NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

In 1964, Simon & Garfunkel released the first recorded version of “ The Sound of Silence ” on their debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.   Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel performed the song under their old pseudonyms, Kane & Garr, in Greenwich Village in 1963. The song has been thought by many to be a reaction to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, though, the song was performed before that fateful November day in 1963. Paul Simon wrote the song in the bathroom with the light off so that he could concentrate on the echoes and the patterns in the tile. “The Sound of Silence” became a sleeper hit starting in the spring of 1965, a year after its parent album had been a commercial failure. A late-night DJ at Boston’s WBZ played the song and college students loved it. The folk-rock’s ambiguous and poetic lyrics resonated with the counterculture, the silenced young voices who felt unable to make a difference. Once the song gained popularity, producer Tom Wilson gathere

A few years ago, YouTuber Nick Canovas, or  Mic the Snare , made a  video about the characteristics of meme songs  and why some songs go viral. Not all meme songs are created equal. Some annoyingly catchy songs get stuck in enough heads to become a hit. These are so bad that they’re  almost  good. Then there are old songs that become renewed for the  TikTok  generation. These songs had a solid presence before taking off on social media. Some of these songs are laughable in a modern context—the swanky sax solo from “ Careless Whisper ,”  Rick Astley ’s shoulder dance when he sings “ Never Gonna Give You Up .” But some meme songs are what music critics still call legitimately good.  A-ha ’s “ Take On Me ,”  Simon & Garfunkel ’s “ The Sound of Silence ,” and today’s song can be legitimately enjoyed  with  an extra dose of irony once it has soundtracked a meme. YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO CUT ME OFF . In the spring and summer of 2012, I did a lot of driving. I had to get my paperwork togeth

  Ben Howard hails from the Southwestern town of Richmond in London, though he is an avid Liverpool football fan. He grew up playing several instruments before showing ultimate devotion to playing guitar. Six months before graduating with a Journalism degree, Howard decided to pursue music full-time. Howard’s dark folk music was influenced by Joni Mitchell , Van Morrison, and Simon & Garfunkel , and his unique guitar playing is a key feature of his music. He plays a left-handed guitar and sometimes a right-handed guitar upside down. He uses alternate tunings and often plays his acoustic guitar percussively. YOU WERE THE BOAT THAT BREACHED. Ben Howard released an independent EP in 2008 and signed to Island Records in 2011. Later that year, he released his Mercury- Prize- nominated debut album, Every Kingdom . Howard’s sound evolved on subsequent releases from acoustic folk to indie rock on his sophomore album, I Forget Where We Were , to experimental electronic music on his lates

A few years ago, YouTuber Nick Canovas, or Mic the Snare , made a video about the characteristics of meme songs and why some songs go viral. Not all meme songs are created equal. Some annoyingly catchy songs get stuck in enough heads to become a hit. These are so bad that they’re almost good. Then there are old songs that become renewed for the TikTok generation. These songs had a solid presence before taking off on social media. Some of these songs are laughable in a modern context—the swanky sax solo from “ Careless Whisper ,” Rick Astley ’s shoulder dance when he sings “ Never Gonna Give You Up .” But some meme songs are what music critics still call legitimately good. A-ha ’s “ Take On Me ,” Simon & Garfunkel ’s “ The Sound of Silence ,” and today’s song can be legitimately enjoyed with an extra dose of irony once it has soundtracked a meme. YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO CUT ME OFF . In the spring and summer of 2012, I did a lot of driving. I had to get my paperwork together to go t