here they are:
"Called Out In the Dark" by Snow Patrol: Though typically thought of as the Irish equivalent of the mopey British alt-pop of bands like Coldplay, Snow Patrol are really so much more than that! Their latest song, "Called Out In the Dark", is definitely proof that Snow Patrol are not your average European "mope rock" band. The flashy, new wave-y keyboards used during most of the song seem to give the impression that Gary Lightbody and co might have been listening to bands like The Killers. Snow Patrol already seemed to take their listeners by surprise with their more crunchy, somewhat hard-rock influenced songs like "Hands Open" and "Take Back the City", but "Called Out In the Dark" adds a whole new dimension to the band that I don't think any of their fans (including me) would have ever expected - new wave!!
"Go Outside" by The Cults: Not to be confused with the similarly named '80s hard rock/proto-grunge band, The Cult. The Cults are pretty much the opposite of that, actually, with the cutesy, almost childlike, irresistibly charming sound of their first big song, "Go Outside", which has already gained attention through TV commercials! Even the lyrics of the chorus ("I-I-ee-yi really wanna go outside") sound like they could be part of a children's song, in terms of both the naivete of the lyrics and the sweet, innocent sound of the song itself. With all the various indie bands that have made guest appearances on the children's show "Yo Gabba Gabba", The Cults seem like they would make the PERFECT guests! (At least with the impression they have left me with this song). Highly recommend this one, as I'm a total sucker for indie songs with an innocent sound like this one!!
"In Our Own Time" by Lindsey Buckingham: Is it just me, or do I sense a Fleetwood Mac reunion coming soon?! Fleetwood Mac's leading lady Stevie Nicks released a new CD earlier this year, and now, in the second half of 2011, their guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has released HIS latest CD!! Where Stevie got off on her soothingly seductive charm for her latest batch of tunes, Lindsey's vehicle for attention is clearly his guitar!! "In Our Own Time" showcases some of the finest work on the instrument Lindsey has ever done, and almost comes off as the Eddie Van Halen of the acoustic guitar, what with his mastery at both speed and his ability to lift his fingers on and off the guitar (and back again) in such a stunningly quick manner!! Fleetwood Mac might have been a "soft rock" band, but that shouldn't prevent people from seeing what a genius at guitar playing Lindsey is!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
new songs for August 17th, 2011
here they are:
"Do to Me" by Trombone Shorty: From start to finish, "Do to Me" is such a darn catchy song!! The feel-good New Orleans jazz of Trombone Shorty's sax player, combined with the juicy riffs of British classic rock guitar legend Jeff Beck go together remarkably well! There are only four chords throughout the entire song (including the F chord used towards the end of the song), but the rhythm, sax solos, and guitar solos make it so that it pretty much doesn't matter how many times the chords in this song are repeated. I highly recommend this song to fans of feel-good...well...anything, be it rock 'n' roll, jazz, blues, or R & B (as this song manages to combine all four effortlessly!!)
"Don't Give Up On Me Now" by Ben Harper: Once again, Ben Harper embraces his inner classic rock fan on his latest song, "Don't Give Up On Me Now". Unlike the usual Hendrix/Zeppelin type influences that pop up on his material with The Relentless 7, "Don't Give Up On Me Now" emphasizes more of a "roots-rock" flavor that one might picture Neil Young, Tom Petty, or John Mellencamp to use. It's not as though Ben does not do a good job at emulating his influences in this song, though, since he not only pulls off the typical instrumentation/distortion of a Neil Young type song in "Don't Give Up On Me Now", but also throws in the earnestness and strength of the typical Young (or Petty/Mellencamp) tune. Looking forward to knowing just how far Ben will go to show off his inner rock star next time around!!
"How Come You Never Go There?" by Feist: Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated song of the week is this one, from Canadian indie songbird Feist, best known for the deceptively childlike "1, 2, 3, 4". It's been four years since Feist last released something, so I was very excited to find out what her latest song, "How Come You Never Go There?" would sound! One of the best things about Feist is that you never know HOW she's gonna sound with every song she releases! She's done pretty much everything, from folk-y jazz ("Mushaboom"), electro-doo-wop ("Secret Heart"), icy cold alternative disco ("One Evening"), folk-pop ("1, 2, 3, 4"), dark alternative piano-rock ("My Moon, My Man"), and folk-rock ("I Feel It All"). "How Come You Never Go There?" could be considered a combination of quite a few of the (sub)genres I've already mentioned! It sounds a bit like a Fiona Apple song, but with more jazz piano (and rock guitar). Feist is as eclectic as ever here, and I don't think I could be more ecstatic about it right now!!
"Starlight" by Rachael Yamagata: Though Rachael Yamagata's work might not be the sunniest and happiest sort of music (except maybe "Be Be Your Love"), she has (so far) never gotten as dark (or rockin') as she has with "Starlight"! Copping a similar guitar riff to the main bass riff of The Zombies' "Time of the Season", "Starlight" takes on a mood that seems simultaneously angst-y and seductive, so much so, that I could easily imagine it being advertised on a promo for some show on HBO (even though I don't actually watch that station). The moody shift between A minor in the verses and the F and C chords in the chorus might also draw some comparisons of "Starlight" to Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon", which uses the same chords during (relatively) the same times in the song. To distinguish "Starlight" from both The Zombies and Fleetwood Mac, Rachael adds in a B flat in between the verses and chorus that neither of the songs I mentioned use. That being said, "Starlight" might just be the song that will get more rock 'n' roll fans interested in Rachael's music. What can I say, I can't say that would be a bad thing, that's for sure!!
