Music from head to toe, part 3
Before we begin with Part 3, I’d like to include one song meant for Part 2 that I totally spaced. I had a “wrist” song and a “finger” song but totally forgot the “hand” song. So here is…
“Hand in Your Head,” Money Mark – Perhaps best known for his work with the Beastie Boys during the 1990s, Money Mark also has dropped several solo releases. This track originally appeared on his first solo LP, which was mostly just his voice, his multitudinous keyboards and a drum machine. The version you’re listening to is off his second full-length release, which featured an actual band: Mark on keyboards and vocals, Sean Lennon on guitar and bass, and Russell Simins (of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) on drums.
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Part 3 of Music from Head to Toe will include songs that reference the naughty bits. If you are offended by such words, then you’re probably not reading this Web log anyway, so suck it! As always, right-click to steal download.
“Monkey Hips and Rice,” Dub Narcotic Sound System – For some, the vocals of Calvin Johnson (formerly of Beat Happening and a founder of legendary indie label K Records) render Dub Narcotic unlistenable. I tolerate his “singing” only because I like the music so much. While this song isn’t their best example, DNSS’s whitey-funk can get you moving.
“Ms. Fat Booty,” Mos Def – Once considered the “little brother” of groups in the Native Tongues Posse, the multitalented Mos Def dropped his solo debut in 1999 on which this song appears. He’s also appeared in several movies (”Brown Sugar,” “Italian Job,” “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”) and will portray Chuck Berry in the upcoming “Cadillac Records.”
“Flies On My Dick,” Ween – As much as I enjoy Ween’s “White Pepper”-and-later era of more cohesive songwriting, I did become a Ween fan from their oddball, lo-fi and beautifully profane earlier work. “Flies On My Dick,” from 1992’s “Pure Guava,” has all those qualities in spades.
“Moist Vagina,” Nirvana – This song was released as the B-side to the “All Apologies” single from 1993. I can’t imagine why it wasn’t included on “In Utero.” Seriously, though… I think this is the perfect Nirvana song: soft/loud dynamics, AB song structure and minimal lyrics screamed repetitively. Plus, it’s called “Moist Vagina.”
“Pubic Enemy,” A Tribe Called Quest – Back in the late 1980s, many rappers cared enough about their listeners to remind them to always “pack the plastic,” if you will. “Pubic Enemy” describes the consequences of not wearing (or requiring Mr. Right Now to wear) a “Jimmy hat,” as it were:
Suddenly, she’s been distracted
By something that has been attracted
She poked and poked and smacked at it
Then she broke down and she scratched it
The original version appeared on ATCQ’s debut LP; this version is a remix that uses the bassline from “The Adventures of Super Rhyme.”
“Pink Eye (On My Leg),” Ween – I suppose this song could have worked for Part 1, too. If you have a dog(s), you might want to get them out of the room before you play this, lest they start barking, too.
“Eight Feet Under,” NIL8 – It really is a shame that NIL8 didn’t become a nationally known rock band. Beloved here in Springfield, NIL8 are well-known around the Midwest but couldn’t quite break through nationally. It wasn’t for a lack of effort on the band’s part, though. Shameless name-check alert: In high school, the rock band I was in had the good fortune to open for NIL8 on many occasions, including the 1992 Hobgoblinspookadelic at the Hilton, of all places.
Well, that’s it. I hope you enjoyed listening to the songs as much as I did compiling them. Invaluable assistance provided by Audio Player, Zamzar (recommended by Shoo), Skreemr (recommended by Reverend Dave) and Hotlinkfiles.com.
