Brandon's Buzz

Even if she did cheat by picking two songs per day, the marvelous Sherry Ann did utterly remarkable work writing in my stead last week while I was off on a much-needed vacation. (Can I be the only one who foresees a blog of her very own in the not-too-distant future?) I’m back at the helm tomorrow (and with a brand new track from one of my all-time faves, at that), but if you missed any of Sherry Ann’s inspired choices last week, here’s a quick recap:

MONDAY:

Foo Fighters — “Home”
(from Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace) —

Sheryl Crow — “Home” (from Sheryl Crow) —

TUESDAY:

Kenny Chesney — “The Boys of Fall”
(from Hemingway’s Whiskey) —

Fountains of Wayne — “All Kinds of Time”
(from Welcome Interstate Managers) —

WEDNESDAY:

Cary Brothers — “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”
(from Under Control) —

Joshua Radin — “What If You” (from We Were Here) —

THURSDAY:

Lee Ann Womack — “I’ll Think of a Reason Later”
(from Some Things I Know) —

Joey + Rory — “Cheater, Cheater” (from The Life of a Song) —

FRIDAY:

Pearl Jam — “Just Breathe” (from Backspacer) —

Pearl Jam — “Yellow Ledbetter”
(from Rearviewmirror [Greatest Hits 1991-2003]) —

SATURDAY:

Bruce Robison — “The Good Life” (from His Greatest) —

Kelly Willis — “Not Forgotten You” (from What I Deserve) —

SUNDAY:

Candi Staton — “Young Hearts Run Free”
(from Young Hearts Run Free: The Best of Candi Staton) —

One Eskimo (featuring Candi Staton) — “Kandi”
(from One Eskimo) —

Candi Staton — “Young Hearts Run Free”
(from Young Hearts Run Free: The Best of Candi Staton) —

One Eskimo (featuring Candi Staton) — “Kandi”
(from One Eskimo) —

Although she never really went away, disco-era diva Candi Staton has suddenly hurtled back into the mainstream, having spent the past couple of decades as a gospel singer. She has been popping up everywhere lately, with people covering her hits (more on that in a bit) and sampling her songs. So in honor of her brilliance, we’re bringing the week to a close with my favorite Staton tune, “Young Hearts Run Free” — the story of a woman whose husband has walked out on her and the children — which, like most everything that hit in the late ’70s, is set to a four-on-the-floor beat. Trust me when I tell you, there is nothing quite like shaking your ass to a dance floor anthemn about divorce! (And trust me again: if you haven’t yet heard The Swell Season’s nifty take on this disco classic, that’s a fallacy that should be immediately corrected.) Staton is also back on the radio dial of late courtesy of that fantastically quirky British band One Eskimo, who lifted a sample from Candi’s “He Called Me Baby” for their bizarro smash “Kandi.” Get to know this gal, kids. Trust me a third time: you won’t regret it.