Tag: new-music

Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

by KevinLeave a Comment on Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

A few thoughts on kids in the comments, New Order’s Brotherhood, and brilliant closing tracks.

The kids are all right.

NPR recently shared a story about comments that were appearing underneath its podcasts. In isolation, they didn’t make much sense, but they did seem to be talking to one another. At first blush, staffers assumed they were bots and set out to clean up the comment sections.

But then they asked a Gen Z coworker for their take, and her response will shock you…

Just kidding—we’re not doing that here. But it is an interesting story. As most of you know, social media platforms have started age-gating, and, well, like water seeking its natural level, kids got creative in trying to find new places to chat. It just so happens that the relatively empty comment sections under NPR podcasts fit the bill, so there they were. I don’t know who these kids are—though Ira Glass spoke to one of them, because of course he did—but I hope all of ’em wind up at NASA someday. That’s my kind of subversion.

Kids will always find an overlooked corner of the internet and make it their own. In a much less technologically advanced version of that impulse, I’ve spent the week thinking about New Order’s Brotherhood: a great record that has spent far too long in an overlooked corner of the band’s catalog. If ever a record had middle-child energy, New Order’s Brotherhood is it. It’s also magnificent.

Talking about the record for an article on What Am I Making, I wrote:

Can a record have middle-child energy? If that’s possible, Brotherhood is it. Other records by the band spark lively discourse on fan forums or get slapped with a critic’s-darling label. Brotherhood has been unfairly exiled to a purgatory of inattention. Meanwhile, it’s just in the corner doing its thing, happy to be left alone. Split in half between electronic and analog, it’s a wild ride—and well worth it.

Brotherhood often gets overlooked in discussions about the band’s discography, and, to be fair, it does occupy a bit of a weird space in the group’s timeline. With one foot in the analog world and the other firmly planted in the electricity of Italian discos, the band was split on which direction to go. So they did the only thing they could: Side A is primarily acoustic, and Side B is dominated by digital. That represents a literal split in musical stylings and a fracture within the band.

So, you have a band growing tired of one another as people and split into two distinct tribes—rock and electronic—as musicians. All the while, their label was pushing them for a follow-up to Low-Life. No pressure, then! Those factors are a sure bet for disaster, and yet, once again, despite—or in spite of—themselves, they released a record that holds up well.

“Paradise” feels almost claustrophobic, with Sumner’s pleading vocals feeling almost smothering. Up next is the much brighter “Weirdo,” a track where everything feels like it’s this close to flying off into space, and the only thing holding everything in stable orbit is Hook’s bass. To my ear, it’s them at their best, and anytime I get a new stereo—or AirPods—this is the song I use to test them. “As It Was When It Was” gives listeners a wistful breather before things ramp back up with “Broken Promise.” Side A closes with “Way of Life,” a track that feels like a close cousin to “Weirdo.”

Initially intended to be a single, it was even released as a promo 12”, but it wasn’t meant to be. From Hook: “I really wanted to get another bass riff that was as good as ‘Age of Consent’… I managed it here by turning that riff backwards and using it again. Distorted bass intro. We got that by putting it through an Akai cassette player!”

“Bizarre Love Triangle” kicks off Side B and sets the tone early. As good as Side A is, the song isn’t halfway over before it’s clear what the future looks like for New Order.

That record turns 40 tomorrow, and I think it’s pretty clear that the future for the band did indeed include a lot of 808 synths and an overindexing on digital. I’m not mad about that, but it also included a lot of internal strife and the eventual fracturing of the band, with bassist Peter Hook advocating for a more analog sound and the rest of the band determined to follow the muse they’d first heard thundering out of clubs in NYC. The cracks really first start to appear here.

Hook is now performing with a supporting band, Peter Hook and the Light. Meanwhile, recent health issues have sidelined Gillian Gilbert and, by association, Stephen Morris, leaving frontman Bernard Sumner as the last original touring member. It’s a real Ship of Theseus situation, and, if I’m honest, for two people so at odds with one another, there’s not much daylight between what Messrs. Sumner and Hook are currently doing. One history, two ways. So be it. I guess this is my way of both plugging a great band and saying: get out and see yours while you can.

And listen to Brotherhood! Turning 40 tomorrow, it is no longer a kid, but what it does do—and does well—is hold up. For a record heading headlong into middle age, it sounds as good as it did the first time I heard it… as a kid.

In the above article, Morris talks about the band’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” and how it was initially grossly overlooked. He also talks about “Face Up” (from the band’s “Low Life” LP), which he loves but that fans met with indifference. You could’ve fooled me; it’s one of my favorites from the band, and arguably their best closer.

In my talk with Matty at WAIM, I mention another track from Brotherhood, “Weirdo,” and how anytime I get a new stereo, speakers, or even AirPods, it’s the song I use to first test ’em out. I don’t see that changing anytime soon; I’ve been doing it since I was a kid.

