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.

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

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

When I was six years old, I attended my first concert, a Sylvia show. I remember singing along in the bleachers as she belted out her country classic “Nobody,” and over the past three decades, I have been to concerts by the likes of George Michael, Elton John, Chris Isaak, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, and pretty much every country act to cross the plains of Texas, including Tim McGraw, George Strait and Garth Brooks. But I have never been as excited for a concert as I am about the one that I am attending tonight. My favorite female singer of all time, Kelly Willis, is making a pit stop here in the Texas Panhandle for a charity event, and I will be there to hear every dulcet tone that drips from her lovely lips, and in honor of an event that I can finally cross of my bucket list, I give you these two songs. The first is from Bruce Robison (or, as he is affectionately known at my house, Mr. Kelly Willis), whose “Good Life” tells the story of a man drinking in a bar and missing his lady — typical country music fare, sure, but delivered in a way that only a Texas boy can. We already covered my all-time favorite Kelly Willis song earlier in the week, but “Not Forgotten You” — a tune that describes the process of getting over a bad breakup and the realization that one day it really does stop hurting — comes in a very close second. So as I take off for what is for sure to be an unforgettable night of music, take this opportunity to get to know Mr. and Mrs. Willis. I promise you won’t regret it.

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

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

I see all these little girls screaming, crying, fainting at the sight of that mop-haired doofus-lite Justin Bieber nowadays. Well, when I was 16, I honestly believed I would grow up to be Mrs. Eddie Vedder, and that we would live happily ever after in Seattle next door to a Starbucks. That didn’t work out, obviously, but I still have his music in my heart, and these are two of my favorites. “Just Breathe” (from the band’s latest record, Backspacer) is an acoustic ballad in which Eddie takes stock of his life and counts his blessings, something we all find necessary to do sometimes. And it’s anybody’s guess as to what “Yellow Ledbetter” is about; I’ve heard everything from war to boxing, so who knows? No matter: Eddie’s delivery of the indiscernible lyrics, coupled with Mike McCready’s heart-shattering guitar solo, make this song great. (And to all you little girls out there who have come down with Bieber fever, I hope Justin’s music still means as much to you two decades hence as Eddie’s does to me. I doubt it highly, but I still hope.)

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) —

I was reviewing this week’s posts and most of them are downright depressing, so today we switch gears with two country ladies that can (and will) tell you how the cow ate the cabbage in two of the funniest songs that I have ever heard. The brilliant Lee Ann Womack nails to the wall that feeling of you don’t want him, but you don’t want some perky girl from Denver to have him either, while Joey + Rory take the more direct approach with an anthem for jilted women everywhere that expresses everything you wish you had the presence of mind to say to his face as you’re throwing his crap out onto the front lawn. So take her pictures, black out her teeth with a marker, and then wish her well as she rots in hell, and have a good belly laugh enjoying today’s tunes.

It’s another slow one out there, kids, as the great new release famine of August 2010 rolls on. Fear not — relief arrives next week in the estimable forms of David Gray and Ray LaMontagne, so until then, bide your time with these titles:

• The ever-ambitious Blake Shelton delivers the second leg of a planned trilogy of EPs this week with the release of All About Tonight,
  a six-track collection of tunes which includes “Draggin’ the River,”
  a bizarro duet with his beloved, that surly spitfire Miranda Lambert.

 

• Just ahead of the film’s arrival in theaters nationwide this weekend
  drops the motion picture soundtrack for Julia Roberts’ much-anticipated Eat, Pray, Love, which includes a brand new single from Pearl Jam’s frontman Eddie Vedder, as well as previously released material from Josh Rouse, Neil Young, and Marvin Gaye.

 

• This has apparently been out since freakin’ May, but I only stumbled across the original television soundtrack Friday Night Lights, Vol. 2 just last week (and quite by accident, at that). Nevertheless, this is a must-own, with tracks from Augustana, Jakob Dylan, and The Avett Brothers, as well as — at long last — W.G. Snuffy Walden’s gorgeous theme song, about which I waxed eloquent here last weekend.

 

• Finally, head on down to your local Wal-Mart store this week, where five bucks’ll get you Self Loves Lilith 2010, a miniature version of Self magazine (with Sugarland’s glorious goddess Jennifer Nettles gracing the cover!) which comes bundled with a fifteen-track CD containing music from such Lilith Fair participants as Suzanne Vega, Grace Potter, A Fine Frenzy, Lights, and (duh!) Sarah McLachlan. (Give this one spin, and then I dare you to tell me it’s not ten times more satisfying than the so-called “official” Lilith companion disc that was released last month!)

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

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

Today we tackle men and other catastrophes, with a pair of sad songs from two pretty boys who blame themselves for the end of their respective relationships. Brothers’ tune — my favorite track from his most recent record — is a beautifully haunted ballad about confessing your infidelities to the one you love. (If this one doesn’t make you a believer in the brilliance of Cary Brothers, check out the impromptu acoustic version of his classic “Ride”
which he dedicated to yours truly last May during a delightful interview on Brandon’s Buzz Radio.) And Brothers’ good pal Joshua Radin turns in a tale of a couple that knows it’s over between them but need one final night together to seal the deal. In both songs, the guys admit that they were wrong, that they have issues, and that the best thing to do, probably, is walk away.
Where is Dr. Phil when you need him?!

