Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Remembering Prince on the Third Anniversary of His Death

This is what it sounds like
When doves cry

From 4-23-16...


What a sad week this has been. I have spent the last 36 hours working, doing radio interviews about Prince's death, the details as we know them now and what his true impact on pop culture was. I have cranked out details and connected with numerous people over this loss, with many asking why his death feels so different. It's a true gut punch for anyone raised in the '80s, isn't it? I suspect that since Prince has been there for the last 35 years it just kind of felt like he always would be somewhere creating music. I think many of us didn't really realize the impact that he had on us until we learned that he was gone.

I was in 7th grade during the summer of Purple Rain and I remember it well. It was that rated R movie that none of us were allowed to see so we absorbed every possible detail from television, MTV and magazine articles. Back in the '80s (you know, when everything wasn't just the click of a mouse away), we cut everything about our favorites out of the newspaper or any magazine that we could find. My friends and I were divided down the middle, either you loved Prince or you loved Michael Jackson- it couldn't be both. I was a Prince girl and built my magazine cut out scrapbook accordingly. And the music truly did directly influence everything back then. If you loved Prince then you represented with your purple on the daily. Most Prince fans loved Madonna equally, especially when they toured together so it was a mix of purple lace hair bows, crosses, and purple jelly bracelets all summer long.

That summer ended up being the very best one of my childhood and the Purple Rain was always part of the soundtrack. My friends and I spent hours at the kitchen table together glued to a boom box waiting for a chance to call into Q-102 (THE station to listen to) to try and win a copy of the soundtrack. None of us won a Prince album but we did score the Boss, Steve Perry, Chaka Khan, and a few others. Music was absolutely everything back then, especially when you were at the mercy of a DJ or MTV to play it for you.

It took me years to really understand that Prince was more than the freaky guy in purple with perfect eyeliner, that he was a musical genius. I had a friend absolutely obsessed with him and he spoon fed me various Prince facts while we worked together. By the time "Batdance" came along I understood what I was really listening to and came to expect nothing short of amazing-ness from him.

In the last 30 years, so many other artists have come and gone as my taste has shifted and changed over the years. I can honestly say that I like a little bit of everything (minus country) but so few bring to the table what Prince has. I mean, how many on Billboard's charts can play 27 instruments?  Yeah, none. How many currently rocking in the top ten will be relevant in 30 years? Maybe 1 or 2 right, maybe? Or maybe none at all.

Today's artists aren't built for the kind of longevity like Prince, David Bowie or even Glenn Frey. They don't bring all of those elements to the table and that has only made the loss of these icons feel that much heavier on our hearts. Prince himself confirmed years ago that there really is a vault filled with his unreleased music. There are albums from Prince & the Revolution and also a few with The New Power Generation. Perhaps part of what makes him so iconic is the fact that he was thinking beyond his life here. He was not only making sure that he wouldn't be forgotten, but he left new music behind so that his presence would be felt in a new way after the fact.

If you manage to catch any of Prince's live performance videos on YouTube before they are pulled down, pay attention to the details. Every single second is choreographed and means something. Amazing how we notice all of the details after the fact, isn't it? Like the fact that there is a purple heart behind Prince on the cover of the Purple Rain album. I never noticed that before this week.

Throwback Thursday Vinyl Heaven: Janet Jackson- 'Janet'

"Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Can't you see my desire
That's the way love goes
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
That's the way love goes
My love is blind
Can't you see my desire?"

1993 was a great year for music. Nirvana, Pearl Jam and other grunge acts had brought back the old garage band style of rock and roll that was missing during the years of the almighty hair bands and R&B slow jams had really become a thing. There truly was something for everyone and if your musical taste hopped across different genres then you had a lot of great music to choose from. In May Janet Jackson released  Janet. her best selling album to date.

After years of preaching sexual abstinence and supporting various social injustices, Janet decided to give us something a whole lot more personal. The album, from one end to the other is rooted in embracing sexual freedom, a topic that Janet was able to take on after finally finding comfort in her own skin.

The album contained six singles, starting with "That's The Way Love Goes" a smooth groove with a slick video. In fact, the way that all of the singles were packaged really went a long way in adding to the success of Janet. She brought along her friends, back up dancers and then-husband, Rene Elizondo Jr. for the video ride. Check out Janet in its entirety below and also check out the videos from this great album. I think my very favorite is still "If", how about you, what's yours? 

