New songs for September 14th, 2022

 Here they are:


"Run Away to Mars" by Talk: I have not heard a new entry like this one in a long time! "Run Away to Mars," the debut song from Talk, is thoughtful, bittersweet, and contains both acoustic guitar flourishes and enough backing from the electric guitar to make it into a solid neo-folk-rock piece that can move mountains (and Mars)! The yearning tone of the song is palpable everywhere from the instrumentation to the lead singer's vocals, and its lyrics also tug at the heartstrings. The song is not about literally going to the planet Mars, but just trying to find somewhere to escape to when times get tough. Why aren't there more songs out there like this one these days?!

"Tongo Barra" by Vieux Farka Touré (featuring Khruangbin): Two eclectic musical acts, both of African origin (directly from Africa in Touré's case, in the country of Mali), coming together to create musical fusion! Does that sound cool or what? That's 'cause it is cool! Together, Touré and Khruangbin stir up a musical gumbo that has a hypnotic, otherworldly sound with foreign words chanted over it that manages to be catchy and danceable, not unlike Talking Heads' "I Zimbra," which this piece reminds me heavily of! "Tongo Barra" is a bit more blissed out than "I Zimbra," but both the setup and sound of the songs make them sound like musical cousins to one another! 

"Tonight" by Phoenix (featuring Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend): I've long considered indie-pop groups Vampire Weekend and Phoenix to be similar to one another, so it's not that surprising that they collaborated with one another. What's more surprising to me is that it took over a decade for either band to consider such a project happening! Both bands combine electro-pop, power pop, and a rhythmic influence slightly akin to reggae (especially in Vampire Weekend's case), so "Tonight" ends up being a song that could pass for either band. As such, it hearkens back to the more new wave influenced electro-pop sound that Phoenix broke through with in 2009 with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, known for the late '00s mega-hits "1901" and "Lisztomania." While I'm doubtful that "Tonight" will join the ranks of those two songs, I have no doubt at all that "Tonight" will be a fun song to hear for fans of both Phoenix and Vampire Weekend!

Twos-Day! Two songs for Two thousand Twenty Two a day after Tues-day! (Happy New Year)

 Hey everyone! Happy New Year! (Or should I say, Happy TWO Year?!) I guess 2 is a lucky number this year! Two songs to start the year that is mostly twos with the exception of the zero in the middle of it. And it IS the day after Twos...I mean Tuesday. Ready 2 begin! How 'bout you?!

"B-Side" by Leon Bridges (featuring Khruangbin): Leon's effort from last year, "Motorbike," was not exactly the retro-soul I was used to from him. It sounded more like he was trying to emulate contemporary R & B with that song. With "B-Side," however, his second collaboration with Khruangbin since 2020's "Texas Sun," Leon gets his groove back! The song indulges in a 1970's funk influenced sound throughout as Leon tells the tale of a lover he feels he is missing in his life. The subject here doesn't seem to be as important as the music, though. To quote one of Leon's other songs, "If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)"!

"Cheer Up Baby" by Inhaler: Those Irish rockers! Being part Irish myself, I love whenever I hear about any Irish musician trying to make it big, and indie-rockers Inhaler are the latest of the pack. They sound a bit more like the British Kooks or the Scottish Franz Ferdinand than they do like U2 or The Cranberries, but it's still a catchy sound! "Cheer Up Baby" has actually been around since the members of Inhaler were teenagers, but the song has taken on a new meaning during the pandemic. Rather than the song's original intent of cheering up a girlfriend, people (including Inhaler themselves) have now interpreted the song's message as one of hope during difficult times. 

New songs for May 13th 2020

here they are:


"Good Times" by The Lone Bellow: A song called "Good Times" oughta be upbeat, and that's exactly what "Good Times" by The Lone Bellow is. An uplifting indie-folk-pop song, "Good Times" is a simple but meaningful song that recalls conversations the group members have had with both one another and with people outside the band. One thing that sets this song apart from other Lone Bellow songs is its prominent use of horns, as well as its electric guitar solo in the middle.


"Time (You And I)" by Khruangbin: Late last year might have been the first time many people heard about Khruangbin through their collaboration with neo-soul musician, Leon Bridges. Perhaps Leon's soulful vibes rubbed off on Khruangbin on their latest song, "Time (You And I)", which itself sounds like it could be a song off one of Leon Bridges' later albums. The song's mid-'70s funk influenced sound gives it a very upbeat, danceable sound. For a little over five and a half minutes, the song's lyrics repeat, and not just in English either. As the song progresses, they also get to French, Portuguese, and at least one East Asian language, perhaps to emphasize how its simple message of love is a universal one. The song's avant-funk sound brings to mind musicians like Prince and Funkadelic.


"Time Stands" by Nathaniel Rateliff: The third song this week with the word "time" in its title is a mellower track than the others. Without The Night Sweats backing him up, Nathaniel Rateliff seems to create more melancholy folk-rock songs, as opposed to the spirited brand of retro R & B that most fans of his were initially acquainted with. "Time Stands" continues in the folk-rock pattern for Nathaniel, and is the most bittersweet song I've heard from him yet. It is a yearning song that seems to wonder if things will be alright without ever answering that question. No one seems to know where time stands anymore, so "Time Stands" has arrived for us just in time (no pun intended).


"Upside Down" by Mondo Cozmo: Most of the songs from this week were actually songs released earlier in the year from albums that already had singles. "Upside Down" by Mondo Cozmo is not such a song. It was thought up last month and is one of a growing number of songs that has been written in response to our current pandemic. "Everything is upside down", Joshua Ostrander sings during the chorus. What he means, as you might have guessed, is that nothing seems to make sense anymore. Instead of lamenting this, though, Joshua decides to make the most of it, turning his thoughts of uncertainty into a party anthem that starts out with half-sung/half-spoken lyrics recalling songs like Beck's "Loser" and Cage the Elephant's "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked". I'm all for creativity, but I still wish things turn right side up sooner than later.

