Scorpio Rising — Today we’re listening to “Scorpio Rising” by 10,000 Maniacs I’ve always associated 10,000 maniacs’ very specific, very literate sound with universities. And not just any university, but somewhere like Dartmouth (sorry, Hurricane fans). …

The band’s 2005 record is a trip through the Midwest and the ashes of failed relationships. — Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I used to joke that the Midwest & Rust Belt was one giant state. A place where the only thing that ever changed was the license plates. Then I moved here. There are very real differences and people leading very real lives. Wussy is…

I used to joke that having “The Wreck On the Edmund Fitzgerald” on the jukebox was a requirement for any bar in Wisconsin. And indeed, the further north you go, the harder pressed you might be to find one without it. Few songs and events have caught & kept people’s…

Like a bolt from the blue, we’re back! — It’s time for another edition of Rate-A-Record! In the series, we usually pair two songs and rate each on a scale from 35 to 98, the way contestants used to on the long-running show American bandstand. Why 35–98? Beats me, and until Bandstand host Dick Clark is somehow reanimated (which…

“Streets Of Your Town” — Good Morning! Today we’re listening to “Streets Of Your Town” by The Go-Betweens In the late 80s, Americans were obsessed with everything Australian. Crocodile Dundee at the movies, Energizer battery commercials with Mark Jackson, and…whatever Yahoo Serious was. It was the same story on the air as well, with Midnight Oil, INXS…

“Punk rock is a big flashy neon sign which sells commodities, whereas new wave is an attitude,” ~Paul Weller On April 29th, 1977, The Jam released their debut single, “In the City.” It was the first of 18 top 40 (UK) singles for the band. The title was taken from…

If I could go back in time, these are the 7 things I wish I knew about writing my newsletter. It would have saved me a lot of wasted time and effort. 1. There is room for everyone. People will tell you online writing is cutthroat. Some people treat it that way, and will throw you…

If you like music, odds are there’s a newsletter tailor-made for you. — Digital wiring can be ephemeral. Some newsletters come, and some go. Some burn fast & bright but not for long. Others either pivot in a new direction or drop off in quality and/or style. And a few make themselves comfortable in your inbox and stick around for a while. My…

Building a successful newsletter business isn’t always about being “the best.” To be clear, quality is essential. No one needs more half-baked content clogging up their inbox. But being reliable is paramount— readers need to know you’ll show up. …