It's the last year of the 2010's!! Can you believe it?! Here are 6 songs to get us started on the right track. All are left over from 2018, though I'm sure by next week there will be a few that are brand new for this year. Here goes:
“Funny Business” by Alice Merton: “I don’t play cards, I don’t do funny business”, alt-pop sass queen Alice Merton proclaims in her latest song, “Funny Business”. You’d better believe she means it! Alice’s songs tend to be full of both cleverness and insults set to a sound that’s half alternative and half pop music, not unlike what Lily Allen was doing midway through the 2000’s. So far, it appears as though the last year of the 2010’s is gonna go out with a bang! But let’s see what else is in store for the first month of the new year…
“Hey Larocco” by Rayland Baxter: The normally folk-y Rayland Baxter surprised us all with his psych-pop tinged “Casanova” in late spring/early summer of last year. “Hey Larocco” marks a return to Rayland’s folk-rock roots, to the point of which it could be considered a “sequel song” to his breakthrough single, “Yellow Eyes”. It’s even in the same key as that one is. Unlike the wistful romanticism of “Yellow Eyes”, “Hey Larocco” is about a predicament that Rayland finds himself in trying to apologize to his friend, whose name is Larocco (a name as unusual as his own, might I add).
“Now That You’re Gone” – The Raconteurs: It’s been about a decade since we last heard from Jack White’s side project, The Raconteurs. So Jack, Brendan, and the gang have decided to treat us to not one, but TWO new songs within a single month! The first of these is “Now That You’re Gone”, the crunchier and blues-ier of the two tracks. The song has all the makings of a trademark Jack White tune, such as squealing guitars, husky vocals, and chunky power chords. Adding to the blues-rock vibe of the song are its lovelorn lyrics, pontificating on the loss of a love life repeatedly in just two short verses.
“Shelter” by Broken Bells: It’s been four years since The Shins’ James Mercer and record producer Brian Burton (better known as “Danger Mouse”) last released an album. “Shelter” has many of the things you might expect from a Broken Bells song. Indie-pop melodies combine with techno instrumentation (with the occasional guitar playing in the background). The song revolves around the uncertainty of falling in love. A far cry, lyrically, from the more optimistic sounding “The High Road”, but a good one nonetheless.
“Sunday Driver” by The Raconteurs: And now we come to The Raconteurs OTHER song for the decade’s final year. “Sunday Driver” is a bit slower paced and roots-y than “Now That You’re Gone”, but it is not without its fair share of excitement. This one also has some blues-y lyrics, but more in the vein of the “travelin’ down the road” variety than of the “my love has done me wrong” sort. Not sure whose decision it was to make The Racs have two songs on the adult alt charts simultaneously (things like that don’t usually happen), but I have a feeling it’s gonna pay off big time for ‘em!
“Traveling On” by The Decemberists: For those who were disappointed by “Severed” from last year around this month, “Traveling On” might just be your antidote! “Traveling On” contains no synths or post-punk influenced sounds, and is instead a return to the familiar for Decemberists fans: a bittersweet folk-rock song, like most of the material they’ve become known for. There’s also a somewhat roots-y vibe to “Traveling On” with its weary traveler centered lyrics. You could easily picture a “long and lonesome highway” in your head as you listen to this one!
Showing posts with label Rayland Baxter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rayland Baxter. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
New songs for May 23rd, 2018
here they are:
"Beyond" by Leon Bridges: The jazzy adult alt mega hit, "Bad Bad News", proved earlier this year that Leon Bridges is far more than just a throwback to '60s R & B. He can embrace contemporary soul music just as well. "Beyond" goes beyond that (no pun intended) and adds flourishes of acoustic guitar to a soulful ballad. Leon is no stranger to the acoustic guitar, as he had done so once before with "River", but "Beyond" takes it to a whole new level. It's one of the ultimate "love at first sight" songs. On "Beyond", Leon passionately sings about how his lover "might just be (his) everything and beyond". What a great way to declare love!
"Casanova" by Rayland Baxter: After the ultra smooth, romantic vibes of our last song, it's only fitting that our next entry for the week is called "Casanova". The vibes of this song, however, are far more quirky and whimsical than they are romantic. Rayland Baxter is an artist of unpredictable quality. His "Yellow Eyes" was a sentimental folk-rock tune, and his followup single, "Mr. Rodriguez", was psychedelic indie-pop. "Casanova" is also psychedelic indie-pop, but with a slightly more happy go lucky feel than "Mr. Rodriguez". "Casanova" doesn't talk about romance much at all, really, and is instead focused on addiction to sex and drugs with a very tongue-in-cheek lyrical delivery.
