here they are:
"Fighter" by Joseph: The somewhat ironically named all-girl trio, Joseph, graced adult alt radio in 2016 and 2017 with their harmonious, bittersweet brand of indie-folk with songs like "White Flag" and "S.O.S. (Overboard)". The success must have paid off well for the three of them because summer 2019 marks their return to adult alt radio with "Fighter". The song is a bit of a departure from the acoustic guitar driven sound of their previous songs, as it doesn't seem to feature guitar much at all. However, the mood of "Fighter" is pure Joseph. Like their biggest hit to date, "White Flag", "Fighter" is all about never giving up. It touches on a more personal level than "White Flag" did, though. "Fighter" is actually a song that almost didn't even come into existence due to personal strife within the band, but Natalie, Allison, and Megan took that tension, made it into a song, and as a result, have landed the biggest new adult alt radio hit of the week! Way to go, girls!
"Heat of the Summer" by Young the Giant: In the mood for a summer song to make a splash on alt and adult alt radio?! Then wait no more! Young the Giant might just have what you're looking for with "Heat of the Summer". The song is actually a clever mix of the traditional fun summer song and the more contemporary type of "summer boredom" song. Lead singer, Sameer Gadhia, expresses his boredom with summer during the verses, which are accompanied by sparse bass sounds, and the richer, guitar laden sounds of the chorus complement its more joyful lyrics quite nicely.
"Rylan" by The National: Who is Rylan? Furthermore, what kind of a NAME is Rylan?! I've heard of (and met) people named Ryan, but adding an "L" into the middle of their names just seems odd. Anyway, as to the question of who Rylan is, it's a bit of a mystery. From the context of the song, he seems to be a neglected, sad child who rarely speaks. Beneath Rylan's quiet lies a troubled boy, as Matt Berninger switches between saying that he "reminds him of everyone" during the first part of the song, to saying that "there's a little bit of hell in everyone" towards the end of it. "Everyone", to Matt Berninger, is flawed in some way. Rylan, therefore, reminds Matt of just how imperfect the human race truly is. The National have often talked about alienation in their music, but rarely at a level that cuts as deep as this one does.
"See You Through My Eyes" by The Head and The Heart: Although The Head and The Heart's previous hit, "Missed Connection", was a significant departure from the folk-rock sound they started out with, it ended up becoming one of the biggest hits of the first half of 2019. We have now arrived at the second half of the year, and The Head and The Heart's move from folk-rock to soft alt-pop still hasn't waned with their latest song, "See You Through My Eyes", which looks poised to become one of the year's biggest hits as well. Musically, it's pretty much the major key version of "Missed Connection". Lyrically, it touches on more positive themes as well, focusing primarily on learning to love yourself.
"Strangers" by City and Colour: If you first found out about City and Colour through their 2009 folk-rock song, "Sleeping Sickness", then you might be in for a surprise to learn that lead singer Dallas Green's previous band was a hard-edged emo band called Alexisonfire. C & C's latest song, "Strangers", seems to be an attempt at combining the sweetness and harmonies of City and Colour with the chord progressions and energy of Alexisonfire. The song has a sound that is both sweet and moody, probably the moodiest that C & C have recorded so far. Its title, "Strangers", gives it an air of mystery to match its moodiness. As for the lyrics ("we are strangers in this land with so much left to discover"), they almost make the song seem vulnerable. Any way you look at it, this song is packed full of emotion!
"Wasted Youth" by Jenny Lewis: According to the YouTube comments on this song, I'm not the only one who thought of Carole King when I first heard this song on my local radio station, KCSN, a few weeks ago. Jenny has emulated quite a few of the women who have helped to shape rock and alternative music, from Joni Mitchell to Patti Smith, but I have not heard her try to take on Carole's style yet. Carole has an almost nostalgic, childlike quality to her music, something that Jenny offers somewhat on the surface, often interspersed with world weary, sarcastic lyrics underneath. There is no sarcasm in "Wasted Youth", though. If anything, the song offers up bittersweet truths that lament her own drug addictions and deaths that have occurred in her family. The song is basically "It's Too Late" for millennials. Something inside has indeed died within Jenny, and she makes no attempts to hide or fake it either!
