As the school year comes to a close, we have a shot of Danny contemplating the next step in his educational future, from last summer’s trip to Purdue for a campus visit.
Author / admin
Fitbit V: Week 17
Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 20
20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.
We wrap up our look back with Volume 20, which stretches over late 1995 and the fall semester of the first of my two senior years of college. At some point, I noticed that the tape players on my boom box were slowing down and, despite multiple attempts, apparently could not be repaired, which spelled the end for these collections.
Side A
Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings
Winner of the 1997 Grammy award for Best Hard Rock Performance, the first single from the Pumpkins double album opus picked up a measly 3 new listens over the past 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 6 plays | 13 plays | 17 plays, most recently on 1/3/2019 |
Melissa Etheridge – Your Little Secret
The first single from Melissa Etheridge’s under-performing followup to her smash hit album is still missing from my collection.
Lisa Loeb – Do You Sleep
The third single from Lisa Loeb’s major label debut, which peaked at #18 on the Billboard charts, nearly doubled its plays in the last 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 plays | 10 plays | 19 plays, most recently on 11/27/2018 |
Goo Goo Dolls – Name
A mere 4 play increase over the past 3 years for this breakthrough hit, which reached #5 on the Billboard charts.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 plays | 5 plays | 9 plays, most recently on 8/5/2018 |
Collective Soul – The World I Know
The band’s highest charting single in Canada, it has picked up only 5 listens since my 40th birthday in 2014.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 plays | 4 plays | 9 plays, most recently on 8/20/2018 |
Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
Featured on the Empire Records soundtrack, the song went years without being heard, but managed to pick up 5 plays in the last 3+ years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 plays | 0 plays | 5 plays, most recently on 2/12/2018 |
Garbage – Queer
Originally recorded off of Q101, the breakthrough hit that led to 7 concerts over the past 16 years nearly doubled its listens over the last 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 plays | 12 plays | 23 plays, most recently on 10/25/2018 |
Side B
Book 11 (of 52) – Shrill
Shrill – Lindy West
Shrill, the first memoir from writer, comedian and activist Lindy West, tells many stories from her life, including fighting internet trolls for having the audacity of being a woman, especially one of size, with an opinion.
I really have no idea why I ended up buying the book, let alone reading it, but it was a worthwhile read. West spent much of her time fighting against bosses, colleagues, and those lovely trolls, trying to find, if not acceptance, at least the ability to live in peace. Hopefully, she finds what she is looking for.
Fitbit V: Week 16
Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 19
20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.
Volume 19 stretches from late summer 1995 and into the fall semester of the first of my two senior years of college. Again, it mostly features what was considered alternative music, with Coolio interjecting some street flavor for good measure.
Side A
Tripping Daisy – I Got A Girl
The one hit for Tripping Daisy, who I saw in concert the day after my 21st birthday, managed to nearly double its number of plays in the last 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 plays | 6 plays | 11 plays, most recently on 8/13/2018 |
Foo Fighters – This Is A Call
Written a few months after the death of Kurt Cobain, the debut for Dave Grohl’s new venture earned 9 additional plays over the past 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 13 plays | 17 plays | 26 plays, most recently on 12/28/2018 |
Pearl Jam – Whipping
The final appearance of Pearl Jam on these collections, which received plenty of airplay on Q101 despite not being officially released as a single, quadrupled its listens in the past 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 plays | 2 plays | 8 plays, most recently on 10/3/2018 |
Hootie and the Blowfish – Only Wanna Be With You
Hootie’s ode to, among other things, the Miami Dolphins added 3 new listens in the past 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 plays | 5 plays | 8 plays, most recently on 12/4/2018 |
Elastica – Stutter
Originally released in November 1993, it was re-released the following year, made its way to radio in 1995, and tripled its listens over the past 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 plays | 2 plays | 6 plays, most recently on 8/28/2018 |
Cranberries – Ridiculous Thoughts
7 listens for the latest from the Cranberries, mostly due to the untimely death of lead singer Dolores O’Riordan in January 2018.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 plays | 2 plays | 9 plays, most recently on 11/30/2018 |
Green Day – J.A.R.
