New songs for February 17th, 2021

 here they are:


"Close to You" by Dayglow: Dayglow's fall/winter smash hit, "Can I Call You Tonight?" soared up the alt and adult charts and went on to be one of the most memorable, catchy, and recognizable songs of the past few months! Their second hit, "Close to You," seems like it might have a similar impact on the alt and adult alt radio charts. However, there are a few things that make "Close to You" noticeably different than "Can I Call You Tonight?" First, there's the fact that, where "Can I Call You Tonight?" used cleanly distorted echo-y guitars in the background, "Close to You" seems to use no guitars at all and instead relies entirely upon synth as its lead instrument. Those who are more observant might also notice that "Close to You" uses a mostly minor key melody, in contrast with the happy, upbeat major key that "Can I Call You Tonight?" used. "Close to You" is still plenty upbeat, though, and as perfect for the dance floor as it is for your bedroom!

"Hypotheticals" by Lake Street Dive: Taking a step back from the "retro-soul" sound that Lake Street Dive have become known for, their latest song, "Hypotheticals," sounds a bit closer to contemporary R & B, as if someone like Pharrell Williams or Beyonce could have recorded it (albeit with noticeably more guitar in the background). Even the solo of the song is synth based, as opposed to being based around guitar or sax. The "hypothetical" being discussed in the song, by the way, is that of long distance relationships. Rachael Price contemplates the age-old question of whether she should stay or she should go in the song's lyrics. Sigh...I can relate. 

"Low" by Chet Faker: Obviously, "Chet Faker" is not the real name of this song's performer. It is actually Nick Murphy, a name he used temporarily after his first big hit, "Gold," from 2014. Nick reverted to using his given name afterwards...until now, that is. I have no idea what Nick's recordings were like under his given name, but under the Chet Faker alias, they all seem to have an element of electro-pop. His latest song, "Low," is no different. "Low" was actually released back in October of last year, when hope for the pandemic to be eradicated wasn't as big as it has gotten today, so a lot of the lyrics relate to that. This is why, in the context of the song, he is feeling "low," but he still encourages his listeners to find peace among the chaos. Nick, it looks like your wish is slowly but surely coming true!

"Sunblind" by Fleet Foxes: Fitting to its title, "Sunblind" sounds like a very sunny, summery song. However, if you listen closely, its lyrics tell a sadder story. Many names are mentioned within the song, and all those names are the names of dead musicians. All the names listed are probably too numerous to mention here, but among those mentioned, in order of appearance in the song, are folk-rocker John Prine, soul musician Bill Withers, tragic indie-folk poet Elliott Smith, soul musician Curtis Mayfield (could also be Ian Curtis from post-punk group, Joy Division), classic rock legend Jimi Hendrix, fellow classic rock legend David Bowie, tragically short-lived folk-rocker Nick Drake, soul musician Otis Redding, alterna-folk hero Jeff Buckley, power pop-ster Chris Bell from Big Star, soul legend Marvin Gaye, and even innovative rap-rocker Adam Yauch from The Beastie Boys. This entire REVIEW for the song has been those musicians! But I did not mention them here merely as a list. They are also being mentioned for their contributions to rock and pop music, and for being meaningful enough to Robin Peckold's life for him to sing about them in sweet, poignant tribute like no other song before or since! (Well, except maybe Don McLean's "American Pie" - that was a pretty moving tribute too!)

"Two" by Flock of Dimes: Perhaps some might think that A Flock of Seagulls sounds more significant than a Flock of Dimes. After all, the former conjures up majestic imagery of birds flying gracefully over the sea, where the latter evokes more mundane imagery of someone dropping ten-cent coins on the floor of the laundry room. But make no mistake! Flock of Dimes, as a band, are more majestic and poetic than their name suggests they might be! They are actually the side project of Jenn Wasner from indie-pop group, Wye Oak. Like most of the entries on this week's list, Flock of Dimes' "Two" is a synthpop song. It is an ethereal, bittersweet song in which Jenn Wasner hopes to form a "union" of sorts with the object of her affections. Her vocals alone always seem to quaver with yearning, and with "Two," it's no exception. 

