15 August 2026 (Special Edition) - EMF - Unbelievable

EMF stood for "Epsom Mad Funkers"

13 August 2026 - Genesis Owusu - STAMPEDE

There are very few posts I've been looking forward to posting lately. 

This song - from Australian rapper/musician Genesis Owusu - is one that I very much have.  It's frenetic, energetic, and in-your-face. From his album REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE, which has been a huge hit in his home of Australia, 

The entire album is a political statement and this song is no exception.

As intense as the song is in its studio version, it's more so in a live version. 

Also, the man has a LOT of energy. 

 

He can even do it solo. 

12 August 2026 - aespa - LEMONADE

I have always thought of aespa of a version of BLACKPINK if you brought them from Temu.

With their new album LEMONADE I don't think that anymore. Without even mentioning that it's better than BLACKPINK's latest album, this is a more distinctive version of the group - and they have found a harder edged, in-your-face sound. 

Is it groundbreaking?  No.  Is it pleasing, fun, and easy to dance to?  You betcha. 

Do they perform it live at Lollapalooza last week?  Kinda. 

10 August 2026 - Nia Archives - Danger

Nia Archives released her new album Emotional Junglist last month..... and very quickly after its release was included on the 2026 Mercury Prize shortlist. I've listened to most of this shortlist, and let me tell you, they got the inclusion of this one RIGHT!  It is excellent. 

It didn't take long to realize this was a very special - and explicit - album. 

This song, co-written by the artist (whose real name is Dehaney Hunt, so if you go hunting on Spotify for the credits, you know I'm telling the truth), Ethan P. Flynn and Livvi Franc, is a fast-paced exciting song, as is the rest of the album. It does not give you a break - and yet still stays cool and mellow.   

6 May 2027.... I mean, 6 August 2026 - The Darling Buds - Lost Time

You know, I thought Darling Buds Day was gonna die years ago.

And, yes, while I jokingly say that I'm the reason the Darling Buds got back together, I know that's not really true.

What I did NOT have on my bingo card was NEW Darling Buds music in 2026..... a whole new album called Same Sun / Same Sky, which was their first full length album in 34 years!!!!  

And it's really good!  I'd put it among their top four albums. (IYKYK)

So, yeah, guess we're gonna keep this going.  And I'm really happy about that, because they are a great band and they have shown appreciation for what we're doing here.  We couldn't have picked a better group to celebrate. 

And now, I have enough material to actually post about the Darling Buds on a day other than May 6th.

4 Aug 2026 - The Cramps - Goo Goo Muck

The Cramps were an influential but not well known band.

Until, that is, Wednesday Addams danced to the song.  

Yeah, I know.  You saw this on social media with a different song.  This is what they ACTUALLY played in the episode. And the song - along with the series - gets credit for reviving goth subculture among Gen Z, as its feature was a huge hit. 

The song, a cover of a Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads single from the 1960s, was recorded by The Cramps in 1981 for their album Psychedelic Jungle.  It became one of their best known songs. 

But, rather than watching Jenna Ortega performing to the song, I feel like you should see how Lux Interior (yep, that was his stage name.  Don't worry.  No one named their kid Lux Interior) performed it live.... which was wild as heck.

30 July 2026 - HyunA - Flower Shower

I feel like you can't talk about K-Pop without mentioning HyunA.  I've been a fan for a lot of years, long before every K-Pop artist was an instant hitmaker.... even before "Gangnam Style".  

No, she had to work and toil for DECADES to get where she is.

This song, from 2019, was cowritten and produced by Psy himself.  She's had many comebacks since then, but this was one of her best. 

29 July 2026 - Karen Dió - Sick Ride

In June 2023, Karen Dió was a struggling Brazilian musician.

In July 2023, she had a badass single.

And just like that, there was some worldwide attention on the Brazilian punk scene thanks to this riot grrrl.  

Formerly of Violet Soda (who broke apart in 2021), Karen Dió made the conscious choice to go solo this time, so she could keep the control. Kinda hard for a solo act to break up, eh?

Anyway, the song is great.

Hell yeah she does it live. This performance from Germany shows the energy she brings to the song. 

28 July 2026 - Night Ranger - Sister Christian

This song - written by drummer Kelly Keagy, who also sings and drums on the track, as a tribute to his sister, Christy (Jack Blades just thought it was Christian) - was released in March 1984.

I was 12.

The song was EVERYWHERE and unescapable on radio.

I couldn't stand the song. HATED it.

Well, time has made me see that the song is brilliantly constructed. The second single from their album Midnight Madness, it is by far their biggest hit.

When you hear "motorin'", you should think "cruisin'", as in going SO FAST. 

I find it absolutely fascinating that anyone can drum and sing at the same time, and yet, that's exactly what Keagy did live.

This is from a 1983 performance, and the lyrics are slightly different because they are performing the album version, which had more words. Single and album versions of songs were once a bigger deal. 

Did you assume that Night Ranger was a thing of the past?

Nope.  They're still together. And as you can see in this performance from 2024, still playing the hell out of this song. 

They are not to be confused with Bobby Knight Ranger, who were a fictional band played by Yo La Tengo on the TV show Parks and Recreation. 

27 July 2026 - Baby Nova - Killed For Sport

I know, it's not March.

I hear you. 

But also, this is my blog, and when a new artist releases a new album and one of their songs gets into heavy rotation for me, I'm gonna post about it. 

And Shhugar, Baby Nova's fantastic debut album that was released in January of this year, is a good album to talk up.  After toiling in the industry for a decade and a half, Kayleigh O'Connor finally has an album getting its due.

This song, its lead single released in 2025, was co-written by Baby Nova, Lowell and Gus Van Go. It should be giving you Lana Del Rey vibes. 

