Music Library: Flat Duo Jets, Flatlanders, Fleet Foxes, Fletcher Henderson, Flight of the Conchords, Flin Flon, Flipper, Flower Travellin' Band

The Flat Duo Jets - In Stereo EP (1985), "The Man With The Golden Arm," Go Go Harlem Baby (1991), and "Ooh My Head." Could there be White Stripes without the Flat Duo Jets? I think not. Dex and Crow played amped-up versions of classic rockabilly and folk songs, along with originals that sounds like they could easily have been written in the 50s. I saw them play a bunch of times and loved the hell out of every show. Wish I had more of their albums.

The Flatlanders - More A Legend Than A Band (recorded 1972, released 1990). Cosmic cowboy music with one foot in the old-timey music of the 20s and one foot in the future. They've all gone on to later success, but at the time Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, and Joe Ely were unknown musicians from Lubbock, TX who played deeply unpopular retro music with a guy playing the saw, for chrissake. No one would release the album, and the group broke up. Now, of course, people can hear them for the visionaries they were. It's beautiful, timeless music.

Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP and Fleet Foxes (2008). I don't mean to reduce this band to a formula when I say that they remind me simultaneously of the early My Morning Jacket albums and the British folk-rock band Pentangle. I love those early MMJ albums. And The Pentangle. Which is to say that I like this band and am looking forward to future releases.

Fletcher Henderson - "Radio Rhythm" (1931). Swing, baby, swing.

Flight of the Conchords - The Distant Future EP (2007) and Flight of the Conchords (2008). I love how their songs work both as comedy and as fun music. I suppose that's why everyone likes them. But it's a rare talent; comedy bands are usually no fun once you've heard all the jokes a few times. Most of the FotC tracks still amuse me.

Flin Flon - "Kamloops" (1998). I don't know anything about this band or where I got this track, but it's a killer song.

Flipper - Album: Generic Flipper (1982) and Sex Bomb Baby (1986). Man, I love Flipper. I hear a direct line from Black Sabbath to their bass-heavy punk skronk to the Melvins to modern stoner metal. Throw in Flipper's wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor and strangely life-affirming lyrics and you have one of the best bands of the hardcore(-ish) genre. Listening to these reminds me that I've been meaning to buy a copy of Flipper's 2nd album, the excellent Gone Fishin', since my music went digital. And I'm definitely curious about the current incarnation of Flipper that's touring the whole damn world, apparently. Anyway, these are Flipper's first album and a collection of early singles and b-sides, and both are phenomenal.

Flower Travellin' Band - Satori (1971). Q: What would it sound like if the members of Black Sabbath were Japanese mecha-rockers on post-nuclear acid? A: SATORI.