Well, here goes:
"40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: One of the two "oldies-come-lately", as listed in the title of this week's review. This song seems to have been circulating on adult alt. stations since the summer of this year, but has only seen a big increase within the last week. Ed and The Zeros' song "Home" has been around since February of this year (a week before I made this blog!), and seems to have become a fave among both adult alt and "regular" alt audiences (surprisingly), probably for its nostalgic, Mamas-and-Papas-ish vibe and lush, melodic, harmonizing vocals. Their second big hit, "40 Day Dream", retains the nostalgic vibe of "Home", but uses more keyboards (the old-timey kind, not electronic), and has a slower rhythm. It seems a bit incongruous that the chorus of this song seems to lift from the exact same chords of the chorus of Journey's "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'", as Journey seem to be built on being "crowd pleasers", where Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros seem more about recreating the quirky but catchy folk-rock sound of The Mamas and The Papas and The Lovin' Spoonful. Comparisons aside, though, "40 Day Dream" is still nostalgic and catchy enough to win my heart over!
"I Want the World to Stop" by Belle and Sebastian: When hearing the term "critic's darlings", Belle and Sebastian are typically the FIRST band that come to mind! The fact alone that they were named after a British children's TV show should be a hint as to what Belle and Sebastian's music typically sounds like to those who are unfamiliar with them - very warm-and-fuzzy, childlike, nostalgic, etc. B & S also manage to put a little "zing" into their music sometimes, by making their music energetic, as opposed to just wistful, as they had done with their 2006 song, the somewhat Todd Rundgren-esque "Funny Little Frog". "I Want the World to Stop" continues in "Frog"'s footsteps, only the energy level is sped up a bit, and it has more of a mid-'70s disco feel than early '70s Todd Rundgren. The trademark muted trumpet solos that nearly every B & S song seem to have continues in "I Want the World to Stop", though, so that helps it to retain the typical B & S spirit that it might have lacked if not for that.
"Only the Young" by Brandon Flowers: If the synthesized intro in the otherwise guitar-oriented "Read My Mind" from Flowers' band The Killers were extended, it would probably sound like "Only the Young". If Flowers' previous solo effort, "Crossfire", was his attempt at a Springsteen/U2 song, then "Only the Young" seems more like an attempt to emulate Sting's mid-to-late '80s solo works. I know what some of you might be thinking, but this isn't necessarily a BAD thing! It does yield more disappointing results than "Crossfire" did (which I initially gave a somewhat harsh review to, but it grew on me the more it played). "Only the Young" at least makes an effort to TRY to sound good, though, and maybe it will grow on me eventually, too.
"Save My Love" by Bruce Springsteen: Hmmmm...this sounds like a VINTAGE Springsteen tune. That's because it IS!! It's an outtake from The Boss's 1978 masterpiece, "Darkness On the Edge of Town". It sounds like it belongs on there, too, for it's not the Van Morrison-esque jazz-rock of Bruce's first two albums, and nor is it the Phil Spector-meets-Bob Dylan epic rock of "Born to Run" (the album AND the song), but rather the tinkly but still rollicking piano-rock that is purely The Boss's own! This is a great track! My only question is, why did Springsteen stop releasing songs of this quality once "Born In the U.S.A." came around?!?
"Telephone" by Black Angels: As The Black Keys, Carney, and (to a certain extent) of Montreal's latest tunes have proven, 2010 has proven to be a year of renewed interest in '60s garage rock!! Even the name of the band, "Black Angels", was taken from a Velvet Underground tune, the violent violin-rocker "Black Angel's Death Song". The irresistibly cheesy organs of this song, and even the little-over-2-minute length of it make it seem like it could have been used by the same guys who did the "BBC" song in the credits of one of the "Austin Powers" movies! Its simplistic, repetitive rhythm, chord structure, and frustrated-by-love lyrics all convey the same vibe "Louie Louie" and "96 Tears" did many years ago! A must for fans of '60s rock!!
"Terrible Things" by April Smith and The Great Picture Show: Beginning with Lily Allen and Kate Nash, and continuing to this day in bands like Florence and The Machine, there seems to have been a trend in the late '00s/early 2010's for eclectic but sassy female alt-rock/indie musicians. The latest to jump on the bandwagon are the super-eclectic, ultra-catchy, melodic soul-inflected indie-pop of April Smith and The Great Picture Show. The eclectic qualities of this song are definitely worth discussing, as "Terrible Things" combines, reggae (in the beginning), jazz, soul, and even some subtle elements of punk into one big auditory party!! April Smith's Gwen Stefani-esque vocals tend to add to the sexiness and slinkiness that "Terrible Things" already has going for it! Within the sudden slew of songs that have come out in October 2010, this one might just be my fave so far!
