"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.”

"THE WAY WE GET BY" SPOON (2002)

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 19: Austin, TX

Growing up, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take piano lessons. Looking back, I realize it was one of the inroads that led to my deep passion for music. The way those keys could be played together to make beautiful sounding things, it was therapeutic. I played celebrated composers like Bach and Brahms and did piano renditions of movie soundtracks like Rocky and E.T. But I think I would’ve stuck with piano longer and enjoyed it more had I been given the opportunity to play it like Spoon does on “The Way We Get By”.

The unusual sound of Spoon is characterized by an inversion of the standard rock formula of guitar as lead and piano or keys as secondary. Spoon has carved out a prolific and incredibly consistent catalog over the years with the piano at the forefront, sometimes with guitar as a rhythm instrument or, in some cases, no guitar at all. With “The Way We Get By”, they string together these piano chords and hand claps to create something that feels like it could’ve been written in the 1950’s. I have a handful of favorite Spoon tracks, and this one’s near the top of my list.

“We found a new kind of dance in a magazine. Tried it out, it's like nothing you ever seen.”

"TRUCKIN'" GRATEFUL DEAD (1970)

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 18: New Orleans, LA

One of the most iconic of Dead songs, it’s easy to dismiss this song because it’s perhaps a little too on the nose. But I’m fascinated by the facts. “Truckin’” was recognized by the United States Library of Congress as a national treasure. At least that’s what Wikipedia says. It’s also the 8th most-performed Dead song. The band played it 520 times, which is mind boggling on a few levels. First, that’s a lot of performances. Second, it’s even more when you consider how often the Dead changed up their set lists.

These facts say something undeniably true about “Truckin’”: you can’t ignore its ubiquity. And that’s saying something for a band that has more cult status than mainstream appeal. “What a long, strange trip it’s been” is one of the most recognized song lyrics from any genre. And then there’s the story line. The song focuses on a a drug raid on the band’s hotel room in New Orleans, but name-checks a variety of cities, alluding to the band’s non-stop touring schedule. One of the quintessential American road trip songs.

“Busted - Down On Bourbon Street. Set Up - Like A Bowling Pin Knocked.”

"JACKSON" JOHNNY CASH (1968)

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 17: Jackson, MS

Johnny Cash had a way of taking other people’s songs and elevating them to the point where his version was stronger and more profound. He’s done this over and over again. In the 21st century, you don’t have to look any further than his cover of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” and Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt”. But Cash was creating unforgettable covers since the 60’s from the At Folsom Prison album and others. “Jackson” is probably one of his more well known examples. But Cash was just half the equation.

All due respect to the man in black, but June Carter pretty much stole the show on this one with her raspy, fiery vocal parts. Together, Johnny and June were a force to be reckoned with. They were in and out of Jackson like a freight train coming in full steam. It was enough to instill a sense of hope and joy to the jailbirds on the song’s live recording at Folsom Prison. The rousing applause and cheering heard on the recording is all the proof you need.

“I'm goin' to Jackson. You turn-a loosen my coat 'Cause I'm goin' to Jackson. Goodbye, that's all she wrote.”

"ALABAMA SONG (WHISKY BAR)" THE DOORS (1967)

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 16: A rompin’ whiskey bar somewhere in Alabama

I’m running into the whiskey bar and stumbling out w/Jim, Ray, Robby and John. What a trip. What a mindblowing debut album. Such a powerful clash of rock, blues and psychedelia. “Twentieth Century Fox”, “Back Door Man”, “Soul Kitchen”, “Break On Through”, “Back Door Man”, “Crystal Ship”, “The End”, “Light My Fire”, every track is a classic. For obvious reasons, I’m going with their cover of “Alabama Song” today.

Listening to the song, we enter the whiskey bar. But this bar feels different. Spearheaded by Morrison’s vocals and Ray’s spritely keyboard flourishes, it feels like we stepped into a freak circus, lost in a drunken haze with these blues rock legends. “Alabama Song” is a perfect cover selection that seems to fit perfectly in the #5 slot on the record and is resolutely 100% Doors in its stylings. My only complaint of the song is that it ends at around three minutes. It seemed ripe for an epic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”-length rendition.

