Boy, oh boy! "B" songs!

 Once again, only two songs that both begin with the same letter. Here they are:


"Bad Love" by Dehd: An interesting, compelling mix of indie-rock guitars and techno-pop beats and synths, Dehd's breakthrough song, "Bad Love," starts off slow, imitating the rhythmic pattern of The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" before quickly sliding into a faster pace for the rest of the song. "Bad Love" is a song about recovery from toxic past relationships with the hope that one will start to bond more with themselves than with people they don't quite fit with.

"Boy" by The Killers: This song finds The Killers sounding closer to their namesake, New Order (New Order's "Crystal" video featured a then-fake band called "The Killers"), deftly combining atmospheric techno-pop with only the occasional use of electric guitar. The song's icy vibe could be attributed to how lead singer Brandon Flowers wrote the song as both a cautionary tale for his teenage (at the time) son and as a song of self-reflection of what life was like for Brandon when he was a teen himself. The titular "boy" could be both his son and himself, as he repeatedly urges him not to overthink things. 

New songs for August 25th, 2021

 here they are:


"Bitter Taste" by Billy Idol: "Bitter Taste" is perhaps the first time in Billy Idol's career as a rock star that he's mellowed out into something almost resembling contemporary folk-rock. I never thought that would happen to the guy who churned out such gutsy, fist-pumpin' rockers as "Rebel Yell," "White Wedding," and "Dancing With Myself," but it's happened now! "Bitter Taste" almost seems like it is for Billy Idol what Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" was for him. A bittersweet song reflecting on a long life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll finally taking its toll. At 65 years old, the rock star life has probably worn thin for Billy Idol. The song was produced by Butch Walker, a musician who probably considers Billy Idol to be one of his own "idols" that walks the line between punk, power pop, folk-rock, and jangle-pop.

"Quiet Town" by The Killers: It was only on their second album that The Killers' Brandon Flowers revealed his passionate love of Bruce Springsteen's music. It was considered a bit surprising at the time, but The Killers have done many musical homages to the Boss since then, one of which is their latest song, "Quiet Town." The title alone sounds somewhat Springsteen-ian, and so are the music and lyrics, which revolve around how tragedies like train accidents and drug overdoses get sadly overlooked by people in a "quiet town." But instead of simply lamenting this tragic state of affairs, Brandon Flowers and co take a sad subject and turn it into bittersweet musical poetry, set to the backdrop of earnest electric guitars and a churning synthesizer.

"Survivor" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: Don't get me wrong. Nathaniel Rateliff's recent solo detours into country-rock haven't been bad, but they lack the energy and gutsiness that his music with The Night Sweats had. Thankfully, Night Sweats fans need not wait any longer for another one of Nathaniel's spirited, spicy takes on vintage soul music, 'cause here it is! "Survivor," as its title implies, was written last year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. "You think that I'm just some great survivor?" Nathaniel bellows forcefully and convincingly during the chorus. The whole song basically seems like it's trying to say that it's not easy to survive in today's world. The Nathaniel Rateliff solo tunes that were released last year all seemed very mournful, so I thought maybe he was going to continue in that direction. But nope...this time, the power of his inner turmoil has sprung up from under the surface and exploded into song! 

"Wildfire" by The Heavy Hours: Perhaps the only song this week that doesn't quite feel like something special, but I figured it was still worth reviewing. Like The Heavy Hours' previous adult alt radio hit, "Don't Walk Away," "Wildfire" is a simple folk-rock-y tune that doesn't really add anything too noticeable or innovative to the table, but it's still a sweet, breezy song. The title also has nothing to do with any actual fires (which it very well could have been about), and is really just a metaphor for love. A laid-back country/folk-rock tune for those who like that sorta thing. 

New songs for June 23rd, 2021

 here they are: 


"Colorado" by Milky Chance: German alt-pop duo, Milky Chance, are like the 21st century indie equivalent to Jimmy Buffett in some ways. Where Buffett was big on booze, Milky Chance prefer pot, but both bring tropical, breezy, summertime vibes to their respective drugs of choice. References to weed can be spotted in more than one Milky Chance song, perhaps most notably the "stoned in paradise" line from their first and biggest hit, "Stolen Dance." This time around, Milky Chance are "getting high like Colorado." What does that mean exactly?! Well, obviously, it means getting into a drug-induced state that (supposedly) mellows you out while impairing your sense of judgment...but why Colorado?! More than likely, they chose to sing about the state since it was one of the first states to legalize recreational use of marijuana. Sex, drugs, and not-quite-rock-and-roll strikes again, folks!

"Dustland" by The Killers (featuring Bruce Springsteen): Two years before I even did this blog on a regular basis is when the following song originally came out. However, this version is a new spin on what is now an old song, featuring a guest appearance from one of Brandon Flowers' biggest idols, Bruce Springsteen! Going a half-step lower than the original track, but maintaining its sense of urban melodrama a la Bruce, "Dustland" might not be everyone's taste, but it must have been a dream-come-true for Brandon Flowers! Bruce makes various appearances both on lead vocals and backing vocals during the song. It makes sense, then, that the original "A Dustland Fairytale," as it was known when it initially came out, was written during Brandon's "Bruce phase," which was most prominent on the Killers' second and third albums. Lines like "saw Cinderella in a party dress/she was looking for her nightgown," "straight to the Valley of the Great Divide," and "in the cadence of a young man's eyes" are just some of the many Springsteen-ian lines from the song. Other than Bruce's vocal appearances and the choice to play the song a half-step down from the original, there's really no difference between "Dustland" and "A Dustland Fairytale," but for anyone who enjoys bittersweet, earnest roots-rock with a slight U2-ish tinge to it, "Dustland" is still worth checking out!

"Hush" by The Marias: There is actually only ONE person named Maria (and only one woman out of the four members of group) in The Marias. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, "Hush," the breakthrough song for electro-pop quartet, The Marias, is an icy yet catchy song that basically serves as a "screw-you" to Maria's ex. Appropriately, the word "hush" is spoken in a hushed tone, but make no mistake. She's not saying that word to soothe anyone. Instead, it's basically a code word for, "Forget you!" Amidst grinding, slightly disquieting mechanical yet mellifluous instrumentation, Maria Zardoya seductively whisper-sings a tale of love gone wrong, attempting to lure the listener in right as she's about to tell them off!


"The Angel of 8th Avenue" by Gang of Youths: Fitting to their name, Gang of Youths are a very youthful group! At least, that's the vibe I get from listening to their latest song, "The Angel of 8th Avenue." The song sounds a bit like New Order's "Age of Consent" if it had more acoustic guitars as backing instruments, though its topic is nowhere near as controversial. Quite the opposite of New Order's icy cold, starkness, actually, and is instead about the simpler yet warmer theme of falling in love and moving to another city. GOY's lead singer David Le'aupepe also has a lot more energy and passion in his voice than the more monotone, deadpan vocals of New Order's Bernard Sumner. 

