By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Issued in early 1992, 'Stick Around For Joy' put a shining bow on top of the pop package known as the Sugarcubes. Their third LP would be their final album after a brief five-year run. The album showcased the effervescent pop from this Icelandic combo with shining, punchy production courtesy of Paul Fox. The album focuses on the Sugarcubes calling card of upbeat, funky, shimmering pop music. It was a sound that was so much of its time and yet has been able to live and breathe over the past thirty-plus years to maintain freshness and vibrancy.

Following the one-two punch of 'Life’s Too Good,' their debut from 19888, including the hit singles ‘Birthday’ and ‘Deus’, and the sophomore offering, 'Here Today, Tomorrow, Next Week!'  in 1989, the Sugarcubes had risen fast in the world of alternative sounds and college radio/MTV with the firecracker presence of Bjork front and center, stealing the spotlight with her unique style.

Bjork is truly in top form throughout, especially on tracks like 'Walkabout' and 'Hit,' both released as singles that garnered significant college and alternative radio play. By this point in their story, Bjork had become the notable center of attention for the band, and with the uniqueness and urgency of her approach, its never been any surprise. The press didn't always know what to make of this Icelandic pop puzzle. In an interview for the album, Bjork recalled the initial hurdles concerning their identity with the media.

"We went to England, and because they're very into ideology, they wanted us to save them, to bring them a new ideology that would save their heads from boredom," she said, "So they immediately forced on us some sort of ideology of weirdness, surrealism, blibber blobber...Eskimo intellectualism that we didn't really get." That may be the best description of the Sugarcubes ever!

The album, or band, was hardly a one-woman show, however, as the tight, focused attack of the band, especially the drive of the rhythm section, bassist Bragi Olafsson, and drummer Siggi Baldursson, as well as the guitar style of Eldon Jónsson. Legendary guitarist John McGeoch of Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees fame also lends a hand here. The album helped raise the band's profile as it simultaneously rang their death bell. Though it failed in the mega sales department, it was a hit in the UK, as well as a club hit across America. It helped pave the way for the next chapter, Bjork as a solo artist, which instantly hit the ground running.

“They used to put LSD in sugar cubes and polio vaccinations. It’s used quite often as a sweet medium for taking something medical," recalled Bjork. " I’ve had homemade schnapps in a sugar cube.” 

Laura Smiley, Director of Sales at The Summit FM, brought joy to second-grade scholars at King Community Learning Center during a special reading session featuring the book "My First Dog." Laughter and shared personal experiences united the room around the universal topic of pets and the responsibilities of caring for puppies, older dogs, cats, or turtles.

"Every day at The Summit FM is unique. My job as Sales Director is to find what's awesome in our community and share it while securing the largest source of revenue for the station. 90% of my job is working with businesses and nonprofit organizations that embrace the arts. Taking time out of my day to read to second graders and engage with their young (but brilliant!) minds was the highlight of my week!" remarked Smiley after the visit.

Akron Public Schools owns the Summit FM broadcast license. However, the station has been financially independent for nearly two decades. Loyal listeners, local businesses, and foundations support the all-music, community-focused format. Independence does not mean separation. The Summit's mission aligns with APS - centering on education, community, music, and whole health wellness.

The visit entertained students while strengthening the station's dedication to educational initiatives and community connections. The bright smiles from both Smiley and the children created heartwarming moments captured perfectly on video, showcasing the positive impact when we connect with APS scholars. Also, check out the unique book vending machine available to students at King CLC! 

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Sometimes, when you would drop the needle on an album, from those first notes, you knew you were in for something special. It didn’t take much to establish a mood and intent. One such album was ‘Horses,’ the debut long player from Patti Smith.

The somber, almost gospel-like three-chord played in repetition on the piano was all that was needed to tell you this was not your average ‘rock’ album in the mid-70s. Whatever sludge had been floating along for the past couple of years, 1975 would ultimately prove to be a significant turning point in terms of interesting rock and roll statements. From ‘Dylan’s ‘Blood On The Tracks’ and Steely Dan’s ‘ Katy Lied’ through ‘Go Girl Crazy’ from The Dictators and Aerosmith’s ‘Toys In The Attic,’ it was a wide range of sounds that, depending on your preferred genre, were all offering up something special.