Showing posts with label Jenny Lewis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jenny Lewis. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
New songs for January 30th, 2019
here they are:
"Dylan Thomas" by Better Oblivion Community Center (Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers): Conor and Phoebe have known each other for quite some time now, so it was only a matter of time before they did something together. And what is the result of this inevitable collaboration? Well, it's a slightly noisy folk-rock song, where sound is concerned, which is not a surprising choice in sound for the Bright Eyes frontman. As for the lyrics, the chorus mentions that Conor and Phoebe want to "die like Dylan Thomas", famous for his "Do not go gentle into that good night" quote. Conor has had a recurring theme of morbid lyrics in his songs before, so it's not surprising to know about how Dylan Thomas serves as the central lyrical inspiration in this song.
"F**k the Rain" by Ryan Adams: Hmmm...could somebody please help me pronounce those two unusual letters in the first word of this song?! I've never seen them before! Oh wait...NOW I know what they are! OK, kidding aside, this song actually IS pretty good, in spite of the fact that its fronting word is one that I don't favor in my own vocabulary. You would expect a song like this to be angry from its title, and Ryan has done a few angry tunes before, but this one actually isn't. It's more a sad, plaintive song that would probably be good to listen to ON a rainy day. John Mayer, the folk-pop musician who has long had the desire to be a bluesman, plays a half blues and half country solo towards the end of this song that wouldn't be out of place in a Grateful Dead tune (fitting, since Mayer has toured with them before).
"Harmony Hall" by Vampire Weekend: After 6 years on hiatus, Vampire Weekend have returned and are doing what they do best! Ezra Koenig's quintet have often emulated the tropical world beat sounds of musicians like Paul Simon, Sting, and Peter Gabriel. "Harmony Hall" seems to take on a lot of the Paul Simon aspects, especially at the beginning with its crisp, river-like acoustic guitar. A sprightly piano takes over the guitar for much of the rest of the song, as Koenig ponders over existential crises with lyrics like, "I don't want to live like this, but I don't want to die." Plights like this define the song's lyrical content, but the title "Harmony Hall" still suits it well for the evenly matched vocals and instrumentation this song has to offer.
"Moderation" by Florence and The Machine: Imagine the opening notes of The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" played three times instead of five, and played on piano instead of bass. That pretty much defines the beginning of "Moderation", which quickly turns into a more enjoyably arts-y Florence tune about 30 seconds afterwards. Lyrically, this is an interesting song, as it is unclear who Flo is speaking to. She seems to be addressing a lover at first, but during the chorus, she addresses a "little girl", which might be Flo herself. Whether she's talking to someone else or herself, she nonetheless claims that the subject of the song "wants (her) to love (them) in moderation". Much like other songs of hers, such as "Shake It Out", "Moderation" seems to be about an inner battle that Florence is having with her own self, trying to decide whether she is truly worthy of love, as well as if love itself is truly worth feeling. Well, as they say, everything in "Moderation", right?!
"Red Bull And Hennessy" by Jenny Lewis: So far, we've had a song with a title containing a word I don't use, and now here's a song containing a title of drinks I don't drink (I don't drink any alcohol, FYI.) I guess I'm what you'd call a rocker who lacks the rock and roll lifestyle, eh?! Oh, and as if by coincidence, it is none other than Ryan Adams (discussed in a previous entry for this week) playing the guitar on this track! Go figure, eh? The legendary Ringo Starr guests on drums here, too. Anyway, this song is pretty much sex, drugs, and...ummm...kind of rock and roll?! All three elements are essential on this vaguely Fleetwood Mac-ish track, which expresses lustful sexual desire, being "wired" and "high" on alcohol, and just the thrill Jenny seems to get from being wild and reckless with partners.
