here they are:
"Don't Ever Let 'Em" by Fitz and The Tantrums: Within a decade's time, Fitz and The Tantrums have gone from being Motown wannabes to being...well...just another indie-pop band. The song's message of positivity seems a little bland too, but that's not a bad thing. The song only lasts a little over two and a half minutes, but it seems to suit the song well. One of the few songs from FATT's catalog that doesn't have a fast, catchy beat. Instead, this one has a slow, catchy beat. Still a nice song to mellow out to, though.
"Hello Sunshine" by Bruce Springsteen: The title of The Boss's much anticipated latest song might be happy, but "Hello Sunshine" is actually a very sad song. The title is actually a plea from Springsteen for good times to get him through what is currently a rather depressing time in his life. A few years ago, Bruce opened up and told people he was battling depression and had been for a long time. "Hello Sunshine" is the result of this. A beautifully orchestrated, bittersweet song whose roots are more Johnny Cash than they are "Johnny B Goode", "Hello Sunshine" bares its emotions for all to see during a time when sadness seems to have hit a lot of us pretty hard.
Showing posts with label Fitz and The Tantrums. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fitz and The Tantrums. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
New songs for April 6th, 2016
here they are:
"Can't Let You Do It" by Eric Clapton: In recent years (roughly since this blog started up, actually) Eric Clapton has been successful at escaping soppy love ballads like "Wonderful Tonight" and returning back to his blues-y roots. The guitar legend's latest tune, "Can't Let You Do It", is yet another of his blues-rock songs. It has rockin' riffs and a funky backbeat to boot! In some respects, it almost sounds like a more rock-oriented version of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", as both songs share a similar rhythmic pattern and are also both in the key of E.
"Handclap" by Fitz and The Tantrums: How did Fitz and The Tantrums go from Motown revivalists to alt-pop chart-toppers?! That may be a question that nobody knows the answer to! What I do know, however, is that FATT's latest song, "Handclap", does have one thing in common with pretty much all the songs in their catalog. It's catchy! The title alone seems to indicate this, but once you get into the song and hear the chorus, which contains both actual hand clapping and the words "I can make your hands clap", you probably won't be able to get it out of your head (or out of your feet!) This song, to quote another recent hit song, is "all about that bass". The actual bass, that is. The thumping of the bass pretty much defines this song, a song which could be said to be the missing link between Gorillaz and Gwen Stefani.
"Trailer" by Mudcrutch: Tom Petty's old backing group before The Heartbreakers, in case you were wondering who Mudcrutch was. In spite of this, Mudcrutch never had a successful album until 2008, spawning two adult alt radio hits with "Scare Easy" and a cover of The Byrds' "Lover of the Bayou". Why it's taken them 8 years to record a followup album is anyone's guess, but better late than never. If Mudcrutch had any songs under their belt before their albums got released that sounded simliar to their known material, it could be the reason behind why some of Petty's biggest hits, such as "American Girl" and "The Waiting", have a bit of a Byrds-y sound, as a lot of Mudcrutch's songs sound combines the jangle of The Byrds' material with the more ragged, roots-y sound of Neil Young. "Trailer" is pretty much more of the same from Mudcrutch, more roots and more jangle. It is perhaps worth noting, though, that this song is also full of harmonica solos, which weren't heard in "Scare Easy" or "Lover of the Bayou".
"Can't Let You Do It" by Eric Clapton: In recent years (roughly since this blog started up, actually) Eric Clapton has been successful at escaping soppy love ballads like "Wonderful Tonight" and returning back to his blues-y roots. The guitar legend's latest tune, "Can't Let You Do It", is yet another of his blues-rock songs. It has rockin' riffs and a funky backbeat to boot! In some respects, it almost sounds like a more rock-oriented version of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", as both songs share a similar rhythmic pattern and are also both in the key of E.
"Handclap" by Fitz and The Tantrums: How did Fitz and The Tantrums go from Motown revivalists to alt-pop chart-toppers?! That may be a question that nobody knows the answer to! What I do know, however, is that FATT's latest song, "Handclap", does have one thing in common with pretty much all the songs in their catalog. It's catchy! The title alone seems to indicate this, but once you get into the song and hear the chorus, which contains both actual hand clapping and the words "I can make your hands clap", you probably won't be able to get it out of your head (or out of your feet!) This song, to quote another recent hit song, is "all about that bass". The actual bass, that is. The thumping of the bass pretty much defines this song, a song which could be said to be the missing link between Gorillaz and Gwen Stefani.
"Trailer" by Mudcrutch: Tom Petty's old backing group before The Heartbreakers, in case you were wondering who Mudcrutch was. In spite of this, Mudcrutch never had a successful album until 2008, spawning two adult alt radio hits with "Scare Easy" and a cover of The Byrds' "Lover of the Bayou". Why it's taken them 8 years to record a followup album is anyone's guess, but better late than never. If Mudcrutch had any songs under their belt before their albums got released that sounded simliar to their known material, it could be the reason behind why some of Petty's biggest hits, such as "American Girl" and "The Waiting", have a bit of a Byrds-y sound, as a lot of Mudcrutch's songs sound combines the jangle of The Byrds' material with the more ragged, roots-y sound of Neil Young. "Trailer" is pretty much more of the same from Mudcrutch, more roots and more jangle. It is perhaps worth noting, though, that this song is also full of harmonica solos, which weren't heard in "Scare Easy" or "Lover of the Bayou".
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
New songs for September 3rd, 2014
here they are:
"Fools' Gold" by Fitz and The Tantrums: No foolin'! This song somehow sounds old and new at the same time! Those "Be My Baby"-style hand claps at the beginning and its initial vintage R & B style keyboard sound make it sound like a song from the '60s, yet as the hand claps fade away and the synthesizer changes from authentic soul to more artificial new wave, it doesn't sound that different from your typical Top 40 hit. I honestly have mixed feelings about this song (and their sophomore record overall, really). Fitz and The Tantrums' shift in sound from Motown revival for their debut to more straight up alt-pop for their follow-up isn't entirely a bad thing, as it has resulted in the infectiously catchy whistling of "The Walker", the equally infectiously catchy beats of "Out of My League", and even the soul-meets-new-wave sound of "6am". Four singles from one album is an impressive feat to brag about in this day and age, but FATT were fools to make "Fools' Gold" sound as spruced up for Top 40 radio as they did. This song will probably grow on me later on, though, as many of their songs have.
"Half the City" by St. Paul and The Broken Bones: And here is yet another band who started off being a "soul revival" band. Thankfully, St. Paul and the Broken Bones have only had one album so far, so I'm hoping they continue to stick with their sound, because I like what I've heard from them so far! For their latest song, "Half the City", they mix Al Green influenced vocals and rhythm with crunchy, blues-y guitars that wouldn't sound too out of place in one of the more soulful songs in The Rolling Stones' catalog. In contrast with Fitz and The Tantrums' image as a "neo-soul" band fading away, St. Paul and The Broken Bones seem like the type of group that will probably slather on even more old school soul influences if they come out with another album. Tell me you don't detect hints of Al Green, Sam & Dave, and Otis Redding (among others) in this song!!
"Strong" by London Grammar: It's tempting to dismiss this song as a "Florence and The Machine ripoff", except this song has a sound all its own!! It is equally as haunting and emotional, if not more so, than Florence's material. This song does what Goo Goo Dolls' "Naked" did almost two decades ago, lyrically, by exposing the most raw, vulnerable part of the emotional psyche in the lyrics, albeit using a soft, angelic sound, instead of a more raw, grungy one like The Goos did. The title of this song only indicates what the lead singer appears to be on the outside. There is a much deeper story to be told upon actually listening to the song!!
"Fools' Gold" by Fitz and The Tantrums: No foolin'! This song somehow sounds old and new at the same time! Those "Be My Baby"-style hand claps at the beginning and its initial vintage R & B style keyboard sound make it sound like a song from the '60s, yet as the hand claps fade away and the synthesizer changes from authentic soul to more artificial new wave, it doesn't sound that different from your typical Top 40 hit. I honestly have mixed feelings about this song (and their sophomore record overall, really). Fitz and The Tantrums' shift in sound from Motown revival for their debut to more straight up alt-pop for their follow-up isn't entirely a bad thing, as it has resulted in the infectiously catchy whistling of "The Walker", the equally infectiously catchy beats of "Out of My League", and even the soul-meets-new-wave sound of "6am". Four singles from one album is an impressive feat to brag about in this day and age, but FATT were fools to make "Fools' Gold" sound as spruced up for Top 40 radio as they did. This song will probably grow on me later on, though, as many of their songs have.