"What You Say" by Cold War Kids: Musically, this song is nothing new for Cold War Kids. It's an upbeat indie-pop song that relies mostly on electronic instrumentation with electric guitar as its main backing instrument. What makes this song stand out from other CWK songs is its message. The song is about the desire some of us have to be accepted just as we are. CWK have covered a lot of topics in their material, but I don't recall that being one of their subjects. Anyway, everyone wants someone who loves them, flaws and all, and this is the perfect song for that, as far as songs from 2021 are concerned so far!

New songs for February 10th 2021

 Here they are:


"Break My Baby" by Kaleo: There are two sides to Kaleo's music. There's the sweet folk/soul/rock combo that has made them popular among millennials, and then there's the more blues-y side that can sometimes get so intense that it slides into Led Zeppelin territory. "Break My Baby" falls into the latter category. No Zeppelin-esque stuff here, but it does manage to capture the blues-rock influence of bands like The Black Keys, albeit in somewhat softer form. Sort of a cross between The Black Keys and Hozier here, really. Lyrically, it's an interesting song as well. Underneath its surface as a possible breakup song, "Break My Baby" might also be about the music biz! When lead singer JJ Julius Son spouts lines like, "They'll take you in and spit you out. You're only worth how much you sell," his lyrics are pretty representative of his venom towards the industry! Perhaps the "baby" in the song is the very group of people who produced it!

"C'Est La Vie" by The Killers: Breaking from the "epic" sound of "Caution" and "My Own Soul's Warning," "C'Est La Vie," the latest single from The Killers, is noticeably different from most of their stuff. First of all, there isn't near as much guitar in the song (if any) as most of their material. Instead, "C'Est La Vie" is keyboard dominated. It also has a happy, quirky sound to it. It's not aiming to be a "crowd pleaser" the way most of their songs do. Even the lyrics are somewhat quirky, especially the line about frogs falling from the sky! 

"Faith Healer" by Julien Baker: My closest online friend actually recommended Julien to me awhile back. A few years later, and now I'm reviewing her music on my blog! How 'bout that? Anyway, onto the song, which is a very bittersweet and meaningful one. The titular "faith healer" Julien is hoping for is one who can help her fight her addiction to drugs. She talks candidly about how she misses the buzz drugs gave her, while at the same time acknowledging how harmful they have been in her life. Anyone struggling with anything, be it mental or physical, could benefit from hearing this song!

"Hold Yourself" by tUnE-YaRdS: Even among "indie" bands, tUnE-YaRdS hAvE AlWaYs bEen on the wEirdEr sIDe of the inDie rOcK spEcTRum! (SeE wHat I dId tHeRe?!) The surreal video of their latest song, "Hold Yourself," employs techniques like cutout animation and features a muscular lookalike of Benson from "Regular Show." Ummm...WHAT?! As for the song, it starts out as sort of a synth-pop ballad, but halfway through, it quickly devolves into what appears to be a badly orchestrated trumpet section. Once again...WHAT?! About the only way this song might make even remote sense is in the lyrical department. It seems to be about how, just because one has parents, doesn't mean they're always mature people who know what they're doing. I get the feeling tUnE-YaRdS don't quite know what they're doing either! (Here is the song's bizarre music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hcG6UgTHiU

"Pendulum" by Jealous of the Birds: 22-year-old Northern Irish musician, Naomi Hamilton, is Jealous of the Birds. I'm not saying she's actually jealous of any particular group of birds, or any anything, for that matter. "Jealous of the Birds" is simply what she has chosen to call herself on stage. Why?! Ummm...darned if I know! Anyway, it was none other than my dad who recommended this musician to me merely a few days ago, and I can see why! "Pendulum," the song currently poised to be her breakthrough hit, is a sweetly hypnotic song that bears similarity to other innovative female musicians of the past 10-ish years, such as St. Vincent, and Florence Welch of Florence and The Machine. The title comes from how Naomi views relationships as a constant back-and-forth, as though swinging on a pendulum. I hear ya, Naomi. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I feel like I've been swinging from a pendulum all week!

"Say" by Moon Taxi: After the bittersweet folk-rock of Moon Taxi's previous single, "Hometown Heroes," "Say" continues more in the anthemic indie/alt-pop direction Moon Taxi have become known for. Sound-wise, it's almost like Queen's "We Will Rock You" with keyboards and drum machines instead of guitars and hand claps. The message of the song is simple but powerful: "If you wanna say something, say it!" Not much more to say (no pun intended) about this song, but sometimes songs can say (no pun intended, I swear!) so much even though they seem to be conveying so little!

"The Divine Chord" by The Avalanches (featuring Johnny Marr from The Smiths, and MGMT): I don't know The Avalanches very well yet, but I do know Johnny Marr and I do know MGMT. Of the three acts featured here, this seems to be mostly in MGMT's ballpark. The combo of keyboard and a faint hint of guitar swirling into a pleasantly psychedelic flavor has become MGMT's trademark sound, though they didn't start out that way. The recurring line, "the stars are rearranging, my love," seems very fitting for a song as billowy and fluffy as this one is. There's also an aura of mystery in this song, though, since what "the divine chord" is is never mentioned in the song (and nor is the phrase itself). 

New songs for June 24th 2020

here they are:


"A Ghost" by Travis: Though Travis are actually Scottish, they have often been lumped under the "Britpop" category that also includes groups like The Verve and Radiohead, and (early on), Coldplay. Travis are typically on the melancholy side of the Britpop spectrum, like Radiohead are, but the eerily titled "A Ghost", ironically, is one of the happiest songs I've ever heard by them! The song is bouncy and jangly enough that I could picture it being done by some of British rock's founding fathers, like The Beatles or The Kinks. The titular "ghost" in the song is one that Fran Healy claims to "see in the mirror", according to the lyrics. More than likely, "ghost" is being used as a metaphor for confronting one's past self here. In "A Ghost", Fran gives a kiss-off to his past by unexpectedly embracing his happiness. Go figure!


"Didn't Want to Be This Lonely" by The Pretenders: Here is yet another song whose sound reaches back to the past. The Pretenders have already become "classic" in and of themselves, but here, they reach for influences that came along before their 40-plus-year career even began! There is a clear influence from proto-classic rockers like Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley here. After the melancholy folk-rock/power pop of The Pretenders' "The Buzz" from earlier this year, it's nice to see Chrissie and the gang pick themselves back up again! Like our previous entry, this song also seems like an upbeat tune that masks more negative emotions, and could also be viewed as being somewhat therapeutic in that regard.


