here they are:
"Found the One" by Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite: For almost 25 years, Ben Harper has made a long journey from soul inflected folk-rocker to a musician who can do just about anything. It was only a few years ago that Ben first got together with blues musician Charlie Musselwhite to create powerhouse blues-rock songs. With "Found the One", Ben and Charlie continue to pound out some mean blues riffs, using a typical blues chord progression accompanied by a rhythm similar to that of "I'm Waiting For the Man" by The Velvet Underground. Ben is quite talented at whatever he does, really, but I kinda like it when he goes blues-y, so "Found the One" works for me!
"Short Court Style" by Natalie Prass: Natalie Prass was originally one of many female singer-songwriters in the "indie" format influenced by folk-rock. Maybe this is why "Short Court Style" sounds so distinctive in comparison! You've gotta distinguish yourself somehow, right?! Surprisingly, Natalie turns to early '90s R & B (of all things) for musical inspiration for her latest song, "Short Court Style". The YouTube comments for the song compare her to performers like Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson. It probably sounds unbelievable for those already familiar with Prass' music, but it's true! There appears to be a late '70s disco/funk influence in this song, too, as evidenced by its chunky, rhythmic guitar grooves. While the song doesn't have much to offer lyrically, what it does have to offer in terms of lyrical content is reflective of the breezy dance-pop vibes it gives off, centering largely around dancing and having a good time!
Showing posts with label Ben Harper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben Harper. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
New songs for March 23rd, 2016
here they are:
"Good Help (Is So Hard to Find)" by Death Cab for Cutie: I have heard four songs from Death Cab's latest album, and so far, it seems like their most rock oriented album yet! None of the four songs I've heard have any hint of the folk-rock sound they were once known to have. "Good Help (Is So Hard to Find)" might as well be from 1979 with its sound coming off as a cross between The Clash's "Train In Vain (Stand By Me)" and The Police's "Voices Inside My Head". Never thought Ben Gibbard and co would attempt to go for what is essentially a funk and reggae influenced sound, but that's pretty much exactly what they do on this song. It might also be the one DCFC song that makes the most use of the "flange" effect (the echo-y guitar distortion often used in songs with staccato rhythmic patterns).
"Shine" by Ben Harper: Where Death Cab are newbies at the whole reggae/funk thing, Ben Harper has been a natural at it from day one. The sunshiny funk sound coming from his latest song, "Shine", does not come off as being awkward or "new" sounding, and instead is very steady and fluent. Ben's uplifting lyrics and soulful delivery make "Shine" quite enjoyable. This is also the third Ben Harper song I've known to use the word "Shine" in the title, the others being "Burn to Shine" and "Shimmer And Shine". He must really like that word!
"Good Help (Is So Hard to Find)" by Death Cab for Cutie: I have heard four songs from Death Cab's latest album, and so far, it seems like their most rock oriented album yet! None of the four songs I've heard have any hint of the folk-rock sound they were once known to have. "Good Help (Is So Hard to Find)" might as well be from 1979 with its sound coming off as a cross between The Clash's "Train In Vain (Stand By Me)" and The Police's "Voices Inside My Head". Never thought Ben Gibbard and co would attempt to go for what is essentially a funk and reggae influenced sound, but that's pretty much exactly what they do on this song. It might also be the one DCFC song that makes the most use of the "flange" effect (the echo-y guitar distortion often used in songs with staccato rhythmic patterns).
"Shine" by Ben Harper: Where Death Cab are newbies at the whole reggae/funk thing, Ben Harper has been a natural at it from day one. The sunshiny funk sound coming from his latest song, "Shine", does not come off as being awkward or "new" sounding, and instead is very steady and fluent. Ben's uplifting lyrics and soulful delivery make "Shine" quite enjoyable. This is also the third Ben Harper song I've known to use the word "Shine" in the title, the others being "Burn to Shine" and "Shimmer And Shine". He must really like that word!
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
New songs for January 27th, 2016
here they are:
"Confession" by M. Ward: Until he came out with the pseudo-blues-rock number, "Never Had Nobody Like You", back in 2009, I didn't really know M. Ward as anything other than the "Him" to Zooey Deschanel's "She" in "She & Him". Since then, I've heard a few other M. Ward solo songs. Most of them tend to be gentle indie-folk-rock tunes. "Confession" is a bit like that, but with the electric guitar sound that first put him on the map as a solo artist with "Never Had Nobody Like You". Like most of Ward's songs, "Confession" is short, at only 3 minutes and 14 seconds. There is one thing that makes "Confession" stand apart from the rest of his material, though, and that is the mariachi horn sound featured near the end of the song, which was perhaps inspired by fellow indie-folk-rockers, Calexico.
"Hey No Pressure" by Ray LaMontagne: The little folk-rocker that could! Until two years ago, Ray's songs were rather mellow folk tunes, which were occasionally spiced up with the use of a sax and a rhythm section, but not much more. "Supernova" really put the "rock" factor in his typically folk-y material, sounding reminiscent of groups like The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, and "She's the One" heavily recalled the pounding blues-rock of The Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post". "Hey No Pressure" is both the hardest rocking AND longest (at around 6 and half minutes) song that Ray has put out so far! If not for Ray's trademark husky yet yearning vocals, this song could well be mistaken for a song by The Black Keys, or perhaps even Tame Impala, given its length and its oddly placed synth solo towards the end. "Hey No Pressure" brings about the most pressure you can imagine in a Ray LaMontagne song, but in a good way!
"Pink Balloon" by Ben Harper: Can Ben Harper survive without The Relentless 7? The answer to that, apparently, is yes. Although "Pink Balloon" starts with an acoustic guitar, it still rocks pretty hard for a Ben Harper song without The Relentless 7 backing him up. "Pink Balloon" is an interesting song. A bit like hearing a roots-y Delta Blues version of Led Zeppelin's "Ramble On", complete with an electric guitar solo in the middle of the song. The lyrics of "Pink Balloon" don't have very heavy subject matter, as it just seems to concern a girl who walks around with a pink balloon, not much more. "Pink Balloon" is probably one of Ben Harper's finest songs, with a sound that would more than likely please both his original roots-rock fanbase and his later hard(ish) rock fanbase.
"Where the Night Goes" by Josh Ritter: If "Getting Ready to Get Down" was too upbeat for most Josh Ritter fans, then "Where the Night Goes" should win them back. Although the song features an electric guitar solo (a rarity so far in Ritter's material), it still features the bittersweet mellow sound and mystical lyrics of the typical Josh Ritter song. One thing that makes "Where the Night Goes" distinct from other Josh Ritter songs is the sudden change of key from D sharp to F that occurs in the middle of the song, as Josh's songs don't usually feature key changes. "Let's see where the night takes us, let's see where the night goes", Josh Ritter sings for the chorus of the song. The night seems to be taking us to an imaginary place where city cafes meet the woods of nature!
"Confession" by M. Ward: Until he came out with the pseudo-blues-rock number, "Never Had Nobody Like You", back in 2009, I didn't really know M. Ward as anything other than the "Him" to Zooey Deschanel's "She" in "She & Him". Since then, I've heard a few other M. Ward solo songs. Most of them tend to be gentle indie-folk-rock tunes. "Confession" is a bit like that, but with the electric guitar sound that first put him on the map as a solo artist with "Never Had Nobody Like You". Like most of Ward's songs, "Confession" is short, at only 3 minutes and 14 seconds. There is one thing that makes "Confession" stand apart from the rest of his material, though, and that is the mariachi horn sound featured near the end of the song, which was perhaps inspired by fellow indie-folk-rockers, Calexico.
"Hey No Pressure" by Ray LaMontagne: The little folk-rocker that could! Until two years ago, Ray's songs were rather mellow folk tunes, which were occasionally spiced up with the use of a sax and a rhythm section, but not much more. "Supernova" really put the "rock" factor in his typically folk-y material, sounding reminiscent of groups like The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, and "She's the One" heavily recalled the pounding blues-rock of The Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post". "Hey No Pressure" is both the hardest rocking AND longest (at around 6 and half minutes) song that Ray has put out so far! If not for Ray's trademark husky yet yearning vocals, this song could well be mistaken for a song by The Black Keys, or perhaps even Tame Impala, given its length and its oddly placed synth solo towards the end. "Hey No Pressure" brings about the most pressure you can imagine in a Ray LaMontagne song, but in a good way!
"Pink Balloon" by Ben Harper: Can Ben Harper survive without The Relentless 7? The answer to that, apparently, is yes. Although "Pink Balloon" starts with an acoustic guitar, it still rocks pretty hard for a Ben Harper song without The Relentless 7 backing him up. "Pink Balloon" is an interesting song. A bit like hearing a roots-y Delta Blues version of Led Zeppelin's "Ramble On", complete with an electric guitar solo in the middle of the song. The lyrics of "Pink Balloon" don't have very heavy subject matter, as it just seems to concern a girl who walks around with a pink balloon, not much more. "Pink Balloon" is probably one of Ben Harper's finest songs, with a sound that would more than likely please both his original roots-rock fanbase and his later hard(ish) rock fanbase.
