here they are:
"Further Away (Romance Police)" by Lissie: With "Further Away (Romance Police)", Lissie continues to make her mark as the 2010's answer to Alanis Morissette (with less nasal vocals). She rocks with reckless abandon on this song (though not as much as she did on "Shameless" from earlier this year). "Further Away" starts out as being this sort of dark but catchy pop song, and by the time the chorus kicks in, it starts sounding like the lovechild of the songs from Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" and the songs from Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill". The song centers around a love affair gone awry that only starts sounding more desperate as it goes on, with its peak in the middle of the song, when Lissie cynically wonders if "anyone loves anyone anymore".
"Gang of Rhythm" by Walk Off the Earth: Whether they're covering Gotye or harmonizing on their own tunes, Walk Off the Earth seem like a group of people who like to have fun with what they do, and so far, no song in their career illustrates that better than their latest song, "Gang of Rhythm". The song is simply about playing music and having a good time, which WOTE urge their audience to do with lyrics like, "Come on now everybody, come on now everyone!" In the second verse, WOTE claim that they "bring in the harmonies like CSNY" (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young), which makes me wonder how the folk-rock legends feel about being mentioned in a song by a group of newbie folk-rockers. After all, they sound more like The Mamas and The Papas than CSN & Y to me, for both their equal part guy/girl harmonies, and their upbeat, pop-y sound.
"Reflektor" by Arcade Fire: Arcade Fire have tried their hand at prog-rock many times, but as far as I know, this is the first time a radio single by AF has attempted to incorporate a "Floyd-ian" slip, if you will. "Reflektor" clocks in at over 7 and a half minutes, and its sprawling length and meandering melody make it seem more like an album track than a hit, but perhaps its Bowie-esque rhythm and instrumentation were enough to make the members of Arcade Fire want to release it as the first single from their new album. "Reflektor" is also the kind of song that seems like it could be performed in outer space, and AF have had more than their fair share of songs like that so far, but none as much as this song. I feel like "Reflektor" will be the song that either expands Arcade Fire's fanbase, or the song that turns their fanbase away from them (or perhaps both).
"Shine On" by Blitzen Trapper: How is it that Blitzen Trapper have the ability to sound like both a Southern rock group AND a progressive rock group within the same song?! Honestly, I have no idea, but they manage to make both (unlikely) ends meet in their most recent tune, "Shine On". It seems as though Blitzen Trapper want to challenge those who think of them as a "folk-rock" group, although two of their finest songs ("Black River Killer" and "Love the Way You Walk Away") fall under this category. Unless Lynyrd Skynyrd and Pink Floyd are your idea of "folk-rock" (which they're probably not), "Shine On" is definitely a song that deviates significantly from the material Blitzen Trapper have become known for. With its blazing electric guitars, anthemic chorus, and backing vocalists who sound like they might have been the same ones for "Sweet Home Alabama", I can't help but feel like this song belongs on a classic rock station somewhere.
"St. Croix" by Family of the Year: Steven Tyler from Aerosmith's comparison of Family of the Year to "The Mamas and The Papas on acid" seemed somewhat appropriate for Family of the Year's first big song, "Hero", which could be said to be FOTY's "California Dreamin'", since both songs are bittersweet, acoustic guitar based compositions about the yearning for something better to come along. FOTY's second big song, "St. Croix" is no "Monday Monday", though. Far from it! "St. Croix" is actually a very optimistic sounding song, both musically and lyrically. I mean, how much more friendly sounding can you get than "You bring the ocean, I'll bring the motion, together we'll make a love potion"?! Such lyrics make FOTY sound like hippies who stuck around long after the 1960's, which, as far as I'm concerned, they are. This is certainly not a bad thing, though, and it's probably the perfect song to listen to at a beach party! Too bad it came out towards the end of summer instead of the beginning.
"The Perfect Life" by Moby and Wayne Coyne: The bald headed animal rights activist, Moby, and Flaming Lips frontman, Wayne Coyne, are, undoubtedly, two of the most eccentric musicians of '90s alt-rock, so it only seems fitting that they would perform something together (I'm surprised it took them this long to think of doing a musical collaboration, personally!) What's even more bizarre than two musical bizarr-o's doing a song together, though, is the music video they made of the song!! The two musicians walk down the streets of Los Angeles in Mariachi outfits, and encounter some guy who looks like the Burger King, roller skating ghosts, and a choir of goth musicians along the way. "The Perfect Life"?! Sounds perfect to me!! The video can be viewed at http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/moby-leads-wayne-coyne-to-the-perfect-life-premiere-20130903
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
New songs for September 4th, 2013
here they are:
"Graceless" by The National: The title of this song alone indicates that it will not exactly be an uplifting one (then again, there aren't really any songs by The National that contain positive subject matter, so it's hardly surprising). It seems as though Matt Berninger is literally "losing his religion" in "Graceless", with such lines as "I figured out how to be faithless", "now I know what dying means", and "God loves everybody, don't remind me". The rhymes Matt sings for the title of the song can feel a bit strained at times (e.g. "erase this", "waste this", "weightless", "face this", etc.) but then again, perhaps the struggle for a word to rhyme with "graceless" goes in line with the weary, cumbersome feeling the song itself has to offer.
