here they are:
"It Takes a Lot to Know a Man" by Damien Rice: It sure does!! Wow! Didn't think Damien had it in him to do a song that surpasses the length of "Stairway to Heaven" by about a minute and a half, but this is exactly what he does in "It Takes a Lot to Know a Man". Damien's songs are typically sad, but this one takes the melodrama of his music to a whole other level! The ending lyrics of the song are when it reaches its zenith. The phrase "What are you so afraid to lose?" becomes a mantra, and leads into what is perhaps the most intense mood I've ever heard in a Damien Rice song, as his voice and the background vocals argue with each other about their innermost insecurities.
"Most In the Summertime" by Rhett Miller (featuring Black Prairie): Just in time for the coming season, this is probably one of the most upbeat songs in both Rhett Miller's catalog and Black Prairie's. It is a mellow but catchy country-rock ditty in which the lyrics concern themselves with the simple pleasures of life. Well, perhaps other kinds of "pleasures" as well, as the chorus indicates that Rhett and Jenny (Black Prairie's lead singer) have their "clothes off, hangin' on the line". But hey, that's what summer's for, isn't it?!
"Scared" by Delta Rae: "Scared", eh?! Well, perhaps the reason why is because this song is different from Delta Rae's other material in two ways. First of all, one of the men in the group sings lead vocals, unlike Elizabeth Hopkins, who usually does so, and second of all, its sound resembles the "neo-soul" of groups like Fitz and The Tantrums more than it does the folk sound of their typical material. The "scare" factor here is really the uncertainty of whether a romance is going to work out, and the song's combination of minor key and catchy beat are enough to keep you on the edge of your seat!
"Song For Someone" by U2: After the anthemic rock vibes of "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)" and "Every Breaking Wave", U2's third single from "Songs of Innocence", "Song For Someone", has a more laid-back and poignant feel to it. Whoever "someone" is, they must have been incredibly important to U2 for them to make such a moving song in which the lyrics tug at the heartstrings as much as the music does. The chorus of the song pretty much defines it with its opening words, "If there is a light, you can always see, and if there is a world, we can always be. If there is a dark within and without, and there is a light, don't let it go out". For those who are in touch with their sensitive side, I highly recommend this song!
"The Stars Over Your House" by Bob Schneider: Ever since Bob Schneider's adult alt radio breakthrough with "40 Dogs (Like Romeo And Juliet)", a lot of his songs have had somewhat of a moody streak, albeit laden with sentimentality in most cases, with the exception of the surprisingly hard-rocking "Unpromised Land". "The Stars Over Your House" seems like a much needed feel-good song in his catalog that he had more in his early days than the later ones. The "oh-oo-woh"s and "yea-ee-yeah"s that punctuate the verses, along with the harmony of the backing vocals, and just the chipper feel of the song in general, are all aspects that make "The Stars Over Your House" the perfect equivalent of a pop chart hit for indie fans.
"True Affection" by Father John Misty: Or as I like to call it, Father John Misty...IN SPAAAACCCE!!! FJM hasn't really used synthesized instruments in his music until now, and boy, does he use them!! The beginning of the song doesn't sound that far off from what you might hear when someone is playing an arcade game! It kinda sounds like one of the trippier Radiohead songs, in particular, songs like "Lotus Flower" and "Staircase". The song basically has only one verse that's repeated twice (with the second verse having only a slight difference in lyrical content), and it doesn't veer from its A minor chord at all, which gives the song a bit of a "static" flavor. FJM, meet LSD!
"24 Frames" by Jason Isbell: Right from the beginning of the song, you can tell it's gonna be a sad one, since the opening lyrics are "This is how you make yourself vanish into nothing". Thankfully, it's not a bleak sadness, but a bittersweet one, and Jason Isbell does an excellent job of pouring his heart and soul into "24 Frames". Its sound is reminiscent of the songs from R.E.M.'s album, "Automatic for the People", and that sound is not just coincidence. It turns out that Jason's band, Drive-by Truckers, was based in Athens, Georgia, the same town R.E.M. hails from! As for the title of the song, it is taken from how many frames roll per second during a movie, which is how life itself is portrayed in "24 Frames". Jason has truly outdone himself this time!!
