AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Anne Wilson

Artist:Anne Wilson

Song:My Jesus

Album:My Jesus

Anne Wilson made a big splash when her 2021 debut single My Jesus topped the Christian charts. Though Anne looks like a country singer on her album cover, her music is Hillsong influenced Praise & Worship (P&W). She was born Feb. 21, 2002 in Lexington, KY. She took piano lessons as a child. After her brother died in a 2017 car accident, she sang Hillsong's What a Beautiful Name at his funeral. My Jesus is dedicated to his memory. When the video of her performance started circulating on YouTube, Anne signed with Capitol's CCM label Sparrow Records. My Jesus was the first single in 2021. The album was released 2022. The single topped the Christian charts and subsequent singles also charted. The album topped the Christian chart too. Anne wrote all the songs on the album with co-writers. She wrote My Jesus with CCM singer songwriter Matthew West and Jeff Pardo. It was produced by Jonathan Smith. Both appear to be Sparrow house producers. Pardo played keyboards on the album and Smith played guitar. Special guests are Hillary Scott of Lady A and Crowder. Anne toured to support the album. She released a Christmas EP The Manger late last year and a single was released early this year. So she may have a new album coming. We'll see if she continues on the P&W path or tries something different to maybe crossover to pop. Here's the video for My Jesus by Anne Wilson. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-NEEDTOBREATHE

Artist:NEEDTOBREATHE

Song:Lay "Em Down

Album:The Outsiders

NEEDTOBREATHE are a very successful CCM band. They have had a lot of success on the Christian charts but not much crossover to pop despite being on a major label. NEEDTOBREATHE is from Seneca, SC led by lead singer Bear Rhinehart and brother and lead guitarist Bo Rhinehart. They are PKs meaning their father is a pastor. They started performing in coffeehouses in Greenville, SC where Bear was attending Furman University. Bear was a wide receiver on the football team and won the 2002 Banks McFadden trophy as South Carolina player of the year. After graduating, they formed NEEDTOBREATHE with Seth Bolt on bass and Joe Stillwell on drums. The band name was based on a Socrates parable seeking God. They recorded at Bolt's recording studio. And after self releasing an album and several EPs, they signed with Atlantic's Lava label and the CCM label Sparrow. When Lava switched distributors to Universal, NEEDTOBREATHE remained with Atlantic and CCM distribution switched to Word. So obviously Atlantic saw mainstream potential in NEEDTOBREATHE. They have done very well on the Christian charts. But they haven't crossed over to pop the way Atlantic had hoped. They recorded six albums for Atlantic. Lay "Em Down is from the 2009 album The Outsiders. It's their best selling album to date as it was certified Gold. Lay 'Em Down reached #8 on the Christian Singles chart. The Rhinehart brothers write and produce all the songs. Stillwell left in 2012 and was replaced by Randall Harris. The Rhinehart brothers weren't getting along. They got into a fight in 2014 that sent one of them to the hospital. They did make up though Bo left the band in 2020. Meanwhile for the 2020 album Out of Body, NEEDTOBREATHE was moved to Elektra and Centricity. This was Bo Rhinehart's final album for NEEDTOBREATHE. He was replaced by Tyler Burkum. They have a new album called Caves coming this fall. Here's the video for Lay 'Em Down by NEEDTOBREATHE. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Oliver Tree

Artist:Oliver Tree

Song:Hurt

Album:Ugly Is Beautiful

Singer songwriter Oliver Tree's music is a mix of indie rock and dance beats. Most of his success to date has been online. But now that he's on a major label, he could have chart success. He was born Oliver Tree Nickell June 29, 1993 in Santa Cruz, CA. He first recorded as Tree in 2010. He sent out demos to producers and then he self released the album Splitting Branches which led to a deal with the Belgian label R&S Records. After releasing the 2013 EP Demons, Nickell decided to return to school and study music technology at California Institute of the Arts. After graduating, Nickell signed with Atlantic Records and released the 2018 EP Alien Boy as Oliver Tree. He directs his own videos as he writes and directs comedy. Nickell toured to support the EP. Hurt was first released as a single in 2018. Then it appeared on the 2019 EP Do You Feel Me? and then the 2020 album Ugly Is Beautiful. Nickell wrote and produced Hurt with Ethan "Whethan" Snorek who is also signed to Atlantic. These two have worked together on several songs. Hurt reached #4 on the Alternative Airplay chart. This album was only released as a digital download. Nickell released his latest album Cowboys Don't Cry last year. He recently released a new single which indicates that a new album is coming. Here's the video for Hurt by Oliver Tree. This video is on YouTube but a content warning prevents me from embedding it on the blog. So I got it from Facebook.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Bianca Belair

Here's the match video of Bianca Belair defending her WWE RAW Women's Championship against Asuka from yesterday's Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. I don't usually watch the Saudi shows but I thought Asuka would win so I had to watch it. She should have won at WrestleMania except for the WWE's stupid obsession with record setting title reigns. Now that Bianca has set that record, she can drop the title. Ugh! The match was very similar to the WM match. It's pretty good and well worth watching. Obviously Asuka was supposed to miss with the poison mist. But then she loaded the liquid to her hand. And while in Bianca's KOD, Asuka gouged Bianca's eyes with the liquid. The ref didn't see it and after a couple of kicks to the head, Asuka won the match. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Electronic

Artist:Electronic

Song:For You

Album:Get the Message: The Best of Electronic

Electronic is sometimes mislabeled as a supergroup. For one thing, it's not really a band. Bernard Sumner took over Joy Division after Ian Curtis died and renamed them New Order. Johnny Marr was guitarist for The Smiths. They met when Marr played on something Sumner was producing. When Sumner was having problems with New Order in 1988, he decided to record a solo album. When he didn't enjoy working alone, he asked Marr for help. Sumner's original plan was to release electronic music anonymously on Factory Records with a white label. They released a single Lucky Bag by Electronic. When Pet Shop Boys lead singer Neil Tennant heard about this project, he wanted in and he brought Pet Shop Boys keyboardist Chris Lowe with him. When Electronic's 1989 debut single Getting Away with It was a top 20 hit in England and top 40 in the US, Electronic went on tour and went in a more commercial direction. Electronic signed with Parlophone in England and Warner Bros. in the US. The 1991 album Electronic was certified Gold in England. It did well in the US on the dance and alternative charts. After Sumner recorded a New Order album, he got together with Marr to work on a second Electronic album. Tennant wasn't involved in this album so they brought in Karl Bartos formerly with Kraftwerk. He was calling himself Elektric Music but he was also working as a musician for hire. He is friends with Sumner. Bartos co-wrote six of the songs including For You. That reached #16 on the British Singles chart and the album was certified Silver. For the 1999 album Twisted Tenderness, Electronic brought in Doves bassist Jimi Goodwin and Black Grape drummer Ged Lynch. When that album didn't do as well as previous albums, Marr and Sumner decided not to continue Electronic. This comp is available as a digital download. They weren't touring anymore anyway. Marr has had a couple of bands but he has recorded solo since 2011. Sumner continues to record with New Order. Here's the video for For You by Electronic. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marissa Jaret Winokur

