All right, you’ve listened to us share the sordid details of some of our lowest “romantic” moments — now it’s your turn. But unlike us, you actually stand to win…
Jeff Giles
698 Articles
Jeff Vrabel
3 Min Read
Ladies, here’s a little-known fact about many guys: If you break up with them, but then don’t leave, they will very possibly assume that you weren’t the SLIGHTEST BIT SERIOUS…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Siouxsie & the Banshees – Peek-A-Boo (1988) Yes, “Peek-A-Boo” (download) turns 20 this year. You are old, old, so very old. I am too, but I have the slight advantage…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Django Reinhardt – Djangology from Verve Jazz Masters 38 (1994) Slade – Run Runaway from Get Yer Boots On: The Best Of Slade (1983) Mike Errico – Someday from Pictures…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Greetings, Videots! Due to unforeseen circumstances, Scraps had to bail out on this week’s Name That Tune, so we’ll be taking a special trip to the 1980th dimension instead. Buckle…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Susanna Hoffs – When You’re a Boy (1991) purchase this album (Amazon) As longtime readers of this space are no doubt aware, I have a severe weakness for Susanna Hoffs,…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Keith Sweat – I Want to Love You Down (1992) First of all, no. No, I did not own this when it came out. Not that there’s anything wrong with…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Dan Bern – One Thing Real from Fifty Eggs (1998) 38 Special – See Me In Your Eyes from Tour De Force (1983) Simple Minds – Once Upon A Time…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Various Artists – Dragnet Original Soundtrack (1987) purchase this album (Amazon) You know, writing about cutouts in the digital age is more difficult than it looks. Not a week goes…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Clive Griffin – Commitment of the Heart (1993) Ladies and gentlemen, meet Sony’s Next Big Thing of 1993! A little explanation is in order, I can tell. You’ve never heard…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
John Gorka – My Invisible Gun from Between Five and Seven (1996) Pet Shop Boys – For Your Own Good from Nightlife (1999) Andy Iona & His Islanders – Ta-hu-wa-hu-wa-i…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
New Monkees – New Monkees (1987) purchase this album (Amazon) When all is said and done, the 1980s may not go down as the decade with the highest per-capita quotient…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Shakespear’s Sister – Stay (1992) It’s the summer of 1992, and we’re in her living room. Like most days, she’s got MTV on in the background. I forget what I’m…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Howard Jones – In the Running (1992) purchase this album (Amazon) To type these words pains me more deeply than words can say, but it’s altogether likely that many of…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Welcome to the Popdose Guide to the Call, a semi-forgotten group that had a couple of hits in the ’80s, but has seen its catalog fall out of print and…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Al Anderson – Love Make a Fool of Me from After Hours (2006) Tom Waits – Goin’ Down Slow from The Early Years, Vol. 1 (1991) Aztec Camera – Safe…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
This wasn’t part of our official launch announcement, but as some of you may remember, Jason’s site had a patron saint before he merged it with Popdose — and since…
Jeff Giles
1 Min Read
Mr. Mister – I Wear the Face (1983) purchase this album (Amazon) Well, well, well. If it isn’t Mr. Mister. First things first: I have to give credit where it’s…
Jeff Giles
22 Min Read
For the first decade or so of his career, John Hiatt was a case of mostly unfulfilled potential. Everyone knew he was a good songwriter Á¢€” particularly other songwriters Á¢€”…
Jeff Giles
17 Min Read
HereÁ¢€â„¢s one IÁ¢€â„¢ve been meaning to get to for a long time now Á¢€” Jules Shear has always been on my list of perfect IdiotÁ¢€â„¢s Guide artists. Many of you…
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Jeff Giles
7 Min Read
If sales are any indication, you haven’t listened to David Baerwald’s work. Here’s why you should.
Jeff Giles
12 Min Read
She’s been steadily releasing well-crafted albums on a more-or-less consistent basis for nearly 20 years, and her music defies easy pigeonholing. Consequently, since her early ’90s breakthrough, Mary Chapin Carpenter…
Jeff Giles
15 Min Read
Okay, okay, I know. Artists like Paul Simon don’t really need Idiot’s Guides. Who hasn’t heard of Paul Simon, or heard a bunch of his music? Then again, there’s a…
Jeff Giles
11 Min Read
I’ve had the conversation plenty of times now, but I’m always stunned when it takes place: Me and a friend or acquaintance, jawing about music, extolling the virtues of this…
Jeff Giles
5 Min Read
It’s April at last, and spring is officially in the air. What better time to devote an entire Idiot’s Guide to my favorite jazz musician of all time, Kenny G?…
Jeff Giles
8 Min Read
When last we left Peter Himmelman, he was leaving (or being pushed out of) the major-label world, and heading for indier pastures. Far from signaling an end to his career…
Jeff Giles
8 Min Read
Peter Himmelman. It’s one of those names that, nine out of ten times, will get you a quizzical look; the tenth time, though, you’d better pull up a chair, sit…
Jeff Giles
7 Min Read
Though he’s easily one of my favorite artists, I’ve held off on writing a Willy Porter Guide for awhile now; his output just doesn’t seem large enough to warrant the…
Jeff Giles
9 Min Read
When last we left Nick Lowe Á¢€” at the end of Part One last week Á¢€” he was mired in a sales slump and battling the bottle. After the commercial…
Jeff Giles
8 Min Read
Doesn’t look like the godfather of punk, does he? Well. Maybe not the godfather, but perhaps a kindly uncle. Either way, Nick Lowe’s footprint on punk — hell, on all…