Delving ever deeper into my Last.fm artists list, here’s more music I’ve been listening to over the past seventeen years and want to share with you.
The Beatles – A Day in the Life / Come Together
It’s time I included a song by The Beatles in one of my music mixes. They’re timeless legends. I owned the Red album and the Blue album on vinyl when I was growing up a kid in 1970s Missouri. Those were two extensive “greatest hits” albums. I preferred the more recently released tracks from the Blue album over the older tracks on the Red album.
A Day in the Life was my favorite track by The Beatles from the moment I first heard it. I love the strangeness of the lyrics and the use of crescendo to transition between parts of the song as well as to end the song.
And though the holes were rather small
Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall
Several songs by The Beatles had strange lyrics. Was that part of the appeal back in their heyday? It’s certainly key to what keeps me listening.
He roller coaster
Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney
He got early warning
He got muddy water
He one mojo filter
He say one and one and one is three
Got to be good looking
‘Cause he’s so hard to see
Come together right now
Over me
Kerli – Alchemise / Walking On Air
Estonian pop star Kerli came on the scene in 2008 with the release of her debut album, Love is Dead. The track, Walking on Air from that album was well received by many music lovers, including myself. Depending on the song, Kerli’s style might be described as ethereal, haunting, or creepy, so of course I find her sound appealing. She has released two studio albums and a handful of EPs and singles, and, aside from Love Is Dead, it often seemed a struggle for me to find them. Now, with all the different streaming services, it’s much easier. On the other hand, the number of her official music videos to be found on YouTube is relatively small. I’d have loved to see official music videos for tracks like I Want Nothing and Sugar.
Kerli’s latest release is Alchemise, a single I’m expecting to be included on a new album called Oversoul.
Draw corners close from far
Lyricist: Kerli
Unknown thing known to all
Take what’s without within me
And transmutate my heart
Compare the style and sound of Kerli’s latest music with that of her early hit, Walking On Air.
There’s a creepy little house in a creepy little place
Songwriters: Kerli Kiov / Lester Mendez
Little creepy town in a little creepy world
Little creepy girl with her little creepy face
Saying funny things you have never heard
Paul Simon – Kodachrome / Loves Me Like a Rock
Paul Simon spun his success as half of the duo Simon and Garfunkel into a solid, successful solo career. One of his earliest songs released as a solo artist could easily be considered a love song to a brand of color film, though the song’s lyrics run deeper than that. According to Wikipedia, Kodachrome film was introduced in 1935, and Paul Simon’s song, Kodachrome, was released over 40 years later in 1973, a great year for music, I might add. The Kodachrome brand of color film was discontinued by its manufacturer in 2009, but I still love listening to Paul Simon’s song about it. After all, despite its title, the song isn’t really about Kodachrome color film.
Wikipedia also mentions that the song, Kodachrome, was banned in the UK, though I didn’t catch why. Was it because it was viewed as an advertisement for the color film? Maybe? Or was it because it used the word crap in the first verse? Who knows? It’s amusing how the peoples of various countries find widely different reasons to take offense at widely different things. Then again, it’s typically the people in charge who decide to ban something, depriving citizens who might otherwise enjoy it of the chance to easily do so. There’s always a way to get around bans.
When I think back
Lyricist: Paul Simon
On all the crap I learned in high school
It’s a wonder
I can think at all
And though my lack of education
Hasn’t hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall
On the released version of Loves Me Like a Rock, Paul Simon was accompanied by the Dixie Hummingbirds, a Southern black gospel group, giving the song a gospel choir feel, especially given lyrics involving the Rock of Ages. But Paul also played the song with other singers accompanying him, and proved that could be fun, too. 🙂
I’m a consummated man
Songwriter: Paul Simon
(Grown to be a man)
I can snatch a little purity
My mama loves me, she loves me
She get down on her knees and hug me
Oh, she loves me like a rock
She rock me like the Rock of Ages
Geoff Castellucci – The Sound of Silence / I See Fire
I discovered the low bass voice of Geoff Castellucci less than two years ago. In that time, he’s racked up a few hundred plays on my Last.fm profile. The man has an impressive range, from the lowest bass to a remarkably high tenor. Geoff is such a creative, coming up with great arrangements and music videos for his cover songs.
You’ve likely heard Simon and Garfunkel’s rendition of The Sound of Silence many times before. It’s a great song, and no one will ever do it like Simon and Garfunkel did. But no one will ever do it like Geoff Castellucci does it, either.