Artist:Marissa Jaret Winokur f/Harvey Fierstein

Song:Welcome to the 60s

Album:Hairspray: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Marissa Jaret Winokur won a Tony for playing Tracy Turnblad in the 2002 Broadway musical of John Waters' cult film Hairspray. Of course it was turned into a successful film but this is where it started. This was Marissa's only Broadway appearance. Since then she has appeared mostly on TV. She was born Feb. 2, 1973 in New York City. She was a cheerleader in high school and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Though she appeared in a few small film roles, Hairspray was her first major role in anything. Producer Margo Lion got the idea of turning Hairspray into a musical after watching the 1988 film on TV. She hired Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman to write the music. She wanted Rob Marshall to direct but he was going to direct the film Chicago. But he agreed to help with the early development of the show. Marshall remembered seeing Marissa in the film American Beauty and she got the role of Tracy. Harvey Fierstein played her mother Edna Turnblad. Of course the show was a big success and was nominated for 13 Tony Awards. Marissa won a Best Actress Tony. The original cast is available as a budget CD. It is to date Marissa's only major Broadway appearance. She has mostly appeared on TV. Her most notable appearance was on season six of Dancing with the Stars. She made the semi finals. Marissa co-starred with Pamela Anderson in the Fox TV series Stacked. The show premiered Oct. 2005 and was cancelled Jan. 2006. She hosted the first season of the Oxygen Network's competition series Dance Your Ass Off. She was a host on the CBS daytime talk show The Talk. But I guess she didn't like it as she left after a couple of months. More recently she won the 2018 season of Celebrity Big Brother. She has had a recurring role on the FX series What We Do in the Shadows. Marissa is married to King of the Hill and American Dad! producer Judah Miller and she has done voices on both shows. They have a son. Here's Marissa Jaret Winokur featuring Harvey Fierstein performing Welcome to the 60s from Hairspray. It looks pretty good for a Proshot video.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Don Stiernberg

Artist:Don Stiernberg

Song:Topsy

Album:Swing 220

Don Stiernberg is a leading proponent of jazz mandolin. Most music fans should be familiar with the mandolin in country, folk and bluegrass. From what I can tell, Stiernberg is about the only one playing jazz on the mandolin. He was born Feb. 11, 1956 in Chicago. He was taught to play mandolin by Jethro Burns of the popular comedy act Homer and Jethro. Apparently Burns was running radio commercials in Chicago for mandolin lessons and Stiernberg's parents made him go. It turned out to be the best decision Stiernberg ever made as it has turned into a fifty year music career. At first Stiernberg was in the bluegrass band The Morgan Brothers with his brother John Stiernberg on banjo. Then he toured with Jethro Burns in the 80s. Stiernberg first recorded as a leader in 1992 mostly on his own label with CD Baby distribution. This version of the Benny Goodman standard Topsy is from Stiernberg's 2010 album Swing 220 with former Woody Herman bassist Rusty Holloway and veteran sideman Jeff Jenkins on keyboards. Stiernberg last recorded in 2013 but he still tours and like his mentor Jethro Burns he teaches mandolin to future generations. Here's Don Stiernberg with Trio Vibracao with Oliver Waitze on guitar, Jesper Rubner-Petersen on mandolin and Max Schaaf on bass performing Topsy at New Acoustic Gallery in Germany Nov. 13, 2011.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmy Clanton

Artist:Jimmy Clanton

Song:Just a Dream

Album:Go Jimmy Go: The Very Best of Jimmy Clanton

Though he is usually lumped in with the Teen Idols of the late 50s, Jimmy Clanton was a Louisiana swamp rocker who was handsome enough to be a Teen Idol. Clanton wrote his own songs including his biggest hit Just a Dream. He was born Sept. 2, 1938 in Cut Off, LA which is near Baton Rouge. He led a band in high school. Clanton's big influences were Fats Domino and Johnny Ace. His big rivals on the local music scene were John Fred who went on to lead John Fred and the Playboys and Johnny Ramistella who would become Johnny Rivers. Clanton formed Jimmy Clanton and the Rockets with pianist Dick Holler and they went to New Orleans to see Ace Records owner Cosimo Matassa. Just a Dream was Clanton's second single in 1958 and it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it topped the R&B Singles chart. Clanton wrote all his own songs. His other top ten hits were Go, Jimmy, Go in 1959 and Venus in Blue Jeans in 1962. Clanton also appeared in the 1958 film Go, Johnny Go!. Clanton cooled off for two reasons. He was drafted into the US Army in 1961. Upon his return, Beatlemania was upon us. So that was it for any of the Teen Idols from that era. You can get all of Clanton's hits on this budget comp from the British label Westbound. After leaving Ace in 1962, Clanton recorded for Philips, Imperial and Laurie. He became a DJ in the 70s and started touring the oldies circuit. Today he is a minister. Here's Jimmy Clanton performing Just a Dream on the TV show Country Music Reunion 1991.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Elton John

Artist:Elton John f/Dua Lipa

Song:Cold Heart

Album:The Lockdown Sessions

When Elton John's farewell tour was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to record an album of collaborations and call it The Lockdown Sessions. Cold Heart was the first single and it was John's biggest hit in years. John said that recording this album brought him back to his early days as a session musician. There were sixteen songs on the album and about half were previously released. Among the artists on the new recordings were Dua Lipa, Young Thug, Nicki Minaj, Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile, Jimmie Allen, Eddie Vedder, Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder and Glen Campbell. Obviously the Glen Campbell song was with an old recording. Most of the album was produced by Andrew Watt who has worked with Miley Cyrus among others. Cold Heart was the first single recorded with singer Dua Lipa. The record was written and produced by the Australian production team known as Pnau (Nicholas Littlemore, Peter Mayes, Sam Littlemore). They had worked with Elton John in the past. It interpolates several Elton John songs. But the most obvious is Dua Lipa singing the chorus of Rocket Man. The use of Rocket Man was a very smart decision that made this song a hit. Cold Heart topped the British Singles chart and reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was Elton John's first big hit single in years. With the end of the pandemic, Elton John has resumed his farewell tour which is supposed to wrap up later this year. Here's the video for Cold Heart by Elton John featuring Dua Lipa. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Choclair

Artist:Choclair f/Saukrates

Song:Let's Ride

Album:Ice Cold

Rapper Kareem "Choclair" Blake had success in his native Canada. The 1999 single Let's Ride was his biggest hit. He was born Mar. 27, 1975 in Scarborough, ON which is an east Toronto suburb. His parents are Jamaican. He started rapping in high school as Choclair. After releasing a single and an EP independently, Blake signed with Virgin's Priority label. He appeared on Rascalz 1997 single Northern Touch. The album Ice Cold was released in 1999. Let's Ride was the first single. It reached #38 on the Canadian Singles chart, #19 on the Canadian Dance/Urban chart and #37 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart. Blake wrote the song with rapper Saukrates who appears on the record. It was produced by rapper Kardinal Offishall. He produced four tracks on the album. Saukrates and Solitair also produced. Guests include Guru, Rascalz, Jully Black, Memphis Bleek and Rahzel. This album is available as a budget CD. Blake won a Best Rap Recording Juno award. When Blake's 2002 album Memoirs of Blake Savage didn't do as well, he left Virgin. Since then Blake released the 2003 album Flagrant on his own label with EMI distribution and then a couple of independent albums. Blake last released an album in 2006 but he still releases occasional singles. Here's the video for Let's Ride by Choclair featuring Saukrates. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Luciano

