New songs for March 2nd 2022

 here they are:


"Becoming All Alone" by Regina Spektor: The quirky yet sensitive music of Regina Spektor was all over the adult alt airwaves during the mid to late 2000's, yet her power just didn't seem to stay as strong in the decade that followed. She was kind of like an unlikely but irresistible cross between Tori Amos and They Might Be Giants. "Becoming All Alone" is a bittersweet comeback song for Regina. The song might be a bit more electro-pop than the less flashy piano-pop that Regina's fans might be used to, but it really gels in this song, which gradually adds other instruments like percussion and brass as it goes on, winding down towards the end into a more typical piano-and-strings Regina song. As is to be expected with Regina, oddball lyrics (such as "I asked God, 'Please call my name,' and I said, 'Hey. Let's grab a beer") accompany a more somber musical sound. Her mid '10s song, "Bleeding Heart," was somewhat of a disappointment, but I think she's come back to her musical roots with "Becoming All Alone." Welcome back, old friend!

"Come Back" by Trombone Shorty: The sounds of '60s and '70s soul have always been part of the Trombone Shorty sound, but on "Come Back," he really flaunts that sound! As one might think with a title like "Come Back," Trombone Shorty's latest song is basically a lovesick plea. The lyrics aren't anything new to the music world, but the way Shorty delivers his music and the passion with which he delivers it inject fresh life into the rather stagnant musical climate of the 2020's. Fans of early '70s R & B will probably dig this song, and, true to his stage name, Trombone Shorty has heavy use of brass in this song, as he does in all his material. 

"Everything's Electric" by Liam Gallagher (Oasis): Two of the major players of '90s rock collide in the Oasis frontman's latest song, "Everything's Electric." In addition to Oasis finding new musical life, Foo Fighters also do in this song, in which FF's lead singer Dave Grohl is featured on the drums! The song overall sounds like some of the attempts at "new" music that vintage rockers like The Rolling Stones, U2, and Lenny Kravitz have attempted during the new millennium. In other words, it definitely sounds like a rock song, but it doesn't sound like it's trying to add anything in that hasn't been done before. How a notoriously friendly guy like Dave Grohl and a notoriously unfriendly guy like Liam managed to make it work here is anyone's guess, but the chemistry is noticeable here and it works somehow. 

"Highest Bidder" by Fantastic Negrito: Like our entry from two songs ago, this song is also a foray into '70s R & B in the modern era. Fantastic Negrito's "Highest Bidder" really captures the more minimalist side of the funk movement, with almost the entire song defined by just the E minor chord (and guitar solos being played over it sometimes). The song is not without a dose of dark humor either, taking on such topical issues as racism, capitalism, and other subjects of a political nature while both gleefully and sarcastically singing in the chorus that "Everything goes to the highest bidder." In other words, Fantastic Negrito is commenting on how the greedy people of the world are profiting while those on the lower yet more generous end of the economic totem pole are suffering. Fantastic Negrito clearly knows what he's talking about here and isn't afraid to put it in our faces! The song culminates with an E minor riff that's noticeably more distorted than the rest of the song, perhaps as a way of symbolizing the anger he feels throughout the song and just letting it all out for the last few seconds!

"Made Up Mind" by Bonnie Raitt: Not actually a Bonnie tune, but actually one from the bluegrass-influenced rock group, The Brothers Landreth, that came out in the mid-2010's. The original version wasn't very memorable, but Bonnie has a knack for making just about anything she does good, and her cover of "Made Up Mind" is no exception. She turns the mild country sound of the original into a slinky, blues-y vamp all her own here! The fact she is now two years past 70 and still churning out juicy blues-rock tunes just as she did at the start of her career is also truly a wonder to behold!

