Studio 54 in the Suburbs: A Look at One Reader's Grooving '70s Abode

I'm willing to bet that if you visit sites like Go Retro, one of your dreams is to live in a mid-century modern home of your very own and decorate it with wild retro abandon (I know it's one of my dreams.) Well, allow me to introduce you to the home of Go Retro reader and fan Richard, who recently made that dream his reality. 

This was Richard's Denver area house from the outside when he purchased it with his husband Gerald in 2014. Very Brady Bunch, don't you think? It's nice enough from its street view, but the real treat is what is on the inside...

I'm Still Here!

So, Go Retro fell off the track again with the regular postings. Yes, I've been neglecting this site but not without a good reason...I've been making a bit of money the past few weeks via a freelance site. Not a lot, mind you, but enough that I'll be able to pay my car's excise tax next month without having to dip into my savings account to do so. 

Most of the money I've made so far has been from taking surveys (and believe me, I've contributed more than my fair share by now to academic research on topics that cover everything from black bean burgers to how I feel about the Supreme Court.) But some of the first-come, first-serve quick projects I've snatched up have been copywriting assignments that pay a few bucks. Long story short, I could either make around $15/day on the site with some detective work, or hope for $1/day in Google AdSense revenue here. You do the math. 

However, I'm now making the effort to put more time into Go Retro in the coming weeks. I'm halfway done with a post about a reader's 1970s house (trust me, it'll be worth the wait!) and I think it's high time that the blog got an updated banner--something much simpler but yet still cries retro. In the past few months I've been striving to make Go Retro look more like a real website and less like a blogspot blog. Something to think about.

So thanks for sticking around and just FYI, the blog's Facebook page has still been regularly updated! 

New REBEAT Article: It's the Same Old Song (9 Notable Cases of Music Plagiarism)

Music plagiarism has been a hot topic in the news lately, first plaguing Sam Smith and now involving Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams. In my latest feature for REBEAT, I highlighted some music plagiarism cases that involved more retro songs...did you know that the flute melody in "Down Under" was apparently inspired by an Australian nursery rhyme about a kookaburra bird?

I promise I have some new posts in the works. Here's a look at what is coming to Go Retro this week:

An Ode to Big Ass Home Audio Systems - Exactly what it is; we'll take a fond look back at the elaborate and super sized home stereo system from the 1960s through the 1980s (hint: there's no room here for a puny iPod docking station and speakers.)

Studio 54 in the Suburbs - An exclusive look at one Go Retro reader's gorgeous, groovy circa 1970s and how he restored it to its "Swingtown" retro glory while keeping it modern. Trust me--you're going to LOVE this home!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

The Hills Are Still Alive With the Sound of Music

A couple of years ago I tried watching that piece of pap that NBC produced and heavily promoted--a live television production of The Sound of Music. I really can't add anything new to the rightful public bashing it received other than say the parody that Saturday Night Live did of it--with Kristen Wiig--was way more entertaining. Hopefully it'll go down in TV history as a reminder never to mess with a classic original. 

The Sound of Music premiered 50 years ago today in movie theaters and has been enchanting its fans ever since. The staying power of this film is greater than any other movie that was released in 1965, including Doctor Zhivago, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Thunderball, and Help! Why? Is it the wholesome, infectious soundtrack? The captivating storyline that was based (somewhat loosely) on a real-life romantic story? The gorgeous Austrian scenery and sets? The delectable Christopher Plummer?

All of the above. I would also guess that once in a while it's soul cleansing to watch a heartwarming family film without any swearing or violence and that's what keeps viewers returning to The Sound of Music. People who were kids when the movie was first released have shared it with their kids and grandchildren. 

A few years ago, for fun, I compiled a little post of fun facts and trivia about The Sound of Music and have recently updated it with some additional tidbits for SOM fans. Check it out and until the next post, so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye!

Six Songs That Make Me Think of Spring

Man, I'll just be unladylike and say it: this winter needs to go f*** off already. 

For those of you who live in the warmer parts of the U.S., the rumors you've been hearing about us in the New England area are true: we're on the verge of being taken away to the funny farm in paddy wagons.

It isn't just the fact that in the the past 40 days or so we've received 7 feet of snow--enough to swallow a basketball player. It's that within that timeframe there's been virtually no melting. We've only had really one day where the temperature made it to 35 degrees--a heatwave! The thermometer taunts us lately, hovering just below freezing. Today it's 30 degrees and overcast. 

It's now March 1, and we're supposed to receive--you guessed it--more snow tonight. The sun is stronger than ever, the days are longer, and daylight savings begins in less than a week. But where is spring?

I've experienced some New England winters that had terrible snow amounts, but I've never lived through one where there wasn't some periods of melting--even if briefly--before the next cold wave and snowstorm hit. Fortunately, I live in a suburb of Boston and not the city itself--where many of the already narrow Back Bay streets are making drivers play chicken as they try to finagle their way around. 

So, what to do until Mother Nature catches up? Listen to music. Here are six songs that make me think of SPRING. It has to arrive sooner or later!