Every Wednesday at 9:13 am, one of Pittsburgh’s finest music writers joins me (Cindy Howes) on the Morning Mix to play a couple favorite new songs and share some insight. Today we welcome Scott Tady!
In case you missed it here’s what he played with commentary by Scott:
Buffalo Sunn, "The Long Road" - Do we still call it "Americana" if the band hails from Dublin, Ireland? Ponder that for three minutes as you listen to "The Long Road," the second single from Buffalo Sunn's new album, arriving Aug. 26. Strings, pedal steel, backing vocals all float to the surface of this track from a band featuring the Paxton brothers, Daniel (vocals/guitar) and Conor (bass).
Wolf Alice, "Don't Delete the Kisses" - It's all in the voice and the emotion conveyed by Elliw Rowsell singing about love in the emoji era. "I look at your picture and I smile/How awful is that?/ I'm like a teenage girl might as well write all over my notebook/That you 'rock my world!'/You do, you really do/You've turned me upside down And that's okay, I'll let it happen/'Cause I like having you around." This is the second single from the London alt-rock band's sophomore album due out Sept. 29.
Friday mornings on WYEP, Chef Bill Fuller (Corporate Chef for big Burrito Restaurant Group) joins Cindy Howes at 7:30am for Pairings! Bill & Cindy challenge each other to pair up your favorite music with matching menus. Let’s see what they came up with this week. Listen to the audio:
Every Wednesday at 9:13 am, one of our most trusted music aficionados joins me (Cindy Howes) on the Morning Mix to play a couple favorite new songs and share some insight. Today we welcome Patrick Bowman!
In case you missed, it here's what Patrick played:
Jay-Z, "Smile" - On his 12th studio album 4:44, Jay-Z finally gets introspective about his life, his mistakes , and his place in the cultural zeitgeist. "Smile" is the moment on the album where his uncanny technical abilities as an mc intersects with a strain of personal story telling we've never heard from him before. The result is a beautiful, head spinning trip through the racked mind of arguably the biggest living legend hip hop has today.
Shabazz Palaces, "Shine a Light" - Seattle native Ishmael Butler’s of Digable Planets is one half of Shabazz Palaces, a free-form hip-hop project that emerged from the internet ether about eight years ago. He continues to defy convention with a pair of companion albums (Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star / Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines) that examine contemporary America as if it's a strange and dangerous planet. "Shine a Light" is the most conventional song between the two albums but still manages to showcase Butler's knack for pushing hip hop production into unexpected places.
Below are the 5 key tracks that you need to know from Ben Folds.
Initially the frontman of the Ben Folds Five from '95 - '00, Folds went on to release three solo LPs. The group reunited in 2011 and released their fourth album a year later. Despite their name, they are a trio.
Song: "Trusted"
Album: Songs for Silverman
Year: 2005
Comment: His second solo studio album, it reached #13 on the Billboard 200.
Song: "Kate"
Album: Whatever and Ever Amen
Year: 1997
Comment: Co-written by Folds' first wife, Anna Goodman, the story follows a man so enamored with a woman named Kate that he wants to be her.
Song: "Philosophy"
Album: Ben Folds Five
Year: 1995
Comment: The piano solo at the end of the track borrows a melody from Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin.
Song: "Landed"
Album: Songs for Silverman
Year: 2005
Comment: Songs for Silverman was named after Folds' former A&R representative at Sony Records.
Song: "Phone In a Pool"
Album: So There
Year: 2015
Comment: The album was recorded in collaboration with yMusic, a chamber ensemble from New York City.
Catch Key Tracks every weekday during the Midday Mix at 1 PM on 91.3 WYEP.
Friday mornings on WYEP, Chef Bill Fuller (Corporate Chef for big Burrito Restaurant Group) joins Cindy Howes at 7:30am for Pairings! Bill & Cindy challenge each other to pair up your favorite music with matching menus. Let’s see what they came up with this week. Listen to the audio:
Every Wednesday at 9:13 am, one of our most trusted music aficionados joins me (Cindy Howes) on the Morning Mix to play a couple favorite new songs and share some insight. Today we welcome Justin Jacobs!
In case you missed it, here's what Justin played (commentary by JJ):
ZZ Ward, "Help Me Mama" - This head-bobbing cut is from ZZ Ward's latest album, The Storm. That's a great album title from this Philadelphia singer—she's got a hell of a big, stormy voice. The album just dropped last month, so you're just in time to discover her new tunes. It's full of great collaborations with other favorites like Fitz (of Fitz and the Tantrums) and Gary Clark Jr.
Thundercat, "Them Changes"- This dude is one funky cat. The LA-born bassist played with everyone from Erykah Badu to Bootsy Collins as an extra-thick low-end player, but these days he's making a name for his own work. His album from earlier this year, Drunk, is a head-spinning collage of deep grooves, humorous lyrics, and more bass acrobatics than a pool party at Flea's house.