"Woman (Oh Mama)" by Joy Williams: One half of folk-rock duo, The Civil Wars, Joy Williams' debut solo song is basically like a Celtic version of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" in terms of how it sounds. As the title of the song implies, this is Joy's ode to the spirit of femininity. The one complaint I have about this song is that she seems to be expressing her thoughts as though she is stereotyping those who speak "broken" English, though I'm not sure if this is intentional. Each line of each verse starts with the word "woman" and is followed by a verb of some sort, which reminds me of how Cookie Monster speaks ("Me want cookie!"), or perhaps the Hulk ("Hulk smash!") Why she is choosing to speak this way, I have no idea, but I do appreciate the sentiment she has intended in the song, as well as the way it sounds.
Showing posts with label Delta Rae. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delta Rae. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
New songs for April 3rd, 2013
here they are:
"If I Loved You" by Delta Rae and Lindsey Buckingham: As was once said in the title of a Fleetwood Mac song, "Heroes Are Hard to Find". For contemporary folk-rock group, Delta Rae, the opposite is true, their hero was easy to find, and he just happened to be a Fleetwood Mac member as well! Delta Rae's second big song, "If I Loved You", lacks the Adele-meets-Odetta-ish intensity and depth of "Bottom of the River", but it is still worth listening to nonetheless. It is a much lighter affair than that, musically, and lyrically, it seems like an in-and-out-of-love song, in contrast to the hymn-gone-dark vibe of "Bottom of the River". "If I Loved You" could be easily dismissed as a light, fluffy song in Delta Rae's catalog, but I don't want to make judgments too soon on this one (after all, this is only the second song I've come to know by Delta Rae).
"If So" by Atlas Genius: It was only late spring/early summer of last year that Atlas Genius started making waves with their song, "Trojans", which was equal parts folk-rock and new wave. That being said, I'm surprised that their second major effort, "If So", is from an entirely different album of theirs that was only released about a month ago! Time sure does fly, doesn't it?! Anyway, "If So" is more a push towards new wave than folk-rock for Atlas Genius. There is not even a hint of strummed acoustic guitars in the background for "If So", but it still manages to have the catchy factor that "Trojans" did (in fact, it seems like the two songs could be in competition with each other at the moment!) With its thumping bass, high hat percussion, central synth sound, and pulsating, funky guitars, it's probably quite surprising to realize that, if you listen closely enough to the lyrics of "If So", that it's about the perks of being a nightclub "wallflower", as opposed to being nightclub superstars!
"Red Hands" by Walk Off the Earth: So, do the people behind the infamous YouTube cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" that featured five people playing one guitar (sometimes simultaneously) have what it takes to make good music of their own?! Well, honestly, I'm still trying to figure out if they do! Their first major original effort, "Red Hands", somehow manages to sound as fresh as it does generic! On one hand, the song attempts to be an alt-pop song centered around acoustic guitar, which I normally can't go wrong with, but on the other hand, both the instruments and the vocals of this song sound so studio produced that they seem like the audio equivalent of a typical fast food restaurant. The song never makes any significant deviations from its F, C, A minor, G chord progression either, which makes me wonder if Walk Off the Earth even planned this song to sound original, or if it was just a desperate attempt to win more fans than they already had. Perhaps this is one band that is better at covers than they are at originals. Not bad for a first try, though.
"Rumble And Sway" by Jamie N Commons: If you put the catchy, jazzy, retro rock of Brian Setzer, the world-weary country/blues-rock of John Hiatt, and the ghostly, haunting vibe of some of the darker Tom Waits songs, you'd probably have a good idea of how adult alt newcomer Jamie N Commons sounds! In a sultry, steamy melting pot of jazz, blues, country, and rock, Commons really knows how to make his song, "Rumble And Sway", live up to its name! It both sizzles and swivels, much like its title suggests it would! It seems like the kind of song that would probably be played during a bar scene in a movie or TV show, though it would work equally well as a fight song or an initial romance song. Some mean sax playin' on this song, too!
"Unpromised Land" by Bob Schneider: A hard rocking Bob Schneider song?! Sounds unlikely, coming from the guy who did such sentimental indie-pop songs like "40 Dogs (Like Romeo And Juliet)" and "Let the Light In". Well, it's not exactly "hard rock", but for Schneider, it's the closest he's gotten! He even swears twice in the second verse of the song, and not exactly with "light" swears either ("They can f**k right off", he angrily sings in one line - wow, Bob...just, wow!! How atypical of you!) This song, for Bob Schneider, is like what the crunchy, indie-hard-rock of "Hands Open" was for Snow Patrol. Perhaps deep down inside, though, what Bob Schneider wants is a bigger audience. An artist needs to experiment and take chances, right?! The beginning of this song sounds like it wants to be an Everclear song, but goes into more Wallflowers-ish territory with the roots-y organs added into the song later on. "Father of Mine" meets "One Headlight"?! Sounds like a weird combination at first, but it manages to work here. Also, can't go wrong with "Unpromised Land"'s '90s rock influenced sound!!