"I Do" by Wild Rivers: Have we finally reached a point where neo-folk-rock has hit saturation point? This song from Canadian quartet, Wild Rivers, is one of the few songs of said genre to give me mixed reactions. On the one hand, the guy/girl harmonies of folk-rock that have been essential to the sub-genre since the days of The Mamas and The Papas are present here, which I like. On the other hand, though, the girl's vocals here remind me too much of Colbie Caillat, whom I've never liked, and the production of the music seems squeaky clean in comparison to the more rustic and ragged sound of most folk-rock. The jury's out on this song, but I've reviewed it here just in case I someday grow to like it more than I do now.


"My Own Soul's Warning" by The Killers: Brandon Flowers and co lived up to their name once again in spring and early summer of this year by burning up the alt and adult alt radio charts with the anthemic song, "Caution". The song seemed to evoke the new-wave-meets-Heartland-rock sound that groups like The War on Drugs have cultivated recently. The Killers' latest song, "My Own Soul's Warning", seems to head in this direction as well. Like many Killers songs from 2006 and onward, "My Own Soul's Warning" seems to have somewhat Springsteen-ian instrumentation, which meshes well with its cryptic yet soul searching lyrics. The opening lyrics of the song, "I tried going against my own soul's warning, but in the end something just didn't feel right", kind of sum up what the song is about. In other words, it seems as though during the course of the song, Brandon Flowers tries to find his own purpose in life without listening to the guidance of others, but he veers off course and ultimately decides that such advice might have been worth listening to after all. Flowers might not be near as good a lyricist as his idol, Bruce, but he certainly does try sometimes, and it really shows, too!


"No Time For Love Like Now" by Michael Stipe and Big Red Machine: Sometimes music from two different eras can share a common aesthetic. Such is the case with R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe and The National's Aaron Dessner (with a little help from members of Bon Iver), all of whom have collaborated with one another on the song, "No Time For Love Like Now". Though Stipe takes on the vocal parts here, it is Dessner who heads the musical composition of this number, filled more with the icy electronics of The National than the bittersweet, autumnal jangle of R.E.M. I'm not sure how they found out about one another, perhaps it is because both have proven to be influential in the world of alternative rock at some point in time, but the combo seems to work here. The song seems at least in part to be about the negative and surprising changes our world has experienced this year so far. The title of the song tells of love, but it's more a sense of sadness that permeates through this track.


"Proxima B" by Benjamin Gibbard: Death Cab's lead singer released what could have been his most depressing song ever with "Life in Quarantine" earlier this year around spring. The lyrics to his latest song, "Proxima B", though still somewhat sad, aim to subvert the sadness a bit. Unlike the stark folk-rock of "...Quarantine", "Proxima B" has a more bouncy, power pop/jangle pop sound, not uncommon in Death Cab's own material, such as "Crooked Teeth". The subject of "Proxima B" is basically Ben's desire to have somewhere to escape from the chaos and imminent danger the world is currently facing. With Planet Earth on the wane, Ben suggests Proxima B, the name of a distant planet in another galaxy (a real one, not a fictional one), as a place to be "careless and free", away from all the troubles of our current biological home.

beware the Ides of March...

As the world panics over a virus that no one I know personally has contracted, no one seems to know how to deal with the results of its befuddling statistics. This includes musicians. Here are four entries for this week (as if by eerie coincidence, "four" is considered a bad luck number in Japan). Here are this week's entries:


"Caution" by The Killers: "Caution" is what we all need to be taking during this unprecedented time in our lives! The fact that the song has the title it does and was released on the week that it was is pure coincidence, though. Whether that's good coincidence or bad coincidence is a bit hard to say, but what I can say is that it sure sounds good! Fans of groups like The War on Drugs will probably dig this song, dominated by synthesizers in a distinctly Springsteen-ian manner circa the '80s. The lyrics of the song are neither political nor apocalyptic, but rather surrealist, which lead vocalist Brandon Flowers is no stranger to in terms of the words and phrases he puts into his songs. Adding to the already gung-ho dynamic of the song is the song's surprise guitar solo that it ends on, played by none other than Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham! When the going gets tough, the tough certainly get going here!


"Domino" by Nicole Atkins: It's the end of the world as we know it (so far), and Nicole Atkins feels fine! In the sleek, funky song, "Domino", she lets the world know she's not gonna go down without a fight! "I'm not gonna play safe and sound when the world comes tumbling down", Nicole sings during the chorus. Partially inspired by musicians like Prince, "Domino" could be for 2020 what the song "1999" was to 1984, a disaster warning disguised as a fun party song. The title of the song comes from how Nicole feels watching society "fall, like dominoes". Two songs into this week's blog, and my anxiety is through the roof already. Not exactly a good thing, is it?! I suppose that's what music is for, though!


"4 American Dollars" by U.S. Girls: This song was actually released a few weeks before the world went into panic mode, but this song still deals with rather dark subject matter nonetheless. Like our previous entry for this week, this song is also a funky party song on the surface with a bleaker message underneath. "You can do a lot with 4 American dollars", lead singer Meg Remy sings during the chorus, before going into how, "No matter how much you get to have, you will still die and that's the only thing". Wow...ummm...thanks?! I suppose this serves as a good reminder to all of us that even if we are poor, a few scraps of money is better than none at all, but as the whole WORLD heads into poverty, this message isn't exactly the most comforting thing in the world. Perhaps that was intentional, though.


"Temple" by Thao with The Stay Down Get Down: Our last entry for the week still brings us no comfort during increasingly dark times. This song is about how lead singer Thao Nguyen lost her city. She goes into great detail to describe her loss, too, mentioning helicopter blades, thick smoke, and even war. A mere 40-ish years ago, the radio was blasting songs about how we built this city (WHICH city is unknown, though) on rock and roll...now we have lost our cities with rock and roll. Electric guitars set to a funky beat tell the saddening story of Thao's struggle to survive. The year mentioned in the song was 1973, but it seems even more relevant now, sadly.

New songs for January 23rd, 2019

Here they are:


"All Over Now" by The Cranberries: One of their darkest and most aggressive songs since "Zombie", The Cranberries' first song released after the death of their lead singer seems to have a fair amount of foreshadowing of what was to come in their career. Dolores O'Riordan waxes nostalgic about various events, only to declare in the chorus that those memories are "all over now". Though "All Over Now" does not have as much vocal anger as "Zombie" did, you can still sense the despair and angst in O'Riordan's singing here. This seems like somewhat the opposite of what happened to another recent and sudden death in rock and pop history, when soul singer Sharon Jones delivered a hopeful post-mortem message that it was just a "Matter of Time" before things got set straight. Dolores was not so hopeful about her own future. This is an eerily fitting song to close out both The Cranberries' career and the tumultuous, unpredictable events of the decade at large.


