16 July 2026 - The Rentals - Waiting

Yep.

That's Maya Rudolph.

The occasional member of The Rentals didn't perform on the album but the other six members did. 

Matt Sharp's post-Weezer indie project clearly had to make a dramatic video for their second single.  I'm not sure if I like Petra Haden's bike jump into violin solo better or worse than current Iowa State Senator Cherielynn Westrich's background vocals into a CB as she's quickly driving in. 

The Rentals have come and gone several times since the 90s with Sharp as the only constant member.  Here they are performing in Japan in 2014.

No, there are no Iowa State Senators in this iteration. 

She was, however, present at this in-store performance that was somewhat stripped down and lacked the multiple Moogs (only Tom Grimley on his) in 1996.

And so was Maya Rudolph.

15 July 2026 - Whitman Samplers - I Am Really Stupid (except this post isn't at all about them)

Dave Kendall was a goddamn pioneer.  

Before alternative music was mainstream, Dave Kendall brought it to MTV every Sunday at midnight and guaranteed that I would be blearly-eyed on Mondays. 

The show was 120 Minutes, and it was groundbreaking.

But pioneers have their detractors, so in 1990, the Whitman Samplers combined cut-up samples of Dave speaking with AC/DC's "Back In Black" to make a rather funny song that amused Dave Kendall in life. 

Dave Kendall passed away yesterday.  This may be the first time we have paid tribute to a non-musician, but he was perhaps the one personality that shaped my musical taste, more than any other, and he will be missed.

And he really connected with fans.  Here he is talking to a completely random Robyn Hitchcock fan on the street.

That fan was, of course, Matt Pinfield, who took over 120 Minutes when Dave moved on.   I'm going to close this post with Matt's tribute to Dave. 

Rest easy, Dave. 

Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Dave Kendall.

Dave was one of the true believers. Long before alternative music found its way into the mainstream, he was there every week on 120 Minutes, introducing people to bands that would go on to define an era. He didn’t just host… pic.twitter.com/IVTHRV301i

— Matt Pinfield (@mattpinfield) July 14, 2026

14 July 2026 - Camille Yembe - Rien à fêter

I mentioned the Polaris Prize yesterday.  But they aren't the only ones with a recent shortlist.  The Prix Joséphine - a prize honouring French-language artists (mostly) - also has a shortlist that was dropped recently.  I haven't listened to all of them yet - I will this week - but what I have heard so far is full of standouts. 

One such standout is Belgian-Congolese dance artist Camille Yembe.  Her latest album Jeune & Laide was shortlisted, and I have to say, it's REALLY good. Mostly performed in French, she does mix English language into her beats. 

This is her latest single. Despite having nothing to celebrate, it is a spirited song.  The video was recorded in Brussels.

The beats and sounds that back her sound dense, but as you can see live, it's her voice and flow that really fill the stage.

13 July 2026 - Charlotte Cornfield - Hurts Like Hell

Last week, the Polaris Music Prize shortlist was released.  10 great Canadian albums are on there.   Well, in my opinion, 9 great Canadian albums and one good one. I would have personally chosen six of them myself, and I really couldn't fault the rest of them.

One that I wouldn't have chosen but has really grown on me is the latest by singer/songwriter Charlotte Cornfield.  Her March 2026 album Hurts Like Hell is a beautiful piece of storytelling.   This title song - so far longlisted for the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize - is a heartbreaking, lush piece that evokes thought of Courtney Barnett and Randy Newman. 

This cool and mellow vibe - which permeates the album - is even more apparent when listening to the song live. 

10 July 2026 - Lou Gramm - Midnight Blue

By 1987. Foreigner was done really releasing new music.  Lou Gramm, however, was at the top of his game, and so he released a solo album, Ready or Not. 

It's weird to me that the guy I used to run into at the Webster Wegmans - this is not a joke, people - has a top 5 solo hit in 1987 that is broadly considered to be one of the most underrated pop-rock songs in history. He does still make music - even after a brain tumor impacted his voice - but this was his biggest solo hit. Written by Gramm and Foreigner bandmate Bruce Turgon, it really does endure. 

There's a lot of recent performances by Gramm of this song, but I chose this one from 2018, from a fair in Wisconsin.  Yes, the tumor impacted his voice and his body, but I have to say, he adapted well and he still sounds amazing. 

9 June 2026 (Special Edition) - Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero

I had a different post scheduled for today.  No worries about that one - it'll go tomorrow. 

You might remember I wrote a Bonnie Tyler special edition in HOPE that I wouldn't need it. 

And I hoped I wouldn't need to write another one too soon. 

Two months and one day later, Bonnie Tyler has passed away from that very illness that sent her to an induced coma.  I honestly thought she was going to recover. 

I chose for this day her last US top 40 hit - hitting #34 in 1984 - from the Footloose soundtrack. You forgot it was on that soundtrack, didn't you? It was a much bigger hit in the UK, where a 1985 rerelease brought it to the top of the charts. 

Written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford (he co-wrote every song on that soundtrack), the song became a Bonnie Tyler staple and one of her most recognized. She rerecorded the song several times, but it was never as successful as the original. 

She was performing right up until this year.  This was her in Paris in 2023, and she was still going strong.

Bonnie Tyler was a force of nature.  Her spirit and her unique voice will be missed. 

7 July 2026 - Indigo Girls - Closer to Fine

We've made it to Georgia.  And that's a great state, with both a strong soul music scene in Atlanta and a strong college/indie scene in Athens.

So let's go folk. 

That's right.   

Folk. 

And the Indigo Girls are likely the best known folk duo in Georgia history.  So, enjoy their first single and breakthrough hit.