1. The Ass Ponys, “Earth to Grandma”
A band that has never really received the accolades it deserves, the Cincinnati-based Ass Ponys (hmm … maybe the name has something to do with the lack of acclaim) produced one of the great unheralded albums of the 1990s with ’94’s “Electric Rock Music.” I love the wry humor of “Earth to Grandma,” which ponders the inexplicably weird things you’re liable to find collecting dust at your grandparents’ home.
2. John Fogerty, “Rockin’ All Over the World”
3. Tommy Dorsey, “Let’s Swing”
4. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset”
The genesis of twee pop, perhaps? I never tire of this song, a lovely slice-of-life vignette that undoubtedly shows Ray Davies at his most simple and sublime.
5. The Pipettes, “A Winter’s Sky”
6. Pearl Jam, “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town”
7. Ministry, “Jesus Built My Hotrod”
One of my most vivid concert memories was seeing Ministry at the 1992 Lollapalooza at Dallas’ Starplex Amphitheater. I was close to the stage, moshing or slamdancing or whatever the hell we called it back then. At the end of the set, I turned and saw that the rest of the Starplex looked as if it had been bombed. Swarms of concertgoers had ripped down huge fences; some folks had started fires, and black smoke hung in the air. My ears were ringing. It was a glorious moment.
8. Art Brut, “Really Bad Weekend”
9. The Boomtown Rats, “Don’t Believe What You Read”
10. Beat Happening, “Indian Summer”
– Chase