Odd Rock

Podcast: oddrock.mp3
Format: MP3
Size: 43.9MB
(To play it, just click, or save it to your computer first.)

I've always had a fascination with odd rock -- music that is just somehow "off" and weird. I like the way it surprises me, makes me laugh and smile, the way it refuses to take itself too seriously.

In the 70's we had bands like The Tubes, Queen and Frank Zappa. Then in the 80's odd rock hit its heyday with New Wave. This was when Cyndi Lauper, The Cars, Thomas Dolby, Oingo Boingo, XTC and Devo actually had a shot at the pop charts, not despite their weirdness, but because of it. But then we had the 90's and, with a few rare exceptions, like They Might Be Giants, it all died. Gone. Music became serious and mopey. Nobody was happy anymore.

I miss those days. Where is the odd rock today? It is hard to find and it rarely makes onto the pop charts. I keep looking, but rarely find something that can scratch my odd rock itch.

This podcast is some of my favorite odd-rock from the last five years or so. Songs include:

BLOSSOM - Komeda
Shit Luck - Modest Mouse
Mixed Bizness - Beck
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - Flaming Lips
I Need You Back - Ben Kweller
Carnival Kids - The FutureHeads
I Wish I Had an Evil Twin - Magnetic Fields
Stay Don't Go - Spoon
Hash Pipe - Weezer
Take, Take, Take - The White Stripes
Common People - William Shatner
It's Alright Baby - Komeda
Debra - Beck

Please. Got any other odd-rock bands I should be listening to? Let me know.