"ALL I WANNA DO" SHERYL CROW (1993)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

This week, Sheryl Crow was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I couldn’t fathom how she made it, but Joy Division / New Order and Soundgarden didn’t. Then I heard this song for the first time in decades, and I got it. I realized it. Before the Shania Twains and Faith Hills, Sheryl Crow was the female singer-songwriter who was blending genres seamlessly where you can’t even see the lines. “All I Wanna Do” was her induction to alternative and mainstream fan audiences alike.

I think it’s worth pausing there for a second to let that soak in. Alternative radio stations were playing this song. So were mainstream pop stations. But the song is resolutely country to the bone with its melody and iconic rhythmic guitar musings. It also borrows a page out of Lou Reed and Bob Dylan with its speak-singing approach. As a college kid, my musical tastes at the time leaned grungy, but I still couldn’t help myself, picking up my Tuesday Night Music Club CD. Hearing it for the first time, I had no regrets. Sheryl Crow just might be more influential than many of us think. At least the Rock & Roll HOF committee seem to think so.

“They drive their shiny Datsuns and Buicks Back to the phone company, the record store too.

"PRESSURE" BILLY JOEL (1982)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

“Pressure” is one of the first Billy Joel songs I heard. I was an MTV kid, and the visual storytelling of the song’s video added a whole new dimension to the song for me. It made me like the music that much more. Fast forward a few years and now I’m at Giants Stadium hearing Billy Joel perform the song live. It’s my first concert, so already the moment was euphoric. But hearing the song in a concert setting just brought me back to my childhood days.

The song is like a time machine. It’s not my favorite Billy Joel song (that distinction probably goes to “Miami 2017”). But it’s probably the most nostalgic track for me. Lyrically, the song is pure pop perfection. “Now here you are with your faith – and Peter Pan advice.” But musically is where the song takes some risks, showing Billy’s underrated prog tendencies. The bridge alone proves it, as well as the iconic synthesizer hook that seems more comfortable in a Broadway show than on radio. It’s these small experimental risks that define the song.

“All your life is Channel 13. Sesame Street, What does it mean?”

"MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS" THE NATIONAL (2007)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

One of my all-time favorite bands is The National, a band that has seemed to always sync up mysteriously well with my own life. Boxer came out the year my wife and I got married – and High Violet was released weeks before our first child was born. The music always seemed to usher me into new seasons – with Matt Berninger’s gifted approach to lyrics that sound more like conversations with eccentric friends. I’ve seen the band perform live a few times. While “Mr. November” and “Abel” have been some of the more anticipated bangers on tour, for me it was always about the quiet stoic power of “Mistaken for Strangers”.

Berninger delivers the lyrics nearly in monotone, as if in a trance. “Showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters,” he announces in his trademark bass delivery. “Mistaken for Strangers” is the quintessential National song in many ways. Frenetic, yet calculated. Seemingly on the verge of losing control, but hanging on still. Bryan Devendorf’s drum rolls seem to be having seizures in between verses, while the Dessner brothers contribute these guitar parts that an industrial feel to them like fellow Boxer tracks “Brainy” and “Guest Room”. “Mistaken for Strangers” is a song that celebrates the everyday man poeticism of Matt Berninger.

“You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends When you pass them at night Under the silvery, silvery Citibank lights.”

"BICYCLE RACE" QUEEN (1978)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

Some of the most impressive songs I know are ones characterized by dimension. These songs are like pieces of clay, stretched in different directions, taking on various tempos, chord progressions, instrumentation and genres. They give our ears a lot to listen to and plenty to think about. There are few bands that do this as well as Queen. Many of their more well known songs are epic pieces consisting of varying movements. One of the best examples of this appears on the first side of Jazz: the sing-songy “Bicycle Race”.

“I want to ride my bicycle”. Sounds simple, but then Freddie Mercury gets to the call-and-response verses and the song becomes a social commentary of the times. Like “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” and “We Didn’t Start The Fire” did for the 80’s, “Bicycle Race” made certain we never forgot about the 70’s long after they passed us by. But unlike the R.E.M. and Billy Joel songs, it employed more musical dimension in the process. You might love “Bicycle Race” or you may hate it. But one thing we can all agree on about the song is this: It’s never ever boring.

