Frank Kogan
@koganbot.bsky.social
Fan of MC Pipokinha; currently thinking about how the Chad Mitchell Trio foreshadow both punk rock and adult contemporary music. The people united will never be defeated.
https://koganbot.substack.com
https://www.youtube.com/@koganbot
https://koganbot.substack.com
https://www.youtube.com/@koganbot
Both my number ones were your number fives, Bam Bam and Give Me Tonight.
November 18, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Both my number ones were your number fives, Bam Bam and Give Me Tonight.
Sorry. Mistyped.
libquotes.com/aaron-fuchs/...
libquotes.com/aaron-fuchs/...
Aaron Fuchs Quote
The only trend I do not like in rap right now is the message rap. I consider the message rap the equivalent of what strings were to rock 'n' roll in the late '50s - a capitulation to the adult norm wh...
libquotes.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Sorry. Mistyped.
libquotes.com/aaron-fuchs/...
libquotes.com/aaron-fuchs/...
You need to read this anti-Message from Aaron Fuchs, a very good critic who went on as the head of Tuff City records to oversee Spoonie Gee's second great flowering. Don't completely agree w/ him; I *like* the tension among dirt & uplift and betw. competing uplifts.
libquotes.com/aaron-fuchs/...
libquotes.com/aaron-fuchs/...
libquotes.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:37 AM
You need to read this anti-Message from Aaron Fuchs, a very good critic who went on as the head of Tuff City records to oversee Spoonie Gee's second great flowering. Don't completely agree w/ him; I *like* the tension among dirt & uplift and betw. competing uplifts.
libquotes.com/aaron-fuchs/...
libquotes.com/aaron-fuchs/...
Had a conversation about this 3 years ago w/ Aaron Aradillas and Scott Woods at rockcritics-dot-com. Search for what Aaron says about The Message," and then for me and Scott in the comments.
web.archive.org/web/20230203...
web.archive.org/web/20230203...
Top 50 Favourite Songs: Aaron Aradillas
What makes a song great? Is it the beat? The vocals? The rhythm? Maybe it’s a particular drum or guitar solo. For me, it’s a combination of all those things and more. Like movies, a great song beco…
web.archive.org
November 18, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Had a conversation about this 3 years ago w/ Aaron Aradillas and Scott Woods at rockcritics-dot-com. Search for what Aaron says about The Message," and then for me and Scott in the comments.
web.archive.org/web/20230203...
web.archive.org/web/20230203...
"elevated hip-hop as a genre from a very entertaining novelty"
Ack! No.
The genre did not need elevating, hip-hop already had 9 years of depth & richness & comedy & dread. Nothing against social-worker impulses, but they *don't* work if you have to cut out the hotel, motel, holiday inn to use them
Ack! No.
The genre did not need elevating, hip-hop already had 9 years of depth & richness & comedy & dread. Nothing against social-worker impulses, but they *don't* work if you have to cut out the hotel, motel, holiday inn to use them
November 18, 2025 at 12:02 AM
"elevated hip-hop as a genre from a very entertaining novelty"
Ack! No.
The genre did not need elevating, hip-hop already had 9 years of depth & richness & comedy & dread. Nothing against social-worker impulses, but they *don't* work if you have to cut out the hotel, motel, holiday inn to use them
Ack! No.
The genre did not need elevating, hip-hop already had 9 years of depth & richness & comedy & dread. Nothing against social-worker impulses, but they *don't* work if you have to cut out the hotel, motel, holiday inn to use them
3 years earlier, actually. 1979.
November 16, 2025 at 6:09 PM
3 years earlier, actually. 1979.
Voted Shannon and Sade. Meh on "The Message." Like the flapping-wing synth but Duke Bootee seems nailed to the ground; Melle Mel rap is great but it was better 2 years earlier (9:56) as part of a livelier, grander whole.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up8z...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up8z...
Superrappin'
YouTube video by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 16, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Voted Shannon and Sade. Meh on "The Message." Like the flapping-wing synth but Duke Bootee seems nailed to the ground; Melle Mel rap is great but it was better 2 years earlier (9:56) as part of a livelier, grander whole.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up8z...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up8z...
In fact, each sound effect got its own track.
![Inner record label, Sound Of New York, Side Two, Indeep, 1. D.J. Delight, 2. Telephone Ringing (Sound Effect), 3. Screeching Tires (Sound Effect), 4. Flushing Toilet (Sound Effect) [This is the B-side of "Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life," though the picture doesn't tell you so.]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:z7glhwhlmxxw2ezy3hu4wjbc/bafkreigsjvuemgfqiu7nkwbb3avtdsoa7orfrgmzlxayexlzmlogdachba@jpeg)
November 14, 2025 at 3:19 AM
In fact, each sound effect got its own track.
Was my number 11 as well.
November 14, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Was my number 11 as well.
One of the mixes on the 12-inch was just the sound effects.
November 14, 2025 at 2:39 AM
One of the mixes on the 12-inch was just the sound effects.
Two that I voted for made pollhalla in the A-sides and 2 made pollhalla in the B-sides. That's only slightly worse than if I'd chosen at random.
November 14, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Two that I voted for made pollhalla in the A-sides and 2 made pollhalla in the B-sides. That's only slightly worse than if I'd chosen at random.