"Four Out of Five" by Arctic Monkeys: Actually, this is our THIRD out of five entries for this week. The title actually refers to star ratings for restaurants (i.e. four stars out of five). I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to give this song a four, but it at least deserves three for combining Bowie-esque vocals and instrumentation with a syncopated rhythm that wouldn't sound out of place in a Police song. The song's lyrics are rather sardonic, as one might expect with Arctic Monkeys, with lead singer Alex Turner taking on the guise of a narrator, who is a selfish person who just can't seem to get used to how no one seems to care for his glitzy, glamorous lifestyle. This song is one of a steadily growing number of songs from the late 2010's about the tension we have been facing in the modern era.
"Quarter Past Midnight" by Bastille: Bastille's second album was something of an experiment for the band. First we had the "Under Pressure"-ish grooves of "Good Grief", then the neo-glam-rock of "Blame", and finally, the surprisingly bittersweet acoustic rock ballad, "World Gone Mad". "Quarter Past Midnight" is a return to the more basic indie-pop of Bastille's debut record from 2013. Musically, there's nothing really special about this song, unless maybe you were yearning for the days of Bastille's first and biggest hits, like "Pompeii" and "Bad Blood". As the title of "Quarter Past Midnight" implies, the song is about how exciting it can be to stay up late at night in town with your friends. Though the song does sound a bit generic for a Bastille song, it certainly captures the adrenalized rush one might feel during a nocturnal spree!
"Sharon" by Matt Costa: Funny that the last song just happens to be my mom's name! It's not about her, though, of course. What it's actually about is Matt Costa's experiences going between Northern and Southern California translated into a clever but bittersweet narrative about a young woman named Sharon and her longing for a love she had in the past. Matt delivers all this in an oddly charming song that suggests what it might have been like if Tom Petty covered Elvis Costello's "Less Than Zero". Much like he did with his 2010 adult alt radio hit, "Witchcraft", Matt is once again proving that he can be more straight up rock than the folk-rock image he originally cultivated, but this time, it comes with a story that seems like the West Coast version of a typical Bruce Springsteen lyric.
"Beyond" by Leon Bridges: The jazzy adult alt mega hit, "Bad Bad News", proved earlier this year that Leon Bridges is far more than just a throwback to '60s R & B. He can embrace contemporary soul music just as well. "Beyond" goes beyond that (no pun intended) and adds flourishes of acoustic guitar to a soulful ballad. Leon is no stranger to the acoustic guitar, as he had done so once before with "River", but "Beyond" takes it to a whole new level. It's one of the ultimate "love at first sight" songs. On "Beyond", Leon passionately sings about how his lover "might just be (his) everything and beyond". What a great way to declare love!
"Casanova" by Rayland Baxter: After the ultra smooth, romantic vibes of our last song, it's only fitting that our next entry for the week is called "Casanova". The vibes of this song, however, are far more quirky and whimsical than they are romantic. Rayland Baxter is an artist of unpredictable quality. His "Yellow Eyes" was a sentimental folk-rock tune, and his followup single, "Mr. Rodriguez", was psychedelic indie-pop. "Casanova" is also psychedelic indie-pop, but with a slightly more happy go lucky feel than "Mr. Rodriguez". "Casanova" doesn't talk about romance much at all, really, and is instead focused on addiction to sex and drugs with a very tongue-in-cheek lyrical delivery.
"Four Out of Five" by Arctic Monkeys: Actually, this is our THIRD out of five entries for this week. The title actually refers to star ratings for restaurants (i.e. four stars out of five). I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to give this song a four, but it at least deserves three for combining Bowie-esque vocals and instrumentation with a syncopated rhythm that wouldn't sound out of place in a Police song. The song's lyrics are rather sardonic, as one might expect with Arctic Monkeys, with lead singer Alex Turner taking on the guise of a narrator, who is a selfish person who just can't seem to get used to how no one seems to care for his glitzy, glamorous lifestyle. This song is one of a steadily growing number of songs from the late 2010's about the tension we have been facing in the modern era.