25 July 2026 (Special Edition) - Sick of it All - Beef Between Vegans / Bull's Anthem

So, it's kind of a funny song title.

It came from Sick of it All's 2018 album Wake The Sleeping Dragon.  It was a comeback of sorts, and it was met with universal critical acclaim.  

Pretty impressive for a hardcore band that was formed in 1986 by Lou and Pete Koller to still be making music that aggressive and that poignant more than 30 years later.  And that's what Sick of it All's music is - aggressive, poignant, and in your face.

But you all see that Special Edition label.  You know I ain't here with good news. 

Lou Koller, primary vocalist for the band, had been suffering with esophageal cancer.  Yesterday, the band announced his passing.  Now, at this point, I always say "he will be missed" and that's true but this is different.

You see, Lou knew he was one of the elder statesmen of hardcore, and he took that seriously.  He famously mentored and befriended other up-and-coming musicians.  There are hardcore bands that exist and thrived largely because Lou was their mentor and partner. Lou was one of the good guys in a rough industry. 

So yeah, I feature a song with a funny title.  

They kept releasing singles from the album through 2020.  This video, which might not exist if not for the pandemic, featured videos of the band's fans, singing the song.

The band loved and respected their fans, and that started and ended with Lou.  

Now, normally, I wouldn't be talking up so much a band in a genre of music I'm not generally all that into.  It's not generally for me.  

Sick of it All were talented enough and nice enough and resonated enough that I did like them.  In fact, I was fortunate enough to see them live in 1995, on the first Warped Tour.  I saw them at the Northampton Airport in Massachusetts, but the show I'm posting here is literally from two days before that. 

Lou opened that show the same way he opened ours: by inviting fans closer and telling them to "watch out for each other and respect each other."

So today, when I say he'll be missed, it ain't a platitude.  It's that a true pioneer and a nice person has passed, and he WILL be actively missed. 

22 July 2026 - Lights - Quiet

The other reason I was so hesitant to post Quiet Light is because every time I searched for her I got "Quiet" by Lights. 

Specifically, the acoustic version.  And yes, it's probably the best song from The Listening, but I couldn't escape it, so, here.  Bonus post, guys. 

22 July 2026 - Quiet Light - Postinternetfame

I have been dragging my heels getting to Quiet Light, honestly. 

Not because I don't like her music - her album Blue Angel Sparking Silver 2 is one of my favorites of the year. 

Not because she has a stage name - her real name is Riya Mahesh.  I post lots of those. 

Not because I can't find live performances she's done of this song.  I couldn't, but that'll change soon.  

No, it's because it was so hard to pick a song to highlight.  I chose this one because it was... quiet... and... light.  And cool.  Cool as heck.   

Wikipedia calls her "indie folk" but I think she's a lot more than that.  I hope you do as well. 

21 July 2026 - Steve Winwood - Higher Love / Whitney Houston - Higher Love / James Vincent McMorrow.- Higher Love

Well, this was not the route this post was going to go. 

It started off with me hearing a Whitney Houston song earlier that I had not heard in several years, but found myself enjoying (I didn't particularly when it was new). 

I decided I would do a post about it this week. 

So I started looking for the song on YouTube and I found THIS first.

This was produced by Kygo and featured Whitney Houston doing a Steve Winwood cover - in addition to originating the song, he co-wrote it with Will Jennings.

The song was released in 2019. 

Seven years after Houston's death.

And was a huge hit in the UK and elsewhere,

So this got me thinking - she must have done this during her life, right?

Turns out, she DID.  The song appeared on Japanese pressings of her 1990 album I'm Your Baby Tonight, and she performed it live during the Japanese dates on her tour supporting that album.

Of course, then I had to dig, and it turns out that James Vincent McMorrow - an Irish singer - had a hit in the UK and Ireland with his very quiet and chilling version of the song. 

Of course, nothing tops the 1986 version that marked Winwood's first trip to #1 on the US Charts. It's exciting.  It gives that mid-80s feel.  But also, the song endures. 

Now, I could show you a live version from 1986 - I found a great one. 

I am instead choosing his 2023 version from King Charles's Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.  He performed a pretty spry and solid cross-Commonwealth performance of the song. 

And what a way to end this epic post.  

20 July 2026 - Noor - H24

An intensely personal French album?

Yes. 

Woefully under-appreciated in the rest of the world because it's in French?

Also yes.

Going to get more attention on here because French posts do about 5% better than any others?

Strangely, yes. 

Unapologetically, Noor's album 1900 jours is one of my favorite of the year, and I encourage you to seek it out.  It is a very quiet album.  It's absolutely sublime. 

Even though she's an obscure French artist, she does live versions of her music?

Absolutely.  And they're spectacular.

19 July 2026 (Special Edition) - L7 - Everglade

Us being here on a Sunday is not a good sign.

Last week, news spread that Jennifer Finch, bassist for L7, had an agressive form of brain cancer.  Last night, she succumbed to that.  She was the bassist for the band for most of its tenure, right up until July 13th.  The band was planning a tour this coming October (I'm not sure they won't still do that), but Finch, who was originally supposed to perform, was forced to back out this week due to her cancer.

This song was from their 1992 breakthrough Bricks are Heavy, and was co-written by Finch and Daniel Rey. Even though she wasn't the primary vocalist for the band (that would be Donita Sparks), Finch also took lead vocals on the song. 

Yes, Jennifer Finch will be missed. 

Finch did leave the band for a bit, but she came back and performed with them again, to the delight of fans.

Here they are performing the song live in 2024 and they still sound just as good!

