9. R.E.M., “Driver 8” According to guitarist Peter Buck, no song better epitomizes the early era of R.E.M. than “Driver 8.” Released, in 1985, as the second single from Fables of the Reconstruction, the band’s third album, “Driver 8” was … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 250 Songs, 1979 – 1989, 9
When I was first committing myself to the happy tasks of music fandom in my teen-aged years, I never quite understood why there wasn’t more excitement over local and area bands. This was well before the internet put practically every … Continue reading One for Friday: E-I-E-I-O, “Hey Cecelie”
It causes me some amount of pain to acknowledge that an album with a distinctly nineteen-nineties alternative rock sound is a throwback. My aged bones ache a touch more heartily at the mere thought of it. But here we are … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Out in the Storm
10. Midnight Oil, “Beds are Burning” Diesel and Dust, the sixth album from the Australian band Midnight Oil, had in origins in a tour they had undertaken the year before. In 1985, a group called the Warumpi Band released a … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 250 Songs, 1979 – 1989, 10
In this weekly feature, I invoke my days at college radio station quite a bit, especially those from my first year as an undergraduate. I mean it with utter sincerity and not an ounce of hyperbole when I celebrate everything … Continue reading One for Friday: Big Audio Dynamite, “Just Play Music!”
13. The Replacements, “Alex Chilton” It’s probably fair to say that “Alex Chilton” remains the most iconic song ever delivered by the Minneapolis band the Replacements. There is probably comparable safety in declaring that the song would not be nearly … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 250 Songs, 1979 – 1989, 13 – 11
I mean it with complete sincerity and accompanying appreciation when I insist that the Rainmakers were the perfect band for the student-run radio station where I spent my collegiate years. While I and my cohorts were committed to the rebellion … Continue reading One for Friday: The Rainmakers, “Spend It on Love”
I’m glad there’s a place in the pop universe for the music made by Haim. There is no claim being made here that the trio of sisters from Los Angeles are delivering something wildly transgressive or otherwise deviously edgy in its … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Something to Tell You
16. The Sugarcubes, “Birthday” In the destitute era before Kickstarter, bands needed to employ a little more creativity in their fundraising efforts. When Iceland’s the Sugarcubes were trying to scrape together the kronor for their debut single, they looked to … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 250 Songs, 1979 – 1989, 16 – 14
So, in my digital collection, I have a couple versions of Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle.” Sort of, anyway. I’m not sure if mash-up artists have an abiding weakness for the first chart-topper from the young woman who would … Continue reading One for Friday: Freelance Hellraiser, “A Stroke of Genius”
Coffee for Two 