Snap, Crackle, POP! with Alec Cumming

Alec Cumming, WPKN
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A show dedicated to unapologetically intelligent & melodic pop music that oft includes adventure, ambition, angst, bass shenanigans, bravura, catchiness, cynicism, curiosity, dancability, deft dynamics, economy, forward momentum, glee, grace, hubris, irreverance, irony, love, maximalism, melancholy, minimalism, modesty, naïveté, overreaching, passion, prettiness, proselytizing, protest, questioning, repetition, ribaldry, sarcasm, sexiness, sincerity, specificity, swoon-worthiness, temerity, understanding, vagueness, wisdom, wit and maybe more than a little nostalgia.

  1. 1d ago

    Woooo! A salute to Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon and to the post-Elvis-Army/pre-Beatles era

    I hope it doesn't seem odd to have a "Wooo!" in this podcast's headline, in terms of the fact that our honoree - early '60s rocker Freddy Cannon - passed away this previous weekend. He was a "Wooo!" kind of guy, and his music was unquestionably joyous rock 'n' roll. (Subtlety was not his forte.) So a lot of today's music was joyous (almost all of it, anyway) as Dawn Eden Goldstein and I took a musical journey through the years 1959 through 1963/4, what one might call the post-Elvis-getting-into-the-army and pre-Beatles pop music era. Did Elvis die when he went into the service? Did Rock 'n' Roll? Maybe Don McLean would differ, but Dawn, Freddy and I say "nay".  And then: "Wooo!" Action (theme song for ABC-TV's “Where The Action Is”) – Freddy Cannon    Don't Ever Charge – The Crickets Claudette (demo) – Roy Orbison Sweet Suzie – Johnny Burnette    Crying In the Rain – Carole King  From Me to You – Del Shannon  Tallahassee Lassie – Flamin' Groovies    Soldier of Love – Arthur Alexander Rock and Roll Will Never Die – Wild Hares Time’s Passing By – Lia Pamina & Dario Persi   Dumb Head – Ginny Arnell  He’s a Rebel – The Crystals Half Heaven Half Heartache – Gene Pitney   Killer Joe – The Rocky Fellers Hippie Hippy Shake – Chan Romero    Tallahassee Lassie – Freddie Cannon  Transistor Sister – Freddie Cannon Way Down Yonder in New Orleans – Freddy Cannon   Bony Moronie – Larry Williams Whole Lotta Loving – Fats Domino Palisades Park – Freddy Cannon    Stuck On You – Elvis Presley  Fortune Teller – Benny Spellman  You're No Good – Dee Dee Warwick  The Last One to Be Loved – Lou Johnson    This Empty Place – The Searchers Have I the Right – The Honeycombs Just What I Needed – Big Daddy Okefenokee – Freddy CannonPalisades Park – The Beach Boys

    Woooo! A salute to Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon and to the post-Elvis-Army/pre-Beatles era

  2. Jul 13

    Some Stones, Some This, Some That, Some Girls

    Long live The Rolling Stones! And Aggie Miller and Nick Kivlen and everybody, for that matter.  Never Wanna Lose You – The Rolling Stones      Covered In You – The Rolling Stones    Dandelion – The Rolling Stones Baby You're a Rich Man – The Beatles Emotional Rescue – The Rolling Stones         Monday the 13th – The Afterschools Blast – Hovvdy  Lovesick – Wishy    If You Change – Widowspeak  Lost Boys – Phoebe Bridgers Sadie – Aggie Miller    the feeling – Steve Lacy  Good Times / End Times – Goose Addicted to the Sunset – Nick Kivlen    Stone Over Water – Death Cab for Cutie  Me and Magdalena (Version 2) – The Monkees Terri – Micky Dolenz    Doomscrollin' – The Gershwin Brothers Dead End Street – The Kinks Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes – Beck