Onto the music:

“Face Up” and “Weirdo” are both here, as is “Way of Life,” which was initially slated as the record’s “breakout” single (You didn’t really think I wasn’t gonna try to squeeze a third New Order track on here, did you?). But there’s also much newer stuff, including the latest from community favorite Lydia Loveless, Julia Jacklin, and Nathan Kendall. We’ve also got one from Louisville’s Future Fossils that, if you’re not careful, will melt your speakers, and one from the Klittens. Isa Heller’s also here, closing things out with a sticky groove in “Wildflower.”

Speaking of closers, besides “Face Up” and Wildflower, there are a couple of others here. Over at The Runout Grooves, our friend Mitchell Stirling is running a survey on the best closers of the 2000s, and to say they’ve been on my mind and in my ears would be an understatement. If you’ve got a second, check out the survey and vote for your favorites. I can almost guarantee a couple will still be in your heavy rotation, and maybe some you’ve completely forgotten about.

If you’ve got some thoughts on closers, New Order, or anything else on this list, I’d love to hear them.

And if some random kids show up in the chat, be cool!

KA—

The Playlists: | Apple | Qobuz | YouTube Music | Tidal (NEW) |

Now it’s your turn.

What’s been exciting you lately? Any releases or shows you’re looking forward to? Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!

What’re You Listening To?

by KevinLeave a Comment on What’re You Listening To?

FTA: Some thoughts on family, football, and having a little faith. Plus a whole buncha killer new tracks.

Note: I’m resharing a post from this same weekend last year. It has only been mildly updated. In a world that’s gone sideways, celebrating life events has become much more essential. I also will take any chance I get to talk up John Hiatt and Ducks football, so there’s that. FWIW, I wound up finishing the book I mention below not too long after this first ran. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it.

The Ducks and Badgers don’t play each other this year, but maybe next year? We can talk all day about the perils of college football, but in my case, it’s serving as an excellent pretext for family reunions, and my life is all the richer for it. Oh, and I still have no idea where my suit is.

KA—

Today, twenty-two four years ago, we had a party, and not a lot went according to plan.

For one, we ran out of food. I’m told it was delicious.

Attendance was capped at 150, split three ways between my mom, my in-laws, and us. With us in Oregon and most of my in-laws in Wisconsin, I assumed many people would not make the trip. Never underestimate Badgers’ desire to travel.

For my part, I have the sort of family where if you invite one, you must ask another 8. The ones you skip will drive 4 hours and crash it anyway (see my comment about the food). Never underestimate my family’s affinity for a gathering. 

We told people to prepare for any kind of weather. It was in the 80s. I sweat in March. You can imagine how this went. I’m fairly certain that was the last time I wore a suit. Last I knew, a kid in the neighborhood borrowed it for a science presentation at school.

Maybe he still has it?

Like most weddings, there are plenty of lovely, very professional pictures that document that day. They are nice, with everyone perfectly posed, beaming, and in just the right pairings: the parents, the moms, the wedding party—you know the drill. If nothing else, it’s evidence that I can clean up nicely. Outside of the 2-3 that we had printed, they’ve maybe seen the light of day a handful of times in the last two decades.

The candid shots taken throughout the event are much more interesting to me. None of these were taken on a phone or posted to Instagram. They found their way back to us via US mail, or more commonly after someone had printed them and shared them the next time we got together. Even with a candid shot, there’s an intentionality you don’t get with a phone. Each picture tells you as much as it leaves out. I wish someone had taken a picture of the food.

A quote in this article has stuck with me for several days now:

For me, at least, my Polaroid project this summer was really about memory and time, tangibility and loss. The act of reaching for something that you know, even in that moment of capturing it, is already out of your grasp. Like our memories, too, because what we choose to frame tells us so much about the things that we hold onto – as well as the things that we let go.

(Yes, another week of talking about Polaroid pictures, physical media, and how we used to use them to document the mile markers of our lives.)

The shots from that day are dispatches from the road, full of people still in our lives and those who aren’t, of people held onto and people let go. Some of those friendships didn’t survive the attrition of distance, and some have shuffled off this mortal coil.

One of my groomsmen lives 10 miles away. With two kids each and busy careers, we’ve seen each other once, and that was at a soccer tournament. Somewhere, there’s a picture of that, too—both of us a little older, both in cargo shorts; I guess we’re both suburban dads now. It was in the 80s that day, too.

I was probably sweating. We’re both beaming. 

One worked with me and left for another airline. He’s younger than me and somehow managed to retire. Lucky him.

My best man has been in my life for almost all of it. He and I still talk a few times a week via text, usually sending each other mildly offensive memes that the 12-year-olds in us would delight in. I haven’t seen him in five years. I’m grateful technology keeps us close. Lucky me. 

