The SFB

Random musings from a Gen X life lived on the edge… of nothing except Lake Erie. 70s and 80s pop culture and music.

Gen X

  • That Midnight Special Reel

    It’s been a year and my obsession with The Cars hasn’t abated one bit. So after watching The Cars perform Just What I Needed on The Midnight Special for about the millionth time I am inspired to write about it in depth. Because as you already know I am obsessed. The Midnight Special was a Read more

  • 1978, New Wave, and The Cars

    Another take on the New Wave cred of my current favorite old band and a little review of the musical bounty of 1978. Here’s a topic that is adjacent to my obsession with The Cars:  the music of 1978. I’ve hopped in the way back machine and have been reliving my past; specifically when I Read more

  • The Cars Live at the El Mocambo

    WHAT A SHOW! It captured a moment in time and the fun this band was having at the start of their amazing run. I just re-read for the second time the 1997 Goldmine article The Cars: Shake it  Up, Drive It Out by Steve Roeser.  I had read parts of it several months ago but Read more

  • It’s a Clash Kind of Sunday

    On the anniversary of the death of Joe Strummer. Raise your hand if you pogo’d to Train in Vain.  Or bounced your head and shoulders when you heard the opening riff of Should I Stay or Should I Go. Or got that thrilling feeling when you heard the sirens at the beginning of Police on Read more

  • Things I Miss- Christmas Edition

    Reading a really good newspaper K-Mart and Sears Malls  Coffee shops and diners at those malls, where you could get a fantastic grilled cheese and a pickle. Good old-fashioned department stores like Lord and Taylor, Kaufmanns, etc. Shopping in general. The original Pizza Hut with the original pan pizza and jukeboxes, those textured red plastic Read more

  • Where are all the kids today: The winter version

    I know it’s cold outside but the lake effect never paralyzed us. Except for that one time in 1977. I took a walk yesterday.  Needed to get out of the house and get some fresh air and some perspective even though it was cold and a bit windy. I’d been feeling claustrophobic since we had Read more

  • Is Panorama the most Cars Cars album?

    What I want to discuss is the brilliance of the album Panorama. I though I loved The Cars’ first album the best. And then I though I loved Candy-O the best. And then I gave Panorama a serious listen. For a record that wasn’t particularly important to me over forty years ago, it has become Read more

  • Were The Cars too pop to be truly New Wave?

    I don’t think so but… I’ve been working on a post for quite a while about what I think may be the not-so-hidden gem of all The Cars albums but it’s not quite where I want it yet. So because I haven’t posted in a while, I’m writing this as a sort of preface to Read more

  • Driving with The Cars

    Anyone else out there just get in their car and drive with no particular destination in mind? The fall weather has been spectacular this year and the conditions are perfect for long drives.  Four days past Halloween and there is still a lot of color on the trees. We’ve had gorgeous sunsets and very few Read more

  • OK Universe…

    Help me to get unstuck. Have you ever gotten to a point in your life where you think/feel/know you don’t want to do this anymore? Whatever this is for you?  This of course is different for different people. I’ve been increasingly feeling this way for the better part of this past year.  And I feel Read more