"Half the City" by St. Paul and The Broken Bones: And here is yet another band who started off being a "soul revival" band. Thankfully, St. Paul and the Broken Bones have only had one album so far, so I'm hoping they continue to stick with their sound, because I like what I've heard from them so far! For their latest song, "Half the City", they mix Al Green influenced vocals and rhythm with crunchy, blues-y guitars that wouldn't sound too out of place in one of the more soulful songs in The Rolling Stones' catalog. In contrast with Fitz and The Tantrums' image as a "neo-soul" band fading away, St. Paul and The Broken Bones seem like the type of group that will probably slather on even more old school soul influences if they come out with another album. Tell me you don't detect hints of Al Green, Sam & Dave, and Otis Redding (among others) in this song!!
"Strong" by London Grammar: It's tempting to dismiss this song as a "Florence and The Machine ripoff", except this song has a sound all its own!! It is equally as haunting and emotional, if not more so, than Florence's material. This song does what Goo Goo Dolls' "Naked" did almost two decades ago, lyrically, by exposing the most raw, vulnerable part of the emotional psyche in the lyrics, albeit using a soft, angelic sound, instead of a more raw, grungy one like The Goos did. The title of this song only indicates what the lead singer appears to be on the outside. There is a much deeper story to be told upon actually listening to the song!!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
New songs for October 23rd, 2013
here they are:
"Best Day of My Life" by American Authors: Basically, this song could be likened to an Imagine Dragons song with a banjo in it. The anthemic feel of the song, and even the vocals of it, sound quite similar to Imagine Dragons. There is one thing that differentiates Imagine Dragons and American Authors from each other, though. The themes of Imagine Dragons' music is mostly dark, but it seems like American Authors prefer to focus on happier topics. "Best Day of My Life"'s theme should be pretty obvious from the title of the song, but their other (minor) hit song, "Believer", is also positive, with its lyrics centering around hope. Perhaps American Authors aren't the true "authors" of their music after all, as they seem to take after other bands a bit too much. This song is definitely a good one, though.
"On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons: What a coincidence! A comparison to Imagine Dragons in the previous entry, and now an actual song of theirs! "On Top of the World" pretty much describes what Imagine Dragons are at this point in their career! It's also an appropriate title for what could just be the happiest Imagine Dragons song I've heard so far! It almost sounds like Jack Johnson collaborating on a song with fun., although it's better than both of them if you ask me! Who knew these guys had some pep in their step?! I sure didn't, but they pull it off pretty well!
"Pumpin' Blood" by Nonono: Nonono?! As in, "the opposite of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs"?! Wouldn't it be funny if those two bands toured together!! Their debut song, "Pumpin' Blood", seems like one of those songs that will end up defining the 2010's. It is done by a band whose main members consist of one female and one male, and its sound is halfway between electronica and rock, while managing to sound somewhat more pleasant than most songs of either genre. Nothing remarkable here, but it's still got that sound of become accustomed to hearing in the 2010's, so I thought I'd give it a go and review it. Not much else to say about this song, though.
"The Walker" by Fitz and The Tantrums: "Napoleon Dynamite" meets "Batman: The Dark Knight"?! This is NOT the direction I thought alt-pop's answer to Motown would go in, but their music video for "The Walker" (www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGBLlFMn9Xc) certainly seems that way! It centers around a man who seems to be suffering from a dramatized version of some sort of psychosis at first, but during the chorus, he does a strange but memorable dance that reminds me of the one from "Napoleon Dynamite"! Go figure!! As for the song, it's pretty catchy, like most of FATT's material tends to be. Don't think it is? Well then just try to get that whistling they do in the song out of your head!
"What Doesn't Kill You" by Jake Bugg: You know how The Goo Goo Dolls originally did more punk-ish material (like "Long Way Down") before they had more acoustic guitar centered songs?! Well U.K. folk-rocker Jake Bugg is doing the exact opposite on his latest song, "What Doesn't Kill You"! The man behind the Dylan-esque adult alt mega-hit "Lightning Bolt" has now decided to go for a blazing, almost Ramones-esque rocker in "What Doesn't Kill You". Like most of The Ramones' material, "What Doesn't Kill You" has only three or so chords, is 3 minutes long, is defiant as it is catchy, and doesn't contain any complicated guitar solos. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Jakey Ramone!!
"Best Day of My Life" by American Authors: Basically, this song could be likened to an Imagine Dragons song with a banjo in it. The anthemic feel of the song, and even the vocals of it, sound quite similar to Imagine Dragons. There is one thing that differentiates Imagine Dragons and American Authors from each other, though. The themes of Imagine Dragons' music is mostly dark, but it seems like American Authors prefer to focus on happier topics. "Best Day of My Life"'s theme should be pretty obvious from the title of the song, but their other (minor) hit song, "Believer", is also positive, with its lyrics centering around hope. Perhaps American Authors aren't the true "authors" of their music after all, as they seem to take after other bands a bit too much. This song is definitely a good one, though.
"On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons: What a coincidence! A comparison to Imagine Dragons in the previous entry, and now an actual song of theirs! "On Top of the World" pretty much describes what Imagine Dragons are at this point in their career! It's also an appropriate title for what could just be the happiest Imagine Dragons song I've heard so far! It almost sounds like Jack Johnson collaborating on a song with fun., although it's better than both of them if you ask me! Who knew these guys had some pep in their step?! I sure didn't, but they pull it off pretty well!
"Pumpin' Blood" by Nonono: Nonono?! As in, "the opposite of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs"?! Wouldn't it be funny if those two bands toured together!! Their debut song, "Pumpin' Blood", seems like one of those songs that will end up defining the 2010's. It is done by a band whose main members consist of one female and one male, and its sound is halfway between electronica and rock, while managing to sound somewhat more pleasant than most songs of either genre. Nothing remarkable here, but it's still got that sound of become accustomed to hearing in the 2010's, so I thought I'd give it a go and review it. Not much else to say about this song, though.
"The Walker" by Fitz and The Tantrums: "Napoleon Dynamite" meets "Batman: The Dark Knight"?! This is NOT the direction I thought alt-pop's answer to Motown would go in, but their music video for "The Walker" (www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGBLlFMn9Xc) certainly seems that way! It centers around a man who seems to be suffering from a dramatized version of some sort of psychosis at first, but during the chorus, he does a strange but memorable dance that reminds me of the one from "Napoleon Dynamite"! Go figure!! As for the song, it's pretty catchy, like most of FATT's material tends to be. Don't think it is? Well then just try to get that whistling they do in the song out of your head!
"What Doesn't Kill You" by Jake Bugg: You know how The Goo Goo Dolls originally did more punk-ish material (like "Long Way Down") before they had more acoustic guitar centered songs?! Well U.K. folk-rocker Jake Bugg is doing the exact opposite on his latest song, "What Doesn't Kill You"! The man behind the Dylan-esque adult alt mega-hit "Lightning Bolt" has now decided to go for a blazing, almost Ramones-esque rocker in "What Doesn't Kill You". Like most of The Ramones' material, "What Doesn't Kill You" has only three or so chords, is 3 minutes long, is defiant as it is catchy, and doesn't contain any complicated guitar solos. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Jakey Ramone!!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
New songs for June 5th, 2013
here they are:
"College" by Rogue Wave: "College", eh?! Perfect song title for a guy who has just moved on to a four-year college (me!!) Anyway, this also happens to be a very good song, especially for those who are used to Rogue Wave being an indie-folk-rock group, as opposed to the more techno influenced sound they opted for back in 2010. So glad they are back to the sound they do best!! A jangly guitar sound, slightly reminiscent of R.E.M. circa the mid '80s, rings throughout the song, though the sound starts to gradually fade out towards the end of it. As a matter of fact, even lead singer Zach Rogue's vocals seem influenced by Michael Stipe on this track (once again, specifically reminiscent of mid '80s R.E.M. songs), as the vocals are both melodic and garbled, like those on Stipe's earlier works. It's easier to tell what Rogue is saying during the chorus, as he picks out the word "knowledge" for a somewhat cliche, but still memorable rhyme for the title of the song.
