Freewheeling and delightfully loopy, the new single from Jennifer Vanilla (a performing guise of Becca Kauffman, departing member of Ava Luna) is a dance music knuckleball. Sounding like a turbo-holy union of Laurie Anderson and Sparks, “Space Time Motion” is a … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Jennifer Vanilla, “Space Time Motion”
Cat Power convinced me I might be wrong, or maybe just short-sighted. In the past, I’ve enjoyed certain songs from Lana Del Rey (usually the expected culprits), but I didn’t consider her an artist of real significance, someone who demanded … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Norman Fucking Rockwell
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. Dolly Parton was well-acquainted with the top … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Near Misses — “But You Know I Love You”
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
Coffee for Two 