Cars: Bitchin' Camaro

Hey Jack... what's happenin'...

Cars: Precision Auto

Superchunk: Precision Auto [purchase]

"Do not pass me,
Just to slow down,
I will move right through you."

Before the strings and introspection and soft-rock impulses kicked in, Superchunk was a take-no-prisoners rock band. From their formation in 1989 through maybe 1996, you could always hear the new wave English influences (The Cure, Echo And The Bunnymen, The Smiths, e.g.) bubbling under, but they filtered that precious jangle through crunchy ... some might say, chunky ... intertwining guitars and pure punk rock energy. While they became too twee for my tastes, Superchunk remains one of the best examples of the post-punk DIY American underground you're ever gonna find. At every step of their career they did it their way, on their terms, with little corporate/conglomerate/multinational something-or-another influence getting in the way. Much respect.

"Precision Auto" is the leadoff track from their third album, On The Mouth, and was their first to feature new drummer, Jon Wurster, who ratcheted up the ass-kicking quotient dramatically with his heavy, yet fluid drum sound. Produced by John Reis (carnival barker for those righteous beacons of rock 'n' roll fury, Rocket From The Crypt), I think this album stands as their masterpiece, both in terms of songwriting and capturing Superchunk's command of stage dynamics. The band on this record and the band you saw live (that you couldn't help but pogo to), were just about the same. You can hear it all through "Precision," which sounds like it could be the aural interpretation of a car crash, what with sounds of skidding, sirens, and the thud of crashing. A masterpiece of a song and I never realized they made a video of it. Total early-'90s time capsule. I think 78% of all "college rock" videos made between 1988-94 looked like this ... not that it's a bad thing.

The final piece of evidence in defense of Superchunk's greatness is Laura Ballance (pictured on bass above). She rocks, she's hot, and she was one of the founders of über-indie empire, Merge Records. Word daddy-o.

Cars: Standing By The Rambler

Walt Wilkins: Standing By The Rambler [purchase]

I'm not gonna lie and say i knew what a Rambler was, or had ever seen one before this post, but i like to learn a little something everyday from ol' Wikipedia.

Rambler was the idea of auto maker Thomas B. Jeffery. The car was one of the first to try out using a steering wheel and the first ever vehicle to feature a road-ready spare tire. Charles W. Nash bought the company in 1916 and the Nash Rambler was born. Beginning as a sporty 2-door, the Rambler morphed into a 4-door sedan as well as a model that resembled a station wagon.

In the 60's, Rambler became an actual brand name, featuring many different models. The car saw its hey-day in this decade, but was not able to compete with the big American Auto companies. Like an aged athlete, the Rambler took it's game to Europe before finnally fizzling out in the early 80's.

As for the music - Walt gives us a jaunty little number centered around an old picture of his parents..... standin by their rambler. If you don't know Walt, you should. Known primarily for his songwriting, he's just another hidden treasure we have down here in Texas. Pat Green has given some of Walt's best tunes extra exposure throughout his career. This isn't Walt at his best, but it is a fun, lively tune - which is what car songs are all about.