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 October 20th 2021

 here they are:


"Beggin'" by Maneskin: Italian rock group, Maneskin (pronounced MAHN-skin), have now broken through to alt and adult alt radio with their first major hit, "Beggin'." However, "Beggin'" is not actually their song, but one that was originally done by 1960's pop sensations, The Four Seasons! Can you believe it?! A Frankie Valli song, be it one of his own or a cover, hasn't sounded this funky since the Grease theme song! The original "Beggin'" had more of an early 1960's pop sound as people were then accustomed to hearing from The Four Seasons. How Maneskin were able to resurrect a slightly obscure pop nugget, give it a funky sheen, and have it explode to popularity far more than the original did is anyone's guess, but I'm glad they did it!

"Crutch" by Band of Horses: After a five-year hiatus from the music biz, indie-pop/rock sensations Band of Horses are back with a fun, upbeat, catchy song called "Crutch." Lead singer Ben Birdwell claims he has a "crutch" on someone during the chorus of the song. In case you were wondering, yes, that IS meant to be misheard as "crush." Well, sort of. It's really more that whether one hears the title as "crutch" or "crush," it more or less means the same thing, since relationships can leave you feeling dependent on the other person, and thus a "crutch" for your emotions. Not often a love song is this clever or punny, is it?

"Taking Me Back" by Jack White: Doing what he does best, Jack White really amps up his guitars loud on his latest song, "Taking Me Back." Somehow, he makes his guitar sound both "robotic" and blues-y on the track, as only he can! Jack sounds pretty assertive and gutsy on this track, as if he is not merely suggesting, but demanding that the subject of the song take him back! It is not the mere presence of Jack and his guitar that is making this song popular, though. Fans of the unapologetically brash video game, Call of Duty, have probably brought this track (which, fittingly, is unapologetically brash as well) to the forefront since it is one of the songs included on the soundtrack for the latest installment of the game. I really couldn't care less about the game (or most video games, really), but I'm all for seeing Jack flex his electric guitar muscles and putting them to the test!

New songs for April 4th 2018

here they are:


"A Little Honey" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: A soulful, spirited song, as usual, from Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, "A Little Honey" is more spicy than it is sweet. It has an interesting sound, as though The Band was attempting to cover Elton John's "Bennie and The Jets". As you can imagine, "A Little Honey" is a love song, but an energetic, impassioned one as only Nathaniel can deliver it. Nathaniel manages to pour more than just a little honey onto this song. Instead, he pours out all his heart and soul, and how!


"Alfie's Song (Not So Typical Love Song)" by Bleachers: What's it all about, Alfie? Well, here's what it's about. "Alfie's Song" is a song from the movie "Love, Simon" that encapsulates what it's like when a romance first blossoms in someone's life. If it's a song accompanying a movie where the character's name is Simon, then why did Jack Antonoff choose the name "Alfie"? Jack did so because "Alfie" is the name of his godson and he wanted to dedicate this song to him. Unlike what the title might lead you to believe, it's a pretty typical love song as far as its sound goes. It's a happy, optimistic song with pop music influenced instrumentation. Jack explains why it's a "not so typical love song" in the lyrics, since the romance he's singing about "hurt him again and again". Jack Antonoff believes in love, Alfie, although it's not a typical kind of love, apparently!


"Colors" by Beck: Is Beck a synesthete? Well, I don't know the answer to that question, but between the aptly colorful video for this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I1B4n_8Cto) and its message, urging people to "feel the colors" (as opposed to just seeing them), I'm willing to bet he just might be one! "Sesame Street" nostalgics might even compare the wild, vibrant display of color (as well as the new wave-y music) to the "Wet Paint" video they had in the '80s! Watch and be amazed as a hand (Beck's, presumably) plays with colorful clay throughout the video of "Colors". Perhaps Beck should change his name to "Roy"...as in "Roy G. Biv", the acronym people use to teach the colors of the rainbow!


"Glory" by Dermot Kennedy: Dermot Kennedy is an Irish folk-rock musician, so naturally (being of Irish heritage myself), I wanted to know more about him upon finding this out! I have mixed feelings about this song, though, as it seems like Dermot doesn't know whether he wants to go for a bittersweet sound like Bon Iver or a more pop-y sound like Ed Sheeran. Dermot's debut single, "Glory", mixes moody acoustic guitars and impassioned vocals with pop music beats and production. Still, the way Dermot sings the title of the song is worth something, as he does so with a yearning passion that sticks in your head after you hear it!


