Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Peter Tosh Edition

Let’s pay tribute to a reggae pioneer, Peter Tosh. In the early ’60s, Tosh got together with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer to form the Wailing Wailers, a ska group that had some hits. But they splintered when Marley came to the States to live with his grandmother. He returned in 1968, and the band reformed as simply The Wailers, with the members dreaded out, adopting the Rastafarian religion, and slowing down to rock steady tempos. Tosh was a key figure in the band, because he was by far the most accomplished musician, and Wailer says Tosh taught Marley the guitar. Tosh wrote some of The Wailers early hits, but left the fold when Island Records head Chris Blackwell wouldn’t put out his solo album. Eventually, Tosh put out Legalize It and continued putting out quality reggae records until he passed away in the ’80s. Let’s pay tribute to Mr. Tosh by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.

1. The Fall — 2 X 4 (The Wonderful & Frightening World Of The Fall): In the early to mid-‘80s, Mark E. Smith remained the dominant voice in The Fall (because, of course, he has always been so and always will be), but his new wife, Brix, asserted a very large influence on the band. More recognizable melodies entered into the picture. And the song structures tightened up just enough, as exemplified by this song. This is basically the same Mancunian wobbly rockabilly the band had been doing from the beginning, but the rhythms are more together, there are handclaps, an emphasis on a cool bass riff and spirited garage rock backing vocals. This is a great Fall tune.
2. The xx — Basic Space (xx): While coming on a bit too late for the post-punk revival of the early aughts, The xx certainly fit in with those bands. The xx sound like a more accessible Young Marble Giants, as they build their sound on minimalist settings, but with a bit more melody and groove. This song has such a neat R & B groove, which tucks into the spare soundscape very effectively.
3. Husker Du — Too Far Down (Candy Apple Grey): There were some cries of sell out when Husker Du, on its major label debut, had the temerity to have songs that weren’t full of fuzzy, screaming guitars. But this was part of Bob Mould’s growth. While the acoustic guitar isn’t loud, Mould brings the same intensity to this lament.
4. Sam Phillips — I Just Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye To You (The Indescribable Wow): Leslie Phillips was a talented Christian rock singer who got T-Bone Burnett to produce an album for her. They really clicked, both musically and personally. Next thing you know, Leslie became Sam (and also became Mrs. Burnett) and Sam and T-Bone made ridiculously good sophisticated pop records. This was their first one, in which Phillips came up with what could be described as adult girl group songs, mixing sunny melodies with smart lyrics. This kicked off the album, and the song is practically all hook.
5. The Fall — Hit The North (The Frenz Experiment): Another Brix era Fall tune, this is about where the band started delving into dance music, yielding a minor hit single in England. The band finds a cool synth-horn driving rhythm, Smith rants over it and the chorus is football chant simple.
6. The Comfies — That’s What She Gets (Close To Me): A wonderful ’60s inspired pop tune from this Nashville band. This song has a strong Zombies vibe, with its air of foreboding and melancholy.
7. Billie Davis — That Boy John (Whatcha Gonna Do?: Singles, Rarities and Unreleased: 1963-1966): Davis was a toothy mod looking bird who was a chirpy singer of early and mid-‘60s British girl pop. This song doesn’t show off her best singing, but the simple pop song just requires her to be peppy and winsome and she succeeds.
8. The Beatles — No Reply (Beatles For Sale): A really nice John Lennon too. The song is a pleasant enough ditty, but it’s the use of dynamics that elevates it, as it goes from the low key verses to a much more spirited chorus, upping the intensity level, almost contrasting the calm surface of the narrator with the tension bubbling underneath.
9. Beulah — Hey Brother (The Coast Is Never Clear): This is where indie pop was about 10 or 15 years ago. Beulah was a fairly twee outfit with strong melodic skills who often capitalized on their incessant cheery energy (Papas Fritas was similar in this regard). But they also could throw in a slight R & B vibe into their songs, which provided a nice contrast to the more amped up stuff, as exemplified on this fine tune.
10. Kid Sister — Big N Bad (Ultraviolet): Some folks were disappointed in Kid Sister’s official debut album for reasons that escaped me. The Kid isn’t the greatest rapper, for sure, but she has so much personality that it more than makes up for it. And she works with people who come up with party-riffic music for her to rap, chat and sing over. This song is an electro-pop meets hip-hop number that premises its main hook on the riff in Yaz’s “Situation”, and I dig it