"Dylan Thomas" by Better Oblivion Community Center (Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers): Conor and Phoebe have known each other for quite some time now, so it was only a matter of time before they did something together. And what is the result of this inevitable collaboration? Well, it's a slightly noisy folk-rock song, where sound is concerned, which is not a surprising choice in sound for the Bright Eyes frontman. As for the lyrics, the chorus mentions that Conor and Phoebe want to "die like Dylan Thomas", famous for his "Do not go gentle into that good night" quote. Conor has had a recurring theme of morbid lyrics in his songs before, so it's not surprising to know about how Dylan Thomas serves as the central lyrical inspiration in this song.
"F**k the Rain" by Ryan Adams: Hmmm...could somebody please help me pronounce those two unusual letters in the first word of this song?! I've never seen them before! Oh wait...NOW I know what they are! OK, kidding aside, this song actually IS pretty good, in spite of the fact that its fronting word is one that I don't favor in my own vocabulary. You would expect a song like this to be angry from its title, and Ryan has done a few angry tunes before, but this one actually isn't. It's more a sad, plaintive song that would probably be good to listen to ON a rainy day. John Mayer, the folk-pop musician who has long had the desire to be a bluesman, plays a half blues and half country solo towards the end of this song that wouldn't be out of place in a Grateful Dead tune (fitting, since Mayer has toured with them before).
"Harmony Hall" by Vampire Weekend: After 6 years on hiatus, Vampire Weekend have returned and are doing what they do best! Ezra Koenig's quintet have often emulated the tropical world beat sounds of musicians like Paul Simon, Sting, and Peter Gabriel. "Harmony Hall" seems to take on a lot of the Paul Simon aspects, especially at the beginning with its crisp, river-like acoustic guitar. A sprightly piano takes over the guitar for much of the rest of the song, as Koenig ponders over existential crises with lyrics like, "I don't want to live like this, but I don't want to die." Plights like this define the song's lyrical content, but the title "Harmony Hall" still suits it well for the evenly matched vocals and instrumentation this song has to offer.
"Moderation" by Florence and The Machine: Imagine the opening notes of The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" played three times instead of five, and played on piano instead of bass. That pretty much defines the beginning of "Moderation", which quickly turns into a more enjoyably arts-y Florence tune about 30 seconds afterwards. Lyrically, this is an interesting song, as it is unclear who Flo is speaking to. She seems to be addressing a lover at first, but during the chorus, she addresses a "little girl", which might be Flo herself. Whether she's talking to someone else or herself, she nonetheless claims that the subject of the song "wants (her) to love (them) in moderation". Much like other songs of hers, such as "Shake It Out", "Moderation" seems to be about an inner battle that Florence is having with her own self, trying to decide whether she is truly worthy of love, as well as if love itself is truly worth feeling. Well, as they say, everything in "Moderation", right?!
"Red Bull And Hennessy" by Jenny Lewis: So far, we've had a song with a title containing a word I don't use, and now here's a song containing a title of drinks I don't drink (I don't drink any alcohol, FYI.) I guess I'm what you'd call a rocker who lacks the rock and roll lifestyle, eh?! Oh, and as if by coincidence, it is none other than Ryan Adams (discussed in a previous entry for this week) playing the guitar on this track! Go figure, eh? The legendary Ringo Starr guests on drums here, too. Anyway, this song is pretty much sex, drugs, and...ummm...kind of rock and roll?! All three elements are essential on this vaguely Fleetwood Mac-ish track, which expresses lustful sexual desire, being "wired" and "high" on alcohol, and just the thrill Jenny seems to get from being wild and reckless with partners.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
New songs for May 6th, 2015
here they are:
"Beatnik Walking" by Richard Thompson: A veteran folk-rocker who has been active since the '60s, Richard Thompson's last few albums have focused on "plugging in" a bit more than he usually does. His latest song, "Beatnik Walking", goes back to his folk roots. The song has an almost Celtic influenced feel to it, and a similar rhythm to Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" as well. Jeff Tweedy from Wilco, who was probably influenced in some way by Richard Thompson, is the one who produced "Beatnik Walking". The song is so mellow sounding that it resembles folk more than it does folk-rock. Not a bad thing by any means, though. We could all use a breather once in a while!