"Into the Wild" by Phillip Phillips: The redundantly named 21st century folk-rocker continues to wow his audience with "Into the Wild", perhaps his most rocking song to date. This is the first Phillip Phillips song I can recall that really uses electric guitar the way it does, in a way that almost recalls the work of The Edge from U2. The song also uses interesting meter, in a similar manner to songs like Jethro Tull's "Thick As A Brick" (bet you weren't expecting THAT comparison, were you?!) As usual, Phillips' earnestness grips the listener from the moment the song is heard for the first time. The nature based imagery ("roll me like thunder", "I can be your landslide"), is also quite charming and adds to the appeal of this song.


"Over And Over And Over" by Jack White: Jack treated us to a blues and gospel influenced number earlier this year with "Connected By Love". "Over And Over And Over" is rock and roll, though, at its finest! Opening with a chunky riff that could easily be used in a Red Hot Chili Peppers song, Jack White plays a mean electric guitar pattern in E major that he, fittingly, uses over and over and over during this song! This is a song defined more by its musical power than it is by its lyrics. For people looking to resurrect the classic rock sound, look no further!


"Plastic Hamburgers" by Fantastic Negrito: "Fantastic Negrito" was not just some random indie band name that Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz chose for his band. He is, in fact, black (he didn't choose the "Negrito" part just to sound cool), and Xavier himself IS "Fantastic Negrito". His breakthrough song, "Plastic Hamburgers", can easily be described as Led Zeppelin meets Funkadelic. Melding chunky, blues-rock guitar riffs with neo-psychedelic organ sounds, "Plastic Hamburgers" is about Xavier's identity as a black man, and how he fears it will impact the identities of his children, and this is the fire that fuels the musical grills of "Plastic Hamburgers". His aim in the song is to destroy the walls that separate different sections of the human race from one another and to come to terms with the reality that ethnic minorities are facing. Here's hoping the message of songs like this one create a brighter future for our species!

New songs for January 17th 2018

here they are:


"Connected By Love" by Jack White: The eerie synths that open the latest song from the famed White Stripes frontman don't exactly define this song. About 15 seconds into the song, those instruments get supplanted by Jack's soulful delivery, both vocally and instrumentally. The chorus almost seems gospel influenced, and it uses female backing vocals that wouldn't sound too out of place in an actual gospel song. The organ solo in the song further accentuates its spiritual fervor. I have said before that music is like a religion to me. "Connected By Love" makes me feel like I'm in a church listening to a choir and soaking in each note and the overall passionate message of the song!


"Dream" by Bishop Briggs: In the summer of 2016, Bishop Briggs (then known simply by her first name) won over the alt and adult alt charts with "River", a song that combined soulful, impassioned vocal delivery, folk-rock guitar instrumentation, electronica ambience, and stomp-and-holler rhythms into a neat little musical package. On "Dream", Bishop uses this same combination of elements and manages to win over her target audience once again! Perhaps the biggest attraction, though, for "Dream", is in its lyrics. Bishop bares her heart and soul with lyrics like, "I wanna wake up where your love is, 'cause your love is always waking mine", and "I wanna break down where your heart gets so torn it's breaking mine". Bishop could be speaking to a lover, a close friend, or a higher power, but it's up to the listener to decide which suits them the best, ultimately. Such is the beauty and impact of music!


"Feels Like Lightning" by Josh Ritter: From the clippety-clop rhythm in the opening, you know that folk-rocker Josh Ritter wants to make "Feels Like Lightning", well, feel like lightning! The song's unique, memorable rhythm feels like a horse trampling through a field at lightning speed. Though horses aren't mentioned anywhere in the lyrics, there is quite a bit of nature related imagery in the song nonetheless. Wind, cherry blossoms, bluebirds, and fields are among the many choice words Josh uses to evoke the mood of being surrounded by scenery that is at once vibrant and pastoral. So let your heart run free and stir up some excitement whenever you listen to this one!


"Taste" by Rhye: It's rare these days for an electronic song to be so poignant and emotionally bare, but this is what Rhye excels at. They seemed destined for one-hit-wonder status in spring 2013 with their intimate and aptly titled song, "Open", but "Taste" has proven me wrong. "Taste" has a bit more energy than "Open" did, but still manages to have a calming, ethereal atmosphere nonetheless. The words "I'll lick your wounds. I'll lay you down" are repeated during certain sections of the song, illustrating the song's intent of comfort and reassurance to the individual who happens to be listening to it. Just as they did with "Open", Rhye have once again managed to succeed at making music perfect for wanting to escape into a world full of billowy clouds!


