AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Russ

Artist:Russ

Song:What They Want

Album:There's Really a Wolf

Rapper Russell Vitale scored a big hit with the 2017 single What They Want. He calls himself Russ. He releases a lot of music. But this is one of two hits to date. Vitale is a member of the Atlanta based rap collective Diemon. He was born Sept. 26, 1992 in Seacaucus, NJ. His family moved a lot because of his father's work. But they settled in Atlanta when Vitale was a teen. His dad taught him to play guitar. He started rapping and recording as a teen usually with his friend Bugus. After they appeared together on MTV in 2011, Vitale started his own label Diemon. When I first looked at Vitale, the first thing I noticed is he releases a lot of music. From Dec. 2011 to Aug. 2014, Vitale released 11 albums and 87 singles for free on SoundCloud. So for three years, he released a song a week. I've seen this kind of thing before. Believe it or not, selectivity is a talent. Not everything Vitale records should be released publicly. I'm sure most of it is crap. Out of all those songs, What They Want was one of two songs that went viral. That's a lot for listeners to slog through to get to anything good. The viral success led to a record deal with Columbia. What They Want reached #83 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified 5XPlatinum and Losin' Control reached #62 and was certified 8XPlatinum. This was before Billboard changed their metric to include viral hits. So both should have charted higher. There's Really a Wolf was certified 2XPlatinuum. Vitale wrote and produced the album. It is available as a digital download. Things didn't go well after that. After three albums on Columbia, Vitale returned to his own label. He released his latest album in June 2025. He continues to release too much music. He could get lucky again but I doubt it. Here's the video for What They Want by Russ. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kiesza

Artist:Kiesza

Song:Hideaway

Album:Sound of a Woman

Canadian dance music singer songwriter Kiesza scored a worldwide hit with the 2014 single Hideaway. It looked like she had star potential. But she was seriously injured in a 2017 car crash. She has returned. But it's not the same and she hasn't been successful with her recent music. She was born Kiesa Rae Ellestad Jan. 16, 1989 in Calgary. She is of Norwegian descent. She was interested in sailing as a teen and she was in the Royal Canadian Navy reserves. Then she entered the Miss Universe Canada pageant. She started writing and recording after her parents divorced. After she appeared on a 2005 episode of the radio show Folk Routes, Kiesza studied music at Selkirk College in Nelson, BC. After graduating, she earned a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. She moved to New York City in 2010. That's when she got into dance music and started working with producer Rami Samir Afuni. He had previously worked with LMFAO. I presume he was looking for an artist that he could build from scratch. They released the 2014 EP Hideaway on Afuni's label Lokal Legend. They wrote and produced it and produced a video shot in Brooklyn. The record started getting club airplay in England. Kiesza was living in England at the time. So she shopped the record to DJs and BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac started pushing Hideaway. It eventually topped the British Singles chart. But the big thing was Island Records picked up Hideaway for their dance label 4th & Broadway. And that's when it became a worldwide hit. Then the album Sound of a Woman was released and it also did well. Kiesza was already a successful songwriter for Rihanna among others. But she wanted to follow up on the success of Hideaway. So she released a single and started working on a new album. But it came to a halt in 2017 when an Uber that Kiesza was riding in was t-boned by a taxi in Toronto. She suffered a traumatic brain injury. Part of her recovery was sitting in a darkened room for six months. She eventually returned with a new album on her own label in 2020. She's not working with Afumi anymore. Not surprisingly, Kiesza has been unable to repeat her success. Besides, dance music hits tend to be one hit wonders anyway. Sound of a Woman is available on CD. Here's the video for Hideaway by Kiesza. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Rhea Ripley

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Rhea Ripley from last night's episode of RAW. There will be a tag team title match on Jan. 5. And the WWE is on Christmas break right now. So they are killing time with taped matches. And they had IYO SKY "injure" her back last week trying to protect Rhea from Kairi Sane's Insane Elbow Drop. She really oversold it. Before the match, Rhea told IYO to stay in the back because of the back injury. Of course Kairi was out there with Asuka and shenanigans ensued. The match was about as competitive as one would expect from these two. They are both really good. When Kairi continued to interfere, IYO came out and a distraction gave Asuka the win with a rollup. This was the first time Asuka ever beat Rhea. Does it mean anything? Of course not. The match was a very entertaining time killer. We'll see what happens on Jan. 5. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day--M. Ward

Artist:M. Ward f/Zooey Deschanel

Song:Never Had Nobody Like You

Album:Hold Time

Singer songwriter Matthew Ward is probably best known for the duo She & Him with actress Zooey Deschanel. But he also records as M. Ward. I would describe both acts as indie folk. I would say that She & Him has a marginally bigger following because of Zooey's celebrity status. Regardless, Ward's music is not commercial. But fans of this kind of music are very loyal. So I think Ward does OK. I don't think he cares about fame or chart success. He was born Oct. 4, 1973 in Glendale, CA. He currently lives in Portland, OR. He taught himself to play Beatles songs on his brother's guitar. Then he started recording demos on a four track analog tape recorder. Believe it or not, he still records on that same tape recorder. That made me laugh. I guess there are questions I could ask about that but why bother. Ward first self released recordings in 1999. After two albums, he signed with the indie label Merge Records and he recorded for them until 2016. He currently records for the indie label Anti- Records. Never Had Nobody Like You is from the 2009 album Hold Time. As you might expect, Ward writes and produces everything himself. Zooey Deschanel appears on two songs including Never Had Nobody Like You. Other special guests are Lucinda Williams and Jason Lytle of the band Granddaddy. This album is available as a budget CD. Ward released his latest album in 2023. He will tour Australia in 2026. She & Him released a Brian Wilson tribute album in 2022. Ward has produced albums by Jenny Lewis, Mavis Staples and Valerie June. And he played on albums by Neko Case and Beth Orton. I don't expect him to ever have a hit single. But I don't think he needs one. Here's the video for Never Had Nobody Like You by M. Ward. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gigi Perez