“You say Rolls, I say Royce. You say God give me a choice."

"SYNCHRONICITY II" THE POLICE (1983)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

As a member of The Police, Sting was many things. A captivating frontman. An underrated bassist. And a sharp, witty lyricist. His lyrics were like poetry one moment, prose in another. And the words he used in “Synchronicity II” are some of the most memorable lyrics in rock history. They have the power to make you laugh just as they’re able to keep you settled in awe. It was always all about the words.

“Synchronicity II” is a rock song. And it’s not a rock song. It’s written and performed as if it came from an opera composer. Sting, Summers and Copeland were always intelligent rockers, but they made something here that elevated new wave, post punk and all the other labels that we wanted to attach to them. “Synchronicity II” cannot be categorized. It can just be appreciated for what it is. A brilliant commentary on a bleak, mundane suburbia with a sound we’d never heard before.

“Another suburban family morning. Grandmother screaming at the wall. We have to shout above the din of our Rice Krispies.”

"YOUNG AMERICANS" DAVID BOWIE (1975)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

Some consider this to be Bowie’s best song. It’s certainly up there, along with “Heroes”, “Space Oddity” and “Rebel Rebel”. “Young Amercians” showcases Bowie’s ability to traverse various genres like no one’s business. On this song, he’s all soul. The melody. The lead vocals. The piano slide. And the supporting cast are no slouches. The backing vocal harmonies feature a young Luther Vandross. Yes, it’s him. And the saxophone flourishes come from David Sanborn.

On the album of the same name, “Young Americans” is the throwback opener that eventually leads to the album closer, “Fame”, which stands in stark contrast with its post-modern, new wave aesthetic. “Young Americans” feels like a song from another era. Hearing it back now, I can’t help but think that they just don’t write songs like this anymore. And it’s a shame.

“A pimp's got a Cadi and a lady got a Chrysler.”

"CORNFLAKE GIRL" TORI AMOS (1994)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

Music charts are very revealing – not just about certain bands, songs or genres. They’re also very telling about different countries. One of the biggest differences in chart positions for several decades now exists between the UK and the US. When I see a song chart really high in the UK, but barely make moves on the US charts, I have often have just one conclusion: there are just more true music fans in the UK by far. “Cornflake Girl”, an incredible song, was a big hit there, but it was relegated to a bit of a cult status in the U.S.

Now, “Cornflake Girl” is one of Tori Amos’ most well-known songs and one of the tracks she plays most in a live setting. So it’s not obscure by any means. But here in the States, it should’ve been much bigger. The song has all the makings of an epic composition. It’s a reminder that Tori, on her best days, could go toe to toe with Kate Bush. The vocals are sublime. And the composition is as ambitious as pop gets. You bet your life it is.

“Never was a cornflake girl. Thought it was a good solution Hanging with the raisin girls. She's gone to the other side.”

"HEY YA!" OUTKAST (2003)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

When “Hey Ya!” was released as a single, it achieved a kind of monumental status. The kind achieved only by a small few. A song so universally liked by fans of all genres, how could it be? Played everywhere. Proms. Weddings. Reunions. And every party under the sun. I remember in my own wedding, it was a must-have. We made the DJ play it, the only hip hop song that whole night.

It’s interesting to think about what makes a song achieve the kind of universal appeal that “Hey Ya!” achieved. It’s full of catchy moments. And in the case of “Hey Ya!”, there’s plenty to catch. The 1-2-3 count in the intro. The harmonizing in the chorus. The “alright, alright, alright” refrain. And then there’s the famous line that became a household phrase. Who can ever forget it?

“Shake it, shake it, shake it, sugar. Shake it like a Polaroid picture.”

"LITTLE RED CORVETTE" PRINCE (1982)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

I can still remember the first time I heard “Little Red Corvette”, which has the distinction of being the first Prince song I heard. I was watching MTV and the video came on. The video ended up playing incessantly on MTV. I thought Prince was a little cheesy. But I was also way too young to realize how innovative this legendary musician really was, smashing elements of rock, pop, soul and R&B together like no one else before him. “Little Red Corvette” is a shining example of this.

