For over 20 years, the Mother Hips have expertly offered a soulful, psychedelic sound that just seems to flow in the Northern Californian waters. Although it's been a while since the band's last album, the groove-tastic Pacific Central Dust, was released in 2009, word has it that a new album is nigh upon us, possibly being released in May or June, according to a recent post on the band's official Facebook page.
With a new record in the hopper, the band, founded by college buddies Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono, has taken to the road, which has brought them to Dan's Silverleaf in Denton tonight. We were able to get both Bluhm and Loiacono to set their iPods to shuffle and let us know what came up first and why it's there.
Tim Bluhm's First Five Shuffled Songs
1. The Everly Brothers - "How Can I Meet Her?": For anyone interested in singing rock-n-roll harmonies, the Everly's are just as important as the Beatles or the Beach Boys. This is early rock-n-roll with unbelievable production and great session musicians. These guys were extremely formative for the Mother Hips.
2. Bert Jansch - "Rabbit Run": I bought the album Dazzling Stranger recently, after reading about the death of Jansch. I had heard of him but had never listened to his music. I've been digging it.
3. Mary Wells - "You Beat Me to the Punch": I heard this song on oldies radio and I had to buy it. The amazing, echoey production and the innocence and vulnerability of the lead vocal is so powerful. I wish records could still sound like this.
4. The Byrds- "Bound to Fall": I got deep into a Byrds kick years ago and bought all of those great re-issued CDs they put out. This is an instrumental bonus track that's pretty fine. It's from one of my favorite Byrds eras, Notorious Byrd Brothers. It sounds to me like it easily could have had vocals on it if they had wanted it to.
5. Merle Haggard- "I'll Be a Hero (When I Strike):" Merle Haggard is probably my favorite musician of them all. This song his from his best period. Loose, great-sounding, and has that bad-ass, working-man attitude that Hag delivers so convincingly.
Greg Loiacono's First Five Shuffled Songs 1. The Shins - "Bait and Switch": I heard a song by the Shins on the radio one day, and I bought Port of Morrow without knowing much about them. It's a good record. This song, in particular, is very fun to listen to.
2. The Bee Gees - "I Close My Eyes": This is from Bee Gees 1st. Not much to say except that it's one of the best tracks from one of my favorite records, ever. It's got everything.
3. Prince - "Adore": Here's Prince doing some extreme vocalizing. A little much at times, but it used to move me deeply in high school. From the incredible album Sign O The Times.
4. The Beach Boys - "I Know There's an Answer": Another mind blower. The Mother Hips had the distinct honor of getting to be Al Jardine's backing band at our Big Sur festival, The Hipnic, in 2011. I'll never forget it. We're hoping to get Al up there with us again this year.
5. Steely Dan - "Fire in the Hole": Love it. The piano solo and the pedal steel solo are of particular note on this record.
