December 2, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Fitz & The Tantrums – MoneyGrabber Fitz and the Tantrums – “Moneygrabber” Los Angeles soul group Fitz and the Tantrums came together after frontman Michael Fitzpatrick bought an old church organ and began to assemble songs for a solo record. He added friends to the band until it reached its current lineup, which released a… Read more »
November 29, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Norah Jones – Jesus Etc Norah Jones – “Jesus, Etc.” Dallas-bred Norah Jones released this cover as part of a live bonus EP from her last record, The Fall. Taking a more electric angle on Wilco’s classic song from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, she gives the song new life with her cool, smoky vocal and reverbed… Read more »
November 22, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Spoon – “The Underdog” Austinite Britt Daniel’s lean compositions with his band Spoon have gained him a fiercely loyal fanbase that expanded quickly with the release of 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. This track, the lead single, jumped off the record with the sharp bursts of horns (previously a rarity on Spoon albums) and… Read more »
November 19, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Paul McCartney and Wings – “Let Me Roll It” This song, Paul’s musical response to John Lennon’s “How Do You Sleep”, comes from Wings’ third album Band on the Run. Inspired by a line he had heard in George Harrison’s “I’d Have You Anytime”, it was only later after listening did Paul realize that he… Read more »
November 18, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
My Morning Jacket – “Off The Record” Though initially pegged as a Southern Rock band, Kentucky’s My Morning Jacket expanded their sound on 2005’s Z. This track, the centerpiece of the record, playfully teases the Hawaii Five-O theme before launching into a rocking reggae beat, with Jim James’ high tenor vocals anchoring the song firmly… Read more »
November 17, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
The Raconteurs – “Old Enough” Jack White’s original side project, The Raconteurs are two records deep into a rocking career. Their latest record Consolers of the Lonely hit shelves only a week after White announced that it had been finished, gaining press buzz in the meantime. The music, however, speaks for itself, particularly with this… Read more »
November 16, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Chris Isaak – “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing” Chris Isaak captivated the country during the early ’90s when his single “Wicked Game” broke on the scene, accompanied by a steamy music video co-starring supermodel Helena Christensen. Several years later, Isaak recorded “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing,” for the album Forever Blue. Once again,… Read more »
November 12, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Neil Young – “Love and War” This track, from Young’s latest Le Noise, is one of the quieter songs on the Daniel Lanois-produced album. Neil’s near-rambling narrative on soldiers leaving for war is appropriate for both yesterday’s Veterans Day, and today, which happens to be Neil’s birthday. It is always excellent to see an artists… Read more »
November 11, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Big Audio Dynamite II – “Rush” After Mick Jones left the Clash in 1984, he explored the diverse musical styles that had started to appear on that band’s three disc effort Sandinista!. Though Big Audio Dynamite had moderate success with their first two records and opened for U2 on the Joshua Tree tour, they disbanded… Read more »
November 9, 2010 by Jeff Giddens
Belle and Sebastian – “I Didn’t See It Coming” Scottish indie-pop band Belle and Sebastian have graced fans with their cozy, intimate songs ever since its debut of Tigermilk in 1996. Frontman Stuart Murdoch’s gentle voice combined with bandmate Sarah Martin’s sweet vocals create a sound reminiscent of pop music of the ’60s and ’70s.… Read more »