"You Worry Me" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: Nathaniel and his spunky, blues-y, R & B revival group don't worry ME, that's for sure! As with most of their material, this song makes me wanna get up and dance! Along with Jack White's latest song, "You Worry Me" is one of the most heavily anticipated new songs of the week, and it's not hard to see why! Though the song might not have the fiery, no-frills attitude of their breakthrough song, "S.O.B.", "You Worry Me" has still managed to win me over and remind me of why I like this group so much! Though the song is written in a minor key (a first for the group, as far as their better known songs are concerned), it still feels more like a major key song for its sheer exuberance and fervor. Well, what are ya waitin' for?! Let's boogie down!!

New songs for May 28th, 2014

here they are:


"Just One Drink" by Jack White: Just listening to the beginning of this song, I can already tell it's good! It has the chugging beat of The Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting For the Man" coupled with scathingly funny lyrics about opposites (for instance, "You drink water, I drink gasoline", and "I watch TV, you watch the ceiling"). Much like Jack did on the title track to "Lazaretto", "Just One Drink" also combines rock 'n' roll guitars with bluegrass fiddles. Just ONE drink, eh?! I don't need a single one for me to enjoy a song like this one!


"Step" by Vampire Weekend: Of the three songs that have been released as singles so far from VW's latest album, "Modern Vampires of the City", "Step" seems to be the mellowest one so far. It has a soothing sound that is influenced by the bright shiny organs of 1960's baroque-pop songs. VW tend to be going for a '60s vibe for many of their latest songs, actually, including the oddball rockabilly sound of "Diane Young" and the jaunty, Monkees-esque piano-pop of "Unbelievers". Ezra Koenig delivers lyrics in "Step" that are as cheeky and clever as ever, rattling off a list of mostly American cities in the first verse, showing off knowledge of obscure idioms (i.e. "rich as Croesus", meaning extremely rich), and even referencing another indie-pop group ("such a modest mouse" in the chorus - Isaac Brock, are you paying attention to this?!)


"Stolen Dance" by Milky Chance: "Stolen DANCE" by Milky CHANCE?! Well, let's take off our pants, make romance, and watch out for ants as we water the plants! Not every day you come across a song whose name rhymes with its performer(s)!! Its sound is quite unique, coming off as an unlikely (but still quite catchy) cross between Mexican folk music and indie-pop. Using only an acoustic guitar, smooth, hushed vocals, and hand claps for a percussion section, "Stolen Dance" could be described as "The Gipsy Kings from outer space" in terms of how it sounds. The words "stolen dance" do not make an appearance anywhere in the song, but the song's refrain of being "stoned in paradise" is a rather apt description of it. The song goes nowhere, but maintains a blissful mood all the while, as though it is dangling down, perpetually suspended in mid-air, from somewhere in the night sky.


"Tennis Court" by Lorde: Lorde knows (pun intended) that high school is not an easy thing to go through! As a high schooler herself, Lorde seems to have a rather cynical point of view about her peers in her latest song, "Tennis Court". Here, she takes the high school stereotypes of "class clown" and "beauty queen" (casting herself as the latter, in a manner that is probably tongue-in-cheek), and viciously deconstructs them to the point in which they engage in a battle of trash talk. Ironic that someone whose songs present a rather sour point of view towards teen pop culture is getting revered by the teen pop crowd (and beyond)! Perhaps we'll wait and see what she has in store for us once she reaches her 20's!!


"Waiting All Night" by Phish: As a jam band who followed directly in the footsteps of The Grateful Dead from the moment they debuted, Phish are typically a very blissful band to listen to. However, none of their songs so far have had a vibe quite as blissed out as their latest song, "Waiting All Night". Those expecting the guitar noodling that Phish usually have will probably be disappointed, but it is still a song worth listening to nonetheless. "Waiting All Night" is pretty much what you'd get if you tried imagining what an extremely mellow version of Pink Floyd might be like. The lyrics are a bit repetitive, but Phish are usually more about sound than they are about lyrics, and the sound of "Waiting All Night", fittingly, is perfect for gazing into the night sky.


"You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover" by Kenny Wayne Shepherd: In which two generations of rock 'n' roll music meet up!! "You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover" is a cover of a song by rock pioneer Bo Diddley, as performed by '90s blues-rock extraordinaire Kenny Wayne Shepherd. It's hard to measure up to a legend like Bo, but Kenny comes very close in his rendition of "You Can't Judge A Book...", retaining all the chugging beats and relentless, high spirited energy of the original!

