95 North. . . The Newspaper

Just for fun, here are 5 songs in which the word "king" appears in the title: " King of Pain " is a classic 80s song from the Police, channeling the energy of light reggae and soft taps on the piano, "King of Pain" is like it's own little hummingbird that revs its muted engines at just the right times. And of course, lead singer Sting has always been dramatic. " King of Spain " is an early, Dylan inspired folk tune that espouses an escapist fantasy over a jangly acoustic guitar that makes you want to clap. " It's Good to be King " by Tom Petty is a steady tune, as Tom nasally preaches the virtues of having your own emotional space in life. Who knew Petty was all about personal boundaries and the practice of self-care? At the end of the tune, the last minute or so, there's an utterly beautiful instrumental piece-a place where strings meet cascading guitars. " King Rides By " by Cat Power is a song t...

To honor the lateTom Petty, it came to my attention that Bob Dylan recently covered one of his most positive jams-"Learning to Fly"-at a concert in Denver, CO. Here, the band plays it straight and true, and Bob sings the tune to perfection. Ultimately, "Learning to Fly" is an uplifting song of hope, possibilities, and dare I say the "growth mindset". The "learning" in the song is OK with failure. I'm home sick today, and I think listening to this song is facilitating my recovery (along with tea and sleep). Enjoy! For old times sake, here's Bob with Tom in the 80's: And a little more. . .

"Hello in There" by John Prine John Prine: he's everybody's uncle who writes as mind bending, imaginative songs as anyone on the planet.  Prine is so easy going and conversational, even with his acoustic guitar, that the heaviness and depth of his lyrics creep up on you to powerful effect. His songs are like long drama films that finish in three minutes, and say plenty. Here, let his trusty, midwestern voice sit right next to you for a minute. His tales will stick with you even longer. "Crawling Back to You" Tom Petty Petty is solid, the PB&J of rock. He won't disappoint. He seems to get weird for a second with a flute in the beginning of this one, but eventually he settles into a tight, minor key groove that deals with emotional landscapes from California to Tuscon. For Petty, this song is a bit more sprawl that grit, and that is a-ok. "Wild Ones" Flo Rida Ah, the forgotten pop tunes from the summer of 2012. Obama and Rom...