I can't resist a good ol' bad pun, what can I say?! This week's pun comes from the "light" amount of songs (only two), and how the word "phosphorescent" and the prefix "lumi-" both refer to "light" (as in light of the sun). Anyway here are today's songs. Enjoy!
"Song For Zula" by Phosphorescent: "Grey's Anatomy" has promoted quite a few adult alt songs into more popular territory, but I know few that are as beautiful (or as long) as "Song For Zula", the debut song from the band Phosphorescent. Its lush string laden sound combined with its echo-y drums recall Daniel Lanois, who was best known for producing some of the more atmospheric, poignant songs from U2. I don't know who (or what) "Zula" is, but he/she/it must have been pretty special in the band's life in order to make a song that both tugs at the heartstrings, and one that's over 6 minutes long. The length of this song is truly a rarity in 21st century music, and arguably, so is the song itself! Highly recommended!!
"Submarines" by The Lumineers: Two guys, a girl, and some of the catchiest folk-rock tunes that ever existed! That would be a good way to describe the Denver trio known as The Lumineers. "Submarines" continues the trend they have with catchy songs, but it veers in a different direction than "Ho Hey" and "Stubborn Love". Where the two aforementioned songs centered around guitars, "Submarines" centers around piano. A comparison to Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros could easily be drawn to "Submarines" because of the quasi lo-fi recording techniques the song has, combined with its sweet harmonies and unusual subject matter. The friendly sound of "Ho Hey" sounded a little like a children's song to me when I first heard it, but "Submarines" hones in that kiddie sound even more. In fact, I'd say it sounds little like another band who did a children's music influenced song about submarines that were the same color as the sun!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
New songs for March 6th, 2013
here they are:
"Bang Bang, Boom Boom" by Beth Hart: Beth debuted back in the early 2000's with the Alanis Morissette-ish "L.A. Song", but I would think that that's a song she'd rather forget about, because ever since then, she's gone in a more blues-y, jazzy direction. Her latest song, "Bang Bang, Boom Boom", takes her brand of blues-rock in a direction that is rarely touched upon in music these days. Instead of using the guitar as the dominant instrument, the piano takes center stage for "Bang Bang, Boom Boom", and it works really well in this song, too! Instead of using the piano in a delicate, fragile manner, Beth puts it to use as though it's a seductive instrument being used in a cabaret or a nightclub. The syncopation in the song is set to a marching rhythm, adding yet another element to "Bang Bang, Boom Boom" that makes it one hot firecracker of a song!
"Grace For Saints And Ramblers" by Iron and Wine: As you might expect, Iron & Wine's latest song is a folk-rock song. What you might not have expected is for that song to be a happy one instead of a sad one. "Grace For Saints And Ramblers", the most recent song from IAW, has more orchestration than most of the songs from Sam Beam's one man band. The combination of acoustic guitars with sax and violins is closer to recent indie-pop stars like Regina Spektor and Belle & Sebastian than it is to IAW's usual influences, such as the more somber, stark folk-rock of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. The lyrics are pure abstraction (for instance, "Bodies full of penny wishes, parties full of pretty dishes, side by side with the birds and bees"...Huh?!), but at least it shows that Sam Beam is more of a free spirit than his fans might like to think he is!
"Hacienda Motel" by Pickwick: Pickwick's sound is probably a bit too close to bands like Modest Mouse and Dr. Dog to be as memorable as their rhyming name, but their back story is still an interesting one! Originally their sound was closer to a neo-folk-rock type, a la Ryan Adams, Wilco, and My Morning Jacket, but they wanted to change things up a bit for themselves once they found out that pretty much everyone was trying to sound like that, so they decided to go with more of an "alternative soul" sound instead. "Hacienda Motel", the first song so far to get attention from Pickwick, was like a "bridge song" for the band, because it officially marked the point when they quit on folk-rock, and started up on the indie-pop world's answer to neo-soul. What can I say, it never hurts to try something different!
"Staying Alive" by The Whigs: Before I review this song, I'd like to issue a warning to any Bee Gees fans that might be reading this review. This song is NOT a cover of The Bee Gees' "Staying Alive", it's a completely different song!! Now that I've gotten that out of the way, on with the song. Like The Whigs' previous song, "Waiting", "Staying Alive" boasts a blues-y brand of indie rock comparable to bands like The Hold Steady and The Gaslight Anthem, both of whom can be described as a "missing link" between Bruce Springsteen and The Replacements. "Staying Alive" could be said to be even more Springsteen-ian than The Hold Steady or The Gaslight Anthem, since it has a soulful sax solo that the late Clarence Clemons would probably be proud of if he got the chance to hear it! Not exactly the longest song in the world, and nor is it too heavy on lyrics, but "Staying Alive" still manages to be the perfect combination of gritty, working class roots rock and soulful, spirited jazz-rock!
"The Stars Are Out Tonight" by David Bowie: For a rocker that has been around for nearly 4 decades now, Bowie is still making waves to this very day with his music!! As was the case with his "Where Are We Now" from January of this year, "The Stars Are Out Tonight" is the most heavily anticipated song of this week, as far as material on the adult alt charts goes!! "The Stars Are Out Tonight" has a bit more of a psychedelic influenced sound than the almost crooner-ish sound of "Where Are We Now?", but it still manages to sound like nothing I've ever heard! This song is just more proof of what a "chameleon" Bowie truly is when it comes to how many styles of rock (and popular music in general, really) he has covered. The theme of stars in the song is also interesting, as it could reflect both Bowie's lifelong fascination with outer space, or it could also mean "stars" as in "celebrities". The world may never know!!
