Category Archives: random weekends

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Song of the Day #3,866: ‘Simple Things’ – Belle & Sebastian

‘Simple Things’ is the penultimate track on Belle & Sebastian’s 1998 album The Boy With the Arab Strap.

I was going to write that I consider this one of their top three albums but when I checked their discography to be sure, I realized I might have to amend that to one of their top five. Maybe six. And they’ve released only nine full-length albums. The moral being that God damn, Belle & Sebastian are a great band and I should dive back into their catalog soon instead of trying to understand what critics liked about the Cardi B album.

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Song of the Day #3,865: ‘It Takes Two’ – Katy Perry

I don’t know if it’s because time flies, the fickle nature of fame, or a little bit of both, but doesn’t it seem like Katy Perry was the biggest pop star in the world not too long ago and now she’s almost entirely off the radar?

I guess she’s still hosting American Idol, although it was news to me that American Idol is still on the air (revived on ABC, apparently, after closing up shop at Fox). But her last single I can recall was ‘Chained to the Rhythm.’ which came out two years ago. That’s a lifetime in her line of work.

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Song of the Day #3,859: ‘One Down (Live)’ – Ben Folds

Ben Folds is such a good songwriter that he can’t deliver a bad tune even when he wants to.

‘One Down’ is about a time Folds’ record company required him to write 4.6 songs in order to fulfill his contract. Apparently he received .4 worth of credit for an earlier co-written song.

He shit this one out (as he colorfully puts it) to chip away at the obligation.

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Song of the Day #3,858: ‘The Needle Has Landed’ – Neko Case

This is the final track on Neko Case’s 2006 album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, one of the very best albums of that year and, really, that whole decade.

Fox Confessor was my first exposure to Case and it remains the best thing she’s ever done. The album became a family favorite, especially beloved by my then 4-year-old daughter. She still plays it today at 16.

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Song of the Day #3,852: ‘You Wouldn’t Know Me’ – Miranda Lambert

Five years ago I did a countdown of my favorite albums of the 2010s to that point, halfway through the decade. Two of my top five entries were by Miranda Lambert — 2011’s Four the Record and 2014’s Platinum.

Five years later, we’re 11 1/2 months away from the end of the decade (wow!) and I have to start thinking about updating that list and arriving at the definitive version. Both of those albums will still be in play, no question.

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