    Some Stones, Some This, Some That, Some Girls

  3. Jul 6

    I Think It DID Rain Today, actually

    It was supposed to rain more than it actually did this Monday morning. But I stuck with the playlist, reality be damned.  Summer Rain – Johnny Rivers    Here's That Rainy Day (Koop Remix) – Astrud Gilberto  Raindrops – Dee Clark  Summer Rain – Leon Bridges (feat. Jazmine Sullivan)   Why Does It Always Rain on Me? – Travis  Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters  Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again – The Fortunes  Crying Inside – Nick Lowe & Los Straightjackets   Ram On – Paul & Linda McCartney  Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey – Paul & Linda McCartney  Season Cycle – XTC    I Can't Stand the Rain – Ann Peebles  I Think It's Gonna Rain Today – Dusty Springfield  It's Raining Today – Scott Walker    Carolina Rain – Rhiannon Giddens  Rainy Day – Shuggie Otis I Wish It Would Rain – Temptations     Rain on the Roof – The Lovin' Spoonful Rain Hat Day – Luper Dupree It's Raining Again – Supertramp Crying In the Rain – Carole King    Laughter In the Rain – Neil Sedaka Raining In My Heart – Graham Nash  The End of Comedy – Drugdealer (feat. Weyes Blood)   That Summer Feeling – Jonathan Richman

    I Think It DID Rain Today, actually

  4. Jun 29

    Too Much Monkey Business? (Never!)

    Shiny Happy People – Mickey Dolenz Porpoise Song – The MonkeesThe Door Into Summer – The MonkeesYou Bring the Summer – The MonkeesTerri – Mickey Dolenz Kiss Me on the Bus – The ReplacementsLeft of the Dial – The ReplacementsCut Your Hair – Pavement It Only Takes One Lion – Belle and SebastianWatching the Omnibus – The Bug ClubHave U Ever Been to Wales – The Bug ClubBlowin' Up – Kiwi Jr.Sound Asleep/Wide Awake – Pearl & The Oysters Good Kid – Dana and AldenThe Sofa – Wolf AliceHollywood Communication – Julia CummingJazzman – Carole King In The Beginning – The Autumn DefenseChelsea Morning – Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66Night In the City – Joni MitchellMy Front Pages – Arlo Guthrie You're My Favorite Song – Neil DiamondBrooklyn Roads – Neil DiamondBut You Just Woke Me Up – This is Lorelei

    Too Much Monkey Business? (Never!)

  5. Jun 22

    Why 1979 was the best year for music, featuring Edgar Wright and Julia Cumming

    OK, this Snap Crackle POP! is a DOOZY. For this show, my live in-studio guests (for the first 1 hour and 15 minutes of the 2-hour show, at least) are singer/songwriter/bassist Julia Cumming from Sunflower Bean whose 2026 debut solo album Julia is blowing people away, and legendary film director Edgar Wright who, believe it or not, I do not talk about movies with here at all. Why? Because we are all there to talk about our shared thesis - that 1979 is the best year for music EVER - and we are letting out GEEK. FLAGS. FLY. This is a must listen, people.  Up The Junction – Squeeze Lucky Number – Lene Lovich Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick – Ian Dury & The Blockheads One Step Beyond – Madness Ring My Bell – Anita Ward Regiment – David Byrne & Brian Eno Beat the Clock – Sparks Is She Really Going Out With Him? – Joe Jackson Making Plans for Nigel – XTC Pop Muzik – M Dance Away – Roxy Music  Street Life – Randy Crawford & The Crusaders I Don’t Like Mondays – The Boomtown Rats  52 Girls - The B-52s I Walk a Thin Line – Fleetwood MacKid – The Pretenders Clampdown – The Clash  Good Times – Chic (w/ brief excerpt of “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang) Swan Lake (Death Disco)/Radio 4 – P.I.L. (partial) Video Killed the Radio Star – The Buggles 'Nuff Said.

    Why 1979 was the best year for music, featuring Edgar Wright and Julia Cumming

  6. Jun 15

    Breaking Up (and Fundraising) is Hard To Do

    Sigh. This was supposed to be a "Catch a Wave" week fundraiser for WPKN, with the great Dawn Eden Goldstein joining me for the first half and the legendary Rob Silber joining me for the second half. Dawn came up with the idea of playing break-up songs as a theme within the "we need money" theme. Well, I mean, it was a fundraiser, but we didn't get a single donation during my shift, though. It would do me (and our brilliant radio station!) a tremendous amount of good if you donated to WPKN here in honor of Snap Crackle POP... so: Please?   ---------------------------------------------Catch A Wave – The Beach Boys You're Gonna Miss Me – The 13th Floor ElevatorsOff and Running – Lesley Gore Partially Awesome – Edward O'ConnellAlone Again Or – The Damned Shake Hands and Walk Away Cryin' – Lou ChristieValentine's Day – Wild Hares Future Me Hates Me – The BethsSo You Say You Lost Your Baby – Gene Clark I'm Not Living Here – SagittariusThe Breakup – Art Garfunkel All I Know – Art GarfunkelBye Bye Love – The Cars If I Didn't Love You – SqueezeI Summon You – Spoon Lovers Who Wander – DionBoth Sides Now – Judy Collins

