I suppose that fits in with bands like The Squirrel Nut Zippers
being called swing. As I recall the Zips where on the
pretentious side. Actually I thought that about Lavay Smith
until I actually heard the band live.

I'm hoping for Royal Crown Review to make an appearance
next Summer at the bandshell place where the Waterfest event
is held.

More guilty pleasures you reminded me of: The singing duo
of Jackie Cain and Roy Kral. One of their early albums
played on rochester new york radio was an album of the
songs of Dory and Andre Previn. I wich I knew where to
get copy of that.

To anyone listening today, the Cain/Kral duo would sound
like a lounge act. Here again, almost 50 years removed
from the time other people would not hear what I hear
from them. They actually were a lounge act but they got
airplay as the finest stylists of their day-- like
Bobby Short singing Cole Porter and Michael Feinstein
today.

Where other people my age know the Yes and Beatle albums
backwards, I remember the things before like The Hi Los and
Dave Brubeck and after like punk of the late 70's and
80's.

I suppose I side with Thomas Frank who, before writing
"What's The Matter With Kansas?" had a title called the
"Conquest of Cool" about advertising using pop and alternative
culture to manipulate what might have been a real social movement.

Yes, I know not that not many share my opinions about The Good Ol'
Days, peace love dope and all the rest of it. But I'd at least
like to run across someone now and then that was burned by the
times as I felt I was. I summed up a lot of this in a
Usenet film review I did about 9 years ago on the film
"Backbeat". If you like I'll pass along the text. Mail me.

I can't place the Cain/Kral duo. The name is familiar but no music comes to light. I still listen to Brubeck; it's dated but some very good sax and drums.