Rock really is three chords. Everything else is window dressing or some arranger getting cute. Or Steely Dan — which some people argue is, actually, far from rock.

In the case of “Alki Point,” a simple Seattle instrumental jam from a regionally popular band back in the 1960s, it’s three chords and one hell of a Wurlitzer piano (think Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say”) backed by a spot-on rhythm section. Dig it. From Northwest Battle of the Bands, Vol. 2 (Knock you Flat!).

Seattle spawned the 1980s-1990s garage rock revolution for good reason: Garage rock thrived out there during the 1960s, and record collectors will buy any compilation of any bunch of two-bit high-school bands that played sock-hops back in the day.

Why?

Dude, they rocked. Kurt Cobain wasn’t no slouch but The Sonics were the granddaddy of them all. They begat Green River, Mudhoney, and a billion flannel shirt sales. (more…)

The politics of “Shortnin’ Bread” (download) confuse me; I choose to see it as a bunch of whacked-out Left Coast surfer dudes having a ball making fun of the crackers. That’s the best I can do.

Feel free to enter your own interpretation of this vintage genre mashup from Pebbles, Vol. 4: Surf N Tunes.

Fricking great groove, however. Speaking of this cut, I need to put on some coffee, too.

Popdose kicks off this regular feature with a vintage commercial for the stompbox that launched a thousand garage bands. (more…)