Artist:Luciano f/The Jungle Brothers

Song:Who Could It Be

Album:Where There Is Life

The 1995 album Where There Is Life and the single Who Could It Be was an attempt to market Jamaican singer Jepther "Luciano" McClymont to an international audience. He was already a star in Jamaica. He was born Oct. 20, 1964 in Davyton, Jamaica. He grew up singing in church and moved to Kingston to become a professional singer. He started recording in the early 90s and was given the name Luciano by a record producer. Luciano scored a #1 hit in England with the 1993 single Shake It Up Tonight. But he seemed to have his greatest success working with Xtermintor Records owner Philip "Fatis" Burrell with singles like Chant Out and Pure and Simple in 1993. Island Records owner Chris Blackwell approached Burrell about recording a Luciano album that could be marketed internationally. The result was the 1995 album Where There Is Life featuring the single Who Could It Be featuring rappers The Jungle Brothers. Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare played on the album and Dancehall singer Terror Fabulous was a guest artist. This album is available as a budget CD. Luciano continued to work with Burrell until 1999. Luciano has since recorded for Jet Star and VP Records. His 2001 album A New Day was nominated for a Grammy. That album was produced by veteran saxophonist Dean Fraser. Luciano continues to work with Fraser and Sly and Robbie. His latest album was released in 2020 and he is currently on tour. Here's the video for Who Could It Be by Luciano featuring The Jungle Brothers.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Natalia Silva vs Victoria Leonardo

Here's the fight video of Natalia Silva vs Victoria Leonardo from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Natalia is 26 years old from Minas Gerais, Brazil. She trains at Team Borracha with coach Carlos Borracha. UFC Middleweight Paulo Costa is a co-owner of this gym. Natalia is 2-0 in the UFC and she won her last fight with a highlight reel spinning back kick. Victoria is 33 years old originally from New Jersey. She trains at Elite Combat Academy in Shreveport, LA with her husband Brent Mason. She got to the UFC through Contender Series. She has gone 1-2 in the UFC. She is completely outclassed in this fight. Natalia is so much quicker and wins easily with a first round TKO. Obviously Natalia has potential. And she has charisma too. But I would like to see her face better competition. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs Vanessa Demopoulos

Here's the fight video for Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs Vanessa Demopoulos from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Karolina is 37 years old from Lodz, Poland. She is a former title challenger. A couple of years ago, she was on a five fight losing streak probably heading for retirement. But since moving to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL, she has won two fights and even won one by submission. She is mainly a striker. Vanessa is 34 years old from Columbus, OH but she now trains with Marc Montoya at Factory X in Denver. She is 3-1 in the UFC but Karolina is a step up from previous opponents. Vanessa missed weight and she just didn't look good in this fight. So Karolina won easily by unanimous decision. It remains to be seen if she can get back into the title picture.  

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Loopy Godinez vs Emily Ducote

Here's the fight video for Loopy Godinez vs Emily Ducote from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at a 120lb catchweight. Loopy was a short notice replacement for Polyana Viana. Loopy was born in Mexico but she trains at Titan MMA in Langley, BC. She's 4-3 in the UFC. She is 29 years old. Emily is also 29. She trains at American Top Team in Oklahoma City with coach Giuliano Gallupi. She was 4-4 in Bellator as a Flyweight. She is 1-1 in the UFC as a Strawweight. This fight reminded me of when Loopy beat Loma Lookboonme. Loopy came into that fight as a late replacement and Loma looked like she didn't want to be there. I thought the same about this fight. It wasn't that Loopy looked good. It's that Emily looked awful. Look, Loopy will fight whenever she is asked. So the UFC will keep her around. She's probably a midcard fighter at best. If Emily continues to perform like that, she won't last very long. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Mackenzie Dern vs Angela Hill

Here's the fight video of Mackenzie Dern vs Angela Hill from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. This was supposed to be on last week's show. But when Irene Aldana replaced Julianna Pena in the upcoming Bantamweight title shot, this fight was moved to the main event of this show. So the fight is five rounds. Mackenzie is 30 years old originally from Phoenix. She trains with noted striking coach Jason Parillo in Huntington Beach, CA. Mackenzie is a former BJJ world champ. So once she gets a takedown, she can finish. It's getting that takedown that can be a problem. She is 7-3 in the UFC. But when she lost her last fight by majority decision to Yan Xiaonan, she lost a chance at a title shot. So she needs to win this fight to get back in the title picture. Angela is 38 years old. She trains at Alliance in San Diego. Angela is a kickboxer with zero ground skills. She is 10-12 in the UFC. I thought that Angela trying to keep the fight standing for five rounds was a very tall order. So I was not surprised that Mackenzie dominated this fight. Three of the five rounds were 10-8 for Mackenzie. She came close to a finish in all three rounds but ran out of time. Angela won round two 10-9 and Mackenzie won round three 10-9. So I scored the fight 50-43 for Mackenzie. It was probably her best UFC performance. She said afterwards that she would like to fight former champ Rose Namajunas. Obviously a win over a former champ would get Mackenzie a title shot. We'll see but she sure looked great last night. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Daniel Bedingfield

Artist:Daniel Bedingfield

Song:If You're Not the One

Album:Gotta Get Thru This

Singer songwriter Daniel Bedingfield made a big splash especially in England with his 2001 album Gotta Get Thru This. When his second album didn't do nearly as well, he got into writing and producing for others and he is still doing that. He was born Dec. 3, 1979 in Auckland, New Zealand but he grew up in London, England. His sisters are singers Natasha Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle. They started as a group called DNA Algorhythm. Bedingfield recorded the song Gotta Get Thru This in his bedroom with a microphone plugged into his computer. When the single topped the British charts, Bedingfield signed with Polydor Records. When the album started to take off, Universal released it on Island in the US. Gotta Get Thru This and If You're Not the One were the two big hits. Both Gotta Get Thru This and If You're Not the One topped the British Singles chart. Gotta Get Thru This reached #10 and If You're Not the One reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified 5XPlatinum in England and Gold in the US. Bedingfield wrote all the songs and worked with several producers. If You're Not the One was produced by Mark Taylor. The song is deliberately sappy because Bedingfield thought that would make it a hit. The album is available as a digital download. When Bedingfield's 2004 album Second First Impression didn't do nearly as well, he decided to go on hiatus. Since then he has released a couple of EPs and some singles. He also nearly died in a 2004 car accident. His songs have been recorded by others. Here's the video for If You're Not the One by Daniel Bedingfield.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Zelina Vega

