Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 7/6: Elvis Presley, “That’s All Right”
Elvis Presley, it turns out, is still a box-office draw. Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” is officially a hit, moving not only movie tickets but lots the King’s greatest hits albums too. Like most of Luhrmann’s films, this one is getting mixed reviews, based mostly on whether the reviewer likes or dislikes Luhrmann’s frenetic directing style. Even […]
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes For June 2022
Dave Alvin singing about a train? Know any better way to kick off a best-of-the-month wrap-up? I don’t. This belongs in the pantheon of their very best: This whole album’s great. Gild Hall possibility?: I DARE you not to like this: Nathan Arizona’s Fave Of The Month? It’s only 106 seconds long, but it’s a […]
Song of the Day 7/4: Taj Mahal, “Ain’t Gwine to Whistle Dixie (Any Mo’)”
I dunno about you, but I’m not feeling all that patriotic today as a Confederacy-worshiping minority tries to steer the country back to the past. Nobody should be whistling Dixie any more, but this buoyant tune always puts me in a better mood. Taj Mahal was born Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. The son of […]
Song of the Day 7/3: Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”
The story of Randy Bachman’s guitar came full circle this week. In case you missed the story when it broke last fall, Bachman lost the 1957 Gretsch guitar — one he bought as a teenager with his lawn-mowing money — when it was stolen in 1976. He searched for it fruitlessly for decades, until last […]
Song of the Day 7/1: Donald Byrd, “A Portrait of Jennie”
Last night was bittersweet for jazz fans — it was the last weeknight broadcast by DJ Bob Perkins on Temple University’s WRTI (90.1 FM), where he held down the 6-9 p.m. slot for the past 25 years. Now 88 years old, Perkins will continue to host his Sunday jazz brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 […]
Song of the Day 6/30: Moby Grape, “Murder in My Heart for the Judge”
I’m sure millions of people these days can relate to the sentiment expressed by Moby Grape’s Jerry Miller and Don Stevenson, first released on “Wow,” the band’s flawed 1968 follow-up album to their eponymous LP of 1967. That album would have established them as San Francisco’s best band if their manager and record company hadn’t […]
Song of the Day 6/29: Little Feat, “Willin’”
The death toll in the case of the tractor-trailer filled with migrants abandoned in stifling heat in San Antonio, Texas, now stands at 51, making it the deadliest such tragedy in history. This shouldn’t count as much of a surprise — the border between the U.S. and Mexico is among the world’s deadliest, according to […]
Song of the Day 6/28: Sean Ono Lennon, “Here, There and Everywhere”
At least two musicians recorded this song as a birthday tribute to Paul McCartney — one by Elvis Costello, the other by John Lennon’s son Sean. It’s an apt choice — McCartney said this was his favorite Beatles song. He wrote it one morning when he arrived at Lennon’s house while John was still sleeping, […]
Song of the Day 6/27: Colin Hay, “Beautiful World”
I apologize for the mellow streak, but laid-back music is about the only thing that keeps the rage at bay these days. This Colin Hay song from his 2001 album “Going Somewhere” actually addresses the need to take solace in the simple things as a refuge from the deluge of doom. The verses list his […]
Song of the Day 6/26: Stubby Kaye and Peter Palmer, “The Country’s in the Very Best of Hands”
Today’s song comes from the 1959 Broadway musical “L’il Abner,” and it shows that hayseeds have been bitching about the same crap for generations. My memory was jogged last Sunday when I heard the tune on Geo. Stewart’s radio show “Crazy College,” which airs every Sunday at 6 5 p.m. on WVUD. Last week’s episode […]
Song of the Day 6/24: Malo, “Suavecito”
With the Supreme Court celebrating “Trigger the Libs Day,” I figure it’s time to once again dip into my mellow summer playlist. Play as necessary until feelings of rage subside. Malo was a San Francisco-based band formed in 1971. Their sound capitalized on two then-current trends in rock — horn sections, typified by Chicago, and […]
Song of the Day 6/23: Bob Dylan, “Happy Birthday to You”
I did not realize until the other day that Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson were born two days apart in 1942, McCartney on the 18th and Wilson on the 20th, so both of them turned 80 within the past week. Among those who sent along public birthday wishes was an old-timer they know, 81-year-old Bob […]
Song of the Day 6/22: Tommy James and the Shondells, “Crystal Blue Persuasion”
I don’t know if its the daily headline shitstorm or the mild summer weather, but all I want to listen to lately is laid-back tunes from the ’60s. And you can’t get much more laid-back than this. The voluble James has told various stories about the song’s genesis — sometimes it was inspired by the […]
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