here they are:
"Everything's Right" by Phish: Phish are known for being the ultimate example of a jam band from the '90s onward, much like The Grateful Dead were the ultimate example of a jam band during the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Much like The Dead, Phish's studio tracks are usually more "controlled" than their freewheeling live tracks, but that is not always the case. Phish's latest studio recording, "Everything's Right", which started out as a live recording, clocks in at a little over 12 minutes, making it the longest song I've reviewed so far! For the true devotees of Phish, it might be worth it to listen to all 12 minutes. However, for more casual fans such as myself, the first four and a half minutes of the song should do just fine. It's actually a very fun, optimistic track up until that point. After that, it's pretty much nothing but guitar solos. The entire track is for hardcore fans only, but just a slice of this track should be enough to uplift anyone from their quarantine blues.
"Isabella" by Hamilton Leithauser: "Isabella", the latest track from The Walkmen's frontman continues in the folk-rock direction of his previous adult alt radio hit, "Here They Come", but it's a much sweeter song than that one was. Its chill yet yearning vibes make for a bittersweet love song. At least it appears to be a love song on the surface, but underneath it all, there are no direct references that tell how Hamilton truly feels about the titular Isabella. Based on the music, though, he probably thinks she's pretty dreamy.
"One Day She's Here" by Marcus King: After the explosive blues-rock of his 2019 adult alt radio hit, "The Well", Marcus King dials things back a bit with "One Day She's Gone". Though guitar isn't the most audible instrument on "One Day She's Here", Marcus compensates for this by making the song extra sleek and funky. The song is about a girl whom Marcus attempts to build a relationship with, but he never quite gets there. Aren't a lot of relationships like that, though?
"This Forgotten Town" by The Jayhawks: For most of the new millennium, alt-country critical darlings, The Jayhawks, have focused on a jangle-pop sound similar to groups like The Byrds, Big Star, and R.E.M. "This Forgotten Town" marks the first time in nearly 25 years that The Jayhawks have gone back to the more countrified, roots-y rock sound they started with. There's nothing really jangly about this song, which uses roots-y electric guitar riffs backed by acoustic guitar and honky-tonk piano where fans might have expected 12-string guitars and Rickenbacker riffs to be instead. The songs "going down the road" style lyrics also hearken back to earlier Jayhawks songs, which were not as yearning and bittersweet as the ones they put out from the 2000's onward. This might just be the song to win back the small but significant fanbase that The Jayhawks first started building during the early to mid '90s. Who knew?!
Showing posts with label Hamilton Leithauser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hamilton Leithauser. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
New songs for February 26th, 2020
here they are:
"Bad Decisions" by The Strokes: This week's most anticipated new track comes to us from a band who have been around for about two decades now! Can you believe it?! Even during their debut, though, The Strokes always felt like a "throwback" band. Their debut single, "Last Nite", for instance, sounded like it came from a mid-1970's New York punk rock band, like Television, or maybe The New York Dolls. "Bad Decisions" goes forward one decade in the flashback machine to a time when goofy haircuts ruled the world and MTV was a brand new thing. The '80s influence is all over "Bad Decisions". Even the opening of the song sounds like "I Melt With You" by Modern English, and the chorus is clearly modeled after Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself". Was it a "bad decision" to record this song, though?! Absolutely not!
"Here They Come" by Hamilton Leithauser: In his heart of hearts, The Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser, much like myself, is a folkie. His latest solo effort, "Here They Come", feels like a stark, haunting acoustic rock song in the vein of masterfully dark singer/songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash, the latter of whom celebrates his birthday today. "Here They Come" has both figurative darkness and literal darkness, with its imagery of subway tunnels, shadows, and closed eyes all mentioned in Leithauser's deliciously spooky narration!
