STUDS #3💪: Automatic
Choosing a favorite STUD is anything but Automatic. Will it be The Pointer Sisters? The Lumineers? Jessie Ware? Prince? Miranda Lambert? Or perhaps lesser known artists Roosevelt or Spiritual Cramp?
Before I get to the latest STUDS song challenge, I wanted to announce the winner of the previous contest, STUDS #2: “Mr. Wrong.”
As expected, the winner was indeed the beguiling Sade with 5 votes, but it wasn’t a landslide. That dog. and The Bellamy Brothers kept it close with 3 votes each. Lloyd Cole had two votes, and Mary J. Blige, Cracker, and Shakespear’s Sister each had one.
If you didn’t get a chance to listen or vote, you can remedy that by clicking the post below:
STUDS #2 💪: Mr. Wrong
You can probably surmise by the subheading that a winner has been chosen for the “U” word in my new STUDS series. We had a lot of great entries in the contest, and I wish I could have chosen them all.
I never learned to drive a manual stick-shift car.
When I was a teenager, my dad’s Datsun 280ZX (with rear-window louvers) had a manual transmission, but my mom’s Toyota Corolla was automatic. You can probably guess which one I learned how to drive with.
Even though many of my friends prided themselves on learning how to drive “the right way” — manually shifting gears and pressing down on a clutch pedal — I had zero interest in all that extra work.
Sure, the 1967 cherry red Ford Mustang I admired, which was for sale at the used car lot where my Papa Harry worked, would never become my vehicle unless I learned to drive a manual. But I was a practical kid, and I was aware that four-door sedans from Japanese sellers like Toyota and Datsun had far higher reliability ratings than sporty vehicles from American car makers.
Growing up (and it feels more true today), technology being automatic symbolized modernity, ease of use, and efficiency. You didn’t have to think about something that was automatic. It just worked, and you could get on with the other areas of life that required a bit more attention.
But convenience can breed dependence and laziness. It seems to always come with unforeseen costs.
I’ve always loved the title of punk rock legends, Dead Kennedys’ final album, Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death. Their play on Patrick Henry’s famous quote, “Give me liberty or give me death,” really resonated with me, even though for most of my years I have lived a comfortable, nay convenient life.
Automation can be wonderful. I am so glad I don’t have to roll down my car windows manually. I can wash dishes by hand (and often do), but automatic dishwashers are a godsend after a party.
But knowing how to work things manually means that when a technology stops performing its convenience part of the agreement, we can still get stuff done. We might need to put more muscle and creative brain power into it, but we’ll be ready when the grid comes crashing down.
Thank goodness none of the following “Automatic” tracks are about technological automation. Emotional (and erotic) automation is the name of the game in the following songs.
Love, making love, bodily reactions to a crush/potential lover, the effort put into maintaining a relationship lessening over time, and the pain when a lover leaves.
It wasn’t intentional, but the following songs, in their way, cover the rainbow assortment of automatic reactions when it comes to love.
We got some heavy hitters in this edition of Same Tune Utterly Different Song. But there are a couple of lesser-knowns that might surprise you with their catchy, groovy ways.
As always, I will include a Spotify and YouTube playlist, so you can play these 7 STUDS contestants (say it with me) automatically!
STUD #1 - Jessie Ware
Pop Star cum Disco Queen, Jessie Ware, has a brand new album out, and it’s another collection of dance-floor booty-shakers. I haven’t heard the whole thing yet, but if it’s anywhere as glorious as “Automatic,” it’s gonna get a lot of earplay in 2026.
STUD #2 - The Pointer Sisters
This Pointer Sisters hit song, from their multi-platinum Break Out album, reached #5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 (and #1 in the UK). It definitely sounds like 1984. I love it, but some of the keyboard effects are extremely dated, as well as the ultra-tinny drum machine. It’s a testament to the greatness of the Pointer Sisters that it all works, so many years later, despite all of that.
STUD #3 - Roosevelt
I owe Tune Tag and Front Row & Backstage writer Brad Kyle a debt of gratitude for turning me on to Roosevelt a couple of years ago. Ever since then, I seem to come across his music in unexpected places. Like when searching for songs titled “Automatic”!
Roosevelt is described as synth-pop, but that feels, if not inaccurate, then hugely limiting. This super groovy track, from his 2024 EP Automatic, feels both modern and retro in all the best ways.
STUD #4 - Prince
This 8-minute-plus epic dance jam from the Purple God (from his 1982 double album, 1999) brings me immense joy. I still can’t believe Prince is no longer with us in the flesh. But in spirit, in our memories, and in our bodies as we move to his music, he is oh so alive.
STUD #5 - Spiritual Cramp
This San Francisco-based band has been around for almost a decade, but they didn’t release their first full-length album until 2023. A few tracks on their excellent 2025 follow-up, Rude, conjure Ramones vibes, but “Automatic,” with its eawormy melody, angular guitars, and insistent drums, reminds me more of Interpol. Other songs on the album evoke the frenetic energy of Swedish rockers, The Hives, and punk legends The Clash.
Discovering new (to me) bands like Spiritual Cramp while researching this piece is what these STUDS competitions are all about.
And there’s even a collaboration with Sharon Van Etten on the album! How did I not hear this last year?
STUD #6 - The Lumineers
This self-titled track from The Lumineers 2025 release gives off serious Coldplay vibes. Which normally is not a compliment.
The simple piano melody, matched with Wesley Schultz's emotive, raw vocals, really sucks the listener into its spell. The inclusion of strings and some backing vocals at the end adds just the right touch.
STUD #7 - Miranda Lambert
I don’t know much about Miranda Lambert, and I’m not gonna pretend that I do. Country-pop isn’t normally in my wheelhouse, but I can recognize a great melody when I hear it, and the chorus here is especially lovely. So are the lyrics.
Hey, whatever happened to waitin' your turn
Doin' it all by hand
'Cause when everything is handed to you
It's only worth as much as the time you put in
It all just seemed so good the way we had it
Back before everything became automatic
Since I can only include 5 entries in the poll, I had to leave out two songs. Prince and Miranda Lambert have won enough awards and contests to last a lifetime, so those were cut.
But if you would like to vote for Miranda or Prince, please let me know in the comments, and I’ll include them in the final totals.
This was a fun one to compile. If you play the Spotify or YouTube playlist, I’ve added another bonus song by the band Mildlife, which is worthy of the contest, but I really tried to keep it to one poll. Click here to play the song on YouTube. It’s a 9-minute groovy jam.
If you have any suggestions for a future STUDS contest, send me an email or chat me up in the Substack app. I’d love a guest curator!
As much as I like Ware and was impressed by Roosevelt, I opted for my beloved Pointers and would have done so even if Prince was in the mix. Let's say I read too much of his history this week...
While I enjoyed all the entries this week (going to have to check out Jessie Ware and Spiritual Cramp more!), I had to go with the nostalgia of the Pointer Sisters!