If Jerry Lee Lewis were a college girl in 1996, he'd have been coming up with this. It's a highbrow secular gospel song, a confession. For being about a guy, it's very church-y, spilling her guts in confession. "I need to be redeemed to the one I've sinned against."
The melody is highly memorable, and the spiritual fire burns hot, right through the complicated twists of melody and that excellent piano coda.
"If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day" by the Asylum Street Spankers
I've spent a lot of time lately with the Asylum Street Spankers' awesome Re-assembly concert DVD. They're so good in so many ways. They have a strong comedy quotient, and pretty much every group member has at least one groovy original composition about gettin' high — for example, the song "Gettin' High."
But these people are serious frickin' musicians, and it's no joke when Guy Forsyth lays down the guitar of damnation, raining razor sharp shards of blues judgment that will put the fear of God into an atheist. This may be the best performance of the Robert Johnson classic that I've ever heard.
"Hee-Haw Breakdown" by Nolan Cormier & The La Aces
I've got no idea who this Cormier guy is, but this song can be found on a 2002 album of Cajun classics. I think I found this while hunting p2p for Stringbean.
Anyway, this does not particularly seem to have anything to do with the TV show, but it's a good piece of Cajun willfulness, built around the imitation of a bucking mule.
"Don't Trust Them New Niggers Over There" by Uncle Ruckus
In theory, this really isn't much of a song. It's just a few lines put together for a cartoon. Probably wouldn't be that interesting just plopped down blindly in front of me, but it carries a lot of weight in the context.
This is from the pilot episode of the Boondocks TV series. The Freemans show up for a fancy garden party at the home of the banker who owns their mortgage — only to be targeted for nutsy racial stuff by the crazy old black guy working security.
Uncle Ruckus has completely internalized every worst bit of residual racism in the culture, a survivor of Jim Crow eaten up with self-hatred. All this weird shame comes to a head as a very drunk Ruckus jumps up on the stage in front of all the rich white folks to sing a new song he just wrote. Pointing at the Freemans, he sings "Don't trust them new niggers over there, leaving their nigger essence in the air." Then he passes out on the lawn.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
Oh, Al, they got to you too?
Is nothing sacred anymore?
2 - Christopher Rose
Don't worry, Suss, I'm with you. Enough of this list madness!
3 - Al Barger
It's not my fault. That evil Miss Sadi made me do it. Like David Byrne's "Animals," she's setting a bad example. That'll have to go on the next list.