Welcome to July, folks. For this month’s theme, we dipped into the bag o’ suggestions that were garnered from our contest a few months ago & pulled out this simple but fun gem, courtesy longtime supporter & pal Bob Shortell. His concept:

How about the weather?

Well, how about it? I agree with Bob, it would make a great theme for playlists. So I sent the word out to the other Uncles, and while I drafted this post, Onkel Rudi decided to add his own addendums to the challenge:

I can haz weather?

You were eaten by a grue.

Little-known facts about Rudi: (1) he loves internet memes and Zork and (2) he originally went to college to study meteorology, so his enthusiasm for this month’s theme makes perfect sense.

Anyway, on to the tunes. Playlists will be posted throughout the day — hope you dig!

• Onkel Rudi’s “A Day In My (Summer) Life”
• The Man(del) from U.N.C.L.E.’s “Fair Weathered Friends”
• Uncle Sam’s “Storm Watch”
• UNKLE Matt’s “Hail Hail Rock n Roll!!!”

Here I am, rock you like a hurricane. (I know that phrasing makes no sense, whaddaya want, they were singing English phonetically) Sorry this is a bit late, but as with Sam, I had a bunch of ideas set to go (songs that mention seasons, songs by Snow Patrol, anything produced by Flood… too many ideas, in fact), then the recent divebombings Mother****ing Nature gave all of us here in Boston soured my mood a bit. Out went all the “She’s A Rainbow”s and “California Sun”s, supplanted by songs about rain, RAIN, RAIN… It turns out that it actually does go away, but comes back another day pissed off and out for revenge. Last week Harvard Square went from slightly gloomy to pitch black and horizontal in about 45 seconds. People turned into running screaming Cloverfield extras. The wind pulled my store’s door open. The rain was so thick I couldn’t see across the street. The only proper descriptive is “chunks”. There were chunks of water falling from the sky. Anyway, this kind of thing affects one’s mood, and therefore one’s playlist.

One interesting thing I kept noticing while searching through my music library is how many songs by Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin kept popping up. I’ve already discussed this with Sam, but from the obvious “Blowin’ In The Wind” to the simple and sweet “Shelter From The Storm”, whether the rain is Hard or Early Morning or Day Women or in Buckets, (not to mention the distinctly non-weather-related “Hurricane”), Dylan is no stranger to weather as metaphor. Then you get Zep and their (admittedly strained at times) attempts to connect with R&B / rock’s delta roots with songs about levees and riversides and… Moby Dick… Sam and I comiserated a bit about the loss of many of those old standby metaphors, replaced by pop music with all the subtlety of, “Hey girl, saw you walkin’ down the street, let’s go dance and then have sex”. I mean sure, I guess that’s what rock n roll was always saying, they just used to find a slightly more interesting way of putting it.

But this is getting off the point a bit. I’m merely trying for once to actually address here in print on the site one of the many rants Sam and I enjoy at the store but make no record of. Maybe, if that last sentence is any evidence, because of my occasionally “interesting” use of grammar. Back to my playlist. Lemon Jelly said it best: “Nice Weather For Ducks”. So setting aside the “Little April Shower” song from “Bambi”, which I used on another playlist not too long ago, I’ve included all the other “All Rain And No Sun Make Homer something something” songs. Perhaps I’ll get back to the sunny side once the jetstream complies. For now, here comes the rain again, falling on my head like… an as easy yet effective metaphor for tears and the blues. So goodbye blue sky, you’re becoming obscured by clouds…

1. Ella Fitzgerald & The Ink Spots, “Into Every Life Some Rain Must Fall”
2. The Temptations, “I Wish It Would Rain”
3. The Cascades, “Rhythm Of The Rain”
4. ELO, “Rain Is Falling”
5. Ann Peebles, “I Can’t Stand The Rain”
6. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Who’ll Stop The Rain”
7. k-os, “The Rain”
8. Peter Gabriel, “Here Comes The Flood”

Enjoy!