    Breaking Up (and Fundraising) is Hard To Do

  7. Jun 8

    Happy (belated) 70th Birthday, Richard Butler!

    Song for Hal – U2   A ? of When – Panda Bear & Sonic Boom Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y. D.O.O.) – The Archies Lost & Alone – Aaron Lee Tasjan    Blowin' Up – Kiwi Jr.  All This Disaster – Sarah McLachlan If You Change – Widowspeak     Pretty In Pink – Psychedelic Furs  Radio Free Europe (Jackknife Lee 2025 mix) – R.E.M. Wu-Tang – They Might Be Giants  Eat at Home – Paul & Linda McCartney    Momma Gets By – Paul McCartney It's Over Now – The Beach Boys  What Is Left to Say – Thundercat (feat. The Lemon Twigs) 2 or 3 – The Lemon Twigs    Forgotten (Alternate Version) – Neil Diamond Michigan – Margret Glaspy   Rainbows – Allison Russell  Real Deal – Endearments Pink Lemon – Elder Island   Aht Uh Mi Hed – Shuggie Otis Strawberry Letter 23 – Shuggie Otis

    Happy (belated) 70th Birthday, Richard Butler!

  8. Jun 1

    A belated Memorial day radio show, and a tribute to Cynthia Louise Harden (1957-2026)

    This show was kind of a "memorial 2-fer". First, it was a belated tribute to Memorial Day; Dawn Eden Goldstein and I were going to co-host the Snap Crackle POP! WPKN show on the Memorial Day morning of 5/25/26, but due to a family issue we had to re-run the 1/27/26 Beatles REVOLVER special. Secondly, this show served as a memorial of sorts to the memory of Cynthia Louise Harden, who passed on 5/26/26 - and yes, that was the family issue. Cynthia was the mother of my amazing daughter Julia Cumming, my partner and co-leader of the '90s pop-rock-rap duo Bite the Wax Godhead, and... my ex-wife. I am still extremely sad and in shock, even as I write this. I'm not sure I did her memory justice (much less to the brave and women who lost their lives to war) but here it is anyway. I meant well.  =========================================== The Way We Were / Try to Remember – Gladys Knight    Reflections of My Life – The Marmalade Do You Remember Walter? – The Kinks Remember – John Lennon   Here Today – Paul McCartney    As You Lie There – Paul McCartney   Soho Square – Kirsty MacColl Never to Be Forgotten – The Bobby Fuller Four I’ve Got a Broken Heart – The Lemon Twigs Till We Meet Again – The Cheepskates   Galveston – Glen Campbell Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town – Kenny Rogers and the First Edition Powderfinger (acoustic) – Neil Young    I Can’t Write Left-Handed (live) – Bill Withers The Green Fields of France – Dropkick Murphys  Between the Wars – Billy Bragg   Old World – The Modern Lovers Rivers of Babylon – The Melodians  Keep On Movin' – Soul II Soul  The Captain of Her Heart – Double    Starlight – Nick Kivlen  Only Love Can Break Your Heart – Neil Young

    A belated Memorial day radio show, and a tribute to Cynthia Louise Harden (1957-2026)
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A show dedicated to unapologetically intelligent & melodic pop music that oft includes adventure, ambition, angst, bass shenanigans, bravura, catchiness, cynicism, curiosity, dancability, deft dynamics, economy, forward momentum, glee, grace, hubris, irreverance, irony, love, maximalism, melancholy, minimalism, modesty, naïveté, overreaching, passion, prettiness, proselytizing, protest, questioning, repetition, ribaldry, sarcasm, sexiness, sincerity, specificity, swoon-worthiness, temerity, understanding, vagueness, wisdom, wit and maybe more than a little nostalgia.

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