New songs for July 27th, 2022

 here they are:

"A.M. Radio" by The Lumineers: The Lumineers' latest song is a bittersweet folk-rock tune, like most of their material is. What separates "A.M. Radio" from their other tunes, however, is its lyrics. The lyrics of the song center around how you can't avoid your life's purpose no matter how far you try to wander away from it. The song evokes a feeling of nostalgia as well, as can be inferred from the title. (I mean who really listens to A.M. radio anymore, or any commercial radio, for that matter?) This is one of those songs that's just meant to give a feeling of comfort to its listeners.

"I'm Just a Clown" by Charley Crockett: I'm just a clown, yes I'm only a clown, and I'm sittin' here on...oh wait, wrong song! "Schoolhouse Rock" references aside, "I'm Just a Clown" is a good song, and one that will sit well with people who have coulrophobia (fear of clowns). The word "clown" in the context of the song simply means "foolish person," not someone with white makeup and colorful, goofy hair who entertains children at birthday parties. As for the song itself, there's also a story to tell there, since it combines country music with soul music, a rare but intriguing trend from the past few years that musicians like Sturgill Simpson have brought to the limelight. If the name "Crockett" sounds familiar, Charley is actually a distant relative of Davy Crockett - yes, THAT Davy Crockett. You know, "King of the Wild Frontier"? 

"The Otter" by Caamp: Folk-rock is a common feature of Caamp's music, but their latest song, "The Otter," sounds a bit more like their take on Mumford/Lumineers-styled songs than it is like the more roots-y sound they typically go for. The song is a love ballad, and its instrumentation seems to have everything that was common to the "neo-folk" boom of the early 2010's: rhythm punctuated by handclaps and snaps, a good mix of acoustic guitar and banjo, sweet harmony vocals, and unconventional guitar tuning (The last of these features seemed specifically common to Mumford and Sons songs, though. Most Lumineers songs use more conventional tuning). It also seems more pop-y than what Caamp typically go for, but by no means is this a bad thing. It could help them gain a wider audience!

"These Are the Days" by Inhaler: Inhaler's "Cheer Up Baby" was one of the catchiest songs to dominate the alt and adult alt airwaves of 2022! It seemed to cement Inhaler as the Irish answer to Scotland's Franz Ferdinand, composed almost entirely of riffs instead of chords except in the middle. Inhaler's latest song, "These Are the Days," seems pretty riff-heavy as well, but instead of relying on the angular pop/rock take on post-punk that Franz Ferdinand were known for, "These Are the Days" sounds a bit more like actual Irish rock, with more than a few nods to U2 in terms of its anthemic yet still warm and melodic sound. In contrast to the more subversive vibe "Cheer Up Baby" had, "These Are the Days" seems more sincere and hopeful than its predecessor. 

New songs for the day before St. Patrick's Day

 here they are:


"Believe" by Caamp: The already mellow neo-folk-rock group, Caamp, are at their mellowest yet with their latest song, "Believe." The song is a song of reassurance. Although the subject of the song is addressed as "baby," it's really meant to be a song for any listener who feels down on their luck and needs some uplifting words to make their day. Sometimes that's just what we need!

"My Love" by Florence and The Machine: Flo and her magic Machine have been all about stretching the boundaries of what a musical genre can sound like during an era where music seemed to sound more and more the same with each passing year. With "My Love," FATM continue to mix different genres into one and still make it sound catchy. The first 30 seconds sounds like a choir rehearsing, and then we're hit with a pop beat and Flo's unmistakable vocals immediately after. The lyrics of the song are mournful, contrasting with the song's memorably upbeat sound, and there's a reason for this. Flo apparently wanted the song to be slow and sad, but when she tried it out as a dance-pop tune with Baroque influences, it worked perfectly!

"Warning Signs" by Band of Horses: I like all of BOH's material, but my faves of theirs are when they show off their more sentimental side (especially "No One's Gonna Love You," which introduced me to their material). Their latest song, "Warning Signs," is in that vein, but this is more than just a pretty song. It's also a sad one, inspired by lead singer Ben Birdwell's unfortunate temporary vocal chord loss during a tour that BOH had in Australia. He had been so overworked during that tour that he broke down crying, which ultimately resulted in him losing his voice during the tour. This is why the song opens with lyrics about seeing a registered nurse and trying to hold back tears. The song's already emotionally driven sound becomes even more so once you realize the story behind it!

