"It's Alright" by Pet Shop Boys Listen on Apple Music Your browser does not support the audio element. Perhaps surprisingly to folks who know me well, I have a playlist called “Happy.” It started with It’s Alright, by Pet Shop Boys, specifically the version from the Introspective compilation. The rhythm is pretty straight disco, but the synth baseline is kinda funky and staccato. The version from the Introspective comp begins with a choir singing the eponymous phrase.

Continue reading →

"Films" by Gary Numan Listen on Apple Music Your browser does not support the audio element. What was the first album you ever bought? Pick your favorite song off that album. Well, I honestly do not remember the first album I bought. I had some supervised purchases with my parents over several years, which included some good and bad choices, mostly from the Columbia Record and Tape club. But the first time I bought music of my own volition with money I had in my pocket, I could not have been more than about 12 or 13 years old.

Continue reading →

"Stellar" by Incubus Listen on Apple Music Your browser does not support the audio element. Share a song that got you through a difficult time. Ah, limerance. Stellar, by Incubus, was a favorite song for several years, that I used to sing loudly, awfully, while cleaning my house and wearing big, over-the-ear headphones jacked into a portable CD player (or my pocket PC with the flash card). This song was less about getting me through trouble as much as it was referencing the trouble.

Continue reading →

"Oye Como Va" by Santana Listen on Apple Music Your browser does not support the audio element. I rolled tonight. I'm a terrible bowler. Out of three games, I scored just above 70 in each the first two games. Lots of gutterballs. Like ridiculous. But then in the third game, things settled down and technique improved enough that I got strikes in four frames and finished with a score of 156.

Continue reading →

"Kinky Afro" by Happy Mondays Listen on Apple Music Your browser does not support the audio element. Just an ear worm, today. But it’s loaded. This dates from my days working for a former retail chain called Spec’s Music and Movies in the 1990s. It was a family-owned chain, based in Miami, Florida, USA. I worked in a regionally successful location on NW 13th Street in Gainesville, Florida. The manager of the store was fond of playing the Happy Monday’s album Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches in store when it was au current.

Continue reading →

"Eyes of the World (Live)" by Grateful Dead Listen on Apple Music Your browser does not support the audio element. Share a song that changed your perspective on music. I never saw them with Jerry Garcia. I did see "The Dead" play at an outdoor concert in a very uptight community that put a significant damper on fan activities. I have also seen Rat Dog play at First Avenue. My first exposure to the music of The Grateful Dead was via a group called Dark Star Orchestra.

Continue reading →