648. David Byrne, The Catherine Wheel (1981) In September, 1981, next to an ad for the retrograde comedy Carbon Copy (in which George Segal plays a man who is shocked to discover he has a black, adult son, played by … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #648 to #645
They Are What You Eat by Caity Weaver Maybe it’s because I’ve spent the past couple weeks in a unique vocational space that I so enjoyed Caity Weaver’s tour through the offices of Focus Brands, the company that specializes in … Continue reading Outside Reading — Fudgie Ho! edition
I should be taking this space to expound at length on the fascinating songwriting style of Sophie Allison, in particular the way her dreamy approach to a thick indie rock sound helps render direct emotional sentiments that are familiar of … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Soccer Mommy, “Lucy”
652. The Call, Into the Woods (1987) After enduring some professional tumult, the Call were presumably feeling at least somewhat settled when they got down to recording Into the Woods, their fifth studio album. Its immediate predecessor, the prior year’s … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #652 to #649
According to the promotional commentary accompanying the release of “Lark,” the new single from Angel Olsen, the song took years to complete. It sounds like it, not because of some evidence strain or a fussed-over meticulousness. Instead, the tracks carries … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Angel Olsen, “Lark”
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. During my first foray into college broadcasting, one of my favorite tracks to play on the radio … Continue reading Radio Days — Speeding Motorcycle
656. The Headboys, The Headboys (1979) “At the time, it was important to construct an image,” guitarist Lou Lewis noted in explaining the origins of his band the Headboys. “I got a pretty severe haircut and went to the schoolwear … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #656 to #653
There are songs and styles that will grab me immediately, tapping into the portion of my inner being that never truly exited my old college radio studio. That sliver of me flips through the heavy rotation shelf for all eternity, … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Mikal Cronin, “Shelter”
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. According to Huey Lewis, he started writing the song “Workin’ for a Livin” when he was doing exactly that. A musician who toiled through the nineteen-seventies with modest success — most notably as a member of the San Francisco band Clover — Lewis relied on a series of other jobs to help him make ends meet over the years, including a stint as a truck driver. It … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Near Misses — “Workin’ for a Livin”
660. Hunters & Collectors, Human Frailty (1987) In just about every way, Human Frailty was a breakthrough for the Australian band Hunters & Collectors. The band’s fourth studio album represented their first significant hit in their homeland, slipping into the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #660 to #657
Coffee for Two 