"Electric Love" by Borns: The sublime alt-pop stylings of Lorde and the chunky garage rock style of The Black Keys have both become popular styles for the 2010's. I never thought I'd see the day when they converged into one sound, though, until I heard "Electric Love" by Borns (How do you pronounce their name, anyway? The "o" has a slash through it, so I would guess maybe it's "burns", or perhaps "byairns"). Apparently, the fact that the song combines two popular alt-pop subgenres is not the only reason that "Electric Love" has been getting so much attention lately. It has also been used on a commercial for video streaming service, Hulu. What can I say? Music is always a good way to get people to use your products!
"Feeling OK" by Best Coast: Sometimes, the third time really is the charm! Bethany Cosentino and the rest of her gang of L.A. indie-pop beach bums actually released two other songs from their latest album as singles ("California Nights" and "Heaven Sent") before they released "Feeling OK" as a single as well. The indie community itself seems to be eating Best Coast's latest album right up, but so far, only "Feeling OK" has had a significant impact on the radio airwaves. This song doesn't sound like the "Florence and the Machine goes surf music" sorta thing they have had with their previous material, and opts for a more 2010's radio-friendly alt-pop sound instead. The radio-friendly sound of "Feeling OK" is probably a large part of the reason why it's become more successful than the other two songs from Best Coast's album "California Nights", the title track of which sounds like one of the more psychedelia influenced Oasis songs. The other song, "Heaven Sent", seems influenced by '90s alt-rock goddess Liz Phair, and probably could have fared well on adult alt and alternative radio stations. Maybe that song will have another go later on this year. In the meantime, though, "Feeling OK" should make you...well...feel OK!
"Lonesome Street" by Blur: Anyone remember that faux-grunge song from the '90s by a bunch of British guys, where the chorus of the song is basically a loud "WOO-HOO!!"? Well, apparently, they're still doing stuff today! However, it's nothing like the "woo-hoo" song (which is actually called "Song 2"). Their latest song, "Lonesome Street", has a power pop flavor, but more of a catchy, melodic one than a noisy one. For a song with the word "lonesome" in the title, "Lonesome Street" is actually quite an upbeat, catchy tune!! The song hearkens back to early, pre-"Song 2" Blur songs, like the soulful "There's No Other Way".
"She's Not Me" by Jenny Lewis: The opening guitar of this song sure doesn't SOUND like Jenny Lewis. That's because it's actually Ryan Adams' guitar playing, which I kinda suspected from its '80s-era Stones type sound, which Ryan seems to have been quite fond of lately. The riff of the song actually bears quite a bit of similarity to The Rolling Stones' "Almost Hear You Sigh", which I could see happening in a Ryan Adams song, but not a Jenny Lewis one. The lyrics, on the other hand, are pure Jenny Lewis. Innocent sounding singing combined with scathing, finger-pointing lyrics like, "She's not me, she's easy". "Easy", huh?! Jenny, you got some 'splainin' to do!!
"Tell Me What You Want From Me" by Good Old War: When Good Old War released their debut album, folk-rock really was more of an "indie" thing. 8 years later, and folk-rock has suddenly become a more popular subgenre to emulate. Folks like Walk Off the Earth have become YouTube sensations because of it. In fact, this song kinda SOUNDS like something from Walk Off the Earth more than it does Good Old War, in that it combines acoustic guitar playing with artificial percussion, the way a lot of WOTE's material tends to. "Tell Me What You Want From Me" also uses other synthesized instruments during some parts, which isn't something that GOW do very often. It'd be nice if Good Old War were able to sound more "organic" like they used to, but this isn't too bad of an effort.
"Beatnik Walking" by Richard Thompson: A veteran folk-rocker who has been active since the '60s, Richard Thompson's last few albums have focused on "plugging in" a bit more than he usually does. His latest song, "Beatnik Walking", goes back to his folk roots. The song has an almost Celtic influenced feel to it, and a similar rhythm to Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" as well. Jeff Tweedy from Wilco, who was probably influenced in some way by Richard Thompson, is the one who produced "Beatnik Walking". The song is so mellow sounding that it resembles folk more than it does folk-rock. Not a bad thing by any means, though. We could all use a breather once in a while!
