BoDeans “Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams” 1986. Slash Records. Today, February 8th, is BoDeans singer/guitarist/songwriter Sam Llanas’ 60th birthday (b. 1961). He, along with the rest of the BoDeans, are from the Milwaukee area and I’m very, very vaguely acquainted with him: we’re “friends” on social media (me, along with almost 5,000 other people and I’m quite sure neither one of us would recognize each other in an uncrowded venue; I’m flattered he sent me a friend request but it does perplex me a bit) and I think that the band I used to be in (the Aimless Blades) and one of his bands (not BoDeans, maybe one of his solo things) shared billing at Linneman’s sometime in the early 2000′s. Produced by Grammy-winning, Bob Dylan-backing T-Bone Burnett, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams was the BoDeans’ debut album and it went to #115 in the US. It’s jangly Americana roots rock and I have a feeling it was a much bigger deal in Wisconsin than the rest of the US: I remember hearing “Fadeaway” constantly on the radio in 1986, though I don’t think it was officially released as a single. That track is definitely my favorite on the LP, but I also like “She’s a Runaway,” “Angels,” “Misery” and the rockabilly swinger “Ultimately Fine.”