30 Jan 2013
Album Review: Jamie & Steve — Imaginary Café
I’ve probably told the story before: growing up in Atlanta, I discovered the Spongetones‘ debut LP Beat Music in the bin of an indie record shop not long after its […]
14 Dec 2011
EP Review: Jamie & Steve – The Next Big Thing
I could be wrong about this – this assertion is based on observation, not specific knowledge – but as of about 2010, I think that The Spongetones ceased operation as […]
17 Dec 2009
Interview: Jamie & Steve (Jamie Hoover & Steve Stoeckel)
Formed in Charlotte NC in the early 1980s, the Spongetones have long charted a rather unique path in pop music. Beginning with their debut LP (1982’s Beat Music), the quartet […]
20 Jan 2015
Hoo-Ever Land: A Chat with Jamie Hoover, Part 2
Continued from Part One… What I didn’t realize at the time is that the setback of rotator cuff surgery and recovery wouldn’t keep Jamie Hoover from creating new music and […]
19 Jan 2015
Hoo-Ever Land: A Chat with Jamie Hoover, Part 1
For the last thirty-plus years or so, Jamie Hoover has been known as a highly regarded producer, musical collaborator, and member of the Spongetones. I first noticed his production credit […]
31 Dec 2019
(My) Best of the Decade
Like many critics and serious followers of music, from time to time I compile my own “personal bests” lists. Almost exactly a decade ago today – this blog’s been around […]
09 Jan 2019
Hundred-word Reviews for January 2019
The backlog is threatening to get unmanageable once again. As a kind of editorial pressure release valve, here’s a quick look at ten worthy albums that have recently crossed my […]
04 Dec 2017
Album Review: The Fritz — Natural Mind
The phase-shifted synthesizer pads that introduce “Stuck in Between,” the opening track on The Fritz‘s new album Natural Mind, evokes thoughts of 1970s r&b outfit like the Brothers Johnson. But […]
10 Aug 2017
New Music Review Roundup, Part 2
Here’s the second of three collections of reviews. The Hangabouts – Kits & Cats and Saxon Wives Good-timing, cleverly-written melodic pop is what’s on offer on the latest album from […]
21 Sep 2016
Hundred-word Reviews for September 2016, Part 3
Cutting a swath through the pile of CDs in my inbox, here I present five more quick reviews. Maynard Ferguson – Complete High Voltage The 1980s aren’t generally thought of […]
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