Art is the music we make from the bewildered cry of being alive. ~Maria Popova
22 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: like a spoke on a wheel, the little ones
The Little Ones: “Like a Spoke On a Wheel” (2008)
Bright, tuneful, celebratory indie pop that will resonate with fans of the Shins. This is a standout track from the California band’s 2008 Morning Tide album. This band hasn’t found it easy to keep a label deal. I hope we get a chance to hear a follow-up someday.
22 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: billy bragg, walk away renee
Billy Bragg: “Walk Away Renee” (1986)
“…and then one day it happened: she cut her hair and I stopped loving her.”
Not a cover exactly, this version of the Left Banke’s 1966 baroque pop hit borrows the song’s melody to underlay for Bragg’s whimsically sad musings on a doomed love affair.
As a yet-undiscovered artist, Bragg got creative about finding ways to break through. According to his Wikipedia page:
His demo tape initially got no response from the record industry, but by pretending to be a television repair man, he got into the office of Charisma Records‘ A&R man Peter Jenner. Jenner liked the tape, but the company was near bankruptcy and had no budget to sign new artists. Bragg got an offer to record more demos for music publisher Chappell & Co., so Jenner agreed to release them as a record. Life’s a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy (credited to Billy Bragg) was released in July 1983 by Charisma’s new imprint, Utility. Hearing DJ John Peel mention on-air that he was hungry, Bragg rushed to the BBC with a mushroom biryani, so Peel played a song from Life’s a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy albeit at the wrong speed (since the 12″ LP was, unconventionally, cut to play at 45rpm). Peel insisted he would have played the song even without the biryani and later played it at the correct speed.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/03/05/songs-you-may-have-missed-350/
22 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: bee gees, this is where i came in
Bee Gees: “This is Where I Came In” (2001)
The Bee Gees continued making good music for many years after America mostly stopped listening. If you can only think of falsetto vocals and disco when you think of them, give this one a listen.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2017/02/24/songs-you-may-have-missed-612/
19 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ekolu, she's music to me
Ekolu: “She’s Music to Me” (2006)
Simple, positive-vibe Hawaiian reggae love song with a nice horn lick.
19 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: consequence free, great big sea
Great Big Sea: “Consequence Free” (1999)
Newfoundland’s Great Big Sea have been making a lively Celtic/Folk/Rock hybrid since 1993. They play a mix of mainly acoustic-based originals and traditional Newfoundland folk songs and shanties which, due to a strong Irish heritage in the area, sound essentially like the traditional music of Ireland.
“Consequence Free” is as plainspoken as a pop song gets. It’s a bold expression of one of mankind’s most universal but rarely expressed wishes: to live without the guilt of one’s actions–the desire for “a little bit of anarchy, but not the hurtin’ kind”. We all realize that life isn’t 24/7 fun. But it’s okay to rail against that reality with a joyful song, too!
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/03/25/songs-you-may-have-missed-371/
19 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: dusk, genesis
Genesis: “Dusk” (1970)
From the band’s classic lineup, fronted by Peter Gabriel. Progressive rock truly enjoyed a golden age in the late 60’s/early 70’s, when bands were for the first time discovering nearly limitless freedoms in both lyrical subject matter and song length.
But it wasn’t always about complexity and dazzling virtuosity. Sometimes Prog was just about creating a thing of beauty, like this relatively overlooked gem from the Trespass album.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2024/12/25/recommended-albums-91/
Every Moment Has A Song 