This Week’s Theme: Artists With One-Word Names

This week’s theme is suggested by Faux Fan West. I’m in the middle of a large-scale Faux Show research project, so it is a great time to drop a classic theme like this one that doesn’t require so much effort. Thanks FFW! All of this week’s artists go by a one-word name, like Rockwell or Tiffany.

Now You Know Your ABCs

A is for Adele “Skyfall”: This is the theme song to the Bond film. Adele is famous.

B is for Beck “Heart Is A Drum”: This is from the indie-rock genius’ underappreciated 2014 album Morning Phase.

C is for Cher “Believe”: This is the comeback classic from one of the Mount Rushmore of one-word artists.

D is for Dion “Runaround Sue”: This is an early rock and roll classic by the original Mount Rushmore of one-word artists. This is also one of the first songs I can remember listening to on purpose as a five year old with access to my parents’ 8-track player.

E is for The Edge “Djinn”: This is music from the score to a film called Captive. The Edge is in a band called U2. They are famous.

F is for Feist “1234”: This is from her 2007 album, The Reminder. She started out as a member of the Canadian music collective Broken Social Scene and is now the most successful former member of the group.

G is for Georgia “Started Out”: This is the most successful release by a London-based songwriter/producer.

H is for Halsey “So Good”: This is a new single from an artist who turned social media success into an extremely successful pop music career.

I is for Indio “Hard Sun”: This song was a #10 hit in Canada in 1989. It was later covered by Eddie Vedder for a soundtrack and Indio sued, although permission was actually granted by the label that owned the rights to the song. The lawsuit was dropped. That is what happens if an artist does not secure copyright and ownership of their music. The world isn’t fair.

J is for Jawny “take it back”: This new song is a collaboration between Jawny and Beck and sounds like classic 90s Beck-era rock and roll. J is also for Jandek “They Told Me I Was A Fool”: I put two “J” artists because you should never pass up an opportunity to listen to Jandek. An outsider artist Faux Show is coming some day, and Jandek is one of the icons of the genre.

K is for Karen “Kategori 5”: This is a pretty groovin’ song by the Danish pop singer.

L is for Lorde “Solar Power”: This is the title track from her 2021 third album.

M is for Madonna “Material Girl” and “Music”: This is one classic and one late-period hit from one of the Mount Rushmore of one-word artists.

N is for Nico “These Days” and “Femme Fatale” (with Velvet Underground): She had one of the most distinctive voices in rock.

O is for Omar “There’s Nothing Like This”: This is my favorite discovery of the week. This song hit #14 on the British charts in 1991, but didn’t hit in the U.S.

P is for Prince “Just as Long as We’re Together” and “Jungle Love”: This is a great track from his debut album and the original version of a song written for Morris Day & The Time by one of the Mount Rushmore of one-word artists. If you’re keeping track, that completes my Mount Rushmore of one-word artists (Dion, Cher, Prince, Madonna).

Q is for quinnie “touch tank”: This is a new song from TikTok sensation quinnie.

R is for Rumer “How Deep Is Your Love”: This is a newly released, gorgeous cover of the Bee Gees classic by an under-appreciated vocalist with an incredibly old school voice who has made a career over the last fifteen years by singing amazing covers of old school songs.

S is for Sylvester “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”: This is the disco classic by arguably the greatest male solo disco performer. Disco group (Bee Gees), Disco female (Donna Summer), Disco male (Sylvester) – that is one jammin’ disco ball party.

T is for Therese “Missing Disco”: This is a nice dance track by the Swedish pop star.

U is for Upsahl “Monica Lewinsky”: This is a new single by Upsahl, an artist who broke big in 2021 with her debut album Lady Jesus.

V is for Velvet” Fix Me”: This is a nice dance track by the Swedish pop star. Bonus Swedish pop duet T and V are for Therese and Velvet “Heart of Glass.”

W is for Wynonna “I Hear You Knockin””: This is a fantastic cover of the R&B classic. I have ignored the work of this artist since her start, but it turns out that she now records Americana/roots music that is really great. She’s also dealt with enough personal tragedy recently that it seems like a good time to give her some love. W is also for Waxahatchee & Wynonna “Other Side”: This is a beautiful new duet by this 21st century singer/songwriter and the country icon.

X is for xander. “Clocks”: This is new music from a 21st century composer/producer.

Y is for Yebba “The Age Of Worry (Live)”: This is a new track from an EP released by one of my favorite artists of 2021.

Z is for Zolita “Somebody I Fucked Once”: This is a 2021 single by an artist who has mastered self-promotion and self-production using YouTube and other social media. She has millions of fans and tens of millions of views. Artists like Halsey, Upsahl, and Zolita have written the map for the modern road to stardom.

Thanks for listening (and reading)!

Track List

Track	Artist	Song Title
1	Adele	Skyfall
2	Yebba	The Age of Worry (Live)
3	Feist	1234
4	Beck	Heart Is A Drum
5	Jawny	Take It Back
6	UPSAHL	Monica Lewinsky
7	Lorde	Solar Power
8	quinnie	touch tank
9	Madonna	Material Girl
10	Madonna	Music
11	Prince	Just As Long As We’re Together
12	Prince	Jungle Love
13	Cher	Believe
14	Sylvester	You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
15	Karen	Kategori 5
16	Therese	Missing Disco
17	Therese and Velvet	Heart Of Glass
18	Velvet	Fix Me
19	Omar	There’s Nothing Like This
20	xander.	Clocks
21	Georgia	Started Out
22	Halsey	So Good
23	Zolita	Somebody I Fucked Once
24	Dion	Runaround Sue
25	Rumer	How Deep Is Your Love
26	Wynonna	I Hear You Knocking
27	Wynonna and Waxahatchee	Other Side
28	Indio	Hard Sun
29	Edge, The	Djinn
30	Jandek	They Told Me I Was A Fool
31	Nico	These Days
32	Velvet Underground & Nico	Femme Fatale

• Uncategorized