AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Winterpills

Artist:Winterpills

Song:Take Away the Words

Album:Central Chambers

Winterpills is yet another highly acclaimed indie band who have built a following through touring. They are from Northampton, MA. Phillip Price is the lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter. He was in the band Spanish for Hitchhiking with guitarist Dennis Crommett. In 2003, they decided to start their own band. They brought in Flora Reed as a second lead singer and keyboard player, Max Germer on bass and Dennis Hower on drums. They started playing gigs in 2004 and released their 2005 debut album on the local indie label Signature Sounds. They got positive reviews from NPR's Weekend Edition and Sirius XM's The Loft. They have appeared on NPR's Mountain Stage and World Cafe. And they have opened for all sorts of bands from St. Vincent and Mountain Goats to Alejandro Escovedo and Martha Wainwright. Take Away the Words is from the 2008 album Central Chambers. Price's vocals are influenced by Elliott Smith. So if that's what you like, Winterpills could be for you. Their latest album was released in 2016 but they have released a couple of singles. Price also records solo a lot. Here's the video for Take Away the Words by Winterpills.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Nerves

Artist:The Nerves

Song:Hanging on the Telephone

Album:D.I.Y: Come Out and Play: American Power Pop I (1975-78)

The Nerves were a power pop band that came about a little before their time. Blondie's 1978 cover of Hanging on the Telephone generated some interest in The Nerves. But they had already split up by then. The Nerves formed in San Francisco but moved to Los Angeles in 1976. They were Jack Lee on guitar, Peter Case on bass and Paul Collins on drums. All three guys sang and wrote songs. A 1976 EP led by Hanging on the Telephone was released by Bomp! Records. When Blondie lead singer Deborah Harry heard the song, she thought they should record it. It appeared on the 1978 album Parallel Lines. It was a top five hit in England. After touring to support the EP, The Nerves split up in 1977. They probably got tired of being together. You can get Hanging on the Telephone on this Rhino various artists comp. Lee wrote the song. After recording a couple of albums in the 80s, Lee had success as a songwriter. Paul Young was among those who recorded his songs. He quit the music business in the 90s to become a sculptor. Case formed The Plimsouls in 1979. They split up after recording two albums. Case has recorded solo since 1986. Collins formed The Beat or Paul Collins' Beat so there is no confusion with The English Beat. They have recorded and toured since the early 80s. Lee was not part of the 2012 Nerves reunion tour. And Collins left during the tour due to personal differences. As I said, if The Nerves had come along a few years later, they could have been very successful. Here's a video for Hanging on the Telephone by The Nerves. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Destiny Praise

Artist:Destiny Praise

Song:Changed

Album:Driven

Contemporary gospel music fans and especially choir lovers are going to want to check out this 2006 album by Destiny Praise. From what I could tell, this is their only album to date. The choir us from the Destiny Metropolitan Worship Church in Atlanta. The pastor is Dr. Bryan E. Crute. But the guy behind this record is veteran producer Travon Potts. He has worked with Monica and Christina Aguilera and gospel artists like Bebe Winans and Trin-i-tee 5:7. Potts grew up playing piano at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in his home town of Los Angeles. More recently he worked with the gospel artist Javen and former American Idol contestant Chris Sligh. It looks like the idea here was to create something similar to what Kirk Franklin did in Texas, his own empire. But Destiny Praise only released the one album. So I don't think it worked out. The album is available on CD with a bonus DVD. Potts has been working with RedOne since 2014 mostly on TV music. Here's the video for Changed by Destiny Praise.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Orla Fallon

Artist:Orla Fallon

Song:Isle of Innsfree

Album:My Land

Orla Fallon is a former member of Celtic Woman. She has recorded solo since leaving the group in 2009. Isle of Innisfree was Orla's signature song from Celtic Woman. She was born Aug. 24, 1971 in Knockananna, County Wicklow, Ireland. She sings and plays harp. She was a member of the choir Anuna. After she left that group, Orla released the 2000 album The Water Is Wide. When she heard about Celtic Woman, she sent a demo to David Downes. Though she only wanted to appear with them once, Downes convinced her to be a full time member of Celtic Woman. She left in 2009. It's not surprising. Orla always wanted to be a solo artist. She signed with Green Hill and Elevation. Elevation promoted her tour and PBS specials. Isle of Innisfree is from the 2011 album My Land. She doesn't stray from the Celtic Woman formula. So their fans should enjoy Orla's music. My Land is available as a digital download. Her latest album Lore was released in 2020. She is not touring due to COVID-19. Here's Orla Fallon performing Isle of Innisfree on a Celtic Woman PBS special. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Boomtang

Artist:Boomtang

Song:Movin' On

Album:Wet

The Boomtang Boys were remix guys who recorded a few singles in the 90s. They returned in 2002 as Boomtang and scored their biggest hit with Movin' On. The Boomtown Boys were from Toronto. They were Tony Grace, his brother Paul Grace and Ron DeBoer. They started out in the early 90s doing remixes for Charlene Smith, The Philosopher Kings and Ashley MacIssac among others. They signed with Virgin Canada and released the 1999 album Greatest Hits Vol. 1. They scored a top ten hit single in Canada with the single Squeeze Toy featuring Kim Esty. After Paul Grace left in 2000, Tony Grace and DeBoer changed the group name to Boomtang and released the 2002 album Wet. The single Movin' On topped the Canadian charts. Grace and DeBoer play all the instruments. The vocals are by Divine Earth Essence which is Divine Brown and her sisters Boo Boo and Michelle. The album is available as a digital download. Though Grace and DeBoer continued to do remixes, they never recorded again as Boomtang. They formed the jazz group Four80East in 1997 and have concentrated on that. Their latest album was released in 2020. Paul Grace died in 2019. Here's the video for Movin' On by Boomtang.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Duhks

