Art is the music we make from the bewildered cry of being alive. ~Maria Popova
02 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: all she wants, mika
Mika: “All She Wants” (2015)
Mika has clearly assimilated the work of the masters when it comes to crafting unapologetically infectious pop music. Here he displays ABBA-esque aptitude for stitching a rather sad lyric into a tapestry of bright, bouncy handclap-punctuated and harmony-drenched ear candy.
You may have trouble getting this one out of your head. In a good way.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2017/02/24/songs-you-may-have-missed-611/
02 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: keren ann, not going anywhere
Keren Ann: “Not Going Anywhere” (2003)
Though it’s easy to discern something in Keren Ann’s delivery to identify her as a non-American, it’s more difficult to pin down just where in the world the singer hails from.
Perhaps it’s because her father is Russian-Israeli, her mother is Japanese-Dutch, while she herself was raised in Paris and speaks French as a first language.
02 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: eric hutchinson, forget about joni
Eric Hutchinson: “Forget About Joni” (2014)
Eric Hutchinson is irresistibly attracted to a girl who finds him totally resistible, and he weaves the tale of his frustrated infatuation around the type of melody that hooks you on first listen. Fun stuff.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/07/06/songs-you-may-have-missed-441/
20 Aug 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: mark erelli, same for someone
Mark Erelli: “Same For Someone” (2010)
Mark Erelli’s “Same For Someone” would make a great father-daughter wedding song for someone who prefers a more eyes-wide-open sentiment and would rather save the syrup for their waffles.
How can I look you in the eye
Tell you everything will be alright
When I know everything could change tomorrow
How can I promise you right now
That I’m never gonna let you down
I know you won’t remain a stranger to sorrow
Oh it’s a hard world
My child
Oh, it’s such a hard world
My child
So I’ll let go and let you run
And love who you become
Someday you’ll learn to do the same for someone
Hearts will break, one will be yours
Don’t bother keeping score
Learn instead how to forgive and be forgiven
Lift up your voice while you still can
For the measure of a man
Is how he sings when he thinks no one is listening
Some will claim to know the truth
But none can give you proof
It’s up to you to decide who to confide in
And though it may not seem enough
All you’ll ever need is love
Anyone who tells you differently is lying
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/04/12/songs-you-may-have-missed-76/
14 Aug 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: con funk shun, love shine
Con Funk Shun: “Love Shine” (1978)
Another slice of smooth funk from criminally overlooked funk/soul outfit Con Funk Shun. Not all R&B acts of the era were self-contained musically or contributed to the songwriting credits as these guys did. And they could–and can–deliver the goods live, considering all the elements that make this song sound like a classic tune–the scratch guitar, tasty horns and Philip Bailey-style falsetto vocals–are performed not by hired guns but by the band members themselves.
Con Funk Shun have reunited with lead vocalist Michael Cooper (who had gone on to a solo career) to release a brand new album in 2015.
This 1978 album title track was never released as a single.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/06/05/songs-you-may-have-missed-120/
11 Jul 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: canary in a coalmine, the police
The Police: “Canary in a Coalmine” (1980)
You could be forgiven for thinking you were listening to the early work of Talking Heads or something by 10cc on your first hearing of this 1980 album track by the Police.
It clocks in at just under two and a half minutes and serves as a reminder that not all the work of the “classic rock” bands needed to be epic and ponderous–or contain a flashy guitar solo for that matter. The lyric here is merely a sketch. It could very well have ended up un the Zenyatta Mondatta cutting room floor as an idea that needed more fleshing out.
Thankfully the band instead let it stand as what it is: a couple minutes’ worth of catchy, idiosyncratic pop rock.
Every Moment Has A Song 