Much has been said about Prince’s guitar playing prowess, and the guitar work on “Little Red Corvette” is really, really good. It comes out in spurts, but when it rears its head, it dominates. The syncussion is very Prince-esque, but the most distinctive aspect of the song are the metaphoric lyrics. The brilliance of the song is that it has nothing to do with an actual Corvette. When Prince died in 2016, the song recharted. A true testament to the song’s place in music history.

“Little Red Corvette, Baby, you're much too fast.”

"GOING TO CALIFORNIA" LED ZEPPELIN (1971)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 30: The mountain of dreams, CA

My roadtrip across America took me down the Atlantic, across the south, back up, and down the Pacific. It ends where many roadtrips end: California. When I got my copy of Led Zeppelin IV back in ninth grade, it felt like I had discovered the full span of rock & roll in one cassette. The hard and heavy stuff with “When the Levee Breaks” and “Black Dog”. The accessible power of “Misty Mountain Hop” and “Rock and Roll”. The epic statements of “Stairway to Heaven” and “The Battle of Evermore”. And then there was “Going to California”.

“Going to California” showcased a beautiful acoustic side to Jimmy Page’s guitar playing and gave way to one of Robert Plant’s most impressive and versatile vocal deliveries. What makes the song incredible to me is that even as a ballad, there’s enormous power and force at times in the track’s melody and vocals. The song isn’t the same without Plant. Ultimately, the song is like fantasy. A dream. A vision of California he hopes will transcend that and become reality. It’s a treasure.

“MADE UP MY MIND, MAKE A NEW START. GOIN' TO CALIFORNIA WITH AN ACHIN' IN MY HEART.”

"FLOAT ON" MODEST MOUSE (2004)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 29: Portland, OR

They started in Issaquah, WA, but have currently set up shop in Portland. By the time Good News for People Who Love Bad News was released, Modest Mouse was one of several dozen successful indie rock bands out there. While they weren’t my favorite band, I liked the unique sound they carved out. No one could ever say Modest Mouse was a knock-off. They do things their own way, most notably through their raw approach and the genius frequent mic’ing up of every band member as they sing vocals together. “Float On” is a song I cherish on many levels.

Within the first 20 seconds, the two iconic guitar parts converged like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde – and modern musical history was made. One riff soars on high with a bright treble layer while the other skittishly dots the landscape. Isaac Brock is at the helm on vocals, but Eric Judy and Dann Gallucci join in like some kind of group therapy session, spewing positivity in unison. I love all of these core instrumental facets, but what makes “Float On” one of the greatest songs from a decade characterized by war, recession and natural disasters is the message. Somehow, some way, we’ll all get past this. We’ll all float on.

“BAD NEWS COMES, DON'T YOU WORRY EVEN WHEN IT LANDS. GOOD NEWS WILL WORK ITS WAY TO ALL THEM PLANS.”

"ALL APOLOGIES" NIRVANA (1993)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 28: Seattle, WA

The obvious band for Seattle, for obvious reasons. Namely, turning grunge into a mainstream phenomenon. On the US release of In Utero, “All Apologies” appears as the last track. While the UK version came with an additional song, this is the track that many Americans attribute as Kurt Cobain’s final statement. While it was actually written in 1990 – even before Nevermind was released – it still sits at the end of the line: the last song on the band’s last studio album. The gravity of this ending is felt eerily and awfully on the heels of Cobain’s death.

“All Apologies” follows the music structure of many other Nirvana anthems with its quiet-loud-quiet dynamic. This lets the masterful melody shine in the verses, an underrated aspect of Cobain’s songwriting. But, just as vital to Nirvana’s sound, it also enables the screaming in the angst-filled chorus to reach boiling point. The emotion and sense of hopelessness explodes repeatedly. This is not an act. It’s more than a song. It’s like a hand-scrawled page ripped out of Cobain’s journal.

“I wish I was like you. Easily amused. Find my nest of salt. Everything is my fault.”