"Land of the Free" by The Killers: Our last and only other song of the week is proof of what can happen when the tables turn on you. The Killers' lead singer, Brandon Flowers, had once criticized Green Day for going too political with "American Idiot". Flash forward 15 years later, and Brandon himself has now gone from fun, frivolous rocker to mournful, politically active musician with his latest song, "Land of the Free". The song is a sad, sorrowful, yet anthemic piano centered dirge, probably modeled after Flowers' musical mentor, Bruce Springsteen. Even the lyrics are Springsteen-ian, circa "Born In the U.S.A.", decrying the United States' current political state while trying to push things in a more positive direction with his yearning lyrics. Brandon, to quote the great Woody Guthrie, "This land was made for you and me!"

new songs for November 15th 2017

here they are:


"I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" by Jim James: The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" is widely considered to be one of the greatest rock albums of all time (despite getting virtually no airplay on today's "rock" stations). There's a good reason it is, though. The album, along with The Beatles' "Rubber Soul", which it was inspired by, were some of the first albums to showcase rock as an emotionally diverse art form. With the news spreading that My Morning Jacket's Jim James was going to be covering one of my favorite songs from that album, "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", my first thoughts were, "You can't top a classic!" As much as I love Jim and MMJ, it's a hard feat to pull off trying to cover the sweet but troubled genius work of Brian Wilson. However, I'll still give Jim credit where credit is due. He doesn't drastically change the song in any way, and he tries his best to stay faithful to the bittersweet, sympathetic tone of the original. He alters the melody of the chorus a bit, and he also adds in some brass instruments where they aren't needed, but other than that it's a pretty decent cover!


"Losing All Sense" by Grizzly Bear: As if by coincidence, our next song is inspired by "Pet Sounds" as well! However, it is not a cover of a song from the album. The ultra eclectic, artsy indie quartet, Grizzly Bear, have always tried experimenting with different sounds on each of their albums. Their latest song, "Losing All Sense", sounds similar to "Two Weeks", the song that first made Grizzly Bear popular among indie fans, and it also contains a brief "slow" section like their song "Sleeping Ute" did. Its happy, piano and orchestra based sound seems like it might be derived from Beach Boys songs like "I Know There's An Answer". "Losing All Sense"'s spacey, psychedelic lyrics (for instance, "Like a rogue wave, you wash right over me") seem like they'd fit right in with some of the best '60s rock songs.


"Motion Sickness" by Phoebe Bridgers: You might not have heard of Phoebe Bridgers yet, but other musicians you might like have heard of her. Her debut record was released under Ryan Adams record label, and she has toured with Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes. Fans of Adams and Oberst would probably be fans of Phoebe Bridgers as well, as she evokes a similar sense of pathos and sensitivity to such musicians. The "motion sickness" she mentions, as she states in the song, is an emotional one. The song is basically Phoebe's sad but sweet sounding attempt to try to right all the wrongs in her life. Between the hushed but weary vocals and the sighing of the instruments in the song, it's pretty easy to tell what's going on here!


"Plastic Soul" by Mondo Cozmo: Mondo Cozmo are a rarity in this decade. On their first album alone they've gone through folk-rock with "Shine" and Beck-ish attempts at blending hip-hop with alternative pop with "Automatic". Their third hit, "Plastic Soul", does not sound like either one of those songs. Instead, it has a piano based '60s R & B sound that samples from an actual '60s R & B song, "Piece of My Heart" by Aretha Franklin's older sister, Erma (yes, this was the same "Piece of My Heart" that Janis Joplin later made famous - Erma did it first). "Plastic Soul" is very soulful, but it sure ain't plastic! This is the real deal, folks!


"Run For Cover" by The Killers: With all the people who have been accused of sexual abuse lately, I'm sure glad The Killers aren't one of 'em! Why am I bringing this up in my review for this song? Because "Run For Cover" is actually a song that speaks out against those who have been sexually abused. In this song, the beat of which is reminiscent of INXS's "Don't Change", Brandon Flowers points a finger at all the carnally depraved men out there, perhaps one in particular, given such lines as, "Are your excuses any better than your senator's?", "It's even harder when the dirtbag's famous", and even a brief mention of "fake news". I don't think it's too hard to figure out who this might be about, but it's ultimately up to your imagination to figure that one out!


"Whatever It Takes" by Imagine Dragons: Imagine Dragons aren't what you'd call a "hard rock" band by any means, but some songs of theirs are still softer and more melodic than others. "Whatever It Takes" just happens to be one of the softer songs in Imagine Dragons' catalog. Starting with a pristine piano that gets taken over by artificial percussion, "Whatever It Takes" has a similar sound to Imagine Dragons' other songs, except for in terms of how it is sung (or rather, delivered). Lead singer, Dan Reynolds, does the closest thing he's ever done to a rap during the verses of the song, speaking a bit too fast for anyone to understand him upon the first few listens of this song. The way Dan rhymes in this song could even be compared to people like Eminem (although Dan is far more wholesome in terms of his lyrical content).

New songs for June 21st, 2017

here they are:


"Fool's Errand" by Fleet Foxes: Look up the phrase "fool's errand" online or in a dictionary and your answer will be, "a task with no hope or success". The Fleet Foxes song, "Fool's Errand", is NOT a fool's errand! Like many of Fleet Foxes' songs, "Fool's Errand" contains plenty of effort and emotion. For those who were a little miffed by the prog-rock-ish direction that Fleet Foxes took earlier this year with "Third of May", "Fool's Errand" might be a little easier to stomach, since it's more of a straight folk-rock song with no out of place meanderings in the middle. The "fool's errand" mentioned in the song, thankfully, is not the song itself, but a failed relationship, which is common subject matter in Fleet Foxes' songs, along with mysterious but alluring allegorical themes. Perhaps if I listen to this song more, I'll catch a hidden allegorical meaning(s) within it, but my first impression of this song is that it's already a good one!


"Golden Dandelions" by Barns Courtney: Barns Courtney blazed the alt and adult charts last spring and summer with his steamy, blues-y mega-hit, "Fire". This summer, he's already back with a new song, "Golden Dandelions". The hollow but catchy drumbeats that made "Fire" (and its followup hit, "Glitter And Gold") such a big hit are also present on "Golden Dandelions". A big difference between "Golden Dandelions" and Barns Courtney's previous songs is that it seems to want to sound more like a bright, energetic pop song, but even with that, "Golden Dandelions" still manages to win me over because it just sounds so unique! Plus, who wouldn't think of lyrics like "lay me down in golden dandelions" as being so full of vivid, poetic imagery?!


"The Man" by The Killers: The Killers release their first album in 4 years and we get...ummm...something that sounds like a cross between Daft Punk's "Da Funk" and The Who's "Eminence Front"?! Huh?!? How'd THIS happen?! Well, as weird as this description might sound, Brandon Flowers and co actually manage to make this song work in a way that only they can! So who is "the man", you might be wondering?! The answer is Brandon Flowers himself! However, no one is really sure if he's saying this because he has such a big ego (which I don't think he does, really) or because he's making fun of himself. The Killers' debut album from 2004 was actually filled with disco-meets-rock songs, so "The Man" actually sounds like an old Killers song instead of a new one! For those expecting the grandiose Springsteen/U2 type sound that The Killers had after their debut, you may be disappointed. For everyone else, Brandon Flowers really IS "the man"!