"Problems" by Neal Francis: Neal's first big adult alt radio hit, "Can't Stop the Rain," had a very blues-y, gritty sound to it that quickly caught on with its demographic! His followup song, "Problems," is not as blues-y, but still attempts to go with the whole "blue-eyed soul" feel that he had with his first big song. In fact, the song sounds an awful lot like something Hall and Oates, arguably the best-known blue-eyed soul group of the 1970's and early '80s, would have come up with, though it has noticeably more synth than the typical H & O song does. Perhaps it's the song's seamless, fluid mixture of meaty rock riffs, crooning vocals, and soulful rhythm that give me the H & O vibes here. Also distinguishing "Problems" from its predecessor, "Can't Stop the Rain," is the fact that "Problems" has a bridge that doesn't quite sound like the rest of the song does that almost feels like it doesn't need to be there, yet it still comes back strong in the end. 

New songs for June 5th 2019

here they are:


"Calm Down" by Pete Yorn: Pete Yorn released an album in 2009 that yielded three adult alt radio hits with "Don't Wanna Cry", "Last Summer", and "Paradise Cove". I would not have anticipated that exactly one decade later he'd still be doin' stuff in the music biz. Yorn's career has gone on for almost 20 years now, and his latest song, "Calm Down" seems to combine the best of the moody, introspective folk-rock he went for in the 2000's with the more indie-pop direction he seemed to take in the 2010's. The keyboards in "Calm Down" give it a pop-y aspect, but the melancholy folk-rock guitars remind me of why I fell in love with Pete Yorn's music way back in 2001 when he debuted! I loved the bittersweet flavor of his breakthrough song, "Strange Condition", and it looks like with "Calm Down", Pete has finally found his way back to doing what he was so great at doing in the first place. Welcome back, Pete!


"Chevrolet Van" by The Nude Party: This song is not as glam-rock as their debut single, "Feels Alright", but it still sounds retro. This time, The Nude Party are going for a Bob Dylan sound, circa the mid '60s when Dylan "went electric". Much like Dylan, the lyrics to "Chevrolet Van" seem oblique yet somewhat caustic as well. Hard to believe this is the same band who did "Feels Alright", one of the hardest rocking songs of 2019 to hit the adult alt airwaves. "Chevrolet Van" is a much more mellow song, but still one that feels like it might still have some edge in terms of its lyrical content.


"Gotta Get to Know Ya" by Seratones: For those who like a bit of sass in their rock and soul songs, "Gotta Get to Know Ya" might just be for you! The song seems a bit like what The Black Keys might be like if their lead singer was a black female, as opposed to a white male. That singer's name is AJ Haynes, and boy, does she deliver in this track! You know AJ means business when she says, "I know what I'm doin', baby, so don't f**k with me!" Wowzer! I guess I won't mess around with her! But still, she makes some mighty fine music that will keep both rock and roll and R & B chugging on into the next decade!


"Help Me Stranger" by The Raconteurs: Earlier this year, The Raconteurs pulled off a rare feat of getting two hit singles to hit the adult alt airwaves within a single day! A little less than half a year later, The Rac's are back with "Help Me Stranger". The song's vibe is much like their previous songs, with a blues-rock sound that's both roots-y and punchy, and equally blues-y lyrics like, "Help me, stranger. Brother can you spare the time?" being repeated many times during the song. "These 16 strings we're strumming will back up every line" might just be the best line in the song for a few reasons. For one, does this mean that Jack White and Brendan Benson are each playing guitars with EIGHT strings instead of six?! If so, I wanna see those! Second off, note the alliteration of "sixteen", "strings", and "strumming". Last but not least, the line does exactly what the band members are doing at that very moment. The action of the lyrics describe guitar playing accompanying the lyrics, and...well...that's exactly what they're doing!


