here they are:
"Before I Found You" by Van William: Before I found this song by Van William, he was merely the guy who had a song where the Swedish folk-rock group First Aid Kit provided guest vocals on one verse. Now that I've found "Before I Found You", though, I can see why so many adult alt radio stations have latched onto it! It combines acoustic instrumentation with catchy rock/pop beats. It has a heck of a catchy chorus, too. "I never knew who I was before I found you", Van declares during the chorus of the song, and then adds, "Don't let me sleep tonight". New love is full of exciting moments, isn't it?!
"Blackout" by Frank Turner: Frank Turner might just be one of the most eclectic musicians of the 2010's. From folk-rock to folk-punk to Bruce Springsteen-esque roots rock, he seems to have done it all! "Blackout" adds a new dimension to Frank's music. A sort of post-punk-cum-pop sound akin to groups like Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys is what drives Frank's latest song, "Blackout". The song centers around "the darkness" and how Frank is afraid of it, like he presumes the listener to be. What darkness is he talking about? We may never know the answer to that one. What we do know, however, is that this song is yet another reason to admire Frank Turner, just as I did when I first heard his music 5 years ago!
"Don't Give In" by Snow Patrol: Gary Lightbody's voice sounds a bit strained during the first verse of this song, but it does become more recognizable to Snow Patrol fans as it progresses. Choosing to perform their latest song in the not so commonly used key of D sharp minor (or E flat minor, depending on where you go in the musical scale), "Don't Give In" is a unique song for the part Irish and part Scottish indie-pop quintet. Perhaps the urgency here in Gary's voice is due to his addressing the problems with depression he has faced since he was young. Like many Snow Patrol songs, there is a sense of vulnerability in "Don't Give In". For a band who has not released a new album in 7 years, this is a pretty strong comeback!
"Fool Me Once" by Lukas Nelson: I've only heard a handful of Lukas Nelson songs, but this is probably the one where he sounds the closest to his legendary dad, Willie, in terms of both his vocals and his musical style. The song may be about someone's cheatin' heart, in true country-rock fashion, but it has a rather upbeat, happy-go-lucky sound in the spirit of groups like The Allman Brothers Band or Little Feat. Funny that Lukas chose to release this song as a single so close to April Fool's Day, isn't it? Considering its title, I mean...
"If Your Prayers Don't Get to Heaven" by Brian Fallon (lead singer of Gaslight Anthem): The Gaslight Anthem are like what you'd get if you mixed Bruce Springsteen with The Clash. Both Springsteen and The Clash had a hidden fondness for Motown and early soul music that occasionally surfaced in their music, so it only figures that The Gaslight Anthem's lead singer, Brian Fallon, would make a soul inflected tune of his own. That tune is "If Your Prayers Don't Get to Heaven". Given the bleak and desperate tone of most Gaslight Anthem songs, you might think the title to this song is a sarcastic one, but from what I can tell from the lyrics, it isn't. It just seems to be a song of reassurance to whoever Brian's current lover is. If your prayers don't get to heaven, the power of good music will!
Showing posts with label The Gaslight Anthem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Gaslight Anthem. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Happy Halloween!! :D
I must say, it's been an interesting year! One post on a leap year, another on the 4th of July, and NOW one on Halloween!! :D Sorry, no "scary" songs this time around, hehe, but I've got three good ones that I think you're gonna like! So here goes.
"Babel" by Mumford and Sons: The Celtic influenced folk-rock quartet known as Mumford and Sons have ruminated on religious themes before ("can you kneel before the king, and say I'm clean?", for instance, from their "White Blank Page" could refer to Jesus for all I know!), but they've never had a song title so far with a religious/biblical reference until now (though they mispronounce "Babel" as "BAY-bul" instead of "BAB-ul"). Given the point of reference here (the Tower of Babel, from which the word "babble" supposedly comes from), I would think that "Babel" might be about problems in terms of communication. This is part of what "Babel" is about, but the meaning behind its lyrics go deeper than that. It is more about the fall of mankind (which can be interpreted from the lyrics, "So come down from your mountain and stand where we've been/You know our breath is weak and our body is dead"), and about trying to reach God directly, but struggling to do so in the process (for which the lyrics, "Press my nose up to the glass around your heart, I should have known I was weaker from the start" are sung). For a band whose first big hit had the "f" word in its chorus, Mumford and Sons are quite an honest, intelligent, and soul searching band (and yes, I even love the song I just referred to by them in that sentence)!!