Artist:The Duhks

Song:Mighty Storm

Album:Fast Paced World

The Duhks are a mix of folk, bluegrass and other musical styles. They have had modest success in their native Canada. The Duhks are from Winnipeg led by banjo whiz Leonard Podolak. Other founding members were singer Jessee Harvey, fiddle player Tania Elizabeth and guitarist Jordan McConnell. The name The Duhks is an abbreviation of Podolak's previous band Scruj MacDuhk. Their 2003 debut album Your Daughters & Your Sons was nominated for a Juno. And it also got them a record deal with the bluegrass label Sugar Hill. Their 2006 album Migrations was Grammy nominated. Jessee Harvey left in 2007. She was replaced by Sarah Dugas along with her percussionist brother Christian Dugas. They appeared on the 2008 album Fast Paced World. It was also Juno nominated. Though The Duhks write most of their songs, Mighty Storm is a traditional song that was popularized in the 60s by Tom Rush. After Tania Elizabeth left in 2010, The Duhks went on hiatus. Podolak formed a new lineup for the 2014 album Beyond the Blue on Compass Records. That's the last time they recorded. The Duhks announced in 2016 that they would not be touring anymore. It's unclear if the band is still active. You can keep up with them on Facebook. They have reunited occasionally but Podolak has also played solo gigs. Here's The Duhks performing Mighty Storm at the Washington, DC radio station WTMD 2009.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kelli O'Hara

Artist:Kelli O'Hara

Song:Make Someone Happy

Album:Wonder in the World

Kelli O'Hara is a seven time Tony nominee and she won a Tony for the 2015 show The King and I. She also appears in films and TV. She has only recorded two albums. But I think her fans will enjoy this 2008 album Wonder in the World. The story is Kelli co-starred with Harry Connick Jr. in the 2006 revival of The Pajama Game. Connick was so impressed with her that he offered to produce an album for her and get Sony to release it. It's unlikely that she would have recorded an album otherwise. Connick wrote a few songs and sings with Kelli on one song. Kelli wrote a couple of songs and her husband Greg Naughton wrote a song. Make Someone Happy was written by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne for the 1960 show Do Re Mi. Perry Como popularized it when he performed it on his TV show. When the album was finished, Sony decided not to release it. Kelli acquired the rights and released it on the Broadway music label Ghostlight in 2008. It's worth a listen. Kelli released an album in 2011. But she still appears frequently on Broadway. And she appears in the new HBO series The Gilded Age. Here's Kelli O'Hara performing Make Someone Happy at the 2016 Oklahoma Hall of Fame ceremony.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Kay Hansen

Here's the fight video of Jasmine Jasudivicius vs Kay Hansen from Saturday's UFC show. This fight is at Flyweight. Jasmine is from St. Catherines, ON. She trains with Chris Prickett at Niagara Top Team. She appeared on Contender Series. Kay was having trouble cutting to Strawweight so she moved to Flyweight. Jasmine has a big size advantage and she uses it. I thought she won the first two rounds easily and cruised to a 29-28 win. Kay did not look good. Enjoy the video. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Vanessa Demopoulos vs Silvana Gomez Juarez

Here's the match video of Vanessa Demopoulos vs Silvana Gomez Juarez from Saturday's UFC show. This fight is at Strawweight. Vanessa is an LFA veteran who appeared on Contender Series. She trains at Black House in Los Angeles. Silvana is 37 years old from Argentina. She trains at Entram in Mexico. She made her UFC debut on short notice at Flyweight. She looked awful. In this fight, she seems to score a knockout but ref Frank Trigg reacts slowly and the fight continues. It probably should have been stopped. Silvana tries to finish but Vanessa is able to apply an armbar from the bottom and finish the fight. Vanessa got a bonus but Silvana showed complete ineptitude on the ground. She won't last long if she keeps doing that. Enjoy the video.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sha Na Na

Artist:Sha Na Na

Song:Born to Hand Jive

Album:Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture

Sha Na Na was a 50s nostalgia act who became famous when they appeared at Woodstock in 1969. Though they had success as a live act, they couldn't reproduce that energy on record. Their high point was when they hosted a late 70s variety show and appeared in the 1978 film Grease. Sha Na Na was conceived at Columbia University by George Leonard out of the Columbia Kingsmen a cappella group. He was the choreographer. After they started playing around New York, Jimi Hendrix got them on Woodstock. Sha Na Na was a mix of 50s nostalgia and parody. Obviously they were not a typical band. Probably the most recognizable member of Sha Na Na was Jon "Bowzer" Bauman because of his on stage mugging. He joined in 1970 after Woodstock. Sha Na Na recorded several albums for Kama Sutra but they could never get that big hit single. The high point for Sha Na Na came when they hosted a syndicated TV variety show from 1977-81 produced by Pierre Cossette. The show was mostly an adaptation of Sha Na Na's live act with skits and musical guests. They also performed several songs in the 1978 film Grease including Born to Hand Jive. Sha Na Na continues today. Original members still in the group are Donny York, John "Jocko" Marcellino and Screaming Scott Simon. Jon Bauman hosted a game show. He still tours. Here's Sha Na Na performing Born to Hand Jive in the 1978 film Grease. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Barbara Cook