"Hurry On Home" by Sleater-Kinney: The piercing electric guitar attack of indie darlings, Sleater-Kinney, is normally a lot more vicious and gritty than it is on their latest song, "Hurry On Home". However, rest assured, the song still has an edge of its own that will probably please their longtime fanbase. Instead of taking from punk rock like The Sex Pistols and Patti Smith, "Hurry On Home" takes more from post-punk like Siouxsie and The Banshees and Joy Division. Joy Division particularly comes to mind here with "Hurry On Home"'s combination of techno beats and angry, brooding guitars that never spiral out of control yet still seem on edge. Lead singer Corin Tucker's voice quakes with urgency as she sings the words of the song's title, as though she's expecting someone to clean up her emotional mess. One also senses both jealousy and spite when she claims she's "unlovable" and "unf**kable" midway through the song. (That's the second time I've used a word that I don't normally use in real life on this blog this week. How weird! Well, for me, that is...)


"Live Wire" by Sheryl Crow (featuring Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples): I get the sense that Sheryl has tired from the folk-pop/rock image that songs like "Soak Up the Sun" and just about every other song she did during the first 10 years of the millennium gave her. Within the past three or so years she's tried to escape that by getting back to her blues-rock roots with Gary Clark Jr., as well as her "alternative" roots with St. Vincent. "Live Wire" is yet another attempt, and quite a successful one, at that, for Sheryl to get in touch with her blues-rock roots, enlisting the help of legendary blues-y women who inspired her like Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples. The song has a very Bonnie Raitt-ish vibe to it, and since she is one of the three people featured on the track, it's not hard to see why. In addition to a theme of femininity, a theme of motherhood might also be present on "Live Wire". Sheryl has been greatly inspired by Bonnie Raitt, and Bonnie has been greatly inspired by Mavis, thus uniting three generations of blues and country inspired rock together. Sheryl has been a mother for quite some time now, so this might just be her way of passing down the wonderful gift of music to her own children!


"Losing Battles" by Josh Ritter: Much like "Old Black Magic" from earlier this year, "Losing Battles" is yet another Josh Ritter song that moves away from his folk-rock roots and goes more into scorching Southern rock territory. The lyrics to this one evoke Southern rock and roots-rock here as well. In "Losing Battles", Josh mentions Colorado and Tennessee. A lot of "road trip" rock songs, such as The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'", use names of states and cities to give their songs a distinctly roots-y feel, and it looks like that's what Josh is going for here on "Losing Battles". I mean, don't lyrics like, "Drifted down to Tennessee/Lost my girl to a heart of silver" sound like they wouldn't be too out of place in a song by a group like The Allman Brothers or The Black Crowes?! Well I'd say they do!


"When We Drive" by Death Cab for Cutie: Death Cab's latest album seems to be a trip back in time across alternative rock history. Their previous single, "Northern Lights", evoked both The Smiths and R.E.M. Death Cab's latest song, "When We Drive", seems somewhat inspired, musically, by David Bowie's "Heroes", with its spacey, pulsating guitar and synth combo droning dreamily in D major. This seems like the perfect song to listen to when you just want to stare out into space at the stars with your loved one, imagining you and that special someone drifting into outer space and uniting in the cosmos!

Rudolph the Red Nosed Radiohead!! (and three other good ones)

I can't help myself. I'm a goofball sometimes. The video for Radiohead's "Burn the Witch" looks so much like those stop-motion Christmas specials from Rankin-Bass that I just had to reference that somewhere in the title of this week's blog! Anyway, on we go!!


"Burn the Witch" by Radiohead: What happens when you put Rankin Bass Christmas specials, persecution of women based on false accusation, a classical orchestra, and electronic beats into the same setting?! You probably were going to say either "a bad dream" or "an acid trip", but the answer is Radiohead, whom I guess kinda resemble those two things sometimes! The song that combines all these factors, "Burn the Witch", is calming and edgy all at once, like a lot of Radiohead's songs tend to be. Both the lyrics of "Burn the Witch" and its accompanying Rankin-Bass-goes-to-the-dark-side music video are Thom Yorke's way of expressing criticism towards many facets of contemporary society. For instance, the song's chorus of "Abandon all reason/Avoid all eye contact/Do not react/Shoot the messenger/Burn the witch" could be interpreted as a "madness mantra" against how foolishly people tend to react to political events (just about any events, really). The jarring yet brilliantly hilarious juxtaposition between innocent children's show imagery and people causing chaos amongst themselves also lends itself to many interpretations, one of which is the dissonance between the idea of "family values" and how grim some think the reality of such "values" can be as a result of impinging them upon society. After seeing the music video for "Burn the Witch" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI2oS2hoL0k), you might never look at "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" the same way again!!


