NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

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

  Shakatak  formed in 1980 in London. The jazz-funk has consisted of several changing members in their over forty-year career, but three of the key members— Jill Saward ,  Bill Sharpe , and  Roger Odel —have remained in the band throughout its run, and bassist  George Anderson  joined the band in their first year. After a few minor hits in 1980, the band scored their first major hit in the U.K., “ Easier Said than Done ,” which featured the band singing in unison with an easy instrumental line. The single also helped the group achieve international success in Australia and Europe. Subsequent releases would bring the band success in Japan and the United States as well.  YOU CAN TAKE YOUR LOVE AWAY. “Easier Said than Done” is a very simple song with a repeating verse throughout the song. After each verse there is an instrumental break featuring a funky bass and piano improvisation. It’s a song that I could imagine being played at a grocery store back when I was young and grocery stores p

In 2021  The War on Drugs  returned after four years with their critically-acclaimed album,  I Don't Live Here Anymore .  The title track and lead single features indie pop group  Lucius  as backing vocals on the chorus.  Like their previous works, such as  A Deeper Understanding    (2017) and    Lost in the Dream   (2014),  The War on Drugs is able to play two chords back to back for six minutes and create a song that you never want to end. Those two chords create a warm cadence that's like a bonfire on a cold fall night. And that's reason enough to curl up with a blanket and enjoy The War on Drugs all day long. A CREATURE VOID OF FORM. In addition to producing their own music, The War on Drugs has also produced two seasons of a podcast titled Super High Quality Podcast . The second season is a four-part documentary about how the band wrote and recorded their fifth record. In addition to the band "talking shop" and sharing their demos and jam sessions, listeners