New songs for February 9th, 2022

 Here they are:


"Anyone for You" by George Ezra: Indie-folk/pop-ster George Ezra is known for his upbeat songs. Not a single one of his songs has been a downer so far, but "Anyone for You" might just eclipse all of his previous songs in terms of how happy it sounds! It is also notable for being the first George Ezra song that focuses on keyboard more than guitar. Just in time for Valentine's Day, "Anyone for You" is a love song, pure and simple. Not much more to it than that, but this is one of those songs that doesn't really need to carry a lot of weight on it in order for it be appealing!

"Black Summer" by Red Hot Chili Peppers: RHCP have had hit songs since 1991 and have been releasing records for even longer. They haven't had a hit record since 2016, but Flea and the boys just don't seem to run out of steam! Many of the lines in the verses tend to be completely random ("Playtpus are few/The secret life of roo" Ummm...say WHAT?!), but the title of the song and its chorus seem to simultaneously represent both the depression of certain members of the band and the state of the world as it approaches temperature levels that make it harder for us to survive each year. 

"Kissing Lessons" Lucy Dacus: Another love song just in time for Valentine's Day! This is no typical love song, though. Through a slightly punk-pop sound tinted through an indie-pop lens, Lucy tells a story from her childhood years about trying to win over a boy in her class, when she turns out being charmed by a girl instead simply for wanting "lessons on kissing." Lucy has created an anthem for bisexuals with her latest song. "Kissing Lessons" doubles in being a lesson both on love and diversity! Too bad the song is less than 2 minutes long.

"Love Brand New" by Bob Moses: Bob Moses, first of all, is not one person. They are actually two people. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, Bob Moses' latest song, "Love Brand New," is a techno-pop song that was written during their 2019 tour at Coachella. The subject of the song, obviously, is love, but the "brand new" part of the title is relevant to the song as well. According to the duo whose name sounds like a single person, "Love Brand New" is about experiencing love as though going through it for the first time. 

"Love is Selfish" by Jack White: After the fiery "Taking Me Back," Jack calms things down significantly with his latest song, "Love is Selfish." As the title implies, "Love is Selfish" finds Jack in the position of not wanting to be in love due to how ironically self-centered people can be when they're in love. He tries to find a solution to his problem but ends up falling short. As a balance from all the positive love songs being released this week, this one is for all the brokenhearted, single people who might not feel joy on Valentine's Day. Oddly, this song is in a major key, despite how sad it is. 

New songs for August 8th, 2018

here they are:


"All My Friends" by The Revivalists: The Revivalists were an adult alt "niche band" for about two years until "Wish I Knew You" made surprise appearances on the more mainstream alternative charts and even on pop charts! Thanks to the success of that song, which combined folk-rock melancholia with an R & B groove, more people know who The Revivalists are now. It should come as no surprise, then, that their latest song, "All My Friends", is the most heavily anticipated song on the adult alt charts this week, and is making waves on more popular alternative rock stations as well. "All My Friends" presents The Revivalists in the way that their original fanbase knew them, as an R & B influenced contemporary rock group. Not a whole lot of bittersweetness in this song, other than the fact that it is written in a minor key. "All my friends take good care of me", sings David Shaw during the chorus. To make a song as fresh as this one is, I'm sure that what he sings there is the truth!


"Good As Gold" by Moon Taxi: Moon Taxi have had a knack for making songs that sound good enough for commercials for a while now. Their song, "All Day All Night", was featured in a McDonald's commercial a few years ago. I'm not sure if their latest song, "Good As Gold", has been featured in a commercial yet, but if it hasn't, it should! It seems as though Moon Taxi meant this song to be a sports anthem of sorts. It's a song about "reaching that moment", as their keyboardist, Wes Bailey, claimed during an interview. The moment, that is, when your team (be it sports or otherwise) reaches their ultimate victory! Apparently, Moon Taxi wrote this song as one of their favorite teams was competing for the Stanley Cup. All I can say is...go team!!


"Jenny Jenkins" by Mt. Joy: As someone who has been a proud Los Angeleno for most of his life, it makes me happy to hear that Mt. Joy's "Jenny Jenkins" is about their lead singer, Matt Quinn's, experience moving to L.A.! Quinn, on the other hand, was a native Philadelphian who moved to the City of Angels later on in his life, so his experiences with the city aren't exactly seen through rose colored glasses. Instead, he ended up landing in a city with what he believed to be "false promises", made worse once he realized that even L.A.'s famed palm trees didn't actually start their life off there. In spite of the disillusionment expressed in this song, "Jenny Jenkins" still manages to be somewhat sunny with its uptempo beat and major key. Though Matt dedicated this song to his girlfriend, her name may or may not be "Jenny". That part was a tribute to a song of the same name by The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia.