17 July 2026 - Rebecca Black - Hot Wet Delirious

When I featured Rebecca Black fourteen years ago, I thought for SURE that was going to be the ONLY time I would ever feature Rebecca Black.

NOPE.

Her second album, Age of the Exhibitionist, is coming in September, and this is the first single, released last Friday.  It's pretty solid hyperpop, and she doesn't really seem to be asking which seat she can take or reciting days of the week.  

16 July 2026 - The Rentals - Waiting

Yep.

That's Maya Rudolph.

The occasional member of The Rentals didn't perform on the album but the other six members did. 

Matt Sharp's post-Weezer indie project clearly had to make a dramatic video for their second single.  I'm not sure if I like Petra Haden's bike jump into violin solo better or worse than current Iowa State Senator Cherielynn Westrich's background vocals into a CB as she's quickly driving in. 

The Rentals have come and gone several times since the 90s with Sharp as the only constant member.  Here they are performing in Japan in 2014.

No, there are no Iowa State Senators in this iteration. 

She was, however, present at this in-store performance that was somewhat stripped down and lacked the multiple Moogs (only Tom Grimley on his) in 1996.

And so was Maya Rudolph.

15 July 2026 - Whitman Samplers - I Am Really Stupid (except this post isn't at all about them)

Dave Kendall was a goddamn pioneer.  

Before alternative music was mainstream, Dave Kendall brought it to MTV every Sunday at midnight and guaranteed that I would be blearly-eyed on Mondays. 

The show was 120 Minutes, and it was groundbreaking.

But pioneers have their detractors, so in 1990, the Whitman Samplers combined cut-up samples of Dave speaking with AC/DC's "Back In Black" to make a rather funny song that amused Dave Kendall in life. 

Dave Kendall passed away yesterday.  This may be the first time we have paid tribute to a non-musician, but he was perhaps the one personality that shaped my musical taste, more than any other, and he will be missed.

And he really connected with fans.  Here he is talking to a completely random Robyn Hitchcock fan on the street.

That fan was, of course, Matt Pinfield, who took over 120 Minutes when Dave moved on.   I'm going to close this post with Matt's tribute to Dave. 

Rest easy, Dave. 

Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Dave Kendall.

Dave was one of the true believers. Long before alternative music found its way into the mainstream, he was there every week on 120 Minutes, introducing people to bands that would go on to define an era. He didn’t just host… pic.twitter.com/IVTHRV301i

— Matt Pinfield (@mattpinfield) July 14, 2026

14 July 2026 - Camille Yembe - Rien à fêter

I mentioned the Polaris Prize yesterday.  But they aren't the only ones with a recent shortlist.  The Prix Joséphine - a prize honouring French-language artists (mostly) - also has a shortlist that was dropped recently.  I haven't listened to all of them yet - I will this week - but what I have heard so far is full of standouts. 

One such standout is Belgian-Congolese dance artist Camille Yembe.  Her latest album Jeune & Laide was shortlisted, and I have to say, it's REALLY good. Mostly performed in French, she does mix English language into her beats. 

This is her latest single. Despite having nothing to celebrate, it is a spirited song.  The video was recorded in Brussels.

The beats and sounds that back her sound dense, but as you can see live, it's her voice and flow that really fill the stage.

13 July 2026 - Charlotte Cornfield - Hurts Like Hell

Last week, the Polaris Music Prize shortlist was released.  10 great Canadian albums are on there.   Well, in my opinion, 9 great Canadian albums and one good one. I would have personally chosen six of them myself, and I really couldn't fault the rest of them.

One that I wouldn't have chosen but has really grown on me is the latest by singer/songwriter Charlotte Cornfield.  Her March 2026 album Hurts Like Hell is a beautiful piece of storytelling.   This title song - so far longlisted for the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize - is a heartbreaking, lush piece that evokes thought of Courtney Barnett and Randy Newman. 

This cool and mellow vibe - which permeates the album - is even more apparent when listening to the song live. 

10 July 2026 - Lou Gramm - Midnight Blue

By 1987. Foreigner was done really releasing new music.  Lou Gramm, however, was at the top of his game, and so he released a solo album, Ready or Not. 

It's weird to me that the guy I used to run into at the Webster Wegmans - this is not a joke, people - has a top 5 solo hit in 1987 that is broadly considered to be one of the most underrated pop-rock songs in history. He does still make music - even after a brain tumor impacted his voice - but this was his biggest solo hit. Written by Gramm and Foreigner bandmate Bruce Turgon, it really does endure. 

There's a lot of recent performances by Gramm of this song, but I chose this one from 2018, from a fair in Wisconsin.  Yes, the tumor impacted his voice and his body, but I have to say, he adapted well and he still sounds amazing. 

9 June 2026 (Special Edition) - Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero

I had a different post scheduled for today.  No worries about that one - it'll go tomorrow. 

You might remember I wrote a Bonnie Tyler special edition in HOPE that I wouldn't need it. 

And I hoped I wouldn't need to write another one too soon. 

Two months and one day later, Bonnie Tyler has passed away from that very illness that sent her to an induced coma.  I honestly thought she was going to recover. 

I chose for this day her last US top 40 hit - hitting #34 in 1984 - from the Footloose soundtrack. You forgot it was on that soundtrack, didn't you? It was a much bigger hit in the UK, where a 1985 rerelease brought it to the top of the charts. 

Written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford (he co-wrote every song on that soundtrack), the song became a Bonnie Tyler staple and one of her most recognized. She rerecorded the song several times, but it was never as successful as the original. 

She was performing right up until this year.  This was her in Paris in 2023, and she was still going strong.

Bonnie Tyler was a force of nature.  Her spirit and her unique voice will be missed. 