New songs for the last day of April

here they are:


"Glory And Gore" by Lorde: Having already had two successful singles in just her mid-teens, New Zealand alt-pop sensation Lorde now has a third song up for grabs on the radio. As if that wasn't enough, this song in particular has gained popularity from being on the "Hunger Games" soundtrack (a surefire way for success, it seems!) "Glory And Gore" sounds like Madonna would if she were more of the "ice queen" type. With a pulsating, catchy beat playing over accessibly droning, frigid synthesizers in F minor, "Glory And Gore" lives up to its title. Its dark pride on the outside is glorious, yet its darker undercurrent could be said to be "gory" (metaphorically, at least).


"Higher And Higher" by Galactic (featuring JJ Grey): JJ Grey is already a blues-rock powerhouse by himself!! That being said, he must have had a really good time jammin' with funk/jazz/blues/rock combo, Galactic! And what a powerful jam "Higher And Higher" is!! Crunchy Hendrix-ian hard rock guitars and space-funk rhythms and horns a la Sly and The Family Stone combine forces in this free-flowing retro anthem! You'll swear someone set the calendars back to 1971 after hearing this one. Chances are, though, you'll never wanna come back to the present!


"Holly" by Nick Waterhouse: Nick Waterhouse, meanwhile, is stuck in an even further time warp when "James Bond" and surf music ruled the world, and his song "Holly" manages to be a catchy blend of blues, rock, jazz, and funk just like the last song I reviewed this week! "Holly" is not the name of a girl in this song (even though it's about a girl), but rather "holly", the Christmas decoration, as in "holly lights" (the only two words in the chorus of this song). Like many songs from the late '50s/early '60s, which seems to be the era Nick is trying to evoke, "Holly" clocks in at only a little over two and a half minutes, but it also manages to be a super fun song. Highly recommended for fans of other "retro" '50s rockabilly styled acts of the 2010's, like Imelda May and JD McPherson.


"I Know It's Wrong (But That's Alright)" by Hurray for the Riff Raff: Try saying the name of the band AND the song in one breath!! Probably about as much of a tongue twister as "When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around", so maybe I'll just refer to the song as "I Know It's Wrong..." from this point on, and the band by its initials, HFTRR. This one goes even FURTHER back in the musical time machine, as it has sort of a honky-tonk sound that you might be likely to hear in an old Western movie. Lead singer Alynda Lee Segarra has husky but sweet vocals that wouldn't seem out of place for a cowgirl. Thing is, Alynda is NOT a cowgirl. She grew up in the Bronx, and is of Puerto Rican descent!! Not surprising that they're currently touring with fellow country-rock contemporaries, Shovels & Rope, is it?! Cary Ann Hearst of Shovels & Rope even has similar vocals to Alynda, although as a South Carolinian, Cary Ann actually COULD qualify as a cowgirl!


"Lazaretto" by Jack White: Did anyone else here think that "High Ball Stepper" was a bit TOO experimental, even for Jack White?! Well, I guess a lot of people thought so, since the song just came and went in two weeks. In its place is "Lazaretto", a raucously catchy rock 'n' roll song typical of Jack White's material. Thankfully, unlike "High Ball Stepper", "Lazaretto" has lyrics! "Lazaretto" also gets into rather experimental territory towards the middle of the song, but maintains a consistent pattern for the most part. Jack's "sing-speak" vocals are aggressive and powerful enough to be compared to Zack De La Rocha from Rage Against the Machine, yet they seem to have an undercurrent of humor to them, unlike most of Zack's material.


"Stomp And Holler" by Hard Working Americans: Hard Working Americans contains many musicians who have had marginal success in such recent rock groups as The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Widespread Panic, and The Derek Trucks Band, all of whom could be classified as "jam bands", in the style of The Grateful Dead or The Allman Brothers Band. Hard Working Americans' breakthrough song was a quaint country-rock tune called "Down to the Well". Given all the blues-y rock musicians that went into the making of this supergroup, though, I should have known that Hard Working Americans also had some rock 'n' roll tunes up their sleeve, of which "Stomp And Holler" is one such song. An archetypal but catchy rock song, using the same rhythm as Rod Stewart's "Hot Legs" and Georgia Satellites' "Keep Your Hands to Yourself", "Stomp And Holler" is a song that makes you wanna do just that - "stomp and holler"!! This song is a definite crowd pleaser, and probably how HWA typically either open their shows, or close 'em!!


