This is a song I don't expect to enjoy. And yet, I do.
Five For Fighting is named for the penalty given in hockey (and is a penalty I never got in my years playing hockey, because I avoided fighting on the ice. Not a fan.)
Five For Fighting is also the stage name of John Ondrasik, This Grammy-nominated song from from 2002 was his biggest hit - and has a pretty interesting subject. The titular narrator of the song is, of course, the famous DC Comics superhero, talking about how surprisingly hard his life is. You wouldn't think empathy for the Man of Steel would result in an a moving hit song, but yet, it did.
In 1993, I can tell you that I thought the Flaming Lips were a fun novelty band that wouldn't endure. Especially on the strength of this song, which to this day remains the bands biggest radio hit, if not their most recognizable song anymore.
Boy, was I wrong. Led by Wayne Coyne, the Lips have proven to be an interesting and inventive band who really respects, honors, and relishes its loyal fans. Plus, the band is chock-full of excellent musicians who have all contributed both to the Flaming Lips catalog and other artists who might have once palled around with a blue dog.
Lyrically, this song is goofy. Musically - it's catchy and uplifting and fun and rich.
If you doubted me in how much the band respects their fans, this 2013 performance of the song, which is highly interactive, should illustrate that. There are fans on stage. They are playing with the crowd, who are singing along.
If you've been reading Totally Covered today, you know that we featured three tracks from the Knocks ft. Foster The People EP Melody and Silence.
As you may have guessed, this is track 4, which is the single. It is both melancholic and uplifting. Musically, The Knocks have always had a distinctive electronic sound. Adding Mark Foster to the mix - with whom they've collaborated in the past, and it shows - adds depth to an already rich, deep song.
My plea to you: go encourage your local radio station to play this song. The way music like this gets made is if music like this is supported.
Earl Simmons was born in Westchester County, and died in Westchester County this morning.
You knew him better as DMX. He was a groundbreaking artist, gone too soon.
DMX is still the only artist to have five consecutive albums debut at #1 on the Billboard album charts. A lot of hip hop artists before him chose accessible or angry forms of the music. His success showed that an artist can reach both.
He will be missed. He leaves a large catalog of music behind, perhaps none better known than this song.
We don't normally cover children's music here on Wicked Guilty Pleasures, especially when it wasn't music we grew up with.
The Wiggles made sure we made an exception for them, especially since we've now featured them twice in the last month on Totally Covered. If you didn't read yesterday's Totally Covered post, I strongly encourage you to do so.
This song, one of the signature Wiggles songs, first appeared on their 1994 album Yummy Yummy, so this version, from one of their many videos, features the classic, original Wiggles lineup. The song is earnest and inoffensive, and at the same time, teaches kids how to make a fruit salad.
Of course, the Wiggles are known for their live shows, too, and they do perform this song live, A LOT. You'll be happy to know that I listened to this song A LOT when I was writing this. I know definitively how to make a fruit salad now. This version, complete with a lot of dancing fruit, is from 2011 and their 20th Anniversary concert.
In 2013, the Wiggles changed, with only Anthony Field remaining from the original lineup. At that time, the modern lineup, with Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce, and Emma Watkins debuted, and they've been quite popular with the modern kids. The original educational theory,
But the history of the Wiggles endures, and, rather than just tritely talking about bananas, apples and grapes, the Wiggles did something a little different to celebrate their 30th anniversary. They celebrated the concept that we're all like fruit salad, in the same bowl... while still acknowledging that fruit salad is, indeed, yummy yummy. It is truly a delicious tribute to the times we in which we live.
When the Wiggles (along with a couple of OG Wiggles) appeared on Triple J's "Like A Version" to perform, well, yesterday's Totally Covered post, they also performed their new song, live. Emma did not play drums this time.
Sometimes, a song is so mind-blowing and transcendent that I have to drop everything and reschedule posts just to make sure I fit them into these blogs as soon as possible.
This 2013 song from Australian psychedelic band Tame Impala is not that song. It is, however, a great song, that combines blues and psychedelic elements with a fantastic guitar riff that defies understanding. One of Kevin Parker's oldest songs, it was pulled out and recorded in 2013, and ended up being one of the band's most successful songs.
Lyrically, the song is a bit naughty - the trunk of the elephant is clearly metaphoric- and not just a tribute to Death From Above 1979 - and, for that reason, Kevin Parker found the song "shallow", but it isn't. It's rich and deep and sultry, a musical and lyrical journey.
But in this song, 21 Savage and ESPECIALLY Cardi B steal the show. Between the two of them, there is not a single low moment - no down time, no pause - in this song. And yet, the song does not feel rushed.
To his credit, Khaled is happy to give the spotlight to artists he clearly respects. This is the second time he had collaborated with each of them.
The three featured artists co-wrote the song with producer Tay Keith. "Wish Wish" peaked at #19 on the US pop charts.