Artist:Barbara Cook

Song:In Buddy's Eyes

Album:Legends of  Broadway

Barbara Cook started out in the 50s as a Tony winning Broadway performer. In the 70s she concentrated on performing in New York clubs and recording solo. Either way, she's a Broadway legend. She was born Oct. 25, 1927 in Atlanta. Her parents divorced when she was a child. And her sister died from whooping cough. So Barbara was very close to her mother. While visiting New York City with her mother, Barbara decided to stay and find work as an actress. She started out singing in clubs. Her big break came when she played Ado Annie in a 1951 revival of Oklahoma and went on a national tour. Critics first noticed her in a 1954 revival of Carousel and then for a supporting role in Plain and Fancy. This led to a Tony for playing Marian the Librarian in the 1957 musical The Music Man. She also started to appear on TV. Her success continued in the 60s until she appeared in a couple of flops. As Barbara was struggling with obesity, depression and alcoholism, she couldn't get roles anymore in the 70s. After she quit drinking, she met pianist Wally Harper. He put a concert together and she debuted at Carnegie Hall Jan. 26, 1975. This became a very successful live album. Harper accompanied Barbara until his 2004 death. In Buddy's Eyes is from Stephen Sondheim's musical Follies. Barbara appeared in a 1985 performance of Follies with the New York Philharmonic. For the latter part of her career, Barbara performed mostly concerts and recorded for DRG Records. This budget comp from Sony Masterworks is a good intro to her music. After Harper died in 2004, Barbara continued to perform until 2010. She was a 2011 Kennedy Center honoree. Barbara Cook died on Aug. 8, 2017 at age 89. The next night Broadway marquee lights were dimmed for one minute in tribute. Here's Barbara Cook with Wally Fisher performing In Buddy's Eyes from the 2002 DVD Mostly Sondheim. The DVD is out of print but the entire concert can be streamed on YouTube.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-LunchMoney Lewis

Artist:LunchMoney Lewis

Song:Bills

Album:Now That's What I Call Music! 91

Gamal "LunchMoney" Lewis is a songwriter and producer who scored a worldwide hit with the 2015 single Bills. It was a chart hit everywhere but the US. He was born Jan. 11,1988 in Miami. His father Ian Lewis and uncle Roger Lewis are members of the popular reggae band Inner Circle. So Lewis grew up hanging around his dad's recording studio. Flo Rida and Lil Wayne are among those who recorded there. When Lewis showed an interest in writing, producer Salaam Remi gave him the nickname LunchMoney. He first appeared as a rapper on the 2014 Nicki Minaj song Trini Dem Girls. Then he co-wrote the Jessie J single Burnin' Up and the Fifth Harmony single Boss. Lewis wrote and produced Bills with Ricky Reed. He says Reed knew the song would be a hit while they were recording it. It's undeniably catchy. The record was on Doctor Luke's Kemosabe label with Columbia distribution. Bills topped the Australian charts and reached #2 in England. It only reached #79 on the Billboard Hot 100 but it was a bigger hit than that. Bills was only released on an EP and is only available as a digital download. You can get it on this Now! CD at a budget price. Lewis released an EP in 2020 and some singles that didn't chart. He might have an album on the way. But he has already written hits for Jason Derulo and Nicki Minaj and I expect him to concentrate on writing. Here's the video for Bills by LunchMoney Lewis.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tenacious D

Artist:Tenacious D

Song:Dude (I Totally Miss You)

Album:Original Album Classics

Tenacious D started out as a TV show parody of a rock band. Then they became a real band and toured and recorded. Their first two albums sold well. Dude is from the soundtrack of the 2006 film The Pick of Destiny. Jack Black and Kyle Gass met in 1986 as part of The Actor's Gang theater troupe. Gass did all the music. Gass taught Black to play guitar. In the 90s they started writing songs and got the idea to parody rock bands. Let's face it. Other than Frank Zappa, rock musicians aren't known to have a sense of humor. They started playing gigs in Los Angeles as Tenacious D, a term used by New York Knicks broadcaster Walt "Clyde" Frazier. After sending out demos, HBO wanted them to do a TV show. That ran for three episodes. They signed with Epic Records in 2000. By this time, Black was a famous actor. That helped raise Tenacious D's profile. I doubt they are as successful without Black's fame. The 2000 album Tenacious D was certified Platinum with no hit singles. They toured with a full band including Dave Grohl on drums, After that success, they decided to make the film The Pick of Destiny for New Line Cinema. Dude is from the soundtrack album. The film lost money but the soundtrack was certified Gold. Tenacious D released their third album Rise of the Fenix in 2012. That was probably too long of a gap and the album didn't sell. Epic released all three albums on an Original Album Classics box set. The 2018 album Post-Apocalypto was first released as a series of YouTube shorts and then an album. Why would anyone buy an album if it's already been given away for free? Tenacious D still tours so I expect we will see new music from them in the future. Here's Tenacious D performing Dude (I Totally Miss You) 2006.

The Big Topic in WMMA

UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cass McCombs

Artist:Cass McCombs

Song:County Line

Album:Wit's End

Singer songwriter Cass McCombs blends several different musical styles. He is frequently categorized as Americana though I don't know if that suits him. He has been a successful touring act. He was born Nov. 13, 1977 in Concord, CA. After playing in several Bay Area bands in the 90s, McCombs moved to New York for a couple of years. He returned to San Francisco in 2001 and released an EP on Monitor Records. What got McCombs a lot of attention and a record deal with Domino Records was a 2003 appearance on BBC DJ John Peel's Peel Sessions. This is where indie labels go to find new artists. After a couple of albums on Monitor, McCombs signed with Domino for the 2007 album Dropping the Writ. Amazon named it one of the best albums of 2007. His 2009 album Catacombs was on Pitchfork's top 50 albums of the year. McCombs also tours a lot. County Line was the lead single from the 2011 album Wit's End. There were two music videos. I didn't like either of them which is why I am using a performance clip. Apparently McCombs is very popular with skateboarders. For the 2016 album Mangy Love, McCombs switched to ANTI- Records. His latest album was released in 2019. McCombs will tour in the spring. So we might see a new album by then. Here's Cass McCombs performing County Line at the 2016 Pickathon festival. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-tUnE-yArDs

