So my brother’s in a band called Ten Minute Turns (in the name of journalistic transparency, I figured that was important to share right at the top). And (I swear to you, I’m not blowing fraternal smoke up your collective butts) they’re pretty good (ask Matt or Rudi — they’ll both vouch). Their debut album Sad Animals was in my top 10 albums of 2006, brimming with creative, everything-often-including-the-kitchen-sink sounds and über-catchy hooks. New material from their sophomore album Leaving Robot City is beginning to surface (and not just here — new song “Decimal Days” will shortly appear on Japanese radio — domo arigato, mister roboto!), and it’s definitely worth your attention.

Robot City is more polished than Sad Animals (somebody bought a couple of fancy new keyboards, too), and while their giddy energy has been reined in a bit, their knack for explosive, soaring choruses is perfectly intact. There’s lots to like about Robot City, but the most striking track has to be “Aluminum Shine,” with its pounding tom-toms & handclaps rhythm, shimmering guitar solo, and big, unbelievably catchy & powerful chorus. I dare you not to hit repeat a couple of times after listening:

Download: Ten Minute Turns, “Aluminum Shine” (mp3)

Like what you hear? Leaving Robot City isn’t available digitally or on disc yet, but dig into Sad Animals and the Sleepy Cranes EP over at Amazon MP3.

Everybody knows the feeling: your entire reality is slightly askew, things seem out of control, and everything you do seems to only make it worse.

It’s madness. It’s insanity.

As Roger Waters would say, you’re “on the run.”

This madness doesn’t have to be yours. It can be something you see in the world, or in other people, or in ideas, art, theatre or tea leaves.

And this madness has been an almost bottomless catalyst for musical innovation. Many say that Mozart’s best symphonic work was due to a STD-related insanity. Van Gogh’s personal struggles resulted in a “passionate donation” of his own ear to the cause of his art. Brian Wilson spent a lot of time in an in-home sandbox during his long, bipolar trip. And all chronicled their maladies in their art.

So we present this collection of tunes about — or inspired by — madness. Enjoy!

• Onkel Rudi’s “A Piece For And About Assorted Lunatics”
• U.N.K.L.E. Matt’s “A 25-Minute Lapse Of Reason”
• The Man(del) From U.N.C.L.E.’s “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Playlist”
• Uncle Sam’s “It’s not paranoia if they’re really after you”

Better late than never, right? Oh, and in response to Mandel, my post has with 100% more Cypress Hill than his (see the bonus at the end of the download links).

1. Tom Waits, “What’s He Building In There?”
   This intensely creepy and odd monologue is one of my favorite things about Mule Variations. The curious-neighbor-paranoia of the narrator totally makes me think of the crap-tastic Tom Hanks movie “The Burbs.”
2. Rockwell, “Somebody’s Watching Me”
   I know Michael Jackson is only here as a guest vocalist, but somehow the song feels like it’s really just about him.
3. Faith No More, “Midlife Crisis”
   What an odd choice for a lead single from Angel Dust, FNM’s dark follow-up to their multi-platinum hit The Real Thing. Mike Patton’s guttural, unhinged vocals (”My head is like a lettuce/Go on and dig your thumbs in”) completely scared away the MTV crowd, and the band was better for it.
4. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”
   Way to go, Sam, shoehorning a song from your newest obsession onto this month’s playlist. Not really: yes, the song is a cheeky modern updating of the biblical Lazarus story, but in Cave’s version, Larry (Laz) is driven mad, Howard-Hughes-style, by the modern world. “Mirrors became his torturers,” indeed.
5. Ramones, “Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment”
   Nurse Ratched would be proud.
6. Deltron 3030, “Madness”
   Nicked from the Del/Automator/Kid Koala hip-hop/sci-fi collaboration Deltron 3030, we find Del rapping paranoiac over futuristic strings. When did the violin become the official instrument of the mentally deranged? Was it “Cuckoo’s Nest”?
7. Violent Femmes, “Crazy”
   It would have almost been to easy to toss Gnarls Barkley’s classic “Crazy” onto this list, so I went the extra mile & tracked down this excellent, mandolin-fueled cover by Violent Femmes. Gordon Gano’s jittery vocals only add to the unhinged feeling the tune creates.
8. Eels, “My Descent Into Madness”
   One of the best numbers from their amazing Electro-shock Blues album, the song finds E getting inside the head of his sister Elizabeth, who spent some time in a mental health institution before her death. Dark stuff, but the cascading violin sample (again with the crazy strings!) is worth the price of admission alone.

