here they are!
"In Sleep" by Lissie: Having a name like "Lissie" is enough to make one think that there's something unique and kinda cool about her. And there is! Her first breakthrough song, "In Sleep", she almost effortlessly combines country, folk, straight-ahead rock, and slight traces of neo-psychedelia into one song! Altogether, it sounds like an indie rock Fleetwood Mac (the guitar solo at the end reminds me a little of "Go Your Own Way", only it's about a minute and a half longer!) Lissie's cynically smoky vocals make me think that fans of Jenny Lewis (also on this week's blog), Neko Case, and other Stevie Nicks-influenced indie females would really like this song (and artist)!
"Modern Man" by Arcade Fire: As if having Eric Clapton on this week's list and countless other classic rock musicians making their big "comebacks" in 2010 wasn't enough, Arcade Fire's latest pretty much steals the main chord structure of A major and F sharp minor of John Mellencamp's "Hand to Hold On To". Arcade Fire must be making their classic rock influences want to shine out more in their latest material (as I also compared "Ready to Start" to Golden Earring's "Radar Love" as if covered by The Cure). Though "Modern Man" has enough "alternative" instrumentation to avoid being completely mistaken for Mellencamp, I can't help but notice a similarity between the two songs! Another interesting thing is that it seems like Arcade Fire are releasing singles on a MONTHLY basis off their latest album (June - "The Suburbs, July - "Ready to Start", and August - "Modern Man"). One can only wonder what Win Butler and co. have waiting for us in store in September and if it, too, is classic rock influenced!
"Run Back to Your Side" by Eric Clapton: There's an old joke that goes like, "What do Eric Clapton and coffee have in common? They both suck without the 'Cream'". While I don't entirely agree with that statement, I can certainly see why one would think such a thing - ever since Clapton's solo career took flight, he seems to have gotten "softer". In the '00s, he was a bit unpredictable. While it seemed like he wanted his blues-y side back then more than any other decade, he went about it rather strangely. "Revolution" (not to be confused with the Beatles song of the same name) was his take on reggae, he let his inner soul man shine with a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground", and his "Ride the River" with fellow blues-rocker J.J. Cale, seemed more like blues-folk than blues-rock. Thankfully, Clapton's inner blues man has finally been set free once again on "Run Back to Your Side". While it lacks the heavy intensity of Cream, it is certainly more rock-and-roll friendly than most of what he has put out in the past 20 or so years, so much so that if it weren't for Clapton's unmistakable vocals, this might be mistaken for a long lost Allman Brothers track!
"Scissor Runner" by Jenny and Johnny: I love this song already!! For one thing, Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley is in it! (along with fellow indie musician Jonathan Rice, a.k.a. "Johnny" in this side project/band) For another, I love the neo-psychedelic, melodic, folk-rock-y feel of this song! It almost hearkens back to the days of early R.E.M., Yo La Tengo, and the "mellower" side of bands like The Velvet Underground and Pavement. It's really bouncy and just plain fun, too! Favorite line in the song so far? "She ain't a princess/But she's an artist/Painting a portrait/All over my heart". Now THERE's the kind of girl I'd like to meet someday!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
rhyme time!!
This week's songs? "From Above" and "Rhythm of Love" - kinda funny how the titles rhyme (hence the title of this week's post) - so here goes!!
"From Above" by Ben Folds: Ben might have been a one-hit wonder on the Top 40 charts with "Brick" back in the mid-'90s, but on adult alt. stations, he's been played plenty of times since! Perhaps it's that irresistibly snarky combination of Elton John style melody with Elvis Costello style cynicism that makes him so likable on such stations. "From Above" is MUCH more Elvis Costello than it is Elton John, though. It sounds like a very upbeat new wave song, with a rhythm that's been used in many rock songs through the ages, from The Doors "Touch Me" to Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" The lyrics are more Costello-esque as well, telling the story of a love affair gone wrong, with Ben giving his opinion on the situation during the chorus ("It's so easy from above/You can't really see it all" - basically Ben's commentary about how relationships aren't as easy as they seem). Leave it to Ben Folds to continue to expand his horizons, both musically and lyrically!
