This is Without Question the Cutest Thing I've Ever Seen

Jennifer Grey does Mickey Katz on the Conan show.

Regular rock -- by which I mean Byrdsian -- postings resume on the morrow.

God Damn, In Another Life I Would Have Made a Pretty Good Publicist!

The official press release I wrote for our just released Byrds tribute album.

THE FLOOR MODELS -- WORLD FAMOUS IN GREENWICH VILLAGE -- RETURN WITH "IN-FLYTE ENTERTAINMENT: A TRIBUTE TO THE BYRDS"

80s cult faves The Floor Models are pleased to call to your attention their fifth album, a salute to the Byrds. The band that made them want to make music in the first place.

Produced by band bassist (and veteran rock journalist) Steve Simels, In-Flyte Entertainment features cover versions of songs from four of the first five albums by the seminal folk-rockers. High points include re-imaginings of the obviously relevant "Chimes of Freedom" and the classic "You Ain't Going Nowhere," with special guest legendary rocker Willie Nile on lead vocals.

"The Byrds are one of the most important bands of the last 60 years," Simels said. "Who else influenced both the Beatles and the Velvet Underground? The answer is nobody. This new tribute album is, obviously, a labor of love and a dream project. We think we've done justice to the Byrds music; hopefully, when you hear it, you'll agree."

"In-Flyte Entertainment" is available for download and streaming at Spotify, iTunes, Pandora and most other digital platforms; actual CDs will be available at CD Baby and Amazon.

Heh.

Wassup? Psychedelically Speaking, of Course

And talking about the great Rob Laufer as we were the other day, with his astounding performance of The Lovin' Spoonful's "Darling Be Home Soon"...

...have I mentioned that Rob sings the vocals on track two from my old band The Floor Models new tribute album to The Byrds?

Pretty freaking great, I think. Those harmonies aren't on the original version, BTW, and I think the song's composer David Crosby would dig the hell out of them.

I should add that the album is rolling out on all the usual suspect digital platforms in the next few days, and a CD version will be available by the end of the week.

It's Lovin' Spoonful Tribute Concert Week: Part IV -- Special "Written Before Climate Change Became a Thing" Edition

From that 2020 Lovin' Spoonful charity show I've been bugging you about all week...

...please enjoy the Wild Honey Orchestra, with special guest Marshall Crenshaw, and the most goddamned gorgeous performance of "Rain on the Roof" ever heard by sentient mammalian ears.

As I suggested yesterday, if that doesn't reduce you to tears, seek immediate medical attention. It's a cliche, I know, but in this case it's utterly apt.

Meanwhile, have a great weekend, everybody. Coming on Monday: Something wholly other.

It's Lovin' Spoonful Tribute Concert Week: Part III -- When the Night Falls

From that 2020 Lovin' Spoonful charity show I've been bugging you about all week...

...please enjoy the Wild Honey Orchestra, with special guests 80s New Wave faves Wednesday Week and an astounding version of (for my money) the Spoonful's masterpiece "Six O'Clock."

I actually think, on balance, that this song is the Spoonful's greatest accomplishment in the studio, and yeah, yeah, I know, "Summer in the City". I just think this one is more evocative of New York at the time, and the air of desperation that hangs over it is really powerful.

In any case, these Wednesday Week kids sing and play the hell out of it.

I should also add that I am totally in love with the gal bass player in the men's suit stage right. Assuming she is a gal, and hell, even if she isn't.

Tomorrow -- another Spoonful classic in a performance that should reduce you to a puddle of goo. And I mean that in a good way.

It's Lovin' Spoonful Tribute Concert Week: Part II -- Blown to Smithereens

From that pre-pandemic 2020 Lovin' Spoonful charity tribute concert...

...we were discussing yesterday, please enjoy the Wild Honey Orchestra, fronted by Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken, and a transplendent version of the proto-country rock "Butchie's Tune."

Dennis, besides being a great musician and one of nature's noblemen, is an old friend. I should add that back in our Greenwich Village days, before the 'Reens got signed to a major label and became rock stars (the bastards), Dennis used to fill in on drums for the Floor Models when our beloved pal Glen Robert Allen was otherwise engaged.

Another performance from the Spoonful show tomorrow. And it'll blow your mind.

It's Lovin' Spoonful Tribute Concert Week: Part I -- And Speaking of Gorgeous

From early 2020, please enjoy The Wild Honey Orchestra -- featuring friend of PowerPop Rob Laufer on lead vocals -- and an utterly exquisite cover of the Spoonful's "Darling Be Home Soon."

