25 September 2025 - Phantogram - Funeral Pyre

New York is a big-ass state.

So yeah.  Here's a second band from New York NOT from New York City.  

Saratoga Springs, in fact. OK, fine, Greenwich, which is closer to Glens Falls - but trust me, they're all close together.

I have had the opportunity to see Phantogram live, and they were spectacular.  That was on their tour supporting their third album, Three, which this song opens.  That album catered to rock radio a lot more than their other work has, so it has a slightly harder edge, which works.  

All these years later, they still perform this song live, as they did last month in Rochester. They still sound amazing performing it. 

25 September 2025 - Joywave - Destruction

Anyone who thought I wouldn't be using Joywave for the New York entry hasn't been paying attention.  At all. 

Joywave are from Rochester, NY, the city I lived in for a quarter century.  I don't live their anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't love Joywave.  

And there was no fucking way I was featuring a band from New York City.  Fuck that.  Just, no.  

This song, from the band's debut album How Do You Feel Now?, is one that they often use to end their shows...... and they frequently play it twice in a row.  It, and not "Dangerous", is absolutely their signature song.   The song is scary and in-your-face - by design.  That's how it's supposed to sound. 

It received a lot of modern rock radio airplay, and is just a great song. 

I mention they frequently play this song twice in a row during their sets.

In this particular set, they played it SEVEN times. In the band's words:

On June 21st, 2018 at 6:30 PM Joywave took the stage at PNC Bank Arts Center (now known as The Joywave Center For Performing Arts) in Holmdel, NJ. Dozens of fans were packed into the 17,500 capacity shed, eagerly awaiting the evening’s headline performers. As the band walked out on stage to roars of silence, one devilishly clever audience member suggested the band perform “Free Bird” that evening. But with roughly 17,400 seats reverberating his request throughout the Greater Holmdel area, it was a bit difficult to hear. The following video is an uninterrupted feed of 6:30 PM -7:00 PM ET on that fateful day. A simpler time. The power. The musicianship. The Destruction of Holmdel, NJ. Enjoy.

Yeah.  I listened to all of them.  They're all solid.  The crowd, however, was a little pissed. 

24 September 2025 - Beirut - Elephant Gun

Yes, I on purpose used a really obscure way to put these in order, mostly because I wanted to reliably mix in the territories and not put them all in date of admission or acquisition, because that's a boring list.  

Which is why New Mexico is 3rd, and that brings us Beirut. Despite their Santa Fe roots and Middle Eastern name (yes, they are named after the Lebanese city), their sound is a lot more Balkan than Dessert Southwest.  And by "their" sound, I mean his - it is largely the brainchild of Zach Condon, although he clearly has a lot of support in his efforts. The world music feel is one that has been met with pretty widespread critical acclaim....

.... and this sound is a bit leaning on the side of cacophony, and yet, still seems melodic.  Please, enjoy this American music. 

Now, listen to the live version of this song. I believe that Condon's voice comes through a lot stronger, and the cacophony feeling is much reduced.  

All in all, this is a great song with a lot of horns. 

23 September 2025 - Circo - Antes Del Fin

Y'all were expecting reverse order of admittance into the Union, weren't you?

Nope.  

Today is Puerto Rico's day to shine.   

And, for today, I decided to go with Circo.  They are in that category of "best band you've never heard" DESPITE their multiple Latin Grammy nominations.   

Anyway, they rock.  And you should have been listening to them already.  But we're giving you the opportunity to do so now. 

22 September 2025 - Poi Dog Pondering - Living With The Dreaming Body

Happy Autumn!  Today is the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.  

If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, Happy Spring, but I'm not making two hashtags.

Anyway, I wanted to do something special this autumn - and that is feature artists from the United States, one state and territory at a time.   Because yes, I am including territories.   

#AmericanAutumn

I did choose a non-logical order that I will probably reveal at some point, but for now, we start with the most logical beginning, Hawaii, or, if you prefer, Hawai'i.   The state consists of all but one of the islands of the Hawai'ian Archipelago (Midway Atoll is outside the state), and is a volcanic state.

Poi Dog Pondering, a bunch of street musicians from Honolulu, with a mi of modern and traditional instruments, are the perfect representatives of the state.  Starting as a solo project of Frank Orrall, the lineup grows and shrinks, currently sitting at about 17 members. 

This song was from the band's 1989 self-titled debut album and introduced the Hawai'ian sound to the rest of the world. 

I mentioned their lineup grows and shrinks.   Because it does.   

Here they are in 2021, in New York City, performing their 1989 song.  And sounding different and great and neat.

19 September 2025 - Toad The Wet Sprocket - Walk On The Ocean

Next week is Courtney's birthday - she and I have been together for a bit more than three years.  I already have a post scheduled for her birthday.... because on Monday, I'm starting a thing on this blog that's going to run for a couple of months.  Frankly, this post was previously scheduled for November 13th as part of that, before I moved it here.   

And also, we're at the ocean now. 

And, as I was watching some of my sister Dawn's concert videos, I played a video of this song that they performed this year, and Courtney, who is present for the writing of most of these posts, remarked - and really, reminded me - that it is one of her favorite songs.  

I have to admit, I did not always like or appreciate this song.   I liked other stuff of theirs a bit more.  But this song has grown on me.  It's a sweet song, with great harmonies.  And singer Glen Phillips, who wrote the lyrics to the song (bandmate Todd Nichols largely did the music) wrote these lyrics as a placeholder as he was whale watching with his family.... and couldn't come up with anything he liked better.

So yeah, that's how a hit song is written. 

Remember when I said my sister saw them live and I was watching that video?

Here's the video I was watching. And although the song is in a lower key now, it still sounds great. 

18 September 2025 - PinkPantheress - Illegal

This song was/is a TikTok trend.  I put it like that because I know you come back to read my stuff years later.   

From a pop chart standpoint, this barely registered in the US (#96 on the Hot 100), but that hardly matters, does it?

The video explores the negative impact of drugs - which seems like an 80's thing to do - and the song samples heavily from "Dark and Long" by The Underworld - which seems like a 90's thing to do.  It's all combined to make something cute and fun and modern.  

I know it's weird that a DJ would perform live (and SING), but here ya go.  Glastonbury is weird, man.  But also, the crowd loves it and she puts on a great show.

OK, but anyone with a little stage presence can do a huge stage show. What about an NPR Tiny Desk Concert?

Yep.  And it is amazing and fun (as is the whole concert.  Watch the rest, too!)