Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 4/5: The Housemartins, “Build”
This one’s for Nancy: A plaintive ballad about overdevelopment from mid-’80s British band the Housemartins. The group frequently addressed social issues because singer and lyricist Paul Heaton didn’t like writing love songs. Clambering men in big bad boots Dug up my den, dug up my roots. Treated us like plasticine town They build us up […]
Song of the Day 4/4: Randy Rainbow, “Cruella DeVos”
Randy Rainbow, the parodist born for this administration, couldn’t resist taking on Trump’s most inept henchwoman once she cut the Special Olympics from her department’s budget. It’s since been (supposedly) restored, but that didn’t stop Randy from linking her to Disney’s nastiest villainess.
Song of the Day 4/3: Kings of Leon, “Hands to Myself”
Yeah, I’m snarking on Joe Biden — with an opening line like “Can’t keep my hands to myself no matter how hard I’m trying to,” how could I not? — but I actually like this KoL cover of a cheesy dance tune originally given to Selena Gomez. I could have gone with her version, but […]
Jason Ricci, His Band…AND A Complimentary Libation! And One More Thing…
Not only are you gonna see the greatest blues harp (aka harmonica) player in the world with his band, not only are you getting a great opener in Reed Turchi, but now your first libation will be compliments of moi, El Somnambulo. When you show up at the concert, mention my name (I’ll be there) […]
Song of the Day 4/2: Georgia Satellites, “Keep Your Hands to Yourself”
Think they’ll be playing this one at Joe Biden’s campaign rallies? The Atlanta band never had another hit after this song reached No. 2 in 1986, but they’re still at it, though lead singer and songwriter Dan Baird left for a solo career decades ago. He hit the charts in 1993 with “I Love You […]
Song of the Day 4/1: The Doobie Brothers, “What a Fool Believes”
“What a fool believes, he sees. No wise man has the power to reason away what seems to be.” The song is about a long-past love affair, but those words apply to just about any situation. Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins wrote this together, or rather, McDonald started it and Loggins finished it by adding […]
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes: March, 2019
If you’re seeking musical diversity, this is the month for you. We’ve got pretty much everything but death metal and show tunes. Presented, as almost always, in alphabetical order by artist’s name: The ‘John Wayne’ reference is to the airport in Orange County, CA (formerly the home of the John Birch Society): On the […]
Song of the Day 3/31: Rolling Stones, “Dead Flowers”
The Rolling Stones have postponed their North American tour because Mike Jagger is undergoing medical treatment for an unspecified reason. So for now we’ll have to make do with YouTube videos, like this one from 1972.
Song of the Day 3/30: Shades of Blue, “Oh How Happy”
The sweet soul music of the ’60s was so intoxicating that lots of white groups tried their hands at it, giving rise to what became known as blue-eyed soul. Even those that succeeded were mostly one-hit wonders, but what great hits they were. The Shades of Blue hailed from the Detroit suburb of Livonia, Mich., […]
Song of the Day 3/29: Matthew Sweet, “I’ve Been Waiting”
Let’s cheer things up with a little ’90s power pop, courtesy of one of its top practitioners. “I’ve Been Waiting” was the second single from Sweet’s 1991 album “Girlfriend,” declared the top power pop album of the ’90s by the AV Club. He wrote the songs in the wake of a divorce and the commercial […]
Song of the Day 3/28: The (English) Beat, “Stand Down Margaret”
British pop lost another voice this week when Ranking Roger of the English Beat died of cancer at just 56 years old. The Beat was at the forefront of England’s ska revival, and Roger Charlery’s island-flavored vocals were at the forefront of the Beat. Roger was just 16 and drumming for a band called the […]
Song of the Day 3/27: The Walker Brothers, “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”
UK music critics and fans are mourning the March 22 death of Scott Walker, pop idol-turned-avant garde composer. He’s most widely known as lead singer of the Walker Brothers, a Los Angeles trio that reversed the British Invasion formula by hitting it big in England in the mid-1960s, first with the Bacharach/David classic “Make It […]
Song of the Day 3/26: Was (Not Was), “Somewhere in America There’s a Street Named After My Dad”
When Detroit natives David Weiss and Don Fagenson formed Was (Not Was), they both adopted the surname Was and combined to create music based on a simple philosophy. In the words of lyricist David, “the groove can handle anything,” a credo they put to the test frequently in composer Don’s mix of funk, R&B and […]
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