Our Mixtapes, Ourselves

Grady presents a collection of short essays about 1980s New Wave, alternative, and punk music from the perspective of a devoted fan.

The author writes about growing up as the youngest of seven children in a music-loving household in Stoughton, Massachusetts, and how he discovered a range of new music—“New Wave, Punk, Alternative, Post-Punk, whatever you call it”—along with his siblings as he grew older. He lovingly details the technology he used (including 8-track tapes), the venues he attended (and those he was afraid to visit), and what bands and songs were important to him at different moments in his life. Some essays focus on his brother JB, a devoted punk and New Wave fan, and his tragic death from AIDS. Others focus on the author’s relationship to his wife, Theresa, whom he met at a 1990 Concrete Blonde concert. He tells of how soundtracks to such films as Times Square(1980) gave him access to music that was otherwise unobtainable or prohibitively expensive; how the actor John Cusack served as a role model of sorts (“Did I mention John Cusack and I share a birthday?”); and how he became a radio DJ in college, fulfilling a dream that his mother had for herself. Overall, Grady’s essays are united by a focus on the connection between songs and emotion. In particular, his recollections show an interest in nostalgia and how it changes and highlights feelings that fans already have about particular tunes and artists. Readers may wish that he’d included more specific detail about the music itself, or deeper dives into particular songs or albums. However, he effectively engages with the different ways people experience the art through live shows, TV, radio, and especially mixtapes, which he sees as the ultimate in personal music connection. Overall, Grady excels at conveying his passion for the art form—encompassing the tactile experience of it and the sense of connection it fosters with others. His writing is fun, breezy, and earnest, which helps him to easily bounce between funny and serious topics.

A funny, earnest, and knowledgeable musical remembrance.