Song of the Day 5/12: Leonard Cohen, “Everybody Knows”
I assume everybody knows this Cohen classic, if not from his 1988 album "I'm Your Man," then from its plentiful covers and frequent use in movies and TV soundtracks. But…
Song of the Day 5/10: Steve Miller Band, “Living in the U.S.A.”
For historical context, musicians like Steve Miller were trashing the emptiness of American culture way back in 1968, when Boz Scaggs was still in the band and Miller still delivered…
Song of the Day 5/9: The Judds, “Mama He’s Crazy”
The Judds ruled country music in the '80s. This song was their second single, the first of a nearly unbroken string of 14 that reached No. 1 on the country…
Song of the Day 5/7: Dave Alvin, “Plastic Rose”
When Dave Alvin released his second solo album, "Blue Blvd," in 1991, the Washington Post reviewer complimented it by saying the songs were like Raymond Carver stories. Alvin once told…
Song of the Day 5/5: Beck, “Loser”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2022 is weak even by the institution's abysmal standards. The best-known inductees are Dolly Parton (despite her request not to be…
If Democracy Is Dying, It’s From Neglect
Sure, Republicans are trying to kill democracy. The question is why they're bothering. Consider Ohio where, if you read the news accounts, the big story is J.D. Vance's comeback win…
Song of the Day 5/4: Graham Parker, “You Can’t Be Too Strong”
A lot of critics think this song, whose lyrics provided the title for Graham Parker's 1979 album "Squeezing Out Sparks," is the best he ever wrote. But if you ever…
Song of the Day 5/3: Johnny Cash, “Camptown Races”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona The Kentucky Derby is Saturday. Somebody will bet on the bay. Doo Dah. The singer in Stephen Foster’s “Camptown Races” did not bet on the…
Song of the Day 5/2: Squeeze, “The Day I Get Home”
"I eat the lines ahead of me." Chris Difford wrote that line more than 30 years ago, before you had to take your shoes off at the airport. From the…
Song of the Day 5/1: The Motown Manifestos, “Papa Was a Running Dog Lackey of the Bourgeoisie”
Happy International Workers' Day, or la Fête du Travail as the government here prefers to call it. Workers just call it May Day. John Lennon once remarked that "Imagine" was…
Song of the Day 4/30: The Boo Radleys, “Wake Up Boo!”
Not woke yet, or just feeling a bit lacking in the wokeness department? Let the Boo Radleys remedy that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJXPTnPmm78 The Boo Radleys were an early '90s Liverpool indie four-piece…
Song of the Day 4/29: Kool and the Gang, “Too Hot”
Maybe it's too common to be news anymore, but the Indian subcontinent is suffering under a brutal heat wave. Temperatures have been 10 degrees above normal for weeks and have…
Song of the Day 4/28: Gary Glitter, “Rock and Roll (Part 1)”
There's no other way to put it -- the French just think differently from everybody else. Paul Gadd was just 15 when, calling himself Paul Raven, he cut his first…