On this day in 1955, James Dean died in a car accident. He was 24. Although Dean only appeared in three movies during his brief movie career, he made a deep impression on American audiences. His three films were Rebel Without a Cause (1955), East of Eden (1955), and Giant (1956). Today we have the song James Dean (Awaiting Ambulance) by MY FAVORITE from the album The Happiest Days Of Our Lives.
posted by Sean at 1:28 AM
0 comments
On this day in 1930, filming began on the classic horror film Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi. Lugosi was born in Hungary, and emigrated to the US in 1921. The film version of Dracula was so successful that Lugosi was identified with the role for the rest of his life. When he died in 1956, Lugosi was buried with his Dracula cape. Today we have the song Dracula Screams Of Tiger Style Pt.2 by TULLYCRAFT.
posted by Sean at 12:11 AM
4 comments
On this day in 1982, the first episode of Knight Rider aired. The television series starred David Hasselhoff as private eye Michael Knight, but the real star of the show was KITT, his talking car. KITT, a modified Pontiac Firebird, complete with artificial intelligence and glowing red lights, assisted Michael in his detective work. During the show's four year run, KITT attracted a loyal and dedicated fan following. Today we have the song 8 Bit World by DARREN HAYMAN from his Great British Holiday EP. Happy Friday!
posted by Sean at 1:16 AM
1 comments
On this day in 1963, the movie Beach Party, starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, opened in theaters. The film was the first of several beach films for the pair... they also starred together in Muscle Beach Party (1964) and How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965). Funicello started out as one of the Mouseketeers on the TV show The Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s. Today we have THE BEACH BOYS covering Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changin' from the album Beach Boys' Party.
posted by Sean at 12:36 AM
1 comments
On this day in 1961, the sitcom I Love Lucy aired its last episode. The show, created by Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, ran for 10 years. Ball had insisted that Arnaz be cast as her husband on the show despite the fact that network executives insisted no one would believe a white American actress would be married to a Cuban bandleader. Desi and Lucy filmed a pilot before a live audience to convince network executives that audiences responded well to their act, and CBS agreed to cast Desi for the show. Today we have the song All The Love In The World by THE SMITTENS from their new album The Coolest Thing About Love.
posted by Sean at 12:41 AM
1 comments
The All Girl Summer Fun Band are back! The foursome is now a three piece. They have a new album out today titled Looking Into It. AGSFB formed during the summer of 1998. In fact, they played their first ever show in July 1998 at the Magic Marker house with The Push Kings, Kissing Book, and Tullycraft. The band members agreed that the description for the band would make a perfect band name, and so "All Girl Summer Fun Band" was printed on the flier. Today we have the song Grizzly Bear by ALL GIRL SUMMER FUN BAND.
posted by Sean at 12:25 AM
1 comments
On this day in 2007, THE MOUNTAIN GOATS played at the North Star Bar in Philadelphia, PA. Today we have a live recording of the song The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton from that show.
posted by Sean at 12:06 AM
4 comments
On this day in 1985, the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) released the "Filthy Fifteen", a list of the fifteen songs they found most objectionable. Here is the list they released:
posted by Sean at 12:38 AM
5 comments
On this night in 1977, Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers played at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. It was the peak of punk rock in Britain and this was the first time The Modern Lovers had played in England. Jonathan Richman was recognized in Great Britain as a forefather of the punk rock movement, and several of his singles had become hits there. "Roadrunner" reached #11 in the UK pop charts, as well as the instrumental "Egyptian Reggae" (#5 in late 1977), and the live version of "New England" (#14 in 1978). In the audience at the Odeon that evening were Joe Strummer & Mick Jones of the Clash and John Lydon & Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols. Today we have the THE MODERN LOVERS performing The Morning Of Our Lives live in 1977. I know this is the second Modern Lovers MP3 this week, but this is a great song... I guarantee it will brighten your day. Enjoy!
posted by Sean at 12:38 AM
1 comments
On this day in 1976, Siouxsie & The Banshee’s guitarist Billy Idol informed the band that he was unable to play their upcoming record release show at the 100 Club because he had a commitment with his other band Chelsea. Unhappy with sharing a guitar player, Steve and Siouxsie kicked Billy out of the band. Two months later, on November 21st, Chelsea broke-up and Billy Idol and Tony James went on to form Generation X. Today we have the song Ready Steady Go by GENERATION X from their debut album. "Ready Steady Go" would reach #47 on the UK singles chart in March 1978.
posted by Sean at 1:03 AM
3 comments
On this day in 1949, Warner Bros. introduced the Road Runner in the cartoon short Fast and Furry-ous. Like the sounds of countless other Warner Bros. cartoon characters, the Road Runner's famous "beep, beep!" was voiced by Mel Blanc. Today we have the song Roadrunner by THE MODERN LOVERS from their first studio session in March 1972 in Boston, MA.