Artist:Gigi Perez

Song:Sailor Song

Album:At the Beach, in Every Life

Singer songwriter Gigi Perez got a following and a record deal by posting videos on TikTok. This is an emerging trend in the music business especially since Billboard started including TikTok views in their chart metrics. This can result in the occasional chart single. But I doubt it can create new stars. For Gigi Perez, her music is not commercial music. So it's likely that without the TikTok buzz, her music wouldn't have made it out of her bedroom. She was born Feb. 4, 2000 in Hackensack, NJ and she grew up in West Palm Beach, FL. Her parents are Cuban. She attended the Christian school The King's Academy where she appeared in musicals and was named 2017 homecoming queen in 2017. Gigi began writing songs at age fifteen and she was in a band during high school. She attended Berklee but left during the COVID-19 pandemic. After Gigi's sister died in 2020, she started uploading videos to TikTok. After one of her videos went viral, she signed with Interscope in 2022. Gigi toured with Coldplay, Noah Cyrus and D4vd and was living in Brooklyn while releasing an EP. Then she butted heads with Interscope management. She wanted to self produce and they wanted her to continue using outside producers. So Interscope released her and she signed with Island Records for the 2025 album At the Beach, In Every Life. The single Sailor Song reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 after being a viral hit. It topped the British Singles chart and charted worldwide. Gigi wrote all the songs on the album and produced with recording engineer Noah Weinman. The album is available on CD. To date, this is Gigi's only chart single. So the question is does Gigi have a music career or is she just a TikTok fluke. I suspect the latter is more likely but time will tell. Here's the video for Sailor Song by Gigi Perez.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chris Carmack

 

Artist:Chris Carmack

Song:What If I Was Willing

Album:The Music of Nashville: Original Soundtrack: Season 2 Volume 1

Actor Chtis Carmack has been a TV regular for over twenty years. But he is probably best known for for playing hunky singer Will Lexington on the series Nashville. He did his own singing on that show. All the actors did. After a failed attempt to launch a country music career, he returned to TV as Dr. Atticus "Link" Lincoln on the 2018 season of Grey's Anatomy. He is currently a series regular. He was born Dec. 22, 1980 in Washington, DC and he grew up in Denwood, MD. Carmack got interested in theater in high school. And after graduating, he studied at New York University Tisch School of the Arts. While there, he was hired to  model for Abercrombie & Fitch and he appeared in many catalogs. Then he played Luke on the first season of the TV series The O.C. When the producers couldn't guarantee him a regular spot on the show, he left and returned to modeling. Carmack appeared on stage and in films until he was cast as Will Lexington in Nashville in 2014. He debuted near the end of season one and was made a regular in season two. The character is this hunky country singer who believes he is gay. And he knows if that becomes public, it could be trouble. So plenty of drama comes with that. Nashville was created by Callie Khouri who is best known for writing the film Thelma & Louise. I watched Nashville and the best thing about it was the music. They didn't fake anything about the music. All the actors did their own singing and the music was written and produced by Nashville pros. The music for season one was produced by Khouri's veteran producer husband T-Bone Burnett. I don't think ABC and Lionsgate were happy with the music. So Buddy Miller was brought in to produce the music for season two. And that's when Carmack sang When I Was Willing. The occasional song would become a hit single. But for the most part, ABC and Lionsgate distributed the songs to iTunes and other streaming services and they wanted viewers to download the songs they liked. And that's the results they were interested in. They also released the music on CD. What If I Was Willing was written by the father son team of Billy and Randy Montana and Brian Davis. The Montanas were aspiring singers who turned to songwriting when that didn't work out. Davis has written several songs for Brantley Gilbert. Though Miller produced most of this album, What If I Was Willing was produced by Jason Aldean's producer Michael Knox. For the most part, the Nashville soundtrack albums sold very well. Carmack's pretty good in this video. But when he released a 2015 EP on his own label, it went nowhere. He needed that Nashville machine. So after Nashville ran its course and moved to CMT for the final season, the show ended in 2018. Carmack was immediately hired to play Atticus "Link" Lincoln in the very popular series Grey's Anatomy. I don't think he is pursuing a music career anymore. Here's the video for What If I Was Willing by Chris Carmack from Nashville. You can watch it on YouTube. ABC won't allow embedding.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ninety Miles

Artist:Ninety Miles

Song:City Sunrise

Album:Ninety Miles

Ninety Miles is the distance between the US and Cuba. Of course the political divide is much wider because of the US embargo on Cuba. Ninety Miles is an attempt to bridge that divide using jazz. No doubt inspired by the success of Buena Vista Social Club, Concord Music Group's Chief Content Officer John Burk heard about a rising generation of young Cuban jazz musicians who were unknown in the US. So he decided to send three Concord artists to Havana to record and perform with Cuban musicians. Those artists were tenor saxophonist David Sanchez, trumpeter Christian Scott and vibraphonist Stefon Harris. They were going to record an album and perform live. There was also going to be a documentary produced by the guys who did the Buena Vista Social Club documentary about the large pile of red tape their lawyers had to go through. Ninety Miles spent four days in Havana May 2010. They recorded the album, performed at Cubadisco and shot the documentary footage. All the songs were original. City Sunrise was written by Sanchez. The Cuban musicians are Harold Lopez-Nussa on piano, Yandy Martinez Gonzalez on bass, Ruy Adrian Lopez-Nussa on drums and Edgar Martinez Ochoa on percussion. Ninety Miles is available on  CD. The live album is available as a digital download. I can't find the documentary. After a brief Ninety Miles tour, all three guys resumed their individual careers. Of the Cuban musicians, Harold Lopez-Nussa records for Blue Note. He now lives in France and holds dual citizenship. Here's Ninety Miles performing City Sunrise 2010. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Old Blind Dogs

