Video of the Day: Brandi Carlile’s “Party of One”

Party of One

Brandi Carlile’s new song “Party of One” is a rare treat, taking an adult look at relationships, getting beyond dreamy love or angry hate.
The singer has been through arguments with a lover and has survived hostilities, “You should always let the sun go down on your anger /
Let it burn you to sleep.” But at the end of the day, through all of the fighting, the singer knows they will remain together

Oh your constant overthinking and your secretive drinking,
Are making you more and more alone;
And girl, you can slam the door behind you,
It ain’t ever gonna close;
Because when you’re home, you’re already home.

At the end, the singer repeats “I am yours” over and over again. Real relationships have fights, but hopefully the two can still find a way to come together.

The official video for “Party of One” features Elisabeth Moss and Nicole Disson. Carlile specifically sought out Moss, the star of The Handmaid’s Tale, for the video.  And Moss also ended up producing and serving as creative director.

Carlile originally wrote the song about the domestic pressures on same-sex relationships. And putting the song with the visuals of two women lovers in the video further reinforces the inclusiveness and universality of the message. Check it out.

“Party of One” is the closing track of Brandi Carlile‘s album, By The Way, I Forgive You (2018).

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Song of the Day: “Me & My Dog” by boygenius

    Me & My Dog

    Earlier in 2018, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus joined together as boygenius to create a self-titled EP. The three, who have had some success separately as singers and songwriters, joined together as a group after booking a tour together. Now, they are receiving rave reviews for their collaboration.

    One of the tracks on the EP is “My & My Dog,” written by Bridgers, who sings the verses before being joined by Baker and Dacus on the chorus. The recording illustrates the wonderful blend of voices that the three create. The song itself is not really about a dog, but about love and the loss of a relationship.

    I wanna hear one song without thinking of you;
    I wish I was on a spaceship,
    Just me and my dog and an impossible view.

    Check out boygenius performing “Me & My Dog” live at the WFUV studios from November 2018.



    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    “Last Train to Clarksville” as a Protest Song?

    The Monkees

    One of the biggest hits recorded by The Monkees is “Last Train to Clarksville,” which was released in 1966.  Many of us grew up singing along to the song without realizing it was written as a protest against the Vietnam War.

    Take the last train to Clarksville
    And I’ll meet you at the station,
    You can be here by four-thirty,
    ‘Cause I’ve made your reservation, don’t be slow,
    Oh, no, no, no,
    Oh, no, no, no.

    If you listen closely to the lyrics sung by Micky Dolenz, you can hear that The Monkees’ “Last Train to Clarksville” is actually in the voice of someone frightened about going off to war.

    Now I must hang up the phone,
    I can’t hear you in this noisy railroad station,
    All alone, I’m feeling low.
    Oh, no, no, no,
    Oh, no, no, no,
    And I don’t know if I’m ever coming home.

    The song does not specifically mention the war, but songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart explained that they kind of “snuck in” the Viet Nam references.  They noted, “We couldn’t be too direct with the Monkees.”

    And that is the story behind the song.

    What is your favorite song about the Vietnam War or about trains? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Marty Brown’s Wild Side Boasts “I’m a Country Boy”

    I'm a Country Boy

    Country singer Marty Brown has just released a new song, “I’m a Country Boy.” Brown wrote the song with Jon Tiven.

    Brown also released a video for the new fist-pumping song with an electric bluesy feeling. The song features tractors, hound dogs, chicken coops, shotguns, camouflage, and moonshine.

    Check out the video for “I’m a Country Boy,” where Brown also sports a new bearded look to go with the rough edgy song.

    I’m a country boy / That’s all I’ll ever be;
    I’m a country boy / Don’t ya mess around with me;
    I’m a country boy / Full of back woods pride;
    I’m a country boy / I’ve got a wild side!

    Brown’s wife Shellie Brown filmed much of the video.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (Short Review)

    Buster Scruggs ReviewWhen it was announced that the Coen Brothers were releasing a new movie Western on Netflix called The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), I was quite excited as I love both Westerns and Coen Brothers films. The movie, which is really an anthology of six stories, creates an experience like reading a book of entertaining and thoughtful short stories.

    Short stories do not have the benefit of substantial character development, as does a novel. Some of the tales in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs may leave you wishing for more. And, like a book of short stories, some of the stories are stronger than others.  But the whole seems to get stronger the longer you watch.

    Six Tales

    Without spoiling any of the stories, I would note that even if you do not love the first two stories — “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” and “Near Algodones” — you should continue. The segment that gives the movie its title features a happy singing gunslinger played by Tim Blake Nelson. “Near Algodones,” which features James Franco, is good but goes by too fast, like eating a small bag of potato chips. But you are likely to get drawn into the odd story of the third segment, “Meal Ticket,” featuring Liam Neeson.

    The fourth and fifth tales may be the strongest. “All Gold Canyon” features singer-songwriter Tom Waits doing a great acting job as a grizzled gold prospector in what may be the happiest of all the stories. And “The Gal Who Got Rattled” features many elements of a traditional wagon train epic.  It focuses on the plight of a woman whose companion on the trip, her brother, dies. Of all the segments, it is “The Gal Who Got Rattled” that appears most like it could have been developed into a feature film on its own.

    The Ballad of Buster Scruggs ends with a story set mainly in a stagecoach, “The Mortal Remains.” This segment plays more like a coda that connects again to issues about death and the frontier that echo throughout all of the segments.

    Rotten Tomatoes currently gives the movie a 91% critics rating and a 74% audience rating. In short, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a worthwhile trip through various Western tropes, such as gunslingers, con men, outlaws, wagon trains, gold prospectors, stagecoaches, and death. Partly because of the anthology nature, you likely will not find it to be your favorite Coen Brothers film.  But it is extremely enjoyable and worthwhile nonetheless.

    Which tale in “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is your favorite? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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