"Wonder Why" by Vetiver: Got around a little late to reviewing this one, I realize, but at least my reviewing this song for this week will make my latest blog post end on a good note! "Wonder Why" is such a great song!! The melodic, power-pop-y feel of this song brings to mind a lot of the great "B bands" (i.e. The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Byrds, Big Star, etc.) of the '60s and '70s! It is so catchy, optimistic, and upbeat, that it's hard to believe Vetiver started out as a band that was more along the lines of the somber, decadent folk-rock of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. To add to "Wonder Why"'s already nostalgic sound is an even MORE nostalgic music video, with talking houses singing along to the song!! (which can be viewed here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmpAXq7sq8s) So many great new releases/reviews for the week, but this one just might be my fave!! And on a final note, yes, I tagged "silly music videos with singing puppets" for this week's blog because of the video for this song, even though there's not actually puppets in the video (I figured singing houses done with what was probably computer animation was close enough!)
"Do to Me" by Trombone Shorty: From start to finish, "Do to Me" is such a darn catchy song!! The feel-good New Orleans jazz of Trombone Shorty's sax player, combined with the juicy riffs of British classic rock guitar legend Jeff Beck go together remarkably well! There are only four chords throughout the entire song (including the F chord used towards the end of the song), but the rhythm, sax solos, and guitar solos make it so that it pretty much doesn't matter how many times the chords in this song are repeated. I highly recommend this song to fans of feel-good...well...anything, be it rock 'n' roll, jazz, blues, or R & B (as this song manages to combine all four effortlessly!!)
"Don't Give Up On Me Now" by Ben Harper: Once again, Ben Harper embraces his inner classic rock fan on his latest song, "Don't Give Up On Me Now". Unlike the usual Hendrix/Zeppelin type influences that pop up on his material with The Relentless 7, "Don't Give Up On Me Now" emphasizes more of a "roots-rock" flavor that one might picture Neil Young, Tom Petty, or John Mellencamp to use. It's not as though Ben does not do a good job at emulating his influences in this song, though, since he not only pulls off the typical instrumentation/distortion of a Neil Young type song in "Don't Give Up On Me Now", but also throws in the earnestness and strength of the typical Young (or Petty/Mellencamp) tune. Looking forward to knowing just how far Ben will go to show off his inner rock star next time around!!
"How Come You Never Go There?" by Feist: Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated song of the week is this one, from Canadian indie songbird Feist, best known for the deceptively childlike "1, 2, 3, 4". It's been four years since Feist last released something, so I was very excited to find out what her latest song, "How Come You Never Go There?" would sound! One of the best things about Feist is that you never know HOW she's gonna sound with every song she releases! She's done pretty much everything, from folk-y jazz ("Mushaboom"), electro-doo-wop ("Secret Heart"), icy cold alternative disco ("One Evening"), folk-pop ("1, 2, 3, 4"), dark alternative piano-rock ("My Moon, My Man"), and folk-rock ("I Feel It All"). "How Come You Never Go There?" could be considered a combination of quite a few of the (sub)genres I've already mentioned! It sounds a bit like a Fiona Apple song, but with more jazz piano (and rock guitar). Feist is as eclectic as ever here, and I don't think I could be more ecstatic about it right now!!
"Starlight" by Rachael Yamagata: Though Rachael Yamagata's work might not be the sunniest and happiest sort of music (except maybe "Be Be Your Love"), she has (so far) never gotten as dark (or rockin') as she has with "Starlight"! Copping a similar guitar riff to the main bass riff of The Zombies' "Time of the Season", "Starlight" takes on a mood that seems simultaneously angst-y and seductive, so much so, that I could easily imagine it being advertised on a promo for some show on HBO (even though I don't actually watch that station). The moody shift between A minor in the verses and the F and C chords in the chorus might also draw some comparisons of "Starlight" to Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon", which uses the same chords during (relatively) the same times in the song. To distinguish "Starlight" from both The Zombies and Fleetwood Mac, Rachael adds in a B flat in between the verses and chorus that neither of the songs I mentioned use. That being said, "Starlight" might just be the song that will get more rock 'n' roll fans interested in Rachael's music. What can I say, I can't say that would be a bad thing, that's for sure!!
"Wonder Why" by Vetiver: Got around a little late to reviewing this one, I realize, but at least my reviewing this song for this week will make my latest blog post end on a good note! "Wonder Why" is such a great song!! The melodic, power-pop-y feel of this song brings to mind a lot of the great "B bands" (i.e. The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Byrds, Big Star, etc.) of the '60s and '70s! It is so catchy, optimistic, and upbeat, that it's hard to believe Vetiver started out as a band that was more along the lines of the somber, decadent folk-rock of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. To add to "Wonder Why"'s already nostalgic sound is an even MORE nostalgic music video, with talking houses singing along to the song!! (which can be viewed here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmpAXq7sq8s) So many great new releases/reviews for the week, but this one just might be my fave!! And on a final note, yes, I tagged "silly music videos with singing puppets" for this week's blog because of the video for this song, even though there's not actually puppets in the video (I figured singing houses done with what was probably computer animation was close enough!)
