The Oedipus Project
Brooklyn-based The Hold Steady have recently released their 5th album Heaven is Whenever. Songwriter Craig Finn creates complex characters and takes us on lyrical journeys through the bars and back-alleys of the heartland. Today we feature “The Weekenders” as the Song of the Day.
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“The Weekenders” by The Hold Steady
The World Cup is the greatest sporting event in the world. Soccer is a game that many Americans have yet to embrace, but if you have ever lived outside of our shores, you know that this sport, known as “football”, dominates. It’s a sport where all you need is a ball a bit of space. Less violent than most sport, just about anybody can play it. And you don’t have to be a physical mutant to play it well. American resistance is in part due to the pace of the game. But if you allow yourself to flow with the game, you will appreciate its subtleties, stamina and exhilaration. Too say that it is boring is to miss its essence. Soccer was not invented here and the 45 minute halves do not allow for commercial interruption, but so much the better as this sport can unite the world, if only for a month. Bono and U2 have never said it better, and this brief video is one of the best things that they have ever done. Enjoy!
Yesterday we featured Beck along with Bat For Lashes. Today, we hear from Beck once again, this time from the soundtrack to HBO’s True Blood, Volume 2. “Bad Blood” is Beck’s take on Louisiana swamp Cajun blues and is the Song of the Day.
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“Bad Blood” by Beck
Yesterday we featured the duo voices of Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello. Today we move to another generation with the exquisite combination of Bat For Lashes and Beck. Bat For Lashes is the name used by Natasha Kahn, an English musician and songwriter with a dreamy voice. Her two albums, Fur and Gold and Two Suns, are two of my favorites. Beck has always proven to be unpredictable, distinctive and unique through his twelve albums, an artist that always moves us in new directions. From the soundtrack to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, “Let’s Get Lost” is the Song of the Day.
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“Let’s Get Lost” by Beck and Bat For Lashes
In anticipation of Season 3 of the HBO’s True Blood, we have an advance of the soundtrack. A number of the songs will be featured here in the days ahead, and we’ll begin with a collaboration between two formidable singer/songwriters, Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello, whose voices blend so well together. They have guested on each other’s albums in the past, and today we feature “Kiss Like Your Kiss” from True Blood as the Song of the Day, plus “Jailhouse Tears” from Lucinda’s Little Honey and “There’s a Story in Your Voice” from Elvis’ The Delivery Man.
Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello
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“Kiss Like Your Kiss”
“Jailhouse Tears”
“There’s a Story in Your Voice”
Of the hundreds upon hundreds of rock shows that I have attended over the years, only a couple of dozen can be described as truly transcendent. And of those, when the band was new, the songs mostly unknown and when I had no pre-conceived notions of the artistry, only a rare few have mesmerized me from the ring of first note to the last sustain of the encore. A performance where after the cheering had died and the lights had come up, I stood enraptured, basking in the afterglow of a great artistic experience, floating in a sea of wondrous thought knowing that I had witnessed something transformative.
One such performance for me was by the Arcade Fire. This band from Montreal will soon release their third album, Suburbs. From that album, the song of the same name is the Song of the Day.
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“Suburbs” by Arcade Fire
The Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela (Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero), lead and rhythm guitars respectively, bonded as teenagers in Mexico City over heavy metal. They moved to Europe and developed their own unique instrumental guitar style. Few instrumental duos have received such international acclaim. Rodrigo y Gabriela recently performed at the White House and have just released a new song. “Hanuman” is the Song of the Day and for fun I’ve added their version of “Stairway to Heaven”.