"Wild Child" by The Black Keys: Blues-rock and garage rock are already a part of most Black Keys songs, but funk is not exactly a common element in their material. Until now, that is. Their latest song, "Wild Child," opens with a "chicken scratch" guitar sound common in funk music, and its rhythm suggests funk-rock more than it does blues or garage rock, too. The song even has a string section in the background that wouldn't sound out of place in an actual 1970's soul song. The Keys have still maintained their garage and blues-rock roots, though, with a sharp guitar solo that owes much to classic rock guitarists. 

New songs for October 7th, 2020

 here they are:


"Leave Virginia Alone" by Tom Petty: Rock legend Tom Petty left us three years ago, sadly, and his latest, "Leave Virginia Alone", was actually a song that was supposed to be on his 1994 album, "Wildflowers." Petty felt that the song sounded too similar to another he was already doing at the time, giving it away to Rod Stewart in the process of making this decision. Now, almost 25 years later, we finally get to hear "Leave Virginia Alone" the way it was meant to be heard. Not surprisingly, the song sounds very Petty-esque, and it probably wouldn't sound out of place as a Traveling Wilburys song either. "Virginia," in this case, is the name of a woman, and not the name of the state. The titular Virginia appears to be a sex, drugs, and rock & roll fiend on the fringes of society. Why does Petty want people to leave her alone? According to the lyrics, it's because "she's not like you and me." In other words, she's basically a societal rebel that doesn't want people to mess with her.

"Let Down" by Michigander: Michigander, who are, in fact, from Michigan, debuted late last year with the indie-folk-rock tune, "Misery," which was really anything but miserable. Similarly, "Let Down" is anything but a let down. The song has a bit more of a rock oriented sound that separates it from the band's previous single. It has a very mid-2000's indie-pop feel to it, as if The Killers were covering Arcade Fire's "Rebellion (Lies)." It combines the flashy, electric guitar dynamics of the former with the charging, B-flat piano of the latter. Perhaps the reason that "Let Down" sounds uplifting as opposed to melancholic is because lead singer, Jason Singer (yes, that's his actual name), says that song reflects on his tendencies to have big aspirations (only to have them torn down afterwards). He seems to be trying to offer his audience hope amidst a dismal time, like many singers and performers have done lately.


"Officer of Love" by Caamp: Ohio indie-folk quartet, Caamp, have had two hits on the adult alt charts so far with the energetic bluegrass influenced rocker, "Peach Fuzz" and the more purely bluegrass sound of "By And By." Their third Triple A single, "Officer of Love", appears to combine the two sounds, not unlike what groups like Buffalo Springfield and The Flying Burrito Brothers were doing decades ago. The song is basically a love song, but with somewhat quirky lyrics. The chorus of the song claims that its subject is an "officer of love" and that the lead singer will "obey her every word." Not every day that you hear references to law enforcement in a love song, is it?! The quaint charm of this song's sound combined with its outlandish lyrics seems to make it work somehow. 

A very special day: 10th Blog-i-versary AND my mom's 64th birthday!!

Can you believe it?! I've been doing this blog for 10 years now!! And it's my mom's birthday!! So what are we gonna do to celebrate?! Review 9 brand new songs, that's what! The first three, coincidentally, begin with the letter B...as in "birthday" (and "blog-i-versary"). So here goes:


"Back to Me" by Grace Potter (featuring Lucius): This song combines the humble country-rock sound Grace Potter started with with the more slinky, sexy sound she cultivated later on. As soon as indie-pop/rockers, Lucius, drop in during the chorus, the song turns a bit more soulful. Grace really flaunts the temptation factor on this song! She fools the listener into thinking she's in love with someone, only for them to find out that Grace is actually trying to break up with that same person. If you're looking for love, don't look to this song for answers. But if you're looking for a sensual auditory experience with deceptive lyrics, you've come to the right place!


"Be Afraid" by Jason Isbell: A sense of urgency has probably come over you just reading the title of this song. If so, you'd be right to feel that way! That desperate feeling churns out right from the beginning of this song, which has a sort of "R.E.M. goes Southern rock" kind of sound. Isbell has fought against politics with his music for quite awhile now, and he shows no signs of letting up just yet with his latest song, "Be Afraid". The fear in this song seems to come from all sorts of topics, ranging from political to sexual, and even in fears surrounding the state of being a musician in and of itself! "Be afraid, be very afraid", Isbell urges his listeners, before adding in, "but do it anyway". It's time for us to face our fears. In spite of the title of this song, Jason Isbell is clearly anything BUT afraid here!


