New songs for August 17th, 2022

 here they are:


"Burning" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Karen O and the YYY's return to guitar-based music on their latest song, "Burning," at least a little bit. The song is mostly dominated by piano in the beginning and then a synth-string "orchestra" later on, but it's not the instrumentation, necessarily, that makes this song so special. First of all, it's the style that the YYY's chose to go for here. The verses, in particular, seem to recall "girl groups" of the early 1960's such as The Ronettes, The Crystals, and The Chiffons with their pristine pianos on top of trembling tambourines. Although the string section is synth-laden, it still sounds compelling enough to lure listeners in. The subject of the song is also worth mentioning, as it is one of a growing number of songs to address climate change (albeit in a subtle manner, in this case). The imagery of the song is fittingly fiery to its torrid title, but Karen could easily be addressing an actual fire or a metaphorical one here, if not both!

"Lucky Ones" by Julian Lennon: With George and John long gone and Ringo's work not near as well-known to the public as the other members, Paul McCartney has been the only Beatle to remain active in the music scene into the 21st century. However, on a few occasions through the new millennium, John Lennon's kids have kept the Beatle flame burning, even for just a brief moment. Sean Lennon got minor attention for his folk-y, Elliott Smith-esque "Dead Meat" in the mid 2000's, and now it's Julian Lennon's turn to shine in the limelight for the first time in decades! An anthemic, piano-laden song with neat guitar flourishes in the background, "Lucky Ones" is a song of hope during a time of despair. He seems to want to embody the spirit of peace and love now just as much as his dad did in the 1960's and '70s. Like our previous entry, "Lucky Ones" also addresses the plight of climate change, but does so in a way that offers hope to future generations.

"Problem With It" by Plains: If any of you indie-folk fans are hearing this song for the first time and think that its lead vocalist sounds familiar, that's because those are the vocals of Katie Crutchfield from indie-folk group, Waxahatchee. Plains is her side project, and their debut song, "Problem With It," almost sounds like a "sequel song" to Waxahatchee's "Can't Do Much," a mellow country-rock tune in B flat, much like this one is. Adding to the song's country vibe are its "heartbreak out on the road" lyrical theme, as well as the instrumental help the song receives from Jeff Tweedy (Wilco)'s son, Spencer, and Jay Farrar from alt-country groups Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo. 

"Soul Sweet Song" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: One of the TTB's more bittersweet songs, "Soul Sweet Song" is a melancholy (yet still sweet and soulful) tune for a good reason. It's a tribute to the group's now former keyboardist, Kofi Burbridge, who died in 2019. While the song is poignant, it's not completely sad, due to its major key, the honey-drenched harmonies of Tedeschi and Trucks, the soulful horns that punctuate the song, and Tedeschi's trademark blues-guitar sound spreading joy through the sadness that might have permeated this composition otherwise. This is the way to do a tribute song, if you ask me!

"Spit of You" by Sam Fender: While many of Sam Fender's songs tend to evoke the anthemic yet melodic rock sound of acts like Bruce Springsteen and U2, "Spit of You" has a more bittersweet jangle evocative of groups like R.E.M. with soulful acoustic guitars layered with cleanly distorted electrics and a sweet sax solo at the end. The title of the song probably refers to the phrase "spitting image," as the song revolves around the bonds between fathers and sons. "Spit of You" also notably slower than the other songs Sam has gained attention with, although it isn't too slow of a song. Sam showing off his sensitive side is so sweet and sublime!

"Tangled" by Ceramic Animals: Pennsylvania's Ceramic Animals have been around since 2013, but this marks the first time adult alt radio has taken notice of them. The laid-back blues/country/folk/rock combo of their breakthrough song, "Tangled," sounds so much like one of Dan Auerbach (Black Keys)'s solo songs that I was convinced he was part of Ceramic Animals! As it turns out, he is not, but there seems to be a striking similarity between Auerbach's work and Ceramic Animals' sound, so perhaps he produced it. Not any wonder, then, that Ceramic Animals opened for The Black Keys recently!

"Vault of Heaven" by Pixies: Interesting that this is the second Pixies song (to my knowledge) that has the word "heaven" in its title (the first would be "Monkey Gone to Heaven," which ranks among their best-known songs) since The Pixies seem a bit too warped and dark to address ideas like heaven in their music. "Monkey..." was a rather twisted and angry environmental protest song, though, and "Vault of Heaven" seems to be almost satirical in a way. Perhaps part of the reason this gritty alt-rock take on "spaghetti western" music even uses the word "heaven" in the first place is to rhyme with "7-11." Lead singer Frank Black seems to weave a short yet compelling tale in "Vault of Heaven" how paradise isn't all that it's cracked up to be, as though it's useless to try to attain idealism in life. Dark and cryptic, as many Pixies songs are, but this one seems more noticeably country-rock than a lot of their stuff is. 

New songs for July 8th, 2020

here they are:


"Can't Do Much" by Waxahatchee: Waxahatchee had one of the most unexpectedly catchy adult alt radio hits of the year with "Lilacs" this spring. The song's buoyant, sunny country-rock sound was a breath of fresh air for both Waxahatchee fans and adult alt/indie-folk fans in general. Their next adult alt radio hit, "Can't Do Much", follows in a similar pattern to "Lilacs". "Can't Do Much" is yet another country-rock tune, a bit unusual for the normally edgier material of Waxahatchee, but it's probably given them more fans than ever as a result (including me). "Can't Do Much" is essentially a love song with slightly odd lyrics. The chorus of the song starts out average enough, as love songs go, with "I want you all the time", but Katie Crutchfield immediately follows that line with "sanity nullified." So Katie wants an insane love, eh?! Well, she'd better watch out!


