New songs for August 26th, 2020

 here they are:

"Be An Astronaut" by Declan McKenna: Be an astronaut?! Ummm...sure! Why not?! I always wanted to be one when I was little! Declan McKenna's third adult alt radio single to date actually differs significantly from his previous two in a few ways. Both the atmospheric piano-pop sound and outer space lyrical theme seems to have been inspired rock songs from the early '70s about similar topics, most notably David Bowie's "Life On Mars?" and Elton John's "Rocket Man". Piano-pop is not a sound Declan has covered before, but he seems to be doing a good job at it so far, throwing a bit of influence from Queen's Brian May during the surprise guitar solo in the middle of "Be An Astronaut." Being an astronaut seems to be the final fate of the song's character, as narrator Declan states that this character will "do that or die trying." British rock hasn't had this much grandeur or sci-fi exploration for quite a long time, so it is refreshing to hear a song like this one!

"Identical" by Phoenix: This song has been getting a lot of buzz lately around the alt and adult alt communities for a few reasons. First of all, it's Phoenix! Ever since they broke through to the mainstream with "1901" back in 2009, it seems like everything they've done since has been major news, and this is no exception! The other reason, though, is because Phoenix's latest song, "Identical", is part of the soundtrack to the Sofia Coppola directed Bill Murray dramedy film, "On the Rocks." The combo of Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray working on the same project would not sound out of place in a Wes Anderson film. Phoenix have tackled quirky '60s-ish pop before, like their cover of The Beach Boys' "Alone On Christmas Day", so a Wes Anderson style SONG could have worked here as well. However, Phoenix have opted for their usual electro-pop sound on "Identical". The lyrics of "Identical" seem to be a "word salad" of sorts, like most of Phoenix's material, so it might be worth noting that the key of this song is D major, as opposed to the usual F major and C major tunes Phoenix have done.

"Own Alone" by Bahamas: For a group (or rather, a one-man band) named for an island, Bahamas typically have a chill, tropical vibe to their music. The guitar in "Own Alone" suggests this tropical sound, but its beat is far more zippy and almost ska-like in comparison to most of Bahamas' other material. The song chorus is interestingly contradictory (perhaps on purpose), with the lyrics, "I'm on my own, but I'm not alone." This lyric lends itself to many interpretations. My best guess would be that it means that the lead singer is facing something by himself, but he still has other people to back him up on whatever his quest is, which isn't made too clear in the context of the song. What really makes this song stand out, though, is the ace guitar playing, lasting about a minute long and more complex and freewheeling than Bahamas' other material!


"Video Game" by Sufjan Stevens: Though this song starts out with synth-y music that wouldn't be out of place in an actual video game, eclectic indie-folk star, Sufjan Stevens, is merely using the term "video game" as a metaphor here. Specifically, he is viewing collective contemporary society as a "gamer" that controls his every move. He is reflecting here on how we have become a society dependent upon the approval of others, when we should really just be our own people and do our own things. Sufjan, being a Christian, uses a few Christian metaphors in this song, even starting the song with the lyrics, "I don't wanna be your personal Jesus", using a phrase popularized by synth-rock group, Depeche Mode. He also uses phrases like "believer" and "redeemer", both referring here to himself and who he wants to be in his life. Perhaps that means God is a gamer?! Sounds like a Far Side comic strip in the making to me! 

New songs for February 19th 2020

here they are:


"Beautiful Faces" by Declan McKenna: Declan McKenna's surprisingly catchy debut song, "Brazil", from 2016, got a lot of attention from alt and adult alt radio stations when it was first released. It seemed as though all Declan had to do was make a Britpop influenced earworm with slight hints of techno-pop influence, and he had himself a winner of a song! "Beautiful Faces" uses the same formula, and once again, it really seems to work in his favor! Looking through the YouTube comments section of the song's video, "Beautiful Faces" doesn't seem to have a single bad comment! "Beautiful Faces" is a bit heavier on the techno-pop influence than "Brazil" was, but other than that, Declan uses the same basic musical ingredients for this song as he did for that one...and once again, I must say, it really works in his favor!


