“I Know That Much” – The Lathums
This band is from England, but there is a distinctly 80s, Australian vibe to their music. To be fair, there is also a strong early 90s jangle pop feel to it as well. I also hear REM and Johnny Marr. This is turning into a wine description: “Oaky, but with a hint of vanilla, burnt caramel, and a touch of burnt hay in the finish.”
“Can’t Do Much” – Waxahatchee
The marquee album release last week was Pearl Jam’s Gigaton. But the new album I’ve listened to most over the past seven days is Waxahatchee’s St. Cloud. I’ve been a fan of Katie Crutchfield’s music for a long time. When she released her last album I said her music was on a clear curve of getting better upon each release. That is true here, again, as this is the defining album of her career. It is an utterly glorious listen, the tone perfect for the moment, ideal for listening to late at night when the house is quiet and I am contemplating what is going on in the world.
“Static on the Radio” – Jim White with Aimee Mann
For something like 10 years I hosted a bi-weekly music podcast. I kept it secret because I started it in the bad old days when sharing music online could cause a problem, and I wasn’t looking to get sued by some record label for sharing their songs with a couple dozen people. I don’t have all those old playlists anymore, but I’m pretty sure I played this song in one of the very earliest episodes, in the spring of 2005. I had forgotten about it totally until it played over the closing credits for El Camino. Glad I rediscovered it because it’s a really good song.
“Messing With My Head” – Tinted Windows
Adam Schlesinger, most famous for his role as primary songwriter for Fountains of Wayne, died of Covid–19 related issues this week. I didn’t know much about his music, but listened to a tribute playlist and this song jumped out at me. Tinted Windows was a supergroup effort between Schlesinger and members of Smashing Pumpkins, Hanson, and Cheap Trick. I had never heard this song before and it is a nice, power-pop gem.
“School’s Out” – Alice Cooper
The 2019–20 academic year has officially been wiped out here in Indiana. The governor announced yesterday that schools would not return this spring. Our girls were not enthused by that announcement. I will remind them of that next fall when they bitch about waking up in the morning. It’s not officially summer: they still have two months of eLearning in front of them. But they can sleep in until at least mid-August.
“Stacy’s Mom” – Fountains of Wayne
The Adam Schlesinger song most people are familiar with. It wasn’t just funny, it kicked the whole Cougar/MILF concept into the mainstream. Thus, a very important song! RIP to Adam.