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Zelina Vega from last night's episode of Smackdown. Obviously this match is to set up Bianca Belair defending her RAW Women's Championship. Last week Asuka interrupted Bianca's celebration in her home town of Knoxville with poison mist. There are two problems with this match. One is half the match was during the commercial break. The second is Zelina is such a bad wrestler that even Asuka had a tough time getting a decent match out of her. I understand she got a big babyface reaction in Puerto Rico and they have to follow up on that. But Zelina was given way too much offense. They should have had Asuka destroy her and then finish her with the Rings of Saturn. Maybe then fans would boo Asuka. When Asuka wouldn't let go of her finisher, Bianca came out for the save and Asuka teased the poison mist. Next week's Smackdown was taped last night as everyone will be in Saudi Arabia for next Saturday's show. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Say Anything

Artist:Say Anything

Song:Shiksa (Girlfriend)

Album:In Defense of the Genre

Say Anything is an indie band who have had modest success. The 2007 album In Defense of the Genre is their most successful to date. Say Anything is from Los Angeles led by lead singer and main songwriter Max Bemis. Say Anything is a one man band as the other members are disposable. Bemis formed Say Anything in 2000 with four friends that he knew in high school. The only one who remained in the band for any length of time was drummer Cody Linder and he left in 2012. After self releasing a couple of EPs and an album, record labels came calling. Say Anything signed with the indie label Doghouse Records. So the big problem with Bemis is he is bipolar. That's why band members don't stay. He had a breakdown while recording Say Anything's debut album. After his recovery, they released the 2004 album ...Is a Real Boy. The album got enough rave reviews that Say Anything signed with the Sony label J Records. That's always a double edged sword for an indie band as they risk alienating their fanbase. Bemis was just looking to make more money. But there were still problems with his mental illness and drug addiction. He had another breakdown in 2005 and Say Anything was forced to cancel a tour and delay the album. The album In Defense of the Genre was released Oct. 2007. Bemis brought Brad Wood in to produce. He is best known for his work with Liz Phair. The album was well received. Say Anything toured to support it. J even added the ...Is a Real Boy album on a second CD. But there were no hit singles and sales were disappointing. BTW, Shiksa is a Yiddish word for Gentile girls. Bemis is Jewish. When Sony closed J, Say Anything was moved to RCA for the 2009 album Say Anything. This was produced by Neal Avron. This album didn't sell either and RCA dropped Say Anything. Since then Say Anything has recorded for the indie labels Equal Vision and Dine Alone. Bemis announced that Say Anything was disbanding in 2018. He announced a few months ago that they will be reuniting for one show. Here's the video for Shiksa (Girlfriend) by Say Anything. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-COIN

Artist:COIN

Song:Talk Too Much

Album:How Will You Know If You Never Try

The 2016 single Talk Too Much is to date the only chart single for the indie pop band COIN. They were on a major label at the time but not anymore. Lead singer and keyboardist Chase Lawrence, guitarist Joe Memmel, bassist Zachary Dyke and drummer Ryan Winnen were all students at Belmont University in Nashville. Lawrence and Memmel were classmates in music theory and they frequently sat next to each other. They decided to work together and Dyke and Winnen were introduced to them by mutual friends. They released music on the internet so promoters would book them and started playing local clubs. They released a couple of EPs and got a deal with Columbia. Their 2015 debut album COIN was produced by Jay Joyce. When the album was a sales disappointment, the band decided to produce the 2016 album How Will You Know If You Never Try themselves. The single Talk Too Much reached #8 on the Alternative Rock chart. They brought in Tim Pagnotta of the band Sugarcult to produce. He produced four songs. Recording engineer Andrew Maury produced the rest of the album. When the album was again a sales disappointment, Columbia dropped them. Since then COIN released an album on their own label. And their latest album Uncanny Valley was released last year on the indie label 10K Projects with Virgin distribution. There's nothing wrong with COIN except for a generic name and music. Talk Too Much has a strong hook but they may not be distinctive enough to get anywhere. Here's the video for Talk Too Much by COIN.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Toni Storm and Ruby Soho vs Hikaru Shida and Britt Baker

Here's the match video of Toni Storm and Ruby Soho vs Hikaru Shida and Britt Baker from last night's episode of AEW Dynamite. This was supposed to be a six woman match with Jamie Hayter and Saraya added to each side. But AEW announced before the show that Jamie was "not medically cleared" to compete. Jamie was not there and Saraya was. My guess is it's a phony injury and this was always planned to be a standard tag team match with Saraya interfering at the finish. The big news is Hikaru's return to Dynamite with new gear and music. She makes her own gear and the music is by a guy who also works with the Makai theater group. BTW, Hikaru just returned from doing a Makai show in Japan and she also appeared on an OZ Academy show. And I will repeat that it is in her contract that she can return to Japan for Makai shows. The match is better than average. Hikaru looked great as she always does. The finish with Saraya getting on the apron and handing Toni a can of spray paint which she used in Britt to get the win made the ref look like a moron. AEW's habit of making their refs look stupid is one of my biggest pet peeves and one of the main reasons I don't watch the show anymore. I watched the Blue Jays game last night. But I thought Hikaru's fans would like to see her new gear. They announced afterwards that Toni will get a title shot at All In which is the main reason I think Jamie's injury is phony. If the injury is real, they can't be sure she will recover in time. Details, details. AEW's new Saturday show was announced yesterday. I don't even know if it will air in Canada. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Framing Hanley

Artist:Framing Hanley

Song:Lollipop

Album:The Moment: Deluxe Edition

This 2008 cover of the Lil Wayne hit Lollipop is to date the only chart single for the indie band Framing Hanley. Their music is a mix of emo and hard rock. They were called Embers Fade when they formed in Nashville in 2005. Bassist Luke McDuffee and drummer Chris Vest were high school friends. They met lead singer Kenneth Nixon upon entering college. Then guitarists Brandon Wooten and Tim Huskinson joined. A couple of demos got the attention of former Creed bassist Brett Hestla. He got them a record deal with Silent Majority Group owned by former Creed lead singer Jeff Hanson with Warner Music distribution. The name Framing Hanley is a tribute to a friend who died in a 2006 car accident. Their debut album The Moment was released in 2008. After Huskinson was replaced by Ryan Belcher, Framing Hanley recorded a hard rock cover of the Lil Wayne hit Lollipop. After it got a million plays on MySpace, it was released as a single and reached #22 on the Alternative Rock chart. Lollipop was added to the 2009 Deluxe Edition of The Moment. It is their biggest hit to date. They left Silent Majority after the 2010 album A Promise to Burn. They raised the money for the 2014 album The Sum of Who We Are through Kickstarter. Then they went on hiatus. When they reformed in 2018, Nixon was the only original member. Finding Hanley released an album in 2020. And they just released a new single. So I would expect a new album shortly. So why doesn't Nixon just go solo? I'm sure he owns the name Finding Hanley and he believes that still has value. I dunno about that. Here's the video for Lollipop by Framing Hanley. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Sandpebbles