Released in the fall of 1975, ‘Horses’ was the initial mission statement from Patti Smith that not only stood alone in attitude and style but was both a step into the future while simultaneously glancing back at the past. Back to those initial three chords. Just a stark piano, repeating that pattern as suddenly that voice creeps in with the prophetic and defiant line, “Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine.” Not your average pop lyric, to say the least. Continuing on, “Melting in a pot of thieves, wild card up my sleeve. Thick, heart of stone, my sins, my own, they belong to me, me. People said, "Beware", but I don't care. Their words are just rules and regulations to me, me!” From here, the narrative changes to more urgent concerns about love, lust, and being human. 

Smith carries on establishing the tale when suddenly, those three chords are infused with vintage rock and roll power and promise, and then we have arrived. Smith’s take on the Van Morrison and Them classic ‘Gloria,’ also a US hit for the Shadows Of Knight, was like nothing we had heard before. It mixed the primal poetry and swagger of the Doors with the garage rock aesthetic of the original, all strewn together in a most unique way. 

Even the stark black and white photo of Smith, by Robert Mapplethorpe, stood out among the grandiose ‘art’ of so much scattered around rock and roll at the time. Redondo Beach’ would weave reggae into the mix while ‘Birdland’ took a ‘Sister Ray’ approach, albeit without the noise and chaos, again, in large part, just piano and vocal. ‘Kimberly,’ co-written with Alan Lainer of Blue Oyster Cult fame, and ‘’Break It Up,’ a collaboration with Television’s Tom Verlaine, proved this was no one-trick horse but rather a significant new artist. I don’t use the word ‘artist’ lightly, especially since these days, the most vapid pop stars are called ‘artists,’ back then, the term meant something.

The album ends with another tour de force, ‘Land,’ which in part returns us to where it this adventure started. It is a nine-minute ramble recalling the past as it collides with the future. Another three-chord rocker in the mode of ‘Gloria,’ as she tells the tale of one ‘Johnny,’ which breaks into the frat rock staple ‘Land Of 1000 Dances,’ it is a brilliant merging of the primal urge with the poetic notion all set to an urgent rock and roll sensibility. The album was produced by John Cale, who brought out the best in the band. Critics largely drooled over the album, though some found it all a bit pretentious, likening it to a bad Jim Morrison poetry reading. One thing that couldn’t be denied is that it was a unique statement that truly stood alone at the time. 

Let us not forget her band, who brought it all to life: Lenny Kaye, Jay Dee Daugherty, Ivan Kral, and Richard Sohl, who were simply visceral. The other interesting thing is that though Smith and her group were forever linked to the ‘punk’ movement they arguably helped ignite, they were just as tied to a beatnik/hippie vibe, granted awash in 1975 America. Those opening lines of ‘Gloria’ can still send a shiver to this day.

On a personal note, I still remember vividly seeing the Patti Smith Group on an early episode of Saturday Night Live, where they performed ‘Gloria’ and a cover of ‘My Generation’ complete with total Who homage in smashing up the drum kit. When I saw this, I remember thinking, this is real rock and roll. They looked cool, sounded cool, and tore it up. Smith never made it a statement that she was a female fronting a rock and roll band; she just did it! There is no need to point it out; that is part of what always made her so cool. She was just Patti Smith! It was so much about attitude. She was not going to play anyone’s games or subscribe to any set of rules, no matter what side they fell on. She is still doing this today, and we need to tip our collective hat to her, and all she and the band have brought us.

By Chad Miller - Summit FM Music Director

What's everyone been listening to out there? So much new music coming at us, so little time... However, these songs that might fly under the radar to most are what I've been diggin' these past few weeks!

Like what you hear? Please email me at chad@thesummit.fm and let me know what you think!

By Sarah Swirsky, MSW, LISW, Summit Wellness Coordinator

When I listen to Allison Russell’s music, I feel inspired, soothed, and deeply connected—to her story, to the beauty of resilience, and to the healing power of song. Having followed her journey, I’m continually amazed by the joy she radiates on stage, a testament to her resilience and artistry after enduring years of abuse and homelessness. Her story is a powerful reminder of why art and music matter: they offer lessons, transform pain into beauty, and remind us of the strength of the human spirit. 

