From The Bandstand Of A 1920’s Seaside Resort (or, perhaps, a Downton Abbey lawn party) CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MP3 AND ARTWORK / PLAYLIST Click Here for links to all our online mixes.
Music
Harebrains Radio
From time to time, people still ask us why we don’t give-away CD mixes any more. Mainly because hardly anybody ever listens to CDs any more. Which is why we’re gradually converting our most popular mixes into Click-And-Play streaming files. Here’s hoping this page leads you to lots of great discoveries. If so, remember: Support the artists you like! AMERICANA Country … Read More
Be Careful What You Wish For (Why music is really starting to suck)
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the number of albums released globally in 2017 is roughly seven times the amount released in 1960. Which got me thinking, once again, what a horrible state popular music is in these days. Below is a column I wrote on the topic nearly 10 years ago. PART ONE: PRELUDE I used … Read More
Heartland 2017 – Let’s Twist Again
Americana Made Great. #3 in the series. (playlist under artwork) CLICK ARTWORK TO LAUNCH PLAYER OR DOWNLOAD Playlist JD McPherson CRYING’S JUST A THING YOU DO Phil Cook 1922 Little Feat DOWN ON THE FARM Maria Muldaur THE WORK SONG Phil Cook GONE Rolling Stones SWEET VIRGINIA John Mellencamp SUGAR HILL MOUNTAIN John Mooney … Read More
The Rolling Stones – Exile On Main Street (Remastered)
NOTE: The piece below was originally published just after the remastered album’s release in 2010—when I was still writing an online music column for B-Metro Magazine. Hope you enjoy it. I vividly remember where I was, the first time I heard two albums as a child. In fourth grade, maybe fifth, I was in Hal Smyer’s … Read More
Dancing In The Street (Revisited)
(Photo by The Birmingham News) It’s taken me some time, but I can now honestly say I miss City Stages. Not the City Stages I skipped from 2004 to 2008—and regretted attending in 2009—but the festival which, at its best, was as good a thing as my hometown has ever done for itself. I’m talking about … Read More
Wherein The Author Comes Out Of The Closet
(This Week’s B-Metro Column) This column, its 87-song Playlist, and easily 12 hours of listening time over past few weeks—were directly inspired by a brief clip from the new Will Ferrell / Mark Wahlberg buddy-cop movie. The team receives radio orders to Bust A Perp. And not just any Perp. The big one. So for … Read More
Introducing The New Woman In My Life
(FROM MY 8.10.10 B-METRO COLUMN) I have a Word file entitled “keepers”—where I’ve ranked my favorite records, by year, dating back to 1980. Aside from being critical to maintaining Geek Cred, it’s a handy reference tool I use before making over-the-top claims like this one: Stephanie Finch’s debut album, Cry Tomorrow, is my favorite pop … Read More
Fletcher Hare: YouTube Star
(He’s in the middle, wearing the Parliament T-Shirt) Fletcher signed-up for Rock Band as his elective this Spring—and the band had its public debut in Birmingham’s world-famous Spencer Center last night. Click here for a sonic blast of primal rock at its absolute rawest. (Warning: May be disturbing to pets and small children). http://bit.ly/rokkband
Wilco revisited. (I owe Jeff Tweedy an apology.)
(THIS WEEK’S SOUNDLINKS COLUMN) A NOTE OF INTRODUCTION: I recently discovered, much to my surprise, that not everyone on earth has heard of Wilco, so here’s my two cents’ worth: Not since the Beatles’ mid to late period—from Rubber Soul to The White Album—has any band in pop music successfully jumped across as many genres … Read More