New songs for the day before Thanksgiving 2019

here they are:


"Armageddon's Back In Town" by Drive-by Truckers: Though it is not the first time that contemporary Southern rock outfit, Drive-by Truckers, have dealt with dark subject matter, their latest song, "Armageddon's Back In Town", is probably the first one that deals directly with the concept of the end of the world, as can be evidenced from its title alone. As lead singer Patterson Hood deals with the stress of what has now become everyday life for him and countless others, a lively and fiery Southern rock sound blares in the background, defining the essence of the song. Armageddon seems like it's always been lingering in the shadows of DBT, whose previous subjects have included the devil, protest, and even AIDS, so for Patterson to claim that it's "back in town" seems dubious when it seems to have been there all along for them. Perhaps the one thing that can be said is that "Armageddon" has gotten bigger as time has gone on for DBT.


"Fortune" by Wye Oak: Baltimore indie-pop/rock duo, Wye Oak, are a name that is often mentioned but rarely heard among adult alt radio programmers. Until now, that is. With "Fortune", Wye Oak have finally gotten the attention they've deserved on the Triple A format. And why (no pun intended) is that?! Perhaps it's the haunting combination of slinky, shimmering guitar and lead singer Jenn Wasner's sweet but shaky vocals, both of which are backed by a catchy rhythm. Jenn's yearning lyrics, which never seem to get fully resolved in spite of her earnest searching for answers, might be another part of the equation as to why "Fortune" has captured the public's attention like no Wye Oak song has previously.


"Mariners Apartment Complex" by Lana Del Rey: To paraphrase Patti Smith, Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not Lana Del Rey's. Patti Smith, particularly the softer side of her music, might have just inspired Lana Del Rey in more ways than one here on LDR's latest song, "Mariners Apartment Complex". For one, there's the lyrical theme of struggling with one's faith in a quest to understand oneself on a deeper level, grappling between the sacred and the profane as Patti has done, as well as other rock poets like Leonard Cohen (the song has even been compared lyrically to Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel # 2"). Musically, it sounds like it's evocative of songs from the mid 1970's, during which both Cohen and Smith were active, relevant musicians. Lana uses the name "Jesus" both sincerely ("kiss the sky and whisper to Jesus") and blasphemously ("I f**ked up, I know that, but Jesus, can't a girl just do the best she can?"), perhaps to represent just how conflicted she feels about love...and about religion and spirituality as well (the phrase "big-time believer", used midway through the song, could reference both love and religion). The world might never understand Lana Del Rey fully...but maybe she prefers being misunderstood.


"Somedays (I Don't Feel Like Trying)" by The Raconteurs: With the possible exception of their 2008 song, "Old Enough", The Raconteurs have never sounded as close to Southern rock as they have on their latest song, "Somedays (I Don't Feel Like Trying)". The song contains echoes of Southern rock staples like Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone" and The Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post", as Jack White tells a sorrowful tale of how downtrodden he feels sometimes. At only the second line into the song, White claims that the "only trouble is it's doomed from the start", "it" being his heart. Jack has really delved into his inner bluesman with his latest record, but this one feels like the blues-iest and most forlorn he's had to offer so far!


"The Fool" by Overcoats: It seems as though Sleater-Kinney's switch earlier this year from raw, guitar centered punk rock to more melodic yet still aggressive electro-rock has influenced other musicians as well, most notably the all-girl New York duo, Overcoats. "The Fool" is not a song for fools, unlike what its title might indicate. Instead, it is a song for people who want to break free from societal moulds and boldly declare their individuality like none before or since. The duo state that fools are what they do NOT want to be during the chorus of the song, and are tired of "bending over backwards" for others. In doing so, Overcoats have created an excellent song for marching forward into the next decade. One small step for woman, one giant leap for womankind!