here they are:
"Breaking Down the Door" by Santana: The trademark Santana guitar is still featured on this song, but "Breaking Down the Door" is a song that digs more into Santana's Hispanic musical roots than it is a rock song. If not for Carlos' distinctive guitar sound, this song could be mistaken for something by a more roots-y group like Los Lobos. Perhaps not what you'd expect from Mexico's answer to Jimi Hendrix, but still quite a breath of fresh air in comparison to the glut of autotune pop and hip-hop dominating the airwaves today. It doesn't try to sound like a star studded pop song the way "Smooth" did either. Instead, it's just earthy, roots-y music with a slight tinge of that spicy salsa flavor.
"Doin' Time" by Lana Del Rey: Of all the bands that comprised the '90s ska revival movement, the biggest was probably Sublime, whose best known hits cheekily combined sunny melodies with dark subject matter. "Doin' Time" was one such song, copping a tropical summertime sound (and even sampling from George Gershwin's "Summertime") while singing about a promiscuous and somewhat violent woman that lead singer Bradley Nowell was involved with. Sublime have since become revered among stoners, alternative rock fans, and the rock and roll world in general. Lana Del Rey has yet to reach that level of respect, but she's trying. It's a bit strange hearing her cover a song that kind of wasn't meant to BE covered, what with its self-referential lyrics mentioning Bradley Nowell, Ras MG (the song's guest DJ), and Brad's dog, Louie, who figures into many of Sublime's songs (he's mentioned twice in "What I Got", arguably their greatest hit). However, Lana appears to be doing so because of how her and Bradley both share a view of California as being a much more seedy place than it appears to be on the outside. Listen, guys, I'm Californian myself! Do I agree with this opinion of California having a "seedy underbelly"? Yeah, I kinda do, actually, but more from what I've heard about it than what I've seen.
"Go" by The Black Keys: "Go" is exactly what The Black Keys do on their latest song! They go! And how!! The Keys give it their all here as one of America's last hopes for a rock and roll band for today's youth. With a chord progression and rhythm slightly similar to "What I Like About You", "Go" proves that Dan and Patrick have still got it after almost a decade in the limelight and over that amount of time in the music biz altogether!
"You And I" by Barns Courtney: Barns Courtney is a musician whose first hit was his best! His song, "Fire", scorched up the alt and adult alt charts like few other songs did in 2016. He's had other hits since, but few that compare to that song. "You And I" might just be his most lackluster effort yet. The execution of the song sounds like the folk-rock and dance-pop combination Imagine Dragons have been known for using, and it also uses the same three chords in succession as two of the 2010's biggest hits: Vance Joy's "Riptide" and Of Monsters & Men's "Little Talks". I like this song, but sadly it does seem to be proof of originality in music becoming rarer and rarer these days.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
New songs for May 15th 2019
here they are:
"Bad Case" by Lukas Nelson: Can you believe Lukas' dad, Willie, has outlasted Tom Petty?! I sure can't! Yet here is Lukas doing a song that sounds strikingly similar to Tom Petty circa the late '80s when Petty was more active as a Wilbury than he was as a Heartbreaker. Both the drums and the choice of C major key recalls The Traveling Wilburys' "Last Night". Willie Nelson has become a fave of both country and rock fans, so it's great to see his son, Lukas, carry on the tradition by blending the two genres into one here.
"Heart" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise: With the funky, fresh vibes of RKS' "Fever Pitch" and "Hide", I couldn't understand why they were being compared to the more folksy side of the indie spectrum. Until now, that is. "Heart" is a sweet folk-pop song whose loving sound lives up to its title. The lyrics take a turn for the worse towards the end with the following two lines: "She's got a gun in her hands and a burden in her heart/You've got love in your hands, you got a hurt in your heart." Makes your heart skip a beat there, doesn't it?!
"Bad Case" by Lukas Nelson: Can you believe Lukas' dad, Willie, has outlasted Tom Petty?! I sure can't! Yet here is Lukas doing a song that sounds strikingly similar to Tom Petty circa the late '80s when Petty was more active as a Wilbury than he was as a Heartbreaker. Both the drums and the choice of C major key recalls The Traveling Wilburys' "Last Night". Willie Nelson has become a fave of both country and rock fans, so it's great to see his son, Lukas, carry on the tradition by blending the two genres into one here.
"Heart" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise: With the funky, fresh vibes of RKS' "Fever Pitch" and "Hide", I couldn't understand why they were being compared to the more folksy side of the indie spectrum. Until now, that is. "Heart" is a sweet folk-pop song whose loving sound lives up to its title. The lyrics take a turn for the worse towards the end with the following two lines: "She's got a gun in her hands and a burden in her heart/You've got love in your hands, you got a hurt in your heart." Makes your heart skip a beat there, doesn't it?!
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
New songs for May 8th 2019
here they are:
"Alligator" by Of Monsters and Men: Well, THIS song is sure to win the "most random song title of the week" award, right?! There aren't very many songs with the word "alligator" in the title, and perhaps even less with that word being the ONLY word in a song title! As it turns out, this song doesn't have much to do with alligators to begin with. Instead, it appears to be about either an acid trip or a "vision quest" of some sort. The sound of this song might alienate a few people who were initial fans of OMAM. It is not the neo-folk-rock of OMAM's last two albums, but rather a pop sound with a "dark" edge. Make of this song what you will...just know that there are no alligators in it.