"Where the Night Goes" by Josh Ritter: If "Getting Ready to Get Down" was too upbeat for most Josh Ritter fans, then "Where the Night Goes" should win them back. Although the song features an electric guitar solo (a rarity so far in Ritter's material), it still features the bittersweet mellow sound and mystical lyrics of the typical Josh Ritter song. One thing that makes "Where the Night Goes" distinct from other Josh Ritter songs is the sudden change of key from D sharp to F that occurs in the middle of the song, as Josh's songs don't usually feature key changes. "Let's see where the night takes us, let's see where the night goes", Josh Ritter sings for the chorus of the song. The night seems to be taking us to an imaginary place where city cafes meet the woods of nature!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
New songs for the New Year Part 2 - Brand new for January 2013!!
And NOW comes the fun part!! The songs that are brand new for the New Year!! Here goes:
"A New Life" by Jim James (from My Morning Jacket): Jim's latest album is called "Regions of Light and Sounds of God". His newest song, "A New Life", SOUNDS like it came from God within a region of light!! There's something heavenly, in the most authentic sense of the term, about "A New Life". It doesn't sound like the Grateful Dead-meets-Flaming Lips type sound that MMJ became known for in their later years, but more like the gentle, breezy folk-rock of their debut song, "Golden". In fact, "A New Life" is even MORE gentle and breezy than "Golden" was. It's absolutely exhilarating how "A New Life" climaxes! It starts off with Jim's vocals behind a lightly strummed acoustic guitar, then the guitar gets strummed more clearly, and from there, new instruments get added in gradually, starting with a tinkly piano, then a string section, drums, and finally a...saxophone?! Well, it fits in this song!! I don't know how it does, but it does! I feel like I just died and went to heaven. Therefore, I think "A New Life" is a very fitting title for such an ethereal, other-worldly song!!
"Bigger Than Love" by Benjamin Gibbard (from Death Cab for Cutie), featuring Aimee Mann: Although Ben has done better material with Death Cab, there are a couple things I really like about his latest song, "Bigger Than Love". First of all, it features power pop chanteuse Aimee Mann, which is great, not only because I love her music, but also because she just put out an album of her own in summer of 2012, so she's quite a busy woman! It's also really neat that the song has gotten popularity among YouTube viewers because of its performance on "The Colbert Report". The best thing about "Bigger Than Love", though, to me, is how it was inspired by the love letters that were written between F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his wife, Zelda. Actually, that's quite fitting, considering that there's supposed to be a "Great Gatsby" movie coming out soon. Wonder if this song will be featured on the soundtrack?!
"Come Unto Me" by The Mavericks: I thought I knew The Mavericks from their bouncy country-pop/rock song, "I Wanna Know", but this song sounds different from that (and much better!!) "Come Unto Me" is more than just country-rock. There seems to be a sort of Mexican flavor to it, as well as an exotic, gypsy-ish chord progression in the middle of the song. This song could easily be mistaken for a Los Lobos song, and they are a great band! Who knew that one of the first songs of 2013 would also be one of the spiciest?! I didn't, but I'm sure glad I heard it!!
"I'm In, I'm Out, And I'm Gone" by Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite: This song starts out with a riff that has been used in countless rock and roll songs, from The Yardbirds' "I'm A Man" to The Black Keys' "Howlin' For You". "I'm In, I'm Out, And I'm Gone" rarely strays from its two chord vamp used in the verses (in fact, the only other chord used in the song comes in during the chorus). This isn't progressive rock, classical, or jazz, though, this is the blues, and blues chords are supposed to have a simple progression!! Some killer harmonica solos on this song, too, so great, that they probably have the power to make the spirit of Muddy Waters come out and groove to the music!
"Ramona" by Night Beds: The bittersweet vocals of this song, which sound halfway between Rufus Wainwright and Ryan Adams, as well as its swooning, swaying guitars, make "Ramona" quite a fitting song from the wintertime. Lyrically, "Ramona" is quite a sad song as well, about the titular girl's separation from both her family and herself, and the anxiety that results from her trying to deal with such situations. It seems as though lead singer Winston Yellen is frustrated, too, as he urges Ramona to "f**k what they taught ya" ("they" probably referring to her family, or perhaps society in general) in the song. Now is the winter of our discontent!!
"The Woodpile" by Frightened Rabbit: This is a good song, but a bit of a letdown for me as far as Frightened Rabbit's material is concerned. I first heard about the Scottish folk-rock group, Frightened Rabbit, in March 2010, when they released "Swim Until You Can't See Land", a gentle, bittersweet song that I have come to love ever since! "The Woodpile" is different than that. It's a bit more plain old bitter than it is bittersweet (though it is still melodic), and the acoustic/electric guitar melding I got used to hearing from "Swim Until You Can't See Land" is now completely electric, with a sound that is somewhat similar to Death Cab for Cutie's earlier material. Even the opening lyrics of "The Woodpile" suggest an all new getup for Frightened Rabbit, mentioning "electric floors", "red meat markets", and "fire doors", all conjuring up vivid yet provocative imagery. I guess Frightened Rabbit aren't so frightened anymore!! They are now the ones facing their fears and taking action!
"Where Are We Now?" by David Bowie: Last, but certainly not least, is the most anticipated new song (so far) of 2013, from none other than the Thin White Duke himself!! It's not one of Bowie's most rockin' numbers, but it doesn't need to be, because...ummm...oh yeah, he's DAVID BOWIE!! He can do anything, and it's bound to impress someone! "Where Are We Now?" is one of the most impressive songs Bowie has ever done!! It is almost like a "crooner" song for someone like him, but it is far more philosophical than it is a love song. It's great to see that, after more than 60 years into his life, David Bowie is still contemplating deep thoughts. What can I say, Bowie is like a fine wine. He only gets better as time goes on!!
"A New Life" by Jim James (from My Morning Jacket): Jim's latest album is called "Regions of Light and Sounds of God". His newest song, "A New Life", SOUNDS like it came from God within a region of light!! There's something heavenly, in the most authentic sense of the term, about "A New Life". It doesn't sound like the Grateful Dead-meets-Flaming Lips type sound that MMJ became known for in their later years, but more like the gentle, breezy folk-rock of their debut song, "Golden". In fact, "A New Life" is even MORE gentle and breezy than "Golden" was. It's absolutely exhilarating how "A New Life" climaxes! It starts off with Jim's vocals behind a lightly strummed acoustic guitar, then the guitar gets strummed more clearly, and from there, new instruments get added in gradually, starting with a tinkly piano, then a string section, drums, and finally a...saxophone?! Well, it fits in this song!! I don't know how it does, but it does! I feel like I just died and went to heaven. Therefore, I think "A New Life" is a very fitting title for such an ethereal, other-worldly song!!
"Bigger Than Love" by Benjamin Gibbard (from Death Cab for Cutie), featuring Aimee Mann: Although Ben has done better material with Death Cab, there are a couple things I really like about his latest song, "Bigger Than Love". First of all, it features power pop chanteuse Aimee Mann, which is great, not only because I love her music, but also because she just put out an album of her own in summer of 2012, so she's quite a busy woman! It's also really neat that the song has gotten popularity among YouTube viewers because of its performance on "The Colbert Report". The best thing about "Bigger Than Love", though, to me, is how it was inspired by the love letters that were written between F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his wife, Zelda. Actually, that's quite fitting, considering that there's supposed to be a "Great Gatsby" movie coming out soon. Wonder if this song will be featured on the soundtrack?!
"Come Unto Me" by The Mavericks: I thought I knew The Mavericks from their bouncy country-pop/rock song, "I Wanna Know", but this song sounds different from that (and much better!!) "Come Unto Me" is more than just country-rock. There seems to be a sort of Mexican flavor to it, as well as an exotic, gypsy-ish chord progression in the middle of the song. This song could easily be mistaken for a Los Lobos song, and they are a great band! Who knew that one of the first songs of 2013 would also be one of the spiciest?! I didn't, but I'm sure glad I heard it!!
"I'm In, I'm Out, And I'm Gone" by Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite: This song starts out with a riff that has been used in countless rock and roll songs, from The Yardbirds' "I'm A Man" to The Black Keys' "Howlin' For You". "I'm In, I'm Out, And I'm Gone" rarely strays from its two chord vamp used in the verses (in fact, the only other chord used in the song comes in during the chorus). This isn't progressive rock, classical, or jazz, though, this is the blues, and blues chords are supposed to have a simple progression!! Some killer harmonica solos on this song, too, so great, that they probably have the power to make the spirit of Muddy Waters come out and groove to the music!
"Ramona" by Night Beds: The bittersweet vocals of this song, which sound halfway between Rufus Wainwright and Ryan Adams, as well as its swooning, swaying guitars, make "Ramona" quite a fitting song from the wintertime. Lyrically, "Ramona" is quite a sad song as well, about the titular girl's separation from both her family and herself, and the anxiety that results from her trying to deal with such situations. It seems as though lead singer Winston Yellen is frustrated, too, as he urges Ramona to "f**k what they taught ya" ("they" probably referring to her family, or perhaps society in general) in the song. Now is the winter of our discontent!!
