Song of the Day #1,898: ‘Come to Jesus’ – Mindy Smith

mindy_smith_one_moment_moreHere’s one of those cases — so often unearthed on Random Weekends — of an artist who wound up in my music collection under circumstances I have long since forgotten.

I don’t know who Mindy Smith is or why I own her debut album, One Moment More. I don’t know if I’ve heard any or all of it. I vaguely remember liking her cover of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene,’ the final track on this record, but I can’t imagine I bought the record as a result.

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Song of the Day #1,897: ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad/Do Re Mi’ – Elvis Costello and Mumford & Sons

elvis_costello_mumfordI’ve written a couple of times this week about how the internet has changed the way we experience music — big newsflash there, I know.

Today’s clip is another wonderful example.

As a promotion for Bono’s ONE campaign, Elvis Costello teamed up with Mumford & Sons to perform a mash-up of Bruce Springsteen and Woody Guthrie. This may well have happened in a pre-YouTube era, but would I have seen it?

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Song of the Day #1,896: ‘Here Today and Gone Tomorrow’ – The Ohio Players

the_ohio_playersThe latest issue of Rolling Stone has a sidebar in which a member of Explosions in the Sky names a handful of songs that inspire him.

Explosions in the Sky is a Texas band that plays instrumental music on guitars and drums. I know them only because of their association with Friday Night Lights (they wrote the film’s soundtrack and scored much of the TV show).

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Song of the Day #1,895: ‘Sail’ – AWOLNATION

awolnation_sailHere’s a fitting follow-up to Monday’s post about viral videos.

I don’t recall exactly how I came across ‘Sail’ by the Los Angeles band AWOLNATION — I assume it was mentioned in a magazine or on a website — but when I looked for it, this is the video I found.

I assumed it was the song’s official video because, well, why wouldn’t it be?

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Song of the Day #1,894: ‘Ready to Start’ – Tears For Fears

tears_for_fearsTears For Fears has released one album in the past 18 years, and that was nine years ago. Now the band is back in the studio working on a new record, so I guess the ‘once every nine years’ pattern is working for them.

This is actually a great time for new Tears For Fears music, assuming it’s as good, and in the same style, as their 80s hits. Today’s pop music is very much influenced by the 80s and I can imagine songs like ‘Shout’ and ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ succeeding wildly were they released in 2013.

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