When I was a college radio kid, heading off to New York City for the annual CMJ Music Marathon was a pure pipe dream. We simply didn’t have the sort of money for that sort of thing, and our different advisors and on-campus advocates decided, probably accurately, that it was a bit of a boondoggle, not worth fighting for. When dryer, more professionally respectable student-oriented broadcasting conferences cropped up more regionally conducive locations, they made university funding available to us. Again, they were probably correct to do so. Considering the sort of shenanigans we got up to in our posh … Continue reading One for Friday: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?”

Sometimes in those especially busy work weeks, all I want (or maybe need) when we get to our fine One for Friday post is a bit of affirmation, a spirited kick to the soul and an assurance that the heavy lifting that remains will be accomplished with aplomb. Naturally, I prefer my affirmations to be a little more scabrous and cynical. For positivity and endurance framed that way, I can do no better than Mr. Graham Parker. Truthfully, anything I feel compelled to share about him and my gradual discovery of his music has already been shared in this space. … Continue reading One for Friday: Graham Parker, “Don’t Let It Break You Down”