Friday Featured Track for Feb. 26, 2010: Gin Blossoms
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Til I Hear It From You,” the Gin Blossoms, from the 1995 “Empire Records Soundtrack.”
This week, I climbed into the way-back machine and revisited my college days by watching the musical coming-of-age drama “Empire Records.” Besides featuring youthful performances from Renée Zellweger, Liv Tyler and Robin Tunney, the film also boasts an amazing soundtrack, with contributors ranging from AC/DC and Gwar to Dire Straits and The Buggles to big-time ’90s bands like The Cranberries, Better Than Ezra and Dishwalla.
Watching the movie reminded me of how much I loved the Gin Blossoms back in my younger days. “Til I Hear It From You” reached No. 9 on the Billboard 100 and was ubiquitous in 1995, the year I graduated high school and started college at Oklahoma State University. Hearing this song brings back memories of spring days driving with the windows rolled down and radio turned up in my ’68 Mustang Fastback.
Good times.
-BAM
Friday Featured Track for Feb. 19, 2010: Kings of Leon, “Notion”
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Notion,” Kings of Leon, from the 2008 album “Only By the Night.”
If you need to start your weekend with a little stress relief, I highly recommend this music video, which not only features great, cathartic rock but also fire, explosions and collapsing buildings.
Kings of Leon, who have Oklahoma ties, have been on an explosive upward trajectory as of late. The band has been picked as one of the headliners for Bonnaroo 2010, and the Followill guys won three Grammys, including record of the year, for their hit “Use Somebody.”
A No. 1 track on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, “Notion” is the fourth single from “Only By the Night,” an album I keep in my car at all times.
The band is due to release a new album sometime this year, and I’m more than ready to hear it.
-BAM
Friday Featured Track for Feb. 12, 2010: St. Vincent
St. Vincent - "Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood"
st. vincent | MySpace Music Videos
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Laughing with a Mouth of Blood,” St. Vincent, from her 2009 album “Actor.”
“Actor,” the sophomore effort from the Tulsa-born singer/songwriter/guitarist also known as Annie Clark, was one of my favorite albums of 2009. And “Laughing with a Mouth of Blood” certainly is one of the records standout tracks, a darkly lovely example of the album’s exquisitely crafted contrasts.
The new music video for the song features Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein doing their weirdo feminist bookstore store owners bit. The video takes way too long to get to the actual song and isn’t all that funny, but “Laughing with a Mouth of Blood” is still a crystalline jewel of bizarre beauty.
-BAM
Friday Featured Track for Feb. 5, 2010: “Major Tom”
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Major Tom (Coming Home)” by Peter Schilling and covered by Shiny Toy Guns.
Since hearing Shiny Toy Guns’ rendition of this song in heavy rotation during Sunday night’s Grammy Awards, the Shinys cover version AND Peter Schilling’s original version have been stuck my head. Even blogging Wednesday about the Shinys rendition of the song, which was Googled heavily during and after the Grammys, didn’t exorcise it from my brain.
It’s probably because this song and I have history. I can recall so vividly sitting in front of the TV as a kid and watching Schilling’s music video. My sister and I liked it so much my dad taped it on our VCR and played it for us all the time. I’m not sure why the appeal was so strong, but I think the stack of cars with Schilling sitting in a pink hot rod on top of the pile had a lot to do with it.
The German synthpop singer recorded this song about a fictional astronaut involved in a space accident in both German and English and released it 1983. It’s an obvious reference to the character David Bowie developed for his 1969 song “Space Oddity,” but as a child of the ’80s, I don’t remember hearing Bowie sing about Major Tom until much later in life.
In 2009, synthpop/electroclash group Shiny Toy Guns, originally formed in Shawnee, recorded a cover of the song that was featured in a 2010 Lincoln MKZ commercial. It was later released as a single and on the remix album Girls Le Disko.
On Sunday, Lincoln played a snippet of the Shinys performing it live in several ads aired during the Grammys.
The result: The permanent groove worn in my brain by “Major Tom” just got much deeper.
-BAM
Friday Featured Track for Jan. 22, 2010: Miranda Lambert’s “Maintain the Pain”
Miranda Lambert (Associated Press file photo)
The song that has been going through my head the most this week:
- “Maintain the Pain,” Miranda Lambert from her 2009 album “Revolution.”
This sexy, foot-stomping county-rockers is one of my favorite songs from the Tishomingo resident’s 2009 record, the only country album to make my top 10 albums list for last year. She belted it out earlier this month when she played Oklahoma City’s Ford Center in support of Brad Paisley’s “American Saturday Night” tour.
Not only does it perfectly showcase her in-your-face sensibility and improving vocal power, it highlights her skill as a songwriter, packing a big punch in just 2:17.
And yes, that’s Miranda’s beau, fellow country star and Tish neighbor Blake Shelton caterwauling so sexily in the background.
