11 March 2013 - Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance (& Looking Good Diving With The Wild Bunch) & Trout (feat. Michael Stipe)

I have to be honest - when I started this post, I started with a completely different artist (not coincidentally from the same country) who I will revisit at another time.

But today, it seemed appropriate to go with a slightly different artist.  Neneh Cherry, stepdaughter of jazz musician Don Cherry (he married her mother and raised her - hence her surname) was born in Stockholm, Sweden.  Her first international solo single, "Buffalo Stance", was really catchy and easy to dance to, but it had a lot of asking what a buffalo stance really was.  Well, I'm here to answer that question for you.

A buffalo stance is kind of like a red carpet photography pose.  "Buffalo" refers to a particular group of UK models, photographers, cosmetologists, etc., who included Cherry as a member.  It also was an homage to Malcom MacLaren's "Buffalo Gals", which she sampled.



What most people don't know is that this was the 2nd time she did this song.  She performed this as the B-Side of a Morgan-McVey single called "Looking Good Diving", titled "Looking Good Diving With The Wild Bunch."  The samples are much different, but you can tell it's the same song.  Lyrically, it nearly matches, right down to the future title.

By the way, the final version of "Buffalo Stance" samples "Looking Good Diving".  And she married Cameron McVey.



Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't post my favorite song by Neneh Cherry, a single from her 2nd album, Homebrew.  The other voice you hear is R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, the majors samples are from Steppenwolf's "The Pusher" and, of course, "When The Levee Breaks"  provides the drum line.  Sorry there isn't a pretty video.  Trust me.  The song is worth it.

So, how do you handle a song with heavy samples and a duet partner that isn't touring with you?  You hire a brilliant band and write a song that translates to a solo performance.

8 March 2013 - Semisonic - Closing Time

I hope this blog has made it clear: I like songs that start off quiet and sweet and build to loud and passionate.

Born from the ashes of Trip Shakespeare, a band you've probably never heard of, Semisonic played - and still play - smart rock-and-roll with a modern feel that retains such important components of old-time rock, such as chord structure and guitar solos.

This song starts with that beautiful piano - and ends with it, too - but becomes a driving rock song in the middle. The song is actually a bit of an allegory, comparing the act of childbirth - in this case, vocalist Dan Wilson's new child - to a bouncer, clearing out a bar.

Really, the subject - "Closing Time" - is something we can all relate to.  For example, that last line - "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" - is 1. probably the deepest line to ever be written in a hit song, and 2. resonates with just about everyone who hears it.  It's actually sung twice during the song, and each time it has a different feel.  The 2nd time - which is the end of the song - is a bit melancholy.  I remember when my first child - Juliana - was born.  I was scared - sure, I was embarking on a great adventure, but this meant the end of life as I knew it.

And yeah.  I might have been humming this song all day.

The video, which was two continuous shots that needed to be timed perfectly to fit the storyline, doesn't address the intended analogy, but instead focuses on two people trying to meet up and missing by seconds.  It's really neat - check it out.

7 March 2013 - New Order - Blue Monday

New Order's Blue Monday is 30 years old today. Now carry on feeling really old.

6 March 2013 - Don Henley - All She Wants To Do Is Dance

I can't f&*king stand The Eagles

You've heard me say statements like this quite frequently.

Well, this song, from 1985, the 2nd single from his Building the Perfect Beast album - the first being the dull "The Boys of Summer" - is about as far from the Eagles that Don Henley could have come. Unlike the washed-out folk-rock of the Eagles, this song has some serious soul.  SERIOUS soul.  The horns and killer keytar hook - yes, KEYTAR hook - drive this hard-pumping song forward.  Henley's voice, with slight falsetto and terrific range, is well-suited for this energetic tune.

But this song is more than a soulful romp.  Remove the phrase "and all she wants to do is dance" from the verses. You've got a song clearly inspired by the tales of the Reagan-era Sandinistas in Central America.  Put those words back in.  You've got a much different song.

The video itself is really busy and absolutely brilliant.  It's almost reminiscent of the Cantina band from Star Wars, with a South American bunker feel.

 

5 March 2013 - Passion Pit - Take A Walk

I recently picked up Passion Pit's Gossamer record on a $2.99 whim at Amazon. I had their previous album and remembered that I didn't hate it (a ringing endorsement . . . I know), so I decided to give the new one a shot. I finally had some time last night to check out some music from my "need to listen to stack" (which sadly, isn't too high at the moment) and popped in Gossamer. I knew the first song right away. But from where? A Taco Bell commercial of course. I won't hold it against them (or any other band trying to make a living these days), even if those Doritos tacos sound disgusting.

4 March 2013 - C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)

In an era where traditional rap music was going the way of the dinosaur.  I consider C+C Music Factory one of its last gasps.

Founded by producers Robert Clivillés and Robert Cole - the C+C in the Factory - the guys hired several studio musicians, including Zelma Davis, the later-credited Martha Wash (who is the huge female voice in this song) and Freedom Williams, who is clearly a clean-cut and dapper guy..... oh.  Wait.  That's another song.

Anyway, I dare you to try not to get up and dance when this song is on.  It's really difficult.  The words are simple and catchy, and the bass is thumpin'.  In fact, I'm dancing to it right now.

