"Forever Young" by Young Hines

from Octagon

This guy I know in Chicago earns a living pretenting to be John Lennon, but does his own tunes on the side, many of which are very, very good. Guy is prepping his second self-released CD, and recently threw together this creative YouTube clip for this infectious, semi-autobiographical ditty. Easily the best use of a Mr. T action figure in a music video ever, and not at all bad for something he and his girlfriend put together in their living room in an afternoon. (At least that's my understanding.) If you like it, why not consider helping the guy out by buying a CD or passing along a booking tip?

"Serre-moi, griffe-moi" by Claude François

from a L'olympia

Claude François at the Olympia in Paris, 1969. The Band steps out first and cuts right into some crazy faux-soul intro schtick, complete with a pair of face-melting bass breakdowns. Then the French teenyboppers go totally APESHIT as Clo-Clo storms out in his sequined suit and grabs the mic just in time to BUST on a next-level bananas, French-language version of "Bend Me, Shape Me" (translated here, for real, as "Squeeze Me, Slap Me"). You have to use your imagination to picture his background dancers, the Claudettes, doing some synchronized gyrating behind him. SIMPLY BANANAS. A fine $5.84 purchase from the Tower Records fire sale.

Squeeze Me, Slap Me

"The Songs That We Sing" by Charlotte Gainsbourg

from 5:55

Music by AIR, lyrics by Jarvis Cocker, vox by Charlotte Gainsbourg, nicely channeling her dad (Serge) and mom (Jane Birkin) on this import-only new album, with Nigel Godrich in full control of the sound board. Every bit as good as it sounds (and far exceeding the low expectations of folks who've had the misfortune to hear Charlotte's super-sketch 1984 duet with her dad, "Lemon Incest").

Digging the glockenspiel vibes on this track.
The Songs That We Sing

"There's Nothing That I Can Do For You" by Pete Dello & Friends

from Into Your Ears

Another solo outing from a member of The Honeybus, this time from main man Pete Dello. I will give $5 to any Chimney who can get this song out of his/her head by bedtime tonight.

I paid beaucoup dollares to order this album from Japan. It took more than two months to arrive. Shortly afterward, I discovered that I could have downloaded the entire thing for free here.

"See the Light" by The Flame

from The Flame

Blondie Chaplin reports for duty as the Riffmeister General on this track, produced by Carl Wilson. Barely mind the Ringo fills on the trap kit by Rikki Fataar. The coda on this track sizzles. Dig it.

"Just Like Me" by Colin Hare

from March Hare

Colin Hare of the Honeybus goes all country on your ass on this cut from his unexpectedly brilliant (if expectedly forgotten) solo album, 1971-style. If you like this, download the entire album here.

Just Like Me

"Fifty States of Freedom" by Brewer & Shipley

from Tarkio

It's pretty hard to feel more free than sailing in for your last day at a job you don't like. By month's end, I'll be throwing the last of my worldly goods into my car and heading back east after six years in the Midwest, traversing several of the Fifty States of Freedom. Amen, brother.

"You Can't Do That" by The Beatles

from A Hard Day's Night

Had the most sublime and surreal of Saturday nights. I went to a casino to see my favorite Beatles tribute band and, long story short, my friend and I ended up hanging out afterward with John Lennon and George Harrison* at the casino bar and, later, a Waffle House until 4 a.m. They were totally nice guys, very down-to-earth and not at all "egotistical," "stand-offish" or "dead," as they are often portrayed by the mainstream media. Anyway, watching these guys tear through their first set reminded me how much I love the early Beatles. Not to take anything away from the later Beatles. But the early tunes have energy that is missing from some of the later stuff, I think.
You Can't Do That.
*Not the actual John Lennon and George Harrison

"Sing Little Bird Sing" by The Left Banke

from The Left Banke Too

Been delving a little deeper into the Left Banke catalogue recently. I used to think that their later material wasn't worth spending a lot of time with because it wasn't written by Mike Brown, who was responsible for all of the amazing songs and arrangements on their first album. But the second album has its moments, such as this one. Lovely.
Sing Little Bird Sing

"I Remember Caroline" by The Honeybus

from Story

Cannot get enough of the Honeybus these days. Soft Rock Chimney tones for days on this, their only album, from 1970 (included in its entirety on the mind-melting "She Flies Like a Bird" comp). McCartney worship at its finest.
I Remember Caroline