"The Woodpile" by Frightened Rabbit: This is a good song, but a bit of a letdown for me as far as Frightened Rabbit's material is concerned. I first heard about the Scottish folk-rock group, Frightened Rabbit, in March 2010, when they released "Swim Until You Can't See Land", a gentle, bittersweet song that I have come to love ever since! "The Woodpile" is different than that. It's a bit more plain old bitter than it is bittersweet (though it is still melodic), and the acoustic/electric guitar melding I got used to hearing from "Swim Until You Can't See Land" is now completely electric, with a sound that is somewhat similar to Death Cab for Cutie's earlier material. Even the opening lyrics of "The Woodpile" suggest an all new getup for Frightened Rabbit, mentioning "electric floors", "red meat markets", and "fire doors", all conjuring up vivid yet provocative imagery. I guess Frightened Rabbit aren't so frightened anymore!! They are now the ones facing their fears and taking action!
"Where Are We Now?" by David Bowie: Last, but certainly not least, is the most anticipated new song (so far) of 2013, from none other than the Thin White Duke himself!! It's not one of Bowie's most rockin' numbers, but it doesn't need to be, because...ummm...oh yeah, he's DAVID BOWIE!! He can do anything, and it's bound to impress someone! "Where Are We Now?" is one of the most impressive songs Bowie has ever done!! It is almost like a "crooner" song for someone like him, but it is far more philosophical than it is a love song. It's great to see that, after more than 60 years into his life, David Bowie is still contemplating deep thoughts. What can I say, Bowie is like a fine wine. He only gets better as time goes on!!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Happy Halloween!! :D
I must say, it's been an interesting year! One post on a leap year, another on the 4th of July, and NOW one on Halloween!! :D Sorry, no "scary" songs this time around, hehe, but I've got three good ones that I think you're gonna like! So here goes.
"Babel" by Mumford and Sons: The Celtic influenced folk-rock quartet known as Mumford and Sons have ruminated on religious themes before ("can you kneel before the king, and say I'm clean?", for instance, from their "White Blank Page" could refer to Jesus for all I know!), but they've never had a song title so far with a religious/biblical reference until now (though they mispronounce "Babel" as "BAY-bul" instead of "BAB-ul"). Given the point of reference here (the Tower of Babel, from which the word "babble" supposedly comes from), I would think that "Babel" might be about problems in terms of communication. This is part of what "Babel" is about, but the meaning behind its lyrics go deeper than that. It is more about the fall of mankind (which can be interpreted from the lyrics, "So come down from your mountain and stand where we've been/You know our breath is weak and our body is dead"), and about trying to reach God directly, but struggling to do so in the process (for which the lyrics, "Press my nose up to the glass around your heart, I should have known I was weaker from the start" are sung). For a band whose first big hit had the "f" word in its chorus, Mumford and Sons are quite an honest, intelligent, and soul searching band (and yes, I even love the song I just referred to by them in that sentence)!!
"Here Comes My Man" by The Gaslight Anthem: A sequel to The Pixies' "Here Comes YOUR Man", perhaps?! 'Fraid not, this song doesn't sound anything close to The Pixies. "Here Comes My Man" is just Brian Fallon and the rest of the members of The Gaslight Anthem doing what they do best - mixing the earnest, heartfelt approach to roots-rock of Bruce Springsteen with the "thinking man's punk rock" sound of The Clash. The Springsteen influence is pretty obvious here, perhaps more so than any other Gaslights song, from the Phil-Spector-goes-rock sound of the percussion to the "sha-la-la"'s in the chorus (all that's missing is a killer sax solo!) As if having Springsteen and The Clash as influences wasn't enough of an old school rock move for The Gaslights, Brian Fallon also takes on an interesting perspective in the lyrics that was previous reserved for people like Joni Mitchell. Much like how Joni sang "I was a free man in Paris", instead of "HE was a free man Paris", Brian also takes on the opposite sex perspective, with lyrics like "Don't you think I knew about all your pretty girlfriends?", and of course, the chorus, in which he sings "here comes MY man", from a woman's point of view to (presumably) another guy. Thank you, Brian Fallon, for bringing lyrical narrative back into music, I appreciate it very much!!
"I Don't Believe A Word You Say" by Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite: So, what happens when rock 'n' roll chameleon Ben Harper teams up with bluesman Charlie Musselwhite?! Powerhouse rock 'n' roll, that's what!! "I Don't Believe A Word You Say" captures the feel of some of the best known classic rock anthems, from its "Mississippi Queen"-ish rhythm, and its combination of hard rock guitars and blues harmonica, which recalls songs like Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks". The lyrics are repetitive, but in a song in which the main focus is on jamming (for both the guitar AND the harmonica) instead of singing, that shouldn't really matter too much. The song is aiming to please fans of blues music and classic rock, and if it does so, then mission accomplished, and rock on!!
"Babel" by Mumford and Sons: The Celtic influenced folk-rock quartet known as Mumford and Sons have ruminated on religious themes before ("can you kneel before the king, and say I'm clean?", for instance, from their "White Blank Page" could refer to Jesus for all I know!), but they've never had a song title so far with a religious/biblical reference until now (though they mispronounce "Babel" as "BAY-bul" instead of "BAB-ul"). Given the point of reference here (the Tower of Babel, from which the word "babble" supposedly comes from), I would think that "Babel" might be about problems in terms of communication. This is part of what "Babel" is about, but the meaning behind its lyrics go deeper than that. It is more about the fall of mankind (which can be interpreted from the lyrics, "So come down from your mountain and stand where we've been/You know our breath is weak and our body is dead"), and about trying to reach God directly, but struggling to do so in the process (for which the lyrics, "Press my nose up to the glass around your heart, I should have known I was weaker from the start" are sung). For a band whose first big hit had the "f" word in its chorus, Mumford and Sons are quite an honest, intelligent, and soul searching band (and yes, I even love the song I just referred to by them in that sentence)!!
"Here Comes My Man" by The Gaslight Anthem: A sequel to The Pixies' "Here Comes YOUR Man", perhaps?! 'Fraid not, this song doesn't sound anything close to The Pixies. "Here Comes My Man" is just Brian Fallon and the rest of the members of The Gaslight Anthem doing what they do best - mixing the earnest, heartfelt approach to roots-rock of Bruce Springsteen with the "thinking man's punk rock" sound of The Clash. The Springsteen influence is pretty obvious here, perhaps more so than any other Gaslights song, from the Phil-Spector-goes-rock sound of the percussion to the "sha-la-la"'s in the chorus (all that's missing is a killer sax solo!) As if having Springsteen and The Clash as influences wasn't enough of an old school rock move for The Gaslights, Brian Fallon also takes on an interesting perspective in the lyrics that was previous reserved for people like Joni Mitchell. Much like how Joni sang "I was a free man in Paris", instead of "HE was a free man Paris", Brian also takes on the opposite sex perspective, with lyrics like "Don't you think I knew about all your pretty girlfriends?", and of course, the chorus, in which he sings "here comes MY man", from a woman's point of view to (presumably) another guy. Thank you, Brian Fallon, for bringing lyrical narrative back into music, I appreciate it very much!!
"I Don't Believe A Word You Say" by Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite: So, what happens when rock 'n' roll chameleon Ben Harper teams up with bluesman Charlie Musselwhite?! Powerhouse rock 'n' roll, that's what!! "I Don't Believe A Word You Say" captures the feel of some of the best known classic rock anthems, from its "Mississippi Queen"-ish rhythm, and its combination of hard rock guitars and blues harmonica, which recalls songs like Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks". The lyrics are repetitive, but in a song in which the main focus is on jamming (for both the guitar AND the harmonica) instead of singing, that shouldn't really matter too much. The song is aiming to please fans of blues music and classic rock, and if it does so, then mission accomplished, and rock on!!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
New songs for February 22nd, 2012
here they are:
“Hallways” by Islands: Islands are an indie band that has been around for a long time, but haven’t gotten much attention for any particular song of theirs until now. Considering how maudlin Islands usually are, “Hallways” comes as a breath of fresh air, and that’s probably why it’s ending up being their “breakthrough” track so far. With its jaunty, piano-based sound, and a rhythm and chord progression that both seem somewhat derived from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s similarly carefree “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”, “Hallways” is not only a catchy song, but also one in which the title of it makes sense in hindsight, in that the rhythm and mood of it leave you wanting to skip and dance merrily through the “hallways”!
“Ho Hey” by Lumineers: “Lumineers” doesn’t exactly sound like the name of a part bluegrass/part indie-pop trio consisting of two men and one woman, but that’s what they are. The Lumineers manage to squeeze essential song elements like harmony, an infectious gets-stuck-in-your-head chorus (“I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweet-ha-art”), and a catchy rhythm section into just two and half minutes in “Ho Hey”, which also boasts some of the most jovial, rockin’ banjos I’ve ever heard! If this song doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will!
“It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons: Between the name of this band, and My Pet Dragon from earlier this year, I think I can officially declare that any indie/alt-pop band with the word “Dragon” in their name is pretty cool! The sound of “It’s Time” is absolutely phenomenal, especially during the verses, which seem to combine world music influenced string instrumentation with a marching band type rhythm! It sounds a bit more like a regular alt-pop song during the chorus, but by that time, the listener will probably be hooked on the song enough that it will just blend in with the rest of the song. That’s how “It’s Time” worked out for me, anyway!
