Category Archives: the pharmacy of dr spin

It often seems that the need to halt the conspiratorial and destructive spiral of contemporary greed and ambition is more pronounced than ever, but the struggle to just to make ends meet from one day to the next often takes precedence. For me, this dissonance between action and inaction generates a troubling undercurrent of frustration, shame, and helplessness.

I feel even more disturbed when I, an unapologetic music consumer, consider the roles that mediated music plays in this system. On the one hand, it has the potential to provide meaning (and perhaps a sinister distraction) in a culture of isolation.         Continue reading →

When we finally got to study contemporary music in my undergraduate studies, the topic was noticeably rushed. Perhaps this reflected the musical preferences of my professor, who seemed to get bogged down by his passion for romanticism, or perhaps it was because the 20th century was still in progress, but at any rate, we were encouraged to fend for ourselves on the subject.           Continue reading →

The late 60s were undoubtedly a revolutionary time in Western popular music. The overarching influence of this revolution, however, was not confined to the West. After World War II, Western popular music served a multitude of agendas worldwide, and, as a result, had wide influence on the local music of many cultures. Some might argue that this was unfortunate, because it diluted the traditional styles that were already endangered due to colonialism. On the other hand, some of my favorite “world” music is the kind in which a detectable local flavor seeps into the anonymous gray of globalized Western popular music. Because these styles were marginalized at the time, they existed briefly, and under the threat of extinction. There are, however, an increasing number of devoted curators who expend quite a bit of time and energy restoring and releasing music from this period that would otherwise be lost.   Love the funky fuzz over at the pharmacy…

by Dr. Spin

At twenty albums in, and with CDs quickly becoming a thing of the past, how many more opportunities would I have to pluck a new Rush album from a record store shelf? Realistically, not too many, but I unselfishly left that honor to my daughter, who, just days away from being 10 months old, was on my hip as I entered Waterloo Records. I let her pick out a copy and she carried it for me to the checkout. Considering the smugly aloof experience I had with the Waterloo staff last year when I bought the new Yes album, I was wondering what kind of reaction I might get when I plopped Clockwork Angels on the checkout counter. This time, I escaped without incident, but I heard snippits of discussion between a group of staff members from across the aisles of the store…hear whats snippin’ at the Pharmacy

by Dr. Spin

One of the original mission statements of this blog is to spread the word on more obscure bands whose lack of visibility doesn’t reflect the quality of their work. However, my recent revisit to Wondermints and, subsequently, the new Beach Boys brought to my attention how some aspects of my listening is thickly painted with hues from the past.  With the exception of Field Music’s Plumb, which miraculously fires on both the prog and the pop cylinders, most of the most interesting and fresh songwriting thrown in my current path has been identifiably synth-pop and electronica.  On a reader’s suggestion, however, I discovered Threads from an up-and-coming band called Now Now, and it has me excited again about the potentials of energetic, melodic rock music.  Pick up the thread at the Pharmacy

by Dr. Spin

Two summers ago, I took a Japanese language course, which was horizon-expanding. Last summer, CrossFit was a bit more globally life-changing. This year’s summer project wasn’t as intentionally planned as those at the outset, but it is emerging, nonetheless: roll around on the floor with my baby daughter and try to see the world through her eyes.  As we are discovering that drink coasters have a front and a back and that bubbles don’t hurt when they pop, I keep finding the tuneful, psychedelic, but ultimately positive, music of the Flaming Lips to be somehow appropriate.  Find more tuneful flaming lips at the Pharmacy…

by Dr. Spin

In an interview conducted during the Snakes and Arrows tour, Rush drummer Neil Peart quite casually threw out the observation that the idea of personal change is a misnomer. Instead, he said, people grow, and either accept or deny the events and perceptions of their past. Whether I like it or not, the seed of who I am today was already present in the person I was yesterday. I can gratefully say with all confidence that I have grown positively in the years that have passed since the move from Austin to Denton. Life is better than it has ever been. Live better over at the Pharmacy…

by Dr. Spin

I like and respect The Beach Boys, but without Brian Wilson as the primary creative force behind the group, I am a lukewarm fan at best.  Without his vision, variously fractured lineups have danced precariously on the edge of becoming cruise ship lounge versions of the band, offering up very little more than paint-by-number versions of the songs that once defined them. Under normal circumstances I would not have given a 2012 release by the group much notice.  Notice more at the Pharmacy…