"Lilacs" by Waxahatchee: So far, this song stands as the only other song I know with the word "lilac" in its title aside from "Lilac Wine", originally by powerful jazz mistress Nina Simone and covered masterfully by Jeff Buckley. Unlike the late Mr. Buckley, Waxahatchee's "Lilacs" is not a song with stark instrumentation and a haunting sound. In fact, it's surprisingly happy for a Waxahatchee song! The title comes from the part where Katie Crutchfield sings, "and the lilacs drank the water", and in varying cadences by the time the end of the song comes. Some rather poetic imagery for a rather folks-y song seemingly inspired by some of the breezier, countrified Bob Dylan songs of the mid 1960's, such as "Girl From the North Country". I was expecting a roaring torrent of anger, as exemplified by Waxahatchee's minor adult alt radio hit, "Never Been Wrong". Somehow, I'm glad I got this breath of fresh spring country air instead.
"So Much Love" by Nada Surf: It's a little unfair for people to remember Nada Surf solely for the quirky, mid '90s faux-grunge song, "Popular". After that song's success, Nada Surf found plenty of success on adult alt radio stations with one song after another giving off a folk-rock-y hippie vibe that "Popular" did not possess. "So Much Love" might just be the most hippy-dippy song in Nada Surf's catalog so far. Between its idealistic title, super positive message, and billowy West Coast inspired indie-folk-rock (even though they're actually an East Coast band), "So Much Love" is enough to fill even the most jaded of hipsters with so much love, as its title implies. All we need is love, right?!
"Strangers" by Mt. Joy: After three guitar oriented songs that came out during the late 2010's, Mt. Joy has gone in a slightly different direction with the more piano based "Strangers" for the early 2020's. There is still guitar in this song, but it's not quite apparent until about a minute into the song. Piano guides this song so much that its solo sounds like it could have come from Bruce Hornsby (who is more popular than you might think among the hipster/indie community - Bon Iver, for instance, are huge fans of his). The song itself might be a reflection on the sudden unexpected attention that Mt. Joy got from songs like "Sheep", "Jenny Jenkins", and especially "Silver Lining", the last of which became one of the most enduring adult alt radio hits (and mainstream alt radio hits, to a lesser extent) of 2018. "I guess I'll have to fall in love with strangers/Go ride through New York City like I'm famous", sings Matt Quinn during the chorus. In spite of the song's bouncy, buoyant sound, Matt seems less than pleased with the prospect of his newfound success, with the words of the chorus dripping with sarcasm upon closer listen.
"Wherever You Are" by Kodaline: Reading the description of this song from Kodaline's official YouTube account summarizes its bittersweet mood and sound. It echoes the sentiments of Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With", albeit with a sound that's more plaintive than it is happy. In other words, Kodaline's "Wherever You Are" is about thinking of your loved one even when he/she isn't near you. I'm sure the members must have been overcome with awe reading the comments section of the song, where many people have already commented about the song getting them through difficult times in their lives, such as the death of a loved one. It's great when a song conveys a universal, touching message like this one, isn't it?! I'd like to think so.
"Your Love (Deja Vu)" by Glass Animals: Glass Animals debut single, "Gooey", from the mid-2010's, was probably one of the dreamiest songs of the decade. "Your Love (Deja Vu)" isn't exactly dreamy, though. In fact, I'd say it's more dance-y. "Your Love..." has a very slinky, sensuous rhythm. The lyrics don't seem to mean very much in this song, but it sure makes you wanna move your body back and forth, doesn't it?!
"Bad Decisions" by The Strokes: This week's most anticipated new track comes to us from a band who have been around for about two decades now! Can you believe it?! Even during their debut, though, The Strokes always felt like a "throwback" band. Their debut single, "Last Nite", for instance, sounded like it came from a mid-1970's New York punk rock band, like Television, or maybe The New York Dolls. "Bad Decisions" goes forward one decade in the flashback machine to a time when goofy haircuts ruled the world and MTV was a brand new thing. The '80s influence is all over "Bad Decisions". Even the opening of the song sounds like "I Melt With You" by Modern English, and the chorus is clearly modeled after Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself". Was it a "bad decision" to record this song, though?! Absolutely not!
"Here They Come" by Hamilton Leithauser: In his heart of hearts, The Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser, much like myself, is a folkie. His latest solo effort, "Here They Come", feels like a stark, haunting acoustic rock song in the vein of masterfully dark singer/songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash, the latter of whom celebrates his birthday today. "Here They Come" has both figurative darkness and literal darkness, with its imagery of subway tunnels, shadows, and closed eyes all mentioned in Leithauser's deliciously spooky narration!