"Hypersonic Missiles" by Sam Fender: What an amazing combination of sounds this guy has!! Mixing the arena ready indie rock of acts like Ryan Adams and Kings of Leon, the moody yet echoic chime of The Cranberries, and saxophones reminiscent of Men At Work's biggest hits, Sam Fender has launched his "Hypersonic Missiles" onto our ears, and boy, do they explode! In a good way, of course. Lyrically, it's a "love among the ruins" song, a bit like Goo Goo Dolls' "Name" (another personal fave of mine). Amidst the post-apocalyptic imagery, Sam manages to try to find hope in a hopeless situation. If the world ends in my lifetime, THIS is the song I want to exit with!
"I'll Wait" by The Strumbellas: It's not quite the toe tapping indie-pop of "Salvation" from late last year, but "I'll Wait", the second single from Strumbellas' latest album, is still a happy little slice of indie-folk-pop. Acoustic guitar takes a backseat in this song, though, to a backing string orchestra that swells throughout this song, providing it with a spirited vibe. The lyrics are nothing special, really. Just a simple love song. However, this seems to be what The Strumbellas do best with their music.
"Joy" by Bastille: Bastille have always put the "pop" in "indie-pop", but this song screams pop music! If the title alone wasn't enough to clue you in, "Joy" is pretty much just that. It's a joyful song. The song is their bounciest song yet. The harmonizing vocals towards the end of the song only reinforce the squeaky clean image the song attempts to paint in our minds.
"Alligator" by Of Monsters and Men: Well, THIS song is sure to win the "most random song title of the week" award, right?! There aren't very many songs with the word "alligator" in the title, and perhaps even less with that word being the ONLY word in a song title! As it turns out, this song doesn't have much to do with alligators to begin with. Instead, it appears to be about either an acid trip or a "vision quest" of some sort. The sound of this song might alienate a few people who were initial fans of OMAM. It is not the neo-folk-rock of OMAM's last two albums, but rather a pop sound with a "dark" edge. Make of this song what you will...just know that there are no alligators in it.
"Hypersonic Missiles" by Sam Fender: What an amazing combination of sounds this guy has!! Mixing the arena ready indie rock of acts like Ryan Adams and Kings of Leon, the moody yet echoic chime of The Cranberries, and saxophones reminiscent of Men At Work's biggest hits, Sam Fender has launched his "Hypersonic Missiles" onto our ears, and boy, do they explode! In a good way, of course. Lyrically, it's a "love among the ruins" song, a bit like Goo Goo Dolls' "Name" (another personal fave of mine). Amidst the post-apocalyptic imagery, Sam manages to try to find hope in a hopeless situation. If the world ends in my lifetime, THIS is the song I want to exit with!
"I'll Wait" by The Strumbellas: It's not quite the toe tapping indie-pop of "Salvation" from late last year, but "I'll Wait", the second single from Strumbellas' latest album, is still a happy little slice of indie-folk-pop. Acoustic guitar takes a backseat in this song, though, to a backing string orchestra that swells throughout this song, providing it with a spirited vibe. The lyrics are nothing special, really. Just a simple love song. However, this seems to be what The Strumbellas do best with their music.
"Joy" by Bastille: Bastille have always put the "pop" in "indie-pop", but this song screams pop music! If the title alone wasn't enough to clue you in, "Joy" is pretty much just that. It's a joyful song. The song is their bounciest song yet. The harmonizing vocals towards the end of the song only reinforce the squeaky clean image the song attempts to paint in our minds.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
New songs for May 1st 2019
here they are:
"Don't Ever Let 'Em" by Fitz and The Tantrums: Within a decade's time, Fitz and The Tantrums have gone from being Motown wannabes to being...well...just another indie-pop band. The song's message of positivity seems a little bland too, but that's not a bad thing. The song only lasts a little over two and a half minutes, but it seems to suit the song well. One of the few songs from FATT's catalog that doesn't have a fast, catchy beat. Instead, this one has a slow, catchy beat. Still a nice song to mellow out to, though.
"Hello Sunshine" by Bruce Springsteen: The title of The Boss's much anticipated latest song might be happy, but "Hello Sunshine" is actually a very sad song. The title is actually a plea from Springsteen for good times to get him through what is currently a rather depressing time in his life. A few years ago, Bruce opened up and told people he was battling depression and had been for a long time. "Hello Sunshine" is the result of this. A beautifully orchestrated, bittersweet song whose roots are more Johnny Cash than they are "Johnny B Goode", "Hello Sunshine" bares its emotions for all to see during a time when sadness seems to have hit a lot of us pretty hard.
"Don't Ever Let 'Em" by Fitz and The Tantrums: Within a decade's time, Fitz and The Tantrums have gone from being Motown wannabes to being...well...just another indie-pop band. The song's message of positivity seems a little bland too, but that's not a bad thing. The song only lasts a little over two and a half minutes, but it seems to suit the song well. One of the few songs from FATT's catalog that doesn't have a fast, catchy beat. Instead, this one has a slow, catchy beat. Still a nice song to mellow out to, though.
"Hello Sunshine" by Bruce Springsteen: The title of The Boss's much anticipated latest song might be happy, but "Hello Sunshine" is actually a very sad song. The title is actually a plea from Springsteen for good times to get him through what is currently a rather depressing time in his life. A few years ago, Bruce opened up and told people he was battling depression and had been for a long time. "Hello Sunshine" is the result of this. A beautifully orchestrated, bittersweet song whose roots are more Johnny Cash than they are "Johnny B Goode", "Hello Sunshine" bares its emotions for all to see during a time when sadness seems to have hit a lot of us pretty hard.
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