Russell, a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, showcases her extraordinary talent as a Black roots artist by seamlessly blending folk, jazz, country, Celtic, klezmer, and blues into a unique and evocative sound. Born in Montreal to a teenage Scottish-Canadian mother, her Grenadian father—who was on a temporary student visa—left before she was born. Russell endured foster care and severe abuse at the hands of her American stepfather. At 15, she fled her home, finishing high school while living on the streets and finding refuge in the folk music scenes of Montreal and Vancouver. 

In 2019, Russell joined Our Native Daughters, a banjo-driven collective dedicated to exploring the legacies of race, slavery, and resilience. The group, which also included acclaimed artists Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Amythyst Kiah, created music that reclaims and reimagines the narratives of Black women throughout history. Around the same time, Russell reconnected with her Grenadian father, a reunion that prompted her to delve into her family’s painful history with slavery. This deeply personal journey inspired her to write the haunting and powerful song "Quasheba, Quasheba," which tells the story of one of her ancestors. 

That same year, she began crafting songs for Outside Child, a deeply personal album addressing her childhood trauma. Released in 2021 to critical acclaim, the album made her the first black artist in Canadia to win a Juno award for Contemporary Roots Album. Her follow-up album, The Returner, recorded in Los Angeles, marked a joyful shift in her music, earning four Grammy nominations and winning Best American Roots Performance for the single "Eve Was Black." 

Did you know that Allison Russell also performed live at Studio C at the Summit FM with her early band, Birds of Chicago, in 2018? That performance was a glimpse into the artistry that would later flourish into her solo career—a career that not only shares her journey of survival and healing but also demonstrates how art can transform pain into profound beauty and inspiration.  

This video is one of my favorites—it brings me both joy and tears with its beautiful intersectionality and powerful truth-telling. 

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Released in the spring of 1982, 'The Golden Age of Wireless' introduced Thomas Dolby to a waiting world. The man, and his music, seemed a perfect fit for the coming era, but it would take a while for him to find a firm footing.

Rewinding the tape a bit back to the late 1970s, Thomas Dolby was an inspired young musician with an eye on the future of pop music. He joined a promising young band called Bruce Wooley & the Camera Club. I will assume this name means nothing to most, and that's a shame as they were a fantastic little combo. Led by singer/songwriter Bruce Wooley, they signed a record deal and released their debut LP, 'English Garden' in 1979. They combined energetic pop music with modern flair and a futuristic bend. The album was released in a slightly altered form in America and, though promoted well, failed to ignite any response. Interestingly, it would prove to be a great launchpad for nearly everyone in the band except their namesake.

Other band members included Matthew Seligman on bass, who would go on to hook up with Robyn Hitchcock in the Soft Boys and Robyn's solo bands. Other notable band members were Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, with whom Wooley co-wrote the mega-hit 'Video Killed the Radio Star,' the original version of which is on the LP. Downes and Horne split the band to join Yes and become the Buggles, among other things. The keyboardist in this group was none other than Thomas Dolby, who was also finding his own voice. He too left the band initially forming a new band called the Fallout Club, then joining up with Lene Lovich writing her hit 'New Toy,' 

Needing money to finance his recordings and not adverse to session work, he found himself in NYC providing synths for the album '4' by Foreigner. The lush intro to the hit 'Waiting for A Girl Like You' was all Dolby. The work helped the cash flow, and he continued working on what was to become his debut, 'The Golden Age of Wireless.'

The original UK release would be altered significantly once released in the U.S. on the Harvest imprint. Leaving off the more experimental instrumental 'The Wreck of the Fairchild' and replacing it with both sides of the single 'Urges' and 'Leipzig' added a more pop vibe, as did repositioning the highly catchy 'Europa And The Pirate Twins'; as the opening track. College radio jumped on the album making 'Europa; and 'Radio Silence' left of the dial favorites in 1982. Capitol, the distributor of Harvest in the US, was very happy with the momentum the album was receiving and his follow up single was to become his breakthrough.