"Casual Party" by Band of Horses: Band of Horses have experimented with quite a few sounds on the rock spectrum during the 2010's. "Laredo" found BOH trying out a sound that mixed CCR with Gram Parsons, "Knock Knock" was BOH at their most rock 'n' roll sounding, and their latest tune, "Casual Party", is BOH at their most alt-pop-y. What do I mean by that?! Well, think along the lines of groups like Walk the Moon or Neon Trees, but with a slightly quirkier direction in sound and not as much synth reliance. It's a long way off from sensitive power pop ballads like "No One's Gonna Love You" and "The Funeral", but it still manages to work relatively well for the band. The vibe of "Casual Party" makes it sound like it belongs at a nightclub on the beach (or perhaps a beach turned into a nightclub) that exists solely in the listener's imagination. The keyword to "Casual Party" seems to be "party", as there appears to be more emphasis placed on the instruments and the energy they give off than on the lyrics of the song.


"Dark Necessities" by Red Hot Chili Peppers: Hard to believe RHCP have been popular for 25 years, and around for just a little over 30, isn't it?! Well, it seems like Anthony, Flea, and the boys have taken to being an aging rock group rather well. Their latest song, "Dark Necessities" even sounds a little like The Who's "Eminence Front", albeit a notch or two softer. It's notable for being one of the first (if not THE first) RHCP song with a piano as one of its leading instruments. The band who once prided themselves on being relentlessly wild funk-rockers who frequently performed half-naked onstage are growing up, it seems, with this song. It's not as though they haven't had mature songs before. After all, their biggest hit, "Under the Bridge", is probably one of the saddest songs I have known, especially towards the end. "Dark Necessities" seems to really solidify the "mature" aspect of The Chili Peppers, though, like hardly any other songs I have known by them, as if they are responding to the induction they got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 4 years ago.


"Need You Tonight" by Bonnie Raitt: Bonnie sure has eclectic taste in cover songs, and she does them rather well, too! 2012 saw the release of her spiced-up reggae inflected version of soft rocker Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down the Line". Neither Rafferty nor Raitt have much of anything in common with Australian rock group, INXS, yet that is who Raitt is choosing to cover this time around! INXS seem to be unsung heroes when it comes to influencing the indie rock scene, influencing at least in part a number of popular indie groups like Phoenix, TV on the Radio, The 1975, and Walk the Moon, among others, yet rarely talked about as an influence on such groups. I thought one of them would have covered "Need You Tonight" before Bonnie did, but lo and behold, I was wrong!! "Need You Tonight" is a funk-rock classic that came out about a decade after funk had its day in the limelight, and many a rock historian knows that funk has its roots in the blues, which Bonnie Raitt is excellent at playing, so perhaps it should have come as such a huge shock to me that she chose to cover this one, but it did. Nonetheless, Raitt's spin on this song manages to pack in both more funk and more riffs than the original version did! If only Michael Hutchence could have heard this version, I think he would have loved it!

Nine New Songs for a Nifty New Year!!

Happy New Year everyone!! Did ya miss me?! Well, I'm back! Here are 9 brand new songs for you all to enjoy!