"Quarter Past Midnight" by Bastille: Bastille's second album was something of an experiment for the band. First we had the "Under Pressure"-ish grooves of "Good Grief", then the neo-glam-rock of "Blame", and finally, the surprisingly bittersweet acoustic rock ballad, "World Gone Mad". "Quarter Past Midnight" is a return to the more basic indie-pop of Bastille's debut record from 2013. Musically, there's nothing really special about this song, unless maybe you were yearning for the days of Bastille's first and biggest hits, like "Pompeii" and "Bad Blood". As the title of "Quarter Past Midnight" implies, the song is about how exciting it can be to stay up late at night in town with your friends. Though the song does sound a bit generic for a Bastille song, it certainly captures the adrenalized rush one might feel during a nocturnal spree!
"Sharon" by Matt Costa: Funny that the last song just happens to be my mom's name! It's not about her, though, of course. What it's actually about is Matt Costa's experiences going between Northern and Southern California translated into a clever but bittersweet narrative about a young woman named Sharon and her longing for a love she had in the past. Matt delivers all this in an oddly charming song that suggests what it might have been like if Tom Petty covered Elvis Costello's "Less Than Zero". Much like he did with his 2010 adult alt radio hit, "Witchcraft", Matt is once again proving that he can be more straight up rock than the folk-rock image he originally cultivated, but this time, it comes with a story that seems like the West Coast version of a typical Bruce Springsteen lyric.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
New songs for March 2nd, 2016
here they are:
"Cold to See Clear" by Nada Surf: Nada Surf's biggest pop chart hit, "Popular", from 1996, wouldn't really be a good way to introduce someone to Nada Surf for the first time. About a decade after that song's heyday, Nada Surf decided to focus far more on doing Byrds-y jangle-pop with catchy, melodic pop hooks than they did on pseudo-grunge songs like "Popular". Nada Surf's latest song, "Cold to See Clear", is no exception to that rule. The lush harmonies, the jangle of the main guitar, and the catchy beats of the percussion are all central elements of "Cold to See Clear". The song might be an ode to the joy of music itself, with its chorus consisting of lyrics like, "The airwaves they took me, the radio made me". For a band with a knack for well planned song craft, Nada Surf might give you the impression that they may as well be singing about themselves in "Cold to See Clear"!
"Devil In Me" by Anderson East: For those who have only heard the soul-infused "Satisfy Me" from Anderson East so far, you may be wondering why a man who seems like the white answer to Otis Redding is dating country-pop star Miranda Lambert. The answer to that may be right here in the song slated to be Anderson's second big tune, "Devil In Me". In spite of its saucy title, "Devil In Me" is a far more mellow and country influenced tune than "Satisfy Me". The song isn't a total snooze-fest, though, as it does boast equal amounts of influence from gospel and jazz as it does from country. "Devil In Me" might just be about Miranda, since the song centers around an "angel" who "brings out the devil" in Anderson.
"Mr. Rodriguez" by Rayland Baxter: "Searching For Sugar Man" fans, rejoice! A song about the formerly obscure '60s folk-rock musician Rodriguez has finally arrived in the form of fellow folk-rocker Rayland Baxter's song, "Mr. Rodriguez". The song has a rather neo-psychedelic, light indie-pop flavor, a marked contrast to the autumnal, Dylan-esque folk of "Yellow Eyes" that introduced people to Rayland Baxter in fall of last year. "Mr. Rodriguez" is Baxter's attempt to whisk his listeners away into a fantasy land in Detroit in which him and the titular character take a stroll downtown. Outta sight, man!
"Need A Friend" by El Vy: Much like El Vy's first major hit, "Return to the Moon", "Need A Friend" is yet another Matt Berninger song that is more uptempo than his more gloomy and dour work with The National. The rhythm of "Need A Friend" draws the listener in from the very beginning with its beats accented on the second and fourth measures, a pattern that has been used in many songs from The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'" to Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus", the latter of which "Need A Friend" bears a vague resemblance to. A sort of neo-psychedelic pop sound defines both the spacey synthesizer and fuzz drenched guitar that "Need A Friend" is centered around.
"Quiet Corners And Empty Spaces" by The Jayhawks: Fans of the late, great Alex Chilton might be quick to label The Jayhawks' latest song, "Quiet Corners And Empty Spaces", as an alt-country rewrite of Big Star's "September Gurls". It does seem as though Gary Louris and co have looked to Big Star as an influence, in addition to many other '60s and '70s pop/rock groups, such as The Beatles, The Byrds, and Crosby Stills & Nash, among others. Aside from nostalgia, print media is another source that the 'Hawks have drawn from in "Quiet Corners And Empty Spaces", the title of which was taken from random words one of the members cut from newspaper and magazine articles. The lyrical theme of "Quiet Corners..." continues in the footsteps of The Jayhawks' last big song, "Hide Your Colors", which was about struggling with a relationship, much like this one is. The Jayhawks have managed to charm me once again with this song by doing what they do best, combining Byrds-y 12-string guitars, folk-rock harmonies, and catchy, memorable hooks.
