Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Oliver Wang joins us for our weekly segment on new music, introducing us to some of his favorite new tracks.
Frank Ocean
Album: NA
Song: Moon River
Recently Frank Ocean did the most Frank Ocean thing. He dropped another unannounced single in time for Valentine's Day. It's a cover of “Moon River,” the hit ballad originally released in 1961 from the film, "Breakfast at Tiffany’s."
Aimee Mann
Album: The Assassination of Gianni Versace Soundtrack
Song: Drive
In another cover song for this week, Aimee Mann delivers a minimalist, acoustic cover of The Cars’ 1983 hit song, "Drive." The song is featured on the FX show, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
Mann’s voice lacks the kind of small embellishments of her work in 2000, but the sober approach here really works with the original sound. It’s melancholy without being morose.
Rance Allen Group
Album: Stax Singles, Vol 4: Rarities and The Best of the Rest
Song: There’s Gonna Be a Showdown
Notes: Stax’s singles box sets have been an incredible musical catalog since the first, nine-disc set came out in the early 1990s. This latest, which may very well be their last, highlights the more obscure side of the famed Memphis label including a whole disc devoted to the label’s gospel music subsidiary The Gospel Truth, which is where this Rance Allan Group single was first released.