Song of the Day: “In A Gadda da Vida” by Iron Butterfly

Please excuse me if some of this week’s reviews are short. I was so mentally exhausted after listening to these 10+ minute songs that I could only write a few curt sentences about most of them. There are about four minutes of decent hard rock jamming, and thirteen minutes of aimless mush. Infinitely better than…

Song of the Day: “Respect” by Aretha Franklin / Otis Redding

Some of the most iconic pop and rock songs of the past half century have been covers. These two weeks, I will take a look at these classics and their overshadowed originals. Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” is an all-time treasure. Rolling Stone ranked it one of the five greatest songs in rock history. Her rendition is so full…

Song of the Day: “Tranciever” by Itsue

This week, Dan’s brother Will is a guest host for the Song of the Day (or この日の歌). When you can’t understand the words, the voice just becomes another instrument. Itsue is probably the most obscure band of the seven I’ve spotlighted this week (with the possible exception of Shione Yukawa). For one thing, they don’t…

Song of the Day: “Killer Ball” by Gesu No Kiwami Otome

This week, Dan’s brother Will is a guest host for the Song of the Day (or この日の歌). When you can’t understand the words, the voice just becomes another instrument. Gesu No Kiwami Otome – “Girl at the Height of Rudeness” — is an odd little band that describes themselves as “Hip Hop/Progressive”. While I certainly…