Reaching for the Stars, Vol. 24
Chart Week: February 25, 1978 Song: “How Deep Is Your Love” – Bee Gees Chart Position: #10, 23rd week on the chart. Peaked at #1 for three weeks in December 1977 and January 1978. The most amazing chart stretch of my life was the Bee Gee’s run in the late ‘70s. They absolutely owned the charts thanks largely to the…
Friday Playlist
A slap-dash, quickie playlist this week as I had a few things lined up this morning and have a lot of basketball to watch this afternoon. https://open.spotify.com/user/224aiwksicafjldlua6nnpo4y/playlist/47dmUZT8VeIzZEAEY0IrrL?si=pgxZCAzjRZ64LmVh_OtNnw “Friendly Aliens” – Chad VanGaalen. This guy is from Canada. This song is trippy and strange and fun. “Without a Blush” – Hatchie. Your weekly Australian song. Her EP last year was excellent.…
Friday Playlist
Some more rockin’ tunes this week. https://open.spotify.com/user/224aiwksicafjldlua6nnpo4y/playlist/4GjsHmrTAYLUiLZ6MelxOj?si=-hx5gjLBTL26M0anwNlQtA “Satellite” – The Get Up Kids. This band might be the most successful to come out of the Kansas City/Lawrence music scene of the late 90s/early 00s. I run into people all the time who love them. But I was never a huge fan; emo just never was my bag. But this song…
Reaching for the Stars, Vol. 23
Chart Week: March 1, 1986 Song: “Beat’s So Lonely” – Charlie Sexton Chart Position: #26, 12th week on the chart. Peaked at #17 for three weeks in March/April. One-hit-wonders come in all size, shapes, sounds, and types. Charlie Sexton may be one of the cruelest examples of a OHW. Sexton was a bit of a musical prodigy, trained in his…
Friday Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/user/224aiwksicafjldlua6nnpo4y/playlist/0yT7ZiLSBAPGVmDPTCKXx9?si=LXSC2g_VQJuCICOId25t3Q “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself” – Alex Lahey. We don’t deserve all the great music that Australia is pumping out these days. Last week Julia Jacklin’s newest album came out. Stella Donnelly’s was released today. Alex Lahey is next on the list, with hers dropping on May 17. “In the Capital” – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Man did…
Friday Playlist
It’s March! Which means accumulating snow Sunday followed by record cold for most of next week. Le sigh… Here’s some music to get you through the latest trash weekend. https://open.spotify.com/user/224aiwksicafjldlua6nnpo4y/playlist/7gwBR1Cx5HyA9PZvmJAbKF?si=efqLUPjiTruUjtnoxKge8Q “Capacity” – Charly Bliss. An ear worm that defies putting in a musical slot. I hear lines back to the music of at least three different decades in here. “stay”…
Reaching for the Stars, Vol. 22
Chart Week: November 6, 1976 Song: “The Rubberband Man” – The Spinners Chart Position: #15, 9th week on the chart. Peaked at #2 for three weeks in December. As promised, our first journey into the 1970s. This is the perfect jam to make that deeper run into the chart history. As I’ve said many times in the past, my parents…
Friday Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/user/224aiwksicafjldlua6nnpo4y/playlist/5dM8578dUBeKgjwLjC8nJ1?si=jTtGzBEBS8GCMmqffXxpKw “Blankets” – Craig Finn. This is the first time I’ve really enjoyed one of Finn’s solo songs. It may make me reconsider his entire solo catalog. But I’ll likely just got back and listen to classic Hold Steady tracks. “Heart Attack Kid” – Ben Kweller. Kweller disappeared for awhile. This is a pretty solid return. “Devil May Care” –…
Friday Playlist
It’s been a rough few musical days, another time when we have been reminded that painful music is sometimes a product of truly painful lives. On Wednesday The New York Times ran a story in which several women accused Ryan Adams of abusive behavior. Phoebe Bridgers and Adams’ ex-wife Mandy Moore both went on record about their relationships with Adams…
Some Notes
A couple smaller things smashed into one post today. First, there’s just too much information out there. I know this is, like, a devastatingly deep and original opinion, but that’s why I have a blog, people. Wait, I’m not talking about the general flood of information we swim through each day. I’m talking about the maddening process of trying to…