Random 10 for Nov. 13, 2008

1. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, “You Could Die (or This Might End)”

2. Sugar, “Hoover Dam”

3. Kiss, “Detroit Rock City” 
Like the Seann William Scott character in Role Models, I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for Paul, Peter, Gene and Ace. The band was my second-ever rock ‘n’ roll concert (the first, dear God, were the Bay City Rollers), as well as my third … and fourth. This 1976 TV clip of “Detroit Rock City” features, for whatever reason, a quick glimpse of Paul Lynde, obviously befuddled at being outside his comfort zone of the Center Square.

4. Tom Waits, “Temptation”

5. The Replacements, “Nightclub Jitters”

6. Devo, “Whip It”

7. The Fabulous Thunderbirds, “Wrap It Up”
Yeah, it’s certainly a cheesy Eighties relic of a video, but the 1986 song itself — penned by the late, great Isaac Hayes — is a straightforward blast of blues-based rock, well-served by the hearty vocals of Kim Wilson.