"New" by Paul McCartney: Paul McCartney's new song is "New". No, I'm not trying to sound redundant, it's just that "New" happens to be the TITLE of McCartney's latest tune. Part of the charm of this song comes from who produced it, if you ask me, and that would be Mark Ronson, who has been known for producing material for musicians like Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse. It seems as though whenever Sir Paul has hired good producers for his 21st century material, it ends up having a solid sound, like the Nigel Godrich (Radiohead's producer) produced albums he had during the mid-'00s. "New" doesn't sound a thing like Amy Winehouse or Lily Allen, though. It sounds better (at least I think it does)!! Its catchy, Beatlesque pop sound and Brian Wilson-ish harmonies make "New" sound timeless!!
"Pompeii" by Bastille: With electronica becoming an increasingly more dominant form of popular music, the arrival of "Pompeii" seems quite timely. Ordinarily, electronica doesn't impress me too much, but thankfully, "Pompeii" is laced with both smooth enough harmonies and a catchy enough melody for me to appreciate it. Perhaps what's gotten so many people hooked on the song so far, though, is its faux-Latin "day-oo day-oo, day, day-oo, day-oo" chorus, which makes it stand out from other forms of contemporary music. As a side note, "Pompeii" is a triple geographical whammy! Pompeii is in Italy, Bastille is in Canada, yet the band itself is British! Go figure!!
"Say the Words" by Satellite: These guys sound like Travis, Coldplay, The Doves, and many other "Britpop" bands, and even their accent sounds somewhat British. So why are they from America?! Oh well, that's not the point of this song, as far as I'm concerned. The main focus of "Say the Words" is to bring the more guitar based side of the Britpop sound into the 2010's. On the surface, "Say the Words" sounds like a love song, and perhaps part of it is, but the first two verses of the song seem to indicate that the song is more centered around someone who has given up all hope on his/her life. The chorus is probably encouragement that the lead singer is providing to the subject of the song in order for him/her to feel less pressure regarding his/her life.
"Graceless" by The National: The title of this song alone indicates that it will not exactly be an uplifting one (then again, there aren't really any songs by The National that contain positive subject matter, so it's hardly surprising). It seems as though Matt Berninger is literally "losing his religion" in "Graceless", with such lines as "I figured out how to be faithless", "now I know what dying means", and "God loves everybody, don't remind me". The rhymes Matt sings for the title of the song can feel a bit strained at times (e.g. "erase this", "waste this", "weightless", "face this", etc.) but then again, perhaps the struggle for a word to rhyme with "graceless" goes in line with the weary, cumbersome feeling the song itself has to offer.
"New" by Paul McCartney: Paul McCartney's new song is "New". No, I'm not trying to sound redundant, it's just that "New" happens to be the TITLE of McCartney's latest tune. Part of the charm of this song comes from who produced it, if you ask me, and that would be Mark Ronson, who has been known for producing material for musicians like Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse. It seems as though whenever Sir Paul has hired good producers for his 21st century material, it ends up having a solid sound, like the Nigel Godrich (Radiohead's producer) produced albums he had during the mid-'00s. "New" doesn't sound a thing like Amy Winehouse or Lily Allen, though. It sounds better (at least I think it does)!! Its catchy, Beatlesque pop sound and Brian Wilson-ish harmonies make "New" sound timeless!!
"Pompeii" by Bastille: With electronica becoming an increasingly more dominant form of popular music, the arrival of "Pompeii" seems quite timely. Ordinarily, electronica doesn't impress me too much, but thankfully, "Pompeii" is laced with both smooth enough harmonies and a catchy enough melody for me to appreciate it. Perhaps what's gotten so many people hooked on the song so far, though, is its faux-Latin "day-oo day-oo, day, day-oo, day-oo" chorus, which makes it stand out from other forms of contemporary music. As a side note, "Pompeii" is a triple geographical whammy! Pompeii is in Italy, Bastille is in Canada, yet the band itself is British! Go figure!!
"Say the Words" by Satellite: These guys sound like Travis, Coldplay, The Doves, and many other "Britpop" bands, and even their accent sounds somewhat British. So why are they from America?! Oh well, that's not the point of this song, as far as I'm concerned. The main focus of "Say the Words" is to bring the more guitar based side of the Britpop sound into the 2010's. On the surface, "Say the Words" sounds like a love song, and perhaps part of it is, but the first two verses of the song seem to indicate that the song is more centered around someone who has given up all hope on his/her life. The chorus is probably encouragement that the lead singer is providing to the subject of the song in order for him/her to feel less pressure regarding his/her life.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
New songs for August 28th, 2013
here they are:
"Are You Listening?" by The Kopecky Family Band: Well, ARE you listening?! 'Cause if not, you're missing out on a good one! Though not nearly as catchy as their adult alt smash hit, "Heartbeat", "Are You Listening?" reveals a more folk-y, contemplative side to The KFB. Being that the record this song came from ("Kids Raising Kids") came out in late 2012, the exchange between male and female vocals (a la Of Monsters and Men, Civil Wars, etc.) is not surprising, as it seems to have become somewhat of a trend in indie-pop/contemporary folk-rock music. The billowy, buoyant sound of "Are You Listening?" almost seems to provide a contrast to the relentless happy energy of "Heartbeat", but the diversity in their sound choices is just one more thing that makes The KFB so likable!
"Come to My Party" by Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears: The greatest James Brown imitators of the 21st century continue to bring in the funk into what is slowly becoming the middle of the 2010's! No real deep message to this song, but there doesn't need to be, really. "Come to My Party" is a song whose title pretty much explains what it is. It's a song about just having a good time! Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears bring the party straight to your ears in just a little over two and a half minutes. So there's only two things you have to remember when listening to this song. Put on your dancin' shoes, and boogie!!