"Your Life, Your Call" by Junip: One might not expect a song from a band led by a man who was influenced by the stark, acoustic guitar based sound of musicians like Elliott Smith and Nick Drake to have a techno sound starting it off, but perhaps many aren't aware that post-punk musicians, Joy Division, are just as admired by Jose Gonzalez as Nick and Elliott are. In fact, two of Jose's best-known songs, "Heartbeats" and "Crosses", have techno connections; the former was a cover of a song by techno group, The Knife, and the latter was made into a "trip-hop" song shortly after its release. Jose even does a fine cover of Joy Division's most famous song, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (albeit with acoustic guitar only, and no electronic instruments, for his version). Anyway, Jose's love of techno and his love of folk music merge into one on his latest song with Junip, "Your Life, Your Call". Despite the clear use of synthesizers on "Your Life, Your Call", it still manages to be as soothing as most of Jose's material tends to be. Even the dry, detached manner in which he sings the chorus of the song ("It's your life, your call, stand up and enjoy your fall"), is closer to Ian Curtis than it is Nick Drake. Though I much prefer Jose's folk-ier side, his techno-pop side isn't that bad either.
"If I Loved You" by Delta Rae and Lindsey Buckingham: As was once said in the title of a Fleetwood Mac song, "Heroes Are Hard to Find". For contemporary folk-rock group, Delta Rae, the opposite is true, their hero was easy to find, and he just happened to be a Fleetwood Mac member as well! Delta Rae's second big song, "If I Loved You", lacks the Adele-meets-Odetta-ish intensity and depth of "Bottom of the River", but it is still worth listening to nonetheless. It is a much lighter affair than that, musically, and lyrically, it seems like an in-and-out-of-love song, in contrast to the hymn-gone-dark vibe of "Bottom of the River". "If I Loved You" could be easily dismissed as a light, fluffy song in Delta Rae's catalog, but I don't want to make judgments too soon on this one (after all, this is only the second song I've come to know by Delta Rae).
"If So" by Atlas Genius: It was only late spring/early summer of last year that Atlas Genius started making waves with their song, "Trojans", which was equal parts folk-rock and new wave. That being said, I'm surprised that their second major effort, "If So", is from an entirely different album of theirs that was only released about a month ago! Time sure does fly, doesn't it?! Anyway, "If So" is more a push towards new wave than folk-rock for Atlas Genius. There is not even a hint of strummed acoustic guitars in the background for "If So", but it still manages to have the catchy factor that "Trojans" did (in fact, it seems like the two songs could be in competition with each other at the moment!) With its thumping bass, high hat percussion, central synth sound, and pulsating, funky guitars, it's probably quite surprising to realize that, if you listen closely enough to the lyrics of "If So", that it's about the perks of being a nightclub "wallflower", as opposed to being nightclub superstars!
"Red Hands" by Walk Off the Earth: So, do the people behind the infamous YouTube cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" that featured five people playing one guitar (sometimes simultaneously) have what it takes to make good music of their own?! Well, honestly, I'm still trying to figure out if they do! Their first major original effort, "Red Hands", somehow manages to sound as fresh as it does generic! On one hand, the song attempts to be an alt-pop song centered around acoustic guitar, which I normally can't go wrong with, but on the other hand, both the instruments and the vocals of this song sound so studio produced that they seem like the audio equivalent of a typical fast food restaurant. The song never makes any significant deviations from its F, C, A minor, G chord progression either, which makes me wonder if Walk Off the Earth even planned this song to sound original, or if it was just a desperate attempt to win more fans than they already had. Perhaps this is one band that is better at covers than they are at originals. Not bad for a first try, though.
"Rumble And Sway" by Jamie N Commons: If you put the catchy, jazzy, retro rock of Brian Setzer, the world-weary country/blues-rock of John Hiatt, and the ghostly, haunting vibe of some of the darker Tom Waits songs, you'd probably have a good idea of how adult alt newcomer Jamie N Commons sounds! In a sultry, steamy melting pot of jazz, blues, country, and rock, Commons really knows how to make his song, "Rumble And Sway", live up to its name! It both sizzles and swivels, much like its title suggests it would! It seems like the kind of song that would probably be played during a bar scene in a movie or TV show, though it would work equally well as a fight song or an initial romance song. Some mean sax playin' on this song, too!
