Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 3/30: The Clash, “London Calling”
In our apocalyptic age it’s hard to remember that the media has always peddled stories of impending doom. When Joe Strummer wrote this song in 1979, he recalled later, “I read about 10 news reports in one day calling down all variety of plagues on us,” including both an impending ice age and the sun […]
Song of the Day 3/29: Paul Melançon, “Jeff Lynne”
Sometimes a song intended as homage nails it so well it’s hard to tell it from the original. That’s the case with “Jeff Lynne,” indie pop-rocker Paul Melançon’s tribute to the Electric Light Orchestra frontman and songwriter. Melançon said the first record he ever bought was ELO’s “Out of the Blue,” and he certainly learned […]
Song of the Day 3/28: World Party, “Sweet Soul Dream”
Karl Wallinger, the multi-instrumentalist best known as the leader, and frequently the only member, of World Party, died at his home in England two weeks ago of a stroke. He was 66. Wallinger first gained attention in 1983 when he joined the Waterboys, where his keyboards set the mood of that band’s biggest hit, “The […]
Song of the Day 3/27: John Cougar Mellencamp, “Crumblin’ Down”
Richard Serra, whose massive steel sculptures – the less artistically inclined among us would describe them as walls – were the source of controversy and a federal lawsuit, has died at age 85. Serra gained widespread notoriety in the ’80s when he used a commission from the federal government for a public sculpture in a […]
Song of the Day 3/26: Counting Crows, “Raining in Baltimore”
From Counting Crows’ debut album, “August and Everything After,” released in 1993.
Song of the Day 3/25: Barenaked Ladies, “If I Had $1000000”
Dedicated to Donald Trump, with all the sympathy he deserves. Barenaked Ladies wrote about what they’d do with a million dollars even before the band formed in 1988. Frontmen Steven Page and Ed Robertson were working as counselors at a summer music camp, and they would sing this to the campers on the bus, filling […]
Song of the Day 3/24: Cypress Hill w/the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, “Insane in the Brain”
Life, as we know, imitates “The Simpsons,” which is why we got a Trump presidency. Even minor gags from long-ago episodes have come to pass: The U.S. won the Olympic gold medal in curling, the guy in Siegfried and Roy was attacked by one of his white tigers, Michelangelo’s David became the subject of censorship […]
Song of the Day 3/23: Пикник, “Королевство кривых” [Piknik, “Kingdom of Crooks”]
Once again, terrorists have attacked a live music event, this time a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow. Gunmen associated with the Islamic State opened fire before the start of a performance by Piknik, one of Russia’s longest-running rock bands; the death toll stood at 133 as this was written. Piknik, aka Picnic, recorded […]
Song of the Day 3/22: Barrett Strong, “Money (That’s What I Want)”
Donald Trump is getting INCREASINGLY FRANTIC! as the clock winds down toward his deadline for posting bond as he appeals his fraud conviction. Before you read any story about it, you should cue up this song as the soundtrack. Barrett Strong had his only hit as a performer with “Money,” written by Berry Gordy. It […]
Song of the Day 3/21: Alex Melton, “MMMBop”
Alex Melton is a South Carolina-based multi-instrumentalist who’s made a name for himself on YouTube by making genre-twisting covers – country songs done as pop-punk and vice versa are his specialties – and doing it all as a one-man band, playing all the instruments and mixing it together by computer. He’s been doing this for […]
Song of the Day 3/20: The Tragically Hip, “Bobcaygeon”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona Americans might have been puzzled by a recent Philadelphia Inquirer story about what Flyers’ hockey players want to hear on the song playlists that blast out on road trips or before and after games. Why did the name Tragically Hip come up so often? Who are they? Why is one […]
DL Open Thread Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Trump’s lawyers whined that nobody will accept his real estate as collateral for the half-a-billion-dollar bond he has to post by Monday. Letitia James said Trump’s assets could be seized if he can’t pay, but it seems more likely that the state would go after his bank accounts than his real estate holdings. Remember Paul […]
Song of the Day 3/18: Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)”
For all the similarities between the music markets in the U.S. and Britain, some acts just never cross over. For every David Bowie, embraced as a taste-setter in America, there’s a Steve Harley – someone who scored lots of hits in the UK but never made a dent on this side of the pond. If […]
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