🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Pemberton Red" by Regulator Watts →
A song you've seen performed live, or would really like to see performed live?
I luckily got to see Hoover at their reunion show in 2004, after missing them during their original run. Regulator Watts I never got to see, so when this song came on during our road trip today, I knew it was the pick for today's prompt.
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Demolition" by Fontaines D.C. →
Picked up the new Fontaines on vinyl today via Bandcamp. I hated not supporting local shops, but my usuals were charging a big markup and the Bandcamp version gets you the MP3s... so I went that route this time. Loving the new record so far.
dreamagainusa.org
The median household wealth in America would be 9 inches tall if stacked in $100 bills. The top 1% ($15 million) would have a stack 145 feet tall. And just a billionaire? 3,583 feet.
Arturo Moreno at $5 billion... owner of MLB's Angels and #343 on the Forbes 400 richest Americans list... almost an 18,000 foot stack.
Bill Gates at $116 billion and #14 on Forbes list... 416,000 foot stack.
Jensen Huang, the grifter leading the AI bubble at NVIDIA, worth $199 billion... #8 on the list. 716,000 foot stack. 136 MILES.
Bezos... $378 billion. #2 on the list... 1.35 MILLION feet. 257 miles high of $100 bills.
Elon Musk? $800 billion and #1. 2.87 million feet. 543 miles high of $100 bills.
Billionaires shouldn't exist. Period.
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Wave of Mutilation" by Pixies →
A song that reminds you of a particular friend.
For the Mrs.
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Turnstile" by Hot Water Music →
I first saw Hot Water Music at the 1995 Cleveland Hardcore Festival and was absolutely blown away... at that point they had only been a band for about 10 months, but they were already super tight and had amazing songs. You just knew they were going to be big.
That festival was pretty good looking back, beyond HWM opening the later Saturday lineup: Fifteen, Garden Variety, Dahlia Seed, Frail, Despair, Jihad, Channel, Threadbare, Los Crudos, Grade... and many others. No price on the flyer, but the 1996 version was $18 for 3 days, which is just insane. About $38 in 2026 dollars. What a steal.
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "All I Need" by Radiohead →
What song makes you feel like you're in a dream?
Wanted to pick My Bloody Valentine, but they really don't have much on Apple Music. Radiohead is a great fallback, though.
I'm the next act Waiting in the wings
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "know you know me better" by Oso Oso →
Oso Oso played a lot of new songs last night. And I got to pick up the new record a month early, so I’m sure there will be an early review on the blog. First listen today! (The singles have been great)
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Bury Me at 7/11" by Leisure Hour →
Posting this the next day, but Leisure Hour was so much better live than recorded. Such a fun band.
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "the bearer of the truths" by Oso Oso →
If today were a genre, what would it be? Pick a matching song.
Beautiful fall day and seeing Oso Oso tomorrow with Bad Luck., Leisure Hour, and The Weather Might Say Otherwise. 🤘
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Every Morning" by Sugar Ray, by Julia Jacklin →
What’s a remix or cover you like more than the original?
Love that she turns this into a folk song.
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "JC Auto" by Sugar →
What’s a hidden gem or underrated song you love?
I never gave Beaster a real chance, even though I love Sugar and Copper Blue... until I picked up the re-release of Copper that included the Beaster tracks as well. I still don't like it as much as Copper, but there are some great moments on the EP and this track is one of them...
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Chapel Hill" by Sonic Youth →
This song came on shuffle this afternoon and I remember the first time I heard this album in high school. It just sounded like what I thought cool would sound like (and still does...)
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "How Do You?" by Radiohead →
What’s your favorite deep cut from an album?
Apparently I've posted a lot of tracks from this album, but it's an easy one to go to for a lot of prompts. For this one, I feel like most of the songs are considered deep cuts in Radiohead's discography.
Will say it again... this album is so underrated. Mainly because of what was to come, which I get... but as a standalone, it's so good.
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Leadweight" by Stef Chura →
Digging this new album from Stef Chura. A quick review up on the blog...
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Sailin' On" by Bad Brains →
Share a song you feel was ahead of its time.
Bad Brains fit the bill. Just insanely talented and amazing performers that took hardcore punk in a whole new direction.
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Starburster" by Fontaines D.C. →
Making plans to go see Fontaines and Westside Cowboy in Philly next spring. 🤞
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Indu" by Greg Freeman →
What’s a lyric that resonates deeply with you and why?
All I wanna do is look at you Looking at me with the moonlight in your eyes These days come so quick These nights go so quick now Alright
A great album that came out today... these lyrics speak to me because I recently spent about 30 days away from my wife while taking care of my dad and I missed her terribly.
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Old Things Never Die" by Smidley →
If your life were a movie, what would its theme song be?
Killer record. Killer lyrics:
Have I been dodging the column for years for nothing? Have I been bleeding a stone or is there life in lumber? Do some things just take a long time? Is this a dam or a river? I guess I've made up my mind Some things just go out with a whimper Some things just wither in the sunshine Let myself slip in the rhythm of a dead drum I thought the snares would stay tight But now I see the light and I know Some things just go out of style
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Lights Burn Dimmer" by Fred again.. & Jamie T →
A song from a genre you didn’t think you’d like—what changed?
There aren’t too many genes I don’t like at least some sub-genre or take, besides maybe classical and EDM.
I did even like the Fred again.. song from Naz Hamid’s recent Crucial Tracks interview so I guess I will go with that…
🎶 Crucial Track for today: "Black Dress" by Keo →
How do you discover new music, and what’s the latest gem you’ve found?
Been challenging to find new stuff since Brooklyn Vegan ended, Stereogum went to subscribers only for a lot of content, Pitchfork and Northern Transmissions seem to be hit or miss if they even post reviews some weeks... I've come to rely on AlbumOfTheYear.org (AOTY) to give me an overview of all of the albums released each week.
So, my current set up is: Apple Music New Releases view, Albums.app release feed, AOTY, then random things I see elsewhere like YouTube.
This one is actually an AOTY find, as I didn't see it on the Apple New Releases prior to listening. Anyway, the record is pretty solid: 90s influenced grunge/alt rock.