Video: Elvis Costello and The Attractions-Radio Radio live

Remember terrestrial radio? Cool terrestrial radio? That doesn't play Fergie and Fall Out Boy all day? It still exists; you just have to seek it out. On Monday, Christmas Eve to all you non-Festivus revelers, Drenched in Blog will be sitting in from noon till 3 p.m. with Mr. Brad, the news director on the Gulf Coast Rocker, KACC 89.7 FM . We will be talking about all things awesome, including this past year in music, plus playing some of our favorite tracks from this year's best albums. I don't quite know yet how [...]

It was just brought to my attention that this date 30 years and two days ago, Elvis Costello did his famous "Radio Radio" performance on Saturday Night Live. If you don't know the story, you can read about it here. I've literally watched this video at least 10 times in the last hour. It's just one [...]

Thirty years ago Elvis Costello got himself banned from Saturday Night Live. The circumstances were surprising considering how SNL presented itself as counter-cultural, but Costello had planned to perform "Radio Radio," his critical indictment of mainstream radio and the show immediately condemned the idea. Eight seconds into the song Elvis promised, "Less Than Zero," the band stopped and performed "Radio Radio" anyway, earning him a ban from the show for more than a decade and proved that the man was cooler than Lorne Michaels.

At age 16, in a musty record store attic, I purchased my first vinyl copy of This Years Model for $2. I had never heard a note of Elvis Costello's music, but I recognized his name, checked the copyright date (1978!) and was instantly attracted to the geeky but cool aesthetic of the cover photo. My turntable at the time, a pathetically cheap hand-me-down, was unable to play at a volume much above a whisper. Yet, with my ear pressed to the speaker, in Costello's frantic energy and lover's scorn I recognized a kindred spirit. He wasn't so [...]

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