"New Birth In New England" by Phosphorescent: Where Phosphorescent's first (and until this point, only) major adult alt radio hit, "Song For Zula", was reminiscent of the bittersweetness and stark truth of Simon and Garfunkel's music, "New Birth In New England" sounds more like a solo Paul Simon song from his "Graceland" record. "New Birth In New England" has a sound that's as tropical sounding as it is jazzy, much like the "Graceland" songs. Since the success of "Song For Zula", lead singer Matthew Houck has become the father of two children, so it's no coincidence that "New Birth In New England" has lyrics that describe one's initial experiences with fatherhood. Another interesting parallel between Phosphorescent's last big hit and this one is how "Song For Zula" focused largely on death, yet "New Birth In New England", as its title implies, seems to be more about birth. It's the circle of life!


"Shotgun" by George Ezra: As if by coincidence, our next song also seems to be a Paul Simon soundalike, especially during its bass heavy chorus. "Shotgun"'s combo of folk, jazz, rock, and world music also gives off Paul Simon vibes. It's a very happy song, and no, the word "shotgun" here does not refer to a weapon, but instead to "riding shotgun". The bulk of George Ezra's music just seems to be about having fun, and this song is no exception! And, like "Jenny Jenkins", "Shotgun" is a song about a musician's experience in a land they weren't born in - Australia, in this case. In contrast to Matt Quinn's negative experiences in L.A., George's travels in Australia seem to have been positive ones, as reflected by the appropriately summery vibes of the song. You don't have to come from the land down under to appreciate what this song has to offer!


"Uh Huh" by Jade Bird: Hmmm...interesting song title, Jade! Did you want people to feel like they were giving a clever response when discussing the name of this song, as in the following exchange: Person 1: What's the name of this song?/Person 2: Uh Huh/Person 1: Were you even listening to what I said?/Person 2: Uh huh/Person 1: So what's the name of this song?/Person 2: Uh Huh/Person 1: You're still not listening, are you...?! And so on and so forth...There's nothing silly or "Who's On First?"-ish about "Uh Huh", though, a song that manages to be even shorter than Jade Bird's previous single, "Lottery", which was two and a half minutes. Both the frustrated, scathing lyrics and furiously strummed acoustic guitar are reminiscent of mid '60s Bob Dylan. With lyrics like, "She's got you on your knees just like a little boy/Everybody sees that you're just a little toy", and, "She's got you where it hurts, but you don't seem to see/That while she's out at work she's doing what you did to me." In a song that's only 19 seconds longer than The Beatles' short but sweet masterpiece, "Norwegian Wood", Jade packs enough venom in "Uh Huh" to compare with Dylan's "Positively 4th Street" and Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know". While it is not likely that "Uh Huh" will achieve the historic, iconic status both of those songs have, I still think it's one of the best angry breakup songs I've ever heard!

New songs for January 31st, 2018

here they are:


“Best Days” by Lissie: Fitting that a song called “Best Days” sounds so happy and hopeful, isn’t it? Well, there’s a good reason for that. “Best Days” is Lissie’s song of hope, and it’s her way of letting her listeners know that the “good old days” are the ones we are living in right now. Lissie even sings in the middle of the song that she “wants more best days”. What a great attitude to have in times where nearly everyone seems to wish they could escape the present era!


“Girlfriend” by Anderson East: Anderson is a unique musician in this day and age, alternating between gritty sax driven soul music, calmer roots-y country-rock (perhaps influenced by his girlfriend, country star Miranda Lambert), and sometimes even straight up pop. On “Girlfriend”, Anderson goes back to the gutsy soul music that I originally knew him for. Unlike what its title might suggest, “Girlfriend” is not a simple declaration of love here, but instead a love triangle. Anderson loudly and somewhat proudly proclaims during the chorus that he “thinks (he’s) in love” with the subject’s “girlfriend”. I wonder what Miranda is gonna think of THIS one!


“Listening In” by Dr. Dog: Ever the quirky, original sounding indie band, Dr. Dog have done it again with their latest song, “Listening In”. The lyrics are pretty simple, with only three verses with practically identical lyrics and a bridge, but the music itself provides nearly 5 minutes of trippy, neo-psychedelic goodness! It appears the song is even a bit prog-rock influenced, with the middle of the song suddenly changing rhythm before the third verse kicks in. The song also provides just the right amount of balance between keyboard and guitar, unlike most indie songs these days, which tend to focus on one more than the other.


“May You Be Well” – The Lone Bellow: After splashing onto adult alt radio during the summer of last year with the rollicking, energetic, “Time’s Always Leaving”, the second single from The Lone Bellow’s third album, “May You Be Well”, is a more reflective and somewhat reverent sounding piece of music. It is a very sentimental song, both musically and lyrically, and was written by lead singer Zach Williams to his oldest daughter as a declaration of love from father to child. Both of his daughters ended up liking the track, though, especially Betty, his youngest, who expressed how moved she was that her dad chose to dedicate a song to one of his kids. I guess that’s the thing about good music. It can be enjoyed from one generation to the next!