"Every Little Thing" by Eric Clapton: Not exactly the most rockin' song for Clapton, but still one worth checking out. "Every Little Thing" actually serves as a nice little combination of Clapton's folk/country influenced side during the verses, and his flirtations with reggae during the chorus. Yes, he DOES have a reggae side to his material, and not just his cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff", either. His cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" also has a reggae sound, and he even did a duet with Bob Marley once called "Slogans". The chorus of "Every Little Thing" is probably its saving grace, actually, as it lifts up the song enough rhythmically to make it a more enjoyable song to hear. The weird part about this song is how a chorus of children come in out of nowhere towards the end of it. Huh?! "Rastaman Clapton" doesn't seem to flow as well for me as blues-y, rockin' Clapton, but "Every Little Thing" is not among his worst material either.
"6 A.M." by Fitz and The Tantrums: Like their last big song, "Out of My League", Fitz and The Tantrums once again have made the jump from the best Motown band that never was to the best Hall and Oates tribute band that never was. Ummm...that is, if Hall and Oates got an indie-pop makeover. The combination of new wave and soul music is actually even more apparent on "6 A.M." than it was on "Out of My League". The sax in the song provides the more soulful side of it, while the synth on the song not only gives it a new wave-y sound, but it also seems to be the main instrument in the song! "6 A.M." actually contains synth SOLOS, which I never thought I'd hear from a group like Fitz and The Tantrums. From what I've read, Fitz and The Tantrums apparently think that guitars are an overrated instrument, but I would rather hear guitar solos than synth solos, myself. Perhaps something to keep in mind for their next album?! Soul music with guitars can work, just ask the guys from Funkadelic!
"Soothe My Soul" by Depeche Mode: Hmmmm...this is weird!! I NEVER thought I'd be reviewing a Depeche Mode song on my blog, yet here I am, doing exactly that! The closest I would come to being a Depeche Mode fan would be the songs on their late '80s/early '90s smash album, "Violator", which contains songs like "Personal Jesus", "Policy of Truth", and "Enjoy the Silence", all of which used electric guitars, despite the fact that DM were primarily viewed as a "synthesizer band" at the time. While there are no guitars I can hear clearly enough in "Soothe My Soul", it DOES sound an awful lot like "Personal Jesus" in terms of the rhythm of the song. Perhaps the fact that "Soothe My Soul" has a familiar sounding rhythm is what I like best about it. Other than that, it just kinda sounds like your typical song from "Depressed Mode" (as one DJ for an alt-rock station decided to call them, heheh). Once again, I feel like this song COULD use a bit more guitar, but then again, that's probably because I play guitar, and have done so for over 10 years now.
"Trying to Be Cool" by Phoenix: I once read that one of Phoenix's fave bands is Electric Light Orchestra. It was a little hard for me to believe that until I heard "Trying to Be Cool", which has a very similar A minor chord progression (and rhythm) to ELO's "Evil Woman". Rest assured, though, Phoenix is still Phoenix, they haven't switched their Talking Heads-ish brand of danceable indie-pop to '70s prog-rock. "Trying to Be Cool" isn't as catchy as most of Phoenix's material, but it's definitely still catchy! Lyrically, "Trying to Be Cool" is a pretty weird song!! What exactly IS "mint julep testosterone", and "two dozen pink and white ranunculus" (also, what IS a "ranunculus" in the first place)?! Such is the appeal of Phoenix, though. Their lyrics don't need to make sense, as long as the tune of the song is good, and, as usual, it is!!
"Unbelievers" by Vampire Weekend: And I thought "Diane Young" was a "retro" sounding song from VW!! That song sounds positively modern compared to their "Unbelievers", though, which has a piano based sound reminiscent of some of The Beatles' more piano based songs. I'm used to Ezra Koenig and co imitating the sounds of The Police, Bob Marley, Peter Gabriel, and "Graceland" era Paul Simon, but this takes the band to an era about 10 years before music like that became known! As the title of the song indicates, "Unbelievers" deals with topics like religion and fate, yet it sounds like such a happy song, that it makes me want to get up and do a Snoopy dance!!
"College" by Rogue Wave: "College", eh?! Perfect song title for a guy who has just moved on to a four-year college (me!!) Anyway, this also happens to be a very good song, especially for those who are used to Rogue Wave being an indie-folk-rock group, as opposed to the more techno influenced sound they opted for back in 2010. So glad they are back to the sound they do best!! A jangly guitar sound, slightly reminiscent of R.E.M. circa the mid '80s, rings throughout the song, though the sound starts to gradually fade out towards the end of it. As a matter of fact, even lead singer Zach Rogue's vocals seem influenced by Michael Stipe on this track (once again, specifically reminiscent of mid '80s R.E.M. songs), as the vocals are both melodic and garbled, like those on Stipe's earlier works. It's easier to tell what Rogue is saying during the chorus, as he picks out the word "knowledge" for a somewhat cliche, but still memorable rhyme for the title of the song.
"Every Little Thing" by Eric Clapton: Not exactly the most rockin' song for Clapton, but still one worth checking out. "Every Little Thing" actually serves as a nice little combination of Clapton's folk/country influenced side during the verses, and his flirtations with reggae during the chorus. Yes, he DOES have a reggae side to his material, and not just his cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff", either. His cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" also has a reggae sound, and he even did a duet with Bob Marley once called "Slogans". The chorus of "Every Little Thing" is probably its saving grace, actually, as it lifts up the song enough rhythmically to make it a more enjoyable song to hear. The weird part about this song is how a chorus of children come in out of nowhere towards the end of it. Huh?! "Rastaman Clapton" doesn't seem to flow as well for me as blues-y, rockin' Clapton, but "Every Little Thing" is not among his worst material either.
"6 A.M." by Fitz and The Tantrums: Like their last big song, "Out of My League", Fitz and The Tantrums once again have made the jump from the best Motown band that never was to the best Hall and Oates tribute band that never was. Ummm...that is, if Hall and Oates got an indie-pop makeover. The combination of new wave and soul music is actually even more apparent on "6 A.M." than it was on "Out of My League". The sax in the song provides the more soulful side of it, while the synth on the song not only gives it a new wave-y sound, but it also seems to be the main instrument in the song! "6 A.M." actually contains synth SOLOS, which I never thought I'd hear from a group like Fitz and The Tantrums. From what I've read, Fitz and The Tantrums apparently think that guitars are an overrated instrument, but I would rather hear guitar solos than synth solos, myself. Perhaps something to keep in mind for their next album?! Soul music with guitars can work, just ask the guys from Funkadelic!
"Soothe My Soul" by Depeche Mode: Hmmmm...this is weird!! I NEVER thought I'd be reviewing a Depeche Mode song on my blog, yet here I am, doing exactly that! The closest I would come to being a Depeche Mode fan would be the songs on their late '80s/early '90s smash album, "Violator", which contains songs like "Personal Jesus", "Policy of Truth", and "Enjoy the Silence", all of which used electric guitars, despite the fact that DM were primarily viewed as a "synthesizer band" at the time. While there are no guitars I can hear clearly enough in "Soothe My Soul", it DOES sound an awful lot like "Personal Jesus" in terms of the rhythm of the song. Perhaps the fact that "Soothe My Soul" has a familiar sounding rhythm is what I like best about it. Other than that, it just kinda sounds like your typical song from "Depressed Mode" (as one DJ for an alt-rock station decided to call them, heheh). Once again, I feel like this song COULD use a bit more guitar, but then again, that's probably because I play guitar, and have done so for over 10 years now.
"Trying to Be Cool" by Phoenix: I once read that one of Phoenix's fave bands is Electric Light Orchestra. It was a little hard for me to believe that until I heard "Trying to Be Cool", which has a very similar A minor chord progression (and rhythm) to ELO's "Evil Woman". Rest assured, though, Phoenix is still Phoenix, they haven't switched their Talking Heads-ish brand of danceable indie-pop to '70s prog-rock. "Trying to Be Cool" isn't as catchy as most of Phoenix's material, but it's definitely still catchy! Lyrically, "Trying to Be Cool" is a pretty weird song!! What exactly IS "mint julep testosterone", and "two dozen pink and white ranunculus" (also, what IS a "ranunculus" in the first place)?! Such is the appeal of Phoenix, though. Their lyrics don't need to make sense, as long as the tune of the song is good, and, as usual, it is!!
