Foreword: I’ve had this post incomplete in my drafts folder for many months, but the recent passing of the Eve of the DWotD (Doo-Wop of the Damned), Ronnie Spector, on January 12^th has urged me to finally finish this one off. In memoriam.

An important part of my musical taste that intersects at horror, maudlin sentimentality, oceans of reverb, and beautiful harmonies deserves a name. I dub it the Doo-Wop of the Damned (DWotD). It’s not a common taste, really, but I was trying to remember how it formed in me, so I thought I’d write down its recipe.

I’ve also created a playlist to sample some of the music discussed here:

While I had a really busy November and December in 2021, I found a few islands of escape with my headphones and the podcasts of my friends. Our friend, Ryan (FKA “The League”), has been running The Signal Watch podcast where he hosts a “cadre of co-contributors” commenting carefully on cinematic capers. This November and December, Ryan hosted outstanding episodes that I wish I could have commented upon in a timelier fashion.

I really “got” some of the subtler nuances of the November/December arc at The Signal Watch. Its tenor and resonance seemed just right for a second pandemic / resurgent omicron variant Christmas. I’ll admit I was a little bit blue between the stress of home, the holiday expectation of positivity, and the nagging feeling that what I wanted most of all was my loved ones to be near — or, heck, to even conceivably have the possibility of being near.

• The Signal Watch
  • “Foundation (TV)"
  • “Jingle All the Way”
  • “Scrooged”
  • “The Apartment”