1 March 2013 - Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax

I got really sick of this song being everywhere when it was new.  But there was so much about this song that I didn't understand back then.  It was kind of a dirty song.  At least, by 1984 standards.

Produced by the legendary Trevor Horn, the song slowly reached #10 on the US charts and topped the UK charts.  This video is the 2nd version of the video - a cleaner version that was made especially for the BBC so they wouldn't ban them for indecency.  It didn't work.

In 1984, this is what passed for indecent.  Pretty tame stuff.

28 February 2013 - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - If You Leave

Who says I can't be timely when it comes to my Wicked Guilty Pleasures posts? Twenty-seven years ago today a cool little John Hughes flick called Pretty in Pink was released and the world was introduced to Andie, Blaine and of course the always off-the-wall Duckie. The soundtrack was pretty rad too. It featured one of my favorite Suzanne Vega songs (Left of Center) as well as songs by Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, INXS, New Order, Psychedelic Furs and of course this OMD hit.

27 February 2013 - Sly Fox - Let's Go All The Way

Admit it.  You forgot about this song, even though you loved it when it was new.

I admit it.  I did.  Until I heard a cover of it yesterday (that we will be featuring on Totally Covered tomorrow).  I really loved this song when it was a hit in 1986, and, although it has a dated 80's sound, the energy of the tune still endures.

Now, the question is, is the song a protest against Reagan-era foreign policy or a plea to a girl to "go all the way"?  We can say one thing for sure: zhum zhum zinny zinny.

26 February 2013 - Train featuring Ashley Monroe - Bruises

Where to begin? I am a huge Ashley Monroe fan. HUGE. I loved her first album Satisfied and of course I adore her girl group The Pistol Annies (with Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley). "Hippie Annie's" new album Like A Rose comes out next week and I'm fairly certain that it will be one of my favorite records of 2013.

. . . And then there's Train. Blech. Boring. I tried to give them a chance last summer when I saw them with my wife at a music festival in Virginia Beach. I mostly just drank crappy beer and impatiently waited for to them to end their set so we could rush 20+ blocks down the boardwalk to go catch Jamey Johnson.

And now to the present. I recently saw today's video on the CMT Countdown. Needless to say I was conflicted. I wanted to love it, because it was Ashley. I wanted to hate it because it was Train. It took me a few months to admit it, but I freakin' love this song. Enough to give Train another shot? We'll see.

25 February 2013 - Yael Naim - New Soul

A simple song, or so it seems.  Really, it's a densely layered song with horns, guitar, piano, and drums, with ten seconds of striking silence (at the 2:14 mark). Yael Naim had never had a big hit in the US, and she hasn't had one so big since. And, even though it's a dense and complex song, it's sung sweetly, earnestly, and simply by the artist.

The video, in which she moves into an apartment, only to push on the walls and find that her apartment is in the middle of a lake on a raft, is kind of fun and sweet, too.



A lot of people think that this ad made the song a big hit. Actually, the song had already peaked on the US pop charts - it peaked in the Top 10 and fell very very quickly - when this ad came out. The song had a 2nd life from this ad, racing back up the pop charts.  MTV's heavy rotation, however, is what made this song a hit, not Apple.

Enjoy the ad anyway.

22 February 2013 - Feist - 1234

You all remember when you first saw this video. Sure.  It was this commercial.



But, before it was an iPod Nano commercial, it was really a video.  It wasn't just made for the commercial. And, because of the commercial above, Leslie Feist scored the biggest hit of her career, based mostly on the strength of downloads, and won a Juno award for Single of the Year.  It deserved it, too - the sweet, jangly, yet melancholy folk-pop that brings bits of piano and banjo into the mix and builds to an exciting ending is truly compelling.

Plus, you can tell they had a lot of fun making this video.



Little known fact: the song was a cover.  Originally written by Sally Seltmann for her New Buffalo project, it was  shelved before release.  When New Buffalo toured with Feist's band Broken Social Scene, Sally brought the song forward.....  and here it is, performed live well before it was recorded for the above video.  At this point, it was still called "Sally's Song". The arrangement is a little different - more horns, slightly different lyrics - but it's clearly the same song.



One thing that this Canadian indie singer-songwriter got that most Canadian indie singer-songwriters don't get (not even Carly Rae Jepsen) is a trip to Sesame Street.  I mean, she did record a song about counting......

21 February 2013 - Postal Service - We Will Become Silouettes

WOW! I just found out that I'm likely going to see The Postal Service this summer (add to that concert, a Belle and Sebastian/Yo La Tengo show that I'm getting tickets for tomorrow and it's gonna be 2003 all over again!). I played the hell out of Give Up when it came out 10 years ago and I still give it the occasional spin when the mood hits. Let's go back a decade and check out my favorite track (and video) from Give Up.

20 February 2013 - Fiona Apple - Sleep to Dream & Criminal

In continuing with the "why haven't we already posted this" theme, I bring you Fiona Apple.

This song, an early single, set Ms. Apple up for greater airplay success to come, earning heavy rotation on MTV, when they still occasionally played videos.  The tune is bassline-heavy, with a compelling piano/guitar arrangement - she is a pianist first.  Combine that musical dark dream state with her husky voice and the fact that she looks a LOT younger than she actually is, and you've got a hit on your hands!