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
new songs for August 10th, 2011
here they are:
"Calamity Song" by The Decemberists: From the epic indie-folk band's latest couple of songs they've released, I've come to the conclusion that at least one (if not all) of the members of The Decemberists are HUGE R.E.M. fans!! "Down By the Water" had almost identical chords to R.E.M.'s "The One I Love", and in "Calamity Song", traces of quite a few early R.E.M. songs ("Catapult", "Talk About the Passion", "Gardening At Night", and "7 Chinese Brothers", to name a couple), can be heard. Interestingly, R.E.M.'s own Peter Buck plays guitar on BOTH of the aforementioned Decemberists tracks! Since this is a new song in which the lyrics are sung at a rather fast pace, I don't know if I can analyze the lyrical aspects of the song well quite yet. But the song itself is fantastic! R.E.M. is my absolute fave band, and this is a great imitation!
"Hearts On Fire" by Scars on 45: One of the very first songs of 2011, "Give Me Something", was released by Scars on 45, and has since become one of THE most successful adult alt/indie pop songs of the year!! Now, in the second half of the year, Scars have come back a second time around with "Hearts On Fire", a remarkably similar song to "Give Me Something" with its melancholy, yearning sound, acoustic guitars in the forefront, and smooth vocals. The piano in this song (and the guest female vocalist during the second verse) help to distinguish this song from Scars biggest (and previously, their only) hit. Somehow, it seems to help when melodic, moody British alt-pop bands use guitar instead of piano (the latter of which is pretty much now defined by Coldplay and Keane). In "Hearts On Fire", Scars manage to pull off the use of both instruments, and STILL make their song sound sincere enough for an audience whose taste for British alt-pop bands runs closer to Travis than it does (later) Coldplay!
"Na Na Nothing" by Mike Doughty: Na na no, this is na na not Mike Doughty's debut children's song about how "nothing" starts with the letter "N", and na na nor does it indicate that Doughty has trouble saying the word "nothing" (both comments that Doughty himself would probably appreciate given his wry, off-the-wall sense of humor). Doughty, the former lead singer for quirky '90s alt-pop band Soul Coughing, has made a surprisingly successful solo career for himself on adult alt radio ever since the mid 2000's, and deservedly so, too! Most of his solo songs have a sound that somewhat suggests what it might be like if Beck (of "Loser" fame) fronted The Dave Matthews Band. An odd sounding combination, to be sure, but Doughty manages to make it work each time, and his latest, "Na Na Nothing", is na na no exception!! It's a na na negative song lyrically, about Doughty feeling cheated in a relationship, but musically, it's very na na nice!! Chances are I'll na na never find a song quite like this one!
"Calamity Song" by The Decemberists: From the epic indie-folk band's latest couple of songs they've released, I've come to the conclusion that at least one (if not all) of the members of The Decemberists are HUGE R.E.M. fans!! "Down By the Water" had almost identical chords to R.E.M.'s "The One I Love", and in "Calamity Song", traces of quite a few early R.E.M. songs ("Catapult", "Talk About the Passion", "Gardening At Night", and "7 Chinese Brothers", to name a couple), can be heard. Interestingly, R.E.M.'s own Peter Buck plays guitar on BOTH of the aforementioned Decemberists tracks! Since this is a new song in which the lyrics are sung at a rather fast pace, I don't know if I can analyze the lyrical aspects of the song well quite yet. But the song itself is fantastic! R.E.M. is my absolute fave band, and this is a great imitation!
"Hearts On Fire" by Scars on 45: One of the very first songs of 2011, "Give Me Something", was released by Scars on 45, and has since become one of THE most successful adult alt/indie pop songs of the year!! Now, in the second half of the year, Scars have come back a second time around with "Hearts On Fire", a remarkably similar song to "Give Me Something" with its melancholy, yearning sound, acoustic guitars in the forefront, and smooth vocals. The piano in this song (and the guest female vocalist during the second verse) help to distinguish this song from Scars biggest (and previously, their only) hit. Somehow, it seems to help when melodic, moody British alt-pop bands use guitar instead of piano (the latter of which is pretty much now defined by Coldplay and Keane). In "Hearts On Fire", Scars manage to pull off the use of both instruments, and STILL make their song sound sincere enough for an audience whose taste for British alt-pop bands runs closer to Travis than it does (later) Coldplay!
"Na Na Nothing" by Mike Doughty: Na na no, this is na na not Mike Doughty's debut children's song about how "nothing" starts with the letter "N", and na na nor does it indicate that Doughty has trouble saying the word "nothing" (both comments that Doughty himself would probably appreciate given his wry, off-the-wall sense of humor). Doughty, the former lead singer for quirky '90s alt-pop band Soul Coughing, has made a surprisingly successful solo career for himself on adult alt radio ever since the mid 2000's, and deservedly so, too! Most of his solo songs have a sound that somewhat suggests what it might be like if Beck (of "Loser" fame) fronted The Dave Matthews Band. An odd sounding combination, to be sure, but Doughty manages to make it work each time, and his latest, "Na Na Nothing", is na na no exception!! It's a na na negative song lyrically, about Doughty feeling cheated in a relationship, but musically, it's very na na nice!! Chances are I'll na na never find a song quite like this one!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
brought to you by the letter "S"
Only two songs for this week, and they both start with that somber, sweet, spectacular, stupendous letter, "S" (same letter as my first name!!) So here goes:
"Sophia" by Laura Marling: Laura Marling's been a prominent member of the indie-folk scene ever since 2006, but it's only been recently that she's gotten the attention she has probably deserved for quite a while now, perhaps because of her work with other London indie-folk acts that have now become major among indie fans across the globe, such as Mumford & Sons and Noah & The Whale. "Sophia", perhaps Laura's first major song so far, reminds me of Simon and Garfunkel for a couple reasons. First off, the main riff of the song has similar notes to the chorus of "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and also, "Sophia" tends to give off a vibe that suggests something somber but still soothing and gentle to the ears. Lyrically, though, "Sophia" is a very depressing song, especially with its recurring line, "I'm wounded by dust". For some reason, though, I often view "depressing" songs as "romantic" if their melodies come across as being mellow enough, and "Sophia" is no exception!