"Unpromised Land" by Bob Schneider: A hard rocking Bob Schneider song?! Sounds unlikely, coming from the guy who did such sentimental indie-pop songs like "40 Dogs (Like Romeo And Juliet)" and "Let the Light In". Well, it's not exactly "hard rock", but for Schneider, it's the closest he's gotten! He even swears twice in the second verse of the song, and not exactly with "light" swears either ("They can f**k right off", he angrily sings in one line - wow, Bob...just, wow!! How atypical of you!) This song, for Bob Schneider, is like what the crunchy, indie-hard-rock of "Hands Open" was for Snow Patrol. Perhaps deep down inside, though, what Bob Schneider wants is a bigger audience. An artist needs to experiment and take chances, right?! The beginning of this song sounds like it wants to be an Everclear song, but goes into more Wallflowers-ish territory with the roots-y organs added into the song later on. "Father of Mine" meets "One Headlight"?! Sounds like a weird combination at first, but it manages to work here. Also, can't go wrong with "Unpromised Land"'s '90s rock influenced sound!!
"Your Life, Your Call" by Junip: One might not expect a song from a band led by a man who was influenced by the stark, acoustic guitar based sound of musicians like Elliott Smith and Nick Drake to have a techno sound starting it off, but perhaps many aren't aware that post-punk musicians, Joy Division, are just as admired by Jose Gonzalez as Nick and Elliott are. In fact, two of Jose's best-known songs, "Heartbeats" and "Crosses", have techno connections; the former was a cover of a song by techno group, The Knife, and the latter was made into a "trip-hop" song shortly after its release. Jose even does a fine cover of Joy Division's most famous song, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (albeit with acoustic guitar only, and no electronic instruments, for his version). Anyway, Jose's love of techno and his love of folk music merge into one on his latest song with Junip, "Your Life, Your Call". Despite the clear use of synthesizers on "Your Life, Your Call", it still manages to be as soothing as most of Jose's material tends to be. Even the dry, detached manner in which he sings the chorus of the song ("It's your life, your call, stand up and enjoy your fall"), is closer to Ian Curtis than it is Nick Drake. Though I much prefer Jose's folk-ier side, his techno-pop side isn't that bad either.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
New songs for July 25th, 2012
here they are:
"Bottom of the River" by Delta Rae: Bluegrass and rock have made a charming musical "odd couple" for a couple years now, but Delta Rae's "Bottom of the River" takes the combination of genres one step further! Rather than coming off like a newer version of The Band or Buffalo Springfield like most of their peers, Delta Rae sound more like the new Leadbelly or the new Odetta! There are barely any instruments in this song, actually, aside from tambourine and a tinkling piano sound in the background. Lead vocalist Liz Hopkins bares her soul in "Bottom of the River" like a more smoky voiced, gospel inflected version of Adele, with lyrics that sound like they came from an old gospel hymn ("it's a long way down to the bottom of the river"). If "Bottom of the River" sounds like it belongs to another century when the term "rock and roll" wasn't even known, remember, it's supposed to sound that way!
"In the End" by Snow Patrol: Not to be confused with the much more aggressive (and more popular, so far) Linkin Park song of the same name, Snow Patrol's third single from "Fallen Empires", "In the End", gives off a mood that comes halfway between the chunky alt-pop of "Called Out In the Dark" and the tender balladry of "This Isn't Everything You Are", both of which are also on "Fallen Empires". "In the End" has a bit too fast a beat to truly be classified as a "ballad", but something about it still comes off as one. Perhaps this is because the fast rhythm of the song is contrasted by its reflective, earnest lyrics ("There's nothing more to life than love, is there?"), and Gary Lightbody's passionate, yearning vocal delivery. "In the End" isn't as good as the other two songs from Snow Patrol's latest album that have gotten attention, so it makes sense that it was chosen as the third single. "In the End" is still well worth the listen, though!
"Reboot the Mission" by The Wallflowers (featuring Mick Jones from The Clash): First Counting Crows gained their Neil Young-ish grit back, then Blues Traveler turned up both their amps and their sense of humor, and now...The Wallflowers get funky?!? The "softer" side of '90s rock music is really making a fresh comeback this year isn't it?! Yep, the "One Headlight" guys have traded in their typical Dylan/Petty influenced brand of neo-folk-rock for disco-inflected punk rock, a la "Rock the Casbah" and "The Magnificent Seven". And it's no wonder it sounds the way it does, since Mick Jones from The Clash helps out both vocally and instrumentally on The Wallflowers newest song, "Reboot the Mission"! Perhaps the combination might sound about as likely as John Mellencamp duetting with The Ramones, which would probably end up sounding messy and uneven, but somehow Mick Jones and Jakob Dylan have managed to make one of the catchiest songs of the summer with "Reboot the Mission"! Could a Toad the Wet Sprocket or Gin Blossoms reunion be far behind, and if so, would they change their sound as well?!?
