All posts by Darren Robbins »

Desert Island Discs: Tim Smith and Michael Quercio

Darren Robbins January 17, 2008 8

Tim Smith (ex-Jellyfish, current member of Sheryl Crow’s band) 1. The Beatles, Rubber Soul My favorite period for the band, as they were firing on all cylinders. Pre-self-indulgent, post-early-sugar-pop. “If I Needed Someone” 2.

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The Year in Rock: 1996

Darren Robbins January 16, 2008 19

Welcome to a series I began at He’s A Whore and am proud-as-punch to continue here at Popdose. While not able to mention everything that happened, I’ve touched upon some of the key events

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Great Unknowns: Off Broadway

Darren Robbins January 14, 2008 26

This column is dedicated to featuring those bands that aren’t household names but, to my ears, should be. Growing up in a small town in southern Michigan, the closest major city was Chicago. We

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Desert Island Discs: Peter Holsapple and Eric Matthews

Darren Robbins January 10, 2008 7

One of the great things about writing for a blog as world famous as Popdose is that the mere mention of my association with this collective of rock-blog superheroes gains me access to a

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Ain’t That a Sham(e)!

Darren Robbins January 9, 2008 36

Foreigner – “Urgent,” circa ’81 A friend of mine once observed that you know you’re getting older when most of your favorite bands are touring without their original singers. Thankfully, of course, my favorite

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Hey You Kids (Have a Happy New Year And) Get Out Of My Yard!

Darren Robbins January 2, 2008 15

With Popdose having just rolled off the showroom floor all shiny and new, still full of that “new car smell,” I am chuffed to the ‘nads to be a part of such a venture.

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springsteen circa ’81

Darren Robbins September 7, 2007 0

In 1975, music critic Jon Landau, having seen Springsteen’s performance at the Harvard Square Theater, wrote the immortal words, “I saw rock and roll’s future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.&#

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album spotlight: romantics-strictly personal (1981)

Darren Robbins September 7, 2007 0

Detroit’s Romantics had gone from local club faves to national up-and-comers with the release of their debut self-titled album and follow-up effort, “National Breakout”; both albums featuring the edgy power pop sound that had

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Why Westerberg Rules

Darren Robbins September 6, 2007 0

When I first heard Tom Petty sing the words “even the losers get lucky sometimes”, I couldn’t help feel that this was a guy who, no matter how rich and famous he got (for

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