Currently Booming: It's In the Music

This past Saturday afternoon was spent like so many others before it, in one of my very favorite places on earth. As I left the car and started to walk down a familiar street in what has been dubbed "The Coolest Small Town In America" I felt an excitement bordering on anxiety running through my veins. I can't quite reach the front door fast enough, yet once I'm three steps from the shop I instinctively slow down because I don't want to seem too anxious. I open the door, step inside and immediately calm down. I smell musty old vinyl records, incense burning and I hear the old floorboards shifting beneath my feet. It could be a hot summer day in 2017 or one back in 1987. Time is irrelevant because either way, I'm home.

When I was a little girl way back in 1970-something I would spend plenty of time with my dad while my mom worked nights. He worked for an up-and-coming rock radio station and so much of my time with him revolved around music. Visiting his friends while they were on air. Opening big boxes of brand new albums and previewing them on the spot or running to a newsstand every Friday to grab one of the only copies of Billboard magazine that they would get in each week. Saturday afternoons were spent in a record store- at first the little hole in the wall and then eventually in a bigger chain. The smaller shops were always the best and before I could even read I was flipping through albums and analyzing cover art. Dad would be talking music with his buddies and I would be running stuff by Blue Oyster Cult over to him because I loved the colors of visuals

These trips went on for years until I was way too old and far too cool to be caught dead with a parent. Then I went to the record store by myself to buy a mixture of hair band and freestyle dance music on cassette. Everything from Whitesnake to Expose` was bumping through my Walkman and I never left the house without some sort of music on me. It was my happy place, my escape and my salvation I'll be wrapped into one four minute and thirty-second song after another. Music was my normal and for years it never really occurred to me that it was actually a gift and a language that not everyone else spoke.

As I stand in front of tables full of vinyl, I'm at peace. The kind that my dad must have felt all of those years ago. The kind that you can't talk yourself into, it's either gut level there or it's not. As I pour over bin after bin, all of my real life problems seem to know better than to cut in. I'm left present in the moment and somehow connected to all of the positive things that come from melodies, harmonies and deep lyrics. Things like hope, faith, connection, joy and a reminder to my dark little heart that there is still an enormous amount of good in this world.

My dad taught me how to dig for album gold and how to find comfort in something that is always, without fail, there for each and every one of us. That need to belong and fit in somewhere- it's always in the music. Most importantly, he showed me the natural connections that form while looking for that elusive record. The reality is anyone hanging over a bin of vinyl for more than five minutes will intuitively understand how at least part of my brain works, without us ever having a conversation. So why not have that conversation? Music solidifies things before people even exchange first names.

I know that vinyl has become the cool" thing again and I love the fact that my teenagers are spinning records even more than they are using a streaming service. I just hope that once the trend cools off and Urban Outfitters stops pushing the same record player in 25 colors, the love of vinyl continues with a bunch of beautiful young faces to nurture it.

As a parent you instinctively understand that it's your job to provide for and teach your kids the things that they need to be decent and successful adults. As an older parent that has settled into life, I understand now more than ever that the biggest gifts that I have to give generally don't include a monetary price tag. When I watch my kids flip through albums now I wonder if years from now, they'll really get "it". Have I unknowingly lead them towards a lifetime of emotional understanding just as my father did me? No matter what your heart needs, it's in the music, so you might as well dig in.

Currently Booming: Record Store Day 2018 is This Saturday!

List of special releases is right here.

Currently Booming: It's In the Music

This past Saturday afternoon was spent like so many others before it, in one of my very favorite places on earth. As I left the car and started to walk down a familiar street in what has been dubbed "The Coolest Small Town In America" I felt an excitement bordering on anxiety running through my veins. I can't quite reach the front door fast enough, yet once I'm three steps from the shop I instinctively slow down because I don't want to seem too anxious. I open the door, step inside and immediately calm down. I smell musty old vinyl records, incense burning and I hear the old floor boards shifting beneath my feet. It could be a hot summer day in 2017 or one back in 1987. Time is irrelevant because either way, I'm home.

