Lovelytheband has been around since 2016. This, their debut single from 2017, remains their only US Top 30 hit (although they get a lot of rock and alternative radio airplay with subsequent singles). If you're only going to have one hit, though, it should be a gem like this one!
The lyrics themselves aren't terribly wholesome at first - it's a late night pickup - but it gets sweeter as it goes along, as our two characters discover that they're both broken, giving them a connection and something to grow on. It's a beautiful synth-pop modern love song.
So, what if you took away the synth - does the pop-rock vibe still work for this song? Thankfully, lovelytheband gives us the answer to this question in this live performance.
It does, if you were wondering my opinion.
10 April 2020
09 April 2020
9 April 2020 - Daddy Yankee & Snow - Con Calma | Daddy Yankee & Snow feat. Katy Perry - Con Calma
I bet you all thought my first Daddy Yankee post would be "Despacito", didn't you?
No.
This re-imagination of Snow's "Informer" is somewhat spectacular, and Daddy Yankee had the presence of mind, as well as the respect for those who came before him in reggaeton to INCLUDE Snow in this. It would become a minor hit in its own right.... and the biggest selling Spanish-language single for the first half of 2019.
....but a Katy Perry remix shot this into the top 40, making Snow a THREE hit wonder..... and this a Hall of Fame post. See if you can catch all the callbacks to Teenage Dream.
The Katy Perry version received some bad reviews - one writer implied that the person who suggested it might be trying to sabotage her career (Pitbull, for the record, and he isn't) , but a largely Spanish-language song reached the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 - so I think there's some credibility to the collaboration.
I mean, it can't be worse for her career than her decision to a an American Idol judge....
No.
This re-imagination of Snow's "Informer" is somewhat spectacular, and Daddy Yankee had the presence of mind, as well as the respect for those who came before him in reggaeton to INCLUDE Snow in this. It would become a minor hit in its own right.... and the biggest selling Spanish-language single for the first half of 2019.
....but a Katy Perry remix shot this into the top 40, making Snow a THREE hit wonder..... and this a Hall of Fame post. See if you can catch all the callbacks to Teenage Dream.
The Katy Perry version received some bad reviews - one writer implied that the person who suggested it might be trying to sabotage her career (Pitbull, for the record, and he isn't) , but a largely Spanish-language song reached the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 - so I think there's some credibility to the collaboration.
I mean, it can't be worse for her career than her decision to a an American Idol judge....
08 April 2020
8 April 2020 - Collective Soul - Shine
Of course we're all looking for a sign. We're all in this crazy quarantine, and we all want out. Collective Soul spoke to this long before all our worlds changed. And they wrote a song about Heaven letting light shine down.
That doesn't mean they're a Christian hand. This is a label they fought for years - but the chorus is "basically a prayer". That's not me saying that. That's Dean Roland, who is in the band - and the brother of the guy (Ed Roland) who sang and wrote the song. At any rate, it's an uplifting song from a period when the dark angst of grunge ruled the day.
That doesn't mean they're a Christian hand. This is a label they fought for years - but the chorus is "basically a prayer". That's not me saying that. That's Dean Roland, who is in the band - and the brother of the guy (Ed Roland) who sang and wrote the song. At any rate, it's an uplifting song from a period when the dark angst of grunge ruled the day.
07 April 2020
7 April 2020 - Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
It isn't often that a huge hit song features a deep baritone on lead vocal. This one, the only American hit by Canadian band Crash Test Dummies, is the only one I can think of. However, for this band that had six Top Ten hits in Canada, it stalled at #14 in their home country.... so it was a disappointment.
It is widely considered to be a bad song - frequently featured on bad song lists - but I disagree. All three verses speak to various reasons for isolation - and the chorus is a sad resignation. It's a deeper song than it gets credit for.
Plus, it's nice to hear a popular song that I can actually sing along with.
The third verse does get a little flack for being anti-church - and it's always been my belief that it is specifically directed at one Christian denomination, and not church in general. Vocalist Brad Roberts seems to clarify in this 2010 live performance..... when he whispers the name of a specific denomination during that verse...
Clearly, they cared about not offending fans, especially when they were big hitmakers - so they did have an alternative third verse about a kid whose mom threw out his tonsils in a jar. Check it out below.
It is widely considered to be a bad song - frequently featured on bad song lists - but I disagree. All three verses speak to various reasons for isolation - and the chorus is a sad resignation. It's a deeper song than it gets credit for.
Plus, it's nice to hear a popular song that I can actually sing along with.