"Here Comes My Man" by The Gaslight Anthem: A sequel to The Pixies' "Here Comes YOUR Man", perhaps?! 'Fraid not, this song doesn't sound anything close to The Pixies. "Here Comes My Man" is just Brian Fallon and the rest of the members of The Gaslight Anthem doing what they do best - mixing the earnest, heartfelt approach to roots-rock of Bruce Springsteen with the "thinking man's punk rock" sound of The Clash. The Springsteen influence is pretty obvious here, perhaps more so than any other Gaslights song, from the Phil-Spector-goes-rock sound of the percussion to the "sha-la-la"'s in the chorus (all that's missing is a killer sax solo!) As if having Springsteen and The Clash as influences wasn't enough of an old school rock move for The Gaslights, Brian Fallon also takes on an interesting perspective in the lyrics that was previous reserved for people like Joni Mitchell. Much like how Joni sang "I was a free man in Paris", instead of "HE was a free man Paris", Brian also takes on the opposite sex perspective, with lyrics like "Don't you think I knew about all your pretty girlfriends?", and of course, the chorus, in which he sings "here comes MY man", from a woman's point of view to (presumably) another guy. Thank you, Brian Fallon, for bringing lyrical narrative back into music, I appreciate it very much!!
"I Don't Believe A Word You Say" by Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite: So, what happens when rock 'n' roll chameleon Ben Harper teams up with bluesman Charlie Musselwhite?! Powerhouse rock 'n' roll, that's what!! "I Don't Believe A Word You Say" captures the feel of some of the best known classic rock anthems, from its "Mississippi Queen"-ish rhythm, and its combination of hard rock guitars and blues harmonica, which recalls songs like Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks". The lyrics are repetitive, but in a song in which the main focus is on jamming (for both the guitar AND the harmonica) instead of singing, that shouldn't really matter too much. The song is aiming to please fans of blues music and classic rock, and if it does so, then mission accomplished, and rock on!!
"Babel" by Mumford and Sons: The Celtic influenced folk-rock quartet known as Mumford and Sons have ruminated on religious themes before ("can you kneel before the king, and say I'm clean?", for instance, from their "White Blank Page" could refer to Jesus for all I know!), but they've never had a song title so far with a religious/biblical reference until now (though they mispronounce "Babel" as "BAY-bul" instead of "BAB-ul"). Given the point of reference here (the Tower of Babel, from which the word "babble" supposedly comes from), I would think that "Babel" might be about problems in terms of communication. This is part of what "Babel" is about, but the meaning behind its lyrics go deeper than that. It is more about the fall of mankind (which can be interpreted from the lyrics, "So come down from your mountain and stand where we've been/You know our breath is weak and our body is dead"), and about trying to reach God directly, but struggling to do so in the process (for which the lyrics, "Press my nose up to the glass around your heart, I should have known I was weaker from the start" are sung). For a band whose first big hit had the "f" word in its chorus, Mumford and Sons are quite an honest, intelligent, and soul searching band (and yes, I even love the song I just referred to by them in that sentence)!!
"Here Comes My Man" by The Gaslight Anthem: A sequel to The Pixies' "Here Comes YOUR Man", perhaps?! 'Fraid not, this song doesn't sound anything close to The Pixies. "Here Comes My Man" is just Brian Fallon and the rest of the members of The Gaslight Anthem doing what they do best - mixing the earnest, heartfelt approach to roots-rock of Bruce Springsteen with the "thinking man's punk rock" sound of The Clash. The Springsteen influence is pretty obvious here, perhaps more so than any other Gaslights song, from the Phil-Spector-goes-rock sound of the percussion to the "sha-la-la"'s in the chorus (all that's missing is a killer sax solo!) As if having Springsteen and The Clash as influences wasn't enough of an old school rock move for The Gaslights, Brian Fallon also takes on an interesting perspective in the lyrics that was previous reserved for people like Joni Mitchell. Much like how Joni sang "I was a free man in Paris", instead of "HE was a free man Paris", Brian also takes on the opposite sex perspective, with lyrics like "Don't you think I knew about all your pretty girlfriends?", and of course, the chorus, in which he sings "here comes MY man", from a woman's point of view to (presumably) another guy. Thank you, Brian Fallon, for bringing lyrical narrative back into music, I appreciate it very much!!
