Keep coming back each month.  You never know what style of music, song, or album might show up.  

​This year's selections will be quite random.  I have no master plan.  I am just hoping to introduce you to artists you may not be familiar with.  Enjoy.

April: "Every Time She Passes By" by George Ducas

​This month, I want to take you down the country road.  Now, before you non-country readers bail out, I want you to hear me (and George Ducas) out.  You see, George Ducas is one of those performers who falls more into the singer-songwriter category than anything else.  The distinction being that he is solid as a singer/performer, but he is also solid when it comes to writing songs.
     In fact, his songs have become hits for artists such as Radney Foster, Garth Brooks, Sara Evans, Gary Allan, Trisha Yearwood, and The Chicks.  Not too shabby.
     For your listening pleasure, I want you to listen to the lead single from Ducas’ second album Where I Stand.  Due to restructuring at his record label, this album didn’t get the support it should have.  That said, “Every Time She Passes By” is a solid single.  Country fan or not, give the song a chance and feel the story that is created through the lyrics.  Enjoy. 

March: "Boy or A Girl" by Imperial Drag

​     This month, let’s start things off by talking about the band.  Imperial Drag was not around very long.  They were active from 1994-1997—that’s it.  I was lucky enough to see them live when they opened for Alanis Morrisette at the Rose Garden (now called, the very dull, Moda Center) in Portland.  The band, most closely assocated with glam rock, released one album before the disbanded.  In that one album, they had one hit single: “Boy of A Girl.”
     The song has a true glam rock feel, but it is the lyrics I want you to focus on and to put your thoughts on.   There are several interpretations of the song’s meaning.  I am going to throw a couple at you, and let you decide.
     First up, there is the idea that the song is about cross-dressers who are heterosexual.  They enjoy cross-dressing, but the rest of their lives are lived in a purely heterosexual manner.
     Next, is the idea that the song is looking at glam rock and the style of costume many of these performers use and how it blurs the gender line (think Boy George).
     Now, I do not have the answer, and in fact the answer may not even be one of the two mentioned above.   What I do know is that Imperial Drag is worth listening to.  Check out “Boy or A Girl” and then move on to other tracks from their album.  And if you really get into the band, you can find a download of an album released in 2005 of their demos.  That album is simply called Demos.

February: "Sister Rosetta" by Frank Turner

​A few things about this month’s selection of something to listen to.  First up, Frank Turner is an English Punk and Folk singer.  If you don’t think those two genres mesh, well, you need to get out more.  There is an entire industry around folk punk.  Next up, the Sister Rosetta in the song is a real person, and someone all fans of music should be aware of.
     Sister Rosetta is known as the “original soul sister” and “the Godmother of rock and roll.”  She was originally a gospel singer during the 30s and 40s, but was known for incorporating electric guitar into her gospel music.  Some of the musicians that have been influenced by Sister Rosetta include Tina Turner, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck.
     Frank Turner’s album No Man’s Land is an album all about the women of the world, and in “Sister Rosetta” he pays tribute to one of the pioneers of rock and roll.

January: "Messing with My Head" by Tinted Windows

​     To begin the year, I am giving you a supergroup to listen to.  If you don’t know, a supergroup is simply a band made up by members of other popular groups.  In the case of Tinted Windows, you get members from four different bands.  There’s James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins, Tayler Hanson from Hanson, Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne, and Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick.
     For their self-titled debut (and only album at this time), the band wanted to create something akin to the pop feel of the Beatles.  It will be your job to decide if they hit the mark.
     If you find you like the sound, remember, they only have one album, so it will be easy to listen to all they have produced.  Also, you can take a look at the music of the individual members.  Trust me, there is something worth listening to in each of those bands, as well.

December: "Come And I Will Sing You" by Great Big Sea

​For December, I am going to introduce you to a group out of New Foundland, Canada.  At the same time, I am going to give you, technically, a Christmas song.
     Known by several different titles (such as “Green Grow the Rushes, O” and “The Twelve Apostles”), “Come and I Will Sing You” has been around since at least the early 1800s, and people have been covering it consistently since that time.  It is an English folk song that has spread across the globe.
     Though little is known about the origins of the song, it is unlikely that it was meant to be a Christmas carol, but it does tend to gain popularity during the Christmas season.
     Great Big Sea released their version of the song on their album The Hard and the Easy.  Though the band retired a few years ago, the song is still popular and shows up around the holidays. 
     If you like the feel of this song, do take time to give some of Great Big Sea’s other music a listen—they are worth it.

November: “Latin Willie/Jugadero (Reprise)” by Dominica

​     Now, I am going to be mean, I am introducing you to an artist that has nearly no online presence.  In fact, I have a hard time finding anything about the rapper Dominica anywhere.  And the truth is, I wouldn’t even know about him if it wasn’t for my time in radio.
     This is mid-90s Caribbean rap, and it is smooth.  “Latin Willie/Jugadero” was the most popular of the tracks from his album Dominican Rum with a Cuban Cigar on my radio shows, so I thought I would share that one with you.  If you find that you like it, you should be able to find more songs from the album on Youtube (I can’t promise you will find them anywhere else).
     Unfortunately, that is all I can give you.  I don’t even know if Dominica released another album.  Like I said, not much about him online.  That just means you need to enjoy what there is.

October: "Alpha Zulu" by Phoenix

​     Here’s one you may be familiar with, but they still deserve more attention.  Phoenix is actually a French band, but their sound, which has been called indie pop, synth-pop, pop rock, and new wave, is global.
     Their breakout album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 2009.
     Their most recent album, Alpha Zulu, was recorded during the Coronavirus Pandemic at the Louvre Palace in Paris (yep, the famous museum).  And for this month I am giving you the title track to that album to listen to.  So, sit back and enjoy the song…and try to not let the video give you the heebie jeebies.

September: "Beat on the Brat" by "Weird Al" Yankovic

​     To start off the year, we will begin with an artist many of you are probably aware of: “Weird Al.”  Whether you know his parodies (like “Amish Paradise” or “Word Crimes”) or his originals (like “Skipper Dan” or “Dare to Be Stupid”), Al has put together a career worthy of the greats.  In fact, Al is one of only four artists/groups with Top 40 hits across the decades of 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s (the other three are Michael Jackson, Madonna, and U2).
     With all that said, our focus will actually be with Al covering other people’s music—but not as parodies.  When I last saw him in concert, he performed Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” and did it well.  For our recommendation though, let’s take a look at the song “Beat on the Brat.”
     This song was originally sung by the Ramones.  For those who do not know, the Ramones are one of the most influential punk bands ever.  And if you know anything about punk, you know that accordions don’t usually show up.  Well, Al took care of that with this cover—and it is a solid cover.  So, take a listen and see what happens when the King of Parody goes a different direction.