@wtmd I never thought I would post an Indigo Girls song on Daily Song Fix, but I was listening to WTMD yesterday and “Least Complicated” came on. I really dig the harmonies and colors. I think you will too.
A little secret about Your Daily Song Fix – We don’t turn down Prince requests! Shout out to Jon Cylus for the selection.
Aloha, this is Taylor here. Angel From Montgomery has been in my head for the past week or so, although the song maybe well known it is honest and touches the soul. It feels somewhere in the middle of the spectrum set by the recent amazing posts from Marcus and Danny, expressive female vocals with lots of range and strong roots in folk and country music.
Covered by many artist including Bonnie Raitt, Ben Harper, Carly Simon and Dave Mathews Band, the song was originally written by John Prine a key artist in the Chicago Folk Revival of the late 60’s and early 70’s. The song first appeared on Prine’s self titled debut album that was released in 1971. The version here is a duet with Bonnie Raitt from John Prine Live, also released on a Tribute to Steve Goodman.
Serving in the Army and working for the United States Postal Service for five years, Prine developed a fan base and gained positive reviews once he began playing open mic nights in the Chicago area. At one of his early appearances in New York City, Bob Dylan showed up unannounced and anonymously provided backing harmonica. Prine has released 19 albums over his career; the latest Standard Songs for Average People was released in 2007. He is touring in 2010.
What do Bruce Springsteen, The Fresh Price of Bel Air, Elton John and Boyz II Men all have in common? All of them have written songs about Philadelphia. From cheese steaks to malfunctioning bells, Philly’s allure has inspired artists since the dawn of route 95. Although the aforementioned artists have been canonized in the book of pop, the Dead Milkmen, unfortunately, got high during the induction ceremony. Punk Rock Girl rides a rollercoaster of catchiness while articulating the pangs of youthful love. Meeting the parents, going out for ice cream, first locking eyes at a punk shop turned sex boutique. This gem was played on MTV in 1988 for about the same amount of time as the mad cow disease scare.
Bill Withers was the last of six children born on July 4, 1938, in Slab Fork, West Virginia. He was the only man in his family who did not end up working in the coal mines of West Virginia. Instead, he enlisted in the US Navy and became interested in writing and singing songs while stationed in Guam. In 1967, after being discharged, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his music career. As a self-proclaimed untrained musician, he became known for his story-telling ability and most of his early recordings did not feature a traditional song structure. “Harlem” does not have a chorus; instead, each verse escalates in a crescendo as the song progresses. Withers uses this structure to build tension and compliment the story he’s telling in his lyrics.
Lavoe blingin'
This is the first time audiences were introduced to Hector Lavoe on wax. Lavoe is a singing legend in Salsa music and he’s probably at his most ferocious throughout 1969’s Cosa Nuestra. Lavoe’s voice pierces through Willie Colon’s busy arrangement and in doing so proves himself to be, El Sonero Mayor (loosely: the best singer). Lavoe’s persona is an amalgam of Mick Jagger and Notorious B.I.G. He had swagger to spare and proved it with technical prowess. Enjoy.
SPN
From their 1977 album of the same name, this song rocks, plain and simple. Richard Hell is best known for his influence on punk fashion (spiked hair, clothing held together with safety pins, etc.) and for his roles in the band Television (who was infinitely instrumental in the popularization of New York’s CBGB club) and then later with Johnny Thunders’ The Heartbreakers.
Since the 80s, Hell has focused primarily on writing novels, but still releases some music.
South Memphis String Band are an acoustic blues-folk-country supergroup comprised of Alvin “Youngblood” Hart, Luther Dickinson of The North Mississippi Allstars, and Jimbo Mathus of the Squirrel Nut Zippers (yes, those Squirrel Nut Zippers). Their debut album, Home Sweet Home, is an old-fashioned, foot-stompin’, moonshinin’ good time that feels like it was recorded on a hot July night on someone’s front porch well below the Mason-Dixon line. Check out “The Carrier Line,” their rendition of a railroad ballad by old-time Mississippi multi-instrumentalist Sid Hemphill.
Twitter: @dailysongfix