Really, in the US, Fiona Apple is a one hit wonder. And because I'm a populist and pander to the wants of the people, here is her biggest hit. In all seriousness, it is an excellent song that deserved every bit of airplay it received (and the Grammy she earned for the performance). It's a little lighter-hearted in sound, but equals "Sleep To Dream" in darkness of theme.



Update: I was reminded that we DID feature Fiona Apple on Totally Covered, with her Beatles cover. Another great song.

19 February 2013 - Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts

WOW! I'm kind of surprised that we haven't covered Christina Perri here already. She did make my top 10 of 2011 though at Your Forgotten Favorite (now Your New Favorite Song). As I wrote back then, this song blew me away the first time I heard it on the radio. Two years later, the song and video still gives me chills.

18 February 2013 - Steve Burns - Mighty Little Man

A song co-arranged (and co-performed - check the drummer in this video) by Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips?  How is this a Wicked Guilty Pleasure?

Because it is primarily written and performed by Steve Burns, who at one time was best known for wearing a green striped shirt, hanging around with a blue puppy and being oblivious to the paw prints around him.   Yes, THAT Steve Burns, long rumored to be dead (he never was), victim of male pattern baldness, and.... musician.

Surprisingly, he isn't singing about the mail never failing.  He's singing about adult themes, with adult arrangements to his music.  Clearly, there is a Flaming Lips influence to the music - several of them are involved with this album, including Drozd and Michael Ivins.  But it's not the Lips - it's Steve Burns, and he found a voice all his own - a voice with a reasonably hard rock edge and an awful lot of emotion.   I hope you enjoy it and seek out his album, Songs for Dustmites.  It deserves more attention than it got, because it is fantastic.



For those not familiar, here is Steve performing his best-known song from 'Blue's Clues".  I did use this song as my "You've Got Mail" sound for many years.



[UPDATE: 3 November 2017]. This song is now the theme song of the hit CBS show "Young Sheldon". We could not be more excited.

15 February 2013 - Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

I looked back.  I had never posted this song before.  That is a surprise, since, in my mind, it was one of the first I had in mind to put on this blog. (I did post a cover of it by the Dandy Warhols on our sister blog, Totally Covered.  You can see that here.)

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was launched on June 8, 1958, the largest ship on the Great Lakes.  She was built to carry large amounts of iron ore between Duluth, Minnesota and other Great Lakes cities, like Toledo and Detroit, that relied on said ore.

On November 9, 1975, The SS Edmund Fitzgerald pulled out of Duluth for the last time, en route to Detroit.  The very next day,  the ship was caught in a severe winter storm and suddenly sank, killing all 29 crew members on board.  No bodies were ever recovered from the wreck.

Gordon Lightfoot, who is a Canadian treasure, read a Newsweek article about the tragedy, and wrote this song, which he considers his finest work, as do I.  Despite the minor historical inaccuracies of the song - the ship wasn't bound for Cleveland, the main hatchway apparently didn't really give way - it is a fitting and beautiful tribute to the ship, the crew, and the disaster.  It remains one of my 20 favorite songs of all time, in its beautiful storytelling and simple musical arrangement.



I mention the historical inaccuracies because, in 2010, 35 years after the song was released, Gordon changed the lyrics to reflect the fact that the main hatch didn't give way, and that it was not crew error, but waves that caused the ship to go down.  Here is Gord performing the song live in 2012, with the new lyrics.  He's still got it.

14 February 2013 - Two Sides of Valentine's Day

OK, I really couldn't decide what video to post for Valentine's Day. Do I appeal to the lovebirds or the haters? Then it hit me, post two videos and make everyone happy or miserable (I suppose).

Here's some Sundays for all you lovebirds out there.



And now here's some Guns 'N' Roses for all you haters.

13 February 2013 - Bonde do Rolê - Brazilian Boys (feat. Cécile)

Let me be blunt: Bonde do Rolê are gifted remixers.  But they're also musicians in their own right.  Their music has traditionally combined Brazilian funk, punk, and club music styles.

With their last album - the first without original lead singer Marina Ribatski - they added dancehall to their style repertoire. Here, new vocalist Laura Taylor, who is more subtle than Marina Gasolina, easily captures the combination of bravado and sexuality needed to pull off a dancehall song.  They do enlist the assistance of Cécile. who is well-known in the dancehall world.

Really, they're a completely different band without Marina, but still fun and enjoyable.

12 February 2013 - Ed Sheeran - Give Me Love

Anyone who watched the Grammy's on Sunday saw the fantastically understated duet Ed Sheeran did with Sir Elton John (they played Sheeran's hit single The A Team). Wait, did I just compliment Elton John? Understated? Well I did, and it was. Seeing that The A Team is pretty much all over the radio (and for some time now), I thought I'd go with a more recent single from his + record.


By the way, Sheeran will be taking his live show on the road this spring/summer opening for some small-town girl from Pennsylvania who plays a mix of country and pop music. I hear she's very popular.

11 February 2013 - Nicki Minaj - Super Bass

Nicki Minaj is truly a unique artist, doing things musically that women just don't do very much - sing in a hip-hop style bluntly about having sex and being boastful, just like men would. In other words, she raps like a guy.