Artist:Old Blind Dogs

Song Harris Dance

Album:Four on the Floor

The Scottish band Old Blind Dogs mixes traditional folk music with other kinds of music similar to bands like Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. There's a long history of this kind of fusion in England. Old Blind Dogs was formed in 1990 in Aberdeen, Scotland by Johny Hardie, Ian F. Benzie and Buzzby McMillan. Hardie plays fiddle, guitar and mandolin. But he's not the lead singer. Benzie was lead singer on the original version of Old Blind Dogs. But he left in 1999. McMillan left in 2003. So Hardie is the only original member. I'm not a fan of this kind of revolving door. But Hardie seems to have control over it. They recorded for the folk label Green Linnett for several years. The traditional song Harris Dance is from the 2007 album Four on the Floor. This was their first album on the Scottish label Vertical owned by Capercaillie's Donald Shaw. It was on Compass in the US. The musicians are Johny Hardie on fiddle, Rory Campbell on bagpipes, Aaron Jones on bass and Fraser Stone on drums. Hardie and Shaw produced the album. The album is available as a budget CD. So I would recommend it to folk music fans. Old Blind Dogs last recorded for their own label in 2021. And they continue to tour. Here's Old Blind Dogs with Johny Hardie on fiddle, Ali Hutton on bagpipes, Aaron Jones on guitar and Donald Hay on drums performing Harris Dance in Germany Mar.22, 2014.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Roy Clark

Artist:Roy Clark

Song:Come Live with Me

Album:Greatest Hits

Roy Clark is best known as one of the hosts of the long running country variety show Hee Haw. But I think as a musician, he is very underrated. A few years ago, I featured an album that Clark recorded with jazz guitarist Joe Pass. It says a lot about Clark's musicianship that he was able to hang with Pass. And Clark was worried about that too. But he never got to show that in Nashville because of Hee Haw. That show was Clark's bread and butter. And believe it or not, Clark's 1973 single Come Live with Me was Clark's only #1 country hit. Clark's 1969 single Yesterday When I Was Young was his biggest hit because it was a top twenty pop hit. But it only reached #9 on the Country Singles chart. Clark was born Apr. 15, 1933 in Meherrin, VA.  His father was a tobacco farmer. He moved the family to Staten Island, NY for work and then moved them to Washington, DC. Clark's father played banjo, fiddle and guitar and his mother played piano. They moved to Washington, DC after Clark's father found work there. Clark's father taught him to play guitar. Clark's main influences were jazz guitarist George Barnes and bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs. After winning the 1947 National Banjo Championship, Clark played in several DC bands. His big break came when he joined Jimmy Dean's Texas Wildcats and appeared on his TV show. Clark made his first solo TV appearance on a 1963 episode of The Tonight Show hosted by Dean. He recorded for Capitol Records at first then switched to Dot Records in 1968. And that's when Yesterday When I was Young reached #19  on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Country Singles chart. He finally topped the country charts with the 1973 single Come Live with Me. It was his only #1 country hit. The song was written by the husband and wife duo of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant. Among other songs, they wrote Bye Bye Love and Wake Up Little Susie for The Everly Brothers. The album producer was Dot Records president Jim Foglesong. Dot was soon sold to ABC records and then to MCA in 1978. Clark left MCA in 1981 and then recorded for small labels. This comp on Craft Records seems to be the only decent comp available. These are original recordings. Beware of rerecorded versions. Clark continued to appear on Hee Haw. And he opened his own theater in Branson, MO. Clark continued to perform until his death on Nov. 15, 2018 at age 85. Clark occasionally recorded albums showcasing his musicianship like the 1979 album Makin' Music with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and the 1994 album Roy Clark & Joe Pass Play Hank Williams. I just think record companies could have done more with Clark. Here's Roy Clark performing Come Live with Me on a 1996 episode of The Statler Brothers Show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Melissa Auf Der Maur

Artist:Melissa Auf Der Maur

Song:Followed the Waves

Album:Auf Der Maur

Canadian bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur is best known for her days in Courtney Love's band Hole. After they split up, she briefly joined The Smashing Pumpkins and then went solo. She last released an album in 2010 and seems to be retired from music. She was born Mar. 17, 1972 in Montreal. Her parents journalist and politician Nick Auf Der Maur and journalist Linda Gaboriau. She lived with her mom. Melissa attended alternative schools in Montreal that steered her towards the arts. She majored in photography at Concordia University. She also was a DJ at the club Bifteck. And that's where she met fellow Concordia student Steve Durand and they formed the band Tinker in 1993. Durand played guitar and Melissa played bass. They added  guitarist Jordan Zadorozny and a drummer and started playing Montreal clubs. After a Smashing Pumpkins concert, Melissa became friends with Billy Corgan. So though Tinker had limited success, Melissa's name was out there. So when Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff died, Courtney Love Asked Melissa to replace her. Hole was very successful when Melissa was in the band. She left in 1999. Too much drama for Melissa. Then she joined The Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan was happy. But Melissa thought the band was too intense. So she left after a year. After a couple of short lived bands, Melissa signed with Capitol Records and released the 2004 album Auf Der Maur. Followed the Waves was the first single. It did OK on the Alt Rock chart. But the album did not go mainstream. It did well in Europe. Melissa wrote most of the songs and produced with Masters of Reality lead singer Chris Goss. Her old buddy Steve Durand was lead guitarist. This album is available as a digital download. Melissa followed this with 2 EPs and a 2010 album. But that's the last time she recorded. So I don't know if she's a musician anymore. But she is publishing her memoir in Mar. 2026. Maybe she will return to music after that. Here's the video for Followed the Waves by Melissa Auf Der Maur.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-William Becton & Friends

