266. The Rolling Stones, Undercover (1983) Mick Jagger and Keith Richards weren’t getting along. There are plenty of eras from the long history of the Rolling Stones when that statement was true. In the making of Undercover, Richards later pegged … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #266 to #264
Indie kids know that the Christmas holiday season doesn’t begin with the annual Macy’s Street Takeover to Venerate Commerce, nor the stampedes of box-store customers. The first snowfall, Linus quoting scripture, colorful lights adorning city streets, inflatable Santas and reindeers … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Phoebe Bridgers, “Day After Tomorrow”
Presumably, the consensus starting point in conceding dazzlement before the art of Snail Mail remains the songwriting precociousness of Lindsey Jordan. She’s not a kid anymore, as she most certainly was when her first recordings were released. Jordan’s debut effort … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Valentine
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. Because the Clash were nicking design elements from Elvis Presley’s 1956 self-titled album for their 1979 double-album … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — Elvis Presley for London Calling
269. The Greg Kihn Band, Rockihnroll (1981) Years after the release of Rockihnroll, the man who wedged his last name into the middle of its punny title reflected on the album with about the level of nuance and insight that … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #269 to #267
“Flush,” the new single from the Brighton-based band Thyla, is about the exploitative nonsense that happens online as bad actors fuel outrage for fun and profit. The very modern concern is given an appealingly retro sonic treatment, playing with the … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Thyla, “Flush”
272. Thomas Dolby, The Flat Earth (1984) When he made his first recordings, Thomas Dolby took great pride in his fairly isolated tinkering with computer equipment to click towards his finished product. In interviewers, he referred to himself as an … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #272 to #270
Listening to the new Cate Le Bon single, “Moderation,” creates the sensation of being set adrift. It’s not some gentle flow, though. It’s a smooth yet brisk cascade across waters with sunlight reflecting off it like paparazzi flashbulbs. Le Bon … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Cate Le Bon, “Moderation”
275. The Del Fuegos, Boston, Mass. (1985) Circa 1985, it wasn’t considered cool — or all that acceptable, really — for a band to peddle their music for use in a commercial. Given that stigma, the Del Fuegos were beset … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #275 to 273
“Tend the Garden,” the new single from Australian band Gang of Youths, pops into with strident assurance. There’s a tight little drum fill and then a luxuriant wash of synth lines. Lead singer David Le’aupepe almost immediately murmurs the opening … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Gang of Youths, “Tend the Garden”
