Songs About Stuff Elizabethtown KY

Songs About Stuff

Wally Pleasant

Miranda Records, 1992

REVIEW BY: Sean McCarthy

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/28/1997

College radio used to pride itself on its separation ofmainstream radio. In the 80s, there were floods of artists who hadno chance of landing on mainstream radio:The Replacements, HuskerDu, Sonic Youth, the Minutemen, the Cramps and Sisters of Mercy toname a few.

Now, in the 90s, a lot of college bands get transported tomainstream radio faster than someone turing on the 'on air' button.Nirvana, Tori Amos and 311 are all examples of college favoriteswho found an audience of mainstream radio. Hell, even Sonic Youthhas landed a song or two on the more mainstream 'alternative'stations.

If one artist of the 90s is to be condemned to college radio, itwould be Wally Pleasant. Pavement, your hit is coming. ReverendHorton Heat... the swing/ska trend HAS to pick you up by your nextalbum. But Pleasant is college rock personified.

With only an acoustic guitar, Pleasant strung 14 memorable songsout with his first album, Songs About Stuff. From his own record company in EastLansing, Michigan, Pleasant is free to direct his sharp,observational humor on almost everyone.