Artist:William Becton & Friends

Song:Be Encouraged

Album:Broken

Back in the 90s, we started to see contemporary gospel music cross over to pop and R&B. This was mostly spearheaded by Kirk Franklin. But occasionally an unknown gospel artist would crossover to R&B out of nowhere. And that's how the 1995 single Be Encouraged became a top 40 R&B hit. William Earl Becton Jr. was born Dec. 31, 1958 in Washington, DC. He started singing in the church choir at age four. Then he attended the Sewell Music Conservatory at age eight. He studied at the Duke Ellington School for the Arts and the University of the District of Columbia. Becton released the 1995 album Broken on his own label. When it started getting gospel radio airplay, Intersound Records picked it up. The single Broken topped the gospel chart and Be Encouraged crossed over to R&B. Becton appeared on the 1996 Stellar Awards broadcast. To follow it up, Becton signed with the much larger CGI Records with A&M Records distribution for the 1997 album Heart of a Love Song. That and subsequent albums didn't perform as well. And by the time Tyscot Records released the 2003 album Broken Vol. 2 Live, Becton had cooled off. He last released a single in 2012. But these days he is pastor at Kingdom Purpose Worship Center in Charlotte, NC. Music is still part of his ministry. But he's not a musician anymore. Here's William Becton and Friends performing Be Encoraged on the 1996 Stellar Awards broadcast.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Stevie Wonder

Artist:Stevie Wonder

Song:Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours

Album:The Definitive Collection

Stevie Wonder was thirteen years old when the 1963 single Fingertips topped the charts. For most of the 60s, he wrote and produced with Henry Cosby. But by the time the 1970 single Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours was a top five hit, he didn't want Cosby to hold his hand anymore. He wanted to write and produce his own music. Of course Motown owner Berry Gordy resisted this. He just didn't want Wonder to grow up. But Wonder was still scoring hit singles and he was putting pressure on Gordy to allow it. Wonder was now an adult and he was married to singer songwriter Syreeta Wright. So finally Gordy let Wonder produce Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours by himself and it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wonder and Syreeta wrote the song with Lee Garrett who wrote regularly with Wonder in the early 70s. Wonder also gave a songwriting credit to his mother. Paul Riser arranged and The Funk Brothers played on the record with Eddie Willis playing the sitar. Wonder only produced two songs solo. Henry Cosby and Ron Miller helped Wonder as they had done on previous albums. The experiment was a success and Gordy left Wonder produce his future albums and that was very successful. This comp is the best one available. Wonder was very successful in the 70s. But he hasn't had a hit single since the 80s. Wonder still tours and records occasionally. But his songs have gotten more sentimental in recent years. He seems to have lost his edge. Here's Stevie Wonder performing Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours on the Aug. 11, 1970 episode of The Dick Cavett Show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Doobie Brothers

Artist:The Doobie Brothers

Song:Black Water

Album:The Very Best of the Doobie Brothers

The Doobie Brothers were one of the most successful bands of the 70s. So it may surprise you that the 1975 single Black Water was their first #1 hit and the only #1 hit by the original version of the band. They were formed in 1970 in San Jose, CA. Drummer John Hartman came to California to join a Moby Grape reunion that never happened. But Moby Grape's Skip Spence introduced Hartman to singer, songwriter and guitarist Tom Johnston. At first they were a trio and they called themselves Pud. Then singer, songwriter and guitarist Patrick Simmons and bassist Dave Shogren joined. Johnston and Simmons wrote most of the songs and shared lead vocals. They couldn't seem to come up with a decent band name until The Doobie Brothers was suggested because Johnston was always smoking weed. Simmons said the name was only temporary. But they started getting a following in Northern California and that led to a Warner Bros. record deal. Ted Templeman formerly of Harpers Bizarre was a staff producer at Warner Bros. They added a second drummer Michael Hosseck. And Shogren had a disagreement with Templeman and was replaced by Tiran Porter. They had their commercial breakthrough with the 1972 album Toulouse Street and the single Listen to the Music. They had success for the next couple of years mostly as an album and touring band. Bill Payne of Little Feat was brought in to play keyboards but he was never a member of The Doobie Brothers. Hosseck left in 1973 and was replaced by Keith Knudsen. Then they brought Steely Dan guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter after Steely Dan quit touring. And that brings us to the 1975 album What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. Most of the album songs were written by either Simmons or Johnston. Simmons wrote Black Water and sang lead. It was The Doobie Brothers' first #1 hit. Black Water was first released as the B side for the 1974 single Another Park, Another Sunday. When Black Water started to pick up steam, Templeman had Warners release it as an A side. And that's when it topped the charts. Black Water is a tribute to New Orleans. Templeman thought it was too acoustic to be an A side. What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits was certified 2XPlatinum. This 2CD comp covers The Doobie Brothers entire history. But Johnston was having health problems and was forced to leave The Doobie Brothers. Former Steely Dan keyboardist Michael McDonald was brought in to replace Johnston as singer and songwriter. McDonald would soon become the main singer for The Doobie Brothers and they had great success with the 1979 album Minute by Minute. So The Doobie Brothers became a different band led by McDonald. Simmons and Johnston both went solo. But neither was successful. Then McDonald went solo and The Doobie Brothers split up in 1982. The Doobie Brothers reformed in 1989 with the album Cycles. Johnston and Simmons returned. Johnston was lead singer on most of the album. They recorded two albums for Capitol. A version of the band still tours with McDonald, Simmons and Johnston in the band. At this point they are a nostalgia act. Here's the video for Black Water by The Doobie Brothers.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-I Am They

