AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Spiral Beach

Artist:Spiral Beach

Song:Kind of Beast

Album:Ball

Spiral Beach was a Canadian indie band that had modest success for a couple of years and then split up. They grew up in Toronto at Ward's Island which is on the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario. Most of us need a ferry to get there. They were formed in 2003 by brothers Daniel (guitar) and Airick (drums) Woodhead. They started writing songs together and decided to form a band with keyboardist Maddie Wilde and bassist Dorian Wolf. Daniel and Maddie sang. They all grew up in the same neighborhood. When they started out, they had a residency at Toronto's Drake Hotel. They released a 2005 EP and that got them a record deal with the indie label Sparks Music. The best known band on that label is Spoons. Spiral Beach toured and opened for The Hidden Cameras, Tokyo Police Club and Sloan. The 2007 album Ball was their debut album. It was produced by Mike Olsen of The Hidden Cameras. The songs are credited to the band so they all get royalties. Daniel Woodhead writes the lyrics. They played all over Toronto including a series of shows on Ward's Island. They toured Canada to support the album and appeared at SXSW in Austin, TX. This album is available on CD. They also played shows in England. After they started recording their next album, they went on a North American tour. After the 2009 album The Only Real Thing was released, they went on a European tour and an appearance on MTV Live. Then Spiral Beach split up. Though they never gave a reason for the split, Daniel Woodhead and Maddie Wilde went on to form Moon King and they have released three albums, most recently in 2021. Airick Woodhead currently records as Doldrums. Dorian Wolf was in the band Austra but is no longer in that band. Here's the video for Kind of Beast by Spiral Beach. If you are wondering about the the amateurish look of the video, I believe this was done that way deliberately. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Angelo Debarre

Artist:Angelo Debarre

Song:La Gitane

Album:Portrait of Angelo Debarre

Fans of legendary French guitarist Django Reinhardt will probably enjoy the music of French guitarist Angelo Debarre. Gypsy jazz has a very loyal following. Debarre was born Aug. 19, 1962 in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, France. He started playing guitar at age eight. He learned about Reinhardt and the traditions of gypsy jazz from other guitarists. Debarre started his own group in 1984 and was hired by guitarist Serge Camps to play at his Paris cafe La Roue Fleurie. While there, he was discovered by Norwegian jazz guitarist Jon Larsen and Larsen signed him to his Hot Club label. Debarre released his debut album Gypsy Guitars in 1989. The other musicians are Serge Camps on guitar and Frank Anastasio on bass. The music is Gypsy Jazz as you would expect. But La Gitane was written by French guitarist Paul "Tchan Tchou" Vidal. Larsen produced the album. This album is not available. But La Gitane is on this 2002 comp which is available as a digital download. These three musicians recently reunited for the 2025 album Gypsy Guitars 2. Debarre was recording for the French label Le Chant du Monde. But that label was sold in 2016. It doesn't look like Debarre has a record deal right now. Gypsy Jazz 2 is his latest album on Label Ouest owned by the French label Bayard. He isn't on tour right now but he could turn up on summer music festivals in Europe. Fans of Gypsy Jazz will enjoy his music. Here's Angelo Debarre performing La Gitane.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Broadcast

Artist:Broadcast

Song:The Book Lovers

Album:Maida Vale Sessions

The British duo Broadcast had success mostly at home. Their music is electronica. There is interest in them in North America because the song The Book Lovers appeared in the 1997 film Austin Powers. Listeners may have thought the song was written for the film but it originally appeared on a 1996 EP. Broadcast was formed in 1995 by singer songwriter Trish Keenan and keyboardist James Cargill. They met in the Birmingham nightclub Sensateria. Trish was studying creative writing at Birmingham University. At first, they formed a full band called Pan Am Flight Bag in 1995. After a few shows, they got rid of the band and called themselves Broadcast. They released an EP in 1996 called The Book Lovers. They signed with the indie label Warp Records. That's when The Book Lovers appeared in the 1997 film Austin Powers and Broadcast played some shows in the US. Warp released the comp Work and Non Work in 1997. That album is not available. But Maida Vale Sessions is available on CD. It is a collection of appearances on John Peel BBC Sessions. You can also get The Book Lovers on the Austin Powers soundtrack. Broadcast released four albums. They had modest chart success in England. But their music is not commercial. Sadly, Trish Keenan died from pneumonia Jan. 14, 2011 at age 42. Since then, Cargill has been the caretaker of Broadcast's discography. He formed the band Children of Alice and they released a 2017 album as a tribute to Trish Keenan. Here's Broadcast performing The Book Lovers on MTV 1997. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Anthony Smith