“Origins” by Tennis: Along with Hockey (whose “Song Away” was one of the most successful indie/alt songs of 2010), Tennis are one of the few bands I’ve ever known to name themselves after a sport. Unlike Hockey, who had a rather Cars-ish new wave-y sound, Tennis draw inspiration more from bands of the ‘60s, like Jefferson Airplane, The Velvet Underground, and The Zombies (whose “Tell Her No” Tennis do an excellent job at covering) The lead singer of Tennis just happens to be a female with somewhat smoky, detached vocals, which makes them stand out among most contemporary bands. Even the instrumentation of this song is strikingly different, adding in a vintage ‘60s-ish organ sound and a lower than low sounding sax along with the more typical guitar/bass/drums sound. Are there any more good things about “Origins”? Yes, plenty! The lyrics are self-conscious and doubting, but written from an earnest point of view. Oh, and did I mention that lead singer Alaina Moore looks a little like Stevie Nicks?! Think we might just have a new babe in the music biz to talk about!!
“Save the Hammer For the Man” – The Nightwatchman (featuring Ben Harper): While perhaps not quite as unique in sound as the artist formerly known as Tom Morello’s “Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine” (from late summer of last year), “Save the Hammer For the Man” is still a powerful song. Or at least it tries to be. Musically, the sound of it falls somewhat flat (until the guitar solo, that is) in comparison to Tom Morello’s material both with and without Rage Against the Machine. For Ben Harper, it’s a “somewhere in the middle” song. Ben didn’t seem to get too much into exploring the deeper, darker side of blues and rock until about 3 years ago, but he’s been remarkable at doing so. In “Save the Hammer For the Man”, Ben Harper delivers his vocals quite powerfully and convincingly, but musically, it sounds like this could have been just another pre-Relentless 7 Ben Harper song. This is definitely not a bad song, though. Once the guitar solo comes in, “Save the Hammer For the Man” picks up, not just because of the guitar solo either. It carries through stronger afterwards, both musically and vocally. And lyrically, as always, Tom Morello drives home a challenging political statement that is still well worth listening to.
“See It For Yourself” by Sugar and The Hi-Lows: Another cute female indie vocalist?! Could it be?!? Yes, it could!! “Sugar” definitely seems like a good (nick)name for the lead vocalist of this band, not only because of how she looks, but also because of how she delivers the lines of this catchy, blues-y indie rock tune, with vocals that are as sweet and honey voiced as they are sexy! The lyrics of the song almost recall the “there’s no place like home” part of “The Wizard of Oz”, with their “it was right there in front of you all along” theme. Sugar and The Hi-Lows are a pretty new band, so I don’t know the name of the lead singer (or any members) yet, but what I DO know is that she can take my ruby red slippers into the Land of Oz anytime she wants to! Yes, that was a weird attempt at innuendo, wasn’t it?! :P
“Shiny Things” by Fanfarlo: Fan WHAT now?! Well, some of you might be familiar with the song “Harold T. Wilkins” (the one that goes “They sail the same STRAIT! They sail the same STRAIT!” towards the end of it), and Fanfarlo were the ones who did that one. “Shiny Things” comes from Fanfarlo’s second record so far, and its sound is a bit of a departure from the folk-rock sound of “Harold T. Wilkins”, as it goes for more of an icy new wave type sound instead. The sound of “Shiny Things”, combined with how detached the lead singer’s voice sounds, might as well be described as “Joy Division lite”, for while the song comes nowhere near close to the intensity of the late Ian Curtis’s gloomy post-punk band, one can still detect a Joy Division type influence in this song. The video for “Shiny Things”, with its surreal, somewhat disturbing images of people getting swallowed up by gold, also sounds like an idea that’s not too far off from the typical Joy Division song. Unbelievable that the same band who did the bouncy “Harold T. Wilkins” could come up with a more cynical, cold hearted song like “Shiny Things”, but perhaps that means I could expect something different from either of those two songs from Fanfarlo sometime in the future!
“Staircase” by Radiohead: And speaking of bands with a reputation for being icy and detached, Radiohead are probably one of the first bands that come to mind when describing such a musical mood! Truth be told, Radiohead are really much more diverse than that, but, as if by coincidence (from the last song I reviewed), “Staircase” could also be said to be somewhat of a Joy Division sound-alike (though it would probably garner comparisons just as easily to bands like Depeche Mode, New Order, and Kraftwerk). In typically clever Radiohead fashion, the lyrics to “Staircase” READ like a “staircase”, in that they wind up and down continuously. Though a return to folk-rock-y Radiohead (like they did on most of “In Rainbows”) would be nice, “Staircase” isn’t bad as far as the “weirder” songs in their catalog are concerned. Only one question remains. Why did they decide to release a new song in February of THIS year, when they already did so February of LAST year?! I guess we’ll never know, will we?!?
“Untitled (Love Song)” by Counting Crows: Untitled (Love Song) is an Interesting (Piece of Music), and it’s also a Cover (Of an Obscure Indie Song). Though Counting Crows released various songs on and off throughout the 2000’s, none of them came close to what they did in the ‘90s (especially not the mucky pop version they did of the classic Joni Mitchell song, “Big Yellow Taxi”, that should have been a forgotten version of the song, but which instead comes back to haunt me in grocery stores, fast food places, and everywhere else adult cotemporary stations are played). Someone must have talked to Adam Duritz and co and convinced them to crank up the electric guitars on their latest song (which, as mentioned before, isn’t actually theirs), because it sounds closer to the gritty indie-rock sound of Ryan Adams and My Morning Jacket (with a bit of Matthew Sweet influence thrown in for good measure) than it does the folk-y post-grunge of bands like The Wallflowers and The Dave Matthews Band (both of whom were frequently compared to Counting Crows). Not only do Counting Crows have their rock ‘n’ roll groove back on “Untitled (Love Song)”, but their organ player Charlie Gillingham delivers a forceful, dynamic Hammond solo, followed in a verse or two by some of the most Neil Young-ish guitar playing Dan Vickrey has done since the ‘90s!! Welcome back guys! A million other Counting Crows fans and I have really missed the way things used to be with you guys!
“Hallways” by Islands: Islands are an indie band that has been around for a long time, but haven’t gotten much attention for any particular song of theirs until now. Considering how maudlin Islands usually are, “Hallways” comes as a breath of fresh air, and that’s probably why it’s ending up being their “breakthrough” track so far. With its jaunty, piano-based sound, and a rhythm and chord progression that both seem somewhat derived from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s similarly carefree “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”, “Hallways” is not only a catchy song, but also one in which the title of it makes sense in hindsight, in that the rhythm and mood of it leave you wanting to skip and dance merrily through the “hallways”!
“Ho Hey” by Lumineers: “Lumineers” doesn’t exactly sound like the name of a part bluegrass/part indie-pop trio consisting of two men and one woman, but that’s what they are. The Lumineers manage to squeeze essential song elements like harmony, an infectious gets-stuck-in-your-head chorus (“I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweet-ha-art”), and a catchy rhythm section into just two and half minutes in “Ho Hey”, which also boasts some of the most jovial, rockin’ banjos I’ve ever heard! If this song doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will!
“It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons: Between the name of this band, and My Pet Dragon from earlier this year, I think I can officially declare that any indie/alt-pop band with the word “Dragon” in their name is pretty cool! The sound of “It’s Time” is absolutely phenomenal, especially during the verses, which seem to combine world music influenced string instrumentation with a marching band type rhythm! It sounds a bit more like a regular alt-pop song during the chorus, but by that time, the listener will probably be hooked on the song enough that it will just blend in with the rest of the song. That’s how “It’s Time” worked out for me, anyway!
“Origins” by Tennis: Along with Hockey (whose “Song Away” was one of the most successful indie/alt songs of 2010), Tennis are one of the few bands I’ve ever known to name themselves after a sport. Unlike Hockey, who had a rather Cars-ish new wave-y sound, Tennis draw inspiration more from bands of the ‘60s, like Jefferson Airplane, The Velvet Underground, and The Zombies (whose “Tell Her No” Tennis do an excellent job at covering) The lead singer of Tennis just happens to be a female with somewhat smoky, detached vocals, which makes them stand out among most contemporary bands. Even the instrumentation of this song is strikingly different, adding in a vintage ‘60s-ish organ sound and a lower than low sounding sax along with the more typical guitar/bass/drums sound. Are there any more good things about “Origins”? Yes, plenty! The lyrics are self-conscious and doubting, but written from an earnest point of view. Oh, and did I mention that lead singer Alaina Moore looks a little like Stevie Nicks?! Think we might just have a new babe in the music biz to talk about!!
“Save the Hammer For the Man” – The Nightwatchman (featuring Ben Harper): While perhaps not quite as unique in sound as the artist formerly known as Tom Morello’s “Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine” (from late summer of last year), “Save the Hammer For the Man” is still a powerful song. Or at least it tries to be. Musically, the sound of it falls somewhat flat (until the guitar solo, that is) in comparison to Tom Morello’s material both with and without Rage Against the Machine. For Ben Harper, it’s a “somewhere in the middle” song. Ben didn’t seem to get too much into exploring the deeper, darker side of blues and rock until about 3 years ago, but he’s been remarkable at doing so. In “Save the Hammer For the Man”, Ben Harper delivers his vocals quite powerfully and convincingly, but musically, it sounds like this could have been just another pre-Relentless 7 Ben Harper song. This is definitely not a bad song, though. Once the guitar solo comes in, “Save the Hammer For the Man” picks up, not just because of the guitar solo either. It carries through stronger afterwards, both musically and vocally. And lyrically, as always, Tom Morello drives home a challenging political statement that is still well worth listening to.
