Migrating all of the old Faux Shows over to this site turned out to be more than I have time to do. So instead of creating a separate show for each week, I’m going to create combo-shows and add to them as time permits. These will be minimal Faux Show posts that cover the themes without much discussion of the rest of the music and mini-themes.

Looking back at the early shows, the concept of the show was certainly evolving, and it wasn’t until about ten or fifteen shows in before they started to really take shape. The most noticeable difference is the lack of attention paid to the themes and the dependence on more well-known music. Faux Show # 6 was the first show to start to look like what was to come and has its own separate post, although even this show is a little bit thin on theme-based selections. If you are just now discovering the Faux Show, I hope you enjoy these older shows but be sure to check out the newer shows as well.

Radio Faux Show # 5 (April 4, 2021)

Theme: Anti-Folk

This week’s theme is artists from the New York anti-folk movement. This was a group of songwriters who worked the New York club scene in the ’80s/early ’90s. Although they were not an organized collective, they all shared a common rebellion against the more formal Greenwich Village folk scene of the ’60s and emphasized a stance against the seriousness of that music by including elements such as humor and a mocking attitude. The anti-folk artists included feminists such as Cindy Lee Berryhill, solo musicians such as Roger Manning, and even a young, not-yet-fleshed-out, Beck.

Theme Selections

Asia “Heat of the Moment”: This 1982 opening track from the band’s debut is the song that brought prog-pop on to MTV and paved the way for Yes’ comeback the following year.

Asia “Don’t Cry”: Although not as popular at the time, the opener to Asia’s second album, Alpha, is arguably even better than “Heat of the Moment.”

Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill”: This is the opener to one of the most under-rated albums of the ’80s, Hounds of Love.

The Cure “In Between Days”: This is the song that introduced their fans to their new musical direction.

Dexy’s Midnight Runners “The Celtic Soul Brothers”: Everyone knows the classic single “Come On Eileen,” but this is the opener to one of the best albums of MTVs early years, the lost new wave gem Too Rye Aye.

Peter Gabriel “The Rhythm Of The Heat”: This opener for Gabriel’s fourth solo album, Security, is the song that introduced his new sound in 1982.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts “I Love Rock and Roll”: This is the song that made Joan Jett a star.

Journey “Don’t Stop Believin'”: The album opener from Escape is arguably the most beloved song of the decade.

R.E.M. “Begin the Begin”: This is the start of the band’s evolution into a more rock-based sound.

The Smiths “The Queen Is Dead”: The title track to their classic 1986 album isn’t their best song, but it is the first Smiths song I ever heard.

Tears For Fears “Shout”: The album opener from Songs From The Big Chair is a perfect start to one of the decade’s best concept albums.

U2 “Sunday Bloody Sunday”: This album opener to War, along with “New Year’s Day” are the songs that put U2 on MTV and started their rise to fame.

The Violent Femmes “Blister In The Sun”: This song introduced the country to a new voice in indie music.

Yes “Owner of a Lonely Heart”: The opener to 90125 introduced this first generation prog act to a new generation of fans in 1983.

Radio Faux Show # 8 (April 25, 2021)

Theme: Songs of Leiber and Stoller

This week’s theme features music composed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. More than any other songwriters, Leiber and Stoller are responsible for the sound of pop music in the ’50s. They composed hits for Elvis Presley, The Drifters, The Coasters, Ruth Brown, and dozens of other artists, and continued writing hits into the ’60s and ’70s. The songs composed by the duo are too many to list, but they include “Hound Dog,” “Searchin’,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Yakety Yak,” “Love Potion # 9,” and “Stand By Me.”

Theme Selections