"Electric Love" by Borns: The sublime alt-pop stylings of Lorde and the chunky garage rock style of The Black Keys have both become popular styles for the 2010's. I never thought I'd see the day when they converged into one sound, though, until I heard "Electric Love" by Borns (How do you pronounce their name, anyway? The "o" has a slash through it, so I would guess maybe it's "burns", or perhaps "byairns"). Apparently, the fact that the song combines two popular alt-pop subgenres is not the only reason that "Electric Love" has been getting so much attention lately. It has also been used on a commercial for video streaming service, Hulu. What can I say? Music is always a good way to get people to use your products!
"Feeling OK" by Best Coast: Sometimes, the third time really is the charm! Bethany Cosentino and the rest of her gang of L.A. indie-pop beach bums actually released two other songs from their latest album as singles ("California Nights" and "Heaven Sent") before they released "Feeling OK" as a single as well. The indie community itself seems to be eating Best Coast's latest album right up, but so far, only "Feeling OK" has had a significant impact on the radio airwaves. This song doesn't sound like the "Florence and the Machine goes surf music" sorta thing they have had with their previous material, and opts for a more 2010's radio-friendly alt-pop sound instead. The radio-friendly sound of "Feeling OK" is probably a large part of the reason why it's become more successful than the other two songs from Best Coast's album "California Nights", the title track of which sounds like one of the more psychedelia influenced Oasis songs. The other song, "Heaven Sent", seems influenced by '90s alt-rock goddess Liz Phair, and probably could have fared well on adult alt and alternative radio stations. Maybe that song will have another go later on this year. In the meantime, though, "Feeling OK" should make you...well...feel OK!
"Lonesome Street" by Blur: Anyone remember that faux-grunge song from the '90s by a bunch of British guys, where the chorus of the song is basically a loud "WOO-HOO!!"? Well, apparently, they're still doing stuff today! However, it's nothing like the "woo-hoo" song (which is actually called "Song 2"). Their latest song, "Lonesome Street", has a power pop flavor, but more of a catchy, melodic one than a noisy one. For a song with the word "lonesome" in the title, "Lonesome Street" is actually quite an upbeat, catchy tune!! The song hearkens back to early, pre-"Song 2" Blur songs, like the soulful "There's No Other Way".
"She's Not Me" by Jenny Lewis: The opening guitar of this song sure doesn't SOUND like Jenny Lewis. That's because it's actually Ryan Adams' guitar playing, which I kinda suspected from its '80s-era Stones type sound, which Ryan seems to have been quite fond of lately. The riff of the song actually bears quite a bit of similarity to The Rolling Stones' "Almost Hear You Sigh", which I could see happening in a Ryan Adams song, but not a Jenny Lewis one. The lyrics, on the other hand, are pure Jenny Lewis. Innocent sounding singing combined with scathing, finger-pointing lyrics like, "She's not me, she's easy". "Easy", huh?! Jenny, you got some 'splainin' to do!!
"Tell Me What You Want From Me" by Good Old War: When Good Old War released their debut album, folk-rock really was more of an "indie" thing. 8 years later, and folk-rock has suddenly become a more popular subgenre to emulate. Folks like Walk Off the Earth have become YouTube sensations because of it. In fact, this song kinda SOUNDS like something from Walk Off the Earth more than it does Good Old War, in that it combines acoustic guitar playing with artificial percussion, the way a lot of WOTE's material tends to. "Tell Me What You Want From Me" also uses other synthesized instruments during some parts, which isn't something that GOW do very often. It'd be nice if Good Old War were able to sound more "organic" like they used to, but this isn't too bad of an effort.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
New songs for June 18th, 2014
here they are:
"Just One of the Guys" by Jenny Lewis: The Rilo Kiley frontwoman's latest song is a piece of alt-country melancholia, centering around how she feels regret for how she just can't be "one of the guys" no matter how hard she tries. The titular phrase could be interpreted in one of two ways. It could refer to how she always feels like a female in a crowd full of males, or it could refer to how she doesn't feel like an individual even though she wants to be seen as one ("guys", in this case, would simply mean "people", referring to both genders). The second part of the chorus states that she also feels regretful about not having an open mind. The irony about the statements in this song are that she is incredibly individual, she usually blends in successfully with men (I particularly like it when she collaborates with Elvis Costello, which she has done a few times by now), and that she (as far as I know) does have an open mind. Is this a song of true regret, or just four minutes of sarcasm disguised as a lonesome country-rock song?! Perhaps we'll never know!