I hadn’t seen my cousins on one side in 10 years and wouldn’t see them for another dozen or so (at one of their weddings, of course). I’ll see them again in 56 days. It will have been one day shy of 6 years. I’m grateful the Oregon Ducks moved to the Big 10.

For our reception, we crowdsourced the music, adding a line on the RSVPs to request a song. In hindsight, this was a good idea, and I wish I had thought of it. In retrospect, we also should’ve known that picking the date we did would sentence us to a lifetime of receiving memes like this. On the plus side, it makes it easy to remember. 

Van Morrison’s “Moondance” was the most popular request. I don’t know what to say about that. John Hiatt’s “Have a Little Faith in Me” was our spotlight dance. He’s very much still in my life. I listen to his records often and just started a biography by the same name. That we could dance at all was remarkable; my wife’s knee had been demolished a few months earlier while playing soccer. She scored on that play, by the way. That injury was definitely not according to plan, but the dance was an incredible win. 

Of course, there were up-tempo songs too–it was a party, after all–and people rarely miss the chance to tell me how great it was to see my stepdad and father-in-law “fast dancing” at different points. They’re both gone, and I’d like to think that they’d laugh at that being their legacy. It’s a helluva snapshot if you think about it.

Whether at a courthouse, a church, or on the beach, a wedding is aspirational. The couple has a lifetime ahead of them, an early chapter in what hopefully will be a long story of life events and milestones, and regular Tuesday nights watching TV. 

Depending on when you see this, we may be celebrating at brunch, record shopping (I hope!), riding bikes, or at a concert by going to work and then hopefully somewhere cool for an early dinner. It’s fast livin’ for sure.

Twenty-two four years ago, not much went according to plan, but everything went right. Surrounded by friends, family, and lord knows who else, underneath a warm sun and next to the gorgeous Oregon coast, my (now) wife and I decided to have a little faith and said yes.

As always, thanks for being here.

KA—

On to the music…

Were I not solidly middle aged, I’d just type something like “Hard Life by The Tubs? OBSESSED” and call it good. The reality is that I’ve been playing it pretty much nonstop, and every time I do, a new favorite track emerges. Kalshi’s probably got the odds of this being on my AOTY list easily at 75-80%.

Speaking of Badgers, there’s also a couple of WI bands on here with Milwaukee’s Fellow Travelers and Madison’s Parting Blue (aka the band formerly known as Depression Glass). The latter have a new record out, and it’s got a great heartland indie sound going. RIYL: The Jayhawks, Spooner, or Son Volt.

We’ve also got killer sounds from Outer World, Phosphene, Devecia Mack, Gift, The Tisburys, and more!

The Playlists: | Apple | Qobuz | YouTube Music | Tidal (NEW) |

Now it’s your turn.

What’s been exciting you lately? Any releases or shows you’re looking forward to? Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!

In Conversation With: San Gabriel

by KevinLeave a Comment on In Conversation With: San Gabriel

The synth pop artist stops by to talk about his latest EP, his creative process, and the vibrant scene in southern Oregon.

San Gabriel. Photo: Kassy Balli

Good morning!

Today we’re talking with synth pop artist San Gabriel.

Retail jobs are an incredible incubator for side projects. Some people use the downtime to catch up on schoolwork. Others may work on a side hustle. James Bookert used that time to work on his music. Initially, something to do in between tours became San Gabriel, a fully formed synth-pop project.

If that name sounds familiar, trust your gut; last year’s Nights and Weekends caught the attention of many here in the community, and I recently took a quick look at the follow-up EP Adult Onset Goth, noting:

Last year’s Nights and Weekends was a revelation. Adult Onset Goth is the follow-up EP, and all of the dreamy synths, washed-out guitars, and sugary hooks are here. Are you a fan of New Order, or even Tame Impala? Maybe you spend a lot of time mining the crates for early 80s synth pop. This’ll scratch that itch.

Lead single “Paradise” explores themes of avoidance, emotional stagnation, and the tension between moving forward or remaining in unhealthy but familiar places, with Bookert saying, “This song is about avoiding the complicated feelings that come with growing up. It’s about avoiding moving on. It’s about avoidance and the fear of growth. It’s about feeling stuck in life, admiring the past through a not-so-healthy lens, and not knowing if to move forward into an open uncertainty, or stay rooted in a place/relationship that isn’t healthy.”

I wanted to talk more with James about the threads he’s been pulling in his work—both the lyrics and the sound—but I was also curious about where he’s at in life, both literally and figuratively. He currently calls Ashland, Oregon, home, and while I can tell you that Ashland is known for a lot of things, synth-pop ain’t one of ’em…or so I thought. But I was happily surprised (and happy to be corrected) by his take on life in Southern Oregon.

In our wide-ranging chat, we cover the local scene, what his creative process looks like, and what the rest of the year has in store for him. It’s only been lightly edited for grammar and flow.