Artist:I Am They

Song:Promises

Album:Faithful God

I Am They was a CCM band that was having success on the Christian charts when they disbanded in 2022. They formed in 2008 in Carson City, NV. led by lead singer Stephanie Kulia, guitarists Matthew Hein, keyboardist Justin Shinn and drummer Sara Parker. They started out as a worship ministry called Solomon's Porch. They did what was supposed to be a one time only gathering on Oct. 31, 2008 at Calvary Chapel in Carson City. It was turned into a bi-monthly gathering. A couple of local concert promoters were looking for an opening act for CCM artist Matthew West after seeing Solomon's Porch. So they started writing songs and decided to call themselves I Am They after a bible passage. After a couple of years of touring, they moved to Nashville and signed with the CCM label Provident. I Am They's self titled debut album was released Jan. 2015. They played on the Rock & Worship Roadshow tour with MercyMe and Crowder and they also opened for Matt Maher. They were nominated for a Best New Artist Dove Award. Then Abbie Parker replaced Stephanie, new singer Jon McConnell was brought in and Nicole Hickman replaced Sara. My impression is some of the band members didn't want to tour or be full time musicians. Yes, touring can be a drag but it comes with the territory. I Am They had their greatest success when their 2018 single Scars was certified Gold. Promises is from the 2021 album Faithful God. The album was produced by Newsboys producer Seth Mosely. By this time, Brandon Chase of The Voice replaced McConnell and he and Hein wrote most of the songs. Then it was announced in Jan. 2022 that Abbie was leaving I Am They and that they were starting their own label with Truss Records. After releasing a new EP with a new singer, I guess things weren't working out as they announced in Sept. 2022 that I Am They was splitting up. I think there were too many personnel changes and some of the band members didn't want to tour as full time musicians. It's too bad because they had potential. Here's the video for Promises by I Am They.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sonora Carruseles

Artist:Sonora Carruseles

Song:Micaela: Reggaeton Remix

Album:Que No Para La Rumba

If you're a salsa fan, you will love the Colombian salsa band Sonora Carruseles. They have been around since the late 90s. They haven't recorded lately but they still tour and appear on TV. Their record label Discos Fuentes was the first Colombian record label. They were founded by Antonio Fuentes Estrada in 1934. Upon his death, the label was taken over by Mario "Pachanga" Rincon. In 1995, he wanted to start a new salsa band called Sonora Carruseles. They released their debut album in 1995. Micaela is one of their most popular songs. It was on the 1998 album Heavy Salsa. That album is out of print. But you can get a remix of Micaela on the 2004 album Que No Pare La Rumba. This is an album of remixes by Reggaeton artist Bimbo. It's available as a budget CD. Sonora Carruseles moved to Miami several years ago and and they started their own record label Miami Records. They have also appeared on TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance. They haven't recorded new music since 2015. But they still tour and salsa fans should check them out. Here's Sonora Carruseles performing Micaela 2021. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-JJ Grey & Mofro

Artist:JJ Grey & Mofro

Song:A Woman

Album:Country Ghetto

Because they are from Florida, JJ Grey & Mofro is sometimes described as Southern Swamp Rock. I would describe them as Blues Rockers typical of the kind of bands that Chicago based Alligator Records has released for decades. JJ Grey & Mofro are from Jacksonville, FL. led by lead singer and songwriter John "JJ Grey" Higginbotham. Grey and guitarist Daryl Hance became friends when they worked for the same air conditioning company. They moved to England and formed the band Mofro Magic. Grey says Mofro was a nickname given to him, But he decided to give that name to the band. They signed with a British label and toured Europe. The record deal didn't work out. So they moved back to Jacksonville and signed with the San Francisco based indie label Fog City. After two albums, Grey changed the band name to JJ Grey & Mofro and signed with the much larger label Alligator Records. A Woman is from the 2007 album Country Ghetto. It was their debut album on Alligator. The music is a cross between country and soul. Grey wrote all the songs and sings lead. The producer is Dan Prothero who has produced Galactica an Garage a Trois among others. He produced all six Alligator albums. Country Ghetto is available on CD. Hance left JJ Grey & Mofro in 2010. So that means that Grey is the only original member. For the 2015 album Ol' Glory, JJ Grey and Mofro switched to The Dutch label Provogue. They only recorded one album there and returned to Alligator for the 2024 album Olustee. Grey is now self producing. They are off the road right now but will begin a new tour in Feb. 2026. Here's JJ Grey & Mofro performing A Woman at The Shed in Franklin, TN Apr. 26, 2024. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Drifters

Artist:The Drifters

Song:Under the Boardwalk

Album:The Definitive Soul Collection

Of course The Drifters have a long history going back to the early 50s. A version of The Drifters still performs today. But their prime was when they recorded for Atlantic Records in the early 60s. The 1964 single Under the Boardwalk was their final top ten hit. The Drifters were formed in 1953 as a backup group for former Billy Ward & his Dominoes lead singer Clyde McPhatter. At this point, The Drifters were a standard doo wop group. After McPhatter left to go solo in 1955, The Drifters manager George Treadwell tried different singers. Then he saw the doo wop group The Five Crowns featuring lead singer Ben E. King. He fired the original Drifters and The Five Crowns were renamed The Drifters. Treadwell owned the name The Drifters. The good news was King sang lead on the 1960 #1 hit Save the Last Dance for Me. The bad news was he soon left The Drifters to go solo. So now Treadwell had to find a new lead singer. King wanted more money. Charlie Moore sang lead on a few singles. But they weren't hits. So Treadwell hired Rudy Lewis from the gospel group The Clara Ward Singers. After he sang lead on the 1963 top ten hits Up on the Roof and On Broadway, Treadwell thought Lewis was the answer. They were going to record Under the Boardwalk with Lewis singing lead. The night before the recoding session, Lewis was found dead of a suspected drug overdose. Instead of postponing the session, Johnny Moore sang lead on Under the Boardwalk. He returned to The Drifters in 1963. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record was produced by Bert Berns who had recently replaced Lieber & Stoller as staff producer at Atlantic. The song was written by Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick who had written several songs together but this was their biggest hit. Under the Boardwalk was only released as a single. But when it became a hit, Atlantic retitled a greatest hits comp Under the Boardwalk and added the song. This would turn out to be The Drifters' final top ten hit. You can get all their Atlantic hits on this 2CD comp. The Drifters continued to record. And a version of the group still tours. Here's The Drifters performing Under the Boardwalk. This seems to be from the late 60s and it is lip synced. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-IYO Sky vs Kairi Sane

Here's the match video of IYO SKY vs Kairi Sane from last night's episode of RAW. What many fans may not know is that IYO trained Kairi when both were at Stardom. IYO taught Kairi the Insane Elbow finisher. So if you think they have similar wrestling styles, that's not an accident. First, one of my pet peeves is when the WWE goes to commercial right at the start of a match. After they return, the match is reasonably competitive. But the result was never in doubt. And that's becoming a problem with this feud. If the babyfaces win all the time, the heels lose their heat. I don't know what the WWE will  do about that. Maybe have Rhea turn on IYO. Enjoy the Video?

