Pick Six is a half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view.
Jim O'Neill of Delano:
1 Adam Sandler, "Quarantine Song" on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." For these tough times, it was the perfect mix of silly, heartfelt and uplifting. With a shout-out to just the right people.
2 Todd Snider on purplebuildinglive.com. Sunday's livestreamed performance was short. You could tell John Prine's passing affected Snider but, as always, his commentary was raw and authentic.
3 Jon Bream's list of 20 great John Prine songs, Star Tribune. I spent a decent share of my Sunday morning playing the list and memories flowed back to listening to a number of the tracks many years ago on my brother's reel-to-reel tape machine. Beginning the list with "Sam Stone" was apropos.
Jon Bream of the Star Tribune:
1 Rita Ora, "How to Be Lonely" on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." In a very polished performance from her U.K. living room (with backup singers and a guitarist in their home spaces), the British pop star offered her beguiling new single, penned by Lewis Capaldi. Written long before the COVID-19 crisis, the song says it's OK to be without a companion or a relationship — or simply to be home alone. A message well timed.
2 Pete Davidson, "Drake Song." On "Saturday Night Live," the comic did a music video spoof of Drake, boasting and chilling, singing about going No. 1 in Billboard, missing his ex and various other Drake-ian tropes. At the end of the homemade video, there was a freeze frame with the words "directed by Pete's mom" over a photo of them standing together. Sweet Pete.
