Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 4/24: Charles Bradley, “Changes”
When Charles Bradley was discovered by Daptone Records around the turn of the millennium, he was nearly 50 years old and performing a James Brown impersonation as Black Velvet. (Earlier he billed himself the Screaming Eagle of Soul.) Once he hooked up with Daptone’s Tom Brenneck he became an international success, partly because Brenneck steered […]
Song of the Day 4/20: Ben Harper, “Burn One Down” Live at Bonnaroo
Though there are enough weed anthems to make a playlist that lasts 4 hours and 20 minutes, my favorite is Ben Harper’s Jamaica-flavored proclamation of the freedom to fire up. Harper included the song on his second album, “Fight for Your Mind,” in 1995, and it’s been a staple of his live set since. Like […]
Song of the Day 4/19: Frank Zappa and the Mothers, “Son of Orange County/More Trouble Every Day”
Once upon a time in America, government oppression inspired protest. Lots of it was angry. Frank Zappa’s was, too, but his mode of expression was mockery, as in this oblique but incisive critique of our 37th president. The track as it appears on “Roxy and Elsewhere” was mostly recorded at Edinboro (Pa.) State College May […]
Song of the Day 4/18: Poole, “Superamerica”
Another forgotten power pop band from the ’90s, Poole hailed from northern Virginia, which helps explain why they shot this video in Ocean City, Md. “Superamerica” was the opening track of their first (and most critics think best) CD, the self-produced “Alaska Days.” “Oregon” pointed toward the sound they’d explore on their later discs. By […]
Song of the Day 4/17: Nat Turner Rebellion, “Laugh to Keep From Crying”
You might have seen the headline at Philly.com or the article in Rolling Stone about the Philadelphia soul-funk band whose LP finally is being released, 50 years after it was recorded at Philly’s legendary Sigma Sound Studios. The Nat Turner Rebellion was active during the heyday of Philadelphia soul. It was led by Joseph Jefferson, […]
The Suitcase Junket Coming To Arden!
Who the bleep is The Suitcase Junket, you ask? He’s this guy (I’m only providing live cuts b/c that’s the way he plays, and he plays everything): Here’s what you need to know: Fresh off the release of his critically-acclaimed new album, Mean Dog, Trampoline, The Suitcase Junket makes a triumphant return to the Arden […]
Song of the Day 4/16: Al Green w/ Lyle Lovett, “Funny How Time Slips Away”
Funny how I’m always finding new old stuff on YouTube. I knew Al Green recorded a solo version of this Willie Nelson song in the 1970s, but I didn’t realize he had re-recorded it in a more uptempo version with Lyle Lovett. Serves me right for not paying attention to the Grammy Awards; Green won […]
Song of the Day 4/15: Junior Parker, “Taxman”
George Harrison’s ode to Great Britain’s 95% marginal tax rate always gets a workout this time of year. The lead-off track on “Revolver” embellishes George’s bitter lyrics (written after someone explained why he was seeing so little of the money the Beatles earned) with a bouncy beat and a searing-for-its-day lead guitar break by Paul […]
Song of the Day 4/14: Albert Brooks, “Rewriting the National Anthem”
Everybody wants a new national anthem, but only Albert Brooks recognized that the most democratic way to find one would be to hold open auditions. From the 1973 album “Comedy Minus One.” Update: Thanks to Jim from South Jersey, it’s now the proper clip.
Song of the Day 4/13: Dead Kennedys, “I Fought the Law (And I Won)”
You think you know the original, but you don’t. I keep running across old songs that would need very little retrofitting to apply to Donald Trump. Today’s example: Jello Biafra’s snide repurposing of the Sonny Curtis classic to fit the Dan White fiasco. For those with spotty memories or too few gray hairs, Dan White […]
Song of the Day 4/11: Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road”
If you doubt that hip-hop has permeated virtually all of American music, look no further than the controversy over “Old Town Road.” The song started as a viral video in December and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 within three months. But the controversy hit when Billboard ruled the song ineligible for its […]
Song of the Day 4/10: Huey ‘Piano’ Smith, “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu”
I’m not sure which one I had, but it knocked me on my ass the last few days. New Orleans ivory tickler Huey Smith scraped the bottom of the charts with his self-penned tune in 1957. It’s since been covered by everybody from Jerry Lee Lewis to Aerosmith to the Grateful Dead, but most successfully […]
Song of the Day 4/6: The Avalanches, “Frontier Psychiatrist”
I think this is a good representation of how Donald Trump’s brain works. Nothing in this song is actually original — it’s assembled from hundreds of samples with nothing beyond some scratching added, mostly from old recordings from all kinds of sources. The title phrase comes from a comedy sketch on a Canadian TV show, […]
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