Matador Playlist(s) 4/28/16 + 5/12/16

18 May Matador Playlist(s) 4/28/16 + 5/12/16

Posted at 01:03h in Music, Playlist by inkyinkinc

Welcome back, Gentle Reader(s) to this humble compendium of verbal effluvia that flows, in fits and starts, from the thinky thing what resides betwixt and between the earholes of Your Humble Narrator. The Ides of May are nigh upon us and it has been a while since my last riposte, what with preparation for travel, travel, and recombobulation from travel taking up an exceptional portion of YHN’s time and attention. I have grabbed this brief moment to consider an opposing pair of epochal events that are marking 2016 as being a year of Exceptional Portent (in both the ominous and auspicious meanings of the term).

On the auspicious end of the spectrum, the Cubs of Chicago have begun the season with an epic tear that, at the time of this writing, finds them playing .806 beisbol, having emerged victorious from 25 of their initial 31 contests. It is a truly amazing situation the equivalent of which has had not been seen in Major League Beisbol since 1984 (the Detroit Tigers, 26 and 4 through their first 30 games), or in the National League since 1977 (the LA Dodgers, with 24 wins through their first 30 games). This is after the shock of the Cubs losing their power hitting left fielder Kyle Schwarber after a season-ending knee injury in game three and with hitting ace/first baseman Anthony Rizzo batting only .282 (respectable, but nothing amazing). How, pray tell, can this be?

First off, Cubs pitching has been extraordinarily effective. By the third week of the season the team’s ace, Jake Arrietta, had already thrown a no-hitter, the second of his career. The rest of the rotation—John Lackey, Jason Hammel, Jon Lester, and Kyle Hendricks—has been rock solid and is currently holding down a collective 2.29 ERA. Arrietta didn’t have his best stuff in his last start (against the Nationals) but he is at a point in his career where every time he climbs up the mound there is the distinct possibility that something truly special could happen. A perfect game is lurking in Arrietta’s not- too-distant future and everybody knows it. The young guns from last season—Addison Russell, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant—are still here, still hot and have been delivering reliably game after game. The bullpen, anchored by setup man Pedro Strop and closer Hector Rondon, has finally managed to dispel the lingering nightmare of the hapless Carlos Marmol (who lasted just over a month this pre-season in the Red Sox farm system). Even without Schwarber the Cubs’ lineup has genuine depth. Add in the not-inconsiderable contributions of catcher David Ross (at 39, the team’s grizzled veteran, who just hit his 99th career home run), infielder Ben Zobrist (who has been on a hitting streak since late April), and starting outfielders Dexter Fowler, Jason Heyward, and Jorge Soler and you’ve got a formidable array of talent, both offensively and defensively. Fowler is currently batting .331, Heyward is at .236 and Soler is slumping at .174, but the Cubs can always dip into their second string and pull up outfielders Matt Szczur (batting .367) and Ryan Kalish (.286), second baseman Tommy LaStella (.333). Not too shabby.

Be still my heart!!

In short, every element of the team has been working—steadily, reliably, in synch and, occasionally, to genuinely spectacular effect. Even before the first pitch of the regular season the oddsmakers had picked the Cubs as favorites for the 2016 World Series. If there has ever been a year when such prognostications have had rung with the clarion call of truth this is that season and it has been a very long time coming. That being said, there is no team for whom a complete and utter collapse—snatching defeat from the jaws of victory—would be more in character than the Cubs. I hate to say it, but this has been the case for 108 years. But the last time the Cubs had a better start than this they went on to win the World Series. And then, for good measure, they went and did it again the following year. As the New York Times put it, ‘Welcome to the bold new era of baseball’s best team…’ Read it. Believe it.

On the flip side of the ‘Read it. Believe it’ spectrum comes the undeniably horrible truth that Dumb Donald Trump is now officially the presumptive Republican nominee for the highest office in the land/world. The last holdouts from the right wing goon squad, including—finally—Ted ‘Satan Made Flesh’ Cruz, have fallen by the wayside, one by one, until only the Orangest Of Them All remains. Incredible. If you had told me six months ago that this day would come I would have laughed in your face but it now seems that Dumb Donald is having the last laugh. As promised, Washington Post political columnist Dana Milbank ate his words (a copy of his column, to be precise, with the assistance of chef Victor Albisu) and the rest of us are left to begin scouring the internet for alternative situations in Canada and other more far-flung locales.

As D-Donald stated so boldly months ago in the early days of his ‘Make America Great Again’ campaign, other countries are laughing at us. Having recently returned from the Continent I can confirm that yes, indeed, they are laughing at us—they’re laughing at us now. Only problem is, the joke ain’t funny no mo and our friends and associates across the pond are beginning to view the entire scenario with increasing alarm. But there’s two sides to every story and perhaps the flip side to this mess is that the rise of Dumb Donald is precisely what is required to bring about real change in this country. Leave the Republicans to eviscerate their party come convention time. Either they have to figure out a way to reign in the extremist edge of their rank and make Dumb Donald palatable to mainstream conservatism or they stage an outright rebellion against the presumptive nominee. Swallow the poison pill or accept the inevitability of civil war? Either way, the party brand is quite likely scarred for a generation or more. The Rethuglicans have well and truly reaped the whirlwind. Bring it on, I say.