But it isn't all about the.... well, super bass.  There's some soulfulness and softness to this music, and I love that!



If she was nothing but a conceited diva, this post would end here.  But she isn't. She's a nice lady who appreciates her fans.  Here she is doing a duet of this song with a very very young fan.... and happily getting upstaged.

8 February 2013 - will.i.am featuring Britney Spears - Scream and Shout

I. Can't. Look. Away!

This is typical pop electronica fare, sparsely done, and typically boastful.  Nothing really special here.

But. I. Can't. Look. Away!

It's almost like will.i.am did little more than sample "Britney, bitch."  (OK, she does a little bit more here)  The combination of these two is still, despite all this seeming mediocrity, is still compelling and will get you humming the tune all day.  And saying "Britney, bitch."

7 February 2013 - The Cardigans - My Favourite Game

I have a tendency to post my favorite songs of all time.  This includes songs that are clear guilty pleasures.  This one isn't so clear, but is one of my 10 favorite songs of all time.  Let me explain.

The Cardigans became a big hit in the US with a particular hit - "Lovefool" - that has been featured on this blog by Scott in the past.  It, like the song that preceded it - "Carnival", which got some alternative radio play in this country - was light fare, with a lovely subject matter.

That's not really representative of The Cardigans.  The followup single to "Lovefool" - "Been It", a future Wicked Guilty Pleasure - was closer to that in subject matter - a little darker.   And this song - the lead single from their Gran Turismo album that followed - was exactly what they are all about - straight-ahead rock sound and dark subject matter.  I, for one, love the guitar hook, a honking-type sound, in this song.

This video is an even greater pleasure, though.  In each of the no less than five versions of the video, Nina Persson is driving a '74 Eldorado erratically down an California highway. This version, the edited version seen mostly in Europe, features pretty much nothing more than that.



The other versions end with a head-on collision with a blue van carrying the rest of the band, with several car crashes caused by Persson included within. These versions include varying amounts of blood and violence.  In the US, we are much more numb to violence.  This is the darkest version of the video, which ends with a dead Nina Persson.


In this version of the video, the ending is more comedic.  While Nina is still using a rock to hold down the accelerator and still has a head-on collision in which she is ejected from the car, she survives that and sits up.... only to be hit in the head with the rock falling with a cartoony sound.



This version of the video is practically bloodless, but still violent, but ends with Nina getting up and walking away from her ejection.



Finally, in this version, (which is identical, so we'll show you just the end) Nina is not ejected - only beheaded. And it's the worst fake head I've ever seen.

6 February 2013 - Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl

I remember when this song first came out in the 80's.  I was too young to understand that it was such a deep and eloquent song about jealousy.  All I knew is that that guy was on the soap opera that my mother watched and now he was singing.

General Hospital, people.

The song is quick-building, with most of the story-telling done in the first minute and fifteen seconds.  Go ahead.  Watch the timer.  The song isn't just about jealousy, though - it's about how great Rick Springfield is.  A straight-ahead rock anthem, it's a complexly structured song with a simple hook.

It also won Rick Springfield a Grammy.



In 1999, Rick rerecorded the song as an acoustic tune.  It seems just a little dirtier in this version.  I don't know why.  But here - enjoy it.

5 February 2013 - Sunny Sweeney - Staying's Worse Than Leaving

Well, since Scott is away on vacation, I get to fill in for his posts over here.   So, I figured I'd better find some contemporary country music.

Luckily, there's some of this music that is also pleasurable to me.  Each of us has posted a Sunny Sweeney song before (him at Christmas, and me as part of a Kasey Chambers double bill), so it seemed appropriate that, as Scott has left for a sunny - pun completely intended - vacation destination, and I'm staying here in this bitter cold, that I post this tune.

I'll put this plainly - Sunny Sweeney is the most genuine country artist today, in dealing with her fans, and that genuinity - is that a word? - is clearly reflected in her music.  And... she's nominated for at least one ACM award this year - New Female Vocalist (although we are a bit puzzled by this "new" things - so here's hoping bigger things are coming.

4 February 2013 - Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy

This might be the campiest song ever released. It was, however, intended to be that way, as a slight jab at the fashion industry.

But it's also a well-constructed song, with a cold ending, which is hard to pull off.  Instantly quotable, instantly danceable, instantly posable.  Musically, it's complex, which makes sense, because the Fairbrass brothers at the center of Right Said Fred are accomplished musicians outside of the band.



Recently, the brothers have redone the song, with slight musical changes.  See if you notice.  They kept the cold close, though.

3 February 2013 - Super Bowl Special - The 1985 Chicago Bears - The Super Bowl Shuffle

What better way to celebrate this Super Bowl than to enjoy this classic tune recorded before Super Bowl XX?  That day in 1986, when I was the only one in the room not rooting for the Patriots, is the first Super Bowl I actually remember.  And it was gleeful - arguably the greatest victory in Super Bowl history.

Which is why they have the greatest Super Bowl music video in history.  Sure, it looks like Walter Payton and Jim McMahon didn't show up for the original shoot, but it's still brilliant.  And, as the late, great Sweetness said, "We're not doing this because we're greedy.  The Bears are doing this to feed the needy."

So, watch the video and enjoy the game!

