Alby's Latest Posts
Song of the Day 7/1: Seatrain, “I’m Willin’”
El Som revealed the other day that the first albums he purchased were the debut LPs by Rotary Connection and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Commenter Erik Van Anglen chipped in with his (Chad and Jeremy and the Beach Boys) and asked for others to do the same. Mine was Seatrain’s eponymous second album, released in […]
Song of the Day 6/30: Mott the Hoople, “Ready for Love”
Nobody ever had to tell Mick Ralphs “shut up and play your guitar.” The founding guitarist for Mott the Hoople and Bad Company, who died last week, always let his guitar do most of the talking. When he did speak up he made it clear he had little use for any part of the music […]
Song of the Day 6/29: Darrell Scott, “American Tune”
Paul Simon hit the injured list yesterday, cancelling the last two of his three Philadelphia shows because of intense back pain. He hasn’t been performing this song of disillusionment, written in response to Richard Nixon’s re-election in 1972, on his current out-of-retirement tour, but it sure feels apropos to the moment. I don’t know a […]
DL Open Thread/Sunday Magazine, June 29, 2025
Ever notice that some issues – vaccine skepticism, for example – don’t follow our normal political left-right axis of orientation? Eric Oliver did, and after studying the issue he came to the conclusion that America’s political divide is not ideological but psychological. If you believe in UFOs or ESP or even general sense that there […]
DL Open Thread Saturday, June 28, 2025
If you’re a progressive Democratic Party voter, you’re constantly told to shut up and vote for whatever centrist wins the nomination. “Vote Blue No Matter Who” is what the party believes and practices no matter who … hold on, I’m getting an update. It turns out that if a social democrat wins the nomination for, […]
From the DL Archives: “Delaware named top ‘state to watch’ for pot legalization in 2017”
Whatever national organization made this forecast was unfamiliar with Delaware’s cop-dominated Old Guard. Medical marijuana was up and running by 2015, so by the next year cannabis advocates might have thought recreational use would soon follow. Yet here we are in 2025 and … no recreational weed available despite legislation legalizing it. The path to […]
Song of the Day 6/27: Rotary Connection, “I Am the Black Gold of the Sun”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona Chicago’s Chess Records made a name for itself in the 1950s and ‘60s as the home of great blues and soul artists. But Marshall Chess, son of the owner, wanted the label to expand its offerings. How about a soul band that incorporated spacey, hippie rock and pop? So in […]
Song of the Day 6/26: The Cowsills, “Indian Lake”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona The Cowsills knew you could beat the summer heat down at “Indian Lake,” where “you can swim in the cove, have a snack in the grove/Or you can rent a canoe.” But when they recorded “Indian Lake” in 1968 they had no idea they would become the model for a […]
Song of the Day 6/25: Bobby Sherman, “Easy Come Easy Go”
It seems like most child stars have a hard time adjusting to adult life – Justin Bieber is the latest example – but maybe that’s because we don’t hear much about the well-adjusted ones. Bobby Sherman, who died at age 81 yesterday, was in his mid-20s when he became a pin-up heartthrob for the Tiger […]
Song of the Day 6/24: The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love”
When is a cease-fire not a cease-fire? When it’s a Trump CeaseFire™! Here’s how you know it’s not a regular cease-fire, the kind where the warring parties have already agreed to it: It’s announced on social media instead of through official channels, and it’s announced by Trump himself. Yet media framing is that the countries […]
Song of the Day 6/23: Pat Benatar, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”
Iran’s retaliation wasn’t long in coming, with missile attacks on U.S. bases in Qatar and Iraq. Because most of the people in the Trump administration like to play tough guy – the men are men, the women are men and the dogs are nervous – their attitude is embodied by Pat Benetar’s breakthrough hit. “Hit Me,” […]
Song of the Day 6/22: Black Sabbath, “War Pigs”
Let’s state right up front that the only thing Donald Trump knows about war is how to avoid serving in one, so he has no idea what form the blowback from dropping bombs on Iran might take. He’s already every other kind of pig, so he might as well add “war pig” to his CV. […]
DL Open Thread Saturday, June 21, 2025
Is it war yet? More to the point, is it our war yet? Pundits are sucking their thumbs extra-hard trying to figure out if and when Trump will join the Israel-Iran missile-exchange program, but most fail to consider the question, “What would an unimaginative reality-show host do?” They’d do exactly what Trump is doing – […]
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