The third verse does get a little flack for being anti-church - and it's always been my belief that it is specifically directed at one Christian denomination, and not church in general. Vocalist Brad Roberts seems to clarify in this 2010 live performance..... when he whispers the name of a specific denomination during that verse...
Clearly, they cared about not offending fans, especially when they were big hitmakers - so they did have an alternative third verse about a kid whose mom threw out his tonsils in a jar. Check it out below.
30 March 2020
30 March 2020 - Boston - More Than a Feeling
We all wish we had Brad Delp's voice here.
I do, anyway.
He didn't write the song, though. Tom Scholz - the true brains behind Boston who went so far as to invent equipment to create their unique sound without synthesizers - wrote it - about the feelings an old song can bring back. It is no coincidence that the guitar riff at the chorus is oddly reminiscent of "Louie, Louie".
You never heard that before, but you do now, don't you?
It isn't the old song referenced, though. That would be "Walk Away Renee" by the Left Banke, a song that lyrically inspired this one.
The song itself is very complex and took Scholz several years to complete. It features a dramatic key change between verse (D Major) and chorus (G Major), with a significant falsetto - which brings us back to Brad Delp's vocal range, which was incredible....
....and a power he still had almost thirty years later. I marvel to this day at the emotion he brought to his performance. Sadly, Delp died of an apparent suicide in 2007. Here's one of the last performances I could find of him performing the song that made him a legend.
I do, anyway.
He didn't write the song, though. Tom Scholz - the true brains behind Boston who went so far as to invent equipment to create their unique sound without synthesizers - wrote it - about the feelings an old song can bring back. It is no coincidence that the guitar riff at the chorus is oddly reminiscent of "Louie, Louie".
You never heard that before, but you do now, don't you?
It isn't the old song referenced, though. That would be "Walk Away Renee" by the Left Banke, a song that lyrically inspired this one.
The song itself is very complex and took Scholz several years to complete. It features a dramatic key change between verse (D Major) and chorus (G Major), with a significant falsetto - which brings us back to Brad Delp's vocal range, which was incredible....
....and a power he still had almost thirty years later. I marvel to this day at the emotion he brought to his performance. Sadly, Delp died of an apparent suicide in 2007. Here's one of the last performances I could find of him performing the song that made him a legend.
29 March 2020
29 March 2019 - Kansas - Hold On
I rarely post on a Sunday, but this song seemed appropriate.
Kansas was already a pretty popular band when they released Audio-Visons in 1980. This song, the first single from that album, was a top 40 hit, is my favorite Kansas song, and it is a beautiful song with a beautiful story.
Kerry Livgren - the violinist and one of the leaders of this band - discovered Christianity in the late 1970's. He wrote this song to try to convince his wife to also convert to Christianity. It was successful, by the way - she did convert and they are still together.
Example: in the third verse, you will hear the line "Outside your door, He is waiting, waiting for you.". Note the capitalized "He" - the song is about putting faith in God.
However, this caused some discord in the band - that led to lead vocalist Steve Walsh leaving the band (he would return in 1985 after Livgren left). So, a new vocalist was found - John Elefante. Those familiar with Christian rock know that he had a pretty successful solo career post-Kansas. Livgren didn't know of Elefante's Christianity when the hiring occurred - but that drove the direction of the next several Kansas albums.
This version I post is of Elefante-era Kansas. It seemed appropriate.
07 February 2020
7 February 2020 - Pylon - Crazy
Pylon were an influential band in the Athens, GA scene in the 1980s. You've probably never heard of them. That doesn't matter. What matters is that they were cool and influential. Their lo-fi punky sound did greatly guide the direction of the entire scene.
This song, remarkably simple and famously and faithfully covered by R.E.M., is probably their best known, and the one everyone wants to hear when they reunite, as they did for this show in 2008. It sounds as good as it did in 1982.
This song, remarkably simple and famously and faithfully covered by R.E.M., is probably their best known, and the one everyone wants to hear when they reunite, as they did for this show in 2008. It sounds as good as it did in 1982.
04 February 2020
4 February 2020 - Duran Duran - A View To A Kill
From the 14th James Bond film, 1985's A View To A Kill, this is, in my opinion, the greatest Bond theme ever. It's exciting - lots of keyboard riffs to punctuate the excitement. It's time-period appropriate - Duran Duran were at the height of their fame in 1985. Even the video plays out like a spy caper, with scenes from the movie.
It also remains the only Bond theme to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.... and Duran Duran's last #1 (although far from their last hit).
