Listen Up and I'll Tell a Story

No jinx this week, as I had feared in last week’s Shuffle. Unless you consider a 45% appearance rate by Beck a jinx.



“Round the Bend,” Beck
Beck successfully channels Nick Drake’s melancholia on this song from 2002’s Sea Change. In other news, Odelay is being reissued on January 29.

“Can’t Stop Thinking About Her,” The Red Button
Poptastic deliciousness by this duo from Los Angeles. Seth Swirsky is an accomplished pop songwriter, making music for people like Al Green, Rufus Wainwright, Jane Weidlin and a host of other artists. Mike Ruekberg is Alex Chilton reincarnated. Well, that is, if Alex Chilton were dead. Anyway, local music aficionados will remember Mike from his days fronting pop trio Rex Daisy. And who can forget his alter-ego Monty De Carlo in 2 Tickets 2 Paradise? Sweet.

“Story of an Artist,” Daniel Johnston
This song breaks my heart every time. As luck would have it, and as Christina Schmitt told us last week, Daniel Johnston is playing a gig at First Avenue in February. He epitomizes the term Outsider artist. The Devil and Daniel Johnston is an absolute must-see.

“The Slummer the Slum,” The “5” Royales
Making their second straight Shuffle appearance, this song is like a blueprint for the blues-rock that would follow in its wake. Plus, whenever I hear the word “roy-yal,” I think of this scene in Pulp Fiction. “Royale with cheese” does sound a lot more appetizing, doesn’t it?

“Iko Iko,” The Dixie Cups
The history of a song is always appealing to me. And this tune’s New Orleans heritage is particularly interesting.