Like most of the world, I assumed Kanye West was joking when he started to take the stage following Beck’s Grammy win for Album of the Year.
After he became a national punchline and punching bag for interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards, I figured Kanye had developed a sense of humor.
Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ didn’t make my list of 2014’s best songs, to the dismay of some of my readers.
Recently I bought Trainor’s album, Title, after my younger daughter asked me to download several of her songs. I figured I might as well spend the extra few bucks to get the whole record.
And while ‘Bass’ still doesn’t tickle my fancy the way it does for some, I am sufficiently impressed by the rest of the album to say one of its tracks might have made my best-of cut had I bought it sooner.
One of the pleasures of the Traveling Wilburys was hearing the different combinations of lead and supporting singers on each of the tracks.
On ‘Last Night,’ it’s Tom Petty taking the lead vocals and Roy Orbison dropping in elegantly on selected verses. A great match. I also love the lyrics, which describe a one night stand that turns into a mugging at knifepoint.
Today’s random iTunes selection is a nice ironic fit for Valentine’s Day.
An acoustic bonus track on Ron Sexsmith’s 2013 album Forever Endeavour, ‘Life After a Broken Heart’ is about getting over a break-up. It does hint at a new relationship — or maybe just the presence of a supportive friend — in its bridge and final verse.
Closing out this year’s look at the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll is #20 on that list, ‘Close Your Eyes (and Count to Fuck)’ by Run the Jewels.
This song was originally recorded by Frank Sinatra for his somber saloon song classic, Only the Lonely, but was inexplicably cut from the album just before its release. It was later performed by such artists as Carole King, Joan Baez and John Denver.
Meet Me In Montauk 