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Song of the Day #1,775: ‘Unhappily Married’ – Pistol Annies

pistol_annies_annie_upNovelty bands don’t generally make great second albums. The spark of ingenuity that led to their formation is good for one batch of songs and then the members retreat to their solo careers. If they reform again, the results tend to feel forced.

The Traveling Wilbury’s Vol. 3 is the classic example. The album was missing the late Roy Orbison, but that wasn’t the only reason it felt so ordinary when compared to the exceptional Vol. 1. It simply didn’t have the same sense of serendipity that made the first record so special.

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Song of the Day #1,774: ‘Weed Instead of Roses’ – Ashley Monroe

ashley_monroe_like_a_roseI’ve bought a handful of albums this year (including Vampire Weekend’s latest a day or two ago) and curiously, four of them are country records.

I didn’t plan it that way. Brad Paisley and Pistol Annies released new albums, which I naturally snapped up as a fan of both. Then the excellent newcomer Kacey Musgraves burst onto the scene amid a flurry of great reviews so I picked that one up. Finally, Ashley Monroe, one of the Pistol Annies, released her own solo album to critical raves.

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Song of the Day #1,773: ‘Are We All We Are?’ – Pink

pink_truth_about_lovePink’s The Truth About Love was one of last year’s best albums, better even than its predecessor Funhouse, another fine pop-rock record.

Pink has quietly (and loudly) become one of the best pop songwriters and performers recording today. She is adept at both pulsating anthems like today’s track and emotional balladry (such as her duet with fun.’s Nate Ruess that is currently all over the place).

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Song of the Day #1,772: ‘Running Out of Ink’ – Barenaked Ladies

barenaked_ladies_are_menToday’s Random Weekend selection is a neat little song from the last proper Barenaked Ladies album, Barenaked Ladies Are Men.

After this record was released, co-songwriter and co-lead singer Steven Page left the band to pursue a solo career (resulting in one excellent album, Page One, so far). The band put out another album but the reviews were so tepid I didn’t even bother listening to it.

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Song of the Day #1,771: ‘Back to Black’ – Beyoncé & Andre 3000

beyonce_gatsbyThe most buzzed-about contribution to The Great Gatsby soundtrack is a cover of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’ by Beyoncé and Outkast’s Andre 3000. I guess you can’t have Jay-Z produce your movie’s soundtrack and not hear from his lovely wife.

The cover generated some controversy when Winehouse’s father (who might be drinking as much as his daughter) took to Twitter to complain that Beyoncé recorded the song without his permission and should donate money to the Amy Winehouse Foundation to make up for it. He later retracted the comment and praised Beyoncé but stated that Andre 3000 should have cut his part.

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