here they are:
"Better Man" by Beth Hart: Not to be confused with the Pearl Jam song of the same name, Beth Hart's "Better Man" continues in the blues-y direction that Beth has been more actively pursuing in the 2010's. Beneath its pop-y beat and uptempo piano sound beat the heart of "Better Man", which can be defined by Beth's gutsy, passionate vocals, and its electric guitar based sound that blends country, rock, and blues into one spicy, catchy musical gumbo! A sizzling ode to whoever Beth's current lover happens to be, "Better Man" is great at capturing the jubilation anyone feels when they finally find the one they want to spend the rest of their life with!
"The Dream's In the Ditch" by Deer Tick: Deer Tick are one of the more roots-y indie bands whose sound owes more to Bob Dylan and Neil Young than it does The Velvet Underground and The Beatles. As far as I can tell, though, between their 2011 song, "Main Street", and their most recent song, "The Dream's In the Ditch", one of Deer Tick's biggest influences is none other than The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen! "The Dream's In the Ditch" evokes early Springsteen, in particular, with its vaguely "Thunder Road"-ish chimes and guitars (though that colorful, tinkling piano solo in the middle is purely Deer Tick's own!) The subject matter of "The Dream's In the Ditch" is not uncommon to the roots-y side of classic rock either. It's basically a song about the ups and downs of touring on the road, not unlike Jackson Browne's "Running On Empty", or The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'". Happy trails!!
"Thirst" by City and Colour: It seems as though Canada's one man indie band, Dallas Green (or "City and Colour"), tired of the neo-folk-rock schtick about a year before it became big on alt-rock stations. He started with the folks-y "Sleeping Sickness", and has gone for a fuzzier, more rock based sound ever since (with the exception of the largely acoustic, "The Grand Optimist"). Dallas' latest song, "Thirst", continues in the more contemporary rock 'n' roll direction that he seems to want to become more known for. "Thirst" has what could be called a "White Stripes lite" distortion in its guitar sound, while the beat of the song is closer to Gary Numan's proto-synth-pop classic, "Cars". The lyrics in "Thirst" would not seem out of place for Dallas' former band, the hardcore "screamo" group, Alexisonfire (Alex is on fire), with its mentions of "fates worse than death", "an ocean of anger", and being "gracefully cursed".
"Walk Us Uptown" by Elvis Costello, featuring The Roots: For a musician, "The Three R's" are probably rock, rhythm, and rap, and this song just happens to have all three!! And you thought that the coolest connects between rock and rap ended with The Beastie Boys, and Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith's collaboration of "Walk This Way"?! Well, think again!! Rocker Elvis Costello and hip-hop group, The Roots (both of whom are quite eclectic for their respective genres), have now come together in an unlikely, but quite catchy musical teaming, in "Walk Us Uptown". The song marks a high point for both musicians, with its sleek, street-smart vibe, and its seemingly effortless combining of jazzy horns, reggae influenced rhythm guitars, the occasional use of shattering, blues influenced lead guitars, and its smooth hip-hop beat. Is it just me, or has Elvis Costello gotten hipper as he's gotten older?!
"Where We Came From" by Phillip Phillips: "American Idol"'s number one musical oddity is now up for a THIRD hit song on adult alt radio stations. If it were any other contestant on the show, I probably wouldn't care, but this is Phillip Phillips we're talking about here, who has clearly mastered the Mumford-ian way of playing acoustic guitar in songs like "Home" and "Gone Gone Gone". His third major song, "Where We Came From", doesn't have the graceful, finger-picked sound of his other two songs, instead opting for more of a half folk, half blues type sound, a la Dave Matthews (supposedly one of Phillip's biggest influences). The cello in "Where We Came From" adds a nice touch to it, too, making it distinguishable from his other material. The "precious" element in many of his songs shows up more in the lyrics than the song itself in "Where We Came From", especially given its nature related imagery (i.e. mountains, shores, moon, sun, etc.) in the chorus. Once again, Phillips has won peoples' hearts more than he has a reality show contest, and I hope he continues to do so!