"Lilacs" by Waxahatchee: So far, this song stands as the only other song I know with the word "lilac" in its title aside from "Lilac Wine", originally by powerful jazz mistress Nina Simone and covered masterfully by Jeff Buckley. Unlike the late Mr. Buckley, Waxahatchee's "Lilacs" is not a song with stark instrumentation and a haunting sound. In fact, it's surprisingly happy for a Waxahatchee song! The title comes from the part where Katie Crutchfield sings, "and the lilacs drank the water", and in varying cadences by the time the end of the song comes. Some rather poetic imagery for a rather folks-y song seemingly inspired by some of the breezier, countrified Bob Dylan songs of the mid 1960's, such as "Girl From the North Country". I was expecting a roaring torrent of anger, as exemplified by Waxahatchee's minor adult alt radio hit, "Never Been Wrong". Somehow, I'm glad I got this breath of fresh spring country air instead.
"So Much Love" by Nada Surf: It's a little unfair for people to remember Nada Surf solely for the quirky, mid '90s faux-grunge song, "Popular". After that song's success, Nada Surf found plenty of success on adult alt radio stations with one song after another giving off a folk-rock-y hippie vibe that "Popular" did not possess. "So Much Love" might just be the most hippy-dippy song in Nada Surf's catalog so far. Between its idealistic title, super positive message, and billowy West Coast inspired indie-folk-rock (even though they're actually an East Coast band), "So Much Love" is enough to fill even the most jaded of hipsters with so much love, as its title implies. All we need is love, right?!
"Strangers" by Mt. Joy: After three guitar oriented songs that came out during the late 2010's, Mt. Joy has gone in a slightly different direction with the more piano based "Strangers" for the early 2020's. There is still guitar in this song, but it's not quite apparent until about a minute into the song. Piano guides this song so much that its solo sounds like it could have come from Bruce Hornsby (who is more popular than you might think among the hipster/indie community - Bon Iver, for instance, are huge fans of his). The song itself might be a reflection on the sudden unexpected attention that Mt. Joy got from songs like "Sheep", "Jenny Jenkins", and especially "Silver Lining", the last of which became one of the most enduring adult alt radio hits (and mainstream alt radio hits, to a lesser extent) of 2018. "I guess I'll have to fall in love with strangers/Go ride through New York City like I'm famous", sings Matt Quinn during the chorus. In spite of the song's bouncy, buoyant sound, Matt seems less than pleased with the prospect of his newfound success, with the words of the chorus dripping with sarcasm upon closer listen.
"Wherever You Are" by Kodaline: Reading the description of this song from Kodaline's official YouTube account summarizes its bittersweet mood and sound. It echoes the sentiments of Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With", albeit with a sound that's more plaintive than it is happy. In other words, Kodaline's "Wherever You Are" is about thinking of your loved one even when he/she isn't near you. I'm sure the members must have been overcome with awe reading the comments section of the song, where many people have already commented about the song getting them through difficult times in their lives, such as the death of a loved one. It's great when a song conveys a universal, touching message like this one, isn't it?! I'd like to think so.
"Your Love (Deja Vu)" by Glass Animals: Glass Animals debut single, "Gooey", from the mid-2010's, was probably one of the dreamiest songs of the decade. "Your Love (Deja Vu)" isn't exactly dreamy, though. In fact, I'd say it's more dance-y. "Your Love..." has a very slinky, sensuous rhythm. The lyrics don't seem to mean very much in this song, but it sure makes you wanna move your body back and forth, doesn't it?!
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
New songs for November 1st 2017
here they are:
"Do I Have to Talk You Into It?" by Spoon: The third single so far from Spoon's latest album, "Do I Have to Talk You Into It?" is an interesting song. Musically, it comes off as a happier, major key version of Nine Inch Nails' "Closer". The song is accompanied by a weird music video with the lead singer's face being photoshopped and then being taken apart as though melting. You probably won't be able to sleep tonight if you see it, but for the truly daring, the link to the video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt0QFoqNlBk. You just never know what you're gonna get with these guys!
