Rock Around the Croc: Retro Songs

Good morning, you tastefully-potted petunias. Welcome to your weekly does of whatever musical notions have struck my fancy over the last week. Ready to listen to some stuff? Ready to skip straight to the comments and start talking about something completely unrelated? Either way works for me.

This week I was listening to some old favorites that I haven’t heard in a while, and I started wondering about songs that sound like they’re coming from the wrong decade. The first example was Can’t Cry These Tears by Garbage:

It’s not the verses at all, but the chorus reminds me of something from the 1950s. I’m sure that the bell sound has something to do with it, but it’s more about the swing feel.

Next up is If It Were Up to Me, by Rooney:

This one has both that retro-sounding swing and lyrics that sound like they could have been written in the 1950s.

“I want you to know
I’ve done our charts and it says
That we work as one
Like the Jackson Five
And the Temptations”

And later …

“Well, your mother likes my smile
And your father likes my lifestyle
Should I ask them what I asked you
To get the answer?
Yes, to get the answer?”

With both of those songs I had to google the song-writing credits to make sure they weren’t actually covers of old tunes that I didn’t know. Nope, both are modern.

Next on the block is Blame, Etc. by The Afghan Whigs:

That whole album is just so awesome. The Afghan Whigs have a retro kind of style in most of what they do. It’s like 1970s Motown in a post-grunge era. There are long sections that could easily be on the Shaft soundtrack. It’s so perfect for the whole portrait they are creating with the song. Man, I love me some Afghan Whigs.

“Now I know my heart is being used
But what I’m not allowed to have
I never could refuse”

Here’s Zoot Suit Riot, by the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies:

For some reason there was that huge revival of swing/big band sound in the late 1990s that I will never be able to explain, and then it disappeared as quickly. Again, these are musical sounds and lyrics that came from a totally different era.

I’ll end with electro-swing, an entire genre dedicated to retro sound. I don’t remember how I found this a few years ago, but I’m happy that I did. Here’s Parov Stelar doing Booty Swing, which is as remarkable for the combination of vintage jazz and modern dance beats as it is for the Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire:

If you dug that, here’s a compilation album of various electro-swing artists for you to enjoy. My co-workers, who think I listen to nothing but metal, have been surprised to hear me grooving to this.

And that’s it for today, you sizzling sausage-stuffed mushrooms. I love you all, I hope you heard something you liked today, and I wish you a wonderful week.

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