Author Archives

by

Song of the Day #3,518: ‘This is Me’ – The Greatest Showman cast

Surprise hit The Greatest Showman is the only musical nominated in the Best Original Song category this year. (You could make an argument that another nominated film is a musical, but I would argue that you are wrong, and I would be right).

This is one of those movies scoffed at by critics (55% on the Tomatometer!) but loved by audiences. It has hit a nerve, cleaning up at the box office and topping the album charts.

I believe today’s nominated song, which most clearly states one of the film’s central themes, is the key to The Greatest Showman‘s success.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #3,517: ‘Mystery of Love’ – Sufjan Stevens

Due to the Winter Olympics, this year’s Academy Awards are ridiculously late (March 4), which buys me a little time to sneak in some pre-Oscars blog posts. Specifically, I’m going to spend the next ten days featuring this year’s Best Original Song nominees as well as five of my favorite Best Original Song winners.

Michigan indie artist Sufjan Stevens is this year’s unlikeliest Best Song nominee. The eclectic multi-instrumentalist will seem as out of place on the Kodak Theatre stage as Elliott Smith did performing ‘Miss Misery’ from Good Will Hunting in 1997.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #3,516: ‘Zak and Sara (Live)’ – Ben Folds

I’m surprised I haven’t already featured Ben Folds’ ‘Zak and Sara,’ either its studio version (from Folds’ 2001 solo debut Rockin’ the Suburbs) or the live version posted today.

This song is a perfect example of Folds’ gift for quick character sketches. I’ve always said that at his lyrical best, his songs are essentially short stories. Short stories sung with sticky melodies over exuberant piano music.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #3,515: ‘Today’s Teardrops’ – Fountains of Wayne

Fountains of Wayne followed up the success of its 2003 album Welcome Interstate Managers, and surprise hit single ‘Stacy’s Mom,’ with a double album called Out-of-State Plates, filled with odds and ends they’d amassed over their career to that point.

Albums like this are usually quick cash grabs or contract fillers, and this one is no exception. It is entirely unremarkable, featuring songs that were B-sides for good reasons.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #3,514: ‘If We Were Vampires’ – Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit

My final day covering this year’s Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll takes us right to #20. We’re skipping #17, Dua Lipa’s ‘New Rules,’ because I’ve already posted it. I recently downloaded Lipa’s debut album and I’m loving it. You’ll hear more from her on the blog soon.

At #18, we have a three-way tie. One of those songs is the excellent ‘Feel It Still’ by Portugal. The Man, also previously featured here. That song would be on my personal 2017 top ten, no question.

Continue reading →