"Heartstruck (Wild Hunger)" by Hamilton Leithauser and Angel Olsen: The Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser, in some ways, is like a scratchier voiced Alex Ebert from Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Musically, Hamilton has something in common with Alex as well in his new song, "Heartstruck", which straddles the line between orchestral doo-wop and indie-folk (a bit like Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros' "40 Day Dream"). The song's chorus of, "Wild hunger, rise up with the currency", is a bit hard to figure out the meaning of, but the song itself is a pleasant, billowy waltz that will probably appeal to fans of both Hamilton and Angel.
"Wild And Reckless" by Blitzen Trapper: The song itself isn't exactly wild and reckless. In fact, it actually starts out as a slow, sorrowful country-rock song. However, about a minute into it, it starts to speed up a little more. Though not quite as much a rocker as some of Blitzen Trapper's other songs, it's still fun to listen to. Musically, it seems like the alt-country version of either Bruce Springsteen's "The River" or The Eagles' "Take It Easy". Not a remarkable song, but still a good one for traveling down the freeway.
"Do I Have to Talk You Into It?" by Spoon: The third single so far from Spoon's latest album, "Do I Have to Talk You Into It?" is an interesting song. Musically, it comes off as a happier, major key version of Nine Inch Nails' "Closer". The song is accompanied by a weird music video with the lead singer's face being photoshopped and then being taken apart as though melting. You probably won't be able to sleep tonight if you see it, but for the truly daring, the link to the video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt0QFoqNlBk. You just never know what you're gonna get with these guys!
"Heartstruck (Wild Hunger)" by Hamilton Leithauser and Angel Olsen: The Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser, in some ways, is like a scratchier voiced Alex Ebert from Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Musically, Hamilton has something in common with Alex as well in his new song, "Heartstruck", which straddles the line between orchestral doo-wop and indie-folk (a bit like Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros' "40 Day Dream"). The song's chorus of, "Wild hunger, rise up with the currency", is a bit hard to figure out the meaning of, but the song itself is a pleasant, billowy waltz that will probably appeal to fans of both Hamilton and Angel.
"Wild And Reckless" by Blitzen Trapper: The song itself isn't exactly wild and reckless. In fact, it actually starts out as a slow, sorrowful country-rock song. However, about a minute into it, it starts to speed up a little more. Though not quite as much a rocker as some of Blitzen Trapper's other songs, it's still fun to listen to. Musically, it seems like the alt-country version of either Bruce Springsteen's "The River" or The Eagles' "Take It Easy". Not a remarkable song, but still a good one for traveling down the freeway.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
New songs for the day after Valentine's Day
here they are:
"Blame" by Bastille: You would have never expected the "Pompeii" hitmakers to pull off a song that uses glam rock style guitar fuzz, did you? Well, nor did I, but so far I'm liking the new direction Bastille have gone in. Queen seems to have been a particular influence on Bastille's latest material, as has been evident so far from the "Under Pressure" soundalike "Good Grief", and now with the blazing hot opening riffs of Bastille's latest song, "Blame", as well. Perhaps the forceful, compelling sound of "Blame" was intentional in order to reflect the dark lyrical themes of the song, centering around a gang fight. Musical battles haven't been this exciting since Michael Jackson told us to "Beat It" back in 1982!
"In A Black Out" by Hamilton Leithauser: If you were hoping that the next song I reviewed for the week would be more peaceful, then you got your wish! "In A Black Out" has a nice little rippling sound throughout that reminds me of the flowing of a river, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who notices that. It can be viewed as a peaceful song, but it can also be viewed as bittersweet due to some of the lyrics it has, such as "I live in a nameless town" and "many friends have said goodbye". The "blackout" Hamilton appears to be experiencing does not seem to be a scary or sudden one and is instead more of a state of sadness.
"Love Do What It Do" by Robert Randolph (featuring Darius Rucker from Hootie & The Blowfish): Hootie and The Blowfish provided some calm to the otherwise angst-y rock of the '90s. Nothing wrong with that, but when Darius went country I decided not to pay attention to him anymore. Until now, that is, because I do love me some blues-rock every once in awhile, and Robert Randolph knows how to lay down some mean blues! Surprisingly, the vocals of Hootie frontman blend in quite well with the blues-y guitar chops of Robert Randolph. The message of the song is pretty much spelled out in the title of the song, and is literally spelled out in the chorus as Darius passionately sings, "L-O-V-E, love! Let it do what it do!"