7 July 2026 - Indigo Girls - Closer to Fine

We've made it to Georgia.  And that's a great state, with both a strong soul music scene in Atlanta and a strong college/indie scene in Athens.

So let's go folk. 

That's right.   

Folk. 

And the Indigo Girls are likely the best known folk duo in Georgia history.  So, enjoy their first single and breakthrough hit.

7 July 2026 - 10,000 Maniacs - You Happy Puppet

I often tell the story of when I met Natalie Merchant and how she wasn't very nice because she was trying to make horse riding plans for the next day.  

What I don't say much is that Robert Buck wasn't exactly nice either. But he just seemed tired, and he was nicer when I met him at a later date.     

What does that have to do with anything?  Well, guitarist Robert Buck wrote the music for Natalie's lyrics for this, the third single from their classic Blind Man's Zoo album that I feel was their best work. 

I have been fortunate enough to see 10,000 Maniacs live several times, including a few times with Natalie on vocals.  I definitely saw them on this 1993 tour, which was Natalie's last with the band, and while it wasn't this performance, it was the same tour.... and it also featured violinist Mary Ramsey on stage.

I actually saw them in July, just days before their final performance at MSG.

Nevertheless, 10,000 Maniacs have persisted, mostly with Mary Ramsey on vocals. Here is a 2025 performance with Mary Ramsey.

6 May 2027 - The Darling Buds - Intruder

The more years we do this Darling Buds day thing, the more worried we get that we're going to run out of material. I mean, three four albums, plus an 2 EP's..... there's just not a ton to go on. And I blew it early on by posting three songs in one day.  

Who knew this would catch on?

On June 5th of 2026, they released a new single that could just as easily sit on Pop Said... as any of the songs there.  And, just like that, they gave us another year of this great celebration!  For the record, it did sit on their fourth album, Same Sun / Same Sky, and it is honestly a highlight for me. 

And now, our worry is abated, and this is a GREAT song. 

6 July 2026 - Wire - Ahead

I was too young to have heard Wire in the 1970s.  My parents were not exposing me to UK punk. No, back then, I was getting crossover country by Mac Davis and Loretta Lynn and Kenny Rogers.

All of which I appreciate now, but still.  It's not UK punk

No, I first learned of them when Enigma Records signed them in the 80s and brought their music to my ears.  They had an electronic sound that was appealing to my 14-year-old budding music fan ears. 

Boy, was I ever shocked to hear Pink Flag when I did.

This song, from their 1985 album The Ideal Copy, was written by the band and did fuel a minor comeback. 

Wire, believe it or not, is STILL around, and still tours sometimes.  This is a live show from 2017. They still sound great - even though they have returned to a guitar-driven sound. 

3 July 2026 - Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like A Woman!

Let's go, girls!

I have to admit, I had a much better, classier, more epic post ready for Canada Day.  I briefly considered moving this song to that day and doing Ariane Roy next year.

However, the kids are doing baton and flag this year, and that means a routine well-oiled to match a particular song.  

The song they picked is an American classic that just happens to be sung by a Canadian and co-written by that Canadian and her South African then-husband (Robert John "Mutt" Lange - who also produced this). The lyrics are by Shania and are about the time she had to raise her younger siblings in Timmins, Ontario as a child after their parents passed away.  

I bet you didn't know the song was so dark, did you?

So, yeah, I'm gonna be hearing this song a LOT this summer, so I either better get on board with liking it or else I'm gonna hate life all summer. 

Anyway, the song was a monster hit in 1999 - hitting #1 worldwide on both pop and country charts.  And the video should look familiar if you've been paying attention this week. 

It also won two Grammys, so why don't we just share her absolutely tremendous Grammy performance?

And, let's be honest - she was 33 when she performed that song at the Grammys.  She was 58 when she performed it at Glastonbury in 2024..... and she still sounded amazing. 

2 July 2026 - Cocteau Twins - Wax and Wane

I always thought about the Cocteau Twins as being this older, more refined band - the godparents of the 4AD label, I guess. 

I wanted to open with this live performance from 1983 - about 6 months after their album Garlands was released.  Elizabeth Fraser - the lead vocalist who joined the band in 1981 - is 19 here.  She was 18 when the album came out and likely 17 when a bulk of the album was recorded.

They weren't the godparents.  They were showing a maturity and depth of songwriting beyond their years.  

Those of you who know the later work of the Cocteau Twins - being so ethereal and dream-poppy - might think this harder-edged sound with the killer Will Heggie bassline might sound strange and out of place. 

It's not.  There's still a dreamy quality, and Robin Guthrie's guitar still has a distant, ethereal quality - but just with more pronounced drum machine. 

This was their debut album - they were still finding their sound.  Garlands is very much noise on top of drum machine.  By the time their next album - Head Over Heels - came in 1983, their sound was solidified. 

Compare that to the 1982 Peel session - which preceded Garlands by a month - and how much more guitar heavy it sounds - and how Liz's voice is turned down so far. 

1 July 2026 - A Canada Day Special - Ariane Roy - Le Grand Plaisir

I know my English language readers who aren't longtime hockey fans are pronouncing Ariane Roy's last night wrong right now. [ʁwa], for those linguistically inclined, is the correct pronunciation. But Montreal Canadiens fans and francophones already knew that. 

Patrick Roy, no relation.

As most of you, I dedicate an entire month to Canadian music.  This year, that included no less than three posts about today's artist.... including a song literally ABOUT her..... and another one in June!

What you don't know is that I really do sample my own supply.  I listen to this music.  And, one of my most listened to songs on Spotify in the month of March was "Apprendre Encore", by Ariane Roy, off her album medium plaisir.  "Plaisir" translates to "Pleasure", for those of my anglophone readers who don't know that (I didn't). 

