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In this week’s dispatch, Contributing Author and historian Bill Bois introduces us to a man who heard a weird noise on Radio Moscow and thought, quite reasonably, that his radio had finally given up. Instead, it turns out Paul Pena was just warming up for his eventual career as Tuva’s most improbable “Earthquake,” proving once again that the universe rewards curiosity—and occasionally, bathroom acoustics.
In this final installment of a three-chapter tour through the 1980s charts, Contributing Author Ozmoe explains why some songs achieved year-end canonization while others apparently slipped behind the office radiator. It’s a data-driven joyride through pop nostalgia where even the numerical footnotes seem to be wrestling with their own identity.
In a studied autopsy of the chart phenomenon known as recession pop, Music Historian revisits the era when America tried to fix its problems with louder choruses. It recalls a time when the GDP crumbled, yet “Gimme More” and “Right Round” remained fully committed to the nation’s most reliable stimulus plan: denial via dancefloor.
The Artists Who Shaped My Sound
Every musician eventually traces their musical DNA, note by note, back to the ones who lit the spark. In a wide-ranging and personal reflection, Contributing Author Rollerboogie revisits the pianists who shaped his sound—from Jerry Lee’s chaos to Guaraldi’s calm—and finds that influence, like melody, is a living thing.
Northern Soul thrived on rare US soul records, all-nighter dance floors, and a working-class dedication to the subculture. From The Twisted Wheel to the Wigan Casino, Contributing Author JJ Live At Leeds traces the DJs, venue rivalries, and athletic stompers that made Northern England a haven for obscure soul music.
Turns out not every “Cruisin’” collection album takes you down memory lane -some just drop you off at the corner of Cheap and Confusing.
In a cautionary joyride, Contributing Author Chuck Small discovers that when nostalgia gets re-recorded, it occasionally forgets the lyrics.
Contributing Author DJ Professor Dan takes us back to October, 1995, when the most ridiculous named bands ruled the charts. It was a month of beer‑clinking energy and side-eye feminism – and one very awkward love song that probably should’ve come with a trigger warning.
A Perfect Playlist for An Autumnal Mood
It’s that peculiar time between summer nostalgia and winter dread: ideal for songs where heartbreak meets meteorology.
In this leaf-strewn roundup, Contributing Author JJ Live At Leeds unpacks the peculiar charm of tunes best heard with a cup of something warm, and your expectations gently lowered.
Life Lessons From Behind The Mic
From dive-bar beginnings to an unexpected epiphany, this piece reminds us how music, memory, and middle age harmonize in strange and beautiful ways.
Contributing Author Rollerboogie turns a Thursday night pastime into something closer to grace.
In this deliriously detailed dispatch from the fall of ’85, we meet a-ha’s earnest dreamers, Kate Bush’s theatrical mysticism, and a Scottish feedback storm called The Jesus and Mary Chain.
It’s a pop history of sweat, synths, and sweet delusion from Contributing Author DJ Professor Dan.
Contributing Author and Music Historian Bill Bois is back with Part Two of stories of extraordinary musical reemergence..
Five more artists who vanished for decades, then reemerged as if no time had passed. Bill reminds us that in music, the long way back can be the most interesting road of all.
Late Career Dylan, Vol. 1
In a knowing and refreshingly unsentimental spin through Dylan’s oft-overlooked ’80s output, Contributing Author Stobgoppermakes the case that even Bob’s “wobbly years” had their diamonds.
The playlist is smart, sly, and a little bit reverent: Exactly the way you want it.
Oddities And Surprises In The Music World
The voice of Blondie on kazoo, a 50’s crooner in a dog collar, and that devil’s-horns guy on brass — just a few of music’s weirdest quirks. How did any of this actually happen? Contributing Author Rollerboogie brings us up to date.