Greetings and salutations Hivers. Today let’s go into another Three Tune Tuesday post.
As always, thanks to 
This week’s picks start out light and gradually drift into something more anxious. Which you may agree feels appropriate in light of recent events.
First up....
Pomplamoose — 99 Red Balloons + Take On Me (Mashup)
Mashups are usually novelty acts. You smile, nod, maybe send the link to a friend, and move on. Pomplamoose tends to dodge that trap by actually understanding why the originals worked.
Here, two Cold War–era pop songs, both impossibly catchy, both quietly about dread albiet a different kind of dread, collapsed into each other. The result feels less like a joke and more like an accidental thesis: bright synths, sweet vocals, and an undercurrent of panic that never quite goes away.
It’s cheerful. It’s clever. And if you listen closely, it’s a little bit bleak.
Middle Aged Dad Jam Band — Love Shack (B-52’s)
I haven't featured these guys for a few weeks, but they have to be my favorites. There’s something deeply comforting about watching middle-aged guys lean fully into silliness without apology. This is not irony. It’s not parody. It’s joy—slightly creaky knees and all.
“Love Shack” is already ridiculous, but this version adds a layer of earned enthusiasm. You can feel the decades of carpooling, lawn-mowing, and early bedtimes vibrating behind every shout.
David Bowie — I’m Afraid of Americans
Then we turn the lights down.
This song has aged disturbingly well. Bowie wasn’t talking about geography so much as a mindset: paranoia, aggression, a culture convinced it’s under threat and therefore justified in striking first.
In light of the news out of Minnesota this past week, the title alone lands heavier than it used to. Bowie doesn’t shout. He observes. And that calm distance is what makes the song unsettling.
So, where do you land today? Neon pop, joyful nonsense, or quiet dread?
| David is an American teacher and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Bluesky. |
