Ear Worms-- What's Stuck in Your Head Today?

[man dough nollij]

I've had the jingle to the Home Depot radio commercials stuck in my head, and I'm sure I haven't heard it today. It's a jazzy little number, starting out with some keyboard noodling, then more instruments chime in. It's actually a nice little tune. If it doesn't stop soon, though, I might have to go buy some hardware...

[Dan Margolis]

Right now: "I've Been Everywhere" by Hank Snow.

[man dough nollij]

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's logistics...." ARGH! Make it stop!

[Mandoviol]

It's been swinging back and forth from Larkin Poe ("Long Hard Fall"/"Nothing But Air") to the Steeldrivers ("Can You Run?") of late, mixing itself with a little Tom Lehrer ("Lobachevsky").

What the heck is going on in that brain o' mine?

[Jim MacDaniel]

I'm not sure what's worse, having some obnoxiously catchy bit of nonsense stuck in my head, or a piece that I really admire and ordinarilly enjoy. In the case of the latter, Michael Kerry's Ruby & Rowan has been in frequent rotation in my head for going on four days now.

[journeybear]

This is so goofy, I don't know where to start.

OK. A month or so ago I got a facebook friend suggestion of Peter Stampfel, from The Holy Modal Rounders. They were a big influence on me - one of my favorite bands drew a lot of material from them, R. Crumb And The Cheap Suit Serenaders, and Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks; also, both jug bands I have been trace material back to them. So for him to accept my request was really cool, a real thrill.

As you might expect, he has a lot on his mind, and is pretty free about sharing it. A couple of days ago he started posting a few youtube videos; apparently he has been enjoying what he calls early 70s British bubblegum. This included the following, "Yellow River" by Christie. I had always thought of this more as folk-rock, but my response was that it was early power-pop. And in my mind, I have associated this with a bunch of other songs that hit the airwaves 1968-1970 and seemed to be a movement to return to a more acoustic-based sound, sort of reeling it back in after a few years of wilder and wilder electric experimentation. Anyway, being reminded of this light and lively number inspired me to look it up. Turns out it was originally recorded by The Tremeloes ("Here Comes My Baby," "Silence Is Golden"), but the lead vocals were wiped and replaced by Jeff Christie - thus it seems the band Christie was born. Weird. One of these days I must dig the LP out of deep storage and read the liner notes.

This led me to take a listen to "Here Comes My Baby," a snappy little number, with a whistle instrumental (second round even has whistle harmony), a forgotten favorite that was nice to revisit. Again, I learned something about it I had never known - it was written by Cat Stevens! So I had to look that up as well, and though it pales in comparison, and is clumsily produced to within an inch of its life, it has a third verse The Tremeloes didn't do, there are a few lyrical differences, and it was used briefly in "Rushmore" (not that I remember that). This musical excursion left me with TWO ear worms that have been duking it out in my brain ever since. So now, you too can enjoy! BTW, I still say "Yellow River" isnt bubblegum.

[bones12]

Dunbar, the fiddle tune, I heard this am from Big Medicine. It will stick for several days until the next fiddle tune replaces it. Doug in Vermont

[catmandu2]

I love the comment by someone: "Brotzmann and his no-practice tentette, plays the Gershwin song book"

[man dough nollij]

I watched this video about two weeks ago, and I've had the tune stuck in my head since. Complete with dubstep drops and distortion...

[Paul Kotapish]

Buddy and Julie Miller's cover of Richard Thompson's "Keep Your Distance." Zero mandolin content, but a great, melancholy rocker.

[Bob Bronow]

Saint Robinson in His Cadillac Dream - Counting Crows

[JeffD]

[QUOTE=catmandu2;962587]

Man alive. I would not want to have that stuck in my head.

[fatt-dad]

Ah, today I've been worm free (so far). But, the month of October I had a problem with the $5 Footlong's jingle.

f-d

[Mandolin Mick]

Clinch Mountain Backstep!

[Gerry Hastie]

Wayfaring Stranger by Funky String Band from the album ...And You May Find Yourself. Featuring Luke Plumb on his Gilchrist mandolin this album contains both covers and originals. Material is as diverse as Going To My Hometown (Rory Gallagher); Stardust; Cairo Waltz (Norman Blake) and Once In a Lifetime by Talking Heads. Luke's mandolin playing is to die for with his gorgeous tremolo. Vey much worth checking out.

