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Song of the Day #4,392: ‘Animal’ – Neon Trees

My family’s road trip to the North Carolina mountains gave us plenty of time for music. We had 22 hours of drive-time for the round trip, plus another 12 or so driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway and through Asheville and its surrounding areas.

To prepare us for these many hours in the car, each family member contributed to a master playlist which we played on shuffle. The playlist totaled around 26 hours, so we had few repeats over the course of the week. It also provided the endless excitement of guessing whose song would play next each time the current song ended.

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Song of the Day #4,391: ‘Peggy Day’ – Bob Dylan

Here’s a sweet little throwaway track from Bob Dylan’s 1969 Nashville Skyline, possibly the most laid back album of his career.

Ironically, Dylan chose to release a gentle country album during one of the country’s most tumultuous eras. Whether it was a deliberate retreat from his protest singer roots or just where his muse happened to take him, it was as odd and unexpected as most of Dylan’s career moves.

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Song of the Day #4,390: ‘Barcelona’ – Rufus Wainwright

This beautiful track is a highlight from Rufus Wainwright’s self-titled debut album, released way back in 1998.

‘Barcelona’ is a dark, moody song about fear and the desire to escape. The lyrics are informed by Wainwright’s rape at age 14 in a London Park during a time when HIV was at its peak. The line “don’t want my rings to fall off my fingers” refers to the weight loss associated with the disease.

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Song of the Day #4,389: ‘Gasoline’ – Haim

Closing out this week of quick hits is a track from the new Haim album, Women in Music, Part III. I didn’t even realize the Haim sisters had released a new album until I stumbled across this cut last week.

I’ve since listened to the whole album a few times and I’m loving it. It’s their best work so far. Just check out the sultry groove of today’s SOTD… the whole album has this vibe.

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Song of the Day #4,388: ‘You Don’t Know How It Feels (Home Recording)’ – Tom Petty

It’s been almost three years since the sad passing of rock legend Tom Petty. And it’s been 26 years since the release of his solo album Wildflowers, perhaps the best work of the man’s storied career.

Petty’s family plans to release a retrospective collection, perhaps as soon as this year, celebrating that great album. The release will include demos and early recordings pulled from the Wildflowers sessions.

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