Sugarman :: Rodriguez

I heard the song "Sugarman" this morning and was so taken by it that I ditched the post I had planned on for today, and whipped together this quick little one just to get the song out there. Dreamy and dazey, syrupy and swooney, and full of horns, motown beats, delightfully psychedelic sound effects, and overt drug references, "Sugarman" represents a whole different era of songwriting. I loved his voice.

I had never heard of him before, but apparently, I'm not the only one. Rodriguez (Sixto Diaz Rodriguez) is a musician from Detroit that, after the 1969 debut of his home-recorded album Cold Fact, totally vanished from the American music scene. Oddly, he became wildly popular in South Africa and New Zealand, but never really gained much popularity in the U.S. Recently, the album resurfaced and was reissued, and the now 66-year-old Rodriguez had his U.S. concert debut over the summer.

Find out more about Rodriguez in this great NPR radio broadcast here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94076306

or this little blurb on The FADER...
http://www.thefader.com/articles/2008/7/21/freeload-rodriguez-sugar-man

Then, listen to the song here!

LYRICS:
Sugarman
Won't ya hurry
Coz I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin
Won't ya bring back
All those colours to my dreams
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
Met a false friend
On a lonely, dusty road
Lost my heart
When I found it
It had turned to dead, black coal
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
You're the answer
That makes my questions disappear
Sugarman
Coz I'm weary
Of these double games I hear
Sugarman (x7)
[....fade to echo]
Sugarman
Won't ya hurry
Coz I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin
Won't ya bring back
All those colours to my dreams
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
Met a false friend
On a lonely, dusty road
Lost my heart
When I found it
It had turned to dead, black coal
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
You're the answer
That makes my questions disappear
[....fade to echo]

All Over Again :: Locksley

My posting for this week again forces me to acknowledge (or perhaps publicly embrace?) my extreme nerdy-ness. I first encountered this band in fall, when I attended an (ahem...) Hanson concert. I had just moved to Columbus, Ohio and Hanson was on tour, making stops in Ohio. I was debating whether or not I should go (as I mentioned in an earlier post about Hanson's song "Great Divide," coming out of the closet about these types of things can be a big decision...) when a fellow Lutheran Volunteer Corps alum from D.C. told me that Hanson's opening band on tour, Lockslyy, were friends of hers from high school. I felt that it was fate, bought my ticket, and headed over to the Newport Music Hall. I feel that opening acts are often hit or miss, and sometimes easily forgettable, since the audience is usually just holding its breath, waiting for the main event. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Locksley's music and was genuinely sad to see their set end. Their music is reminiscent of 1960s era pop rock, perhaps best described the way they explain it on their Myspace page, "Beatles mixed with Modern Garage Rock." At any rate, being a sucker for good vocal harmonies and catchy melodies, I love it. I'm posting the following song because I find the video rather hilarious, but I would highly recommend checking out other songs from their "Don't Make Me Wait" album, including the title track and songs called "Let Me Know" and "She Does." They've got a bunch up on their Myspace, myspace.com/locksley, so be sure to give them a listen! They also have a brand new album called "Garage Sale," songs from which are also on their Myspace page.

Here's "All Over Again" - enjoy!


"All Over Again"
You all say the things you mean, so you can see I've had enough of you.
Well you want everything to seem like everything's alright but that's not true.
So my friend, is this the end of everything you thought that you would be?
Oh all you love has come and gone, and now I know exactly what to do.
You're gonna gonna gonna,
Have to start all over again.
Well if you wanna see this thing through,
To the end.
You need to need to need to,
Find a friendly hand.
You're gonna gonna gonna,
Have to start all over again.
What do you think hiding all your feelings deep inside will get you through?
The time has come to snap my thumb behind the place you're hiding your feelings.
You are just the sum of things, you feel it, all the memories you keep.
Well you are young and dumb but there's still time to get that heart up off your sleeve.
You're gonna gonna gonna,
Have to start all over again.
Well if you wanna see this thing through,
To the end.
You need to need to need to,
Find a friendly hand.
You're gonna gonna gonna,
Have to start all over again.
Start over again X2
Start over again (start all over again) X3
Start over again (start. all. over)