"Stay Young, Go Dancing" by Death Cab for Cutie: Now why wasn't THIS the first single off of Death Cab's latest release, "Codes and Keys"?!? It's so much better than their first single of 2011, "You Are A Tourist" (though that song seems, so far, like it's MUCH more likely to win the title of "song of the year" for 2011!) Where "Tourist" boasted U2-style guitar riffs and an earnest but energetic sound, "Stay Young, Go Dancing" tends to have the opposite effect. Its sound is more suggestive of the "tragic folkie" sound of artists like Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, and Jeff Buckley. Oddly enough, in spite of its bittersweet, yearning sound, "Stay Young, Go Dancing" is one of the most astounding love songs (WITHOUT any "downer" lyrics) that Death Cab has ever done!! When Ben Gibbard sings, "when she sings, I hear a symphony" in this song, I can't help but think that him and I are thinking of the same girl!! (Zooey Deschanel, to whom he is married now)
"Sophia" by Laura Marling: Laura Marling's been a prominent member of the indie-folk scene ever since 2006, but it's only been recently that she's gotten the attention she has probably deserved for quite a while now, perhaps because of her work with other London indie-folk acts that have now become major among indie fans across the globe, such as Mumford & Sons and Noah & The Whale. "Sophia", perhaps Laura's first major song so far, reminds me of Simon and Garfunkel for a couple reasons. First off, the main riff of the song has similar notes to the chorus of "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and also, "Sophia" tends to give off a vibe that suggests something somber but still soothing and gentle to the ears. Lyrically, though, "Sophia" is a very depressing song, especially with its recurring line, "I'm wounded by dust". For some reason, though, I often view "depressing" songs as "romantic" if their melodies come across as being mellow enough, and "Sophia" is no exception!
"Stay Young, Go Dancing" by Death Cab for Cutie: Now why wasn't THIS the first single off of Death Cab's latest release, "Codes and Keys"?!? It's so much better than their first single of 2011, "You Are A Tourist" (though that song seems, so far, like it's MUCH more likely to win the title of "song of the year" for 2011!) Where "Tourist" boasted U2-style guitar riffs and an earnest but energetic sound, "Stay Young, Go Dancing" tends to have the opposite effect. Its sound is more suggestive of the "tragic folkie" sound of artists like Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, and Jeff Buckley. Oddly enough, in spite of its bittersweet, yearning sound, "Stay Young, Go Dancing" is one of the most astounding love songs (WITHOUT any "downer" lyrics) that Death Cab has ever done!! When Ben Gibbard sings, "when she sings, I hear a symphony" in this song, I can't help but think that him and I are thinking of the same girl!! (Zooey Deschanel, to whom he is married now)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
new songs for July 27th, 2011
here they are:
"Different" by Ximena Sariñana: I don't even know how to pronounce this gal's first name (I'm guessing "shee-MAY-nah", but it's hard to know because of the initial "X"), and she's pretty new to the music scene (in English speaking countries, at least) but I'm already in love with her!! "Different" has two different music videos (one of which is a "lyric" video), and they're BOTH really good!! The "lyric" version revolves around a puppet that looks a little like a cross between Fozzie Bear and the typical "Sesame Street" monster, whose name is "Larry Puppe". He even has his own Facebook page, as seen in the video!! (http://www.facebook.com/people/Larry-Puppe/100002175551158) The second version features only humans (sorry, no puppets this time!) and revolves around Ximena at a pool party in which most of the girls there are wearing bikinis, but Ximena wears what appear to be mostly cocktail dresses made suitable for swimming, most likely because she is trying to express her individuality (like in the lyrics of the song), regardless of how "old-fashioned" everyone else thinks they look on her. The song itself could serve as an "outsider anthem", especially with lyrics like, "keep in mind I'm not here, I'm in a different world". Great song, great videos, and a cute girl!! Could it get any better?!? The "lyric" version can be viewed here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF6wBFh3BII), and the "music video" version can be viewed here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNB2Cw5y66o&feature=channel_video_title). Enjoy!!
"Honeypot" by Bob Schneider: With only two chords (D and G) used throughout the entire song, "Honeypot" manages to be pretty memorable nonetheless! Its mellow, soothing vibes and '90s style folk-rock guitar sound easily bring to mind the earlier material of bands like Counting Crows, and the repetitive but infectious "la-la, la-la"'s at the end of the song add to the catchiness of an otherwise gentle but somewhat substance-less song. This is a good song, but for me, there will be no finer Bob Schneider moment than his indie-pop masterpiece of '09, "40 Dogs (Like Romeo And Juliet)". Kinda wish he'd release more material like that one, but in the meantime, songs like "Honeypot" aren't bad replacements.