"Rhythm of Love" by Plain White T's: This is probably going to end up being the "guilty pleasure" song of the summer for me! This song is so catchy and almost kid-friendly in a way, that it's no wonder The T's turned their biggest hit, the bittersweet "Hey There Delilah" into a "Sesame Street" song about the letter "T". Pretty much all of their hit songs after that one ("1, 2, 3, 4" among them, not to be confused with the Feist song of the same name) seem like they wouldn't be too out of place on the "For the Kids" compilations, which feature contemporary folk-pop/rock and alt/indie musicians doing children's songs, quite a few of which happen to be from "Sesame Street". "Rhythm of Love" kind of sounds a little like Jason Mraz, whom I typically can't stand, but somehow the T's have managed to make me smile with their latest little ditty! Perhaps it's because they're one of the few bands in the alt-rock universe that come off so...ummm...cute, for lack of a better term. Whether bittersweet like "Delilah", or catchy like "Rhythm of Love", their songs are still "cute" to me. And perhaps that's not such a bad thing!
"From Above" by Ben Folds: Ben might have been a one-hit wonder on the Top 40 charts with "Brick" back in the mid-'90s, but on adult alt. stations, he's been played plenty of times since! Perhaps it's that irresistibly snarky combination of Elton John style melody with Elvis Costello style cynicism that makes him so likable on such stations. "From Above" is MUCH more Elvis Costello than it is Elton John, though. It sounds like a very upbeat new wave song, with a rhythm that's been used in many rock songs through the ages, from The Doors "Touch Me" to Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" The lyrics are more Costello-esque as well, telling the story of a love affair gone wrong, with Ben giving his opinion on the situation during the chorus ("It's so easy from above/You can't really see it all" - basically Ben's commentary about how relationships aren't as easy as they seem). Leave it to Ben Folds to continue to expand his horizons, both musically and lyrically!
"Rhythm of Love" by Plain White T's: This is probably going to end up being the "guilty pleasure" song of the summer for me! This song is so catchy and almost kid-friendly in a way, that it's no wonder The T's turned their biggest hit, the bittersweet "Hey There Delilah" into a "Sesame Street" song about the letter "T". Pretty much all of their hit songs after that one ("1, 2, 3, 4" among them, not to be confused with the Feist song of the same name) seem like they wouldn't be too out of place on the "For the Kids" compilations, which feature contemporary folk-pop/rock and alt/indie musicians doing children's songs, quite a few of which happen to be from "Sesame Street". "Rhythm of Love" kind of sounds a little like Jason Mraz, whom I typically can't stand, but somehow the T's have managed to make me smile with their latest little ditty! Perhaps it's because they're one of the few bands in the alt-rock universe that come off so...ummm...cute, for lack of a better term. Whether bittersweet like "Delilah", or catchy like "Rhythm of Love", their songs are still "cute" to me. And perhaps that's not such a bad thing!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
new songs for Aug. 11th, 2010
here they are!
"Always" by Junip: Nick Drake and Damien Rice fans rejoice! Singer-songwriter extraordinaire José Gonzalez has a new band!! José has always had a knack for turning electro-pop tunes into heartbreaking folk-rock songs, such as The Knife's "Heartbeats", Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart", and Massive Attack's "Teardrop" (and in return, bands like Zero 7 have covered some of his own tunes, like "Crosses"). "Always" sounds like an attempt to mix José's signature neo-folk-rock sound with the electronic(a) acts he frequently seems to cover, with its mixture of acoustic guitars and its synthesizers backing it up. It's also the first José tune I've known to have a rhythm section (though perhaps I should have expected that, after all it is his BAND, not José by himself). Despite the newly added instruments, "Always" still manages to be as charmingly soothing as the typical José Gonzalez song!
"Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and The Machine: A bit of a late entry, considering this has been out since early 2010, but some major adult alt. stations, such as Sirius XM's the Spectrum and WRNR, have JUST started playing this, so I thought I'd review it now. Having just listened to this song, I get the impression that female indie-popsters like Cat Power and Feist might be accurate comparisons. "Dog Days" actually seems like the perfect candidate for some of the increasing amount of car commercials that feature indie songs (Phoenix's "1901" and Airborne Toxic Event's "Wishing Well", to name a few), because of its bright, bouncy melody and clap-along chorus. The mandolin-like instrument that seems to function as the central instrument of the song only adds to the cutesy-ness of it. With all that being said, Florence and The Machine have officially won my heart over with this song!
