Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 68)

I got nothing.

Intro
Daniella / Hurray for the Riff Raff
Skinny Love / Bon Iver
From / Dr. Dog
The Concubine / Beirut
Streetlights / Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
Can’t You See / The Marshall Tucker Band
Calvary / Levon Helm
Mighty Ship / Angela Desveaux
Beautiful Drug / Thievery Corporation
Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall / Ink Spots & Ella Fitzgerald
Grandma's Hands (Live) / Bill Withers

This Friday's Mix: Sheesh.

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 67)

Ten songs that I, and any clones thereof, can't live without.

Intro
Frankenstein / The Edgar Winter Group
Big Bird / Eddie Floyd
Mothership Connection (Star Child) / Parliament
Do the Funky Chicken / Rufus Thomas
Scenario / A Tribe Called Quest
Shake Your Rump / The Beastie Boys
Can't Hardly Wait / The Replacements
That's Where It's At / Sam Cooke
Southern Nights / Allen Toussaint
Harbor Lights / Sammy Kaye

This Friday's Mix: In Case of Emergency

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 66) Addendum

Year of the Ox looking very un-bullish, seers say (IHT)
[Four is] a number the Chinese deem extremely unlucky, because "four" is pronounced the same as "death" in Chinese.

Movies That Presumably Flopped in China

• Fantastic Death
• Death Weddings and a Funeral
• Lethal Weapon Death
• Death Wish Death: The Crackdown
• Deathest Gump
• Pay It Deathward
• North Dallas Deathy
• Nineteen Deathy-Death

Album That Presumably Flopped in China

• Huey Lewis and the News, "Death!"

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 66) Ah, crap.

Year of the Ox looking very un-bullish, seers say (IHT) Chinese soothsayers see a deepening recession, millions more losing their jobs, and stocks and home prices continuing to fall. ... [S]ome fortunetellers are throwing in other dire predictions — massive earthquakes, rising U.S.-Russian tensions and trouble for President Barack Obama. ... Obama, born in the Year of the Ox, is taking office in a particularly bad year for his Chinese astrological sign. ... Obama also is the 44th president, a number the Chinese deem extremely unlucky, because "four" is pronounced the same as "death" in Chinese.
Intro
Rocks Off / The Rolling Stones
The Ox / The Who
Brainbox Pollution / Hawkwind
"B" Movie Box Car Blues / The Blues Brothers
Looking For A Fox / Clarence Carter
When My Boy Walks Down The Street / The Magnetic Fields
Fort Knox, King Solomon / Bob Mould
The Boxer / Waylon Jennings
Knocks Me Off My Feet / Stevie Wonder
Glory Box / Portishead
Wild Ox Moan / Taj Mahal
Evel Talks Of The Future/Reprise: Ballad of Evel Knievel / Evel Knievel

This Friday's Mix: Year of the Ox

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 65) Here's to fresh faces.

Intro
Long Time Coming / Aloe Blacc
This Land Is Your Land / Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Walk Of Life / Shooter Jennings
Many Rivers To Cross / The Walkmen
Little Wing / Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Last Train To Clarksville / Cassandra Wilson
Iron Man / The Cardigans
Superman / Roger Troutman
Little Honda / Yo La Tengo
I Love Trash / Steven Tyler
Straight Out Of Compton / Nina Gordon

This Friday's Mix: Change of Personnel

Today's Five O'Clock Rod (Episode 64)

Arrest my governor once, shame on you. Arrest my governor twice, shame on me.

Intro
Been Caught Stealing / Jane's Addiction
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap / AC/DC
Jailbreak / Thin Lizzy
Trust Me To Open My Mouth / Squeeze
Wrong Again (Let's Face It) / Rockpile
I Take What I Want / Sam & Dave
Watch That Man / Lee Fields
What Have You Done for Me Lately / Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Trouble / Frederick Knight
Hometown Bust / Cactus
Claimin' I'm A Criminal / Brand Nubian
Christmas In Jail / The Youngsters
Don't Pass Your Judgment / The Memphis Nomads
Three-Dollar Bill / Maria Muldaur

This Friday's Mix: Blagoje-pinched

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 63)

Special, special, what do you get? Another year older and deeper in debt.

Intro
Special / Violent Femmes
Nothing Special / Local H
Creep / Radiohead
The Midnight Special / Creedence Clearwater Revival
Walk to Slide / G. Love & Special Sauce
Orange Blossom Special (Live) / Johnny Cash
A Message to You Rudy / The Specials
Brass in Pocket / The Pretenders
Special / De La Soul
Nothing Special / His Name Is Alive
Somebody Special / Bobby Womack
Drunkard’s Special / Coley Jones

This Friday's Mix: 38 Special

This Quadrennium's Five O'Clock Barack Thanks, everybody. It's just what I wanted. You're all right.

This Election's Theme: It's a new day.

Arrived at 6:05 a.m. to find 30 people already in line. It took about 40 minutes, and only 39.5 of those were spent on judge retention.

Now listen, America. You know my birthday's coming up. You manage to show up every four years or so, making a big deal about the effort you put out in merely showing up at all. I'm not a gift-centered person by any means, and I'm always glad to see you. In fact, I hope we see each other more often. It might help things.

But, frankly, when you do show up, what you bring me has generally been crap.

And let's not talk about the past two times. I can't even Freecycle that shit away.

This time I know I might be asking for a lot. It's not the store where you've shopped your entire life. There might not be parking. It's probably going to take a while to check out. A long-ass while. Maybe you're not entirely sure what it is you'll be taking home.