"The Cave" by Mumford and Sons: Just like the first song reviewed this song, this last one is also an "oldie-come-lately". It's been receiving airplay on adult alt. stations since summer of this year, yet it's only been within the past 2 or so weeks that stations besides Sirius XM's Spectrum have started adding it in regular rotation. Even among bands already classified as "indie", Mumford and Sons have a special quality to each of their songs, which typically feature an old Celtic folk sound, a dobro (think a cross between a mandolin and a banjo), and almost Crosby-Stills-and-Nash-ish vocal harmonies. I've known about these guys since Sirius XM first featured "White Blank Page" back in January of this year, and since their now smash hit, "Little Lion Man", had made an epic journey across many adult alt and "regular" alt stations. The Celtic folk/dobro/harmony factor is present in pretty much every Mumford and Sons song, yet what sets apart "The Cave" from the rest of their material is the muted trumpet solo at the end of the song! It's my favorite part of the whole thing!! Though each of their songs seems to take on a similar rhythmic pattern, the chord structures are not usually the same, so "The Cave" is also memorable for that factor as well. If you haven't heard these guys, PLEASE do!! I initially thought they were an Irish group (only to find out from various sources that they're actually from England), but their influences almost CERTAINLY seem to be rooted in Irish folk - another reason I like them SO much - I'm Irish, too, in my heritage.
Showing posts with label Brandon Flowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brandon Flowers. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
new songs for June 23rd, 2010
four of 'em - Enjoy!
"Compliments" by Band of Horses: Though "Laredo" is still a hot item on the Adult Alt. charts, "Compliments", the second single off of BOH's "Infinite Arms" is rapidly getting attention on adult alt. stations as well. Longtime fans of BOH will probably take more of a liking to this song than "Laredo" since it goes more for a '60s pop/rock sound (a la The Beatles' "Getting Better" and Three Dog Night's "One", at least rhythmically) than "Laredo"'s John Fogerty/Neil Young-ish vibe. Lyrically, I can't tell whether it is supposed to be sincere or tongue-in-cheek, especially during the somewhat ambiguously worded lyrics in the chorus ("If there's a God up there/Someone looking over everyone, at least you've got someone to fall back on"). Apparently, many of BOH's most loyal fans seem to have taken both the lyrics and the song itself to be a vain attempt for the band to garner more radio airplay than they've previously had, though personally, I think "Laredo" already took care of that. I still wouldn't call BOH "sellouts", though. They still have good music, it's just going in a slightly different direction at the moment.
"Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers: Of all the "indie" bands out there, Brandon Flowers' band, The Killers (who aren't always viewed as "indie" due to their popularity among listeners of more "mainstream" modern rock stations), is probably the one that is most influenced by that crop of bands who tend to overlap the boundaries of musical time by being played on both classic rock and alternative rock stations (i.e. The Police, U2, The Pretenders, etc.) Flowers seems to have only gotten MORE intent on displaying these influences with each new record he makes. It's not as though this is a bad thing, necessarily (as I much prefer the U2-ish "Read My Mind" to the more Depeche Mode-ish sounds of "Somebody Told Me"), but in "Crossfire", it seems like he's trying a bit TOO hard to emulate the U2 sound. He also seems to employ the use of pseudo-philosophical lyrics whenever possible (like the chorus's "lay your body down"), in what seems like a desperate, almost fanboy-ish effort to please Bono and maybe Bruce Springsteen as well. In spite of how harsh this review might sound, though, I must admit that I LIKE this song! Flowers might not rank so high on originality in "Crossfire", but he gets an A for effort, catchiness, and accessibility.
"If You Let Me" by JP, Chrissie, and The Fairground Boys: During The Pretenders' reign of popularity, Chrissie Hynde was almost like a female Neil Young in her ways of alternating between heartfelt, bittersweet songs like "Kid", "Talk of the Town", and "2000 Miles" and tough, unapologetic rockers like "Tattooed Love Boys", "Mystery Achievement", and "Middle of the Road". These days, Chrissie seems to want to go more in between the two moods. In her latest effort, "If You Let Me", she pulls off a distinctly classic rock vibe a la The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, just as she pulled off a decent Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley in her 2008 songs, "Boots of Chinese Plastic" and "Break Up the Concrete" with The Pretenders. While "If You Let Me" lacks the in-your-face vibe of her nearly punk-ish early days in The Pretenders, it is certainly no "Kid", "Talk of the Town", or "2000 Miles" either! It is clearly a rock and roll song, from beginning to end, complete with a catchy, memorable guitar riff. Welcome aboard the S.S. Classic Rock Renaissance of 2010, Chrissie!
