buhdge

welcome back to pop

While we've been recharging our batteries (AAs, if you must know), the world of pop culture has changed exponentially. Not only has one of the top--perhaps even the top --melodic pop albums of the year already been released (say "Hey, missed ya this much!" to the great Roger Klug), but the wretched, viral mess known as Prison Break has finally gone to the alan haber in the pure pop radio studio, 2004 Place Where Once Great and Majestic Television Shows Rightly Revealed to Smell like Seriously Sour Cream Go to Die Justly Deserved Deaths, or as the joint is known in TV critic circles, Smelly Tellyville.

Yes, my friends, it's a brave new world out there. Orwell, might as well party like it's 1984 (or 1964, which was a much better year for our kind of music). We'd better get to the reviews and interviews and such before our AAs lose their potency and Roger Klug releases his next album.

more help for your nerves

It's not just the name of Mr. Klug's new album, his first original collection in 12 years, unless you count his curating of the lost recordings of Cincinnati's own pop svengali, Clem Comstock, the results of which hit the brick-and-mortars 10 years ago. (Say what you will, but Roger is nothing if not selectively unprolific.)

No, More Help for Your Nerves is more than simply an album title--it's a mitzvah! Albums like Nerves set high standards for melodic pop and pave the way for more great things to come. Some of those great things are already here, actually, such as the latest long player from ace combo and patron saints of pop, the Spongetones; the long-playing debut of Norway's Merseybeat artisans, Peter and the Penguins; a top-drawer solo effort from Aussie one-man-band, Michael Carpenter; the latest from the hummable Humbugs; a newish EP from our old friend, the tuneful Pat Walsh; and extremely welcome reissues from XTC's nom de plume, the Dukes of Stratosphear.

We'll be reviewing all of the above, and more, in the coming weeks. We'll also be taking an in-depth look at Billie Burke Estate main man Andy Liotta's ambitious, and deeply rewarding, ongoing project called Monday Songs, for which Andy writes, records and posts a new song on his site every first day of every work week--hence the project's name. The songs are fantastic, as is the artist, by the way, but you knew that already, didn't you?

We'll also be weighing in on our favorite television programs, and we'll be bringing you the latest musings of our intrepid columnists. There's more, but let us put a temporary halt on such waxing. Tomorrow's another day. We'll be sure to keep our batteries charged.

P.S. You may notice we've changed our design--again. We'll be applying this new coat of paint to all of our old pages in the coming days and weeks and months. Just so all of the curtains match, you understand. Bear with us, please, as the magic happens, one trick at a time. p.s. We're sorting out our e-mail situation, so for now, click on the Contact link at the top of the page or send an e-mail with any questions you may have by clicking here.

Photos of Alan Haber and Scott Brookman
© 2009 Janet Haber

the latest additions

Up the Down Escalator No. 4 7/03/09

The great Frank Lee Sprague returns with a wide-ranging discourse on music and musical recording. Party on! Read it here.

Roger Klug Calms Your Nerves 6/27/09

Cincinatti's own Roger Klug is back with his first album of original material in a dozen years, and it's a doozy. buhdge review

The SpongeTones Scramble Their Eggs 6/27/09

The follow-up to the Spongetone's fabulous Too Clever by Half shows just why the four spongey lads are a tone and a half above the rest. Read all about it. buhdge review

Pat Walsh's "Lost" EP 6/27/09

We've loved Pat's Egghead album since it came out in 2001, and now we love this EP, which dates back to golden year of 1997. buhdge review

The Squires Project Coming Soon

the squire(s) of the subterrain! Chris Earl's nom de plume, the Squires of the Subterrain, is your guarantee for pop music pleasure. For over a decade, Chris's eclectic mix has been delighting discerning ears around the world. Over the coming weeks and months, we'll be surveying each and every Squires (and related) release for you, the discerning buhdge reader. Check back soon for our first installment.

buhdge bits

The Subtext that Propels Pixar's Up 6/27/09

My wife and I recently saw Pixar's latest masterpiece, Up. There isn't anything I can add to the choruses of huzzahs this instant classic is attracting, except...

balloons This is the first of Pixar's 10 films that I can recall making a concerted effort to connect more with adults than kids, although it certainly connects with both. It earns its PG rating honestly, with repeated depictions of violence and violent, unsavory characters; a varying sense of impending doom; and an everpresent feeling of loss. Which is not to say that Up is a depressing experience--far from it. It is uproariously funny, touching, and touchingly human. It bristles with life, and the affirmation of life.

Pixar's films are ostensibly made for audiences both young and old. There is something in them for everyone. The large measure of subtext in Up will sail right over the heads of young kids, leaving them with colorful visuals, uproarious gags, and voice characterizations to enjoy. High school-age children and older should have no problem with the subtext on the face of it. Adults, with a good measure of life experience under their belts, will find themselves applying the subtext to their particular circumstances, and after the credits are finished rolling, they will be better prepared for what life holds in store for them.

Is there a more reliable movie maker than Pixar? I doubt it. You've got to be reliable to do the job each and every time out. There must be something in the water out in Emeryville, California. Pour me a glass, would you? Or can I at least have a sip?

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Pure Pop 24/7, the all-day and all-of-the-night melodic pop radio station, plays the greatest pop in the universe from the sixties, seventies and today.

From the Beatles, the Hollies and the Bee Gees to the Spongetones, Pugwash and Peter and the Penguins, Pure Pop 24/7 is your source for pure melodic pop pleasure.

Listen by clicking here, and let the melody pop on!