"Bang Bang, Boom Boom" by Beth Hart: Beth debuted back in the early 2000's with the Alanis Morissette-ish "L.A. Song", but I would think that that's a song she'd rather forget about, because ever since then, she's gone in a more blues-y, jazzy direction. Her latest song, "Bang Bang, Boom Boom", takes her brand of blues-rock in a direction that is rarely touched upon in music these days. Instead of using the guitar as the dominant instrument, the piano takes center stage for "Bang Bang, Boom Boom", and it works really well in this song, too! Instead of using the piano in a delicate, fragile manner, Beth puts it to use as though it's a seductive instrument being used in a cabaret or a nightclub. The syncopation in the song is set to a marching rhythm, adding yet another element to "Bang Bang, Boom Boom" that makes it one hot firecracker of a song!
"Grace For Saints And Ramblers" by Iron and Wine: As you might expect, Iron & Wine's latest song is a folk-rock song. What you might not have expected is for that song to be a happy one instead of a sad one. "Grace For Saints And Ramblers", the most recent song from IAW, has more orchestration than most of the songs from Sam Beam's one man band. The combination of acoustic guitars with sax and violins is closer to recent indie-pop stars like Regina Spektor and Belle & Sebastian than it is to IAW's usual influences, such as the more somber, stark folk-rock of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. The lyrics are pure abstraction (for instance, "Bodies full of penny wishes, parties full of pretty dishes, side by side with the birds and bees"...Huh?!), but at least it shows that Sam Beam is more of a free spirit than his fans might like to think he is!
"Hacienda Motel" by Pickwick: Pickwick's sound is probably a bit too close to bands like Modest Mouse and Dr. Dog to be as memorable as their rhyming name, but their back story is still an interesting one! Originally their sound was closer to a neo-folk-rock type, a la Ryan Adams, Wilco, and My Morning Jacket, but they wanted to change things up a bit for themselves once they found out that pretty much everyone was trying to sound like that, so they decided to go with more of an "alternative soul" sound instead. "Hacienda Motel", the first song so far to get attention from Pickwick, was like a "bridge song" for the band, because it officially marked the point when they quit on folk-rock, and started up on the indie-pop world's answer to neo-soul. What can I say, it never hurts to try something different!
"Staying Alive" by The Whigs: Before I review this song, I'd like to issue a warning to any Bee Gees fans that might be reading this review. This song is NOT a cover of The Bee Gees' "Staying Alive", it's a completely different song!! Now that I've gotten that out of the way, on with the song. Like The Whigs' previous song, "Waiting", "Staying Alive" boasts a blues-y brand of indie rock comparable to bands like The Hold Steady and The Gaslight Anthem, both of whom can be described as a "missing link" between Bruce Springsteen and The Replacements. "Staying Alive" could be said to be even more Springsteen-ian than The Hold Steady or The Gaslight Anthem, since it has a soulful sax solo that the late Clarence Clemons would probably be proud of if he got the chance to hear it! Not exactly the longest song in the world, and nor is it too heavy on lyrics, but "Staying Alive" still manages to be the perfect combination of gritty, working class roots rock and soulful, spirited jazz-rock!
"The Stars Are Out Tonight" by David Bowie: For a rocker that has been around for nearly 4 decades now, Bowie is still making waves to this very day with his music!! As was the case with his "Where Are We Now" from January of this year, "The Stars Are Out Tonight" is the most heavily anticipated song of this week, as far as material on the adult alt charts goes!! "The Stars Are Out Tonight" has a bit more of a psychedelic influenced sound than the almost crooner-ish sound of "Where Are We Now?", but it still manages to sound like nothing I've ever heard! This song is just more proof of what a "chameleon" Bowie truly is when it comes to how many styles of rock (and popular music in general, really) he has covered. The theme of stars in the song is also interesting, as it could reflect both Bowie's lifelong fascination with outer space, or it could also mean "stars" as in "celebrities". The world may never know!!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
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.
"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.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
New songs for February 20th, 2013
here they are:
"A Tattered Line of String" - by The Postal Service: It sounds like an unusually mellow brand of techno with the vocals of Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie. Hmmmm....sounds like the same guys who sung the chill 2004 techno-rocker "Such Great Heights". Have they come out of hibernation after 9 years?! Yes!! They have!! And those are Ben Gibbard's vocals, The Postal Service was (and is) his side project. I personally think Ben is better as a folk-rocker than as a new wave revivalist, but ever since the beginning of this year, I began hearing about how The Postal Service were going to reform, and I noticed that many people were eagerly anticipating their sophomore album, and now it's finally arrived! Not a bad effort for Mr. Gibbard, but I think he should stick with either Death Cab or his solo material for next time.
"Entertainment" by Phoenix: And now, here is yet another band who launched the new wave sound into a new age! Their songs "1901" and "Lisztomania" were both instant hits, probably because the synth side and the rock side of new wave never sounded so good together since Talking Heads had their last string of hits together! The latest song from the catchy French indie pop group Phoenix, "Entertainment", is a bit less focused on the guitar than their previous songs were. The sound of the song screams out "geek-rock", as it seems like it would be the perfect theme song to a video game or anime series, perhaps because it uses a scale during the chorus that is common to Japanese music. A different kind of "entertainment" than the typical Phoenix fan might be used to, but "Entertainment" is entertaining nonetheless.
"Gotta Get Over" by Eric Clapton: Initially a part of powerhouse psychedelic blues-rock groups like The Yardbirds and Cream, there are those who criticize Clapton of "softening" or "polishing" his sound ever since the mid 1970's. The criticism is certainly valid in some ways, and indeed, he seemed to hit a low point in his career around the mid '90s, in which his sound was closer to folk and country than it was to blues, but ever since the release of his 2010 rocker, "Run Back to Your Side", Clapton has beefed up his sound so that it sounds closer to "After Midnight" than it does to a sub-par version of "Tears In Heaven". "Gotta Get Over" is another rockin', bluesy number from Eric Clapton. Not a whole lot of lyrics on "Gotta Get Over", but since the focus here is more on the electric guitar sound, the lyrical content doesn't matter as much for this song. Keep rockin' on, E.C.!!