"By And By" by Caamp: Caamp's surprise summer smash, "Peach Fuzz", which was popular enough to make my Top 20 of 2019, was a pleasantly quirky song that was a rock song on the surface, but a bluegrass song underneath. "By And By" has more of a pure bluegrass sound than its predecessor, enough to be mistaken for a band like Trampled by Turtles. No electric guitars to be found here, just sweet, mellow, banjo driven bluegrass. The opening lyrics, "driving through West Virginia", even give it a "lonesome traveler on the highway" kind of feel. During the chorus of the song, Caamp's lead singer muses about his girlfriend and wonders if she's a "life force". Not exactly sure what that entails, but "By And By" is still an easy, breezy song to listen to.


"Dissolve" by Absofacto: Every once in awhile, we come across songs that immediately get associated with commercial products. Absofacto's "Dissolve" is one such case. It has actually been in existence for two years now, but it has received massive attention within the past two weeks for being used on advertisement for video sharing platform, Tik Tok. Apps like Tik Tok are a bit sketchy to me, but it's not that surprising that a song like "Dissolve" has been used to promote Tik Tok. The song is sleek and trendy, combining elements of hip-hop and electronica into a smooth yet fashionable flavor.


"Forever Nevermore" by Sea Wolf: Probably one of the few bands I've blogged about and met members of in person, Sea Wolf are an L.A. band who deftly mixes folk guitars with a post-punk atmosphere. Their latest song, "Forever Nevermore", seems to be about not knowing what to want in a relationship. The title, "Forever Nevermore", is a clever way of expressing this, juxtaposing the idealism of "forever" and the pessimism of "never". The opening lyrics, "Stepped out, cool dirt under feet/And the fog in the air and the crack of the snare bittersweet", give the song a hazy, wintry aura to set the mood for the rest of the song. An icy song on the outside, but with a warm heart underneath it all.


"Honeybee" by The Head and The Heart: The third song to become a single from The Head and The Heart's latest album, "Honeybee" is a song that continues on the more-pop-than-rock indie slant that The Head and The Heart have taken on roughly since the mid 2010's. However, what makes this song special is what band member Charity Rose Thielen, who sings harmony on this track, thinks of it. Her comment is the first one on the "visualizer" video for "Honeybee" on YouTube, and it states that the song is about taking those you trust the most for granted, and therefore holding back on telling them how you really feel until it's too late. The title of the song, "Honeybee", as you could probably imagine, is not much more than a cutesy nickname in the context of the song, but the song itself has a very delicate, fragile meaning that urges you to look beyond the surface of it.


"I Wanna Be the One" by Pete Yorn: Pete's 2019 adult alt radio hit, "Calm Down", hearkened back so much to the "old" Pete Yorn sound that I instantly fell in love with. His second single from his 2019 album, the song "I Wanna Be the One", doesn't quite have the same vibe. In some parts, it sounds like it wants to be atmospheric like a Smiths or Cure song, yet in other parts it sounds more like a folk-rock-y Pete Yorn song. The song is obviously a love song if its title is anything to go by. It's a sweet song, but it's missing that Pete Yorn magic that I crave every time I hear one of his songs.


"Need Your Love" by Tennis: Known for blending Brill Building "girl group" influenced sounds with post-psychedelic pop topped with the honey-sweet harmonic vocals of Alaina Moore, Tennis are an indie-pop band who pretty much always sound "retro". Their latest song, "Need Your Love", is no exception to this. What distinguishes "Need Your Love" from their other songs, however, is how the rhythm of the song becomes slower during the chorus than it is during the verses. Just when you get caught up in the catchy beat of the verses, the song slows down enough to make you feel less elevated than when you started listening to it, which begs the question: Do Tennis really "Need Our Love", or are they just playing with our hearts?!


"Shangri-La" by EOB (Ed O'Brien from Radiohead): Radiohead's Thom Yorke has gone solo a few times, and we got pretty much what we expected out of him: jaded yet pretty slices of music that melded post-punk with post-psychedelia. So what does Radiohead's guitarist, Ed O'Brien, have to offer us? The result is in his debut solo song, "Shangri-La", a song that manages to be even weirder than Thom Yorke's music, albeit in an intriguing manner. Where Thom highlights what make Radiohead such a great "alternative" band, Ed highlights the more prog-rock influenced side of the band that really shone during songs like "Paranoid Android". Pink Floyd, U2, Beck, and Nine Inch Nails are all accurate comparisons for this truly unique, hypnotic song!