1 February 2013 - Miranda Cosgrove - Dancing Crazy

Sometimes, I'm even embarrassed to say I like a song.  But, this is Wicked Guilty Pleasures, right?

Miranda Cosgrove is best known as the titular Carly from the Nickelodeon television show iCarly.  I'm a little sad that I know that.  Like that show, this song is harmless, lighthearted fun. But it's more than that.  It's well-constructed, with a lot of different-sounding sections that all remain equally danceable.  She might have a long career in entertainment ahead of her.



Oh, and she ain't the best singer in the world - I get it.  That's not what this blog is about. She's not bad, though. Proof: here she is live, complete with a couple of pitchy spots.  It happens, but she holds it together, by not bailing on the song.  Even in the rough spots - mostly at high notes - she retains her stage presence and engages the audience.



And, since we're talking about iCarly, here's the famous Spaghetti Tacos scene. Enjoy.

31 January 2013 - Bon Jovi - Runaway

C'mon, I know you've all been missing it, so for one week only . . . IT'S THE RETURN OF HAIR METAL THURSDAY!!!

Here's some classic Bon Jovi for no good reason. I was going to post the Bad Medicine video if only because Sam Kinison is in it, but Runaway is a much cooler tune ("cooler" of course being a very relative term).

30 January 2012 - When In Rome - The Promise

Sometimes, a song is a pleasure from first listen.  Sometimes, it takes a little longer for me.

I hated - HATED - this song when it was new.  It was 1988.  I was 16.  And this song didn't connect to me and it didn't interest me and it bored me.  But, at the time, I was just starting to understand music outside the mainstream, and this was probably too close to the border between mainstream and alternative for me to understand.

But now, I appreciate song structure and lyrical creativity a little more.  This song starts with a piano melody that reprises throughout, but has a very contemporary-sounding (for 1988) electronic beat as the base of the song.  Two men - Clive Farrington and Andrew Mann, specifically - harmonize throughout.  It's considered a classic song, because it is structured just like this, combining electronica with harmonized vocals.

And that chorus! Intensely catchy (and a little creepy)!

29 January 2013 - Holly Throsby - A Heart Divided

As some of you may or may not know I'm a total tennis junkie (I even coach a high school team in my town). Needless to say I spent many a late night in the last two weeks watching the Australian Open. And if anyone else was watching they certainly heard today's song as it played during pretty much every commercial break in the form of a travel ad for the city of Melbourne. So while it's been a few days since Novak Djokovic took the Men's title, it's also been a few days since I've had my Holly Throsby fix. Luckily I found the video to feed my addiction.

28 January 2013 - Big Boi Featuring Phantogram - CPU

It was fun to surprise you during our American Idol weeks with posts like this, but it's time to get back to the business of Wicked Guilty Pleasures.

I never would have thought that Big Boi would be the groundbreaking member of Outkast.  And this song and performance are seriously, seriously cool.  I'm waiting to see what a video for this song will look like.

But what I love most about this performance?  That Big Boi is not afraid to share the stage, and the spotlight, with a really, really good artist.  Sarah Barthel doesn't waste her national exposure - I know Phantogram gained a lot of fans that night on Jimmy Kimmel Live.   Phantogram did three songs with Big Boi on his new album, which is interesting and different than just about anything out there right now, so I urge you to check it out.

UPDATE: The old video broke, so here's a new one, same performance.

25 January 2013 - Carrie Underwood - Two Black Cadillacs

And so the American Idol love comes to an end. I like how we bookended the two weeks with the two biggest Idols. Tony kicked things off with the original Idol Kelly Clarkson and I'm closing it with Season 4's winner Carrie Underwood.

When Carrie's most recent album Blown Away was released in May I posted a funny little tale about buying it at this here music blog. I enjoyed the record so much that she even found her way into my top Artists of 2012.

Yesterday, the third video off Blown Away was released. I thought the album's title track and video were pretty dark, but WOW, Two Black Cadillacs makes Blown Away seem like All-American Girl. See for yourself.



I know we've been posting Idol footage, but that All-American Girl "joke" makes absolutely no sense if you've never seen the super sweet cavity causing video. Also, it's a cheap excuse for me to watch the video for the bazillionth time.

24 January 2013 - Granville Automatic - Never On A Sunday & Glorieta (& Vanessa Olivarez - You Keep Me Hangin' On)

When I was watching Season 2 of American Idol, and enjoying Vanessa Olivarez (12th place - she was the 1st finalist eliminated, and I was angry about that), I never in a million years would have imagined that I'd be rediscovering her music ten years later.  But, as I was researching music for these two weeks of American Idol tribute, I did just that.

As lead vocalist (and harpsichordist) of Granville Automatic, Vanessa (along with Elizabeth Elkins) makes classic country music, with a warm southern feeling and a respect for history, musical and otherwise.  This song is lighthearted, and seems like it could have been written 75 years ago, or 2 weeks ago, sounding both fresh and classic.

Update (29 July 2020) - the original video is gone.  Here's a Sun Studio session version of the song instead.



Oh, the name of the band?  It's a 19th century typewriter.  Vanessa is a collector.  Who knew?

Update (10 Dec 2013): The duo finally made an official video for this song.  And CMT featured it on their front page, right here.  Of course, they're 11 months behind us.  Here's the new video.  It's a lot of fun.