"Unbelievers" by Vampire Weekend: And I thought "Diane Young" was a "retro" sounding song from VW!! That song sounds positively modern compared to their "Unbelievers", though, which has a piano based sound reminiscent of some of The Beatles' more piano based songs. I'm used to Ezra Koenig and co imitating the sounds of The Police, Bob Marley, Peter Gabriel, and "Graceland" era Paul Simon, but this takes the band to an era about 10 years before music like that became known! As the title of the song indicates, "Unbelievers" deals with topics like religion and fate, yet it sounds like such a happy song, that it makes me want to get up and do a Snoopy dance!!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Songs for the day before Valentine's Day
Well, ok, so not all of these are love songs, but I'll review 'em anyway! Here goes:
"Follow the Road" by The Dunwells: With the strength of their first big hit, "I Could Be A King", I initially thought that The Dunwells were like an American version of Mumford and Sons, but now that I'm getting to know the brothers Dunwell a little better, I can see that they are much more eclectic than that! No song proves their willingness to be different more than their latest song, "Follow the Road". It even starts out kinda cool, with its vaguely sitar-ish psych-folk sound. It quickly turns into a roots-rocker of the finest quality, with a wicked guitar solo to boot! As "bluegrass-rock" has quickly become the latest, hippest trend in rock music of the 2010's, The Dunwells really put the "rock" in "bluegrass-rock", at least for "Follow the Road", and how!!
"From A Window Seat" by Dawes: One of the two most anticipated new releases of the week (along with the latest from blue-eyed soul group Fitz and The Tantrums), "From A Window Seat" by Dawes shows Taylor Goldsmith and co's ever growing fascination for the roots-y side of classic rock (perhaps this was partly influenced by the members actually MEETING Jackson Browne, and then collaborating with him shortly afterwards). It's a bit more bouncy and upbeat than the typical Dawes song, and it seems to echo both the beat and style of guitar playing from songs like "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits. Lyrically, Dawes seem to be stretching their boundaries on "From A Window Seat". Instead of waxing poetic about "judg(ing) the whole world on the sparkle that you think it lacks", or talking about someone with that "special kind of sadness", far more surreal imagery concerning "dreams of captains and explorers eating boots" (whatever THAT means!!) comes up instead. Go figure!!
"Gone Gone Gone" by Phillip Phillips: With the word "Gone" mentioned three times and the name "Phillip" mentioned twice, saying the name of this song and artist out loud seems kinda funny, but the person who is (so far) "American Idol's" sole folk-rocker is no comedian. It's honestly unbelievable to me that Phillip would have another song besides "Home" getting attention, since "Home" was in so many places in the fall of 2012 that it seemed like one of those songs that just couldn't be topped. Though "Gone Gone Gone" hasn't had near the level of success "Home" has so far, Phillip Phillips seems to know what the basic formula is for having one of his songs becoming a hit. Positive message ("I'll love you long after you're gone")? Check! Acoustic guitar in the verses and bright shiny horns in the chorus? Check! A bouncy, irresistible earworm of a song? Well, "Gone Gone Gone" is different than that. It's a bit more poignant than it is happy, but there is still plenty of charm and warm, cozy vibes to be found in "Gone Gone Gone"!
"Good Love" by Jenny O: The echo-y acoustic guitars, funky beat, and honey-sweet vocals of Jenny O's breakthrough song, "Good Love", could liken her to being like an indie Fleetwood Mac (though plenty of people have taken that title already, most notably Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley). The fact that "Good Love" uses only two chords (E minor and A minor) makes it a bit more minimalistic than Fleetwood Mac, but it still sounds like a song that came straight out of the mid-'70s for some reason. Simple though it may be, "Good Love" still has that sort of organic, earthy honesty that provides a breath of fresh air in comparison to most songs of the 2010's. Not much more to say about this song, aside from how sometimes, the easiest approach to crafting a song can also the best approach.
"Inch of Rope" by Courrier: "Inch of Rope", the second major song from British sounding alt-pop group, Courrier, seems to pick up where The Airborne Toxic Event (also listed for this week's blog) left off. Where The Airborne Toxic Event seemed to want to take more of a generic alt-pop route to music, Courrier dabble in a more honest brand of what sounds like Brit-pop (though they are actually Texans) that has become scarce in a world full of piano-based Coldplay and Keane sound-alikes. A kind of contemplation is present in Courrier's music that actually makes me feel drawn to it, and about the only bands I really find comparable to them at the moment are groups like Scars on 45 and A Silent Film (both of whom are ACTUALLY British). Courrier are a rarity in this day and age, but perhaps sometimes, good things are better when they're a rarity.
"Out of My League" by Fitz and The Tantrums: Fitz and The Tantrums first broke through in fall of 2010, with their soulful alt-pop/rock mega-hit, "MoneyGrabber", known for its Motown-esque "white soul" sound. For their latest song, the heavily anticipated "Out of My League", Fitz and co shake things up a bit by adding a bit of new wave influence, while still keeping a bit of R & B at the core of their sound. Perhaps the small but still somewhat significant trend of "new wave soul" in bands like Graffiti6 and Electric Guest was part of what made Fitz and The Tantrums want to add more of a new wave-y sound into their own music. Hall and Oates are one of Fitz and The Tantrums biggest heroes, though (they even recorded some music at Daryl Hall's house once!) and it seems like that's who FATT are trying to emulate the most on "Out of My League". Hall and Oates made a similar transition between the '70s and the '80s from being "blue-eyed soul" to being more new wave influenced, so that would make sense. Though "Out of My League" doesn't seem like it will have near the impact "MoneyGrabber" did, it's still well worth the listen!
"Roots and Vine" by Sons of Fathers: Both the name of this song and the name of this band bring to mind a sort of folks-y, 19th century America kinda vibe, don't they?! Well, that's not too far from the truth, in this case! At least in terms of the roots-y, accordion laden music, it isn't. The song itself seems to be more of a "drinking song", though, particularly during the chorus ("You're the roots and I'm the vine, together we can make the wine"). Like Courrier (reviewed earlier during this week's blog), Sons of Fathers are a Texan band. Unlike Courrier, Sons of Fathers actually SOUND Texan. Lead singer Paul Cauthen's Texan heritage are an obvious reason why "Roots and Vine" sounds the way it does. A less obvious influence on Cauthen's music, for those who are interested, is how he spent time on a chain gang when he was younger. Talk about your American history!
"Timeless" by The Airborne Toxic Event: There isn't really anything "timeless" about the way The Airborne Toxic Event's latest song sounds, as it doesn't stand a chance against "Sgt. Pepper", "Pet Sounds", and other songs/albums that truly ARE "timeless". However, there's still a good reason why the song has the title it does, and it's quite touching, really. It is because that is the way lead singer Mikel Jollett feels about his grandmother, who was recently deceased. Somehow, I feel like "Timeless" could have been a much more effectively melancholy song, but still, it deserves an A for effort, since it's the first song I know of by The Airborne Toxic Event that deals with death, and the death of someone terribly close, at that.
"Follow the Road" by The Dunwells: With the strength of their first big hit, "I Could Be A King", I initially thought that The Dunwells were like an American version of Mumford and Sons, but now that I'm getting to know the brothers Dunwell a little better, I can see that they are much more eclectic than that! No song proves their willingness to be different more than their latest song, "Follow the Road". It even starts out kinda cool, with its vaguely sitar-ish psych-folk sound. It quickly turns into a roots-rocker of the finest quality, with a wicked guitar solo to boot! As "bluegrass-rock" has quickly become the latest, hippest trend in rock music of the 2010's, The Dunwells really put the "rock" in "bluegrass-rock", at least for "Follow the Road", and how!!