When I was a little girl way back in 1970-something I would spend plenty of time with my dad while my mom worked nights. He worked for an up-and-coming rock radio station and so much of my time with him revolved around music. Visiting his friends while they were on air. Opening big boxes of brand new albums and previewing them on the spot or running to a newsstand every Friday to grab one of the only copies of Billboard magazine that they would get in each week. Saturday afternoons were spent in a record store- at first the little hole in the wall and then eventually in a bigger chain. The smaller shops were always the best and before I could even read I was flipping through albums and analyzing cover art. Dad would be talking music with his buddies and I would be running stuff by Blue Oyster Cult over to him because I loved the colors of visuals

These trips went on for years until I was way too old and far too cool to be caught dead with a parent. Then I went to the record store by myself to buy a mixture of hair band and freestyle dance music on cassette. Everything from Whitesnake to Expose` was bumping through my Walkman and I never left the house without some sort of music on me. It was my happy place, my escape and my salvation I'll wrapped into one four minute and thirty second song after another. Music was my normal and for years it never really occurred to me that it was actually a gift and a language that not everyone else spoke.

As I stand in front of tables full of vinyl, I'm at peace. The kind that my dad must have felt all of those years ago. The kind that you can't talk yourself into, it's either gut level there or it's not. As I pour over bin after bin, all of my real life problems seem to know better than to cut in. I'm left present in the moment and somehow connected to all of the positive things that come from melodies, harmonies and deep lyrics. Things like hope, faith, connection, joy and a reminder to my dark little heart that there is still an enormous amount of good in this world.

My dad taught me how to dig for album gold and how to find comfort in something that is always, without fail, there for each and every one of us. That need to belong and fit in somewhere- it's always in the music. Most importantly, he showed me the natural connections that form while looking for that elusive record. The reality is anyone hanging over a bin of vinyl for more than five minutes will intuitively understand how at least part of my brain works, without us ever having a conversation. So why not have that conversation? Music solidifies things before people even exchange first names.

I know that vinyl has become the cool" thing again and I love the fact that my teenagers are spinning records even more than they are using a streaming service. I just hope that once the trend cools off and Urban Outfitters stops pushing the same record player in 25 colors, the love of vinyl continues with a bunch of beautiful young faces to nurture it.

As a parent you instinctively understand that it's your job to provide for and teach your kids the things that they need to be decent and successful adults. As an older parent that has settled into life, I understand now more than ever that the biggest gifts that I have to give generally don't include a monetary price tag. When I watch my kids flip through albums now I wonder if years from now, they'll really get "it". Have I unknowingly lead them towards a lifetime of emotional understanding just as my father did me? No matter what your heart needs, it's in the music, so you might as well dig in.

Currently Booming: It's In the Music

This past Saturday afternoon was spent like so many others before it, in one of my very favorite places on earth. As I left the car and started to walk down a familiar street in what has been dubbed "The Coolest Small Town In America" I felt an excitement bordering on anxiety running through my veins. I can't quite reach the front door fast enough, yet once I'm three steps from the shop I instinctively slow down because I don't want to seem too anxious. I open the door, step inside and immediately calm down. I smell musty old vinyl records, incense burning and I hear the old floor boards shifting beneath my feet. It could be a hot summer day in 2017 or one back in 1987. Time is irrelevant because either way, I'm home.

When I was a little girl way back in 1970-something I would spend plenty of time with my dad while my mom worked nights. He worked for an up-and-coming rock radio station and so much of my time with him revolved around music. Visiting his friends while they were on air. Opening big boxes of brand new albums and previewing them on the spot or running to a newsstand every Friday to grab one of the only copies of Billboard magazine that they would get in each week. Saturday afternoons were spent in a record store- at first the little hole in the wall and then eventually in a bigger chain. The smaller shops were always the best and before I could even read I was flipping through albums and analyzing cover art. Dad would be talking music with his buddies and I would be running stuff by Blue Oyster Cult over to him because I loved the colors of visuals

These trips went on for years until I was way too old and far too cool to be caught dead with a parent. Then I went to the record store by myself to buy a mixture of hair band and freestyle dance music on cassette. Everything from Whitesnake to Expose` was bumping through my Walkman and I never left the house without some sort of music on me. It was my happy place, my escape and my salvation I'll wrapped into one four minute and thirty second song after another. Music was my normal and for years it never really occurred to me that it was actually a gift and a language that not everyone else spoke.

