Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 1/7: Jester Hairston, “Amen”
Sidney Poitier, who died Thursday at age 94, was born in Miami but grew up where his parents lived, Arthur’s Town, on Cat Island in the Bahamas, one of that scattered country’s farthest-flung Out Islands. Arthur’s Town is home to about 150 people, about the size of Viola, and Cat Island remains remote and sparsely […]
Song of the Day 1/6: The O’Jays, “Back Stabbers”
This 1972 song put the O’Jays on the charts, and helped Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s Sound of Philadelphia depose Motown at the top of the soul/R&B charts. There’s a reason the trio looks so polished in this Soul Train clip. The group, originally a quintet, formed way back in 1958 in Canton, Ohio. They […]
Song of the Day 1/5: Billy Bragg and Wilco, “All You Fascists”
It’s now been a year since Trumpublicans made their intentions and methods clear. Is our media learning? I’m not betting on it. “All You Fascists” appeared on the 2000 LP “Mermaid Avenue Volume 2,” the second collaboration between Billy Bragg and Wilco (really Jeff Tweedy) to set some of Woody Guthrie’s unrecorded lyrics to modern […]
Song of the Day 1/3: David Bowie, “The Man Who Sold the World”
David Bowie became the latest Boomer rock icon to cash in his life’s work, though in his case it was his estate that sold publishing rights to his catalog for an estimated $250 million. What’s now one of the more valuable songs in that catalog didn’t start out that way. Bowie never released the title […]
Song of the Day 1/1: Little Bob and the Lollipops, “I Got Loaded”
This one’s for all those who overindulged on New Year’s Eve, assuming that’s still a thing. Back when this song was released in 1965, a guy could sing about drinking to excess without worrying about moral scolds harshing his vibe — a remarkably upbeat vibe for someone who polishes off a bottle of hard stuff […]
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2021: The Top Ten!!
Plus, my Fave Video Of The Year. And, a Spotify list of all the tunes. But, first, a recap for all of you who prefer to have everything in a single post: El Somnambulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2021: #’s 50-41 ‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2021: #’s 40-31 ‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2021: #’s 30-21 ‘Bulo’s […]
El Somnambulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2021: #’s 50-41
Presented, as always, in reverse numerical order. The only proper way to do a countdown. Otherwise it’s an anti-climactic count-up. Said Captain Obvious. Spotify list once we reach # 1. Let’s get this party started: 50. 49. 48. 47. 46. 45. 44. 43. 42. 41.
Song of the Day 12/25: Chuck Berry, “Run Rudolph Run”
Some Christmas songs belong only to the artists who created them. “Little Saint Nick” is just a Beach Boys car tune, just as “Run, Rudolph, Run” is first and foremost a Chuck Berry song with a Christmas backdrop (in 1958, only Berry would imagine that every boy child wanted a rock and roll ‘lectric guitar). […]
Song of the Day 12/24: The King’s Singers, “Stille Nacht”
The one thing that really does sound better in the original German.
Song of the Day 12/23: Norah Jones, “Christmas Don’t Be Late”
Even bad Christmas songs can be redeemed by the right artist and the right treatment. As evidence, listen to Norah Jones breathe new life into this widely reviled novelty tune. It’s been covered by dozens of people over the years, usually played for laughs using the original arrangement (Tegan and Sara even sped up their […]
Song of the Day 12/22: Alison Krauss, “The Wexford Carol”
Guest post by Nathan Arizona Sure, you’ve got your “Silent Nights” and your “O Holy Nights” and your “Adeste Fidelises.” They’re the stars of Christmas music. But some of the best Christmas songs help fill the frosty air even if we don’t know their names. They’ve always known their names in Sussex and Coventry in […]
Song of the Day 12/21: Low, “Just Like Christmas”
There’s a myth concerning Christmas songs, namely that no new ones are being written. The evidence: the 25-year-old “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the most recent tune to make the muzak rotation. People forget that didn’t happen overnight. It was released in 1994, and though it got airplay every December, it wasn’t […]
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