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
Americana Made Great. #3 in the series. CLICK HERE to Play OR Download the audio file AND the playlist. Click Here for links to all our online mixes.
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
(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
(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 Other Guys,” the new Will Ferrell / Mark Wahlberg buddy-cop movie. The guys receive radio orders to Bust A Perp. And not just any Perp. The … Read More
(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
(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
(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
(Ms. Gaga. With And Without Makeup.) I have adored, without shame or apology, some genuinely pathetic popular music in my day. Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again Naturally”, for instance. Closer to this millennium, I consider Hanson’s “Mmmbop” to be a brilliant piece of pop record-making—even if they did lift the hook, note for note, from the … Read More
A No-Apologies Feelgood Thang CLICK HERE to Play OR Download the audio file AND the playlist. Click Here for links to all our online mixes.