Download: Ella Fitzgerald & The Ink Spots, “Into Every Life Some Rain Must Fall” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Temptations, “I Wish It Would Rain” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Cascades, “Rhythm Of The Rain” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: ELO, “Rain Is Falling” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ann Peebles, “I Can’t Stand The Rain” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Who’ll Stop The Rain” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: k-os, “The Rain” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Peter Gabriel, “Here Comes The Flood” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

So I had my weather-related playlist all set to go yesterday (post drafted, mp3s uploaded), and then I got caught in a thunderstorm while walking back to the office from lunch with the wife. Inspiration (not lightning!) struck: put my current list on ice (pun intended — you’ll eventually see why) and make a new list focusing on wild, stormy weather. Once I toweled off, here’s what I came up with:

1. The Rolling Stones, “The Storm”
   This bluesy ditty is an outtake from the recording sessions for 1994’s Voodoo Lounge that, until it finally surfaced on an exclusive iTunes EP, was only available as part of an astoundingly excellent bootleg boxed set called Voodoo Brew, which consisted of 4 discs worth Lounge alternate takes and outtakes. More on that another time; for now, enjoy this loose, Don Was-produced tune and Ronnie’s sublime slide geetar.
2. Gnarls Barkley, “Storm Coming”
   Cee-Lo’s voice is almost as frantic as Danger Mouse’s jumpy breakbeats and the sound of impending doom. One of the more overlooked cuts from their debut St. Elsewhere.
3. The Kills, “Last Day Of Magic”
   I revealed my love for this song in one of June’s crush posts, and its chorus of “Last day of magic/Coming through/The eye of the storm/And I hold on to/My little tornado/My little hurricane-o” definitely influenced my decision to move in the stormy direction.
4. Aimee Mann, “Little Tornado”
   Mann’s soft, mournful tune is a stark contrast to the thunderous noise of the last 2 songs, and the restrained tone lends incredible weight to lines like “Little tornado/Bane of the trailer park/Lifting houses/To leave your mark.” The song comes from her most recent album, @#%&*! Smilers, which is easily her best work since her rise to fame on the back of the Magnolia soundtrack album.
5. The Band, “Too Wet To Work”
   Smack in the middle of The Band’s triumphant 1973 outdoor live show at Watkins Glen in western New York state, a huge thunderstorm broke out. The group hurried offstage, but keyboardist Garth Hudson wandered back out in the middle of it, and, with the threat of electrocution looming, played this excellent solo for the crowd on his plugged-in organ. Fantastic stuff. The Band’s Live at Watkins Glen album may have dubious origins, but it’s still fun and, sadly, is out of print.
6. Manic Street Preachers, “Tsunami”
   I was first attracted to the rushing melody and gorgeous sitar that powered the song along, but the story behind the inflammatory, political lyrics gives the song a punch as powerful as the titular storm. Check it out for yourself.
7. Alice Cooper, “Hurricane Years”
   It wouldn’t be an Uncle Sam playlist without a little hair metal thrown in there for good measure, right? I have a soft spot in my heart for modern Alice, and his 1991 album Hey Stoopid (which featured contributions from Slash, and Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars) spent a lot of time in my Discman in high school. Once deciding on my new, stormy theme, the chorus to this song (”Thunder, lightning/The wind outside is so damn frightening) instantly popped into my head.
8. Garth Brooks, “The Thunder Rolls”
   This was the fourth #1 country single from Garth’s big hit crossover album No Fences, and its tale of adultery and domestic violence was pretty sensational in its day: the video, which starred a young Chris Gaines and implied more violence than the song itself suggests (the wife had a black eye; she eventually exacts revenge upon her cheating husband), won awards and acclaim but was banned from at least one country music channel due to violent content. Deserving of the ban? Not really, but any press is good press, right?

Enjoy the tunes!

Download: The Rolling Stones, “The Storm” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Gnarls Barkley, “Storm Coming” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Kills, “Last Day Of Magic” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Aimee Mann, “Little Tornado” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Band, “Too Wet To Work” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Manic Street Preachers, “Tsunami” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Alice Cooper, “Hurricane Years” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Garth Brooks, “The Thunder Rolls” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Ooh…It’s my first go at this…so give the new guy here a little slack…let’s take a look at the list…