“See It For Yourself” by Sugar and The Hi-Lows: Another cute female indie vocalist?! Could it be?!? Yes, it could!! “Sugar” definitely seems like a good (nick)name for the lead vocalist of this band, not only because of how she looks, but also because of how she delivers the lines of this catchy, blues-y indie rock tune, with vocals that are as sweet and honey voiced as they are sexy! The lyrics of the song almost recall the “there’s no place like home” part of “The Wizard of Oz”, with their “it was right there in front of you all along” theme. Sugar and The Hi-Lows are a pretty new band, so I don’t know the name of the lead singer (or any members) yet, but what I DO know is that she can take my ruby red slippers into the Land of Oz anytime she wants to! Yes, that was a weird attempt at innuendo, wasn’t it?! :P
“Shiny Things” by Fanfarlo: Fan WHAT now?! Well, some of you might be familiar with the song “Harold T. Wilkins” (the one that goes “They sail the same STRAIT! They sail the same STRAIT!” towards the end of it), and Fanfarlo were the ones who did that one. “Shiny Things” comes from Fanfarlo’s second record so far, and its sound is a bit of a departure from the folk-rock sound of “Harold T. Wilkins”, as it goes for more of an icy new wave type sound instead. The sound of “Shiny Things”, combined with how detached the lead singer’s voice sounds, might as well be described as “Joy Division lite”, for while the song comes nowhere near close to the intensity of the late Ian Curtis’s gloomy post-punk band, one can still detect a Joy Division type influence in this song. The video for “Shiny Things”, with its surreal, somewhat disturbing images of people getting swallowed up by gold, also sounds like an idea that’s not too far off from the typical Joy Division song. Unbelievable that the same band who did the bouncy “Harold T. Wilkins” could come up with a more cynical, cold hearted song like “Shiny Things”, but perhaps that means I could expect something different from either of those two songs from Fanfarlo sometime in the future!
“Staircase” by Radiohead: And speaking of bands with a reputation for being icy and detached, Radiohead are probably one of the first bands that come to mind when describing such a musical mood! Truth be told, Radiohead are really much more diverse than that, but, as if by coincidence (from the last song I reviewed), “Staircase” could also be said to be somewhat of a Joy Division sound-alike (though it would probably garner comparisons just as easily to bands like Depeche Mode, New Order, and Kraftwerk). In typically clever Radiohead fashion, the lyrics to “Staircase” READ like a “staircase”, in that they wind up and down continuously. Though a return to folk-rock-y Radiohead (like they did on most of “In Rainbows”) would be nice, “Staircase” isn’t bad as far as the “weirder” songs in their catalog are concerned. Only one question remains. Why did they decide to release a new song in February of THIS year, when they already did so February of LAST year?! I guess we’ll never know, will we?!?
“Untitled (Love Song)” by Counting Crows: Untitled (Love Song) is an Interesting (Piece of Music), and it’s also a Cover (Of an Obscure Indie Song). Though Counting Crows released various songs on and off throughout the 2000’s, none of them came close to what they did in the ‘90s (especially not the mucky pop version they did of the classic Joni Mitchell song, “Big Yellow Taxi”, that should have been a forgotten version of the song, but which instead comes back to haunt me in grocery stores, fast food places, and everywhere else adult cotemporary stations are played). Someone must have talked to Adam Duritz and co and convinced them to crank up the electric guitars on their latest song (which, as mentioned before, isn’t actually theirs), because it sounds closer to the gritty indie-rock sound of Ryan Adams and My Morning Jacket (with a bit of Matthew Sweet influence thrown in for good measure) than it does the folk-y post-grunge of bands like The Wallflowers and The Dave Matthews Band (both of whom were frequently compared to Counting Crows). Not only do Counting Crows have their rock ‘n’ roll groove back on “Untitled (Love Song)”, but their organ player Charlie Gillingham delivers a forceful, dynamic Hammond solo, followed in a verse or two by some of the most Neil Young-ish guitar playing Dan Vickrey has done since the ‘90s!! Welcome back guys! A million other Counting Crows fans and I have really missed the way things used to be with you guys!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
new songs for August 17th, 2011
here they are:
"Do to Me" by Trombone Shorty: From start to finish, "Do to Me" is such a darn catchy song!! The feel-good New Orleans jazz of Trombone Shorty's sax player, combined with the juicy riffs of British classic rock guitar legend Jeff Beck go together remarkably well! There are only four chords throughout the entire song (including the F chord used towards the end of the song), but the rhythm, sax solos, and guitar solos make it so that it pretty much doesn't matter how many times the chords in this song are repeated. I highly recommend this song to fans of feel-good...well...anything, be it rock 'n' roll, jazz, blues, or R & B (as this song manages to combine all four effortlessly!!)
"Don't Give Up On Me Now" by Ben Harper: Once again, Ben Harper embraces his inner classic rock fan on his latest song, "Don't Give Up On Me Now". Unlike the usual Hendrix/Zeppelin type influences that pop up on his material with The Relentless 7, "Don't Give Up On Me Now" emphasizes more of a "roots-rock" flavor that one might picture Neil Young, Tom Petty, or John Mellencamp to use. It's not as though Ben does not do a good job at emulating his influences in this song, though, since he not only pulls off the typical instrumentation/distortion of a Neil Young type song in "Don't Give Up On Me Now", but also throws in the earnestness and strength of the typical Young (or Petty/Mellencamp) tune. Looking forward to knowing just how far Ben will go to show off his inner rock star next time around!!
"How Come You Never Go There?" by Feist: Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated song of the week is this one, from Canadian indie songbird Feist, best known for the deceptively childlike "1, 2, 3, 4". It's been four years since Feist last released something, so I was very excited to find out what her latest song, "How Come You Never Go There?" would sound! One of the best things about Feist is that you never know HOW she's gonna sound with every song she releases! She's done pretty much everything, from folk-y jazz ("Mushaboom"), electro-doo-wop ("Secret Heart"), icy cold alternative disco ("One Evening"), folk-pop ("1, 2, 3, 4"), dark alternative piano-rock ("My Moon, My Man"), and folk-rock ("I Feel It All"). "How Come You Never Go There?" could be considered a combination of quite a few of the (sub)genres I've already mentioned! It sounds a bit like a Fiona Apple song, but with more jazz piano (and rock guitar). Feist is as eclectic as ever here, and I don't think I could be more ecstatic about it right now!!
"Starlight" by Rachael Yamagata: Though Rachael Yamagata's work might not be the sunniest and happiest sort of music (except maybe "Be Be Your Love"), she has (so far) never gotten as dark (or rockin') as she has with "Starlight"! Copping a similar guitar riff to the main bass riff of The Zombies' "Time of the Season", "Starlight" takes on a mood that seems simultaneously angst-y and seductive, so much so, that I could easily imagine it being advertised on a promo for some show on HBO (even though I don't actually watch that station). The moody shift between A minor in the verses and the F and C chords in the chorus might also draw some comparisons of "Starlight" to Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon", which uses the same chords during (relatively) the same times in the song. To distinguish "Starlight" from both The Zombies and Fleetwood Mac, Rachael adds in a B flat in between the verses and chorus that neither of the songs I mentioned use. That being said, "Starlight" might just be the song that will get more rock 'n' roll fans interested in Rachael's music. What can I say, I can't say that would be a bad thing, that's for sure!!
"Wonder Why" by Vetiver: Got around a little late to reviewing this one, I realize, but at least my reviewing this song for this week will make my latest blog post end on a good note! "Wonder Why" is such a great song!! The melodic, power-pop-y feel of this song brings to mind a lot of the great "B bands" (i.e. The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Byrds, Big Star, etc.) of the '60s and '70s! It is so catchy, optimistic, and upbeat, that it's hard to believe Vetiver started out as a band that was more along the lines of the somber, decadent folk-rock of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. To add to "Wonder Why"'s already nostalgic sound is an even MORE nostalgic music video, with talking houses singing along to the song!! (which can be viewed here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmpAXq7sq8s) So many great new releases/reviews for the week, but this one just might be my fave!! And on a final note, yes, I tagged "silly music videos with singing puppets" for this week's blog because of the video for this song, even though there's not actually puppets in the video (I figured singing houses done with what was probably computer animation was close enough!)
"Do to Me" by Trombone Shorty: From start to finish, "Do to Me" is such a darn catchy song!! The feel-good New Orleans jazz of Trombone Shorty's sax player, combined with the juicy riffs of British classic rock guitar legend Jeff Beck go together remarkably well! There are only four chords throughout the entire song (including the F chord used towards the end of the song), but the rhythm, sax solos, and guitar solos make it so that it pretty much doesn't matter how many times the chords in this song are repeated. I highly recommend this song to fans of feel-good...well...anything, be it rock 'n' roll, jazz, blues, or R & B (as this song manages to combine all four effortlessly!!)
