Song of the Day, 2/18: The Nazz, “Open My Eyes”
It's hard for those who didn't live through the '60s to appreciate how large the Beatles loomed over pop culture. Not only did their music spawn entire new genres, they…
Song of the Day 2/17: Paul Anka, “Wonderwall”
That Ryan Adams cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall" is great, but it's so gloomy. Paul Anka, on his album of rock covers, gave it a much more upbeat, ring-a-ding-ding reading that…
Song of the Day 2/16: Ryan Adams, “Wonderwall”
Ryan Adams has found himself in a world of trouble for something rock stars used to consider one of the perks of the job: Smutting around with underage girls. The…
Song of the Day 2/15: Ten Years After, “I’d Love to Change the World”
This song, the highlight of the band's 1971 album "A Space in Time," was by critical consensus the pinnacle of British blues guitarist Alvin Lee's career, though I have to…
Song of the Day 2/14: Syl Johnson, “Is It Because I’m Black”
Once upon a time in America, people didn't tiptoe around issues of race. The fight for civil rights legislation was hard and bitter, and the racists didn't keep their feelings…
Song of the Day 2/13: Flash Cadillac, “She’s So Fine”
When I got to thinking about bands that sound like throwbacks, I realized that sometimes they do it on purpose -- for example, when a movie is set in the…
Song of the Day 2/12: IBM 7094, “Daisy Bell”
Yesterday Jason slagged Greta Van Fleet for sounding "old," because their classic-rock sound and Robert Plant-manque lead singer make them sound like a 50-year-old band, Led Zeppelin. Well, I'm here…
Song of the Day 2/11: Greta Van Fleet, “Highway Tune”
Last night's Grammy Awards got the Song and Record of the Year right -- Childish Gambino's "This Is America" won both -- but no Grammy Awards ceremony would be complete…
Song of the Day 2/10: Childish Gambino, “This Is America”
With the Grammy Awards on TV tonight, here's a song nominated for song of the year, record of the year and best music video, and it deserves to win all…
Song of the Day 2/9: Jackson Browne, “Doctor My Eyes”
Jackson Browne came of age at the dawn of the Southern California singer-songwriter boom, releasing his first album in 1972. This song, with its bouncy beat undercut by bleak, despairing…
Song of the Day 2/8: Pete Seeger, “Old Dan Tucker”
With all the controversy over blackface this past week, I thought I'd demonstrate that minstrelsy is anything but gone. Given that it was the most popular form of live entertainment…
Song of the Day 2/7: Bob Dylan and Friends, “My Back Pages”
Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden was 27 years ago now, but this video of the show's climactic number has aged pretty well. Highlights include a typically…
Song of the Day 2/6: Tony Molina, “Nothing I Can Say”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54MiEJQglr4 Don't settle in for a long listen here. Like most of Tony Molina's songs, this lovely little jangle-pop melody clocks in at a brisk 1:12. The tune is one…