Rob Moss is back doing another song swap with one of his musical friends, and again this is a split that needs to be heard. The concept is simple: Moss and his band Skin-Tight Skin join forces with another band or artist. They each record one of each other's songs and put out a digital split single. And the results are never pedestrian. This time Moss has hooked up with Arthur Alexander — yes, THE Arthur Alexander, a true god of American power pop best known for his bands Sorrows and The Poppees. For this project, Moss and his bandmates Tom McNally (bass) and Steve Naff (drums) brought in Billy Loosigian (Willie Alexander and The Boom Boom Band) to play lead guitar. They tackle Arthur Alexander's song "Why Can't You Come" from his solo album ...Steppin' Out! The original version is a top-quality rocker with a killer hook. Moss and company retain the song's hard edge, but they definitely punk it up: pushing the tempo as Moss brings his unique vocal touch. Alexander's track is a cover of one of Moss's best songs and one of the greatest modern tributes to rock 'n' roll: "Red Beans and Gasoline" off of 2022's NOW WITH MORE ROCKETS. Somehow Alexander manages to honor the original spirit of the song while completely re-working it and making it sound like something he could have written.
What I love about this series of split singles Rob Moss is doing is that it's all about mutual respect and love for music. Moss isn't just friends with these other artists — he's also a huge fan. And that goes both ways, obviously. If this is your first encounter with "Why Can't You Come," that's likely to lead you to check out ...Steppin' Out!, which came out a couple years ago on Big Stir Records. And considering what a distinctive artist Moss is, I'm always fascinated to hear how other bands and artists interpret his material. I hope there is much more to come in this series!
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