Alby's Latest Posts
Song of the Day 8/15: Phish, “You Enjoy Myself”
The pandemic has killed off Dover’s Firefly music festival, but this year The Woodlands found a replacement: Phish’s four-day Mondegreen festival. There’s a big difference, though. Where Firefly hosted dozens of bands who drew a broader spectrum of fans, Phish is the only band playing Mondegreen – two shows each night – so much of […]
Song of the Day 8/14: R.E.M., “Orange Crush”
OK, so the election isn’t being held today and a lot can change in (checks watch) 82 days. But right now the Harris/Walz ticket looks poised to crush a certain orange someone, and I don’t mean Tony the Tiger. It will, however, be gr-r-reat! Michael Stipe wasn’t referring to soda on this tune, released on […]
DL Open Thread Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024
For months, the war in Ukraine has been pushed to the media back burner, where slow Russians gains provided grist for the “Surrender Dorothy Ukraine” crowd’s ever-grinding mill. Millions of pixels were devoted to experts explaining how things would play out. And I’m pretty sure exactly zero (0) of those experts predicted Ukraine would invade […]
Song of the Day 8/13: Veruca Salt, “So Weird”
If whoever programmed “My Heart Will Go On” for the Trump rally is looking for more troll bait, might I suggest this as a theme song? It dates from 2006, when Louise Post was fronting the band herself after she and Nina Gordon split up in 1998. They had reunited by the time of this […]
DL Open Thread Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024
The Harris campaign has shown a talent for reducing Donald Trump to a sputtering fountain of rage, and never more so than when mocking him over crowd sizes – hers are bigger. It’s not entirely his ego at stake. His whole rationale for the Big Lie, that his enormous crowds mean he must have won, […]
Song of the Day 8/12: The Staple Singers, “I’ll Take You There”
The Staple Singers’ first No. 1 hit, and the song they’re best remembered for, didn’t really have much to do with the group. Mavis Staples is the only one who appears on the record. All the instruments are played by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. When Mavis calls for “Daddy,” it’s Eddie Hinton, not Pops […]
DL Open Thread Monday, Aug. 12, 2024
Is there a bad idea John Carney won’t embrace? Most basketball fans are aware that the Philadelphia 76ers want to construct a new arena in downtown Philly right next to Chinatown. The project is supported by the construction workers’ unions – is there a bad idea they won’t embrace? – but opposed by those who […]
Song of the Day 8/11: Céline Dion, “My Heart Will Go On”
As El Som noted in today’s Open Thread, the musical highlight of Trump’s sparsely attended Montana rally was the syrupy tear-jerker “My Heart Will Go On” by Céline Dion – famously, the theme song to James Cameron’s “Titanic.” People started speculating that the choice was the work of a mole in the Trump campaign. I […]
Song of the Day 8/8: Taylor Swift, “Look What You Made Me Do”
Taylor Swift cancelled three shows in Vienna after three suspects were arrested and charged with plotting an attack on her show. Police found bombs and ISIS propaganda, indicating again that Islamic terrorists consider music venues fair game. As a music fan, this does not predispose me to expressing any sympathy for the goals of Islamic […]
Song of the Day 8/7: Warren Zevon, “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz might present as an old man, but he’s only 60, and a whole lot cooler than he looks. He proved it when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its class of 2023. Walz sent out a tweet: “As Governor of Minnesota I cannot believe Warren Zevon was not inducted […]
DL Open Thread Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024
Reaction to Kamala Harris’ selection of Tim Walz as her running mate has been widely praised. Most pundits have cited his mien, best summed up by Harold Meyerson of the American Prospect as “Hubert Humphrey without Vietnam.” Walz’s happy warrior style reminded me of Humphrey, too, but I’d say “with a sharper tongue.” Ol’ Hubert […]
Song of the Day 8/6: Big Data feat. Joywave, “Dangerous”
Trends in popular music evolve rather slowly in modern times, which makes it harder to tell when they shift. Eleven years ago, for instance, this tune was all the rage, hitting No. 1 on the alternative rock chart. It typifies the bass-heavy sound that was popular then – “All About That Bass” was a product […]
DL Open Thread Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024
Kamala Harris will name her choice for vice president today. Because American politics is essentially sports for the athletically disinclined, the bookies have Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pulling slightly ahead of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as the betting favorite, and that’s considered a news story. A couple of bad days for the stock markets was […]
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