Artist:tUnE-yArDs

Song:Bizness

Album:W H O K I L L

Merrill Garbus started tUnE-yArDs as a home recording project. After her first album got her a record deal with 4AD, they became indie and critics darlings with the 2011 album W H O K I L L. The modest success is probably more than Garbus could have expected. She was born in 1979 in New York City and grew up in New Canaan, CT. She attended Smith College. She lived in Montreal and played ukulele in the band  Sister Suvi. Her 2008 album BiRd-BrAiNs was released in a very limited quantity. But it was enough to get Garbus a deal with the major indie label 4AD. She moved to Oakland to live with Nate Brenner who has his own home recording project Naytronix. It's just the two of them in the studio. They hire musicians for touring. The 2011 album W H O K I L L got a big break when it was named best album of 2011 on The Village Voice's Pazz and Jop critic's poll. So that album charted and so did the 2014 album Nicki Nack which reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 200. Since then tUnE-yArDs scored the 2018 film Sorry To Bother You. They released two albums. Both used more electronic instruments. It's the eclectic sound of tUnE-yArDs that attracted interest in the first place. Maybe they've peaked. Here's the video for Bizness by tUnE-yArDs.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Andy Griggs

Artist:Andy Griggs

Song:You Won't Ever Be Lonely

Album:You Won't Ever Be Lonely

You Won't Ever Be Lonely was one of two top five country hits from Andy Griggs' 1999 debut album You Won't Ever Be Lonely. He recorded three albums for RCA from 1999-2004. He was born Aug. 13, 1973 in West Monroe, LA. Griggs was a big Merle Haggard fan growing up. His father died when Griggs was age ten. And then his older brother who took over as father figure died of a heart attack at age 22. Griggs was attending Northeast Louisiana University at the time. He returned home, started a family and became a youth minister. His father was a minister. But he still had that music bug. So he moved to Nashville in 1997 and signed with RCA. You Won't Ever Be Lonely was his 1999 debut album. It was produced by veteran producer David Malloy. You Won't Ever Be Lonely was the first single. It reached #2 on the Country Singles chart and #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Griggs wrote the song with songwriter Brett Jones. The third single She's More also reached #2 on the Country Singles chart. Griggs even got to sing a duet with Waylon Jennings. The album was certified Gold. It's available as a digital download. Over his next two albums, Griggs scored three more top ten Country hits. But Griggs left RCA after the 2004 album This I Gotta See due to creative differences. He has since recorded two albums, the most recent on his own label in 2013. He still performs but based on his website, he wasn't happy with the commercial country music of his RCA albums. And they weren't going to let him record country gospel or bluegrass. There's your creative differences. Here's the video for You Won't Ever Be Lonely by Andy Griggs.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Joey DeFrancesco with Jimmy Smith

 Artist:Joey DeFrancesco with Jimmy Smith

Song:Blues for Bobby C

Album:Legacy

Jimmy Smith was probably one of the popular jazz musicians in the world. Joey DeFrancesco has done a lot to keep the Hammond B3 organ alive including recording a couple of albums with Smith. He was born Apr. 10, 1971 in Springfield, PA. His father played organ and his grandfather played sax. As a child, DeFrancesco played gigs with his dad and was a fixture at Philadelphia jazz clubs. He signed with Columbia Records at age 16 and toured Europe with Miles Davis. He recorded five albums for Columbia, Since then DeFrancesco is one of the busiest musicians in jazz. He signed with Concord in 1997. He first recorded with Smith on the 2000 album Incredible!. The 2005 album Legacy was their second album together. It may have been Smith's final recorded appearance as he died in 2005. Blues for Bobby C was a new Smith composition. Sax player James Moody appears on one song. Other musicians are Paul Bollenback on guitar, Tony Banda on bass and Steve Ferrone on drums. I think this was DeFrancesco's band at the time. Legacy is available as a digital download. DeFrancesco left Concord in 2007. He has since recorded for HighNote and currently for Mack Avenue. His latest album More Music was released in 2021. He also appears on Christian McBride's 2020 album For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver. Those two have been friends since middle school. Here's Joey DeFrancesco with Paul Bollenbeck and Steve Ferrone performing Blues for Bobby C on the 2006 PBS show Legends of Jazz.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Katlyn Chookagian vs Jennifer Maia

Here's the match video of Katlyn Chookagian vs Jennifer Maia from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. Not only are these two former Featherweight title contenders. But they have fought before. Katlyn won that fight and I didn't see this being any different. Katlyn's keep away style seems to confound lesser fighters who lack the ability to adjust. That's Jennifer Maia in a nutshell. She was a no power boxer when she started out ten years ago. I see no improvement in her. And that's what we saw. Other than a first round takedown, Katlyn fought her usual style and Jennifer could never figure her out. Having lost to her before, one would think Jennifer would try something different but she didn't. Remember these two are at the top of the Flyweight division which is why this fight was on the main card of this show. And despite the win, I don't see Katlyn getting a title shot unless she shows us something different. I doubt she is capable of that. Check out the video for yourself. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Colin Hay