Artist:The Sandpebbles

Song:Love Power

Album:The Woodstock Generation: All the Love in the World

Love Power was a top 20 R&B hit and a top 30 pop hit for the vocal group The Sandpebbles in 1967. It was their only big hit. Some of their other songs charted so they were not one hit wonders. And Love Power became much better known when Luther Vandross covered it in 1991. The leader of The Sandpebbles was Calvin White. He comes from gospel music. He was in The Gospel Wonders and White wrote the song As Long As I've Got Jesus which was covered by James Cleveland and Vickie Winans. The other two members of The Sandpebbles were Andrea Bolden and Lonzine Wright but White was the lead singer. The Sandpebbles signed with Calla Records. They were owned by Roulette Records owner Morris Levy's bodyguard Nate McCalla. So that means they were mob owned. Of course the artists didn't know that but we know that now. J.J. Jackson and Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams were among those who recorded for Calla. The Sandpebbles recorded six singles for Calla. The first single Forget It reached #10 on the R&B Singles chart. Love Power was the second single. It reached #14 on the R&B Singles chart and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Sandpebbles music was written and produced by Teddy Vann who was closely associated with Roulette. He produced Johnny Thunder's 1963 top five hit Loop de Loop. When The Sandpebbles switched to Cotillion, they didn't own the Sandpebbles name. So the group name was changed to C & The Shells. After singles for Cotillion and Zanzee, they split up. You can get Love Power on this various artists CD. Love Power would get a second life when Luther Vandross covered it in 1991. From what I can tell, Calvin White returned to gospel music as a songwriter and producer. He died in 2007. Here's a video for Love Power by The Sandpebbles. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Dillards

Artist:The Dillards

Song:Reuben's Train

Album:Back Porch Bluegrass/!!!Live!!!Almost!!!/Pickin' and Fiddlin'

The Dillards were important in modernizing and popularizing bluegrass music during the early 60s folk music boom. They also influenced folk rock groups like The Byrds. They are best known for playing The Darlings on The Andy Gtiffith Show. Banjoist Doug Dillard and brother and guitarist Rodney Dillard grew up playing music together in their hometown of Salem, MO. After appearing on local radio and in clubs, they released a 1958 single as The Dillard Brothers. They added local DJ Mitch Jayne on bass and Dean Webb on mandolin. They changed the name to The Dillards. They moved to Los Angeles in 1962. And that was a key move because it expanded the reach of bluegrass. And the folk boom was underway. After playing a show with The Greenbriar Boys, The Dillards were signed by Elektra Records which was a big folk music label. Reuben's Train is from The Dillards 1963 debut album Back Porch Bluegrass. Reuben's Train was called I'm Nine Hundred Miles Away from Home in 1924 when it was recorded by Fiddlin' John Carson. Doc Watson is among those who have recorded the song. About half of the album songs were traditional. Jim Dickson was the producer. He also produced The Greenbriar Boys. The album is on a three album set from the British reissue label BGO Records. The other two albums are !!!Live!!!Almost (1964) recorded at The Mecca in Los Angeles and Pickin' and Fiddlin' (1965) featuring Byron Berline on fiddle. Meanwhile The Dillards appeared as The Darlings on The Andy Griffith Show. Doug Dillard left The Dillards in 1968 to form Dillard and Clark with Gene Clark of The Byrds. He would return occasionally until his 2012 death. Rodney Dillard and his wife Beverly still lead a version of The Dillards. They released their latest album in 2020. As I said, The Dillards did a lot to broaden the audience of bluegrass. Here's The Dillards performing Reuben's Train 1963 probably on the TV show Hootenanny!. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jason Adasiewicz

Artist:Jason Adasiewicz

Song:Hide

Album:Rolldown

Vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz is a big part of Chicago's experimental jazz scene. He leads his own band and also works as a sideman. He was born Oct. 14, 1977 in Wichita, KS but he grew up in Crystal Lake, IL. He started out playing drums in school and even attended DePaul University for three years. But when his drum instructor showed him the vibraphone, he wanted to play it. He started out playing in rock bands but when he saw Vandermark 5 in a club, he decided to get into jazz. Adasiewicz and his wife moved to Madison, WI in 2002 where she was studying for her doctorate. Meanwhile Adasiewicz started his band Rolldown and travelled to Chicago regularly. This led to the 2008 album Rolldown on 429 Records with Josh Berman on cornet, Aram Shelton on alto sax and clarinet, Jason Roebke on bass and Frank Rosaly on drums. The same band released the 2009 album Varmint on Cunieform. The song Hide is on both albums but Rolldown is available as a budget CD. Since then Adasiewicz has released four albums for Delmark most recently in 2016. He also plays regularly in bands led by Mike Reed and Rob Mazurek. Most recently he appeared on 2021 album by Amir ElSaffar and Greg Ward. He is recommended to experimental jazz fans. Here's Jason Adasiewicz and Rolldown performing Hide 2008.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Tainara Lisboa vs Jessica-Rose Clark

Here's the match video of Tainara Lisboa vs Jessica-Rose " Jessie Jess" Clark from yesterday's UFC show in Charlotte, NC. This fight is at Bantamweight. Tainara is 32 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She's a Muay Thai fighter with a 6-2 MMA record making her UFC debut. Jessie Jess is 35 years old from Australia but she's trained all over. She's 4-4 in the UFC currently on a two fight losing streak. She's a mediocre fighter anyway and with the type of injuries she has suffered, I thought she should have retired a couple of years ago. She talked about that during fight week. Tainara won the first two rounds. And then in round three, she took Jessie Jess' back and finished her with a rear naked choke. Jessie Jess said she has no plans to retire. Enjoy the video!  

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Mandy Bohm vs Ji Yeon Kim

Here's the fight video of Mandy Bohm vs Ji Yeon Kim from yesterday's UFC show in Charlotte, NC. This fight is at Flyweight. Mandy is 33 years old from Germany and she trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas with Dennis Davis. She's 0-2 in the UFC. Kim is 33 years old from Korea and she trains at Syndicate MMA with John Wood. She's 3-6 in the UFC and she's on a four fight losing streak. Neither should be in the UFC. They were supposed to fight in February and Mandy got sick during fight week and the fight was cancelled. As a result, Kim was unable to attend her grandmother's funeral. She was still upset about that and that cost her this fight. After Kim wobbled Mandy with a jab early in round one, keeping the fight standing was going to be the way for her to win the fight as Kim is a better striker. Instead she let Mandy goad her onto the ground where neither is any good. Kim won round one 10-9. Wood told Kim to keep the fight standing but she didn't listen. Then at the end of round two, Kim kicked Mandy after the bell. The ref deducted a point though it took too long to do it. Again Wood told Kim to keep it standing. And again she wouldn't listen. And then she landed a knee to Mandy's head while she was down. That's another deducted point. And then Mandy couldn't continue and because the fight was in the third round, the judges scorecards determined the results. Mandy won by split decision because of the point deductions. The whole thing was a fiasco. Check it out for yourself. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bailey Zimmerman