New songs for September 25th, 2013

here they are:


"Fresh Strawberries" by Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand aren't British (they're Scottish), but they sure SOUND like a British group sometimes! Perhaps no song of theirs sounds as "British" as their latest one, "Fresh Strawberries". Unlike most of their post-punk-y material, "Fresh Strawberries" has even older influences! It sounds like a Beatles or Kinks song, with somewhat Elvis Costello-ish instrumentation here and there. In typical Franz fashion, "Fresh Strawberries" is a catchy pop-rock tune with dark lyrical content (in this case, about the fear of death). I never thought Franz Ferdinand would have a song that sounded more like the British Invasion than British post-punk, but what can I say, they managed to pull it off here!


"Shot At the Night" by The Killers: Wait a minute, is this The Killers, or 1980's era Genesis?! Somehow it sounds more like the latter than the former. This songs SCREAMS "1980's"!! Perhaps Brandon Flowers was even thinking of David Byrne for the repeated phrase, "once in a lifetime", for this song, but that was probably just coincidental. Byrne seems too arty and weird (in a good way) to come up with a song like this, though, which sounds like it was pretty much made for a John Hughes film. In spite of the negative comments I'm making about this song, "Shot At the Night" will probably grow on me like pretty much every Killers song (besides "Human") has. So I'm willing to give "Shot At the Night" a shot at success!


"Sirens" by Pearl Jam: After the roaring, angry wake-up call of "Mind Your Manners" from earlier this year, it's nice to hear a more reflective song from Eddie and the boys this time around! "Sirens" is one of the more melancholy songs from their catalog. Its combination of folk-y introspection upfront with rock instrumentation in the background easily brings to mind the best material from acts like Bruce Springsteen and U2. People might like to think of Pearl Jam as a fearless rock 'n' roll band (and indeed, sometimes they are), but I personally think that their best material comes from deep within their hearts, and this song is no exception!

Last blog of the year!! (Before the Top 20 of 2012)

Only two songs, but hey, what else can you expect for December?! Anyway, here goes:


"February Seven" by The Avett Brothers: Like "Live And Die", The Avetts' smash hit on adult alt stations from earlier this year, "February Seven" also hearkens back to The Avett Brothers' pre-fame sound, using more guitars than pianos. As far as the emotional quality of "February Seven" is concerned, though, it is a much more bittersweet song than "Live And Die", but then again, bittersweet music is what The Avetts have become known for. Scott and Seth set out on another search for truth down the open road put to a Springsteen-ian lyrical stance and bluegrass instrumentation. The words "February seven(th)" are never mentioned anywhere in the song, so why is it called that?! Well, thankfully, I just found out. It has to do with how the lyrics are based on a life lesson Scott Avett learned on February 7th one year.


"Miss Atomic Bomb" by The Killers: Yet another "follow-up" single to an adult alt summer smash ("Runaways"), the explosive title of "Miss Atomic Bomb" fits its somewhat arena-ish, dynamic sound quality. Lyrically, however, it is another attempt for Brandon Flowers to write and perform Springsteen-esque lyrics (just like the last song I talked about in this week's blog) to capture the feel of a romance he experienced back in his "glory days" (if you'll pardon the pun, heheh). Flowers referring to a woman of his affections as "Miss Atomic Bomb" is probably just a reference to how "hot" the woman in question is, but somehow, I always end up picturing a girl in a radiation suit when I hear this song instead!! Perhaps that's just the literal side of my mind talking again.

New songs for July 18th, 2012

here they are:


"I Ain't the Same" by Alabama Shakes: Alabama Shakes came on strong earlier this year with their CCR-meets-Memphis-soul mega-hit, "Hold On". After all that surprise success, frontwoman Brittany Howard is on her feet again, but is still proclaiming that she "ain't the same", as the title of Alabama Shakes' latest song suggests. "I Ain't the Same" is a good reminder to people of where the "blues" part in "rhythm and blues" came from! This song has enough grit (and enough use of the electric guitar) to earn comparisons to people like Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker, both of whom were just as soulful as they were rockin'! Yet Brittany Howard's gutsy, raw, passionate vocal delivery is more along the lines of Mavis Staples, or perhaps even James Brown. After listening to this song, all I can say is that "I ain't the same" either!!


"Knock Knock" by Band of Horses: Knock knock! Who's there? Abanda! Abanda who? Abanda Horses, that's who! Joking aside, though, "Knock Knock" is a pretty good song, but it does have its flaws. First off, it's built pretty much entirely around a G major chord capoed at the first fret. Some people are masters at the "one chord vamp", but I don't think Band of Horses rank among them. Also, it seems like BOH are trying too hard to get a "hard rock" sound this time around. Though they do have that "quiet-to-loud" dynamic in some of their best songs ("Is There A Ghost", "The Funeral", etc.), they don't usually rock out all the way through in any of their songs. However, if BOH were intending on making songs that stick in peoples' heads this time around, they've succeeded this time around with "Knock Knock"! Catchy songs aren't exactly what BOH are known for, and nor is it really their strong suit, but still, it doesn't hurt to try (or hear) something new once in a while!


"Runaways" by The Killers: After two years of living the solo life, Brandon Flowers has reunited The Killers. Their latest song, "Runaways", is a fitting title for a song that has a sound that wants to "run away" into the past, specifically the 1980's. Being that The Police and (especially) U2 are some of The Killers' most prominent musical influences, this shouldn't be all that surprising. Much like the typical U2 song, "Runaways" has a dynamic, compelling enough sound to be a concert fave, but it also has an earnest, heartfelt enough sound to win over the more soulful side of The Killers' fanbase (myself, for instance, haha). All in all, though, "Runaways" is an impressive comeback for a band that hasn't been terribly active in about 4 years!

7 new releases, 2 Christmas songs, and a partridge in a pear tree...

Happy Holidays everyone!! :) 'Tis the season to review new Christmas songs from She & Him and The Killers, not to mention 5 other non-Christmas related tracks. Here goes:

"I Didn't Mean It" by The Belle Brigade: Why is the sky blue? Who (or what) created the universe? Of all these age old questions that have never quite reached a universally agreed upon answer, the one I'd like to know the most right now is this - why do so many great songs and artists end up on the "Twilight" soundtracks?! While I don't think I'll have an answer for that in quite a long time, it just so happens that the latest song to get attention from indie rockers The Belle Brigade is on the "Breaking Dawn" soundtrack of the "Twilight" series. This doesn't mean The Belle Brigade have become "sellouts" (yet), but I can't help but notice how strikingly different this sounds to their other big song, "Losers", released earlier this year in the summer. Where "Losers" was a somber, regretful folk-rock song, "I Didn't Mean It" approaches more of a catchy, alt-pop type sound, almost as if Ben Folds were female and tried covering the Linda Ronstadt version of "You're No Good". Perhaps most interesting of all is how, out of the two songs I know so far from The Belle Brigade, the slower, sadder one ("Losers") is written in a major key, yet the pop-ier, faster one ("I Didn't Mean It") is written in a minor key!! That being said, there must be some really clever people involved in that band!

