Allow me to get something off my chest first, if I may: Modern English’s “I Melt With You” was not a hit back in the day. No matter how many…
Jeff Giles
2 Min Read
Train – For Me, It’s You (2006)purchase this album Here’s something to make you feel old, Gen Xers: Train scored its first hit, “Meet Virginia,” in 1998. That was eight…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
The Subdudes – Behind the Levee (2006)purchase this album You know, I may just do a Subdudes Idiot’s Guide one of these days, so I’m going to hold off on…
John C. Hughes
1 Min Read
Shona Laing was fairly well known in her native New Zealand for years before finally scoring an American record deal in the late 80s with fledgling indie label TVT Records…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
If it’s Friday, it must be Bootleg City…and today, our visit takes us right down Wilbury Way. You must remember The Traveling Wilburys — George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty,…
Jeff Giles
3 Min Read
T’Pau – The Promise (1991)purchase this album They’re barely remembered today, at least outside the British club circuit, but T’Pau, in its brief existence as a major-label act, actually managed…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
They once sang history never repeats. But the members of Split Enz today (Feb. 1) announced they are reuniting for an Australian arena tour in June, 22 years after they…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Richard Ashcroft – Keys to the World (2006) purchase this album Maybe I wasn’t listening to The Verve hard enough, but after “Bittersweet Symphony” came, went, and wound its way…
Jeff Giles
2 Min Read
Duncan Sheik – White Limousine (2006) purchase this album You know, from “Barely Breathing” on down, I’ve never understood what people hear in Duncan Sheik’s music. It’s pleasant enough, in…
Jeff Giles
11 Min Read
[Jefito’s Note: He doesn’t write them anymore, but truth be known, it was my good friend Benja who inspired the Idiot’s Guide series, via his impassioned, messy, and always entertaining…
John C. Hughes
1 Min Read
Oh, Corey Hart. You’re trying so hard to say something meaningful and deep here, but we’ll be damned if we know what you’re on about. Is it about James Dean,…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Shawn McBride, Green Grass Grace (2003)purchase this book Hellfire hallelujah and halitosis. Mike Schmidt sits to pee. How you doing, fuckface? My name’s Henry Tobias Toohey. I love Jesus, rock…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Another Friday, another visit to that bustling metropolis we like to call Bootleg City — and this week, as promised, here’s eighteen tracks of live HÁ¼sker DÁ¼. Supernova, recorded on…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Another Friday, another visit to that bustling metropolis we like to call Bootleg City — and this week, as promised, here’s eighteen tracks of live Hüsker Dü. Supernova, recorded on…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Our hilarious buddies over at Drink at Work are taking a not-so-fond look back at the theme songs and opening credits of The Brady Brides, Angie, Alice, and — yes,…
Jeff Giles
4 Min Read
REO Speedwagon – The Earth, A Small Man, His Dog and A Chicken (1990) purchase this album Aside from a brief period in fifth grade — during which I was…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Some of you have waxed rhapsodic here about Michael Nesmith’s solo output; I haven’t listened to any of his other albums, but his latest, Rays, is available on iTunes as…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Morningwood – Morningwood (2006)purchase this album Morning wood — the kind that ZZ Top sang about — is good. Morningwood, the band? Not so much. First, I’ll say something nice…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat (2006) purchase this album I have only a passing familiarity with Rilo Kiley and I’ve never seen The Wizard, so,…
Jeff Giles
11 Min Read
[Jefito’s Note: Right around the end of 2005, I got an e-mail from reader Elaine, who volunteered to guest-blog a Thomas Dolby Guide. My initial reaction was probably similar to…
John C. Hughes
2 Min Read
The year: 1989. The artist: Liza with a “z”. The idea: Bring Liza back into the present out of the standards ghetto she’d been reduced to by teaming her with…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Jim Kokoris – The Rich Part of Life (2001)purchase this book A few hours later at the press conference where we received the oversized check for a hundred-and-ninety-million dollars, a…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Jim Kokoris – The Rich Part of Life (2001)purchase this book A few hours later at the press conference where we received the oversized check for a hundred-and-ninety-million dollars, a…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
You guys, Willie Wisely has a new record coming out on Not Lame very soon. They’re giving away a whole bunch of cool swag to folks who pre-order. Click here…
Scott Malchus
1 Min Read
I’m disappointed that I didn’t get to the keyboard last night. I fell asleep putting Jacob down and when I awoke (around 10:30), I was too groggy to think straight….
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Today marks the four-year anniversary of one of the only intelligent decisions I’ve ever made, so in commemoration, here’s an unapologetically mush-filled collection of tunes that always make me think…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
I know I say “I write what I want to when I want to” and all, but still…apologies for the lack of recent music reviews lately. It’s just that, you…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Say hello to CAPTAIN VIDEO! Doesn’t he look brave? CAPTAIN VIDEO! will periodically drop by to act as our guide through the Music Videos of the 1980s. You may have…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Today’s stop in Bootleg City takes us back to the Budokan of November 1979, and some cleanly recorded (albeit not revelatory, or even in some cases particularly wonderful) performances by…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
So. Let’s say it’s time for breakfast, the most important meal of the day, and you’re seriously jonesing for some waffles. Now, if you’re like me, you could want waffles…