"Stranger Here" by Cowboy Junkies: In spite of their name, Cowboy Junkies are not called "Cowboy Junkies" because of their love for country music. It was basically just a random name they came up with, supposedly (see also The Grateful Dead, R.E.M., and Indigo Girls, each of whom got their names by flipping through a dictionary). However, Cowboy Junkies are basically a country-rock band masquerading as an alt/indie band. Even on their debut album, they covered a Hank Williams tune, as well as a Patsy Cline song. Their latest song, "Stranger Here", is also pretty country-rock influenced, but with the past 5 or so years of adult alt. radio being dominated by indie groups, it seems as though the sound of this song is probably more commonplace than it would've been during their debut in 1988. Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, in particular (and perhaps the whole band) would probably appreciate a song like this, since she knows from the blatantly country-rock sound of "Carpetbaggers" (which she did with Elvis Costello) what it's like to be an indie/alt act with country influences. Personally, I would have preferred Cowboy Junkies to release something more along the lines of their bittersweet, lushly orchestrated 2007 song "Brand New World", but "Stranger Here" is still a good song nonetheless.
"Compliments" by Band of Horses: Though "Laredo" is still a hot item on the Adult Alt. charts, "Compliments", the second single off of BOH's "Infinite Arms" is rapidly getting attention on adult alt. stations as well. Longtime fans of BOH will probably take more of a liking to this song than "Laredo" since it goes more for a '60s pop/rock sound (a la The Beatles' "Getting Better" and Three Dog Night's "One", at least rhythmically) than "Laredo"'s John Fogerty/Neil Young-ish vibe. Lyrically, I can't tell whether it is supposed to be sincere or tongue-in-cheek, especially during the somewhat ambiguously worded lyrics in the chorus ("If there's a God up there/Someone looking over everyone, at least you've got someone to fall back on"). Apparently, many of BOH's most loyal fans seem to have taken both the lyrics and the song itself to be a vain attempt for the band to garner more radio airplay than they've previously had, though personally, I think "Laredo" already took care of that. I still wouldn't call BOH "sellouts", though. They still have good music, it's just going in a slightly different direction at the moment.
"Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers: Of all the "indie" bands out there, Brandon Flowers' band, The Killers (who aren't always viewed as "indie" due to their popularity among listeners of more "mainstream" modern rock stations), is probably the one that is most influenced by that crop of bands who tend to overlap the boundaries of musical time by being played on both classic rock and alternative rock stations (i.e. The Police, U2, The Pretenders, etc.) Flowers seems to have only gotten MORE intent on displaying these influences with each new record he makes. It's not as though this is a bad thing, necessarily (as I much prefer the U2-ish "Read My Mind" to the more Depeche Mode-ish sounds of "Somebody Told Me"), but in "Crossfire", it seems like he's trying a bit TOO hard to emulate the U2 sound. He also seems to employ the use of pseudo-philosophical lyrics whenever possible (like the chorus's "lay your body down"), in what seems like a desperate, almost fanboy-ish effort to please Bono and maybe Bruce Springsteen as well. In spite of how harsh this review might sound, though, I must admit that I LIKE this song! Flowers might not rank so high on originality in "Crossfire", but he gets an A for effort, catchiness, and accessibility.
"If You Let Me" by JP, Chrissie, and The Fairground Boys: During The Pretenders' reign of popularity, Chrissie Hynde was almost like a female Neil Young in her ways of alternating between heartfelt, bittersweet songs like "Kid", "Talk of the Town", and "2000 Miles" and tough, unapologetic rockers like "Tattooed Love Boys", "Mystery Achievement", and "Middle of the Road". These days, Chrissie seems to want to go more in between the two moods. In her latest effort, "If You Let Me", she pulls off a distinctly classic rock vibe a la The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, just as she pulled off a decent Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley in her 2008 songs, "Boots of Chinese Plastic" and "Break Up the Concrete" with The Pretenders. While "If You Let Me" lacks the in-your-face vibe of her nearly punk-ish early days in The Pretenders, it is certainly no "Kid", "Talk of the Town", or "2000 Miles" either! It is clearly a rock and roll song, from beginning to end, complete with a catchy, memorable guitar riff. Welcome aboard the S.S. Classic Rock Renaissance of 2010, Chrissie!
"Stranger Here" by Cowboy Junkies: In spite of their name, Cowboy Junkies are not called "Cowboy Junkies" because of their love for country music. It was basically just a random name they came up with, supposedly (see also The Grateful Dead, R.E.M., and Indigo Girls, each of whom got their names by flipping through a dictionary). However, Cowboy Junkies are basically a country-rock band masquerading as an alt/indie band. Even on their debut album, they covered a Hank Williams tune, as well as a Patsy Cline song. Their latest song, "Stranger Here", is also pretty country-rock influenced, but with the past 5 or so years of adult alt. radio being dominated by indie groups, it seems as though the sound of this song is probably more commonplace than it would've been during their debut in 1988. Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, in particular (and perhaps the whole band) would probably appreciate a song like this, since she knows from the blatantly country-rock sound of "Carpetbaggers" (which she did with Elvis Costello) what it's like to be an indie/alt act with country influences. Personally, I would have preferred Cowboy Junkies to release something more along the lines of their bittersweet, lushly orchestrated 2007 song "Brand New World", but "Stranger Here" is still a good song nonetheless.
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