Mod of the Day

Mountain | Nantucket Sleighride

“A lot was expected of Mountain’s second album when it arrived in January 1971,” (Ultimate Classic Rock). “Nantucket Sleighride appeared 10 months after their debut, Climbing!, and 10 months before third LP, Flowers of Evil.” The New York-based band’s release “was another strong offering, highlighted by the nearly six-minute title track.

Referencing the true story of a young man whose whaling vessel became the victim of its prey (which inspired Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick), it also drew on a 400-year-old Scottish folk tune … Despite being regarded as one of the world’s first heavy metal bands, there was plenty of prog-rock and psychedelic pop to be found here. And it all felt seamless.”

After beginning in E minor, the tune features a contrasting section in A major, running between 1:07 – 1:42. E minor returns in an instrumental interlude at 1:42. Quite a few more shifts in tonality follow.

Deb Talan | To the Bone

“The Weepies’ Deb Talan … has been writing songs since she was 14 years old,” (MountBakerTheatre.com). “Granted, her style has changed a bit since writing the forever-unknown song, ‘Through the Window’ about feeling numb, like life was going on somewhere out there but not accessible to her. Talan learned to play the clarinet, wrote songs on piano, and later taught herself to play guitar in college.

I Thought I Saw You, Talan’s newest album released in February 2025, maps her journey into a new life, love, longing, and letting go. The collection of lush, folk-pop gems is enriched by Iowa musicians Dan Padley on the keys and guitar and Jay Foote on the bass. Talan’s voice and writing urge the listener to lean into the whole range of feelings involved in making and accepting big life changes. Talan’s voice has been described as ‘intoxicating’ by NPR, ‘sugary and sultry’ by Paste Magazine, and ‘inimitable’ by the Boston Globe. Her songwriting, whether as half of the folk-pop duo The Weepies or as a solo artist, has earned her recognition on multiple ‘Best Of’ lists over the years and numerous placements in movies, TV shows, and commercials.”

Starting in F minor, Talan’s “To the Bone” features a lyric-dense chorus (2001) which shifts to Eb minor for the more spacious chorus (0:38) before reverting to the original key for the next verse (0:54). The pattern continues from there.

Nick Allen | Hard Way to Go

“William ‘Nick’ Allen, Sr. was a Durham (NC) barber who often styled the hair of musical celebrities traveling through Durham,” (BullCitySoul.org). “Allen launched his own singing career with the gospel group the Interns. Later he recorded the soul song ‘Hard Way to Go’ as a soloist. He was also the father of Nick Allen, Jr., the lead vocalist of the Modulations.”

The scant information available on Allen is lacking in detail. But his heartfelt vocal definitely swung for the fences with “Hard Way to Go” (1968). There’s some flutter on the source tape (particularly around 1:44), making it a bit tough to tell whether the chord is major or minor! Starting in G major, the track shifts to A major at 1:03. After a grand pause, at 2:13, a long outro hits, complete with a completely different groove. The outro takes awhile to settle in, but once it does (2:27), it’s in C major.

Postmodern Jukebox feat. Puddles Pity Party | Royals (Lorde cover)

Scott Bradlee, the primary force behind Postmodern Jukebox, remembers working with international clown phenom Puddles (of Puddles Pity Party) over a decade ago: “I first met Puddles when I was working as the music director at Sleep No More, the immersive Off-Broadway show in NYC … Puddles was one part Andy Kaufman, one part Tom Jones … Puddles wasn’t too familiar with Postmodern Jukebox or YouTube in general at the time, but he let me know in his own way that he was happy to contribute his talents.

Initially, I had picked ‘Mirrors’ by Justin Timberlake (I imagined him singing to his reflection), but then a new contender began climbing the charts: “Royals” by the critically-acclaimed New Zealand singer/songwriter Lorde. It was almost too perfect: a song written by a 16 year old girl about being an outsider, sung by a giant sad clown. There was irony in the title — sure — but beyond that, Puddles was the perfect character to convey this message; after all, he was the ultimate outsider … In some ways, Puddles was made for the modern Internet age. He’s a reflection of all of our loneliness and confusion in a world that sometimes seems to have grown increasingly lonely and confusing. At the same time, he reminds us that there is greatness inside of each of us, and we needn’t be afraid to show it off.”

