Comfort Eagle

Going back to the Alt Rock genre today for a band I had posted about years back. Cake have been around since '91 and love em or hate em they seem to have a way with releasing really infectious singles. Formed in Sacramento CA in the early 90's, Cake has draw from several different musical styles to create their brand of Alt Rock. Their fourth record, 'Comfort Eagle', shows off the the unique styles that blend together to create a great record.

Perhaps best known for their song "The Distance", the band gained attention from the song and their album 'Fashion Nugget'. The band had moderate success following that release. Lineup changes and a long wait between releases however seemed to have hindered the band some. The band since '94 have only issues six studio records, a b-Sides/Compilation record, a Live album and two EPs. So it seems that once ever few years the band makes some sort of a comeback and releases another catchy song. This was evident with the 2001 release of 'Comfort Eagle'. The lead single "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" became a instant catch with the quirky video that accompanied the track. The album also had some additional help with the tracks, "Meanwhile Rick James...", "Love You Madly" and the title track. The album was well received by critics and fans alike. Topping out at Number 13 on the Billboard charts, the album eventually went Gold. While a lot of people may not take to Cake, I'm still a fan and very much looking forward to the next catchy tune.

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Cab Calloway

Time to get back in the swing of things, pardon the pun, with the great American Jazz singer and band leader, Cab Calloway. While the name may not sound familiar, you are probably more familiar with his hit song, "Minnie The Moocher". The song of course featured in the classic film, The Blues Brothers. But beyond that Calloway made a name for himself and performed up until his death.

Calloway was nothing short of energetic with his unique scat Jazz singing. By 1930 he was a hit at New York's Cotton Club. His band featured the talents of Dizzy Gillespie, Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry. Calloway proved to be very successful early on at The Cotton Club. His success led to weekly radio broadcasts of shows. Along with Duke Ellington, Calloway gets credit for breaking down early racial barriers in music. In '31 he recorded his signature tune, "Minnie The Moocher" for a Betty Boop cartoon.  His unique voice allowed him to do early voice over work for cartoons as well as appear on film in shorts. Not to be outdone by his vocal abilities, Calloway could also move. He can be seen in early film shorts doing what essentially is an early version of the Moonwalk, a move later made famous by Michael Jackson. Calloway continued through the decade recording other hits like "Reefer Man", which is well about, well that's self explanatory. By '41 though he fired Gillespie from his band after an onstage spat which included spitballs and Gillespie stabbing Calloway in the leg. As the years went by, Calloway continued to make music and preform. By the '80's he was in demand from the likes of The Blues Brothers, Oingo Boingo to even Sesame Street and the WWF. The latter he served as a ref for a Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. Mr. T boxing match. Cab passed in '94 but his music and legacy lives on. 'The Best Of The Bog Bands: Cab Calloway' serves as a reminder of what a legend he truly was.

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Running On Empty

For some this record may not be a complete shock to be found in my collection. All things considered Jackson Browne has been widely regarded as one of the best singer songwriters of the times. So it's no shock to see his classic record 'Running On Empty' show up on the blog.

The late 60's saw Browne get his start with The Nitty Gritty Dirt bad in addition to writing material for other artists, including Nico. By the turn of the decade Browne had began to come into his own as a Singer/Songwriter. However in '77 Browne released a non-traditional "Live" album in 'Running On Empty' . The album in a sense was recorded during shows in addition to hotel rooms and tour buses. It remains a classic, giving Browne some of his best known songs in "Running On Empty" and the ode to the road crew "Stay/The Load-Out". The album initially hit Number 3 on the charts and stayed on the charts for an impressive sixty-five weeks. Currently 7X Platinum it remains Browne's best selling album to date.

While Browne continues to tour and record and be a political activist, this album for me will always remind me of growing up. This album was always in constant rotation and for good reason, it's a great record, simple as that. The voice and the soul of a man touring his way through the country shines through from the title track to the last track as he talks about packing it up and going on to the next gig. And again Browne is another musician who's not so serious that he can't make a little appearance in Springfield and visit The Simpsons.

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Seeds

Time to go back to the mid 90's. Ah such a glorious time. This time around we focus on a band that is really to me a one hit wonder kind of band. A band that most people have forgotten about I'm sure, so lets all fondly remember Brother Cane.