As I stand in front of tables full of vinyl, I'm at peace. The kind that my dad must have felt all of those years ago. The kind that you can't talk yourself into, it's either gut level there or it's not. As I pour over bin after bin, all of my real life problems seem to know better than to cut in. I'm left present in the moment and somehow connected to all of the positive things that come from melodies, harmonies and deep lyrics. Things like hope, faith, connection, joy and a reminder to my dark little heart that there is still an enormous amount of good in this world.

My dad taught me how to dig for album gold and how to find comfort in something that is always, without fail, there for each and every one of us. That need to belong and fit in somewhere- it's always in the music. Most importantly, he showed me the natural connections that form while looking for that elusive record. The reality is anyone hanging over a bin of vinyl for more than five minutes will intuitively understand how at least part of my brain works, without us ever having a conversation. So why not have that conversation? Music solidifies things before people even exchange first names.

I know that vinyl has become the cool" thing again and I love the fact that my teenagers are spinning records even more than they are using a streaming service. I just hope that once the trend cools off and Urban Outfitters stops pushing the same record player in 25 colors, the love of vinyl continues with a bunch of beautiful young faces to nurture it.

As a parent you instinctively understand that it's your job to provide for and teach your kids the things that they need to be decent and successful adults. As an older parent that has settled into life, I understand now more than ever that the biggest gifts that I have to give generally don't include a monetary price tag. When I watch my kids flip through albums now I wonder if years from now, they'll really get "it". Have I unknowingly lead them towards a lifetime of emotional understanding just as my father did me? No matter what your heart needs, it's in the music, so you might as well dig in.

Throwback Thursday: Vinyl Heaven- Madonna's 'True Blue'

No more sadness, I kiss it good-bye
The sun is bursting right out of the sky
I searched the whole world for someone like you
Don't you know, don't you know that it's
True love, oh baby, true love, oh baby
True love, oh baby, true love it's
True,

Dear god, I'm getting really old. Every week I invest in new (old) vinyl to add to my throwback collection and this time around it was Madonna's True Blue.  Then I realized that this album is actually 30 years old! Holy crap. But man does it bring back a lot of great memories for anyone lucky enough to have been a teenager in the 80's. This spawned five amazing singles and much of the album was considered to be an extended love letter to Madonna's then-husband, Sean Penn.

Songs such as "Open Your Heart", "Live to Tell" and "True Blue" sky rocketed up the charts and "Papa Don't Preach" tackled the still somewhat taboo topic of teen pregnancy. True Blue had something for everyone it seemed with each track being radically different from the one before it and the videos were equally impeccable. Here's the full track list, does it bring back interesting memories for you guys as well?

1. Papa Don't Preach
2. Open Your Heart
3. White Hat
4. Live to Tell
5. Where's the Party
6. True Blue
7. La Isla Bonita
8. Jimmy Jimmy
9. Love Makes the World Go Round

So many possible videos to choose from here but I'm going to go with my favorite, "Papa Don't Preach". You can check out Madonna's official YouTube page for more of her video catalog.

Grab your own copy here

2017 Summer Spirit Festival Preview: En Vogue

Way back in 1992 En Vogue dropped a little ditty in our laps that spent the rest of the year pretty much dominating Billboard's charts and radio airwaves. Funky Divas came out of the gate with the well-produced "Never Gonna Get It" and it offered up the kind of video that even now, 25 years later, I can easily visualize. Slick, sharp, great vocals and stunning videos. En Vogue was everything that a girl group aspires to be. I could ramble on forever but instead, I'll just hand you the music. Check out Funky Divas below!

You can catch En Vogue performing live at the 2017 Summer Spirit Festival.

Currently Booming: It's In the Music

This past Saturday afternoon was spent like so many others before it, in one of my very favorite places on earth. As I left the car and started to walk down a familiar street in what has been dubbed "The Coolest Small Town In America" I felt an excitement bordering on anxiety running through my veins. I can't quite reach the front door fast enough, yet once I'm three steps from the shop I instinctively slow down because I don't want to seem too anxious. I open the door, step inside and immediately calm down. I smell musty old vinyl records, incense burning and I hear the old floor boards shifting beneath my feet. It could be a hot summer day in 2017 or one back in 1987. Time is irrelevant because either way, I'm home.