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gavin Creel

Artist:Gavin Creel w/Will Swenson and company

Song:Hair

Album:Hair: The New Broadway Cast Recording

Of course most folks should be familiar with the Broadway musical Hair which emerged in the 60s in the wake of hippie culture. After Hair was turned into a 1979 film, it was finally revived on Broadway in 2009 starring Gavin Creel as Claude. My guess is that producers looked at Hair as an anachronism in 2000s society and maybe theater goers wouldn't want to see it. But it did well and the show went on a national tour after the Broadway run. The stars of the 2009 revival were Gavin Creel as Claude, Will Swenson as George and Caissie Levy as Sheila. Creel was a Tony winning actor. He was mainly a Broadway performer. He did very little TV and no films. He was born Apr. 18, 1976 in Findlay, OH. He was raised in a devout religious home which alienated him. And he got into theater to escape. Creel earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater at the University of Michigan. He started working in regional theater in the late 90s. He went on a national tour of Fame in 1999. He moved to New York in 2001. Creel made his Broadway debut in the stage adaptation of the 1967 film Thoroughly Modern Millie. Sutton Foster was his co-star. He was nominated for a Best Actor Tony. He was in the 2004 revival of La Cage Aux Folles followed by a 2006 London production of Mary Poppins. Creel was supposed to star as Jesus in a 2008 revival of Godspell. But the show was cancelled when an investor pulled out. And that allowed him to replace Jonathan Groff in the Hair revival. The show did very well and Creel was nominated for a Tony. The original cast album is available on CD. Creel appeared in the 2012 production of The Book of Mormon. Then he won a Tony for the 2017 revival of Hello, Dolly!. Creel was diagnosed with cancer and he died on Sept. 30, 2024 at age 48. The Broadway lights were dimmed in his memory. Here's Gavin Creel with Will Swenson and company performing Hair on the 2009 Tony Awards broadcast. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tokyo Police Club

Artist:Tokyo Police Club

Song:In a Cave

Album:Elephant Shell

Tokyo Police Club was an indie band that had modest success as an album and touring band in their native Canada. They were never on a major label so I don't think they saw themselves as having mainstream potential. I know what you are thinking. Why are they called Tokyo Police Club? Tokyo Police Club are from Newmarket, ON. which is north of Toronto. The much more famous band Glass Tiger are also from Newmarket. The band members attended school together. They were lead singer and bassist Dave Monks, keyboardist Graham Wright, guitarist Josh Hook and drummer Greg Alsop. They were in a band called Suburbia during high school. Tokyo Police Club was formed in 2004. The name is from an online band name generator. Obviously it would have been preferable to have a more personal band name. But sometimes it's hard to come up with a name. So I guess that is a solution. But not a very good one. The band is credited with writing all the songs meaning the royalties are split evenly. They started playing locally and released a couple of EPs on Toronto based indie label Paper Bag Records. While playing a 2007 show in Omaha, Tokyo Police Club signed to release their 2008 debut album Elephant Shell on the Omaha based indie label Saddle Creek Records. After playing several music festivals, Elephant Shell was released. The album was very short so it came with a bonus CD of remixes. The album is available as a digital download. The band wrote and produced with recording engineer Jon Drew. He had worked on their EPs. For the 2010 album Champ, Tokyo Police Club switched to Dine Alone in Canada and Mom + Pop in the US. For that album, the producer was Rob Schnapf. He was best known for producing Elliott Smith. They released two subsequent albums. They were still playing shows. And they were even nominated for a Best Alternative Rock Album Juno in 2018. But they weren't getting anywhere. And after releasing a couple of anniversary editions of early albums, Tokyo Police Club disbanded in 2024. Dave Monks is currently a member of the band Anyway Gang with singer songwriter Sam Roberts and Chris Murphy of Sloan. They have released two albums. Here's the video for In a Cave by Tokyo Police Club. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Moist

Artist:Moist

Song:Silver

Album:Silver

The alternative rock band Moist had success in the 90s in their native Canada. Attempts to break into the US market were unsuccessful. Keep in mind that Canadian radio stations are mandated to play CanCon and frequently the music isn't good enough to get played anywhere else. And that's probably true of Moist. All the members of Moist are originally from Ontario. Lead singer and main songwriter David Usher grew up in Kingston, ON and he moved to Burnaby, BC to study political science at Simon Fraser University. By 1992, all the members of Moist had moved to BC from Ontario. They were Mark Makoway on guitar, Kevin Young on keyboards, Jeff Pearce on bass and Paul Wilcox on drums. They recorded a demo in 1994 with recording engineer Kevin Hamilton. Their sound was heavily influenced by the Seattle grunge movement of bands like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. They made 500 cassettes and took them to the Vancouver record store Sam the Record Man. There was enough interest in Moist that EMI Canada signed them to a record deal. Their debut album Silver was released in 1994. Singles like Silver did well in Canada. But as I said, radio stations and the video station MuchMusic are mandated to play CanCon. The album didn't do well internationally. It was released on Chrysalis in the US. My guess is Moist was too similar to the more successful bands to stand out. Typically, Moist's success in Canada was misleading due to CanCon regs. Moist wrote and produced with Hamilton. This album is available as a budget CD. Moist released three albums for EMI Canada. EMI tried to bring in different producers and released the albums on Arista and Capitol in the US. It didn't help and they split up in 2002. Usher recorded several solo albums for EMI Canada. His 2001 single Black Black Heart was a top five hit in Canada. Moist reunited in 2013. They have released two albums, most recently on their own label in 2022. They tour across Canada and I expect that to continue. Here's the video for Silver by Moist.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Neil Finn

