Michael's Sidetracks #3

This weeks retro Flashback hidden Gem is from a group that's been around since 1986 and is still active today.  You may have heard of Urge Overkill if you loved the soundtrack to Pulp Fiction, they did a cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon".  But, I chose their first original brakeout hit from 1993.  Members include Nash Kato (guitar/vocals) and Eddie "King" Roeser (also guitar/bass/vocals) as permanent members and a long list of temp members.  Today's track has Johnny "Blackie Onassis" Rowan on drums.  It's kinda disturbing that in the last part of this video, the members are switched out with girls...and I never noticed until decades later.  Maybe because they all have beautiful hair...

Anyway, here you go: May we rock you?

Urge Overkill

Song: Positive Bleeding

Hey! Look around today.
Everything don't need to be the same.
Feel. I'm feelin, lonely people.
People just like me who go it alone.
I guess I'm gonna go it alone.

Now I live my life
remote controllin' my destiny
Yeah yeah. Yeah yeah.
I can bleed when I want to bleed.
So come on, come on
you can bleed when you want to bleed.
Want to bleed.

Bleeding.
Bleeding.

Hey! Look around today.
Everything don't need to be the same.
Feel. Feelin' lonely people.
People just like me who go it alone.
Cause baby I'm a rolling stone.

I live my life with no control in my destiny.
Yeah yeah. Yeah yeah.
I can bleed when I want to bleed.
So come on. Come on.
You can bleed when you want to bleed.
Yeah yeah, come on
everybody bleed when they want to bleed.
Come on and bleed.

Yeah yeah, yeah yeah.
I can bleed when I want to bleed.
Come on. Come on.
You can bleed when you want to bleed.
Yeah yeah come on
everybody bleed when they want to bleed.
Cause I can bleed when I want to bleed
You can bleed when you want to bleed.

Song of the Day 68!!!

I hope you are all enjoying Michael's sidetracks! Michael was the one that introduced me to Rodney on the ROQ and this editions band is one I heard on his show a few months ago. The band is called "The Moons" and the song is called "Double Vision Love". The video reminds me of the video that was #3, Mates of States song "Fraud in the 80's" (you can see it HERE (hint: click here). The video is more simple than most of the other ones on the list, but simple doesn't mean boring. Enjoy!!!

P.S. This is another one that had no lyrics, so I wrote them down as best as I could. So, let me know if something is wrong with them. Thanks!








I left a message on the step of your front door
In hope of compromising feelings from before
The letter left was frank and open and attained
No need explaining as the gesture still remains
He left a postcard in the porch of your garage
And when receiving this you found a best regards
The same things that all his previous letters wrote
But take the poignant and the poignant lesson learned

Double vision love, double vision love, double vision love
Double vision love, double vision love, double vision love

About 2 days ago I saw you in the park
In a part of town in which you never ventured far
This part of town was not my own, but his whose hers
These postcard workers see my letter having one
I guess the message here is clear as crystal quills
Dont throw away your love like pretty paper prose
I never thought that you could ever change my mind
I only listen when the second hand 'a' chimes

Double vision love, double vision love, double vision love
Double vision love, double vision love, double vision love

For now the churches still remain
They all remain in many ways, ways
I guess in wrong I'll be for sure
A testing game in which you soar, soar

Double vision love, double vision love, double vision love
Double vision love, double vision love, double vision love

Michael's Sidetracks #2

Michael Sidetracks #2

This weeks little gem is a track from a band I discovered a little too late.  They are The Like, with members in this line up, Z Berg (Elizabeth Berg, guitar and vocals), Charlotte Froom (bass), and Tennessee Thomas (drums).  They started out in 2001 at ages 15 - 16 and this introductory song is from their 2005 debut album, "Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?".  All members have an amazing musical pedigree, with fathers being members of Elvis Costello and the Attractions, producer Mitchell Froom, and Geffen  records A&R exec Tony Berg.  But, no, they didn't ride on their parental coattails.  They worked the low pay gig circuit and self taught their instruments.

What did I mean, "I discovered them too late"?  They are "on hiatus" since 2011 (broke up), a pity really.  And there was a line up change along with core sound change with their second album in 2010.  Still cool, and I'll still do that on another later Sidetrack.

But, here's The Like:
Song: What I say and What I Mean

Walking from the past
But I don't think I've said my goodbyes
Sometimes I just find
That they keep sneaking up from behind
Closing up the wounds
I suppose it's supposed to take some more time
Then what do I find
That we've closed every door in our lives

And I know you're the only one for me
But standing in my sleep

Never going back and forth
I'm only going forward
That's what I keep saying
Never going back and forth
I'm only going back
That's what I mean

Something haunts my dreams
Don't know what it means

Itching at the scabs
Only makes my troubles run high
Cuz scratching at my sheets
Makes my bark much worse than my bite
Itching for a fight
As your nails are running over my spine
Cuz the doors are open
And they keep swirling back to my mind

But I know you're the only one for me
But standing in my sleep

Never going back and forth
I'm only going forward
That's what I keep saying
Never going back and forth
I'm only going back
That's what I mean