posted by Sean at 12:14 AM
2 comments
On this day in 1830, the Liverpool & Manchester Railway opened. It was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and operated primarily by steam locomotives. At the opening day ceremony William Huskisson, a popular member of Parliament for Liverpool, misjudged the speed of the approaching train and was run over, becoming the world's first railway passenger fatality. Today we have A Passengers Guide to Getting By from BLACK BEFORE RED.
posted by Sean at 12:50 AM
0 comments
On this day in 1970, the animated television series Josie and the Pussycats debuted on American television. Josie and the Pussycats featured an all-girl pop band that toured the world with their entourage, getting mixed up in strange adventures, spy capers, and mysteries. The show became famous for its music, the girls' leopard print leotards, and for featuring the first regularly appearing black character in a Saturday morning cartoon show. In 1972, Hanna-Barbera produced a spin-off called Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space, which ran until 1974. Today we have the show's theme song Josie & The Pussycats performed by JULIANA HATFIELD & TANYA DONELLY. Happy Friday!
posted by Sean at 12:53 AM
3 comments
On this day in 1987, news anchor Dan Rather walked off the set in anger just before a remote Evening News broadcast from Miami, when a U.S. Open tennis match threatened to cut into his broadcast. The Steffi Graf-Lori McNeil tennis match actually ended sooner than expected at 6:32 pm, but Rather was nowhere to be found. Over 100 affiliates were left scrambling with an embarrassing six minutes of dead air. By the time Rather was persuaded to return to the desk, most of the audience had already tuned out. Today we have one of my favorite new songs of the year, Apple+Option+Fire by HOT LAVA from their album Lavalogy.
posted by Sean at 12:28 AM
3 comments
Issue seven of the wonderful fanzine Bottle Rocket came out little while back and we wanted to let everyone know about it. That's right, another actual fanzine... and not a blog! This latest issue features interviews with The Lucksmiths, Strawberry Story, and Summer Cats, and a bit about Katy's trip to Athens. This issue also comes with a Cloudberry 3" compilation CD with Play People, The Winter Club, Nixon, The Andersen Tapes, and Funny Little Dream. Issue seven of Bottle Rocket is $7 US (wherever you live). Check out the Bottle Rocket MySpace Page! Today we have the song Close My Eyes by STRAWBERRY STORY.
posted by Sean at 1:26 AM
2 comments
posted by Sean at 1:39 AM
4 comments
Thirty years ago today, in 1978, Parallel Lines, the third studio album by Blondie was released on Chrysalis Records. The record contained several of the best-known Blondie hits, including "Heart of Glass," "Hanging on the Telephone", "Sunday Girl" and "One Way or Another". Six of the twelve tracks were issued as singles, either in the U.S. or the U.K. The album reached number one in the United Kingdom in February 1979. Earlier this summer, the band Bunnygrunt performed as Blondie-Grunt at the Athens Popfest, playing the entire Parallel Lines album as a tribute to its 30th anniversary. Today we have a live version of the song Hanging On The Telephone by BLONDIE-GRUNT from the Athens Popfest 2008.
posted by Sean at 12:39 AM
3 comments
On this day in 1992, it was reported that Prince had signed a $100 million contract with Warner Bros., making him the highest-paid pop artist in the world. By 1993, he was feeling highly restricted by the terms of his contract. He changed his name from Prince to an unpronounceable glyph combining the symbol for male and female. For the next seven years, journalists referred to him as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince." After Prince's Warner Bros. contract expired in 1996, he released an album called Emancipation. When his publishing contract with Warner-Chappell expired in 2000, he changed his name back to Prince. Today we have the song Housequake by PRINCE from the album Sign O The Times. Happy Friday!
posted by Sean at 12:47 AM
5 comments
On this day in 1967, the last episode of Gilligan's Island aired. Although the show about seven people stranded on a deserted island only ran for three years, it aired in reruns for decades. The entire original cast, except Tina Louise who played the movie star Ginger, were resurrected in three TV movies. Today we have the song Temporary Tattoo by ONE HAPPY ISLAND.
posted by Sean at 12:55 AM
0 comments
On this day in 1995, eBay was founded in San Jose, California, by computer programmer Pierre Omidyar as AuctionWeb, part of a larger personal site. The very first item sold on eBay was a broken laser pointer for $14.83. Astonished, Omidyar contacted the winning bidder to ask if he understood that the laser pointer was broken. In his responding email, the buyer explained: "I'm a collector of broken laser pointers." The frequently-repeated story that eBay was founded to help Omidyar's fiancée trade PEZ candy dispensers was fabricated by a public relations manager in 1997 to interest the media. This was revealed in Adam Cohen's 2002 book, The Perfect Store, and confirmed by eBay. Today we have the song Heat And Panic by THE MANHATTAN LOVE SUICIDES from the CD Burnt Out Landscapes, a collection of singles, compilations, and radio shows out on Magic Marker Records.
posted by Sean at 12:14 AM
3 comments