"Don't Give Up On Me Now" by Ben Harper: Once again, Ben Harper embraces his inner classic rock fan on his latest song, "Don't Give Up On Me Now". Unlike the usual Hendrix/Zeppelin type influences that pop up on his material with The Relentless 7, "Don't Give Up On Me Now" emphasizes more of a "roots-rock" flavor that one might picture Neil Young, Tom Petty, or John Mellencamp to use. It's not as though Ben does not do a good job at emulating his influences in this song, though, since he not only pulls off the typical instrumentation/distortion of a Neil Young type song in "Don't Give Up On Me Now", but also throws in the earnestness and strength of the typical Young (or Petty/Mellencamp) tune. Looking forward to knowing just how far Ben will go to show off his inner rock star next time around!!
"How Come You Never Go There?" by Feist: Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated song of the week is this one, from Canadian indie songbird Feist, best known for the deceptively childlike "1, 2, 3, 4". It's been four years since Feist last released something, so I was very excited to find out what her latest song, "How Come You Never Go There?" would sound! One of the best things about Feist is that you never know HOW she's gonna sound with every song she releases! She's done pretty much everything, from folk-y jazz ("Mushaboom"), electro-doo-wop ("Secret Heart"), icy cold alternative disco ("One Evening"), folk-pop ("1, 2, 3, 4"), dark alternative piano-rock ("My Moon, My Man"), and folk-rock ("I Feel It All"). "How Come You Never Go There?" could be considered a combination of quite a few of the (sub)genres I've already mentioned! It sounds a bit like a Fiona Apple song, but with more jazz piano (and rock guitar). Feist is as eclectic as ever here, and I don't think I could be more ecstatic about it right now!!
"Starlight" by Rachael Yamagata: Though Rachael Yamagata's work might not be the sunniest and happiest sort of music (except maybe "Be Be Your Love"), she has (so far) never gotten as dark (or rockin') as she has with "Starlight"! Copping a similar guitar riff to the main bass riff of The Zombies' "Time of the Season", "Starlight" takes on a mood that seems simultaneously angst-y and seductive, so much so, that I could easily imagine it being advertised on a promo for some show on HBO (even though I don't actually watch that station). The moody shift between A minor in the verses and the F and C chords in the chorus might also draw some comparisons of "Starlight" to Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon", which uses the same chords during (relatively) the same times in the song. To distinguish "Starlight" from both The Zombies and Fleetwood Mac, Rachael adds in a B flat in between the verses and chorus that neither of the songs I mentioned use. That being said, "Starlight" might just be the song that will get more rock 'n' roll fans interested in Rachael's music. What can I say, I can't say that would be a bad thing, that's for sure!!
"Wonder Why" by Vetiver: Got around a little late to reviewing this one, I realize, but at least my reviewing this song for this week will make my latest blog post end on a good note! "Wonder Why" is such a great song!! The melodic, power-pop-y feel of this song brings to mind a lot of the great "B bands" (i.e. The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Byrds, Big Star, etc.) of the '60s and '70s! It is so catchy, optimistic, and upbeat, that it's hard to believe Vetiver started out as a band that was more along the lines of the somber, decadent folk-rock of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. To add to "Wonder Why"'s already nostalgic sound is an even MORE nostalgic music video, with talking houses singing along to the song!! (which can be viewed here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmpAXq7sq8s) So many great new releases/reviews for the week, but this one just might be my fave!! And on a final note, yes, I tagged "silly music videos with singing puppets" for this week's blog because of the video for this song, even though there's not actually puppets in the video (I figured singing houses done with what was probably computer animation was close enough!)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
New songs for March 16th, 2011
here they are:
"Colors" by April Smith and The Great Picture Show: After having heard this song and April's previous hit, "Terrible Things", it's becoming increasingly clear to me that April Smith and The Great Picture Show have a knack for catchy, somewhat bubbly indie-pop tunes! Adding to the already peppy, colorful (no pun intended) flavor of this song is what I think is the best part of the song in the middle, a KAZOO solo!! I can't say I know too many songs, even among indie bands/musicians, that even USE that instrument!! Though "Colors" and "Terrible Things" both have that "deceptively cute" vibe about them, there are some definite differences between the two songs. Where "Terrible Things" was suggestive, slinky, and sexy, "Colors" is more bubbly, blissful, and buoyant! Looking forward to whatever irresistibly catchy indie-pop tune April rolls out next!
"Rock 'N' Roll Is Free" by Ben Harper: Rock 'n' roll...well, it's many different things to many different people. To Lenny Kravitz, it's "Dead" (or so he sang back in '95, come on, Lenny, we know you don't REALLY feel that way about rock 'n' roll!), to Electric Light Orchestra, it's "King", and to AC/DC, it (ain't) "Noise Pollution". Now, Ben Harper has come to state what he feels rock 'n' roll is - "free"! Though Ben has really only delved into rock music for the past two years of his nearly decade long career, he's done remarkably well at it, and even has a backup group, The Relentless 7, whenever he decides to perform rock songs/albums. I thought The Relentless 7 would just be an album-long project for Ben Harper, but he has since extended it into 2011, and rocks just as hard and convincingly as he did with them two years ago! "Rock 'N' Roll Is Free" has a steady enough rhythm and melodic enough vocals to be considered "mellow", yet it also has enough grit in both the guitar's sound and riffs to be considered "hard". It's hard to believe Ben has revealed his true musical genius just within the past two or three years, but I'm SO glad he is, and I hope he continues to do so!!
"Colors" by April Smith and The Great Picture Show: After having heard this song and April's previous hit, "Terrible Things", it's becoming increasingly clear to me that April Smith and The Great Picture Show have a knack for catchy, somewhat bubbly indie-pop tunes! Adding to the already peppy, colorful (no pun intended) flavor of this song is what I think is the best part of the song in the middle, a KAZOO solo!! I can't say I know too many songs, even among indie bands/musicians, that even USE that instrument!! Though "Colors" and "Terrible Things" both have that "deceptively cute" vibe about them, there are some definite differences between the two songs. Where "Terrible Things" was suggestive, slinky, and sexy, "Colors" is more bubbly, blissful, and buoyant! Looking forward to whatever irresistibly catchy indie-pop tune April rolls out next!
"Rock 'N' Roll Is Free" by Ben Harper: Rock 'n' roll...well, it's many different things to many different people. To Lenny Kravitz, it's "Dead" (or so he sang back in '95, come on, Lenny, we know you don't REALLY feel that way about rock 'n' roll!), to Electric Light Orchestra, it's "King", and to AC/DC, it (ain't) "Noise Pollution". Now, Ben Harper has come to state what he feels rock 'n' roll is - "free"! Though Ben has really only delved into rock music for the past two years of his nearly decade long career, he's done remarkably well at it, and even has a backup group, The Relentless 7, whenever he decides to perform rock songs/albums. I thought The Relentless 7 would just be an album-long project for Ben Harper, but he has since extended it into 2011, and rocks just as hard and convincingly as he did with them two years ago! "Rock 'N' Roll Is Free" has a steady enough rhythm and melodic enough vocals to be considered "mellow", yet it also has enough grit in both the guitar's sound and riffs to be considered "hard". It's hard to believe Ben has revealed his true musical genius just within the past two or three years, but I'm SO glad he is, and I hope he continues to do so!!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
new songs for Sept. 22nd, 2010
here they are!
"Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)" by Old '97s: "Alt-country" just seems to get a bit lackluster after awhile, as Wilco have demonstrated time and again with the more "experimental" side of their catalog. This time, the second best loved alt-country band, Old '97s, gets their Dramarama and Pixies on in this tune! Borrowing a beat from Dramarama's "Anything Anything" and chords from The Pixies' "Here Comes Your Man", fans of '80s "college rock" will probably take an immediate liking to this song! Rhett Miller and co. truly have a well-crafted, fun song on their hands with this one! As many of the best Lou Reed and T. Rex songs can demonstrate (this song sounds a little similar to both, in my opinion), any homage to "classic alternative" doesn't have to be unsteady "experimental" noise-fests a la Sonic Youth (even SY THEMSELVES had somewhat catchy tunes on occasion like "Kool Thing" and "Bull In the Heather") to get the crunchy, angst-y feel across to its listeners. This song is just 3 or so minutes of pure bliss and I love it!
"Father's Son" by Fistful of Mercy: Are "indie supergroups" a trend all of a sudden? It would appear so, with Monsters of Folk (Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, M. Ward), and Tired Pony (R.E.M., Belle and Sebastian, Snow Patrol). Let's now welcome the latest addition, Fistful of Mercy, onto the bandwagon, which features contemporary music connoisseur Ben Harper, indie-folk-rocker Joseph Arthur, and George Harrison's son Dhani. I don't know who out of the three of them leads this group, but in "Father's Son", it would most likely be Ben Harper, for its bluesy-folk sound that seems to be somewhat common in Harper's catalog. This mostly acoustic song is a fun, "clap-along" number that would be neat to sing around a campfire while toasting marshmallows and (as Buzz Lightyear of "Toy Story" fame once said) "delicious hot 'shmoes'"! I would also suspect that at least one (if not all) of the members of Fistful of Mercy have been listening to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, as this song easily reminds me of all the songs of theirs that have gotten attention on adult alt. radio stations ("Ain't No Easy Way", "Shuffle Your Feet", "Beat the Devil's Tattoo").
