Song of the Day 7/7: Elton John, “Philadelphia Freedom”
I think Philadelphia ought to adopt as its civic motto Pedicabo Circa et Invenire, which is online-translator-Latin for "Fuck Around and Find Out." That's what happened when a bunch of…
Song of the Day 7/6: The Floaters, “Float On”
This out-of-left-field hit was one of the songs of the summer in 1977, mostly because of its slow-jam groove, not its silly lyrical conceit. I can't be sure, but this…
Song of the Day 7/5: Hippo Campus, “Way It Goes”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona Indie pop-rock tends to get overshadowed these days, but the dudes abide. In this case in a band called Hippo Campus. They make brisk, melodic,…
Song of the Day 7/4: Bruce Springsteen, “Independence Day”
No, the song doesn't have anything to do with the holiday, but it is one of Bruce Springsteen's most personal songs, the one that most directly addresses the tension with…
DL Open Thread Sunday, July 4, 2021
Today is worthy of celebration -- it's been a full week since Chris Coons last sold out his constituents. It's pretty clear to anyone paying attention that the Jan. 6…
Song of the Day 7/3: The Doors, “Break On Through (to the Other Side)”
Fifty years ago today, Jim Morrison's common-law wife found him dead in the bathtub of their Paris apartment, bringing to a close the singer's years-long campaign of self-destruction and pretty…
Song of the Day 7/2: Chicago Transit Authority, “Poem 58”
For the past 40 years, people have thought of Chicago as an easy-listening band that played lots of mushy ballads, because that's how they wasted the bulk of their existence…
Song of the Day 7/1: Counting Crows, “Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)”
Before Counting Crows became famous, the band circulated a demo tape that set off a bidding war among record companies. Most of the songs were rerecorded with T-Bone Burnett at…
DL Open Thread Thursday, July 1, 2021
The Biden presidency has been a crisis for the media -- without a daily Fresh New Hell, ratings and readership are in the tank. Everybody's web traffic is down, but…
Top Lobbyist for ExxonMobil Says Coons Is in Their Pocket
Channel 4 in the UK carried an investigative report from the British branch of Greenpeace based on a sting interview with Keith McCoy, a top lobbyist for ExxonMobil. McCoy spoke…
Song of the Day 6/30: Todd Snider, “Can’t Complain”
Like his onetime mentor John Prine, Todd Snider's songs, built from simple chords and clever lyrics, fall into a category between folk and country that the label "Americana" doesn't quite…
Song of the Day 6/29: OMC, “How Bizarre”
This was the song of the summer 24 years ago, when it was inescapable on radio and MTV. Despite never being released as a single, it topped Billboard's airplay chart…
Song of the Day 6/27: Mumford and Sons, “Hopeless Wanderer”
Mumford and Sons, the British band that soared to popularity a decade ago by dressing up like farmers and playing Americana, hit the news this week when their banjo player…