#67 of CFNY's Best 87 of 87, Swing Out Sister, It's Better to Travel

Oooo, sophisti-pop!


I actually first heard this song on Canadian radio and really liked it. (I think it was CHUM, not CFNY.) "Breakout" is still a catchy little tune. I loved the singer's bob haircut--too bad my hair is too darn curly for that kind of 'do.

#68 of CFNY's Best 87 of 87, Julian Cope, Saint Julian

When I went home a few weeks back, my mom gave me my old yearbooks. In my tenth grade year, I was in the Communications Club. My contribution to this club was a weekly radio show at the high school, when we broadcast from this station, which still has the same slogan, 'the only station that matters.' It looks like the playlist is a little more mainstream these days--Everclear, Gnarls Barkley, etc.

The head of the Communications Club was a guy who would later get married in the Field of Dreams. (You know, "If you build it, they will come.") According to a friend of mine, he wanted to get married there because someone told him that he looked like Kevin Costner. Uh...okay. You could imagine my surprise when I saw my old Communications Club director on the CBS Evening News because of his unusual nuptials.

What does any of this have to do with Julian Cope? Mr. Field of Dreams loved this song. In fact, one week, I played it on my hour-long radio show, and he said to me, "Play it again!" Uh, okay.

Here it is, Mr. Field of Dreams!


And here's a great song from Cope's old band the Teardrop Explodes:


"It's just a story."

#69 of CFNY's Best 87 of 87, David Sylvian, Secrets of the Beehive

I was a big fan of Japan, but Sylvian's solo stuff was a little too ambient for me. Case in point:

As I'm fond of saying, I admire it, but I don't enjoy it.

Here's some Japan. As a birthday present one year, my sister bought me some imported Japan cassettes-Tin Drum and Oil on Canvas.


Hmmm, I never knew this feature existed on YouToob: Japan's band videography.

(RIP, Mick Karn)