Artist:Neil Finn

Song:Sinner

Album:Try Whistling This

Neil Finn is best known as the lead singer of the Australian band Crowded House. Their 1986 single Don't Dream It's Over was a top five hit. Finn was also in the 70s band Split Enz. He has recorded solo since 1997 and has had chart success in Australia. I would think that Crowded House fans would enjoy his music as he writes and produces everything just like he did with Crowded House. I also know that radio station programmers have short memories. Finn was born May 27, 1958 in Te Awamutu, New Zealand. Finn's mom was a devout Catholic and Finn says that Catholicism has always been fertile ground for song lyrics. His father served in the army during WWII and became an accountant. Finn's older brother Tim Finn says they used to perform at family gatherings. And both learned to play guitar and piano. Both attended the Sacred Heart College boarding school in Auckland. Tim Finn was one of the original members of Split Enz when it was formed in 1972. He shared lead vocals with Phil Judd. When Judd left the band in 1977, Neil Finn replaced him. After Tim Finn left Split Enz in 1984, they soon disbanded and Neil Finn formed The Mullanes with Split Enz drummer Paul Hester, guitarist Craig Hooper of The Reels and bassist Nick Seymour. They signed with Capitol Records and the band name was changed to Crowdrd House. They had success with the 1986 top five hit Don't Dream It's Over. They split up in 1996. Since then, Finn has recorded solo. Try Whistling This was his debut album in 1997 on EMI's Parlophone label. Finn's solo albums have done well in Australia and New Zealand and to a lesser extent in England. Finn writes and produces all the songs. His main collaborator is British producer Marius de Vries. He won a Grammy for his music for the 2016 film La La Land. They wrote the song Sinner. The other musicians are Sebastian Steinberg of Soul Coughing on bass and former Split Enz drummer Michael Barker. This album is available as a budget CD. Finn reformed Crowded House in 2007. They recorded an album and toured. Finn and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers toured with Fleetwood Mac in 2018.  Finn released a new live album earlier this year. He reformed Split Enz and they will tour Australia beginning in Feb. 2026. Here's the video for Sinner by Neil Finn. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bing Crosby

Artist:Bing Crosby

Song:Dear Hearts and Gentle People

Album:Bing Crosby Sings Again

Of course Bing Crosby is the best selling recording artist of all time. And the 1945 single White Christmas is probably the biggest selling record of all time because it's been a hit record during the holiday season annually. Go check out Billboard's Holiday chart to see what I'm talking about. Well, that can be a blessing and a curse. After White Christmas topped the charts in 1945, it topped the charts again in 1946 and 1947. And it continued to chart for the next few years. The 1949 single Dear Hearts and Gentle People was one of the songs released to compete with White Christmas. Dear Hearts and Gentle People was released in Dec. 1949 and reached #2 on the charts. It was the B side to Mule Train and that reached #4. That year White Christmas reached #5. Dear Hearts and Gentle People was written by veteran songwriters Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard. Supposedly the song is based on a scrap of paper found on composer Stephen Foster's body when he was found dying in a New York hotel room in 1864. It said "Dear friends and gentle hearts". The singer is supposedly singing about his or her home town. Dinah Shore was the first to record Dear Hearts and Gentle People and she reached #2 on the charts. Then Crosby matched that a couple of months later. Gordon MacRae and Dennis Day also recorded it but didn't do as well. It was not unusual in those days for multiple artists to compete for chart position with the same song. Crosby's recording was arranged and conducted by Perry Botkin. The background vocals are by Judd Conlon's Rhythmaires. They worked regularly with Crosby from 1947-57. You can get the song on this budget CD. Obviously Crosby had plenty of hits and I may look at other ones in the future. Here's Bing Crosby performing Dear Hearts and Gentle People on the Apr. 25, 1954 episode of his variety show. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wand

Artist:Wand

Song:Rio Grande

Album:Laughing Matter

Wand is s Los Angeles based neo psychedelic band that have had success as an album and touring band. They've been around since 2013 so that makes me wonder if the natives are getting restless. Before forming Wand, lead singer and guitarist Cory Hanson recorded as W.H.I.T.E. and played guitar with singer songwriter Mikal Cronin and in the bands Together Panagea and Meatbodies. He decided to form a new band with former art school classmates Evan Burrows and Lee Landey. Landey didn't stay but Burrows is still the drummer. Hanson decided to call the band Wand which I think is too generic. Hanson says that was deliberate. They toured with Ty Segall and released the 2014 album Ganglion Reef on Segall's label God? with distribution from the Chicago based indie label Drag City. Wand is still on Drag City. For the 2015 album 1000 Days, guitarist Daniel Martens and bassist Lee Landey left. Meanwhile, Hanson considered self producing and that's what Wand has done ever since. Hanson and Burrows write and produce everything. Rio Grande is from the 2019 album Laughing Matter. Lee Landey was still playing bass on the album. He just wasn't touring because he has a family. They went on hiatus and Hanson recorded a couple of solo albums. They finally replaced Landey with Evan Becker for a 2022 tour. The album Vertigo was released in 2024. They toured earlier this year but they are off the road right now. There has been talk that Hanson may go solo or have Wand record more mainstream music to get on a major label to get a hit single. I don't know what he will do but the constant touring must be a grind. Here's the video for Rio Grande by Wand. And yes, the video was deliberately produced like this.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Fitz and the Tantrums

