Desmond Dekker has died. I’m unprepared to offer a track. Whatever I own is all on vinyl anyway, and Emusic only has Dekker’s Stiff Records stuff, on which the Rumour (yes, them) almost destroyed ska and reggae forever.
In the spirit of the Martin Hannett-focused post from the other day, Lost Whenever Friday will today feature the Stockholm Monsters, a Factory label band of little note save this single, a wonderful ditty that straddles the crevasse between the Joy Division thump and trebly guitar of early eighties New Order/Hannett and the later flute & ecstasy-fueled major chord Happy Monday-ness. I snagged the 45 for close to nothing.
Stockholm Monsters – Fairy Tales
The next Lost Whenever track comes from Toad Lickin’ Good, a not-for-sale-but-for-donation compilation courtesy WFMU’s Bill Kelly, the king of garage rock radio (and no way, it’s not Little Steven – LS listens to BK before doing his show.) I know nothing of this band – they may not have existed for more than a summer, knowing Kelly. But he places two Kinks tracks right after, and it makes sense, especially the guitar riff on the below track, which may or may not have come before the Kinks. But what I love here is the simplicity – “What Can I Do, What Can I Say” almost floats like “Miserlou,” but the singing reminds me of Jody Reynolds’ great, dark rockabilly ballad “The Endless Sleep.” Which was one of the first songs I loved as a child, often begging my father to spin his orig 45 of it, which I now own, cracked and unplayable.
Stop Loving Everything 