"You Go Down Smooth" by Lake Street Dive: There's great rock 'n' roll all over this blog today!! The last one for the week comes from Lake Street Dive, who graced us earlier this year with the smooth folk-jazz-rock tune, "Bad Self Portraits". "You Go Down Smooth" proves that Lake Street Dive have a more upbeat side to their catalog! This one apes the same basic guitar riff in songs like Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" and Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?", only it has a bit more of a jazz influence than those two songs do. This song is so danceable, it kinda makes you forget that the song is actually about getting drunk!! Sorry if I spoiled anything for ya there, heheh.

New songs for April 9th, 2014

here they are:


"High Ball Stepper" by Jack White: If you thought the experimental days of rock music were over, think again!! "High Ball Stepper" has a crackly blues sound like most Jack White songs, but it also repeatedly fades in and out, has a minimalist one chord vamp throughout, has a random piano solo during certain points of the song, and (get this) NO LYRICS!! I believe this is the very first instrumental track I've ever reviewed on this blog!! The video for the song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRbnAxrS3EM) is also rather avant-garde! I guess you could say that this is more white noise than it is White Stripes!!


"Red Eyes" by The War on Drugs: Considering that The War On Drugs' first big song, "Brothers", was basically a Bob Dylan soundalike, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that their next musical emulation is towards Bruce Springsteen, a musician who was initially hailed as the "new Dylan" when he debuted! However, this suggests more of the "gothic Springsteen" sound that groups like The Killers, The National, and Arcade Fire have attempted. Even the lyrics here are somewhat Springsteen-ian, such as "come and ride away" and "surrounded by the night and you don't grow old", both of which are reminiscent of The Boss's romanticism of city life. I guess it's only a matter of time until The War on Drugs do a musical ode to Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits!!


"You Move Me" by Robert Cray: It's hard to believe that a man who revived the blues-rock sound in the mid-'80s is still making music today, but he is, and he's pretty good at it too! Using mainly an F sharp minor chord vamp, briefly accompanied by some blues-y 7 chords, "You Move Me" doesn't need to do much to prove its point. Blues-y subject matter here, too, about Robert basically being a fool who is helplessly in love with someone. Plenty of blazing hot guitar licks over the main chord to keep you on your toes!

New songs for June 6th, 2012

here they are:


"Anyone Else" by The Fixx: Whoa, hold up a second!! You mean the same guys who did "One Thing Leads to Another"?! Yep, that's right! A new wave band that hasn't had a hit in over 20 years is coming back to the spotlight with a song that sounds uncannily like one of their vintage '80s tunes! One aspect of The Fixx that made them so appealing in the '80s was their ability to mix catchy hooks with dark, post-apocalyptic lyrical themes (as evidenced on "Saved By Zero", "Red Skies", and "Stand Or Fall"), and the cynical lyrical themes continue to surface in "Anyone Else" (i.e. "The jealous cursed, crashed and burned, the unaccountable way to die"). The one thing missing from "Anyone Else" that I was hoping to hear, though, was Cy Curnin's rather underrated, but still incredibly talented guitar solo techniques. At the heart of some of The Fixx's older songs were funky, driving guitar riffs ("Saved By Zero"), and sometimes, more complex solos driven by hammer-ons and pull-offs ("Red Skies"). "Anyone Else" has no defining guitar hook or solo, sadly, though guitar playing is still present on the song. Other than that, though, this is quite a stunning comeback from a band that I never thought I'd hear recording music in the 21st century!!


"Born To" by Jesca Hoop: Born to...what?! Run?! Be wild?! Nope, just "Born To". And yeah, "Jesca" is not a typo, that's the way she spells her name. Jesca Hoop's music is, perhaps, as unique as the unusual spelling of her first name, with her seemingly effortless combination of Celtic, folk, and indie-pop. The title of the song, "Born To", is somewhat of a cliffhanger title, as she never actually answers what it is she's "born to" do, but it seems as though much of the song is lyrically enigmatic (take, for instance, the refrain, "Now you've got to get in with what you've got, what you've been given, or not". Huh?!) But Jesca manages to combine her quirky sound (and quirkier lyrics) with a catchy, danceable beat, and an oddly endearing sense of energetic satisfaction in her vocal delivery. So sit back, relax, enjoy the music, and know that we were born to...ummm....something, I'll get to that part later.


