The Current Music Blog: April 21, 2009 Archive

Today In Music History: Boys Don't Cry, But Some Sing Like They're Crying

Posted at 7:53 AM on April 21, 2009 by Steve Seel

1947 - Iggy Pop (James Osterberg) was born.
1959 - Michael Timmins (guitar, Cowboy Junkies) was born.
1966 - Michael Franti was born.
1973 - Tony Orlando & Dawn started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree', (it became the biggest seller of 1973, selling over 6 million).
1973 - Alice Cooper went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Billion Dollar Babies.'
1978 - UK folk singer Sandy Denny died aged 31.
1990 - Sinead O'Connor started a four week stay at No.1 in the US singles chart with her version of the Prince song 'Nothing Compares To You'. The track was also a No.1 hit in 18 other countries.
2001 - R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck was charged by police at Heathrow airport with being drunk on an aircraft and assaulting British Airways crew. Buck was taken into custody after landing on a flight from Seattle and questioned by police for 12 hours.
2004 - Former Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan was attacked in a London pub. The singer suffered a fractured cheekbone after being kicked, punched and hit with a metal bar.

Robert Smith leader and singer of The Cure is 50 today, born in Blackpool (how appropriate) England on this date in 1959. While The Cure's often morose and depressed music is often credited with being one of the progenitors of the so-called "goth" genre (even though Smith eschews the term), it's more Smith's physical appearance that early goth culture took it's cues from: black clothing, black tossled hair, makeup, and sneakers. While The Cure is an 80s post-punk/new wave band that has endured (and then some) and continues to produce great music today unlike most of their peers, it seemed appropriate to play one of their early signature tunes this morning: Boys Don't Cry.

You don't need a rodeo to "Saddle Up" for free!

Posted at 12:02 PM on April 21, 2009 by Barb Abney

The British duo The Boy Least Likely To released their sophomore record, The Law Of The Playground last week. You can grab the tune "Saddle Up" for free today on our Song Of The Day podcast. If you're a new subscriber, you will also grab new songs from The Veils, Röyksopp, Man Is Doomed and Obits. Later this week you'll get new tunes from Band Of Skulls, Halloween, Alaska and Black Blondie.
More Boy Least Likely To info....

By the power of three songs, he has the power!

Posted at 1:14 PM on April 21, 2009 by Barb Abney

Adam McLeod-Roth from Minneapolis picked today's My 3 Songs set because..."I would be lying if I gave any other reason for requesting these songs than the simple fact that I want to feel the power of being a DJ."

Joy Division - "Disorder"
Van Morrison - "Sweet Thing"
Uncle Tupelo - "I Wanna Be Your Dog"

Make your "My 3 Songs" requests here.