here they are:
"It Might Get Dark" by White Denim: Take some of the best known one hit wonder songs in 1970's rock - say, "Stuck In the Middle With You", "Spirit In the Sky", and "Signs" - and combine them all into one. What you would get is this song. Considering White Denim have always sounded like a rock group from the early '70s, in spite of actually being from the mid 2010's, this is no surprise. In spite of what the title of this song might have you believe, "It Might Get Dark" is the lightest and happiest song White Denim have put out so far. The song will have you tapping your toes and bobbing your head throughout. No getting dark for this group, that's for sure!
"Straight Shot" by DeVotchKa: Denver, Colorado's indie-folk quartet, DeVotchKa, are probably best known for the opening song from the indie comedy smash, "Little Miss Sunshine". The group's mystical indie ethos seems to continue to run in their latest song, "Straight Shot", which contains lyrical phrases like "moonlit swim" and "sea of ghosts". Though DeVotchKa are an American band named for a Russian word that means "girl", there seems to be a lot of Spanish guitar influence on this particular song, which gives it a unique kind of swing.
"You're Somebody Else" by Flora Cash: Swedish indie-folk duo, Flora Cash, have a very bittersweet and touching sound in their debut song, "You're Somebody Else". The song has started making waves on both alt and adult alt radio, and it's not hard to see why. Not only does the song have the perfect combo of pop rhythm and folk guitar, but it also touches on a rather universal theme. It seems to be about deception, as can be deduced from the song's central line, "You looked like yourself, but you're somebody else and you're making me nervous." You think you know someone, and then they turn on you. Haven't we all been there?!
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
New songs for July 18th 2018
here they are:
"Keep A Little Soul" by Tom Petty: The last song Tom Petty had a hit with on adult alt radio stations before he departed to Rock and Roll Heaven was "Forgotten Man". Petty might be gone, but he certainly isn't forgotten, and his latest song to be released (actually an outtake from 1982), "Keep A Little Soul", shows just how much his fans have remembered him! The song certainly sounds like a vintage Petty tune, and would probably fit right into an album of his from the olden days, like "Damn the Torpedoes". "Keep A Little Soul" is an optimistic song, as its title implies. The message is simple. Just keep a little soul, as Petty says, and nothing else will matter. A short message, but a powerful one nonetheless!
"Nobody" by Mitski: There's something both nostalgic and futuristic about "Nobody", the debut song from Japanese-American musician, Mitski. It plays out like a Bjork song with Tori Amos-esque pianos. The lyrics to "Nobody" are just as intriguing as its music. "My God, I'm so lonely", Mitski pines during the song's opening verse, "So I open the window to hear sounds of people". In the lines that follow that one, she sings, "Venus, planet of love, was destroyed by global warming", echoing a popular speculation about the planet to the left of us, and then she wonders, "Did its people want too much?" From those lyrics alone, you can tell Mitski's music is far more than mere "ear candy", and is instead music that makes you both think and listen. The way the song meanders to somewhat unpredictable melodies throughout gives me hope for music of the future. I guess there's still a way to make "new" genres and sub-genres after all!
"Tidal Wave" by Portugal. The Man: After around 7 years under the radar, it seems as though Portugal. The Man just can't escape "Feel It Still" fever (the song even became my # 1 song of last year!!) The two other songs from the same album (this song and "Live In the Moment") are almost as catchy, though, so clearly PTM WANTED to appeal to the masses (as far as I can tell, anyway). "Tidal Wave" takes on a pop flavor with reggae rhythms and jazzy horns. It's no "Feel It Still", but it's a bit better than "Live In the Moment" due to its R & B influences (a popular factor in PTM's music). When PTM's lead singer sings about being "hit like a tidal wave" during the chorus, it seems quite apt for a song that will probably hit all its listeners like a tidal wave!