"I Don't Believe A Word You Say" by Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite: So, what happens when rock 'n' roll chameleon Ben Harper teams up with bluesman Charlie Musselwhite?! Powerhouse rock 'n' roll, that's what!! "I Don't Believe A Word You Say" captures the feel of some of the best known classic rock anthems, from its "Mississippi Queen"-ish rhythm, and its combination of hard rock guitars and blues harmonica, which recalls songs like Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks". The lyrics are repetitive, but in a song in which the main focus is on jamming (for both the guitar AND the harmonica) instead of singing, that shouldn't really matter too much. The song is aiming to please fans of blues music and classic rock, and if it does so, then mission accomplished, and rock on!!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
new songs for August 31st, 2011
7 songs!! Just in time for going back to school/work! Here they are:
"Behold the Hurricane" by The Horrible Crowes: The title of this song is scarily apt for having come out during hurricane season!! And no, this band has nothing to do with The Black Crowes (despite the intentional misspelling of the word "crows" for each band). It is, in fact, a side project of Brian Fallon, the lead vocalist from the Springsteen-meets-The-Clash-ish indie group The Gaslight Anthem. The Horrible Crowes' debut single, "Behold the Hurricane", does a good job of retaining the roots-y, working class punk sound The Gaslight Anthem typically have, though its heavy use of arpeggiation and how it centers almost entirely around an A major chord (capoed at the first fret) tend to differ from the rougher, barre chord based sound of The Gaslight Anthem. The song's chorus, "I age by years and the mention of your name", sounds anthemic enough both within the context of the song and just as words by themselves that it sounds like something The Boss himself could have written and/or performed!
"Even If I Don't" by Rachael Yamagata: Funny how I was JUST reviewing a song from Rachael's latest CD two weeks ago. I guess people just weren't ready for the unusually dark sounds of "Starlight", so now we have the more pop-y sounding (but still compassionate and earnest) "Even If I Don't", which sounds like a slightly more upbeat version of one of Tori Amos or Fiona Apple's songs, and is also reaching more radio stations than "Starlight" has. The lyrics sound like they were written out of heartbreak, as Rachael's songs typically do, and her smoky, world weary vocals deliver the lyrics convincingly. This is a good song, but I don't know why "Starlight" ended up being a dud. Perhaps because people prefer the tinkly, Regina Spektor-ish piano sounds of this song to the dark alt-rock guitars of "Starlight". What can I say, can't blame 'em, as the piano in "Even If I Don't" is one of the central features of the song!
"Lucky Now" by Ryan Adams: This is one of the new releases I was really excited about hearing! Ryan is like a modern day Neil Young, meandering between somber, folk-y ballads and energetic but passionate alt-rock numbers, so it's always an adventure for my ears to know where he's gonna go next! "Lucky Now" is of the former category, a slow, bittersweet, folk influenced song. Perhaps he just wanted a break from the excitement of having a backing band (The Cardinals), so this song is mostly just Ryan and his acoustic, with some electric and faint traces of percussion added towards the middle of the song. The melancholy but heartfelt emotions this song gives off are also a perfect way of starting off the autumn season (even though it won't actually be occurring until around 3 weeks from now). So "Lucky Now" isn't as thrilling as I would've hoped, but it is one of those songs that tugs at the ol' heartstrings, and there's nothing wrong with that!
"Santa Fe" by Beirut: Never thought this band would ever make it even remotely big on adult alt radio stations, as they always seemed to be one of those "obscure among the obscure" kind of bands (though they DID have "cult favorite" songs among their audience, like "Elephant Gun" and "Postcards From Italy"), but now my expectations of Beirut have changed! It is a bit surprising that what could become Beirut's biggest hit to date only has three chords, is more keyboard dominated than guitar dominated, and lifts its chords directly from the chorus of The Grateful Dead's only Top 40 hit, "Touch of Grey". Perhaps the sparse, quirky minimalism of "Santa Fe" is what makes it worth listening to, though, almost as though Beirut could be viewed as a modern day version of Talking Heads. For all the weirdness "Santa Fe" has to offer, though, it's also a very catchy song!
