Musings of a Punk Rock Father

My last random ten of 2005.

The Nomads - Frying Pan
From their fantastic double CD comp "Showdown." I think it's weird how often Nomads songs pop up on my Random Ten lists.

The Nomads - Let's Go to the Dragstrip
Speak of the devil. This tune is off a Gearhead Records comp that also includes Gas Huffer, the Dragons and the Donnas among others.

Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley 1969
Nice to see some blues in here to shake things up. I think I had a Bo Diddley song from this Chess boxed set pop up before.

Stevie Wonder - Isn't She Lovely
Again, Stevie is all Melanie's. This is Mel's favorite Stevie Wonder song, I think because it came out the year she was born, and it's about one of Stevie's children.

Helmet - Rude
I recently had a dream wherein I went to a Helmet concert, and they began playing "Bad Mood" off their first album, "Strap It On." In the dream, none of the audience knew the song, and it made me mad, and I started doing weird hardcore moves in the pit, flailing my arms around and hitting people. Anyhow, "Rude" is also from "Strap It On," and I love this record immensely.

Bantam Rooster - Soul-Phisticate
Bantam Rooster is a drum n' guitar duo like the White Stripes, and is a band that I think deserves the attention that the White Stripes got. They play down and dirty, raw, bluesy rock n' roll, the kind Crypt Records is best known for.

Gun Club - Carry Home
From Disc One of the 2 Disc set of demos called "Early Warning," which compiles early glimpses into Jeffrey Lee Pierce's genius. Some of these songs sound better here than on the studio albums.

Screeching Weasel - I Wanna Be a Homosexual
Ah, Ben Weasel. I don't know if he really does want to, but the song is so darned catchy. From the b-sides and rarities album "Kill the Musicians."

Misfits - Ghoul's Night Out
From the Misfits' "Collection I." I love the Misfits, and think it is a tragedy they were resurrected after the 1996 release of the coffin boxed set. Their album "Walk Among Us" is in my top 5 albums of all time.

The Feds - Waiting
Ken Weevils started the Feds after the break-up of the Bollweevils. I remember him telling me he was influenced mostly by Dag Nasty for this band. It is really catchy hardcore, I suppose you could call it melodic hardcore. The songs all stick in my head, in a very good way.

Have a happy New Year everybody.