"Stand Up Tall And Scream And Shout About It": Songs of the Week

This week's short playlist revolves around planets, not unlike forest moons and/or space garbage.

Up first, we have a live version of one of the greatest power pop punk anthems of all time: "Another Girl, Another Planet" by The Only Ones off their 1978 self-titled debut. This song is so excellent, Blink 182 tried to ruin it by covering it several years ago. It's so excellent, there are 2 entries on iTunes which rank higher by that accursed band than the original Only Ones version. B****-1** almost succeeded in destroying this song, but not quite. I've said it before: of the postmillenial (no, not the return of Jesus. Unless he came back in 2000, but I don't recall that) pop punk bands that once and for all killed the genre, I find Blink 182 one of the least objectionable. Hey, they can be pretty catchy without being 100% ball-less (only about 85%).

But you remember what a crap band they actually are when you hear them cover a song and quite literally strangle all of the life out of it. I hear their version of this classic, and I want to kill them. I've only heard their cover recently, and it's so clean, crisp, and without any personality whatsoever it's almost tragic, but entirely unexpected from the standard bearer of the current crop of personality-free SoCal style pop punk bands. However, not to worry. The Only Ones are about to teach you why this song has had such staying power. Just check the imeem player o'er yonder. To give myself away completely, I will confirm that I consider this to be one of the greatest songs ever recorded.

Next up, we have a somewhat internationally obscure band, but fairly well known in their native Ozzy, The Scientists. The Saints and Radio Birdman were more famous, but The Scientists recorded some fine material. The song is "Pissed on Another Planet" off an early EP of the same name they recorded in 1979 but wasn't released until 1990. The Scientists are a garagey pop punk band from Perth, Australia, also known as "you could travel a million miles in any direction and still be nowhere" City.

Next, Montreal ska revivalists The Planet Smashers. Please, don't kill yourself by puking yet. Ska revival is pretty worthless. Even the good bands are pretty bad. That being said, of that genre, the Planet Smashers are probably the best I know of. The song is "Blind" off their 2001 album No Self Control. I remember when this video would come on MusiquePlus when I was living in Montreal. The video featured Japanese anime cats. See?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyMubC9vgPc

I've always really liked this song, even though I fully understand I'm not allowed to like 3rd Wave ska revival and in general I support that position.

Lastly, "3rd Planet" by Modest Mouse, off 2000's The Moon & Antarctica. Of popular Modest Mouse songs, this one isn't a favorite. But when faced with an arbitrary playlist theme of one's own creation, what can one do but give in? And who is one? Is it me? I just blew my own mind.

Planets. See? I told you. Tracks 48-51 on the player to your upper right. And only this not-great MM song is a mere 30 second clip.