“Hanuman” (live in France)
“Stairway to Heaven”
A friend recently sent me an old copy of the Boston Phoenix, a weekly in this town, from December 16, 1980. It’s the issue with the cover story “The Dream is Over”, which gives in-depth reporting and commentary on the assassination of John Lennon that took place on the 8th of that month. In that edition it chronicles that fateful night when I was on-the-air and had to make the announcement. (I will feature it in a future post.) While browsing through this now yellowed paper, I came upon an advertisement for a small club where a band called Barooga was playing and the band opening was an unknown U2. (My former radio station is credited with first playing and championing U2.) What struck me as ironic is that out of the tragedy of John Lennon’s death, a small band was just beginning to make itself heard that would someday give us hope. U2360° at the Rose Bowl is being released today on DVD and Blu-ray. From that DVD, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” is the Song of the Day.
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“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2
In keeping with yesterday’s post of supporting The Sound Strike and the Boycott of Arizona, we feature Public Enemy’s song from 1991, expressing their outrage that Arizona would not recognize the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Apropos today as Arizona continues to deny civil rights to all people. “By the Time I Get to Arizona” is the Song of the Day.
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“By the Time I Get to Arizona” by Public Enemy
Oasis is releasing a greatest hits album, Time Flies 1994-2009, which features 27 UK singles. Included on the record is the one-off single “Whatever” that has never been on an album. It came out between their debut Definitely Maybe and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?. To some it is an Oasis classic.
We once did a live broadcast with Oasis form the Orpheum Theatre in Boston in 1995. Even then Liam Gallagher was an incorrigible prick: stupidly belligerent, boorishly uncooperative and unknowingly but blatantly displaying flashes of true ignorance. It was immediately apparent that Noel Gallagher was the true talent in the band. Besides being the leader and main songwriter, Noel was even forced to sing the remaining few songs of the set when his brother had a snit fit over something never explained and walked off the stage. The listening audience never knew the difference. Noel has since left the band and it’s amazing the band lasted as long as it did.
“Whatever” is the Song of the Day.
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“Whatever” by Oasis
The duo known as The Black Keys released their latest album, Brothers, last week. The band has been very prolific since they formed in 2001 with now their 6th album. Their songs can be heard in a variety of films, advertisements and TV shows. With the blues/rock guitar stylings and vocals of Dan Auerbach and the drumming of Patrick Carney, “Tighten Up” is the Song of the Day.
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“Tighten Up” by The Black Keys
School of Seven Bells is a three-piece New York band consisting of Benjamin Curtis (formerly of Secret Machines) and identical twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza (ex of On!Air!Library!). They amusingly claim to take their name from a mythical South American school for pickpockets. From their forthcoming Disconnect From Desire album, “Babelonia” has such an infectious lilt and is the Song of the Day.
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“Babelonia” by School of Seven Bells
Sleigh Bells is a duo out of Brooklyn, NY: Alexis Krauss, vocalist; Derek E. Miller, songwriter, guitarist and producer. Noisy and intense, they just released their debut album, Treats, on M.I.A.’s label, N.E.E.T . Recordings. “Infinity Guitars” is free on ITunes (here) and is the Song of the Day.
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“Infinity Guitars” by Sleigh Bells
Angelique Kidjo is one of Africa’s greatest musical exports. As her website states: “With joy and passion Angelique embodies the spirit of Africa. Through her music, life and exuberant commitment to advocacy she exemplifies unity, peace and diversity”. On her new album, Oyo, she covers Curtis Mayfield’s 1970 hit “Move On Up”. It has been remixed by Radioclit and features Bono and John Legend. Besides being a great dance song, what is fascinating about this version is trying to decipher Bono’s vocals as they have been altered considerably. Perhaps you can pick out his phrasing. For all world music, U2 and Bono aficionados, this is the Song of the Day.
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“Move On Up” by Angelique Kidjo
Kay Hanley, former lead singer for the band Letters to Cleo, and beloved Boston chanteuse, has teamed with Linus of Hollywood to form the band Palmdale. With their first release, “Here Comes the Summer”, the pop jauntiness of the song belies the dread of living through the approaching sunny season with a broken heart and is the Song of the Day.
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“Here Comes the Summer” by Palmdale