"She Walks the Night" by Matthew Sweet: Matthew Sweet is an artist that typically lives up to his (last) name. His songs (or, in some cases, just his melodies and harmonies) are usually just so...well...sweet!! Bands like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, and Big Star (or, "the four B's", as I like to call them) are obvious influences on nearly all of Matthew Sweet's music. Some of his rougher edged songs, like "Girlfriend" and "Sick of Myself" became alt-rock radio hits in the '90s, but he faded into the distance almost as quickly until somewhere around the late '00s when he released a series of two CD's consisting of cover songs he dueted on with The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs. Since Matthew Sweet hasn't released any original material (to my knowledge) since 1995, "She Walks the Night" is a well-deserved comeback for the '90s power pop icon! It has all the best elements of Sweet's mellower material, including richly layered harmonies, Byrds-y guitar distortion, and catchy, memorable hooks. Highly recommend this one!!
"We Are the Tide" by Blind Pilot: The rise of "bluegrass rock" has already made a big splash in the 2010's with Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers, and The Civil Wars. With Blind Pilot, the return of happy, pleasant, buoyant folk-pop will hopefully make a big impact, too! Bands like Good Old War and Gomez have already become known for this (though Gomez are a bit more eclectic than that), so I don't think my expectations for this are too far off! One of the neatest things about "We Are the Tide" isn't just its sound, but also the wide range of instruments used in the song! The acoustic guitar, as many of you reading have probably guessed, is at the center of the song, but the muted trumpets used in the chorus make "We Are the Tide" all the more lively and uplifting, and the barely audible (but still important) string section in the background also makes this song pure ear candy!
"What the Water Gave Me" by Florence and The Machine: In the alt/indie world, it seems like people just can't get enough of those feisty, foxy females!! Feist's latest release was heavily anticipated two weeks ago, and this time around, redheaded cutie Florence Welch is all the rage compared to the rest of the songs/artists reviewed this week! It's a bit surprising that after only about a year of being known, Florence and The Machine have ALREADY decided to release a sophomore CD!! But I guess they were just that popular! "What the Water Gave Me" is a slight departure from the bouncy, harp dominated indie-pop of most of the songs on Florence and The Machine's previous CD, but still very much a gem to listen to! It almost seems like the type of song that another quirky queen of fashion and music, Bjork, might have done, with its psychedelic but icy sound! At 5 minutes and 33 seconds, "What the Water Gave Me" could just be the most adventurous song Florence and The Machine have delved into so far! Looking forward to knowing what they'll come out with next!!
"Behold the Hurricane" by The Horrible Crowes: The title of this song is scarily apt for having come out during hurricane season!! And no, this band has nothing to do with The Black Crowes (despite the intentional misspelling of the word "crows" for each band). It is, in fact, a side project of Brian Fallon, the lead vocalist from the Springsteen-meets-The-Clash-ish indie group The Gaslight Anthem. The Horrible Crowes' debut single, "Behold the Hurricane", does a good job of retaining the roots-y, working class punk sound The Gaslight Anthem typically have, though its heavy use of arpeggiation and how it centers almost entirely around an A major chord (capoed at the first fret) tend to differ from the rougher, barre chord based sound of The Gaslight Anthem. The song's chorus, "I age by years and the mention of your name", sounds anthemic enough both within the context of the song and just as words by themselves that it sounds like something The Boss himself could have written and/or performed!
"Even If I Don't" by Rachael Yamagata: Funny how I was JUST reviewing a song from Rachael's latest CD two weeks ago. I guess people just weren't ready for the unusually dark sounds of "Starlight", so now we have the more pop-y sounding (but still compassionate and earnest) "Even If I Don't", which sounds like a slightly more upbeat version of one of Tori Amos or Fiona Apple's songs, and is also reaching more radio stations than "Starlight" has. The lyrics sound like they were written out of heartbreak, as Rachael's songs typically do, and her smoky, world weary vocals deliver the lyrics convincingly. This is a good song, but I don't know why "Starlight" ended up being a dud. Perhaps because people prefer the tinkly, Regina Spektor-ish piano sounds of this song to the dark alt-rock guitars of "Starlight". What can I say, can't blame 'em, as the piano in "Even If I Don't" is one of the central features of the song!
