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  • Magic In The Air: The Big, Orchestral Pop Sound of Black America
    2026/02/09

    There Goes My Baby – The Drifters
    Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – The Platters
    I Only Have Eyes For You – The Flamingos
    Don't Make Me Over – Dionne Warwick
    Make It Easy On Yourself – Jerry Butler

    Baby I'm Yours – Barbara Lewis
    Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird) – Chuck Jackson
    I Hear a Symphony – The Supremes
    Reach Out (I'll Be There) –The Four Tops
    My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) – David Ruffin
    Give Me Just a Little More Time – Chairmen of the Board
    Stay with Me – Lorraine Ellison


    The Last One to Be Loved – Lou Johnson
    Goin' Out of My Head – Little Anthony & the Imperials
    Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
    Someday We'll Be Together – Diana Ross & the Supremes


    California Soul – The 5th Dimension
    Where Is the Love – Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (Groovefunkel Extended Remix)
    A Song for You – Donny Hathaway
    I'm Going Down – Rose Royce
    Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) – The Temptations
    Keep On Truckin' (part 1) – Eddie Kendrick


    Rainy Night In Georgia – Brook Benton
    Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time – The Delfonics

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    1 時間 51 分
  • There Go the Hotsteppers: a Sly & Robbie Tribute
    2026/02/03

    Today’s Snap Crackle POP! was a tribute to the epic production team of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare. Sly passed away on January 26th 2026 at the age of 73.

    ==============================

    Double Barrel – Dave & Ansell Collins

    Right Time – The Mighty Diamonds
    Two Sevens Clash – Culture
    Get Up Stand Up – Peter Tosh

    Sponji Reggae – Black Uhuru
    Greetings – Half Pint
    Don't Stop the Music – Bits & Pieces

    Pull Up to the Bumper – Grace Jones
    Padlock (Larry Levan Mix) – Gwen Guthrie

    Jokerman – Bob Dylan
    So Good, So Right – Joe Cocker
    Girls Watching – Ian Dury

    Breakdown – Grace Jones
    Just Another Night – Mick Jagger

    Murder She Wrote – Chaka Demus & Pliers
    Here Comes the Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze

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    1 時間 55 分
  • The winter of '26: The Battle for Minneapolis
    2026/02/02

    In tribute to, and in acknowledgement of, the Battle of '26 in wintry Minneapolis. Enclosed photo is by Philip Cheung for The New Yorker.

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    Why Can't We Live Together – Timmy Thomas

    Streets of Minneapolis – Bruce Springsteen

    How Much Did You Get for Your Soul? – Lucinda Williams
    Know Your Rights – The Clash
    City of Heroes – Billy Bragg
    Join Ice – Jesse Welles


    It Isn't Nice – Malvina Reynolds
    What It Means – Drive-By Truckers
    Bradley Manning – Cass McCombs


    Come Out You Cowrads ICE – Carsie Blanton
    I Hate the Capitalist System – Barbara Dane
    Man In Black – Johnny Cash
    We Shall Not Be Moved – Mavis Staples
    Black Boys on Mopeds – Sinead O'Conner


    Minnesota Nazis – NOFX
    Who'll Stand With Us? – Dropkick Murphys


    (It Takes All Kinds To) Make a World – Gail Ann Dorsey
    Everybody Hurts – Al Green
    Power to the People – John Lennon
    Bring Down the Government – Lindisfarne


    Rockin' In The Free World – Neil Young
    New World Coming – Mama Cass

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    1 時間 54 分
  • "Ayy! What does a record do? It REVOLVES. Great!"
    2026/01/27

    I've been doing two "drivetime" 7 - 9 am airshifts lately on WPKN 89.5 FM Bridgeport lately - my regular Monday morning one and, for a bit, the Tuesday morning slot too, covering for a world-wandering Steve Di Costanzo. I like doing these shows live, as I can announce times and give weather reports and even traffic news if I can find and organize it (which I'm not too good at yet). But I live in Mystic CT these days, and because of the massive Sunday snowstorm, I was asked to pre-record my Monday and Tuesday shows, and...

    While I like how the pre-recorded shows come out, I spend too much time on them, trying to make them "perfect", and prepping Monday's "blizzard" show was exhausting. So when I finished that one, I decided I would do a replay of a REVOLVER thing I did at the time the massive (and expensive) REVOLVER box set came out, in fall 2022, using - as its base - a syndicated radio special created by NYC FM radio hero Dan Neer. What you hear here is a greatly expanded 80-minute-ish version of that special, featuring many of the re-mixes and outtakes from the original 1966 sessions, plus interviews with the Beatles themselves and both George and Giles Martin (many from a cool crowdsourced internet-only audio series called "The Beatles Anthology Revisited") plus additional commentary from... Beatle nerd me.