"From A Window Seat" by Dawes: One of the two most anticipated new releases of the week (along with the latest from blue-eyed soul group Fitz and The Tantrums), "From A Window Seat" by Dawes shows Taylor Goldsmith and co's ever growing fascination for the roots-y side of classic rock (perhaps this was partly influenced by the members actually MEETING Jackson Browne, and then collaborating with him shortly afterwards). It's a bit more bouncy and upbeat than the typical Dawes song, and it seems to echo both the beat and style of guitar playing from songs like "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits. Lyrically, Dawes seem to be stretching their boundaries on "From A Window Seat". Instead of waxing poetic about "judg(ing) the whole world on the sparkle that you think it lacks", or talking about someone with that "special kind of sadness", far more surreal imagery concerning "dreams of captains and explorers eating boots" (whatever THAT means!!) comes up instead. Go figure!!
"Gone Gone Gone" by Phillip Phillips: With the word "Gone" mentioned three times and the name "Phillip" mentioned twice, saying the name of this song and artist out loud seems kinda funny, but the person who is (so far) "American Idol's" sole folk-rocker is no comedian. It's honestly unbelievable to me that Phillip would have another song besides "Home" getting attention, since "Home" was in so many places in the fall of 2012 that it seemed like one of those songs that just couldn't be topped. Though "Gone Gone Gone" hasn't had near the level of success "Home" has so far, Phillip Phillips seems to know what the basic formula is for having one of his songs becoming a hit. Positive message ("I'll love you long after you're gone")? Check! Acoustic guitar in the verses and bright shiny horns in the chorus? Check! A bouncy, irresistible earworm of a song? Well, "Gone Gone Gone" is different than that. It's a bit more poignant than it is happy, but there is still plenty of charm and warm, cozy vibes to be found in "Gone Gone Gone"!
"Good Love" by Jenny O: The echo-y acoustic guitars, funky beat, and honey-sweet vocals of Jenny O's breakthrough song, "Good Love", could liken her to being like an indie Fleetwood Mac (though plenty of people have taken that title already, most notably Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley). The fact that "Good Love" uses only two chords (E minor and A minor) makes it a bit more minimalistic than Fleetwood Mac, but it still sounds like a song that came straight out of the mid-'70s for some reason. Simple though it may be, "Good Love" still has that sort of organic, earthy honesty that provides a breath of fresh air in comparison to most songs of the 2010's. Not much more to say about this song, aside from how sometimes, the easiest approach to crafting a song can also the best approach.
"Inch of Rope" by Courrier: "Inch of Rope", the second major song from British sounding alt-pop group, Courrier, seems to pick up where The Airborne Toxic Event (also listed for this week's blog) left off. Where The Airborne Toxic Event seemed to want to take more of a generic alt-pop route to music, Courrier dabble in a more honest brand of what sounds like Brit-pop (though they are actually Texans) that has become scarce in a world full of piano-based Coldplay and Keane sound-alikes. A kind of contemplation is present in Courrier's music that actually makes me feel drawn to it, and about the only bands I really find comparable to them at the moment are groups like Scars on 45 and A Silent Film (both of whom are ACTUALLY British). Courrier are a rarity in this day and age, but perhaps sometimes, good things are better when they're a rarity.
"Out of My League" by Fitz and The Tantrums: Fitz and The Tantrums first broke through in fall of 2010, with their soulful alt-pop/rock mega-hit, "MoneyGrabber", known for its Motown-esque "white soul" sound. For their latest song, the heavily anticipated "Out of My League", Fitz and co shake things up a bit by adding a bit of new wave influence, while still keeping a bit of R & B at the core of their sound. Perhaps the small but still somewhat significant trend of "new wave soul" in bands like Graffiti6 and Electric Guest was part of what made Fitz and The Tantrums want to add more of a new wave-y sound into their own music. Hall and Oates are one of Fitz and The Tantrums biggest heroes, though (they even recorded some music at Daryl Hall's house once!) and it seems like that's who FATT are trying to emulate the most on "Out of My League". Hall and Oates made a similar transition between the '70s and the '80s from being "blue-eyed soul" to being more new wave influenced, so that would make sense. Though "Out of My League" doesn't seem like it will have near the impact "MoneyGrabber" did, it's still well worth the listen!
"Roots and Vine" by Sons of Fathers: Both the name of this song and the name of this band bring to mind a sort of folks-y, 19th century America kinda vibe, don't they?! Well, that's not too far from the truth, in this case! At least in terms of the roots-y, accordion laden music, it isn't. The song itself seems to be more of a "drinking song", though, particularly during the chorus ("You're the roots and I'm the vine, together we can make the wine"). Like Courrier (reviewed earlier during this week's blog), Sons of Fathers are a Texan band. Unlike Courrier, Sons of Fathers actually SOUND Texan. Lead singer Paul Cauthen's Texan heritage are an obvious reason why "Roots and Vine" sounds the way it does. A less obvious influence on Cauthen's music, for those who are interested, is how he spent time on a chain gang when he was younger. Talk about your American history!
"Timeless" by The Airborne Toxic Event: There isn't really anything "timeless" about the way The Airborne Toxic Event's latest song sounds, as it doesn't stand a chance against "Sgt. Pepper", "Pet Sounds", and other songs/albums that truly ARE "timeless". However, there's still a good reason why the song has the title it does, and it's quite touching, really. It is because that is the way lead singer Mikel Jollett feels about his grandmother, who was recently deceased. Somehow, I feel like "Timeless" could have been a much more effectively melancholy song, but still, it deserves an A for effort, since it's the first song I know of by The Airborne Toxic Event that deals with death, and the death of someone terribly close, at that.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
June BLOOM, 8 new songs for one new month!!
After about a month's absence on here, don't you think it's time I reviewed some new songs?! Well, you're in luck!! Here they are:
"Back Down South" by Kings of Leon: I never would've expected the same guys who debuted back in 2003 with the rough garage-rocker "Molly's Chambers" to have such a melancholy country/folk influenced tune almost a decade later, but lo and behold, KOL have done so with their latest tune, the aptly titled "Back Down South". This song has a very wistful vibe to it, and would probably also make a great "road" song, but not in the energetic, boastful way the typical '70s hard rock song would, but more like the "coming back home" sort of way that a song like "Teach Your Children" or "Heart of Gold" might. If your favorite songs are bittersweet ones, then this might be the one to check out for this week!
"Calgary" by Bon Iver: First of all, for those wondering how "Bon Iver" is pronounced, it's not "Bahn EYE-vur", it's "BONE ee-VAIR", a pun on a French phrase that translates to "good winter". Now that I've gotten that part out of the way, here's a bit of background info on Bon Iver. Though they weren't that big on adult alt stations in 2009, they quickly made a name for themselves nevertheless among indie fans with Nick Drake/Elliott Smith influenced neo-folk-rock such as "Blood Bank", "For Emma", "Re: Stacks", and "Skinny Love". "Calgary" is a bit of a departure from the somber, acoustic sound of these songs. Well, the somber is still there, but the acoustic?! Well, not so much. Instead, more electronic instruments are used, which is a bit of a letdown for me, as the acoustic instrumentation of Bon Iver was part of their charm to me. "Calgary" isn't bad, though. Bon Iver still manage to pull off an uplifting, ethereal sort of sound in spite of the synthesizer dominating the music, in a way that reminds me a great deal of the song "Daniel" by another electro-indie act, Bat For Lashes.
"Can't Keep Johnny Down" by They Might Be Giants: Ahhh, what's not to love about TMBG?! They're two of the goofiest guys in rock history! Even during their debut in the mid-'80s, their unique brand of alternative rock managed to somehow be more suitable for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network than it was for MTV and VH1. "Can't Keep Johnny Down" takes a turn towards the "darker" side of TMBG, though, which is a bit of a disappointment for me. And why is that such a letdown?! Well, first of all, both their name (taken from a B-movie), and their song titles (including, but not limited to, "Put Your Hands Inside the Puppet Head", "Dr. Worm", and "Birdhouse In Your Soul"), are goofball gold, in the '00s they released a series of children's albums that held just as much appeal to children as they did to Gen X adults nostalgic for the days of "Sesame Street" and "Schoolhouse Rock", and even the material they intended more for an "adult" audience was "kid-friendly" enough that shows like "Tiny Toons" and "Where In the World Is Carmen San Diego?" incorporated the use of their music!! About the "darkest" song in their catalog I can even THINK of is "Don't Let's Start", and even THAT has weird lyrics (i.e. "Wake up and smell the cat food"), and a play on the word "don't" that makes fun of a similar play on the word "love" Nat King Cole was known for using (the one where Nat goes, "L is for the way you look at me...", etc.) There doesn't seem to be ANYTHING redeeming at first about "Can't Keep Johnny Down", though, a song that's primarily about a guy with a difficult life. However, upon closer examination of the lyrics to the song, it's really about a guy who, as the song's title suggests, "can't be kept down" by the troubles he faces in his life. I suppose that makes it more redeeming than it might seem upon initial listening, but I still think TMBG could've done better than this!