"King of Diamonds" by Motopony: Just about everything in this song basically SCREAMS "quirky", and the band's name (which I'm guessing is pronounced "MOE-toe-poe-nee", though it could also be "MAH-toe-poe-nee) is just the tip of the iceberg here! The lyrics of the song seem to revolve around metaphors dealing with card games, its sound seems like a trip-hop/folk-rock combination that brings to mind many of the songs that Beck (the quirk-master himself) did, and even the video to the song is somewhat random, with its appearances from a Pee-Wee Herman lookalike and a man dressed in a Mickey Mouse costume wandering around the streets of Vegas. Dunno how any of this information relates to each other (other than how they are all aspects of this song), but I'm thinking that a lot of these aspects were purposely eccentric, which makes me like this song all the more!!
"Losers" by The Belle Brigade: Of all the songs that have been released so far in 2011, I don't think there has been more of an "outsider anthem" (see also "Different" by Ximena Sariñana, reviewed earlier in this article) than this song!! Even the opening lyrics ("There will always be someone better than you, even if you're the best") suggest this! Musically, this song is a melancholy neo-folk-rock tune, but lyrically, it's a rant, especially in the chorus, during which lead singer Barbara Gruska sings about how she doesn't care about being a "winner" OR a "loser", and how she rejects many aspects of "popularity" (i.e. "being the life of parties", "going out on Fridays", etc.) "Nerds", "geeks", "dorks", and any other sort of "outsiders" should take refuge in the lyrics of this song, knowing (once again) they're not the only ones out there that have felt ostracized by the "normal" crowd!!
"Up Up Up" by Givers: Well, it's official. Now, Vampire Weekend aren't the only indie band to be influenced by Latin jazz and reggae wrapped up into a contagiously sunshiny package. Newcomers The Givers are doing the exact same thing with "Up Up Up". I wouldn't call it a "ripoff" of Vampire Weekend's material, though, as the vocalists in the song definitely sound different than Ezra Koenig does, and the guitars in the song have lighter distortion than the typical VW song. It's also quite apt that "Up Up Up" was released in the summer of this year, with its tropical sound, and cheery optimistic chorus. "Up Up Up" does exactly what its title suggests it's supposed to - it makes me feel "up up up" every time I listen to it!! I officially declare this song to be the "summer jam" of 2011!!
"Different" by Ximena Sariñana: I don't even know how to pronounce this gal's first name (I'm guessing "shee-MAY-nah", but it's hard to know because of the initial "X"), and she's pretty new to the music scene (in English speaking countries, at least) but I'm already in love with her!! "Different" has two different music videos (one of which is a "lyric" video), and they're BOTH really good!! The "lyric" version revolves around a puppet that looks a little like a cross between Fozzie Bear and the typical "Sesame Street" monster, whose name is "Larry Puppe". He even has his own Facebook page, as seen in the video!! (http://www.facebook.com/people/Larry-Puppe/100002175551158) The second version features only humans (sorry, no puppets this time!) and revolves around Ximena at a pool party in which most of the girls there are wearing bikinis, but Ximena wears what appear to be mostly cocktail dresses made suitable for swimming, most likely because she is trying to express her individuality (like in the lyrics of the song), regardless of how "old-fashioned" everyone else thinks they look on her. The song itself could serve as an "outsider anthem", especially with lyrics like, "keep in mind I'm not here, I'm in a different world". Great song, great videos, and a cute girl!! Could it get any better?!? The "lyric" version can be viewed here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF6wBFh3BII), and the "music video" version can be viewed here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNB2Cw5y66o&feature=channel_video_title). Enjoy!!
"Honeypot" by Bob Schneider: With only two chords (D and G) used throughout the entire song, "Honeypot" manages to be pretty memorable nonetheless! Its mellow, soothing vibes and '90s style folk-rock guitar sound easily bring to mind the earlier material of bands like Counting Crows, and the repetitive but infectious "la-la, la-la"'s at the end of the song add to the catchiness of an otherwise gentle but somewhat substance-less song. This is a good song, but for me, there will be no finer Bob Schneider moment than his indie-pop masterpiece of '09, "40 Dogs (Like Romeo And Juliet)". Kinda wish he'd release more material like that one, but in the meantime, songs like "Honeypot" aren't bad replacements.
"King of Diamonds" by Motopony: Just about everything in this song basically SCREAMS "quirky", and the band's name (which I'm guessing is pronounced "MOE-toe-poe-nee", though it could also be "MAH-toe-poe-nee) is just the tip of the iceberg here! The lyrics of the song seem to revolve around metaphors dealing with card games, its sound seems like a trip-hop/folk-rock combination that brings to mind many of the songs that Beck (the quirk-master himself) did, and even the video to the song is somewhat random, with its appearances from a Pee-Wee Herman lookalike and a man dressed in a Mickey Mouse costume wandering around the streets of Vegas. Dunno how any of this information relates to each other (other than how they are all aspects of this song), but I'm thinking that a lot of these aspects were purposely eccentric, which makes me like this song all the more!!
"Losers" by The Belle Brigade: Of all the songs that have been released so far in 2011, I don't think there has been more of an "outsider anthem" (see also "Different" by Ximena Sariñana, reviewed earlier in this article) than this song!! Even the opening lyrics ("There will always be someone better than you, even if you're the best") suggest this! Musically, this song is a melancholy neo-folk-rock tune, but lyrically, it's a rant, especially in the chorus, during which lead singer Barbara Gruska sings about how she doesn't care about being a "winner" OR a "loser", and how she rejects many aspects of "popularity" (i.e. "being the life of parties", "going out on Fridays", etc.) "Nerds", "geeks", "dorks", and any other sort of "outsiders" should take refuge in the lyrics of this song, knowing (once again) they're not the only ones out there that have felt ostracized by the "normal" crowd!!