    The remaining half-an-hour of the show is a melange of interesting basic tracks, overdubs and pieces from 1969's ABBEY ROAD sessions, plus a John Lennon run-through of "Julia" from 1968's WHITE ALBUM sessions, all intersperesed with soundbites and noises from John, Paul, George and producer George Martin. Not everyone will agree, but for me and (I know) for some of you - this stuff is endlessly fascinating. I listened to the whole shebang this morning on an Amazon Dot and I was shocked - not only at how good the remixes sounded through that little speaker, coming from its tiny compressed WPKN signal - but how much astonishing energy, creativity and brilliance is captured in all those tracks. In 1966, they were more united and ambitious than ever, and they were untouchable.


    (Oh - we started off with the new remix of "Free As a Bird", which I think is just fine.)


    ===================

    Free As a Bird (2025 mix)

    Paperback Writer (excerpts from takes 1 & 2 + 2022 mix)
    Taxman (2022 mix)
    Eleanor Rigby (strings session + partial 2022 mix)
    I’m Only Sleeping (Take 2 + Mono mix RM1)
    Love You To (Take 7)
    Here, There and Everywhere (Take 6)
    She Said She Said (Mono mix)

    Rain (2022 mix)

    Good Day Sunshine (2022 mix)
    And Your Bird Can Sing (Second version/Take 5 + 2022 mix)
    For No One (Take 10 + 2022 mix)
    Doctor Robert (Take 7)
    I Want To Tell You (Take 4 + partial 2022 mix)
    Got To Get You Into My Life (second version + partial 2022 mix)
    Tomorrow Never Knows (2022 mix)

    The Ballad of John & Yoko (John speech + basic track)

    Julia (Paul speech + John rehearsal performances)

    Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard/Her Majesty (medley in progress)

    Come Together (George Martin speech + Take 5)

    You Never Give Me Your Money (basic track)

    Something (George speech + Take 39 – strings only instrumental)

    Ain’t She Sweet (7/24/69 impromptu version)

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    1 時間 55 分
  • It's COLD, people (and it's pre-recorded)
    2026/01/26

    This Morning’s Backstory: though I always want to do these “Snap Crackle POP!” drivetime programs live, so I can give out weather and traffic (lol) reports, I had to pre-record this one because of the blizzard-y weather, considering that I was snowed as of Sunday evening, the night before the show, way out here in Mystic.

    Why my time announcements may be off here and there: uhhh... it's too esoteric to explain. Plus this is the podcast version, anyways. That said, I do TRY. Take it all with a grain of salt. And then throw that salt on the ground, will ya?

    Today’s theme: it’s friggin' COLD. 🥶

    Today's picture: my car in the driveway this morning.


    ==========================

    Cold, Cold, Cold – Little Feat

    Cold As Ice – Foreigner

    Blizzard of '77 – Nada Surf

    Cold Hands, Warm Heart – Brendan Benson

    Snowglobe – Sugar Fight

    Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

    Coldest Winter Ever – Lewis Black

    She’s So Cold – The Rolling Stones

    Ice Cold Daydream – Shuggie Otis

    Slip Slidin’ Away – Paul Simon

    The Blizzard – Camera Obscura

    Cold Cold Heart – Norah Jones

    Out In the Cold Again – Sam Cooke

    Snow – Claudine Longet

    Snowfall – Eisley

    Looks Like a Cold, Cold Winter – Ingrid Michaelson

    Song for a Winter’s Night – Gordon Lightfoot

    Hazy Shade of Winter – Simon & Garfunkel

    The Fox in The Snow – Belle & Sebastian

    Cold Light of Day – Lewsberg

    Howlin’ Wind – Graham Parker & The Rumour

    Ice Cold Ice – Hüsker Dü

    When It Touches You, A Snowflake Dies – Norma Tanega

    Soon It Will Be Cold Enough – Emancipator

    It’s a Cold Night for Alligators – Roky Erikson

    The Blizzard – Jim Reeves

    Amid the Falling Snow – Enya

    The Frozen Man – James Taylor

    Walking On Thin Ice – Yoko Ono

    Sometimes in Winter – Blood, Sweat & Tears

    Comin’ In From the Cold – Bob Marley & The Wailers

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    1 時間 55 分
  • Life In a Blender - twee? Discuss.
    2026/01/20

    I talked a lot about and played some Life In a Blender, a fantasticly creative band from NYC who are coming up to Milford this Friday, January 23rd, 2026. And I also played some music that I'd consider twee, although I don't think that's a bad word. (Google's "AI Overview" is telling me "'Twee' describes something overly cute, sweet, quaint, or sentimental, often in an affected or delicate way, originating from a baby's pronunciation of 'sweet,' and also refers to a subgenre of innocent, simple indie pop music and an aesthetic featuring childlike whimsy, though it can sometimes be used as a mild insult" (cf. SNL's "Bein' Quirky With Zooey Deschanel").

