Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 5/29: Mike Oldfield, “Tubular Bells”
Fifty years ago last week, a new record label debuted with an unusual offering — an LP that consisted of two side-long compositions by a 19-year-old guitarist, Mike Oldfield, who played all the instruments himself. And the only vocals were a couple of minutes of caveman-like grunts deep into side 2. Though it was introduced […]
Song of the Day 5/27: Brad Paisley, “Alcohol”
The News Journal’s Ryan Cormier has a paywalled story about the latest trend in college drinking in Newark, where the University of Delaware apparently remains among the nation’s top party schools. It seems bars have improved their ability to screen out underage drinkers, so students have hopped on a TikTok-fueled trend — they fill gallon […]
Song of the Day 5/26: The Rascals, “A Beautiful Morning”
It is indeed a beautiful morning, but gardens aren’t going to stay beautiful long if we don’t get some rain soon. Don’t worry, not on the holiday weekend — no wet stuff is forecast for a week or more. This song, released in 1968, was the first to sport the name Rascals instead of Young […]
Song of the Day 5/25: Ike & Tina Turner, “Proud Mary”
On her final visit to the United States in 2019 for the opening of a musical about her life, Tina Turner, who died Wednesday at 83, reflected on how far she had come. Despite her fame and fortune, “It wasn’t a good life,” she told an interviewer. “The good did not balance the bad.” Anna […]
Song of the Day 5/24: The Rolling Stones, “Luxury”
Kyrsten Sinema is one of the more curious political cases out there. How does someone start out a Green and wind up a corporate tool? Whatever the reason — after consulting William of Ockham, I think it might have something to do with money — it sure has pissed off a bunch of her constituents. […]
Song of the Day 5/23: Billy Joel, “We Didn’t Start the Fire”
This song must be having a moment. I heard it three times on the radio, on three different stations, in the past two weeks, and even though it’s one of Billy Joel’s last hits, it’s really old. It was a No. 1 single all the way back in 1989, so I was surprised when I […]
Song of the Day 5/22: Jimmy Buffett, “Come Monday”
For the second time in less than a year, Jimmy Buffett has cancelled concerts due to health issues that required immediate attention. Now 76, the country’s second-richest Buffett — his net worth reportedly tops $1 billion — might have to look at permanently docking his Coral Reefer Band. Most people don’t remember it, but Buffett […]
Song of the Day 5/21: 100 gecs, “Hollywood Baby”
I haven’t listened to much hyperpop, but this song by 100 gecs, from their recent album “10,000 gecs,” caught my ear with its syncopated rhythm and aggro lyrics that seem to apply to some of the camera hogs in Congress. Do you wanna party? Malibu Barbie Are you gonna pack that shit up when it […]
Song of the Day 5/19: The Who, “Bargain”
Seems Dodderin’ Joe Biden is doing it wrong again. After saying he wouldn’t negotiate on raising the debt ceiling — itself a negotiating stance — he’s now negotiating on raising the debt ceiling. This has unleashed a tsunami of punditry by giving them something besides Trump and gun massacres to talk about. Pete Townshend called […]
Song of the Day 5/18: The Everly Brothers, “Gone Gone Gone”
Colorado Congressclown Lauren Boebert has been demonstrating those Republican family values again, this time by serving her husband with divorce papers. He reportedly didn’t take it well; the process server who delivered them said he sicced the dogs on him. I’m not sure if Don and Phil Everly wrote this about a romance or their […]
Song of the Day 5/17: Samuel E. Wright, “Under the Sea”
A Florida man has set a new record for living underwater without depressurization — at this point, 78 days and counting. University professor Dr. Joseph Dituri intends to stay in Jules’ Undersea Lodge, which bills itself as the only underwater hotel in the United States (it’s at the bottom of a 30-foot lagoon off Key […]
Song of the Day 5/16: Shuggie Otis, “Strawberry Letter 23”
Everyone knows the version by the Brothers Johnson, a. No. 5 hit in 1977. Fewer realize that it’s a cover of a tune written by guitar prodigy Shuggie Otis, who included it on his 1971 LP “Freedom Flight.” Otis, the son of R&B and early rock ‘n’ roll bandleader and impresario Johnny Otis, was 17 […]
Song of the Day 5/15: Loreen, “Tattoo”
Most Americans know little and care less about Eurovision, the annual international music contest that’s sort of a cross between the Olympics and a Simon Cowell sing-off. Each participating country — there are nearly two dozen, and the United States isn’t among them — is represented by a performance of an original song. The winner […]
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