"Chapel Song" by We Are Augustines: Both the title of the song and the name of the band might suggest a "Christian rock" band, but it's far closer to bands like Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse, particularly the more melancholy, sentimental side of those bands. Lyrically, this song seems like it would have been perfect for "The Graduate", as they seem to hint at the disappointment the lead singer feels about the girl he loves getting married to another man (could be wrong on this, though, as I haven't yet heard the song that many times). The repetition of both the lyrics (i.e. "I shake, shake, shake like a leaf, and I'm lyin', lyin', lyin' through my teeth") and the progression of the four guitar hooks used throughout the song seem to make it a memorable one!
"Don't Gotta Work It Out" by Fitz and The Tantrums: How do you follow up the success and insanely catchy hooks of the blue-eyed soul smash hit, "MoneyGrabber"?!? Well, I would think that'd be pretty hard!! But Fitz and The Tantrums have managed to do so with their second single, "Don't Gotta Work It Out"! Though it's not as much of a get-up-and-dance song as "MoneyGrabber" was, it still manages to be catchy (and Motown-esque) enough to once again win over the hearts of both classic soul fans and alternative/indie fans. The minor key that "Don't Gotta Work It Out" was written in is also emphasized a bit more than that of "MoneyGrabber"'s minor key, with the exception of "Don't Gotta Work It Out"'s bridge, consisting of an organ playing in F major. Still, this is definitely a song worth checking out for the week!
"Learn How to Love" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: If this is supposed to be a follow-up to "Bound For Glory", I kinda feel like it's a bit too early (but perhaps that's because "Bound For Glory" hasn't played on enough stations yet, at least from what I've observed). Unlike the triumphant, chug-along blues-rock of "Bound For Glory", "Learn How to Love" seems to be a bit more of a juicy, gritty blues-rock number. This one definitely emphasizes the "rock" element of "blues-rock", evoking the sounds of many blues-influenced classic rock bands, from Led Zeppelin to ZZ Top to The Allman Brothers (of whom Derek Trucks occasionally plays guitar for), and then some! Who knows, perhaps the hard, solid rock 'n' roll influence of this song will guarantee "Learn How to Love" more success on adult alt radio than "Bound For Glory". We'll see!!
"Rider" by Okkervil River: I think I'm a bit late in my review for this one, but here goes. Though "Rider" has only received airplay on a handful of adult alt stations so far, it seems like its airplay is slowly but surely starting to increase, and it also has a unique sound that managed to capture me immediately upon hearing it! Its sound is the "orchestral indie" sound used frequently in Arcade Fire's music, and used additionally in other indie acts such as Sea Wolf, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, and Andrew Bird. The "orchestral" sound in "Rider" uses piano as the central instrument, and a dynamic and forceful, yet still catchy sort of rhythm. I especially like the end of this song, in which the instruments start to speed up, building up to a fantastic finish! I highly recommend this song!!
"Rise Above 1" by Reeve Carney and U2's Bono and The Edge: Apparently this song is supposed to be a part of the Broadway production of "Spider-Man"!! WHAAA?!? Well, as far as U2 songs go, this one is rather mediocre, I think. The fact that Reeve Carney contributed to this, though, I guess makes this worth listening to, and I kinda like this song despite how "average" it sounds. - EDIT - my bad - I confused my Carneys - it's PATRICK Carney (not REEVE Carney) who sings on this track - Reeve Carney is merely the guy that plays "Spider-Man" in the Broadway production of "Spider-Man", he has nothing to do with The Black Keys - what can I say, I get confused sometimes, and I apologize to those who might have thought I was spreading "false information" online - your fears should be calmed down by now
"Back Down South" by Kings of Leon: I never would've expected the same guys who debuted back in 2003 with the rough garage-rocker "Molly's Chambers" to have such a melancholy country/folk influenced tune almost a decade later, but lo and behold, KOL have done so with their latest tune, the aptly titled "Back Down South". This song has a very wistful vibe to it, and would probably also make a great "road" song, but not in the energetic, boastful way the typical '70s hard rock song would, but more like the "coming back home" sort of way that a song like "Teach Your Children" or "Heart of Gold" might. If your favorite songs are bittersweet ones, then this might be the one to check out for this week!
"Calgary" by Bon Iver: First of all, for those wondering how "Bon Iver" is pronounced, it's not "Bahn EYE-vur", it's "BONE ee-VAIR", a pun on a French phrase that translates to "good winter". Now that I've gotten that part out of the way, here's a bit of background info on Bon Iver. Though they weren't that big on adult alt stations in 2009, they quickly made a name for themselves nevertheless among indie fans with Nick Drake/Elliott Smith influenced neo-folk-rock such as "Blood Bank", "For Emma", "Re: Stacks", and "Skinny Love". "Calgary" is a bit of a departure from the somber, acoustic sound of these songs. Well, the somber is still there, but the acoustic?! Well, not so much. Instead, more electronic instruments are used, which is a bit of a letdown for me, as the acoustic instrumentation of Bon Iver was part of their charm to me. "Calgary" isn't bad, though. Bon Iver still manage to pull off an uplifting, ethereal sort of sound in spite of the synthesizer dominating the music, in a way that reminds me a great deal of the song "Daniel" by another electro-indie act, Bat For Lashes.
"Can't Keep Johnny Down" by They Might Be Giants: Ahhh, what's not to love about TMBG?! They're two of the goofiest guys in rock history! Even during their debut in the mid-'80s, their unique brand of alternative rock managed to somehow be more suitable for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network than it was for MTV and VH1. "Can't Keep Johnny Down" takes a turn towards the "darker" side of TMBG, though, which is a bit of a disappointment for me. And why is that such a letdown?! Well, first of all, both their name (taken from a B-movie), and their song titles (including, but not limited to, "Put Your Hands Inside the Puppet Head", "Dr. Worm", and "Birdhouse In Your Soul"), are goofball gold, in the '00s they released a series of children's albums that held just as much appeal to children as they did to Gen X adults nostalgic for the days of "Sesame Street" and "Schoolhouse Rock", and even the material they intended more for an "adult" audience was "kid-friendly" enough that shows like "Tiny Toons" and "Where In the World Is Carmen San Diego?" incorporated the use of their music!! About the "darkest" song in their catalog I can even THINK of is "Don't Let's Start", and even THAT has weird lyrics (i.e. "Wake up and smell the cat food"), and a play on the word "don't" that makes fun of a similar play on the word "love" Nat King Cole was known for using (the one where Nat goes, "L is for the way you look at me...", etc.) There doesn't seem to be ANYTHING redeeming at first about "Can't Keep Johnny Down", though, a song that's primarily about a guy with a difficult life. However, upon closer examination of the lyrics to the song, it's really about a guy who, as the song's title suggests, "can't be kept down" by the troubles he faces in his life. I suppose that makes it more redeeming than it might seem upon initial listening, but I still think TMBG could've done better than this!
"Chapel Song" by We Are Augustines: Both the title of the song and the name of the band might suggest a "Christian rock" band, but it's far closer to bands like Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse, particularly the more melancholy, sentimental side of those bands. Lyrically, this song seems like it would have been perfect for "The Graduate", as they seem to hint at the disappointment the lead singer feels about the girl he loves getting married to another man (could be wrong on this, though, as I haven't yet heard the song that many times). The repetition of both the lyrics (i.e. "I shake, shake, shake like a leaf, and I'm lyin', lyin', lyin' through my teeth") and the progression of the four guitar hooks used throughout the song seem to make it a memorable one!
