Headline
Makin’ Whoopee – Dr. John and Rickie Lee Jones
The New Orleans Saints finally did it. After 43 years in the NFL, they are finally champions. I never thought it would happen. They were so bad for so long. But tonight they beat Peyton Manning and the exceptional Indianapolis Colts. Bourbon Street is crazy tonight. The song that kept running through my head as the Saints began to celebrate is “Makin’ Whoopee” by Dr. John and Rickie Lee Jones. Neither of these iconic performers wrote … Read entire article »
Featured
Baby Got Back – Richard Cheese
As a joke, a friend recently sent me an email with the subject line: “Want a sexy … Read more »
Top 5 Pig Songs for the Swine Flu Pandemic
The porcine plague is real. Swine flu is now circling the globe and spreading quickly. The World … Read more »
The Grooviest Girl in the World – The Fun and Games
Few songs are more innocently psychedelic than “The Grooviest Girl in the World” by The Fun and … Read more »
Popular
Top 10 Rain Songs
It’s supposed to be summer. But where I live, it’s rain, rain, rain every day. It’s a … Read more »
Superman – R.E.M.
Released by R.E.M. in 1986 on their “Life’s Rich Pageant” record, “Superman” is classic early R.E.M and … Read more »
Hocus Pocus – Focus
Three words: Heavy metal yodeling. You can’t get more rock ‘n’ roll that that. I defy you to come … Read more »
Latest
Dream Come True – Brand New Heavies
Going back to 1992 for this one. Brand New Heavies are a rarely known, little loved and largely forgotten band from England’s late 1980s Acid Jazz scene. Acid Jazz is a type of music? Indeed it is. And Brand New Heavies were one of England’s shining lights for a short time. “Dream Come True” was originally recorded and released in 1990. … Read entire article »
Ain’t That Enough – Teenage Fanclub
I have to thank Mike Phillips for this discovery. Mike (who is possibly the most stylish dresser I know) and I worked together a few years ago and he was always plying me with new music. Some of it great, some of it not-so-great, but all of it interesting. One great band he introduced to me one late afternoon is Teenage … Read entire article »
Cars That Go Boom – L’Trimm
“Tik Tok” by Ke$Sha is the number 1 song in the world today. Not just America. The world. It’s huge. And like Ke$Sha’s namesake, it’s bringing in big money for this poorly named pop star. Buy “Tik Tok” Don’t know Ke$Sha or “Tik Tok”? I don’t believe you. If you have turned on a radio, heard the background music in a Panda … Read entire article »
Hallelujah – Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris
I watched segments of the “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon tonight. Frankly, some of the performances seemed a little too serious, a little too self absorbed. The cause is just. The need in Haiti is great. But sometimes celebrities take themselves way too seriously in their self-ascribed benevolence. Not so with Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris. Their performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” … Read entire article »
Mental Hopscotch – Missing Persons
Missing Persons was one of my favorite bands throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Their first record is rock-solid new wave rock ‘n’ roll. And nothing the band wrote ever topped “Mental Hopscotch” from their self-titled EP released in 1982. A little missing Persons history Unlike most new wave bands, Missing Persons had serious musical chops. Three of the original members played in … Read entire article »
Use Me – Bill Withers
Another song from my all-time top 10. Bill Withers released “Use Me” in 1972 on his great record titled Still Bill. This is solid, soulful music by a man who should be far more famous than he is. Still Bill not only includes “Use Me” that topped out at #2 on the Billboard charts in 1972, but also “Lean on … Read entire article »
So What – Miles Davis
I’ve been listening to lots of jazz lately and tonight “So What” by Miles Davis is in my head. More has been written about Kind of Blue than any other jazz album ever released. So I’ll spare you a long monologue. For lots of detail, read the wikipedia entry for Kind of Blue. All you need to know is that Kind … Read entire article »
World – Five for Fighting
Rock music has always been full of lyrical cliches. And sometimes they don’t even spoil the song but actually enhance it. Sometimes, however, a song just sounds like one endless parade of glib and pithy phrases and I’m amazed someone wrote it. I’m even more amazed when people applaud the writing like it shows great depth. But that’s what I hear when … Read entire article »
Power and the Passion – Midnight Oil
Long before they tasted any touch of success in these United States, Aussie band Midnight Oil was a big thing down under. My first exposure was “Power and the Passion” in 1982. The creepy, hypnotic dancing of freakishly tall and bald lead singer Peter Garrett draws you in and makes this video worth watching at least once (I watched it many … Read entire article »
United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It on the Pop) – DJ Earworm
DJ Earworm’s mashups have always amazed me. Go waste 20 minutes on his site and you’ll be equally impressed. But his latest project is mind boggling. He took the top 25 songs of 2009 according to Billboard Magazine and mashed them all together into a thing he calls “United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It on the Pop).” Watch the video. Whether … Read entire article »
Do They Know It’s Christmas – Band Aid
Maybe it’s because I can still remember the MTV debut of this video. Maybe it’s the simple optimism and self-importance of this song. Maybe it’s because they pulled British legends and one-hit wonders into a studio at the same time. Maybe it’s Bono’s “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” -inspired yelp, George Michael’s comically committed lead vocals or Phil Collins’ pursed lips as he throws down … Read entire article »
We Are Golden – Mika
I’ve enjoyed Mika’s music since I discovered this guy with the Freddie Mercury/George Michael pipes in 2007. The boy can sing and write a decent pop song. And “We Are Golden” from his 2009 release titled The Boy Who Knew Too Much is full of decent pop songs. He’s also amazingly flamboyant and clearly has an affinity for stylish footwear … Read entire article »
Christmas in Hollis – RUN D.M.C.