"Lights" by Ellie Goulding: Is anyone here sick of how much attention Lady Gaga has gotten ever since she debuted? (I know I am!) Looking for a fresher, less sexually excessive alternative to her that sounds kind of like an indie-pop version of Lady Gaga? Perhaps not, but now there is one!! The first major song to get attention from British pop starlet Ellie Goulding, "Lights", is like a hip dance-pop song for those who prefer Tori Amos to Madonna. Like Gaga, Ellie's a blond haired girl who knows how to dance. Unlike Gaga, Ellie seems like she dances more for fun than for promiscuity and/or (desperate) attention. "Lights" is a unique, catchy song, and probably one of the few that can appeal to both the hipsters and the just plain hip!

"Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye: In the 21st century, the world-music-meets-rock-music flame that Peter Gabriel and Sting became well known for using in the '80s has been kept alive by musicians like Robbie Robertson and Paul Simon (both of whom also used that sound frequently in the '80s). Have there been any new artists that have been successful in using that sound, though?! With the possible exception of Vampire Weekend, probably not (and even Vampire Weekend's songs were a bit too bouncy to fully emulate the more reflective Gabriel/Sting sound). After all these years, however, someone has come along to return the world-music-meets-rock-music-sound to the music world as if it were fresh and brand new again, and he goes by the stage name of Gotye (pronounced GO-tee-yay). The ambiance of Gotye's first major song, "Somebody That I Used to Know" (not to be confused with the Elliott Smith song of the same title), is icy and haunting, and seems to borrow heavily from Peter Gabriel's almost equally haunting "Games Without Frontiers", and his vocals are somewhat similar to Sting's, especially as the song draws closer towards the chorus. The "cold shoulder" vibe of the lyrics, combined with the already frigid atmosphere of the song itself makes "Somebody That I Used to Know" the perfect non-Christmas listen for the winter season!!

"That Old Black Hole" by Dr. Dog: So far, Dr. Dog have gotten attention with two songs on adult alt radio, with the jaunty, Beatlesque "Stranger", and the folk-rock-y, Neil Young-ish "Shadow People" (which also manages to sound like The Beatles during the second half). Dr. Dog's latest song, then, "That Old Black Hole", marks a musical departure from the typical neo-psychedelic, "retro" indie-pop of their music, as it sounds more like the type of song a band like Modest Mouse might have done. Speaking of "mouse", another way Dr. Dog have, perhaps, sought for a larger audience in "That Old Black Hole" is through its video, whose only consistent image is of a hamster on a wheel. Other images appear in the video, but they are a bit too brief and surreal for me to find truly memorable in comparison to the hamster. The video for "That Old Black Hole" can be viewed here!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmq7MSwUUAQ)

"The Christmas Waltz" by She & Him: 'Tis the season to be Zooey!! The most beautiful woman in indie-land (and her performing partner, fellow indie musician Matt "M." Ward) has released a heartwarming, sentimental version of the classic Christmas song that states the time it is performed in ("and this song of mine, in three-quarter time...") Zooey's vocals in this are absolutely irresistible!! Matt does a good job at this song too, though, bringing jazz chords to his acoustic guitar in the finest, most tender fashion since Sammy Davis Jr. The whole ALBUM ("A Very She & Him Christmas") that this is on is great, actually, but this song is a standout, for being the opening track, the track that's gotten the most attention so far on adult alt radio stations, and for having the most snuggly, cozy feel of all the songs on the CD!!

"The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" by The Killers: Ever since 2006, Brandon Flowers and his fellow elves, umm, I mean, musicians, have released one Christmas song each December, perhaps the best of which was the one they put out during that year ("A Great Big Sled"). "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" might not be the best Christmas song The Killers have released, but it's a breath of fresh, energetic air compared to the decent (but dreary) "Boots" they released last year. The uptempo beat and tinkly keyboards set the mood for a Christmas song that takes place in the Wild Wild West, with quirky lyrics, and Brandon Flowers singing as though he had a slight "Southern" drawl in his voice. A surprisingly friendly, bubbly song for The Killers, but it still manages to work!!

"The Same Thing" by Cass McCombs: Before I get on with my review for this song, "Cass" might sound like the name of a female performer, but is, in fact, a guy in this case. Its sound is suggestive of Pete Yorn, while the lyrics take on a more Dylan-esque quality ("Nothing in common, our blood thicker than broth/We're cut from different sides of the same cloth"). Both Dylan and Yorn are known for composing melancholy folk-rock songs, and "The Same Thing" also has that sort of sound. Vocally, McCombs seems to derive from Elliott Smith, who, again, has a melancholy folk-rock sort of sound. Cass McCombs seems to have that "lonely guy with a sad, sentimental acoustic guitar sound" pretty good! Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, but it certainly is mine!

New songs for Dec. 8th, 2010

Here they are!

"Boots" by The Killers: Is it just me, or does it seem a tad weird to call a Christmas song "Boots"?!? It's such an enigmatic title!! (Though there have been other Christmas tunes with odd titles - Joni Mitchell's "River", The Pretenders' "2000 Miles", and The Pogues "Fairytale of New York" among them). I like this song, but I do have a couple complaints about it. First of all, come on Brandon, you could have picked a better title!! The Killers already have THREE Christmas songs in their catalog with more obvious associations with the holidays in the titles - "A Great Big Sled", "Joseph Better You Than Me" (as in the Biblical Joseph), and "Don't Shoot Me Santa". "A Great Big Sled" is probably my personal fave in The Killers' Xmas catalog. But getting back to the review, my second complaint is that Brandon Flowers really seems to have softened his music more than usual as of 2010. All of his most recent songs (including "Boots", with The Killers), seem to be on a level that sounds like a cross between Coldplay and U2, better than the former, but worse than the latter! The release Flowers put out the earliest this year, "Crossfire" at least had some nice electric guitar riffing, but "Only the Young" and "Boots"?! These songs seem to rely more on keyboards. I dunno, something about that just puts me off. But the lyrics are nostalgic (with the mention of things like "snowball fights" and "the smell of cinnamon" in the chorus), and thankfully, I COULD hear some acoustic guitar strumming towards the end of the song, which I liked.