Below are the 5 key tracks that you need to know from The Pogues.
One of the most influential bands in the Celtic punk scene, The Pogues have gone on to influence more contemporary bands such as Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys.
Song: "A Rainy Night In Soho"
Album: Poguetry In Motion
Year: 1986
Comment: The band's EP Poguetry In Motion was produced by Elvis Costello.
There was no key track on Tuesday due to the Independence Day holiday.
Song: "Sally MacLennane"
Album: Rum Sodomy & the Lash
Year: 1985
Comment: The track is named not after a woman but after a brand of stout.
Song: "Sunny Side of the Street"
Album: Hell's Ditch
Year: 1990
Comment: Following the release of this album, other members of The Pogues kicked out frontman Shane MacGowan due to his substance abuse-related unreliability.
Song: "Dirty Old Town"
Album: Rum Sodomy & the Lash
Year: 1985
Comment: This song was originally written by Ewan McColl and performed by The Dubliners
Catch Key Tracks every weekday during the Midday Mix at 1 PM on 91.3 WYEP.
Friday mornings on WYEP, Chef Bill Fuller (Corporate Chef for big Burrito Restaurant Group) joins Cindy Howes at 7:30am for Pairings! Bill & Cindy challenge each other to pair up your favorite music with matching menus. Let’s see what they came up with this week. Listen to the audio:
Every Wednesday at 9:13 am, one of WYEP’s trusted music experts joins me (Cindy Howes) on The Morning Mix to play a couple favorite new songs and share some insight. Today we welcome Jess Phaneuffrom WUMB in Boston!
In case you missed it, here's what Jess played:
Chris Stapleton, "Either Way" - My goodness this song is so gut-wrenching! Every time I listen, I'm stopped in my tracks by Stapleton's vocal performance...and I'm so moved by the lyrics. Even though I've never found myself in this particular situation, the story is told so powerfully that I can actually FEEL how heart-breaking it would be. That's a sure sign of a talented song-writer!
The Secret Sisters "He's Fine" - Laura and Lydia Rogers have that wonderful sibling chemistry and I'm thankful that they're back with a new album - You Don't Own Me Anymore. Brandi Carlile produced the record and I think it's some of their best work yet! This particular song is catchy and fun... even though it's also about heartache!
Friday mornings on WYEP, Chef Bill Fuller (Corporate Chef for big Burrito) joins Cindy Howes at 7:30am for Pairings! Bill & Cindy challenge each other to pair up your favorite music with matching menus. Let’s see what they came up with this week. Listen to the audio:
Every Wednesday at 9:13 am, one of WYEP’s trusted music experts joins me (Cindy Howes) on The Morning Mix to play a couple favorite new songs and share some insight. Today we welcome Sarah Wardropfrom WFUV in New York!
In case you missed, it here’s what she played:
Stars, "We Called It Love" - This is one of two new songs released by the Montreal band Stars as a preview of a forthcoming album. It follows 2014's No One Is Lost, which was recorded in a studio above a club with the beats and the neon turned up. On this song, those elements are turned down but the drama remains, and it's a perfect complement to the dark pop duets Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan do so well.
Waxahatchee, "Never Been Wrong" - This taste of guitar driven '90s nostalgia is from Waxahatchee's, Out in the Storm, which is out on July 14. Katie Crutchfield returns in force on her fourth album with this defiant anthem, but it's the moments of pause to let some harmonies kick in that really caught my ear. As the album opener, all signs point to an intriguing, riff-filled journey the rest of the way.
Below are the 5 key tracks that you need to know from k.d. lang.
The multiple Grammy Award-winning k.d. lang has steadily been producing music since 1984. She is known for her hits "Constant Craving" and "Miss Chatelaine" as well as her collaborations with artists such as The Reclines and Tony Bennett.
Song: "The Consequences of Falling"
Album: Invincible Summer
Year: 2000
Comment: The lead single from lang's 2000 release.
Song: "Lifted By Love"
Album: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Year: 1993
Comment: The first of lang's singles on the US Dance Chart, the song was featured on the soundtrack for Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.
Song: "Helpless"
Album: Hymns of the 49th Parallel
Year: 2004
Comment: Originally a Neil Young song, this album featured covers of lang's favorite fellow Canadian musicians.
Song: "Atomic Number"
Album: case/lang/veirs
Year: 2016
Comment: The lead single from lang's collaborative effort with Neko Case and Laura Veirs.
Song: "Constant Craving"
Album: Ingénue
Year: 1992
Comment: Perhaps lang's most well-known song, it reached #2 on the US Adult Contemporary chart following its release.
Catch Key Tracks every weekday during the Midday Mix at 1 PM on 91.3 WYEP.
Friday mornings on WYEP, Chef Bill Fuller (Corporate Chef for big Burrito) joins Cindy Howes at 7:30am for Pairings! Bill & Cindy challenge each other to pair up your favorite music with matching menus. Let’s see what they came up with this week. Listen to the audio:
