Author: Dan Seeger

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Give me your hands, show me the door

Dan Seeger

I spent a significant amount of my time today in the surprisingly exhausting process of writing trivia questions for a campus program. That’s pummeled away any energy I have for making a meaningful written contribution to this space this evening. Instead, I’ll share my favorite question of the night, with a special hat tip to a dear friend: “What is the name of the fictional school that has as part of its campus both North Cafeteria, named after Admiral William North, and the English Memorial Spanish Center, which is named after a Portuguese sailor named English Memorial?” And the answer … Continue reading Give me your hands, show me the door

Music26 Comments

Top 40 Smash Taps: “Brand New Girlfriend”

Dan Seeger

These posts are about the songs that can accurately claim to crossed the key line of chart success, becoming Top 40 hits on Billboard, but just barely. Every song featured in this series peaked at number 40. I find it interesting that so much modern country music has shown up in this feature, as if the chart compilers at Billboard have felt obligated to acknowledge the widespread popularity of the genre, but only want to do it half-heartedly. “This is popular, eh?” the Hot 100 chart seems to say. “Here, it made it to the Top 40. Now leave us … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Taps: “Brand New Girlfriend”

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

This week at Spectrum Culture, I did something that I can’t believe it never occurred to me to do before: I wrote about Too Much Joy. I can’t overstate how important the band was to me and the bulk of my friends and cohorts at the campus radio station, and yet I’d never previously thought to celebrate them when my turn came up in the Revisit/Rediscover feature in the music section. I’m pleased to report that what I turned in may be my favorite thing that I’ve written for the site. And it even caught the attention of Tim Quirk, … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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One for Friday: The National, “Start a War (Live at KEXP)”

Dan Seeger

I have my list. It’s not written down or recorded in any way. It floats freely in my head, taking on an losing names with the shifting tides of my memory and preferences. I presume most music fans have their own similar tallies. It’s those bands, performers, artists that I haven’t yet seen play live despite my strong desire to do so. There are loads of missed opportunities on the list (Sleater-Kinney, the White Stripes, and it seems Sonic Youth) and a handful that I’m actively plotting about (Arcade Fire). Last night, I didn’t necessarily cross a band fully of … Continue reading One for Friday: The National, “Start a War (Live at KEXP)”

Music, Politics1 Comment

Clear blue holds its breath

Dan Seeger

For some indiscernible reason, today’s date is weighing on me a little more heavily than in past years. I think the pervasive attempts to use the ever-distancing tragedy of that 2001 day to prop up political agendas and inspire cheap shots against the other side have simply done me in this year. It’s worth noting that the disheartening spectacle is coming from all parts of the political spectrum, even from those I consider fairly closely aligned with my own views on the issues of the day. With that in mind, I’ll just yield the space to a track from what … Continue reading Clear blue holds its breath