"Walk With Me" by Neil Young: Funny I mentioned Lou Reed and Sonic Youth earlier in this week's post, as this song kinda sounds like BOTH of them (particularly Lou Reed)!
Though this song is getting airplay on what appears to be the "softer" side of contemporary rock stations, don't let that fool you! This is one hard-rockin' song! (and it doesn't need drums or bass to back it up, either!) This plays out like an outtake from The Velvet Underground's second album (the one with "White Light/White Heat", among others), and specifically an awful lot like The Velvets' "I Heard Her Call My Name", a song with ear-splitting feedback which Lou Reed starts as a conventional rock song, and then pretty much destroys the tune of afterwards. Though Neil Young's "Walk With Me" doesn't go THAT extreme, it comes close. It, too, starts out as a "conventional" rock song, but about 2 minutes into it, things start to get a little weird! The final moments of the song just seem to be electric guitar feedback that doesn't know whether to be beautiful or noisy. What would you expect, however, with Young's latest album being titled "Le Noise"?!
"Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)" by Old '97s: "Alt-country" just seems to get a bit lackluster after awhile, as Wilco have demonstrated time and again with the more "experimental" side of their catalog. This time, the second best loved alt-country band, Old '97s, gets their Dramarama and Pixies on in this tune! Borrowing a beat from Dramarama's "Anything Anything" and chords from The Pixies' "Here Comes Your Man", fans of '80s "college rock" will probably take an immediate liking to this song! Rhett Miller and co. truly have a well-crafted, fun song on their hands with this one! As many of the best Lou Reed and T. Rex songs can demonstrate (this song sounds a little similar to both, in my opinion), any homage to "classic alternative" doesn't have to be unsteady "experimental" noise-fests a la Sonic Youth (even SY THEMSELVES had somewhat catchy tunes on occasion like "Kool Thing" and "Bull In the Heather") to get the crunchy, angst-y feel across to its listeners. This song is just 3 or so minutes of pure bliss and I love it!
"Father's Son" by Fistful of Mercy: Are "indie supergroups" a trend all of a sudden? It would appear so, with Monsters of Folk (Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, M. Ward), and Tired Pony (R.E.M., Belle and Sebastian, Snow Patrol). Let's now welcome the latest addition, Fistful of Mercy, onto the bandwagon, which features contemporary music connoisseur Ben Harper, indie-folk-rocker Joseph Arthur, and George Harrison's son Dhani. I don't know who out of the three of them leads this group, but in "Father's Son", it would most likely be Ben Harper, for its bluesy-folk sound that seems to be somewhat common in Harper's catalog. This mostly acoustic song is a fun, "clap-along" number that would be neat to sing around a campfire while toasting marshmallows and (as Buzz Lightyear of "Toy Story" fame once said) "delicious hot 'shmoes'"! I would also suspect that at least one (if not all) of the members of Fistful of Mercy have been listening to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, as this song easily reminds me of all the songs of theirs that have gotten attention on adult alt. radio stations ("Ain't No Easy Way", "Shuffle Your Feet", "Beat the Devil's Tattoo").
"Walk With Me" by Neil Young: Funny I mentioned Lou Reed and Sonic Youth earlier in this week's post, as this song kinda sounds like BOTH of them (particularly Lou Reed)!
Though this song is getting airplay on what appears to be the "softer" side of contemporary rock stations, don't let that fool you! This is one hard-rockin' song! (and it doesn't need drums or bass to back it up, either!) This plays out like an outtake from The Velvet Underground's second album (the one with "White Light/White Heat", among others), and specifically an awful lot like The Velvets' "I Heard Her Call My Name", a song with ear-splitting feedback which Lou Reed starts as a conventional rock song, and then pretty much destroys the tune of afterwards. Though Neil Young's "Walk With Me" doesn't go THAT extreme, it comes close. It, too, starts out as a "conventional" rock song, but about 2 minutes into it, things start to get a little weird! The final moments of the song just seem to be electric guitar feedback that doesn't know whether to be beautiful or noisy. What would you expect, however, with Young's latest album being titled "Le Noise"?!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
new songs for June 9th, 2010
Three of 'em. Enjoy!
"Change" by The Young Veins: When you think of the words "Panic at the Disco", do you think of bands like The Monkees and Tommy James & The Shondells?! Probably not. That's why "Change" by The Young Veins, which features two former Panic members, Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, is such a cool song!! Panic at the Disco seemed like the one "emo" band who just absolutely hated the label, as evidenced by the two Beatlesque songs on their "Pretty Odd" CD, "Nine In the Afternoon" and "Northern Downpour". Both of those songs had a pretty "retro" flavor to them, and "Change" continues in that direction, perhaps even more so! "Change" really lives up to its title - it's "change"-ing the way indie music is going, and, hopefully, will continue to go!
"Every Subway Car" by Barenaked Ladies: Do BNL have the sophomore curse, or what?! Their 2005 album, "Barenaked Ladies Are Me" had its first single, "Easy", as a bland folk-pop song this side of John Mayer, but its second single "Wind It Up", was a tongue-in-cheek, hard-rockin' (for BNL, at least), fun song with clever lyrics (i.e. "I was a baby when I learned to suck/But you have raised it to an art form"). Their latest CD, "All In Good Time", seems to have suffered from the same problem. The first single, "You Run Away", was a song that just didn't fit the BNL spirit. I didn't know whether to call it "sappy" or "depressing", as it was kinda both, and that just isn't the vibe I like from my BNL songs! Thankfully, "Every Subway Car" has sought to correct all this! Musically, it sounds kinda like a lighter, but still power pop influenced song from Fountains of Wayne (kinda like Fountains of Wayne's "Someone to Love", but with a slower beat). Lyrically, the cleverness makes a welcome return, especially in the beginning ("My backpack's faded black/But now it's all blue/It looks whack but it's compact/And it works like brand new"), and just like in their biggest hit, "One Week", the name-dropping also continues ("I'm on my own/I'm Sly Stallone"). Welcome back, BNL, we missed ya!
"If I Had My Way" by Robert Randolph (featuring Ben Harper): Occasionally, indie and contemporary folk-rock aren't enough to satisfy the adult alt. audience, and this is one such instance. This song is actually a cover (so I've heard) of an old 1930's blues song. I wouldn't be surprised if this was true, considering how it sounds a lot like a Robert Johnson Delta blues recording. For Ben Harper, this isn't too surprising, considering he's been all over the map musically, especially in the past year or so with The Relentless 7. For Robert Randolph, this seems like a first. His past works, particularly his most well-known song, "Thrill of It", were definitely blues influenced, but more in the Jimi Hendrix/Santana manner of mixing blues with rock and the occasional R & B. As much as I like the indie and folk-rock that seem to dominate adult alt. radio, it's refreshing to hear a song like this once in a while!
"Change" by The Young Veins: When you think of the words "Panic at the Disco", do you think of bands like The Monkees and Tommy James & The Shondells?! Probably not. That's why "Change" by The Young Veins, which features two former Panic members, Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, is such a cool song!! Panic at the Disco seemed like the one "emo" band who just absolutely hated the label, as evidenced by the two Beatlesque songs on their "Pretty Odd" CD, "Nine In the Afternoon" and "Northern Downpour". Both of those songs had a pretty "retro" flavor to them, and "Change" continues in that direction, perhaps even more so! "Change" really lives up to its title - it's "change"-ing the way indie music is going, and, hopefully, will continue to go!
"Every Subway Car" by Barenaked Ladies: Do BNL have the sophomore curse, or what?! Their 2005 album, "Barenaked Ladies Are Me" had its first single, "Easy", as a bland folk-pop song this side of John Mayer, but its second single "Wind It Up", was a tongue-in-cheek, hard-rockin' (for BNL, at least), fun song with clever lyrics (i.e. "I was a baby when I learned to suck/But you have raised it to an art form"). Their latest CD, "All In Good Time", seems to have suffered from the same problem. The first single, "You Run Away", was a song that just didn't fit the BNL spirit. I didn't know whether to call it "sappy" or "depressing", as it was kinda both, and that just isn't the vibe I like from my BNL songs! Thankfully, "Every Subway Car" has sought to correct all this! Musically, it sounds kinda like a lighter, but still power pop influenced song from Fountains of Wayne (kinda like Fountains of Wayne's "Someone to Love", but with a slower beat). Lyrically, the cleverness makes a welcome return, especially in the beginning ("My backpack's faded black/But now it's all blue/It looks whack but it's compact/And it works like brand new"), and just like in their biggest hit, "One Week", the name-dropping also continues ("I'm on my own/I'm Sly Stallone"). Welcome back, BNL, we missed ya!
"If I Had My Way" by Robert Randolph (featuring Ben Harper): Occasionally, indie and contemporary folk-rock aren't enough to satisfy the adult alt. audience, and this is one such instance. This song is actually a cover (so I've heard) of an old 1930's blues song. I wouldn't be surprised if this was true, considering how it sounds a lot like a Robert Johnson Delta blues recording. For Ben Harper, this isn't too surprising, considering he's been all over the map musically, especially in the past year or so with The Relentless 7. For Robert Randolph, this seems like a first. His past works, particularly his most well-known song, "Thrill of It", were definitely blues influenced, but more in the Jimi Hendrix/Santana manner of mixing blues with rock and the occasional R & B. As much as I like the indie and folk-rock that seem to dominate adult alt. radio, it's refreshing to hear a song like this once in a while!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
New songs - Wednesday Feb. 10th, 2010 (sorry it's a day late folks...)