Download: Tom Waits, “What’s He Building In There?” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Rockwell, “Somebody’s Watching Me” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Faith No More, “Midlife Crisis” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ramones, “Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Deltron 3030, “Madness” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Violent Femmes, “Crazy” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Eels, “My Descent Into Madness” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Bonus Track!
(It’s really the best version of the song)

Download: Richard Cheese, “Insane in the Brain” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

And now my list that’ll make you insane in the brain…insane in the membrane… with 100% less Cypress Hill!

1. Elton John, “Madness”
   This disco-ey track comes from Elton John’s A Single Man album. It was Elton’s first album featuring NO lyrics from long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Gary Osborne takes over the wordsmith-ering here with this song about the madness of violence and unrest in the world. Love the piano riff in this one, but it teeters just on the edge of corny and cheesy. Taupin is clearly missed here…
2. Queen, “I’m Going Slightly Mad”
   One of the highlights of the oft-forgotten Innuendo album by Queen. The was the last Queen album to be recorded and released while Freddie was alive. It’s a shame because it showed that the band still had some good songs in them. The track is weird, eerie, campy, and deliciously theatrical. The video is a hoot too.
3. Ben Folds, “Bitch Went Nuts”
   The newest song on the list…The title says it all. The madness of a breakup is captured in this cut from Ben Folds’ latest album, “Way to Normal” (an almost-complete return to form for Ben). There will be some who take issue with the NSFW, misogynistic lyrics on this one, but it’s got a melody that will stick with you like peanut butter on toast.
4. ABBA, “The Vistors”
   When this title track from ABBA’s last album was released as a single, its subtitle was “Crackin’ Up.” On the surface, it seems like the song deals with paranoia and could be seen as the Europop take on “They’re Coming to Take Me Away..Ha-ha,” but the story goes that this was Benny and Bjorn’s song about the Soviet’s treatment of political protesters in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Go figure…
5. Men At Work, “Overkill”
   Paranoia, insomnia, guilt, hallucinations…it’s all here in this wonderful single form Men at Work’s second album, Cargo. A dark, moody contrast to their landmark hit “Down Under.” If you like this, definitely check out the Lazlo Bane cover of this which features a cameo by Men at Work frontman Colin Hay!
6. Madness, “Waltz into Mischief”
   What set about “madness would be complete without a song by 80s Brit ska legends Madness? This comes from their Keep Moving album from 1984. It’s as if the nutty boys had joined the circus via a benefit for Mr. Kite!

Download: Elton John, “Madness” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Queen, “I’m Going Slightly Mad” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ben Folds, “Bitch Went Nuts” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: ABBA, “The Vistors” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Men At Work, “Overkill” (AAC)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Madness, “Waltz into Mischief” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Come in here dear boy, have a cigar, sit down, help yourself to some Kool-Aid and relax…

1. Napoleon XIV, “They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!
Well this is a bit of Service nostalgia - I included Biz Markie’s cover of this song on my very first playlist for this website. Here in all it’s Deeeeeeeemented glory is the original novelty “hit”. Keep an ear out for the reveal(?) as to the cause of all this separation psychosis. Bitter recrimination as metaphor, or Berkowitz memoir? Your call…

2. MC Honky, “Soft Velvety ‘Fer (Li’l Fer)”
This is from Mark Oliver Everett’s eels side project MC Honky, in which he explores more hip-hop and trippy instrumental ideas. I’ve always wondered whether the phone message in this was from someone E actually knew, or if it was (hopefully) a wrong number. Maybe she was calling to see if her purple sneakers were ready.

3. Blind Melon, “Skinned”
A stompalong barn-burner about Ed Gein? Well why the hell not? I mean why so serious?

4. Jack Kittel, “Psycho”
Another song I first encountered through the Doctor Demento show, I suffered for years having only a copy taped off the radio until the film “Larger Than Life” (the one with the elephant - no, NOT “Operation Dumbo Drop”) used it to underscore the wonderfully paranoid performance of Matthew McConaughey. I procured a copy of the soundtrack and am now passing on this hauntingly hypnotic yet amusing track to all of you. Enjoy. Enjoy! …It enjoys the song or else it gets the hose again.

