Arts and Entertainment
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes: January, 2019: Part One
Some musical years start slowly, with January’s new songs not measuring up to those on the Best Of The Year lists. This, however, is not one of those Januarys. Plenty of real good songs, loads of diversity, a great way to start the year. With a two-fer, in fact. Presented in alphabetical order by artist […]
Song of the Day, 1/30: Colin Hay, “Waiting For My Real Life to Begin”
Most people know Colin Hay from his days fronting Men at Work, the ’80s New Wave band from Australia that scored a huge international hit with “Down Under.” That was the heyday of MTV, and Hay’s exotropia (one eye points outwards) gave viewers an instant visual hook with their first video, “Who Can It Be […]
Song of the Day 1/29: Caroline Rose, “Soul No. 5”
Here’s something different: A female solo artist who ridicules the patriarchy and has a good time doing it. Rose, a Long Islander, started out as a country/folk artist but got no attention until she exploded last year after reinventing herself as a millennial with a New Wave sound and an attention-grabbing fashion sense. Most importantly, […]
Song of the Day 1/25: The Equals, “Police on My Back”
This one’s for Roger Stone, who famously has a criminal tattooed on his back. Most people know this tune because The Clash covered it, but the original was done in 1968 by The Equals, probably best remembered today because their founder and leader, Eddy Grant, went on to a solo career and a big hit […]
Song of the Day 1/20: Neil Finn, “Sinner”
My vote for most underrated songwriter of the rock era goes to Neil Finn, who’s been composing sophisticated tunes since joining his brother Tim’s band Split Enz in 1977, at the age of 18. He went on to found Crowded House before releasing two solo albums. Perhaps the best point of comparison for his music […]
Song of the Day, 1/14: “So It Goes,” Nick Lowe
This single was bassist/songwriter Nick Lowe’s first “solo” release as well as the first single released by Stiff Records, which Lowe founded with £400 he borrowed. He played everything but drums on the recording but, as the video shows, he recruited Dave Edmunds and the rest of Rockpile to perform this catchy slice of New […]
Song of the Day 1/13: Mandolin Orange, “Take This Heart of Gold”
Let’s end the week with something quiet. Mandolin Orange is a prolific duo from North Carolina. This spare ballad was released on the 2016 album “Blindfall.” They’ll be in Philadelphia Feb. 6 for a show at Union Transfer.
Song of the Day 1/11: Warren Zevon, “I Was in the House When the House Burned Down”
Friday calls for kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll, and this is one of my go-to songs for getting revved up. The Warren Zevon songs everybody knows mostly come from the mid-1970s, when he was a favorite of the LA “Mellow Mafia” and championed by people like Jackson Browne and frequently covered by Linda Ronstadt. After that […]
Song of the Day 1/10: World Party, “Ship of Fools”
This song sums up the way I’ve felt just about every morning since Nov. 9, 2016. In fact, the refrain “save me from tomorrow” hasn’t lost an iota of urgency since Karl Wallinger released it in 1986. It was the only World Party single to reach the U.S. Top 40.
Song of the Day 1/9: “Blind Willie McTell,” The Band
Most people, myself included, think this is one of Bob Dylan’s greatest songs, but almost nobody would have heard it if The Band hadn’t plucked it from obscurity for their “Jericho” album in 1993. A searing rumination on the the blues and the American South, Dylan wrote it for his 1983 “Infidels” album but — […]
Song of the Day 1/8: “American Tune,” Crooked Still
Paul Simon once said this was the closest he came to an overtly political song. He wrote it shortly after Richard Nixon’s landslide victory over George McGovern in 1972, well before the Watergate scandal broke, which makes its mood of grief seem prescient. I heard this spare version by Boston sort-of bluegrass band Crooked Still […]
Enjoy A Great Concert, Have A Complimentary Libation, Courtesy Of El Somnambulo
I’ve got a great concert coming up at the Arden Gild Hall on Saturday, January 12 at 8 pm. If you come to the show, I will pay for your first beverage, alcoholic or otherwise (BTW, I select the wines, and they’re good. I should know, I drink enough of them.) Leyla McCalla is a […]
Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2018: The Top 10!!
But, first, the obligatory catch-up threads for those who like to binge-listen (Whoa! Looks like our ‘new improved’ editing function has kicked in.): Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2018: #’s 50-41 Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2018: #’s 40-31 Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2018: #’s 30-21 Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2018: #’s 20-11 And now, finally, My […]
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