When I tell people my all-time favorite album is 1969’s self-titled release from The Velvet Underground, they inevitably think I mean The Velvet Underground & Nico, their debut.  Instead, what I mean is their third release. It may seem odd a group with only four albums released during their time together would have two that […]

As I write this, I have no idea how the election will have turned out. For all I know, we will find ourselves in a horrible scenario where it won’t be decided for a long, long time. All I know is, I’m probably going to be exhausted, and I likely will be for a while. […]

There are a few ways one can cleanly divide the catalog of R.E.M.  The easiest is their initial run of albums on I.R.S. records before moving to Warner Brothers.  But that wasn’t as radical of a break as their work immediately preceding, and soon following, the departure of drummer Bill Berry. As for myself, I […]

Much like how October is the month most of us get our colder-weather clothing out storage, I break out the fall music. And for me, a great deal of that music is from the early 90’s. As I was in my teens at the start of the 90’s, I was more attune to contemporary music […]

Some of the music I love is not by the innovators, but by those who were influenced by them long after the fact.  Take a whole bunch of Nuggets-worthy garage bands, add few a measures of Revolver-era Beatles, then a couple of spoonfuls of the White Album, maybe a whiff of Emmit Rhodes’s debut album, […]

A mix for Labor Day, where we paradoxically celebrate work by taking the day off from it. I didn’t feel any additional comments were necessary, as each selection is self-explanatory. “Finest Worksong” by R.E.M. “Job Application” by Meryn Cadell “Burn This Bridge” by The Dambuilders “Earn Enough For Us” by XTC “The Happy Prole” by […]

I have an odd tendency to love many acts’ generally least loved albums.  At one time, I would have simply chalked this up to my contrarian nature.  I like to think I instead am able to consider works without influence from others.  Such is the case with Pink Floyd’s Obscured by Clouds, an entry in […]

In this last month of summer, I am focusing on tracks that have an emphasis on percussion. “The Obvious Child” by Paul Simon It was inevitable whatever Simon would follow Graceland with would be unable to meet the ridiculously high bar set by the legendary album. Rhythm of the Saints was a solid album, seeking […]

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by a guitar amp by grandfather used.  Messing around with it once, I discovered that, if one turned one of the dials up all the way (reverb, I think), picked up the amp and then sat it down roughly, a truly horrific noise would come from it.  […]

Hard to say what I was going for with this mix. I found myself identifying more and more songs as ones I associate specifically with hot summer mornings. More than a few are literally about getting up or which take place in the morning. “Out Of My Head” by Sun 60 This is one of […]

This mix was originally intended for July, but a largely scorching hot May led me to move this up to June. In general, I tried not to include songs that are explicitly about the season, hence the absence of such numbers as Sly and the Family Stone’s “Hot Fun In The Summertime” or Mungo Jerry’s […]

If April showers bring May flowers, what does this rain dominating the first week of May bring? Yet another mix, that’s what it brings–whether it is songs explicitly about rain, or simply ones that are reminiscent of how a rainy day makes me feel. “Here’s That Rainy Day” by Astrud Gilberto Bossa nova is normally […]

As the weather is getting warmer, we see the flowers opening up for pollination. We see the animals preening themselves so as to be most attractive to a desired mate. And we hear those animals making the noises they think will draw the right attention. Unfortunately, in the area where I reside, those sounds are […]

For whatever reason, I am fascinated by songs about the experience of being a recording artist, especially those addressing frustrations toward the industry. When they are autobiographical, I consider these “state of the band union” songs, the public airing of an artist’s grievances. I’m surprised there aren’t more such songs, as that would seem to […]

Note: “Tainted Love” not included in this mix. For this month, I decided to create a mix of love songs for Valentine’s Day, except these are about it in its unrequited form or when affection curdles into something foul. Everything is fine in my relationship, but I just thought those whose isn’t on such solid […]