Bob Dylan turns 78 today. Fun fact: Bobby Z is 2 years older than my mother and they were practically neighbors during his time in Duluth, living only 4 blocks apart. She doesn’t think she ever met him at the playground or on the street.
Whatever appreciative or benign feelings you have for Dylan you have to give him his due on how he changed popular music. There’s literally a library of books written about him, so I’m not going to add any more words to his legacy. Just maybe today pause and throw a Dylan song or two on whatever music listening device you have and raise a glass to a true musical genius. May his never ending tour be truly never ending.
1. Current 93 “All the Pretty Little Horsies” All the Pretty Little Horses (The Inmost Light)
2. The Knife “You Make Me Like Charity” Deep Cuts
3. Sia “Move Your Body” This Is Acting (Deluxe Edition)
4. Fiona Apple “Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song)” Extraordinary Machine
5. Ha Ha Tonka “Going That Way” Heart-Shaped Mountain
6. Nine Inch Nails “Help Me I Am in Hell” Broken
7. Spiked Punch “Guinea Pig”* Guinea Pig
8. Ha Ha Tonka “Pendergast Machine” Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South
9. Coil “Out in the Cold” The Snow EP
T. Jan St. Werner “Kroque AF” Felder
*Notes:
7. A good track from this Black Dice (one off?) side project, but not as good as the fantastic B-side "Vanilla Meatball"
This is really random, but last season I played a few Sufjan Xmas songs for the boy via YT on the TV, then the algorithm shifted to Sia Xmas songs... and I kind of liked them? That's the most exposure to her that I've had.
I like them but I can't listen to her music continuously (like a whole album at once).
They barely count as "Christmas" music though... one's a pirate drinking song merged with Santa's laugh.
Some are from a wonderfully naïve point of view... "Puppies are Forever" being my personal fave, but maybe because of resonance with my youngest.
1. Close to You--The Carpenters
2. Don't Look Back--Boston
3. I'll Get Over You--Crystal Gayle
4. Let It Be--The Beatles
5. I Write the Songs--Barry Manilow
6. Aubrey--Bread
7. Lonely People--America
8. Goodbye Stranger--Supertramp
9. New York's Not My Home--Jim Croce
10. You Take My Breath Away--Rex Smith
Question, as I head into my summer mix efforts this weekend... are all agreed that "This Life" from Vampire Weekend is the likely "song of the summer" (and particularly so for non-top 40 listeners?). Or is there something else I should be paying attention to in that area?
I get the summer feel of This Life but man does that bore me. I realize I’m in the minority with this take.
I feel like it is, so far.
It is for me, at least. The real answer is probably "Old Town Road". While I dislike that particular song, the fact that it's making a lot of crusty good old boys really salty is enough for me to hope that it's the megahit of the year and that Lil Nas X has a long, prosperous career.
1. David Bowie "Golden Years" - Station to Station
2. Henry Mancini "The Brothers Go to Mothers" - The Music from Peter Gunn
3. Elmer Bernstein "Jem's Discovery" - To Kill a Mockingbird soundtrack
4. Eric Woolfson "The Nirvana Principle (Instrumental)" - Freudiana
5. James Taylor "Native Son" - New Moon Shine
6. Richard Tognetti "The Battle" - Master and Commander soundtrack
7. Pink Floyd "Eclipse" - The Dark Side of the Moon
8. Brian Eno "Lost in the Humming Air" - The Pearl
9. Eno, Mobius, and Rodelius "The Shade" - After the Heat
10. Michael Brook "Ultramarine" - Heat (Music from the Motion Picture)
1. The Boy Wonders - Aztec Camera
2. I Can't Stand It - Eric Clapton
3. She Bangs the Drums - The Stone Roses
4. Real Situation - Bob Marley & the Wailers
5. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) - Bruce Springsteen
6. Sneaky Feelings - Elvis Costello
7. Lookin' After No. 1 - The Boomtown Rats
8. Do Anything You Wanna Do - Eddie & the Hot Rods
9. Papa Gene's Blues - The Monkees
10. You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover - Bo Diddley