1. The Weather Girls, “It’s Raining Men”
   I mean really… I’d have to turn in my card if I didn’t put this on the list. It’s a favorite at many a disco and karaoke bar and hell, it was co-written by Paul Shaffer. Yes, THAT Paul Shaffer.
2. Alphabeat, “10,000 Nights of Thunder”
   I decided to throw in a metaphorical weather song here so I could get a little Alphabeat love on the list. These Danes may or may not be the next coming of ABBA, but this song is guaranteed to put a smile on the face of anybody caught in a turbulent storm of love.
3. Richard Harris, “MacArthur Park”
   The best song about a melting cake in a Los Angeles park in inclement weather sung by a deceased member of the Harry Potter cast… EVER… Jim Steinman, eat your heart out.
4. Paul Williams, “Rainy Days and Mondays”
   The Carpenters’ classic sung by one of the song’s co-writers… Paul’s wavery voice gives the song even more heartache.
5. Neil Sedaka, “Laughter in the Rain”
   Sedaka is back… funny story about this one… when I first heard this song as a little kid, I thought it was a woman singing it. I guess I was wrong… kinda…
6. Kermit the Frog, “Rainbow Connection”
   I figure that any list going through all this rain and thunder should have a bright light at the end and what better critter to bring us to the conclusion of my list than Kermit the Frog. Another Paul Williams-penned ditty… this is one I’ve always loved playing at the piano. Such a simple, gorgeous song… probably one of my all-time favorites.

Download: The Weather Girls, “It’s Raining Men” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Alphabeat, “10,000 Nights of Thunder” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Richard Harris, “MacArthur Park” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Paul Williams, “Rainy Days and Mondays” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Neil Sedaka, “Laughter in the Rain” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Kermit the Frog, “Rainbow Connection” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Thus far, summer in the Mid-Atlantic has been a weird affair.

Summer arrived with a start: there was little-to-no transition from a very pleasant and long spring to the dreaded “triple-H” weather (hazy, hot and humid). Since then, it’s settled into a bit of a pattern: warm and humid, with afternoon and evening showers. This has been the case more often than not, and our drought has lifted thanks to the steady influx of precipitation.

As such, this list follows, more or less, the progression of a day here in my neck of the woods - with a little poetic license thrown in for good measure.

1. “Summer In The City” - The Lovin’ Spoonful
   “Duh-dum - bang!” So opens this classic from John Sebastian’s 60s wonder group. The Lovin’ Spoonful sum up the classic image of a sticky summer day in the city - something with which I’ve become very familiar.
2. “Weekends & Bleak Days (Hot Summer)” - The Young Knives
   One thing I failed to mention in my intro is that a lot of the rain this summer has fallen over the weekend. It’s been over a month since the greater DC area has seen a completely dry weekend. And it’s still amazingly hot, even with the rain.
3. “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
   In this area, summer clothes are broken out by Easter, and stay in the fashion lexicon until October - it’s a warm place. And Bruce paints the image of all the girls and young women in their summer best - alas, passing him by.
4. “The Heat Is On” - Glen Frey
   While this is a song that’s forever tied to Miami Vice and summer images, it’s a song I most closely identify with watching World Cup ski races in Park City, Utah. I vividly recall watching slalom races in the 1980s as this song wafted up the hill from the PA system in the finish area. So this is the cooling elixir before….
5. “Like A Summer Rain” - Jan & Dean
   ….the rains move in. Jan & Dean do a lovely cover of a tune written by their old friend, Brian Wilson. And summer rain can be some of the best rain: cooling, yet not cold - perfect for a carefree dance in the grass!
6. “Rainy Day Sun” - Spinal Tap
   And the sun peeks through between storms, bringing out the rainbows (Mandel has that subject covered in his entry, though). And sometimes the sun can seem entirely absurd in the midst of waves of rain - much like the psychedelic lyrics to this song make the listener question his sanity. Such was the case with many late-60s songs - and the loving nod to that style by Spinal Tap is no exception.
7. “Stormy Weather” - Ringo Starr
   The Beatles’ eldest member was also the one most fond of jazz crooners, and soon after the breakup of the Fab Four, he recorded an entire album of old jazz standards - some better than others. And this ode to stormy weather - both real and emotional - somehow fits the voice of Mr. Starkey to a T.
8. “Emotional Weather Report” - Tom Waits
   I close this set with the blues stylings of Tom Waits, who sums up his psyche in this lovely, offbeat romp through his apartment and his emotions. And he also name checks a few Los Angeles landmarks along the way - how many of ‘em still exist, Mandel?

Enjoy the weather!

