I listen to a lot of new (to me) music, and sometimes I feel like telling people about things I like in case they might like them, too. That’s all this is. Every time I have four records I want to share, one of these is going up. Consider it my own mini version of Robert Christgau’s consumer guide.
- Fishbone – “Fishbone” (2023)
I was looking for their classic EP from 1985, but it turns out Fishbone is still around and creating new music, though not new EP titles. The music is mostly an invigorating blend of ska, funk and hip hop, except when they go full-on pop punk with “I Don’t Care”. The highlight is “Estranged Fruit”, an updating of the Billie Holiday classic for the MAGA era. Just a super fun listen (mostly – see MAGA reference).
- Sex Pistols – “The Original Recordings” (2022)
The Pistols’ lone completed studio album, “Never Mind the Bollocks”, is an all-time top 10 for me, and I’ve really enjoyed John Lydon’s post-Pistols work, but I never took the time to dig into the rest of the band’s limited catalogue. This collection of “Bollocks” tracks mixed with B sides and covers of tunes from the likes of Eddie Cochran, The Who and Paul Revere & the Raiders was a blast. Two new (to me) originals, “Lonely Boy” and “Silly Thing”, are great pop songs that give a hint of what the band might have evolved into had they managed to carry on through the drama and tragedy.
- The Red Button – “She’s About to Cross My Mind” (2007)
This sounds like the bastard child of the British Invasion washed up on a beach in California and started hanging out with some surf brats playing jangly CSNY knockoffs, with echoes of Ben Folds and Fountains of Wayne on certain songs. No duds, though the last third of the album lags a bit behind the earlier tunes. The title track, “Floating By” and “Can’t Stop Thinking About Her” are among the standouts.
- Belinda Carlisle – “Belinda” (1986)
I always thought she was super adorable (though my sort-of crush was for her band mate Jane Wiedlin), so I was rather surprised when I came across a blog post where the writer was surprised to find that he now thought she was attractive but never had before. Different strokes, right? Anyway, I loved The Go-Go’s and never took Belinda seriously as a solo artist, but this is a really fun record (“Mad About You” still kicks) with a bubblegum pop gloss on her former and future band’s sound.
PopNotes 
A couple of pleasant throwaway power pop tunes certainly, but most unlikely that Lonely Boy or Silly Thing would have seen the light of day if the band had carried on; Cook sang on Silly Thing, Jones on Lonely Boy, and both co-wrote- Lydon would have not sung those lyrics. Listen to the first PIL album for a more likely clue to which way the band might have gone.
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A fair point – though I can’t help loving the idea of a Sex Pistols power pop band with multiple vocalists. I want my “what ifs?” to be messy.
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