"Reverend" by Kings of Leon: Not nearly as compelling as their 2016 mega-hit, "Waste A Moment", but then again the sophomore singles from new albums tend to be like that. Still, though, "Reverend" is worth the listen since it does contain the 21st century indie-cum-arena-rock that KOL have now become known for. The chorus of the song uses a rather strange metaphor, comparing the passion of a lover to a "reverend on the radio". Huh?! Well, perhaps Caleb Followill is not speaking about his relationship with a partner, but his relationship with God. After all, the members of the band were all the sons of a United Pentecostal Minister!
"They Put A Body In the Bayou" by The Orwells: We're probably never going to know who put a body in the bayou, or what the name of the person was to whom the body belonged to, for that matter. What we do know is that The Orwells are one fiery, kickin' rock group whose sound blends garage rock with blues rock in a similar manner to groups like The Black Keys, The White Stripes, and the harder edged Cage the Elephant songs. The lyrics of "They Put A Body In the Bayou" center around a girl who died of drug addiction at an early age, but instead of treating this as sad or sorrowful subject matter, The Orwells inject all their fury and righteous anger into this powerhouse track that has woken up the monster that is rock and roll!
"Where's the Revolution?" by Depeche Mode: Not since their 2009 track, "Wrong", has there been such a heavily anticipated Depeche Mode song. It is because of the mysterious and tumultuous state of current political affairs that the notoriously gloomy 1980's electro-rock group Depeche Mode have decided to release a new track, and their complaints can be detected right from the title of their song! Where IS the revolution?! DM rage against the electoral college machine and answer the titular question as best they can with a palpable, scathing sense of anger! If it wasn't for the recognizable vocals of Dave Gahan, this could easily be a Nine Inch Nails track! As T. Rex's Marc Bolan once proclaimed in song during the Nixon era, "You won't fool the children of the revolution!"
"Young Lady, You're Scaring Me" by Ron Gallo: Actually it's a young MAN named Ron who's scaring ME into thinking that we've somehow traveled back in time to the mid 1960's! Echoes of many epic '60s rock tunes, ranging from Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" to The Chambers Brothers' "Time Has Come Today" to The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For the Devil" can all be heard in this psychedelic blues-rock tune! The song just seems to be about a guy falling in love with a girl, but the tune itself is enough to wake up dead rock and roll zombies and get them on their feet dancin' and jammin' the night away! Long live rock and roll!!
"Blame" by Bastille: You would have never expected the "Pompeii" hitmakers to pull off a song that uses glam rock style guitar fuzz, did you? Well, nor did I, but so far I'm liking the new direction Bastille have gone in. Queen seems to have been a particular influence on Bastille's latest material, as has been evident so far from the "Under Pressure" soundalike "Good Grief", and now with the blazing hot opening riffs of Bastille's latest song, "Blame", as well. Perhaps the forceful, compelling sound of "Blame" was intentional in order to reflect the dark lyrical themes of the song, centering around a gang fight. Musical battles haven't been this exciting since Michael Jackson told us to "Beat It" back in 1982!
"In A Black Out" by Hamilton Leithauser: If you were hoping that the next song I reviewed for the week would be more peaceful, then you got your wish! "In A Black Out" has a nice little rippling sound throughout that reminds me of the flowing of a river, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who notices that. It can be viewed as a peaceful song, but it can also be viewed as bittersweet due to some of the lyrics it has, such as "I live in a nameless town" and "many friends have said goodbye". The "blackout" Hamilton appears to be experiencing does not seem to be a scary or sudden one and is instead more of a state of sadness.