New songs for January 15th, 2020

here they are:


"And It's Still Alright" by Nathaniel Rateliff: Nathaniel Rateliff, along with his backing group, The Night Sweats, have brought us numerous adult alt and alt radio hits with a distinctly soulful flavor, like "S.O.B." and "You Worry Me". This song, which also happens to be the first song released IN 2020 that I'm reviewing in 2020, marks Nathaniel's first significant appearance on his own without The Night Sweats. That song, "And It's Still Alright", plays out like a slightly countrified version of Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic". Not exactly what I would have expected from the normally fiery Nathaniel Rateliff, but perhaps part of the reason it sounds the way it does is because Nathaniel does not have his backing group with him this time. It's a pleasant and bittersweet song, though, so I do like it. Not Nathaniel's best, but it is a good one...and it's still alright.


"Black Madonna" by Cage the Elephant: The title of this song refers to the "Madonna and Child" painting when people depict the titular woman with dark skin instead of lighter skin, proving Cage the Elephant to be both more spiritual and more knowledgable than I previously thought they were. Beneath the surface, though, the song "Black Madonna" seems to be about someone who is not ready to have a relationship. Given the themes of rocky relationships in other recent CTE tunes, like "Ready to Let Go", I would say this is an accurate conclusion to arrive at. The song goes in line with the spaced-out new wave sound CTE have been going for on their latest album, and like the other three songs that have been released from it so far as singles, "Black Madonna" is in a minor key. The overall darkness of the song seems to be offset by its title, as well as the "hallelujah" in the chorus, both indicating reverential undertones in a song that otherwise seems bleak and despairing.


"Dirt In My Eyes" by Cold War Kids: Much like their 2019 summer smash, "Complainer", Cold War Kids' "Dirt In My Eyes" is also a funky, catchy song in the CWK catalog. Where "Complainer", in spite of its title, was uplifting, "Dirt In My Eyes" seems to BE a complaint, probably against a former lover. "You just keep on kickin' dirt in my eyes", Nathan Willett sings in a Michael Jackson-esque falsetto during the chorus, "and I just keep on actin', actin' surprised", he continues. Those sound like the words of a man who's been pushed around for far too long. However, instead of making the song moody, he makes it funky! Go figure, eh?!


"Feel the Way I Want" by Caroline Rose: What is there to say about Caroline Rose except that she knows how to make great danceable tunes out of alternative pop/rock music? In 2018, she released the fun, sassy, booty shakin' "Soul No. 5". Where "Soul No. 5" was largely rock oriented, Caroline's latest, "Feel the Way I Want", seems more rooted in the eccentric funk stylings of Prince, and it also sounds a bit like the works of Funkadelic's Bootsy Collins. If not for Caroline's distinct vocal stylings, this song could be mistaken for a Lizzo song! "Feel the Way I Want" is a largely celebratory anthem that lives up to its title. Let's start this decade/year right, folks. We've gotta feel the way we want to!


"Hand Over My Heart" by The Secret Sisters: The only other song I've heard so far from The Secret Sisters was the bittersweet, yearning folk-rock song, "He's Fine", from about four years ago. "Hand Over My Heart", in contrast, is more sweet than bittersweet and more indie-pop with folky undertones than it is folk-rock. According to lead singer, Laura Rogers, the reason "Hand Over My Heart" sounds the way it does is because The Secret Sisters wanted to go in a direction that was more musically and lyrically positive. Lovelorn ballads have long been their typical style, but in the dawning of this new era, they've chosen love and kindness over loss and heartache. The resulting song is a sweet, bubbly song that is sure to put a smile on any indie-folk fan!


"I Don't Wanna Lie" by Yola: One of many blues-y R & B revivalists of the 2010's, Yola debuted at the end of the decade. Come the early 2020's, she has finally gotten the recognition she's deserved on adult alt radio with the Dan Auerbach (Black Keys) produced song, "I Don't Wanna Lie"! The guitars in the intro sound pretty Auerbach-ian, but cue the piano, string section, and drums, and "I Don't Wanna Lie" becomes its own song, evoking the sultry magic of early 1970's soul music. The song is a bold and funky declaration of love and honesty in the tradition of many of Yola's soulful forebears. This song is pretty somethin'! I mean I don't wanna lie and say it's not!


"Lost In Yesterday" by Tame Impala: The icy, stark new wave sound of Tame Impala's latest song, combined with its rhythm, made me think of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears. However, "Lost In Yesterday" differs greatly in its lyrics from the mostly pessimistic TFF song. As its title implies, "Lost In Yesterday" is about getting lost inside a memory. Lead singer Kevin Parker never makes it clear in the song whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps his opinion can best be summed up in the verse where he says, "If they call you, embrace them. If they hold you, erase them". In other words, happy memories are great to get lost in, but if a memory holds you back from enjoying the present, get rid of it. Memories are an important part of my life and an important part of who I am overall. Thanks for speaking to my subconscious and empowering it, Kevin!


"Texas Sun" by Khruangbin (pronounced KRUNG-bin), featuring Leon Bridges: There is a good reason this song is about Texas. Post-psychedelic indie-rock group, Khruangbin, and soul revivalist, Leon Bridges, are both Texas natives. Of course, many other musicians are Texans as well, so why did these two choose one another? They seem like quite an unlikely pair! Somehow, though, it manages to work here. Trippy guitars and soulful vocals and rhythm join forces here without one offsetting the other. The result is something that is both strange and beautiful.