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

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

Are you ready for some football? It’s that time of year again, time to dig into the closet and get out your favorite player’s jersey and foam finger (and, if you’re a Packers fanatic, that ginormous cheese head). And to kick off the pigskin season right: a pair of songs about what in my part of the world isn’t just a sport, but a way of life. Initially, I wasn’t that crazy about the new Kenny Chesney single, until I saw its ten-minute videoclip, which chronicles the football player’s journey from pee-wee to the NFL, and which features everyone from Brett Favre to Peyton Manning. I will admit I teared up at the end hearing the pros talk about the joy that they feel in watching little boys play the game just for the sheer pleasure of it, and encouraging them to dream big without losing sight of that feeling. “All Kinds of Time” tells the story of a young quarterback and what goes through his mind in the mere seconds between the drop back from center and the pass. He envisions his family crowded around the TV watching him make the big play, and then he sees his target and completes the pass. So with that, let me wish my Redskins, Longhorns, and Comanches the best of luck this season! (Oh yeah, and don’t forget Brandon’s Colts either!)
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Damn right, don’t forget those Colts! If you hadn’t typed that, I would’ve done it for you!)

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

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

I was scrolling through my iTunes library searching for a song for today and discovered that my favorite Foo Fighters and Sheryl Crow tunes each share the same title. The Foo Fighters’ “Home” is a piano ballad that tells of a man’s longing to be home with his family. You can feel the pain and ache in Dave Grohl’s voice as he sings about the people that have drifted in and out of his life. Makes me want to give Dave a big hug and tell him that everything is going to be alright. And I have had a love/hate relationship with Sheryl Crow for many years now [EDITOR’S NOTE: I’ll say! I believe I’ve heard the term “homewrecking whore” cross your lips multiple times with regard to this woman!], but no matter how I am feeling about her, “Home” has always been one of my favorites. Sometimes you hear a song that tells your story better than you could tell it yourself, and at one point this — a tale of two people that fell in love too young and wake up one day and realize that they no longer have that much in common — was my story. Two very different songs that share a common sadness for the inevitable change that comes with life.

If you missed any of last week’s tunes, below is a quick recap. (And if you haven’t the foggiest clue what any of this is even about, you can get up to speed right here.)

MONDAY: Lee Brice — “Love Like Crazy” (from Love Like Crazy) —

TUESDAY: Tasmin Archer — “One More Good Night With the Boys”
(from Bloom) —

WEDNESDAY: George Michael — “Jesus to a Child” (from Older) —

THURSDAY: Jerry Reed — “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot”
(from The Essential Jerry Reed) —

FRIDAY: Macy Gray (featuring Velvet Revolver) — “Kissed It”
(from The Sellout) —

SATURDAY: W.G. Snuffy Walden — “Friday Night Lights Main Title Theme”
(from Friday Night Lights, Vol. 2 [Original Television Soundtrack]) —

SUNDAY: Nick Drake — “Time Has Told Me” (from Way to Blue) —

Kelly Willis — “Time Has Told Me” (from What I Deserve) —

Nick Drake — “Time Has Told Me” (from Way to Blue) —

Kelly Willis — “Time Has Told Me” (from What I Deserve) —

I’m on vacation this week, and I have turned control of the hive over to Sherry Ann — a music lover every inch my equal — for a few days, and the following is her first filed dispatch:

Two of my favorite artists of all time take on this tale of messed-up love in very different ways: Drake’s original is upbeat and peppy, while Willis’ is slow, sad, and depressing. Either way, it is pure brilliance. (For you trivia buffs out there, Robert Smith of The Cure adopted his band’s name straight from this song’s opening verse.)

W.G. Snuffy Walden — “Friday Night Lights Main Title Theme”
(from Friday Night Lights, Vol. 2 [Original Television Soundtrack]) —

Yours truly is spending some time in the Texas Panhandle this week, checking in on various family and friends, and while here, I popped into my hometown record store last night and, to my great surprise, ran across this second volume of music from one of the great television series of the past decade, NBC’s utterly exemplary Friday Night Lights (which returns this fall for its fifth and final season). Theretofore, I had no idea this collection of music even existed — even though iTunes claims it was released all the way back in May, for the love! — but I won’t quibble, if only because this album contains an official version of the program’s extraordinary title theme, a knockout instrumental piece that is, at long last, commercially available for the first time ever. Think me crazy if you must, but if ever a forty-some-second TV theme song deserved “song of the day” status, trust me when I tell you it’s this one.

Macy Gray (featuring Velvet Revolver) — “Kissed It”
(from The Sellout) —

Gray has turned in a handful of worthy singles in the decade since her brilliant breakthrough — I personally always thought 2003’s “When I See You” shoulda been a monster hit — but nothing that held that same kind of genre-busting brash ‘tude as her Grammy-winning classic “I Try.” But check this out: the devilish, devious kiss of Slash’s ever-efficient guitar serves as a pitch-perfect complement to Gray’s wise, weathered voice in what could be a couple of adventurous program directors away from being
the sleeper hit of the fall.