"Love Do What It Do" by Robert Randolph (featuring Darius Rucker from Hootie & The Blowfish): Hootie and The Blowfish provided some calm to the otherwise angst-y rock of the '90s. Nothing wrong with that, but when Darius went country I decided not to pay attention to him anymore. Until now, that is, because I do love me some blues-rock every once in awhile, and Robert Randolph knows how to lay down some mean blues! Surprisingly, the vocals of Hootie frontman blend in quite well with the blues-y guitar chops of Robert Randolph. The message of the song is pretty much spelled out in the title of the song, and is literally spelled out in the chorus as Darius passionately sings, "L-O-V-E, love! Let it do what it do!"
"Reverend" by Kings of Leon: Not nearly as compelling as their 2016 mega-hit, "Waste A Moment", but then again the sophomore singles from new albums tend to be like that. Still, though, "Reverend" is worth the listen since it does contain the 21st century indie-cum-arena-rock that KOL have now become known for. The chorus of the song uses a rather strange metaphor, comparing the passion of a lover to a "reverend on the radio". Huh?! Well, perhaps Caleb Followill is not speaking about his relationship with a partner, but his relationship with God. After all, the members of the band were all the sons of a United Pentecostal Minister!
"They Put A Body In the Bayou" by The Orwells: We're probably never going to know who put a body in the bayou, or what the name of the person was to whom the body belonged to, for that matter. What we do know is that The Orwells are one fiery, kickin' rock group whose sound blends garage rock with blues rock in a similar manner to groups like The Black Keys, The White Stripes, and the harder edged Cage the Elephant songs. The lyrics of "They Put A Body In the Bayou" center around a girl who died of drug addiction at an early age, but instead of treating this as sad or sorrowful subject matter, The Orwells inject all their fury and righteous anger into this powerhouse track that has woken up the monster that is rock and roll!
"Where's the Revolution?" by Depeche Mode: Not since their 2009 track, "Wrong", has there been such a heavily anticipated Depeche Mode song. It is because of the mysterious and tumultuous state of current political affairs that the notoriously gloomy 1980's electro-rock group Depeche Mode have decided to release a new track, and their complaints can be detected right from the title of their song! Where IS the revolution?! DM rage against the electoral college machine and answer the titular question as best they can with a palpable, scathing sense of anger! If it wasn't for the recognizable vocals of Dave Gahan, this could easily be a Nine Inch Nails track! As T. Rex's Marc Bolan once proclaimed in song during the Nixon era, "You won't fool the children of the revolution!"
"Young Lady, You're Scaring Me" by Ron Gallo: Actually it's a young MAN named Ron who's scaring ME into thinking that we've somehow traveled back in time to the mid 1960's! Echoes of many epic '60s rock tunes, ranging from Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" to The Chambers Brothers' "Time Has Come Today" to The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For the Devil" can all be heard in this psychedelic blues-rock tune! The song just seems to be about a guy falling in love with a girl, but the tune itself is enough to wake up dead rock and roll zombies and get them on their feet dancin' and jammin' the night away! Long live rock and roll!!
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
New songs for August 10th, 2016
here they are:
"A Thousand Times" by Hamilton Leithauser: The Walkmen's lead singer sure has come a long way from where he started off! I never would have predicted that a band known for mixing surf and garage rock sounds during the 21st century would end up having a lead singer who was capable of making a song as romantic as this one! The old-time-y sounding piano and organs that dominate this song make it seem like it's from another time (that is, until the guitars come in towards the end). The message of the song is pretty simple. Leithauser has a dream that the one he desires the most was his "a thousand times". No matter how many times the message is repeated, though, (which it is quite a few times) it's still a very heartfelt sentiment, don't ya think?
"Comeback Kids" by The Jayhawks: Moving away from their more traditional country and folk influences, The Jayhawks have decided to have more of an "indie" sound in their latest song, "Comeback Kids". Here, Gary Louris and co join the ranks of fellow alt-country-cum-indie band, Wilco, in having a song that sounds like a cross between Big Star and Television, in which jangle-pop meets post-punk. Despite the rougher edges this song has in comparison to the 'Hawks other material, "Comeback Kids" is still sentimental in the lyrical sense. It is a song about reminiscing over a former girlfriend.
