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Hüsker Dü - Sorry Somehow

Winter comes and I think of bands, hunkered down in basements, turning up their amps to survive the bleak weather. As I stroll through the idyllic neighborhoods of my town, I sometimes wonder if the next wave of punk rebellion might be brewing beneath the restless facade of raised ranches and capes. Perhaps this is just the anachronistic dream of a music lover on the verge of a mid-life crisis. Hopefully not.

During the early 80s, Minneapolis (a somewhat sleepy town) was home to a thriving underground rock scene that gave birth to acts like The Replacements, The Suburbs, Soul Asylum and a band that named themselves after a board game, Hüsker Dü. Hüsker Dü has always been the least accessible to me. Their sound was edgier and songs tended to be faster and forelorn. Lately, I've really fallen in love with the group's uncompromisingly original approach to music. Their songs endure in a way that some other bands from this era haven't.


Tonight's sonic selection is the first single from Candy Apple Grey, Hüsker Dü's major label debut. This song seems to capture the sense of cabin fever that can seize a snowbound rock & roller. The tune was written and sung by drummer, Grant Hart (who passed away earlier this year). Is it me, or does Hart sound a little like a punk version of Paul Stanley on this number? 


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