- BAM
Friday Featured Track for Jan. 15, 2010: Rodney Atkins
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
“If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows),” Rodney Atkins, from his 2006 album “If You’re Going Through Hell.” (Click here to hear the inspirational song and watch the rather amusing music video.)
I found it an interesting coincidence that I ended up interviewing country star Rodney Atkins this week in advance of his show tonight at the Choctaw Nation Event Center in Durant. Like all weeks, this one has certainly had its share of blessings, along with some rather formidable rough patches.
While traversing these tough times, I found myself thinking of the lyrics to Atkins’ first No. 1 hit, the title track from his platinum-selling second album. The chorus in particular includes some sage wisdom:
If you’re going through hell
Keep on going, don’t slow down
If you’re scared, don’t show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you’re there
That’s pretty good advice from the All-American country boy.
Atkins and Craig Morgan will play at 8 tonight at the Choctaw Event Center, 3702 Choctaw Road in Durant. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, call (800) 585-3737 or go to www.choctawcasinos.com.
-BAM
Friday Featured Track: Happy birthday, Elvis
Elvis Presley in 1956 (Associated Press file photo)
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Suspicious Minds,” Elvis Presley, 1969 single.
Today marks what would have been the 75th birthday of the late, great Elvis Presley, who was born Jan. 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Miss. Before he died too young on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42, he managed to completely transform popular music. He remains a rock ‘n’ roll icon to this day.
For today’s Featured Track, I’m highlighting my all-time favorite Elvis song, “Suspicious Minds.” It was his last No. 1 hit before he died, and of course, it’s an awesome song.
For those curious about the woman who provides the incredible backing vocals, that would be session singer Donna Jean Godchaux, who went on to sing with the Grateful Dead. Just a fun Elvis fact for today.
To celebrate his birthday, check out this YouTube snippet of the King performing “Suspicious Minds” from the 1970 concert film “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is”:
-BAM
Friday Featured Track for Jan. 1, 2010: “Auld Lang Syne”
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Auld Lang Syne,” by Robert Burns.
Happy New Year! And what New Year’s celebration would be complete without a rousing rendition of a certain song that sounds a bit like “Old Hang Sign”?
Two of my favorite holiday movies prominently feature “Auld Lang Syne” in their festive endings: the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” (a clip is posted above) and the rom-com “When Harry Met Sally.”
From what I’ve read online, this ancient Scottish folk song was apparently first codified in 1788 by famed poet Robert Burns. ”Auld lang syne” translates directly to “old long since,” or “long, long ago.”
These lyrics seem to be the most commonly used these days:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of Auld Lang Syne.
For Auld Lang Syne, my dear,
For Auld Lang Syne,
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
For Auld Lang Syne.
And here’s the hand, my trusty friend
And gives a hand of thine
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
For Auld Lang Syne.
For Auld Lang Syne, my dear,
For Auld Lang Syne,
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
For Auld Lang Syne.
Dear readers, here’s hoping your 2010 overflows with cups of kindness and old friendships renewed.
- BAM
UPDATED: Friday Featured Track for Dec. 25, 2009: “White Christmas”
UPDATE: Since I was on vacation Christmas week, I chose “White Christmas” as my FFT before the Christmas Eve Blizzard of ’09 swept through the state, dumping 14 inches of snow in Oklahoma City and causing havoc. After the harrowing, and lingering, aftermaths of that huge winter storm, I may never listen to the song “White Christmas” again.
The song that has been on my brain the most this Christmas week:
- “White Christmas,” written by Irving Berlin.
Merry Christmas! It’s time to celebrate, and there’s no better way to mark the holidays than listening to holidays standards and carols.
Seasonal favorites don’t get any bigger or more iconic than “White Christmas.” After all, the Bing Crosby rendition of Berlin’s classic is the best-selling record of all time. His performance of the song actually was the musical centerpiece of two big musicals, “Holiday Inn” and “White Christmas”; the latter ranks as one of my all-time favorite holiday films.
Of course, Crosby’s classical version isn’t the only rendition of “White Christmas.” The Drifters’ 1954 rendition was an R&B hit, but many people know it from John Hughes’ 1990 movie “Home Alone.”
And Oklahoma City psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips have been known to perform the song on occasion.
Enjoy these three versions of this holiday favorite. And have a wonderful Christmas Day!
-BAM
Friday Featured Track: “Frosty the Snowman”
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Frosty the Snowman” by Jimmy Durante, from the 1969 TV special of the same name.
The holiday TV favorite “Frosty the Snowman” will air celebrate its 40th anniversary as it airs at 8 tonight on CBS. Famed animators Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. directed this 1969 special about a snowman (voice of Jackie Vernon) who comes to life through the magic of a magician’s top hat.
The story is warmly narrated by the late great singer/actor/comedian Jimmy Durante, who also crooned the title song. Though the song was first recorded by Gene Autry, Durante’s version, with the enduring popularity of the special, has become as familiar as a rattily comfortable blanket.
-BAM