"Just to Make Me Feel Good" by Adam Green and Binki Shapiro: The Moldy Peaches' lead singer (the one who sings the male vocals on "Anyone Else But You" from "Juno"), and the female multi-instrumentalist from indie-pop group Little Joy joining forces together could spell trouble for Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward (known together as "She & Him"). It doesn't look like Adam and Binki are going to be anywhere near as well known as Zooey and Matt, but they still make an endearing (if odd) indie-pop duo. Unlike She & Him, in which Zooey has pretty much all the vocal duties, Adam and Binki trade off vocal sections on their songs. Their first major song, "Just to Make Me Feel Good", has the breezy, feel-good sound of a 1960's pop song. There is definitely a major difference between the charming, bubbly female vocals of Binki Shapiro and the low, deadpan male vocals of Adam Green, but somehow, they manage to make it work here, and to great effect as well!
"Long Time Gone" by The Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett: Old folk meets new folk! The Civil Wars have had a couple hits now among indie and neo-folk fans, and T-Bone Burnett is known more for his production (like on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack) than his songs, but they both share a love for roots-y American folk music. Aside from The Wars' best known song, "Barton Hollow", "Long Time Gone" is probably the roots-iest, folk-iest song they've ever done! As always, Joy and John make their harmonies soar on "Long Time Gone", and T-Bone Burnett's accompaniment makes The Civil Wars sound like a band that came out of...well...the Civil War!
"Minute By Minute" by The James Hunter Six: Whoa! Did I just take a time machine to 1967 and end up in Stax Records Studios?! (The people known for producing Otis Redding's material and some of Wilson Pickett's) It sure seems like I did! It's R & B music, but definitely not what people would associate with contemporary R & B. This is the classic stuff, with raw, passionate vocals, steamy saxophones, and clean, slick organs. The most striking feature of Hunter's music? He's WHITE!! I'm not someone who considers ethnicity in music (or anything) to be a big deal, but Hunter has such close vocals to Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, etc., that I thought he was more African-American than Caucasian. I guess Hunter embraces both vintage sound and racial diversity, so I say, way to go, man!!
"Spotlight" by Leagues: A bit late in reviewing this song, I realize, since it's been out since late December, but it's only been within the last week that I've noticed an increase in the airplay of this song (perhaps because that's how recently it was featured in "Grey's Anatomy"). With its echoic guitar sound and catchy rhythm, I’m honestly surprised that “Spotlight” hasn’t been a hit in formats other than adult alternative yet! (Perhaps I’ve spoken too soon, though). Its chorus, consisting only of the phrases “I’m never gonna give you up” and “Spotlight, I’ve got a spotlight”, is short, but extremely effective in terms of getting stuck in one’s head. “Spotlight”’s pentatonic guitar solo in the middle of the song is like the cherry on top of this already delicious ice cream of a song!
“The Lightning Strike” by Snow Patrol: Snow Patrol seem to love updating their older material with new arrangements! It’s happened twice now, with the 2009 release of “An Olive Grove Facing the Sea” (originally from 2001) and the 2010 release of “Set the Fire to the Third Bar” (originally from 2006). Their third “re-release” song is “The Lightning Strike”, originally from 2008. The song adds yet another unique flavor of sound to the Irish indie pop group’s already eclectic catalog. The chord progression of the song seems more common to classical music than it is to rock and pop, and the instrumentation is incredibly orchestral for a Snow Patrol song. Another aspect that makes “The Lightning Strike” stand out among previous material from Gary Lightbody and co? It has THREE PARTS!! As far as rock music goes, I would expect a song with more than one part from, say, Rush, Pink Floyd, Yes, or Jethro Tull, but NOT Snow Patrol!! As adult alt radio stations don’t seem to typically play songs that are actually two (or more) songs in one, I think it’s safe to assume that only the first part of “The Lightning Strike” will be spun on such stations. The imagery of “perfect halos”, “silver forked skies”, and “peeling thunder” probably wouldn’t sound too out of place in a prog-rock album, actually. Who knew Snow Patrol were closet Pink Floyd fans?! I sure didn’t!!
"A Tattered Line of String" - by The Postal Service: It sounds like an unusually mellow brand of techno with the vocals of Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie. Hmmmm....sounds like the same guys who sung the chill 2004 techno-rocker "Such Great Heights". Have they come out of hibernation after 9 years?! Yes!! They have!! And those are Ben Gibbard's vocals, The Postal Service was (and is) his side project. I personally think Ben is better as a folk-rocker than as a new wave revivalist, but ever since the beginning of this year, I began hearing about how The Postal Service were going to reform, and I noticed that many people were eagerly anticipating their sophomore album, and now it's finally arrived! Not a bad effort for Mr. Gibbard, but I think he should stick with either Death Cab or his solo material for next time.
"Entertainment" by Phoenix: And now, here is yet another band who launched the new wave sound into a new age! Their songs "1901" and "Lisztomania" were both instant hits, probably because the synth side and the rock side of new wave never sounded so good together since Talking Heads had their last string of hits together! The latest song from the catchy French indie pop group Phoenix, "Entertainment", is a bit less focused on the guitar than their previous songs were. The sound of the song screams out "geek-rock", as it seems like it would be the perfect theme song to a video game or anime series, perhaps because it uses a scale during the chorus that is common to Japanese music. A different kind of "entertainment" than the typical Phoenix fan might be used to, but "Entertainment" is entertaining nonetheless.
