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In remembrance of singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger, who died Wednesday of complications from COVID-19, we rounded up five of the best songs by his band Fountains of Wayne.
Of course, you already probably know about the band’s (by far) most famous song — the Grammy-nominated “Stacy’s Mom.” So, we left that one out of the mix in hopes of providing a few new nuggets for your ears.
Here we go:
“Radiation Vibe” (1996)
This band introduced itself to listeners in impressive fashion, with this groovy power pop blast that served as its first single.
“Sink to the Bottom” (1996)
For our money, the band’s self-titled debut (from 1996) might be its best album, in terms of containing the most good songs. We could include three or four of them on a Fountains of Wayne best-of list. But in an attempt to present a broader picture of the band’s catalog, we’ll limit ourselves to just two. You already know about “Radiation Vibe,” so follow it up with this dynamic alt-rock number that became the band’s second single in 1997.
“Troubled Times” (1999)
The band grows in leaps and bounds, in terms of both ambition and artistry, with the release of its sophomore album, 1999’s “Utopia Parkway,” which boasts a Springsteen-esque approach (but not sound) in creating a body of work that evokes a particular place (in this case, Queens). “Troubled Times” is one of the stand-out cuts on the album.
“Hey Julie” (2003)
“Stacy’s Mom” is not actually our favorite song on the band’s third album, “Welcome Interstate Managers.” That title goes to the sweet, acoustic-driven gem “Hey Julie.” It’s so good we could listen to it about 5 times in a row (which we might just do right now).
“Can’t Get It Out of My Head” (2005)
We’ll close with a cover song, as Fountains of Wayne delivers a spellbinding version of this ELO classic (aka, one of the best songs ever written). The song was actually first released as a bonus track/B-side to the “Sink to the Bottom” single (see entry above) in 1997, but it wasn’t available on an actual album until 2005’s “Out-of-State Plates.”
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