Artist:Fitz and the Tantrums

Song:HandClap

Album:Fitz and the Tantrums

Fitz and the Tantrums have had success as an album and touring band. The 2016 single HandClap did well on the Alternative Rock chart. They were formed in Los Angeles in 2008 by lead singer James "Fitz" Fitzpatrick. The other original members were co-lead singer Noelle Scaggs, James King on sax, Jeremy Ruzumna on keyboards, Joseph Karnes on bass and John Wicks on drums. Most are still in the band. The purchase of an old electric organ inspired Fitzpatrick to write a song. After he played it for his college buddy King, he brought in the others. They released an EP in 2009. Their big break came when Maroon 5 leader Adam Levine heard it and Fitz and the Tantrums opened for them on a college tour. Then they signed with Dangerbird Records with Atlantic distribution. HandClap is from the 2016 album Fitz and the Tantrums. The album did well. It was certified Gold. HandClap reached #2 on the Alternative Rock chart. It's their biggest hit to date. Most of the album was produced by Jesse Shatkin who has produced Sia and Kelly Clarkson. But HandClap was written and produced by Grammy winning producer Ricky Reed, his partner Sam Hollander and Fitz and the Tantrums. The band members are not credited individually. It looks like the royalties are split evenly. The album is available as a digital download. John Wicks left in 2022 to teach at the University of Montana. Blair Sirita was brought in to play drums on the 2025 album Man on the Moon. But a permanent replacement has not been named. Here's the video for HandClap by Fitz and the Tantrums.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lee Ritenour

Artist:Lee Ritenour f/John Scofield

Song:Lay It Down

Album:6 String Theory

Normally I like to give an overview of an artist. But I haven't done that yet for jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour. This 2010 album 6 String Theory was released to celebrate Ritenour's 50th anniversary in jazz. He actually released his first album as a leader in 1976. 6 String Theory has a different guitarist on each song. He also launched a 6 String Theory competition for aspiring jazz guitarists. Shon Boubil won the first contest and he won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston and he got to play on the album. Boubil is working on his Ph.D. in theoretical physics and education at the University of Western Australia. So it remains to be seen if Boubil becomes a musician. I have my doubts. Ritenour holds the competition every two years and it has expanded to include piano, bass and drums. All the winners got Berklee scholarships. I guess Ritenour's thinking is no one did this for him when he was coming up. He just wants to pay it forward. The idea for the album came first. It inspired Ritenour to start the competition. Lay It Down was the first song on the album featuring guitarist John Schofield. I could be wrong but I don't think they had ever recorded together. It's an original song written, produced and arranged by Ritenour. The other musicians are Larry Goldings on organ, Melvin Lee Davis on bass and Harvey Mason Sr. on drums. Other guests include Keb' Mo, Taj Mahal, Pat Martino, Joey DeFrancesco, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Cray, Steve Lukather, Neal Schon, Slash, George Benson, Vince Gill, Jonny Lang, Joe Robinson, Andy McKee, Mike Stern, Tomoyasu Hotei, Guthrie Gowan, Tai Wilkenfeld and Shon Boubil. This album is available on CD. This album is on Concord. Ritenour's latest album Brasil was released on Candid last year. Ritenour is usually on tour. He's on a break right now but he'll be back on the road in January. Here's Lee Ritenour with Otmaro Ruiz on keyboards, Hadrien Feraud on bass and Wesley Ritenour on drums performing Lay It Down at the Blue Note in Hawaii 2018. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Grass Roots

Artist:The Grass Roots

Song:Midnight Confessions

Album:Playlist: The Very Best of the Grass Roots

The 1968 top five hit Midnight Confessions was the biggest hit for the band The Grass Roots. They had a pretty good run from 1967-72. The most interesting thing about The Grass Roots was they weren't a band at first. They were created in 1965 by Dunhill Records owner Lou Adler and the songwriting and producing team of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. Adler wanted to cash in on the folk rock movement. The 1965 top thirty hit Where Were You When I Needed You  was recorded by studio musicians. Sloan sang lead and played guitar. The other musicians were Larry Knechtel on keyboards, Joe Osborn on bass and Bones Howe on drums. None of those guys including Sloan wanted to tour. So Sloan and Barri found a group called The Bedouins in San Francisco and they became The Grass Roots. The problem was they wanted to record their own music. So Dunhill started over. When The Bedouins tried to continue as The Grass Roots, Dunhill threatened legal action. So Sloan and Barri went searching for a new band. A band called The 13th Floor had sent a demo to Dunhill. This band was led by guitarist Creed Bratton and keyboardist Warren Entner. The only problem was the lead singer had been drafted into the army. He was replaced by Rob Grill. The music continued to be written and produced by Sloan and Barri and performed by studio musicians. But at least they now had a touring band. Their first top ten hit was the 1967 single Let's Live for Today which was based on an Italian song. And that was the beginning of five years of success. Some of the band still wanted to write their own songs. But the success tempered that. The 1968 single Midnight Confessions  reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was written by Lou T. Josie of the band Ever-Green Blues. They had sent a demo to Dunhill and Barri thought it would be perfect for The Grass Roots. The demo had horns so Barri got Jimmie Haskell to write the arrangement. Grill and Entner shared lead vocals. Members of The Wrecking Crew played on the record including Mike Deasy on guitar, Carol Kaye on bass, Don Randi on piano, Larry Knechtel on organ, Hal Blaine on drums and Emil Richards on percussion. Saxophonist Plas Johnson led the horn section. Midnight Confessions was only released as a single. When it became a hit, Dunhill put it on a hastily assembled LP called Golden Grass. That is out of print but you can get all The Grass Roots hits on this budget comp. The Grass Roots' final top ten hit was Sooner or Later in 1971. By that time, there had been several personnel changes and they left Dunhill in 1974. I thought they did well for an ad hoc band. A version of The Grass Roots still plays oldies cruises. But none are original members. Here's The Grass Roots performing Midnight Confessions. This looks like the original band lineup.