"I'm Shakin'" by Jack White: The sweet folk-rock of Jack's "Love Interruption" from earlier this year could be contrasted by "I'm Shakin'", a smoky, blues-y rocker that's actually a cover of a song from bluesman Little Willie John. The opening guitar hook of this song initially reminded me a bit of the "Mr. Heatmiser" song from one of the Rankin-Bass claymation holiday specials (of all things!!), but now that I know this is a cover song, I'm thinking that the same type of hook was probably used on the original version and has nothing to do with imaginary singing Christmas characters. Until Jack gets to using his trademark guitar sound during the solo of "I'm Shakin'", it's a song that sounds like it could have very well been from the late '60s/early '70s, which is not surprising given how much into that era of music he seems to be. The best thing of all about this song, though, is how he pronounces the word "nervous" as "noivus", seemingly on poipose...ummm...I mean on "purpose"!! There's such an "I-meant-to-do-that" factor behind his pronunciation of that word that it just cracks me up!!


"Into the Wild" by LP: "Into the Wild" sounds like it might as well belong on the soundtrack to "Into the Wild" (that is, if Florence Welch sang all the songs on the soundtrack instead of Eddie Vedder). Its attention isn't getting garnered by trailers for movies, though, but instead by advertisements for Citibank. Lyrically, "Into the Wild" (the song) is a lot closer to, well, "Into the Wild" (the movie). Both the movie and the song deal with escaping from the pressures of society, so it's ironic that a major corporation like Citibank is using the song in its commercials. With "Into the Wild"'s yearning, urgent questions of "How do we not fade?" and "How do we live?" in regards to the human condition, as well as its sweeping, largely acoustic guitar based sound, I really do think "Into the Wild" would have been a perfect fit for the "Into the Wild" soundtrack if it included musicians other than Eddie Vedder!


"It's Only Life" by The Shins: It figures that the first single off The Shins's latest CD would be a dynamic, rocking one, and it took until the SECOND single for The Shins to get back to their trademark laid-back, folk-rock-y sound. If there's something catchy from a musician or band that normally isn't, it seems to be a surefire radio hit, and such was the case with "Simple Song". "It's Only Life" is more of a typical Shins song, musically. Lyrically, this song provides an interesting contrast to The Shins' typically weird lyrics. The lyrics to "It's Only Life" are still wrapped up in metaphor, but they're easier to understand than, say, "New Slang" or "Phantom Limb". For instance, one phrase from "It's Only Life", "we all spend a little while going down the rabbit hole", refers to how everyone has his/her "down days", and "you used to be such a lion, before you got into all this cryin'", points out how we might not be as "tough" as we would like to think we are. But in the chorus, James Mercer assures us that "It doesn't have to be so dark and lonesome", and that "It takes a while but we can figure this thing out and turn it back around", shining a light through the darkness of the rest of the song. In a world of weird and weary indie rock, this song manages to be wistful and wonderful!


"New Wild Everywhere" by Great Lake Swimmers: With their combination of folk, rock, country, and the hippie spirit in both their sound and their words, Great Lake Swimmers are likely musical descendants of groups like The Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers. The phrase "new wild everywhere" itself is rather hippie-ish, taken from the chorus of the song ("there's a new wild feeling dancing in the air/there's a new wild everywhere"). If a "new wild feeling dancing in the air" wasn't enough for you, there are plenty of samples of phrases from the first verse of the song ("Colors burning brighter, hunger for the spark"), to the last ("Fly up to the heavens, anchored in the clouds/Fly beyond the night, love the blooming sounds"), that just burst with the spirit of the '60s! Whether you've just come back from a nature walk, or you're looking for something to meditate to in a flower garden, or you just want the spirit of song to soothe and satisfy your soul, "New Wild Everywhere" is the perfect "peace and love" song for the 2010's!

New songs for February 8th, 2012

Here they are:

"Brothers" by The War On Drugs: If Bob Dylan were the lead singer (and sole harmonica player) of Arcade Fire, it would probably sound like "Brothers" by The War On Drugs. The Dylan influence shouldn't come as too much of a surprise for those who know the solo work of The War On Drug's lead singer, Kurt Vile, who has a bit less of an electronic/ambient influence on his solo records. The depth of the lyrical content and the melancholy feel of "Brothers" is contrasted by how there are only 3 chords throughout the entire song. Kurt Vile and co manage to deliver a bittersweet, affecting, memorable song nonetheless, though, with "Brothers".