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was formingAnd the sign said, “The words of the prophets
Songwriter: Paul Simon
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence”
Geoff Castellucci is so prolific, when I’m not paying attention, he releases a whole rash of new songs and videos. While scouring YouTube just now looking for another of his music videos I might want to post here, I discovered one I hadn’t yet seen, released in mid-2023. I’m not sure how I missed this one. Fans of the Hobbit movies might recognize it, though don’t expect it to sound like Ed Sheeran. 🙂
And if we should die tonight
Songwriter: Ed Sheeran
Then we should all die together
Raise a glass of wine for the last time
The Pierces – Boring / Secret
I love The Pierces, a duo consisting of sisters Allison and Catherine Pierce. Allmusic.com describes them as “Southern belle sisters [who] create eccentric, sometimes demented, yet highly poppy, gothic alternative folk-rock.” Had me intrigued at eccentric and fully hooked at demented. 🙂 I don’t remember where I first heard their music, but once I heard the song Boring, from their third studio album, Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge, I sought out more of their music. Their first two albums had been less well received, but I found them enjoyable. According to Wikipedia, The Pierces viewed their third album as their “last chance,” and so “just went for it, had fun.” The change in style was sufficient to get attention from more fans, even if the duo wasn’t charting on Billboard. Certainly managed to get my attention.
I sometimes play the song Boring for my wife. She gets a laugh out of it every time. I know I’m incapable of keeping her entertained, so it doesn’t hurt my feelings at all. 🙂 In fact, listening to the song makes her not bored for a while.
Love of my life
Songwriters: Allison Pierce / Roger Greenawalt / Catherine Pierce
Bear your child
Everything I’ve ever wanted
Boring
Perhaps even more popular than Boring was another track, Secret, from the same album. You may have heard it used in promos or advertisements. My wife likes the song, but it sometimes creeps her out, depending on her mood. I’m always amused by the lyrics.
If I show you, then I know you
Songwriters: Allison Pierce / Catherine Pierce
Won’t tell what I said
‘Cause two can keep a secret
If one of them is dead
Stealers Wheel – Stuck in the Middle with You / Everyone’s Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine
Stealers Wheel, a Scottish band active in the early 70s, primarily consisted of Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan, though others were in the band from time to time, and even Gerry Rafferty left temporarily before the band was completely disbanded in 1975. The band had moderate success, mostly due to the song Stuck in the Middle with You, which reached #6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. That song gained a new following after being used by Quentin Tarantino in the soundtrack for his debut film, Reservoir Dogs.
For the three decades after Stuck in the Middle with You was released, if you were to ask me my #1 favorite song of all time, I’d have told you it was this song. It’s still gotta be in my sentimental top 5, even if I don’t play it now as often as I used to.
Clowns to the left of me
Songwriters: Gerald Rafferty / Joe Egan
Jokers to the right, here I am
Stuck in the middle with you
I never owned any of the Stealers Wheel albums on vinyl, but I did own the 45 of Stuck in the Middle with You, as well as the 45 of another of their Hot 100 charting hits, Everyone’s Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine. I can’t find this song on the Tidal streaming service. I’m glad it’s on YouTube. The song was released in different countries with different titles, but that long title was on the 45 I owned. I’ve seen the song referred to occasionally as either Everything Will Turn Out Fine or Everything’ll Turn Out Fine. I’ve searched under all three titles on Tidal in an attempt to find it, and it’s not there, not even on the album Ferguslie Park, which originally included the track. Maybe it was a bonus track.
Riding on the subway watching all the people stare
Everyone just listens, they won’t do any talking, oh no, whoa no
They just sit there waitin’, waitin’ with their eyes
Don’t ask any questions, you won’t get an answer, oh no, whoa noEverybody seems to have a good time
Songwriters: Gerald Rafferty / Joe Egan
Nobody goes stepping out of line
Everyone’s agreed that everything will turn out fine
No Doubt – Settle Down / Ex- Girlfriend
I’ve never understood the ska genre. After I started listening to No Doubt back in the late 90s, someone told me they were a ska band. It didn’t mean anything to me then and still doesn’t. When I listened to other acts classified as ska bands, they never did much for me. Maybe what I was listening to was ska but not ska punk, like No Doubt. More likely, it’s the specific blend of vocals, drums, and guitars No Doubt provides that I find so entertaining. I mean, I like Gwen Stefani’s solo efforts, but her solo music is a different style from No Doubt’s, and so no comparison is apt.
No Doubt is one of a very few bands whose albums I still own on CD. No, I don’t play CDs these days, but some of my CDs have too much sentimental value for me to part with them. Tragic Kingdom, Return of Saturn, and Rock Steady all helped me steer clear of falling back into a severe depression that marred my life in the early to mid-90s. The songs on those three albums always lifted my mood.
