here they are:
"Bad Dreams" by Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johannson: Folk-rocker Pete Yorn and actress turned singer extraordinaire Scarlett Johansson have duetted before, but it's been almost a decade since they last did so. I never thought I'd hear the two of them after their 2008 song, "Relator", but now here they are together again. This time, the two opt for a cover of a song by indie-pop group, The Echo Friendly, and for some reason, the song has been retitled from "Worried" to "Bad Dreams". (It's not the first time this has been done. When Southern rock group Molly Hatchet covered The Allman Brothers' "Dreams", they retitled it as "Dreams I'll Never See", even though the two songs were actually the same one). Further immersing himself in the works of the indie pop groups he probably inspired, Pete Yorn adds a dark but catchy indie pop flavor to "Bad Dreams" that seems to stray a bit from the folk-rock he did when his career first started out. "We will always have bad dreams", Yorn and Johannson sing together in harmony during the chorus. I think The Echo Friendly's bad dreams have become a reality since someone took their song and changed its title!
"Fine Line" by Parker Millsap: Parker Millsap first arrived onto the adult alt airwaves two years ago, with a fun, charming acoustic rock song called "Pining" that easily brought to mind early Elvis Presley tunes. With "Fine Line", Parker continues churning out retro rock, but this time he goes one decade forward and amps it up a bit, bringing to mind the blues-ier side of groups like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, a bit like The White Stripes had done as their career started to progress. "Honey I don't bite", Parker yowls during the chorus, "I'm just a little bloodthirsty". No, Parker hasn't been reading too many "Twilight" books (thankfully), he's just using a strange yet appealing metaphor to describe a typical day in the life of a rock and roll musician!
"Guilty Party" by The National: The National made two of their most rockin' tunes yet on their latest album, with the fast paced, frantic, "The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness", as well as the U2-esque, "Day I Die". Their third single from "Sleep Well Beast", "Guilty Party", dials things back a bit. "Guilty Party" depends more on keyboard than it does guitar, and it's noticeably softer than the other two songs as well. It's as though Matt Berninger partied too hard at first, and that this song was the aftermath. "Guilty Party", as its title implies, sounds sorrowful and somber. The National are known for being one of the more pessimistic groups in the indie scene, but this might be their saddest one yet.
"In Chains" by The War on Drugs: The National aren't the only band coming up on their third single from their latest album. The War on Drugs are as well, and this time around, Kurt Vile and his Pennsylvanian indie rock ensemble once again walk the line between Springsteen-esque arena rock and Roxy Music influenced prog-rock and sophisti-pop. The three singles from The WOD's latest album could be seen as a trilogy of sorts, each spiraling further downward into despair than the other. There was the hopeful "Holding On", the bitter sting of "Pain", and now it seems to be culminating in the realization of being "In Chains" as a result of all the negative emotions Kurt Vile is going through in this song. Out of the darkness comes light, though, as Kurt has been able to take all his frustration and turn it into aching, bittersweet beauty in his 7 and a half minute magnum opus, "In Chains".
"Just A Fool" by Jim James: Opening with a fuzzed out, Jack White-ish guitar solo, My Morning Jacket's Jim James' latest song, "Just A Fool", deals with the realization of just how foolish Jim feels as a member of contemporary American society, a theme that recurs throughout his latest album. Jim claims he's "just a fool gettin' by" in this song, but the struggle to "get by" is not one he shrugs off too easily, feeling cheated and used by the media and its spread of fast but often false information. Jim, you're no fool at all! Everyone else is!
"Life to Fix" by The Record Company: The most anticipated song of the week on adult alt radio is also the blues-iest and most upbeat! The Record Company are like the Black Crowes of the 2010's, out of step with current musical trends, but embracing blues-rock with such unabashed passion that people can't help but love them anyway! Their latest song, "Life to Fix", has a blues-y Southern rock groove that wouldn't sound out of place in an Allman Brothers or early ZZ Top song, except The Record Company aren't from the South. In fact, this blazin' rock trio are actually from my neck of the woods, Los Angeles! Maybe you don't have to be from a certain area of The States to appreciate what real rock and roll is all about! Oh, and dig those funky bass riffs in the opening, too!
"Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way" by U2: U2 might not have had a consistently good ALBUM since 2004, but they have been able to provide some powerful songs since then, and their latest song, "Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way", just happens to be one of them. The message of the song is simple, but still very universal. It's the old "love conquers all" adage, essentially, put to song. Leave it to Bono and the boys to continue the spread of peace and love through difficult times!
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
New songs for April 18th, 2018
here they are:
"Bad Luck" by Neko Case: Neko Case is a clever musician riddled with contradictions. She's a folk-rocker with the attitude of a punk musician, not to mention a musician with honey sweet vocals that sing to rather dark and world weary lyrics. "Bad Luck" is yet another example of what a contradictory performer and songwriter Neko can be. The title of the song already lets you know this is not going to be a happy song, yet that's exactly what it sounds like it is! It's the closest she's gotten so far to a straight up alt-pop song. One more thing. She states early on in the song that she's "tired of trying to make everyone happy", yet it sounds like her aim in the song, as far as its sound is concerned, IS to make everyone happy. Talk about bad luck!
"Heart Killer" by Dr. Dog: This song opens with a weird but interesting sounding psychedelic keyboard sound making a rather dissonant note, but perhaps that part is only there to lure the listener in with a, "Whoa! That was trippy!" reaction to make them keep listening, as the rest of the song isn't really like that. The remainder of Dr. Dog's latest song, "Heart Killer", sounds more like a Wilco-esque attempt at glam rock. Throughout the song, one of Dr. Dog's two lead vocalists tells the tale of a girl who did him wrong, in an urgent "stay away from this person" vibe slightly reminiscent of songs like Lou Reed's "Vicious", which this song might just have been influenced by. What else is there to say? Sometimes the best way to warn someone about a contemptible person is to turn that warning into a catchy rock and roll anthem!
"Wildfire" by Big Something: Jam band rock makes a comeback with the cleverly named Big Something. Their breakthrough song, "Wildfire", is a whopping 8 and a half minutes long and, much to the delight of Deadheads and Phish-heads the world over, their album will be officially released two days from now, which just so happens to be 4-20. There's nothing too druggy or hazy about this song, but "Wildfire"'s incredible length and guitar/keyboard noodling are both staples of jam band material. The song also bears similarity to prog-rock with its Moog dominated sound, as well as its slight change of time signature midway through the song. To those who want to relive the album rock glory days when groups like The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd ruled the FM rock airwaves, go ahead and jam on to all 8 and a half minutes of this song. To those who prefer their songs a bit less lengthy and ambitious, stop this song at around 4 and a half minutes and you should be fine. Either way, Big Something's retro sound is a welcome breath of fresh rock and roll air to the increasingly pop music dominated airwaves of today!
"Bad Luck" by Neko Case: Neko Case is a clever musician riddled with contradictions. She's a folk-rocker with the attitude of a punk musician, not to mention a musician with honey sweet vocals that sing to rather dark and world weary lyrics. "Bad Luck" is yet another example of what a contradictory performer and songwriter Neko can be. The title of the song already lets you know this is not going to be a happy song, yet that's exactly what it sounds like it is! It's the closest she's gotten so far to a straight up alt-pop song. One more thing. She states early on in the song that she's "tired of trying to make everyone happy", yet it sounds like her aim in the song, as far as its sound is concerned, IS to make everyone happy. Talk about bad luck!
"Heart Killer" by Dr. Dog: This song opens with a weird but interesting sounding psychedelic keyboard sound making a rather dissonant note, but perhaps that part is only there to lure the listener in with a, "Whoa! That was trippy!" reaction to make them keep listening, as the rest of the song isn't really like that. The remainder of Dr. Dog's latest song, "Heart Killer", sounds more like a Wilco-esque attempt at glam rock. Throughout the song, one of Dr. Dog's two lead vocalists tells the tale of a girl who did him wrong, in an urgent "stay away from this person" vibe slightly reminiscent of songs like Lou Reed's "Vicious", which this song might just have been influenced by. What else is there to say? Sometimes the best way to warn someone about a contemptible person is to turn that warning into a catchy rock and roll anthem!