Artist:Anthony Smith

Song:If That Ain't Country

Album:If That Ain't Country

Anthony Smith already had success as a songwriter when his 2002 single If That Ain't Country was a top 30 country hit. It was the title track of his 2002 album If That Ain't Country. It turned out to be his only major label album. He continues to have success as a songwriter and he now records for his own label. Apparently, he was born in Warsaw, IN in 1964 and grew up in Oneida, TN. He formed his first band at age nine and arranged music at his church. Then he moved to Nashville. While trying to get his own record deal, he wrote hit songs for George Strait, Tim McGraw and others. His demos got him offers from several labels. But he signed with Mercury Nashville. The album was called If This Ain't Country and the title song reached #26 on the Billboard Country chart. The album was produced by Bobby Terry who also produced Smith's demos and still works with him. Smith wrote all the songs. His co-writer on If This Ain't Country was Jeffrey Steele. This album is available on CD. In 2005, Mercury wanted Smith to record another album. But his father and brother had died. So Smith asked to get out of his contract and he went on hiatus. He still records for his own label Krankit. He also produces artists sometimes. He still writes hits for others like Montgomery Gentry and Chris Young. And he still plays shows mostly in the Nashville area. Here's the video for If That Ain't Country by Anthony Smith. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keller Williams

Artist:Keller Williams 

Song:West L.A. Fadeaway

Song:More Than a Little Funk

Keller Williams can best be described as a one man jam band. He leads his own band and frequently makes guest appearances with bands like The String Cheese Incident and Umphrey's McGee. All are Grateful Dead influenced jam bands. These jam bands are OK. But there are too many of them and they are too similar to each other. And they all record for the same record label. Well, at least they have fun. Williams was born Feb. 4, 1970 in Fredericksburg, VA. He started playing guitar in his early teens and earned a degree in theater at Virginia Wesleyan College. He moved to Boulder, CO and met the guys behind the jam band The String Cheese Incident. He started touring with them and he records for their record label SCI Fidelity. He has also toured with Yonder Mountain String Band, Umphrey's McGee and the late Bob Weir's band Ratdog. What all these bands have in common is the Grateful Dead influence and they all play the big summer music festivals. Williams has recorded solo since 1994. He has recorded bluegrass as Grateful Grass and Keller & the Keels with the husband and wife duo of Larry and Jenny Keel. This version of the Grateful Dead song West L.A. Fadeaway is from the 2013 album More Than a Little Funk. This was recorded live in Norfolk and Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC. The album is mostly Williams originals. Williams sings and plays guitar. Other musicians are Gerard Johnson on keyboards, E.J. Shaw on bass and Toby Fairchild on drums. This album is available as a budget CD. Williams' latest album Deer was released in 2024. Williams' music is OK. But he records a lot and too much of it sounds the same. I think even he knows that which is why he records bluegrass and tries other things. Maybe he gets bored with the jam band thing. Here's Keller Williams with the band Old Shoe performing West L.A. Fadeaway at the 2016 Shoe Fest in Manteno, IL. Old Shoe is a Chicago based jam band. Jeremy Garrett plays the violin solo. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lauren Bacall

