MP3 Truffles: Rest In Peace, dear friends

I am still sad about Anna Nicole and hanging on all the details: the riveting 9-1-1 call ("She's, um, actually Anna Nicole Smith" "Oh...OK."), the contents of her death fridge (methadone, sure, but what about that mysterious bottle of spray butter?), and her status as our one and only National Courtesan. I'm not so interested in the baby thing, because that poor kid is just fucked no matter what what happens next. So, now that the news has hit and the media is still reeling (conversation in the newsroom: "Iraq closes its borders? Whatever. We need to scoop that Barbi Twins interview!"), let the tribute songs begin. First out of the gate is the poignant The Hole in the Soul (of Anna Nicole) from Dr. BLT (aka Dr. Bruce L. Thiessen, Songwriter, Singer, Psychologist).

But Anna isn't the only thing that passed away this week. There was also the untimely demise of one of my favorite blogs, Post-Punk Junk. First came the declarative statement of "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!!  IT’S THE END!!!!", followed by the virtual *poof* of a blog deleted by it's overzealous server. In tribute to a fallen brother, I'm reposting some tastes of their recent selections that remained in my music library. Of course, now I'm wishing I downloaded a lot more... 

PPJ MP3s and more Truffles for this week after the jump.

Cassette Boy, Fly Me To New York
"This British cut-and-paste duo who first really burst onto the scene a few years ago with the scathing compilation “The Parker Tapes”, have produced the funniest audio satire I’ve ever heard. EVER. Hands-down. The duo’s absolute finest moment is a track called “Fly Me To New York”, a balls-out fuck-you to every last one of us here in America."

Touch Tone Surfers, Jocko Homo
"Back in late ‘78, KROQ hosted a contest wherein the top dozen local bands that had the best Devo covers would get their track on “Devotees”, which was one of the very first LP releases by Rhino Records... My favorite has to be the version of “Jocko Homo” done by someone or some group called The Touch Tone Tuners; it’s nothing but push-button phone tones as the backing music for somewhat drunken warbling."

Teddy and the Frat Girls (aka Sheer Smegma), Alophen Baby
"One of my absolute favorite funny dirty songs...its puerile lyrics never fail to make me want to shout along to them, regardless of the furious stares I’m sure I would receive from passersby as I ride to work on my bike with the song blaring in my headphones."

Snowy Red, Still Human
"Snowy Red, from Belgium, was a one-man band whose sound is reminiscent of other cold/minimal wave acts like The Normal and Metal Urbain, but what sets this album apart is an urgent sense of menace. My favorite is the epic “Still Human”, propelled by one single electronic fanfare loop and a synth drum track that features a sound effect that sounds exactly like a ping-pong ball bouncing up and down on a table." More Snowy Red here.

Null and Void, I Can See What's Happening
Berlin, Talk Talk Video
“The Up Another Octave Transmission”, is a KNAC-sponsored compilation featuring one side of synth-pop and cold wave acts, and another side of slightly more accessible power pop. Whenever this pretty rare record gets mentioned on the Internet, it’s usually in reference to it featuring a track by a then-unknown band you might’ve heard of called Berlin, but the real gem on here is “I Can See What’s Happening” by a group I know nothing about called Null and Void. The song is somewhat average, except for its first half, which features some of the greatest and most beautiful bloodcurdling shrieks I’ve ever heard committed to tape."

PFFR, Sparse Party
"It took me a little while to realize that the same folks responsible for PFFR are also the creators of “Wonder Showzen”. Instruments trail off into dubby echo for no reason, electronic drum beats are purposefully(?) left occasionally misprogrammed, lyrics are infantile — it all adds up to utter flailing nonsense. Which makes me smile."

Paul Stanley's stage rants  1  2  3
“Sounding less like the front-man for an internationally known rock megaband than a shrill Christopher Street queen stuck outside a club at three in the morning, frantically searching on the wet pavement for the last few poppers that accidentally flew out of his hand onto the ground.”