"Don't Gotta Work It Out" by Fitz and The Tantrums: How do you follow up the success and insanely catchy hooks of the blue-eyed soul smash hit, "MoneyGrabber"?!? Well, I would think that'd be pretty hard!! But Fitz and The Tantrums have managed to do so with their second single, "Don't Gotta Work It Out"! Though it's not as much of a get-up-and-dance song as "MoneyGrabber" was, it still manages to be catchy (and Motown-esque) enough to once again win over the hearts of both classic soul fans and alternative/indie fans. The minor key that "Don't Gotta Work It Out" was written in is also emphasized a bit more than that of "MoneyGrabber"'s minor key, with the exception of "Don't Gotta Work It Out"'s bridge, consisting of an organ playing in F major. Still, this is definitely a song worth checking out for the week!
"Learn How to Love" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: If this is supposed to be a follow-up to "Bound For Glory", I kinda feel like it's a bit too early (but perhaps that's because "Bound For Glory" hasn't played on enough stations yet, at least from what I've observed). Unlike the triumphant, chug-along blues-rock of "Bound For Glory", "Learn How to Love" seems to be a bit more of a juicy, gritty blues-rock number. This one definitely emphasizes the "rock" element of "blues-rock", evoking the sounds of many blues-influenced classic rock bands, from Led Zeppelin to ZZ Top to The Allman Brothers (of whom Derek Trucks occasionally plays guitar for), and then some! Who knows, perhaps the hard, solid rock 'n' roll influence of this song will guarantee "Learn How to Love" more success on adult alt radio than "Bound For Glory". We'll see!!
"Rider" by Okkervil River: I think I'm a bit late in my review for this one, but here goes. Though "Rider" has only received airplay on a handful of adult alt stations so far, it seems like its airplay is slowly but surely starting to increase, and it also has a unique sound that managed to capture me immediately upon hearing it! Its sound is the "orchestral indie" sound used frequently in Arcade Fire's music, and used additionally in other indie acts such as Sea Wolf, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, and Andrew Bird. The "orchestral" sound in "Rider" uses piano as the central instrument, and a dynamic and forceful, yet still catchy sort of rhythm. I especially like the end of this song, in which the instruments start to speed up, building up to a fantastic finish! I highly recommend this song!!
"Rise Above 1" by Reeve Carney and U2's Bono and The Edge: Apparently this song is supposed to be a part of the Broadway production of "Spider-Man"!! WHAAA?!? Well, as far as U2 songs go, this one is rather mediocre, I think. The fact that Reeve Carney contributed to this, though, I guess makes this worth listening to, and I kinda like this song despite how "average" it sounds. - EDIT - my bad - I confused my Carneys - it's PATRICK Carney (not REEVE Carney) who sings on this track - Reeve Carney is merely the guy that plays "Spider-Man" in the Broadway production of "Spider-Man", he has nothing to do with The Black Keys - what can I say, I get confused sometimes, and I apologize to those who might have thought I was spreading "false information" online - your fears should be calmed down by now
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The Novemberists...ummm...I mean The Decemberists release a newbie (plus 6 other goodies!!)
here they are!
"Bitter Pill" by Mt. Desolation: Mt. Desolation is Tim Rice Oxley's side project for his more well-known band, the British contemporary soft rock group Keane, so, not surprisingly, "Bitter Pill" sounds a lot like a Keane song. It's funny, then, that I actually like this song despite the fact that I'm not a fan of Keane's music (except for possibly "Is It Any Wonder?") I guess the main thing about "Bitter Pill" that I LIKE is that it doesn't sound like Tim's trying too hard to emulate the more crowd-pleasing side of Coldplay's music that he often seems to emulate with Keane. Instead, it comes off sounding more like a lightweight yet genuine contemporary British alt-rock/indie tune, with the bouncy, charming qualities of Aqualung (the band, not the song), the honest, heartfelt qualities of Snow Patrol, and the lilting, wistful melodies of Travis (whose lead singer Fran Healy is going to be reviewed later during this blog!) While "Bitter Pill" definitely doesn't have the more lasting qualities of established "piano-rockers" like Elton John, Tori Amos, and Ben Folds, it definitely has a more unique sound quality than most "Britpop" piano-rock tunes.
"Down By the Water" by The Decemberists: Hmmmm...interesting...The DECEMBERists decided to release their latest tune in NOVEMBER!! This is just too funny!! (Their last release was in late February of last year, which wouldn't have been as funny). Also, this is not a cover of the sublimely dark PJ Harvey tune of the same name for those wondering. Joking aside, though, "Down By the Water" represents yet another eclectic facet of The Decemberists' career that I don't think they've taken on yet. So far, the adventurous indie rock group have taken on folk-rock of both buoyant ("16 Military Wives") and somber ("The Hazards of Love 1") qualities, R.E.M./Smiths influenced indie-pop tunes that have so far become their biggest hits ("O Valencia!" and "The Perfect Crime # 2"), minor key post-punk influenced tunes ("The Rake's Song"), and even various concept albums/songs worthy of Pink Floyd/Jethro Tull comparisons! So how does "Down By the Water" compare to their already diverse library of songs?! Well, it seems with this song, The Decemberists have explored yet another side of their inner classic rocker(s), as "Down By the Water" shares instrumentation somewhat similar to Bruce Springsteen's "The River" and chord progression similar to Tom Petty's "Flirting With Time". I'm just a little disappointed by this, as I was expecting more of either an adventurous and/or hypnotically melodic tune from The Decemberists, as opposed to the heartland/roots rock revival they have set up in "Down By the Water", but The Decemberists, so far, have a certain charm to all the songs I've heard of theirs that has never failed to please me. This song is no exception to the rule!!
"Golden State" by Delta Spirit: This song, the second single off Delta Spirit's 2010 release, "History From Below", should probably come as a breath of fresh air to those who found the first hit off the album, "Bushwick Blues", to be too punk-y and/or depressing. "Golden State" is neither of these things, and marks a return to the fun, bouncy, roots-y indie-pop/rock of their 2008 song, "Trashcan". It even has the exact same rhythm as "Trashcan", though perhaps that's just what Delta Spirit typically sound like when they're at their happiest. While "Bushwick Blues" certainly distinguished itself from other Delta Spirit songs (and probably became their most successful song to date, aside from possibly "Trashcan"), "Golden State" is the kind of song that doesn't NEED distinguishing, "different" qualities in order to make it stand out. It's fine the way it is!
"Howlin' For You" by The Black Keys: If The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Kings of Leon, and/or Muse (or Wolfmother?) covered Gary Glitter's glam rock classic "Rock And Roll Part 2" (you know, the one with the guitar riff that goes "da-NANANA-NA-NA-nuh..HEY-EYYY!!...da-na-na-nahh...), it would probably sound a lot like "Howlin' For You". Actually, it also takes quite a bit of its vocal rhythmic patterns from The Yardbirds' "I'm A Man", in addition. The Black Keys are a band who wear their classic rock influences on their sleeve (especially T. Rex) and proudly so, but "Howlin' For You" actually sounds like a COMBINATION of classic rock songs that would sound as much at home on an alt-rock station as it would a classic rock station! It has catchy enough qualities to it that the very moment after one first hears it, it takes control of your ears in a very similar manner to "Rock And Roll Part 2", and should, someday, get played at sporting events like that song often does! Ordinarily I wouldn't say that about an indie song/band, but this one has potential! And sorry folks, unlike "Tighten Up" (and its mid-summer follow-up song, "Next Girl"), this song does NOT feature a video with Frank the Funk-a-saurus Rex (that I am aware of).
"Money Grabber" by Fitz and The Tantrums: I'm not aware of the show "Criminal Minds", but apparently this song became the surprise hit of early November 2010 because of that show (and also thanks to a T-Mobile commercial, apparently). Anyway, the name "Fitz and The Tantrums" sounds like the name of an indie band, right? Heheh...WRONG!! Well...kind of. It's really an "indie soul" group, in the manner of Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears, and the later work of Jamie Lidell. For a good description of this song, imagine what it would've been like if The Temptations, The Four Tops, etc. covered Electric Light Orchestra's "Evil Woman". In other words, this song is probably what some would be tempted to call "retreaux" (a portmanteau of the words "retro" and "faux"). I'd say it's just plain "retrO", though, it's a catchy, feel-good song that captures the feel of a typical Motown tune without being too pretentious.