"PRIVATE IDAHO" THE B-52'S (1980)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 27: The bottom of a bottomless blue pool, Idaho

You just have to be in the right mood for The B-52’s, right? Or maybe we choose to listen to them to alter our mood? They’re not a band I naturally gravitate to. But I can’t imagine my life as a music fan without them. “Rock Lobster” was probably the first B-52’s song I heard, likely on WLIR/WDRE. I was intrigued and perplexed at the same time. People can actually make money and make a living doing what they do! I’m pretty sure the second song I heard from the band was “Private Idaho”, a song I discovered nearly a decade after its existence.

Stating the obvious, but there are lots of crazy things happening in this song. Schneider goes on and on about a blue bottomless pool. There’s an odd synthesizer part straight out of a 70’s sci-fi movie. There’s all sorts of crazy things happening on Kate and Cindy’s vocals, including something baring an odd resemblance to yodeling. And then there’s the guitar that plays one single note for long stretches. Well, crazy is what we signed up for the minute we pressed the play button.

"HUMAN" THE KILLERS (2008)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 26: Las Vegas, NV

From the outset, I knew this roadtrip across America would require a visit to Vegas. After Elvis, there may not be an artist more tied to this place than The Killers. What a breath of fresh air they were when Hot Fuss descended on the music world. They weren’t subtle at all with their 80’s-influenced sound. More like a kick in the nuts than a nod. The band’s sound wasn’t the only thing that found its footing in that decade of music. Brandon Flowers’ vocals and songwriting are very eighties in their own way as well. While Sam’s Town felt more masculine and more rock, Day and Age had a lightness to it that suggested a band that wasn’t ready to be pigeonholed.

“Human” is that rarest of pop songs that’s incredibly catchy and surprisingly cerebral at the same time. The Killers up until this point wrote songs that felt personal, but “Human” was philosophical and showed the band’s ability to write about bigger things in life in a more accessible way. It doesn’t rock like “When You Were Young”, “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine” or “Mr. Brightside”, but it rolls.

“Pay my respects to grace and virtue. Send my condolences to good. Give my regards to soul and romance. They always did the best they could. And so long to devotion. You taught me everything I know. Wave goodbye. Wish me well. You've gotta let me go.”

"THE GREAT SALT LAKE" BAND OF HORSES (2006)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 25: Salt Lake City, UT

The closest I ever got to Salt Lake City was Park City. But I feel strangely close to it after hearing this track again. While the song is known to actually be about incidents that have occurred in both Lake Murray, SC and Salt Lake City, UT, the power of the song is that it transports the listener to a different time and place. It feels like we’re there. Band of Horses wrote a song that recounts memories and people like a page ripped out of someone’s journal.

With its unforgettable opening guitar riff and Ben Bridwell’s sky-high tenor vocals, “The Great Salt Lake” has the add significance of being the song that helped put Band of Horses on the map. An earlier recording of the song appeared on the band’s first EP, which caught the attention of Sam Beam (Iron & Wine). Band of Horses ended up becoming the opening act for Iron & Wine’s upcoming tour, and the rest is history.

“Well, if you find yourself falling apart, Well, I am sure I could steer The great salt lake.”

"ROUTE 66" DEPECHE MODE (1987)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 24: Flagstaff, Arizona

This cover is absolute perfection. It was the right cover song at the time and for the right place. Thematically, it coincided perfectly with Depeche Mode’s North American tour which culminated in L.A. and was chronicled famously in the documentary 101. It also worked perfectly as the b-side to the single, “Behind The Wheel”, incorporating a driving theme and instrumental elements from “Behind The Wheel” in between verses that made the b-side in lock step with the a-side.

I still remember the day I first heard “Route 66”. It was on the radio – and, for me, the preeminent station was WDRE/WLIR in Long Island. I was struck by how Depeche Mode it sounded. The band took an Americana original and truly made it their own. The synth hooks, drum machine, and guitar riff are all unmistakably DM. It made a resolutely American-as-American-as-it-gets song feel like it came from a band from Essex. Because it did.

“Well it goes to St. Louis, down to Missouri. Oklahoma City looks so, so pretty. You'll see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico, Flagstaff, Arizona, don't forget Wynonna, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino.”