"Bring My Baby Back" by Dr. Dog: Dr. Dog's voyage of psychedelic-tinged folk-rock continues with their latest tune, "Bring My Baby Back". The sound of the song is pretty normal for Dr. Dog, or any indie-pop band for that matter, but what has made a lot of Dr. Dog's songs so special to me is the cleverness they exude. The cleverness factor just doesn't seem to be as strong on "Bring My Baby Back". The folk-rock factor is also more present on this song than it is on most Dr. Dog songs (with the notable exception of the Neil Young-esque "Shadow People", although even that one sounded more like a "Sgt. Pepper" song somewhere in the middle). This is a good song, don't get me wrong, but I do feel like Dr. Dog could be doing better than this.


"Cautionary Tale" by Dylan LeBlanc: Been awhile since we've had a newcomer to the music scene, eh?! Well here's one (at least as far as his airplay on adult alt radio stations is concerned). His name is Dylan LeBlanc and, perhaps not surprisingly, he sounds pretty influenced by a well-known musician whose last name is his first. Unlike THAT Dylan, THIS Dylan has a sound that's more dreamy than it is raw, and would probably be liked by fans of acts like Ryan Adams or Iron & Wine. The soul-searching lyrics of "Cautionary Tale" are well-suited to its tune, which is also rather yearning. So far, so good!


"Delilah" by Florence and The Machine: Who is Delilah?! Well, the only thing we know about her is that she taught Florence Welch how to dance, at least according to the lyrics of this song. Most of "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" has been surprisingly guitar-centric, from the funky, Prince-esque hooks of "What Kind of Man" to the epic, Springsteen-ian rush of "Ship to Wreck". "Delilah" is a song that is more focused on piano hooks and clap-along rhythms than those two songs were, which make it a strangely fun combination of indie-pop and gospel music! Flo's latest album has been a great experience so far. Hoping "Queen of Peace", a sweeping, orchestral slice of baroque-pop ear candy, becomes the fourth single off the album! In the meantime, you can dance to the "different kind of danger" that is "Delilah" 'till the day is done!


"Gypsy In Me" by Bonnie Raitt: Flo may charm me with her cute and quirky ways, but Bonnie will always have a special place in my heart! She has, ever since I was little and my mom would play her records for me on road trips. Speaking of road trips, that pretty much seems to be the vibe that Bonnie's latest song, "Gypsy In Me", is going for! The lyrics play out like a more accessible and less drug-addled version of The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'". That is to say, "Gypsy In Me" is a song about being on the road nonstop. It's also about the joy of being a restless, energetic, unstoppable spirit! Bonnie has certainly proven herself to be unstoppable, still kickin' plenty of big ol' blues-y butt at age 66. Way to go!


"High Note" by Mavis Staples: While on the subject of legendary blues-y ladies, Mavis Staples, who has been recording even longer than Bonnie Raitt has, also has a new one out! Mavis started out as a gospel style singer, turned to more mainstream R & B during the peak of her career, and seems to have dabbled in blues-rock during the last few years. Mavis also seems to be pretty hip on singers of the new(er) generation, such as Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, whom she has duetted with at least once, as well as Valerie June, a blues/folk-rock musician who was probably heavily influenced by Mavis. Valerie actually helped to write Mavis' latest song, "High Note". Her new album is actually full of newer folk-rock and blues-rock musicians. Two of them, Benjamin Booker and Son Little, are also heirs to Mavis' musical throne, so I'm looking forward to hearing their contributions to her new album as well!


"Lazarus" by David Bowie: From a high note to a (very) low note, both literally and figuratively in this case. "Lazarus" is a minor key song, and from its opening lyrics, "Look up here I'm in heaven/I've got scars that can't be seen", one might get the hint that the song is about death, and they would be correct in assuming this. In fact, Bowie's entire newest (and, sadly, last) ALBUM is about death, and his self-awareness of exiting the Earth. Tragically, David Bowie recently died of cancer at age 69, and he was aware about his cancer the entire time he was recording his latest album, but no one knew about it until after the fact. "Lazarus" is a great reminder of the man we have lost. That man is a man who has influenced many subgenres of rock, from the punk sound of his contemporaries (and friends) like Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, to the quirky new wave of Talking Heads and Devo, to the entire "synth-pop" scene that dominated the '80s, icons of the '90s like Kurt Cobain (who famously covered his "The Man Who Sold the World"), and even more recent alt-rockers like The Killers and Franz Ferdinand. That may be a lot of examples for some of you, but it just goes to show what a tremendous impact he had. David Bowie, you will be missed!