"Wildfire" by Big Something: Jam band rock makes a comeback with the cleverly named Big Something. Their breakthrough song, "Wildfire", is a whopping 8 and a half minutes long and, much to the delight of Deadheads and Phish-heads the world over, their album will be officially released two days from now, which just so happens to be 4-20. There's nothing too druggy or hazy about this song, but "Wildfire"'s incredible length and guitar/keyboard noodling are both staples of jam band material. The song also bears similarity to prog-rock with its Moog dominated sound, as well as its slight change of time signature midway through the song. To those who want to relive the album rock glory days when groups like The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd ruled the FM rock airwaves, go ahead and jam on to all 8 and a half minutes of this song. To those who prefer their songs a bit less lengthy and ambitious, stop this song at around 4 and a half minutes and you should be fine. Either way, Big Something's retro sound is a welcome breath of fresh rock and roll air to the increasingly pop music dominated airwaves of today!
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
New songs for April 11th, 2018
here they are:
"Fever Pitch" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise: In a decade where a "My Little Pony" reboot has proven to be one of the most successful cartoons, it only makes sense that someone would name their band something like "Rainbow Kitten Surprise". So, is their music as cute as their band name makes it sound?! Well...not exactly. It's kinda funky. Their lead singer bears a slight resemblance to Nathaniel Rateliff in terms of how he looks, and it sounds like his music does too. This song will not make you go "aww" like a rainbow or a kitten would. Instead, it's "surprise"-ingly soulful and groovy!
"Lash Out" by Alice Merton: Our next entry is pretty funky as well. Having already gained major success on the alt and adult alt charts during Autumn 2017 with "No Roots", Alice Merton returns to the charts for Spring 2018 with "Lash Out". Propelled by thick, funky guitars and a pulsating beat, "Lash Out" is a song about what pretty much everyone desires to do at some point when they feel under pressure. The impassioned, pent up anger released in Alice's voice during the chorus of the song makes us wanna lash out too. It also makes us wanna dance!
"Pink Lemonade" by James Bay: In an amazing switch from sounding less like Sheeran and more like The Strokes, "Pink Lemonade" marks singer/songwriter James Bay's first real dip into rock music. Opening with a propulsive guitar riff in F sharp minor, "Pink Lemonade" is enough to make fans out of people who weren't previously James Bay fans. From beginning to end, the song grips the listener and doesn't let go, especially once the drums kick in at about 15 seconds into it. The song appears to be about indecision regarding what to do in a relationship, and its title is only mentioned once in the song when James says he "want(s) to drink pink lemonade and watch movie trailers 'till it's late". I'm not one for drinking lemonade, regardless of its color, but this song sure makes me wanna dance all night!
"Fever Pitch" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise: In a decade where a "My Little Pony" reboot has proven to be one of the most successful cartoons, it only makes sense that someone would name their band something like "Rainbow Kitten Surprise". So, is their music as cute as their band name makes it sound?! Well...not exactly. It's kinda funky. Their lead singer bears a slight resemblance to Nathaniel Rateliff in terms of how he looks, and it sounds like his music does too. This song will not make you go "aww" like a rainbow or a kitten would. Instead, it's "surprise"-ingly soulful and groovy!
"Lash Out" by Alice Merton: Our next entry is pretty funky as well. Having already gained major success on the alt and adult alt charts during Autumn 2017 with "No Roots", Alice Merton returns to the charts for Spring 2018 with "Lash Out". Propelled by thick, funky guitars and a pulsating beat, "Lash Out" is a song about what pretty much everyone desires to do at some point when they feel under pressure. The impassioned, pent up anger released in Alice's voice during the chorus of the song makes us wanna lash out too. It also makes us wanna dance!
"Pink Lemonade" by James Bay: In an amazing switch from sounding less like Sheeran and more like The Strokes, "Pink Lemonade" marks singer/songwriter James Bay's first real dip into rock music. Opening with a propulsive guitar riff in F sharp minor, "Pink Lemonade" is enough to make fans out of people who weren't previously James Bay fans. From beginning to end, the song grips the listener and doesn't let go, especially once the drums kick in at about 15 seconds into it. The song appears to be about indecision regarding what to do in a relationship, and its title is only mentioned once in the song when James says he "want(s) to drink pink lemonade and watch movie trailers 'till it's late". I'm not one for drinking lemonade, regardless of its color, but this song sure makes me wanna dance all night!