"Fixin' to Die" by G. Love, and featuring The Avett Brothers: Not to be confused for the Country Joe and The Fish song of a similar name ("I Feel Like I'm Fixing to Die Rag"). It seems as though the artist formerly known as Garrett Dutton and The Avetts are both trying to add a little down-'n'-dirty country-blues into their catalog. This song marks an especially welcome return for G. Love, who seemed to stray from his eccentric take on blues he had in the '90s and go more into being a Jack Johnson clone in the '00s. As for The Avetts, it took me awhile to get used to them. I'm still not fond of the "sleepers" (slower, more polished piano-pop style tunes) in their catalog, like "I And Love And You" and "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise"), but songs like the melancholy, vaguely Robbie Robertson-esque (his '60s/'70s era material) songs "January Wedding" and "Yard Sale" were both great songs that I warmed up to circa the summer of this year. Speaking of which, their more punchy tune, "Kick Drum Heart" is also being reviewed in this week's blog! "Fixin' to Die" is a really gritty, catchy, gutsy, bluesy tune for both Dutton (G. Love) and The Avetts, though! Highly recommended!

"Hey Ahab" by Elton John and Leon Russell: Much like "If It Wasn't For Bad" (see my late August/early September reviews on this site), it seems as though despite the fact that Elton is taking most of the vocal parts here, that Leon Russell is clearly the man when it comes to the instrumentation of the songs on his latest album with Elton John! Elton's melodic piano-pop sound isn't quite evident on "Hey Ahab" (and "If It Wasn't..."), but Leon plays a mean boogie-style piano a la The Band and Van Morrison on both of 'em. "Ahab" is a bit more of an adventurous and energetic track. Its length is almost five and a half minutes, it features R & B/gospel style female singers in the background, and its very fully orchestrated. Way to go, guys!

"Kick Drum Heart" by The Avett Brothers: I already made my opinion about these guys clear when I reviewed "Fixin' to Die" in this week's blog. "Kick Drum Heart" is a surprisingly punchy tune for the normally mellow neo-folk act. It's still mellow, but it's more energetic than most of their material. It's also one of their more piano driven tunes (like nearly everything they've done so far that's hit the airwaves). Perhaps it was the dreary (in my opinion) keyboards of "I And Love And You" and "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise" that put me off about those songs, but the keyboards in "Kick Drum" are quite lively and stomp-y. Not bad for a country-rock influenced band!

"Terrible Love" by The National: A good word to describe this song?! "Fuzzy"!! Yes, "fuzzy". It sounds funny, but of course I'm not talking "fuzzy" as in "Fuzzy Wuzzy Was A Bear", more as in "that song's got a fuzzy sound". In other words, somewhat muddy distortion on the recording (and guitar). For a band I've just come to know this year, I must say, The National is pretty cool!! Whether it's the pseudo-goth-rock vibe of "Bloodbuzz Ohio" (and "Anyone's Ghost"), the orchestral '60s-ish pop-rock of "Lemonworld" (my fave of theirs so far), or "Terrible Love", it's all good!! "Terrible Love" almost reminds me of a Beck song with its purposely old-sounding distortion and dark, yet still entertaining sound. Even the lyrics sound a bit Beck-ish ("It's a terrible love and I'm walking with spiders" - what is THAT supposed to mean?!) Beck would be proud!!

5 newbies and 2 oldies-come-lately

Well, here goes:

"40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: One of the two "oldies-come-lately", as listed in the title of this week's review. This song seems to have been circulating on adult alt. stations since the summer of this year, but has only seen a big increase within the last week. Ed and The Zeros' song "Home" has been around since February of this year (a week before I made this blog!), and seems to have become a fave among both adult alt and "regular" alt audiences (surprisingly), probably for its nostalgic, Mamas-and-Papas-ish vibe and lush, melodic, harmonizing vocals. Their second big hit, "40 Day Dream", retains the nostalgic vibe of "Home", but uses more keyboards (the old-timey kind, not electronic), and has a slower rhythm. It seems a bit incongruous that the chorus of this song seems to lift from the exact same chords of the chorus of Journey's "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'", as Journey seem to be built on being "crowd pleasers", where Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros seem more about recreating the quirky but catchy folk-rock sound of The Mamas and The Papas and The Lovin' Spoonful. Comparisons aside, though, "40 Day Dream" is still nostalgic and catchy enough to win my heart over!


"I Want the World to Stop" by Belle and Sebastian: When hearing the term "critic's darlings", Belle and Sebastian are typically the FIRST band that come to mind! The fact alone that they were named after a British children's TV show should be a hint as to what Belle and Sebastian's music typically sounds like to those who are unfamiliar with them - very warm-and-fuzzy, childlike, nostalgic, etc. B & S also manage to put a little "zing" into their music sometimes, by making their music energetic, as opposed to just wistful, as they had done with their 2006 song, the somewhat Todd Rundgren-esque "Funny Little Frog". "I Want the World to Stop" continues in "Frog"'s footsteps, only the energy level is sped up a bit, and it has more of a mid-'70s disco feel than early '70s Todd Rundgren. The trademark muted trumpet solos that nearly every B & S song seem to have continues in "I Want the World to Stop", though, so that helps it to retain the typical B & S spirit that it might have lacked if not for that.


"Only the Young" by Brandon Flowers: If the synthesized intro in the otherwise guitar-oriented "Read My Mind" from Flowers' band The Killers were extended, it would probably sound like "Only the Young". If Flowers' previous solo effort, "Crossfire", was his attempt at a Springsteen/U2 song, then "Only the Young" seems more like an attempt to emulate Sting's mid-to-late '80s solo works. I know what some of you might be thinking, but this isn't necessarily a BAD thing! It does yield more disappointing results than "Crossfire" did (which I initially gave a somewhat harsh review to, but it grew on me the more it played). "Only the Young" at least makes an effort to TRY to sound good, though, and maybe it will grow on me eventually, too.


"Save My Love" by Bruce Springsteen: Hmmmm...this sounds like a VINTAGE Springsteen tune. That's because it IS!! It's an outtake from The Boss's 1978 masterpiece, "Darkness On the Edge of Town". It sounds like it belongs on there, too, for it's not the Van Morrison-esque jazz-rock of Bruce's first two albums, and nor is it the Phil Spector-meets-Bob Dylan epic rock of "Born to Run" (the album AND the song), but rather the tinkly but still rollicking piano-rock that is purely The Boss's own! This is a great track! My only question is, why did Springsteen stop releasing songs of this quality once "Born In the U.S.A." came around?!?