"MOTORWAY TO ROSWELL" PIXIES (1991)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 23: Roswell, NM

By Trompe Le Monde, the Pixies were past their prime. But they were still true to their identity, refusing to cave in to the direction of the sounds that surrounded them. The Pixies are the influencers, not the influenced. The kings of quiet-loud-quiet, loud-quiet-loud, and all their variations. They were forerunners to the grunge movement. And yet their music is unusually resilient, holding up year after year, decade after decade. And there’s no better place to start than one of the deep cuts from Trompe Le Monde, “Motorway To Roswell”.

A bit more melodic and poppier than we were accustomed to hearing from The Pixies, “Motorway To Roswell” was as tame (song reference intended) as the band got. Black Francis gives the screaming and howling a rest, and sings in a way that gives the melody more power. But this is no softie. Santiago’s guitar still lights up like a three-alarm fire. While Trompe Le Monde may not be their piece de resistance, I find myself tipping my proverbial hat to originals like “Motorway To Roswell” more so than the covers.

“Last night he could not make it. He tried hard but could not make it.”

"OVER MY HEAD (CABLE CAR)" THE FRAY (2005)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 22: Denver, CO

As long as I can remember, pop charts in the U.K. and U.S. have told very different stories. The U.K. is the poster child for openness to alternative and experimental approaches in popular culture, while the U.S. is more of a story of vanilla musical expressions. Sure, there are exceptions, but overall there’s a very wide gap in terms of what makes the pop charts in the U.K. compared to the U.S. One of the rare exceptions has been the popular embrace of The Fray, who became universally embraced on both sides of the pond for “How to Save a Life” and the subject of this post, “Over My Head (Cable Car)”.

You might like the song for different reasons than me. But what the track did for me was provide this rare balance of highly accessible and somewhat unpredictable. It starts off easy and catchy, relying on that simple, great melody and lyrics that are equally simple, making it a song you want to sing along to. The unpredictability happens in tempo slowdowns and upticks and gorgeous instrumental interludes, including the breakdown at the 2:45 mark, where the rhythm guitar dances as the bass line nosedives.

“With eight seconds left in overtime, she's on your mind.”

"LAWRENCE, KS" JOSH RITTER (2008)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 21: Lawrence, KS

Americana is one of the more intriguing genres to be somewhat formalized in the music listening lexicon. The label seems so appropriate when you hear music under its moniker, primarily because the genre has a relatively broad definition – essentially anything that stems from a music style rooted in America, like country, bluegrass and blues. It’s why Americana fits well for a broad range of artists, from Dylan to Cash to Springsteen. Josh Ritter may not be the legend that those aforementioned names are, but he has been a long mainstay in the Americana scene, crafting songs about American life, including “Lawrence, KS”.

Earlier this month, I featured John Mellencamp’s “Small Town” on Mental Jukebox. Both “Small Town” and “Lawrence, KS” are about small town life. But they are presented from two very different perspectives. While Mellencamp romanticized small town life, there’s something extremely vulnerable and raw about Ritter’s “Lawrence, KS” and other tracks from his catalog. It’s a town that the protagonist can’t seem to leave despite how it kills him inside.

“And my debts are not like prison Where there's hope of getting free. Lord I can't leave this world behind.”

"RACE FOR THE PRIZE" THE FLAMING LIPS (1999)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 20: Oklahoma City, OK

Here’s a band that you have to respect even if you don’t like them. It’s bands like The Flaming Lips that continue to defy both traditions and trends to create original-sounding, experimental music. The Soft Bulletin has earned the moniker, “The Pet Sounds of the 90s”. Of course, any time your music is compared to such a revolutionary album has got to be a good thing. What’s ironic about that statement is that the band actually went more traditional on the album compared to its previous, more experimental records.

Still, they were doing things no one else was doing as evidenced on the opening track, “Race For The Prize”. The song starts and ends like a 70’s tv show theme. Looking back now, the track’s retro vibe seems like a foreshadowing of bands to follow like The Go! Team. As an ode to the band’s hometown, The Flaming Lips wrote a version that became the fight song for the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team.

“Upwards to the vanguard Where the pressure is too high. Under the microscope, Hope against hope.”