"Gotta Get Over" by Eric Clapton: Initially a part of powerhouse psychedelic blues-rock groups like The Yardbirds and Cream, there are those who criticize Clapton of "softening" or "polishing" his sound ever since the mid 1970's. The criticism is certainly valid in some ways, and indeed, he seemed to hit a low point in his career around the mid '90s, in which his sound was closer to folk and country than it was to blues, but ever since the release of his 2010 rocker, "Run Back to Your Side", Clapton has beefed up his sound so that it sounds closer to "After Midnight" than it does to a sub-par version of "Tears In Heaven". "Gotta Get Over" is another rockin', bluesy number from Eric Clapton. Not a whole lot of lyrics on "Gotta Get Over", but since the focus here is more on the electric guitar sound, the lyrical content doesn't matter as much for this song. Keep rockin' on, E.C.!!
"Just to Make Me Feel Good" by Adam Green and Binki Shapiro: The Moldy Peaches' lead singer (the one who sings the male vocals on "Anyone Else But You" from "Juno"), and the female multi-instrumentalist from indie-pop group Little Joy joining forces together could spell trouble for Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward (known together as "She & Him"). It doesn't look like Adam and Binki are going to be anywhere near as well known as Zooey and Matt, but they still make an endearing (if odd) indie-pop duo. Unlike She & Him, in which Zooey has pretty much all the vocal duties, Adam and Binki trade off vocal sections on their songs. Their first major song, "Just to Make Me Feel Good", has the breezy, feel-good sound of a 1960's pop song. There is definitely a major difference between the charming, bubbly female vocals of Binki Shapiro and the low, deadpan male vocals of Adam Green, but somehow, they manage to make it work here, and to great effect as well!
"Long Time Gone" by The Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett: Old folk meets new folk! The Civil Wars have had a couple hits now among indie and neo-folk fans, and T-Bone Burnett is known more for his production (like on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack) than his songs, but they both share a love for roots-y American folk music. Aside from The Wars' best known song, "Barton Hollow", "Long Time Gone" is probably the roots-iest, folk-iest song they've ever done! As always, Joy and John make their harmonies soar on "Long Time Gone", and T-Bone Burnett's accompaniment makes The Civil Wars sound like a band that came out of...well...the Civil War!
"Minute By Minute" by The James Hunter Six: Whoa! Did I just take a time machine to 1967 and end up in Stax Records Studios?! (The people known for producing Otis Redding's material and some of Wilson Pickett's) It sure seems like I did! It's R & B music, but definitely not what people would associate with contemporary R & B. This is the classic stuff, with raw, passionate vocals, steamy saxophones, and clean, slick organs. The most striking feature of Hunter's music? He's WHITE!! I'm not someone who considers ethnicity in music (or anything) to be a big deal, but Hunter has such close vocals to Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, etc., that I thought he was more African-American than Caucasian. I guess Hunter embraces both vintage sound and racial diversity, so I say, way to go, man!!
"Spotlight" by Leagues: A bit late in reviewing this song, I realize, since it's been out since late December, but it's only been within the last week that I've noticed an increase in the airplay of this song (perhaps because that's how recently it was featured in "Grey's Anatomy"). With its echoic guitar sound and catchy rhythm, I’m honestly surprised that “Spotlight” hasn’t been a hit in formats other than adult alternative yet! (Perhaps I’ve spoken too soon, though). Its chorus, consisting only of the phrases “I’m never gonna give you up” and “Spotlight, I’ve got a spotlight”, is short, but extremely effective in terms of getting stuck in one’s head. “Spotlight”’s pentatonic guitar solo in the middle of the song is like the cherry on top of this already delicious ice cream of a song!
“The Lightning Strike” by Snow Patrol: Snow Patrol seem to love updating their older material with new arrangements! It’s happened twice now, with the 2009 release of “An Olive Grove Facing the Sea” (originally from 2001) and the 2010 release of “Set the Fire to the Third Bar” (originally from 2006). Their third “re-release” song is “The Lightning Strike”, originally from 2008. The song adds yet another unique flavor of sound to the Irish indie pop group’s already eclectic catalog. The chord progression of the song seems more common to classical music than it is to rock and pop, and the instrumentation is incredibly orchestral for a Snow Patrol song. Another aspect that makes “The Lightning Strike” stand out among previous material from Gary Lightbody and co? It has THREE PARTS!! As far as rock music goes, I would expect a song with more than one part from, say, Rush, Pink Floyd, Yes, or Jethro Tull, but NOT Snow Patrol!! As adult alt radio stations don’t seem to typically play songs that are actually two (or more) songs in one, I think it’s safe to assume that only the first part of “The Lightning Strike” will be spun on such stations. The imagery of “perfect halos”, “silver forked skies”, and “peeling thunder” probably wouldn’t sound too out of place in a prog-rock album, actually. Who knew Snow Patrol were closet Pink Floyd fans?! I sure didn’t!!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Songs for the day before Valentine's Day
Well, ok, so not all of these are love songs, but I'll review 'em anyway! Here goes:
"Follow the Road" by The Dunwells: With the strength of their first big hit, "I Could Be A King", I initially thought that The Dunwells were like an American version of Mumford and Sons, but now that I'm getting to know the brothers Dunwell a little better, I can see that they are much more eclectic than that! No song proves their willingness to be different more than their latest song, "Follow the Road". It even starts out kinda cool, with its vaguely sitar-ish psych-folk sound. It quickly turns into a roots-rocker of the finest quality, with a wicked guitar solo to boot! As "bluegrass-rock" has quickly become the latest, hippest trend in rock music of the 2010's, The Dunwells really put the "rock" in "bluegrass-rock", at least for "Follow the Road", and how!!
