17 Sep Matador Playlist 9/12/24

With Santa Fe Fiestas and its attendant mayhem now safely in the rear view mirror, it was back to bidness at Ye Olde Matador Bar & Lounge. Bartender Katia was back from the DL, none the worse for her unfortunate close encounter of the arachnid kind, and Big Dom kept his steady eye on everything from the door. This is the traditional Matador format—a tight three-person crew running the show, keeping a positive vibe in effect, backing one another up. Case in point: Around mid-evening a diminutive young lady entered the bar decked out in notably unseasonable attire. Though it was still 70-ish outside she wore a heavy winter coat, a knit hat, dark glasses and a black turtle neck sweater pulled up to completely cover the lower part of her face. She ordered a draft beer from Katia and then began to wander around in the nether regions of the bar, eventually disappearing into one of the bathrooms. Noting this from my DJ post, I began to get a bit curious when, after 15 minutes, she was still in there. I alerted Katia that something odd was afoot, she alerted Dom, Dom went to investigate and, after cueing up several songs, I went to cover the door. Dom got everything sorted and the mysterious diminutive individual emerged from the bathroom, finished her beer and disappeared into the streets of a Thursday night. Interesting.  No harm/no foul.

Those among you, Gentle Reader(s) who are attentive playlist viewers/listeners might notice that the Screaming Trees and Mark Lanegan have a somewhat stronger than usual presence in this week’s offering. This is not by coincidence. Since last Thursday I have acquired and read Lanegan’s memoir ‘Sing Backwards and Weep.’ I’ve read numerous rock & roll bios and autobios over the years but this one is the most profoundly mind-boggling of the bunch. If but a small proportion of the incidents related in Lanegan’s book are true-to-life (and I have no reason to think that they’re not) it is the most epic tale of debauchery and dirtbaggery that I’ve ever encountered. Lanegan’s progression from troubled teen in Ellensburg, WA, to internationally touring rock star is accompanied, step-by-step, with a harrowing tale of alcoholism, addiction, petty crime, violence, squalor and misery. It’s quite the unsettling read, but the music was there the whole way, and it was music that kept Mark Lanegan going. When he suddenly passed away—two years ago in Ireland at the age of 57—it was a shock, but after reading ‘Sing Backwards and Weep’ it would seem to be nothing less than a miracle that he lasted as long as he did.

I’m grateful that I did have the opportunity to see Mark Lanegan in concert once—as part of the Twilight Singers with Greg Dulli—and I thank DJ Alley Al for being the prime instigator behind that. Lanegan had an undeniably dark and heavy presence but he sounded great and the show made a real impression on me. It’s only recently that I’ve begun to dig deeper into his non-Screaming Trees discography—no less than a dozen albums between 1990 and 2020. I’m currently deep into his second solo album ‘Whiskey for the Holy Ghost.’ It’s great stuff that connects to everything from Leadbelly to the two Nicks (Drake and Cave) to Kurt Cobain to Van Morrison to Cormac McCarthy.

As Brother Henry said recently of Lanegan, he was a nice guy but it seemed as though ‘it was always raining in his mind.’ Perhaps an occupational hazard for those wild Northwest boys.

With no further ado, Gentle Reader(s), I give you this week’s playlist, accompanied by its intrawebs counterpart courtesy of YouTube. I’ll be back in the saddle on the 19th so come on in out of the rain (if it’s raining), down to Ye Olde Matador and say Hello.

DJ Inky Matador Playlist 9/12/24

Grammar of Life – Charles Bukowski

Frog Went a Courtin’ – Flat Duo Jets

Back to Black – Amy Winehouse

Caitriona – Protomartyr

Rain – the Beatles

Rise Above- Chuck D & Henry Rollins

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap – AC/DC

Wouldn’t It Be Nice – the Beach Boys

Cheerleader – St. Vincent

Shoplifters of the World Unite – the Smiths

The Letter – Joe Cocker

Bastards of Young – the Replacements (request)

Despicable Dogs – Small Black

Red Right Hand – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Bizarre Love Triangle – New Order (request)

I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor – Arctic Monkeys

Floor of the Ocean – Mark Lanegan Band

I’m Bored – Iggy Pop

The Shaman – the Human Beinz

Sour Grapes – Descendents

Nearly Lost You – Screaming Trees

In 3’s – Beastie Boys

Dominos – the Big Pink

Seconds – Human League

Jusfayu – Kamau

Kings of the Wild Frontier – Adam Ant

I Don’t Wanna Hear It – Minor Threat

Army of Me – Bjork

Night Train to Memphis- Roy Acuff

Johnny Hit & Run Pauline – X

Midnight Ravers – Bob Marley & the Wailers

I Like Fucking – Bikini Kill

Hello Walls – Faron Young

Love & Happiness – Al Green

Where Eagles Dare – Misfits

Life On Mars? – David Bowie

It’s Tricky – Run-DMC

Tin Soldier – Small Faces

Sabor a Mi – Los Lobos

Ozone Baby – Led Zeppelin

Let Me Take You Higher – Sly & the Family Stone

Sometimes – My Bloody Valentine

Baby, Let’s Go to Mexico – Sir Douglas Quintet

Where I’m From – Digable Planets

I’m Done – the Julie Ruin

We the People – Tribe Called Quest (request)

Black Balloon – the Kills

Push It – Salt-n-Pepa

Dime Western – Screaming Trees

Scenario – Tribe Called Quest 

You’re Gonna Miss Me – 13th Floor Elevators

Vicious – Lou Reed

This Is Not A Test – Bikini Kill

Blowing up the Barrio – Fort Knox Five

Funtime – Iggy Pop

I Put A Spell On You – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

Ack Ack Ack – Minutemen

Story of My Life – Social Distortion 

Cline Eastwood Is My Dad – Big Bill

Purity Rock – Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry

Let’s Dance – David Bowie

Institutionalized – Suicidal Tendencies

Night of the Living Baseheads – Public Enemy

Pushin’ Too Hard – the Seeds

Submission – the Sex Pistols 

Tired of Waiting for You – the Kinks

Young Hearts Spark Fire – Japandroids

Petition the Lord With Prayer – the Doors

Dead Cats, Dead Rats – the Doors

Break on Through – the Doors (request)

I Got You Babe – UB40

Beast of Burden – the Rolling Stones (request)

All I Know – Screaming Trees

Sophisticated Boom Boom – Kid Congo Powers

Ocean Man – Ween (request)

The Dope Show – Marilyn Manson

Under Pressure – David Bowie & Queen

Give Him a Great Big Kiss – Shangri-Las

Looking for a Kiss – New York Dolls

People Say – the Meters

What Do I Get – the Buzzcocks

London Calling – the Clash

Back in Black – AC/DC

Clear Eye, Clouded Mind – Nada Surf

54-46 Was My Number – Toots & the Maytals

The Crusher – the Cramps

Drain You – Nirvana

Grip – Rollins Band

World Without Tears – Lucinda Williams

Buona Sera – Louis Prima

Happy Trails – Roy Rogers & Dale Evans

Taxi – Bryan Ferry