[journeybear]

There is a TV appearance tomorrow that puts a smile on my face - Kathleen Edwards on Letterman. The Canadian singer/songwriter made a splash on the Americana charts with her debut in 2003 and the killer single "Back To Me." I haven't listened to the song in a while, and vaguely recall the rest of the album was pretty good, too, if not quite up to the standard of that country-rocker, but the bar was set pretty high. Looking forward to something new from her. While psyching up for this, I revisited the video to hear the song - and now it's stuck in my head, as is the guitar work. The video is an odd mixture of tongue-in-cheek irony and cliché, but the music rocks. And yes, that is John Doe as the hapless object of her desire:



And here is a clip from her appearance on Austin City Limits. The lead guitarist, Colin Cripps, has a great sound dialed in, full and still lean, like a pride of lions, growling in the background during the body of the song, then roaring when he takes his lead. Reminds me of ... Jeff Bird, actually. BTW, this is from a split bill with Alison Krauss in 2005, so there IS some MC after all ... sort of ...




Say - is it all right for a Canadian artist to be considered Americana? Would he/she have to be Canadiana? Is Americana derived from the term "America" as pertaining to the nation or the continent? What about South America? Never mind that, what about Mexico? Do Mexican musicians make Mexicana music? Where is Doug Sahm when we need him? Or Los Lobos, for that matter.

Discuss ...

[JeffD]

This delightful wonderful sweetheart of a waltz. I learned it last week and it has become a fixture in my brain.

[David Rambo]

"Drifting too Far from the Shore," first from the Pizza Tapes, and then Emmylou's version. They seem to alternate.

[Jim]

There's a fine version of "Drifting too Far from the Shore " from a band called "Steppin' In It." too.
Today "Here & Heaven" from Goat rodeo is stuck in there, beats the heck out of having some comercial stuck in there all day.

[Paul Kotapish]

This Walk off the Earth cover of a Goyte song has been stuck on autoplay for a few days now--it's so dang catchy and the arrangement is so much fun.

I think this video is a brilliant demo of how a good band finds individual parts that all work together to create a great whole. In this case these absolutely no room for anyone to step on anyone else's musical turf.

[Brent Hutto]

I've been learning to play the old standard "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" on piano and listening to an Ella Fitzgerald recording of it from back in the 60's. Once you get Ella's voice stuck in your head she definitely takes a while to let you go!

[Hendrik Ahrend]

My wife, who happens to be German, was singing "99 red ballons" the other day....in German, but i hate that song , in either language, and its stuck in my head., Nena....you are so cruel.

You are not alone, Barry. I'm German, but I don't care for Nena either. (Well, I don't hate that song, but I'm kind of indifferent towards it, which is probably even worse than hate, I'm afraid.) Two days ago, I found that "Dixieland for Me", sung by Doyle Lawson as a member of the Country Gentlemen, is a great song, and I can't seem to get it out of my head. Try that one Barry - and play that mandolin to it!
Hendrik

[timv]

Discuss ...

I'm also a fan. "In State" is probably the song of hers that's stuck with me the most.



More great guitar there from Colin Cripps (who is, I'm led to believe, her now-ex-husband.) From Failer, her first album, I might pick "Westby" as my favorite song. It's quite funny if you really listen to the lyrics.

Speaking of John Doe, this duet with him ("The Golden State') has gotten stuck in my ear for long periods a couple of times:



And her fourth album, Voyageur, is officially out January 17th; Uhh, that would be today, wouldn't it? I can't remember which pre-released songs I've heard but I like what I've heard from it so far.

[timv]

This one's got me at the moment:



Darrell Scott's website credits him with pedal steel guitar on that song, although Lloyd Green plays elsewhere on the album. And that's Rodney Crowell with the duet vocal. Tasty stuff...

[justkaron]

I've got...

When the evenin' song goes down, you're gonna find me hangin' round.
Oh, the night life ain't not good life but it's my life.

It can just stay there...... I'm not minding this one for a change.