Artist:Colin Hay

Song:I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You

Album:Garden State: Music from the Motion Picture

Colin Hay is best known as the leader of the 80s Australian band Men at Work. They scored two big hits Who Can It Be Now and Down Under. Since they split up in 1986, Hay has recorded mostly on his own label with modest commercial success. He got a big boost when Zach Braff used I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You in his 2004 film Garden State. He was born June 20, 1953 in Kilwinning, Scotland. His family moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1967. Hay formed an acoustic duo with Ron Strykert in 1978. This became Men at Work. After their success, they split up in 1986. Hay has recorded solo on his own label since 1987. I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You first appeared on Hay's 1998 album Transcendental Highway. When Zach Braff was compiling the soundtrack of his 2004 film Garden State, he looked at it as his own personal mix CD. He's a Colin Hay fan and I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You was included. The film and especially the soundtrack were very successful. Braff won a Grammy. And it got Hay a US distribution deal with Compass Records. The Garden State soundtrack is available as a budget CD. Hay continues to record regularly. His latest album I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself was released Aug. 2021. He continues to tour and appear occasionally on TV. Here's Colin Hay performing I Just don't Think I'll Get Over You at Paste Magazine in Decatur, GA. Jan. 5,2010.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Brainstorm

Artist:Brainstorm

Song:Lovin' Is Really My Game

Album:Stormin'

The band Brainstorm had brief success on the R&B charts. They only recorded three albums on Clarence Avant's Tabu label. Like all the Tabu acts, Jerry Peters produced. At the time disco was king and Brainstorm was a funk band. They were from Detroit. The lead singer was Belita Woods. Other members were Charles Overton on sax, Jeryl Bright on trombone, Larry Sims on trumpet, Trenita Womack on flute, Bob Ross on keyboards, Lamont Johnson on bass and Renell Gonsalves on drums. Lovin' Is Really My Game reached #14 on the R&B Singles chart. Woods and Womack wrote the song. A second single charted but that was about it. Brainstorm recorded three albums and split up in 1980. Stormin' is available as a digital download. Woods toured with Parliament Funkadelic in the 90s. She died in 2012. Womack joined The Funk Brothers. Sims was in Sounds of Blackness. Bright was in Cameo. Ross became smooth jazz pianist Professor RJ Ross. Johnson was a session musician. Gonsalves is the son of long time Duke Ellington sax player Paul Gonsalves. He is currently in sax player Ernie Krivda's band. Here's Brainstorm performing Lovin' Is Really My Game on Soul Train 1977.

 

The Big Topic in WMMA

We're back with a look at RIZIN NYE and Invicta and the one women's match on Saturday's UFC show. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Carman

Artist:Carman

Song:Sunday's on the Way

Album:The Absolute Best

Carman was the first CCM artist who was treated like a rock star. He was especially successful in the 80s. The 1983 single Sunday's on the Way was his first big hit. He was born Carmelo Licciardello. Jan. 19, 1956 in Trenton, NJ. As a child, he performed in his mother's band. As a teen, he performed in Atlantic City casinos. He became a born again Christian while attending an Andrae Crouch concert. After self releasing a 1980 album, Carman toured with Bill Gaither. And I'm sure Gaither taught him that he is putting on a show. Because the spectacle in Carman's shows were as important as the message to the faithful. He signed with Priority Records owned by Columbia. The 1983 album Sunday's on the Way was his second album for Priority. The single reached #5 on the Christian Singles chart. This led to a string of hits in the 80s. Carman was a strong live draw. He moved to Word's Myrrh label and scored his first number one hit with the 1985 single The Champion. He signed with EMI's Sparrow label in 1988 and later started his own label Everland to record kids music. He continued to have success in the 90s. Carman has sold over ten million albums which is great for a CCM artist. In the 00s he hosted the show Praise the Lord on Trinity Broadcasting Network. He didn't record much during that time. Carman suffered serious injuries in a Nov. 2011 car accident. Then he was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. He continued to perform until he died after hernia surgery on Feb. 16, 2021 at age 65. You can get all of his hits on this budget comp. Here's Carmen performing Sunday's on the Way.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jake Owen

Artist:Jake Owen

Song:Homemade

Album:Greetings from...Jake Owen

Country singer Jake Owen had great success with the 2011 album Barefoot Blue Jean Night. The single Barefoot Blue Jean Night topped the Country Singles chart. After four albums with RCA, Owen switched to Big Loud for the 2019 album Greetings from...Jake Owen. For one thing, his album sales decreased with each album. He also wanted to reunite with Barefoot Blue Jean Night producer Joey Moi who is a co-owner of Big Loud. The announcement of Owen's move to Big Loud was made Nov. 2017. RCA immediately released a greatest hits CD. Owen said "I am eager to work with Joey Moi again".  Owen wanted the album to be a tribute to his home state of Florida. And obviously Owen felt the album was a fresh start with a new label plus he had great success working with Moi. There were four top ten country singles from the album. Homemade was the third single. It reached #5 on the Country Singles chart. The song was written by Bobby Pinson, Drew Parker, Jared Mullins and Ben Goldsmith. Pinson has had success as a songwriter since recording a 2005 album for RCA. This album was only released as a digital download. I think the sales would have been better if it had got a CD release. Owen released the single Best Thing Since Backroads Aug. 2021. He must have a new album coming. Though there has been no announcement of a new album, Owen is touring soon. So a new album is coming soon. Here's the video for Homemade by Jake Owen.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day- Chet Baker