"Rollin' N' Tumblin'" by North Mississippi Allstars: North Mississippi Allstars are another band who are more focused on the roots of rock 'n' roll than on what it has become. Their latest song, "Rollin' N' Tumblin'", doesn't have very many words (though the words it does have seem to be references to various parts of rock history - "drinkin' muddy water" = Muddy Waters, "I ain't gonna be your dog" = The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog", etc.) It does have a lot of instrumental parts, though, which seem to combine the dirty blues of The Black Keys and the neo-psychedelic freakouts of The White Stripes. "Rollin' N' Tumblin'" seems to basically be a song that makes rock 'n' roll come full circle, from its Robert Johnson style guitar licks to its memorably odd homage to neo-psychedelia towards the middle of it. Rock lives!! Too bad no one seems to notice.
"Sunnier Days" by Diego Garcia: Like most Diego Garcia songs, "Sunnier Days" has a breezy, tropical folk-rock sound. Unlike most of his songs, "Sunnier Days" is more upbeat. It is not an aching ballad like "You Were Never There", "All Eyes On You", or "Nothing to Hide". Instead, it's a "sunny" song, like its title suggests. At least it tries to be. The suspended chord changes during the pre-chorus of the song give "Sunnier Days" a more moody flavor that most Diego Garcia songs tend to have. Its rhythm makes the song sound more hopeful, though.
"The Way I Tend to Be" by Frank Turner: A similar case to The Kopecky Family Band (see "Are You Listening?" - also listed in this week's blog), Frank Turner had a super catchy adult alt mega-hit ("Recovery"), which has a notable contrast to his second hit so far, the more subdued, reflective, "The Way I Tend to Be". So what IS the way Frank tends to be?! Eclectic, as far as I can see it. Although every Frank Turner song I've heard is centered around acoustic guitar, he always manages to use the instrument to convey different emotions like confidence, mixed with sarcasm ("Recovery") and more anthemic moods as well ("I Still Believe"). "The Way I Tend to Be" is more of a bittersweet song, as far as I can tell. "If you remember me, you can save me from the way I tend to be", Frank sings, over a melancholy strum of acoustic guitar. I dunno about you, but I think music itself is saving Frank from the way he tends to be!
"Are You Listening?" by The Kopecky Family Band: Well, ARE you listening?! 'Cause if not, you're missing out on a good one! Though not nearly as catchy as their adult alt smash hit, "Heartbeat", "Are You Listening?" reveals a more folk-y, contemplative side to The KFB. Being that the record this song came from ("Kids Raising Kids") came out in late 2012, the exchange between male and female vocals (a la Of Monsters and Men, Civil Wars, etc.) is not surprising, as it seems to have become somewhat of a trend in indie-pop/contemporary folk-rock music. The billowy, buoyant sound of "Are You Listening?" almost seems to provide a contrast to the relentless happy energy of "Heartbeat", but the diversity in their sound choices is just one more thing that makes The KFB so likable!
"Come to My Party" by Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears: The greatest James Brown imitators of the 21st century continue to bring in the funk into what is slowly becoming the middle of the 2010's! No real deep message to this song, but there doesn't need to be, really. "Come to My Party" is a song whose title pretty much explains what it is. It's a song about just having a good time! Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears bring the party straight to your ears in just a little over two and a half minutes. So there's only two things you have to remember when listening to this song. Put on your dancin' shoes, and boogie!!
"Rollin' N' Tumblin'" by North Mississippi Allstars: North Mississippi Allstars are another band who are more focused on the roots of rock 'n' roll than on what it has become. Their latest song, "Rollin' N' Tumblin'", doesn't have very many words (though the words it does have seem to be references to various parts of rock history - "drinkin' muddy water" = Muddy Waters, "I ain't gonna be your dog" = The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog", etc.) It does have a lot of instrumental parts, though, which seem to combine the dirty blues of The Black Keys and the neo-psychedelic freakouts of The White Stripes. "Rollin' N' Tumblin'" seems to basically be a song that makes rock 'n' roll come full circle, from its Robert Johnson style guitar licks to its memorably odd homage to neo-psychedelia towards the middle of it. Rock lives!! Too bad no one seems to notice.
"Sunnier Days" by Diego Garcia: Like most Diego Garcia songs, "Sunnier Days" has a breezy, tropical folk-rock sound. Unlike most of his songs, "Sunnier Days" is more upbeat. It is not an aching ballad like "You Were Never There", "All Eyes On You", or "Nothing to Hide". Instead, it's a "sunny" song, like its title suggests. At least it tries to be. The suspended chord changes during the pre-chorus of the song give "Sunnier Days" a more moody flavor that most Diego Garcia songs tend to have. Its rhythm makes the song sound more hopeful, though.
"The Way I Tend to Be" by Frank Turner: A similar case to The Kopecky Family Band (see "Are You Listening?" - also listed in this week's blog), Frank Turner had a super catchy adult alt mega-hit ("Recovery"), which has a notable contrast to his second hit so far, the more subdued, reflective, "The Way I Tend to Be". So what IS the way Frank tends to be?! Eclectic, as far as I can see it. Although every Frank Turner song I've heard is centered around acoustic guitar, he always manages to use the instrument to convey different emotions like confidence, mixed with sarcasm ("Recovery") and more anthemic moods as well ("I Still Believe"). "The Way I Tend to Be" is more of a bittersweet song, as far as I can tell. "If you remember me, you can save me from the way I tend to be", Frank sings, over a melancholy strum of acoustic guitar. I dunno about you, but I think music itself is saving Frank from the way he tends to be!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
New songs for August 21st, 2013
here they are:
“All Things All At Once” by Tired Pony: When Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody first formed the indie rock supergroup, Tired Pony, with R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, their plaintive song, “Dead American Writers”, was an adult alt smash hit! From that point on, though, I thought it would be their only hit, as there was no other song from the album that became quite as popular (and plus, I thought Tired Pony was one of those “too good to last” groups). Turns out I was wrong. Tired Pony now has a second hit on their hands, “All Things All At Once”. It is a bittersweet song, much like “Dead American Writers” was, though the subject matter is more direct this time around. Instead of centering around deceased poets and authors, “All Things All At Once” is a song about the ever popular subject of unrequited love, a subject that Tired Pony melts into lyrical tears and makes their own!
