My 90's Flashback: Neptune Ave (Ortho Hi Rise) by Sammy

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This week I am sharing some of my favorite songs from the 90's, and today's selection is 'Neptune Ave (Ortho Hi Rise)' by Sammy, a New York City band. Luke Wood and Jesse Hartman were Sammy, and their 1996 debut Tales of Great Neck Glory was their last album.'Neptune Ave (Ortho Hi Rise)' is featured on that overlooked 1990's gem.

Sammy was unfairly labeled a Pavement rip-off band. I'll admit that they do have a similar sound at times, but when you listen to Sammy they are also influenced by the likes of fellow NYC rockers The Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth. In all fairness, take a look at some of your favorite 90's bands and make a list of who was ripping off The Velvet Underground or The Fall or The Beach Boys. Hell, The New York Dolls ripped off the Stones at times, but the Dolls rocked. Sammy rocked as well, kids.

I first heard 'Neptune Ave (Ortho Hi Rise)' on 120 Minutes. The Lou Reed inspired vocals by Jesse Hartman, the warm and fuzzy 90's indie guitar sounds, and the sexy hipster lyrics made this song great. I connect with this song lyrically in spots. As a History major I love the line, "Tell me a story 'cause I'm a history hound". Another good part in the song is when they break into, "What ever happened to you on this beach? What ever happened to you in that bar? What ever happened to you on the street? What ever happened to your old guitar?" Damn that's good.

This is one of many great songs on their major label debut, Tales of Great Neck Glory. As I stated earlier, this is an overlooked indie album of the 1990s because it is pretty solid from start to finish. Take a listen to the song below and enjoy. Also, you gotta dig The Soul Train Line at the end of the video.


TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll and is also the head writer and owner of Champion City Comics. Follow him @TonyDougWright on Twitter.

90's Flashback: Watch The Girl Destroy Me by Possum Dixon

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I worked at a record store in a mall from November of '93 until January or February of '94. My job was to stand around and help people find albums. The real reason I took the job was because of the employee discount. My boss was a guy named Jim and he was a great guy who dug indie rock. One day he asked if I liked Possum Dixon and I had no idea what was talking about. He found the album and told me I had to buy it because it was fantastic.

I took Jim's advice and purchased Possum Dixon's eponymous debut. Jim suggested a great album because I immediately fell in love with the frantic music and witty lyrics of Possum Dixon. The opening track, 'Nerves', has a memorable line that goes, 'The girl's on glue when the rent check's due'. That's poetry right there, kids.

The song I've selected for today's post is 'Watch The Girl Destroy Me', which was the big college rock "hit" from their debut album. Possum Dixon always sounded like the coked-up older brothers of Weezer. They were cool, but you always felt that they were on the verge of an epic meltdown.

Possum Dixon formed in LA circa 1989 and released three albums from 1993 until 1998. Their first album is my favorite and it is a wild smart ass adventure into the odd part of this world known as Los Angeles. Possum Dixon blends pop and punk to create a truly unique sound. Take a listen to 'Watch The Girl Destroy Me' and enjoy.



TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll and is also the head writer and owner of Champion City Comics. Follow him @TonyDougWright on Twitter.

90's Flashback: Alright by Cast

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While the US was cranking out grunge rock, the Brits were cranking out the Britpop. Blur, Oasis, Pulp, and Suede delivered a style of music that was inspired by the British Invasion and punk. Cast was a Britpop act that debuted in 1995 with All Change. The song I have selected for today is the opening track 'Alright'.  

Cast was formed by John Power (The La's) and Peter Wilkinson (Shack). If The La's sound familiar as a band name then you will probably remember their hit song 'There She Goes Again'. If you watch the clip then Power is the dude playing bass. Cast was a Britpop favorite during the 90's and they released four albums before a 2001 split. Cast reformed in 2010 and has released a fifth studio album. 

I first heard 'Alright' by Cast on 120 Minutes in 1995 and was immediately hooked by this guitar driven song. Blur's Modern Life is Rubbish was a favorite of mine at the time, plus I was in a major Beatles and Stones appreciation phase. I purchased All Change and was really impressed by their poppy guitar driven music. 'Alright' might be 90's Britpop, but it does have a timeless sound that will appeal to fans who dig The British Invasion. Enjoy.



TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll and is also the head writer and owner of Champion City Comics. Follow him @TonyDougWright on Twitter.

90's Flashback: Seeds by Fig Dish

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Fig Dish -Last.fm

 This week I have decided to share some songs that I really enjoyed during the 1990s. There are times when I think about songs I used to really dig back in the day, so I've decided to share them with the good kids at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. My first 90's pick is 'Seeds' by Fig Dish.

