Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 99
Chart Week: April 30, 1983 Song: “Back On The Chain Gang” – The Pretenders Chart Position: #37, 21st week on the chart. Peaked at #5 for three weeks in March and April. The Pretenders were on the verge of big things in 1982. They already had a #1 hit in the UK – 1979’s “Brass In Pocket,” which maxed out…
Friday Playlist
“Oh Shit” – The Libertines One of the first songs I bought from the iTunes Music Store back in 2004 after I bought my first iPod was The Libertines “Can’t Stand Me Now.” They’re still making decent music. “Like A Lesson” – Pillow Queens I can never get it through my head that these ladies are all Irish. I hear…
Friday Playlist
Randomly, this week is all men, or male-led groups. “Wreckage” – Pearl Jam It’s finally Pearl Jam day! The most excited I’ve been about a new PJ album since 2006? 2000? 1998? The early reviews for Dark Matter are mostly great. The first two singles were very good. Then they dropped this on Wednesday. In recent years I’ve flat out…
Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 98
Chart Week: April 3, 1982 Song: “I’ve Never Been To Me” – Charlene Chart Position: #32, 8th week on the chart. Peaked at #3 for three weeks in May/June. Worst Song Ever. That’s a heavy crown to wear. Were I to sit down and figure out my least favorite songs of the Eighties, Charlene’s sole Top 40 hit would for…
Friday Playlist
“Rain” – The Beatles Ridiculously rainy week here in Indy. We’ve had close to 4″ of rain in our area since Tuesday. And it is still raining as I type. Lots of areas had serious flooding yesterday. It’s kind of a miracle that Eclipse Day was nearly perfect. “Docket” – Blondshell featuring Bully There are millions of songs by male…
Monday Vid
Happy Eclipse Day (for those who celebrate)!
Friday Playlist
“The Rain That Falls” – Cast I don’t know a thing about this band, but apparently they’ve been around since the early 1990’s and were stalwarts of the Britpop scene. They were also big influences on the Gallagher brothers. This song, off their brand-new album, sounds like a mature Oasis and better than anything the Gallaghers have done in their…
Friday Playlist
“Late March, Death March” – Frightened Rabbit It’s about as late in March as you can get. “3 Sisters” – Waxahatchee Katie Crutchfield has done it again. Her new album, Tigers Blood, is stunning. Most of it drifts deeply into the alt-country sound, and I don’t mind one bit. There’s something pure and honest in her vocals that blasts right…
Ten Years Being Lost In The Dream
I love honoring musical anniversaries, mostly by dropping songs with birthdays into my Friday Playlists. I missed a big one while we were on spring break, one that demands more than just a song in a playlist. March 18 was the tenth anniversary of the War on Drugs’ Lost In The Dream. It is an album that has been a…
Friday Playlist
“The Trap” – R.M.F.C.If you read these posts closely, you know how I love to identify Australian groups by their common sound alone. I don’t know that these kids jumped out as Aussie to me right away. It leans a little more Southern Cali surf rock, although that sound does have a big influence the Australian sound I like so…