5. Imani Coppola, “It’s All About Me, Me, And Me”
Multiple personality disorder has never been so funky! By the way, if you’ve never picked up the work of Miss Coppola, please do. I do what I can to spread the word, but I am just one man. Though we are Legion…

6. Don McLean, “Vincent”
One of the more famous songs about insanity, about one of the more famous insane people in history. Or as most people know it, “oh yeah, what’s that other song by that American Pie guy…” But if you’re not familiar with this beautiful song, please pick some starry night and lend an ear, it’ll really make an impression.

(that’s it, after that last one, Sam’s going to ban me from ever posting again)

7. The Avalanches, “Frontier Psychiatrist”
I’ve mentioned these guys before - crazy Australians armed with samplers and obscure vinyl, cranking out compositions comprised solely of harmoniously arranged loops of other people’s stuff. This one combines spaghetti-western music with TV and radio drama vocal snippets, inventing nonsense rhyming couplets and entertaining song structure.

Hope you had fun going c r a z y with me! And remember, we’re never going to survive unless we get a little….

Download: “They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” - Napoleon XIV (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Soft Velvety ‘Fer (Li’l Fer)” - MC Honky (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Skinned” - Blind Melon (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Psycho” - Jack Kittel (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “It’s All About Me, Me And Me” - Imani Coppola (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Vincent” - Don McLean (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Frontier Psychiatrist” - The Avalanches (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Songs about madness seemed to be a big deal in the late-1960s, and most of my playlist originates from that era. The rise of psychedelic drugs - and the resulting psychoanalytic push - acted as a muse for many songwriters to document the ordeals of mental instability.

Since I wrote the intro to this month’s selection, I’ll let the songs do the rest of the talking - have fun!

1. “Helter Skelter” - The Beatles (from The Beatles [a.k.a. The White Album])
   This song ostensibly is Paul McCartney’s answer to The Who’s claim as “loudest rock back of 1968.” Fair enough. But it’s also a song that supposedly spoke to Charles Manson, who kept muttering “helter skelter” and citing The White Album as inspiration for his murder spree. All this from a song about a playground….
2. “The Real Me” - The Who (from Quadrophenia)
   Sure, most people cite Tommy as The Who’s rock opera, but as a coherent work, Quadrophenia works much better. The story centers around a protagonist who has a four-sided personality - “quadrophenia” - and the song cycle has four distinct musical themes. This song sets up the original question that the main character puts to his psychologist: “can you see the real me?” Without this album, I doubt that Pink Floyd’s The Wall would’ve been quite as operatic (e.g. musical themes that recur throughout the album).
3. “Knocking ‘Round The Zoo” - James Taylor (from James Taylor)
   Welcome to the early James Taylor. Before he was the laid-back, lanky, cool cat of the adult contemporary set, he was a young, hip, singer-songwriter with a nasty double-whammy case of bipolar disorder and heroin addiction. More than once, he found himself checked into mental hospitals, and this song documents one of those visits. For all the upbeat music that this song has, its lyrics are quite dire. It’s amazing that this young musical talent was one of the first signees to The Beatles’ Apple Records label (though JT’s commercial success was only realized once he moved to Warner Brothers for his second album). The “Kootch” he mentions during one of the refrains is Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, one of JT’s long-time musical partners.
4. “Help, I’m A Rock” - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention (from Freak Out!)
   Leave it to good ‘ol Zappa, the antithesis of the late-60s drug culture (he never partook of anything hard back in the day), to come up with this crazy song. It’s a reaction to all of the whacked-out psychedelia that took over the rock world in 1966, and seems to sum up the mania that could be induced from listening to the chemical strangeness with a sober mind.
5. “Lithium” - Nirvana (from From The Muddy Banks Of The Wabash)
   Kurt Cobain was a depressed and confused man. Lithium was but one drug prescribed to help him find some happiness in life. Obviously, it failed to exorcise his demons.
6. “Tom Cruise Crazy” - Jonathan Coulton (from Thing A Week 3)
   Want some modern-day crazy? Tom Cruise has it in spades - and Jonathan Coulton is quite happy to sing about it.
7. “Dark Globe” - Syd Barrett (from The Madcap Laughs)
   Rather than look at the post-Barrett Floyd, I decided to go to the source. This song, from Barrett’s first solo album, is a plea for help from a man whose world is crumbling around him. This is a poetic illustration of schizophrenia, penned and performed by a person deep in the throes of his own psychotic breakdown. A haunting close to this disturbing setlist.

