Every Wednesday at 9:13 am, one of our most trusted music aficionados joins me (Cindy Howes) on the Morning Mix to play a couple favorite new songs and share some insight. Today we welcome Patrick Bowman!
In case you missed, it here's what Patrick played:
Jay-Z, "Smile" - On his 12th studio album 4:44, Jay-Z finally gets introspective about his life, his mistakes , and his place in the cultural zeitgeist. "Smile" is the moment on the album where his uncanny technical abilities as an mc intersects with a strain of personal story telling we've never heard from him before. The result is a beautiful, head spinning trip through the racked mind of arguably the biggest living legend hip hop has today.
Shabazz Palaces, "Shine a Light" - Seattle native Ishmael Butler’s of Digable Planets is one half of Shabazz Palaces, a free-form hip-hop project that emerged from the internet ether about eight years ago. He continues to defy convention with a pair of companion albums (Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star / Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines) that examine contemporary America as if it's a strange and dangerous planet. "Shine a Light" is the most conventional song between the two albums but still manages to showcase Butler's knack for pushing hip hop production into unexpected places.
Below are the 5 key tracks that you need to know from Ben Folds.
Initially the frontman of the Ben Folds Five from '95 - '00, Folds went on to release three solo LPs. The group reunited in 2011 and released their fourth album a year later. Despite their name, they are a trio.
Song: "Trusted"
Album: Songs for Silverman
Year: 2005
Comment: His second solo studio album, it reached #13 on the Billboard 200.
Song: "Kate"
Album: Whatever and Ever Amen
Year: 1997
Comment: Co-written by Folds' first wife, Anna Goodman, the story follows a man so enamored with a woman named Kate that he wants to be her.
Song: "Philosophy"
Album: Ben Folds Five
Year: 1995
Comment: The piano solo at the end of the track borrows a melody from Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin.
Song: "Landed"
Album: Songs for Silverman
Year: 2005
Comment: Songs for Silverman was named after Folds' former A&R representative at Sony Records.
Song: "Phone In a Pool"
Album: So There
Year: 2015
Comment: The album was recorded in collaboration with yMusic, a chamber ensemble from New York City.
Catch Key Tracks every weekday during the Midday Mix at 1 PM on 91.3 WYEP.
Friday mornings on WYEP, Chef Bill Fuller (Corporate Chef for big Burrito Restaurant Group) joins Cindy Howes at 7:30am for Pairings! Bill & Cindy challenge each other to pair up your favorite music with matching menus. Let’s see what they came up with this week. Listen to the audio:
Every Wednesday at 9:13 am, one of our most trusted music aficionados joins me (Cindy Howes) on the Morning Mix to play a couple favorite new songs and share some insight. Today we welcome Justin Jacobs!
In case you missed it, here's what Justin played (commentary by JJ):
ZZ Ward, "Help Me Mama" - This head-bobbing cut is from ZZ Ward's latest album, The Storm. That's a great album title from this Philadelphia singer—she's got a hell of a big, stormy voice. The album just dropped last month, so you're just in time to discover her new tunes. It's full of great collaborations with other favorites like Fitz (of Fitz and the Tantrums) and Gary Clark Jr.
Thundercat, "Them Changes"- This dude is one funky cat. The LA-born bassist played with everyone from Erykah Badu to Bootsy Collins as an extra-thick low-end player, but these days he's making a name for his own work. His album from earlier this year, Drunk, is a head-spinning collage of deep grooves, humorous lyrics, and more bass acrobatics than a pool party at Flea's house.
Below are the 5 key tracks that you need to know from The Pogues.
One of the most influential bands in the Celtic punk scene, The Pogues have gone on to influence more contemporary bands such as Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys.
Song: "A Rainy Night In Soho"
Album: Poguetry In Motion
Year: 1986
Comment: The band's EP Poguetry In Motion was produced by Elvis Costello.
There was no key track on Tuesday due to the Independence Day holiday.
Song: "Sally MacLennane"
Album: Rum Sodomy & the Lash
Year: 1985
Comment: The track is named not after a woman but after a brand of stout.
Song: "Sunny Side of the Street"
Album: Hell's Ditch
Year: 1990
Comment: Following the release of this album, other members of The Pogues kicked out frontman Shane MacGowan due to his substance abuse-related unreliability.
Song: "Dirty Old Town"
Album: Rum Sodomy & the Lash
Year: 1985
Comment: This song was originally written by Ewan McColl and performed by The Dubliners
Catch Key Tracks every weekday during the Midday Mix at 1 PM on 91.3 WYEP.
Friday mornings on WYEP, Chef Bill Fuller (Corporate Chef for big Burrito Restaurant Group) joins Cindy Howes at 7:30am for Pairings! Bill & Cindy challenge each other to pair up your favorite music with matching menus. Let’s see what they came up with this week. Listen to the audio:
Every Wednesday at 9:13 am, one of WYEP’s trusted music experts joins me (Cindy Howes) on The Morning Mix to play a couple favorite new songs and share some insight. Today we welcome Jess Phaneuffrom WUMB in Boston!
In case you missed it, here's what Jess played:
Chris Stapleton, "Either Way" - My goodness this song is so gut-wrenching! Every time I listen, I'm stopped in my tracks by Stapleton's vocal performance...and I'm so moved by the lyrics. Even though I've never found myself in this particular situation, the story is told so powerfully that I can actually FEEL how heart-breaking it would be. That's a sure sign of a talented song-writer!
The Secret Sisters "He's Fine" - Laura and Lydia Rogers have that wonderful sibling chemistry and I'm thankful that they're back with a new album - You Don't Own Me Anymore. Brandi Carlile produced the record and I think it's some of their best work yet! This particular song is catchy and fun... even though it's also about heartache!