Artist:Chet Baker f/Ruth Young

Song:Aurumn Leaves

Album:The Incredible Chet Baker Plays and Sings

In his long career, trumpeter and singer Chet Baker recorded with all kinds of people. But fans may not know that in 1977 he recorded with Ruth Young. She was in a relationship with him at the time. Maybe you saw her in the documentary Let's Get Lost say unkind things about Baker. I guess the relationship ended badly. Ruth Young grew up in a show business family. Her father was vice president of United Artists. She went to jazz clubs with Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. Ruth got interested in singing as a child and sang at parties. She met Baker in 1973 at the Half Note in New York. He was in bad shape at the time with the lingering effects of a 1966 assault and of course his heroin addiction. Baker lived in Italy at the time. The Incredible Chet Baker Plays and Sings was recorded in Milan, Italy in 1977 on the local label Carosello. Ruth appeared on Autumn Leaves and a second song Whatever Possessed Me. The rest of the album is instrumental with Gianni Basso on tenor sax, Jacques Pelzer on flute and soprano sax, Bruce Thomas on piano, Lucio Terzano on bass and Giancarlo Pillot on drums. This album was released on CD in 1993 and is still available. This is the only time Ruth Young recorded with Baker. I guess it's a curiosity for Baker fans. Ruth recorded the 2005 album This Is Always for German producer Frank Nagel-Hayer. It looks like she still lives in Europe. Here's a video for Autumn Leaves by Chet Baker featuring Ruth Young. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jeff Bridges

Artist:Jeff Bridges

Song:Brand New Angel

Album:Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Though Jeff Bridges is mainly known as an actor, it might surprise some that he has a long history in music. So his Oscar winning performance as a singer songwriter in the 2009 film Crazy Heart shouldn't have been a surprise. He was born Dec. 4, 1949 in Los Angeles. His father was actor Lloyd Bridges and his older brother is actor Beau Bridges. While both were appearing on their dad's TV show Sea Hunt, Jeff's mom had him take piano lessons. Jeff became a movie star after appearing in the 1971 film The Last Picture Show. He continued to play music while acting. On the set of the 1980 film Heaven's Gate, Bridges played guitar with Kris Kristofferson between takes. Bridges' character in Crazy Heart was partially based on Kristofferson. He sang two songs in the 1982 animated film The Last Unicorn. He also played a musician in the 1989 film The Fabulous Baker Boys. And though he released an album in 2000, most fans may not have known Bridges could sing until Crazy Heart. He sings several songs in the film including Brand New Angel. Most of the music was written and produced by Stephen Bruton and T-Bone Burnett. Brand New Angel was written by singer songwriter Greg Brown. It appeared on his 2012 album Hymns to What Is Left. Since Crazy Heart, Bridges released a 2012 album on Blue Note which did OK. He also released an album in 2015. So though it will never be his main thing, we should see more music from Bridges in the future. Here's Jeff Bridges performing Brand New Angel in the 2009 film Crazy Heart. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Red Snapper

Artist:Red Snapper f/Beth Orton

Song:In Deep

Album:Peeled and Skinned

Red Snapper is an instrumental band that made a big splash on England's Acid Jazz scene when Beth Orton appeared on their 1994 debut EP In Deep. This led to dance club success. Guitarist David Ayers, bassist Ali Friend and drummer Richard Thair were all studio musicians. They formed Red Snapper in 1994. Beth Orton was just starting out and had appeared on recordings by producer William Orbit. This led to her appearing on Red Snapper's debut EP In Deep. She also appeared on Snapper. It was popular with trip hop fans in London clubs. It got Red Snapper enough attention to get them a deal with Warp Records. They released Red Snapper's early EPs on this album which is available as a digital download. Friend was later a member of Orton's band. After three albums, Red Snapper split up in 2002. They couldn't seem to agree on a musical direction. They reunited in 2007 and have released a couple of albums. They also continue as session musicians.  Acid Jazz fans should check out Red Snapper. Here's a video of In Deep by Red Snapper featuring Beth Orton.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shakira

Artist:Shakira f/Wyclef Jean

Song:Hips Don't Lie

Album:Oral Fixation Vol. 2

Colombian singer songwriter Shakira was known as the Queen of Latin Music when Sony decided to have her sing in English. It worked for Celine Dion. The 2006 single Hips Don't Lie was Shakira's only #1 hit. She was born Feb. 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. Shakira started writing poetry as a child. After performing locally, her manager convinced Sony Colombia to audition her. Shakira was age 13 when she signed a three record deal. It took a few years but by 2000 Shakira was the biggest singing star in Latin America. After MTV started playing her videos, Sony decided to have Gloria Estefan teach her English. Her first English album was the 2001 album Laundry Service. Shakira wrote all the songs mostly with her long time producer Lester Mendez. The lead single Whenever, Wherever reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. That was written and produced by former Bob Seger pianist Tim Mitchell. The second single Underneath Your Clothes reached #9. The album was certified 3XPlatinum and sold 13M copies worldwide. Laundry Service is Shakira's biggest selling English album. For her next album, Shakira had stockpiled 60 songs. So she decided to record a Spanish and English album. They were called Oral Fixation. The Spanish album did great. As with Laundry Service, Oral Fixation Vol. 2 was produced by Lester Mendez. But when the lead single Don't Bother only reached #42 on the Billboard Hot 100, Sony got worried and asked Wyclef Jean to write a new song for Shakira. Hips Don't Lie topped the Billboard Hot 100. It wasn't on the original album so Sony had to recall them and release a new version including Hips Don't Lie. Album sales were not as good as Laundry Service. Shakira's other big hit was that duet with Beyonce Beautiful Lie that was on a Beyonce album. The 2009 album She Wolf is Shakira's latest English album. It did not do as well as previous English albums. Her 2017 album El Dorado is mostly in Spanish with a couple of English songs. I expect she will continue in that direction. Of course Shakira is still a big live draw. She appeared on the 2020 Super Bowl with Jennifer Lopez. And she will be a judge on NBC's upcoming dance competition show Dancing with Myself. Here's the video for Hips Don't Lie by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Matt Ulery

