Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 1/11: Thompson Twins, “Lies”
This slice of ’80s electro-Brit cheese is exactly what Rep. George Santos (R-Who Knows?) deserves. The Republican Party in Nassau County, where Santos got elected, called a news conference to demand his resignation. He said he would not. Since damn near everything else the guy has said is a lie it’s hard to believe him, […]
Song of the Day 1/10: Jethro Tull, “Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of a New Day)”
To give you an idea how long ago the “classic rock” period was, Ian Anderson wrote this song for Jethro Tull’s “War Child” album in 1974, when scientists had concluded Earth was entering a cooling phase. Anderson approached it with his usual apocalyptic existentialism, but the lyrics are impressionistic, so the folk melody and lilting […]
Song of the Day 1/8: Prince and the Revolution, “Let’s Go Crazy”
Now that Kevin McCarthy has handed the loonies the keys to the new 2023 Congressmobile, they need a song to play on the radio — a theme song, if you will. How about this Prince number from 1984’s “Purple Rain”? Though you could make the argument that the so-called Freedom Caucus doesn’t have to go […]
Song of the Day 1/7: J. Geils Band, “Give It to Me”
Matt Gaetz admitted that he finally voted “present” to allow Kevin McCarthy to become Speaker of the House because he had run out of things to ask for. McCarthy failed to learn the lesson Paul Ryan and John Boehner so clearly laid out for him — if you cede the power of the position, there’s […]
Song of the Day 1/6: The Beach Boys, “Do It Again”
We all know Kevin McCarthy isn’t the brightest bulb on the GOP Christmas tree — to be fair, a lot of those lights don’t work at all — so I’m guessing he’s never heard about Sisyphus. If he had he might not keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome. […]
Song of the Day 1/5: The Eagles, “Witchy Woman”
Christine O’Donnell was merely ahead of her time. An alleged Republican witch, one Anna Paulina Luna, has been elected to Congress from Florida. Like O’Donnell, she denies it. This all came out via lawsuit. Seems a MAGAt who chickened out of primarying her claimed he was told — by someone from Hispanics for Trump — […]
Song of the Day 1/4: Lit, “My Own Worst Enemy”
This one’s for Kevin McCarthy, whose capacity for self-embarrassment appears limitless. Like McCarthy, Lit hails from California, though from Orange County, not Bakersfield. This track, a single from their 1999 sophomore LP “A Place in the Sun,” took months to rise to No. 1 on the Modern Rock chart, but it’s had a long afterlife. […]
Song of the Day 1/3: R.E.M., “Radio Free Europe”
This year marks the 40th anniversary of alternative rock reaching the mainstream, via R.E.M.’s debut LP, “Murmur,” and this, its leadoff song, became the band’s first single — and the first to reach the Billboard charts. OK, so it only reached No. 78, but it indicated the growing audience for music that didn’t fit the […]
Song of the Day 1/1: Siedah Garrett, “Man in the Mirror”
The older you get, the less likely you are to make New Year’s resolutions, I’m guessing because we geezers realize how resistant we are to change. But almost 40% of US adults make them, and linking the holiday to the desire for self-improvement — the three most popular resolutions involve diet and exercise — appears […]
Song of the Day 12/31: The Spinners, “The Rubberband Man”
In his Dec. 25 Open Thread, El Somnambulo noted the death of composer/producer/arranger Thom Bell, who with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff comprised the Mighty Three of Philly Soul. The long list of hit records he wrote, usually with Linda Creed, and/or produced contains more than a few syrupy ballads, but he could funk it […]
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2022: The Top Ten!!
First, a revisit to the rest of the Top 50. To be followed by a Spotify list including the Top 50, plus songs that were Top 50-worthy: ‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2022: #’s 50-41 ‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2022: #’s 40-31 ‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2022: #’s 30-21 ‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes Of 2022: #’s 20-11 […]
Song of the Day 12/28: The Specials, “Vote for Me”
Singer Terry Hall, frontman for three bands that reached the British charts in the 1980s, died last week at age 63 of pancreatic cancer. Best known as co-lead vocalist for British ska revivalists the Specials, he left in 1981. He formed a series of bands and guested on many artists’ albums before reforming the Specials […]
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