“Fire And Brimstone” by Trombone Shorty: The title of the song may be a reference to hell, but Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews’ blues/jazz/rock song, “Fire And Brimstone”, is pure musical heaven for those who like their music to sound soulful but gritty! Andrews claims in the chorus of the song that “everything that comes out of (his) trombone” is “fire and brimstone”. Perhaps that’s just a clever excuse to come up with a memorable rhyme, but another meaning to take out of that line is how “hot” the music of Trombone Shorty is. The musical equivalent of a jalapeño pepper! Just one taste of the sound of “Fire And Brimstone” is as steamy and passionate as it is catchy!
“Hopeless Wanderer” by Mumford and Sons: Many Mumford and Sons songs have become instant hits in the 2010’s, but “Hopeless Wanderer” marks the first time (to my knowledge) that a music video by the band has become so popular! So what is it about the video to “Hopeless Wanderer” that has so many people hooked on it?! Three words – “Saturday Night Live”!! Well, kinda. SNL alumni Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte appear to be posing as half of the band members in the “Hopeless Wanderer” video. Fellow comedian Jason Bateman makes his appearance as another member of the band, and the remaining member is played by Ed Helms. There are some things to be said about the song itself, too. “Hopeless Wanderer” encapsulates just about everything that made me fall in love with the band’s sound when they debuted. Its rhythm is especially captivating, going from a waltz rhythm in the verses to a rock beat in the chorus. The harmonies of the song shine through, as though M & S were a modern-day Crosby, Stills, and Nash, with a banjo replacing the electric guitar (though Mumford and Sons come awfully close to having an electric guitar sound just before the chorus of the song). The video for the song can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rId6PKlDXeU
“Stay Young” by Okkervil River: If this is indeed a song from contemporary folk-rock group, Okkervil River, then why do I keep hearing Simple Minds instead?! Have the Texas indie group suddenly decided to do a “Breakfast Club” tribute?! Nope, they have simply decided to change direction in their sound, after all, it must get rather tiring sticking to one sound after a while. “Stay Young” contains a lot of dueling instruments. Electric guitar and synth battle for lead instrument, while sax and harmonica both vie for the position of top backing instrument. The harmonica sports yet another ‘80s rock influence, this time from U2, as it recalls the sound of “Joshua Tree” songs, such as “Trip Through Your Wires” and “Running to Stand Still”. Not the Okkervil River that any of their fans are used to, but still worth listening to nonetheless.
“The Idiot Kings” by Mike Doughty: If this songs sounds more like the eclectic, Beck-ish alt-pop from Mike Doughty’s days with Soul Coughing than it does like something from his more folk-rock focused solo career, that’s because “The Idiot Kings” is actually a Soul Coughing song that Mike has just released as a solo effort. There’s definitely more of a ‘90s dance-rock feel to “The Idiot Kings” than most of what Mike did away from Soul Coughing. The title alone to this song recalls Mike’s dry, clever sense of humor. Apparently he always wanted the song to become a hit in the same way “Circles” and “Super Bon Bon” did during the mid ‘90s, though it took nearly 15 years for “The Idiot Kings” to become noticed the way he wanted it to, and he credits part of its slow but steady trail to success to hip-hop producer, Good Goose. There’s absolutely nothing idiotic about “The Idiot Kings”, but the song does have its “king-like” qualities, in that this song RULES!!
“Wake Me Up” by Avicii: Uh-VEECH-eye?! Not quite sure how to pronounce this guy’s name, but he sure is getting his name out there with “Wake Me Up”, a song that almost seemed like it was destined to be a pop radio hit! “Wake Me Up” starts with a Mumford-esque acoustic guitar hook, but as soon as the beats are dropped about 40 seconds into the song, it just seems like your average pop song. “Mumford and Sons goes clubbin’” doesn’t seem like a very likely scenario, but Avicii has made this possible. Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, personally.
“All Things All At Once” by Tired Pony: When Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody first formed the indie rock supergroup, Tired Pony, with R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, their plaintive song, “Dead American Writers”, was an adult alt smash hit! From that point on, though, I thought it would be their only hit, as there was no other song from the album that became quite as popular (and plus, I thought Tired Pony was one of those “too good to last” groups). Turns out I was wrong. Tired Pony now has a second hit on their hands, “All Things All At Once”. It is a bittersweet song, much like “Dead American Writers” was, though the subject matter is more direct this time around. Instead of centering around deceased poets and authors, “All Things All At Once” is a song about the ever popular subject of unrequited love, a subject that Tired Pony melts into lyrical tears and makes their own!
“Fire And Brimstone” by Trombone Shorty: The title of the song may be a reference to hell, but Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews’ blues/jazz/rock song, “Fire And Brimstone”, is pure musical heaven for those who like their music to sound soulful but gritty! Andrews claims in the chorus of the song that “everything that comes out of (his) trombone” is “fire and brimstone”. Perhaps that’s just a clever excuse to come up with a memorable rhyme, but another meaning to take out of that line is how “hot” the music of Trombone Shorty is. The musical equivalent of a jalapeño pepper! Just one taste of the sound of “Fire And Brimstone” is as steamy and passionate as it is catchy!
