Radiohead: Creep/ The Hollies: Air that I breathe
When my nephew played “Creep” by Radiohead on accoustic guitar recently, I really listened up. “Creep” (1992) tells the story of an inebriated man who tries to get the attention of a woman he is attracted to by following her around. In the end, he lacks the self-confidence to face her. Bandleader Yorke said, “To […]
She moved through the fair
“She moved through the fair“, a traditional song from the Westcoast of Ireland that may well date back to medieval times, was first published in 1909. Here is a spine-tingling rendition by Lorenna McKennett in the Alhambra, where she resurrects the Eastern influences in Celtic tradition. The Simple Minds in 1989 recorded a song called […]
Woody Guthrie: This land is your land
The Aimee Mann contest is over and the winner’s accent reminded me of Woody Guthrie. So here he is, with our real – alternative – national anthem.
Tom Waits: Hold on
One of my favorite songs of all time. Tom Waits can’t sing worth a dime, but man, can he tell a story! Bittersweet and poignant, his songs leave almost everything to your imagination, just like the video he made up for this song.
Christopher Cross: Sailing
This softest of easy-listening songs, a no. 1 hit in 1980 and later covered by N’Sync, is an anthem for people who love the sport. I’m in Croatia with ABC Wassersport this week, so I thought this might be a fitting message to you.
Johnny Cash/ Odetta/ Moby: Cut you down
“God’s gonna cut you down” is a powerful traditional song. Moralistic? Hm. I first heard it sung by Odetta on a scratchy recording from the ’60s, and she made it a woman’s moral fighting song. Then Johnny Cash changed it into a song to console a poor sinner (see the video with all those stars). […]
The Walkmen
The Walkmen from New York have just made their latest album, You & Me, available in an exclusive charitable pre-release on indie music website AmieStreet.com. It costs $5 on this site, with the proceeds from each sale being donated to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. These guys definitely have something to say. If you’ve […]