"Up Up Up" by Givers: Well, it's official. Now, Vampire Weekend aren't the only indie band to be influenced by Latin jazz and reggae wrapped up into a contagiously sunshiny package. Newcomers The Givers are doing the exact same thing with "Up Up Up". I wouldn't call it a "ripoff" of Vampire Weekend's material, though, as the vocalists in the song definitely sound different than Ezra Koenig does, and the guitars in the song have lighter distortion than the typical VW song. It's also quite apt that "Up Up Up" was released in the summer of this year, with its tropical sound, and cheery optimistic chorus. "Up Up Up" does exactly what its title suggests it's supposed to - it makes me feel "up up up" every time I listen to it!! I officially declare this song to be the "summer jam" of 2011!!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
new songs for July 20th, 2011
here they are:
"Junk of the Heart (Happy)" by The Kooks: I love how happy, free-spirited, and melodic The Kooks are!! That being said, when I heard they released a new song, I was pretty excited! The best part?! "Junk of the Heart (Happy)" sounds even BETTER than I expected it to sound!! In addition to the Beatles/Kinks-ish bouncy Britpop sound The Kooks typically have, there are also some Burt Bacharach-esque major 7th chords in this song that set it apart from The Kooks' other material. It's only fitting that lead singer Luke Pritchard's refrain in this song consists of the words "I wanna make you happy", because he does exactly that, and quite successfully, too!!
"Miracle Worker" by Super Heavy: What do Mick Jagger, Bob Marley's son Damian, neo-soul songstress Joss Stone, and The Eurythmics' Dave Stewart all have in common?! Well, aside from being rock 'n' roll royalty, they're also part of the aptly named supergroup, Super Heavy! Their first big song, "Miracle Worker" (which, in case any of you are wondering, is NOT about the biographical Helen Keller film of the same name), seems like it is clearly Damian's song, with its reggae beat and pulsating, syncopated guitars. Damian, Joss, and Mick all share vocals on the song, though (albeit, at different parts of it). With all that being said, this song ultimately comes out being a three-star song, despite the big names involved in it. Something just seems missing in this song! Perhaps it's that Damian just doesn't have the forceful, dynamic delivery his dad typically did, or that Mick doesn't seem to be maintaining the same amount of energy and fervor he typically had in The Stones. Well, nevertheless, "Miracle Worker" isn't a bad song, and the four people involved in its performance all seem like they tried giving it their best efforts.
"Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart" by Fountains of Wayne: I still find it fascinating how Fountains of Wayne's best known song has become the Cars-esque "Stacy's Mom". It really isn't that representative of their typical sound, which is more like The Beatles or The Kinks (see also The Kooks' "Junk of the Heart", reviewed earlier in this article). "Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart" continues in the direction of The Fountains' typical sound, which I really like! Nothing particularly special about this one, musically, but what can I say, I'm a sucker for songs with a great melody and a catchy beat, and Fountains of Wayne seem to be experts at that! Perhaps another thing they're good at is just being quirky, as evidenced by the fact that the opening lyrics to this song are, "Staring at the sun with no pants on". Makes me wonder if the pants-less one they're referring to is Adam Schlesinger (the lead singer) himself or a girl he really likes.
"The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" by Red Hot Chili Peppers: Before I get into the song itself, let me just state that I LOVE the title to this song!! It sounds like the name of a comic book series of some sort! Well, now, on with the song! The title is really better than the song itself, which seems vaguely similar to one of those half-disco/half-rock type songs The Rolling Stones did in the late '70s/early '80s. It IS a catchy song, in typical Chili Peppers fashion, but I personally think they've done better material than this one. One advantage "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" has is its seemingly random, stream-of-consciousness lyrics. I can't quite figure out what this song is about, but it almost seems like that's the point of it!
"Walk" by Foo Fighters: Of the two songs released of The Foos' latest CD, "Wasting Light", "Walk" seems like the better song so far! "Rope" just seemed too full of anger and intensity for me to fully appreciate it. "Walk", however, leans more towards the melodic side of their catalog! It's still a rocker, but more in the even-keeled, steady manner of "Learn to Fly" and "Times Like These" than the frenzied, frantic one of "All My Life" and "I'll Stick Around". The echo-y, jangly guitars in the beginning of "Walk" already indicate a more positive theme in the song. And lyrically, "learning to walk again" sound like words that can lead in a more positive direction than the more desperate, disconnected delivery of "gimme some rope I'm coming loose" (from "Rope", released earlier this year). My one complaint about this song is that sometimes Dave Grohl sounds like he's a bit TOO enthusiastic, as though he's about to scream his head off (mostly in the middle of the song), but other than that, I think this one's a winner!
"Junk of the Heart (Happy)" by The Kooks: I love how happy, free-spirited, and melodic The Kooks are!! That being said, when I heard they released a new song, I was pretty excited! The best part?! "Junk of the Heart (Happy)" sounds even BETTER than I expected it to sound!! In addition to the Beatles/Kinks-ish bouncy Britpop sound The Kooks typically have, there are also some Burt Bacharach-esque major 7th chords in this song that set it apart from The Kooks' other material. It's only fitting that lead singer Luke Pritchard's refrain in this song consists of the words "I wanna make you happy", because he does exactly that, and quite successfully, too!!