It also remains the only Bond theme to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.... and Duran Duran's last #1 (although far from their last hit).
03 February 2020
3 Febuary 2020 - Berlin - No More Words
One of the first songs I remember hearing and liking was this one. It was never their best known, and I certainly did not understand its deep meaning when it was released - but I sure do now, and I appreciate it more now than I did then. Enjoy!
01 February 2020
1 February 2020 - BLACKPINK - Kill This Love
Welcome to 2020. Korean girl groups are starting to own the music industry. And their English is getting better. Enjoy!
07 November 2019
7 November 2019 - Liz Phair - Jealousy
This song, originally on the album Whip-Smart, was released as a single, which took the form of an EP called Juvenilia.
The song encapsulates well those irrational feelings - which it makes clear - of, well, jealousy that might pop up at the beginning of a relationship. It gets more heated, but still stays quiet and cool. Enjoy.
The song encapsulates well those irrational feelings - which it makes clear - of, well, jealousy that might pop up at the beginning of a relationship. It gets more heated, but still stays quiet and cool. Enjoy.
05 November 2019
5 November 2019 - Status Quo - Pictures of Matchstick Men
Status Quo hit the top 20 in the States with this song in 1968, their only Stateside hit. Named for L.S. Lowry's painting style, the song's mono version has a great "wah-wah" guitar between verses - the lesser known stereo version omits it, so we will omit THAT! Also featuring a four note intro, this was one of the first songs to use phasing, which gave that very simple four note riff a very electronic sound.
The band famously reformed recently to redo the song for the BBC, a little gentler and with strings, perhaps as an homage to the famous Camper Van Beethoven cover of the song that was a modern rock classic and replaced the "wah-wah" guitar with a violin.
The band famously reformed recently to redo the song for the BBC, a little gentler and with strings, perhaps as an homage to the famous Camper Van Beethoven cover of the song that was a modern rock classic and replaced the "wah-wah" guitar with a violin.
23 September 2019
23 September 2019 - Terry Bush - Maybe Tomorrow & Nighingale Cummings - Maybe Tomorrow
My American fans will likely have never heard this version of this song before today. Because I am in Canada for an extended period, I figured I would post this today.
The best way for me to describe The Littlest Hobo to an American audience is this - imagine Lassie got loose and decided to roam from town to town, helping out those in need wherever she went. Also, she's a German Shepherd.
Terry Bush, best known for his commercial jingles, wrote a gem of a theme song for the 2nd version of the series in the late 70s and early 80s. It's a sweet song about roaming and friendship.
Those who are fans of the TV show Trailer Park Boys might have heard this version of the song. It is a cover by Nightingale Cummings, and it is a much less happy reading.
The best way for me to describe The Littlest Hobo to an American audience is this - imagine Lassie got loose and decided to roam from town to town, helping out those in need wherever she went. Also, she's a German Shepherd.
Terry Bush, best known for his commercial jingles, wrote a gem of a theme song for the 2nd version of the series in the late 70s and early 80s. It's a sweet song about roaming and friendship.
Those who are fans of the TV show Trailer Park Boys might have heard this version of the song. It is a cover by Nightingale Cummings, and it is a much less happy reading.
09 August 2019
9 August 2019 - Billie Eilish - bad guy
And now for something completely different.
So far, I don't know a lot about Billie Eilish, but what I've heard is cool and different than anything else on radio.... and SHE'S GETTING PLAYED ON RADIO and hitting the top of the charts (this was a #2 Billboard hit). And, except when her nose is bleeding, it looks like she's having fun here.
The song itself is pretty dark and strong, even though it sounds pretty chill. For 17, she shows a lot of maturity, and I appreciate that. Now, let's see what's next.
So far, I don't know a lot about Billie Eilish, but what I've heard is cool and different than anything else on radio.... and SHE'S GETTING PLAYED ON RADIO and hitting the top of the charts (this was a #2 Billboard hit). And, except when her nose is bleeding, it looks like she's having fun here.
The song itself is pretty dark and strong, even though it sounds pretty chill. For 17, she shows a lot of maturity, and I appreciate that. Now, let's see what's next.
05 June 2019
5 June 2019 - Pointer Sisters - Slow Hand
This song was a pretty big ballad hit in 1981 for the Pointer Sisters, with an appropriate-for-the-time country crossover twinge. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Charts because it ran into the juggernaut that was "Endless Love", but it was a huge hit for the year and a Grammy-nominated song.
