Over the next several weeks we will be featuring Top 10 lists from some of our DJs and volunteers here at SPACE 101.1 FM.
Megan loves discovering great songs the old-fashioned way (no algorithms here, folks) and sharing them with listeners. Each week she presents The Bargain Bin Vinyl Hour – an all-vinyl music show featuring a mix of classic rock, singer-songwriter and Americana deep cuts from the 60s and 70s. Below are some top finds of 2024 – in no particular order.
- Bob Dylan, “Wigwam,” Self Portrait (1970)
This year I started doing live DJ sets with my records around town. It’s been great and I look forward to doing more of it. I think “Wigwam” is going to be my official set closer. - Waxahatchee, “Right Back to It,” Tigers Blood (2024)
I may specialize in vintage vinyl, but I do try to keep my ear to the ground for new music. What can I say – I loved this whole album by Waxahatchee (Katie Crutchfield). A top pick for 2024 releases. - Theo Lawrence, “The Worst in Me,” Sauce Picante (2019)
In August you can probably find me at Pickathon, hanging out with other music-loving goofballs who don’t mind being dusty and sleeping in tents. It’s a great festival for discovering new bands. This year’s standout for me was Theo Lawrence. He hails from France but effuses a deep appreciation of country Americana. Great songs, great band. Highly recommend you catch him the next time he’s in town. I’ll see you there. - Eric Clapton, “Please Be With Me,” 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974)
When you shop for bargain bin records as much as I do, it can get a little predictable. No shade to the usual suspects (looking at you, Loggins & Messina) but I was so excited to find this one. It’s Clapton’s second solo record, recorded after a three-year hiatus from music while recovering from addiction. The album title comes from the home he was living in at the time in Florida (alas pilgrims, it’s no longer there). This is my favorite track. - Genesis, “Your Own Special Way,” Wind & Wuthering (1976)
Genesis – the band that spurs all sorts of impassioned opinions and commentary from music aficionados who know a lot more about it than I do. Thankfully, I had the helpful staff at Golden Oldies Records in Wallingford to guide me through the morass. This track from Wind & Wuthering had me hooked. - Tom Freund, “Dream On (Believe in Yourself)”, East of Lincoln (2018)
I was in Los Angeles for a quick trip and suggested to my cousin we find some live music. Tom Freund was playing in a small club nearby that evening. Singer-songwriter, collaborator with many. Sounded perfect and it pretty much was. Tom is a treasure. This album sums up that hard-to-put-a-finger on LA vibe that totally fascinates me and keeps me going back. - Keali’I Reichel, “HanohanoKa Lei Pikake,” Kawaipunahele (1994)
While vacationing at the beach this summer I dusted off an old playlist of classic Hawaiian songs from the 1990s and re-discovered this one. I like how sometimes songs fly under the radar when you first hear them only to come back into your world later as indispensable favorites. - Hedge & Donna, “Aragon Ballroom,” Evolution (1971)
Another bargain bin standout from this year was this one from the duo Hedge & Donna. It’s a haunting song about the Aragon Ballroom, a social dance hall and club near Santa Monica that operated from the 1940s until being destroyed by a fire in 1970. Can we bring dance halls back? Just sayin.’ This is a deep cut, my friends. - MK, Dom Dolla, “Rhyme Dust” (single) (2023)
I first heard this song on C89.5 and promptly made a mental note to add it to my digital library when I got home. Oftentimes I’d play this on loop while riding the bus – headphones in, observing the surroundings, contemplating the world. Very 2024. - Sweet Thursday, “Dealer,” Sweet Thursday (1969)
Short-lived band from the UK. One album before they split. Bargain bin gold – so glad I found this one.