[whispers] it's a gorman. unpolled bangers. think i put it on the spreadsheet myself. voted for it over my own nom, but it lost.
November 14, 2025 at 2:17 AM
[whispers] it's a gorman. unpolled bangers. think i put it on the spreadsheet myself. voted for it over my own nom, but it lost.
You spelled "Sexual Harrassment" right, which means you spelled it wrong.
(True either way you spell it.)
(True either way you spell it.)
November 13, 2025 at 6:46 PM
You spelled "Sexual Harrassment" right, which means you spelled it wrong.
(True either way you spell it.)
(True either way you spell it.)
My number 7 (so gave it only four points) but did astonishingly better than I'd expected, actually. Surprised even that it was an A-Side.
November 12, 2025 at 10:40 PM
My number 7 (so gave it only four points) but did astonishingly better than I'd expected, actually. Surprised even that it was an A-Side.
(In case you read down about the Sex-O-Lettes: the real Sex-O-Lettes – the ones who did the actual singing – were a mixed and gender-fluid lot: Bobbie Dimple, the later-named Cidny Bullens, Denise Joelle [Dennis Young], Kenny Nolan, Letty Jo Randell, Vincenta Simmenta [Vincent Simms].)
November 12, 2025 at 8:55 PM
(In case you read down about the Sex-O-Lettes: the real Sex-O-Lettes – the ones who did the actual singing – were a mixed and gender-fluid lot: Bobbie Dimple, the later-named Cidny Bullens, Denise Joelle [Dennis Young], Kenny Nolan, Letty Jo Randell, Vincenta Simmenta [Vincent Simms].)
Maybe Ricky Wilson is the free lunch, his utterly hard-driving Velvets-Ventures guitar having nothing to do with the surface quirk. Here's a playlist Sladeness where I make the case for a B-52s-Velvets connection (tho on here separated by a bunch of tracks):
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Sladeness (Frank's Eardrums October 2024) - YouTube
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Maybe Ricky Wilson is the free lunch, his utterly hard-driving Velvets-Ventures guitar having nothing to do with the surface quirk. Here's a playlist Sladeness where I make the case for a B-52s-Velvets connection (tho on here separated by a bunch of tracks):
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
(Note, this essay was written in '89, before there were charges about little boys.)
November 12, 2025 at 8:55 PM
(Note, this essay was written in '89, before there were charges about little boys.)
For @jelbugle.bsky.social, here's the link to my free lunch idea: you can Ctrl-f for "free lunch," but the best exposition doesn't use that particular phrase: it's the four Michael Jackson paragraphs; start w/ "Though if Michael Jackson formed a group…"
web.archive.org/web/20110830...
web.archive.org/web/20110830...
web.archive.org
November 12, 2025 at 8:55 PM
For @jelbugle.bsky.social, here's the link to my free lunch idea: you can Ctrl-f for "free lunch," but the best exposition doesn't use that particular phrase: it's the four Michael Jackson paragraphs; start w/ "Though if Michael Jackson formed a group…"
web.archive.org/web/20110830...
web.archive.org/web/20110830...
I voted for the bleached hair and dark roots.
November 12, 2025 at 3:35 PM
I voted for the bleached hair and dark roots.
And I can't even guess what the voters are choosing as the top four B-sides, except "I Need A Freak" seemed to be picking up support over the competition.
November 11, 2025 at 9:07 AM
And I can't even guess what the voters are choosing as the top four B-sides, except "I Need A Freak" seemed to be picking up support over the competition.
I don't have an obvious top two in mind. "Let's Go Crazy" doesn't quite seem... dominant. "The Message" and "Smooth Operator"? w/ Prince and Grace our stalwarts?
November 11, 2025 at 8:41 AM
I don't have an obvious top two in mind. "Let's Go Crazy" doesn't quite seem... dominant. "The Message" and "Smooth Operator"? w/ Prince and Grace our stalwarts?
The two-point dif I'm blasé about this time is betw 1st and 2nd (Shannon and Baobab, both great) but I got all strenuous and messed-up among 4 points, 3, 2, or 1 (six candidates, ended up Bar-Kays, Frankie Paul, Cybotron, Mantronix, w/ Bhundu Boys and Adewale shut out).
bsky.app/profile/did:...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
The dif betw 2nd place and 3rd is 2 points (10 minus 8), but I give it little thought. ("'Flashdance.' 'Under Me Sleng Teng.' Whatever. Both fine.") Dif betw 10th and 11th is only 1 point (1 minus 0) but I agonize over it, repeat listens. (Indeep finally beat Womacks, w/SOS and Imagination in play.)
November 11, 2025 at 8:30 AM
The two-point dif I'm blasé about this time is betw 1st and 2nd (Shannon and Baobab, both great) but I got all strenuous and messed-up among 4 points, 3, 2, or 1 (six candidates, ended up Bar-Kays, Frankie Paul, Cybotron, Mantronix, w/ Bhundu Boys and Adewale shut out).
bsky.app/profile/did:...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
I think it's 'cos I'm afraid a song will feel insulted if it's left off altogether.
November 8, 2025 at 10:23 PM
I think it's 'cos I'm afraid a song will feel insulted if it's left off altogether.