Currently, the duo is working on a project - a crusade, almost - to keep (American) Civil War stories fresh.  This song, their latest, was written about a battle known as the Gettysburg of the West, in a town south of Santa Fe, New Mexico - Glorieta Pass, if you want to look it up. This project is a partnership with the Civil War Trust, who are concerned with preserving these classic, forgotten sites and protecting them from urban development.  I encourage you to go here and read more about their quest as it develops.  It's a really interesting read.  The song itself is deep in history, with a quiet, classic country feel.



And, since this is an American Idol week post, here is Vanessa, singing "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by The Supremes.  Back then, her hair was red, and her voice was huge.  Her voice still is huge, but she was already showing the raw talent that she would use for a greater good later.

23 January 2013 - Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery

Only three more days left in the Wicked Guilty Pleasures American Idol Celebration. Thanks for over-indulging us. We'll be back to our usual nonsense next week. But let's keep the Idol love going . . .

OK, I'm totally going to cheat here, but it's pretty easy to put Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery together. The teens were the top two finalists in Season 10 and their debut records were released within a week of each other. Both have achieved moderate success on the country charts (Scotty, probably a bit more) and in my opinion, both have bright futures ahead of them in country music.

Let's start the video goodness with the second single from Lauren's 2011 debut Wildflower.



And now here's the latest single from Scotty's 2011 debut Clear as Day.

22 January 2013 - Carly (Smithson) Hennessy - I'm Gonna Blow Your Mind / We Are The Fallen - Bury Me Alive

The Season Seven 6th place finisher was an Irish woman named Carly Smithson.  She has a huge voice and a great personality, but she came with a couple of controversies.

First off, there was the album Ultimate High.  This was an album that Carly recorded, under her maiden name, for MCA Records.  It bombed spectacularly - $2 million was spent on the album, but it sold less than 400 copies.  Really, it's because MCA didn't know how to market Carly in a world dominated by Shania Twain.  Still, this song, from that album that eventually got a sales bump with a post-Idol reissue, isn't half bad, and her strong voice and personality shine through.

 

Since Idol, Carly has taken on lead vocals for the band We Are The Fallen.  They aren't really all that much different than Evanescence, but at least her label knows how to market her now.  This genre suits her better.



I mentioned two controversies.  Season 7 was the 2nd time Carly wowed the judges.  The first time was Season 5.  Sadly, immigration laws, and issues with her work visa, prevented her from progressing in the competition   Here is her Season 5 audition.  Notice how all three judges love her.



And, in Season 7, she was using her married name.  And owned up 100% to her Season 5 issues.  But not her prior label signing.  Again, she sang "I'm Every Woman:, and again, the judges were impressed.



And, to wrap it all up, here she is, doing "Jesus Christ Superstar" on the show.  I've been waiting a very long time to post this one.  Just a huge performance!!!!!!!

21 January 2013 - Kristy Lee Cook - Airborne Ranger Infantry

We are now entering the final week of our American Idol Hall of Fame celebration. This week I'll be doing the Monday, Wednesday and Friday posts and Tony gets the days that start with the letter "T."

Country singer Kristy Lee Cook earned a 7th place finish in the 7th season of American Idol. Her first post-Idol album, 2008's very underrated Why Wait (released on Arista Nasvhille), produced the top 30 country hit 15 Minutes of Shame. The record also featured Like My Mother Does which future Idol alum Lauren Alaina also performed on her debut record. The relationship between Cook and Arista only lasted for that one record though as they parted ways prior to 2009.

On to bigger and better things. . .

In 2010, Cook signed with independent country label Broken Bow Records (a much better fit in my opinion). Her BBR debut, produced by country chart-topper Jason Aldean (that certainly can't hurt her singing career), is scheduled to be released later this year (you know I'm looking forward to hearing it). The first single off that record is Airborne Ranger Infantry which was co-written by Cook and inspired by the poems her father wrote while serving in Vietnam. Check it out.



. . . And here she is singing Dolly's Coat of Many Colors from the American Idol Final 9 in 2008 (just ignore what that clown Simon Cowell has to say at the end. . .).

18 January 2013 - Katharine McPhee - Over It & Beautiful

American Idol is good at finding country music talent, as you can see this week.  However, it's also good at finding pop talent.  Katharine McPhee is one of the more colourful contestants from Season 5, ending as that year's runner-up.  She had a nice pop star quality, similar to a Mandy Moore, but had a huge, huge voice.  I could see Mandy Moore singing this song, which is light teen angsty fare, but still fun.



As many of you know, Katharine is now one of the stars of the NBC show Smash, which I suggest you check out.  Second best music-centered show on television (Nashville being the best).  In the years between her AI appearance and this, her voice has matured, and she is now capable of carrying this big tune, just like Christina Aguilera did.



Lest we forget, this is where she started.  Actually, this was the AI5 finale, so I guess this isn't the start.  "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" is the song.  And she belts it.  Such a mature voice already at that point.  Enjoy!

17 January 2013 - Crystal Bowersox - Farmer's Daughter

Tony left the door wide-open for me to post about the Season 4 American Idol winner. And trust me I want to. Even if I already posted about her here. Maybe next week. Or maybe not. We'll see.

