June, the youngest of the Pointer Sisters, succumbed to cancer this week at the age of 52. Rather unduly overlooked as one of the most popular female pop groups of the 80s (a remarkable 9 top 20 pop singles), they’ve been even further shafted in terms of their 70s output. 1973 hit “Yes [...]

I’m well-aware that I’m risking alienating my core indie-rock demographic with posts like this, but I feel it necessary to mention that Gene Pitney has taken a permanent detour onto Death Street. I can’t deny my huge affinity for Pitney’s tendency toward huge, swelling, dramatic arrangements and keenly formed story songs, sung with that [...]

Nikki Sudden, of Swell Maps and later of Jacobites and then simply of Nikki Sudden, passed on early yesterday morning. Over here for discussion and encomia. Over here for live on WFMU a week ago.

“New York” (mp3)