new songs for March 2nd, 2011

here they are:

"Blue Tip" by The Cars: It's been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Over their 25 year absence from the music world, the indie scene has been filled with bands imitating The Cars sound, such as Phoenix, Hockey, and The Killers. For legendary new wave pioneers The Cars, it seems as though they have turned the tables and have imitated their imitators for their latest tune, "Blue Tip". It is a catchy mix of electric guitars and synths jamming in perfect synchronicity with each other. Don't expect the chunky guitar riffs from "Just What I Needed", "My Best Friend's Girl", etc. on "Blue Tip", though, as it really is more of an indie song than a "classic rock revival" type song. Truly a fresh song in comparison to most bands/artists who have churned out newer material that still get heavy airplay on classic rock stations! I have only three words to say to Ric Ocasek and company, "welcome back, guys!"

"L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N." by Noah and The Whale: Perhaps the catchy, clever, quirky ten-syllable title of this song oughta be changed to "R.I.P.O.F.F. of Classic Rock", as it simultaneously recalls The Steve Miller Band's "The Joker", The Kinks' "Lola", and Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here No More"! Even the TITLE recalls one of John Mellencamp's most popular songs (the chorus of "Jack And Diane", in which Mellencamp sings, "Oh yeah, LIFE GOES ON, long after the thrill of livin' is gone"). For an indie band (much less one whose material is supposedly inspired by '60s folk-rock bands), Noah and The Whale are probably going to receive as much criticism as they will praise if this is their first big "hit" (which it looks like it will be, for better or worse). Though "L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N." pretty much steals from many of the songs I liked as a teen, there is still something I like about it, perhaps most of all its funny title. It's a catchy song, too, though.

"Long Time" by Cake: This song is unique for a Cake song. Typically, their songs are either in major key, or in E minor if they choose to perform one of their songs in a minor key. "Long Time", however, is an A minor song, which gives it more of a yearning feeling than most of the "goofball rock" Cake have done. Perhaps it's not the first time Cake have shown a more sentimental side (see also "Let Me Go"), but it has a fresher feel than most of their songs. Perhaps the somewhat synthesized "bah, bah-da-bah, bah-da-bah, bah-da-bah" backing vocals also add a fun flavor to this song. The riff in the song in which the trumpet and guitar play the same (or similar?) notes sounds a little like the one in The Fixx's "Saved By Zero", but that's the only complaint I have about this song so far. It's a darn good one, I think!

New songs for Sept. 29th, 2010

here they are!

"My Time" by Minus the Bear: What can I say? Some indie bands are good at simultaneously pulling off a cool song with a cool music video to go with it!! "My Time" by Minus the Bear is one such song! The psychedelic rainbow imagery of the video tends to synch up well with the Gnarls Barkley-meets-MGMT feel of the music. "My Time" has enough of a groovy electro-pop feel in its music to land it a spot on a car commercial (it's probably already been on one, though it's hard for me to say since I don't watch much TV these days). The music video will probably become a "viral video" on YouTube if it hasn't already. To sum it all up, "My Time" is gonna go somewhere, I can just feel it!

"National Ransom" by Elvis Costello: The "other Elvis" seemed like he almost had some sort of musical bipolarity in the '00s, switching off between awesomely spiteful indie rock numbers ("No Hiding Place", "Monkey to Man") and more low-key material with equally clever lyrics (most notably "Complicated Shadows"). So what's he up to this time?! He's decided to turn his amp up once again, folks!! Though one could probably tell quite easily from the production of the song that it's not one of his late '70s songs with The Attractions, it seemed like he tried to evoke that vibe with "National Ransom", with its electric guitars going face to face with the same organs he was famous for using on songs like "Radio Radio" and "Pump It Up". As one of the many "classic rock comebacks" of 2010, Elvis continues to stand out among them!

"Precious Stone" by Pete Yorn: Yorn's uniquely grunge-y brand of indie rock gets grungier than ever in this tune! The beginning of it almost sounds like a Pearl Jam song, as does the solo (which Pete Yorn typically doesn't have in his music!) "Precious Stone" might as well BE a Pearl Jam song in all but the vocals, which are uniquely Pete Yorn. But seriously, Yorn has even managed to capture the FEEL of a typical Pearl Jam number in "Precious Stone", with its lovesick, but somewhat sullen, achingly bittersweet vibe. To me, though, Yorn and Vedder are both masters in their own right, so "Precious Stone" is still a winner for me!

"Sick of You" by Cake: And speaking of Pearl Jam...bet you never thought Cake, who made two of the most enduring songs on alt-rock radio of the '90s ("The Distance" and "Never There") would come back after 2001. But...SURPRISE!!! They did! The same fun-loving, self-consciously goofy spirit Cake had in "The Distance", "Never There", and "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" can be found once again in "Sick of You". The organs, the pseudo-surf-turned-alt-rock guitar riffs, their trademark brass section, and of course, John McCrea's wry, detached sing-speak vocals and sarcastically quirky lyrics - it's all there!! Unfortunately, the "sing-speak" vocals don't come in until the later half of the song, but other than that, no complaints! This one's clearly a winner!!