Good thing Cars guitarist Elliot Easton got back from the mens room in time to do his Zal Yanovsky impression.

For the record, the WHO is a loose collective of superb musicians, mostly from Los Angeles, that gets together from time to time to do concerts, for charities, as tributes to the music of artists that influenced both them and the culture at large. This Spoonful tribute -- which took place just before the pandemic shut everything down, and which I would have absolutely killed to attend -- is particularly notable in that all three of said band's surviving members participated. More about that tomorrow.

I should add that Rob Laufer sings lead on a track from the forthcoming Floor Models tribute album to The Byrds, but we'll talk about that later.

Two Magazines I Need Subscriptions to Immediately!!!

Hint: I have a birthday coming up.

I should add that I want to be interviewed by both of those.

Weekend Listomania: Special "There's No Accounting For Taste!" Video Edition

[I originally posted this in 2009, back when this blog and the world were young. I've done a bit of re-writing, and I've swapped out several of the songs, all to make me seem less like the slacker I self-evidently am. In any case, enjoy! -- S.S.]

Well, it's Friday and you know what that means. Yes, my Asian fille de nuit manual catharsis manager Fah Lo Suee and I will be travelling to Washington, D.C., where we'll be staying at the spartanly-appointed digs of Sen. Lindsey Graham for some kind of stimulus package thing. Apparently, it involves my pants, but I'm not really sure what might be on the agenda above and beyond that.

In any case, posting by moi will necessarily be sporadic for a few days.

But in my absence, here's a fun project for us all to contemplate:

Most Inexplicably Fricking Hugely Successful Post-British Invasion Hit Singles of All Time!!!!

No arbitrary rules, but obviously we're talking about records whose massive chart success merely flummoxes you or (worst case scenario) actually strike you as some kind of crime against nature. Something so butt ugly or knuckle-draggingly stupid that after hearing it you despair of being human.

Or, you know -- just some piece of shlock pop fluff that got lucky.

And my totally Top of My Head Top Ten in the Hit Parade of Hell is --

10. Neil Diamond -- I Am I Said

"But no one heard at all/Not even the chair."

In the immortal words of Dave Barry: "Mr. Diamond, your Barcalounger on line three."

9. The Royal Guardsman -- Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron

If memory serves, I'd never seen what these guys looked like before finding this clip. But after viewing their moronically grinning mugs here I find myself even more annoyed by the song than ever. Frightening Fact: The original group reformed in 2006 to record "Snoopy Versus Osama," which was a big fave on the Dr. Demento Show, or so I hear.

8. Rihanna -- Umbrella

Gorgeous woman, lousy singer, skull-crushingly annoying song.

7. James Blunt -- Goodbye My Lover

I don't think I've ever heard a note from this guy that didn't make me want to go "What the fuck is that shit?". But this one is REALLY beyond the pale....

6. Celine Dion -- My Heart Will Go On

Apparently, the deal with this song is that she's recommending low-fat snacks and a heart-healthy diet rich in beta carotene. Other than that, I think it's inexcusable on a purely aural level.

5. Meat Loaf -- I'd Do Anything For Love

Seven plus goddamn minutes long, and when it's over you still have no idea exactly what he's talking about when he says "I won't do that." Take out the garbage? Vote Democratic? Divulge the secret formula that makes Orange Julius so devilishly delicious? C'mon, help us out here, Meat.

4. Megan Thee Stallion -- Savage

Never trust a woman -- or anybody -- who goes on Saturday Night Live and lip-synchs. Especially if the song is a piece of crap to begin with.

3. Billie Eilish -- Bad Guy

See: Stallion, Megan Thee.

2. Colbie Caillat -- Bubbly

Perhaps the lamest song of perhaps the lamest pop music decade (The Aughts) since the halcyon days of Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. Seriously, if the world was to come to an end tomorrow and I was forced to reflect on the 21st century, I would probably echo Isaac Bashevis Singer on the 20th: "On balance, a complete flop."

And the number one biggest piece of crap to become a gigantic hit apres the British Invasion, there's really no argument about this even remotely possible, obviously is...

1. Mike Douglas -- The Men in My Little Girl's Life

Creepy back when it came out in 1966; unspeakably creepy now.

Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!

The Family That Plays Together

From 2020, please enjoy Green Day's front guy Billie Joe Armstrong et fils and a totally rockin' live cover of "I Think We're Alone Now."

As I'm wont to say, words fail me. I mean, a) Billie Joe looks barely older than the kids, and b) they were apparently genetically bred to be his rhythm section.