(Editor's note (July 1):  It STILL IS one of my most listened to songs)

On Repeat list from Spotify, July 1st, 2026

Well, I really really wanted to feature that song during #MapleLeafMarch.  Unfortunately, there was no official video created for the song.  What WAS created was a 5-song showcase live film, directed by Adrian Villagomez, released to commemorate the release of that album.  And, since "Apprendre Encore" was included in the set (10 minutes in), but it was bigger than just one song, I went with it for today!

The whole performance is an absolute masterpiece and you should watch it.  Yes, there's a significant cameo, but this was Ariane's show, and she was absolutely crushing it (and clearly enjoying herself). 

30 June 2026 - Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love

As I write this, I am almost to the day the same age Robert Palmer was when he passed away.  Frankly, I'm a few days older. 

That's right.  I'm an old guy. Oblivion really is all I crave. 

Which is why I have such nostalgia for this song and video - featuring models that are supposed to look lie mannequins - when maybe I otherwise would not have. 

This 1985 single, from his album Riptide and written by Palmer himself, would become his signature song and a HUGE hit. The song was originally intended to be a duet with Chaka Khan, but she was removed from the song by her record label. 

Even though he couldn't do the song with Chaka, he did have a co-vocalist live in 1985.

 

Palmer was taken from us WAY too soon, in 2003.  Eat heart healthy, kids.  But that doesn't mean he slowed down.  In 1995, he filmed this version of the song for Danish television.... and he sounded JUST as solid as he did in 1985

Perhaps my favorite live performance of this song - with the most energy - is the one he did in 1991 with UB40.  Also, he always looked so dapper. 

29 June 2026 - Don't Mean Maybe - Colt 45

There was a brief time when I was a journalism major in college.

I mean, this shitty writing should tell you why that didn't stick. 

What DID stick was a lot of even more obscure music than I had ever heard before. You see, I was a college music DJ - it's where I met my former collaborator, Scott Colvin.  Our college radio station was programmed "classic rock", but during the late night, we switched to alternative music. 

Our late night director was Jonathan Falls, and he had a penchant for finding great underground music. 

This particular band and this particular song was his find.

The band hailed from Orange County, California, and were a trio that were clearly and heavily inspired by The Minutemen and fIREHOSE. Led by Mark Andrea, there were a lot of stop tempos and change-ups in their songs - and since none of them were really experienced in bands (their bassist only learned to play his instrument to play their FIRST SHOW - ironically opening for fIREHOSE), they could get inventive. 

Anyway, here's Don't Mean Maybe. 

26 June 2026 - Tiffany Day - NO LUCK

I really tried to not love Tiffany Day's new album HALO.  It's a frenetic hyperpop mess. 

But that's kind of the point.  Being a woman in her mid 20s right now is a frenetic hyperpop mess - so I hear.  I don't know, really. I'm not a woman in my mid 20s. I've never been a woman in my mid 20s. The fact that I can confidently state that is because HALO is just THAT good. 

In all seriousness, this is a woman with OCD making hyperpop about her OCD - that's precisely what this song is about - right down to the obvious overmedication and missing the days before she was medicated. 

Also, the music is just fun. 

 

Yes, she has perforned this live, and yes, the crowd knows the words, because they resonate. It's SMART hyperpop - some of the smartest made this year - and that is undeniable.

26 June 2026 - Ice Spice - Big Guy

Remember when Ice Spice did that song for the Spongebob Squarepants movie?

I frankly thought Ice Spice was done three years ago, but here we are. 

This short-ish song, which critics actually LOVED, marks a return to form - her classic simple lyrics and catchy beats.  Cowritten by Ice Spice and producer RIOTUSA ("Stop playin' with em, Riot"), it grows on you despite the song clearly being about a sea sponge's pants.  

Ice Spice also has a small part in the movie in making Spongebob into a.... big guy. 

25 June 2026 - U.S. Girls - Mad As Hell

We completely recognize the irony of a Canadian group called U.S. Girls.  

The bigger irony is that the Toronto-based project of Chicago-born-and-raised Meghan Remy - a solo project. And yes, the name of the project is in the plural. 

She moved to Canada in 2010 because she married a Canadian musician.  That's how. 

This song was a single from her 2018 album In A Poem Unlimited and, on the album (but NOT when released as a single ahead of the album), it is titled "M.A.H." but it is an identical song. Co-written with her husband, the whole album was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize. 

It's also a fun as hell song.   

By the time she performed the song on KEXP in 2018, the song had been retitled but it had not lost its biting wit and Meghan had not lost her delivery. 

It's the same fun as hell song. 

24 June 2026 - Simon & Garfunkel - Mrs. Robinson

This song is best known for its association with the 1967 film The Graduate.   How it came to be is interesting.  Mike Nichols really wanted the duo to write a song for his movie, but hated the ones they initially submitted.  In conversation, it turns out they were working on a song that Paul Simon had given a working title based upon a character in the film......

The working title stuck, and the song won two Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year - the first rock song to do so.  

You might hear that the version above - one of several used in the movie - is not the version you know.   That's OK.  They did the song in the version you DO know several times live, including this performance from 1968. 

Many people think their 1981 performance in front of 500,000 people in Central Park is the quintessential performance of this song. 

It's hard to argue with that.  The chemistry and the harmony is unequaled. 

23 June 2026 - lucky break - Camp Song

lucky break - the stage name of Emma Gerson - has only been releasing music under that name for about two years.  Her debut album, made it!, came out last month, and it is delightful - she's getting comparisons to Liz Phair (warranted) and Fiona Apple (I get it) but I hear a little bit of Lucinda Williams in this song - right down to the drawly alt-country cadence. 

90s-style alt-Americana?  You can give me credit for that label. 