"Tonight Tonight" by Mondo Cozmo: Not to be confused for the Smashing Pumpkins song of the same name, "Tonight Tonight" combines the best of both worlds for Mondo Cozmo. That is to say, it takes the acoustic guitar sound that made "Shine" so memorable and mixes it with the more indie-pop flavored sound of their other songs. Come to think of it, "Automatic" and "Plastic Soul" didn't really have guitar at all in them from what I could tell, so the use of the instrument in "Tonight Tonight" is quite a welcome return to form. This might just be the catchiest song Mondo Cozmo have done so far, actually, as their other songs aren't quite this upbeat. It has echoes of other uber-catchy indie-pop tunes, like "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" by Foster the People. Also, since Mondo Cozmo's lead singer says "tonight" four times during the chorus, it should be called "Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight" to avoid confusion with both The Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight Tonight" and Genesis' "Tonight Tonight Tonight".
"Keep A Little Soul" by Tom Petty: The last song Tom Petty had a hit with on adult alt radio stations before he departed to Rock and Roll Heaven was "Forgotten Man". Petty might be gone, but he certainly isn't forgotten, and his latest song to be released (actually an outtake from 1982), "Keep A Little Soul", shows just how much his fans have remembered him! The song certainly sounds like a vintage Petty tune, and would probably fit right into an album of his from the olden days, like "Damn the Torpedoes". "Keep A Little Soul" is an optimistic song, as its title implies. The message is simple. Just keep a little soul, as Petty says, and nothing else will matter. A short message, but a powerful one nonetheless!
"Nobody" by Mitski: There's something both nostalgic and futuristic about "Nobody", the debut song from Japanese-American musician, Mitski. It plays out like a Bjork song with Tori Amos-esque pianos. The lyrics to "Nobody" are just as intriguing as its music. "My God, I'm so lonely", Mitski pines during the song's opening verse, "So I open the window to hear sounds of people". In the lines that follow that one, she sings, "Venus, planet of love, was destroyed by global warming", echoing a popular speculation about the planet to the left of us, and then she wonders, "Did its people want too much?" From those lyrics alone, you can tell Mitski's music is far more than mere "ear candy", and is instead music that makes you both think and listen. The way the song meanders to somewhat unpredictable melodies throughout gives me hope for music of the future. I guess there's still a way to make "new" genres and sub-genres after all!
"Tidal Wave" by Portugal. The Man: After around 7 years under the radar, it seems as though Portugal. The Man just can't escape "Feel It Still" fever (the song even became my # 1 song of last year!!) The two other songs from the same album (this song and "Live In the Moment") are almost as catchy, though, so clearly PTM WANTED to appeal to the masses (as far as I can tell, anyway). "Tidal Wave" takes on a pop flavor with reggae rhythms and jazzy horns. It's no "Feel It Still", but it's a bit better than "Live In the Moment" due to its R & B influences (a popular factor in PTM's music). When PTM's lead singer sings about being "hit like a tidal wave" during the chorus, it seems quite apt for a song that will probably hit all its listeners like a tidal wave!
"Tonight Tonight" by Mondo Cozmo: Not to be confused for the Smashing Pumpkins song of the same name, "Tonight Tonight" combines the best of both worlds for Mondo Cozmo. That is to say, it takes the acoustic guitar sound that made "Shine" so memorable and mixes it with the more indie-pop flavored sound of their other songs. Come to think of it, "Automatic" and "Plastic Soul" didn't really have guitar at all in them from what I could tell, so the use of the instrument in "Tonight Tonight" is quite a welcome return to form. This might just be the catchiest song Mondo Cozmo have done so far, actually, as their other songs aren't quite this upbeat. It has echoes of other uber-catchy indie-pop tunes, like "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" by Foster the People. Also, since Mondo Cozmo's lead singer says "tonight" four times during the chorus, it should be called "Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight" to avoid confusion with both The Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight Tonight" and Genesis' "Tonight Tonight Tonight".
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
new songs for July 11th 2018
here they are:
"Salvation" by Tash Sultana: I don't know much about Tash Sultana, but the chorus of her latest song, "Salvation", pretty much tells all about who she is and what her music is like. "I guess I'm just changing with the wind/Turning in a different direction again and again", Sultana smoothly croons over a chilled out electro-pop musical landscape. True to its what its title would suggest, "Salvation" offers just that. It's a very dreamy tune that invites listeners to take a much needed break from their long, hard days. The song has an interesting twist towards the end, as a guitar solo slinkily makes its way into the song, first with a smooth, jazzy sound, and eventually building up to a more distorted rock sound that fits in surprisingly with the rest of the song.
"Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" by Sheryl Crow and St. Vincent: Sheryl Crow was known in the '90s for her insouciant pop/rock, slightly reminiscent of the lighter side of classic rock, like The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Jackson Browne. Her first two albums were a breath of fresh air for people who wanted a break from the sullen, grungy sound of most '90s rock. She seemed to struggle to stay relevant to the rock scene ever since then, becoming more of an adult contemporary pop musician at the dawn of the new millennium. So who in the world would have thought she'd have a song that was an Arctic Monkeys soundalike?! I sure wouldn't have! Yet here she is, nearly two decades after her eponymous album from 1996, doing exactly that! "Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" sounds a little like Arctic Monkeys' "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" with a guitar that sounds like it came from a St. Vincent song (fitting, since she's a guest on this song). If you told me 20 years ago that Sheryl Crow was going to have an edgy electro-pop song that was worth hearing, I would have looked at you like you had bugs crawling out of your ears. The times sure are changing!
"Salvation" by Tash Sultana: I don't know much about Tash Sultana, but the chorus of her latest song, "Salvation", pretty much tells all about who she is and what her music is like. "I guess I'm just changing with the wind/Turning in a different direction again and again", Sultana smoothly croons over a chilled out electro-pop musical landscape. True to its what its title would suggest, "Salvation" offers just that. It's a very dreamy tune that invites listeners to take a much needed break from their long, hard days. The song has an interesting twist towards the end, as a guitar solo slinkily makes its way into the song, first with a smooth, jazzy sound, and eventually building up to a more distorted rock sound that fits in surprisingly with the rest of the song.
"Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" by Sheryl Crow and St. Vincent: Sheryl Crow was known in the '90s for her insouciant pop/rock, slightly reminiscent of the lighter side of classic rock, like The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Jackson Browne. Her first two albums were a breath of fresh air for people who wanted a break from the sullen, grungy sound of most '90s rock. She seemed to struggle to stay relevant to the rock scene ever since then, becoming more of an adult contemporary pop musician at the dawn of the new millennium. So who in the world would have thought she'd have a song that was an Arctic Monkeys soundalike?! I sure wouldn't have! Yet here she is, nearly two decades after her eponymous album from 1996, doing exactly that! "Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" sounds a little like Arctic Monkeys' "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" with a guitar that sounds like it came from a St. Vincent song (fitting, since she's a guest on this song). If you told me 20 years ago that Sheryl Crow was going to have an edgy electro-pop song that was worth hearing, I would have looked at you like you had bugs crawling out of your ears. The times sure are changing!
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
New songs for the 4th of July 2018!!
It's a Wednesday AND the 4th?! Let the celebration begin!!
"Apollo" by St. Paul and The Broken Bones: There seems to be a trend this year for contemporary musicians who emulated '60s R & B previously to go one decade forward for their next release. Leon Bridges has already done it this year, and now it's St. Paul and The Broken Bones' turn. It's a bit disappointing to hear the Alabama sextet go from an Otis Redding styled sound to a more disco influenced one, but "Apollo" is not a bad song. For one thing, it still contains the horns that SPATBB's other songs are known for having. However, the resulting song still sounds like what it'd be like if Wilson Pickett tried covering "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson. Something here just doesn't add up. At least it has a groovy rhythm, though.
"Humility" by Gorillaz: The Gorillaz and The Monkees have a few things in common. Aside from the obvious fact that both groups are named after primates (and how they're also perpussly myspelld rokgrüps), they're also both bands who...well...aren't really bands! The Monkees were originally marketed as a "TV band", and Gorillaz are a cartoon band. Yes, a cartoon band, similar in concept to The Archies and The Chipmunks, but far more edgy and modern than either one. Among their best known songs is the aptly named "Feel Good Inc.", the feel-good techno-pop summer jam of 2005. "Humility" is another feel-good summer jam for the band (or faux-band, rather), although it has a slower, more chilled out sound than "Feel Good Inc." The lyrics of "Humility", centering largely around isolation, are also darker in tone than "Feel Good Inc." They both SOUND like feel-good songs, though!
