Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 5/8: The Waterboys, “Don’t Even Have to Say His Name”
One welcome feature of European media: They don’t bother with what Trump tweets, they report on what he does, so they don’t dwell on the daily chaos that dominates American media. Even without constant attention, though, his awfulness comes through. You can tell because American musicians aren’t the only ones expressing their disgust in song. […]
Song of the Day 5/7: Uncle Tupelo, “Whiskey Bottle”
As El Somnambulo noted in the Open Thread news roundup, if Kash Patel doesn’t want people to think he’s a boozehound, maybe he should quit handing out personalized bottles of Woodford Reserve bourbon. He might quit spelling his name Ka$h while he’s at it. Ur-Americana band Uncle Tupelo had a thing for writing about drinking […]
Song of the Day 5/6: Robert Hazard, “Escalator of Life”
Like most malls across the United States, North Wilmington’s Concord Mall has been struggling for years. Now a Philadelphia-area developer that specializes in repurposing moribund malls wants to buy it in hopes of turning it into a mixed-use property with a grocery store, fitness center and outdoor green space. Enclosed shopping malls had a good […]
Song of the Day 5/5: Liz Phair, “Cinco de Mayo”
Cinco de Mayo, like St. Patrick’s Day, is observed more in the United States than in the country it honors, and for much the same reason: Beer. The Mexican military victory over a French army has been celebrated in the U.S. since it happened, back in 1862, but it only broke into the wider culture […]
Song of the Day 5/4: David Allan Coe, “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)”
I suppose Satan stopped worrying that David Allen Coe would take over, because the cantankerous country singer and songwriter finally got to meet Old Nick last week when he – Coe, not Satan – died at age 86. Coe’s career contains a curious quirk – he wrote songs that topped the charts for other artists, […]
Song of the Day 5/3: Wilco, “Impossible Germany”
Donald Trump, in another fit of pique against another erstwhile NATO ally, abruptly announced that the U.S. will move 5,000 of its troops out of Germany, apparently because its prime minister pointed out that the U.S. is being humiliated by Iran. Naturally, Trump’s response is, “I can humiliate people too, better than they can!” The […]
Song of the Day 5/2: Dan Fogelberg, “Run for the Roses”
For decades, the first weekend in May has been circled on the calendars of Delaware’s horse racing fans. The Kentucky Derby is always run on the first Saturday of the month (pandemic years excepted), with Winterthur’s Point-to-Point races held the next day. Alas, Winterthur has put its steeplechase races on hiatus, perhaps permanently, but Churchill […]
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes: April 2026
Quite a few bands and artists you haven’t heard of, but likely should, this month. Which ones catch your ear? This song activated whatever psychedelics remain in my system from the ’70’s and early ’80’s. Making it the inevitable choice for the ‘Micro-Dose Song Of The Month’. Ladeez and Gentlemen, The Clog: I’m calling it–Nathan […]
Song of the Day 4/30: Steely Dan, “Any Major Dude Will Tell You”
As the breezy B-side to “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” the most successful single of Steely Dan’s career, “Any Major Dude” got some airplay and has long been a fan favorite, included on most of their greatest-hits compilations. The lyrics are elliptical, but one line stands out as especially puzzling: Have you ever seen a […]
Song of the Day 4/29: The Beatles, “I’ll Follow the Sun”
I knew the nation’s NIMBYs will use any argument to fight the scourge of wind farms. The most prominent excuses are that they kill birds (true, but in far fewer numbers than cats and skyscrapers) and they’re eyesores that lower property values (mostly false). But I didn’t realize there’s even a NIMBY sub-group that’s battling […]
Song of the Day 4/28: The Beau Brummels, “Laugh, Laugh”
Trump and his immigrant wife are insisting that ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel for joking that Melania had the “glow of an expectant widow.” They insist this was an incitement to violence. So the guy who says vicious stuff and then claims he was joking can’t recognize an actual joke when he hears one. A mean […]
Song of the Day 4/27: Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, “Blinded By the Light”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona Is “Blinded by the Light” a Bruce Springsteen song or a Manfred Mann song? Bruce wrote it in 1973 but people didn’t buy it. The song was an afterthought. He put it on his debut album only after the record company insisted. The British group Manfred Mann’s Earth Band recorded […]
Song of the Day 4/26: Nirvana, “Lithium”
H/t El Somnambulo’s Sunday magazine item about lithium mining. Rechargeable batteries weren’t on Kurt Cobain’s mind when he wrote this “Nevermind” track in 1990 – back then lithium was best known as a treatment for bipolar disorder. Cobain explained that the song’s protagonist has lost his wife and turned to Marx’s opiate, religion, to stave […]
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