I know you’re all clamoring for Round Three of Montauk Madness to start, and I promise that will happen tomorrow.
But first, here’s one more Random Weekend selection, courtesy of Ben Folds, who (spoiler alert!) will make at least one appearance in the Montauk Madness Sweet Sixteen. Continue reading
1997’s Time Out of Mind was Bob Dylan’s first album of original material in seven years, and the first album of good original material in eight.
This return to form was celebrated both critically and commercially and went on to win several Grammys, including Album of the Year. It’s been 20 years since that career renaissance, two decades that have seen Dylan release his most consistent streak of quality work since the 60s. Continue reading
I’m far from an Elton John completist. I own only a handful of his albums and I’m really familiar with just two of them — Honky Chateau and Madman Across the Water.
One album I’d like to know better is 1983’s Too Low For Zero. It comes highly recommended by my brother-in-law and features the excellent hit singles ‘I’m Still Standing’ and ‘I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues’ in addition to today’s SOTD and the title track. Continue reading
I’ve come to blame Ellie Goulding for the vocal style of pretty much every female singer I hear on the radio these days.
I call it the “wispy unicorn” sound. The words are whispered and slurred, making these women sound like laryngitic drunks.
Goulding isn’t the worst offender, but she’s the first I noticed. I can’t even name all of the current culprits because I switch the dial quickly every time I hear one of them. Continue reading
I love the idea of Bonnie Raitt, but I’ve never taken the time to listen to much of her music. If somebody asked me what I think of her, I’d say “Oh, Bonnie Raitt, she’s wonderful” but I’d be basing that on maybe three or four songs. Maybe the rest of her catalog is white power heavy metal, but I’m sure I would have heard something about that by now.
1991’s Luck of the Draw is Raitt’s biggest hit, going seven times platinum in the U.S. I own this record (hence its appearance on Random iTunes Weekend) but I’ve probably listened to it all the way through only a couple of times. Still, by my “three great songs make a great album” theory, this one fits the bill. Continue reading
Counting Crows is enjoying a well-deserved strong showing in Montauk Madness, nice to see for a band that has been wrongly dismissed for years by critics and music fans alike.
I feel like it’s time Counting Crows were considered cool again. Recently Adam Duritz (a Golder Warriors fan) joined the team at a San Francisco nightclub to celebrate their victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Maybe a little NBA mojo is what he needs. Continue reading
I never listen to Sade, but hearing today’s random SOTD makes me think I should have her on in the background every night while unwinding after work. She has such a lovely, soothing voice.
Perusing Sade’s Wikipedia page, I’m surprised to see how successful she was right up through her last album (to date), 2010’s Soldier of Love. She (or the band that bears her name) has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, and every one of her releases has gone platinum or multi-platinum. Continue reading