"Cold to See Clear" by Nada Surf: Nada Surf's biggest pop chart hit, "Popular", from 1996, wouldn't really be a good way to introduce someone to Nada Surf for the first time. About a decade after that song's heyday, Nada Surf decided to focus far more on doing Byrds-y jangle-pop with catchy, melodic pop hooks than they did on pseudo-grunge songs like "Popular". Nada Surf's latest song, "Cold to See Clear", is no exception to that rule. The lush harmonies, the jangle of the main guitar, and the catchy beats of the percussion are all central elements of "Cold to See Clear". The song might be an ode to the joy of music itself, with its chorus consisting of lyrics like, "The airwaves they took me, the radio made me". For a band with a knack for well planned song craft, Nada Surf might give you the impression that they may as well be singing about themselves in "Cold to See Clear"!
"Devil In Me" by Anderson East: For those who have only heard the soul-infused "Satisfy Me" from Anderson East so far, you may be wondering why a man who seems like the white answer to Otis Redding is dating country-pop star Miranda Lambert. The answer to that may be right here in the song slated to be Anderson's second big tune, "Devil In Me". In spite of its saucy title, "Devil In Me" is a far more mellow and country influenced tune than "Satisfy Me". The song isn't a total snooze-fest, though, as it does boast equal amounts of influence from gospel and jazz as it does from country. "Devil In Me" might just be about Miranda, since the song centers around an "angel" who "brings out the devil" in Anderson.
"Mr. Rodriguez" by Rayland Baxter: "Searching For Sugar Man" fans, rejoice! A song about the formerly obscure '60s folk-rock musician Rodriguez has finally arrived in the form of fellow folk-rocker Rayland Baxter's song, "Mr. Rodriguez". The song has a rather neo-psychedelic, light indie-pop flavor, a marked contrast to the autumnal, Dylan-esque folk of "Yellow Eyes" that introduced people to Rayland Baxter in fall of last year. "Mr. Rodriguez" is Baxter's attempt to whisk his listeners away into a fantasy land in Detroit in which him and the titular character take a stroll downtown. Outta sight, man!
"Need A Friend" by El Vy: Much like El Vy's first major hit, "Return to the Moon", "Need A Friend" is yet another Matt Berninger song that is more uptempo than his more gloomy and dour work with The National. The rhythm of "Need A Friend" draws the listener in from the very beginning with its beats accented on the second and fourth measures, a pattern that has been used in many songs from The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'" to Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus", the latter of which "Need A Friend" bears a vague resemblance to. A sort of neo-psychedelic pop sound defines both the spacey synthesizer and fuzz drenched guitar that "Need A Friend" is centered around.
"Quiet Corners And Empty Spaces" by The Jayhawks: Fans of the late, great Alex Chilton might be quick to label The Jayhawks' latest song, "Quiet Corners And Empty Spaces", as an alt-country rewrite of Big Star's "September Gurls". It does seem as though Gary Louris and co have looked to Big Star as an influence, in addition to many other '60s and '70s pop/rock groups, such as The Beatles, The Byrds, and Crosby Stills & Nash, among others. Aside from nostalgia, print media is another source that the 'Hawks have drawn from in "Quiet Corners And Empty Spaces", the title of which was taken from random words one of the members cut from newspaper and magazine articles. The lyrical theme of "Quiet Corners..." continues in the footsteps of The Jayhawks' last big song, "Hide Your Colors", which was about struggling with a relationship, much like this one is. The Jayhawks have managed to charm me once again with this song by doing what they do best, combining Byrds-y 12-string guitars, folk-rock harmonies, and catchy, memorable hooks.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
new songs for September 16th, 2015
here they are:
"All Your Favorite Bands" by Dawes: If by "all your favorite bands", you mean Jackson Browne and The Beatles, then I guess you're right, as this song kinda sounds like a cross between the former's "Rock Me On the Water" and the latter's "Let It Be". Like "Let It Be", "All Your Favorite Bands" is a rather bittersweet song. The title of the song (and the album for which it is named) comes from the line "may all your favorite bands stay together". Well, seeing as Dawes have now been around for about 6 years without any known splitting apart of the members, perhaps they're one of their own favorite bands! The song is basically a sad but hopeful love song, with Taylor Goldsmith pleading, "I hope the world sees the same person that you always were to me" to his lover.