On the Democratic side of things it looks like the Hillary/Bernie fight will ultimately play out on the convention floor too. As of this writing Bernie has won the Oregon primary and Kentucky is too close to call. Hillary may still have a numerical lock on the necessary delegates but it is becoming apparent that Bernie and his followers are not going to quietly pack up their banners and leave Hills & Co. to celebrate her coronation. ‘Establishment’ candidates on both sides of the contest have been under attack from every direction this electoral season and Mme. Clinton is not immune. First female president—Great! Fantastic! About time!—but that alone will not be enough to earn Hills a ‘pass’—not yet, anyway—regardless of how horrifying and absurd her Republican opponent may be. For better or worse, Election 2016 is going to shake things up and I can’t help but think that is what is needed. Folks on all sides of this evolving equation are going to have to wake up and smell the half-caff medium foam soy milk iced latte because things have changed and your barista is not happy.

Oh, and here’s some playlists too. You’ll note that the 5/5/16 playlist is not to be found here. That night was indeed the blessed anniversary of Ye Olde Matador Bar & Lounge but YHN shared the DJ duties that evening with DJs Prairie Dog and No Pants, both of whom hit the vinyl with a vengeance, so there was only a partial DJ Inky set. A wonderful time was had by all and I can already feel the anticipation building for next year’s Matador Decade celebration. In traditional practice the gift theme for a ten year anniversary is tin or aluminum. In modern practice it’s diamonds. I’m just saying…

Matador Playlist 4/28/16

Grammar of Life – Charles Bukowski
All Tomorrow’s Parties – Nico + Velvet Underground
Fix Me – Iggy Pop
Mambacore – Infected Mushroom
White Sky – Paul Weller
Don’t Stop Honey – R.L. Burnside
Never Listen To Me – the Thermals
White Rabbit – Jefferson Airplane
Nub – the Jesus Lizard
Sound the Alarm – Thievery Corporation
I Know What I Am – Band of Skulls
Latin America – Holy Fuck
That’s All Right – Elvis Presley
Second Skin – the Gits
No Time to Be 21 – the Adverts
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!! – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Ten Years Gone – Led Zeppelin
Out the Door At Last – the Yips
Lazarus – David Bowie
Sheela-Na-Gig – PJ Harvey
In the Lobby – Iggy Pop & Josh Homme
Pay to Cum – Bad Brains
Pretty Persuasion – R.E.M.
Dead Moon Night – Dead Moon
Karma Police – Radiohead
Cop Cars – the Exploited
Born to Lose – Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers
Pictures of Lilly – the Who (for Miss Lily)
Big Black Mariah – Tom Waits
Bag of Bones – the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Future Starts Slow – the Kills
Surf Beat – Lobos Negros
Hello Operator – White Stripes
Rock n’ Roll Juggernaut – the Meatmen
Punk Rock Girls – the Queers
Traveling Riverside Blues – Led Zeppelin
We Are the One – Anti-Flag
Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye
DC Comics & Chocolate Milkshakes – Art Brut
Hospital Roll Call – Mark Lanegan
Simple Song – Avail
Brown Eyed Handsome Man – Chuck Berry
Silence Kit – Pavement
Queen Bitch – David Bowie
Meet Ze Monsta – PJ Harvey
Water (live) – the Who
Just Like Honey – the Jesus & Mary Chain
Hardlight – Pegboy
Who’ll Be the Next In Line – the Kinks
Dancing With Tears In My Eyes – X
Just Got Paid – ZZ Top
After the Lights Go Out – Channel 3
Worm Tamer – Grinderman
Come And Get It – Badfinger
Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment – the Ramones
Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener – Black Sabbath
Fall Back Down – Rancid
When You Were Mine – Prince
Pushin’ Too Hard – the Seeds
Ever Fallen In Love – Buzzcocks
Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love-In) – the Chocolate Watch Band
Hang It Up – the Ting Tings
Janie Jones – the Clash
Outlaw Heart – Tiger Army
Sound and Vision – David Bowie
Creep – Radiohead
Black is Back – Public Enemy
Vanishing Girl – the Dukes of Stratosphear
Finally Friday – George Jones
Gaze – Suuns
Fight the Power, Pts. 1 & 2 – the Isley Brothers
All I Know – Screaming Trees
I Am the Walrus – the Beatles
In the Meantime – Helmet
I’m the Man – Joe Jackson
Telegram Sam – Bauhaus
Fuck Her Tears – Times New Viking
You’ll Lose A Good Thing – Barbara Lynn
Pitbull Terrier – Die Antwoord
I Want You to Know – Dinosaur, Jr.
Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) – Digable Planets
Heart Is A Beating Drum – the Kills
Jungle Man – the Meters
Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers – Jeff Beck
Even Though Your Leather Is Cliché – Kid Congo Powers & His Pink Money Birds
Dawning – Tamaryn
World Without Tears – Lucinda Williams
Buona Sera – Louis Prima
Happy Trails – Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (feat. Trigger on Floppy Harpsichord)
Taxi – Bryan Ferry