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Song of the Day #4,316: ‘Better Things (Live)’ – Fountains of Wayne

Of all the recent deaths of musical artists, through coronavirus or otherwise, the one that hit me hardest was the loss of Adam Schlesinger. The former Fountains of Wayne bassist/songwriter died at just 52 years old due to complications from COVID-19.

I’ve been a big Fountains of Wayne fan since I first heard their album Utopia Parkway back in 1999. 2003’s Welcome Interstate Managers is one of the best pop albums ever recorded. Schlesinger, along with co-writer/lead singer Chris Collingwood, crafted note-perfect, clever, alternately funny and poignant tunes about everyday life. If you aren’t familiar with FOW, now’s a perfect time to get started.

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Song of the Day #4,315: ‘Soul Makossa’ – Manu Dibango

Our next dearly departed musical artist is Manu Dibango, a saxophonist who hailed from Cameroon and released a famous funk song that inspired one of Michael Jackson’s hits. Dibango succumbed to the coronavirus in late March at 86 years old.

Dibango had a long career spanning multiple genres, but he is best remembered for the song ‘Soul Makossa.’ The track will sound familiar even if you’ve never heard it before because its sound was adopted by so many others, from 70s funk acts to modern day hip-hop artists.

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Song of the Day #4,314: ‘It Won’t Be Wrong (Until We’re Not Wrong Anymore)’ – The Wallflowers

It’s been eight years since the last Wallflowers album, 2012’s Glad All Over. The band hasn’t broken up, per se, but frontman Jakob Dylan remains the only original member, as various other musicians have cycled in and out of the lineup.

Essentially, The Wallflowers is a vehicle for the songs Dylan (the sole songwriter) deems appropriate for the full band treatment. Contrast their work to Dylan’s two solo albums, which were entirely acoustic affairs.

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Song of the Day #4,313: ‘Jeremiah Blues (Part 1)’ – Sting

I haven’t listened to Sting’s 1991 album The Soul Cages in many, many years. But back at the time of its release, I remember thinking it was the shit.

In ‘Mad About You’ and ‘Why Should I Cry For You?,’ the album features two of Sting’s best, most emotionally resonant, songs. Lead single ‘All This Time’ is a catchy, cerebral blast. Even the three mournful 6-plus minute tracks that bookend the album held my interest.

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Song of the Day #4,312: ‘Welcome to the Party’ – Pop Smoke

So far this week I’ve covered three deaths due to coronavirus and one due to a drug overdose. Today, we have good old-fashioned murder.

Rapper Pop Smoke was shot and killed during a home invasion at his Hollywood Hills residence. He was 20 years old.

Pop Smoke was best known for the song ‘Welcome to the Party,’ released a year ago and later made into remixes featuring Nicki Minaj and Skepta. If it weren’t for Nicki Minaj, nothing in the previous sentence would have made sense to me.

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