Showing posts with label Beth Hart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beth Hart. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
New songs for March 6th, 2013
here they are:
"Bang Bang, Boom Boom" by Beth Hart: Beth debuted back in the early 2000's with the Alanis Morissette-ish "L.A. Song", but I would think that that's a song she'd rather forget about, because ever since then, she's gone in a more blues-y, jazzy direction. Her latest song, "Bang Bang, Boom Boom", takes her brand of blues-rock in a direction that is rarely touched upon in music these days. Instead of using the guitar as the dominant instrument, the piano takes center stage for "Bang Bang, Boom Boom", and it works really well in this song, too! Instead of using the piano in a delicate, fragile manner, Beth puts it to use as though it's a seductive instrument being used in a cabaret or a nightclub. The syncopation in the song is set to a marching rhythm, adding yet another element to "Bang Bang, Boom Boom" that makes it one hot firecracker of a song!
"Grace For Saints And Ramblers" by Iron and Wine: As you might expect, Iron & Wine's latest song is a folk-rock song. What you might not have expected is for that song to be a happy one instead of a sad one. "Grace For Saints And Ramblers", the most recent song from IAW, has more orchestration than most of the songs from Sam Beam's one man band. The combination of acoustic guitars with sax and violins is closer to recent indie-pop stars like Regina Spektor and Belle & Sebastian than it is to IAW's usual influences, such as the more somber, stark folk-rock of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. The lyrics are pure abstraction (for instance, "Bodies full of penny wishes, parties full of pretty dishes, side by side with the birds and bees"...Huh?!), but at least it shows that Sam Beam is more of a free spirit than his fans might like to think he is!
"Hacienda Motel" by Pickwick: Pickwick's sound is probably a bit too close to bands like Modest Mouse and Dr. Dog to be as memorable as their rhyming name, but their back story is still an interesting one! Originally their sound was closer to a neo-folk-rock type, a la Ryan Adams, Wilco, and My Morning Jacket, but they wanted to change things up a bit for themselves once they found out that pretty much everyone was trying to sound like that, so they decided to go with more of an "alternative soul" sound instead. "Hacienda Motel", the first song so far to get attention from Pickwick, was like a "bridge song" for the band, because it officially marked the point when they quit on folk-rock, and started up on the indie-pop world's answer to neo-soul. What can I say, it never hurts to try something different!
"Staying Alive" by The Whigs: Before I review this song, I'd like to issue a warning to any Bee Gees fans that might be reading this review. This song is NOT a cover of The Bee Gees' "Staying Alive", it's a completely different song!! Now that I've gotten that out of the way, on with the song. Like The Whigs' previous song, "Waiting", "Staying Alive" boasts a blues-y brand of indie rock comparable to bands like The Hold Steady and The Gaslight Anthem, both of whom can be described as a "missing link" between Bruce Springsteen and The Replacements. "Staying Alive" could be said to be even more Springsteen-ian than The Hold Steady or The Gaslight Anthem, since it has a soulful sax solo that the late Clarence Clemons would probably be proud of if he got the chance to hear it! Not exactly the longest song in the world, and nor is it too heavy on lyrics, but "Staying Alive" still manages to be the perfect combination of gritty, working class roots rock and soulful, spirited jazz-rock!
"The Stars Are Out Tonight" by David Bowie: For a rocker that has been around for nearly 4 decades now, Bowie is still making waves to this very day with his music!! As was the case with his "Where Are We Now" from January of this year, "The Stars Are Out Tonight" is the most heavily anticipated song of this week, as far as material on the adult alt charts goes!! "The Stars Are Out Tonight" has a bit more of a psychedelic influenced sound than the almost crooner-ish sound of "Where Are We Now?", but it still manages to sound like nothing I've ever heard! This song is just more proof of what a "chameleon" Bowie truly is when it comes to how many styles of rock (and popular music in general, really) he has covered. The theme of stars in the song is also interesting, as it could reflect both Bowie's lifelong fascination with outer space, or it could also mean "stars" as in "celebrities". The world may never know!!
