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. Sep 7

    A Labor (Day) of Love

    On September 3rd 2018, I had a 3-hour 4-7 afternoon on-air shift at WPKN. It was Labor Day, and before the show I put out a "hive mind" request on Facebook for recommenmdations on songs that would be, well, good to play on Labor Day, about Labor, as this holiday is particularly distant from its reason for being - it's almost completely only thought of the "summer is over, back to school/work" holiday. I got over 400 replies! When I got to the (old) WPKN Studios at the University of Bridgeport, the AC was not working, and boy did I complain. 🙄 I edited out of most of the whiny complaining part for today's show.  Now it's September 7, 2026 (zoom!) and it's once again a Labor Day and a Monday, the day on which I now have a weekly two-hour "drive time" 7-9am morning show. I decided to resuscitate, as it were, the 2018 show and songs, with a tiny bit of updated VO and "rewind" sound effects. So I did, and here's what today's show sounded like, with a little "thank you" coda at the end.  Minimum Wage – They Might Be Giants   Get a Job – The Silhouettes Working in The Coal Mine – Lee Dorsey  Big Boss Man – Jimmy Reed Chain Gang – Sam Cooke  Back On the Chain Gang – The Pretenders   9 to 5 – Dolly Parton Car Wash – Rose Royce  A Day in the Life of a Working Man – David Ruffin  I've Been Working – Van Morison  Bus Rider – Guess Who  Working Too Hard – The Beat    Millworker – Bette Midler  Allentown – Billy Joel  5 O’Clock World – The Vogues  Matthew & Son – Cat Stevens I Just Got My Pay – The Beach Boys  Government Center – Jonathan Richman & The Rubinoos    Manic Monday (extended version) – The Bangles  Don't Worry About the Government (live) – Talking Heads  The Good Thing – Talking Heads  Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now – The Smiths  There Is Power in a Union – Billy Bragg Take Stuff from Work – King Missile (feat. John S. Hall)   Workingman's Blues #2 – Bob Dylan  VDT – Tom Juravich  Sick Day – Fountains of Wayne  It’s Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 world) – The Ramones   Career Opportunities – The Clash  Clampdown – The Clash  Shipbuilding – Robert Wyatt  Unemployment – JJ Cale Welcome to the Working Week – Elvis Costello Thank you for all the song recommendations via Facebook! Mark Sagarin, Bill Holdship, Patrick Trettenero, Daniel Martin Baker, Marice Elizabeth, Larry Stockel, Jimmy Howland, Daniel Martin Baker, John S. Hall, Jeff Samet, David Belgrave, Jhh Lowengard, Darren DeVivo, Bruce Bernstein, Howard Wuelfing and Norm Wallerstein (RIP) (Artwork pictured: "Workers on the Cathedral of Learning" by Harry W. Scheuch, born Elizabeth, NJ 1906, died Pittsburgh, PA 1978.)

    A Labor (Day) of Love

  2. Aug 17

    Here Come The Coveralls! (and other accidental hipsters)

    This show features: - my current long-term Monkees obsession (long live Micky Dolenz and his ongoing love of psychedelia!)- a buncha great new or new-ish songs, as per usual, if I say so myself- a really touching, sad and yet melodically catchy song from a father about a son who passed away far too soon  - a sneak peek at an upcoming Gershwin Brothers interview/special (sorry I didn't get to mention it on the air, or even back announce it, I was distracted by my incoming live in-studio guest)- a last half-hour or so where I have head Zamboni (and host of WPKN's Storied Sounds) Dave Schneider on as my guest, as we talk about The Coveralls' August 22nd gig at Black Rock Porchfest 2026, the Zambonis' upcoming ferryboat excursion (next stop: Port Jeff!) and some upcoming Hanukkah (Chanukah? Xanukah?) magic with the LeeVees this December Lost Boys – Phoebe Bridgers   Waiting for Day – Micky Dolenz Birth of an Accidental Hipster – The Monkees   The Door into Summer (live) – The Monkees     Come to Me – Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill Oh Dorian – Ben Kweller (feat. MJ Lenderman) Break the Jaw – Madison Cunningham  Revel In the Knowledge – Julia Cumming   Good Times // End Times – Goose Stone Over Water – Death Cab for Cutie Stray Cats in Spain – Jeff Tweedy   Scour Your Heart – Stephanie Seymour Bianca Sativa – The Gershwin Brothers   Sea Of Heartbreak – Johnny Cash feat. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers I Don't Like Hockey No More – The Zambonis I Never Lived – Joybuzzer   Hockey Monkey – The Zambonis feat. James Kochalka Superstar  How Do You Spell Channukkahh? – The LeeVees Buckaroo – The Buckaroos

