Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 7/24: Randy Newman, “Sail Away”
For 200 years now some people have maintained that slavery was a benefit to the enslaved – “They were better off than they were in Africa” goes the refrain. In Florida, that’s now official history. Under the state’s new educational standards, students will be taught that slavery benefitted the enslaved. Abraham Lincoln had the proper […]
Song of the Day 7/23: Steely Dan, “Bad Sneakers”
Let’s play “What’s Fox News freaking out about today?” If you guessed “Joe Biden wearing sneakers,” you’re our winner! Yes, according to one on-air imbecile, it’s akin to “wearing a Speedo and flipflops to a funeral.” Really? Seriously? Because I see old guys in Skechers every day, and I’ve never seen anyone in a Speedo […]
Song of the Day 7/21: Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”
He was born Anthony Benedetto, but Bob Hope told him that was too long to fit on a marquee and renamed him Tony Bennett. In his 96 years he was known and befriended by a century’s worth of notable musicians and show-biz figures, from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga. He died Friday, several years after […]
Song of the Day 7/20: Chuck Berry, “My Ding-a-Ling”
Marjorie Taylor Greene, demonstrating the keen judgment she’s known for, used the occasion of a congressional hearing to show nude pictures of Hunter Biden to the public. The collective reaction has been what texters express as “SMH.” She’s apparently unaware that those texters, and everyone else under the age of 40, routinely send such photos […]
Song of the Day 7/19: People Under the Stairs, “The Effects of Climate Change on Densely Populated Areas”
Phoenix just had its 19th consecutive day of temperatures reaching 110° F – the high for the day was 118° – and there’s no sign of when it will abate. The media attention is welcome, and might even convince the public that it’s time to shut the barn door now that the horse is out. […]
Song of the Day 7/18: Judas Priest, “Breaking the Law”
Against all odds, it seems Donald Trump is going to be indicted for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. I’m not sure whether he’ll be charged with being the mastermind or just a master baiter. This song, the second single from Judas Priest’s 1980 album “British Steel,” reached No. 12 on the UK singles […]
Song of the Day 7/17: Mr. Big, “To Be With You”
Most of the world considers Mr. Big a one-hit wonder. The Los Angeles-based glam-metal band, active through the ’90s, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 1991 with an acoustic power ballad, “To Be With You.” The song also reached No. 1 in 14 other countries, notably including Japan. “To Be With You” […]
Song of the Day 7/15: The Strawbs, “Part of the Union”
Nearly all of Hollywood — oh, OK, just the actors and writers — is on strike, an ominous situation. Remember when the writers walked out in 1988? That brought on the flood of reality TV programming that led to the Kardashians. With both the writers and actors gone, producers might turn to robots and AI […]
Song of the Day 7/14: Tracy Chapman, “Fast Car”
This song is proof (if we needed any after Lil Nas X and “Old Town Road”) that the term “country music” has lost all meaning except as a barrier to the “wrong people.” Country’s latest superstar, Luke Combs, has taken “Fast Car” to No. 1 on the country charts — not without controversy. It’s been […]
Song of the Day 7/13: The Pearlfishers, “We’re Gonna Save the Summer”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona How can we appreciate the sunshine and relaxing breezes of summer with all this constant MAGA stuff distracting us? Well, in this space we do it with songs. The title of the Pearlfishers’ “We’re Gonna Save the Summer” tells us what we have to do. Like so many summer songs, […]
Song of the Day 7/12: Badfinger, “Come and Get It”
You’d think a pillow maker would have engineered a softer landing. Mike Lindell, the Trump-loving MAGAteer who got rich selling shoddy, overpriced sleep products, is feeling the pinch, so he’s selling off his company’s “surplus equipment.” According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the firm has listed more than 850 items on an online auction site — […]
Song of the Day 7/11: Elvis Costello, “I’m Not Angry”
The national media have stumbled upon a story that anybody in Delaware could have told them decades ago — Joe Biden has a temper. Axios reported, rather breathlessly, that aides try to avoid one-on-one meetings with POTUS because of his explosive outbursts. Biden’s temper comes in the form of angry interrogations rather than erratic tantrums. […]
Song of the Day 7/10: The Pink Spiders, “Freakin’ Freakin’ Out”
Heard this one last night on Little Steven’s Underground Garage. It’s rare to hear a good new power pop song this late in the rock ‘n’ roll game — despite being designed for maximum pop appeal, power pop has rarely been popular, and most bands would like to make money. So I’m not even going […]
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