rumor and Sigh his sixth solo album which was released in 1991 on the Capitol label. The album was pretty successful and it even got nominated for a Grammy. The song is about a poor kid who learns about love (sex) by reading magazines and books.  It's funny because it's true, as they say.    How many of us have learned about "love" through less-than-ideal sources?   I know I did.  So I hope you enjoy this song and maybe you can learn something.

All right, this is an easy  one.  If you have never heard of this series of skits inspired by the S~M~O~O~T~H music of the 70s and 80s then you are in for a major treat.  If you have already watched it I encourage you to watch it again as it is as good, if not better, the second time around.  The series was written, directed and produced by J.D. Ryznar.   Check out his YouTube Channel. The series debuted on Channel 101 which is a non-profit monthly short film festival in Los Angeles.    If you have a highly developed sense of humor and/or the necessary free time then  I recommend you check it out.

Here is an example of a group that I like but I only know one of their songs.    They probably have some other interesting stuff so if you are familiar with other cool songs by The Avalanches please leave a comment and let me know. There really isn´t much to say about this song.   I find it catchy, hilarious and very original.   The samples sound like they came right out of some old movie.   I don´t know if they are taken from a real source or if they are just copying the  style of these old films.    Again, if anybody knows leave a comment and let me know. Here is my favorite video of the song. There is also the original video for this song. Enjoy!

Hello, this is the first installment of my attempt to organize and share my favorite songs, especially those that are  lesser-known.   I´ve started with Ani DiFranco because alphabetically it makes sense and Ani is one of those artists that has a huge body of work.    If you are a new fan where do you start?   Well, my favorite songs come from around the time of the albums Imperfectly, Not A Pretty Girl, Out of Range, Dilate and Little Plastic Castles., so basically the 90´s.   She has released a lot more stuff since then and I´ve tried to listen to all of it but none of the newer stuff has resonated with me as much as these older albums.   Specifically,  I am going to start by recommending one of my all-time   favorite Ani song´s, Fuel.  It is from Ani´s 8th studio album Little Plastic Castles which came out in 1998.     The title track from this album is also a personal favorite. ...