• 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…

  • 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…

  • Friday Playlist

    “Birthday” – Late Bloomer Their album came out last week and it is filled with agreeable rock like this. “Brown Paper Bag” – DIIV Their first new music in five years, their new album is focused on the state of the world and, from the band’s point of view, its impending meltdown. This lead single is appropriately sludgy and gloomy.…

  • Friday Playlist

    “The Sound of Suffering” – Salim Nourallah I’ve long used these playlists to celebrate Spotify’s Discover Weekly feature, and share new discoveries I’ve made through it. I have to admit that something about their algorithm has changed and it has been sucking lately. It has been offering music that doesn’t match either what I listen to historically or recently. Like…

  • Friday Playlist

    This week features several new songs from artists who have played a large role in my musical life. “Dark Matter” – Pearl Jam One of my all-time favorite bands returns. This isn’t too bad at all. Now sending out good vibes to keep anyone in the band from getting sick in late August when they are scheduled to return to…