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40 years after "Murmur" was first released
and more than a decade after the so-called "hardest quit in the history of rock" (walked away, no drama)
The band themselves may have nothing more to say
But what they DID say for decades rings in my ears like a bell.
Still the sound of the south â¤ď¸ to me
Feb 18, 2024
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What's best about this particular breakup is
a) totally intentional on their part; "we've said what we had to say, we're good, thanks"
b) have resisted any and all attempt$ to bring them back/lure them for one-off things or tours
c) they actually did very brief and unexpected "reunion" things of the original four members (playing at a wedding reception; for an episode of Song Exploder; and for one song after being inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame) but have kind of gone back to their civilian lives peacefully.
The best example I can cite of "dealing with fame their way." And staying broken up. Preserving the (considerable) legacy for all time.
Jul 21, 2024
I'm leaving for Vegas tonight to see the final performance of their latest residency, so I spent all week re-listening to all of their albums on vinyl. Apparently when you crack open my crusty shell, the 13-year old version is still intact within, gobsmacked by how seriously a bunch of adults can pursue their silliness.
I spent about five minutes worrying that I'd be disappointed seeing them again now that they (and I) are so old, but then I told myself to shut up. âTheyâre so over the hillâ is the least B-52s sentiment imaginable. Their edginess was never dependent upon youth. They weren't exactly rebels, but they gloried in pillaging whatâs old and awkward for the creation of something new and cool that embraces squareness rather than mocking it. What they want - what theyâve always wanted - is for people to have FUN, and theyâre entirely non-judgmental about how you want to do it (unless it involves putting anyone down, in which case, no thanks). Itâs a spirit that makes just as much sense old as it does young. As a blueprint for a culture, you could hardly do better. And I guess thatâs why theyâve always been my favorites - because I still wistfully believe that if everyone shared their courage, spirit, and humor, this would be a better world.Â
Anyway, "Song for a Future Generation" is one of the greatest things ever committed to video.
Apr 19, 2024
May 5, 2024
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Hey tyler hopefully this doesnât violate some PI.FYI golden rule
But after nearly two years of writing, editing and arguing, my book about the EP is coming out in May and can be preordered here:
https://hozacrecords.com/product/aifl/
The book is about the origins, history and cultural impact of the EP since these little objects first started coming out in the 50s.
Over 50 of my music biz friends then helped me shape the list and review the top 200 ever released, according to us (ha).
For those of you who are into this kind of geekery/snobbery, I canât wait to hear what you think. A labor of love, as all books are! â¤ď¸
Mar 27, 2024
âSongs Of a Lost Worldâ coming to a goth listening station near you Nov 1 đ¤
The fr FW Me Friday the 13th the world was looking for
Sep 14, 2024
I will fail to explain just how much this band meant to me in the 90s.
So I will borrow from AV Club who did a fine job of distilling it:
âUnwound is the best band of the â90s. Not just because of how prolific, consistent, and uncompromising it was, but because of how perfectly Unwound nested in a unique space between some of the most vital forms of music that decade: punk, post-rock, indie rock, post-hardcore, slow-core, and experimental noise. That jumble of subgenres doesnât say much; in fact, it falls far short of what Unwound truly synthesized and stood for. Unwound stood for Unwound. But in a decade where most bands were either stridently earnest or stridently ironic, Unwound wasnât stridently anything. It was only itself. In one sense Unwound was the quietest band of the â90s, skulking around like a nerdy terror cell. In another sense it was the loudest, sculpting raw noise into contorted visions of inner turmoil and frustration.â
R.I.P. Vern Rumsey.
This is their finest song, from their finest album.
I really canât say enough about the sheer bloody minded genius of this group. đ¤
Mar 23, 2024