Congrats on the new record! Can you walk us through the backstory of how ‘Adult Onset Goth’ came together?

Hey, thanks, Kevin! I’m pretty psyched on these songs! When I’m not on the road, I’m pretty much always writing. It feels like a productive way to distract myself from all of the crazy stuff that’s happening in the world. And since I’m just kind of always writing, I tend to have a ton of songs sitting around. Cayle, who owns and operates Share It Music, gave me a little nudge to put some of these songs out, which was super helpful. But, in short, they’re songs that I love, but maybe didn’t feel like they were fitting in with my next record, and I still wanted them to see the light of day.

I’m curious about the title (which I love, btw). What does it mean to you now, and has it changed since you first landed on it?

I’m 41, and it’s been crazy watching the world, or maybe just the US, turn into what it’s turned into. I think social media rewards a lot of performative negative behaviour (our president), and when that’s all that we see of society, that’s what we believe. If I’m perfectly honest, it’s really hard not to be cynical and give up hope, or think that we’re all against each other.

But I’m fortunate to get to tour, play music, and meet new people. And what I see is the exact opposite. I see and meet a lot of people who are sweet and kind and accepting and weird, and not afraid to be themselves.

Maybe the title was just me making fun myself, or maybe the songs on my EP are “the cure for adult onset goth” (take twice daily) I don’t know. It just sounded fun.

Did any of the tracks come together particularly quickly (or slowly)?

Yeah, I got pretty lucky with some of em! Sometimes, if I have a good idea, I’ll set an alarm for 30 minutes and tell myself that by the end of these 30 minutes, this song has to be finished. That means 2 verses, 2 choruses, and a bridge if needed.

With “Paradise,” I think I was playing bass and just said, “t t t take me back to paradise.” So I set an alarm and wrote the rest.

That said, “Magic” was the opposite. That was a completely different song that I shoehorned together, and that was over the course of maybe a year. I was just banging my head against a wall trying to write a chorus, and was like, wait a minute…this fits with this other song, and boom, Magic was born.

Double-clicking on that, what comes first for you: sounds or lyrics?

You know both. There’s never one thing that works. For “Paradise,” I was just sitting around playing bass, and the chorus came out. Other times it’s just been the rhythm of a set of words that will inform the rest of the song. It’s kind of all over the place.

Sometimes I’ll write a whole instrumental track, walk around, and sit in the park listening to it, trying to write lyrics; it all just kinda depends.

Shifting gears, you’re in Ashland, Oregon. I grew up in PDX, and synth pop is the last kind of thing I’d expect from that part of the world. What brought you there? What’s the scene like?

Ashland is freaking awesome. This place is crammed full of musicians and artists that you’d never expect. Ashland seems to function on its own terms, in a way that I really love. Super vibrant and healthy music scene.

For one, Sylvia Massy has a studio here. Sylvia is this genius engineer/producer who recorded Prince, Johnny Cash, System of a Down, you name it. She actually let me mix some stuff from my last record in her studio.

There are also a ton of local people here who would blow your mind. My buddy Mitch fronts a band called Slow Corpse. Dude has the voice of an angel and will write 5 amazing songs a week. I used to play bass in his band, and he’d come in with a whole new set every week.

Then there’s Sean, who is a synth wizard, and he fronts a band called Yaaro Light; there’s Casey and the Cutoffs, who are an amazing local band; and this dude Kyle, who does DIY shows out of his warehouse/skatepark.

I just randomly saw a Brazilian band at a thrift shop last weekend. We just heard music and walked over there.

Also, there’s a super vibrant theater scene here. That’s not ever what I’d considered “live music,” but boy was I wrong about that. Because, man, I just saw a play called “Come From Away” that had a full live band playing the entire time, and it was mind-blowing, from both a musical and technical perspective.

In short, Ashland is awesome. Super cool vibrant scene.

For someone that might be new to your work, what do you hope they take away from this record?

That’s a great question, and I don’t know if I have an answer, but I’ll try.

I feel like music has given me so much, especially as a young person. Life can be super isolating, and lonely, and confusing, and we’re always expected to put on this face and say things are okay when maybe they’re not.

Like, there are song lyrics that we’ll sing and fully 100% relate to, that we’d never say in a sentence. I feel like music is a place we can let our guard down and be immersed in our feelings. I think of it as the little friend I keep in my back pocket that understands me 100%

That said, I don’t know that I have any hopes for people’s takeaway from this record, but if it makes you dance, or tap your toes, or you like a little synth sound in there, I’m happy with that. If there’s lyrics in there that you really resonate with, that’s cool too. I just hope that it helps somebody in the world in some way.

What’s the rest of 2026 look like for you? More shows (I saw you recently did one with Limerence)? Back into the studio?

I’m about to jump on 6 weeks of touring with my buddy Griff, who is Goth Babe.