Instead, I'll go with the AI runner-up from Season 9. I heard good things about Crystal Bowersox during her AI run and was intrigued when her debut record Farmer's Daughter came out in 2010. I was immediately taken in by her strong soulful voice (think Joplin, but without the whiskey and cigarettes) and great songs (all but one of which she wrote). The first single and title track blew me away with its honesty. It's an incredibly sad song/story, but there's hope in the end. Word on the street is that her follow-up record will be released this spring and I for one am looking forward to hearing it.



And since I compared Crystal to Janis earlier, I suppose I should dig up her AI performance of Me and Bobby McGee.

16 January 2013 - Carmen Rasmusen (Herbert) - Nothin' Like The Summer

The single biggest shock of the entire American Idol series came in season 2.  (That was ten years ago!) In the Hollywood rounds, before the public got to vote - when the contestant first sings for the judges - Carmen Rasmusen was eliminated.  She didn't even get onto the television broadcast of these rounds.

Strangely, she was brought back to perform in the Top 24 Wild Card night, along with a couple of other eliminated contestants - supposedly for demographic reasons. On this night, one performer was to be selected by America - that person ended up being Clay Aiken - and three were selected by the judges.  When the performances were given.... well, Simon Cowell ripped her a new one.  He very clearly called her "not good enough."  Not.  Good.  Enough.

And the next night, when the choices were made?  She was Simon's judge's choice.  And no one was more surprised than she was.

I was quite happy.  Carmen was, and remains to this day, my favorite Idol contestant ever.  She was earnest, she was modest, and she took criticism well. Plus, she could sing, and she had a voice with an appealing vibrato.  I don't think anyone has done more noble work with their Idol exposure.

She ended up in 6th place in Season 2.  Sixth.  America loved her.  Utah (her home state) (she was a Mormon, yes) loved her a lot!  Her vocal style clearly matured in her time on the show. She parlayed her vocal maturity and success on Idol into a modest music career.  Here's one of her post-Idol singles.  Now, tell me this isn't 1. radio-friendly and 2. an appealing, fun song!



By the way, Ms. Rasmusen Herbert, now a newspaper columnist, is not a fan of what Idol has become, although she calls Simon her favorite judge.

Here's one of my favorite performances of hers from Idol - her version of Blondie's "Call Me".  I don't care what the judges say - I got it and I think she did it well.

/> And, because we like to feature these things on our blogs, here's Carmen singing Adele's little hit a couple of years ago.   I still think this woman has a great voice!

15 January 2013 - Kellie Pickler - Red High Heels

While I've never watched American Idol for more than five minutes at a time, I've certainly become a fan of many of the contestants over the years, which is why I suggested that we do this two-week Hall of Fame AI celebration.

My first AI Hall of Fame post goes to my No. 1 artist of 2012 -- Kellie Pickler (who came in 6th place in Season 5 of Idol). This June I posted her Best Days of Your Life video (a song she co-wrote and performed with Taylor Swift). Today, I present you with my favorite Kellie Pickler song. It's off her debut album Small Town Girl.



And now, here she is performing Sara Evans' Suds in the Bucket on Idol.

14 January 2013 - Kelly Clarkson - Miss Independent ( & Respect Yourself )

This....is AMERICAN IDOL!

Since AI is returning to the air this week, Scott and I decided we'd go ahead and give you two weeks of American Idol alumni, to show you what an impact the show has had on the entire music industry.

Let's start at the beginning.  The very first winner.  She's been featured on here before - our second post, and Scott's first - and now, she kicks off our showcase.  Released in 2003, this is the song that really made Kelly Clarkson a bigger star, and broke her out of the American Idol mold and squeaky-clean image.

The song itself is sparse, hard-edged pop-rock, which highlights her huge voice really well.  Perhaps not surprisingly, the song was co-written by Christina Aguilera and originally intended for her.... but it would seem strange to hear her sing this song, which Kelly own so perfectly.



Bonus: Here's Kelly Clarkson's audition. It's one of the most colorful auditions ever.  She even had a career backup plan.

11 January 2013 - Connie Britton & Chip Esten - No One Will Ever Love You

Scott was kind enough to post a song from the ABC show Nashville yesterday.  We are in complete agreement as to how great that show is.  On Twitter, I have spoken with a couple of old time country artists - Lynn Anderson most notably - who vouch for the ACCURACY of the show's portrayal of the Nashville music business, which I found heartening.

Yesterday's song was Juliette Barnes, so today, I am pulling out Rayna James.  Connie Britton, who I have loved since "Spin City", is tremendous in a role that is supposedly loosely based on the life of Reba McEntire.  I don't know if that's true, but she can sing, and well, which I found surprising.

Here's my favorite song from the show, a duet with Charlie Esten, who plays Deacon Claybourne.  Forget for a second that this song is written for a television show.  It's expertly produced by T-Bone Burnett, who I've been a fan of for many years, and full of raw, deep emotion.  It's got an old-time, classic country feel that I love. And, getting back to the TV story - our two characters wrote this song many years ago, when they were romantically linked, and both actors expertly capture the emotion of the song.  It's a fantastically acted show.