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
New songs for April 4th 2018
here they are:
"A Little Honey" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: A soulful, spirited song, as usual, from Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, "A Little Honey" is more spicy than it is sweet. It has an interesting sound, as though The Band was attempting to cover Elton John's "Bennie and The Jets". As you can imagine, "A Little Honey" is a love song, but an energetic, impassioned one as only Nathaniel can deliver it. Nathaniel manages to pour more than just a little honey onto this song. Instead, he pours out all his heart and soul, and how!
"Alfie's Song (Not So Typical Love Song)" by Bleachers: What's it all about, Alfie? Well, here's what it's about. "Alfie's Song" is a song from the movie "Love, Simon" that encapsulates what it's like when a romance first blossoms in someone's life. If it's a song accompanying a movie where the character's name is Simon, then why did Jack Antonoff choose the name "Alfie"? Jack did so because "Alfie" is the name of his godson and he wanted to dedicate this song to him. Unlike what the title might lead you to believe, it's a pretty typical love song as far as its sound goes. It's a happy, optimistic song with pop music influenced instrumentation. Jack explains why it's a "not so typical love song" in the lyrics, since the romance he's singing about "hurt him again and again". Jack Antonoff believes in love, Alfie, although it's not a typical kind of love, apparently!
"Colors" by Beck: Is Beck a synesthete? Well, I don't know the answer to that question, but between the aptly colorful video for this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I1B4n_8Cto) and its message, urging people to "feel the colors" (as opposed to just seeing them), I'm willing to bet he just might be one! "Sesame Street" nostalgics might even compare the wild, vibrant display of color (as well as the new wave-y music) to the "Wet Paint" video they had in the '80s! Watch and be amazed as a hand (Beck's, presumably) plays with colorful clay throughout the video of "Colors". Perhaps Beck should change his name to "Roy"...as in "Roy G. Biv", the acronym people use to teach the colors of the rainbow!
"Glory" by Dermot Kennedy: Dermot Kennedy is an Irish folk-rock musician, so naturally (being of Irish heritage myself), I wanted to know more about him upon finding this out! I have mixed feelings about this song, though, as it seems like Dermot doesn't know whether he wants to go for a bittersweet sound like Bon Iver or a more pop-y sound like Ed Sheeran. Dermot's debut single, "Glory", mixes moody acoustic guitars and impassioned vocals with pop music beats and production. Still, the way Dermot sings the title of the song is worth something, as he does so with a yearning passion that sticks in your head after you hear it!
"Into the Wild" by Phillip Phillips: The redundantly named 21st century folk-rocker continues to wow his audience with "Into the Wild", perhaps his most rocking song to date. This is the first Phillip Phillips song I can recall that really uses electric guitar the way it does, in a way that almost recalls the work of The Edge from U2. The song also uses interesting meter, in a similar manner to songs like Jethro Tull's "Thick As A Brick" (bet you weren't expecting THAT comparison, were you?!) As usual, Phillips' earnestness grips the listener from the moment the song is heard for the first time. The nature based imagery ("roll me like thunder", "I can be your landslide"), is also quite charming and adds to the appeal of this song.
"Over And Over And Over" by Jack White: Jack treated us to a blues and gospel influenced number earlier this year with "Connected By Love". "Over And Over And Over" is rock and roll, though, at its finest! Opening with a chunky riff that could easily be used in a Red Hot Chili Peppers song, Jack White plays a mean electric guitar pattern in E major that he, fittingly, uses over and over and over during this song! This is a song defined more by its musical power than it is by its lyrics. For people looking to resurrect the classic rock sound, look no further!
"Plastic Hamburgers" by Fantastic Negrito: "Fantastic Negrito" was not just some random indie band name that Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz chose for his band. He is, in fact, black (he didn't choose the "Negrito" part just to sound cool), and Xavier himself IS "Fantastic Negrito". His breakthrough song, "Plastic Hamburgers", can easily be described as Led Zeppelin meets Funkadelic. Melding chunky, blues-rock guitar riffs with neo-psychedelic organ sounds, "Plastic Hamburgers" is about Xavier's identity as a black man, and how he fears it will impact the identities of his children, and this is the fire that fuels the musical grills of "Plastic Hamburgers". His aim in the song is to destroy the walls that separate different sections of the human race from one another and to come to terms with the reality that ethnic minorities are facing. Here's hoping the message of songs like this one create a brighter future for our species!