We’re doing 6 weeks opening for Foster the People, which is gonna go everywhere. I’m working on booking some PNW and California stuff for the end of the year, which will definitely include Limerence.

And yeah, always in the studio. I got a bunch of music I’m working on for whatever my next record is gonna be!

Last one, just for fun: I bump into you as you walk out of the record store. What records are you carrying?

Oof. Probably “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player” by Elton John. That was my favorite tape when I was 5, and every time I see it I’m like, woah, look, it’s “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player” by Elton John, only to come home and realize that I’ve forgotten that I already have three copies of “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player” by Elton John.

But honestly, anything. I was a banjo player for years, so if I find any old bluegrass or old-time records, I’ll scoop ‘em. I’m also a huge prewar blues fan. I will say, I’ve been looking for it for years, but my hope is that I’ll walk out of the record store with a copy of “Tupelo Honey” by Van Morrison

Listen:

Click the record to preview/play ‘Adult Onset Goth.’

What’re You Listening To?

by KevinLeave a Comment on What’re You Listening To?

A few thoughts on friction and a buncha fresh tracks.

I am finally getting around to going through a box of 45s my mom gave me. Ostensibly, this was “payment” for helping her downsize her house a few years ago. Really, I think it was just a face-saving exercise for her.

Wherever you fall on the friction spectrum, 45s sit at the far end.

Friction and intentionality are all the rage these days—I’m as guilty of yapping about this as anyone. I’m also a fan of it. I spend my entire workweek splitting my attention and keeping multiple plates in the air. Sitting down to do nothing but listen to a record is a great way to recover. There are, of course, all the other sensory experiences that come along with it: the smell of the vinyl…reading the liner notes…appreciating the art—all the tactile things.

Still, 45s feel like a bridge too far. I like friction, but not this much. My turntable is on one side of the room. Playing 45s means no couch; it means sitting right in front of the sound machine. That’s partly why it’s taken me so long to get around to this. Real life gets in the way, of course, but it also takes some work to get through a box of these things.

The upside is that going through a small collection like this lets my mind wander a bit. Everyone’s collection says a bit about who they are, and in my case, I’ve known this person my entire life—but I know very little about the almost one-third of her life before I showed up. These little slabs of wax help fill in the blanks a bit, but they raise almost as many questions as they answer.

I know the story behind my own 45s. Each of them tells its own little story, a plotline I can recite: where I was in life when I picked them up—literally—what buses I took to get there, and so on.

Did my mom find these on her own, or did someone else tell her she “had to hear this”? If she found them herself, the likely source would have been the radio. What station was she listening to? I know the house she lived in, but I also know it wasn’t close to any stores. Did she ride the bus to get these? I can pick up the story, but only from the midway point.

The station I remember playing constantly in the house has since become a talk-radio station. That’s a rant for another day.

Also, while I know why everyone put address labels on their records, it still strikes me as strange. Today, we live in a world where everything is collectible, and Lord help you if there’s a 1 mm crease on a corner. They were betting the other way. Records weren’t meant to be preserved; they were meant to be played, even if that meant someone changing things up every two or three minutes.

Maybe that’s the best takeaway here: treating records—or any physical media, really—purely as an investment vehicle is a weird choice. Of course, you should take care of them. Putting them in sleeves and storing them in the right place is the way to go. But ultimately, their place is on the turntable, spinning around and delivering sound.

On to the music…

This week, we’ve got killer tracks from all corners of the music universe. There’s a ripper from Wristwatch, one of my favorite Madison bands—it’s a long list—and one from Maritime, one of my favorites from just down the road in Milwaukee. Our pal Jodaki also sent us one he thought I might like. He was right.

There’s some Lungfish, because of course there is. Indy-based indie darlings Wishy keep their streak of great singles going, and the latest from Afghan Whigs is finally out. It’s been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait.

Catacroma from Riviera Gaz also dropped, and if you like the sort of stuff Winged Wheel—or Lungfish, for that matter—puts out, this is for you. This is also a Steve Shelley side project; he’s having quite the year.

Last but not least, there’s a track each from ORR favorites Wussy and The Paranoid Style. Lisa Walker and Elizabeth Nelson are pairing up for a series of upcoming house shows, and, well, if your favorite baseball team is in the NL Central, gas up the car and make a plan to get out and see them. There are a couple of East Coast dates, too.

KA—

The Playlist:

Other sources: | Apple | Qobuz | YouTube Music| Tidal (NEW) |

I’m trying Tidal out after getting a couple of requests for it. We’ll see how it goes! Mostly, I’d like to slowly move away from Spotify and make sure we’ve got as many bases covered as possible.

Now it’s your turn.

What’s been exciting you lately? Any releases or shows you’re looking forward to? Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

by KevinLeave a Comment on Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

Good morning!

Hello from Lake Michigan.