Loose Shoes
"A dusty VHS tape buried in the stacks at my workplace (a speciality video rental store in L.A.), stuck in the Bill Murray section...The meaning of the film’s title refers to the only truly funny sketch in the whole mess of an unfunny movie. I’m not going to say any more about it, except for YOU MUST STOP EVERYTHING ELSE THAT YOU’RE DOING AND DOWNLOAD THIS SONG RIGHT NOW!!!!"

From the comments comes this link to the Loose Shoes scene on You Tube. The visual makes it even better, as the whole piece is a great spoof on Cab Calloway (and, more specifically, on white perceptions of black culture).

All comments above from the original Post Punk Junk posts. We'll keep you posted if they return. I hear that you should keep your google pointed at the phrase "Egg City", but that it will be more about podcasting and such.

Also around the internet this week:

• A look at the Last Poets.
• The score to a movie that tainted me as a child, The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of Yik-Yak, starring that tawdry Tawny Kitaen.
• D.I.Y. Nederpunk with Pistache BV or Deutschpunk from EA80.
• Ethel Merman disco!
• I know they are sell outs, but they are also still hot chicks who rock. B sides and covers by The Donnas.
• Music for Maniacs just added a kid category, which means it's easier than ever to build that junior high school musical covers collection. 
• But nothing beats Otis Fodder's free on-line record store, Comfort Stand, and their massive collection of the works of Dondero High School.
• Shorty Long's classic album Here Comes the Judge.
• Question: What was worse than a new album from the Jefferson Starship in 1986?

I put a bunch of great links on the back burner, so expect more next week.

Comments

[Taro at news.3yen.com (Tokyo)]

"LOOSE SHOES, TIGHT PUSSY AND A WARM PLACE TO SHIT" is a gr-r-reat song even though that 1980 movie was only recorded in mono.

One problemo:
Who performed the song?

I found the YouTube of it, which shows the all black, Cab Calloway type big band was performing a musical short called "Dark Town After Dark."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJYRJhopcy4

That movie seems to have two different versions of the "Loose Shoes" song! According to the people who posted this video on YouTube...

" this version is not the original which featured three blacks spoofing an all black Cab Calloway type big band. "

"...I would still like to see the original version of this. I know there was one before this one and it involved a shorter guy with a top hat...."

[Hell's Donut House]

I found a $1 DVD of Loose Shoes (the main menu reads Loose Shose) at my local grocery store, so keep your eyes open...

[Taro at news.3yen.com (Tokyo)]

I received an email message from the son of the movie's producer (YouTube name "Mr1d8"). Mr1d8 said....
"David Downing played the singer:
http://imdb.com/name/nm0236089/
and I think it was written by Murphy Dunne and Ira Miller."

The purpose of "LOOSE SHOES, TIGHT PUSSY AND A WARM PLACE TO SHIT" seems to be according to the YouTube poster "bhigheart": A spoof on President Gerald Ford's Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz who thought he knew what would satisfy the "negroes."

Another YouTube commenter "batguano" wrote:
I had to look up Butz' actual quote. "I'll tell you what the coloreds want. It's three things: first, a tight pussy; second, loose shoes; and third, a warm place to shit." Knowing that makes this little song the perfect response.

Read all the YouTube comments at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJYRJhopcy4

[Jeff Gee]

Hey, there's no link for "a look at the Last Poets!"

[ResidentClinton]

Fixed it! Thanks.

[JoJo]

It is sad about post-punk junk being no more... But check out this blog,,,, MUTANT SOUNDS... Amazing stuff,,, NWW list and all... Uber obscure stuff.
http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/

[lee]

yep. dollar store. loose shoes. DVD. priceless. but try to find the double feature one with ''Boob Tube'' . a truly great softcore movie. maybe best ever.

[Jim Gellerman]

Hi,

I just want to thank your station and your wonderful blog for archiving the song "Loose Shoes." I've been looking for that song for years and years! Now
I know where I can find the extraordinary and worthwhile, WFMU!

Sincerely,

Jim Gellerman