When I was a little girl way back in 1970-something I would spend plenty of time with my dad while my mom worked nights. He worked for an up-and-coming rock radio station and so much of my time with him revolved around music. Visiting his friends while they were on air. Opening big boxes of brand new albums and previewing them on the spot or running to a newsstand every Friday to grab one of the only copies of Billboard magazine that they would get in each week. Saturday afternoons were spent in a record store- at first the little hole in the wall and then eventually in a bigger chain. The smaller shops were always the best and before I could even read I was flipping through albums and analyzing cover art. Dad would be talking music with his buddies and I would be running stuff by Blue Oyster Cult over to him because I loved the colors of visuals

These trips went on for years until I was way too old and far too cool to be caught dead with a parent. Then I went to the record store by myself to buy a mixture of hair band and freestyle dance music on cassette. Everything from Whitesnake to Expose` was bumping through my Walkman and I never left the house without some sort of music on me. It was my happy place, my escape and my salvation I'll wrapped into one four minute and thirty second song after another. Music was my normal and for years it never really occurred to me that it was actually a gift and a language that not everyone else spoke.

As I stand in front of tables full of vinyl, I'm at peace. The kind that my dad must have felt all of those years ago. The kind that you can't talk yourself into, it's either gut level there or it's not. As I pour over bin after bin, all of my real life problems seem to know better than to cut in. I'm left present in the moment and somehow connected to all of the positive things that come from melodies, harmonies and deep lyrics. Things like hope, faith, connection, joy and a reminder to my dark little heart that there is still an enormous amount of good in this world.

My dad taught me how to dig for album gold and how to find comfort in something that is always, without fail, there for each and every one of us. That need to belong and fit in somewhere- it's always in the music. Most importantly, he showed me the natural connections that form while looking for that elusive record. The reality is anyone hanging over a bin of vinyl for more than five minutes will intuitively understand how at least part of my brain works, without us ever having a conversation. So why not have that conversation? Music solidifies things before people even exchange first names.

I know that vinyl has become the cool" thing again and I love the fact that my teenagers are spinning records even more than they are using a streaming service. I just hope that once the trend cools off and Urban Outfitters stops pushing the same record player in 25 colors, the love of vinyl continues with a bunch of beautiful young faces to nurture it.

As a parent you instinctively understand that it's your job to provide for and teach your kids the things that they need to be decent and successful adults. As an older parent that has settled into life, I understand now more than ever that the biggest gifts that I have to give generally don't include a monetary price tag. When I watch my kids flip through albums now I wonder if years from now, they'll really get "it". Have I unknowingly lead them towards a lifetime of emotional understanding just as my father did me? No matter what your heart needs, it's in the music, so you might as well dig in.

Currently Booming: Today Is Record Store Day!

It's Record Store Day! That means plenty of exclusive releases on vinyl for you (and me) to enjoy. Click HERE to check out the full list and to also find a record store near you!

Throwback Thursday: En Vogue's 'Funky Divas' Turns 25

 

On this week way back in 1992 En Vogue dropped a little ditty in our laps that spent the rest of the year pretty much dominating Billboard's charts and radio airwaves. Funky Divas came out of the gate with the well-produced "Never Gonna Get It" and it offered up the kind of video that even now, 25 years later, I can easily visualize. Slick, sharp, great vocals and stunning videos. En Vogue was everything that a girl group aspires to be. I could ramble on forever but instead, I'll just hand you the music. Check out Funky Divas below!

 

Throwback Thursday Vinyl Heaven: Janet Jackson- 'Janet'

 

"Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Can't you see my desire
That's the way love goes
Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
That's the way love goes
My love is blind
Can't you see my desire?"

1993 was a great year for music. Nirvana, Pearl Jam and other grunge acts had brought back the old garage band style of rock and roll that was missing during the years of the almighty hair bands and R&B slow jams had really become a thing. There truly was something for everyone and if your musical taste hopped across different genres then you had a lot of great music to choose from. In May Janet Jackson released  Janet. her best selling album to date.

