Mind if I freak you out here? Yes? Too bad; I have nothing else to write about. Well, that’s not entirely true. I have a lot to write about, judging by all the files I’ve put up on the handy-dandy Popdose FTP.
1) No, you cannot have access to the Popdose FTP.
2) I mean it, NO, you cannot have access to the Popdose FTP.
See, when you write for a forum such as this, you can overload yourself fairly early, clogging the works with all those notions you’d like to tackle, restraint be damned. Then life gets in the way and you find yourself getting all topical and current and, very quickly, your digital cabinets runneth over. So I think it is time to do a little spring cleaning, with an added bonus of providing outlet for democracy.
(Get to the point, damn it!)
There are a few candidates on my list that I’m just not going to get to. As much as I love the music from these artists, it just seems more and more unlikely that they’re going to get their day. That’s where you come in. Your petty little vote may not mean much when compared to a mighty Superdelegate, but it means something to me. I swear, and not just because I’m trying to get to second base with you. I’ve decided to give you a choice for whom I next tackle. Simply drop a comment with your choice from the following artists and the act with the largest popular vote gets an expanded column. It’s that simple, and you’ll respect yourself the morning after. And yes, you have lovely eyes.
Abydos — A side project of Andy Kuntz, lead singer of the prog-metal group Vanden Plas, this recording (awkwardly subtitled “The Little Boy’s Heavy Mental Shadow Opera About The Inhabitants Of His Diary“) nonetheless is a pretty powerful tune, somewhere between Empire-era Queensryche and middle-of-the-road Dream Theater. It’s more about big choirs, big choruses and big goosebumps. Far Away From Heaven
Bob Mould — The one-time leader of punk legends Hüsker Dü, Mould’s first solo album Workbook was filled with atypical pop does to perfection. Mould has since been an alt-rocker (with Sugar) and an electronica proponent. Though it may sound like faint praise, Workbook remains the zenith of an interesting career. Compositions For The Young And Old
Bruce Cockburn — Canadian singer/songwriter/provocateur Cockburn (pronounced “Co-burn,” so don’t embarrass yourself) has written about everything from the sacred to the profane, often in his affable acoustic folk-rock demeanor. The guy has been around for decades but his best work endures in a state of cultish recognition. Lots of people really like that Cockburn guy, but they’re equally prepared to keep him all to themselves. Get Up, Jonah
Edin-Adahl — Swedish band Edin-Adahl started as an eclectic Christian rock-pop group, often throwing overdriven guitars, a reggae stutter step and sure-footed balladeering into a musical blender. More than not, the results were pretty pleasing. By the early ’90s, however, they were fully committed to the blue-eyed soul sound. Here are two prime examples that, in a more perfect world, would be right there with any Stock/Aitken/Waterman concoction you’d care to think of. Don’t Say That You’re Sorry & Falling
Kino — There is a Russian group named Kino and a rapper named Kino. This is nether. Made up of members of Marillion, Arena, It Bites and Porcupine Tree, the UK band Kino released an album of enjoyable pop with prog flourish. With extenuating circumstances and the It Bites reunion at hand, a second release seems more and more unlikely, so for the time being enjoy this Police-flavored treat. Leave A Light On
The 77s — The greatest rock band you’ve never heard, The Sevens, led by Mike Roe, fell into that place where their Christian worldview was too much for the secular market while the Christian market found them too dangerous. Caught between the streams, the band has soldiered on in many configurations, leaving fans old and new to drool like Pavlovian lapdogs for the next tasty snack. The Rain Kept Falling In Love , Woody, & Nobody’s Fault But Mine
Megadeth — Sure, you can write them off in a thousand ways — the soundtrack to teen metalhead lunkery, a poor man’s Metallica, a signifier of low intelligence — but Megadeth is not without its charms. And in fact, a lot of the music puts up a good challenge even if I don’t entirely agree with many of the positions. Dave Mustaine and his ever-rotating cohorts do their thing loud and they do it pretty well, particularly on Symphony of Destruction from the Countdown To Extinction LP.
So there you have it, Internet friends: plenty of new tunes for your digital delight and a chance to make your voice heard as well. Who said I wasn’t magnanimous? And who said I wasn’t a pack-rat? Chances are very, very good we’ll be cleaning these closets again by summer’s end, so stay tuned!
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