Download: “Helter Skelter” - The Beatles (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “The Real Me” - The Who (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Knocking ‘Round The Zoo” - James Taylor (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Help, I’m A Rock” - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Lithium” - Nirvana (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Tom Cruise Crazy” - Jonathan Coulton (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Dark Globe” - Syd Barrett (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Elton John is by far one of my all-time favorite artists. Sure, many know him as the guy who wrote the music for “The Lion King” or being the artist who struck gold twice with “Candle in the Wind” (once about Marilyn Monroe and even more successfully about Princess Di), but a lot of people tend to forget what a powerhouse he has been live. Here are some of my favorite Elton live recordings, many of them rare performances quite hard to find nowadays…

1. Elton John, “Take Me to the Pilot” (Live from the 11-17-70 album)
   1970 was the year that Elton descended upon the United States…and when he arrived, he arrived big. Many of his first concerts consisted of a simple piano, bass, and drums lineup. (Sound a bit familiar, Ben Folds Five fans?) The late Dee Murray was on the bass while Nigel Olsson hit the skins. This track is a live version of the classic song from the “Elton John” album and it proves that even without the Paul Buckmaster-arranged orchestral backing, this tune packs a wallop.
2. Elton John, “Holiday Inn” (Live from Songs for Saturday)
   This 1971 recording is from a music program that aired on the BBC. Again, the lineup was just Elton, Dee, and Nigel and this time the trio previewed some tracks from then-forthcoming “Madman Across the Water” album. This particular performance is notable in that it includes an extra verse that was dropped from the final version of the song.
3. Elton John, “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” (From the Walls and Bridges remaster)
   This legendary performance is from Elton’s Thanksgiving concert at Madison Square Garden in 1974. By this time the lineup had grown to include Davey Johsntone on guitar and Ray Cooper on percussion…in my opinion, the best lineup for Elton’s band. However, this evening was even more notable in the special guest that joined them…John Lennon. Lennon hadn’t performed live in years. Now, the story goes that Elton bet Lennon that “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” would hit #1 on the chart. Lennon said it wouldn’t, but that if it did, he’d perform live with Elton. Sure enough, the song gave Lennon his next-to-last #1 hit. Sure, the performance wasn’t the most polished, but you can definitely feel the magic here. Sadly, this proved to be Lennon’s last live performance.
4. Elton John, “Part-time Love” (Live in Moscow - 1979)
   The year is 1979 and Elton hadn’t hit the top of the charts are frequently as he did in the past. His previous album “A Single Man” charted lower than any of his previous studio album leading this very minor Top 40 single in the US. This recording is from a historic tour he did in the Soviet Union. It was just him on the piano and Ray Cooper on percussion. With the two of them on the stage, it led to some unique arrangements of Elton’s songs. “Part-Time Love” is one of my favorite forgotten gems of Elton and this performance in spite of the sparse arrangement still does it justice.
5. Elton John, “Cold as Christmas” (Live in Australia - 1986)
   Elton’s 1986 Australian tour with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra proved to be one of his most ambitious and also one of his toughest. Throughout the tour he was set back by vocal troubles - ultimately, nodules were discovered on his vocal chords leading to surgery that left his vocal range permanently lowered. This rare live performance of the “Too Low for Zero” ballad was left off of the CD release of the concert, but thanks to a little research I was able to track down a recording. This recording incorporates an orchestral arrangement that wasn’t used in the 1983 studio version but finally came to life courtesy of this tour.
6. Elton John, “Elton’s Song” (Live at Madison Square Garden - 1999)
   This later recording by Elton is just him on the piano. The song is from the much-forgotten “The Fox” album from 1981. While uneven, the album sported a few great tunes including this one about a young boy’s hardship dealing with crush on a male classmate. Elton’s later-era voice gives the song an extra bit of gravitas that wasn’t present on the original recording.
7. Elton John, “Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)” (Live at Central Park - 1980)
   1980 was a bit of a comeback for Elton with his summer Top 3 hit, “Little Jeannie.” This recording here capped of the infamous Central Park concert that continued the winning streak for Elton in ‘80. It’s a bit of a fluffy song but one of my faves from the “Blue Moves” album. Not quite the huge hit that it should have been when it was originally release in 1977, but it’s a great closer. And by the way, to get the full effect of this…picture this being sung by Elton dressed in a Donald Duck costume… yes… seriously… there are clips on Youtube of it…

Download: Elton John, “Take Me to the Pilot” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Elton John, “Holiday Inn” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Elton John, “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Elton John, “Part-time Love” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Elton John, “Cold as Christmas” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Elton John, “Elton’s Song” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Elton John, “Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)