After years of preaching sexual abstinence and supporting various social injustices, Janet decided to give us something a whole lot more personal. The album, from one end to the other is rooted in embracing sexual freedom, a topic that Janet was able to take on after finally finding comfort in her own skin.

 

 

The album contained six singles, starting with "That's The Way Love Goes" a smooth groove with a slick video. In fact, the way that all of the singles were packaged really went a long way in adding to the success of Janet. She brought along her friends, back up dancers and then-husband, Rene Elizondo Jr. for the video ride. Check out Janet in its entirety below and also check out the videos from this great album. I think my very favorite is still "If", how about you, what's yours? 

 

 

 

 

Currently Booming: Will Columbia House Relaunch Vinyl Service in 2016?

(Photo: Pinterest)

Great news for all of you vinyl lovers out there- 2016 means another vinyl subscription service and it's an old familiar name. Columbia House was a powerhouse music service through out the 80's and 90's and it's back to serve up music again next year. Believe it or not, the company actually only filed for bankruptcy just a few short months ago (who knew it was even still around!) and after being bought out, Columbia House is ready to relaunch itself. 

"You can see a yearning and an interest to try a new format. For a category that is meaningful and growing rapidly, you don't see a whole lot of choice. It's not that digitization is going away. I think there is a sense among a lot of people of looking to get back to the broader experience of engaging with media." says Columbia House owner, John Lippman.

Obviously, digital options lead the way and streaming is usually the way to go because in this day and age none of us like having to wait to hear a particular song. But vinyl really has enjoyed a nifty revival and if you're like me then you've been reminded of just how wonderful those albums really are. Have you started to collect records and if so, do you see yourself circling back to Columbia House?

Throwback Thursday: Vinyl Heaven- Madonna's 'True Blue'

No more sadness, I kiss it good-bye
The sun is bursting right out of the sky
I searched the whole world for someone like you
Don't you know, don't you know that it's
True love, oh baby, true love, oh baby
True love, oh baby, true love it's
True,

Dear god, I'm getting really old. Every week I invest in new (old) vinyl to add to my throwback collection and this time around it was Madonna's True Blue.  Then I realized that this album is actually 29 years old! Holy crap. But man does it bring back a lot of great memories for anyone lucky enough to have been a teenager in the 80's. This spawned five amazing singles and much of the album was considered to be an extended love letter to Madonna's then-husband, Sean Penn.

Songs such as "Open Your Heart", "Live to Tell" and "True Blue" sky rocketed up the charts and "Papa Don't Preach" tackled the still somewhat taboo topic of teen pregnancy. True Blue had something for everyone it seemed with each track being radically different from the one before it and the videos were equally impeccable. Here's the full track list, does it bring back interesting memories for you guys as well?

1. Papa Don't Preach
2. Open Your Heart
3. White Hat
4. Live to Tell
5. Where's the Party
6. True Blue
7. La Isla Bonita
8. Jimmy Jimmy
9. Love Makes the World Go Round

So many possible videos to choose from here but I'm going to go with my favorite, "Papa Don't Preach". You can check out Madonna's official YouTube page for more of her video catalog.

Grab your own copy here

It's Throwback Thursday!

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday!

Currently Booming: Columbia House Relaunching as Vinyl Subscription Service

(Photo: Pinterest)

Great news for all of you vinyl lovers out there- 2016 means another vinyl subscription service and it's an old familiar name. Columbia House was a powerhouse music service through out the 80's and 90's and it's back to serve up music again next year. Believe it or not, the company actually only filed for bankruptcy just a few short months ago (who knew it was even still around!) and after being bought out, Columbia House is ready to relaunch itself. 

"You can see a yearning and an interest to try a new format. For a category that is meaningful and growing rapidly, you don't see a whole lot of choice. It's not that digitization is going away. I think there is a sense among a lot of people of looking to get back to the broader experience of engaging with media." says Columbia House owner, John Lippman.

Obviously, digital options lead the way and streaming is usually the way to go because in this day and age none of us like having to wait to hear a particular song. But vinyl really has enjoyed a nifty revival and if you're like me then you've been reminded of just how wonderful those albums really are. Have you started to collect records and if so, do you see yourself circling back to Columbia House?

It's Throwback Thursday!

So who are you listening to?

Happy Tuesday!