Monthly Archives: July 2010

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Song of the Day #741: ‘Trying to Get to Heaven’ – Bob Dylan

In 1997, Bob Dylan released his first album of original material since 1990’s Under the Red Sky. That album was a critical disappointment and the two albums of folk covers that followed it did little to change the fact that Dylan hadn’t really lit the world on fire in more than 20 years.

Enter Time Out Of Mind, which kind of did just that.

Yet another “comeback” album for Dylan, the Daniel Lanois-produced Time Out Of Mind earned him his best reviews in decades, went platinum and won the Album of the Year Grammy. At 56, Dylan was suddenly once again at the top of his game.

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Song of the Day #740: ‘Shark in the Water’ – V.V. Brown

Here’s the second artist in my summer song series who was a complete mystery to me before now (the first was B.o.B.). I’m always surprised when I’m this unaware of a popular artist, even though I’m not the sort of cutting edge music fan who follows new acts religiously.

A quick Wikipedia search reveals that V.V. Brown is a 26-year-old English singer and songwriter recently signed to a major label. She has written songs for other artists under a different name and she has collaborated on a graphic novel with artist David Allain.

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Song of the Day #739: ‘Hey Soul Sister’ – Train

Train has had an interesting career. I wouldn’t call them popular in any real sense and yet, every few years they come out with a song that really hits it big and becomes inescapable on radio.

In 1998, their debut album featured the hit single ‘Meet Virginia’ and they were poised for stardom on the strength of that Counting Crows-esque tune. That didn’t quite happen but their sophomore album, Drops of Jupiter, did produce another mega-hit in its title track. That song won two Grammys and stayed on the singles chart for more than a year.

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Tift Merritt – See You On the Moon

At some point in a relatively new artist’s career, she stops being the “next so-and-so” or “a cross between x and y” and becomes just who she is.

Since the release of her 2002 debut Bramble Rose, Tift Merritt has been compared to such greats as Emmylou Harris, Dusty Springfield, Lucinda Williams, Carole King and Joni Mitchell. But with her latest release, See You On the Moon, it’s safe to say she’s established what it means to be Tift Merritt.

It means one of the best voices in the business — equally at ease with a throaty rasp or a delicate high note — singing heartfelt, well-crafted songs over subtly muscular instrumentation. And it means her keen intelligence and big heart shining through every note.

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Song of the Day #738: ‘OMG’ – Usher featuring will.i.am

Usher is a famous artist with whom I’m only tangentially familiar, probably because he releases the sort of music that makes for big summer hits. I think of him as the black Justin Timberlake (though maybe Justin Timberlake is the white Usher… which of these guys came first?).

Usher’s latest hit, ‘OMG,’ is a collaboration with will.i.am and I’m guessing it owes more to will.i.am than to Usher. He brings his brand of corporate techno-funk to everything he touches and my first listen to this song suggests it’s no exception.

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