Artist:Bailey Zimmerman

Song:Rock and a Hard Place

Album:Religiously: The Album

After making a big splash on the country charts with singles like Rock and a Hard Place, Bailey Zimmerman has released his debut album. I expect it to be a big seller and then we'll see how he does. He was born Jan. 27, 2000 in Louisville, IL His father owns a trucking business and a big country music fan. While working for a meat packer and Union Gas, Zimmerman worked on his music. Then he started posting music on Tik Tok. When his 2021 debut single Never Comin' Home reached the top 20 on Spotify, that got everyone's attention and Zimmerman signed with Elektra Records. The singles Fall in Love and Rock and a Hard Place were top five country hits. Rock and a Hard Place reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. So I knew about Zimmerman last year. But his debut album Religiously has just been released. So I was waiting for that. Zimmerman's music has a harder edge to it than a lot of the country music that is popular. Also, he is not working with Nashville music veterans. His producer Austin Shawn is having his first big success with Zimmerman. Zimmerman writes with unknowns. Most labels would have him work with veteran Nashville musicians. Maybe Elektra didn't want to mess with his sound. Zimmerman is currently on tour with Morgan Wallen. He's off to a good start. We'll see how things go. Here's the video for Rock and a Hard Place by Bailey Zimmerman. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kenny Dorham

Artist:Kenny Dorham

Song:La Villa

Album:The Complete Albums 1953-1959

Jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham falls under the category frequently overlooked. He was a great musician and his 50s albums are especially worthwhile. But he faded in the 60s and died in 1972. He was born McKinley Howard Dorham Aug. 30, 1924 in Fairfield, TX. Dorham played in high school and college bands. He started out in Lionel Hampton's band but was soon recruited to bebop by Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Eckstine. He was in Charlie Parker's band and then the original Jazz Messengers led by Horace Silver. He recorded his debut album as a leader in 1953 for Debut Records owned by Charles Mingus and Max Roach. It was called Kenny Dorham Quintet with Jimmy Heath on sax, Walter Bishop on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. This album was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Hackensack, NJ. No doubt Van Gelder told Blue Note Records owner Alfred Lion about Dorham. So Dorham's 1955 album Afro-Cuban was on Blue Note. This is probably Dorham's best known album and the one most should listen to first. The band is Hank Mobley on tenor sax, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, Percy Heath on bass and Art Blakey on drums. Most of the songs including La Villa were written by Dorham. The best way to get this album is through this 4CD set from Enlightenment Records featuring Dorham's 50s albums. Dorham recorded mostly for Riverside in the late 50s. He returned to Blue Note in 1961 and also recorded for Pacific Jazz and United Artists. Dorham added tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson to his band in 1963. Dorham stayed when Henderson became popular in the late 60s. Kenny Dorham last recorded as a leader in 1965. But he continued with Henderson and as a sideman until his death from kidney failure on Dec. 5, 1972 at age 48. Here's a video for La Villa by Kenny Dorham.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Richard Chamberlain

Artist:Richard Chamberlain

Song:Theme from Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight)

Album:All I Have To Do Is Dream

Actor Richard Chamberlain is best known for starring in the popular 60s TV series Dr. Kildare. MGM tried to turn him into a teen idol singer and he scored a top ten hit with this vocal arrangement of the Theme from Dr. Kildare. There were three top 20 hits from his 1962 debut album Richard Chamberlain Sings. He was born Mar. 31, 1934 in Beverly Hills, CA. Chamberlain served in the US Army from 1956-58. Upon his return, Chamberlain founded the theater group Company of Angels. Chamberlain appeared in a few TV shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Mr. Lucky and Gunsmoke. But he was unknown when he was cast in Dr. Kildare. MGM shot a Dr. Kildare pilot starring Lew Ayres who played the character in films and on radio. When the pilot didn't sell, they offered Dr. Kildare to William Shatner and James Franciscus. When they turned it down, Chamberlain was cast with Raymond Massey as Dr. Gillespie. The show was a big hit and Chamberlain became a star. It's funny because Chamberlain and Franciscus resemble each other. At the time Franciscus had starred in the TV series Naked City so he was better known. Then MGM figured Chamberlain can be turned into a teen idol singer. Look, he's an OK singer but nothing special. At least he was better than Fabian. They got MGM Records house producer Jesse Kaye to put lyrics to Jerry Goldsmith and Pete Rugolo's theme from Dr. Kildare. Of course Goldsmith was one of the greatest film composers of all time. Rugolo was a jazz musician who started out in Stan Kenton's band. He produced and arranged albums by Nat King Cole and June Christy and worked a lot on film and TV. Hal Winn was hired to write the lyrics. He wrote and produced the Johnny Crawford hit Cindy's Birthday. David Rose arranged and conducted the orchestra. Theme from Dr. Kildare reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single was a cover of the Elvis Presley hit Love Me Tender. It reached #21. The third single was a cover of The Everly Brothers Hit All I Have To Do Is Dream and it reached #14. So the album did OK. Chamberlain recorded three albums for MGM including the soundtrack for the 1963 film Twilight of Honor. Richard Chamberlain Sings is a short album. So the reissue label Jasmine has released it with Chamberlain's 1965 album Joy in the Morning. Chamberlain records mostly standards on this album. After Dr. Kildare ended in 1966, Chamberlain returned to theater. He appeared on Broadway and moved to England for a while. He got into films in the 70s like the 1973 film The Three Musketeers and cast against type as a villain in the 1974 film The Towering Inferno. Then he became King of the TV Mini-Series in shows like Shogun (1980) and The Thorn Birds (1983). Chamberlain continued to appear on TV, films and Broadway. The last time we saw him was in the TV revival of Twin Peaks. Maybe he retired. He's had a nice long career. Here's a video for Theme from Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight) by Richard Chamberlain.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Frank Sinatra

Artist:Frank Sinatra

Song:Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)

Album:First Definitive Performances

Frank Sinatra's 1944 recording of Saturday Night was one of his first big hits as a solo artist for Columbia Records. The problem was Sinatra signed with Columbia during the musicians strike. So at first they couldn't record him with a band. They had to release something. And that something was Harry James' 1939 recording of All or Nothing at All with Sinatra singing lead. That reached #2 on the pop charts. So though most perceive All or Nothing at All as Sinatra's first big solo hit, it wasn't a new recording. But it bought Columbia time. During the musicians strike, record companies would get around this by bringing in vocal groups and record with no instruments. So they brought in composer Alec Wilder who was friends with Sinatra and his arranger Axel Stordahl. Wilder brought in The Bobby Tucker Singers led by Frank Raye. Sinatra recorded nine songs and hit singles included You'll Never Know, Close to You and People Will Say We're in Love. By the end of 1943, Sinatra was bigger than Bing Crosby which was his goal when he went solo. Meanwhile Sinatra was classified 4F and did not serve in the military during WWII. But he did go overseas to sing for the USO. The musicians strike finally ended Nov. 1944. Columbia released more of the songs Sinatra recorded with Wilder. Saturday Night was one of those singles. It reached #2 on the charts. It was written by the legendary songwriting team of Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn. Cahn said it is about showpeople who aren't working on Saturday. Sammy Kaye and Frankie Carle were among those who recorded it but Sinatra had the biggest hit with it. And he would rerecord it for Capitol in 1957. You can get Saturday Night on this 2CD budget comp of Sinatra's early Columbia recordings from Avid. Sinatra continued to have success but he went into a big slump in the late 40s. Here's Frank Sinatra with Harry James and his Orchestra performing Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week) on the 1945 War Bonds All Star show hosted by Bob Hope. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Canton Spirituals

Artist:The Canton Spirituals

Song:Glad I've Got Jesus

Album:Living the Dream: Live in Washington, D.C.

