Sleeper picks: "DiY: UK Punk I" (1993)

NICK DERISO: The Cars, at least early on, were a new kind of pop-rock ear candy. One with punky guts and art-rock pretention - without being pretentious. They took the Do It Yourself aesthetic and added the almighty hook.

For something a little more raw, head over to "DiY: UK Punk I" on Rhino, part of a sprawling ressiue series from the last decade. I also dig "DiY: UK Pop II."

Taken together, they're a nice overview of the British punk explosion and the last days of the UK power-pop days. There's some overlap, too -- at least in terms of attitude, and longevity.

A quick glance at the bands on these two albums says something: The Damned, the Sex Pistols, the Jam, the Boomtown Rats and Generation X were featured on the punk collection. Joe Jackson, the Records, Squeeze and XTC showed up on the pop CD.

This punk-and-pop business, in the end then, was no sputtering fad.

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Baby Boomer Bliss: The Cars let the good times roll again

by Pico

The Cars. Yeah, you heard of them. If you’re between the age of 35 and 55 you’re probably even muttering “sure, but they were way overplayed”. I know I’ve heard my lifetime quota of “Let’s Go” before 1981. But let’s face it, they were a damned good rock ‘n’ roll band. The one new wave group that non-new wave fans liked. Ric Ocasek’s jittery vocals alternating with Ben Orr’s smooth croon. Greg Hawkes’ icy but never overdone synths.

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DaSlobGuide: The Artwork of Robert Crumb

DERRICK: Occasionally jazz and blues fans need to be reminded that we don't have to limit ourselves strictly to musical recordings. Keep in mind there is plenty of great artwork available that would be a nice addition to any collection or music room. Of particular interest to me is the work of Robert Crumb.

Most are aware of Crumb as a founding father in the underground comics movement in the 60's or perhaps are familiar with his work in Zap Comix and characters such as Mr. Natural or Fritz the Cat. What you might not realize is Crumb has long been an avid music fan and has produced some fine work inspired by early jazz and blues artists that is to be recommended.

Crumb is apparently in possession of a notable record collection and hosted a BBC radio series featuring his favorite records as well as being a solid musician himself, producing three albums with his own band R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders featuring blues, jazz and novelty ragtime - a good enough band to turn down the chance to perform on Saturday Night Live in the 70’s and to reunite in the '90s for a performance on Garrison Keillor’s popular PBS radio program "A Prairie Home Companion."

Along with those albums, much of his blues & jazz artwork can still be had on sites such as Amazon.com and eBay for a reasonable price including the collections R. Crumb Draws the Blues and one titled simply Blues. Also something to consider is his Heroes of the Blues Trading Cards series.

An excellent value is R. Crumb's Heroes of Blues, Jazz, & Country (Hardcover), which also includes a CD of handpicked music by the artist.

A nice page of Crumb's musical art can be found here, including his complete Charley Patton Biography.

Crumb also worked on quite a few gig posters and album cover art most notably Janis Joplin/Big Brother and the Holding Company's Cheap Thrills and a really nifty one for Harmonica Blues: Great harmonica performances of the 1920s and '30s (Yazoo 1991).

Check this stuff out and see if you dig it as much as I do. If you are like me, you will find his style the perfect match for portraying the grit and grime of the early blues lifestyle.

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken."
- James Dent

Roger Waters, "Amused to Death" (1992)

NICK DERISO: Best to follow my musings on Barrett and Gilmour with a proper review of something from Roger Waters, the primary creative force in Pink Floyd from the early 1970s until 1983.

I chose his 1992 album "Amused to Death," since, like the great Floyd albums released so many years before it, Waters finally succeeds as a solo artist through a collaborative bond with a forceful and equally artful guitarist ... this time, Jeff Beck.

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