I’m writing this from somewhere called South Beach (no, not that one): a dispatch from nowhere that somehow feels like everything. One of the best things about Portland was its proximity to the coast. In the span of ~75 miles (and 60-ish minutes, if you timed it right and kept a sharp eye out for cops), you could go from strip-mall Babylon to the state line along the shore of the Pacific. You could foolishly attempt that same pace on a run to Mt. Hood, but the police in Sandy are undefeated. We can make the same run to the Midwestern equivalent of a coast run. It’s not the same, but it sure feels like it sometimes.

Looming over this beach is a massive power plant. Its presence surely makes sense, but it honestly reminds me of something out of The Simpsons. Or something you might see if you took the longer route to the coast via Highway 30, where the now-gone Trojan nuclear plant loomed, dominating the skyline and seeming very much both in and out of place.

WTF does any of this have to do with music, you may be asking? My point is that I always find it fascinating how one thing reminds you of another, and how transportive those flashes can be.

An offhand conversation about the band ALL this week led to mentioning a shared love of Big Drill Car, which led to me dusting off CD Type Thing and landing right back in the early ’90s. Which led to some Bettie Serveert and Happy Mondays. A short YouTube documentary on Sugar reminded me of being at Tower to grab one of their midnight releases. And why can I remember exactly what the terrazzo floors looked like but need help remembering what I had for lunch yesterday?

We lost John Douglas of Trashcan Sinatras this week, and it felt mandatory to include a couple of their better-known tracks. I’d also highly encourage new listeners to burrow into their deep cuts. It’s well worth the trip.

And that power plant I’m sitting in the shadow of? Well, it reminds me of Pink Floyd and the picture of Battersea Power Station on Animals. The only things flying between the stacks here are frisbees, but still…

KA—

On to the music:

Besides the tracks noted above, we’ve got some killer sounds from Cola, Bad Bad Hats, and Boscomoestas, Jason Singer (Michigander), The Veldt, and close things out with something from our pal Matty C’s Harborcoat.

Side A is tracks 1-13. Side B is tracks 14-27.

The Playlist:

Other sources: | Apple | Qobuz | YouTube Music| Tidal (NEW) |

Note: Trying Tidal out after getting a couple of requests for it. We’ll see how it goes! Mostly, I’d like to slowly move away from Spotify, and want to make sure we’ve got as many bases covered as possible.

Now it’s your turn.

What’s been exciting you lately? Any shows you’re looking forward to? Maybe one with an early start? Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

by KevinLeave a Comment on Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

Good morning!

This week I spent a good deal of time listening to the earlier part of Heart’s catalog. As I noted last week, my better half came home from a garage sale with quite a haul, and, well, those records weren’t going to play themselves, you know? No one needs to know my take on Bebe Le Strange (“Even It Up” is a top-five track from them), Private Audition (you can probably skip this one), or the deep cuts on Dog & Butterfly and Dreamboat Annie. I’ll just say I’m always surprised at how well these hold up. Even the glossy-era stuff has its high marks. I’m never mad about hearing “Never” in the store. I’m slow to praise anything from Seattle, but credit where credit’s due.

At any rate, this week I’ve been feeding my ears with quite a bit of stuff that’s held up. The Veldt are a band I found in high school, and if Instagram is anything to go by, people are still finding them. The kids are alright! We’ve got two of them here. A few years ago, our pal Keith R. Higgons did a great interview with the band’s Daniel Chavis that’s also well worth checking out.

Similarly, Watershed is an Ohio band that had a brief moment in the ’90s, then faded from the spotlight, but, lucky for us, never really stopped making records. Their new one’s on here, and they’re doing a short regional tour. If you’re in the upper Midwest, you’re in luck. Also, shoutout for most of these shows starting early. Related: I’m old. They’re also playing with Madison’s Shazy Hade.

There’s some Yo La Tengo, because of course there is, and a couple from the Stones, Pink Floyd, and Eddie Vedder (see above: never beating the old-guy allegations).

Going the other way, we’ve also got brand-new killer sounds from Joel Cusumano , Philly-based Mesh—who sound old in all the best ways—and Young Friend.

Also a new one from THAO that’ll likely still be stuck in your head midweek (sorry!), a double dose of new music from Outer World, and a banger from Swedish House Mafia ft. Lykke Li.

In other words, something for everyone. This is an all ages show. Get in!

KA—

Side A is tracks 1-13. Side B is tracks 14-27.

The Playlist:

Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

by KevinLeave a Comment on Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

Good morning!

Late last week, I was in a meeting when my wife walked in and quietly set a stack of (new to us) records down. That by itself was cool. What made it eve better was the how excited she was that she’d found them. She’d been at a garage sale, and they had brought them out while she was there. Right place, right time and all that.

I’ve mentioned it before, but garage sales up here usually follow a specific template:

In Wisconsin specifically, you’re bound to find cross-country skis and…a lot of beer steins (seriously, why do people buy these?!). There’s also a 110% chance that there will be at least one giveaway shirt from a Bucks game. At this point, I am convinced that Gruber Law is single-handedly keeping several T-shirt companies afloat. IYKYK.

