May 1, 2005
PLAYLIST
The New York Times
Lyrical Punks, Eerie Crooners
By STEVE JONES
Thirty years after helping to found the archetypal British punk band the Sex Pistols, the guitarist Steve Jones has a new gig. From noon to 2 p.m. each weekday on Indie 103.1 FM in Los Angeles, Mr. Jones is the host of "Jonesy's Jukebox," an ecumenical mix of rock, from punk and metal to glam and shameless pop, interspersed with the ex-Pistol's cockney-accented musings. (The program streams live at
www.indie1031.fm.). Speaking recently with Joel Topcik, Mr. Jones discussed what he's listening to and why.
Supergrass
One of my favorite albums that came out in the past year is "Supergrass Is 10" (EMI/Parlophone). It's the British rock band's 10-year anniversary greatest hits album. I know it's a "best of," but it really shows that they grow as a band. "Caught by the Fuzz," one of their early songs, almost sounds punky - I can relate to that one. Their later stuff can sound like Supertramp. I love "Pumping on Your Stereo"; it has a real good-time sound, lots of hand-clapping and bass. I actually just played it on my show, and it reminded me how much I liked them.
The Caesars
They're from Sweden, though you wouldn't know it; their accents are better than most English blokes'. They have some killer songs, like "Sort It Out" from an album that came out here a couple years back, "39 Minutes of Bliss (In an Otherwise Meaningless World)." It's got great punk lyrics - "I want to smoke crack/'cause you're never coming back/I want to shoot speedballs/bang my head against the wall" - but it's really poppy. They keep it simple, with great melodies and pumping beats. They've got a new album just released on Astralwerks called "Paper Tigers." "We Got to Leave" is one I've been playing on my show. They're a good unit; they know their parts and they don't overplay. It's just simple.
Deadsy
A band I really like that no one knows is Deadsy. The singer is Cher's kid Elijah Blue. Two of their songs, "The Key to Gramercy Park" and "Winners," are fantastic; I always play them and I always plug the band. I saw them last month at the Roxy in L.A. and they played songs from their new album, "Phantasmagore," that's supposed to be out sometime this year. And they really make an effort in their stage presence. Awhile back they used to wear brightly colored school uniforms with badges and weird symbols. For this show, they actually used Cher's designer from the 80's - they looked like ancient Romans.
Morrissey
I'm a huge Morrissey/Smiths fan. I made an attempt to write with him a couple years ago, but he never called me back. I ran into him a year later - the Pistols were doing a show and he came backstage - and the first thing he says is: "I'm sorry, Steve, I didn't call you. I was shy." Then the next year this fantastic album comes out, "You Are the Quarry" (Sanctuary). I love the way it's produced, and he's in top form. I liked the first single, "Irish Blood, English Heart," but the song that really captured me was "First of the Gang to Die." I started playing it a lot on my show, and they picked that to be the second single. So when he played at the Universal Amphitheater, he made a big fuss in between songs and gave "Jonesy's Jukebox" a big shout out for being the first to play his album and being supportive of him. It was really touching.
Fu Manchu
Fu Manchu is from around Joshua Tree, out there in the desert. They've been around for 15 years now, but the album that turned me on to them is "Start the Machine" (DRT Entertainment), which came out back in September. "Written in Stone" is a song I play a lot. It's really heavy and they play angry, but it's not speed metal. The singer's got a bit of style in his voice; he's not just shouting his head off. They really sound a lot like Black Sabbath so I'll often play them back to back.
Queens of the Stone Age
They have a new album out, "Lullabies to Paralyze" (Interscope). I like the single they have out, "Little Sister," and I play "I Never Came" a lot as well. The singer, Josh Homme, has a very distinctive voice; it's melodic - he's like an eerie crooner. But the music's heavy, which is right up my alley. They don't sound mass-produced or contrived the way a band like Linkin Park sounds. They just rock.
Jetliner
I like bands that have a concept, a bit of drama. Queen is that sort of band; they had complex songs with a lot of parts to them. Jetliner is that kind of band too. I have an advance copy of their album, "Space Station" (Oaktree Records, coming in June). The title song is fantastic - you'd think you were listening to Queen, with the piano and the harmonies. They also do a great cover of Bowie's "Life on Mars."