"Always" by Junip: Nick Drake and Damien Rice fans rejoice! Singer-songwriter extraordinaire José Gonzalez has a new band!! José has always had a knack for turning electro-pop tunes into heartbreaking folk-rock songs, such as The Knife's "Heartbeats", Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart", and Massive Attack's "Teardrop" (and in return, bands like Zero 7 have covered some of his own tunes, like "Crosses"). "Always" sounds like an attempt to mix José's signature neo-folk-rock sound with the electronic(a) acts he frequently seems to cover, with its mixture of acoustic guitars and its synthesizers backing it up. It's also the first José tune I've known to have a rhythm section (though perhaps I should have expected that, after all it is his BAND, not José by himself). Despite the newly added instruments, "Always" still manages to be as charmingly soothing as the typical José Gonzalez song!
"Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and The Machine: A bit of a late entry, considering this has been out since early 2010, but some major adult alt. stations, such as Sirius XM's the Spectrum and WRNR, have JUST started playing this, so I thought I'd review it now. Having just listened to this song, I get the impression that female indie-popsters like Cat Power and Feist might be accurate comparisons. "Dog Days" actually seems like the perfect candidate for some of the increasing amount of car commercials that feature indie songs (Phoenix's "1901" and Airborne Toxic Event's "Wishing Well", to name a few), because of its bright, bouncy melody and clap-along chorus. The mandolin-like instrument that seems to function as the central instrument of the song only adds to the cutesy-ness of it. With all that being said, Florence and The Machine have officially won my heart over with this song!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
I like that old time rock and roll...
No, Bob Seger did not release a new record this week, and nor am I in the mood to imitate the infamous dance scene from "Risky Business". I titled my latest entry "I like that old time rock and roll" because all three of the acts I'm reviewing this week are classic rock bands. So here goes!
"Angel Dance" by Robert Plant: It's funny that this song is a Los Lobos cover, and that Los Lobos just happen to be next in line for my reviews this week! Anyway, this song seems to be a joyous celebration of the Led Zeppelin frontman's inner folkie, which he seemed to bring out in his music quite frequently in the 2000's more than any other decade. Of course, Zeppelin have experimented with folk-rock ever since their debut, though it probably became more evident to fans of the band about a year later when they released their third album (which included "Gallows Pole", "That's the Way", and "Tangerine"). Unlike the bittersweet melancholia of "That's the Way" and "Tangerine", "Angel Dance" is a more upbeat, high-spirited romp (it's no wonder he called his backing group "Band of Joy" this time!!) Perhaps "Angel Dance" is not as memorable as the typical Zeppelin song, but it's still worth checking out!
"Burn It Down" by Los Lobos: With the "fiery" title of this song, I was expecting to hear the rockier, Santana-ish side of Los Lobos this time (as in "Mas Y Mas" and "The Road to Gila Bend"), but "Burn It Down" is, instead, a laid-back, mellow, folk-rock-y song. Perhaps the title doesn't always have to fit the song, though, as "Burn It Down" is a pretty decent song that seems like it would be most ideal to listen to sometime in the fall (more specifically, November) watching the leaves fall down from the trees. Perhaps the "autumnal" nature of this song threw me for a loop, too, as it has both a fire-related title AND it was released in August, typically the hottest time of the year for me!
"Nobody" by The Doobie Brothers: Much like the R.E.M. song I reviewed a couple weeks back, this song is also an oldie but a goodie that saw its release date later than expected...well, kind of. It was actually included on The Doobies' debut back in 1971, but no one really knew who they were back then. Many fans of The Doobies are familiar with the classic rock/adult contemporary standard "Black Water", and "Nobody" is kinda like that, only a bit faster. Both songs have that laid-back folk-rock-y feel to them, though in my opinion, "Nobody" is a bit better for its unique but catchy sound. It's pretty surprising to me that this song didn't get airplay during its initial release, but I guess the world wasn't ready for The Doobies back in '71, though it only took a year later until The Doobies and other classic rock/adult contemporary faves with a distinctly mellow California sound (i.e. The Eagles, Jackson Browne, etc.) made their "official" debut.