Records are a rarer commodity, though judging by the sales I hit, it’s clear that owning at least two Ray Conniff records was a state law at one point. Maybe they came with the beer steins…I dunno. When you find them, they’re not always in the best shape and look/smell exactly how you’d expect them to after spending the last twenty years in a Midwest basement next to a pair of cross-country skis.

No one will consider the records she grabbed for us holy grails. That doesn’t make ‘em any less cool, or dampen the excitement. We’ve been playing ‘em all weekend.

It’s easy for “music people” like all of us here to get lost in things like the Geese discourse, whether or not Madonna’s new record is up to par (it is), and the ongoing saga of curation vs. critique. And who gets to make those calls? Ask 10 people, and you’ll get 11 opinions.

In the end, no matter one’s taste, we’re all chasing that same north star- the electricity you feel when a record finds you at just the right time- even if it happens to be a release from Ray Conniff.

KA—

On to the music…

On to the music. No Madge this week, but her debut record turns 43 today. Oof. I’d put it up there in her top 3. Maybe you have some thoughts? In the what’s old is new crate, we’ve got a track from the latest Rolling Stones record, Teenage Fanclub, The Strokes, and Pete Yorn. There’s also some deep cuts from Heart, and Jet Stream Heart from Temples. Also one from Sioux Falls SD-based Off Contact, and another from Liz Hogg. There’s also some Yo La tengo because, of course, there is (and stay tuned for more on them later this week).

Best of all, we’ve got a brand new one from our pal Brian K. Pagels with Lilly Hiatt (Lilly Hiatt!). If that’s not exciting, I don’t know what it is.

Side A is tracks 1-12. Side B is tracks 13-27.

Other sources: | Apple | Qobuz | YouTube Music |

Now it’s your turn.

What’s been exciting you lately? Any new releases or shows you’re looking forward to? Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

by KevinLeave a Comment on Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

Good morning!

This past Friday I went to a political rally lightly disguised as a stop on a book tour. It was a Q&A with Ben Wikler and Pete Buttigieg, and a couple of other local/state politicians and activists. I was really there to see “Mayor Pete” (I’m an unrepentant infrastructure geek), but if I’m honest, it was far more engaging and entertaining than I thought it might’ve been.

I’m terminally online and far too plugged into the WI political landscape for my own good. It’s easy to get jaded and check out, but this was a great antidote; a bulwark against the tsunami of political ads that are about to swamp every channel.

One of the points made was a quote: Hope is not the cause of action. Hope is the consequence of action.

I admit it’s a touch pithy—something very much at home on a Successories poster—but I also couldn’t help but frame it in terms of records, writing, and any creative pursuit. People take their time, treasure, and talent and put something out in the world. They hope people like it, of course, but that’s an aftereffect.

The TL;DR of the evening was that success comes when we (collectively) decide to tear down existing models and speak truth to power. Those walls come down slowly at first and then all at once. It starts with a conversation, or making a single phone call. Or making a small ask of someone (in my organizing days we would call these pressure tests, and the equivalent might be asking them to sign an A-card). You do this over and over—you put in these reps—and eventually something new and better emerges.

On the way there, we drove by what was once Smart Studios, and as each person spoke, I couldn’t help but map their points to the past and current music landscape.

Writing about the building a few years ago, I noted:

Today, Smart Studios stands stoically on the corner as the world rushes by. Boarded up and on the market, it stands sentinel over an era long past, but whose legacy lives on.

In the ’90s, people took existing models and bent them to their will…or they just tore them down altogether and built something novel.

And we did it together. People collaborated long before your Instagram timeline was polluted with spammy “DM to collab” comments from bots. It felt like everyone was in a band. And if you weren’t playing, you were writing. And if you were writing or making a ’zine, you were doing art for record covers or T-shirts.

When people took to the streets in PDX, it wasn’t performative or for the ’gram. The crowds built a person at a time. One person asking another to join them. And another. And then another.

It was a fantastic time. And it was the result of small steps adding up to something much larger.

No wonder it gave us so many good sounds.

On to the music…

This week, I’ve been listening to a ton of The Church. Ditto R.E.M. and Yo La Tengo (some of you may have seen that those are the two frontrunners for which discography Sam Colt and I work through next- stay tuned for the results!). There’s also some INXS and Shonen Knife, the latter of whom used to soundtrack a lot of my drives into the city for shows, We also lost L7 bassist Jennifer Finch late Saturday. L7 of course recorded at Smart Studios. Fuck cancer.

I promise this isn’t a nostalgia account; I might be an 80s/90s kid, but the music of 23026 gives me just as much hope as those records did back in the day. This week we’ve got some killer new sounds from Sweeping promises, Ceylon Sailor, Inland Years, and many more.

