On this date in 2008, a blog formerly known as "Six Songs" was renamed "Star Maker Machine."  Here's the first ...

The Ramones : Sheena is a Punk Rocker [ purchase ] A bit of a cheat here, because the theme reference is to an album title, not a song...

Rammstein: Moskau [ purchase ] Reveling in gritty imagery, fiery demonstrations of power, and constantly overt sexuality, Ramms...

Yes: " Siberian Khatru " [ Purchase ] During my junior high and high school years in the late '70s and early '80s, I b...

Enlivened by the extension of this theme a further week, I decided to investigate a truism, at least on this side of the sea, that being...

Yes, that one! OK, OK, corny as heck, but dont'cha just love it? Luckily I am not referring to the wretched  Boney M  but to the rat...

The Ukrainians : Koroleva Ne Pomerla (The Queen is Dead) [ purchase ] Punk and traditional folk music are far from strangers. Bands ...

Samovar Russian Folk Music Ensemble : Hopak Ukrainian Dance Samovar : Samovar Samovar : Samovar Samovar : Samovar [ purchase ] I lik...

Iveroni : Iveroni [ purchase ] The Republic of Georgia was in the headlines in 2008, and it wasn't in regards to their...

[ The original TBCOU version -   Back in the USSR ] [ Purchase: Paul McCartney- Back in the USSR ] [ Purchase: current TBCOU version...

  [ Purchase Asphalt Orchestra - Zomby Woof ] [ Purchase Frank Zappa - Zomby Woof ]   I learned about Frank Zappa in college, though...

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros: X-Ray Style Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros: X-Ray Style (live) [ purchase ] Who knows? Maybe I...

Drive-By Truckers : Zip City [ purchase Southern Rock Opera ] There is one member of my family who would be disappointed if I had the...

Buckwheat Zydeco : Zydeco Honky Tonk [Out of Print]      You don't have to be born in a bayou to appreciate this swinging ...

Old 97’s : Question [ purchase ]   Rhett Miller : Question [ purchase ] The song that I chose gives me a couple of things to ...

Brian Eno : "Zawinul/Lava" [purchase] Brian Eno has been an influence on me since before I even knew who he was. As an extr...

Chicago: Questions 67 & 68 [ Purchase ] I actually bought this album when it first came out. I was in a boarding school just n...

[ purchase a book about curling strategy ] Every two years, I find myself getting into a debate about whether particular sports deserve...

Mew singer Jonas Bjerre. Photo Credit  Bill Ebbesen   "Snow Brigade" fan music video. Mew: Snow Brigade [purchase] T...

Kathleen Edwards : Hockey Skates [ purchase ] It’s not that I don’t like hockey, but I just never got into the habit of watching it. ...