New songs for August 7th 2019

here they are:


"Baptise Me" by Robert Randolph and The Family Band: Not to be confused with "Baptize Me" from the "Book of Mormon" musical, there is something rather spiritual about the latest song from blues-rocker, Robert Randolph. Unlike BOM's "Baptize Me", "Baptise Me" doesn't contain any sexual metaphors. Instead, it's a sincere plea from Robert Randolph to be made into someone who is more closely anointed with God. This song does exactly what it aims to do. It uplifts the spirits, regardless of one's personal worldview. It has often been said that rock and roll was rooted from the blues. Robert Randolph brings the two genres into holy matrimony here, full stop!


"Can I Go On?" by Sleater-Kinney: This song is probably a bit more pop than what Sleater-Kinney's fans are used to. That is, until Annie Clark (St. Vincent)'s guitar kicks in and gives what seems to be an upbeat, pleasant pop song more of an edge. The lyrics are pure Sleater-Kinney, though, as cutting and gritty as ever. One thing that is noticeably different about the lyrics of "Can I Go On?" is how its target is not a person(s), but a machine. A group of machines, to be more precise, that are closing off the way we used to communicate with one another. Thankfully, music still remains our greatest tool of communication, as illustrated in this song!


"Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile" by The New Pornographers: At 7 words long, this sounds more like the title of a Panic! At the Disco song than it does a New Pornographers song title! Its sound, however, is pure New Pornographers, particularly during the chorus of the song. It hearkens back to the power pop sound most NP's albums have, which was lacking in their previous post-punk/new wave influenced album, "Whiteout Conditions". The lyrics don't seem to mean much of anything, but this seems pretty typical of a band whose other song titles include such oddities as "Sing Me Spanish Techno" and "Brill Bruisers" (not to mention A.C. Newman's solo adult alt radio hit, "Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns"). Like an indie-rock Fleetwood Mac, the male and female vocals of A.C. Newman and Neko Case, respectively, harmonize well with one another on this song and both play important roles in it. Neko shines particularly brightly during the song's chorus.


"Hold You Down" by X Ambassadors: X Ambassadors debut album from 2015 was marked by the energetic, catchy, "Renegades" being followed by the more bittersweet "Unsteady". It seems the band has taken a similar course for the first two singles they've released for 2019. X Ambassadors had a surprisingly rocking, super catchy smash hit with "Boom" in spring of this year, and now they've decided to mellow out a bit and show their more sensitive side with "Hold You Down". While it doesn't tug at the heartstrings near as heavily as "Unsteady" did, "Hold You Down" is still a sweet, romantic tune with a chorus that reassures the lead singer's love interest that "when there's no one left to hold (her)" he will still "hold (her) down". A nice song to listen to on a romantic beach trip once the sun starts to set!


"Peach Fuzz" by Caamp: The band's weird name (probably pronounced like "camp") is as unique as its sound. Well, maybe not THAT unique, but it's certainly a neat combo of sounds! It wouldn't be out of place to describe their debut song, "Peach Fuzz", as being like The Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" mixed with Ray LaMontagne's "Supernova". Caamp's lead singer even seems to have Ray LaMontagne's husky vocals! "Peach Fuzz" is a love song, though a bit of an odd one, in which the lead singer describes himself as a "peach fuzz boy". Uhhh...what?!


"Summer Girl" by Haim: Interesting that both this song and the previous one have brought about Lou Reed comparisons. This one bears resemblance to Lou's biggest chart hit, "Walk On the Wild Side". It contains a similar bass line and a similar sax riff as well. After hearing the sunny, Fleetwood Mac-ish pop/rock of "The Wire" and the more plaintive indie-folk-pop of "Want You Back", it's a welcome change of pace to hear the all-sister trio, Haim, take on something more jazzy and soulful. Between the upbeat vibes of the song and a video that ends with the three girls revealing how they look in bathing suit tops (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjuA_o6Jzyo), you would think this song would be celebratory, when in fact it really isn't. "I'm your summer girl" is not just a mere declaration of romance from lead singer Danielle Haim, but words of reassurance that she would tell her producer, to whom she was and is romantically linked, during a time when he was suffering from cancer. This is proof of just how powerful music can be!



"Supply And Demand" by Wilder Woods: I was never a fan of William Stanley "Bear" Rinehart's band, Needtobreathe, who combined the sweeter yet blander side of '00s folk-pop with Christian rock lyrical themes. However, Bear has redeemed himself with his side project, Wilder Woods, and their surprisingly soulful song, "Supply And Demand". The song sounds so much like an early '70s soul song that I would have never guessed that a white South Carolinian man from a post-millennial band did this song! Even the lyrics of this song, revolving around passionate and soul-baring love making, seem like they wouldn't be out of place in a band like The Delfonics, The Stylistics, or The Chi-Lites. This is a great song to get your groove on with!