The upcoming album I’m most excited about is Vampire Weekend’s Only God Was Above Us, the indie band’s fifth release and first since 2019’s Father of the Bride.
Not only is this one of my favorite bands, but I was completely unaware they were recording new material, let alone that an album was due in early April. What a welcome surprise!
After five weeks of movie posts, I’m ready to get back to music. It turns out a lot of new songs have been released over the past couple of months, and I’ll dedicate the next two weeks to catching up with some of them.
I have to start with Beyoncé, who used a Super Bowl Verizon ad to announce her upcoming album. Act II (full title to come) is a follow-up to 2022’s Act I: Renaissance, and the second installment of a planned trilogy. While Renaissance paid tribute to the Black Queer house and disco music of the 70s, this one is a country album, paying tribute to the “overlooked history of the American Black cowboy.”
The week of March 10, 1984, was a great one on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the top spot you had Van Halen’s ‘Jump,’ followed by Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.’ Rounding out the top three was Nena’s ’99 Luftballons,’ a rare hit not in the English language.
What a great mix of songs. What a great decade!
Throwing back to the week of March 9, 1974, we find Terry Jacks atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Seasons in the Sun.’
This song was first written and recorded in 1961 by the Danish artist Jacques Brel as ‘Le Moribond’ (which means ‘The Dying Man’). The lyrics described a man’s final messages to his friends, a priest, and his wife — who was cheating on him with one of his friends. In 1964, the Kingston Trio recorded an English-language version, retitled ‘Seasons in the Sun.’
Concluding my countdown of last year’s best films…
Best Films of 2023
#1. The Holdovers
This year’s top ten was one of the hardest I’ve had to compile. Not only did I have a dozen or so films vying for the final list, but I had a hell of a time figuring out what should go where. I considered at least five different titles for the top spot, never feeling quite right about any of them.
Then I rewatched Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers and realized I had my answer. I loved it already, but the second time through it was funnier, sadder, warmer, and wiser. I realized that not only is it my favorite movie of last year, but it’s a movie I’ll be seeking out repeatedly for years to come.
Meet Me In Montauk 