“Hopeless Wanderer” by Mumford and Sons: Many Mumford and Sons songs have become instant hits in the 2010’s, but “Hopeless Wanderer” marks the first time (to my knowledge) that a music video by the band has become so popular! So what is it about the video to “Hopeless Wanderer” that has so many people hooked on it?! Three words – “Saturday Night Live”!! Well, kinda. SNL alumni Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte appear to be posing as half of the band members in the “Hopeless Wanderer” video. Fellow comedian Jason Bateman makes his appearance as another member of the band, and the remaining member is played by Ed Helms. There are some things to be said about the song itself, too. “Hopeless Wanderer” encapsulates just about everything that made me fall in love with the band’s sound when they debuted. Its rhythm is especially captivating, going from a waltz rhythm in the verses to a rock beat in the chorus. The harmonies of the song shine through, as though M & S were a modern-day Crosby, Stills, and Nash, with a banjo replacing the electric guitar (though Mumford and Sons come awfully close to having an electric guitar sound just before the chorus of the song). The video for the song can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rId6PKlDXeU
“Stay Young” by Okkervil River: If this is indeed a song from contemporary folk-rock group, Okkervil River, then why do I keep hearing Simple Minds instead?! Have the Texas indie group suddenly decided to do a “Breakfast Club” tribute?! Nope, they have simply decided to change direction in their sound, after all, it must get rather tiring sticking to one sound after a while. “Stay Young” contains a lot of dueling instruments. Electric guitar and synth battle for lead instrument, while sax and harmonica both vie for the position of top backing instrument. The harmonica sports yet another ‘80s rock influence, this time from U2, as it recalls the sound of “Joshua Tree” songs, such as “Trip Through Your Wires” and “Running to Stand Still”. Not the Okkervil River that any of their fans are used to, but still worth listening to nonetheless.
“The Idiot Kings” by Mike Doughty: If this songs sounds more like the eclectic, Beck-ish alt-pop from Mike Doughty’s days with Soul Coughing than it does like something from his more folk-rock focused solo career, that’s because “The Idiot Kings” is actually a Soul Coughing song that Mike has just released as a solo effort. There’s definitely more of a ‘90s dance-rock feel to “The Idiot Kings” than most of what Mike did away from Soul Coughing. The title alone to this song recalls Mike’s dry, clever sense of humor. Apparently he always wanted the song to become a hit in the same way “Circles” and “Super Bon Bon” did during the mid ‘90s, though it took nearly 15 years for “The Idiot Kings” to become noticed the way he wanted it to, and he credits part of its slow but steady trail to success to hip-hop producer, Good Goose. There’s absolutely nothing idiotic about “The Idiot Kings”, but the song does have its “king-like” qualities, in that this song RULES!!
“Wake Me Up” by Avicii: Uh-VEECH-eye?! Not quite sure how to pronounce this guy’s name, but he sure is getting his name out there with “Wake Me Up”, a song that almost seemed like it was destined to be a pop radio hit! “Wake Me Up” starts with a Mumford-esque acoustic guitar hook, but as soon as the beats are dropped about 40 seconds into the song, it just seems like your average pop song. “Mumford and Sons goes clubbin’” doesn’t seem like a very likely scenario, but Avicii has made this possible. Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, personally.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
New songs for August 14th, 2013
here they are:
"Another Is Waiting" by The Avett Brothers: Seemed like only yesterday that The Avett Brothers released a new album (though it was actually a year ago). Anyway, their latest song, "Another Is Waiting", is one that really seems to put the "rock" in "folk-rock". Part of the uniqueness of this song comes from how the instrumentation is led by a banjo (and not an acoustic guitar, as far as I can tell), but backed by an electric guitar and drums. That's right, DRUMS!! An instrument that is not typically featured on The Avetts' material, at least not prominently. Perhaps they have created a whole new subgenre with this song - "banjo rock". To accomplish all these instrumental feats in just a little over two minutes shows how amazing the band truly is to me!!
"Moving" by Travis: There's progressive rock, and there's progress-ING rock. Scottish indie-pop group, Travis, fits the latter category here. Their song "Moving" is all about...well...moving. Moving on through life, that is. Instrumentally, this song could easily be mistaken for a Radiohead or Snow Patrol song (though a lot of their material could be), but Fran Healy's distinctive vocals set Travis apart from such bands here. The recurring theme of going outside one's comfort zone becomes apparent in the ending lines of the first verse ("Home isn't where you are"), and third verse ("Home isn't where you stay"). Travis might not be "moving" from their typical sound, but they are making strides lyrically here, and that's a start!
"Shake" by The Head and The Heart: When The Head and The Heart debuted back in early 2011, their plaintive song "Lost In My Mind" won the hearts of many indie-folk fans, and the success of two more songs of theirs ("Down In the Valley" and "Ghosts") made them a household name among musically mellow twenty-somethings everywhere! So how does their newest song, "Shake", hold up in comparison?! The first few seconds of it make it sound noticeably different from most Head and The Heart songs because of the use of the electric guitar, but the piano that seems to serve as the central instrument in The Head and The Heart's music gradually makes its entrance shortly afterwards. "Shake" seems to have a similar rhythmic pattern to the band biggest hit so far, "Lost In My Mind", and perhaps The Head and The Heart purposely chose this rhythm for the song in hopes of making it another hit for them, and so far it's working! As for the use of electric guitar on the song?! Well, the band had their reasons. Though they don't mind doing folk-rock music, being likened to an "American Mumford and Sons" was not exactly what they wanted. The Head and The Heart desired to be a more musically eclectic band, and "Shake" is heading them in that direction so far!
