Wait, it’s Friday already? And it’s almost May? Holy crap time has flown this week/month. So apologies for the last-minute playlist.

“any other night” – the dates. I’m having a hard time finding anything about this group, mostly because the combination of song title and group name falls into one of those Google holes where about 1000 other things pop up. I know Garrett Goddard is also in King Tuff, a band with a very different sound. I know this project of his sounds a lot like Teenage Fanclub. And that whistle on the outro makes me think of Morrissey. 

“Manifest” – Andrew Bird. Wait, I haven’t shared anything from Bird’s new album? Geez, I suck of late. Bird has veered back into “regular” sounding music, meaning traditional structure, etc. Which means I’m enjoying the new album.

“temporary tantrum” – pronoun. Here is an example of what I love and hate about the music business right now. Alyse Vellturo seems to have put together a very strong album filled with great songs. But this is the fifth song she’s released as a single before the album’s release next month. Odds are she’s shared all her best work and the album will, thus, be a disappointment. As much as I focus on singles on a daily basis, I still like getting an album where I only know one or two songs and the rest is a surprise waiting to reveal itself.

“Capital Radio” – The Clash. I started a book about The Clash this week – more about that in my next Reader’s Notebook entry – and thus put on some of their tunes. I had forgotten about this alternate version of one of their early classics. Originally titled “Capital Radio Two,” it was released with an extended intro and outro as an alternate to the original “Capital Radio One” EP that was selling for very high prices in the UK in the late ‘70s.  I just love the acoustic intro before everything gets ripped apart. 

“Keep On Truckin’” Eddie Kendricks. When in doubt, throw in something from The Number Ones. Yesterday Tom wrote about this early ‘70s song, which he argues is one of the earliest disco songs to hit #1. I can’t say I’ve ever heard this full version. And there’s no mistaking: it’s a freaking jam! Crank it up and dance your way into the weekend.