• A Little Slice of History,  Album Reviews

    Getting to Know The Pretenders

    One of the great things about being in a band is sitting around listening to records together. That’s what got me on this Pretenders kick in the first place. I walked out of the basement and grabbed a beer from the fridge. Jenny and Sara were already on the futon, Roxie was stationed in one of the day-glow 70’s kitchen chairs by the end table and Todd was digging into his current listening bin of vinyl. He pulled out a record and proudly proclaimed, “Here’s where I’ve been stealing those guitar hooks from.” He held up a copy of Pretenders II. Growing up in the Midwest during the eighties, I…

  • Song Playlist

    Women in Rock Christmas Playlist

    I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of Christmas music. I mean how many different versions of the same song can you do? And how many times can I take hearing the same 10 songs over and over again throughout the season? However, these Women in Rock help rid me of my Grinchiness and into the holiday spirit.       “Blue Holiday” by The Shirelles– Okay, so maybe not the cheeriest holiday song but damn, it’s great! It’s a song I would want to hear at my favorite diner, Blue Jay, while drinking a cup of coffee and watching snow fall outside.   “Merry Christmas Baby” by…

  • Song of the Moment

    “Porcelain” by The Pretenders

    Being hungover is one of my least favorite feelings. The Pretenders are one of my favorite bands. Their song “Porcelain” is something that always gets me through being hungover.   The song appeared on the B-side of “Message of Love” released in 1981. It has a great instrumental intro that I will simply describe as swinging. When Chrissie Hynde’s sexy yet soothing voice comes in, you can be assured that your hangover will subside and you will start feeling better, or at least you’ll feel some sympathy. She talks of her knees on the tile floor and busting her head on the porcelain, a place I’ve been before laying on the…