The shining star of the soul-revivalist label Daptone Records, 60-year-old Sharon Jones endured some lean years early on before her career caught fire in the 2000s. Since then she’s battled recurring cancer but continues to record hot records, including a must-have holiday-themed album last year. She’s also the subject of a new, critically acclaimed documentary by Barbara Kopple. “100 Days, 100 Nights” is one of her best-known tracks and also one of my favourites.
Remember when whistling was all the rage back in the 2000s? People whistled while riding their Segways and Razor scooters, while clicking through MySpace pages, while watching the West Wing. Or maybe I just dreamed all this. But whistling did find its way into popular music, perking up this jaunty hit by Peter, Bjorn and John and pretty much every other song by Andrew Bird, including this highlight from his brilliant 2009 album, “Noble Beast.” Whistle away!
The other day I was rebuking myself—if you’ll pardon the expression—for not posting a song from Annie Lennox’s “Medusa” when I was doing my ‘90s list. But that self-scolding got me to thinking about cover songs, which led me to wonder, what if Ethel Merman had done an entire album of Devo covers? Then I realized I had gone a step too far. So, hopping back into reality, in 2006, Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs released “Under the Covers, Vol. 1,” the first in a three-album series of songs from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, respectively. I think Vol. 1 is the best of the trio, and this track is tailor-made for Hoff’s vocals.
Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs — “Different Drum”
Terry Callier is one of those artists who deserved massive success but never quite achieved it. Perhaps because his sound, which draws from rock, soul, folk and jazz, is hard to pigeonhole, he couldn’t parlay his cult status into mega-stardom and after releasing several brilliant, under-heard albums in the ‘70s, he quit the music business in the ‘80s to become a computer programmer. Callier experienced a mini-resurgence in the 2000s, becoming a go-to guest singer for such electronic acts as Massive Attack, Grand Tourism, and the Swedish duo Koop, who featured his sublime vocals on the 2001 album, “Waltz for Koop.” I was lucky enough to see Callier perform a few years before his death in 2012 and he was wonderful. Here he is on Koop’s “In a Heartbeat,” and check out some of his ‘70s solo stuff. You won’t be sorry!
Koop feat. Terry Callier — “In a Heartbeat”
Nova Scotia songwriter Feist put out her brilliant breakthrough album “Let It Die” in 2004. I moved to Canada in 2004. Obviously, my proximity had a profound effect on her work. The album is too good to pick just one song, so here’s “Mushaboom” and her wonderful take on the Bee Gees’ “Inside and Out.”
Josh Rouse is an artist that I’ve followed faithfully for many years. I’ve bought all of the Nebraska native’s albums since “1972” in 2003. (Confusing, I know.) I haven’t been disappointed yet. He’s not the flashiest songwriter, but his tunes are always well-crafted, frequently gorgeous, and occasionally, as is the case with today’s pick from 2005’s “Nashville,” near-perfect. I’m naming this one prettiest song of the Aughts.
Josh Rouse — “It’s the Nighttime”
Before “Titanium,” before all the Grammy nominations, and LONG before the two-toned hair veil, Sia was a journeyman Aussie singer who lent her golden pipes to the first three albums by British electronic duo Zero 7. While I applaud the fact that she’s now a superstar in her own right, I have to say that I much prefer the earlier, chilled-out Sia to the current dance-pop sensation. Check out this gorgeous track and tell me if I’m wrong. (Although the video is a bit aggressive!)
Zero 7 – “Distractions”
Neo-soul was a memorable musical movement in the late ‘90s and early 2000s that gave classic soul grooves a contemporary polish. It’s an imperfect umbrella term for a wide range of great artists, from Erykah Badu to Maxwell to Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. My favourite artist associated with neo-soul is Jill Scott for her fierceness, her fine voice, and her consistency—her 2016 album, “Woman” is just as good as any of her previous releases. This irresistible, empowering tune is one of Scott’s best-known tracks.
Jill Scott — “Golden”
Initially I balked at doing a 2000s list because when I think of that decade, my mind immediately goes to vapid boy bands and Auto-Tuned pop princesses and the death of the music industry. But when I did my “19 Days of Songs from the ‘90s” series, I discovered that a lot of my favourite recorded works that I was sure were pre-millennial actually came out in 2000 or after. Like “Music for Imaginary Films,” for instance, a delightful concept album by the Dutch electronic duo Arling & Cameron. The title is self-explanatory: 14 spot-on theme songs for movies that don’t exist. There are even fake promo posters in the CD booklet! (See photo.) This retro-spacey jam is a highlight.
Arling & Cameron — “1999 Spaceclub”
Like most first loves, it wasn’t meant to last.
I broke up with Kiss in 1980. I probably should have ended it sooner. After the honeymoon highs of “Alive!” and “Destroyer,” the romance continued for a while with “Rock and Roll Over” (late 1976) and “Love Gun” (’77). A reserve of goodwill carried me through the spotty solo efforts released simultaneously by each member in 1978. But by 1979, the flame had started to fizzle. The next album, “Dynasty,” featured the Top 40 hit “I Was Made for Loving You,” a woeful attempt at disco. The poppy follow-up, 1980’s “Unmasked,” made almost no impression. I listened to it maybe one-and-a-half times and I couldn’t tell you the name of a single tune on it. And its tantalizing title—implying that the perennially disguised rockers might expose their true faces behind the makeup, something fans had buzzed about for years—was a tease. They kept the masks on. (Although they would follow through with the reveal a few years later and it wasn’t pretty.) Continue reading
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