Anyway, this song is kind of an outlier with the rest of the 90s-soaked pop-rock that dominates the record - and yet it fits in perfectly, like that long Tetris piece that comes out just in time because you have that long hole that needs to be filled. 

OK, enough weird analogies.  Just enjoy the song. 

22 June 2026 - Zara Larsson - Midnight Sun

It seems like I'm posting a lot of Zara Larsson lately.  Between almost decade-old songs and songs from other people's albums that figure skaters like, you'd be right. 

Her 2025 album Midnight Sun, however, was excellent, and with the 2026 release of the remix album Midnight Sun; Girls Trip, the songs are getting a second wind.  As of this writing, Larsson's title song from this album is her biggest hit not from a Pink Patheress album to date, and I suspect, with the Song of the Summer buzz around it, we're not done hearing it. 

Plus, the solstice was yesterday - and that's the actual peak of the.... midnight sun. 

On Girls Trip, Larsson teams up with female artists to redo all the Midnight Sun songs.  She teams up with (checks notes) PinkPantheress on this song. However, in a twist and UNLIKE "Stateside", it's the solo version that is rising the charts.

This version is still pretty solid. 

Of course she performs this great song live - but I wanted to make sure you could hear HER sing it - and she did last year on Good Morning America.

It didn't feel right to end on an American show, though.   

How about a live performance from Northern Sweden, where they ACTUALLY have a midnight sun?

It's a little more mellow, but honestly, this version gives me goosebumps. 

19 June 2026 (Special Edition) - Sixpence None The Richer - There She Goes

So, I have posted about this song once before - on Totally Covered.  And on there, I recounted the following:

True story - I saw Sixpence None The Richer opening for a Natalie-free 10,000 Maniacs at St. Bonaventure University in 1994.  This was years before they had any hits - they were just a little Christian rock band.  I enjoyed them an awful lot, and was really happy to see that they became big hitmakers.

Yes, I do have a signed copy of their first CD.  Why do you ask?

Now, what would happen later is that the two central figures of the band - Leigh Nash and Matt Slocum - would briefly join 10,000 Maniacs.  Which, well, is kind of cool.  But the band was more than 2 people.  They had a full band, and one of them was bassist Justin Cary.  Cary died aged 50 after a stroke, 

This song was a 1999 US pop hit - their 2nd trip to the top 40 and a bigger hit than the original version by The LA's. 

This live performance is from two months ago - TWO MONTHS - and yes, that's Justin Cary on bass.  He will be missed. 

19 June 2026 - Corrina ft. Bridley Costello - Twister

Bridley Costello is an up and coming singer who grew up in Chicagoland.  This post isn't about Bridley Costello.

No, this post is about Corrina.  

Corrina released her debut album HOUSE ON ANOTHER STREET in 2025. It's pretty good power pop.  This was the single off that album, whose video was released on Halloween 2025.  And yeah, it's a pretty spooky video - so I get it. 

And it's got credits, and in those credits, Corrina uses her government name.

As in Amy and Vince

Why she isn't cashing in off her TWO last names, I do not know - but she's making music very differently from either of them.   She *is* opening for her mother tonight in Stroudsburg, PA, so if you're in the area, check her out.

And if you aren't, just enjoy her music, right here. 

18 June 2026 - Huey Lewis & The News - The Power Of Love

This song would represent Huey Lewis and The News's only top ten hit  

On the UK charts.  They had TONS of hits in the US, but this was one of their biggest. 

Written for the 1985 hit move Back To The Future, it appears early in the movie when Marty McFly tries out for his school's talent show with his band, only for one of the judges to call it "too loud". 

That judge is exactly who you think it is. 

By the way, Huey Lewis was like 34 when that scene was filmed. 

The song was one of the biggest hits of 1985, and it was nominated for both a Grammy and an Academy Award in 1986.  And, it brings the BIG horns, which was something of a band trademark. 

Of course, I can find TONS of live performances of this song.  I chose a later one - from 2014 - to show that, even in his 60s, Huey brought high energy.

And the fans know the words. 

But ok.  One more for you. This is from 1987 and is at the peak of the band's fame - and it shows. 

17 June 2026 - Holy F*ck - Evie

The band is absolutely called Holy Fuck 

They've been making great electronic music in Toronto for about 20 years.  Their latest album, Event Beat, was released in March to critical acclaim, and last week, it was named to the Polaris Music Prize longlist. It deserves it, too, even if their name has to be censored absolutely everywhere, including YouTube, where the video is billed to Holy F.

However you have to hear them, they are worth it.  There's a great depth to their music that you don't see in many electronic acts. 

It was hard to find a version of this song live that wasn't age-restricted, but this one, from Asheville NC on 4/20, fits the bill.  Billed to @holyfuck, it skirts the age restrictions, I guess. 

16 June 2026 - Lala Lala - Anywave

I love the new Lala Lala album, Heaven 2.  No skips. This is one of my very favorite albums of 2026 so far. Lillie West has put together a masterpiece.  

And, there have been a few great singles from this album, and I was all ready to feature one of them.  However, there's one dark, bass-heavy song that has been on super heavy rotation for me, and it's not one of the singles.  So, I was worried that I was going to have to wait until either that single got released or there was a clean, solid live performance. 

The latter happened.  KEXP hosted Lala Lala for a four song session, and sure enough.... "Anywave".  You didn't even know there was a sax in there, did you?  The song starts really drum-and-bass heavy, but slow, quiet and plodding - but it grows exponentially, and quickly. 

And, because KEXP did this great thing, I can also post a grimier, darker version, HARDER version of this song from April. 

15 June 2026 - Cris Derksen - Pow.wow.wow.

I just found out last week that Cris Derksen, the Canadian First Nations (of Cree and Mennonite heritage) cellist known for her evocative work, passed away on May 15th at age 45 - in a head-on collision that happened on the travel home from her father's funeral. 

This song was from her 2010 album The Cusp.  Her latest album The Visit came out in November and will likely get some Junos love next March. 

Cris's musical talent and advocacy for other artists will be sorely missed.  For now, I want you to hear her music.

12 June 2026 - R.E.M. - Blue

R.E.M. released their fifteenth and final studio album, Collapse Into Now, in 2011.

This song, co-written by the band (minus Bill Berry, who had left the band at this point) and the legendary Patti Smith, who also provides vocals on the song, ended the album. 

The band would make videos for every song on the album.  This video, directed by actor James Franco, ends with the words "The End".

I think they were telling us something.

The band broke up in September 2011, six months after this album's release.

They never toured in support of the album, but they left us with a great exclamation point on their career. 

11 June 2026 - R.E.M. - The One I Love

No, this isn't a love song.   It's a song Michael Stipe called "violent" in 1988 but acknowledged later that it could be open to interpretation.  "A simple prop to occupy my time" is not exactly a loving line. 

But I'm here to talk about Peter Buck's guitar work.  Despite being a rock band, I don't think they got enough credit for the sheer talent of the instrumentalists, and Buck - who also played mandolin and banjo on other tracks, has a HELL of a guitar solo in this song. 

The video features friends and family of the band, including Michael Stipe's sister, Lynda (who herself was formerly in a band called Oh-OK and a little later was in another one called Hetch Hetchy).

I just needed an excuse to talk about Lynda Stipe.  OK, let's move on. 

From their fifth album, 1987's Document, the song would be their first big hit single, hitting the US Top 10 and getting airplay worldwide... but not as much as they would if they were on, say, Warner Brothers....

In 1990, R.E.M. released a movie Documenting the Green tour, called Tourfilm. I figured the footage of this song from that would be better than anything someone with a videocamera in the audience in 1989 could get.

It's a pretty straight-forward version of the song. 

In fact, this is a song they always did faithful.... even in 2005.... even in the pouring rain.

10 June 2026 - R.E.M. - Orange Crush

In 1988, R.E.M. left their longtime home at IRS Records to join the Warner Brothers roster with their sixth album, Green.  They did it because overseas distribution of their records had been poor thus far.

Not a speck of green on this cover.

They kicked off their Warners years with a song about Agent Orange and the Vietnam War in 1988 - this song, which is not about a soft drink but absolutely did kick off an orange soda kick for 16-year-old me.   The song was not released as a single in the US, but did well on modern and mainstream rock radio as well as overseas, where it WAS released as a single. 

The video was a huge MTV hit and won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Post-Modern Video - in the inaugural year for the category. The band does not appear in the video at all.  

This live video, courtesy of Reelin' In The Years Productions, is exactly how I remember the band performing the song in 1989 when I saw them - complete with the "Be All You Can Be" intro and megaphone usage by Michael Stipe. 

The megaphone stuck around for later tours, including this 2005 performance that was just as dynamic so many years later.

9 June 2026 - R.E.M. - Pretty Persuasion

This song was one of R.E.M.'s earliest, being performed at shows as early as 1980, and a live version was recorded for their 1983 debut album Murmur, but it was left off.   So, when it came time to record the follow-up album Reckoning, producer Mitch Easter wanted the band to record it.

Except, at that point, Michael Stipe had grown to hate the song.  

Well, compromises were made, and the song was recorded in a multi-track version with Stipe and Mike Mills providing fresh harmonies.

Despite Stipe's feelings at the time, it remains one of my favorite songs of theirs.

This is one of their earlier performances of the song.  Yes, the harmonies are there, but you can see it sounds a lot more raw.

This is a song that disappeared from R.E.M.'s live sets for a good spell, but it came back.  Here they are in 2007 performing it once again.

The band was still performing the hell out of the song.

R.E.M. broke up in 2011.  

HOWEVER, in February 2025 - LAST YEAR - they reunited for ONE SONG ONLY at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA.

What was the song?

This one, of course. 

Now, a little explanation - Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy & Friends were touring and performing a cover of the entire Fables of the Reconstruction album.  This song wasn't on that album, so clearly, they needed help...

They didn't, actually.  They perform the song pretty frequently as part of their R.E.M. cover band project.

Anyway, this was fun. 

8 June 2026 - R.E.M. - So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)

I'm sorry.

That's what a lot of people think the name of this song is.  

It's not.  It's "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)".  The "So." is short for "South". However, it is listed as "Southern Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" on the inner sleeve of the Reckoning album.  I usually myself refer to it as "South Central Rain" without the parenthetical title.

What does it mean? I'm not sure, but Michael Stipe seems to be singing a narration happening during a particularly rough rainstorm, so that's probably part of it.

But it's a passionate, great song - one of my favorites by the band even though it ended up being a relatively well-known song.  

The video - and this is a band that LOVED exploring the video medium, but more on that throughout the week - was fake playing by the band but real singing by Michael Stipe, who hated lipsyncing.

You might notice the Hall of Fame label on this week.  It's R.E.M. week, folks.  They're our newest Hall of Fame entry. 

Throughout their career, R.E.M. consistently played this song.  Here is one of the last times they played it, on Austin City Limits. 

My sister saw R.E.M. in 1995 in Buffalo, on the Monster tour - R.E.M. is her favorite band - and this song was one of typical encore songs.  It was a little more torch-songy, but also passionate.  This is a recording from the Milan, Italy show on that tour.