"Sun Song" by Laura Veirs: Already, we have seen The Avett Brothers and The Head & The Heart leaning more towards the electric guitar than the acoustic for this week's reviews. Laura Veirs seems to have been the opposite. Her breakthrough song was the bubbly, neo-psychedelic pop song, "Galaxies", but every song since seems to have focused more on acoustic guitar than electric for her. Many of Laura's songs deal with an almost Neo-Paganistic view of nature and the universe, and her latest song, "Sun Song", is no exception to the rule (though the title of the song should make that obvious). This song "revolves" around the sun, so to speak, with every verse leading up to a chorus that praises how the sun makes many things possible. Neko Case also lends backing vocals to "Sun Song", which is interesting considering how defiant her song, "Man", from earlier this year was.
"Another Is Waiting" by The Avett Brothers: Seemed like only yesterday that The Avett Brothers released a new album (though it was actually a year ago). Anyway, their latest song, "Another Is Waiting", is one that really seems to put the "rock" in "folk-rock". Part of the uniqueness of this song comes from how the instrumentation is led by a banjo (and not an acoustic guitar, as far as I can tell), but backed by an electric guitar and drums. That's right, DRUMS!! An instrument that is not typically featured on The Avetts' material, at least not prominently. Perhaps they have created a whole new subgenre with this song - "banjo rock". To accomplish all these instrumental feats in just a little over two minutes shows how amazing the band truly is to me!!
"Moving" by Travis: There's progressive rock, and there's progress-ING rock. Scottish indie-pop group, Travis, fits the latter category here. Their song "Moving" is all about...well...moving. Moving on through life, that is. Instrumentally, this song could easily be mistaken for a Radiohead or Snow Patrol song (though a lot of their material could be), but Fran Healy's distinctive vocals set Travis apart from such bands here. The recurring theme of going outside one's comfort zone becomes apparent in the ending lines of the first verse ("Home isn't where you are"), and third verse ("Home isn't where you stay"). Travis might not be "moving" from their typical sound, but they are making strides lyrically here, and that's a start!
"Shake" by The Head and The Heart: When The Head and The Heart debuted back in early 2011, their plaintive song "Lost In My Mind" won the hearts of many indie-folk fans, and the success of two more songs of theirs ("Down In the Valley" and "Ghosts") made them a household name among musically mellow twenty-somethings everywhere! So how does their newest song, "Shake", hold up in comparison?! The first few seconds of it make it sound noticeably different from most Head and The Heart songs because of the use of the electric guitar, but the piano that seems to serve as the central instrument in The Head and The Heart's music gradually makes its entrance shortly afterwards. "Shake" seems to have a similar rhythmic pattern to the band biggest hit so far, "Lost In My Mind", and perhaps The Head and The Heart purposely chose this rhythm for the song in hopes of making it another hit for them, and so far it's working! As for the use of electric guitar on the song?! Well, the band had their reasons. Though they don't mind doing folk-rock music, being likened to an "American Mumford and Sons" was not exactly what they wanted. The Head and The Heart desired to be a more musically eclectic band, and "Shake" is heading them in that direction so far!
"Sun Song" by Laura Veirs: Already, we have seen The Avett Brothers and The Head & The Heart leaning more towards the electric guitar than the acoustic for this week's reviews. Laura Veirs seems to have been the opposite. Her breakthrough song was the bubbly, neo-psychedelic pop song, "Galaxies", but every song since seems to have focused more on acoustic guitar than electric for her. Many of Laura's songs deal with an almost Neo-Paganistic view of nature and the universe, and her latest song, "Sun Song", is no exception to the rule (though the title of the song should make that obvious). This song "revolves" around the sun, so to speak, with every verse leading up to a chorus that praises how the sun makes many things possible. Neko Case also lends backing vocals to "Sun Song", which is interesting considering how defiant her song, "Man", from earlier this year was.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Sizzlin' Songs for a Sizzlin' Summer!!
Interestingly, all three of the songs I'm reviewing for this week are blues-rock tunes!! (Hence the title of this week's blog). Anyway, here they are:
“Blew Up (The House)” by Jonny Lang: One of the two best known names in ‘90s blues-rock (the other being Kenny Wayne Shepherd), it seemed as though Jonny Lang took on a more pop-y sound in the ‘00s, with songs like the slow “Red Light”, and the slightly more upbeat but still pop-y “Anything’s Possible”. The messages and deliveries on the songs Jonny did in the ‘00s didn’t seem to match the powerhouse quality he had in the ‘90s. Finally, after 7 years, Mr. Lang has redeemed himself, with the barn-burnin’ blues-rocker, “Blew Up (The House)”. It looks like Jonny has rekindled the fire within his soul, and is letting it light up the hearts of blues and rock fans the world around! Rock on, Jonny!!
“Funny Little Tragedy” by Gov’t Mule: So what do you get when you mix Allman Brothers alumni with Elvis Costello?! This song!! And yes, Mr. Costello contributes a guest vocal spot on this song!! Fans of Costello’s punk-pop days from when he was with The Attractions will love the relentless energy of “Funny Little Tragedy” (as well the organ solos towards the end of the song), while fans of The Allmans can still get their kicks with the song’s blues-y guitar solos and ragged guitar distortion (though the distortion is closer to Neil Young than it is to The Allman Brothers Band). I have to say, between this song and the one that Elvis Costello did with The Roots from just a week ago, I think Elvis is doing a fantastic job at retaining his hip-ness cred, and will probably continue to do so, as long as he continues making music!!
