From The Kinks’ “Lola” to “Whole Wide World”
Guess who's back? It's the band Cage The Elephant, making their third appearance on Boomer Music Update, last featured in February just off their big Grammy win for Best Rock Album. In July they issued "Unpeeled," a collection of live tunes culled from various...
Arcade Fire. Who Knew?
I confess that, until recently, I had never heard of Arcade Fire, and then, suddenly, they were everywhere: performing on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," this past weekend a band member was a guest panelist on NPR’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me," they’ll be part of...
Just Chillin’
Think of singer/songwriter Jack Johnson’s mellow vocals and laid back style as 3-minute respites from a world that may seem like it's spinning out of control. His latest, "Sunsets For Somebody Else," has a calming effect reminiscent of “On & On," Baby Boomer...
A Summer Song “Engineered For Warm Weather
Something about the songs of summer: up and bouncy, sunny and bight, skimming over real life with a lighthearted touch, even if the storyline is about loss, as is Weezer’s newest, “Feels Like Summer," a top five alternative hit, it’s a mélange of rock influences...
“Mesmerizing.” “Soulful.” “A Must Listen To.”
Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me” is instantly recognizable, practically embedded into the culture. It's got that world-class hook, a positive message, AND Withers’ ability to connect in a personal, intimate, way. “Lean on Me” reflected the USA in1972; the oldest Boomer was...
Joy & Positive Vibes
Sometimes we underestimate our collective need for simple humanity, popularly sloganized into a utopian “Peace, Love and Understanding.” We Boomers have been listening to that siren song for over 40 years, with considerable support from George Harrison’s warm and...
The Killers Kill It In “The Man”
“Burning Down The House” became a global hit for the Talking Heads in 1983, partially due to its identifiable vocal texture and that funky sound— primitive and persistent--repeated like a slogan, over and over, simultaneously exciting and lulling. “The Man,” by Las...
Peace, Love & Understanding Redux
Here’s a cool, hip, modern song about about peace, love and understanding: “Dig Down” by the British band Muse. Like many of their past releases, this newest effort reflects the band's social consciousness and activism. Written by the group’s Matt Bellamy, “Dig...
A Classic Slow Song
Fellow Boomers, do you remember Jerry Butler's riveting, stentorian basso profundo as he opens “For Your Precious Love?” When you listen to Lord Huron’s "Night We Met,” both in the intro and in the elements of the melody, you’ll hear the distinct and haunting...