'She Blinded Me With Science' wasn't released until the fall of 1982, some six months after the LP's release. Once issued, however, the ultra-catchy tune took off, reaching number 5 in America and number one in Canada and scoring top twenty around the globe except, for some reason, in his native England where it stalled out at 56. The video, on heavy rotation via MTV, certainly helped its hit status in America. The problem for Capitol was, despite it being a hit, it wasn't on the album. So the brainiacs at the label decided to alter the album one more time, making the 12" single version of 'She Blinded Me With Science' the lead-off track and removing the two they tagged on, to begin with, 'Urges' and 'Leipzig.' Eventually a third edition would appear that swapped out a remake of the song' Radio Silence' for the original version. Got that now?!

However you want to slice it, it's a batch of clever songs set in the early 1980s, though in listening today, don't sound bogged down by the technology choices of the era. If anything, the record benefits from its 80s gloss as it was pointing directions to the future of pop music. Tomas Dolby has maintained an interesting career that has linked him to everyone from Def Leppard to David Bowie and the Thompson Twins to Joni Mitchell. He has not released any new material since 2011. Some records are trapped in the era from which they came, others can transcend that and stand on their own, this is one of those.

By Summit FM Contrinbutor Dr. Tom Olbrych

Our sense of self is often driven by expectations: expectations placed on us by parents, teachers, employers, society, professional and personal partners, and ourselves. Additionally, our perception of the world may be tainted by these expectations.

Life is grand, as long as these expectations are met to our satisfaction, but resentments grow from unmet expectations. Resentments may then lead to disillusionment with our job, our relationships with colleagues and coworkers, and with our neighbors, friends and family. 

Life potentially devolves into a drudgery, expectations unsatisfied, perceived wants and needs unfulfilled. 

By replacing expectation with hope it is possible to reduce, or even eliminate, the resentments that arise from dashed expectations: “I hope I win the lottery,” “I hope the weather is good tomorrow,” “I hope I play well on the upcoming golf trip,” “I hope my children are happy,” “I hope my spouse loves me as much as I love her.” 

If I expect these things, I set myself up for disappointment if such expectations are unrealized. If I hope for them, they may not materialize, but if they do come to pass: double bonus! Remember the quote from Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption: "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Inspired by the likes of the Kinks, the Sonics, and raw blues, the Stooges formed in 1967 but remained somewhat dormant until Pop experienced an inspiring moment. After seeing the Doors, everything changed. "I just thought, well, this is so brazen, there is no excuse for us not to do it anymore," he said in a 1995 interview. Originally called the Psychedelic Stooges, the band made their public debut on Halloween of 1967 and quickly became friends with fellow Detroit rockers the MC5, sharing the stage with them and helping to build the legend and legacy of the Detroit scene of the late '60s. It was the MC5 who helped push the Stooges further. When Danny Fields was scouting the MC5 for Elektra Records, they famously told him, "If you like us, you'll love our little brother band," referring to the Stooges. In the end, Fields signed both bands for a bargain-bin price of $25,000: $20,000 for the MC5 and $5,000 for the Stooges.

Though a more psychedelic and meandering tendency bogged down the band's initial attack, they quickly fine-tuned things into the attack they would be forever known for. The band shaped their debut with former Velvet Underground member John Cale acting as producer. As recording progressed, they soon realized they were short on salvageable material. At some point, label president Jac Holzman told the band they had five days to get it together. In that time, they came up with the album's second half, including 'Real Cool Time,' 'Not Right,' and 'Little Doll.' Elsewhere, 'Ann' was reworked from an earlier incarnation, and the eerie ten-minute lysergic drone 'We Will Fall' shone a light on the band's more experimental side.

History tells the true tale here. Though it seemed like a good match on paper, John Cale's initial album mix lacked the punch and power needed. Elektra rejected the mix, and Holzman returned to the studio with Iggy to remix the whole thing. That is the version we have known for years. Those original Cale mixes would ultimately surface on an anniversary re-master as bonus material. While those versions are interesting, they made the right choice back in 1969. 8 songs clocking in at just over a half hour, ten minutes of which was 'We Will Fall,' made for a take no prisoners attack.