"From A Window Seat" by Dawes: One of the two most anticipated new releases of the week (along with the latest from blue-eyed soul group Fitz and The Tantrums), "From A Window Seat" by Dawes shows Taylor Goldsmith and co's ever growing fascination for the roots-y side of classic rock (perhaps this was partly influenced by the members actually MEETING Jackson Browne, and then collaborating with him shortly afterwards). It's a bit more bouncy and upbeat than the typical Dawes song, and it seems to echo both the beat and style of guitar playing from songs like "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits. Lyrically, Dawes seem to be stretching their boundaries on "From A Window Seat". Instead of waxing poetic about "judg(ing) the whole world on the sparkle that you think it lacks", or talking about someone with that "special kind of sadness", far more surreal imagery concerning "dreams of captains and explorers eating boots" (whatever THAT means!!) comes up instead. Go figure!!
"Gone Gone Gone" by Phillip Phillips: With the word "Gone" mentioned three times and the name "Phillip" mentioned twice, saying the name of this song and artist out loud seems kinda funny, but the person who is (so far) "American Idol's" sole folk-rocker is no comedian. It's honestly unbelievable to me that Phillip would have another song besides "Home" getting attention, since "Home" was in so many places in the fall of 2012 that it seemed like one of those songs that just couldn't be topped. Though "Gone Gone Gone" hasn't had near the level of success "Home" has so far, Phillip Phillips seems to know what the basic formula is for having one of his songs becoming a hit. Positive message ("I'll love you long after you're gone")? Check! Acoustic guitar in the verses and bright shiny horns in the chorus? Check! A bouncy, irresistible earworm of a song? Well, "Gone Gone Gone" is different than that. It's a bit more poignant than it is happy, but there is still plenty of charm and warm, cozy vibes to be found in "Gone Gone Gone"!
"Good Love" by Jenny O: The echo-y acoustic guitars, funky beat, and honey-sweet vocals of Jenny O's breakthrough song, "Good Love", could liken her to being like an indie Fleetwood Mac (though plenty of people have taken that title already, most notably Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley). The fact that "Good Love" uses only two chords (E minor and A minor) makes it a bit more minimalistic than Fleetwood Mac, but it still sounds like a song that came straight out of the mid-'70s for some reason. Simple though it may be, "Good Love" still has that sort of organic, earthy honesty that provides a breath of fresh air in comparison to most songs of the 2010's. Not much more to say about this song, aside from how sometimes, the easiest approach to crafting a song can also the best approach.
"Inch of Rope" by Courrier: "Inch of Rope", the second major song from British sounding alt-pop group, Courrier, seems to pick up where The Airborne Toxic Event (also listed for this week's blog) left off. Where The Airborne Toxic Event seemed to want to take more of a generic alt-pop route to music, Courrier dabble in a more honest brand of what sounds like Brit-pop (though they are actually Texans) that has become scarce in a world full of piano-based Coldplay and Keane sound-alikes. A kind of contemplation is present in Courrier's music that actually makes me feel drawn to it, and about the only bands I really find comparable to them at the moment are groups like Scars on 45 and A Silent Film (both of whom are ACTUALLY British). Courrier are a rarity in this day and age, but perhaps sometimes, good things are better when they're a rarity.
"Out of My League" by Fitz and The Tantrums: Fitz and The Tantrums first broke through in fall of 2010, with their soulful alt-pop/rock mega-hit, "MoneyGrabber", known for its Motown-esque "white soul" sound. For their latest song, the heavily anticipated "Out of My League", Fitz and co shake things up a bit by adding a bit of new wave influence, while still keeping a bit of R & B at the core of their sound. Perhaps the small but still somewhat significant trend of "new wave soul" in bands like Graffiti6 and Electric Guest was part of what made Fitz and The Tantrums want to add more of a new wave-y sound into their own music. Hall and Oates are one of Fitz and The Tantrums biggest heroes, though (they even recorded some music at Daryl Hall's house once!) and it seems like that's who FATT are trying to emulate the most on "Out of My League". Hall and Oates made a similar transition between the '70s and the '80s from being "blue-eyed soul" to being more new wave influenced, so that would make sense. Though "Out of My League" doesn't seem like it will have near the impact "MoneyGrabber" did, it's still well worth the listen!
"Roots and Vine" by Sons of Fathers: Both the name of this song and the name of this band bring to mind a sort of folks-y, 19th century America kinda vibe, don't they?! Well, that's not too far from the truth, in this case! At least in terms of the roots-y, accordion laden music, it isn't. The song itself seems to be more of a "drinking song", though, particularly during the chorus ("You're the roots and I'm the vine, together we can make the wine"). Like Courrier (reviewed earlier during this week's blog), Sons of Fathers are a Texan band. Unlike Courrier, Sons of Fathers actually SOUND Texan. Lead singer Paul Cauthen's Texan heritage are an obvious reason why "Roots and Vine" sounds the way it does. A less obvious influence on Cauthen's music, for those who are interested, is how he spent time on a chain gang when he was younger. Talk about your American history!
"Timeless" by The Airborne Toxic Event: There isn't really anything "timeless" about the way The Airborne Toxic Event's latest song sounds, as it doesn't stand a chance against "Sgt. Pepper", "Pet Sounds", and other songs/albums that truly ARE "timeless". However, there's still a good reason why the song has the title it does, and it's quite touching, really. It is because that is the way lead singer Mikel Jollett feels about his grandmother, who was recently deceased. Somehow, I feel like "Timeless" could have been a much more effectively melancholy song, but still, it deserves an A for effort, since it's the first song I know of by The Airborne Toxic Event that deals with death, and the death of someone terribly close, at that.