"Miracle Worker" by Super Heavy: What do Mick Jagger, Bob Marley's son Damian, neo-soul songstress Joss Stone, and The Eurythmics' Dave Stewart all have in common?! Well, aside from being rock 'n' roll royalty, they're also part of the aptly named supergroup, Super Heavy! Their first big song, "Miracle Worker" (which, in case any of you are wondering, is NOT about the biographical Helen Keller film of the same name), seems like it is clearly Damian's song, with its reggae beat and pulsating, syncopated guitars. Damian, Joss, and Mick all share vocals on the song, though (albeit, at different parts of it). With all that being said, this song ultimately comes out being a three-star song, despite the big names involved in it. Something just seems missing in this song! Perhaps it's that Damian just doesn't have the forceful, dynamic delivery his dad typically did, or that Mick doesn't seem to be maintaining the same amount of energy and fervor he typically had in The Stones. Well, nevertheless, "Miracle Worker" isn't a bad song, and the four people involved in its performance all seem like they tried giving it their best efforts.
"Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart" by Fountains of Wayne: I still find it fascinating how Fountains of Wayne's best known song has become the Cars-esque "Stacy's Mom". It really isn't that representative of their typical sound, which is more like The Beatles or The Kinks (see also The Kooks' "Junk of the Heart", reviewed earlier in this article). "Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart" continues in the direction of The Fountains' typical sound, which I really like! Nothing particularly special about this one, musically, but what can I say, I'm a sucker for songs with a great melody and a catchy beat, and Fountains of Wayne seem to be experts at that! Perhaps another thing they're good at is just being quirky, as evidenced by the fact that the opening lyrics to this song are, "Staring at the sun with no pants on". Makes me wonder if the pants-less one they're referring to is Adam Schlesinger (the lead singer) himself or a girl he really likes.
"The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" by Red Hot Chili Peppers: Before I get into the song itself, let me just state that I LOVE the title to this song!! It sounds like the name of a comic book series of some sort! Well, now, on with the song! The title is really better than the song itself, which seems vaguely similar to one of those half-disco/half-rock type songs The Rolling Stones did in the late '70s/early '80s. It IS a catchy song, in typical Chili Peppers fashion, but I personally think they've done better material than this one. One advantage "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" has is its seemingly random, stream-of-consciousness lyrics. I can't quite figure out what this song is about, but it almost seems like that's the point of it!
"Walk" by Foo Fighters: Of the two songs released of The Foos' latest CD, "Wasting Light", "Walk" seems like the better song so far! "Rope" just seemed too full of anger and intensity for me to fully appreciate it. "Walk", however, leans more towards the melodic side of their catalog! It's still a rocker, but more in the even-keeled, steady manner of "Learn to Fly" and "Times Like These" than the frenzied, frantic one of "All My Life" and "I'll Stick Around". The echo-y, jangly guitars in the beginning of "Walk" already indicate a more positive theme in the song. And lyrically, "learning to walk again" sound like words that can lead in a more positive direction than the more desperate, disconnected delivery of "gimme some rope I'm coming loose" (from "Rope", released earlier this year). My one complaint about this song is that sometimes Dave Grohl sounds like he's a bit TOO enthusiastic, as though he's about to scream his head off (mostly in the middle of the song), but other than that, I think this one's a winner!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
new songs for July 6th, 2011
here they are:
"Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Dave Stewart: Of the two leading members of The Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, of course, has been the one to have more hits (both with and without the band) and is the more recognizable of the way she looks. Now it's the lesser known member, Dave Stewart's turn to take his stab at the spotlight. And what a fantastic job he does! Stewart's INXS-ish rock and roll sound and energy he puts into "Can't Get You Out of My Head" balances out the more reflective, somber Kate Bush/Sinead O'Connor type sound Lennox typically had in her solo hits. And here I thought the only real rock song Dave put out was "Would I Lie to You?" with The Eurythmics!! "Can't Get You Out of My Head" picks up where "Would I Lie to You?" left off, and it lives up to its title too. I mean what can I say, I can't get this song out of my head!!
"Hard Lesson" by The Burned: This song's been out for about three months now, but it seems like it hasn't gotten too much attention until recently. This song is basically a one chord (E minor) vamp built around a sleek, seductive, T. Rex-y guitar groove (with the exception of the rather grungy bridge in G major), and a slightly psychedelic organ sound in the chorus. Despite the fact that "Hard Lesson" is built around a single chord (well, two chords, really, as C7 is also used, albeit in a subtle manner), it manages to deliver a catchy, memorable hook nonetheless.
"I Might" by Wilco: Wilco has pretty much never failed to amaze me, and their latest, "I Might" is certainly no exception! For starting out as a country-rock group almost 15 years ago, they sure have come a long way!! Ever since their 2003 "breakthrough" album, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", they've gone from having a roots-y earthy rock sound to a more experimental one that somehow manages to combine the whimsy of The Beatles, the "anything goes" attitude of The Velvet Underground, and the carefully crafted guitar solos of some of the earlier Steely Dan songs! "I Might" doesn't have the Steely Dan-ish element some of Wilco's material has, but it does start off with a vaguely Velvets-ish guitar hook, and throws in some shiny, cheerful psychedelic organ sounds this side of "Sgt. Pepper" shortly afterwards! Every song Wilco does has a unique flavor to it, and "I Might" only continues in this direction! Way to go Wilco!!