Something haunts my dreams
Don't know what it means

Never going back and forth
I'm only going forward
That's what I keep saying
Never going back and forth
I'm only going back
That's what I mean

My screws are loose
My noose is tight
I'm lost
I'm back and forth
I'm in between
My screws are loose
My noose is tight
I'm lost
I'm back and forth
I'm in between

Michael's Sidetracks #1

I'd like to thank Whitney for allowing me to share her SOTD blog to help keep it fresh smelling and alleviate the "deadline doom". What I'll be showcasing are lesser known alternate acts as well as lost classics, or songs I think need more notice. Luckily, me and Whits musical tastes crossover quite a bit.   I tend to gravitate towards the jangley guitar, 60's sound, with lush harmonies...which brings us to my inaugural entry:

The Red Button, led by Seth Swersky, a huge Beatles fan (can you tell?) who has also made a documentary on the influence of the Beatles on contemporary alt groups.
Song: Cruel Girl

Cruel Girl why you gotta treat me like a fool girl
Bring me down with everything you do girl
Break my faithful little heart in two girl, cruel girl

I know that I should go I should walk away
But when I think of how things were only yesterday,
It makes me stay.
You were so sweet when we first met
Now you're so bad to me I just can't forget

You're a cruel girl
I'll do anything you want to do girl
I'll believe that every lie is true girl
I could never settle for a new girl, cruel girl

What keeps me standing here staying by your side
When the way you treat me girl only hurts my pride
I can't lie.
I can't forget the words you said
You used to hold me now you hurt me instead.

Every time I walk away I end up running back to you,
it's true.
Other girls would treat me better
Why you gotta be so cruel. So cruel.

You were so sweet when we first met
But then your pretty face went straight to your head

Oh you're a cruel girl
No one else can hurt me like you do girl
But you know I'll always be your fool girl
I could never settle for a new girl cruel girl
You're so cruel, you're so cruel
Just don't ever tell me that we're through
Oh, you're so cruel.

Song of the Day 67!!!

New bands are going to be a running thing for a while. I dont like to put the same artist more than once without a vit of time between. Here is a band I spotted a few months ago and you know me, a sucker for harmonies. The song is called "You Wouldn't Have to Ask" by the band Bad Books. Enjoy!

P.S. Coming soon: Michael is going to start adding to this blog as often as he can with his picks of songs, so stay tuned!



Crooked days come bundled up in bunches
They break your brain like a branch
And push you out here asking after for something
you should know I don't have

If I had it you wouldn't have to ask
If I had it you wouldn't have to ask

Later on when you bargain with your mirror
and you ask is it really that bad

If it wasn't you wouldn't have to ask
If it wasn't you wouldn't have to ask

How could you know if you didn't?
What's left to say when your tongue's turned to ash?
Well I tell you you're finally forgiven
So you wouldn't have to ask

Shoot what's left, slip inside your sinner smile
Another man in a mask

If you faced it you wouldn't need a mask
If you meant it you wouldn't need a mask
If I could fix you you wouldn't have to ask
If I could help you you wouldn't have to ask

Song of the Day 66!!!

Congratulations for surviving 12/21/12! (Unless something major happens in the next hour or so pacific time). In honor of the apocalypse, here is the song "We Will Become Silhouettes" by The Postal Service. Despite the upbeat vibe of the video and song, just listen to the lyrics and be happy that this is all over. Enjoy!



I've got a cupboard with cans of food
Filtered water, and pictures of you
And I'm not coming out until this is all over
And I'm looking through the glass
Where the light bends at the cracks
And I'm screaming at the top of my lungs
Pretending the echoes belong to someone
Someone I used to know

And we become silhouettes
When our bodies finally go

I wanted to walk though the empty streets
And feel something constant under my feet
But all the news reports recommended that I stay indoors
Because the air outside will make
Our cells divide at an alarming rate
Until our shells simply cannot hold
All our insides in, and that's when we'll explode
(And it won't be a pretty sight)

And we'll become silhouettes
When our bodies finally go

Song of the Day 65!!!

Welcome to December! I am currently trying to decide if I can find a good holiday themed song for the end of the month or an apocalypse song for the end of the world. I guess we will wait and see. In the mean time, enjoy this song called "Present Yet Unseen" by the band Leisure Alaska. And it being Leisure Alaska means that I have to listen to the lyrics and type them out which usually isn't too hard, except for the fact that they have weird lyrics most of the time. I will try though and if you think I am wrong, feel free to let me know. Enjoy!



When a few shut up
Everyone will guide
They could not think or see
They all would like to be
Present yet unseen

There are ways to tell
There are ways to learn
Less ability
It's ok to yearn
Present yet unseen

You'll be surprised
It's Paradise

When a few shut up
Everyone will guide
To act and think and see
Suceeding just to be
Present yet unseen

You'll be surprised (You know that sometimes that it's nice)
It's paradise (Being a fly on the wall)
You'll be surprised (Not being seen by anyone)
It's paradise