"Follow the Road" by The Dunwells: With the strength of their first big hit, "I Could Be A King", I initially thought that The Dunwells were like an American version of Mumford and Sons, but now that I'm getting to know the brothers Dunwell a little better, I can see that they are much more eclectic than that! No song proves their willingness to be different more than their latest song, "Follow the Road". It even starts out kinda cool, with its vaguely sitar-ish psych-folk sound. It quickly turns into a roots-rocker of the finest quality, with a wicked guitar solo to boot! As "bluegrass-rock" has quickly become the latest, hippest trend in rock music of the 2010's, The Dunwells really put the "rock" in "bluegrass-rock", at least for "Follow the Road", and how!!
"From A Window Seat" by Dawes: One of the two most anticipated new releases of the week (along with the latest from blue-eyed soul group Fitz and The Tantrums), "From A Window Seat" by Dawes shows Taylor Goldsmith and co's ever growing fascination for the roots-y side of classic rock (perhaps this was partly influenced by the members actually MEETING Jackson Browne, and then collaborating with him shortly afterwards). It's a bit more bouncy and upbeat than the typical Dawes song, and it seems to echo both the beat and style of guitar playing from songs like "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits. Lyrically, Dawes seem to be stretching their boundaries on "From A Window Seat". Instead of waxing poetic about "judg(ing) the whole world on the sparkle that you think it lacks", or talking about someone with that "special kind of sadness", far more surreal imagery concerning "dreams of captains and explorers eating boots" (whatever THAT means!!) comes up instead. Go figure!!
"Gone Gone Gone" by Phillip Phillips: With the word "Gone" mentioned three times and the name "Phillip" mentioned twice, saying the name of this song and artist out loud seems kinda funny, but the person who is (so far) "American Idol's" sole folk-rocker is no comedian. It's honestly unbelievable to me that Phillip would have another song besides "Home" getting attention, since "Home" was in so many places in the fall of 2012 that it seemed like one of those songs that just couldn't be topped. Though "Gone Gone Gone" hasn't had near the level of success "Home" has so far, Phillip Phillips seems to know what the basic formula is for having one of his songs becoming a hit. Positive message ("I'll love you long after you're gone")? Check! Acoustic guitar in the verses and bright shiny horns in the chorus? Check! A bouncy, irresistible earworm of a song? Well, "Gone Gone Gone" is different than that. It's a bit more poignant than it is happy, but there is still plenty of charm and warm, cozy vibes to be found in "Gone Gone Gone"!
"Good Love" by Jenny O: The echo-y acoustic guitars, funky beat, and honey-sweet vocals of Jenny O's breakthrough song, "Good Love", could liken her to being like an indie Fleetwood Mac (though plenty of people have taken that title already, most notably Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley). The fact that "Good Love" uses only two chords (E minor and A minor) makes it a bit more minimalistic than Fleetwood Mac, but it still sounds like a song that came straight out of the mid-'70s for some reason. Simple though it may be, "Good Love" still has that sort of organic, earthy honesty that provides a breath of fresh air in comparison to most songs of the 2010's. Not much more to say about this song, aside from how sometimes, the easiest approach to crafting a song can also the best approach.
"Inch of Rope" by Courrier: "Inch of Rope", the second major song from British sounding alt-pop group, Courrier, seems to pick up where The Airborne Toxic Event (also listed for this week's blog) left off. Where The Airborne Toxic Event seemed to want to take more of a generic alt-pop route to music, Courrier dabble in a more honest brand of what sounds like Brit-pop (though they are actually Texans) that has become scarce in a world full of piano-based Coldplay and Keane sound-alikes. A kind of contemplation is present in Courrier's music that actually makes me feel drawn to it, and about the only bands I really find comparable to them at the moment are groups like Scars on 45 and A Silent Film (both of whom are ACTUALLY British). Courrier are a rarity in this day and age, but perhaps sometimes, good things are better when they're a rarity.
"Out of My League" by Fitz and The Tantrums: Fitz and The Tantrums first broke through in fall of 2010, with their soulful alt-pop/rock mega-hit, "MoneyGrabber", known for its Motown-esque "white soul" sound. For their latest song, the heavily anticipated "Out of My League", Fitz and co shake things up a bit by adding a bit of new wave influence, while still keeping a bit of R & B at the core of their sound. Perhaps the small but still somewhat significant trend of "new wave soul" in bands like Graffiti6 and Electric Guest was part of what made Fitz and The Tantrums want to add more of a new wave-y sound into their own music. Hall and Oates are one of Fitz and The Tantrums biggest heroes, though (they even recorded some music at Daryl Hall's house once!) and it seems like that's who FATT are trying to emulate the most on "Out of My League". Hall and Oates made a similar transition between the '70s and the '80s from being "blue-eyed soul" to being more new wave influenced, so that would make sense. Though "Out of My League" doesn't seem like it will have near the impact "MoneyGrabber" did, it's still well worth the listen!
"Roots and Vine" by Sons of Fathers: Both the name of this song and the name of this band bring to mind a sort of folks-y, 19th century America kinda vibe, don't they?! Well, that's not too far from the truth, in this case! At least in terms of the roots-y, accordion laden music, it isn't. The song itself seems to be more of a "drinking song", though, particularly during the chorus ("You're the roots and I'm the vine, together we can make the wine"). Like Courrier (reviewed earlier during this week's blog), Sons of Fathers are a Texan band. Unlike Courrier, Sons of Fathers actually SOUND Texan. Lead singer Paul Cauthen's Texan heritage are an obvious reason why "Roots and Vine" sounds the way it does. A less obvious influence on Cauthen's music, for those who are interested, is how he spent time on a chain gang when he was younger. Talk about your American history!