But just this once. Come on. Trust me. It's going to be worth it.

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 62)

Four days to go. I can't look.

Intro
I Got You / Split Ends
The Midnight Creep / The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
I'm A Ghost / Ted Leo + the Pharmacists
Groovy Spirit / Jackie Mittoo
Black Cat / Broadcast
Voodoo Lady / Ween
The Witch Queen of New Orleans / Redbone
The Boogie Monster / Gnarls Barkley
Psychotic Girl / The Black Keys
Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) / David Bowie
Spirits in the Material World / Police
The Awful Truth / Carole King
I Put a Spell on You / Screamin' Jay Hawkins

This Friday's Mix: Oooh, Scary!

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 61)

Don't let the rock hit you where the good lord split you.

Intro
Open Up Your Back Door / Canned Heat & John Lee Hooker
Backdoor Love Affair / ZZ Top
Lookin' Out My Back Door / Creedence Clearwater Revival
My Doorbell / The White Stripes
Gimme Three Steps / Lynyrd Skynyrd
No Knock / Gil Scott-Heron
Let 'Em In / Billy Paul
Let Me In / Bonnie Raitt
Open The Door / Clive And Naomi
Behind Closed Doors / Chuck Brooks
I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing / James Brown
Three's Company (Theme From)
The Bust / Cheech & Chong

This Friday's Mix: The Doors

Vanity Fair Writer Hospitalized

Dominick Dunne is in the hospital after being stricken with pain as he watched testimony in the O.J. Simpson robbery & kidnapping trail. Preliminary tests were inconclusive, but doctors haven't ruled out his nearly severed head.

Today's FOCR: "Six Blade Knife," Dire Straits, Dire Straits

Stocks soar as investors look to gov't rescue plan

Wall Street extended a huge rally Friday as investors stormed back into the market, relieved that the government plans to restore calm to the financial system by rescuing banks from billions of dollars in bad debt.

And we were all very sorry, and we learned our lesson, and the bad thing never happened again. The end.

Rock Always Says It Better

"You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig."
-- Barack Obama

"Obama was referring to Gov. Sarah Palin ... Who has been talking about lipstick lately? It was obvious."
-- McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers

"She likes wearin' lipstick, she likes French cuisine, but she won't let me use my passion unless it's in a limousine. She got me under pressure."
-- ZZ Top, "Got Me Under Pressure"

Today's FOCR: "Got Me Under Pressure," ZZ Top, Eliminator

Makin' Canadian Bacon

How hot is my life these days? Check out the On Demand options I perused this weekend.

• All Wet
• Around the Block
• Doing It Together
• I Love to Pretend
• Just for Laughs
• New Places

Aw, yeah.

Then I made sure I hadn't mistakenly left the Caillou section of On Demand. Nope. I dialed up an episode; I don't remember which one. It's when Caillou whines and has feelings about stuff. You know the one?

Once it was rolling, I sat back and took myself to that place parents go when they have no book or notebook or internets, but still opt to listen to the low hum in the back of their heads rather than watch the children's show in front of them.

Now re-read this post in your best Barry White voice. Aw, yeah.

R.I.P., Black Moses

Isaac Hayes has made his exit. Here he is, making one of the best entrances ever.



So badass, he can enter draped in one of my grandmother's quilts and make it look good.

Whatever went on between him and South Park, it's hard to believe he deserved the sendoff they gave him. Sad that this episode has been by rote included in his obits, regardless of their length. Do yourself a favor: watch Wattstax and Respect Yourself and see more to the man than that.

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 60)

So many -ates. Just a little late.

0. Intro
1. Late For The Train / Buzzcocks
2. Cheapskate / Supergrass
3. Overrated / Helmet
4. Dedicated / The Amps
5. The Late Greats / Wilco
6. Cemetry Gates / The Smiths
7. Sooner Or Later / World Party
8. Cast Your Fate To The Wind / Vince Guaraldi

This Friday's Mix: Oh, Eight

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 59)

08.01, 08.02... whatever it takes.

Intro
Holiday Road / Lindsey Buckingham
Fire In the Twilight / Wang Chung
Desire (Come And Get It) / Gene Loves Jezebel
March Of The Swivelheads / English Beat
Love Missile F1-11 / Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Wild Sex (In the Working Class) / Oingo Boingo
Don't Worry Baby / Los Lobos
(Oh) Pretty Woman / Van Halen
Twist And Shout / The Isley Brothers
I Want to be an Airborne Ranger / The US Army Rangers
Apron Strings / Everything but the Girl
Three Coins In The Fountain / Four Aces
Crazy Love / Van Morrison & Bob Marley
Colonel Bogey (From "Bridge Over the River Kwai") / Royal Australian Air Force Band

This Friday's Mix: Hughes' Next

Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 58)

Five O'Clock Rock didn't forget your birthday.

Intro
Don't You Forget About Me / Simple Minds
Turning Japanese / The Vapors
Haunted When The Minutes Drag / Love And Rockets
Shell-Shock / New Order
You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby / Kirsty MacColl
Miss Amanda Jones / The Rolling Stones
Oh Yeah / Yello
Mess Around / Ray Charles
Land Of 1000 Dances / Wilson Pickett
Try A Little Tenderness / Otis Redding
Lenny / Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
I Can't Help Falling in Love with You / Lick the Tins
The Edge of Forever / The Dream Academy
If You Were Here / Thompson Twins
Birthday / The Beatles

This Friday's Mix: Hughes in Review

So That's What's Been Bothering Me



Man, now I feel like a jerk.