Artist:Matt Ulery

Song:Dark Harvest

Album:By a Little Light

Bassist Matt Ulery started out as a sideman on the Chicago jazz scene. He has recorded as a leader since 2006. And in recent years he has recorded a kind of chamber jazz that is atmospheric and includes horns and strings. Ulery was a sideman as a teen with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Tim Hagans and others. He earned a bachelor's degree in composition at Roosevelt University. In 2006 he started Matt Ulery's Loom with Geof Bradfield and Marquis Hill. They recorded three albums. In 2009 Ulery tested his chamber jazz concept by adding strings for the album Themes and Sciences. He expanded this to include horns on the 2012 album By a Little Light distributed by Dave Douglas' Greenleaf label. Douglas even produced a music video to promote the album. The music is not typical jazz so it's not an easy sell. I'm not crazy about it. After two albums on Greenleaf, Ulery has recorded on his own label. His latest album Pollinator was released in 2020. It has horns but no strings. Maybe Ulery has given up on the chamber music concept. But I think he just likes to experiment with different band types and will return to chamber music in the future. Here's the video for Dark Harvest by Matt Ulery.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Florence + The Machine

Artist:Florence + The Machine

Song:Dog Days Are Over

Album:Lungs

The 2010 single Dog Days Are Over is the biggest international hit for the British group Florence + The Machine. They have had greater success in England because the BBC got behind them. Florence Welch and Isabella Summers started performing together as teens. Isabella's nickname is Machine so that's where the band name is from. Florence is lead singer and main songwriter. Isabella plays keyboards and produces. Other members were Robert Ackroyd on guitar, Tom Monger on harp and xylophone and Christopher Lloyd Hayden on drums. Bassist Mark Saunders was added in 2009. Florence + The Machine signed with Island and released the album Lungs in 2008. They were on Universal Republic in the US. Dog Days Are Over was the second single. Universal promoted the single by placing it in the TV series Gossip Girl. The song charted in England. Universal re-released Dog Days Are Over in 2010 with a new video. After MTV played the video and Florence + The Machine performed Dog Days Are Over on the MTV Music Video Awards, the single reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lungs sold over three million copies worldwide. It is their best selling album to date. The band continues to have chart success in England. Florence + The Machine's first three albums topped the British charts. And the 2012 single Spectrum (Say My Name) topped the British singles chart. Lungs is available as a budget CD.  After three albums for Island, the 2018 album High as Hope was released on Virgin EMI. Saunders and Hayden were replaced by Cyrus Bayandor and Loren Humphrey. Though Florence + The Machine plan to tour and released a single Call Me Cruella from last summer's film Cruella, there is no news on a new album though one is expected. Here's the video for Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Luka Bloom

Artist:Luka Bloom

Song:City of Chicago

Album:Innocence

Luka Bloom is an Irish singer songwriter. Though he is steeped in the tradition of Irish folk music, he prefers to write his own songs. He was born Kevin Barry Moore May 23, 1955 in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. He is the younger brother of folksinger Christy Moore. At age 14, Barry Moore toured with his brother. Christy recorded one of his songs in 1976. Moore released his debut album in 1978. Tendinitis forced him to alter his guitar playing style. Moore moved to The Netherlands in 1980. Moore recorded two more albums and led the band Red Square. Then he moved to New York and resurfaced as Luka Bloom. Luka is from the Suzanne Vega song. Bloom is the main character in James Joyce's Ulysses. Since then he has gone back and forth between the US and Ireland. Though Bloom recorded for Reprise early in his career, he has mostly recorded for his own Big Sky label. City of Chicago is from Bloom's 2005 album Innocence. Those who enjoy singer songwriters will enjoy him. His latest album Out of the Blue is instrumental. Here's Luka Bloom performing City of Chicago at Hotel Doolin in Dublin, Ireland Aug. 2018.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Seika Izawa vs Ayaka Hamasaki

Here's the match video of Ayaka Hamasaki defending her RIZIN Super Atomweight Championship vs Seika Izawa on the RIZIN New Year's Eve show. Of course Ayaka is a 39 year old veteran fighter. She trains at AACC. Megumi Fujji was in her corner for this fight as there was a 20th anniversary party at AACC recently. Seika is 24 years old. She trains at Takamoto Dojo. Her record is 4-0. She got this title shot by beating Si Woo Park on the Oct. 23 DEEP show. I don't think most fans are familiar with her as this was her first appearance on a RIZIN show. Ayaka was heavily favored. Round one was back and forth. Both fighters spent time in top position with little progress. But I thought Ayaka had more control so I gave her round one 10-9. Round two was looking to be similar. Ayaka was in top position. A couple of upkicks gave Seika an opening to apply a triangle choke. Instead of trying to finish Ayaka with that, Seika turned her over and pounded her until the fight was stopped. Seika Izawa is your new RIZIN Super Atomweight Champion. That was a slick move for a young fighter. But I expect we will see a rematch as some might look at the finish as a little fluky. Even veteran fighters get caught sometimes. Happy New Year to you all and enjoy the video.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Burns