"Timeless" by The Airborne Toxic Event: There isn't really anything "timeless" about the way The Airborne Toxic Event's latest song sounds, as it doesn't stand a chance against "Sgt. Pepper", "Pet Sounds", and other songs/albums that truly ARE "timeless". However, there's still a good reason why the song has the title it does, and it's quite touching, really. It is because that is the way lead singer Mikel Jollett feels about his grandmother, who was recently deceased. Somehow, I feel like "Timeless" could have been a much more effectively melancholy song, but still, it deserves an A for effort, since it's the first song I know of by The Airborne Toxic Event that deals with death, and the death of someone terribly close, at that.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
New songs for February 6th, 2013
here they are:
"Mixed Up Shook Up Girl" by Boz Scaggs: Known to many as a two hit wonder from the 1970's (for "Lido Shuffle" and "Lowdown") who mixed rock music with soul music, Boz Scaggs also mixed elements of other genres, such as jazz and blues, into his songs, and the influence of this clearly shows in his latest song, "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl", originally performed by eclectic new wave musician Mink DeVille. This song doesn't have the relentless, raving energy of "Lowdown" or "Lido Shuffle", but it still has a sense of energy nonetheless, albeit in a more subdued form. Scaggs might have mellowed out a bit for "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl", but it's still a catchy song, reminiscent of some of the more upbeat material from Van Morrison's catalog. Nice to know that he still knows how to make songs with a solid hook nearly 35 years after his biggest hits came out!
"Tongue Behind My Teeth" by The Staves: One of a growing number of bands that combines bluegrass instrumentation with rock rhythms, what makes The Staves stand out from the rest of 'em is the fact that they are a trio of women, where most of said bands tend to be either mixed gender bands or all men. The fact that all three of them sing in perfect harmony with each other could liken The Staves to being a female Crosby, Stills, and Nash. The Staves' debut song, "Tongue Behind My Teeth", has a bittersweet melody and is written in minor key, yet it is accompanied by a driving, foot tapping beat. The scathing lyrics of the song (i.e. "I'd hurt you if I could") belie the benign melody and vocals of it. One more thing, their name, The Staves, just sticks out in my mind, perhaps because of how rarely used the word "stave" is.
"Mixed Up Shook Up Girl" by Boz Scaggs: Known to many as a two hit wonder from the 1970's (for "Lido Shuffle" and "Lowdown") who mixed rock music with soul music, Boz Scaggs also mixed elements of other genres, such as jazz and blues, into his songs, and the influence of this clearly shows in his latest song, "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl", originally performed by eclectic new wave musician Mink DeVille. This song doesn't have the relentless, raving energy of "Lowdown" or "Lido Shuffle", but it still has a sense of energy nonetheless, albeit in a more subdued form. Scaggs might have mellowed out a bit for "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl", but it's still a catchy song, reminiscent of some of the more upbeat material from Van Morrison's catalog. Nice to know that he still knows how to make songs with a solid hook nearly 35 years after his biggest hits came out!
"Tongue Behind My Teeth" by The Staves: One of a growing number of bands that combines bluegrass instrumentation with rock rhythms, what makes The Staves stand out from the rest of 'em is the fact that they are a trio of women, where most of said bands tend to be either mixed gender bands or all men. The fact that all three of them sing in perfect harmony with each other could liken The Staves to being a female Crosby, Stills, and Nash. The Staves' debut song, "Tongue Behind My Teeth", has a bittersweet melody and is written in minor key, yet it is accompanied by a driving, foot tapping beat. The scathing lyrics of the song (i.e. "I'd hurt you if I could") belie the benign melody and vocals of it. One more thing, their name, The Staves, just sticks out in my mind, perhaps because of how rarely used the word "stave" is.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
New songs for January 30th, 2013
here they are:
"Little Numbers" by Boy: Their name might be "Boy", but they're actually two women! As for the title of their latest song, "Little Numbers", it is quite a fitting title for a song whose music video features children clapping and dancing along to the beat of the song, and the members of the band being silly and playing on a giant chalk keyboard with each other. "Little" and "numbers" are both words that bring my childhood to mind, and perhaps many childhoods (esp. the word "little"). The song's clap-along beat and sugary (but not TOO sugary) harmonies are yet another peppy aspect of it. The song itself is about a relationship, but it has no "downer" lyrics, from what I can tell. In case you are curious to know what the music video for "Little Numbers" was like, here is a link to it. Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsyjS_vJfkw
"San Francisco" by The Mowgli's: With a band name that brings to mind that kid in "The Jungle Book" who hung out with a talking bear and roamed about in red underwear, it's no surprise to me that The Mowgli's have such an upbeat, friendly sound! Like the previous song I reviewed for this week, "San Francisco" has a cute video to go with it, featuring paper cut-outs of a boy and a girl that probably wouldn't have been too out of place on an old episode of "Sesame Street". With its irresistible rhythm, insanely catchy melodies, and "doot-doo-doo doo"'s punctuating each verse of the song, "San Francisco" is the perfect song to make the kid in you come out and dance!! The music video can be viewed with the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZThM8lhg0eU
"Tightrope" by Walk the Moon: For a band who named themselves after The Police's "Walking On the Moon", Walk the Moon definitely seem to follow in their mentors' footsteps in terms of their energetic, new wave-based pop/rock sound! I don't think Sting and the boys ever created a music video like the one for "Tightrope", though! Yes, here is yet ANOTHER song for this week with a creative music video! It's what you'd probably get if you crossed the gaudy, exotic costumes from "Cats" with the quirky puppetry from "Sesame Street", and put them both out in the woods at dusk! Without the music video, "Tightrope" is a funky, danceable song as well, but the video makes the song worth listening to, in my opinion. The link can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPedH9B8AAE
"We the Common" by Thao with The Stay Down Get Down: If Bjork had a more folks-y, bluegrass flavor, she'd probably sound like Thao, one half of the indie-pop duo Thao and Mirah. Lyrically, "We the Common" sounds like a protest song, but I don't think I've ever heard a protest song sound this both this folk-y AND this funky, which makes "We the Common" quite a memorable song for my ears! "We the Common" can be summed up in the following three terms: Bjork-ish vocals, banjo, funky beats. An unlikely combination, but I say, the more unlikely, the better!