"FINEST WORKSONG" R.E.M. (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 15: Athens, GA

This one feels less like a stopover and more like a destination. A musical pilgrimage. Document is still my favorite R.E.M. album, and Side A is one of the best sides of the decade in my opinion. Document was an about-face for the band. They found a new producer and added more muscle even while staying in their mid-tempo comfort zone. It all started with “Finest Worksong”, which did everything you want and expect from an opening track.

In just the first 10 seconds of “Finest Worksong”, R.E.M. set the agenda for Document and signaled the next stage of their evolution, led by Peter Buck’s ferocious guitar riff. It’s hardly one of Buck’s more complex jams, but it drew you in immediately and somehow the repetition doesn’t get old. At the 3:23 mark, the song peters out with power on the heels of Mike Mills’ slap and pop bass outro, leaving you wanting more.

“What we want and what we need has been confused.”

"ROSE QUARTZ" TORO Y MOI (2013)

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 14: Columbia, SC

Continuing my journey down south with a stopover in Columbia. It’s Chaz’s hometown. Where he went to high school - and formed a band. He also stayed local for college, majoring in graphic design at the University of South Carolina, before turning his focus to music. These are not the kinds of sounds you expect to come out of the region. Chaz didn’t just borrow the template. He’s one of the first names I think of and associate with chillwave and ambient.

Toro y Moi has always surprised me with what he’s able to accomplish with a synthesizer, extracting sounds and arrangements I’ve never heard before. “Rose Quartz” is maybe one of the best examples of his experimental side. It explores. It grooves. The synth orchestration washes over you in one instance and delicately brushes past you in another. It’s one of those tracks that defies genre labeling because there’s simply nothing like it.

“And if I fall into the sea, don't let me go.”

"PRETTY GIRL FROM RALEIGH" THE AVETT BROTHERS (2003)

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 13: Raleigh, NC

Seems so rock ‘n roll to write a song about a girl. “Layla”, “Roseanne”, “Amanda”, “Roxanne”, “Michelle”, “Maggie May”, “Sweet Jane”, the list goes on and on and on. Most of these songs obviously focus on the girl and the persona. Which is what makes The Avett Brothers ongoing “Pretty Girl…” series so unique. These are nameless girls. The songs are largely focused on the stories and the place that the girls come from. As I head south on the journey, it seemed as good a time as ever to pay a visit with The Avett Brothers.

“Pretty Girl From Raleigh”. Who is she anyway? Just a local girl? College student? Budding tech guru? Does it even matter? The song isn’t about her. It’s about the memories that were forged between her and the lucky, selfish man. One thing’s certain. The Avett Brothers love pretty girls. And they’ve been able to pass along these anecdotes rather well with their crossover appeal – from bluegrass to folk to indie rock audiences.

“Who sold you this anger? I suspect it was your friends. Or was it a stranger Convincing you that this was the end.”

"BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BEWILDERED" ELLA FITZGERALD (1956)

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 12: Newport News, VA

When most people think of Ella Fitzgerald’s residence, they usually think of New York. Harlem, more specifically. And later, a move out to the west coast in Beverly Hills. But it all started in her birthplace: Newport News, VA. There are few singers that possess such a high standard in terms of both tone and technique. When it comes down to it, her voice is just so easy to listen to her warm tone, unique diction, and her ability to improvise like her voice is an instrument.

Ella’s rendition of the show tune classic “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” is one of her first recordings that I had the pleasure of hearing. Pure beauty coupled with technical prowess. There have been dozens of renditions recorded over the years, but what’s striking is how far superior Ella’s version is compared to the others. It belongs in a separate class of its own, making the others – from the likes of Doris Day, Mel Torme, The Platters, Barbara Streisand, Rod Stewart & Cher, among others – feel almost like karaoke.

“Love's the same old sad sensation. Lately I've not slept a wink Since this half-pint imitation Put me on the blink.”