New songs for November 4th, 2020

 here they are:


"One More Second" by Matt Berninger: Matt Berninger and his band, The National, could probably be described as "bitter", among other adjectives, in terms of both their music and their lyrics. Having recently struck out on his own, Matt has gone from bitter to bittersweet with "One More Second." There is a good reason that this song sounds sweeter than most of the tunes that Matt has done with The National. He wanted to write a song that was on par with songs like Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" that elicited similar emotions from listeners. While the song will likely never achieve the level of fame and love that that one did, the effort Matt put into "One More Second" really shows, and you can tell he put more heart into this song than he has into anything he did previously!

"The Adults Are Talking" by The Strokes: What a year it has been for The Strokes!! 20 years after their debut, during which their hit song, "Last Nite", raced up the alt-rock charts, their song "Bad Decisions" not only raced up both the alt-rock charts and the adult alt charts, but it is also likely to be my number one song of the year! (Which is scarily apt, considering how many bad decisions we've all made this year so far!) To top it all off, they were also the most recent musical guests on SNL! Their followup song, "The Adults Are Talking", doesn't seem near as catchy as "Bad Decisions", but it still memorable in its own way. "The Adults Are Talking" has a mellower sound and beat, but Julian Casablancas' guitar work still shines through in a more subtle manner here. Lyrically, "The Adults Are Talking" continues in the pattern of "Bad Decisions" of being about a bad decision, specifically one person cheating on another. The song is executed in such an insouciant manner, however, that you'd never be able to tell unless you listened carefully enough!

"The Valley of the Pagans" by Gorillaz (featuring Beck): Gorillaz latest album, "Song Machine", is to them what "Supernatural" was to Santana: an all-star album! Musicians ranging from cult faves like St. Vincent and Joan As Policewoman to major stars like Elton John to alt-rock legends like The Cure and Beck can all be found on this album! Not bad for a band that's comprised of fictional cartoon characters! "The Valley of the Pagans" is stellar track for both Beck and Gorillaz! It's an uber-catchy song whose lyrics are reminiscent of the "word salad" lyrics that Beck had on his breakthrough hit, "Loser." The chorus of "The Valley of the Pagans" mentions the phrase "it feels so good" four times. You don't need to think too hard to understand why. This song is one that makes you feel good, that's why! 

New songs for February 26th, 2020

here they are:


"Bad Decisions" by The Strokes: This week's most anticipated new track comes to us from a band who have been around for about two decades now! Can you believe it?! Even during their debut, though, The Strokes always felt like a "throwback" band. Their debut single, "Last Nite", for instance, sounded like it came from a mid-1970's New York punk rock band, like Television, or maybe The New York Dolls. "Bad Decisions" goes forward one decade in the flashback machine to a time when goofy haircuts ruled the world and MTV was a brand new thing. The '80s influence is all over "Bad Decisions". Even the opening of the song sounds like "I Melt With You" by Modern English, and the chorus is clearly modeled after Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself". Was it a "bad decision" to record this song, though?! Absolutely not!


"Here They Come" by Hamilton Leithauser: In his heart of hearts, The Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser, much like myself, is a folkie. His latest solo effort, "Here They Come", feels like a stark, haunting acoustic rock song in the vein of masterfully dark singer/songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash, the latter of whom celebrates his birthday today. "Here They Come" has both figurative darkness and literal darkness, with its imagery of subway tunnels, shadows, and closed eyes all mentioned in Leithauser's deliciously spooky narration!


"Lilacs" by Waxahatchee: So far, this song stands as the only other song I know with the word "lilac" in its title aside from "Lilac Wine", originally by powerful jazz mistress Nina Simone and covered masterfully by Jeff Buckley. Unlike the late Mr. Buckley, Waxahatchee's "Lilacs" is not a song with stark instrumentation and a haunting sound. In fact, it's surprisingly happy for a Waxahatchee song! The title comes from the part where Katie Crutchfield sings, "and the lilacs drank the water", and in varying cadences by the time the end of the song comes. Some rather poetic imagery for a rather folks-y song seemingly inspired by some of the breezier, countrified Bob Dylan songs of the mid 1960's, such as "Girl From the North Country". I was expecting a roaring torrent of anger, as exemplified by Waxahatchee's minor adult alt radio hit, "Never Been Wrong". Somehow, I'm glad I got this breath of fresh spring country air instead.


"So Much Love" by Nada Surf: It's a little unfair for people to remember Nada Surf solely for the quirky, mid '90s faux-grunge song, "Popular". After that song's success, Nada Surf found plenty of success on adult alt radio stations with one song after another giving off a folk-rock-y hippie vibe that "Popular" did not possess. "So Much Love" might just be the most hippy-dippy song in Nada Surf's catalog so far. Between its idealistic title, super positive message, and billowy West Coast inspired indie-folk-rock (even though they're actually an East Coast band), "So Much Love" is enough to fill even the most jaded of hipsters with so much love, as its title implies. All we need is love, right?!