“Never Look Back” by Field Report: It hasn’t been a very easy road for Wisconsin folk-rock quartet, Field Report, but they seem to be able to squeeze out one adult alt radio hit per album. So far, this pattern has continued into their third album with their latest song, “Never Look Back”. One thing I have noticed about the songs that have gained attention from Field Report is how more instrumentation gets used on each song. “Never Look Back” contains more echoic instrumentation and a bit more acoustic/electric guitar harmony than their other two hit songs. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the talk box used during the solo of the song, although it’s used in a rather subtle manner.


“On the Lips” by JD McPherson: What if The Black Keys covered songs like Modern English’s “I Melt With You”? Sounds kinda weird, doesn’t it?! Well, that’s pretty much the sound of JD McPherson’s latest song, “On the Lips”! No one ever thought that a guy whose first big song was a Little Richard sound-alike would be churning out THIS kinda music, but it does manage to work here. Well, kinda. Despite its rather futuristic sound, the song is actually about a moment from JD’s distant past. Specifically, it’s about his first kiss, and how much excitement he felt rushing through him when that special someone’s smooch “hit (him) on the lips”.


“Paradise” by George Ezra: No, this is not a cover of the popular Coldplay song of the same name, although George Ezra’s “Paradise” does have a bit more of a pop element than most of his folk-rock-y material has so far. This “Paradise” is definitely more upbeat and a little more rockin’ than the tune that Chris Martin and co put out a few years ago. It is also a declaration of love the whole way through. There are times when the lyrical fervor of this song runs hotter than others, such as the chorus, when George says, “If it feels like paradise running through your bloody veins, you know it’s love heading your way”. Love sure does make you do strange things sometimes, doesn’t it?!


“Roll On Slow” by Glen Hansard: The Irish folk-rocker whose first big hit was from the “Once” soundtrack amps it up on his latest song, “Roll On Slow”. There is something vaguely similar (though not near as impressive) to Bruce Springsteen songs like “She’s the One” and “Born to Run” on this song, and a bit of a soulful vibe as well during the chorus that could have easily come from fellow Irishmen, The Commitments (even though they were a movie-only band). The Springsteen-esque sound might have been intentional on “Roll On Slow”, since Glen has performed the song before with E Street Band drummer, Max Weinberg. The song definitely has an East Coast vibe to it, and was written while Glen was living in New York City. Behind the song’s determined, gutsy sound, however, lies a tale of sadness and woe. Apparently, the song was inspired by how Glen started drinking alcohol too heavily because his girlfriend was on vacation. The song’s urban vibe and fast beats help to compensate for the sad subject matter, though.

New songs for June 28th, 2017

here they are:


"Damaged One" by Big Head Todd and The Monsters: The "neo-Dead" jam bands of the early '90s seemed to either be complex like Phish and Widespread Panic, or they were more accessible to pop audiences the way that Spin Doctors or Blues Traveler were. Big Head Todd and The Monsters are unique among all these bands in that their brand of jam band music creates a balance between experimental jam band music and pop based jam band music, and they tend to have fans on both sides. Now soldiering on into their third decade as a band, Big Head Todd and The Monsters continue to rock with their latest song, "Damaged One". Lead singer, "Big Head" Todd Park Mohr, centers this song around how, presumably in a relationship of some sort, he was "already the damaged one". With the upbeat rock 'n' roll sound of this song, though, you'd never be able to tell!


"Don't Matter Now" by George Ezra: In late summer of 2014, George Ezra's peppy folk-rock tune, "Budapest", was the surprise alternative rock radio hit of the year! For a quiet sounding musician, his song sure made a lot of noise! 3 years later, in the early summer of 2017, George cranks out yet another song perfect for the summer season with "Don't Matter Now". The central message of the song seems to be, "Do what you can while you can, and try to have fun." The laid back theme of this song, combined with its happy brass section and even happier "doo-doo-doo"s punctuating the middle and end of the song, make this one a can't miss song for your next pool party or barbecue!


"Time's Always Leaving" by The Lone Bellow: This song still retains the roots-rock feel of most Lone Bellow songs, yet it also sounds more upbeat than most of their material does! The question is, why? The band have been through a lot of changes since they last released an album together. Zach and Brian are now dads, and Kanine is now a mom. Additionally, in a true country-rock move, they also moved from the tough rock 'n' roll streets of Brooklyn to country music haven, Nashville, within the three years it took for them to release this song. Even lyrically, "Time's Always Leaving" isn't exactly a happy song, what with its depiction of time as a "cruel mistress". Yet the trio sounds happier than they ever have before in this song. Go figure!