Artist:Lauren Bacall

Song:One of the Boys

Album:Woman of the Year: The Original Broadway Cast

Lauren Bacall was a top Hollywood star for two decades. And of course she was married to legendary actor Humphrey Bogart. When things slowed down in the 60s, she went to Broadway and won a Best Actress Tony for the 1981 musical Woman of the Year. She was born Betty Jean Perske Sept. 16, 1924 in The Bronx, NY. Her parents were European Jewish immigrants. After her parents divorced, her mother reverted to her maiden name Bacal and so did Lauren. After attending a private boarding school financed by wealthy uncles, she went to Julia Richman High School in Manhattan. After graduating, she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, worked as an usher at the St. James Theater and modeled in department stores. She also dated classmate Kirk Douglas. Lauren made her Broadway debut in a bit part in the 1942 show Johnny 2x4. Then she was crowned Miss Greenwich Village. Then she appeared on the cover of Harper's Bazaar and in fashion magazines like Vogue. At the time, director Howard Hawks was casting the 1944 film To Have and Have Not. His socialite wife Nancy "Slim" Keith saw Lauren on the Harper's Bazaar cover and urged Hawks to give her a screen test. That audition got her a seven year Warner Bros. contract. He changed her name to Lauren Bacall but everyone called her Betty. Hawks sent her to a voice coach so she would speak with a deeper tone. If you are familiar with To Have and Have Not, you'll know that it was very loosely based on an Ernest Hemingway novel. But the main feature of the film was Lauren's sex appeal and the on screen sparks between her and Bogart. Of course the sparks flew off screen as well and the two married once Bogart's divorce from Mayo Methot was final. They starred together in the films The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947) and Key Largo (1948). They were even parodied in Bob Clampett's 1946 cartoon Bacall to Arms. Key Largo was Bogart's final film at Warners. Meanwhile, Lauren was suspended several times when she rejected scripts given to her by Warners. She got out of her contract and then accompanied Bogart when he filmed The African Queen in Africa. She signed with 20th Century Fox and the 1953 film How to Marry a Millionaire was a big hit. Things didn't go so well after that. She made a couple of good films like Written on the Wind (1956) and Designing Woman (1957). Plus Bogart died in 1957. Lauren thought her film career had stalled. So she returned to Broadway for the 1959 show Goodbye, Charlie. She won a tony for the 1965 comedy Cactus Flower and starred in the 1970 musical Applause. Her next big show was the 1981 musical Woman of the Year. This was based on the 1942 film Woman of the Year starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The book was written by Peter Stone and the music was by the veteran team of John Kander and Fred Ebb. Lauren's co-star was veteran TV actor Harry Guardino. Lauren won a Tony for this show. The original cast album is available on CD. After that Lauren continued to appear in films and on TV but she mainly did supporting roles in those days. Her last big film was the 1996 film The Mirror Has Two Faces as Barbra Streisand's mother. Lauren Bacall suffered a stroke and died on Aug. 12, 2014 at age 89. Here's Lauren Bacall performing One of the Boys from the musical Woman of the Year on the 1981 Tony awards broadcast.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Diamonds

Artist:The Diamonds

Song:Little Darlin'

Album:Complete Singles As & Bs 1955-1962

The 1957 single Little Darlin' was the biggest hit for the vocal group The Diamonds. They had some other hits but Little Darlin' was the most memorable. Like another vocal group The Crew Cuts, The Diamonds were from Toronto. The lead singer of The Diamonds was Dave Somerville. He was born Oct. 2, 1933 in Guelph. But he went to high school at Central Tech in Toronto. After graduating, he got a job as a radio operator in the engineering department at the CBC. And he was studying voice at the Royal Conservatory of Music. At the CBC, Somerville met Ted Kowalski, Phil Leavitt and Bill Reed. They formed The Diamonds. An appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts got them a record deal with Decca's Coral label. Four singles were released with no success. They auditioned for Cleveland DJ Bill Randle who discovered another Canadian vocal group The Crew Cuts. And as he did with The Crew Cuts, Randle got The Diamonds a record deal with Mercury's Wing label. Their first single for Wing was a cover of Frankie Lymon's Why Do Fools Fall in Love?. It reached #12 on the singles charts. So now Mercury and musical director David Carroll knew they had something. Though The Crew Cuts had success, they were similar to vocal groups like The Four Lads. The Diamonds had more flair. After a few more singles, Mercury hit the jackpot when the 1957 single Little Darlin' reached #2 on the pop charts. It was another doo wop cover of a song by the Memphis based group The Gladiolas. The original was never a hit. And I know it's blasphemy to say this but The Diamonds' version is better than the original, especially Somerville's lead vocal and the spoken word part by Reed. So Producer Carroll imitated the original and also improved on it. The Diamonds' other big hit was the 1957 single The Stroll. By the late 50s, Somerville was the only original member remaining with three new guys. They left Mercury in 1962. All their singles are on this 2CD comp from the British reissue label Acrobat. After Somerville left The Diamonds in 1961, they became a fixture in Las Vegas. There were even two versions of The Diamonds which ended in a lawsuit. The original Diamonds reunited for the 2000 PBS show Doo Wop 51. A version of The Diamonds continues to tour today with no original members. Here's The Diamonds performing Little Darlin' on the Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show Feb. 21, 1959.