You noticed that I noted Charles Esten as "Chip" on this post.  I knew I had seen him somewhere before, but I couldn't place him right away.  As it turns out, I did recognize him. His singing ability shouldn't have surprised anyone.  He did it several times on television in the past.  He was a featured player on the television show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"

10 January 2013 - Hayden Panettiere - Telescope

It's been a long month, but one of the few TV shows I watch returned last night and bombs were dropping everywhere. While the story lines and acting on Nashville are top notch, it's the music that makes this show must see for me. The actors and actresses are singing songs by some of the finest songwriters in Nashville and beyond (oh and the music is produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett). Here's the first of hopefully many videos released from the Nashville Soundtrack. Word is Hayden wants to put out a country album of her own. I hope it happens.

9 January 2013 - Katy Perry - Wide Awake

Last year, we honored Katy Perry as our first Wicked Guilty Pleasure Hall of Fame honoree.  Since that time, she reissued her Teenage Dream album, adding a few songs.

Also, she did a documentary - Part of Me.  The documentary was shockingly and stunningly powerful.  It did a fantastic job in humanizing Katy Perry, big star.  She's just Katy Hudson, people. She's a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a friend... and, at the beginning of the movie, a wife.  Not by the end.

This song played over the closing credits of that documentary.  The power of Katy's vocal - the woman can sing, doubtless, and she makes sure you know it with this huge song - and the heartbreak of the lyrics really match well with the 2nd half of the movie.  Really, the video is an allegory for her high and low points of the past year, starting with scenes from the first video from Teenage Dream ("California Gurls") and ending with the opening scene from the movie.  It's a dark, dark song, to be sure, but still enjoyable.



I strongly recommend the movie.  Here's the trailer.  At about the :33 mark is the day that Russell Brand filed for divorce.  I choked up a little at that part.  It was difficult to watch.

8 January 2013 - Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy

Was this song really from 1997? Yikes. Anyway, I always liked this Marcy Playground tune. I got to see them in 2009 in support of their Leaving Wonderland record (they were playing on one of the free side stages at a small music festival I go to every year in Virginia Beach). I have to say, it was a fun show and as expected this song got the biggest crowd reaction.

7 January 2013 - 'Rent' (Movie) Cast - Santa Fe / Seasons of Love

The movie version of 'Rent' was really well done.  This was probably due to the fact that almost the entire Broadway cast came back to do the film. (Exceptions: the fantastic Tracie Thoms was a step up from Fredi Walker as Joanne, and Rosario Dawson replaced Daphne Rubin-Vega as Mimi and did an admirable job).  At any rate, Jesse L. Martin, who originated the role of (Tom) Collins, takes the primary lead on this song, which, for me, perfectly captures the hope and hopelessness combined in the first act.



Of course, if I am going to talk about the 1st act of Rent, I need to also share the song that opens Act 2 and captures the feeling of the act to come. Jesse L. Martin and Tracie Thoms - who proves she's got pipes! - take lead roles in this song.

By the way, I love how the movie handles this song - just like it is handled on stage.  Perfect.  Spot on.

4 January 2013 - Ashlee Simpson - La La

I started this blog on the 5th of January, 2012.  I started it with this post, dedicated to an artist that my friend Scott and I had discussed many times in the past, and who really was the inspiration for this entire blog.

So, what better way to honor our first anniversary than a post once again dedicated to that artist?  This song, from 2004, was the one that really brought Ashlee into the limelight, out of her sister Jessica's shadow (pun intended).  It wasn't a light-hearted pop song at all.  It was more in the power-pop-rock genre where Ashlee dominated.  Visually, there are a lot of sparkly things to look at here.  And, clearly, Ashlee is trying to distance herself from her sister's (at the time) squeaky-clean image.  You know, as she sings about quasi-S&M.

In all seriousness, I saved this song for this date, because it is one of my favorite songs, guilty pleasure or not.    It is catchy and danceable, straddles pop and rock perfectly, and is lyrically clever.  I don't give a damn how well Ashlee did or did not sing on Saturday Night Live.  Music is supposed to be fun, and this song is, perfectly.


As a bonus, here is Ashlee, singing live - not on Saturday Night Live, obviously - adding a little "Santa Baby" to this song.

3 January 2013 - Go Go's - Vacation

Time to bring back 80s Thursdays. I've actually missed the cheesy goodness. But I have no cheese this week because everyone knows that the Go Go's are freaking awesome. I normally would have chosen Our Lips Are Sealed, but seeing that I'll be spending the next five days in sunny Key West this video seemed a bit more appropriate.

2 January 2013 - Everclear - Everything To Everyone

I struggled for a bit to figure out what my first post of 2013 should be.    Ultimately, I decided on this - a pop-rock classic from 1997 that didn't get nearly the attention it deserved (although it was the biggest hit of their tenure on the Modern Rock charts).

It seems strange that I didn't pick a straight-ahead pop song to start the year, but this video and this song simply fascinate me.  I know it's a lot of clever editing that makes the video work - I am pretty sure it's not a skinny oval room with a camera spinning in the middle - but it's a neat effect.

Lyrically, the song is perhaps the most clever and biting we've ever posted.  Both in that respect and musically, the song gets angrier and more frenetic as it goes on.  Despite all this anger, it's a fun, fun song you can bounce to - as is evidenced at about 2:30 of the video.  Enjoy!