Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 4/22: The Rainmakers, “Drinkin’ on the Job”
If Kash Patel didn’t want reporters to look into his drinking, maybe he shouldn’t have guzzled beer with the U.S. hockey team at the Olympics. It would have been a bad look anywhere outside Frat Row, but it made me long for the days when the FBI director had enough sense to not get photographed […]
Song of the Day 4/21: Jim Sullivan, “U.F.O.”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona “X-Files” Case No. 158: Singer-songwriter Jim Sullivan made an unsuccessful album in 1969 called “U.F.O.” The subject had long fascinated him. Later, he walked into the desert in space alien-friendly New Mexico and was never heard from again. They never found the body, but they did find his Volkswagen bug, […]
Song of the Day 4/20: Tom Petty, “You Don’t Know How It Feels”
Today is the first 4/20 when recreational cannabis is legal in Delaware, and I’m gonna say I told you so: It’s been far from the financial windfall for the state that a lot of people were anticipating. WHYY checked the figures last month and they’re far short of expectations. The bottom line for now is […]
Song of the Day 4/19: Generation X, “Kiss Me Deadly”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 has a distinctly British flavor. The only Americans inducted are Queen Latifah, the Wu-Tang Clan and Luther Vandross. Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Oasis, Sade and Joy Division/New Order are all British acts. A lot of people would say it’s about time, because Brits […]
Song of the Day 4/17: Little Millie Small, “My Boy Lollipop”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona Before there was Bob Marley, there was Little Millie Small. Little Millie had the very first Jamaican hit in America with a 1964 ska song called “My Boy Lollipop.” It was a snappy tune you could dance to, heavy on the island backbeat but spun from American R&B like other […]
Song of the Day 4/16: Matthew Sweet, “Evangeline”
The Trump administration seems to have declared war on the Vatican. Donald Trump commands the U.S. military’s 1.3 million active personnel. The Pope is protected by the 135-man Swiss Guard. That hardly seems like a fair fight. What the Holy See needs is someone like Evangeline, an indie comic book heroine of the ’80s who […]
Song of the Day 4/15: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, “What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes”
Republicans love to claim they’re cutting taxes, but a recent study found that thanks to Trump’s tariffs, the net effect this year is to increase taxes on Americans in all income groups aside from the richest 5 percent. Thanks, Trump! Sharon Jones released this song as a single in 2004, when the bombs our taxes […]
Song of the Day 4/14: The Caulfields, “Devil’s Diary”
Trump finally did something that pissed off even his Christian nationalist supporters when he posted an AI collage centering on an image of himself as Jesus. After enough people called him a blasphemer, he deleted it from his social media account, but not before blatantly lying that he thought it showed him as a doctor. […]
Song of the Day 4/13: Donald Byrd, “Fallin’ Like Dominoes”
H/t Al Jackson Donald Trump’s ongoing humiliation at the hands of Iran has revealed his weakness. Like any narcissist, he has to respond by looking tough. And what better way to look tough than firing someone? Hey, it worked on his TV show, where firing people convinced a millions gullible Americans that a six-time bankrupt […]
Song of the Day 4/12: Warren Zevon, “The Envoy”
The adage “never send a boy to do a man’s job” seems to have originated in the 1850s and gained wide circulation during the American Civil War. It still applies today, as we’re reminded by Donald Trump sending JD Vance to hold peace talks with Iran. Vance failed, of course, in large part because he […]
Song of the Day 4/10: The Kingsmen, “Louie Louie”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona Tomorrow is International Louie Louie Day. Not every song gets a Day, but “Louie Louie” isn’t every song. It’s been almost fanatically celebrated from the time it was a Top 10 hit in 1963. Venerable rock critic Dave Marsh wrote a book that ranked the 1,001 greatest singles of all […]
Song of the Day 4/9: Fred Astaire, “Nice Work If You Can Get It”
It’s an age-old story: Person gets elected, uses the office to get a cushy job in the NGO sector, then uses their government position to steer money to their non-government employer. El Somnambulo has been pounding the table about this for years, yet professional news organizations have for the most part ignored it. I find […]
Song of the Day 4/8: Tyrone Davis, “Can I Change My Mind”
Trump earned his taunting “taco” sobriquet because he almost always makes bellicose threats and then backs down instead of following through on them. But I think everyone’s glad he rescinded his latest ultimatum to Iran, even if it will only lead to another round of fulminations in two weeks. Everyone wants to say he chickened […]
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