"Strangers" by Mt. Joy: After three guitar oriented songs that came out during the late 2010's, Mt. Joy has gone in a slightly different direction with the more piano based "Strangers" for the early 2020's. There is still guitar in this song, but it's not quite apparent until about a minute into the song. Piano guides this song so much that its solo sounds like it could have come from Bruce Hornsby (who is more popular than you might think among the hipster/indie community - Bon Iver, for instance, are huge fans of his). The song itself might be a reflection on the sudden unexpected attention that Mt. Joy got from songs like "Sheep", "Jenny Jenkins", and especially "Silver Lining", the last of which became one of the most enduring adult alt radio hits (and mainstream alt radio hits, to a lesser extent) of 2018. "I guess I'll have to fall in love with strangers/Go ride through New York City like I'm famous", sings Matt Quinn during the chorus. In spite of the song's bouncy, buoyant sound, Matt seems less than pleased with the prospect of his newfound success, with the words of the chorus dripping with sarcasm upon closer listen.


"Wherever You Are" by Kodaline: Reading the description of this song from Kodaline's official YouTube account summarizes its bittersweet mood and sound. It echoes the sentiments of Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With", albeit with a sound that's more plaintive than it is happy. In other words, Kodaline's "Wherever You Are" is about thinking of your loved one even when he/she isn't near you. I'm sure the members must have been overcome with awe reading the comments section of the song, where many people have already commented about the song getting them through difficult times in their lives, such as the death of a loved one. It's great when a song conveys a universal, touching message like this one, isn't it?! I'd like to think so.


"Your Love (Deja Vu)" by Glass Animals: Glass Animals debut single, "Gooey", from the mid-2010's, was probably one of the dreamiest songs of the decade. "Your Love (Deja Vu)" isn't exactly dreamy, though. In fact, I'd say it's more dance-y. "Your Love..." has a very slinky, sensuous rhythm. The lyrics don't seem to mean very much in this song, but it sure makes you wanna move your body back and forth, doesn't it?!

New songs for the first of June 2016

here they are:


"Let Me Get By" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: Once again, we find Susan and Derek experimenting with retro sounds during a modern time. Janis Joplin-esque vocals collide with Allman Brothers-ish guitars and a distinctly early '70s sounding organ to buoy The TTB's latest song, "Let Me Get By" in just the right direction. As the second single from their latest album, "Let Me Get By" bears noticeable distinction from the album's first single, "Anyhow". "Anyhow" was a slow jam that totaled to 6 and a half minutes. "Let Me Get By", on the other hand, is a fast jam that only goes to 4 and a half minutes, about the average length of a rock or alternative song these days. "Anyhow" also seemed like a bittersweet love song, where "Let Me Get By" seems to have the opposite sentiment in mind, as Susan repeatedly states, "get out of my way" during the chorus of "Let Me Get By".


"Oblivius" by The Strokes: Yess, the misspeling uv this songs tidle iz intenshunal. As for the song itself? It appears to be unlike anything The Strokes have ever done before. It sounds a bit like Blondie attempting to cover the funk/disco classic, "Pick Up the Pieces". The Strokes have had danceable songs before, but this seems like it's SPECIFICALLY meant for dancing to at clubs and the like. An interesting move for The Strokes, who started out sounding like how punk rock did before it had a name, with their Velvet Underground and Television influences worn on their sleeve. It appears as though they are now trying to sound more like Talking Heads or Blondie, both of whom were influenced by The Velvets and Television, but took their sound in a new direction.


"White Flag" by Joseph: Joseph?! Joseph who?! Is this a band who omitted the "and the Technicolor Dreamcoat" part out of their name?! No, and it is not a guy named Joseph either. As a matter of fact, it isn't even a guy AT ALL, but a trio of women!! Mixing the icy techno-pop beats of Lorde with the lush harmonies of First Aid Kit, Joseph's debut song, "White Flag", is a very soothing and alluring song that also manages to be somewhat catchy. As you probably expected, this song, like Dido's song of the same title, is about having the willingness to surrender, as that is what a "white flag" is symbolic of in lyric and prose. As Paul Weller from British punk group, The Jam, once said, this song will have you "succumb(ing) to the beat surrender!"

Spencer Griffin's New Music...THURSDAYS?! Day Late, Dollar Short

The site I usually check on to update me for new material was a day late for some reason. Anyway I DO have some new songs now (though not very many). Here they are:


"All the Time" by The Strokes: When I think of music by The Strokes, "mellow" is not usually the first word that comes to mind! They're best known for their 21st century take on garage rock, like "Last Nite" and "Reptilia", the latter of which has elements of new wave in it as well. Well it seems as though new wave is what The Strokes want to concentrate on now. They have gone from being the new Velvet Underground to being more like the new Cars. "All the Time" shouldn't be a total letdown to longtime fans of the band, though, as there are still plenty of juicy guitar hooks and catchy beats putting energy into the song, but it lacks an "in-your-face" quality like most of their songs do. "All the Time" might be a turn in another direction for The Strokes, but at least it has a "stroke" of genius in there somewhere, hardy-har-har!


"Hearts And Minds" by Son Volt: It's another of many bluegrass tinged rock tunes for the 2010's, but Son Volt have been at that sorta game since the mid 1990's, so they've been doing it longer than most of 'em have! Son Volt usually have a "meaty" sound with a slightly twang-y electric guitar reminiscent of groups like The Old '97s, but their latest song, "Hearts And Minds", has a more subdued sound, like The Avett Brothers or The Civil Wars. Perhaps "Hearts And Minds" goes a step further from being called "bluegrass-rock", as it is more like a bluegrass WALTZ, if you listen closely to the rhythm of the song. "Hearts And Minds" makes for a nice "road song", but more like the kind you'd want to hear when you're heading back from a vacation at dusk, as opposed to the hot, blazing, "Born to Be Wild"-ish sound one might think of first when the term "road song" is mentioned.