Before all these Taylor Swifts et al, but after Carole, Joni, and Carly, there was Aimee Mann. The lead singer of til Tuesday had three group albums, one monster hit — “Voices Carry” — and then went off as solo act. I have been a full time fan from the beginning. (If you want to hear a perfect pop album, try til Tuesday’s “Everything’s Different Now.”)
Aimee is probably best known for her Oscar nominated song, “Save Me,” from Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia.” But she has dozens of amazing songs underlined by magnificent production.
Her latest album is “Queens of the Summer Hotel,” which was marketed badly this fall. I kept reading that the songs were for an unproduced musical version of “Girl Interrupted.” This was confusing, I thought. But then I sat down and listened to the album and fell in love with it immediately. Suicide is definitely a theme, but the album doesn’t make you feel suicidal. And you don’t need to known anything about “Girl Interrupted.”
So: the collection of gorgeously arranged songs ends with “I See You,” one of Aimee’s little masterpieces. There’s a new video for it which I’ve included below.
Also, Aimee gave a great interview to NPR, “the song that changed my life.” The song turns out to be one of my teen faves, “Alone Again (Naturally).” I’ve included the interview below, too. She mentions Badfinger, too, and their seminal album album, “Straight Up.” Aimee once recorded “Baby Blue,” a wonderful version.
Aimee’s on tour this month and next and I hope to see her live again, naturally.