As far as delivery, Anita Pointer takes the lead on this one, and I think that was the right choice with Ruth and June (yeah, they're actually sisters named Pointer) harmonizing.
Now, head over to Totally Covered and see what Conway Twitty has to say about this.
As far as delivery, Anita Pointer takes the lead on this one, and I think that was the right choice with Ruth and June (yeah, they're actually sisters named Pointer) harmonizing.
Now, head over to Totally Covered and see what Conway Twitty has to say about this.
04 June 2019
4 June 2019 - Missing Persons - Walking In LA
Missing Persons is a personification of everything that was right about the 1980's.
The combination of Dale Bozzio's outlandish clothing that always seemed to include clear acrylics, everyone's over-done hair, and themes that no one outside their community would care about (also, I'm sure people walk in LA) was excellent for the early Reagan years. That's not an insult - they are fun and exciting, and came around at the right time in history....
.... for which we can thank Frank Zappa, as several of these members, including Dale Bozzio, were previously and in the future in Zappa's band, with Dale playing a significant role on the classic Joe's Garage.
And yes, she did, at least in name, inspire a character on iZombie
The combination of Dale Bozzio's outlandish clothing that always seemed to include clear acrylics, everyone's over-done hair, and themes that no one outside their community would care about (also, I'm sure people walk in LA) was excellent for the early Reagan years. That's not an insult - they are fun and exciting, and came around at the right time in history....
.... for which we can thank Frank Zappa, as several of these members, including Dale Bozzio, were previously and in the future in Zappa's band, with Dale playing a significant role on the classic Joe's Garage.
And yes, she did, at least in name, inspire a character on iZombie
.@RobThomas isn't the only 1 sharing a name with a star singer. Meet Dale Bozzio from missing persons. #iZombie pic.twitter.com/gO2oUjnxY9— iZombie Writers Room (@iZombieWriters) October 28, 2015
03 June 2019
3 June 2019 - Paris Hilton - I Need You
Nothing would make me happier than to not love this song.
It's freaking Paris Hilton, and while I have a lot of respect for her, and not just for "Stars are Blind", but for what she's accomplished by making herself a brand, I wouldn't have called her a musician. The woman is much smarter than the character she plays on The Simple Life.
This song might have changed my mind on the musician part. She's brought an old-time doo-wop feel to this song, and she executed it perfectly. Lyrically.... well, it was released on Valentine's Day 2018, so it's perfect for that!
It's freaking Paris Hilton, and while I have a lot of respect for her, and not just for "Stars are Blind", but for what she's accomplished by making herself a brand, I wouldn't have called her a musician. The woman is much smarter than the character she plays on The Simple Life.
This song might have changed my mind on the musician part. She's brought an old-time doo-wop feel to this song, and she executed it perfectly. Lyrically.... well, it was released on Valentine's Day 2018, so it's perfect for that!
31 May 2019
31 May 2019 - HyunA Feat. ģ ģ¼ķ - ģėź°ģ ź·øė
"Good To Go"?
"I'm A God Girl"?
"Roll Deep"?
It doesn't really matter. It's a boastful song from Korean pop royalty. This song was left out of last year's K-Pop week, because 1. we had already overrepresented the glorious HyunA and 2. we couldn't figure out the title.
We think it's "Good To Go" for the record. Google Translate says it's "I'm Good To Go" which also works.
HyunA's guest star is from the Korean pop group BtoB, making this a K-Pop Extravaganza.
"I'm A God Girl"?
"Roll Deep"?
It doesn't really matter. It's a boastful song from Korean pop royalty. This song was left out of last year's K-Pop week, because 1. we had already overrepresented the glorious HyunA and 2. we couldn't figure out the title.
We think it's "Good To Go" for the record. Google Translate says it's "I'm Good To Go" which also works.
HyunA's guest star is from the Korean pop group BtoB, making this a K-Pop Extravaganza.
06 May 2019
6 May 2019 - The Darling Buds - It's All Up To You
You know, the Darling Buds weren't THAT prolific.
And yet we're in our EIGHTH year posting their music, in which we have seen old classics and new favorites. This one is a 2:22 power pop wonder from their debut album. The song is thirty years old (!) but it still sounds as fresh as yesterday.
Will we be doing this next year? DOUBTLESS!
And yet we're in our EIGHTH year posting their music, in which we have seen old classics and new favorites. This one is a 2:22 power pop wonder from their debut album. The song is thirty years old (!) but it still sounds as fresh as yesterday.
