This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. Any time I cross the threshold of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s student-run radio station, WWSP-FM, it … Continue reading Radio Days — Then and Now: July 18, 2021
326. Asia, Asia (1982) Steve Howe was exhausted. The guitarist had spent years trying to keep his longtime band Yes a going concern as key members came and went. Following the release of the 1980 album Drama, the recording of … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #326 to #324
I thought my time in college radio was the heyday of cool bands convening on album to roar through cover versions other acts’ song. For a stretch the early nineteen-nineties, it seemed like barely a week went by without another … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Diet Cig, “The Unforgiven”
329. 10,000 Maniacs, In My Tribe (1987) “I think music can unify people in a way,” 10,000 Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant said not long after the release of In My Tribe, the band’s third album. “What can be more … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #329 to #327
Sometimes it’s difficult for me to fathom that Courtney Barnett hasn’t always been there, for as long as I’ve been happy losing myself in the slow flow of melancholy, mischievous rock songs. “Rae Street,” the new track from Barnett, is … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Courtney Barnett, “Rae Street”
Sleater-Kinney began as a partnership between Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, an outlet for their intertwined expression and furious voices. On Path to Wellness, the band’s tenth studio album and third since a surprise revival in 2015, it is back … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Path of Wellness
332. Echo & the Bunnymen, Crocodiles (1980) “It feels like there’s hundreds of bands in Liverpool,” Ian McCulloch proclaimed not long after the release of Crocodiles, the debut album by his band Echo & the Bunnymen. “There’s some okay ones, … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #332 to #330
Izzy True is the name of the a band. Izzy True is also the handy creative alias of Izzy Lou Reidy, a creator who hails from upstate New York who contains multitudes. According to bio on their website, they are … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Izzy True, “Big Natural”
If the world is shutting down around you, might as well try to make some music. The English band Wolf Alice were ensconced in a Brussels studio when COVID-19 made European borders close as decisively as heavy steel doors. They … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Blue Weekend
335. Yello, Stella (1985) Yello was down to a duo. Following the 1983 album Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess, founding member Carlos Perón split from the group to pursue a solo career. That left keyboardist and programmer Boris Blank … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #335 to #333
Coffee for Two 