"Bang Bang, Boom Boom" by Beth Hart: Beth debuted back in the early 2000's with the Alanis Morissette-ish "L.A. Song", but I would think that that's a song she'd rather forget about, because ever since then, she's gone in a more blues-y, jazzy direction. Her latest song, "Bang Bang, Boom Boom", takes her brand of blues-rock in a direction that is rarely touched upon in music these days. Instead of using the guitar as the dominant instrument, the piano takes center stage for "Bang Bang, Boom Boom", and it works really well in this song, too! Instead of using the piano in a delicate, fragile manner, Beth puts it to use as though it's a seductive instrument being used in a cabaret or a nightclub. The syncopation in the song is set to a marching rhythm, adding yet another element to "Bang Bang, Boom Boom" that makes it one hot firecracker of a song!
"Grace For Saints And Ramblers" by Iron and Wine: As you might expect, Iron & Wine's latest song is a folk-rock song. What you might not have expected is for that song to be a happy one instead of a sad one. "Grace For Saints And Ramblers", the most recent song from IAW, has more orchestration than most of the songs from Sam Beam's one man band. The combination of acoustic guitars with sax and violins is closer to recent indie-pop stars like Regina Spektor and Belle & Sebastian than it is to IAW's usual influences, such as the more somber, stark folk-rock of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. The lyrics are pure abstraction (for instance, "Bodies full of penny wishes, parties full of pretty dishes, side by side with the birds and bees"...Huh?!), but at least it shows that Sam Beam is more of a free spirit than his fans might like to think he is!
"Hacienda Motel" by Pickwick: Pickwick's sound is probably a bit too close to bands like Modest Mouse and Dr. Dog to be as memorable as their rhyming name, but their back story is still an interesting one! Originally their sound was closer to a neo-folk-rock type, a la Ryan Adams, Wilco, and My Morning Jacket, but they wanted to change things up a bit for themselves once they found out that pretty much everyone was trying to sound like that, so they decided to go with more of an "alternative soul" sound instead. "Hacienda Motel", the first song so far to get attention from Pickwick, was like a "bridge song" for the band, because it officially marked the point when they quit on folk-rock, and started up on the indie-pop world's answer to neo-soul. What can I say, it never hurts to try something different!
"Staying Alive" by The Whigs: Before I review this song, I'd like to issue a warning to any Bee Gees fans that might be reading this review. This song is NOT a cover of The Bee Gees' "Staying Alive", it's a completely different song!! Now that I've gotten that out of the way, on with the song. Like The Whigs' previous song, "Waiting", "Staying Alive" boasts a blues-y brand of indie rock comparable to bands like The Hold Steady and The Gaslight Anthem, both of whom can be described as a "missing link" between Bruce Springsteen and The Replacements. "Staying Alive" could be said to be even more Springsteen-ian than The Hold Steady or The Gaslight Anthem, since it has a soulful sax solo that the late Clarence Clemons would probably be proud of if he got the chance to hear it! Not exactly the longest song in the world, and nor is it too heavy on lyrics, but "Staying Alive" still manages to be the perfect combination of gritty, working class roots rock and soulful, spirited jazz-rock!
"The Stars Are Out Tonight" by David Bowie: For a rocker that has been around for nearly 4 decades now, Bowie is still making waves to this very day with his music!! As was the case with his "Where Are We Now" from January of this year, "The Stars Are Out Tonight" is the most heavily anticipated song of this week, as far as material on the adult alt charts goes!! "The Stars Are Out Tonight" has a bit more of a psychedelic influenced sound than the almost crooner-ish sound of "Where Are We Now?", but it still manages to sound like nothing I've ever heard! This song is just more proof of what a "chameleon" Bowie truly is when it comes to how many styles of rock (and popular music in general, really) he has covered. The theme of stars in the song is also interesting, as it could reflect both Bowie's lifelong fascination with outer space, or it could also mean "stars" as in "celebrities". The world may never know!!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Lucky number seven strikes again!!!