"Who's Gonna Love Me Now?" by Cold War Kids: This song marks the first time, to my knowledge, that Cold War Kids have tried out a more blues-y rock and roll style, although not without their trademark piano as a base for it. I guess Nathan Willett got tired after awhile of being "Mr. Sensitive" because this song shows a more gutsy, raw side to the CWK catalog that they haven't really tried before. CWK are not normally a band I'd call "spicy", but in this song, they are! Wanna know what the best part is? It actually works! And it just might win them a whole new audience in the 2020's!


"Wreckless Abandon" by The Dirty Knobs: Rock and roll experienced a major loss in 2017 with the sad, unexpected passing of Tom Petty. Thankfully, he's not the only Heartbreaker who recorded a song. Heartbreakers member Benmont Tench, for instance, had a minor adult alt radio hit in 2014 with "Blonde Girl, Blue Dress". Now, it's Heartbreaker Mike Campbell's turn up at bat. His side project, The Dirty Knobs, have the roots-iest, bluesiest, and longest song in today's blog with "Wreckless Abandon"! The song's purposely misspelled title fits perfectly with what it has to offer! There is plenty of (w)reckless abandon in this song, mixing Keith Richards styled guitar licks with the Heartland rock sound of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. Wreck on...I mean rock on!!

New songs for March 30th 2016

here they are:


"Brazil" by Declan McKenna: It only figures that a man with Elvis Costello's real first name would be at least a little stylistically similar to Elvis Costello in his early days, wouldn't it?! Then again, maybe it's just coincidence. Either way, Declan McKenna's "Brazil" has an infectiously catchy faux-retro British rock sound that is rapidly becoming a fave of alt-rock fans this year. With its bright, bouncy melody, fresh guitar sound, and raspy British vocals, it's not hard to see why! Also, Declan McKenna was born on Christmas Eve during the year I was in 5th grade!! Who knew such great music could come from a 17-year-old?! I sure didn't!!


"I Don't Care About You" by Lake Street Dive: With the way that Lake Street Dive's "Call Off Your Dogs" from fall of last year sounded like a '70s disco song, I was expecting more of the same with "I Don't Care About You". However, "I Don't Care About You" has a sound that's closer to the soul inflected blues-rock of the typical Lake Street Dive song. At least during the first two or so verses of the song, it does. However, during the last verse, it starts speeding up a bit to sound more like a song from the blues-rock side of the British Invasion (think early Rolling Stones, Animals, Yardbirds, etc.), which is fitting, considering how "I Don't Care About You" sounds like it could be the title of a '60s garage rock song. The message of this song may be "I don't care about you", but I do care about listening to groovy tunes like this one!


"I Need Never Get Old" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: Nathaniel and co continue to wow the indie generation with their brand of '60s influenced R & B and rock with "I Need Never Get Old", currently their third big hit! Imagine what it would be like if Ray Charles, Janis Joplin, and The Four Tops started jamming together. Chances are, whatever you imagined probably sounds like "I Need Never Get Old". The song itself is as saucy and sassy as its titular statement! You need never get old listening to songs like this one. Stay young, my friends, stay young!!


"Pining" by Parker Millsap: Here is yet another song that sounds influenced by early R & B music, just like the previous two I've reviewed for this week. There is something that sets this one apart from most songs of this style, though. This song's central guitar is acoustic, not electric. Yet somehow, Parker Millsap still manages to inject some soulful vim and vigor into his first major breakthrough song, "Pining". What starts off as a happy folk song soon turns into a powerhouse of other instruments, such as piano and percussion, making it seem more like what a more energetic "oldie" might sound like to contemporary ears. Parker may be pining for his lost love, but he sure seems glad about something nonetheless!


"Where'd You Go?" by Boy and Bear: In fall 2015, Boy and Bear probably shocked many of their core fans by releasing the rocking, Cars-sounding "Walk the Wire", a significant departure from the folk-rock they had become known for previously. "Where'd You Go?" is a song that seems to have a folk-rock-y mood while still making prominent use of the electric guitar, particularly during the chorus. Somewhat mythical sounding imagery (i.e. "an ancient shrine that has swallowed your mind") seems to dominate the lyrical themes of this song, which is not entirely new for Boy and Bear.