Category Archives: My Radio Playlists

There’s no denying fall is here, especially after a couple hours of songs about falling leaves, summer’s end and the chill in the air. Plus three versions of “September Song.” There was time, too, to salute some of the music of George Gershwin, born this day in 1898, and salute the birthdays of musicians from […]

On the day that Queen Elizabeth II was buried with considerable fanfare, watched by millions, we consider the monarchy not with commentary or corgis, but song from the Smiths and Primal Scream to The Beatles and Chuck Berry. Lest we forget the birthdays of David McCallum (89), David Bromberg (77), Bill Medley (82), Daniel Lanois […]

Those three magic words your parents pounded into your head as a child resurfaced today on Capital Radio. That included four different songs called “Please, Please, Please,” two that just had “Please, Please” in the title and a half dozen songs titled simply “Please.”  Of course the word was also part of songs from Big […]

In their new series “Gutsy” (Apple TV+, streaming) Hillary and Chelsea Clinton interview a series of women who have made an impact, the latest offshoot of their joint book “The Book of Gutsy Women.”Among those to be interviewed are Olivia Hawn, Jane Goodall, Mariska Hargitay, Kate Hudson, and Kate Hudson.  The animated musical series “Central […]

Let’s talk about the working man and the working woman this Labor Day with songs from Big Bill Broonzy and Woody Guthrie to the Replacements, The Clash and the Isley Brothers, with three Kinks songs and two from Bruce Springsteen. From “Working on a Coal Mine” to “Working on a Building” to “Working on a […]

In many way, it’s our first instrument: hand clapping percussion. It’s certainly enlivened a number of great songs over the decades, even as it encouraged to clap along. So played a bunch of songs that encouraged that joyful communal activity; then a bunch that demonstrated it, getting more complex as we went along, culminating with […]

Recent D.C. shows by Elvis Costello with Nick Lowe and the Los Straightjackets, and by Blondie with The Damned dominated a chunk of the show. There were birthdays to note of such notables as Chuck Brown, Debbi Peterson, Dale Hawkins and John Lee Hooker. Missed Joe Strummer’s birthday by a day, so included him into […]

A trip to Nebraska’s biggest city warrants a number of songs about that place as well as some of the music experienced there, from a roadhouse country band (pictured) that did a handful Merle Haggard to Charlie Burton’s Cutouts, now doing live karaoke for college kids who’d rather be singing “Wagon Wheel.”  Noted the birthdates […]

Awash in nostalgia while preparing for a 50th high school reunion this weekend, the music of 1972 dominated the show — songs from the first half of the year mostly, and some of the previous year, reflecting the 1971-’72 school year. (Music from late ’72 changed significantly, or more probably, I did).  The first part […]

Time to turn the calendar! And, perhaps due to its unpopularity, there seems to be fewer songs about August than any other month. Even some songs with August in the title don’t mention it in the lyrics. Still, both Carole King and Harry Nilsson specifically mention the first of August. We manage to get Love, […]