Artist:David Burns

Song:Esther

Album:Two's Company:Original Cast

Actor David Burns was a top "second banana" in Broadway musicals. He was never a star but he usually had a featured song. He won two Tony awards. The 1953 show Two's Company is interesting because it was Bette Davis' only Broadway appearance. Burns was born June 22,1902 in New York City. He first appeared in the 1921 Broadway show Polly Preferred and went to London with the show. His first musical was Face the Music in 1932. He moved to Hollywood in 1934 doing mostly bit parts. He returned to Broadway in the 40s and appeared in Pal Joey and Oklahoma. The 1953 show Two's Company was built as a vehicle for Bette Davis when she wasn't happy with the movies she was offered after the success of All About Eve. Two's Company was a series of sketches written by Charles Sherman and Peter Devries with songs by Vernon Duke, Ogden Nash and Sammy Cahn. Despite poor reviews, the show did well until Bette was forced to pull out due to jaw surgery. Burns was among several second bananas who appeared in the show. RCA released a cast album which is available on CD from Sony Masterworks. Burns continued to appear on Broadway. He won Tonys for The Music Man and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He also won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in the 1971 Hallmark Hall of Fame special The Price. David Burns died of a heart attack on Mar. 12, 1971 at age 68. He was on stage in Philadelphia performing in a trial run of the musical 70, Girls, 70. Here's a video of Esther by David Burns from Two's Company. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Matthew Ward

Artist:Matthew Ward

Song:Red and Yellow, Black and White

Album:Armed and Dangerous

As a member of 2nd Chapter of Acts, Matthew Ward was a pioneer of CCM. It was called Jesus music in the 70s. The 1988 album Armed and Dangerous was Ward's first solo album after they split up. He continued to record in the 90s. He was born Feb. 15, 1958 in Grand Forks, ND. One of nine siblings, he grew up on the family farm until his mother died in 1968 and his father died in 1970. Ward and sister Nellie were taken in by older sister Annie and record producer husband Buck Herring. They were discovered by Pat Boone and then Barry McGuire signed them to a record deal as 2nd Chapter of Acts. That group played a big part in establishing CCM as a viable market. After 2nd Chapter of Acts ended in 1986, Ward released the 1988 album Armed and Dangerous on his own label with Benson distribution. Ward wrote, produced and arranged the album with 2nd Chapter of Acts pianist Jim Tenneboe. Dann Huff played guitar and he's in the video. This album is available as a digital download. Ward recorded six albums in the 90s. He last recorded in 2000. He has had a long career as a background singer with Donna Summer and LeAnn Rimes and others. And Ward is also a cancer survivor. Here's Matthew Ward performing Red and Yellow, Black and White. My guess is it was shot in 1988. Watch the first half. The second half seems to be the same footage with no sound.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Buille

Artist:Buille

Song:1st of August

Album:Buille

Niall Vallely is an Irish musician who plays the concertina which is a miniature accordion. He is mainly a sideman but he does record solo albums. He formed Buille in 2007 with pianist brother Ciaoihmin Vallely and guitarist Paul Meehan. They did tour and record a second album. But I don't think the band was supposed to be a long term project. Vallely was born in 1970 Armagh, Northern Ireland. His parents founded the Armagh Piper's Club. But Vallely decided to play the concertina. His brother Cillian is a piper and his other brother Ciaoihmin plays piano. Vallely graduated in 1992 with a degree in music from University College, Cork. After his band Nomos released a couple of albums, Vallely made his debut solo record in 1999. He also records with his singer wife Karan Casey. Vallely composed the music for the BBC series Flight of the Earls. He released the 2007 album Buille on the Irish label Vertical and Compass in the US. In addition to Ciaoihmin and Meehan, it also features Brian Morrissey on bodhran and other special guests. It went well enough that Buille released a second album in 2009. Since then Vallely has appeared as a sideman. But I am sure he will record as a leader in the future. Irish music fans should check out Buille. Here's Buille performing 1st of August on BBC's Blackstaff Sessions Feb. 2007.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Huggy Bear

Artist:Huggy Bear

Song:Her Jazz

Album:Takng the Rough with the Smooch

Though they weren't an all girl band, Huggy Bear were firmly part of the early 90s "riot girrl" movement led by Bikini Kill. In fact, Huggy Bear opened for Bikini Kill on a British tour. As you will see in this video, Huggy Bear exhibited bad behavior that led to them disbanding. Huggy Bear were from Brighton, England. Niki Eliot was lead singer and played bass. Other members were Jo Johnson and Jon Slade on guitar, Chris Rowley on piano and Karen Hill on drums. They refused to be photographed or interviewed. And when major labels came calling, they wouldn't talk to them. They released a few singles including Her Jazz. They performed this on the TV show The Word. And as you will see, the band was ejected from the studio. After releasing an album on Kill Rock Stars, Huggy Bear faded away. This CD is a collection of singles. Here's Huggy Bear performing Her Jazz on The Word Feb. 1993. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clannad

Artist:Clannad

Song:Theme From Harry's Game

Album:The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime

Clannad has been a very popular Irish folk group since the 70s. The 1982 single Theme From Harry's Game was a top five hit in England. And it got them success in the US when it was used in the 1993 film Patriot Games. Clannad is a family group from Gweedore, Ireland in 1970 by siblings Ciarin, Poi and Maire Brennan along with twin uncles Noel and Padraig Duggan. Their father Leo Brennan was in an Irish showband and owned a local pub. After winning a 1973 folk festival, Clannad signed with Philips Records. They represented Ireland in the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest. Sister Enya Brennan was added in 1980. Clannad signed with RCA in 1982. Theme From Harry's Game is from the 1982 album Magical Ring. It played over the end credits of the Yorkshire Television miniseries Harry's Game. It reached #5 on the British Singles chart. Maire's haunting vocals are in Irish. It is to date the only British hit single to be sung in Irish. Clannad continued to have chart success in the 80s. But after Theme From Harry's Game appeared in the 1993 film Patriot Games plus a Volkswagen commercial, there was interest in Clannad in the US. Though there were other film opportunities, Clannad wasn't getting along with their label at the time Atlantic. So the 1997 album Landmarks was Clannad's final album. This budget comp covers their entire career. Clannad has reunited occasionally. A farewell tour was postponed by COVID-19. Here's the video for Theme From Harry's Game by Clannad.

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