"Wild Country" by Wake Owl: This song (and the one that comes after it) for this week are probably the only two songs listed in this entry without a sense of relentless energy to them. Songs for quiet time can be quite peaceful, though, and "Wild Country" by Wake Owl can certainly be defined by words like "peaceful". "Melancholy" is a word that can describe both the mood and the lyrics of "Wild Country", with its lonesome vocals, sighing violins, and lovelorn, sorrowful words like, "Never gonna chase something, it's a total waste running". "Wild Country" is anything BUT "wild". It's a song that's as precious as it is fragile, and one that I hold dear to my heart!
"You Never Need Nobody" by The Lone Bellow: Having never heard of The Lone Bellow before, I decided to look them up on a music website, which compared them to bands like Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, and The Civil Wars. I knew from this that I'd probably fall in love with their music, and I did! (Though Wake Owl are better, in my opinion). Still, "You Never Need Nobody" has a quaint, down home-y vibe to it that's hard to resist. It sounds like the kind of song you might play near a campfire right before you go to bed, or maybe one that you'd play outside on a porch of a log cabin. In any case, though, "You Never Need Nobody" is a charming song with a wistful melody, and is another great addition to the ever expanding folk-rock catalog of the 2010's!
"Little Numbers" by Boy: Their name might be "Boy", but they're actually two women! As for the title of their latest song, "Little Numbers", it is quite a fitting title for a song whose music video features children clapping and dancing along to the beat of the song, and the members of the band being silly and playing on a giant chalk keyboard with each other. "Little" and "numbers" are both words that bring my childhood to mind, and perhaps many childhoods (esp. the word "little"). The song's clap-along beat and sugary (but not TOO sugary) harmonies are yet another peppy aspect of it. The song itself is about a relationship, but it has no "downer" lyrics, from what I can tell. In case you are curious to know what the music video for "Little Numbers" was like, here is a link to it. Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsyjS_vJfkw
"San Francisco" by The Mowgli's: With a band name that brings to mind that kid in "The Jungle Book" who hung out with a talking bear and roamed about in red underwear, it's no surprise to me that The Mowgli's have such an upbeat, friendly sound! Like the previous song I reviewed for this week, "San Francisco" has a cute video to go with it, featuring paper cut-outs of a boy and a girl that probably wouldn't have been too out of place on an old episode of "Sesame Street". With its irresistible rhythm, insanely catchy melodies, and "doot-doo-doo doo"'s punctuating each verse of the song, "San Francisco" is the perfect song to make the kid in you come out and dance!! The music video can be viewed with the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZThM8lhg0eU
"Tightrope" by Walk the Moon: For a band who named themselves after The Police's "Walking On the Moon", Walk the Moon definitely seem to follow in their mentors' footsteps in terms of their energetic, new wave-based pop/rock sound! I don't think Sting and the boys ever created a music video like the one for "Tightrope", though! Yes, here is yet ANOTHER song for this week with a creative music video! It's what you'd probably get if you crossed the gaudy, exotic costumes from "Cats" with the quirky puppetry from "Sesame Street", and put them both out in the woods at dusk! Without the music video, "Tightrope" is a funky, danceable song as well, but the video makes the song worth listening to, in my opinion. The link can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPedH9B8AAE
"We the Common" by Thao with The Stay Down Get Down: If Bjork had a more folks-y, bluegrass flavor, she'd probably sound like Thao, one half of the indie-pop duo Thao and Mirah. Lyrically, "We the Common" sounds like a protest song, but I don't think I've ever heard a protest song sound this both this folk-y AND this funky, which makes "We the Common" quite a memorable song for my ears! "We the Common" can be summed up in the following three terms: Bjork-ish vocals, banjo, funky beats. An unlikely combination, but I say, the more unlikely, the better!
"Wild Country" by Wake Owl: This song (and the one that comes after it) for this week are probably the only two songs listed in this entry without a sense of relentless energy to them. Songs for quiet time can be quite peaceful, though, and "Wild Country" by Wake Owl can certainly be defined by words like "peaceful". "Melancholy" is a word that can describe both the mood and the lyrics of "Wild Country", with its lonesome vocals, sighing violins, and lovelorn, sorrowful words like, "Never gonna chase something, it's a total waste running". "Wild Country" is anything BUT "wild". It's a song that's as precious as it is fragile, and one that I hold dear to my heart!
"You Never Need Nobody" by The Lone Bellow: Having never heard of The Lone Bellow before, I decided to look them up on a music website, which compared them to bands like Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, and The Civil Wars. I knew from this that I'd probably fall in love with their music, and I did! (Though Wake Owl are better, in my opinion). Still, "You Never Need Nobody" has a quaint, down home-y vibe to it that's hard to resist. It sounds like the kind of song you might play near a campfire right before you go to bed, or maybe one that you'd play outside on a porch of a log cabin. In any case, though, "You Never Need Nobody" is a charming song with a wistful melody, and is another great addition to the ever expanding folk-rock catalog of the 2010's!
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