Chicago was on fire with rock and roll during the 1980s and 1990s. Ministry, The Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, and Urge Overkill are just a few that rocked The Windy City. Fig Dish was also a Chicago band and they had an impressive debut in 1995 with That's What Love Songs Often Do.They released When Shove Goes Back To Push in 1997 and then disbanded a year later.

'Seeds' is a good example of 90's alt-rock done right. There were many bands back then walking the alt-rock fine line and you either ended up on the stupid side or the clever side. I first heard this song in 1995 when a friend added 'Seeds' to a mix tape. My friend used to pick up copies of CMJ, a music magazine that came with a CD featuring selected songs from established and up-and-coming bands. He thought I'd like 'Seeds' and he was right, but I still think it's a killer rock song blending all of the fine ingredients of grunge and pop.

I usually post videos from YouTube for my selections, but the YouTube video for 'Seeds' experiences fourteen seconds of silence and that is unacceptable at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. So click here to check out 'Seeds'.



TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll and is also the head writer and owner of Champion City Comics. Follow him @TonyDougWright on Twitter.

My Heavy Rotation For January 2013: Brickfield Nights by The Boys

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The heavy rotation comes to an end this week with the 1978 power poppin' punk song 'Brickfield Nights' by The Boys. They were part of the UK punk scene during the late 70's and early 80's. The first time I heard The Boys was on the Rhino DIY series CD Teenage Kicks - UK Pop I.

If you can get your hands on those Rhino DIY compilation CDs then it is worth the investment. I have four of those CDs at home and not a single one of them is weak. When I search the used CD bins, I'm on the lookout for more, and I will share more music I discovered via Rhino.

'Brickfield Nights' is the only song that I know from The Boys, and this has earned its rightful place in my heavy rotation. This is a straight up rock and roll song about remembering the good ol' days. If you are a fan of bands like Green Day and Weezer then you are really going to dig this little number. Enjoy.






TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll and is also the head writer and owner of Champion City Comics. Follow him @TonyDougWright on Twitter.

My Heavy Rotation For January 2013: Best Thing by Bob Mould

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I've been a Bob Mould fan since 1992 when I heard Sugar's Copper Blue in a Columbus, Ohio record store. Since then I have been a fan of Bob's work with Husker Du, Sugar, and as a solo artist. My selection for today's post is 'Best Thing' from Bob's 2005 solo album Body of Song.

Mould has produced some great rock music since the 1980s, but there are some fans that believe Bob's career took a major nose dive during the mid to late 1990s. I disagree. Mould fits into a category with Paul Westerberg (The Replacements) and Frank Black/Black Francis (The Pixies) where these singer-songwriters must produce the same material again and again to appease their fans. Any type of deviation causes controversy and god forbid any of the aforementioned artists explore new territory musically.

If anyone doesn't like Mould's solo career then give 'Best Thing' a listen. I think it is a really good rock song that deals with the common theme of falling for someone who has no interest in you whatsoever. And 'Best Thing' is a great reply where Mould tells the person, "Too bad, you missed out on something great". How can you not like a song like that sticks it to the jerks? Take a listen below and enjoy.




TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll and is also the head writer and owner of Champion City Comics. Follow him @TonyDougWright on Twitter.

My Heavy Rotation For January 2013: You Should Hear How She Talks About You by Melissa Manchester

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This week I am sharing my heavy rotation songs. Haters gonna hate, but my song selection for today is Melissa Manchester's 1982 hit, 'You Should Hear How She Talks About You'. That's my jam.

Everybody has a list of guilty pleasure songs, and I will not apologize for liking 'You Should Hear How She Talks About You' by Melissa Manchester. I don't know all that much about Manchester's career, but I know she's the one that gave us the 1970's adult contemporary dud 'Don't Cry Out Loud'. That was bad, and I give it a thumbs down like that dude did in Spinal Tap during 'Jazz Odyssey'.

'You Should Hear How She Talks About You' is a bouncy little faux new wave pop hit. When this song comes on, I'm going to turn up the volume. Take a listen to the song below, and as an added bonus, I've found Manchester performing the song on the 80's classic show, Solid Gold. Enjoy.


I've included the original 1981 version by Charlie Dore. Take a listen below, but I think Melissa Manchester wins this game.I couldn't listen to the song from start to finished because it bored the hell out of me. Sorry, Charlie. Tuna jokes!



TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll and is also the head writer and owner of Champion City Comics. Follow him @TonyDougWright on Twitter.