"There's a time in life for Hoagy Carmichael. There's a time in life for Claude Debussy. There's a time in life for Jerry Lee Lewis. There's a time in life for Destiny's Child. All these things have their moment." ~Elvis Costello
01 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: joe pesci, vincent laguardia gambini, yo cousin vinny
Joe Pesci: “Yo Cousin Vinny” (1998)
From the 1998 album Vincent Laguardia Gambini Sings Just for You, in which Joe Pesci sings as the lead character from 1992’s brilliant comedy My Cousin Vinny.
Pesci’s early life included a stint as a barber, an association with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, connections to the mob, and a bit of a career as a singer and guitar player.
This was Vinny’s first album, but not Pesci’s first foray into singing.
15 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: donnie iris, that's the way love ought to be
Donnie Iris: “That’s the Way Love Ought to Be” (1981)
Pittsburgh legend Donnie Iris was effectively a one-hit wonder twice–although the story is a bit more complicated.
The writer and singer of the Jaggerz’ sole, idiosyncratic 1970 hit “The Rapper”, he later joined Ohio funk band Wild Cherry, though his tenure came after their one megahit, “Play That Funky Music”.
From his first solo album, 1980’s Back On the Streets, came Iris’ most enduring solo hit, “Ah! Leah!”. Interestingly, it wasn’t quite his highest-charting hit, but sometimes chart performance doesn’t tell the whole story. Despite the appreciation locals show for much of his catalog, “Ah! Leah!” is the biggest reason a national audience knows the name of Pittsburgh’s beloved “Dohnie”.
Having said that, after 1981’s King Cool, which was just loaded with pop rock bangers, things, uh, cooled.
Though he never again cracked the top 100 with an album release, Back On the Streets and King Cool are both essential, and full of the retro pop vibe and call and answer song structure which were the specialty of Iris and songwriting partner Mark Avsec.
Even as an octogenarian the bespectacled belter still boasts one of the great high-register wails in the game and still plays his hits in mostly local concert appearances. He’s deservedly a Pittsburgh institution.
See also: Songs You May Have Missed #656 | Every Moment Has A Song
See also: Songs You May Have Missed #218 | Every Moment Has A Song
10 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: manu chao, tu te vas
Manu Chao: “Tu Te Vas” (2024)
Listening to 2024’s Viva Tu is a bit dizzying: Spanish, French and English, all within the first three songs of Manu Chao’s 2024 release. A half-dozen languages across an album that mixes the personal and the political, the intimate and the anthemic.
Remarkably, it was the singer’s first studio album in 17 years, but his unique formula remained intact, much to the appreciation of fans he’d kept waiting for new material.
See also: Songs You May Have Missed #760 | Every Moment Has A Song
10 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: connie converse, house
Connie Converse: “House” (2026)
We elsewhere told the tale of singular folk songwriter Connie Converse, her inspired music, disappointing career and mysterious disappearance.
To the 2026 reissue of her How Sad, How Lovely album was added this bonus, previously unreleased track.
It’s one more example of her lyrical gift, and a heartfelt reminder of all the things “home” can mean.
03 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: run away to mars, talk
Talk: “Run Away to Mars” (2021)
Canadian Nicholas Durocher, professionally known as Talk, specializes in soaring, emotionally-charged choruses and songs about isolation and disconnectedness.
During a COVID-era stint as an out of work musician living in his parents’ basement, a lonely, depressed Durocher wrote “Run Away to Mars” after watching the movie Interstellar.
The song went viral on TikTok a year after its release. It appears on Talk’s 2023 debut album, Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees, which was nominated for multiple Juno Awards.
Durocher, ironically, has connected with a large audience by singing about feeling disconnected, and become a star by continuing to sing like that young man in his parents’ basement.
03 Jul 2026 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: summertime climb, the flashing lights
The Flashing Lights: “Summertime Climb” (1999)
Led by singer/guitarist Matt Murphy, this Canadian foursome’s roots as a 60’s cover band showed on their independently released 1999 debut.
The sound of power pop is definitely the sound of summer.
Every Moment Has A Song 