Friday Vid
“Vacation” – The Go-Go’s As we enjoy our final day of vacation, please enjoy this classic video on the subject.
Friday Playlist
“Mariana Trench” – Bright EyesI’ve never listened to Bright Eyes, but I enjoyed Conor Oberst’s collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers last year as part of Better Oblivion Community Center. As if for people like me, Bright Eyes is about to put out their first album in over a decade. Based on this track, I’ll at least give it a courtesy listen.…
July Media
July is not over. But as we will be out-of-town next week, and I haven’t found much to write about this week, I thought I’d go ahead and share my media post for the month. Brooklyn Nine-Nine Always reliable, but never quite as great as Michael Schur’s other creations. What was strange was watching a show that was recorded before…
Weekend Notes
Some notes from the past few days. Nephews We watched two of our nephews overnight Saturday. Number one just turned four, is very strong willed and stubborn, but generally a good kid. He loves to swim at our house, and spent a lot of time in the pool Saturday evening and Sunday morning. I tell you what, there’s nothing better…
Friday Playlist
“Divine Accidents” – 5 Billion in DiamondsThis band features Butch Vig, the drummer for Garbage and producer for dozens of big 1990s alt acts, and Ebbot Lundberg of Soundtrack of Our Lives. It sounds like a mashsup of SOOL and ELO, which is not unpleasant at all. “Destroyer” – Lala LalaPhoebe Bridgers recently recommended Lala Lala’s new album. I have…
Reaching for the Stars, Vol. 45
Chart Week: July 3, 1982Song: “Hurts So Good” – John CougarChart Position: #5, 11th week on the chart. Peaked at #2 for four weeks in August. This entry is about how the biological information Casey Kasem shared on American Top 40 was not always accurate. John Cougar (Mellencamp) is the perfect artist to demonstrate this point, as he charted under…
On Lost TV Shows
Since I’m struggling to write about current affairs at the moment, I decided I am going to try to get back to doing something I used to do a lot more often: link to interesting articles. I can’t think of a better way to start than this piece. The Strange Disappearance of Ed, the Great Show That Time Forgot Old…
Reader’s Notebook, 7/13/20
Death in Her Hands – Otessa MoshfeghI read Moshfegh’s Eileen a few years back. After I started this one I had to go back and read my summary of it to recall that it was an odd little book. This one was odd, too. It is the story of a Vesta Gul, a widowed, 80-something woman who lives in an…
40 at 50
I missed an absolutely huge anniversary over the holiday weekend and have been grievously late in finally getting to it. Last weekend was the 50th anniversary of the first American Top 40 broadcast. If you follow here closely you know that there has likely been no bigger pop culture influence on my life than AT40. I remember my parents and…
Friday Playlist
“Light in the Heart of Our Town” – Joensuu 1685This Finnish band created some buzz about 10 years ago then splintered into side projects. They are back after that long fallow period and arrive with this absolutely gorgeous song “same mistakes” – We Were Promised JetpacksAlong with label mates The Twilight Sad, WWPJ practice a wonderfully miserable brand of Scottish…