It’s been almost ten years since I last paid attention to Nellie McKay. Her 2006 album Pretty Little Head, on which today’s random SOTD appears, was an uneven follow-up to her delightful debut, Get Away From Me, and it removed any desire I had to stick with her.
In hindsight, that wasn’t very fair to Ms. McKay, who is undeniably talented at both songwriting and singing across multiple genres. Most people are allowed three strikes.
Shakira writes the oddest lyrics. Her left-field sensibility is refreshing given her sexpot persona — you’d expect the lyrical complexity of a Britney Spears song from a woman whose stomach is the featured performer in every one of her videos.
Shakira is relatively new to the English language, and I’m guessing that’s the source of some of her weirder turns of phrase.
I don’t return to Elvis Costello’s 1991 album Mighty Like a Rose very often, but when it first came out I was in love with it.
A sticker on the album’s cover promised it was his best, most inventive work since Imperial Bedroom, which was overselling it, but it does have its share of baroque gems.
Today’s Random Weekend selection is the second track from Rihanna’s second studio album, A Girl Like Me.
‘Kisses Don’t Lie’ is a neat track, blending electric guitars, reggae rhythms and an R&B bass line in the service of a standard issue “should we or shouldn’t we” love song.
If somebody asked me to recommend a musical artist they’d never heard of, my first answer would be Tift Merritt. She’s the best.
This assumes, by the way, that people have heard of Ben Folds and Belle & Sebastian.
My second answer might be Josh Rouse or Ron Sexsmith. Or it could well be Dar Williams, the writer and singer of today’s random iTunes selection. She’d be in the top five, no question.
Meet Me In Montauk 