Saturday Night Video
100%
The lead track and first single off Sonic Youth’s album Dirty felt like a big deal when it dropped. By 1992, the decade already had the makings of a dramatic cultural break from the previous one, and videos like the one for “100%” played a big part in setting
Breakout
Every day this week, I've listened to the sophistipop landmark It's Better To Travel by Swing Out Sister. Some may consider the British group to be a "one-hit wonder" after their massive success in 1987 both locally and in the US with the song
Light, Raking
This week’s Saturday Night Video comes to you from Chapel Hill rockers Polvo’s last album, Siberia, released in 2013. I was reminded of the brilliance of Polvo by this gushing review of their Celebrate The New Dark Age ep that was just posted in Bandcamp’s irregular I
Elderberry Wine
The best take on Americana this year.
Falling On My Sword
In honor of Tops’ new album Bury The Key being released yesterday, I’m featuring one of the tracks, “Falling On My Sword,” as the Saturday Night Video this week. “Falling On My Sword” is my favorite among the early singles from this LP and probably the one that most
Laura Groves - Sky At Night
Though Laura Groves “Sky At Night” was released as part of her album *Radio Red* in 2023, it may be my favorite “new to me” song this year.
Glazyhaze - Nirvana
Glazyhaze released Sonic in March of this year. The sophomore album from the band has received a lot of positive press for its refined take on shoegaze, with physical copies selling out very quickly and having to be restocked hastily. With shoegaze being such a global phenomenon at this point,
Scout Gillett - Enough
Years ago, a friend a colleague mentioned to me how she gets choked up at daddy/daughter songs. I thought to myself that I couldn’t even name a single song that would fit into that description. It’s interesting how our interest in different musical genres put us in
Black Marble - Private Show
Chris Stewart from Black Marble sets his Joy Division-like post punk to footage from a rodeo, what appears to be a county fair and a horse race. He plays his icy synth on the outskirts of a concert crowd watching a band that seems a much more likely rural attraction.
The Laughing Chimes - High Beams
Brothers Evan and Quinn Seurkamp, who primarily make up the Ohio band The Laughing Chimes, call upon the hauntings of the Appalachian foothills of their native state as inspiration for their gothic jangly post-punk. There is a wistfulness appropriate to the rust belt and its faded glory that pervades their