"Rent I Pay" by Spoon: It's been about four years since the indie-pop/rock quintet known as Spoon last released an album. Their simple but quirky name goes well with their musical style, which is also simple but quirky, influenced equally by rock, pop, and folk, with a dash of Elton John/Billy Joel-esque piano-pop thrown in there on occasion. Spoon's latest song, "Rent I Pay", almost seems like their attempt at trying to be The Rolling Stones, with its main riff sounding somewhat like a slowed down version of "Street Fighting Man". The lyrics, though, are pure Spoon. I mean honestly, would you expect Mick Jagger to have lyrics like, "that's the rent I pay/like my brother say"? Probably not. But such offbeat lyrics would seem pretty typical for a guy like Britt Daniel!
"Slow Motion" by Phox: Monica Martin is a black woman who leads an indie-folk-rock group!! Not every day you come across that! The instrumentation of "Slow Motion", the debut song from her band, Phox, is also something unusual, even by indie standards. In the beginning of the song, you think you're gonna get a bluegrass song, but it quickly turns into something that comes off as a cross between Florence & The Machine and The Kopecky Family Band. Top it all off with a clarinet solo in the middle, and a section towards the end with a slight reggae influence, and you've basically got a tasty indie-pop stew on your hands! "Everything I do, I do in slow motion", Monica sings during the chorus. An apt description for the song, but the eclectic mix of sounds chosen for the song seem like they were done in anything but slow motion!
"U Get Me High" by Tom Petty: Doesn't it bother you when musicians release one single off their new album one week, and then the VERY NEXT WEEK they release ANOTHER one?! Well, it bothers me!! This is exactly what Tom Petty did with his latest album, "Hypnotic Eye". "American Dream Plan B" was released last week, and now we have "U Get Me High". Not exactly as forceful and driving as "American Dream Plan B", but rest assured, "U Get Me High" is still good. It sounds a bit like something Petty might have done circa the mid '90s, using rock 'n' roll guitars with a mid-tempo drumbeat. This song may or may not be about drugs, as it is equally likely to be about a girl he's in love with, who gives him "something so deep". There's only one other complaint I have about this song, aside from its earlier than expected release date, and that is that eye don't no Y Tom Petty chose 2 have the letter "U" in the title of the song instead of the pronoun "you", with its proper spelling. Seriously, what did he have 2 do that 4?
"Just One of the Guys" by Jenny Lewis: The Rilo Kiley frontwoman's latest song is a piece of alt-country melancholia, centering around how she feels regret for how she just can't be "one of the guys" no matter how hard she tries. The titular phrase could be interpreted in one of two ways. It could refer to how she always feels like a female in a crowd full of males, or it could refer to how she doesn't feel like an individual even though she wants to be seen as one ("guys", in this case, would simply mean "people", referring to both genders). The second part of the chorus states that she also feels regretful about not having an open mind. The irony about the statements in this song are that she is incredibly individual, she usually blends in successfully with men (I particularly like it when she collaborates with Elvis Costello, which she has done a few times by now), and that she (as far as I know) does have an open mind. Is this a song of true regret, or just four minutes of sarcasm disguised as a lonesome country-rock song?! Perhaps we'll never know!
"Rent I Pay" by Spoon: It's been about four years since the indie-pop/rock quintet known as Spoon last released an album. Their simple but quirky name goes well with their musical style, which is also simple but quirky, influenced equally by rock, pop, and folk, with a dash of Elton John/Billy Joel-esque piano-pop thrown in there on occasion. Spoon's latest song, "Rent I Pay", almost seems like their attempt at trying to be The Rolling Stones, with its main riff sounding somewhat like a slowed down version of "Street Fighting Man". The lyrics, though, are pure Spoon. I mean honestly, would you expect Mick Jagger to have lyrics like, "that's the rent I pay/like my brother say"? Probably not. But such offbeat lyrics would seem pretty typical for a guy like Britt Daniel!