I personally saw R.E.M. live on September 13, 1989 in Hartford, CT - and it was my first concert ever.  I saw them with my very good friend Mark Whittier, who passed away in 1995.  Great show. Again, it was somewhat torch-songy, but less so than 1995.

Anyway, this is the performance from September 12, 1989, in Buffalo, NY.  This is exactly how I remember it.

 

For the last live performance, I go back to 1983, and the band's first national television appearance on Late Night With David Letterman.  Yes, this is a year before the song was released, and yet they performed it anyway.... even before the song had a title. By the way, if you go back up to the ACL video earlier in this post - that's my source for that little fact.

Michael Stipe had a reputation for being a little mumbly early in his career.  This performance is a lot of the reason why. 

5 June 2026 - Snocaps - Coast

One of those musical acts that I am supposed to like as an aging hipster is Waxahatchee.  

And I have TRIED really hard to like the Katie Crutchfield project.  And, well..... I just don't like Waxahatchee all that much.  But, I still felt like I had to listen to her projects... in a desperate attempt to like her music.

But when Katie got together with her twin sister Allison (and MJ Lenderman and Brad Cook) and formed Snocaps - a great indie power-pop band - THAT I could get on board with.  It's earnest, lo-fi fun!

The whole Snocaps album was one of my favorites of 2025, and although it missed the Wicked25, I feel like you still need to go listen to it. 

I hope there are more Snocaps albums, because, as this Tonight Show performance illustrates, these sisters can HARMONIZE!

4 June 2026 - Soccer Mommy - Abigail

I know I didn't make a 2024 list - but if I had, Evergreen by Soccer Mommy would have been one of the top 2 albums on it (Romance by Fontaines D.C. would have been the other) and probably #1. 

However, Soccer Mommy released an EP in 2025 - Evergreen (stripped) that had stripped down versions of a lot of those songs. THAT was good enough to earn an honorable mention on my Wicked25 last year.  I did an online listening party with Soccer Mommy the day before its release, where we listened to Evergreen and Evergreen (stripped) and I gotta say, that was a musical highlight of the year. 

For contrast, this is the original Evergreen version of "Abigail".....

.... and this is the Evergreen (stripped) version. 

There are a LOT of available live versions of this song, so I chose the easiest to hear - the one she did for Triple J. 

No word on whether or not she's doing any stripped shows. 

3 June 2026 - Blondshell - T&A

I had the entry for If You Asked For A Picture by Blondshell WRITTEN for my Wicked25. 

WRITTEN!

That's how close it was to making the list.  It was ON the list. 

Ultimately, it got pushed out because there was 25 albums that, on that day, I found more worthy.  

I have felt really guilty about this since that day.  The album deserved to be there - to the point where I have almost edited it back in. I still might do that.

Anyway, here's a single for you. This is pretty indicative of the songwriting that Sabrina Teitelbaum (who goes by Blondshell because it's a lot less wordy, I guess) brings to the table.  

Yes, the song is about tits and ass. 

While I love her KEXP performance......

.... the bluntness of this introduction during a live performance in the wild is a little more endearing.

2 June 2026 - Housewife - Work Song

 There used to be a great button on Youtube that allowed me to just make a post directly from there to this blog. 

They took it away in March. So doing this has gotten harder. 

Housewife is not an artist that has released a full album yet - but she did release a great EP in 2025 called Girl Of The Hour that was filled with so much 2000s goodness that it was absolutely worthy of its honourable mention. I say artist - it was a band, but Brighid Fry is the only member left.  They've been doing this for a decade but only the last few years solo.

Anyway, it's a great EP and you should go listen to it now. 

1 June 2026 - Ariane Roy - Âmes soeurs

You might remember my #Wicked25.  For the very first time last year, I listed my 25 favorite albums of a year.  I have been known to do one or two favorites, but never 25.

I also had a list of 25 runners up - honourable mentions, as you will.  Some of those, I felt very guilty about excluding.  I'm going to highlight those this week - because if I made the list today, these albums would be ON the list, not just honourably mentioned.  

I'm not going to highlight the albums that would have been bumped in most cases - because they were on the list because they were deserving, excellent albums. And no, you can't just guess it's 21-25, because that's not the case.  At all.   

This is the more egregious omission.  Because, if you look back at the list, you'll now see 26 honourable mentions.  I didn't listen to Dogue by Ariane Roy until January.  It was a terrible oversight on my part, because it not only would have made the list, it would have been a top 10 album.  This is EASILY the second best francophone album of 2025. 

Ariane release Dogue de Luxe in February of this year - probably because Dogue was so well-received - and used the extra space to make new versions of some of her songs with her friends.

If you didn't know this was coming, you aren't paying attention. 

Anyway, Alexandre Martel and Lou-Adriane Cassidy joined her on the new version. 

29 May 2026 - LE SSERAFIM - BOOMPALA

Dale a tu cuerpo, alegría indeed. 

Because yeah, this song by Korean girl group LE SSERAFIM, who have an inexplicable second S in their name, certainly DOES sample the wedding staple "Macarena".  And their latest single, from the album 'PUREFLOW', Pt.1, which is incredible, is very much fast Latin house - and very much in your face from the get go. 

The single was literally released last Friday, but is already on the Japanese charts.  Let's see where this goes.  I personally think they're poised for greatness.

It's a K-Pop girl group.

OF COURSE they have a performance video.

And by "a performance video", we mean TWO performance videos.  This one's in a quarry.

Now, you know I usually have to throw a disclaimer on "live" performances by K-Pop groups, but this performance - from earlier this week on Korean television - seems to be a little different - it's not the album version at all.  They seem to be at least PARTLY singing this. 

You may notice there's only four of them.   Kim Chaewon had to sit this one out and will be resting for a bit with neck pain.