"Lucky Now" by Ryan Adams: This is one of the new releases I was really excited about hearing! Ryan is like a modern day Neil Young, meandering between somber, folk-y ballads and energetic but passionate alt-rock numbers, so it's always an adventure for my ears to know where he's gonna go next! "Lucky Now" is of the former category, a slow, bittersweet, folk influenced song. Perhaps he just wanted a break from the excitement of having a backing band (The Cardinals), so this song is mostly just Ryan and his acoustic, with some electric and faint traces of percussion added towards the middle of the song. The melancholy but heartfelt emotions this song gives off are also a perfect way of starting off the autumn season (even though it won't actually be occurring until around 3 weeks from now). So "Lucky Now" isn't as thrilling as I would've hoped, but it is one of those songs that tugs at the ol' heartstrings, and there's nothing wrong with that!
"Santa Fe" by Beirut: Never thought this band would ever make it even remotely big on adult alt radio stations, as they always seemed to be one of those "obscure among the obscure" kind of bands (though they DID have "cult favorite" songs among their audience, like "Elephant Gun" and "Postcards From Italy"), but now my expectations of Beirut have changed! It is a bit surprising that what could become Beirut's biggest hit to date only has three chords, is more keyboard dominated than guitar dominated, and lifts its chords directly from the chorus of The Grateful Dead's only Top 40 hit, "Touch of Grey". Perhaps the sparse, quirky minimalism of "Santa Fe" is what makes it worth listening to, though, almost as though Beirut could be viewed as a modern day version of Talking Heads. For all the weirdness "Santa Fe" has to offer, though, it's also a very catchy song!
"She Walks the Night" by Matthew Sweet: Matthew Sweet is an artist that typically lives up to his (last) name. His songs (or, in some cases, just his melodies and harmonies) are usually just so...well...sweet!! Bands like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, and Big Star (or, "the four B's", as I like to call them) are obvious influences on nearly all of Matthew Sweet's music. Some of his rougher edged songs, like "Girlfriend" and "Sick of Myself" became alt-rock radio hits in the '90s, but he faded into the distance almost as quickly until somewhere around the late '00s when he released a series of two CD's consisting of cover songs he dueted on with The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs. Since Matthew Sweet hasn't released any original material (to my knowledge) since 1995, "She Walks the Night" is a well-deserved comeback for the '90s power pop icon! It has all the best elements of Sweet's mellower material, including richly layered harmonies, Byrds-y guitar distortion, and catchy, memorable hooks. Highly recommend this one!!
"We Are the Tide" by Blind Pilot: The rise of "bluegrass rock" has already made a big splash in the 2010's with Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers, and The Civil Wars. With Blind Pilot, the return of happy, pleasant, buoyant folk-pop will hopefully make a big impact, too! Bands like Good Old War and Gomez have already become known for this (though Gomez are a bit more eclectic than that), so I don't think my expectations for this are too far off! One of the neatest things about "We Are the Tide" isn't just its sound, but also the wide range of instruments used in the song! The acoustic guitar, as many of you reading have probably guessed, is at the center of the song, but the muted trumpets used in the chorus make "We Are the Tide" all the more lively and uplifting, and the barely audible (but still important) string section in the background also makes this song pure ear candy!
"What the Water Gave Me" by Florence and The Machine: In the alt/indie world, it seems like people just can't get enough of those feisty, foxy females!! Feist's latest release was heavily anticipated two weeks ago, and this time around, redheaded cutie Florence Welch is all the rage compared to the rest of the songs/artists reviewed this week! It's a bit surprising that after only about a year of being known, Florence and The Machine have ALREADY decided to release a sophomore CD!! But I guess they were just that popular! "What the Water Gave Me" is a slight departure from the bouncy, harp dominated indie-pop of most of the songs on Florence and The Machine's previous CD, but still very much a gem to listen to! It almost seems like the type of song that another quirky queen of fashion and music, Bjork, might have done, with its psychedelic but icy sound! At 5 minutes and 33 seconds, "What the Water Gave Me" could just be the most adventurous song Florence and The Machine have delved into so far! Looking forward to knowing what they'll come out with next!!
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