The gospel group The Canton Spirituals have been around since the 40s. The most popular version of this group had a big hit with the 1997 single Glad I've Got Jesus. It mixes traditional and contemporary gospel. The Canton Spirituals were formed in 1943 in Canton, MS. led by Harvey Watkins Sr. Though they performed in churches throughout the south, they didn't record until the late 60s. Harvey Watkins Jr. joined in 1973 and they signed with J&B Records in 1976. They recorded for J&B until the early 90s. After recording two albums for Blackberry Records owned by The Williams Brothers, they signed with Jive Records' gospel label Verity for the 1997 album Living the Dream. Meanwhile Harvey Watkins Sr. died in 1994. Harvey Watkins Jr. is now the leader of The Canton Spirituals and the lead singer. He also wrote Glad I've Got Jesus which was a big hit on the gospel charts. In the studio, They write and produce themselves. Watkins writes a lot of the songs. The other main songwriter is Victor Allen who also plays keyboards and leads the band. Others include Pharis "June Bug" Evans Jr. on keyboards, Merlin Lucious on bass, Quincy McCullum on drums, Wallace Strictland on keyboards and Cornelius Dwayne Watkins on lead guitar. This album was recorded live in Washington and released on home video. It is available as a budget CD. This album won two Stellar Awards. After five albums for Verity, The Cantons Spirituals moved to Malaco. Their latest album Hallelujah Anyhow was released last year and features a guest appearance by Al Green. Here's the video for Glad I've Got Jesus by The Canton Spirituals. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Virna Jandiroba vs Marina Rodriguez

Here's the fight video of Virna Jandiroba vs Marina Rodriguez from Saturday's UFC show in New Jersey. This fight is at Strawweight. Virna is 34 years old from Bahia, Brazil. She trains at Academia Fight House. She's gone 4-3 in the UFC. She's a BJJ whiz but her striking is terrible. Marina is 36 years old from Florianopolis, Brazil. She trains at Thai Brasil Floripa with coach Marcio Malko. She is 6-2-2 in the UFC. When she lost to Amanda Lemos. it hurt her chances to get into the title picture. All the fighters from her gym are strikers with no ground skills. So this was a classic grappler vs striker fight. Virna controlled the first two rounds on the ground and Marina had no answer for that. She did better in round three but she needed a finish. So Virna won by unanimous decision. The loss hurts Marina a lot more than the win helps Virna. I don't think Virna is a title contender anyway. A win could have got Marina back into the title picture. But she didn't look very good. She's out of the title picture. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shirley Brown

Artist:Shirley Brown

Song:Woman to Woman

Album:Woman to Woman

Woman to Woman topped the R&B charts and was a top 30 pop hit in 1975. It was the only big hit for soul singer Shirley Brown. A couple of her other songs charted so technically she is not a one hit wonder. This was Stax Records' final big hit before bankruptcy. Shirley was born Jan. 6, 1947 in West Memphis, AR but she grew up in Madison, IL which is near St. Louis. She grew up singing in church and was frequently compared to Aretha Franklin. She was 14 years old singing in a local club when she was spotted by blues legend Albert King. Shirley toured with King for nine years. After recording for a small label, King got Shirley a deal with Stax. Woman to Woman topped the R&B Singles chart for two weeks and reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. It sold a million copies so it was probably a bigger hit than its chart position. The song was also nominated for a Grammy. Woman to Woman was written by Stax songwriters James Banks, Eddie Marion and Henderson Thigpen. Thigpen overheard his wife arguing with a friend on the phone over the romantic activities of mutual friends. The song was offered to Inez Foxx who was on Stax's Volt label at the time. She was uncomfortable with the spoken word intro. When King brought Shirley to Stax president Jim Stewart, he liked her enough to personally produce Woman to Woman with Booker T & the MG's drummer Al Jackson Jr. There was even an answer song by Barbara Mason called From a Woman to You which reached #3 on the R&B Singles chart and #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. And Barbara Mandrell's 1978 cover of Woman to Woman was a top ten country hit. The album Woman to Woman was released in 2011 on CD with five bonus tracks. Of course Stax went bankrupt soon after and Shirley was never able to score another big hit. She recorded for Arista, the revived Stax and Soundtown with Stewart producing. He continued to produce her when Malaco signed Shirley in 1989. So Stewart certainly tried but was unsuccessful. Shirley recorded for Malaco until 2009. I don't know if Shirley is active but she's still alive. Here's Shirley Brown performing Woman to Woman.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Bianca Belair vs Iyo Sky

Here's the match video of Bianca Belair defending the WWE RAW Women's Championship against Iyo Sky from Saturday's WWE show in Puerto Rico. This was a great match but I did not expect Iyo to win yet. It did show that she doesn't need Damage Cntrl and Bayley's interference cost Iyo the match. So the split is coming. Even Corey Graves acknowledged Bayley's ineptitude. Of course the funniest thing was the crowd cheering for Iyo and booing Bianca. I have told you guys for years that it doesn't matter if Iyo or Asuka is babyface or heel. Fans will never boo them. They respect them too much to boo them. I don't know if the WWE understands that. This match established Iyo as a star and I suggest you watch it and enjoy! 

Bianca Belair vs Iyo Sky (Full Match) by tokyvideo.com

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Benny Powell

Artist:Benny Powell

Song:Akiha

Album:Nextep

Jazz trombonist Benny Powell was mostly a sideman who would record as a leader very occasionally. This 2008 album Nextep was his final album before his 2010 death. He was born Mar. 1, 1930 in New Orleans. Powell started playing trombone professionally in 1944 and in 1948 he joined Lionel Hampton's band. He joined Count Basie's band in 1951 and remained there until 1963. That's him playing the trombone solo in Basie's 1955 recording of April in Paris. He appeared on albums by Buck Clayton, Frank Wess and Frank Foster. He also appeared on several trombone albums where trombonists get together. After he left the Basie band, Powell played with The Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra. They played every Monday night at The Village Vanguard in New York City. He was also in The Merv Griffin Show band and he moved to Los Angeles when that show moved. And then he got into session work. He recorded with among others Abdullah Ibrahim, John Carter and Randy Weston. Powell moved back to New York in the 80s. He recorded albums as a leader in 1979, 1982 and 1991. He was also part of New York's Jazzmobile program teaching jazz to kids. And he taught at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Akiha is from the 2008 album Nextep on Origin. Musicians are TK Blue on sax, Sayuri Goto on piano, Essiet Okon Essiet on bass and Billy Hart on drums. This band did some live shows. Sayuri wrote Akiha for her niece. She recorded it on her 2005 album Flashback which is available on CD. I am told that she has started a family and teaches piano in her home. I don't think she is active as a musician right now. Nextep is available as a digital download. Benny Powell died on June 26, 2010 at age 80. Here's Benny Powell with Sayuri Goto and band performing Akiha.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Yan Xiaonan vs Jessica Andrade