"Raise Your Right Hand" by Hill Country Revue: If you've heard Hill Country Revue's song "You Can Make It", which came out a year before this one, you probably wouldn't expect the same guys who did a mellow but kind of catchy country-blues influenced number like "You Can Make It" to follow it up with a Skynyrd/ZZ Top/Joe Walsh-ish powerhouse classic rock revival number like "Raise Your Right Hand"! I was pretty surprised by how hard-rocking (well, for Hill Country Revue, anyway) this song really is!! It even has about a minute long guitar solo that was probably influenced by the three classic rock acts I previously mentioned in this review! A band with a name like "Hill Country Revue" probably wouldn't be one you could expect to sell out arenas, but if they keep on churning out material like "Raise Your Right Hand", you can bet that'll happen one of these days!!
"Sing Me to Sleep" by Fran Healy (of Travis) and Neko Case: Perhaps this duet is trying to one-up the one Greg Laswell did with Ingrid Michaelson earlier this year. If so, it's doing a good job at it! For starters, I like Fran better than Greg, and Neko MUCH better than Ingrid. Where Greg and Ingrid's "Take Everything" was merely light, buoyant folk-pop, "Sing Me to Sleep" tugs a bit more at the ol' heartstrings. The chemistry between Fran and Neko's vocals is cute, romantic, and almost dreamy (for both of them!) If high school proms start playing indie tunes, this would make for a mighty fine slow dance song!
"Bitter Pill" by Mt. Desolation: Mt. Desolation is Tim Rice Oxley's side project for his more well-known band, the British contemporary soft rock group Keane, so, not surprisingly, "Bitter Pill" sounds a lot like a Keane song. It's funny, then, that I actually like this song despite the fact that I'm not a fan of Keane's music (except for possibly "Is It Any Wonder?") I guess the main thing about "Bitter Pill" that I LIKE is that it doesn't sound like Tim's trying too hard to emulate the more crowd-pleasing side of Coldplay's music that he often seems to emulate with Keane. Instead, it comes off sounding more like a lightweight yet genuine contemporary British alt-rock/indie tune, with the bouncy, charming qualities of Aqualung (the band, not the song), the honest, heartfelt qualities of Snow Patrol, and the lilting, wistful melodies of Travis (whose lead singer Fran Healy is going to be reviewed later during this blog!) While "Bitter Pill" definitely doesn't have the more lasting qualities of established "piano-rockers" like Elton John, Tori Amos, and Ben Folds, it definitely has a more unique sound quality than most "Britpop" piano-rock tunes.
"Down By the Water" by The Decemberists: Hmmmm...interesting...The DECEMBERists decided to release their latest tune in NOVEMBER!! This is just too funny!! (Their last release was in late February of last year, which wouldn't have been as funny). Also, this is not a cover of the sublimely dark PJ Harvey tune of the same name for those wondering. Joking aside, though, "Down By the Water" represents yet another eclectic facet of The Decemberists' career that I don't think they've taken on yet. So far, the adventurous indie rock group have taken on folk-rock of both buoyant ("16 Military Wives") and somber ("The Hazards of Love 1") qualities, R.E.M./Smiths influenced indie-pop tunes that have so far become their biggest hits ("O Valencia!" and "The Perfect Crime # 2"), minor key post-punk influenced tunes ("The Rake's Song"), and even various concept albums/songs worthy of Pink Floyd/Jethro Tull comparisons! So how does "Down By the Water" compare to their already diverse library of songs?! Well, it seems with this song, The Decemberists have explored yet another side of their inner classic rocker(s), as "Down By the Water" shares instrumentation somewhat similar to Bruce Springsteen's "The River" and chord progression similar to Tom Petty's "Flirting With Time". I'm just a little disappointed by this, as I was expecting more of either an adventurous and/or hypnotically melodic tune from The Decemberists, as opposed to the heartland/roots rock revival they have set up in "Down By the Water", but The Decemberists, so far, have a certain charm to all the songs I've heard of theirs that has never failed to please me. This song is no exception to the rule!!
"Golden State" by Delta Spirit: This song, the second single off Delta Spirit's 2010 release, "History From Below", should probably come as a breath of fresh air to those who found the first hit off the album, "Bushwick Blues", to be too punk-y and/or depressing. "Golden State" is neither of these things, and marks a return to the fun, bouncy, roots-y indie-pop/rock of their 2008 song, "Trashcan". It even has the exact same rhythm as "Trashcan", though perhaps that's just what Delta Spirit typically sound like when they're at their happiest. While "Bushwick Blues" certainly distinguished itself from other Delta Spirit songs (and probably became their most successful song to date, aside from possibly "Trashcan"), "Golden State" is the kind of song that doesn't NEED distinguishing, "different" qualities in order to make it stand out. It's fine the way it is!
"Howlin' For You" by The Black Keys: If The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Kings of Leon, and/or Muse (or Wolfmother?) covered Gary Glitter's glam rock classic "Rock And Roll Part 2" (you know, the one with the guitar riff that goes "da-NANANA-NA-NA-nuh..HEY-EYYY!!...da-na-na-nahh...), it would probably sound a lot like "Howlin' For You". Actually, it also takes quite a bit of its vocal rhythmic patterns from The Yardbirds' "I'm A Man", in addition. The Black Keys are a band who wear their classic rock influences on their sleeve (especially T. Rex) and proudly so, but "Howlin' For You" actually sounds like a COMBINATION of classic rock songs that would sound as much at home on an alt-rock station as it would a classic rock station! It has catchy enough qualities to it that the very moment after one first hears it, it takes control of your ears in a very similar manner to "Rock And Roll Part 2", and should, someday, get played at sporting events like that song often does! Ordinarily I wouldn't say that about an indie song/band, but this one has potential! And sorry folks, unlike "Tighten Up" (and its mid-summer follow-up song, "Next Girl"), this song does NOT feature a video with Frank the Funk-a-saurus Rex (that I am aware of).
"Money Grabber" by Fitz and The Tantrums: I'm not aware of the show "Criminal Minds", but apparently this song became the surprise hit of early November 2010 because of that show (and also thanks to a T-Mobile commercial, apparently). Anyway, the name "Fitz and The Tantrums" sounds like the name of an indie band, right? Heheh...WRONG!! Well...kind of. It's really an "indie soul" group, in the manner of Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears, and the later work of Jamie Lidell. For a good description of this song, imagine what it would've been like if The Temptations, The Four Tops, etc. covered Electric Light Orchestra's "Evil Woman". In other words, this song is probably what some would be tempted to call "retreaux" (a portmanteau of the words "retro" and "faux"). I'd say it's just plain "retrO", though, it's a catchy, feel-good song that captures the feel of a typical Motown tune without being too pretentious.
"Raise Your Right Hand" by Hill Country Revue: If you've heard Hill Country Revue's song "You Can Make It", which came out a year before this one, you probably wouldn't expect the same guys who did a mellow but kind of catchy country-blues influenced number like "You Can Make It" to follow it up with a Skynyrd/ZZ Top/Joe Walsh-ish powerhouse classic rock revival number like "Raise Your Right Hand"! I was pretty surprised by how hard-rocking (well, for Hill Country Revue, anyway) this song really is!! It even has about a minute long guitar solo that was probably influenced by the three classic rock acts I previously mentioned in this review! A band with a name like "Hill Country Revue" probably wouldn't be one you could expect to sell out arenas, but if they keep on churning out material like "Raise Your Right Hand", you can bet that'll happen one of these days!!
"Sing Me to Sleep" by Fran Healy (of Travis) and Neko Case: Perhaps this duet is trying to one-up the one Greg Laswell did with Ingrid Michaelson earlier this year. If so, it's doing a good job at it! For starters, I like Fran better than Greg, and Neko MUCH better than Ingrid. Where Greg and Ingrid's "Take Everything" was merely light, buoyant folk-pop, "Sing Me to Sleep" tugs a bit more at the ol' heartstrings. The chemistry between Fran and Neko's vocals is cute, romantic, and almost dreamy (for both of them!) If high school proms start playing indie tunes, this would make for a mighty fine slow dance song!
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