Dan Wilson "Disappearing"

Sometimes it is such a relief to hear a good song.

Dan Wilson is one of those artists that I personally love.  But none of his work has ever really fit on MVY.  Or fit snugly, anyway.

His 80s and 90s bands---Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic---were a little too pop for the MVY world.

And when Semisonic's  early-2000s "All About Chemistry" album didn't really break through, commercially, the band went on hold and it seemed like maybe Wilson's considerable song-crafting talents could have slide into obscurity.

Thankfully, he developed into an incredible co-writer and producer, reaching the highest highs in the last decade while co-writing and producing Grammy winning smash hits for The Dixie Chicks and Adele.

He's also worked with Jason Mraz, Mike Doughty, Taylor Swift and Rachel Yamagata, among other artists who can deliver a strong song with a pop sheen.

But listening to a song like Adele's "Someone Like You," even if you feel like that song is too much of a "pop hit," your ears would have to be broken to miss the fact that it is an incredibly well-constructed song, with an instantly memorable melody, with lyrics that pack an emotional wallop.

He could make a song that would fit on MVY.

And he did.

I haven't even dug into what "Disappearing" might be about, or plumbed the details of the melody and the arrangement.  I have the feeling that the depth of the song will unfold for me in the coming weeks of listening.  But I didn't have to think too hard about adding it to MVY's rotation.

I only had to hear the song once, to love it.

And that, if anything, is the mark of a Dan Wilson tune.   


Hear the song on Youtube.

Dixie Chicks "Goodbye Earl"

How about a weekend of Earl songs, just for fun?

Even though we've been talking about the Hurricane for days, I haven't heard this one yet.

The character in the song, and the storm, will not be missed!

Court Yard Hounds “The Coast”

There’s a reason for a band name.

Some names are designed to be unsubtle. If you pick up an album by Black Sabbath, or Boyzone, you pretty much already have a good idea of what you’re going to be hearing, before Note One plays.

There are names that are slightly more subtle, but no less descriptive.

Like your indie rock to be literary? Listen to a band named after an unfinished Tolstoy book (The Decemberists).

Into roots music? You don’t have to guess that you’ll like someone called The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Unfortunately, many wonderfully creative musicians, are just plain lousy at naming their bands, saddling them with weak weak monikers.

I mean, most famously, if they weren’t so friggin’ good, a band with the horrible pun-name The Beatles, should be shunned.

And today, we can add to the list of bands that don’t seem to have tried very hard to name themselves (who’s alumni includes The Goo Goo Dolls, Monsters Of Folk, and Limp Bizkit): the Court Yard Hounds.

On the Cape, there’s a restaurant called The Courtyard, that has live music (and houses the mvyradio Sales office in the basement). So when I first heard the name, I kinda figured this was some local band.

But no, The Court Yard Hounds are actually 2/3rds of the (former) biggest name in Country Music, The Dixie Chicks. While lead singer Natalie Maines takes more time off, sisters Marti Maguire and Emily Robison cut an album as a duo. And it’s great stuff. But a totally lame name.

Then again, Dixie Chicks is probably a candidate for the club, too, huh?

For more bad band names . . .





Courtyard Hounds origin story