"A Little Honey" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: A soulful, spirited song, as usual, from Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, "A Little Honey" is more spicy than it is sweet. It has an interesting sound, as though The Band was attempting to cover Elton John's "Bennie and The Jets". As you can imagine, "A Little Honey" is a love song, but an energetic, impassioned one as only Nathaniel can deliver it. Nathaniel manages to pour more than just a little honey onto this song. Instead, he pours out all his heart and soul, and how!
"Alfie's Song (Not So Typical Love Song)" by Bleachers: What's it all about, Alfie? Well, here's what it's about. "Alfie's Song" is a song from the movie "Love, Simon" that encapsulates what it's like when a romance first blossoms in someone's life. If it's a song accompanying a movie where the character's name is Simon, then why did Jack Antonoff choose the name "Alfie"? Jack did so because "Alfie" is the name of his godson and he wanted to dedicate this song to him. Unlike what the title might lead you to believe, it's a pretty typical love song as far as its sound goes. It's a happy, optimistic song with pop music influenced instrumentation. Jack explains why it's a "not so typical love song" in the lyrics, since the romance he's singing about "hurt him again and again". Jack Antonoff believes in love, Alfie, although it's not a typical kind of love, apparently!
"Colors" by Beck: Is Beck a synesthete? Well, I don't know the answer to that question, but between the aptly colorful video for this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I1B4n_8Cto) and its message, urging people to "feel the colors" (as opposed to just seeing them), I'm willing to bet he just might be one! "Sesame Street" nostalgics might even compare the wild, vibrant display of color (as well as the new wave-y music) to the "Wet Paint" video they had in the '80s! Watch and be amazed as a hand (Beck's, presumably) plays with colorful clay throughout the video of "Colors". Perhaps Beck should change his name to "Roy"...as in "Roy G. Biv", the acronym people use to teach the colors of the rainbow!
"Glory" by Dermot Kennedy: Dermot Kennedy is an Irish folk-rock musician, so naturally (being of Irish heritage myself), I wanted to know more about him upon finding this out! I have mixed feelings about this song, though, as it seems like Dermot doesn't know whether he wants to go for a bittersweet sound like Bon Iver or a more pop-y sound like Ed Sheeran. Dermot's debut single, "Glory", mixes moody acoustic guitars and impassioned vocals with pop music beats and production. Still, the way Dermot sings the title of the song is worth something, as he does so with a yearning passion that sticks in your head after you hear it!
"Into the Wild" by Phillip Phillips: The redundantly named 21st century folk-rocker continues to wow his audience with "Into the Wild", perhaps his most rocking song to date. This is the first Phillip Phillips song I can recall that really uses electric guitar the way it does, in a way that almost recalls the work of The Edge from U2. The song also uses interesting meter, in a similar manner to songs like Jethro Tull's "Thick As A Brick" (bet you weren't expecting THAT comparison, were you?!) As usual, Phillips' earnestness grips the listener from the moment the song is heard for the first time. The nature based imagery ("roll me like thunder", "I can be your landslide"), is also quite charming and adds to the appeal of this song.
"Over And Over And Over" by Jack White: Jack treated us to a blues and gospel influenced number earlier this year with "Connected By Love". "Over And Over And Over" is rock and roll, though, at its finest! Opening with a chunky riff that could easily be used in a Red Hot Chili Peppers song, Jack White plays a mean electric guitar pattern in E major that he, fittingly, uses over and over and over during this song! This is a song defined more by its musical power than it is by its lyrics. For people looking to resurrect the classic rock sound, look no further!
"Plastic Hamburgers" by Fantastic Negrito: "Fantastic Negrito" was not just some random indie band name that Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz chose for his band. He is, in fact, black (he didn't choose the "Negrito" part just to sound cool), and Xavier himself IS "Fantastic Negrito". His breakthrough song, "Plastic Hamburgers", can easily be described as Led Zeppelin meets Funkadelic. Melding chunky, blues-rock guitar riffs with neo-psychedelic organ sounds, "Plastic Hamburgers" is about Xavier's identity as a black man, and how he fears it will impact the identities of his children, and this is the fire that fuels the musical grills of "Plastic Hamburgers". His aim in the song is to destroy the walls that separate different sections of the human race from one another and to come to terms with the reality that ethnic minorities are facing. Here's hoping the message of songs like this one create a brighter future for our species!
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