This is the third time within about a month long period that I've reviewed seven songs!! Must be my lucky month!
One more thing before I begin. An edit to last week's post, in which I referred to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. as one guy - they are actually two people, not one. I apologize. The kids these days and their weird band names, and their gadgets and gizmos and...ok enough of that. On with the reviews!!
"Did I Let You Know?" by Red Hot Chili Peppers: So how have RHCP decided to follow up their smash hit of summer 2011, "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie"?! The answer to that is with "Did I Let You Know?", a song that delves into rather eclectic territory for The Chili Peppers, with its tropical island-y sound (and rad sax solos to boot!) The goofy but craftily delivered lyrics (i.e. "I want to lean on you/Get Jan and Dean on you", and "I like your cheeky/Oh so Mozambique-y") also seem to make it clear that RHCP probably intended the "island-y" sound they went for on this song, what with the references to surf music (Jan and Dean) and countries where the temperature is more likely to be warmer than colder (Mozambique). If The Chili Peppers had only decided to release their latest CD, "I'm With You" in late spring instead of mid-summer, "Did I Let You Know?" probably would have made the perfect summer hit!! Better late than never, though, I suppose.
"Don't Stop (Color On the Walls)" by Foster the People: Do Foster the People have a knack for making catchy songs, or what?!? Their late spring/early-to-mid summer smash, "Pumped Up Kicks", a song that brings to mind the lyrical dissonance of other happy, melodic songs with questionable lyrics like The Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays", became one of the most successful songs of the year (in multiple genres, at that). Where "Pumped Up Kicks" went for a rather mysterious, keyboard dominated, new wave-y sound, FTP's latest tune, "Don't Stop (Color On the Walls)" centers more around the guitar (both acoustic and electric are used here), is bouncy all the way around, and evokes the swirly vibes of neo-psychedelia. For those concerned about lyrical content, "Don't Stop (Color On the Walls)" provides an interesting contrast to "Pumped Up Kicks" in that context as well. The lyrics almost seem childlike in "Don't Stop..." (for instance, in the second verse, "We're all just having fun/Sleigh boat ride, piggy back ride/I'm going to show them all how I can ride/1, 2, 3, close your eyes and count to four, I like to hide behind my bedroom door/Crayons on walls, I'll color on them all")
"Miami Virtue" by Umphrey's McGee: If you put The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd's music and put them in a blender, you'd probably get a sound close to the half jam band/half progressive rock sound of Umphrey's McGee, a band with a considerable cult following, but who had never (until now) got airplay even on "underground" radio stations, probably because they were more about experimentation than melody and/or catchiness. Their latest, "Miami Virtue", definitely sounds more like Floyd than it does The Dead (with traces of Canadian prog-rock band Rush in there too, much to my surprise). Never would have expected so many flashy synthesizers dueling with '70s style electric guitar distortion in a song by Umphrey's McGee, but if that's what it takes to make people want to pay more attention to them, that's not necessarily a bad thing. "Miami Virtue" has enough memorable hooks to get stuck in one's head easily (something that probably can't be said about most of Umphrey's material). Just try to remember that if you hear this song mixed in with various indie, alt-pop, and contemporary folk songs that the station that played that has NOT switched over to a "classic rock" format without warning.
"Saw You First" by Givers: "Givers" seems like such a fitting name for a band with such a bright, optimistic sound (as though they're "giving" their music to share with all the world)! The irresistibly catchy "Up Up Up" was a great song to dance and sing along to in the summer of this year, and as fall approaches, their song "Saw You First" is also apt for the season it's come out in, with its more melancholy but still harmonious, chirpy sound. A bit more acoustic/electric mingling on "Saw You First" as well, which is another factor that makes it worth listening to in my opinion. In spite of the rather yearning emotions "Saw You First" tends to elicit, it's still a fun song to dance to! Please check this one out if you haven't already!!