Songs like 'I Wanna Be Your Dog,' '1969,' and ‘No Fun' set the standard for any band eager to disrupt the norm, from the Ramones to the White Stripes and beyond. Their attitude and aggression were unlike anything else at the time. The MC5 certainly brought energy, but they were more polished musicians and performers. The Stooges were simply punks with guitars and drums, featuring a raw talent front and center. Iggy was relentless in his style and delivery. 

While Iggy drew heavily from Jim Morrison, he distilled it down to a more primal essence. The intellectual nuances of Morrison are replaced by a caveman aesthetic—admittedly, a very articulate and intelligent caveman, but devoid of any clichéd pretense of 'art.' Even where the Stooges borrowed significantly from James Brown's showmanship, they simply threw it all on the floor and picked it up as they went. And let’s not overlook the raw and distinctive guitar style of Ron Asheton, with his brother Scott pounding the drums into submission and Dave Alexander's jazz-inspired, flowing bass. Unfortunately, Iggy is the last man standing.

In the instant information age, it's difficult to explain how new, strange, and groundbreaking someone like Iggy was. You would hear stories of his behavior or read about an incident in Creem Magazine, but it was a legend being pieced together. An interesting side note pops to mind here: Three of the most unique frontmen in rock and roll—Peter Gabriel, Steven Tyler, and Iggy Pop — all started out as drummers. Talk about cutting loose once free!

Of course, the album sold poorly, but Elektra held onto them for a second album, the even more mind-blowing 'Funhouse,' released in 1970, which is where everything was firing on all cylinders, making it truly one of the greatest rock and roll albums ever made. The self-titled 1969 debut remains hugely important. It was ground zero for many bands that followed and more intense than most of what it would inspire. They didn't break the mold with Iggy; he broke it himself and never looked back. The Stooges’ debut was primal, inspirational, brutal, and essential.

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Peter Hammill
"Nadir's Big Chance"
(1975 - Charisma Records)
Released 50 Years Ago This Month 

"Peter Hammill is great. A true original, I've just liked him for years," John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten said in a 1978 Capital Radio interview. "If you listen to him, his solo albums, I'm damn sure Bowie copied a lot out of that geezer. The credit he deserves just has not been given to him. I love all his stuff." Lydon let loose this praise after playing two Hammill songs on the air, 'The Institute Of Mental Health, Burning' and 'Nobody's Business,' both from the 1975 LP 'Nadir's Big Chance.' Lydon had been invited on the radio to talk about his new band, Public Image Limited, and promote an upcoming concert. He also picked songs by Lou Reed, Can, Peter Tosh, Captain Beefheart, and Neil Young, among others.

To the casual music enthusiast, the name Peter Hammill likely means nothing, ditto his groundbreaking band Van Der Graaf Generator. To those who may be familiar, it might have seemed odd that this 'face' of punk rock would be championing a Prog rock genius like Hammill, but dig a little deeper, and it all makes sense.

1967, the seed from which so much would spring, was a Technicolor year full of amazing music, style, and ideas. For many of a certain age, those ideas would transform their musical and personal lives into other previously unexplored worlds. The psychedelic floodgates had opened, eventually leading to the storms of the progressive rock movement, with King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator being among the first in line to try and expand on the ideas set in motion by the Beatles, Hendrix, and others.

Unlike much of what would be wedged into cliché progressive rock territory, Crimson, and VDGG never let the flowers grow over the jagged rocks in the garden, but rather, let them all have their place. The music Hammill and company would create on their first four albums was challenging, complex, and in your face. That's not to say they were void of delicacy and beauty, but the harsh, sometimes ugly other side of the coin was given equal time.  No time for gnomes either, as Hammill's lyrics were often drawn from personal emotions and situations rather than Tolkien tales. Their music was, and remains, a challenge for many to listen to. Songs like 'Killer,' 'White Hammer,' and 'Lemmings' were at times brutal in their aggressiveness, while the side-long 'A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers' was never for the faint of heart. Because of that, the band built a devoted cult following across the globe, especially in Italy, where their 'Pawn Hearts' album topped the Italian charts in 1971, and their concerts were sold-out scenes of riots.

