My apologies, America.
Because of the weird, knotted wormholes through which prewritten journalism travels, I completely forgot two weeks ago to write a column acknowledging the Fourth of July.
Casey PhillipsThe 240th anniversary of our country’s adventurous experiment in self-government and democracy would have provided the perfect opportunity to compile a listicle-style tribute to patriotic music. Now, that ship has sailed, but my desire to honor independence – and to write an easy column – is even stronger.
Today, then, let us tip our collective hats eastward toward France, where they are celebrating Bastille Day, aka La Fête Nationale, a commemoration of French revolutionaries’ seizure in 1789 of a Paris fortress-prison. Think of it as their Fourth of July, just 10 days late.
Despite France being one of the world’s great artistic cultures, its music hasn’t made as profound a splash in America as might be expected. Still, there are a few French artists and songs that should be on your Bastille Day playlist.