"Telephone" by Black Angels: As The Black Keys, Carney, and (to a certain extent) of Montreal's latest tunes have proven, 2010 has proven to be a year of renewed interest in '60s garage rock!! Even the name of the band, "Black Angels", was taken from a Velvet Underground tune, the violent violin-rocker "Black Angel's Death Song". The irresistibly cheesy organs of this song, and even the little-over-2-minute length of it make it seem like it could have been used by the same guys who did the "BBC" song in the credits of one of the "Austin Powers" movies! Its simplistic, repetitive rhythm, chord structure, and frustrated-by-love lyrics all convey the same vibe "Louie Louie" and "96 Tears" did many years ago! A must for fans of '60s rock!!


"Terrible Things" by April Smith and The Great Picture Show: Beginning with Lily Allen and Kate Nash, and continuing to this day in bands like Florence and The Machine, there seems to have been a trend in the late '00s/early 2010's for eclectic but sassy female alt-rock/indie musicians. The latest to jump on the bandwagon are the super-eclectic, ultra-catchy, melodic soul-inflected indie-pop of April Smith and The Great Picture Show. The eclectic qualities of this song are definitely worth discussing, as "Terrible Things" combines, reggae (in the beginning), jazz, soul, and even some subtle elements of punk into one big auditory party!! April Smith's Gwen Stefani-esque vocals tend to add to the sexiness and slinkiness that "Terrible Things" already has going for it! Within the sudden slew of songs that have come out in October 2010, this one might just be my fave so far!


"The Cave" by Mumford and Sons: Just like the first song reviewed this song, this last one is also an "oldie-come-lately". It's been receiving airplay on adult alt. stations since summer of this year, yet it's only been within the past 2 or so weeks that stations besides Sirius XM's Spectrum have started adding it in regular rotation. Even among bands already classified as "indie", Mumford and Sons have a special quality to each of their songs, which typically feature an old Celtic folk sound, a dobro (think a cross between a mandolin and a banjo), and almost Crosby-Stills-and-Nash-ish vocal harmonies. I've known about these guys since Sirius XM first featured "White Blank Page" back in January of this year, and since their now smash hit, "Little Lion Man", had made an epic journey across many adult alt and "regular" alt stations. The Celtic folk/dobro/harmony factor is present in pretty much every Mumford and Sons song, yet what sets apart "The Cave" from the rest of their material is the muted trumpet solo at the end of the song! It's my favorite part of the whole thing!! Though each of their songs seems to take on a similar rhythmic pattern, the chord structures are not usually the same, so "The Cave" is also memorable for that factor as well. If you haven't heard these guys, PLEASE do!! I initially thought they were an Irish group (only to find out from various sources that they're actually from England), but their influences almost CERTAINLY seem to be rooted in Irish folk - another reason I like them SO much - I'm Irish, too, in my heritage.

new songs for June 23rd, 2010

four of 'em - Enjoy!

"Compliments" by Band of Horses: Though "Laredo" is still a hot item on the Adult Alt. charts, "Compliments", the second single off of BOH's "Infinite Arms" is rapidly getting attention on adult alt. stations as well. Longtime fans of BOH will probably take more of a liking to this song than "Laredo" since it goes more for a '60s pop/rock sound (a la The Beatles' "Getting Better" and Three Dog Night's "One", at least rhythmically) than "Laredo"'s John Fogerty/Neil Young-ish vibe. Lyrically, I can't tell whether it is supposed to be sincere or tongue-in-cheek, especially during the somewhat ambiguously worded lyrics in the chorus ("If there's a God up there/Someone looking over everyone, at least you've got someone to fall back on"). Apparently, many of BOH's most loyal fans seem to have taken both the lyrics and the song itself to be a vain attempt for the band to garner more radio airplay than they've previously had, though personally, I think "Laredo" already took care of that. I still wouldn't call BOH "sellouts", though. They still have good music, it's just going in a slightly different direction at the moment.

"Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers: Of all the "indie" bands out there, Brandon Flowers' band, The Killers (who aren't always viewed as "indie" due to their popularity among listeners of more "mainstream" modern rock stations), is probably the one that is most influenced by that crop of bands who tend to overlap the boundaries of musical time by being played on both classic rock and alternative rock stations (i.e. The Police, U2, The Pretenders, etc.) Flowers seems to have only gotten MORE intent on displaying these influences with each new record he makes. It's not as though this is a bad thing, necessarily (as I much prefer the U2-ish "Read My Mind" to the more Depeche Mode-ish sounds of "Somebody Told Me"), but in "Crossfire", it seems like he's trying a bit TOO hard to emulate the U2 sound. He also seems to employ the use of pseudo-philosophical lyrics whenever possible (like the chorus's "lay your body down"), in what seems like a desperate, almost fanboy-ish effort to please Bono and maybe Bruce Springsteen as well. In spite of how harsh this review might sound, though, I must admit that I LIKE this song! Flowers might not rank so high on originality in "Crossfire", but he gets an A for effort, catchiness, and accessibility.

"If You Let Me" by JP, Chrissie, and The Fairground Boys: During The Pretenders' reign of popularity, Chrissie Hynde was almost like a female Neil Young in her ways of alternating between heartfelt, bittersweet songs like "Kid", "Talk of the Town", and "2000 Miles" and tough, unapologetic rockers like "Tattooed Love Boys", "Mystery Achievement", and "Middle of the Road". These days, Chrissie seems to want to go more in between the two moods. In her latest effort, "If You Let Me", she pulls off a distinctly classic rock vibe a la The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, just as she pulled off a decent Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley in her 2008 songs, "Boots of Chinese Plastic" and "Break Up the Concrete" with The Pretenders. While "If You Let Me" lacks the in-your-face vibe of her nearly punk-ish early days in The Pretenders, it is certainly no "Kid", "Talk of the Town", or "2000 Miles" either! It is clearly a rock and roll song, from beginning to end, complete with a catchy, memorable guitar riff. Welcome aboard the S.S. Classic Rock Renaissance of 2010, Chrissie!

"Stranger Here" by Cowboy Junkies: In spite of their name, Cowboy Junkies are not called "Cowboy Junkies" because of their love for country music. It was basically just a random name they came up with, supposedly (see also The Grateful Dead, R.E.M., and Indigo Girls, each of whom got their names by flipping through a dictionary). However, Cowboy Junkies are basically a country-rock band masquerading as an alt/indie band. Even on their debut album, they covered a Hank Williams tune, as well as a Patsy Cline song. Their latest song, "Stranger Here", is also pretty country-rock influenced, but with the past 5 or so years of adult alt. radio being dominated by indie groups, it seems as though the sound of this song is probably more commonplace than it would've been during their debut in 1988. Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, in particular (and perhaps the whole band) would probably appreciate a song like this, since she knows from the blatantly country-rock sound of "Carpetbaggers" (which she did with Elvis Costello) what it's like to be an indie/alt act with country influences. Personally, I would have preferred Cowboy Junkies to release something more along the lines of their bittersweet, lushly orchestrated 2007 song "Brand New World", but "Stranger Here" is still a good song nonetheless.