It was a long stretch of time between Rock Steady and No Doubt’s next album, Push and Shove. I was so excited when Push and Shove came out. I played the album’s first single, Settle Down, on repeat, like an addict in constant need of a fix.
But you can see it in my eyes
Songwriters: Gwen Stefani / Thomas Dumont / Tony Kanal
You can read it on my lips
I’m trying to get a hold on this
And I really mean it this time
I’ve heard No Doubt is possibly touring again in 2024. It would be cool to see them live, but, sadly, my issues with tinnitus will prevent me from going to any more live concerts.
I do enjoy watching the members of No Doubt move in their official videos, like the one for Ex-Girlfriend. Love the use of color in this video, too.
I find myself trying to change you
Songwriters: Gwen Stefani / Thomas Dumont / Tony Kanal
If you were meant to be my lover I wouldn’t have to
Boomkat – The Wreckoning / What U Do 2 Me
I can think of a few sister/brother acts, including The Carpenters, Donnie & Marie Osmond, and Boomkat, comprised of Taryn and Kellin Manning. Taryn Manning might just be the definitive bad girl, some of which may be contributed to a tough childhood and being 80% deaf. Some people say she’s got a speech impediment. Her voice is uniquely hers, and I appreciate having the opportunity to hear her voice in her roles as both actress and singer. Many people know her from Orange is the New Black, but I knew her before that as the lead singer of Boomkat.
The Wreckoning placed at #88 on the Billboard US singles chart, and #1 on the Billboard US Dance chart. I find myself playing this video every so often on YouTube, just because.
And I’m running from my problems I got my phony face painted on
Songwriters: Kellin Manning / Taryn Manning
And then I think of what you said to me
And then I think of what you did to me
I think of you and probably laugh
What U Do 2 Me also placed at #1 on the US Dance chart. Pretty damned good for a singer who’s 80% deaf and has a speech impediment.
More Boomkat music videos can be found on YouTube, but the two I’ve posted here are the ones I keep revisiting. I enjoy watching Taryn Manning’s moves in them.
You’re beautiful
Songwriter: Kellin Manning
I hope it’s mutual
Well if you’re down then I’ll come down
Let’s get on down to it
Boz Scaggs – Miss Sun / Lowdown
Boz Scaggs defies classification. Of course, you can take any one of his songs and classify it, but if you ask Google about his genre, it simply says Alternative/Indie. Right. He started out in the 60s and is still at it in the 2020s, varying his style across the decades, but I know him best for his soft rock hits of the late 70s and early 80s, some of which included elements of blues, jazz, and even disco.
One of my favorite Boz Scaggs tunes is Miss Sun, written by David Paich of the band Toto. It features the talents of one Lisa Dalbello, whose voice soars on this track.
Hey, Miss Sun,
Songwriter: David Paich
What could I say
I tried to hold you but the moon got in the way
It won’t be long before the morning has you back in my arms
The biggest Boz Scaggs hit, Lowdown, peaked at #3 on the Billboard US charts. It’s soft rock, with disco overtones. According to SongFacts.com, the producers of Saturday Night Fever asked to use this song in their movie, but was turned down. It was used in the movie Looking for Mr. Goodbar instead. I bought the CD for the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I can’t say the same thing for the soundtrack to Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
You ain’t got to be so bad, got to be so cold
Songwriters: Boz Scaggs / David Paich
This dog eat dog existence sure is getting old
Got to have a Jones for this
Jones for that
This runnin’ with the Joneses, boy, just ain’t where it’s at, no, no
Goldfrapp – Strict Machine / Black Cherry
Long before the current explosion of AI, musicians were using computers and electronic devices to assist in producing music. Goldfrapp was so enamored with devices as to declare their love for a machine. Strict Machine went to #1 on the US Dance chart.
I get high on a buzz
Songwriters: Alison Elizabeth Goldfrapp / Nicholas Oliver Batt / Nick Batt / William Owen Gregory
Then a rush when I’m plugged in you
I connect
When I’m flush
You get love when told what to do
From the same album as Strict Machine, the title track, Black Cherry, didn’t chart as high. It’s a lovely song with simple yet intriguing lyrics.
All my world in one grain of sand
Songwriters: Alison Elizabeth Goldfrapp / William Owen Gregory
And you own it
And so we come to the end of my eighth posted music mix. I love music and enjoy sharing my favorite artists. Hope you’ve enjoyed my sharing, too.