Will we be doing this next year? DOUBTLESS!
24 April 2019
24 April 2019 - Folk Implosion - Natural One
Chances are, if you watched MTV in the 1990s, you know this song well. But you might not know about what Folk Implosion actually was.
The Folk Implosion was a side project from a band called Sebadoh, itself formed when founder Lou Barlow couldn't get his prior band, Dinosaur Jr., to record his songs. This particular side project was very different - more folky - than Sebadoh. And it was obscure.
Until a movie named Kids came out, and Lou Barlow was commissioned to build a soundtrack, dominated by Folk Implosion and Sebadoh. The movie itself was controversial - an NC-17 affair that made the Weinsteins a fair bit of money - and so got a fair bit of attention. This song got into MTV heavy rotation, which propelled this obscure little project form Amherst, MA into the Billboard Top 30.
It was well deserved. The song is catchy and you're singing it to yourself now.
The Folk Implosion was a side project from a band called Sebadoh, itself formed when founder Lou Barlow couldn't get his prior band, Dinosaur Jr., to record his songs. This particular side project was very different - more folky - than Sebadoh. And it was obscure.
Until a movie named Kids came out, and Lou Barlow was commissioned to build a soundtrack, dominated by Folk Implosion and Sebadoh. The movie itself was controversial - an NC-17 affair that made the Weinsteins a fair bit of money - and so got a fair bit of attention. This song got into MTV heavy rotation, which propelled this obscure little project form Amherst, MA into the Billboard Top 30.
It was well deserved. The song is catchy and you're singing it to yourself now.
23 April 2019
23 April 2019 - Tripping Daisy - I Got A Girl
This video is TERRIBLE. It's awful and doesn't tell a story that at all matches the song.
And while the lyrics of the song make it pretty clear that these guys are also terrible, the song is a fun, raucous romp.
And, of course, that pretty terrible persona is an act. In reality, these guys were young but had a lot of respect for the punk acts that came before them - they covered Bad Religion live - and were close enough that the death of a band member broke them up (and caused the formation of Polyphonic Spree) for nearly 20 years.
But back to this song. It's fun, it's irreverent, and it's one that instantly brings you back to 1995.
And while the lyrics of the song make it pretty clear that these guys are also terrible, the song is a fun, raucous romp.
And, of course, that pretty terrible persona is an act. In reality, these guys were young but had a lot of respect for the punk acts that came before them - they covered Bad Religion live - and were close enough that the death of a band member broke them up (and caused the formation of Polyphonic Spree) for nearly 20 years.
But back to this song. It's fun, it's irreverent, and it's one that instantly brings you back to 1995.
12 March 2019
29 January 2019
29 January 2019 - Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance
Some days, I miss having a co-author on this blog. Scott Colvin was a great partner to write with, and he made this blog better.
Nearly seven years ago, he wrote a piece about a Canadian band that is essentially a one-hit wonder in the United States - Men Without Hats. He wrote about a different great song. I am telling you about the one hit wonder he didn't like as much.
"The Safety Dance" came out when I was 10 or 11. It is the first song I can remember ever being my favorite song. I thought the song was fun, the video was fun, and the dance was fun. Little did I know how subversive the song was - although not a call for safe sex as some think, it WAS a protest against bouncers at clubs who didn't like the pogoing a lot of new wave music fans were doing - and how indicative of future musical tastes it would be.
And I really didn't know that such subversion would be allowed in the US Billboard Top 5.
The official video, which only featured one band member - lead singer Ivan Doroschuk - was built around the short single version of the song. This fan cut version is the longer, more synth-forward version that a lot of people have heard nowadays. Compare, contrast, enjoy.
Nearly seven years ago, he wrote a piece about a Canadian band that is essentially a one-hit wonder in the United States - Men Without Hats. He wrote about a different great song. I am telling you about the one hit wonder he didn't like as much.
"The Safety Dance" came out when I was 10 or 11. It is the first song I can remember ever being my favorite song. I thought the song was fun, the video was fun, and the dance was fun. Little did I know how subversive the song was - although not a call for safe sex as some think, it WAS a protest against bouncers at clubs who didn't like the pogoing a lot of new wave music fans were doing - and how indicative of future musical tastes it would be.
And I really didn't know that such subversion would be allowed in the US Billboard Top 5.
The official video, which only featured one band member - lead singer Ivan Doroschuk - was built around the short single version of the song. This fan cut version is the longer, more synth-forward version that a lot of people have heard nowadays. Compare, contrast, enjoy.
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