"Miracle Man" by M. Ward: M. Ward's musical style has always felt a little out of step with current trends, but that's part of his charm. His latest song, "Miracle Man", sounds a bit like Roy Orbison's "(Oh) Pretty Woman", especially in the beginning. Another thing "Miracle Man" shares in common with Ward's other material is its short length, barely measuring up to a mere 3 minutes. The song itself isn't exactly a miracle, but the way it was released kinda was. It arrived quietly, without any real hype surrounding it. How perfect, then, that we're hearing this one for the first time on the 4th of July, so it can start off life with a bang!
"1950" by King Princess: Both the title of the song and the name of the performer here are somewhat enigmatic. I mean, what's a "king princess"?! Is it a king or is it a princess...and does that mean there's a Queen Prince as well?! The title of the song also seems somewhat arbitrary. 1950 wasn't really known for being a particularly memorable year, after all. Turns out, there's an explanation for both, and they're both discussed in the song! The moniker "King Princess" comes from how the performer is a lesbian, and therefore a "princess" by gender, yet a "king" in terms of what people expect her behavior to be like. As for the year that gives the song its title?! Well, it actually represents the decade of the 1950's, when LGBTQ people were far more oppressed than they are today. The song is a protest against people who are not open minded about those whose sexual orientations aren't "traditional". So has society now gone back to "playing 1950", as King Princess says in her song?! Yes and no, to be honest. However, the point of the song is to challenge societal norms more than it is about asking whether we have truly made progress in our points of view about sexuality.
"Apollo" by St. Paul and The Broken Bones: There seems to be a trend this year for contemporary musicians who emulated '60s R & B previously to go one decade forward for their next release. Leon Bridges has already done it this year, and now it's St. Paul and The Broken Bones' turn. It's a bit disappointing to hear the Alabama sextet go from an Otis Redding styled sound to a more disco influenced one, but "Apollo" is not a bad song. For one thing, it still contains the horns that SPATBB's other songs are known for having. However, the resulting song still sounds like what it'd be like if Wilson Pickett tried covering "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson. Something here just doesn't add up. At least it has a groovy rhythm, though.
"Humility" by Gorillaz: The Gorillaz and The Monkees have a few things in common. Aside from the obvious fact that both groups are named after primates (and how they're also perpussly myspelld rokgrüps), they're also both bands who...well...aren't really bands! The Monkees were originally marketed as a "TV band", and Gorillaz are a cartoon band. Yes, a cartoon band, similar in concept to The Archies and The Chipmunks, but far more edgy and modern than either one. Among their best known songs is the aptly named "Feel Good Inc.", the feel-good techno-pop summer jam of 2005. "Humility" is another feel-good summer jam for the band (or faux-band, rather), although it has a slower, more chilled out sound than "Feel Good Inc." The lyrics of "Humility", centering largely around isolation, are also darker in tone than "Feel Good Inc." They both SOUND like feel-good songs, though!
"Miracle Man" by M. Ward: M. Ward's musical style has always felt a little out of step with current trends, but that's part of his charm. His latest song, "Miracle Man", sounds a bit like Roy Orbison's "(Oh) Pretty Woman", especially in the beginning. Another thing "Miracle Man" shares in common with Ward's other material is its short length, barely measuring up to a mere 3 minutes. The song itself isn't exactly a miracle, but the way it was released kinda was. It arrived quietly, without any real hype surrounding it. How perfect, then, that we're hearing this one for the first time on the 4th of July, so it can start off life with a bang!
"1950" by King Princess: Both the title of the song and the name of the performer here are somewhat enigmatic. I mean, what's a "king princess"?! Is it a king or is it a princess...and does that mean there's a Queen Prince as well?! The title of the song also seems somewhat arbitrary. 1950 wasn't really known for being a particularly memorable year, after all. Turns out, there's an explanation for both, and they're both discussed in the song! The moniker "King Princess" comes from how the performer is a lesbian, and therefore a "princess" by gender, yet a "king" in terms of what people expect her behavior to be like. As for the year that gives the song its title?! Well, it actually represents the decade of the 1950's, when LGBTQ people were far more oppressed than they are today. The song is a protest against people who are not open minded about those whose sexual orientations aren't "traditional". So has society now gone back to "playing 1950", as King Princess says in her song?! Yes and no, to be honest. However, the point of the song is to challenge societal norms more than it is about asking whether we have truly made progress in our points of view about sexuality.
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