"Mountain At My Gates" by Foals: One of the more experimental bands in indie-rock, Foals might have just finally scored a slightly more mainstream hit with "Mountain At My Gates", which combines the adventurous sounds of Tame Impala and "Kid A" era Radiohead with the sound of more accessible bands like Imagine Dragons. The bright, spirited piano in the background of the song keeps it chugging along, and as its instruments gradually build into a crescendo, it seems to transition from indie-rock to arena rock within the blink of an eye! What a trippy mountain there must be at those gates, eh?!
"Walk the Wire" by Boy and Bear: Wait a minute, who let Ric Ocasek join Boy and Bear?! I don't even...well a lot of bands have been trying to change their sound lately, but I would NOT have expected the quaint and folk-y Boy and Bear to turn into an arena ready new wave revival band!! Therefore, "Walk the Wire" is quite a fitting name for this song! Boy and Bear will probably lose some fans along the way. However, fans of The Cars will probably be clamoring over to "Walk the Wire", which even features a brief Elliot Easton-esque guitar solo! Brandon Flowers and co, take note. THIS might be what you want your next album to sound like!
"Yellow Eyes" by Rayland Baxter: At last, a newcomer on this week's blog! Rayland Baxter's autumnal, pleasant folk-rock sound seems to have arrived just in time for the fall season! The sound of Rayland's debut song, "Yellow Eyes", recalls some of the older Ryan Adams and Wilco songs from before they started adding a crunchier electric guitar sound to their songs. The song's lyrics seem to be delivered in a rather soul-searching manner, but they're actually about a man who has a bad habit of leaving his girlfriends without a significant other. What a great title, too. I'm sure we've all heard songs about people with blue eyes, brown eyes, and maybe even green eyes, but not yellow eyes. Until now, that is.
"All Your Favorite Bands" by Dawes: If by "all your favorite bands", you mean Jackson Browne and The Beatles, then I guess you're right, as this song kinda sounds like a cross between the former's "Rock Me On the Water" and the latter's "Let It Be". Like "Let It Be", "All Your Favorite Bands" is a rather bittersweet song. The title of the song (and the album for which it is named) comes from the line "may all your favorite bands stay together". Well, seeing as Dawes have now been around for about 6 years without any known splitting apart of the members, perhaps they're one of their own favorite bands! The song is basically a sad but hopeful love song, with Taylor Goldsmith pleading, "I hope the world sees the same person that you always were to me" to his lover.
"Mountain At My Gates" by Foals: One of the more experimental bands in indie-rock, Foals might have just finally scored a slightly more mainstream hit with "Mountain At My Gates", which combines the adventurous sounds of Tame Impala and "Kid A" era Radiohead with the sound of more accessible bands like Imagine Dragons. The bright, spirited piano in the background of the song keeps it chugging along, and as its instruments gradually build into a crescendo, it seems to transition from indie-rock to arena rock within the blink of an eye! What a trippy mountain there must be at those gates, eh?!
"Walk the Wire" by Boy and Bear: Wait a minute, who let Ric Ocasek join Boy and Bear?! I don't even...well a lot of bands have been trying to change their sound lately, but I would NOT have expected the quaint and folk-y Boy and Bear to turn into an arena ready new wave revival band!! Therefore, "Walk the Wire" is quite a fitting name for this song! Boy and Bear will probably lose some fans along the way. However, fans of The Cars will probably be clamoring over to "Walk the Wire", which even features a brief Elliot Easton-esque guitar solo! Brandon Flowers and co, take note. THIS might be what you want your next album to sound like!
"Yellow Eyes" by Rayland Baxter: At last, a newcomer on this week's blog! Rayland Baxter's autumnal, pleasant folk-rock sound seems to have arrived just in time for the fall season! The sound of Rayland's debut song, "Yellow Eyes", recalls some of the older Ryan Adams and Wilco songs from before they started adding a crunchier electric guitar sound to their songs. The song's lyrics seem to be delivered in a rather soul-searching manner, but they're actually about a man who has a bad habit of leaving his girlfriends without a significant other. What a great title, too. I'm sure we've all heard songs about people with blue eyes, brown eyes, and maybe even green eyes, but not yellow eyes. Until now, that is.
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