Music Monday (I)

Well, folks, here it is. The first installment of Music Monday, where I tell you what you should be listening to instead of the boring old mix of 90's alternative and contemporary "Indie-Art-Experimental-Noise- ambient-dub-step-bluegrass" that is slowly but surely driving your iPod into a suicidal spiral. Lets waste no time, your ear-buds are tying themselves into nooses as we speak.

First off, lets bring up a blast from the past, to get you reminiscing about someone aside from Pearl Jam. Johnny Socko, a now defunct funk/ska band from Bloomington Indiana, was one of the hardest touring bands of the third wave ska revival and in my humble opinion one of the best. This track, "Sand Between My Toes" is a song that stuck with me, often invading my showers and road trips long after the disc was ruined as a coaster for a 40oz Olde English.

Sadly, the group broke up and then reformed as a Metal Band, but don't despair, Oh freinds of the swanky horn line, because some of their spirit still lives on in The Leisure Kings.

Next, lets move on to one of my recent favorites, French electroswing group Caravan Palace. I'm in love with the way they twist the classic swing sound and the modern electronica grooves so seamlessly, as if they were born to be together. And if the simple fact that the group formed for the purpose of providing sountracks to porn isn't enough to make you smile, check out this video for "Suzy".

Electroswing is a brilliant little genre, for those who care about such things as 'genres'. If we're talking genres, lets take a little side step over to Hip-hop Swing. Or maybe instead of side stepping we could try doing some of the batshit awesome charlseton moves that Movits! shows off in "Sammy Davis Jr." These Swedes aren't exactly obscure, having appeared on the Colbert Report as well as making several US and European tours, but I'm not here to lord obscure music over your poor unhip heads anyway. I'm here to put good music to your temple and dare you to dance. Actually, I dare you not to dance while you listen to this track.

Alright, go download those from iTunes, or Amazon or wherever and let these jams move you through the bleak seven day forecast you call a life, because the Doppler radar shows a horn front moving in and a 90% of swing.