Here's the match video of Yan Xiaonan vs Jessica Andrade for last night's UFC show in New Jersey. This fight is at Strawweight. It's likely that the winner of this fight gets a title shot. Yan is 33 years old from China. She trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. She is 7-2 in the UFC. Her last win was by majority decision over Mackenzie Dern. Jessica is 31 years old from Brazil. She trains at PRVT. This is her third fight of the year already and she lost her last fight to Erin Blanchfield. Jessica was the betting favorite because she is a finisher and Yan has never won with a finish in the UFC. Of course Jessica is very aggressive and Yan uses that to land a counterpunch to win by TKO. Jessica chasing her around was not good strategy. So now it looks like Yan could get the next shot at Zhang Weili's UFC Strawweight Championship. I don't see her winning but I didn't see her winning this fight either especially by TKO. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Julie London

Artist:Julie London

Song:Cry Me a River

Album:Five Classic Albums

Julie London's sultry voice and sex appeal made her a star when her 1955 debut single Cry Me a River was a top ten hit. She also did a lot of acting and I'm sure many fans remember her as Dixie McCall R.N. in the 70s TV series Emergency!. She was born Julie Peck Sept. 26, 1926 in Santa Rosa, CA. Her parents were a vaudeville song and dance team. As a child, Julie sang on their radio show. Julie's big influence was Billie Holiday. As a teen Julie sang in Los Angeles nightclubs. While working as an elevator operator in a clothing store, former actress and talent agent Sue Carol spotted Julie, signed her to a contract and got her a screen test. BTW, Sue was married to legendary actor Alan Ladd. Julie made her film debut in the 1944 film Nabonga. Then she signed a contract with Warner Bros. Meanwhile she married Jack Webb mostly because they were both jazz fans. After Warners dropped Julie in 1950, Universal offered her a contract. But she decided to concentrate on her marriage to Webb and their two daughters. They divorced in 1954. Julie returned to films and nightclub singing. Jazz pianist and future husband Bobby Troup recommended Julie to Liberty Records owner Si Waronker. He signed her and it's the only label that Julie recorded for. Her 1955 debut album My Name Is Julie featured the single Cry Me a River which reached #9 on the pop charts. It became a big hit after Julie performed it in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It. Cry Me a River was written by Arthur Hamilton. He went to high school with Julie and he asked her to give the song to Webb so Ella Fitzgerald could sing it in the film Pete Kelly's Blues. Instead Bobby Troup had Julie sing it with jazz musicians Barney Kessel on guitar and Ray Leatherwood on bass. You can get it on one of Avid's Five Classic Albums comps as a budget comp. The other albums are About the Blues (1957) with Kessel, Maynard Ferguson and Shelly Manne, Julie Is Her Name Vol, II (1958) with Howard Roberts and Red Mitchell, Julie...At Home (1960) recorded in Julie's living room with Jimmy Rowles and Around Midnight (1960) with an orchestra conducted by Dick Reynolds. Julie continued to record and appear in occasional films. She married Bobby Troup in 1959. Today Julie is best remembered as Dixie McCall R.N. in the TV series Emergency! produced by former husband Jack Webb and also featuring current husband Bobby Troup. Julie retired in 1981 and died on Oct. 18, 2000 of lung cancer. Julie was a heavy smoker. Here's Julie London performing Cry Me a River with Tom Ewell in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Benny Hester

Artist:Benny Hester

Song:Nobody Knows Me Like You

Album:Personal Best

CCM singer songwriter Benny Hester had success in the early 80s with hits like Nobody Knows Me Like You. He went on to have success as one of the producers of the Nickelodeon TV series Roundhouse. He was born May 3, 1948 in Waco, TX. Hester is a classically trained pianist. He was in the Texas Boys Choir. He played piano for the Western Swing band Sam Weaver and the Texas Playboys and appeared on their TV show. While attending high school he was in the band The Morticians. Hester played in the band for the musical Texas and he formed the duo Hester & Hilton with Steve Hilton. A couple of songs got Hester working with Buddy Holly's producer Norman Petty. Hester moved to Las Vegas where he worked with veteran producer Brett Maher. Maher produced Hester's first albums which got him a record deal with Sparrow. Unfortunately his debut album was destroyed in a recording studio fire. After recording country music for Decca, Hester signed with Word's CCM label Myrrh for the 1981 album Nobody Knows Me Like You. This was when "Jesus Music" was becoming CCM. Both the title song and When God Ran were big CCM hits. The album was produced by veteran producer Michael Omartian. Pianist Jeff Lams was also a key figure. He wrote songs with Hester and led his touring band. Hester recorded four albums for Myrrh and two for Frontline. This comp is a good intro to Hester's music. In 1992, Hester and his wife created the Nickelodeon music and variety show Roundhouse. Hester was musical director. The show ran from 1992-96 and won several Cable Ace Awards. After conflict with Nickelodeon over a proposed Roundhouse concert tour and soundtrack albums, Hester and his wife created Rock and Roland for The Disney Channel. Instead of buying that, The Disney Channel created the very similar Hannah Montana. Hester sued and Disney settled. Hester released a 2016 album on his own label and he still performs live. Here's Benny Hester performing Nobody Knows Me Like You.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Watchmen

Artist:The Watchmen

Song:Shut Up

Album:Brand New Day

The Canadian band The Watchmen will probably remind you of the more successful Canadian band The Tragically Hip or R.E.M. The Watchmen had modest success in the 90s mostly through their videos being played on MuchMusic. The Watchmen were formed in 1988 in Winnipeg. Daniel Greaves was lead singer. Joey Serlin played guitar. They wrote and produced the songs. Other members were Sammy Kohn on drums and Pete Loewen on bass. After self releasing a couple of cassettes, they got a record deal with MCA Records Canada. They released three albums on MCA. Pete Loewen was replaced by Ken Tizzard for the 1996 album Brand New Day. As with previous albums, Greaves and Serlin wrote and produced everything. The producer is credited as Mr. Colson AKA Milwaukee based recording engineer Doug Olson. The single Shut Up reached #48 on the Canadian charts. They never had a big hit single. Most of their success was through MuchMusic playing their videos simply to reach their Canadian Content quota. The Watchmen moved to Capitol Records Canada for the 1998 album Silent Radar. As a last ditch effort to break The Watchmen, Capitol brought in Soundgarden producer Adam Kasper. And the album was released in the US. But it didn't help and after the 2001 album Slomotion, The Watchmen split up. Since then, Greaves and Izzard have released solo albums. Serlin worked with Canadian Idol winner Ryan Malcolm. Here's the video for Shut Up by The Watchmen.