Arts and Entertainment

Song of the Day 2/22: Public Enemy, “Don’t Believe the Hype”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 22, 2024 0 Comments

Sorry, Lappy™, it turns out that the case against Hunter Biden was a Russian ratfucking operation going back almost 10 years now, and all the mainstream news organizations dutifully repeated it because Republicans were full partners in spreading it. Public Enemy knew all about getting a bad rap from the media. They responded with this […]

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Song of the Day 9/21: Barenaked Ladies, “Brian Wilson”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 21, 2024 1 Comment

Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys has dementia, according to documents filed last week in California seeking new conservators for him following the death of his wife, Melinda, two weeks ago. The 81-year-old was described as described as “unable to properly provide for his or her personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter.” […]

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Song of the Day 2/20: Crowded House, “Don’t Dream It’s Over”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 20, 2024 5 Comments

Kudos to Bono and U2 for leading their audiences – in Las Vegas, of all places – in leading chants of “Alexei Navalny” in remembrance of the martyred Russian dissident. Throughout the band’s residency at that new Enormodome, they’ve been dedicating a song to Ukraine’s struggle for freedom, and it’s not one of their own. They […]

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Song of the Day 2/19: The Presidents of the United States of America, “Kitty”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 19, 2024 0 Comments

For Presidents Day, the only band that was the Presidents of the United States of America, with their 1995 hit “Kitty” (Modern Rock No. 13). According to guitarist Dave Dederer, it’s based on a true story.

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Song of the Day 2/18: Elvis Costello, “Pay It Back”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 18, 2024 0 Comments

Let’s say you lend Donald Trump $5. Would you trust him to pay it back? Silly question. Of course not. Yet banks have lent him billions, and he’s paid them back – except for all those businesses that have gone bankrupt, of course. But now he’s on the hook for hundreds of millions. Stop, thief, […]

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Song of the Day 2/16: The Wailing Wailers, “Simmer Down”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 16, 2024 3 Comments

The new Bob Marley biopic, “One Love,” is getting slagged by movie critics, which probably won’t make much difference to audiences, who gave it high scores regardless. Only a few of the reviews complained about the music, though Jack Hamilton’s review in Slate dinged it for presenting a “dorm-room poster” version of his oeuvre. The […]

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Song of the Day 2/15: Bad Company, “Young Blood”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment, National by on February 15, 2024 11 Comments

The competition for scummiest asshole in Florida is so crowded it has to be held in categories, like drag races. In the congressional class, while Anna Paulina Luna is giving him a run for his money, Matt Gaetz still reigns supreme. While the Department of Justice has dropped its sex-trafficking investigation against him, former Rep. […]

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Song of the Day 2/14: Penny and the Quarters, “You and Me”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 14, 2024 1 Comment

It’s almost a miracle that “You and Me” ever reached our ears. The demo tape was recorded sometime in the early ’70s in Columbus, Ohio, for a tiny soul label, Prix, but was never released. It was rediscovered only in 2005, after the death of a man named Clem Price, who owned the studio where […]

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Song of the Day 2/13: Professor Longhair, “Go to the Mardi Gras”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 13, 2024 0 Comments

Happy Fat Tuesday! Legendary pianist Professor Longhair recorded this tune in 1949, but the 1959 version he did for Ron Records is the one that everybody has played ever since.

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Song of the Day 2/12: Oasis, “Don’t Look Back in Anger”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 12, 2024 1 Comment

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced this year’s nominees for induction and, as usual, the list shows the institution has all but lost interest in rock music. Acts become eligible 25 years after their first commercial release, meaning everyone who debuted before Prince’s party date qualifies. Unfortunately for those who like actual rock, […]

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Song of the Day 2/11: Thee Sinseers, “What’s His Name”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 11, 2024 1 Comment

Guest post by Nathan Arizona An old music genre never really dies. Something’s always there to revive it. In the case of Chicano soul, sometimes called lowrider soul, streets and garages are still filled with souped-up, been-around cars. Folks still barbecue and drink beers on hot Sunday afternoons with the soundtrack of their summer playing […]

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Song of the Day 2/8: Mojo Nixon, “Don Henley Must Die”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment by on February 8, 2024 1 Comment

Mojo Nixon, who set his ribald mix of tabloid obsessions and anarchic politics to a raucous blend of punk and rockabilly, died Wednesday in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the SiriusXM Outlaw Country Cruise he was hosting. Nixon, whose real name was Neil Kirby McMillan Jr., was 66. Nixon had been creating his parody songs […]

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Song of the Day 2/7: Randy Newman, “Putin”

Filed in Arts and Entertainment, International by on February 7, 2024 4 Comments

H/t Paul As expected, Tucker Carlson has interviewed Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Guardian is reporting that the interview will probably air Thursday. Wherever it eventually appears, I think it should be introduced with Randy Newman’s 2017 paean to the narcissistic strongman, which appeared on his last album, “Dark Matter.” Newman said it was more […]

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