"Gotta Be Wrong Sometimes" by O.A.R.: O.A.R. are one of those "hit-or-miss" bands for me. This has been especially apparent ever since they switched their sound from jam band to alt-pop back in 2008. Sometimes O.A.R. still manage to deliver a relatively decent song, though, and "Gotta Be Wrong Sometimes" is one such song. "Gotta Be Wrong Sometimes" also adds a new musical facet to O.A.R.'s catalog - reggae. The throbbing bass sound and pulsating guitar riffs indicate this. Much like The Police and The Clash (among others), O.A.R. add a more rock 'n' roll element to "Gotta Be Wrong Sometimes" once the chorus comes around (and also during the bridge). The song also wraps up nicely with acoustic guitars being strummed.

"Love Interruption" by Jack White: So when's the White Stripes reunion gonna be?! Yeah, I know, Jack White announced the breakup of his one man/one woman rock band last year, but I think he's just pulling our leg. Jack released the moderately successful "Two Against One" with Danger Mouse around May of last year, and now he's got an entire solo ALBUM!! "Love Interruption" is also the most anticipated new song this week, zooming up both the adult alternative and "regular" alternative charts! Amazing how Jack started with rough, garage rock-ish songs like "Fell In Love With A Girl", and now he's progressed to Dylan-esque folk-rock with "Love Interruption". Acoustic guitar is one of the only instruments in "Love Interruption", actually, supported only by Jack's vocals, female backing vocals, and an organ (perhaps the best part of this song). Sadly, "Love Interruption" is only about two and a half minutes long. Why couldn't it have been longer?! Oh well, better that than nothing at all, I say!

"Midnight In Harlem" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: What's this?! Susan and Derek now have a FOURTH song hitting the adult alt airwaves?!? Never would've expected THAT!! Neither of them have gotten this much success before! Perhaps it's the diversity of musical influences they've chosen, from gospel, to hard rock, to straight up blues, that has gotten Tedeschi and Trucks this much attention. "Midnight In Harlem" seems to recall the melancholy country-rock of people like Bonnie Raitt (likely one of Susan Tedeschi's biggest influences). Certainly a change of pace from the relentless energy of the other three songs that have gotten attention from The Tedeschi-Trucks band, but "Midnight In Harlem" definitely gels, especially due to the honest, heartfelt emotion that Susan Tedeschi puts into the song! Derek Trucks also puts about as much emotion into his guitar playing as Tedeschi puts into the vocal parts of this song, making for a winning combination once again!

"Old Lady" by Sinead O'Connor: With The Cranberries having also released a new song just three months before this one, I think I can officially say that Irish alt-rock gals are taking over once again! "Old Lady" marks a couple high points for Sinead, I think. First of all, the lyrics to the song are probably some of the most pensive, most reflective I've ever heard from her, revolving around hope that her relationship will literally last a lifetime. Instrumentally, "Old Lady" delivers too. Sinead seemed to move away from alternative rock and more into pop and folk by the time her popularity started to fade away around the mid-'90s, but "Old Lady" picks up where songs like "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "Mandinka" left off. It doesn't have as much of a propulsive, rocking sound as either of those songs, but it does make it sound as though Sinead has gotten more attuned to newer alt-pop/rockers like Snow Patrol, (early) Coldplay, and Travis. Perhaps not what most Sinead fans were expecting, but it seems to be pretty well received so far nonetheless, and, might I add, quite deservedly so

"Rainy Day Girl" by The Villains: The Villains aren't very villainous, are they?! Quite the opposite, really. They have a very benign, accessible sound, and they don't really sound as spectacular or memorable as most of the songs/performers on this week's list, but the faux-U2 sound of this song has still managed to please me, perhaps because it just sounds natural to me, and not so over the top like most of the modern bands influenced by U2. The electric guitar solo in the middle (and end) of "Rainy Day Girl" came as a bit of a surprise to me since most of the song seems more mellow than that. Yeah, the lyrics are pretty generic, but there's still something about this song I like!

"Save Your Best Bits" by The Parlotones: The Parlotones seemed like they got their first taste of attention when they decided to be a supporting act for Coldplay one of their tours, but this sounds more like Cold War Kids than Coldplay. This song is also a far cry from the surging, urgent, energetic feel of The Parlotones' first big song, "Should We Fight Back?" "Save Your Best Bits" is a slower, more heartfelt song. The 'Tones still have some backbone on this song, though. "Save Your Best Bits" is backed by electric guitars that seem to have a "U2 goes indie" sort of sound. That being said, "Save Your Best Bits" really has only one major flaw. Why isn't it longer than three minutes?!? Oh well, it's still likable, and that's what matters the most here.