"Slow Motion" by Phox: Monica Martin is a black woman who leads an indie-folk-rock group!! Not every day you come across that! The instrumentation of "Slow Motion", the debut song from her band, Phox, is also something unusual, even by indie standards. In the beginning of the song, you think you're gonna get a bluegrass song, but it quickly turns into something that comes off as a cross between Florence & The Machine and The Kopecky Family Band. Top it all off with a clarinet solo in the middle, and a section towards the end with a slight reggae influence, and you've basically got a tasty indie-pop stew on your hands! "Everything I do, I do in slow motion", Monica sings during the chorus. An apt description for the song, but the eclectic mix of sounds chosen for the song seem like they were done in anything but slow motion!
"U Get Me High" by Tom Petty: Doesn't it bother you when musicians release one single off their new album one week, and then the VERY NEXT WEEK they release ANOTHER one?! Well, it bothers me!! This is exactly what Tom Petty did with his latest album, "Hypnotic Eye". "American Dream Plan B" was released last week, and now we have "U Get Me High". Not exactly as forceful and driving as "American Dream Plan B", but rest assured, "U Get Me High" is still good. It sounds a bit like something Petty might have done circa the mid '90s, using rock 'n' roll guitars with a mid-tempo drumbeat. This song may or may not be about drugs, as it is equally likely to be about a girl he's in love with, who gives him "something so deep". There's only one other complaint I have about this song, aside from its earlier than expected release date, and that is that eye don't no Y Tom Petty chose 2 have the letter "U" in the title of the song instead of the pronoun "you", with its proper spelling. Seriously, what did he have 2 do that 4?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
New songs for Aug. 25th, 2010
here they are!
"In Sleep" by Lissie: Having a name like "Lissie" is enough to make one think that there's something unique and kinda cool about her. And there is! Her first breakthrough song, "In Sleep", she almost effortlessly combines country, folk, straight-ahead rock, and slight traces of neo-psychedelia into one song! Altogether, it sounds like an indie rock Fleetwood Mac (the guitar solo at the end reminds me a little of "Go Your Own Way", only it's about a minute and a half longer!) Lissie's cynically smoky vocals make me think that fans of Jenny Lewis (also on this week's blog), Neko Case, and other Stevie Nicks-influenced indie females would really like this song (and artist)!
"Modern Man" by Arcade Fire: As if having Eric Clapton on this week's list and countless other classic rock musicians making their big "comebacks" in 2010 wasn't enough, Arcade Fire's latest pretty much steals the main chord structure of A major and F sharp minor of John Mellencamp's "Hand to Hold On To". Arcade Fire must be making their classic rock influences want to shine out more in their latest material (as I also compared "Ready to Start" to Golden Earring's "Radar Love" as if covered by The Cure). Though "Modern Man" has enough "alternative" instrumentation to avoid being completely mistaken for Mellencamp, I can't help but notice a similarity between the two songs! Another interesting thing is that it seems like Arcade Fire are releasing singles on a MONTHLY basis off their latest album (June - "The Suburbs, July - "Ready to Start", and August - "Modern Man"). One can only wonder what Win Butler and co. have waiting for us in store in September and if it, too, is classic rock influenced!
"Run Back to Your Side" by Eric Clapton: There's an old joke that goes like, "What do Eric Clapton and coffee have in common? They both suck without the 'Cream'". While I don't entirely agree with that statement, I can certainly see why one would think such a thing - ever since Clapton's solo career took flight, he seems to have gotten "softer". In the '00s, he was a bit unpredictable. While it seemed like he wanted his blues-y side back then more than any other decade, he went about it rather strangely. "Revolution" (not to be confused with the Beatles song of the same name) was his take on reggae, he let his inner soul man shine with a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground", and his "Ride the River" with fellow blues-rocker J.J. Cale, seemed more like blues-folk than blues-rock. Thankfully, Clapton's inner blues man has finally been set free once again on "Run Back to Your Side". While it lacks the heavy intensity of Cream, it is certainly more rock-and-roll friendly than most of what he has put out in the past 20 or so years, so much so that if it weren't for Clapton's unmistakable vocals, this might be mistaken for a long lost Allman Brothers track!
