June | 2013 | Every Moment Has A Song

Songs You May Have Missed #436

30 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: rooney, stay away

Rooney: “Stay Away” (2003)

With “Stay Away” you can add the Raspberries to my previous list of bands from past decades that I hear echoed in Rooney’s propulsive tunes and harmony-laden choruses.

Songs You May Have Missed #435

29 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: andy burrows, stars

Andy Burrows: “Stars in the Sky” (2012)

As I said about Andy Burrows last December:

This guy actually gets played on English pop radio stations. He’ll probably never get played on American pop radio stations. Yes, we won the Revolutionary War–but at what cost?

Pop Music’s Best and Worst-Ever Whistlers?

29 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: bing crosby, kesha, whistling in pop music

A study in contrasts, and perhaps validation for those who claim pop music’s current state is a sign of End Times. First Bing Crosby, the number one pop artist of the pre-Rock ‘n Roll era, checks in with “Just an Echo in the Valley”, circa 1933. It may not be your style I realize, but you’ve got to admire dude’s whistling chops. (At 1:55)

…and Ke$ha’s brand new single, “Crazy Kids”, featuring perhaps the worst whistling ever heard in a non-novelty song. What can you say? The girl does it her way (’cause she don’t give a whaa) and pop culture markers such as Rolling Stone magazine prop her up like she’s the current generation’s answer to Aretha Franklin. And hey, maybe she is. But she sure as hell can’t whistle. (:00 and 1:07)

Songs You May Have Missed #434

26 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: colin macintyre, mull historical society, the lights

Mull Historical Society: “The Lights” (2012)

Scotland’s Colin MacIntyre records by the name of Mull Historical Society, because it pleases him to do so.

His 2012 album City Awakenings is described as a love letter to three cities (Glasgow, London and New York) that have shaped him as an artist.

Video of the Week: President Obama ‘Sings’ Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’

26 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in On a Lighter Note, Video of the Week Tags: daft punk, get lucky, obama

Songs You May Have Missed #433

25 Jun 2013 1 Comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ben folds, ben folds five, magic

Ben Folds Five: “Magic” (1999)

Another sad, gorgeous, and lushly orchestrated melody from The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner, in my opinion the best Ben Folds album by a wide margin. Folds and company take cues from Queen, Billy Joel and perhaps Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys at various points of the record.

David Letterman Really Likes Drums

23 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts, On a Lighter Note Tags: david letterman, drums

(Source: CBC Music)

by Dave Shumka

David Letterman is really into drums. There’s a thing he sometimes does after a band plays on his show: he walks up to the drummer, compliments them on their drums and asks if they’re rentals. We noticed it happening often enough that we combed YouTube for a few dozen instances and created this supercut of Letterman talking to drummers. We also threw in the occasional cellist and harmonium player for good measure.

During our research, we learned a few things:

• David Letterman is pretty much the most charming man in the world.

• Lots of drummers rent their drums to appear on The Late Show.

• Singers tend to look uncomfortable when attention is being paid to a drummer.

• Not surprisingly, Letterman himself plays drums.

Songs You May Have Missed #432

23 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: barenaked ladies, lovers in a dangerous time

bnl

Barenaked Ladies: “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” (1997)

Barenaked Ladies have plenty of their own compositions deserving of recognition here. But their cover of fellow-Canadian Bruce Cockburn’s “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” is one that shouldn’t be missed. In fact, they make this tune their own to such a degree that you could say it defines the band as much as any of their original songs.

Props, of course, go to Cockburn for writing a powerful lyric about love and its accompanying terrors and ecstasies. But it took BNL to put across the full measure of that power.

In 2005 “Lovers…” was named the 11th greatest Canadian song of all time on the CBC Radio One series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version.

I don’t know if it was written with this in mind, but it seems this would make a fitting anthem for LBGT rights…

This, by the way, is the original 1997 B-side version–superior, in my opinion, to the slightly more polished take which appeared on their 2001 Greatest Hits compilation.

bnl

Recommended Albums #50

23 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Recommended Albums Tags: great divide, semisonic

Semisonic: Great Divide (1996)

What a joy it is to belatedly discover a really good album that you’d previously missed from a decade gone by.

Another great feeling is that of associating a newfound piece of music with a newfound friend (an “F.N.T.” if you will) who makes their entrance onto the stage of your life on cue just as the metaphorical needle hits the groove. Life is beautiful in that moment…

Recently I experienced the magical confluence of both experiences on one unforgettable day and evening. It was a reminder of just how much both friends and music can enrich our lives. Certainly I feel abundantly blessed on both counts.

So, about this album…

Semisonic are known mostly for their top ten 1998 hit “Closing Time”. And so often when a band’s career climaxes with a single massive hit, the work they did previous to it remains undiscovered by the masses. I won’t argue for Great Divide to be recognized as some kind of lost masterpiece–just a real enjoyable listen for fans of 90’s rock. Or, as Rolling Stone described it, “a record of simple but sparkling modern pop.” Hard to imagine this one missed the album charts completely.

Listen to: “F.N.T.”