"I Remember Everything" by John Prine: There seems to have been a pattern of rock and pop musicians being aware of their own death and putting that painful awareness into song in the past few years. David Bowie and Leonard Cohen both had such songs with "Lazarus" and "You Want It Darker", respectively, and a year later, Gregg Allman had one with "My Only True Friend". The clever, tongue-in-cheek folk-rocker, John Prine, departed the Earth a few months ago, and "I Remember Everything" seems to be his way of waving a bittersweet goodbye to all his fans. The song has the darkness of the Bowie and Cohen songs, but it also has the forlorn sense of country-rock pathos the Gregg Allman song had. Evoking rustic, nature-like images, John Prine looks back on the last year of his life with a view that is both endearing and sad. Prine was one of a kind and he will truly be missed!


"Mariana Trench" by Bright Eyes: If "Persona Non Grata", Bright Eyes' song from earlier this year, seemed like too much of a weary dirge for you, then perhaps "Mariana Trench" might be more up your alley. In typical Bright Eyes fashion, most of "Mariana Trench" seems pretty cynical in terms of both its lyrical content and musical atmosphere, but it tries to inject at least a bit more pep into its sound than "Persona Non Grata" did. Perhaps it helps that none other than Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers plays bass on this track. The thumping of the bass is pretty noticeable here, but on this song, it bobs with an ebb and flow, as opposed to the "slapping" technique Flea is known for. The lyrics of "Mariana Trench" create vivid imagery within the mind, especially during the chorus when Conor Oberst mentions Mount Everest and the 405 Freeway, in addition to the titular location.


"Turn Off the TV" by Old 97's: This rowdy, Tom Petty-esque song from Rhett Miller's country-rock/roots-rock ensemble, Old 97's, is full of references! Fitting to its title, their newest song, "Turn Off the TV", only mentions one show ("Kids in the Hall", in the first verse). The very next line mentions alternative rock icons like The Pixies and T. Rex. The intent central to the song, though, is just Rhett Miller wanting to get with a girl he admires. You already have sex and rock & roll mentioned in this song, and aptly, one of the other references in this song is to Jim Beam alcohol. There you have it: sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll! Contrary to its title, this song really doesn't have that much to do with TV, does it?


"Where to Start" by Bully: Just the name "bully" probably makes you think of either a punk band or a heavy metal group. Of the two, Bully's "Where to Start" evokes the former of the two genres. The song is a righteously ticked off punk tune, and one done by a lady, not a fellow, who bears a strange resemblance to cartoon voice actress, Tara Strong. Right from the beginning of this tune, you can feel the anger of lead singer, Alicia Bognanno, as she sings, "I don't know where to start with you!" The song seems to be about falling in love with someone you don't really want to fall in love with. Sigh...I can relate!


"Worry" by Songhoy Blues: Hailing from the African nation of Mali, Songhoy Blues deliver upbeat, spicy blues-rock in their debut song, "Worry". The song is not about worrying, though. In fact, the urgent plea in the chorus is "DON'T worry". With the song's blazing guitar riffs, you can't help but clap your hands and tap your feet along to this song as you start to lose your worries just by listening to this song! The aim of this song is to get people to find hope in times of darkness. Mission accomplished, I say!


"You're Not Alone" by Semisonic: Semisonic, Dan Wilson's half post-grunge and half power pop trio, have only one hit to speak of for most people, and that is "Closing Time", a song that came out over 20 years ago! That Semisonic took roughly around that long to reunite (or that they even DID reunite) is probably quite a surprise to most fans of the band, but they did it! Their latest song, "You're Not Alone", is rife with '90s rock influence, fitting to the era they were most popular in. Fans of groups like Better than Ezra, Third Eye Blind, and Marvelous 3 will probably like this song a lot! Lead singer Dan Wilson actually made a name for himself as a pop music songwriter for successful musicians such as Adele and Taylor Swift during his time apart from Semisonic, so I was a little skeptical as to how good this song might be, but it's really good! As an avid fan of '90s rock, I must say I'm mighty pleased by this song! As can be inferred from the title, Dan Wilson and co wanted their fans to feel comforted during these recent times of crisis. This is how "You're Not Alone" came about. I'm just glad that it did!

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 September 13th, 2017

here they are:


"Never Been Wrong" by Waxahatchee: Never been wrong?! That's quite a bold claim to make! But one thing I think I've never been wrong about is that I know a good song when I hear one, and this song just happens to be one of them. The raw, noise-pop sound of this song is as bold as its title. Lead singer Katie Crutchfield has both the perishing vocals and no-frills guitar sound of The Pixies' Kim Deal in "Never Been Wrong". I get the feeling that fans of other bands fronted by fierce females (Sleater-Kinney, for instance) will like this song as well.


"Up All Night" by Beck: ANOTHER new Beck song?! No! It's too soon!! It hasn't even been a month that "Dear Life" has been on the airwaves, and there has already been a lot of alt and adult alt radio stations that have picked up his second single of the year, "Up All Night". The dance floor meets the orchestra in this unique song! True to its name, "Up All Night" will have you staying up all night to dance! The lyrics of the song seem to be pretty dance-centric as well, and Beck sneaks in a punny line towards the end ("Hands up in the air, livin' out a prayer". Bon Jovi reference, anyone?!)


"You're the Best Thing About Me" by U2: Bono and the boys have been at it for almost 40 years now!! The new millennium has seen both hits and misses for the famous Irish rock quartet, and this one could be described as being a little of both. The chorus of the song is so anthemic and happy that it could pass for being guitar-centric bubblegum pop, but the way the chords of The Edge's guitar hook you in at the beginning are pretty hard to resist!! This song is also quite an easy one to get stuck in your head! This song might not be the best thing about U2, but U2 themselves are still one of the best things about rock and roll!