From The Vault: This Week's Heavy Rotation
All the hits from June 2021
Good morning!
Today we’re dusting off an issue of This Week’s Heavy Rotation, a weekly series I first began writing during the pandemic.
On Repeat is a 100% reader-supported publication. If you enjoy what you read here and want to support this project, the best ways to do so are to share it and subscribe.
I started writing this series during the pandemic. Every week for a year, I would share what I’d been playing while weaving in anecdotes about life during lockdown.
These were songs I might’ve unearthed from my own collection while stuck in my house or tracks I heard on the radio as we burned up the miles driving around the state (it was a wild time to have a kid on a travel team for soccer).
Other times, they were just songs that popped into my head while at work waiting for airplanes that would never come. Looking back, these posts read like markers on a path we were all fumbling our way through.
This particular list was written exactly two years ago, on 23.June. 2021. I’m not exactly sure what I was doing that day, but if I was at work, the answer is probably “not much.”
Smashing Pumpkins- I Am One
Every so often, the universe reminds me that I’m screaming toward middle age. Sometimes it’s more grey hair (of the little I have left). Sometimes it’s seeing a Zoomer wearing a band t-shirt from “my” era and hoping they stole it from their parents instead of Urban Outfitters.
Lately, it’s been social media timelines full of albums I love turning 30. With the benefit of hindsight, we know how this story turned out; Billy Corgan was a control freak, played many of the parts on the album, etc.
But when it was new? Man, what a breath of fresh air! Jimmy Chamberlain’s thundering drum riff kicks off the album's opening track and never lets up.
I found a lot of their later work to be a bit overwrought and self-important, but before all that came this: hungry, energetic, and ready to take on all comers.
Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
I kinda wish the Zoomers could’ve too.
Sparks ft. Jane Wiedlin- Cool Places
Sparks are one of those bands you’ve likely heard many times but never quite knew who they were. After 50 years of making music, 20+ albums, and 345ish songs, Ron and Russell Mael are finally getting their story told in a new documentary.
As producer Jack Anotnoff notes in the film:
“All pop music is rearranged Sparks”
This song was my entry into the band when it saw decent rotation on early MTV. It’s a little cheesy — and a masterclass in 80’s dancing — but sticky enough that it was the first one that popped into my head when I heard about the movie.
Sidenote: I once backed away from a soda machine at the airport and turned right into Wiedlin, who was waiting her turn behind me. She was quite nice about it all.
The number one way my newsletter finds new readers is when people share it. So, feel free to spam share it with everyone. And look! Substack just added referral bonuses. You’ll get credit for anyone who signs up using this link…
…and receive one month of On Repeat comped after just 5 referrals, three months for 10 referrals, and 6 months for 15 referrals.
Bam!
Lizzo & Caroline Smith- Let ’Em Say
Long before we got the results of Lizzo’s DNA test, she was out here declaring that she was 100% unfuckwithable.
Joining up with fellow Minneapolis artist Caroline Smith, the two sing about body positivity and the absolute joy of just letting the haters hate.
I don’t know how much exposure this track saw nationwide, but it was huge up here in the upper Midwest for a brief moment. Minneapolis’ 89.3 The Current couldn’t play it enough.
With a beat that grips you as tightly as Lizzo grips her cup, this track will leave you feelin’ good as hell.
Note: Smith is still actively recording and now performs as Your Smith.
Dad Sports- Nrvs Again
The algorithm Gods recognized that I was stuck in a time warp and gave me a totally new track to course correct with. Another band I know absolutely zero about, other than I thought this was really catchy and put it on repeat for a bit.
Archers Of Loaf- Web In Front
If you’re at a party with fellow music nerds, someone will eventually mention music scenes, and a few usually come up early: LA…New York…Manchester.
But much like Minneapolis, The Chapel Hill/Raleigh, North Carolina area might be further down the list. Still, the scene is/was producing a ton of fantastic music back in the day, with groups like Superchunk, The Connells, and The Veldt leading the way.
And in that pack was Archers of Loaf. An odd name for a band that put out great music. They split up in 1998 but got back together again in 2011.
6th Man: Pink Floyd-Take It Back
This week’s bolt from out of nowhere. When you hear Pink Floyd on the radio out here, it’s usually “The Wall,” “Dirty Woman,” and maybe “Wish You Were Here.”
In other words, rarely anything from their later catalog, and certainly not from 1994’s Division Bell. This was a nice change.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on these songs. Rants, raves, think pieces, and hot takes are all welcome! If you happen to remember what you were doing in June 2021, feel free to share that too.
Thanks for being here,
Kevin—
P.S. Lively up your inbox! Every day The Sample forwards you a newsletter to discover. The more you use it, the better it delivers what you want.
An earlier version of this article first appeared here.
Kevin, the thing that I like about you posts is how well they resonate with me. I dusted off the Smashing Pumpkins, hadn't listened to them in ages. The middle bands/albums are all new to me, I like The 3 Clubmen. The other bookend, Division Bell, is another that needs to be listened to again. It kind of slid under the radar and seldom gets attention from me. Thanks for another lovely post.
Ha! Thermostat? We had radiators that were never bled by the landlord. The wind came right through those large windows. He said he would paint my apartment. He painted around the furniture! I kid you not! I came home from work one night and I was like WTF! He didn’t even move the couch. It had paint all over the back of it.