"She Walks In So Many Ways" by The Jayhawks: It only makes sense that a band whose sound is basically a combination of The Byrds and (the mellower material of) The Eagles would also have the name of a bird (hawk) in their name! "She Walks In So Many Ways" really emphasizes the more Byrds-y element of their music, though, with its jangly, echo-y, folk-rock-y sound and well crafted harmonies. The Jayhawks' last major album (among adult alt/indie fans, at least) came out 8 years ago, and had such wonderful songs as the bittersweet "Save It For A Rainy Day", the country-rocker "Tailspin", and the melancholy "All the Right Reasons", which were all great songs. It made me wonder if the 'Hawks were ever going to come out with anything that great again, and if so, when. "She Walks In So Many Ways" would have fit perfectly with the three aforementioned songs. It's a pleasure to listen to, and its bright sunny melodies never fail to make me smile when I hear them!!
"The Way It Goes" by Gillian Welch: Yet another long-awaited "comeback" album (or, in this case, a "breakthrough" album as well) comes from the bittersweet bluegrass songstress Gillian Welch, whose rustic sounds probably make a lot of her more familiar listeners forget she's really an L.A. native (like me!) It was none other than my own father who introduced me to Gillian's music back in my late elementary school years, and a song she did called "Caleb Meyer" had a stark, haunting enough sound that I remember it to this very day! "The Way It Goes" doesn't quite have the same mystique that surrounded "Caleb Meyer", but it does have the basic elements that make Gillian's music so appealing to folks like me. It has rather bare, simple arrangement in its instrumentation, yet it's also captivating, confessional, and distinct enough to be memorable. Frankly I'm quite surprised Gillian hasn't gotten airplay on adult alt stations with any of her other material (with the exception of L.A.'s KCSN).
"Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Dave Stewart: Of the two leading members of The Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, of course, has been the one to have more hits (both with and without the band) and is the more recognizable of the way she looks. Now it's the lesser known member, Dave Stewart's turn to take his stab at the spotlight. And what a fantastic job he does! Stewart's INXS-ish rock and roll sound and energy he puts into "Can't Get You Out of My Head" balances out the more reflective, somber Kate Bush/Sinead O'Connor type sound Lennox typically had in her solo hits. And here I thought the only real rock song Dave put out was "Would I Lie to You?" with The Eurythmics!! "Can't Get You Out of My Head" picks up where "Would I Lie to You?" left off, and it lives up to its title too. I mean what can I say, I can't get this song out of my head!!
"Hard Lesson" by The Burned: This song's been out for about three months now, but it seems like it hasn't gotten too much attention until recently. This song is basically a one chord (E minor) vamp built around a sleek, seductive, T. Rex-y guitar groove (with the exception of the rather grungy bridge in G major), and a slightly psychedelic organ sound in the chorus. Despite the fact that "Hard Lesson" is built around a single chord (well, two chords, really, as C7 is also used, albeit in a subtle manner), it manages to deliver a catchy, memorable hook nonetheless.
"I Might" by Wilco: Wilco has pretty much never failed to amaze me, and their latest, "I Might" is certainly no exception! For starting out as a country-rock group almost 15 years ago, they sure have come a long way!! Ever since their 2003 "breakthrough" album, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", they've gone from having a roots-y earthy rock sound to a more experimental one that somehow manages to combine the whimsy of The Beatles, the "anything goes" attitude of The Velvet Underground, and the carefully crafted guitar solos of some of the earlier Steely Dan songs! "I Might" doesn't have the Steely Dan-ish element some of Wilco's material has, but it does start off with a vaguely Velvets-ish guitar hook, and throws in some shiny, cheerful psychedelic organ sounds this side of "Sgt. Pepper" shortly afterwards! Every song Wilco does has a unique flavor to it, and "I Might" only continues in this direction! Way to go Wilco!!
"She Walks In So Many Ways" by The Jayhawks: It only makes sense that a band whose sound is basically a combination of The Byrds and (the mellower material of) The Eagles would also have the name of a bird (hawk) in their name! "She Walks In So Many Ways" really emphasizes the more Byrds-y element of their music, though, with its jangly, echo-y, folk-rock-y sound and well crafted harmonies. The Jayhawks' last major album (among adult alt/indie fans, at least) came out 8 years ago, and had such wonderful songs as the bittersweet "Save It For A Rainy Day", the country-rocker "Tailspin", and the melancholy "All the Right Reasons", which were all great songs. It made me wonder if the 'Hawks were ever going to come out with anything that great again, and if so, when. "She Walks In So Many Ways" would have fit perfectly with the three aforementioned songs. It's a pleasure to listen to, and its bright sunny melodies never fail to make me smile when I hear them!!
"The Way It Goes" by Gillian Welch: Yet another long-awaited "comeback" album (or, in this case, a "breakthrough" album as well) comes from the bittersweet bluegrass songstress Gillian Welch, whose rustic sounds probably make a lot of her more familiar listeners forget she's really an L.A. native (like me!) It was none other than my own father who introduced me to Gillian's music back in my late elementary school years, and a song she did called "Caleb Meyer" had a stark, haunting enough sound that I remember it to this very day! "The Way It Goes" doesn't quite have the same mystique that surrounded "Caleb Meyer", but it does have the basic elements that make Gillian's music so appealing to folks like me. It has rather bare, simple arrangement in its instrumentation, yet it's also captivating, confessional, and distinct enough to be memorable. Frankly I'm quite surprised Gillian hasn't gotten airplay on adult alt stations with any of her other material (with the exception of L.A.'s KCSN).
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