Side A is tracks 1-14. Side B is tracks 15-27.

The Playlist:

Other sources: | Apple | Qobuz | YouTube Music |

Now it’s your turn.

What’s been in heavy rotation in your world? Any new releases or shows you’re looking forward to? Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

by KevinLeave a Comment on Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

This past week, I was on vacation. When asked, the easy answer would be “I didn’t go anywhere,” but that’s not entirely true. We went all over the place; we just never left the state.

I’ve mentioned it previously, but even after living here for over 20 years, I still don’t have to go too far to feel like I’m in another country (and depending on how “red” it is, another universe). Go far enough afield and even the radio stations can feel foreign in their own way.

Even where we were, there were plenty of choices, including one that seemed purpose-built for Parrot Heads that got lost on the way to living their best (salt) life and wound up on Lake Michigan instead. I like Buffett, but man, I heard more than my share.

You would also be (pick one: horrified/surprised/delighted) to know that Bon Jovi is still in heavy rotation in some spots.

Miss the Slippery When Wet era? NE Wisconsin’s for you!

But!

In an era of automated playlists and robo-DJs, these stations feel anachronistic…and like sweet relief. Yes, even the ones that are, in theory, talk radio, but in reality just an angry guy shouting into the void from the antenna on the horizon. No matter how much iHeartRadio (or Brendan Carr) tries to tell you otherwise, the airwaves still belong to the people, and there’s still some people-powered stations, too.

Stations like this are the last stand against the Telecommunications Act of 1996. These over-the-air Alamos holding the line against automation and misinformation are usually found on the left side of your dial, and traveling through their range is all the better because of ‘em—even when they play “Livin’ on a Prayer.”

KA—

On to the music…

No Bon Jovi, but this week’s human-powered playlist features brand new tracks from Hazel English, Office Dog, The Tubs, Wishy, and more. Wisconsin’s well represented (in a good way!) with sounds from Red Pants and Heavy Looks. Our friends Tamara Casey and Patrick Fellows are also here with “Bad Decisions” and “Seen it All” respectively.

In other words, everything you need for your morning commute or for when you’re getting nothin’ but static.

Side A is tracks 1-17. Side B is tracks 18-35.

Other sources: Apple | Qobuz | YouTube Music |

Now it’s your turn.

Any new releases or shows you’re looking forward to? Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

by KevinLeave a Comment on Discussion: What’re You Listening To?

A Monthy Python castmate, Elvis, and several world cup soccer players all walk into a $100 million cage…

It sounds like the start of a bad joke, doesn’t it?

If I told you they were there to play in a 3v3 8-team single elimination goal tournament, all to the sounds of a (then) 34-year-old song remade by a Dutch artist best known for working on Tomb Raider, it’d just get weird, right?

But24 years ago, that’s exactly what happened. Henry, Ronaldo, Scholes; they were all there, and they were all there to sell shoes.

Or, more specifically, Nike shoes.

The Scorpion KO tournament was part of an award-winning ad campaign, with star players competing in a secret tournament onboard a ghost ship.

Former Manchester United Star Eric Cantona was more emcee than referee, and the entire thing was directed by Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam.

That tournament spawned local versions worldwide, with an estimated 1–2 million kids participating worldwide.

The campaign was a huge success, with Nike president Mark Parker commenting, “This spring’s integrated football marketing initiative was the most comprehensive and successful global campaign ever executed by Nike.”

The game might’ve come easy, but the soundtrack? Not so much.

“The music was a real monkey wrench. We just could not land the right track to pull it together. If you turn the audio off and try to follow this thing, it’s pretty hectic beyond the colours of the jerseys. There was just no obvious tone or tenor. We tried rock, metal — dark, intense stuff — but it didn’t really underscore what we were seeing.

“We talked to all sorts of music producers, contracted a band, some hot producers. They brought in stuff to play, and we were very polite, but I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, this is a disaster’.

Somehow it all worked out in the end, with the song’s remix charted in dozens of countries, hitting #1 in several.

The song? JXL’s remake of Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation” originally released in 1968.

The official theme song was actually by… (checks notes) Vangelis, but no matter. For all intents and purposes, this was it.

Note: It will surprise absolutely no one, that for my money, this is the best World Cup song of all time.

Do you remember this commercial (or the 2002 World Cup)? Who ya got for this tourney?

KA—

On to the music…

This week what’s old is new again with a killer remix of New Order’s “Spooky.” We’ve also got some (actually) brand new tracks from Wishy, Vienna, The Mountain Goats, and Boston’s Good June. A great setlist to either liven up your commute, play on a road trip or soundtrack your next soccer tournament.

Side A is tracks 1-14. Side B is tracks 15-29.

Other sources: Apple | Qobuz | YouTube Music |

Now it’s your turn.

Any new releases or shows you’re looking forward to? Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!