"Scissor Runner" by Jenny and Johnny: I love this song already!! For one thing, Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley is in it! (along with fellow indie musician Jonathan Rice, a.k.a. "Johnny" in this side project/band) For another, I love the neo-psychedelic, melodic, folk-rock-y feel of this song! It almost hearkens back to the days of early R.E.M., Yo La Tengo, and the "mellower" side of bands like The Velvet Underground and Pavement. It's really bouncy and just plain fun, too! Favorite line in the song so far? "She ain't a princess/But she's an artist/Painting a portrait/All over my heart". Now THERE's the kind of girl I'd like to meet someday!
"In Sleep" by Lissie: Having a name like "Lissie" is enough to make one think that there's something unique and kinda cool about her. And there is! Her first breakthrough song, "In Sleep", she almost effortlessly combines country, folk, straight-ahead rock, and slight traces of neo-psychedelia into one song! Altogether, it sounds like an indie rock Fleetwood Mac (the guitar solo at the end reminds me a little of "Go Your Own Way", only it's about a minute and a half longer!) Lissie's cynically smoky vocals make me think that fans of Jenny Lewis (also on this week's blog), Neko Case, and other Stevie Nicks-influenced indie females would really like this song (and artist)!
"Modern Man" by Arcade Fire: As if having Eric Clapton on this week's list and countless other classic rock musicians making their big "comebacks" in 2010 wasn't enough, Arcade Fire's latest pretty much steals the main chord structure of A major and F sharp minor of John Mellencamp's "Hand to Hold On To". Arcade Fire must be making their classic rock influences want to shine out more in their latest material (as I also compared "Ready to Start" to Golden Earring's "Radar Love" as if covered by The Cure). Though "Modern Man" has enough "alternative" instrumentation to avoid being completely mistaken for Mellencamp, I can't help but notice a similarity between the two songs! Another interesting thing is that it seems like Arcade Fire are releasing singles on a MONTHLY basis off their latest album (June - "The Suburbs, July - "Ready to Start", and August - "Modern Man"). One can only wonder what Win Butler and co. have waiting for us in store in September and if it, too, is classic rock influenced!
"Run Back to Your Side" by Eric Clapton: There's an old joke that goes like, "What do Eric Clapton and coffee have in common? They both suck without the 'Cream'". While I don't entirely agree with that statement, I can certainly see why one would think such a thing - ever since Clapton's solo career took flight, he seems to have gotten "softer". In the '00s, he was a bit unpredictable. While it seemed like he wanted his blues-y side back then more than any other decade, he went about it rather strangely. "Revolution" (not to be confused with the Beatles song of the same name) was his take on reggae, he let his inner soul man shine with a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground", and his "Ride the River" with fellow blues-rocker J.J. Cale, seemed more like blues-folk than blues-rock. Thankfully, Clapton's inner blues man has finally been set free once again on "Run Back to Your Side". While it lacks the heavy intensity of Cream, it is certainly more rock-and-roll friendly than most of what he has put out in the past 20 or so years, so much so that if it weren't for Clapton's unmistakable vocals, this might be mistaken for a long lost Allman Brothers track!
"Scissor Runner" by Jenny and Johnny: I love this song already!! For one thing, Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley is in it! (along with fellow indie musician Jonathan Rice, a.k.a. "Johnny" in this side project/band) For another, I love the neo-psychedelic, melodic, folk-rock-y feel of this song! It almost hearkens back to the days of early R.E.M., Yo La Tengo, and the "mellower" side of bands like The Velvet Underground and Pavement. It's really bouncy and just plain fun, too! Favorite line in the song so far? "She ain't a princess/But she's an artist/Painting a portrait/All over my heart". Now THERE's the kind of girl I'd like to meet someday!
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