Green Day’s contribution to the Angus soundtrack picked up a mere 3 listens over the past 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 plays | 10 plays | 13 plays, most recently on 1/7/2018 |
Alanis Morissette – Hand In My Pocket
Hitting #4 on the Billboard charts, the second release from the juggernaut that was Jagged Little Pill added only 5 listens in the past 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 plays | 9 plays | 14 plays, most recently on 6/18/2018 |
Side B
ABC Upfronts
After a decade of shaking up their schedule, ABC is taking a cautious approach this fall, with only three new series on the schedule. The week gets off to a familiar start, with Dancing With The Stars followed by The Good Doctor on Monday nights. Tuesday night is the biggest shake-up of the week, with two new shows and two returning shows in new timeslots. The Roseanne-less The Conners returns for its second season, followed by Bless This Mess, which debuted this spring. mixed-ish, a new spinoff of black-ish, leads in to the mothership, followed by Emergence, about a police chief who takes in a young child she finds near the site of a mysterious accident
Wednesday stays pretty much the same, with The Goldbergs, Schooled, Modern Family, and Single Parents starting the night and leading into Stumptown, a new drama starring Colbie Smulders and based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka, Matthew Southworth, and Justin Greenwood. Thursdays stay exactly the same, with Grey’s Anatomy, A Million Little Things, and How To Get Away With Murder. A revamped Friday kicks off with the re-located American Housewife, followed by Fresh Off The Boat and two hours of 20/20. Sunday stays mostly all reality, with America’s Funniest Home Videos, Kids Say The Darndest Things, and Shark Tank, followed by The Rookie.
Agents of SHIELD will return at some point in 2020, along with returning shows Station 19 and American Idol. Also on the bench for mid-season are The Baker and the Beauty, based on an Israeli series telling the story of the unlikely romance between a blue-collar baker and an international superstar, For Life, a prisoner-turned-lawyer serialized legal and family drama co-produced by 50 Cent, United We Fall, a multicamera comedy starring Jane Curtin and Will Sasso, and Reef Bank, an action drama bringing Poppy Montgomery back to the small screen.
Cancelled shows never to be seen again are Whiskey Cavalier, Speechless, Splitting Up Together, The Kids Are Alright, The Fix, and For The People.
NBC Upfronts
NBC announced their new fall schedule yesterday and very few changes are afoot, with only 3 new shows making the cut. The week gets off to a familiar start with The Voice returning for another round on Mondays, followed by Bluff City Law, a new drama about a Memphis family’s law firm and family nonsense. Tuesday stays static, leading off with more of The Voice, followed by This Is Us and New Amsterdam.
Wednesday is turned over to Dick Wolf, with his 3 Chicago series running back to back to back. Comedy still reigns supreme on Thursday, with Superstore, followed by Perfect Harmony, a new Bradley Whitford comedy. The Good Place returns for its fourth season, followed by Sunnyside, a new comedy from Michael Schur. Law & Order: SVU finishes the night in its 21st season. The Blacklist returns on Friday, followed by 2 hours of Dateline NBC. Sunday remains filled with the NFL.
Will & Grace and Manifest will return at midseason, along with Blindspot, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Good Girls. New shows waiting for spots on the air include Indebted, about a young couple who have to deal with their broke parents, The Keenan Show, a family comedy starring Kenan Thompson, Council of Dads, a drama about a man who overreacts to a health scare, Lincoln, a small screen adaptation of The Bone Collector, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, about a computer coder who starts to hear the innermost wants and desires of the people around her through songs.
The network has yet to make decisions on the future of Abby’s, The Enemy Within, and The Village.
Cancelled shows include A.P. Bio, I Feel Bad, Marlon, Mignight, Texas, and Trial And Error.
Fitbit V: Week 15
Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 18
20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.
Volume 18 covers the summer of 1995, my first working at the bank, and the lead up to the first of my two senior years of college.
Side A
Stone Temple Pilots – Dancing Days
A radio hit despite never being officially released as a single, the Led Zeppelin cover more than doubled its impressive total over the past 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 plays | 13 plays | 27 plays, most recently on 8/28/2018 |
PJ Harvey – Down By The Water
The surprise mainstream hit for the indie darling, which hit #2 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart, added a mere 3 listens in the last 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 plays | 13 plays | 16 plays, most recently on 10/9/2018 |
REM – Strange Currencies
Nearly left off the Monster album due to its rhythmic similarities to Everybody Hurts, the song more than tripled its number of plays over the past 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 plays | 2 plays | 7 plays, most recently on 7/18/2018 |
Live – All Over You
Hitting #4 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart despite never being released as a single in the US, Live’s latest has doubled its plays in the last 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 plays | 5 plays | 10 plays, most recently on 6/24/2018 |
Soul Asylum – Misery
Originally recorded off of Q101, the debut single from Soul Asylum’s follow-up to their breakthrough album nearly tripled its listens over the past 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 plays | 4 plays | 11 plays, most recently on 12/15/2018 |
Collective Soul – December
Peaking at #20 on the Billboard charts, the second single from the band’s second album nearly tripled its output over the last 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 plays | 3 plays | 8 plays, most recently on 10/9/2018 |
Elastica – Connection
The first US hit from Elastica, peaking at #53 on the Billboard charts, added 6 listens in the last 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 plays | 11 plays | 17 plays, most recently on 12/17/2018 |
Juliana Hatfield – Universal Heart-Beat
Hitting #5 on the Modern Rock Tracks charts, the solo release from Juliana Hatfield garnered 5 additional listens in the last 3 years.
| 2012 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 plays | 8 plays | 13 plays, most recently on 1/2/2019 |