Friday 80s Flashback for November 27, 2020

 

[Black Friday -- Redux 2] -- As I often do during a holiday, I'm re-using a previous Flashback post (with a few corrections/updates). This one was originally posted in November 2012 and then revamped for November 2018, but the tunes are just as fresh, and the topic just as relevant, today. Here we go!

It's the day after Thanksgiving, colloquially known as Black Friday here in the States. It's a special, special day when all those prices that have been steadily jacked up over the past few months are lowered (just a bit). Some folks could not even wait for this morning, and began shopping last night or at least camped out (2015 link | 2018 link | 2020 links) in the hope of nabbing huge deals. As the 80s are often considered the decade of materialism during which "shop till you drop" became a mantra, I thought I could find a few tunes to reflect the inanity of Black Friday. Read and hear more after the break.

New Holiday Single: Shortest Day of the Year

"Shortest Day of the Year" -- by Paul Dake

    

Our friend, singer-songwriter Paul Dake, just released his latest single today: "Shortest Day of the Year." Jill Macchiaverna, who composed the track, describes the song's content as follows (quoted from Bandcamp):

"I stayed away from saying Christmas explicitly because I think the sentiment extends to any family gathering where you actually like your family. I focused on the shortest day of the year because there are so many different kinds of celebrations around winter solstice time-frame and because after I had kids time seemed to speed up exponentially. They bring so much light and it's hard to balance between being present with them and dreading when they get bigger and won't want to talk to parents anymore. It will happen before I know it, and I'll definitely be feeling like, 'When did it get dark again?'"

Give it a listen over at Bandcamp. And, if you like it (we do!), it's a mere $1 to purchase. Oh, and while you're over there, be certain to check out the rest of Paul's catalog!

Friday 80s Flashback for November 20, 2020

 

[Play Me! A Guess-The-Theme Edition of Flashback] -- I often use release dates, events, or artists as a theme when selecting tracks for the Flashback. And sometimes the title is a direct reference to the theme, while at other times it is a bit more vague or just something that amuses me. All that is to say that I do indeed have a theme this week, but I'm not going to come right out and tell you what it is. I thought it might be fun to ask if my fellow 80s-philes can guess what I had in mind when I compiled this week's trio of tracks. These tunes were not released in the same month or even the same year. And the theme is not related to the artist or songwriter either. But if you really need a hint, I'll just direct you to dig down into the lyrical content. I don't think I made it all that difficult. Leave your guess in the comments, or tweet it (either to @bookendedbycats or @brainwise). So, if you're ready to give this week's theme game a shot, you can read and hear more after the jump.  

Stories, myths, legends (Crossover #1)

[Crossover #1, pages 2-3; click for larger view]

"Stories, myths, legends... they are not fiction." I love this two-page spread from Crossover #1, the latest collaboration from the team that brought us GOD COUNTRY -- Donny Cates, Dee Cunniffe, and Geoff Shaw!

#comics #stories #myths #legends #fiction

Friday 80s Flashback for November 13, 2020

 

[The Status is not Quo] -- I know today is Friday the 13th. But it's your lucky day because: (1) No stabbing here, and (2) I'm bringing you some tunes from a possibly overlooked gem of the 1980s. In November 1983, English rock band Status Quo released their 16th studio album, Back to Back. I don't know when it was released in the US because I caught it featured on a late night radio show several years after its UK release. I'm pretty sure that if it was released in the states, it didn't chart. And I also know it was a top ten album in its native UK, where it was also certified Gold. The album was home to four singles, one of which was "A Mess of Blues," which was originally a hit for Elvis Presley in 1960 (and his recording peaked at #32 on Billboard Hot 100). All four Status Quo singles were top 40 hits. You can check out the full album if you'd like. And I'll drop three tracks for you here after the jump.