April- Josh "El Touchy"

1. Louie Louie El Touchy
Opening track to Louie Louie’s 1974 album Touchy. Probably the best one-man band I’ve ever heard, Luis Johnson is an obscure LA musician, screenwriter, and painter. They say he still plays in lounges, country clubs, and restaurants. Maybe one day, we can touch…

2. Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele Meet Me in the Garden
This guy lives near Oxford, MS. His new album is on rotation at the radio station. This is the only cut that’s really grabbed me so far. I like the “every other Friday” part and the fact that it turns into a Beach Boys song.

3. Lee Hazelwood Tulsa Sunday
This is from 13, the most over-the-top stuff I’ve heard from this consistently over-the-top artist. I’d recommend it for it’s lush production and the absence of the cute spoken introductions that slowly get on your nerves over the course of Trouble is a Lonesome Town.

4. Arthur Russell Hey! How Does Everybody Know?
1951-1992. The wikipedia article on this guy links to the following topics: Oskaloosa, Iowa; Allen Ginsburg; Columbia University; Ezra Pound; minimalism; The Modern Lovers; Talking Heads; Nicky Siano; Gloria Gaynor; no wave; Phillip Glass; Chicago house… Anyhow, this guy was good. Most of his work was in dance music, but last year’s collection, Love is Overtaking Me is mostly in the rock/folk area.

5. Jerry Williams Shipwrecked
Williams is also known as “Swamp Dogg.” The recent anthology of songs written and recorded by this genius is full of stuff like this. He’s been around a long time, and is apparently still going strong. “Shipwrecked” is from 1968.

6. Phil Ochs Half a Century High
“In the tube where I was grown, I was alone.”

7. MV & EE with the Golden Road The Hungry Stones
I like this because it’s basically a Neil Young song. From the recent album Drone Trailer. Somehow, this is the only six minute song I put on this disc, mostly because I didn’t have a longer version of “Walk On By.”

8. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy Hard Life
I’m hoping that putting this song on here will help me quit listening to it. If I could play a clean Bb-maj, I’d sing this to myself every night before bed. This is from the 2003 album, Master and Everyone.

9. ¡¡¡Surprise!!!

10. What It’s All About Girl Talk
OK, when you’ve recognized every sample, send me the list on the back of a postcard. Winner gets a prize. Girl Talk is a DJ.

11. Voltage Hold On I’m Comin’
Rarely, does a garage rock cover really offer anything to the soul original. Then, every once in a while, a Japanese group nails a Sam and Dave song, and it shows up years later on a comp of Japanese garage rock called G.S. I Love You.

12. The Monks I Hate You
Recorded after their 1999 reunion. The band formed when they were all GI’s stationed in Germany. This is no edgier than their mid-60s recordings. Talk about anticipating punk!
13. Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra Music to Watch Girls By
The CD this comes from, a collection of Cugat’s work, fell into my hands one day at WXYC as I was getting ready for my show. I ripped it to my computer but haven’t seen it since. It’s a mystery. I do know that there’s a synthed-up version of this tune called “Music to Watch Space Girls By” on the Leonard Nimoy album, Mr. Spock’s Music From Outer Space. It is also very good.

14. The Beastie Boys The Sounds of Science
I’m ready for the world to discover the Beastie Boys again. This track comes from their second album and greatest masterpiece, Paul’s Boutique. Among other things, the song features samples from at least two Beatles songs.

15. Miss Abrams & the Strawberry Point 4th Grade Class Floating Away
This is from the CD rerelease of the class’s 1970 self-titled album. Rita Abrams was a folk singer in Boston before she was a school teacher in California. The demo for her first single was cut with kindergarteners, but they were a little to excitable for a real recording session. The kids behind her on the single, “Mill Valley,” were in third grade at the time, but had graduated to the fourth grade by the time they went into the studio for the rest of the tracks. Crazy, right?

16. Love Maybe the People Would be the Times
Or Between Clark and Hilldale
A nice peppy one from Forever Changes.

17. Yo La Tengo Floating Hippo
Didn’t my dad put on so Yo La? They’re just about the best. I was leaning toward their cover of “I’m Your Puppet.” There’s at least three great versions of that song, but I guess I forgot to put it on.

18. Isaac Hayes Walk On By
The version on Hot Buttered Soul clocks in at 12 minutes. This is the single version of the Bacharach standard, originally popularized be Dionne Warwick. I know a woman who doesn’t like Burt Bacharach. She says that I don’t understand because I didn’t live through it. I guess she doesn’t understand pop.

19. Digable Planets (feat. Jazzy Joyce) 9th Wonder (Blackitolism)
Blowout Comb is an incredible hip-hop album. “Dog It” was also up for consideration. 1994.