    I actually do not consider LIAB "twee". Well, possibly, at moments, but not really. Anyway, this show was a melange of intelligent pop music I like, and I hope you like it too.

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    Something's Gonna Happen – Ronnie Spector
    Save It For Later – The English Beat
    To Love Somebody – Al Green
    How Much I Really Love You – June & The Exit Wounds
    The Old Law – Father John Misty


    Baby Please Come Home – Bubble
    Oh Gilbert (I Need Help) – The Junipers
    Snowglobe – Sugar Fight
    Vacancy for a Bluebird – Life In a Blender


    Mobile Wash Unit – Life In a Blender
    The Church of Laundry – Kelley Ryan
    I Want You to Give Me Enough Time – Sunflower Bean


    Fountains of Bellagio – Life In a Blender
    Zoo – Altimeter


    Magic Touch – Courtney Marie Adams
    Here I Am – Dionne Warwick
    Kaze Wo Atsumete – Happy End


    Multiply – Dora Jar
    My Bar – British Birds


    Karate Dentist – Ward White
    Until You Come Back to Me – Stevie Wonder
    Send It To Zoom! - the cast of Zoom
    Memo To My Son – Randy Newman

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    1 時間 55 分
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day: let's celebrate it while we still can
    2026/01/19

    In a recent interview with the New York Times, President Donald J. Trump said he felt the Civil Rights Movement and its reforms were harmful to white people, who “were very badly treated.” Also, the administration made sure that Martin Luther King Jr. Day - still a national holiday (for now) - would not be a day where people could visit America's national parks for free. Trump did, however, make his own birthday as a day for National Parks free admissions. For Christ's sake.

    I usually steer away from political commentary on the Snap Crackle POP! show, but I wanted to do my part (as infintesimly small as it may be) to celebrate this important American holiday. I am hearing there are more-than-usual MLK Jr. day celebtations happening today, which I'm grateful for. I remember his assasination day and I was so confused by it - why? Just... why? And why are some sh*tty. powerful, hate-filled people trying to erase this day in 2026?

    Happy Birthday, Martin. And thank you for your brilliance and bravery. Our lonely nation (still) turns its eyes to you.

    ====================

    Happy Birthday – Stevie Wonder
    Harvest For the World – The Isley Brothers

    Like a Ship (Without a Sail) – Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir
    Many Rivers to Cross – Jimmy Cliff
    The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff
    A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke


    This Land Is Your Land – Sharon Jones & The Dap–kings
    This World (Is Going Up in Flames) – Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band
    Tell Me Mr. President – Eugene McDaniels


    Impeach The President – The Honey Drippers
    Morning Matters – Yazmin Lacey
    Warning Sign – Hannah Jagadu

    Memory Be a Blade – waterbaby
    Hold Steady – Queen Esther

    I'm Going Down – Rose Royce
    Mississippi Goddam – Nina Simone
    The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil Scott–Heron


    Inner City Blues – Marvin Gaye
    Scripto Labor Strike speech (Atlanta GA, 1964) – Martin Luther King Jr.
    Give the People What They Want – PJ Morton, Yola
    We Shall Overcome speech (Southern Methodist University, on March 17, 1966) – Martin Luther King Jr.
    We Shall Overcome – Mahalia Jackson

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    1 時間 55 分
  • I Only Ever Wanted to See You Enjoying the Radio Show
    2026/01/13

    The title of this podcast is influenced by a Reds, Pinks and Purples song lyric. Lotsa good new/new-ish music here, much in the tradition of the show I'm filling in for - Steve Di Costanzo's RADIO BASE CAMP.

    Hard Livin' – Railroad Earth

    Save Your Soul – Kathleen Edwards

    Pick Up That Knife – Wednesday

    Frontrunner – Horsegirl

    Gimme Time – Hannah Jagadu

    All We Ever Do Is Talk– Del Water Gap

    Oh Dorian – Ben Kweller (feat. MJ Lenderman)

    Dancing in the Club – This Is Lorelei (MJ Lenderman Version)

    Summer Seizures – The Cribs
    Hot Wheels – The Wedding Present

    Brassneck – The Wedding Present

    Therapy II – Viagra Boys

    Heroes – David Bowie

    Warning Sign – Talking Heads

    Miss Modular – Stereolab

    Wreck – Neko Case

    I Only Ever Wanted to See You Fail – The Reds, Pinks and Purples

    Cruise Ship Designer – Dry Cleaning

    So Long – Fischer–Z

    Popsicle – Juliana Hatfield

    Forgotten Dreams – Leroy Anderson

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    1 時間 55 分