Obsessively devoted to excavating the unjustifiably overlooked, forgotten, hidden in plain sight & truly underappreciated in the musical universe, old and new.
This is a pic I took at a Mets-Giants game back in 2011 and it still makes me laugh. This is a panda who has come to cheer on the Panda ( that’d be Giants beloved third baseman at the time Pablo Sandoval, whose actual nickname was/is “Kung Fu Panda” but whom everyone refers to as just plain Panda).
I find baseball to be very calming despite the fact that failure is its primary characteristic. Or maybe that’s just my own perception because I’ve supported the Mets my whole life. Anyway, the 2021 season is ending this week ( for the bad teams that is…like the Mets). They lost both games I went to this season, one of which was so bad I would qualify it as a forfeit. Their record as of this writing is 73 wins and 80 losses with 8 games left. You do the math. But it’s too late in my life to stop loving them. Wait’ll next year or something.
And now its time for something good. Welcome to the latest WEEKLY NEW WONDERS PLAYLIST featuring the finest songs that have come our way over recent days. Within it are spaced out epics, lo-fi falsettos, heartbreaking pleas, Laurel Canyon breezes and a damn fine cover. You can listen below on Soundcloud or Spotify.
I always love an excuse to post a pic of Poly Styrene ( that’s an actual centerfold pin-up from Record Mirror magazine in 1978).
And so Rolling Stone published a revised version of their infamous “500 Best Songs of All Time” list this week (which you can check out here). A lot of people hate these lists and get upset at how predictable, pandering or deliberately contrarian they can be.Then there’s the generational divide, meaning depending on where you came in “there’s too much old stuff” or “this new stuff isn’t worthy of being on the same list as this established stuff”. And of course some people just plain take issue with the idea of ranking art.
But you know what, I like a nice, reasonably thought out list made by a bunch of passionate nerds (like me and presumably you). Even if I don’t necessarily agree with the rankings or choices (understatement), these “All-Time Whatever” lists are just good, geeky, absurdist fun. And of course they say more about the people compiling them than they do the music. On the negative side I do believe that the more people that contribute to the creation of a list, the more watered down and predictable they tend to get (kind of like The Grammys). They are always better and weirder when there are only a small handful of people or a solo soul behind their creation.
As for the actual Rolling Stone list some of the picks aren’t the first ones I would reach for if I wanted to listen to say Aretha, Joni Mitchell or Janet Jackson but it IS exceedingly nice to see X-Ray Spex, The Slits, Pulp, freakin’ “More Than A Feeling” and “Umbrella” on there. It makes the exclusion of songs like say, Diana Ross’s version of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” or John Martyn’s “Solid Air” somewhat forgivable (but not entirely). I’m not gonna be mean here except to say RHCP’s “Under The Bridge” and U2’s “One” are big f-ing no’s. To have those taking up valuable real estate that SZA’s “Aftermath” or 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love” could have been justifiably occupying is unacceptable. And where is freakin’ “Unfinished Sympathy” by Massive Attack ? What the holy hell is that about ??? Okay, see how easily I fell into the trap there? That’s why these ridiculously subjective, crazy ass lists are fun.
And now come meet some songs that will hopefully be on Top 500 lists of the future. Welcome to the latest WEEKLY NEW WONDERS PLAYLIST featuring the finest, foxiest songs we’ve heard over recent days. You can listen below on Soundcloud or Spotify.
I know we’re miles from Easter but this 1950 magazine illustration by Stevan Dohanos of a chocolate rabbit assembly line is perfect for every day of every year for every reason. Welcome to the latest WEEKLY NEW WONDERS PLAYLIST featuring the finest new songs we’ve heard over recent days. It’s two weeks worth, is as big as a vintage milky candy hare and just as awesomely sweet. You can listen below on Soundcloud or Spotify.
The other reason for sharing this wondrous piece of artwork is to let you know we’ve been toiling away at a very large and deranged pop music essay for the blog ( which is the reason there was no playlist last week for anyone who was wondering…also I’m sorry). Anyway, it’s a hyperbolic monster, involves teenagers, ’80s pop music, true confessions and general humiliation and is coming soon, soon, soon.
PICKING UP ROCKS 