“Somebody Else” – by JJ Grey and Mofro: JJ Grey is da man!! He is more proof that white men can, in fact, sing the blues! JJ injects plenty of good ol’ fashion soul influence into his latest song, “Somebody Else”, too, simultaneously evoking the gutsy, raw, passionate R & B of James Brown, Al Green, and Otis Redding, among others. You get twice the instrumental prowess in “Somebody Else”, which boasts both a gritty sax solo and a mean guitar solo! Nice use of the organs on this song, too, though that instrument is not as prominent. To top it all off, the song ends on a jazzy, suspenseful, “James Bond”-ish chord. Could a “Blues Brothers” revival be far behind?!
“Blew Up (The House)” by Jonny Lang: One of the two best known names in ‘90s blues-rock (the other being Kenny Wayne Shepherd), it seemed as though Jonny Lang took on a more pop-y sound in the ‘00s, with songs like the slow “Red Light”, and the slightly more upbeat but still pop-y “Anything’s Possible”. The messages and deliveries on the songs Jonny did in the ‘00s didn’t seem to match the powerhouse quality he had in the ‘90s. Finally, after 7 years, Mr. Lang has redeemed himself, with the barn-burnin’ blues-rocker, “Blew Up (The House)”. It looks like Jonny has rekindled the fire within his soul, and is letting it light up the hearts of blues and rock fans the world around! Rock on, Jonny!!
“Funny Little Tragedy” by Gov’t Mule: So what do you get when you mix Allman Brothers alumni with Elvis Costello?! This song!! And yes, Mr. Costello contributes a guest vocal spot on this song!! Fans of Costello’s punk-pop days from when he was with The Attractions will love the relentless energy of “Funny Little Tragedy” (as well the organ solos towards the end of the song), while fans of The Allmans can still get their kicks with the song’s blues-y guitar solos and ragged guitar distortion (though the distortion is closer to Neil Young than it is to The Allman Brothers Band). I have to say, between this song and the one that Elvis Costello did with The Roots from just a week ago, I think Elvis is doing a fantastic job at retaining his hip-ness cred, and will probably continue to do so, as long as he continues making music!!
“Somebody Else” – by JJ Grey and Mofro: JJ Grey is da man!! He is more proof that white men can, in fact, sing the blues! JJ injects plenty of good ol’ fashion soul influence into his latest song, “Somebody Else”, too, simultaneously evoking the gutsy, raw, passionate R & B of James Brown, Al Green, and Otis Redding, among others. You get twice the instrumental prowess in “Somebody Else”, which boasts both a gritty sax solo and a mean guitar solo! Nice use of the organs on this song, too, though that instrument is not as prominent. To top it all off, the song ends on a jazzy, suspenseful, “James Bond”-ish chord. Could a “Blues Brothers” revival be far behind?!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
New songs for July 31st, 2013
here they are:
"Better Man" by Beth Hart: Not to be confused with the Pearl Jam song of the same name, Beth Hart's "Better Man" continues in the blues-y direction that Beth has been more actively pursuing in the 2010's. Beneath its pop-y beat and uptempo piano sound beat the heart of "Better Man", which can be defined by Beth's gutsy, passionate vocals, and its electric guitar based sound that blends country, rock, and blues into one spicy, catchy musical gumbo! A sizzling ode to whoever Beth's current lover happens to be, "Better Man" is great at capturing the jubilation anyone feels when they finally find the one they want to spend the rest of their life with!
"The Dream's In the Ditch" by Deer Tick: Deer Tick are one of the more roots-y indie bands whose sound owes more to Bob Dylan and Neil Young than it does The Velvet Underground and The Beatles. As far as I can tell, though, between their 2011 song, "Main Street", and their most recent song, "The Dream's In the Ditch", one of Deer Tick's biggest influences is none other than The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen! "The Dream's In the Ditch" evokes early Springsteen, in particular, with its vaguely "Thunder Road"-ish chimes and guitars (though that colorful, tinkling piano solo in the middle is purely Deer Tick's own!) The subject matter of "The Dream's In the Ditch" is not uncommon to the roots-y side of classic rock either. It's basically a song about the ups and downs of touring on the road, not unlike Jackson Browne's "Running On Empty", or The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'". Happy trails!!
"Thirst" by City and Colour: It seems as though Canada's one man indie band, Dallas Green (or "City and Colour"), tired of the neo-folk-rock schtick about a year before it became big on alt-rock stations. He started with the folks-y "Sleeping Sickness", and has gone for a fuzzier, more rock based sound ever since (with the exception of the largely acoustic, "The Grand Optimist"). Dallas' latest song, "Thirst", continues in the more contemporary rock 'n' roll direction that he seems to want to become more known for. "Thirst" has what could be called a "White Stripes lite" distortion in its guitar sound, while the beat of the song is closer to Gary Numan's proto-synth-pop classic, "Cars". The lyrics in "Thirst" would not seem out of place for Dallas' former band, the hardcore "screamo" group, Alexisonfire (Alex is on fire), with its mentions of "fates worse than death", "an ocean of anger", and being "gracefully cursed".