"Tear It Up" by Delta Spirit: So, we both began and ended this time with bands with the word "Delta" in their name, though their sounds are probably on opposite ends of the musical history time scale. Actually, Delta Spirit USED to sound more roots-y and "old" than they do on "Tear It Up", which sounds more like a song with disco beats and Modest Mouse style guitars. Though I do like The Deltas' new material, I can't help but wish they would go back to the more earthy sound they started out with, instead of this new wave/disco combination they're doing now. Blondie and Talking Heads would have both beat them to such a sound many years ago. Still, "Tear It Up" is catchy, and as long as Delta Spirit continue making music with a memorable sound I'll still like what they do.
"Bottom of the River" by Delta Rae: Bluegrass and rock have made a charming musical "odd couple" for a couple years now, but Delta Rae's "Bottom of the River" takes the combination of genres one step further! Rather than coming off like a newer version of The Band or Buffalo Springfield like most of their peers, Delta Rae sound more like the new Leadbelly or the new Odetta! There are barely any instruments in this song, actually, aside from tambourine and a tinkling piano sound in the background. Lead vocalist Liz Hopkins bares her soul in "Bottom of the River" like a more smoky voiced, gospel inflected version of Adele, with lyrics that sound like they came from an old gospel hymn ("it's a long way down to the bottom of the river"). If "Bottom of the River" sounds like it belongs to another century when the term "rock and roll" wasn't even known, remember, it's supposed to sound that way!
"In the End" by Snow Patrol: Not to be confused with the much more aggressive (and more popular, so far) Linkin Park song of the same name, Snow Patrol's third single from "Fallen Empires", "In the End", gives off a mood that comes halfway between the chunky alt-pop of "Called Out In the Dark" and the tender balladry of "This Isn't Everything You Are", both of which are also on "Fallen Empires". "In the End" has a bit too fast a beat to truly be classified as a "ballad", but something about it still comes off as one. Perhaps this is because the fast rhythm of the song is contrasted by its reflective, earnest lyrics ("There's nothing more to life than love, is there?"), and Gary Lightbody's passionate, yearning vocal delivery. "In the End" isn't as good as the other two songs from Snow Patrol's latest album that have gotten attention, so it makes sense that it was chosen as the third single. "In the End" is still well worth the listen, though!
"Reboot the Mission" by The Wallflowers (featuring Mick Jones from The Clash): First Counting Crows gained their Neil Young-ish grit back, then Blues Traveler turned up both their amps and their sense of humor, and now...The Wallflowers get funky?!? The "softer" side of '90s rock music is really making a fresh comeback this year isn't it?! Yep, the "One Headlight" guys have traded in their typical Dylan/Petty influenced brand of neo-folk-rock for disco-inflected punk rock, a la "Rock the Casbah" and "The Magnificent Seven". And it's no wonder it sounds the way it does, since Mick Jones from The Clash helps out both vocally and instrumentally on The Wallflowers newest song, "Reboot the Mission"! Perhaps the combination might sound about as likely as John Mellencamp duetting with The Ramones, which would probably end up sounding messy and uneven, but somehow Mick Jones and Jakob Dylan have managed to make one of the catchiest songs of the summer with "Reboot the Mission"! Could a Toad the Wet Sprocket or Gin Blossoms reunion be far behind, and if so, would they change their sound as well?!?
"Tear It Up" by Delta Spirit: So, we both began and ended this time with bands with the word "Delta" in their name, though their sounds are probably on opposite ends of the musical history time scale. Actually, Delta Spirit USED to sound more roots-y and "old" than they do on "Tear It Up", which sounds more like a song with disco beats and Modest Mouse style guitars. Though I do like The Deltas' new material, I can't help but wish they would go back to the more earthy sound they started out with, instead of this new wave/disco combination they're doing now. Blondie and Talking Heads would have both beat them to such a sound many years ago. Still, "Tear It Up" is catchy, and as long as Delta Spirit continue making music with a memorable sound I'll still like what they do.
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