Hiya!! I decided it would be a better idea if I just reviewed the songs I liked - I'd be guaranteed to find at least one per week (at least I hope so). Anyway, since the chances of me finding a couple new faves per week seems more likely to happen than to find songs suitable for my reviewing on the Adult Alt. Top 20 at least once per week, I thought I'd change my focus a bit. Not to worry, though, I'll still be sticking to reviewing the same type o' songs. So here goes!! Also, before I begin, I realize that about half these songs came out the week before last, but I thought I'd give my opinion on 'em anyway:
"Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)" by Monsters of Folk - The alumni of My Morning Jacket and Bright Eyes have done it again! Unlike the Traveling Wilburys-ish first single, "Say Please", this one seems to have a bit more of a trip-hop influence (with some nice, lush string arrangement added in!) Lyrically, it seems like a more positive, less confrontational version of the similarly titled "Dear God" by XTC. Only instead of questioning and denouncing a belief in God, like XTC did, this song seems more fit for those who think God exists, but who just don't understand why He allows people to suffer. Kudos to the stations who have chosen this as the second Monsters of Folk single - it's a nice choice!!
"Lay There And Hate Me" by Ben Harper - Ben continues to show his diversity with this sultry funk-'n'-blues track. His backup band for his latest record, The Relentless 7, is pretty aptly named considering that that's how they seem to be in pursuing both musical talent and musical diversity - relentless!! In "White Lies For Dark Times", they've gone through Led Zeppelin-esque hard rock ("Shimmer And Shine"), tender folk-rock-y ballads ("Fly One Time"), and now, Ben Harper's funky side comes out on this song. Just like on the other two songs that became "hits" off of "White Lies For Dark Times", Ben pours all his heart and soul out into the lyrics when he sings them! Looking forward to knowing if anything else off the album will be up for grabs sometime later this year.
"Set the Fire to the Third Bar" by Snow Patrol (w/Martha Wainwright on backing vocals)-
This is actually NOT a new song (it came out back in 2006), but I guess now that Snow Patrol put out a "best of" collection and included this song as one of the songs, adult alt. stations are finally starting to pick up on how poignant this song is. Personally, I would have preferred "An Olive Grove Facing the Sea" (truly one of THE most beautiful songs I've ever heard - and that's not just counting Snow Patrol songs) to be the next single off the album, but this song's pretty cool, too. In addition to the sincerity of (lead singer) Gary Lightbody's vocals and lyrics, it also has very moving chords (perhaps because they are all major 7ths - those are the melodic 7 chords, not the "bluesy" ones), and Martha Wainwright's vocals sound beautiful and harmonize excellently with Gary Lightbody's. If only ALL of Snow Patrol's "softer" songs could be like this...
"Song Away" by Hockey: What kind of a name for a band is HOCKEY?!? Oh well, no matter - "Song Away" is still a cool song. Musically, it seems very derivative of The Killers (and a bit of the mid-2000's power pop band, Rooney), but the lead singer of Hockey's vocals seem more uneven and Dylanesque than the more straight, melodic vocals of Brandon Flowers from The Killers. Hockey's lead vocalist even "sing-speaks" the parts right before the chorus as though he WAS Bob Dylan - perhaps its even a lyrical satire on Dylan, since he keeps saying "This is (fill in random word here) music" throughout those parts of the song (my fave line - "This ain't no Roxy Music" - not that I have anything against Roxy Music, in fact I love what I've heard of theirs, but I like the line because of the potential pun involving the word "music"). All that being said, this is a pretty quirky song - so check it out!!
"Summer Is the Champion" by Laura Veirs: I was pretty excited when I heard Laura Veirs was gonna release a new album for 2010 since I loved her 2005 song, "Galaxies". It was really unique, even among the already (mostly) unique indie rock/pop categorization, because it had weird lyrics and a spaced-out (but endearing) sound. Laura continues to show what a quirky little girl (bonus points for those who get the reference) she is on her latest album, "July Flame", which I have already heard two songs off of, and this is one of them. It's kinda like Feist's "1234" meets Van Morrison's "Moondance", done with a Burt Bacharach-ish instrumental arrangement. A very charming mix of influences if you ask me. It's just too bad that so far only one station I know of (Sirius XM's The Spectrum) has bothered to play this. Oh well. Maybe soon more stations will play this one.
"Wide-Eyed, Legless" by Laura Veirs: Another example of Ms. Veirs' cutesy but cryptic brand of folk-rock. This one is a bit more melancholy than the above, but in a very sweet, precious sort of manner. The creepy, death-related lyrics create somewhat a lyrical dissonance in comparison with the bouncy (but minor key) melody and rhythm of the song. I guess sometimes the musical mood of a song can compensate for the lyrical mood of a song, and this is one of those times. I know I didn't give this one as lengthy a review as the one above, but it's pretty cool, so check it out!
"Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)" by Monsters of Folk - The alumni of My Morning Jacket and Bright Eyes have done it again! Unlike the Traveling Wilburys-ish first single, "Say Please", this one seems to have a bit more of a trip-hop influence (with some nice, lush string arrangement added in!) Lyrically, it seems like a more positive, less confrontational version of the similarly titled "Dear God" by XTC. Only instead of questioning and denouncing a belief in God, like XTC did, this song seems more fit for those who think God exists, but who just don't understand why He allows people to suffer. Kudos to the stations who have chosen this as the second Monsters of Folk single - it's a nice choice!!
"Lay There And Hate Me" by Ben Harper - Ben continues to show his diversity with this sultry funk-'n'-blues track. His backup band for his latest record, The Relentless 7, is pretty aptly named considering that that's how they seem to be in pursuing both musical talent and musical diversity - relentless!! In "White Lies For Dark Times", they've gone through Led Zeppelin-esque hard rock ("Shimmer And Shine"), tender folk-rock-y ballads ("Fly One Time"), and now, Ben Harper's funky side comes out on this song. Just like on the other two songs that became "hits" off of "White Lies For Dark Times", Ben pours all his heart and soul out into the lyrics when he sings them! Looking forward to knowing if anything else off the album will be up for grabs sometime later this year.
"Set the Fire to the Third Bar" by Snow Patrol (w/Martha Wainwright on backing vocals)-
This is actually NOT a new song (it came out back in 2006), but I guess now that Snow Patrol put out a "best of" collection and included this song as one of the songs, adult alt. stations are finally starting to pick up on how poignant this song is. Personally, I would have preferred "An Olive Grove Facing the Sea" (truly one of THE most beautiful songs I've ever heard - and that's not just counting Snow Patrol songs) to be the next single off the album, but this song's pretty cool, too. In addition to the sincerity of (lead singer) Gary Lightbody's vocals and lyrics, it also has very moving chords (perhaps because they are all major 7ths - those are the melodic 7 chords, not the "bluesy" ones), and Martha Wainwright's vocals sound beautiful and harmonize excellently with Gary Lightbody's. If only ALL of Snow Patrol's "softer" songs could be like this...
"Song Away" by Hockey: What kind of a name for a band is HOCKEY?!? Oh well, no matter - "Song Away" is still a cool song. Musically, it seems very derivative of The Killers (and a bit of the mid-2000's power pop band, Rooney), but the lead singer of Hockey's vocals seem more uneven and Dylanesque than the more straight, melodic vocals of Brandon Flowers from The Killers. Hockey's lead vocalist even "sing-speaks" the parts right before the chorus as though he WAS Bob Dylan - perhaps its even a lyrical satire on Dylan, since he keeps saying "This is (fill in random word here) music" throughout those parts of the song (my fave line - "This ain't no Roxy Music" - not that I have anything against Roxy Music, in fact I love what I've heard of theirs, but I like the line because of the potential pun involving the word "music"). All that being said, this is a pretty quirky song - so check it out!!
"Summer Is the Champion" by Laura Veirs: I was pretty excited when I heard Laura Veirs was gonna release a new album for 2010 since I loved her 2005 song, "Galaxies". It was really unique, even among the already (mostly) unique indie rock/pop categorization, because it had weird lyrics and a spaced-out (but endearing) sound. Laura continues to show what a quirky little girl (bonus points for those who get the reference) she is on her latest album, "July Flame", which I have already heard two songs off of, and this is one of them. It's kinda like Feist's "1234" meets Van Morrison's "Moondance", done with a Burt Bacharach-ish instrumental arrangement. A very charming mix of influences if you ask me. It's just too bad that so far only one station I know of (Sirius XM's The Spectrum) has bothered to play this. Oh well. Maybe soon more stations will play this one.
"Wide-Eyed, Legless" by Laura Veirs: Another example of Ms. Veirs' cutesy but cryptic brand of folk-rock. This one is a bit more melancholy than the above, but in a very sweet, precious sort of manner. The creepy, death-related lyrics create somewhat a lyrical dissonance in comparison with the bouncy (but minor key) melody and rhythm of the song. I guess sometimes the musical mood of a song can compensate for the lyrical mood of a song, and this is one of those times. I know I didn't give this one as lengthy a review as the one above, but it's pretty cool, so check it out!
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