    Here Come The Coveralls! (and other accidental hipsters)

  3. Aug 10

    Just Another Magic Monday

    One of my "new music" shows, which I should probably do more of. Or else I should keep a higher percentage of new-ish material placed alongside the various pop music rabbit holes the show oft burrows itself down into. Anyway, I like this one. "The "Hammond Song" cover is a good 'un, but you knew I'd say that, right? But it really really IS.  You Retreat in Time and Space [Time edit] – Boards of Canada Immortal Hands – Stereolab    The Vision & The Call – Laurelynn Dossett featuring Charly Lowry  The Hallelujah Trail – Charley Crockett Casablanca – Susannah Hoffs    Lilac Wine – Arooj Aftab & Beck  The Book of Love – Olivia Rodrigo  Sunday Morning – Beth Gibbons    Hammond Song – Wolf Alice (feat. Julia Cumming & Bria Saldana)  White Horses – Wolf Alice  moody – Royel Otis    In Spirit – WHY? I Only Ever Wanted to See You Fail – The Reds, Pinks and Purples Long After Midnight – Flock of Dimes    Long Way to Fall – Bedouine  Oh My Love – John Lennon  Yours Forever – Bishop Briggs (feat. Matt Maeson) Unfinished Sympathy (live) – Hooverphonic    Doomscrollin’ – The Gershwin Brothers  What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life? – Kandace Springs  This Is Your Night – The Flat Five  Chelsea Morning – Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 Light Flight – Pentangle   Summertime, Summertime – Foggy Otis Aquarius (partial) – Boards of Canada

    Just Another Magic Monday

  4. Jul 27

    It's a very ELECTROFUNK morning with KID GINSENG

    I've gotten to know the mysterious, enigmatic, and rather brilliant deejay Kid Ginseng - a producer and turntablist with deep roots in early classic hip-hop and underground dance music - a little bit over the last few years, and I love talking with him about how he puts together his minimalist (or are they maximalist?), classic electrofunk jams. The Kid is living and creating in the present yet is deeply knowledgable about the jam-masters who've come before him. (He's also a really sweet guy.) So a few weeks ago - at the Coveralls gig at Walrus Alley in Westport, to be exact - I asked him if he would join me on my Monday morning Snap Crackle POP! show someday.  And on this sunny summer Bridgeport morning he did! And he even debuted his newest mixtape, which incorporates some really deep-stark-funky jams and beats, both new and vintage, alongside his own innovative tracks from the last few years. We agreed to swoop in and out of the mix like we were at a party, which was really really fun and enlightening for me. So here it is, with a particularly boogie-down episode of Snap, Crackle, BOUNCE! (I mean POP!) Big Fun – Inner City    Cavern – Liquid Liquid U.F.O. – ESG   Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life – Indeep Let the Music Play – Shannon The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel – Grandmaster Flash   Kraftjerkz Freakout Mix # 3 – featuring:  * Don’t Stop (intro) – Kid Ginseng * Looking for the Perfect Beat (instrumental) – Afrika Bambaataa * Love Can’t Wait – Tony “Dr. Edit” Garcia feat. Lil Suzy * I Need a Freak – Sexual Harassment * Night Drive Break * Rock the Planet – The Megatrons * Fix It in the Mix (instrumental) – Pretty Tony * My Tascam – Kid Ginseng * I Go Off – Kid Ginseng * Eye Spy – Unsighted * It’s Nokoman – DJ Technician * East 7 Miles – CEM3340 * Crackworld – DJ Di’jital * Armada (DJ Maaco Remix) – DJ Di’jital * 808 Kits – DJ Di’jital   Computer Love – Kraftwerk

    It's a very ELECTROFUNK morning with KID GINSENG

  5. Jul 21

    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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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!)
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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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