Following that tour and album, Hamill broke up the band, saying it had all gotten too intense. He had already released one solo album, the much more focused and melodic 'Fools Mate,' and kept on a solo path until late 1974 when he called in the band to back him on a new solo album. This would soon lead to a full-on revitalization of the band through the end of the 1970s. The album he had them play on would be unlike anything else in his solo or band catalog. Gone were the complexities, odd time signatures, long songs and anything resembling the heyday of progressive rock (though some elements would return with the band on their following releases). In place was a back-to-basics approach, connected to the beat groups so many had initially been inspired by but plugged into a whole other level. For some, this is where the idea of 'punk rock' first shows its face. That being said, much of the music here also has an equal sonic connection to the ‘post-punk’ stylings of bands like Magazine, Ultravox, and early Siouxsie & the Banshees.

Obviously, it's not that simple, and there are more intricate things happening: saxophones, backwards guitars, harmonies, and so on, but it's all assembled in a unique way. Recorded in December 1974, the LP hit shops in early February 1975. The very idea of recording and releasing ASAP was front and center as Hammill wanted to capture that bolt of inspiration while hot, and he and the band most certainly did. 

Opening the album is the title track, centering on the fictitious character of Rikki Nadir, an attitude-filled rocker and, some have said, alter ego for Hammill. The song is angry, in your face, and full of energy lacking in much of the music of the era. "The song Nadir itself, if not exactly a blueprint, fits in entirely with the ethos of '76 and '77," Hammill told Record Collector in 1993, "precisely in chord structure - and attitude, come to that." He rants against the superficial aspects of the pop and glam world of the day.

‘The Institute of Mental Health, Burning' is art rock with attitude, while 'Open Your Eyes' is a stomping rocker with the always excellent sax work of David Jackson in the spotlight. 'Nobody's Business' wields a metallic clang and venomous punk vocal long before the Bay City Pistols even made the papers. Not unlike Roxy Music on steroids! Next, a sharp turn with a soulful ballad, 'Been Alone So Long,' one of Hammill's finest ballads, something he was always so good with. 

'Pompeii' carries a very Lou Reed vibe, while the acoustic-driven 'The Shingle Song' and the majestic 'Airport' keep the listener guessing where things are headed next, with each adding different colors to the canvas. Next up is a re-recording of one of Hammill's earliest songs, 'People You Were Going To.' originally recorded for their debut single back in early 1969. The version here is much tougher and self-assured and makes more sense with this material.

It's the next song that truly tears the roof off. 'Birthday Special' is the most 'punk' sounding of the batch, so perfect in its simplicity and execution, it's almost not worth going into detail save to say, in many ways, it was a blueprint for what was to come. It simply sounds so unlike 1974. It is like prime Who meets all that was around the bend. Just listen to Hammill's voice! So full of attitude! In fact, he even went as far as to say it was "attitude, rather than the music" that 'Nadir' really set in place for the punks. The album ends with the sublime 'Two or Three Specters,' capping an LP unlike anything else in the Hammill catalog, and it is a very massive catalog, one that continues to this day.

From the original LP liner notes, Hamill concedes that the Nadir character is simply a part of him that he had wanted to let loose. "An ice blue Stratocaster, spinning through space, Nadir crashing his way through distorted three chord wonders. The anarchic presence of Nadir - this loud, aggressive, perpetual sixteen year old has temporary yet complete dominion, and I can only submit gladly and play his music - the beefy punk songs, the weepy ballads, the soul struts. With the state the world in, there's always room for another Nadir."

I first fell in love with this album back in the early 80s, already well aware of VDGG, but not having dove into his solo work. This changed all that and turned me from fan into obsessed fan. I love how some music can do that. Sometimes, it's the right song or album catching you at the right time, other times it’s much more involved, but it’s always about that connection to the listener. Of course, it may not hit you the way it has always hit me, (certainly one of my favorite albums ever) but, if nothing else, perhaps it will get you to turn up the volume and enjoy!