Unlike Lorde’s original, Puddles/PMJ’s 2013 cover features a key change. After a short bridge at 2:55, a shift from Bb to C hits for the final chorus — all the more striking because it’s not quite complete, cutting off before the final line of lyrics and leaving an unresolved bVII chord ringing in our ears.

Rufus feat. Chaka Khan | Sweet Thing

“Chaka Khan, known as the ‘Queen of Funk,’ … has multiple hits with both her band Rufus and her solo career,” (Imperfect Fifth). “She still has a large following, but only a handful of her biggest hits have reached younger audiences.” Her 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Concert set list “is a collection of seven singles from both her solo career and time with Rufus, spanning from 1974 to 1985, with the most famous singles being at the very end. Okay, let’s talk about Chaka Khan herself during this show. You would never believe that she’s 71 years old because she looks and sounds fantastic. Her energy is loose and fun, her singing hits the high notes with ease, and she sounds almost identical to the original studio recordings.

Just as good as her are her backing vocalists, who get moments of their own to shine (see Tiffany Smith getting a solo to show off her pipes on ‘Sweet Thing’). The onstage chemistry between Chaka, the backing vocalists, and the band is always apparent during the show. Like many Tiny Desk Concerts, part of the fun is also the interactions between the band and the crowd. A show highlight was Chaka letting the NPR audience sing several verses on their own during ‘Sweet Thing,’ and it’s adorable hearing the enthusiasm and love for the music from the crowd … Chaka Khan’s Tiny Desk Concert is nothing but delightful, and a victory lap for a monumental artist.”

At 14:05, the key moves up a half step. In addition to the Tiny Desk video, we’re posting the studio version of the tune just for good measure. On the studio version of this 1975 classic, the key change hits at 1:56.

Bob Kelly | I Had You In the Night

“Bob Kelly is a composer, pianist, and music director. His EP Open Road was released on streaming services in January 2021,” (artist website). “Works of musical theatre include gilgamesh & the mosquito (with Sam Chanse); Waiting… a song cycle (with Kelly Pomeroy); Truth or Lie (with Jonathan Keebler); and the short musical film A Most Average Musical (with Talia Berger and Jonathan Keebler) … Bob is a member of the TNNY Musical Writers Lab, and his work has been supported by the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Yale Institute for Music Theatre, The Gallery Players, Prospect Theater Company, Leviathan Lab, NY Theatre Barn, NYU CDP Series, New Musicals Inc., and the Festival of New American Musicals in Los Angeles.

Bob was the 2013 recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Max Dreyfus Scholarship for musical theatre composition, and in 2020 he was a finalist for the Johnny Mercer Foundation’s Songwriters Project. His work as a music director includes musical theatre productions and educational programs throughout NYC and across the country.”

“I Had You In the Night,” from Kelly’s 2024 EP It Begins, It Begins, features the composer/pianist on vocals as well. After the tune is established in E minor, there are many departures from the key throughout, but with a return to the initial key each time. At 2:53, we pass into an interlude and then a vocal bridge. 3:48 brings a clear shift which leads to the tune’s conclusion — perched on a knife’s edge between B major and its relative G# minor.

Carl Carlton | Everlasting Love

“Between 1968 and 1987, Detroit singer Carl Carlton racked up an impressive 19 hits on Billboard’s R&B singles chart,” (Soul and Jazz and Funk). “Initially recording under the moniker ‘Little Carl Carlton’ – in an attempt to invite comparisons with Motown prodigy Little Stevie Wonder – the precociously talented vocalist” scored several hits before his largest release – 1981’s Leon Haywood-penned ‘She’s A Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked). “Much of his other work, despite its merits, has been ignored by compilers and reissue companies.

His biggest hit for Back Beat was his soulful 1974 reconfiguration of Robert Knight’s 1967 smash, ‘Everlasting Love,’ which was a Top 10 US pop hit for silky-voiced Carlton … Carlton’s fame, though, rests on another Haywood produced number – the much-sampled disco-inflected ‘She’s A Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked),’ which still sounds good.”

After a start in A major, the tune’s chorus shifts to the closely-related key of E major (heard for the first time between 0:46 – 1:18). The key then reverts to A major and the pattern continues from there.