"I'm Still Here" by Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings: Sharon Jones is definitely still here, that's for sure! In her latest song, "I'm Still Here", Sharon delivers a powerful blast of soul music as only she can! Drums, bass, sax, and of course, Jones' powerful vocals propel this song, which seems to be a tale of both survival and triumph. No other "neo-soul" artist sounds both so funky and so authentically 1960's as Sharon Jones does. The song switches between quieter verses and louder chorus sections, although "loud", in this case, is something celebratory and free of distortion.
"Love Is A Burden" by Jamestown Revival: The Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down" is a painfully obvious influence this song has, at least during the verses. On the plus side, though, the overall sound of "Love Is A Burden" is a step closer to a 2010's alt-rock-ish sound than the bluegrass-y Jamestown Revival previously had two years ago, so perhaps certain younger listeners might find this song to be an easier way to get into Jamestown Revival's music than "California (Cast Iron Soul)" was. Love may be a burden, but clearly nothing is stopping Jamestown Revival from using bright, catchy instrumentation to mask its lovelorn lyrics.
"Shut Up Kiss Me" by Angel Olsen: No, she is not the third Olsen twin (triplet?!) Far from it, really. Her music is like an unlikely cross between Tom Petty and PJ Harvey, and she's about as clear to understand vocally as either of them are (in other words, she's hard to understand). She sings "Shut up kiss me, hold me tight" so fast that you can barely tell what she's saying! At least it's somewhat easy to tell what it's about lyrically. It seems to be about an unrequited love of sorts, albeit as more of a defiant declaration of love than as a "no one understands me, I'm sad" statement.
"A Thousand Times" by Hamilton Leithauser: The Walkmen's lead singer sure has come a long way from where he started off! I never would have predicted that a band known for mixing surf and garage rock sounds during the 21st century would end up having a lead singer who was capable of making a song as romantic as this one! The old-time-y sounding piano and organs that dominate this song make it seem like it's from another time (that is, until the guitars come in towards the end). The message of the song is pretty simple. Leithauser has a dream that the one he desires the most was his "a thousand times". No matter how many times the message is repeated, though, (which it is quite a few times) it's still a very heartfelt sentiment, don't ya think?
"Comeback Kids" by The Jayhawks: Moving away from their more traditional country and folk influences, The Jayhawks have decided to have more of an "indie" sound in their latest song, "Comeback Kids". Here, Gary Louris and co join the ranks of fellow alt-country-cum-indie band, Wilco, in having a song that sounds like a cross between Big Star and Television, in which jangle-pop meets post-punk. Despite the rougher edges this song has in comparison to the 'Hawks other material, "Comeback Kids" is still sentimental in the lyrical sense. It is a song about reminiscing over a former girlfriend.
"I'm Still Here" by Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings: Sharon Jones is definitely still here, that's for sure! In her latest song, "I'm Still Here", Sharon delivers a powerful blast of soul music as only she can! Drums, bass, sax, and of course, Jones' powerful vocals propel this song, which seems to be a tale of both survival and triumph. No other "neo-soul" artist sounds both so funky and so authentically 1960's as Sharon Jones does. The song switches between quieter verses and louder chorus sections, although "loud", in this case, is something celebratory and free of distortion.
"Love Is A Burden" by Jamestown Revival: The Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down" is a painfully obvious influence this song has, at least during the verses. On the plus side, though, the overall sound of "Love Is A Burden" is a step closer to a 2010's alt-rock-ish sound than the bluegrass-y Jamestown Revival previously had two years ago, so perhaps certain younger listeners might find this song to be an easier way to get into Jamestown Revival's music than "California (Cast Iron Soul)" was. Love may be a burden, but clearly nothing is stopping Jamestown Revival from using bright, catchy instrumentation to mask its lovelorn lyrics.
"Shut Up Kiss Me" by Angel Olsen: No, she is not the third Olsen twin (triplet?!) Far from it, really. Her music is like an unlikely cross between Tom Petty and PJ Harvey, and she's about as clear to understand vocally as either of them are (in other words, she's hard to understand). She sings "Shut up kiss me, hold me tight" so fast that you can barely tell what she's saying! At least it's somewhat easy to tell what it's about lyrically. It seems to be about an unrequited love of sorts, albeit as more of a defiant declaration of love than as a "no one understands me, I'm sad" statement.
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