"Walk Us Uptown" by Elvis Costello, featuring The Roots: For a musician, "The Three R's" are probably rock, rhythm, and rap, and this song just happens to have all three!! And you thought that the coolest connects between rock and rap ended with The Beastie Boys, and Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith's collaboration of "Walk This Way"?! Well, think again!! Rocker Elvis Costello and hip-hop group, The Roots (both of whom are quite eclectic for their respective genres), have now come together in an unlikely, but quite catchy musical teaming, in "Walk Us Uptown". The song marks a high point for both musicians, with its sleek, street-smart vibe, and its seemingly effortless combining of jazzy horns, reggae influenced rhythm guitars, the occasional use of shattering, blues influenced lead guitars, and its smooth hip-hop beat. Is it just me, or has Elvis Costello gotten hipper as he's gotten older?!
"Where We Came From" by Phillip Phillips: "American Idol"'s number one musical oddity is now up for a THIRD hit song on adult alt radio stations. If it were any other contestant on the show, I probably wouldn't care, but this is Phillip Phillips we're talking about here, who has clearly mastered the Mumford-ian way of playing acoustic guitar in songs like "Home" and "Gone Gone Gone". His third major song, "Where We Came From", doesn't have the graceful, finger-picked sound of his other two songs, instead opting for more of a half folk, half blues type sound, a la Dave Matthews (supposedly one of Phillip's biggest influences). The cello in "Where We Came From" adds a nice touch to it, too, making it distinguishable from his other material. The "precious" element in many of his songs shows up more in the lyrics than the song itself in "Where We Came From", especially given its nature related imagery (i.e. mountains, shores, moon, sun, etc.) in the chorus. Once again, Phillips has won peoples' hearts more than he has a reality show contest, and I hope he continues to do so!
"Better Man" by Beth Hart: Not to be confused with the Pearl Jam song of the same name, Beth Hart's "Better Man" continues in the blues-y direction that Beth has been more actively pursuing in the 2010's. Beneath its pop-y beat and uptempo piano sound beat the heart of "Better Man", which can be defined by Beth's gutsy, passionate vocals, and its electric guitar based sound that blends country, rock, and blues into one spicy, catchy musical gumbo! A sizzling ode to whoever Beth's current lover happens to be, "Better Man" is great at capturing the jubilation anyone feels when they finally find the one they want to spend the rest of their life with!
"The Dream's In the Ditch" by Deer Tick: Deer Tick are one of the more roots-y indie bands whose sound owes more to Bob Dylan and Neil Young than it does The Velvet Underground and The Beatles. As far as I can tell, though, between their 2011 song, "Main Street", and their most recent song, "The Dream's In the Ditch", one of Deer Tick's biggest influences is none other than The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen! "The Dream's In the Ditch" evokes early Springsteen, in particular, with its vaguely "Thunder Road"-ish chimes and guitars (though that colorful, tinkling piano solo in the middle is purely Deer Tick's own!) The subject matter of "The Dream's In the Ditch" is not uncommon to the roots-y side of classic rock either. It's basically a song about the ups and downs of touring on the road, not unlike Jackson Browne's "Running On Empty", or The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'". Happy trails!!
"Thirst" by City and Colour: It seems as though Canada's one man indie band, Dallas Green (or "City and Colour"), tired of the neo-folk-rock schtick about a year before it became big on alt-rock stations. He started with the folks-y "Sleeping Sickness", and has gone for a fuzzier, more rock based sound ever since (with the exception of the largely acoustic, "The Grand Optimist"). Dallas' latest song, "Thirst", continues in the more contemporary rock 'n' roll direction that he seems to want to become more known for. "Thirst" has what could be called a "White Stripes lite" distortion in its guitar sound, while the beat of the song is closer to Gary Numan's proto-synth-pop classic, "Cars". The lyrics in "Thirst" would not seem out of place for Dallas' former band, the hardcore "screamo" group, Alexisonfire (Alex is on fire), with its mentions of "fates worse than death", "an ocean of anger", and being "gracefully cursed".
"Walk Us Uptown" by Elvis Costello, featuring The Roots: For a musician, "The Three R's" are probably rock, rhythm, and rap, and this song just happens to have all three!! And you thought that the coolest connects between rock and rap ended with The Beastie Boys, and Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith's collaboration of "Walk This Way"?! Well, think again!! Rocker Elvis Costello and hip-hop group, The Roots (both of whom are quite eclectic for their respective genres), have now come together in an unlikely, but quite catchy musical teaming, in "Walk Us Uptown". The song marks a high point for both musicians, with its sleek, street-smart vibe, and its seemingly effortless combining of jazzy horns, reggae influenced rhythm guitars, the occasional use of shattering, blues influenced lead guitars, and its smooth hip-hop beat. Is it just me, or has Elvis Costello gotten hipper as he's gotten older?!
"Where We Came From" by Phillip Phillips: "American Idol"'s number one musical oddity is now up for a THIRD hit song on adult alt radio stations. If it were any other contestant on the show, I probably wouldn't care, but this is Phillip Phillips we're talking about here, who has clearly mastered the Mumford-ian way of playing acoustic guitar in songs like "Home" and "Gone Gone Gone". His third major song, "Where We Came From", doesn't have the graceful, finger-picked sound of his other two songs, instead opting for more of a half folk, half blues type sound, a la Dave Matthews (supposedly one of Phillip's biggest influences). The cello in "Where We Came From" adds a nice touch to it, too, making it distinguishable from his other material. The "precious" element in many of his songs shows up more in the lyrics than the song itself in "Where We Came From", especially given its nature related imagery (i.e. mountains, shores, moon, sun, etc.) in the chorus. Once again, Phillips has won peoples' hearts more than he has a reality show contest, and I hope he continues to do so!
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