"You As You Were" by Shearwater: This song comes off like a "piano-rock" version of bands like Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear. The lead singer of Shearwater sounds like a cross between Morrissey from The Smiths and Pete Townshend from The Who on this song. So far, this is probably an odd description for "You As You Were", but it's actually one of the best songs on this list as far as I'm concerned! But why?! Well, perhaps because the passionate vocals of the lead singer match almost perfectly with the song's equally passionate piano playing. "You As You Were" seems like it's as much of a sad song as it is a "rush of energy" song. Not many have been able to pull both of those aspects off in such a powerful manner, but Shearwater does so on "You As You Were" with tremendous effort and commitment!

New songs for May 4th 2011

here they are:

"Barton Hollow" by The Civil Wars: For those expecting a melancholy, sentimental tune from these guys, like "Poison and Wine" was, please don't! "Barton Hollow" is a bluegrass-y song like most of The Civil Wars' material, but it's also a very gritty, juicy sort of tune. Its drop D tuning seems to somehow suit it perfectly, as do the blues-y sounding lyrics (i.e. "I'm a dead man walking", and "Can't no preacher man save my soul?") Acoustic blues are alive and well thanks to The Civil Wars, and quite rightfully so!

"Grown Ocean" by Fleet Foxes: Not quite the straight up folk-rock of the exquisite, poignant title track to "Helplessness Blues", but like pretty much every Fleet Foxes track I've had the pleasure of hearing so far, it's still a great song! Think of what it would be like if Simon and Garfunkel attempted to do a song from "Pet Sounds". One of the absolute best things about Fleet Foxes' songs is that they always manage to get me in a nostalgic, reflective sort of mood! "Grown Ocean" is no exception to this, in fact upon hearing the song initially, I felt like I was in a really pleasant dream! I would LOVE for Robin Peckold and co to release more material like this, it would really make me happy!!

"Holdin' On to Black Metal" by My Morning Jacket: It appears as though this song is both the most popular AND the most bizarre of all the songs I'm reviewing this week!! For a band who started out doing Neil Young-esque folk-rock material like "Golden", MMJ have sure come a long way, diversifying their musical pallet into reggae-tinged rock ("Off the Record"), barn-burnin' Stones-y hard rock ("I'm Amazed"), '70s soul influenced music ("Thank You Too!"), and progressive rock (both parts of "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream"). "Holdin' On to Black Metal" puts MMJ right up there with best eclectic, quirky indie groups and musicians like The White Stripes, Wilco, and Beck! I wouldn't know how to describe what "genre" it's trying to go after, as it seems to be a combination of many (I have jokingly described it as "psychedelic-folk-gospel-punk-soul", and other silly sounding, but somewhat accurate descriptions). It starts with a vaguely "psychedelic" guitar, but then horns that sound like they'd be more at home in an Otis Redding song start to kick in, and a chorus of CHILDREN (of all things) echo the words "black metal" after lead singer Jim James sings it in the chorus! The "black metal" in question (mentioned in the title and chorus) is a musical genre (also known as "death metal"), and not ACTUAL dark metallic material, which only makes the song even MORE bizarre than it already is! This is by far the weirdest song I've heard so far from MMJ...and I couldn't be happier!!!

"Time Spent In Los Angeles" by Dawes: SoCal's roots-y indie rockers, perhaps best known for their late 2009/early 2010 adult alt radio hit, "When My Time Comes", are back for more! Nothing says "I love L.A." like both singing about it AND being praised by L.A.'s own '70s rock musician Jackson Browne! For a city that spawned 1000 "soft rock" musicians (among them Browne, as well as The Eagles), "Time Spent In Los Angeles" has an aptly laid back kind of mood, evoking something between the organ driven folk-rock approach of The Wallflowers and the "alt-country" vibe of groups like The Avett Brothers. Having grown up in L.A. myself, it's actually a rather frantic, fast-paced city from what I've come to know, but musically, this song does a great job of capturing the more mellow side of L.A.!

"Two Against One" by Danger Mouse (featuring Jack White from The White Stripes): The title of this song couldn't be more apt! Well the "two" part, anyway, as Danger Mouse and Jack White are both masters of creating eclectic musical catalogs for themselves! The "against one"...the media perhaps?! Well, who cares! This is still a great song! I especially dig how the acoustic guitar in the lead mingles with the syncopation of the electric guitar in the background, and how the minor key used throughout the song seems to build up to something suspenseful instead of something melancholy. Danger Mouse and Jack White have truly come up with a masterpiece here. Here's to hoping Jack and Meg will get back together soon and reconsider the "break-up" of their band!!