Category Archives: Music

I noticed a new name among the E Street Band members on Monday night (not counting fiddler Sister Soozie, as Springsteen explained Patty Scialfa’s absence by noting they had three teenagers), but didn’t know the reason for it. Now I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

After the great experience of Monday’s Springsteen concert, I thought I’d try a little something different for this week’s random music selections. Here’s a list of ten memorable live music performances I’ve seen: 1. Maynard Ferguson, Snug Harbor, Staten Island, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Pretty good list, actually. Here’s the criteria: These songs were chosen for their originality, wit, humor, and lasting popularity. Novelty = “New or unusual”. Most ‘Novelty’ songs are comic takes of current events, cultural fads, or holidays, along with parodies … Continue reading → Continue reading →

What an awesome concert. I may not hear anything today, and I’m a little sleep-deprived, but man, was it worth it. Bruce Springsteen is God, and we were truly privileged to see him and the E Street Band perform last … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Remember that pub in New York that banned Danny Boy last month? Well, they have now lifted the ban, as Saint Patrick’s Day is safely in the rearview mirror for the year. Danny Boy is back in the musical fold … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Is it Friday already? Why, yes, it is. Time for some random music! 1. “I’m My Own Grandpa” – Asylum Street Spankers. I was musing about whether this was a song that came from someone’s actual real-life experience, or if … Continue reading → Continue reading →

No intro, just random music… 1. “The Rainbow Connection” – Kermit the Frog. From The Muppet Movie, of course, probably the first truly quotable movie I ever saw. “Bear left!” “Right, frog!” “You, you with the banjo, can you help … Continue reading → Continue reading →

No cutesy intro this week. Just the music: 1. Fly Robin Fly – Silver Convention. Amazing how much song you can wring out of the lyrics “Fly, robin, fly, high up to the sky”. 2. Sneaking Sally Through the Alley … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Amen, brother. It’s depressing, it’s not usually sung in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day, and its lyrics were written by an Englishman who never set foot on Irish soil. Those are only some of the reasons why a Manhattan pub … Continue reading → Continue reading →

How about a little random music to soothe you through the post-primary letdown? Well okay then… 1. “Eleanor Rigby” – Ray Charles. Sometimes you just don’t know what directions a song can go until someone who draws his own maps … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ve lost track of how many articles I’ve seen predicting the death of old-fashioned commercial radio, but here’s another one with some interesting tidbits in it. Broadcast radio faces challenges from satellite radio companies for listeners, from the Internet for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Are we done with Presidential debates, at least for now? Good. Let’s debate some Friday random music instead. Cue ’em up… 1. “Momamma Scuba” – John Cale. I have no idea what this song is about. Hell, I don’t even … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The follow list of ten random songs has nothing whatsoever to do with the Presidential primary, and very little to do with politics of any sort. 1. “Turn the Beat Around” – Vickie Sue Robinson. Resolved: Every disco song ever … Continue reading → Continue reading →

And after my four-week foray into covers and pseudo-covers, it’s time again to talk about songs that came up on the iPod shuffle. Let’s roll… 1. “Silent E” – Tom Lehrer. “Who can turn a can into a cane? Who … Continue reading → Continue reading →

One thing that bedeviled me as I put together my cover-related Random Tens was running into songs that were definitely not the same, but bore the same name. To apply the final bludgeonings to this expired equestrian, here’s a Random … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s time to lighten the mood around here a bit, I think. So let’s go with a third week of cover-related Random Ten goodness – see here and here for the first two installments. 1. “Your Horoscope For Today” – … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Continuing with last week’s theme, here’s ten more songs for which I have multiple versions in iTunes. 1. “A Fool In Love” – Ike & Tina Turner/Marcia Ball, Lou Ann Barton, Angela Strehli. I know I’ve said there’s only one … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Been awhile since I’ve done a Friday random ten, so let’s get back into it. This one isn’t really random, strictly speaking. I came across the song “American Girl”, which I’d always identified with Tom Petty, done by Roger Guinn, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions on how to spend my $15 iTunes gift card. I’ve bought ten songs so far, and since Michael asked in the comments what I bought, I thought I’d post an update. Here’s what I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

So one of the Christmas presents I got this year was a $15 gift card for the iTunes store. Now in the old days, back when I was walking uphill in the snow to school every day, fifteen smackers bought … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Every year at about this time, I link to Mark Evanier’s wonderful story about Mel Torme and a group of charmingly clueless Christmas carolers. And every year when I reread it, it gives me goosebumps. This year was no exception. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It wouldn’t be Christmas without an accounting of Christmas songs you hate, would it? I’ll open the bidding with any version of “The Little Drummer Boy”, whose ad nauseum refrain drives me crazy every time. I’m also ready to plug … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Back when the city passed its more comprehensive smoking ban, there was a lot said by folks in the local music industry about how this would kill the bars, especially those that feature live music. I’m glad to see that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

My inner math geek was amused by this story about the annual onslaught of Christmas music from one of the local radio stations. Chestnuts roast, sleigh bells ring, drummers drum and angels are heard on high in 700 combinations for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Austin Lounge Lizards and Consumers Union, who banded together two years ago to bring us The Drugs I Need and It’s Always Christmastime for Visa, have done it again with a new song and video about toy safety, an … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I think I know what to get Tiffany for Christmas now. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform April 14 in Houston, for the first time in more than five years. More information on the venue and on-sale … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As you know, I don’t listen to talk radio, but this story about some changes in the lineups here interested me. Talk-show hosts Chris Baker and Cynthia Hunt have been taken off the air at Clear Channel-owned radio stations KTRH … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I missed this bit of great news over the weekend. How appropriate today, Day of the Dead, to celebrate the resurrection of Cactus Music & Video. The venerable Houston store that died and was buried a year and a half … Continue reading → Continue reading →

This was sent to me by my friend Laura: In celebration of their 25th Anniversary and in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness month during October, the Bayou City Performing Arts will partner in collaboration with the Houston Affiliate of Susan … Continue reading → Continue reading →

We’ve got ourselves a new station format in town. The eclectic, iPod shuffle-like music format known as Jack FM [made] its Houston debut at 10:37 a.m. Friday at 103.7 FM. The Cumulus Media station, now known as KIOL or Rock … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Mark Evanier has been busy digging up old videos of Tom Lehrer performing his wonderful (and, sadly, often still timely) songs. Here is one of my favorites, “National Brotherhood Week”. As they say, it’s funny ’cause it’s true. Other recent … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Fear it. The iPod is best known as an instrument of solitude — unless the user ignores standards of etiquette by invading the eardrums of fellow commuters, office mates or other innocent bystanders. Then it starts to get annoying. Especially … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I noted before that the unfunny duo of Walton and Johnson was to move from rock station 103.7 KIOL to talk radio station 950 AM KPRC. They make their debut next week. They’ll host the morning talk show 5:30-10 a.m. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Every once in awhile, I see a spike in search engine referrals to this site for the same thing. Sometimes it just means that Google has reindexed, and I’ve become the #1 result for a particular search (“Diane Zamora” is … Continue reading → Continue reading →