The name alone may conjure up a faint memory. If not the band may best be known for their hit track "And Fools Shine On". The band hails from Birmingham Alabama and started out in '90. It wasn't until '95 and their second album 'Seeds' that anyone seemed to take notice. The bands sound was a mixture of Grunge/Punk/Hard Rock. The band become a small hit on the Modern Rock Radio stations, but by '98 the band called it a day. A small reunion in '05 followed before a somewhat return to the scene in '11. 'Seeds' to me was a bit overlooked. The record starts out real strong with some decent track, but kinda loses some steam as it progresses. The album did peak at #184 on The Billboard 200. It seemed the band was poised to breakthrough, but it never really happened. Music fans may recognize Brother Cane's frontman/guitarist Damon Johnson. Damon toured with Alice Cooper for a number of years before joining Thin Lizzy full time. Thin Lizzy of course went on to retire the name and be reborn as Black Star Riders. After seeing Thin Lizzy a few years back, Johnson more than pulls his weight in the band and makes a fine fit. So enjoy a one hit band and fondly recall the glory days of the mid 90's.

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The Box Tops

Time to take a trip back to a time where jukebox's where relevant. The early Sixties in America brought a new wave of music to the masses. Music was simpler and there were so many groups that flew under the radar. The Box Tops were a blue-eyed soul/psychedelic rock back that came from Memphis TN. Perhaps best known for their hit "The Letter" and Guitarist/Vocalist Alex Chilton, the band had a steady career through the Sixties before calling it a day in the early Seventies.

The Box Tops sound came from a mix of Soul, Light Rock and some elements of psych rock. Led by Alex Chilton the band scored an early hit with "The Letter". They kept the success going through the end of the Sixties with other hits like "Cry Like A Baby", "Soul Deep" and their take on the Procol Harum classic, "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". The great thing about "The Letter" is that it's short and sweet. It clocks in at a hair under two minutes, yet was a big success. Proving sometimes you don't need a four minute pop hit in order to be successful. By The end of the decade the band was done, yet legal troubles allowed the band to continue under the same name with different members for a few years. Alex Chilton went on to play in Big Star and his solo trio in addition to producing band like The Cramps for a short time. In the mid '90s the band reunited and continued to tour and release new material up until Chilton's sudden passing of a heart attack in 2010. While widely forgotten, The Box Tops were a great group of the time and worthy of a jukebox spin today. So get familiar with the band with 1987's release, 'The Ultimate Box Tops'.

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One Fierce Beer Coaster

So its time to go back to the Alt genre. This time it's the Bloodhound Gang. Fair warning, it's gonna get childish up in here. Those of you may recognize the name from their hit song "The Bad Touch", but there's more to them then that track, maybe, just maybe.

Bloodhound Gang hail from the aptly named King Of Prussia, PA, taking their name from a PBS Kids show of all things. There's the child theme again. Started out in '91 but not releasing a debut til 95. The band didn't gain notice until their second album, 'One Fierce Beer Coaster', which gave us the timeless track "Fire Water Burn", you know the one you quote when you're dunk at a party, "the roof, the roof is on fire..", yeah that one. The album takes Alt rock and tosses in hip hop and lyrical innuendo and it comes out like, well something that's on constant rotation at a Frat House. Nevertheless the album works and it began a career for the band. This album draws influence from bands like the Beastie Boys, Weezer, and early Sugar Ray, all of which played an important role in the 90's alt rock scene. Bottom line the album is childish and at times down right funny. Look no further than references to The Pixies, Judas Priest, and more. And did I mention Vanilla Ice guests on this album?! That's right kids, fire up the beer bong and lets party.

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George Benson

Time to add some Jazz flare to the blog again. This time with a one time child prodigy and now ten time Grammy award winner, George Benson. Cutting his first single record at the age of ten, Benson has remained a constant in the Jazz world.

At seven George bought a Ukelele, at eight it was a Guitar, and by ten he was already recording. By the time twenty one hit, he had recorded a record as a band leader. By the mid sixties, Miles Davis was utilizing Benson's Guitar playing on his 'Paraphernalia' record. By the end of the decade Benson was covering The Beatles' 'Abbey Road' record and covering Jefferson Airplane. By the mid seventies Benson's critically acclaimed album 'Breezin'' would bring in a wider audience and he continued to work with other musical giants including Stevie Wonder. Since the 90's though Benson has transitioned into a more Smooth Jazz musical direction. Still ever popular, Benson continues to tour in support of his music. For the jukebox tonight though we showcase 'The George Benson Collection', the 1981 release which featured the new song and future number one R&B hit song "Turn Your Love Around". Great album for those rainy Summer nights.

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