Download: “Summer In The City” - The Lovin’ Spoonful (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Weekends & Bleak Days” - The Young Knives (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “The Heat Is On” - Glen Frey (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Like A Summer Rain” - Jan & Dean (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Rainy Day Sun” - Spinal Tap (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Stormy Weather” - Ringo Starr (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Emotional Weather Report” - Tom Waits (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

If you’re a subscriber to the Selective Service mailing list (and if you’re not, what’s stopping you? Time to sign up!), I mentioned that we had some special stuff up our sleeves for July, and that’s no lie — we three are now a quartet! Say hello to the newest member of the Selective Service family, The Man(del) from U.N.C.L.E.! I asked Mandel to introduce himself, and here’s what he has to say:

My name is Mandel Ilagan and I’m a pop-music-aholic. I went to high school in the humid, sunny land of Cooper City, Florida with Uncle Sam and though our music tastes greatly varied, we formed an instant bond. There was nary a second we weren’t bickering about something music-related. Often, I’d cede and try to let Sam THINK he was right about his rigid tastes, but I knew deep in my mind, that *I* was the more open-minded and sane one.

I mean, c’mon, what high school boy shouldn’t love Elton John, Billy Joel, The Beatles, ABBA, Queen, ELO, Supertramp, Hall & Oates, disco, TV themes (go, “Greatest American Hero!”), EPCOT songs, and the occasional musical number here and there?

Around the age of 21, I came out of the closet. OK… maybe that explains a lot, but my music tastes
have even drawn the ire of my fellow gays. So what if I have an eclectic iPod that jumps from Ben Folds Five to prize music from “The Price is Right?” I mean, can’t one have their shuffle jump from Paul McCartney’s “Take it Away” to the Main Street Electrical Parade music?

Here are some desert island discs that I’d make sure have a permanent spot in my iPod:

ABBA, Arrival
ABBA, Super Trouper
ABBA, The Visitors
Alphabeat, Alphabeat (Danish version)
The Beatles, “The White Album”
The Beatles, Abbey Road
Beck, Odelay
Bleu, Redhead
Chess (London cast recording)
Jason Falkner, Author Unknown
The Feeling, Twelve Stops and Home
The Feeling, Join With Us
The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin
Ben Folds Five, Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
Ben Folds, Rockin’ the Suburbs
Green Day, American Idiot
Hall and Oates, The Very Best of…
Michael Jackson, Off the Wall
Michael Jackson, Thriller
Jellyfish, Spilt Milk
Billy Joel, Turnstiles
Billy Joel, The Stranger
Billy Joel, 52nd Street
Billy Joel, The Nylon Curtain
Elton John, Elton John
Elton John, Madman Across the Water
Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Elton John, Blue Moves
Elton John, Too Low for Zero
Elton John, Songs from the West Coast
The Killers, Hot Fuss
Klaatu, Hope
John Lennon, Imagine
John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Double Fantasy
Paul McCartney, Tug of War
Paul and Linda McCartney, Ram
Paul McCartney and Wings, Band on the Run
Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell
Mika, Life in Cartoon Motion
My Chemical Romance, The Black Parade
Nilsson, Nilsson Schmilsson
Nilsson, Son of Schmilsson
Pulp, Different Class
Push Kings, Far Places
Queen, A Night at the Opera
Queen, The Game
Queen, Hot Space
Queen, Greatest Hits
Queen, Classic Queen
Radiohead, OK Computer
Todd Rundgren, Hermit of Mink Hollow
Jim Steinman, Bad for Good
Scissor Sisters, Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters, Ta-Dah
Supertramp, Breakfast in America
Matthew Sweet, 100% Fun
Matthew Sweet, In Reverse
Travis, The Man Who
Travis, The Invisible Band
Robbie Williams, The Ego Has Landed
Xanadu (Soundtrack)

So, as you can see, there are a lot of pop-rock albums on here. That should give you a sense of why Uncle Sam and I bicker about music even to this day. We’ve even documented our spats on Youtube! Enjoy!

I know I’m looking forward to (some of) Mandel’s additions to my iTunes libraries, and you should, too: the man’s a walking encyclopedia of 70’s pop & pop-culture, and you’re bound to (re-)discover something new. Your first taste of his tastes will come in this month’s playlists — stay tuned!

I decided to wrap up my quartet of crushes for June with Amy MacDonald, one of my favorite British Scottish imports from last year who’s finally getting the chance to test American waters in ‘08.

