(November 2019) Episode 236 is THE RONETTES. I normally eschew acts that don’t write their own songs or perform their own instruments, but I have a thing for the 60s girl group sound, and The Ronettes were among the tops.
Favorite song: Be My Baby
Compared to expectations: same
(October 2019) Episode 235 is THE KNICKERBOCKERS. I did this on the strength of their 1965 song “Lies” — the song that sounds more like the Beatles of that era than the Beatles themselves. This New Jersey outfit had a few other groovy recordings as they responded to the sounds of the British Invasion, although outnumbered by their tepid covers.
Favorite song: Lies
Compared to expectations: same
(October 2019) Episode 234 is THE CRAMPS. Eventually, someone had to fuse a punk attitude onto a rockabilly sound, and Lux and Ivy get the credit. But the concept of psychobilly is better than the execution, IMHO; it can get redundant. The Cramps is, however, one of the greatest band names of all time. Don’t recall if they were every included on a Tarantino soundtrack, but the growl and reverb would make it a natural fit.
Favorite album: Songs the Lord Taught Us
Favorite song: Human Fly
Compared to expectations: ↓
(October 2019) Episode 233 is DANIEL JOHNSTON. Oddly, I knew nothing of him, but the obituaries compelled me, and I discovered his pure songwriting genius. His tinny voice and no-fi cassette recordings make it hard to listen in anything but small portions, but once he went into the studio, it solved the latter (but not the former). His struggles with mental illness are a part of his story, but at its heart are a bunch of fun and wistful songs that are much covered and emulated.
Favorite album (solo): Fun
Favorite album (collaboration): It’s Spooky (with Jad Fair)
Favorite song: Favorite Darling Girl
Compared to expectations: same
(September 2019) Episode 232 is R.E.M. How did a band so central to my generation slip to #232? It may be heresy to my peers, but I find R.E.M. … boring. Yes, the premier college radio band had 10-12 great songs that were the soundtrack of our college years, and their stripped-down jangle rock was a welcome antidote to 80s synth. But I find most of it limp and listless. R.E.M. greatly influenced alt-rock, but unfortunately that led to limp-rock acts like Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Favorite album: Lifes Rich Pageant
Favorite song: Superman
Best late-period album: Accelerate
Compared to expectations: ↓
(September 2019) Episode 231 is ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK. Of the Romantic era but grounded in classical construction, Dvořák was an Everyman who succeeded in a number of forms. His compositions exude strength and confidence. I favor the symphonies; the most famous one (“New World”) is among the best all-time. A highlight is his integration of folk themes, through which he promoted national patriotism. Of noteworthy historical interest, the compositions that emerged from his time in the U.S. resulted in the reflection of African American and Native American music back onto American white society (who were not otherwise exposed in a segregated America).
Favorite piece: Symphony #9 (“New World”)
Favorite Chamber piece: String Quartet #12 (“American”)
Favorite folk adaptation: Slavonic Dances
Favorite small piece: Miniatures in G minor
Favorite overture: Carnival
Favorite opera: The Devil and Kate
Compared to expectations: same
(September 2019) Episode 230 is THE GO-GOs. Back in the day, I dismissed them as sugar-coated teeny-boppers. But with time and perspective, and my belated appreciation of new wave and all-female outfits, my esteem for them has risen.
Favorite album: Beauty and the Beat
Favorite song: Our Lips are Sealed
Compared to expectations: same
(August 2019) Episode 229 is PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS. Did you know it’s the Golden Age of Australian Psychedelic Rock? You do now. And one of its highlights is this band from, oddly like many others, Perth. Put on some headphones and max the volume. PPC will exhaust you but in a good way. My new favorite band. (This is the 3rd band in the Project discovered through a podcast, and only the 2nd to start recording this decade.)
Favorite album: And Now For The Whatchamacallit
Favorite song: Ergophobia
Compared to expectations: ↑
(August 2019) Episode 228 is PRIMUS. It’s difficult to label their unique meld of funk-metal with Zappa-esque irreverence and weirdness. But they’ve influenced scores of bands nevertheless. What stands out the most are the sparks flying off Les’ bass, but don’t discount Ler’s calisthenics on guitar. It’s an acquired taste, but a fun ride when you take it for a spin.
Favorite album: Sailing the Seas of Cheese
Favorite song: Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
Compared to expectations: same
(August 2019) Episode 227 is CLAUDE DEBUSSY. I enjoy his music more than I should, since I’m not a fan of impressionist art or French culture. But the color and texture of his compositions grab you, sometimes as if they were beings with their own personality. Certain piano pieces, such as the préludes and études, must be exceedingly difficult to perform. He didn’t kill pianos like Liszt or Rachmaninoff, but certainly wore them out. He was ahead of his time.
Favorite piece: Prelude to the afternoon of a faun
Favorite chamber piece: Sonata for cello and piano
Favorite longer orchestral piece: La mer
Favorite piano piece: 12 Ètudes
Compared to expectations: same
Opus Project 