"Overnight" by Wild Feathers: They were a little bit country, but now they're a little bit rock 'n' roll. Wild Feathers' latest song, "Overnight", has a bit more of a crunchy, electric guitar based rock sound. Perhaps the more forceful sound is fitting with the rather forceful, critical lyrics they have to offer in "Overnight", such as, "You can't wait 'till the morning light, 'cause you want it all right now". The song is basically Wild Feathers' way of pointing fingers at those who demand instant success, which Wild Feathers themselves have certainly not begged for. They are nowhere near as well-known as, say, The Lumineers or The Civil Wars, but they don't seem to have a problem with that. Just as it should be, I say.


"Under the Influence" by Elle King: It took awhile for Elle King to taste the surprising amount of success she had with the spirited jazz-rock tune, "Ex's And Oh's", but once she got it, she got it big! The song was even huge enough for her to perform it at New Year's Rockin' Eve 2015, which is pretty unbelievable to me (but in a good way)!! Can her second big tune, "Under the Influence", measure up to the crazy catchiness of "Ex's And Oh's"?! You might not think so at first, but "Under the Influence" is the type of song that can sink under your skin within a matter of minutes! It is a slow song, but it is also rather seductive, as Elle seems to simultaneously complain and contemplate about just how intoxicating falling in love can be!


"Wide Open" by The Chemical Brothers (featuring Beck): I've never been that into The Chemical Brothers, as I'm really not much of a fan of techno music to begin with, but with Beck on their side, The Chemical Brothers seem as though they've been touched by magic. "Wide Open" is still techno enough for Chemical Brothers fans to enjoy, but it also has a sound that's more catchy and memorable than it is repetitive, and with Beck featured as the song's leading vocalist for most of it, he seems to give "Wide Open" the Midas touch and make it his own. It's the type of song that would feel equally at home in a club as it would in a bookstore. Music for your feet as well as your mind! How about that, eh?!

New songs for May 9th, 2012

here they are:


“Nothing to Hide” by Diego Garcia: Every song Diego has done is one he has poured his heart and soul into, but so far, none have done so like “Nothing to Hide”! Its sound suggests that of an orchestral version of R.E.M.’s “Man On the Moon” (and of Cowboy Junkies’ even more emotionally aching “Angel Mine”). No percussion, synthesizers or electric guitars to be found here! Just the winsome, sweeping sound of acoustic guitar and a string orchestra to support the guitar! Well, that, and Diego’s tender vocals, and tell-it-like-it-is lyrics (you can’t get more “tell it like it is” than “In my heart, I’ve got nothing to hide”, can you?!) “Nothing to Hide”’s instrumentation is stark, but its overall sound is complete nonetheless! Nothin’ like a Diego Garcia song to tug at the ol’ heartstrings, eh?!


“Oh Susannah” by Neil Young: Neil Young is heavily influenced by folk music, and this is a cover of a beloved American folk song. But don’t expect your ears to be soothed when you listen to this version of “Oh Susannah”. Neil rocks it once again here, turning what was once a gentle song with a benign enough melody to make it suitable for a children’s song into a powerful, jammin’ rock ‘n’ roll anthem!! He tweaks the lyrics a little here, too, turning the “Banjo on my knee” part into “B-A-N-J-O on my knee” (spelling out the word “banjo”, as opposed to just saying it). Perhaps not the best song if you’re a folk music “traditionalist”, but for the classic rock fans, as well as those who are looking to expand their musical vocabulary, Neil Young’s take on “Oh Susannah” is well worth the listen!!