MacDonald’s debut album, This Is The Life easily won a place on my year-end best albums list thanks to a well-balanced mix of strong songwriting, catchy melodies, and a full folk-pop sound courtesy her excellent backing band. Back in April, I had the chance to attend her first American gig at the Great Scott in Allston, and her act translated really well on stage: she’s personable and witty behind the mic, her thick accent is a treat, and her band recreated the lush sound of her album beautifully. She played only two other shows before heading back across the pond, so here’s hoping that a successful album launch will bring her back — she’s definitely worth catching at a local club.

This Is The Life will finally hit stores on August 19 (mark your calendars!), so until then enjoy this taste: “Poison Prince” was her first single in the UK, and her cover of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” was the b-side to her single for “L.A.” and is a live favorite. Hope you dig!

Download: Amy MacDonald, “Poison Prince” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Amy MacDonald, “Mr. Brightside (Live From King Tuts)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Like what you hear? Grab the single for “Mr. Rock And Roll” from the iTunes Store. More on This Is The Life when it’s available on August 19.

Better late than never, right? Sorry for the delay — here’s the one release that’s new in stores & worth your time this week:

The Wombats, A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation
I’ve featured my new favorite Liverpudlians here a few times, and now I’m happy to report that their excellent debut album is finally available in the US, almost 8 months after its release across the pond. Not much to say that I haven’t typed before, so allow me to cut & paste: “They’re the Arctic Monkeys with actual tunes and a much better sense of humor, so I couldn’t be happier. Bouncy guitar rock doesn’t get much more fun than this.” Guide is just as snappy and satisfying as it was on first listen — definitely worth the $7.99 @ Amazon MP3.

That’s it — have a good week!

My third crush for the month is a British duo who finally got it right: The Kills.

I bought into the massive hype surrounding The Kills’ 2003 debut album Keep on Your Mean Side, but was woefully disappointed. Sure, their stripped-down garage rock was full of attitude, but is was missing catchy tunes. It added up to 45 minutes of black-leather drones that put me to sleep. I passed on follow-up No Wow, but early positive reviews of this year’s Midnight Boom made me pay attention again. I was sold when “Cheap and Cheerful” was made a free download from the iTunes Store: it’s a bright, sexy mix of fuzzy rock, jumpy electro, wild percussion, and hand claps that quickly found its way into the mix on my iPhone.

The whole of Midnight Boom is even better than “Cheap and Cheerful” hints, and it’s definitely in the running for my favorite album of ‘08: the songs are a winning mix of unpredictable, lo-fi percussion; jumpy, amazingly catchy hooks; and snarling, fuzzy riffs. It’s a sleek, taut album, too: with each song clocking in somewhere between 2 and 3.5 minutes, sometimes cutting off just as a song really gets percolating (I could listen to the chorus of “Last Day Of Magic” for 45 minutes, but they wisely cut it at 3:20), they leave you wanting more — it’s amazingly re-listenable. I’ve yet to find a song worth skipping. Try these two tunes on for size:

Download: The Kills, “Last Day of Magic” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Kills, “Tape Song” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Like what you hear? Grab Midnight Boom at iTunes, which is offering the album with a bonus track.

Pop-culture summers are all about sequels (no matter how awesome it looks, we are after all getting a 6th Batman movie in less than a month), so I thought I’d add my own to the mix and give you a few more tunes to help you get through your long flights or road trips. My second pick this month is Brooklyn’s Ready Fire Aim, an electronic trio with a knack for dark, delicious, Depeche Mode-y pop.

Their debut album This Changes Nothing came out at the end of May, and, while a little uneven in parts, it’s a pretty sharp mix of slinky electro-rock and headphone-friendly synth-pop. I skip around the tracklisting a lot, but there are enough winners that it warranted a recommendation here: opener “End Of Over” sounds like an excellent Violator outtake; “Wannabe Your” ratchets up the guitars and has a great Love And Rockets-ish vibe about it; “As If It Were That Easy” is a gorgeous, earworm-inducing ballad; and first single “So Fine” is a great slice of Fischerspooner-y electro. I know that’s a lot of allusions to other groups, but RFA wraps all of their influences up in a neat package. Give them a try:

Download: Ready Fire Aim, “As If It Were That Easy” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ready Fire Aim, “Wannabe Your” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Like what you hear? Grab This Changes Nothing at Amazon MP3. Stay tuned for more crushes!