I read two-and-a-half books while on break. I admit I had to go back and read a summary of one of them. That’s what happens when you read most of it in small doses on the beach, I guess. The Seventh Floor - David McCloskey The latest entry from the former CIA analyst and host of The Rest Is Classified podcast. This time, operations against a Russian target run into constant obstacles because of a Russian mole deep within the CIA’s leadership.
Chart Week: April 4, 1981 Song: “Take It On The Run” - REO Speedwagon Chart Position: #27, third week on the chart. Peaked at #5 for two weeks in May/June. What makes a song great? There are like a million different things we could talk about when breaking that question down. I respect you and don’t want to type up a post that long. So let’s focus on one specific attribute: a powerful set of opening lyrics.
A lot of hoops thoughts to work through as the college season has come to a very entertaining end. Women’s Tourney Man, UConn roared through the tournament like they were all mad the program hadn’t won a title in nearly a decade. Their performance in the Final Four was as dominant as I can remember any team, men or women, having over the final two games of the season. They eviscerated UCLA and South Carolina with a gorgeous, flowing, democratic brand of basketball.
Home after a nearly perfect week in Siesta Key, FL for C’s senior spring break. This might have been the easiest spring break we’ve ever had. In nearly every way you can assess it, things went as well, or even better, as we could have hoped for. We were on one of the B Team breaks for C’s class. The largest group trip was to a resort in Cancun. After doing the huge, overseas, resort trip two years ago with M’s class, C was not interested in all the drama that came with it.
Nothing special about this playlist in advance of our spring break. Although it is chock full of great tunes. No playlist next week, as that is our fly home day. Hope everyone has a great week. [open.spotify.com/playlist/...](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48oYNFd51GDO0joQ07XY0W?si=dff9bb1ef1ca42fa) "Bonnet Of Pins" - Matt Berninger Oh my! Often when lead singers of bands release solo projects, they use them as opportunities to explore new ground different than where their band normally treads.
A little earlier than normal so it doesn’t sit in the Drafts folder until we return from spring break. Movies, Shows, etc The Agency Tuuuuuurific! I had read/heard raves for this and was waiting until S needed to get her next Taylor Sheridan fix on Paramount+ so I could watch it. It lived up to the hype. Now, there are some issues with the story, which got a little broad at times.
A quick kid update. L had her cast taken off this morning. Everything looked great. No swelling, no pain. The doctor said the incision and tendon anchor in her foot all seemed fine. When he had her rotate her foot inward, an action that triggered her pain pre-surgery, she could do so without limitation or pain. She will be in a boot for the next six weeks and can finally put weight on it again.
Steven Hyden has a new megalist out, this one his favorite 100 indie rock albums of the last 25 years. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop, spending over an hour working through it while building a playlist based upon it to listen to over spring break. The Best Indie Rock Albums Of The 21st Century, Ranked I’m not a vinyl-head by any measure, but I try to stay up on music news and trends.
Chart Week: March 24, 1984 Song: “Eat It” - ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Chart Position: #18, 3rd week on the chart. Peaked at #11 the week of April 14. It’s been a while, and for that I offer my endless apologies. I still listen to at least part of an AT40 show every weekend. Over the past couple months I’ve started several drafts for new RFTS entries. However, each time I’ve lost enthusiasm while doing research and have let them die on the digital vine.
A weekend mostly filled with basketball, the last time I’ll say that until late next fall. Jayhawk Talk What an appropriate ending. KU had a three-point lead over Arkansas Thursday with just over 3:00 remaining in the game. In the following 90 or so seconds: AJ Storr forced a bad shot early in the shot clock, missing. This came after a time out. As usual with Storr, Bill Self threw up his hands in disgust/disappointment after the play.
open.spotify.com/playlist/… “Bang Bang Bang” - Sports Team UK funsters making fun of Americans for our fascination with guns. “Afraid of Guns” - Motorbike Cincinnati funsters making fun of Americans for our fascination with guns. “Death of a Giant” - Murder Capital Irish funsters making fun of…oh, wait. Actually this song is about the band members being in Dublin on the day of Pogues leader Shane MacGowan’s funeral. “777” - illuminati hotties Sarah Tudzin takes her normal fuzzy, power pop sound in a slightly more shoegazey direction here.
I hate my picks. That’s how I’ll sum up this year’s NCAA tournament. Which seems perfect for a college basketball season I have mostly hated. Spoiled KU fan, I know. As hard as I tried not to, I ended up going with all four #1 seeds to reach the Final Four. Which is an idiotic way to fill your bracket since it has happened exactly one time.[1] Some people think Auburn is creaky and vulnerable based on their late-season lull.
Here we are, NCAA tournament time. The time of some of my favorite, non-family of course, moments of my life. And also some of my least favorite. I suppose that’s the good thing about KU’s relative mediocrity this year: if I genuinely have no expectations, there is only opportunity for good memories this week. I expect them to shit the bed, so anything other than that will be a pleasant surprise.
As I said Friday, last week was a very odd one around here, at least in terms of our daily schedules. Monday was a normal day, although one third of L’s classmates were gone on their retreat. She did go in late after getting her stitches removed and new cast put on. Tuesday had the same schedule, although this was her day to go on retreat. As it involved A LOT of walking, we excused her and she stayed home.
Weird week around here. So weird I’m putting this together Thursday afternoon as I have some plans Friday morning. open.spotify.com/playlist/… “Fur Mink Augurs” - Bob Mould Bob’s new album came out last Friday. It is exactly what you would expect from a Bob Mould album. This is probably the best song on it. Sounds like a good song to end a set or show with. I’ll find out in two months.
I just read a remarkable book that demands its own post. The Real Hoosiers - Jack McCallum McCallum, the longtime NBA writer for Sports Illustrated, dove into the history of the Indianapolis Crispus Attucks high school basketball teams of the mid–1950s, when Oscar Robertson starred there. Famously, Attucks lost to Milan in the first game of the State Finals in 1954. Milan beat Muncie Central that night for the championship. Their tournament run inspired the movie Hoosiers.
I had a busy morning, so will blow through a few items from another rather laid-back weekend. Jayhawk Talk Saturday’s regular season finale with Arizona summed up the season for KU. Nice start, only to fell apart when Hunter Dickinson went to the bench. Another solid run in the last 6–7 minutes of the first half on the verge of going up 16, only to give up a seven-point swing in the final minute to destroy their momentum.
open.spotify.com/playlist/… “Dollar Store” - Ben Kweller featuring Waxahatchee Katie Crutchfield is starting to show up in as many songs by other people as Phoebe Bridgers. Thank goodness both of them are always great collaborators. “Bethany” - Craig Finn Speaking of collaborations, can we just send Finn and The War On Drugs out on tour together and make old guys like me super happy? A perfect melding of their sounds here.
Beirut Station - Paul Vidich I’ve read a couple of Vidich’s books and was luke warm on both, so had largely written his work off. His spy stories seemed reserved, dry, and emotionally complex in a way that I did not connect with. But I heard him on a podcast where his personality seemed the opposite of that, and read some good press for this book, so decided it was worth the shot.
Heavy on James Bond content today, as there was some major news regarding the series’ future along with two other tidbits that haven’t received nearly as much attention. First, Amazon threw another billion dollars at Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to take over full control of the Bond series. Broccoli especially has not been thrilled with what she believes Amazon’s plans for the series are - she assumes they will milk it for content the way Disney has mined the Star Wars brand and dilute its quality and value - which has prevented any progress in either selecting Daniel Craig’s successor or even developing a script for the next 007 film.