Friday Playlist
“Chance Encounters” – The MenzingersThese guys almost always hit. I heard this for the first time about four minutes after I posted last week’s playlist. “Like A Chump” – Mute SwanThis presents as a mid-point between shoegaze and early Madchester music. “I Want To Remember Everything” – knittingThis also might have a hint of shoegaze to it, but also sounds…
Friday Playlist
“First Of May” – Jonathan CoultonUSE CAUTION WHEN LISTENING TO THIS AT WORK.Unfortunate that we are sliding into a cooler-than-normal spring as we flip the calendar to May. I did some searching for songs about May last night and this popped up. I had never heard it before, but I am familiar with some of Coulton’s other work. This made…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 126
Chart Week: April 22, 1978 Song: “More Than A Woman” – Tavares Chart Position: #34, 17th week on the chart. Peaked at #32 the week of May 6. When I was a young music fan, any statement Casey Kasem made on American Top 40 was accepted as an absolute fact. What Walter Cronkite was to adults, Casey was to me.…
Friday Playlist
“Radio” – Junior VarsityBack in my music podcast days, I liked to begin each transmission with a song that referenced either radio or political struggle, to represent my fight against corporate radio. This song would obviously be a track one if I was still podcasting. “The World Is Fucked And I Love You” – Spencer ThomasSometimes songs come along and…
When The Digital World Makes It Difficult To Remember
Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of Prince’s death. His passing is a celebrity death I can remember exactly where I was when I got the news. More significantly, it was the first celebrity death that genuinely floored me. Sometimes it still does. Prince seemed mysterious and eternal. He wasn’t supposed to fall into the trap of using opioids to manage…
Friday Playlist
A pretty solid playlist this week. Two songs I’m especially jazzed about. “ATTEMPT A CRASH LANDING – THEME” – The Twilight SadKind of a pretentious title, between the name itself and the CAPS. But this song kicks ass so I’ll allow it. A proper track to kick off a playlist. “Conflagration Mindset” – ColaA stark, mechanical piece that sounds heavily…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 125
Chart Week: April 10, 1982 Song: “Juke Box Hero” – Foreigner Chart Position: #26, 9th week on the chart. This was the song’s peak. There are songs, albums, and bands that are foundational to our love of music but get forgotten as we age. We go through phases, tastes shift, and over four or five decades pile up huge collections…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 124
My Easter weekend extends through today, so I’ll save the weekend notes for tomorrow and instead get back on the Reaching For The Stars horse after too long of a break. Chart Week: April 5, 1986 Song: “What You Need” – INXS Chart Position: #6, 12th week on the chart. Peaked at #5 the week of April 12. I’ve been…
Friday Playlist
We are going to start out heavy but quickly fall into a mood. Seems appropriate for Easter weekend. “The House of I” – The Afghan WhigsThe Whigs released a couple new covers earlier this year. Now brand new original music. They still sound great. “It’s A Beautiful Life” – Francis of DeliriumGlad our only Luxembourg act has some staying power.…
Friday Playlist
“Vacation” – Touch Girl Apple BlossomWe are off for our spring break tomorrow. This song is more about getting your heart broken than sitting in the sun, but it is jangly enough to evoke the right feelings. “The Early Days Of Love” – Brigitte Calls Me BabyTheir album came out last week. There are at least five really good tracks,…