"Surfer King" by A.A. Bondy: A.A. Bondy is one of those musicians who has been loved among indie fans for quite awhile now, but is only starting to gain attention on adult alt radio stations. If "Surfer King" ends up becoming the one song he's known for, it will probably end up representing his typical sound well (though I don't know for sure since this is the only song I really know by him so far). It is a gentle, sighing, breezy song that sounds a lot like the "softer" material of bands like My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses (it uses similar distortion to MMJ's "Thank You Too!" and BOH's "No One's Gonna Love You"). Even Bondy's vocals sound a bit like Jim James from My Morning Jacket in this song. "Surfer King" is an absolutely beautiful, poignant, poetic song that paints pictures of a purplish-pink sunset along the ocean waves in my head. I think this is my fave song of the week!! Highly recommended!!
"The Keeper" by Chris Cornell: In his glory days with the grunge band Soundgarden, the words "Chris Cornell" and "soothing" might not have been used in the same sentence very often. Chris started to explore more acoustic guitar once he went solo, however, and "The Keeper" is his most sentimental song to date, putting him in the same musical class as other rock 'n' roll giants gone folk such as Robert Plant and Eddie Vedder. Lyrically, "The Keeper" is a very sad song with a rather mysterious central message ("I may not be The Keeper of the flame/But I am The Keeper"). Perhaps this song might make some of Soundgarden's most loyal fanbase a bit upset, but it's nice to hear the quieter side of Cornell, away from the chaos and anger that surrounded songs like "Black Hole Sun" and "Fell On Black Days".
"Well Well" by Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa: Beth Hart was a singer/songwriter from the early '00s, best known for the vaguely Alanis Morissette-ish "L.A. Song". Joe Bonamassa is one of the few contemporary country singers not to have a "commercial" flavor or approach to his music. So what do they sound like together?!? A jammin' country-blues-rock duo, that's what!! A bit more fiery and Allman Brothers-ish ("One Way Out", anyone?) than most of the material either of them have done, "Well Well" serves a high point for both Beth and Joe! Who knew Beth Hart had such a convincing, powerful inner Janis Joplin?! I sure didn't, but she's good at it. Joe's vocal contributions to the song aren't as distinctive but he still manages to do a decent job at it!
One more thing before I begin. An edit to last week's post, in which I referred to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. as one guy - they are actually two people, not one. I apologize. The kids these days and their weird band names, and their gadgets and gizmos and...ok enough of that. On with the reviews!!
"Did I Let You Know?" by Red Hot Chili Peppers: So how have RHCP decided to follow up their smash hit of summer 2011, "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie"?! The answer to that is with "Did I Let You Know?", a song that delves into rather eclectic territory for The Chili Peppers, with its tropical island-y sound (and rad sax solos to boot!) The goofy but craftily delivered lyrics (i.e. "I want to lean on you/Get Jan and Dean on you", and "I like your cheeky/Oh so Mozambique-y") also seem to make it clear that RHCP probably intended the "island-y" sound they went for on this song, what with the references to surf music (Jan and Dean) and countries where the temperature is more likely to be warmer than colder (Mozambique). If The Chili Peppers had only decided to release their latest CD, "I'm With You" in late spring instead of mid-summer, "Did I Let You Know?" probably would have made the perfect summer hit!! Better late than never, though, I suppose.
