Alby's Latest Posts
Song of the Day 2/28: Talk Talk, “It’s My Life”
The music world is mourning the death of Mark Hollis, founder of the British band Talk Talk, best known for a string of synth-pop dance hits in the early ’80s, culminating with “It’s My Life,” later an international hit when covered by No Doubt. If that was all he ever did, his passing would hardly […]
Song of the Day 2/27: Randy Newman with Mark Knopfler, “It’s Money That Matters”
You say you’re confused by life in modern America? Let Mr. Randy Newman explain things for you. With the help of Mr. Mark Knopfler, he will decode the mystery of why we find ourselves where we are. Spoiler alert: It has something to do with who we are. For those who liked the Queen video […]
Who’s Afraid of the Green New Deal?
Lots of people, it seems, even some of the 81% who tell pollsters they support it. Republicans consider it the spawn of Satan or, worse, Lenin. Democrats fret that it’s so radical it will drive voters into the nurturing arms of President Stable Genius. To which I say, good. Excellent. All this chatter shows the […]
Song of the Day 2/26: Queen and David Bowie, “Under Pressure”
I promise this is the last day of Queen music, and to be honest I’m posting it not only because it’s a great song, but because this video manages to “document” something that never happened. If you watch carefully you’ll notice that it’s more than one concert edited together – it’s three, actually – because […]
Owning the Libs Isn’t Everything, It’s the Only Thing
The question “How did Trump win?” has various answers. One of the most compelling, because its truth is on display daily, is that Republican voters don’t care a fig about supply side economics, they just want to Own the Libs. It’s no accident that the eventual winner of the GOP candidate scrum was the one […]
Song of the Day 2/25: Queen, “I’m in Love With My Car”
As expected, Rami Malek won the Oscar last night for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody.” More surprisingly, the show opened with the current incarnation of the band — Brian May on guitar and Roger Taylor on drums with Adam Lambert on vocals — performing “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the […]
Biden Is Running, Isn’t He?
Jason’s prediction is looking more likely by the day, as the Associated Press released a big story about how Joe Biden’s vast foreign policy experience makes him unique in the crowded Democratic field for 2020. Never mind that foreign policy plays little role in voters’ choice in elections, particularly for Democrats; Trump’s visit to Viet […]
Song of the Day 2/24: Marc Martel, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Not being a movie person, I have no opinion about who should win anything at tonight’s Academy Awards. But I did see “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and while the movie has been criticized for downplaying Freddie Mercury’s gayness, Rami Malek’s performance is riveting and IMO Oscar-worthy. But while producers have said the soundtrack features a blend of […]
Song of the Day 2/23: The Records, “Starry Eyes”
The Records were a British power-pop band of the late ’70s-early ’80s, one of the post-punk, skinny-tie, jangly-guitar outfits that carried the torch for rock ‘n’ roll against its deformed bastard child, disco. They never broke through as a band except for “Starry Eyes,” released in 1978, and even that stalled out in the bottom […]
Dying of Whiteness
I came across this anecdote in an interview with physician and social scientist Jonathan M. Metzl, whose book, “Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America’s Heartland,” was recently released. The book is about how rural whites came to embrace policies that are quite literally killing them, and this anecdote sums […]
Song of the Day 2/22: The Monkees, “For Pete’s Sake”
Peter Tork of the Monkees died yesterday at age 77. Tork was 24 and playing folk music in Greenwich Village when his friend Stephen Stills urged him to audition for this TV show that was looking for musicians, as Stills had. (Imagine the alternate-universe possibilities). Derided as the Prefab Four because their first two albums […]
Song of the Day 2/21: The Knife, “Heartbeats”
The Knife was a brother/sister Swedish band that was so quirky it didn’t perform live until two years after releasing its album “Deep Cuts” in 2003. Critics loved it, especially this song, which has made several “best of the century” lists. Most people first heard “Heartbeats” not in this original, techno-influenced version but an acoustic […]
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