"Whole Wide World" by Cage the Elephant: "Stranger Than Fiction" fans, rejoice! The song that Will Ferrell's character, Harold Crick, sings in an attempt to seduce Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), is now being covered by alt-rock group, Cage the Elephant! At the time of "Stranger Than Fiction"'s initial release to theaters, "Whole Wide World" was a little known melodic garage rock styled song by Wreckless Eric, who was sort of like a lesser known Elvis Costello or Joe Jackson. Yet now, for millions of people (myself included), "Whole Wide World" can't be thought of WITHOUT that scene from "Stranger Than Fiction". I'm guessing CTE were fans of the movie as well. After all, how else do you think they even know this song?! Matt Shultz and co do the song justice, retaining the original key, rhythm, and instrumentation so well that it'd be incredibly hard to tell this apart from the original! Now I just gotta wait for The Kooks to cover The Jam's "That's Entertainment" (also featured in "Stranger Than Fiction") and my life will be complete!

New songs for February 11th, 2014

here they are:


"Blame It On Me" by George Ezra: George Ezra may be a newcomer onto the indie-folk scene, but he draws from influences both young and old. The Mumford-esque "Budapest" was a huge hit for George during the fall, and his followup single, "Blame It On Me" seems like it is poised to take on the charts for late winter/early spring of 2015! "Blame It On Me" has a bouncy rhythm that could be compared to some of Paul Simon's solo work. "What you waiting for, what you waiting for?" George sings during the chorus. George, we're waiting for this song to take over the world!! Or the radio, at least.


"I'll Make Time For You" by Kristin Diable: This song will probably be enjoyable to those who like female-fronted indie-pop songs, as this seems to be a cross between the snarky vocals of Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis and the old school soul of Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard. As both the verses and the chorus revolve around a basic, three chord structure, there isn't anything particularly exciting about this song, except when the psychedelically tinged guitar solo comes in the middle of it and diverts from the main chord sequence in the song. A good one nonetheless, though.

New songs for September 10th, 2014

here they are:


"Budapest" by George Ezra: He might not be from Budapest (he's British), but George Ezra's song about the capital of Hungary is still a song that grabs your attention just from the first listen! "Budapest" combines the world music influenced rhythmic patterns of later Paul Simon songs with the more galloping acoustic rhythm of Mumford and Sons. As neo-folk-rock is becoming more and more in demand these days, it's no wonder George Ezra's rise to stardom has climaxed so quickly! "Give me one good reason that I should never make a change", Ezra demands during the chorus. I'm with Ezra, personally. He should make a change, stylistically, as many musicians do, so I can see just how capable and diverse his musical range is. Some folks might sound better than Ezra (including Better than Ezra), but he's still worth listening to for the moment.


"Forgotten Man" by Tom Petty: In less than three minutes, Petty proves that he can really rock no matter how little time he has, with "Forgotten Man"! The song opens with a Bo Diddley shuffle and Chuck Berry licks, and it continues to use them both throughout. Not too many chords are used in the song, either. Petty might be complaining that he "feels like a forgotten man" during the song, but it's pretty much impossible to forget a song like this one! Sometimes, simple is best!!


"Happy Idiot" by TV on the Radio: If "love will tear us apart", as Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis coldly claimed almost three and a half decades ago, then what is there left to do afterwards?! Well, according to TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, the answer to that is to be a "happy idiot". The chords, atmosphere, and lyrics of "Happy Idiot" all owe a lot to Joy Division. "Happy Idiot" is an icy, brutally honest song about how retreating to idiocy can be a way of escaping the harsh reality of certain situations. In this particular case, the other TVOTR members are probably using this song to grieve over how their original bassist, Gerard Smith, died last year. It almost seems eerie that the word "idiot" and the Joy Division influence in the song can serve as a potential parallel to how Iggy Pop's similarly titled album, "The Idiot", was the last album that Joy Division's Ian Curtis listened to due to the fact that he hung himself after putting it on. Isn't music history fascinating?!


"Home (Leave the Lights On)" by Field Report: Folk-rock group, Field Report, seemed like they had one of the saddest, most beautiful songs of 2012, with the stark "I Am Not Waiting Anymore". The fact that no other songs from their debut CD got any attention led me to believe that Field Report were pretty much destined for one-hit wonder status. Two summers later, it appears as though I've been proven wrong with the release of Field Report's "Home (Leave the Lights On)", the bouncy sound of which shines like a glimmer of hope next to the more bittersweet "I Am Not Waiting Anymore". With "Home", Field Report actually sound more like a band, as opposed to sounding like one person posing as a band. A rhythm section is added in, and it sounds like there are two different guitars being used as well. Field Report probably kept their original fanbase in mind, though, as "Home" still sounds as poignant as ever.