For this Halloween month, I'm focusing on the kind of everyday modern horror I've been featuring at Oddball Magazine. The techno music of Chris Korda of the Church of Euthanasia fits this perfectly One of his most recent works, "Apologize to the Future," also serves as a retrospective of his life's work.
One last song from The Atomic Wranglers with a title that at least sounds optimistic. Check out their music.
Focusing on random music I heard on college radio. Expanding my horizons and hoping I can pass some new music onto people of my generation.
This week's selection made me work. I've tried for years to figure out this song's title so I could actually bring it up on YouTube. I only figured it out recently because of a Todd in the Shadows video that referenced music in 1982. The chorus is catchy, but the rest of the song doesn't quite match up to it. Out of the three songs I picked, Melissa Manchester's is the most interesting. I'll probably like it so I can hear it again, but I don't know if I could justify playing it in mixed company.
I probably heard this Doobie Brothers song in the car and didn't pay it mind, but then I heard the chorus in the Forrest Gump movie and wanted to hear it again. When I did, I was like, Eh. Despite the catchy chorus and the voice of Michael McDonald, this song just doesn't come together the way songs like "What a Fool Believes" does. Do all songs I find disappointing come from the seventies? We'll see.
This week I'm focusing on songs that don't hit the way you hope they do. My inspiration came when I heard the chorus to "This Is It" by Kenny Loggins. It made me want to listen in the song in full. When I did, I was disappointed. Aside from the chorus, the song had nothing else going for it. We know Loggins wrote better, snappier songs in the years to come, but it's ironic that his one hit not based on a movie soundtrack is among his weakest.
"Old Cape Cod" by Patti Page is the only logical choice to end this week. The music and the soundtrack are worth your attention. RIP Anthony Bourdain.
Saw the movie Tony a couple of weeks ago. A docudrama of Anthony Bourdain's time in Cape Cod, Tony had a pretty good soundtrack. Here's one of those songs.
Dolly Parton took her covers seriously. She tweaked several bits of "What's Up," Which Linda Perry had to be cool with because a) she's playing on the cover and b) she's been known to rewrite verses when covering songs. At least when Dolly Parton sings that she prays for resolution instead of revolution, at least you can believe her when she says she prays. RIP Dolly Parton.
One last one from The Bug' London Zoo album with guest performer Spaceape."How do we get here and where do we go now?" is a lyric that sounds more poignant these days than it probably did even in the 2000s. Listen to the rest of the album!
Noah Berlatsky named The Bug from London Zoo as a perfect album from the nineties. Here's the first track featuring Tippa Irie. I'll be listening to the rest of the album later.
A band does a new punk version of "We Are the World" is something I didn't know I needed until now. Thank you, Spike and the Gimme Gimmes.
Focusing on new music again this week. Starting with another band new to me.
I think Canadian law requires me to finish this week of Canadian artists to play more Bryan Adams. But I'm playing the one you don't hear as much as that "Summer of 69" song.