“Trojans” by Atlas Genius: Pleasant folk-rock and funky, spacey new wave collide in the latest (and first) song to get noticed from indie-pop-sters Atlas Genius (not to be confused with fellow alt/indie-rockers Atlas Sound). In addition to having an odd sound and a weird band name, the lyrics to this song are equally cryptic (someone please explain what, “Your Trojan’s in my head” is supposed to mean!!) On the plus side, though, the song is catchy, and the rhythm is straightforward. There’s no surprise dips into what seems like a completely different song during the middle part, so it keeps pretty consistent throughout. If anyone has ever heard “Cool For Cats” by the new wave band, Squeeze, “Trojans” actually sounds a lot like that, only with acoustic guitar as the backing instrument instead of piano. A funky, disco-in-space sounding electric guitar throbs at the heart of “Trojans”, which is probably the catchiest element about this song!


“Used to Rule the World” by Bonnie Raitt: Since Bonnie’s last successful song was a cover of a Gerry Rafferty song, I was thinking that maybe this was a cover of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” under a different name (like how Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” was a cover of Moby’s “Run On” under a different name). Boy was I wrong (and I’m glad I was!) “Used to Rule the World” is a blues-y vamp, recalling the faster, grittier side of Raitt’s catalog. Many of the songs on Bonnie Raitt’s latest CD, “Slipstream”, are cover songs, but (as far as I know) this one isn’t. Once again, I think this proves that Bonnie is the best when she sticks to her own material!

No Lennon, No Cry

Interestingly, two of the entries for this week blend rock with reggae. I dunno what's up with that - maybe the ghost of Bob Marley has been haunting Bonnie Raitt and Ringo Starr!! Anyway, here they are:

"Cough Syrup" by Young the Giant: Every rock star has his/her sensitive side, and that includes recent ones like Young the Giant. "Cough Syrup" is an especially interesting ballad, musically it is almost like "Hey There Delilah" with electric guitars and drums instead of acoustic guitars. Unlike "Hey There Delilah", which is clearly a love song, "Cough Syrup" deals with tougher issues, like the bleakness that life sometimes offers and (from what I can tell), drug addiction. Never thought a band like Young the Giant, who don't exactly seem like the "softest" band in the world, could pull off such a bittersweet, affecting song like "Cough Syrup", but they do a good job at it! "Cough Syrup" also bears slight similarities to songs like Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" and Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody", which makes me want to nickname Young the Giant, "Jimmy Eats Leon"!!

"Right Down the Line" by Bonnie Raitt: After 7 years out of the limelight, Bonnie is back!! One of my fave critically acclaimed rock musicians does it again, with...a cover of a song by '70s soft rocker Gerry Rafferty?!? Hmm, wasn't expecting that! Oh, yeah, and did I mention it is also a REGGAE version of that song?!? What the?!?! Seriously?!? A bit of a weird stunt for Bonnie to pull after three years short of a decade, but she does manage to make it work here!! The trademark bluesy guitar solos are present in this song, and Bonnie makes a song that was once a relatively benign song with somewhat lukewarm emotional quality sound steamy, even sexy in comparison! One more interesting aspect to note about Bonnie's cover of Gerry Rafferty (the latter of whom, sadly, passed away in January of last year) is that she changes the word "woman" in the original to "baby".

"Wings" by Ringo Starr: Not only is this the only other song in this edition of my music blog by a musician that has been active for a little over 40 years, but it is also the only other song in this entry that blends reggae and rock together ("roggae"?!) "Wings" was originally a song that Ringo did back in 1977, and it had a bit more of a rock 'n' roll sound than this version does. However, Ringo blends the reggae beat and rock instrumentation well enough here that it becomes an enjoyable version of the original "Wings" (which, by the way, is NOT about Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band, like I originally thought it would be). Hey, at least this is better (WAY better, I think) than what the other surviving Beatle released this year!