I’m on holiday music overload these days. With young kids in the house, it’s all holiday music all the time. Not really a bad thing (some would argue otherwise). But like a little ginger after a spicy sushi roll cleanses the palette, sometimes you need to put Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” on hold and … Read entire article »
Heaven (must be there) – Eurogliders
When I was in high school, a friend went to Australia to play basketball. He returned with a cassette tape of an album titled This Island by an Aussie band called Eurogliders. It was either 1983 or 1984. Six months later I heard the first track from the record titled “Heaven (Must Be There) on my local new wave station. A … Read entire article »
She Sheila – The Producers
I first saw this video on MTV back in the earliest days of the station when they had a limited number of videos in rotation. In fact, back in the early 80s, it was common to see a video mix of Adam and the Ants followed by Rush followed by The Producers followed by April Wine followed by Hall and … Read entire article »
You’re So Vain – Carly Simon
This weekend was rivalry week in college football. That means where I live, Utah played BYU to a sudden death overtime. A good, not great game. But a really exciting finish in the first overtime when BYU wins by a final score of 26-23. And so it goes. As a Ute fan, I was disappointed. But it was sudden death. The best overtime … Read entire article »
Jaan Pehechaan Ho – Mohammed Rafi
I’m not exaggerating when I say “Jaan Pehechaan Ho” may be the greatest video ever produced. Seriously. Watch it once. I dare you. Then watch it again (you’ll likely feel compelled). It’s so singularly bizarre, compelling, awesome and strange that you can’t look away. And the song has this killer surf-rock-meets-Hindi vibe that is unrivaled among all surf-rock-meets-Hindi songs ever recorded (the fact that I’ve … Read entire article »
Harlem Shuffle – Vigon
I love 60s soul music. I love the horns and the shuffle and the groove and the soulful singing. I love it even more when video exists of long-forgotten songs. Songs like “Harlem Shuffle” by Vigon from 1967. The Rolling Stones later remade this song and I never really liked it. I can’t say I Love Vigon’s version of “Harlem Shuffle” … Read entire article »
Grace Kelly – Mika
Once in a while I hear a song and I’m certain it’s a dead rock star singing from the grave. Even when I know it’s NOT the dead singer singing from the other side my judgment tells me no, “It’s really that guy.” Take “Grace Kelly” by Mika, for instance. Close your eyes and you will swear it’s Freddie Mercury, enigmatic … Read entire article »
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
I’m a child of the 80s. I know the music, the movies, the books, the TV shows. Besides John Hughes, the patron saint of 80s teen movies (see my list of the “Top 6 Greatest John Hughes Movie/Music Songs”, the patron saint of movie soundtrack hits is Kenny Loggins. Love him or hate him, you have to respect Loggins’ success during … Read entire article »
10:15 Saturday Night – The Cure
Few songs strike me as frenetic, constrained, manic and morose as “10:15 Saturday Night” by The Cure. The original version from their 1979 release Three Imaginary Boys is simple concise madness. It doesn’t sound like a pop song or anything that should ever have become popular. But that little song that led to The Cure being signed to a record … Read entire article »
Guitar Town – Steve Earle
I had a conversation with a friend today and she described how she “hates any music with twangy guitars or fiddles.” Twang gets an undeserved bad rap. The more twang I hear, the more I like it. Especially the twangy sounds of Steve Earle. If you don’t know Steve Earle, let me introduce you. He was one of the great shining … Read entire article »
Top 5 Greatest Cadillac Songs
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on Vehix.com, a great place to search and research vehicles. The Cadillac is a classic. Since its founding in 1902, it’s a car that personifies luxury, class, and in the eyes of some, nearly all the Seven Deadly Sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Envy and Pride (I’ve removed Sloth since virtually all Caddies have … Read entire article »
Up on Cripple Creek – The Band
The Band is one of those storied, er, bands you read about, hear about and listen to and wonder to yourself, Were they really that great? Were they really The Band? Sure they backed Bob Dylan in his legendary concerts when the folkie went electric and audience members referred to the curly headed Minnesota boy as “Judas.” Yes, Judas. As in … Read entire article »