by

Song of the Day #2,849: ‘Alexander Hamilton’ – Hamilton cast

hamiltonLast year, my niece succumbed to Hamilton fever, a debilitating infection that my family soon learned is highly contagious. Over the summer she played two of the early tracks for us and we were intrigued enough to immediately order the album on Amazon.

Flash forward six months, and in one of the few truly spontaneous actions of my life, we have spent a ridiculous amount of money to fly to New York for the weekend and watch the Broadway phenomenon (and recent Pulitzer prize winner) live. I can’t freaking wait.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #2,847: ‘Half a Heart’ – Barenaked Ladies

barenaked_ladies_are_menHere’s an example of Random Weekends at their best. This track from Barenaked Ladies Are Men, the band’s final album before the departure of Steven Page, is a lovely find — one I’ve probably heard before but I sure can’t remember when.

Released in 2007 as a companion piece to the previous year’s Barenaked Ladies Are Me, this album received generally strong reviews. But for some reason, though I’m a big fan of most of the band’s catalog, I just never took to it. And when Page left a couple of years later, so did I.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #2,846: ‘Life On Mars (Live)’ – Sinead O’Connor

sinead_life_on_marsI’m leaping ahead nearly 25 years to wrap up my week of live Sinead O’Connor performances. This one was recorded just weeks ago, during a concert by David Bowie cover band Sons of the Silent Age.

As a tribute to the late icon, O’Connor sang my favorite Bowie song, ‘Life On Mars.’ At 49, she’s a lot more tattooed but still bald and beautiful, and she still (mostly) has that voice.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #2,845: ‘War (Live)’ – Sinead O’Connor

sinead_war_popeIn late ’92, Sinead O’Connor performed her most controversial act, performing an a capella version of Bob Marley’s ‘War’ on Saturday Night Live, tying the lyrics to sex abuse in the Catholic Church, and finishing by tearing up a picture of the Pope.

That didn’t go over very well.

SNL was caught by surprise, as O’Connor has shown another picture (of a refugee child) during rehearsals. The network fielded hundreds of complaints and O’Connor became a target for politicians, religious figures and celebrities alike.

Continue reading →