It’s that opening sound, like the “Edge of Seventeen” riff infested with twenty-first century anxiety. And here we are, back in Haim territory, where the three Cali sisters draw upon the finest pop music inventions from a few decades ago … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Haim, “Now I’m In It”
I am on record, many times over, as generally against bands from my college radio heyday — which was, after all, a long, long time ago — still plying the same old trade, cashing in on past glories rather than moving forward. But I have to admit that having Ministry release a new, stripped down version of “(Every Day is) Halloween” today — today! — is a goddamn delight. Continue reading This Halloween’s Model — Ministry, “(Every Day is) Halloween (acoustic)”
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. I’ve never been precious about the condition of record sleeves. When I peruse a shop’s used vinyl … Continue reading Radio Days — Tracklist stickers
628. Difford & Tilbrook, Difford & Tilbrook (1984) After the band Squeeze announced plans to dissolve and played an official farewell concert at the Jamaica World Music Festival, there was still a significant amount of interest in the group’s chief … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #628 to #625
According to Courtney Barnett, “Keep On” was a song she practiced every night when touring Europe last year. The stellar singer-songwriter took fellow Australians and label-mates Loose Tooth on tour with her and became enamored with one of their songs, … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Courtney Barnett, “Keep On”
These posts are about the songs that just barely failed to cross the key line of chart success, entering the Billboard Top 40. Every song featured in this series peaked at number 41. Rick James traveled a long, rutted road … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Near Misses — “Mary Jane”
632. Santana, Marathon (1979) In many respects, the shifting trends of rock music in the late nineteen-seventies probably felt very accommodating to guitarist Carlos Santana. A master craftsman with his guitar, Santana had major hits with hard rock music as … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #632 to #629
Because sometimes nothing sounds quite as good as big ol’, messed up, slap and bash rock ‘n’ roll. The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City, the new album from Beach Slang, releases January 10, 2020. Continue reading This Week’s Model — Beach Slang, “Bam Rang Rang”
I don’t believe there’s another current performer who’s simultaneously otherworldly and vehemently down-to-earth in quite the same way as Angel Olsen. Part of the equation is fairly easy to work out. Olsen specializes in melding spare, airy music with words that … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — All Mirrors
636. Dead Milkmen, Eat Your Paisley! (1986) Any act that nabs a sizable amount of attention with a novelty hit faces a distinct challenge. The fundamental nature of a single that earns airplay because of its comedic uniqueness is a … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #636 to #633
Coffee for Two 