Namesakes #146: The Wombats

Some cute, cuddly little marsupials for you to pet this week. But which Wombats will make you go "Awww" and which will make you go "Arrrghhh!"?

THE WOMBATS #1

We start this week with some forgettable Wombats from Huntsville Alabama, 1965...

The Wombats - I Thought I'd Forget

THE WOMBATS #2

George might object to this one from 196? as they're only Gary's backing band... but I'm guessing when he listens to the actual tune, it'll be this week's winner. Who can resist a song called "Squidgy Bod"?

Gary & The Wombats - Squidgy Bod

THE WOMBATS #3

Vaguely psychedelic Chicago Wombats from 1967...

The Wombats - Blue Daydream

THE WOMBATS #4

American garage band from the 60s found on an old acetate with no label. The people who profiteered by shoving it on a compilation made up the name Wombats to have something to call them. Who knows what they were really called? (Maybe Ernie does.)

The Wombats - Please Come On

THE WOMBATS #5

U.S. punk Wombats from the early 80s...

The Wombats - What Can I Do?

THE WOMBATS #6

Took me a while to track down some audio for these guys, but I'm sure you'll agree that my persistence paid off. Chicago Wombats from 1996... brothers Kevin and Kegham Giragosian still play music today, as 60s tribute act The Neverly Brothers.

The Wombats - My My

THE WOMBATS #7

Liverpudlian indie band formed during the Landfill Era (2003) yet still kicking around today, presumably delivering nostalgia to the Millennials. Most famous for their bouncy song about Joy Division (which I'm sure all true Joy Division fans hate), though I tend to be more fond of their slightly misanthropic later work...

The Wombats - Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want To Come

THE WOMBATS #8

German hip hoppers from 2007...

The Wombats - Ich Schreib

THE WOMBATS #9

And finally today, some Russian pop-punk band from 2016...

The Wombats - Punk Rock Girlfriend

Nine Wombats for your aural enjoyment. But which ones drive you Wombatty?

Snapshots Superman Songs Spillover (#1)

I saw the new Superman film.

I loved it.

But who cares what I think. Here are some more tunes!

When it came to compiling a post about Superman songs, there were hundreds to choose from, so a Spillover seemed inevitable. Starting with a couple which would have made this weekend's link far too obvious. From the sublime...

Laurie Anderson - O Superman

...to the ridiculous...

Black Lace - Superman

...or maybe that should have been the other way round?

Here's another one which would have been a giveaway... 

Donovan - Sunshine Superman

Not to be confused with this, a little later in the day...

Dio - Sunset Superman

And then there was this, not actually a song about Clark Kent... but another, real life Superman...

Johnny Wakelin - Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)

It's amazing how many songs there are with "Superman" as their sole title. We featured quite a few yesterday, but here's a load more...

Alison McCallum - Superman

Eminem - Superman

Dan Bern - Superman

The Ides Of March - Superman

Richard Caiton - Superman

Barton Carroll - Superman

Les Variations - Superman Superman

So good they said it twice!

Excelsior - Superman

Robyn Hitchcock - Superman

Scouting For Girls - Superman

Attempted Moustache - Superman

I wish I could have found a picture of Attempted Moustache - they would definitely have made it into Snapshots this weekend.

Lazlo Bane - Superman

That one was the theme tune to the sitcom Scrubs, if you remember that. 

If not, maybe you remember the time Babs wore a Superman shirt.

Barbra Streisand - Superman

And she's not the only Babs with a thing for the Man of Steel...

Raw Soul featuring Barbara Stant - Superman

One final offering today, from confirmed comic book fan David Gedge...

...but we're not done yet. There will be more Superman Songs later in the week.

Snapshots #404: Superman Songs

There's a new Superman film out this weekend... and although I haven't seen it yet, I can confidently predict it will be better than the last few, because Zack Snyder isn't involved. Maybe not quite up to Christopher Reeve's standards, but miracles don't happen that often.

Anyway, here are some Super Songs to celebrate...

15. UN diary reveals they're all a bunch of squares.

"UN diary" was an anagram.

Ian Dury and The Blockheads - Sueperman's Big Sister

14. Kafka in Rio.

Franz Kafka meets Rio Ferdinand.

Franz Ferdinand - Lois Lane

13. Bond villain found by Ash.

Ash did a song called Goldfinger, after Auric...

Goldfinger - Superman

12. Blue eyes gets a shiner.

Frank Sinatra was old blue eyes... a shiner turns them black.

Frank Black - Man Of Steel

11. Protective, instrumental, elementary.

A Johnny is protective, a guitar is an instrument, Watson was... my dear.

Johnny Guitar Watson - Superman Lover

10. Taking an E helped John Wayne and Prince Edward get really, really high.

XTC, under their alias...

Dukes Of Stratosphere - Braniac's Daughter

Sadly, I couldn't find any songs about Lex Luthor. So Braniac will have to do.

Although I would also have allowed...

XTC - That's Really Super, Supergirl 

9. Close knit friends who won't let you join in.

The Clique - Superman

You may be more familiar with this cover version...

REM - Superman

8. Melatives?

What Mel Gibson calls his brothers...

The Gibson Brothers - Metropolis

7. Posh erections can be bewildering.

"Posh erections" was an anagram.

Stereophonics - Superman

6. Alastair Campbell, Charlie Whelan.

They were both...

Spin Doctors - Jimmy Olsen's Blues

5. Hair straighteners required.

The Kinks - (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman

4. Neighbours, but not immediate.

3 Doors Down - Kryptonite

3. She enables pens to write her name.

"Enables pens" was an anagram...

Ann Peebles - He's My Superman

2. Most pop songs are about them.

Love - The Daily Planet

1. Goes hand in hand with Bloody Cheek!

The Flaming Lips - (Waiting For A) Superman

More Super Snapshots next Saturday...

Saturday Snapshots #404

Another edition of Saturday Snapshots, you say?

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

Oh well, you can't please everyone. Here's another bunch of assorted miscreants to identify... but how might there songs be connected?

15. UN diary reveals they're all a bunch of squares.

14. Kafka in Rio.

13. Bond villain found by Ash.

12. Blue eyes gets a shiner.

11. Protective, instrumental, elementary.

10. Taking an E helped John Wayne and Prince Edward get really, really high.

9. Close knit friends who won't let you join in.

8. Melatives?

7. Posh erections can be bewildering.

6. Alastair Campbell, Charlie Whelan.

5. Hair straighteners required.

4. Neighbours, but not immediate.

3. She enables pens to write her name.

2. Most pop songs are about them.

1. Goes hand in hand with Bloody Cheek!

If the answers are Gone With The Wind, rest assured they'll blow back this way tomorrow morning...

Emergency Questions #10: Muppets

Richard Herring is back, with another conversation starter from his book Emergency Questions...

If you had to marry a muppet - if you had to - which muppet would you marry?

Now it strikes me that this question gives (straight) female readers more choice, since the only potential muppet wife most blokes will be able to think of is Miss Piggy... and who would want to marry Miss Piggy? Except Kermit.

Don Henley & Kermit - Being Green

Well, I mean, there's that girl from the band too, but I don't even know her name.

If gender were no issue though, and I had to choose a Muppet purely on chances of compatibility, I'd probably go for Gonzo. I feel a certain simpatico for The Great Gonzo and his resilience in the face of utter failure. 

Jimmy Buffet, The Great Gonzo & Rizzo The Rat - Mr. Spaceman

Which Muppet would you marry?