poptransmission

Category: Music

  • Big Head Todd and the Monsters in Concert – 40 Years Strong

    I wasn’t all that familiar with Big Head Todd and the Monsters, besides hearing a few of their ’90s hits on the radio and having the Beautiful World album on CD. I missed their previous visit to the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, so I was glad to have another opportunity to see them…

  • Songs of a Lost World: The Dark and Triumphant Return of the Cure

    Finally. If you’ve followed me over the last four years, you’ve read several asides like, “where is that new Cure album? We’re still waiting.” When I launched my website in early 2020, a new Who album had just been released, and Robert Smith said the new Cure was ready to go. I thought I’d have…

  • New Music Alert: Latest Songs from Old and New Bands

    Time for some new music, one more for 2024. As usual, the new music alert is songs from newer bands, older bands, bands I’ve never heard (the first six), and bands I’ve been listening to for years (the final four). Hopefully, you’ll want to add one or more of these songs to a playlist and…

  • 50 Years Ago: Best Albums of 1974

    We’ve gone back to 1984, 1994, and 2004 in previous posts this year. Let’s do one more of these decade anniversaries. 1974. High school junior year for me. An impressive and broad-ranging year of music. Hard rock, soft rock, country rock, prog rock, glam rock, and combinations of these styles. Reggae, too. Nostalgia weighs heavily…

  • Little Stevie Doc: So Much More Than a Sidekick

    Thirty-five years as guitarist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Lead role in The Sopranos as consigliere and strip club owner, Silvio Dante. These two roles of a lifetime are what most people know about Steven Van Zandt. While I was aware of his “other” music and social justice activism, I had no idea how…

  • Best of 2004: Top 10 Albums From 20 Years Ago

    It’s always fun for a musical look back across the decades. I have remembered 1994 (Through a 30-Year Lense: Best Albums of 1994:) and 1984 (1984: Top Ten Albums From 40 Years Ago) so far this year. But I’ve never gone back 20 years, so here’s the album highlights from 2004: 10. Contraband by Velvet…

  • Todd Rundgren Live in Concert: A Collage of Sound

    Musician, songwriter, singer, and record producer. A pioneer in electronics, internet music, and video technology. Some of the most endearing and enduring pop ballads of the 1970s. 27 solo albums and nine with the Utopia band. A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Todd Rundgren, what a career! Despite this pedigree, I’ve…

  • Through a 30-Year Lense: Best Albums of 1994:

    Time for another journey back in time. Here’s some memorable musical moments from 1994: Here’s my favorite albums of 1994: 10. Neil Young – Sleeps with Angels: While his classic rock brothers were receding in the public conscious, Neil Young was on a roll in the early ’90s – Freedom, Ragged Glory, and Harvest Moon.…

  • Psychedelic Furs & Exene/John Doe: Still Sparkling on Stage

    I’ve seen the Psychedelic Furs and X three times each in concert – 1990, 2012, and 2018 for the former and 1980, 1983, and 2007 for the latter. (Also, Exene once, and John Doe a couple times, in solo acoustic shows.) I usually am satisfied at seeing a band three times in concert and saving…

  • New Music Alert: Shoegaze is Alive and Well

    I heard these ten songs recently and think the bands might be worth exploring. As usual for the New Music Alerts, some are new bands, some older bands with new music, and most are new to me. I’m still drawn to the shoegaze syndrome, so about half of the songs have elements of that genre.…

  • Dark Matter: Pearl Jam Still Going Strong at 35

    We’ve heard it all before with bands that have been around for a while. The new album is a “return to form” or “their best since …” Pearl Jam’s latest is getting that kind of talk. I’ll admit to being a big fan since Ten, but have they ever really lost their form? (Ok, maybe…

  • My Record Store Day: Pearl Jam and Blur Special Editions

    Happy Record Store Day! One of my favorite days of the year. And it just keeps getting bigger. What started in 2008 as a rather low-key affair, Record Store Day (RSD) has become a community event to celebrate the locally owned record store. RSD brings together fans, artists, and thousands of independent record stores across…