Now that I've wasted so much time here establishing a few traditions, I'd be remiss to honor not them... Almost every artist in the history of mankind has at least one title in their catalog that is a compilation, a stopgap collection meant to maintain interest between releases (often to boost holiday sales) or to fulfill a contractual obligation. This is the former, a chance to make use, one more time, of a lot of wasted time over the past twelve months. Four years ago, I reflected on the annual, childhood tradition of [...]
The Dream Academy's one hit was a true wonder; who could be brave enough to attempt to cover it? Well, Rick Springfield, for one...
I'm a journalist (at least I try to be), so allow me to drop a journalism term on you: Advetorial content. An advertorial is a paid advertisement that tries to come off like editorial content. You'll sometimes see them in magazines, they're the multi-page ads that look like articles but have the word "advertisement" in tiny print a the bottom of the page. Advetorials are deceptive by design, and if you ask me, more than a little bit evil. They're not made to be intriguing or thought-provoking content designed, they serve no other purpose than to drum up [...]
In the last few days, I’ve rediscovered the music of The Dream Academy, a band which I had loved and forgotten (despite owning all three of their albums). Few bands have been more aptly named. Paisley as could be, pictures of the classically-schooled trio made me think of the early ‘70s television series The Mod Squad . (barely walking in tadpole pajamas during that show's run, I vaguely remember being somewhat transfixed by Peggy Lipton) And if the name The Dream Academy is unfamiliar...if you were listening to radio in the autumn of [...]
It seems like forever that I've had a post of nothing but random 80s remixes! Sounds like a problem that I need to fix. The Dream Academy Life in a Northern Town (Extended Mix) Test Tape No. 3 Poised On The Edge of Forever Did you know that Pink Floyd's David Gilmour produced The Dream Academy's debut album from which "Life in a Northern Town" originally appeared? I didn't know that until I [...]
++Under the Radar has been killing it on the newsfront lately: Baddabing , Baddabjork . ++Sounds from the Dream Valley. From the inbox: ++Terri Gender Bender (above) and her band Le Butcherettes were recently spotlighted on NPR's All Songs Considered. They play the Bootleg Theater tonight, along with Econojammer Mike Watt and have a sold out show at the Palladium on 6/10. Le [...]
Domingo 09.01.2011 Radio Duna 89.7 23:00 hrs. Seguimos con nuestro enero nostálgico presentando un especial dedicado a las guitarras post punk de Television ( Marque Moon , en la foto), The Monochrome Set ( Strange Boutique ), The Dream Academy (T he Days of Wine and Roses ) y Felt ( Strange Idols Patterns and Other Stories ). Recuerden que pueden suscribirse al podcast de Super 45 desde Radio Duna o copiando esta URL http://feeds.feedburner.com/Su per45Podcast a tu lector de podcasts [...]
I wouldn't have the slightest idea when it was that I last received a postcard. I'd have even less idea the last time that I sent one. I do remember purchasing several postcards at a small shop near Père Lachaise, the cemetery where Jim Morrison and a slew of other poets, writers, and such are buried in Paris. The postcards were shots of the iconic, graffiti-covered bust that once marked the Lizard King's grave. I'd intended to send them to friends - musicians and merely lovers of music - back in the [...]
I recently watched the movie (500) Days of Summer, and I re-feel in love with that classic tune by The Smiths, Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths. I could resist doing a post! Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - She & Him This recent, and beautiful rendition [...]
Duke Raoul From: Brighton, United Kingdom If you look between the cracks of the music business off the A&R's usual well trodden paths you'll find some interesting, exciting young bands getting on with the business of creating great music far from the prying eyes on the voracious industry vultures. One such band are Duke Raoul, who I am assuming are named after the antihero in Hunter S Thompson's autobiographical novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The Brighton quartet eschew trends and [...]
I've probably watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off at least 100 times. If you fancy yourself a Bueller fan than you are well aware that the movie's soundtrack is totally sweet. The Dream Academy is featured twice in the movie, during Ferris and Sloan's make out scene and the epic museum scene. Here are the [...]
British Airways don't fail me now.
Almost every artist in the history of mankind has at least one title in their catalog that is a compilation, a stopgap collection meant to maintain interest between releases (often to boost holiday sales) or to fulfill a contractual obligation. This is the former, a chance to make use, one more time, of a lot of wasted time over the past twelve months. A year ago, I reflected on the annual, childhood tradition of spending New Year's Day with a half dozen blank cassettes as Q102 played back the Top 102 songs of the previous [...]
There have been a spate of celebrity deaths this summer, for which I haven't cared one way or another about. I was too young for Farrah and I lost my interest in Michael Jackson at least 25 years ago. A bunch of lesser-known famous people have also passed in recent weeks, which is a shame, but the one who I'm blogging about is the creator of one of my top 2 or 3 favorite movies ever made, Ferris Bueller's Day Off . In fact, as I sit here writing this in my office, a framed poster of "A John [...]
For those of you haven't heard, John Hughes, film director, producer, and writer of some of the most beloved films of the 80's and 90's (Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Home Alone, to name a few) passed away last week from a heart attack while walking in Manhattan where he [...]
I was terribly saddened to hear that John Hughes had died this past Thursday after suffering a heart attack at 59 while out for a walk in Manhattan. Much has been made of how Hughes' coming-of-age movies in the 1980s defined a generation, and I am certainly someone who's adolescent years were shaped and influenced by his films. It was a little different for me than others, though, because I at his height ( Sixteen Candles in 1984, The Breakfast Club in 1985 and [...]
John Hughes died of a heart attack today while on a morning walk in Manhattan. He was 59. As someone who grew up in the ''80s, his films are pretty much ingrained in my teenage memories. I've seen Sixteen Candles more times than any other film (probably upwards of 100), and Ferris Bueller's Day Off isn't far behind that. He directed less than you may remember -- though he wrote the scripts for Pretty in Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful, they were both helmed by journeyman Howard Deutch -- and hadn't been [...]
I'm so lame that I've been so busy to actually post music, which is too bad. Last weekend at the Land of Kings festival, Lou & Nova rocked it out, as did Rory Phillips and super special guest Disco 3000 (Erol Alkan). I got lucky to play just before Erol so I tried to lay down a disco set. It was amazing to play for that kind of crowd and play whatever I wanted, which happened to be mostly new synth disco. Anyway, tomorrow I'm playing for the Liar's Club 6th [...]
Barely Awake In Frog Pajamas
Cover Me
The Lost Turntable
Stop Okay Go
Super 45
The Cover Lovers
Road 2 Nowhere
The Devil Has The Best Tuna
newdust
XO's Middle Eight
VAGUE SPACE
Quick Before It Melts
Sound Bites
Dalston Oxfam Shop
Little Daylight - Glitter & Gold
Watch Dehaan, a.k.a. Metallica’s full performance of Kill ‘Em All at Orion Music + More
Little Daylight Shares Debut EP Details
