Constructor: Drew Schmenner

Relative issue: Easy

THEME: AUTOTUNE (60A: Modern music staple that is a punny description of 17-, 24-, 38- and 48-Across) — songs (“tunes”) with automobiles (“autos”) of their names:

Theme solutions:

• “LOW RIDER” (17A: Top 10 funk hit from War with an iconic bass line (1975))
• “MUSTANG SALLY” (24A: Classic Wilson Pickett cowl (1966))
• “FAST CAR” (38A: Tracy Chapman hit with the road “I had a sense I could possibly be somebody” (1988))
• “MERCEDES BENZ” (48A: Janis Joplin’s remaining recording, which had an anticonsumerism message (1970))

Word of the Day: “LOW RIDER” (17A) —

“Low Rider” is a track written by American funk band War and producer Jerry Goldstein, which appeared on their album Why Can’t We Be Friends?, launched in 1975. It reached primary on the Billboard R&B singles chart, peaked at quantity seven on the Hot 100 singles chart, and quantity six in Canada.

According to the AllMusic overview of the track, “the lyric takes the cool, laidback picture of the lowrider—the Chicano tradition apply of hydraulically hot-rodding basic automobiles—and utilizing innuendo, extends the picture to a life-style”. The track encompasses a driving bass line by B. B. Dickerson, which is current nearly all through, and an alto saxophone riff by Charles Miller, who additionally gives lead vocals and a saxophone solo in direction of the tip of the track that features a siren-like noise. This track is the theme track for the TV sequence George Lopez, which ran from 2002 to 2007.

OK, that is good. And so seemingly apparent, so right-out-there-for-the-taking that I am unable to consider this theme hasn’t been achieved earlier than. Maybe it has, but when so, I missed it. AUTOTUNE … tunes … about autos. I imply, the puzzle virtually writes itself. If I’ve any points with the theme, it is the execution, particularly the themer set, which should have been closely decided by symmetry potential. There’s a sort of automotive, a make of automotive (that’s really an individual), a … automotive (?), after which one other make of automotive (that’s really a automotive). I assume my solely actual quibble right here is with “FAST CAR,” a track I like, and love seeing within the grid, however … it appears actually completely different from all the opposite solutions, car-wise. The remainder of the solutions offer you *varieties* of automotive, and “FAST CAR” simply provides you .. automotive. Granted, it is not simply any automotive. It’s a FAST CAR. But nonetheless, fairly generic in comparison with the model names and the particular automotive kind that make up the remainder of the themers. There should be tons of different “AUTOTUNE“s on the market. Seems just like the theme has good Sunday-sized grid potential. “LITTLE DEUCE COUPE” … “PINK CADILLAC” … “BIG YELLOW TAXI” … If somebody desires to redo this theme on an even bigger scale, with completely completely different solutions, I would not thoughts. The core concept is nice, and remembering songs is enjoyable.

TMC isn’t a [Cable option for cinephiles]. I maintain saying this, to no avail. TCM (Turner Classic Movies) is the [Cable option for cinephiles]. It’s additionally the one TV channel I watch. TMC (The Movie Channel) … I do not know who watches that, or why, however cease calling them “cinephiles.” Also, cease hiding names inside phrases (36D: Name hidden in “paleontology”). It feels so condescending. “Can you discover the person’s title in ‘paleontologist’? Good boy!” Child’s placemat stuff. Boo. LEON Bridges would love a phrase. Here he’s now (No concept if he has a track a few automotive, so this’ll need to do):