Marillion | Kayleigh

“Marillion are a rock band formed in Aylesbury, England often categorized as neo-progressive,” (Sputnik Music). “They originally started as ‘Silmarillion’ (from Tolkien’s book) with heavy influences from classic Genesis, but went on to develop their own distinctive sound.” The band released 1983’s Script for a Jester’s Tear, Fugazi (1984), Misplaced Childhood (1985), and Clutching at Straws (1987), as well as the 1984 live album Real to Reel. “All sold respectably, and the band scored a hit single in Britain with ‘Kayleigh’ in 1985.

When Fish left the band in 1988 after four albums, he was replaced by Steve Hogarth. A former member of The Europeans and some-time collaborator with The The and Julian Cope, Hogarth brought a new energy to the band.Across a further ten albums, Hogarth – along with existing members Rothery, Kelly, Trewavas, and Mosley – have reinvigorated and constantly redefined Marillion’s sound. They forged into new musical territories with a succession of inventive, emotional albums, displaying little regard to the vagaries of hit charts or radio playlists.” As Loudersound reports, lead vocalist Fish recalls: “‘Releasing a song like Kayleigh sent our career into hyperdrive – like that moment in Star Trek when the screen goes white. One minute we were playing in France, I think it was in Toulouse, to 100 fans, and the next we had our own private Learjet.'”

Starting in B minor, “Kayleigh” makes the shift to its relative major for its chorus at 1:09. At 1:46, there’s a return to B minor for a guitar solo/interlude, but then a pivot back to D major before a drop into C# minor at 2:13. At 2:58, another chorus in lands in D major. The tune ends directly after the chorus, leaving an oddly unfinished feeling in its wake.

Eitan Kenner | Call Me Maybe

“Eitan Kenner is an award-winning keyboardist, composer, and music producer,” (Nord.com). “Born in Tel Aviv, Eitan began studying classical piano at the age of 6. After dropping out early from Jazz high school, he attended and graduated from Berklee College of Music before relocating to New York City. A versatile musician described as a musical wizard, Eitan has become one of the leading young forces both as a band leader of a highly praised genre-bending project named Kenner and as an in-demand sideman in the NYC Jazz scene.”

Kenner’s 2013 cover of the Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2011 hit “Call Me Maybe,” written by Jepsen, Josh Ramsay, and Tavish Crowe, is an intriguing instrumental expansion on the original track. Filmed on and around the Berklee College of Music campus in Boston, the video focuses on the lighter side of life at a college centered around music study. Starting in G major, the track goes through a few transformations along the way, including a prog rock interlude that transports the tonality up a whole step to A major at 2:23.

Dan Hartman | Time and Space

“When you’ve written a classic banger like the Edgar Winter Group’s ‘Free Ride,’ a huge disco hit like ‘Instant Replay,’ a monster 1980s smash ‘I Can Dream About You,’ and James Brown’s rousing movie theme ‘Living in America’ (a co-writing collaboration), what do you do for an encore? In Dan Hartman’s case: combine yet more writing — along with production and session work duties — for a stunningly diverse list of groups and acts including The Plasmatics, Nona Hendryx, Steve Winwood, John Waite, Paul King, Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Bonnie Tyler, .38 Special, Foghat, Muddy Waters, Diana Ross, Average White Band, Neil Sedaka, Chaka Khan, Joni Mitchell, and more.

Hartman gained so much traction by writing, producing, and performing for others that his solo recording and performance career was very much obscured. Renowned contemporary music critic Robert Christgau slammed Hartman’s workhorse ways in his review of Hartman’s 1989 album Instant Replay, seemingly with compliments wrapped in insults: “Too bad one of the few disco albums that out-dollar-for-dollar the corresponding disco single is this super-efficient piece of rock funk … ” But on the slow tune, ‘Time and Space’ … “Hartman breaks his own rule by trying to write a meaningful lyric and then triples the misdemeanor by running it through his own larynx. Who does he think he is, Robert Plant? Machines can’t sing.”

The ballad “Time and Space” begins in A major, with dynamics ranging from hushed sections accompanied by soft piano to rhapsodic passages supported by string section, plentiful percussion, and more. 2:26 brings us to the bridge, which shifts to C major at 2:55 via bouncy syncopation. Ultimately, Hartman is at the helm of a full-blown anthem — a ballad eventually turned power ballad.