"Don't Stop (Color On the Walls)" by Foster the People: Do Foster the People have a knack for making catchy songs, or what?!? Their late spring/early-to-mid summer smash, "Pumped Up Kicks", a song that brings to mind the lyrical dissonance of other happy, melodic songs with questionable lyrics like The Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays", became one of the most successful songs of the year (in multiple genres, at that). Where "Pumped Up Kicks" went for a rather mysterious, keyboard dominated, new wave-y sound, FTP's latest tune, "Don't Stop (Color On the Walls)" centers more around the guitar (both acoustic and electric are used here), is bouncy all the way around, and evokes the swirly vibes of neo-psychedelia. For those concerned about lyrical content, "Don't Stop (Color On the Walls)" provides an interesting contrast to "Pumped Up Kicks" in that context as well. The lyrics almost seem childlike in "Don't Stop..." (for instance, in the second verse, "We're all just having fun/Sleigh boat ride, piggy back ride/I'm going to show them all how I can ride/1, 2, 3, close your eyes and count to four, I like to hide behind my bedroom door/Crayons on walls, I'll color on them all")
"Miami Virtue" by Umphrey's McGee: If you put The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd's music and put them in a blender, you'd probably get a sound close to the half jam band/half progressive rock sound of Umphrey's McGee, a band with a considerable cult following, but who had never (until now) got airplay even on "underground" radio stations, probably because they were more about experimentation than melody and/or catchiness. Their latest, "Miami Virtue", definitely sounds more like Floyd than it does The Dead (with traces of Canadian prog-rock band Rush in there too, much to my surprise). Never would have expected so many flashy synthesizers dueling with '70s style electric guitar distortion in a song by Umphrey's McGee, but if that's what it takes to make people want to pay more attention to them, that's not necessarily a bad thing. "Miami Virtue" has enough memorable hooks to get stuck in one's head easily (something that probably can't be said about most of Umphrey's material). Just try to remember that if you hear this song mixed in with various indie, alt-pop, and contemporary folk songs that the station that played that has NOT switched over to a "classic rock" format without warning.
"Saw You First" by Givers: "Givers" seems like such a fitting name for a band with such a bright, optimistic sound (as though they're "giving" their music to share with all the world)! The irresistibly catchy "Up Up Up" was a great song to dance and sing along to in the summer of this year, and as fall approaches, their song "Saw You First" is also apt for the season it's come out in, with its more melancholy but still harmonious, chirpy sound. A bit more acoustic/electric mingling on "Saw You First" as well, which is another factor that makes it worth listening to in my opinion. In spite of the rather yearning emotions "Saw You First" tends to elicit, it's still a fun song to dance to! Please check this one out if you haven't already!!
"Surfer King" by A.A. Bondy: A.A. Bondy is one of those musicians who has been loved among indie fans for quite awhile now, but is only starting to gain attention on adult alt radio stations. If "Surfer King" ends up becoming the one song he's known for, it will probably end up representing his typical sound well (though I don't know for sure since this is the only song I really know by him so far). It is a gentle, sighing, breezy song that sounds a lot like the "softer" material of bands like My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses (it uses similar distortion to MMJ's "Thank You Too!" and BOH's "No One's Gonna Love You"). Even Bondy's vocals sound a bit like Jim James from My Morning Jacket in this song. "Surfer King" is an absolutely beautiful, poignant, poetic song that paints pictures of a purplish-pink sunset along the ocean waves in my head. I think this is my fave song of the week!! Highly recommended!!
"The Keeper" by Chris Cornell: In his glory days with the grunge band Soundgarden, the words "Chris Cornell" and "soothing" might not have been used in the same sentence very often. Chris started to explore more acoustic guitar once he went solo, however, and "The Keeper" is his most sentimental song to date, putting him in the same musical class as other rock 'n' roll giants gone folk such as Robert Plant and Eddie Vedder. Lyrically, "The Keeper" is a very sad song with a rather mysterious central message ("I may not be The Keeper of the flame/But I am The Keeper"). Perhaps this song might make some of Soundgarden's most loyal fanbase a bit upset, but it's nice to hear the quieter side of Cornell, away from the chaos and anger that surrounded songs like "Black Hole Sun" and "Fell On Black Days".
"Well Well" by Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa: Beth Hart was a singer/songwriter from the early '00s, best known for the vaguely Alanis Morissette-ish "L.A. Song". Joe Bonamassa is one of the few contemporary country singers not to have a "commercial" flavor or approach to his music. So what do they sound like together?!? A jammin' country-blues-rock duo, that's what!! A bit more fiery and Allman Brothers-ish ("One Way Out", anyone?) than most of the material either of them have done, "Well Well" serves a high point for both Beth and Joe! Who knew Beth Hart had such a convincing, powerful inner Janis Joplin?! I sure didn't, but she's good at it. Joe's vocal contributions to the song aren't as distinctive but he still manages to do a decent job at it!
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