"Angel Dance" by Robert Plant: It's funny that this song is a Los Lobos cover, and that Los Lobos just happen to be next in line for my reviews this week! Anyway, this song seems to be a joyous celebration of the Led Zeppelin frontman's inner folkie, which he seemed to bring out in his music quite frequently in the 2000's more than any other decade. Of course, Zeppelin have experimented with folk-rock ever since their debut, though it probably became more evident to fans of the band about a year later when they released their third album (which included "Gallows Pole", "That's the Way", and "Tangerine"). Unlike the bittersweet melancholia of "That's the Way" and "Tangerine", "Angel Dance" is a more upbeat, high-spirited romp (it's no wonder he called his backing group "Band of Joy" this time!!) Perhaps "Angel Dance" is not as memorable as the typical Zeppelin song, but it's still worth checking out!
"Burn It Down" by Los Lobos: With the "fiery" title of this song, I was expecting to hear the rockier, Santana-ish side of Los Lobos this time (as in "Mas Y Mas" and "The Road to Gila Bend"), but "Burn It Down" is, instead, a laid-back, mellow, folk-rock-y song. Perhaps the title doesn't always have to fit the song, though, as "Burn It Down" is a pretty decent song that seems like it would be most ideal to listen to sometime in the fall (more specifically, November) watching the leaves fall down from the trees. Perhaps the "autumnal" nature of this song threw me for a loop, too, as it has both a fire-related title AND it was released in August, typically the hottest time of the year for me!
"Nobody" by The Doobie Brothers: Much like the R.E.M. song I reviewed a couple weeks back, this song is also an oldie but a goodie that saw its release date later than expected...well, kind of. It was actually included on The Doobies' debut back in 1971, but no one really knew who they were back then. Many fans of The Doobies are familiar with the classic rock/adult contemporary standard "Black Water", and "Nobody" is kinda like that, only a bit faster. Both songs have that laid-back folk-rock-y feel to them, though in my opinion, "Nobody" is a bit better for its unique but catchy sound. It's pretty surprising to me that this song didn't get airplay during its initial release, but I guess the world wasn't ready for The Doobies back in '71, though it only took a year later until The Doobies and other classic rock/adult contemporary faves with a distinctly mellow California sound (i.e. The Eagles, Jackson Browne, etc.) made their "official" debut.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
new songs for July 28th, 2010
here they are:
"Do You Love Me?" by Guster: Not to be confused with the early '60s R & B song by The Contours of the same name, but still a great song! It's Guster, after all, and I was pretty jazzed to hear that they were releasing a new album after FOUR YEARS!! They still have that charmingly folk-rock-y sound they started with a little over a decade ago in "Do You Love Me?", which is built around a C major chord with the third fret played on the thinner E string (see also Foo Fighters' "Big Me" and The Beatles' "Getting Better"). Guster seem to have a reputation for sunny, summery melodies, but this song seems to take the cake more than their previous works for it! I am already in love with this song, and it seems adult alt. radio is too, with its rocketing up the Triple-A charts from down in the 100's all the way up to the 30's within ONE DAY!! Here's to wishing nothing but the best for Guster in 2010!
"High In the Morning" by Tom Petty: It only seems fitting for Petty, a huge fan of both Bob Dylan and blues-ier rock like The Rolling Stones, to have a song that combines the general vibes of both artists. Specifically, the Dylan that he evokes on "High In the Morning" is similar to that of "Highway 61 Revisited" with its bluesy instrumentation coming from both electric guitars and organs. With the smoky flavor of this song and the Led Zeppelin-y stomp of "I Should Have Known It", it's no wonder Tom Petty chose to call his latest album "Mojo" (as in "Got My Mojo Workin'", a classic Muddy Waters blues tune). Rock on, Petty!
"Let Go" by Everest: The comparisons I have found to Everest tend to be to roots-rock influenced indie rockers such as Blitzen Trapper and Wilco. With "Let Go" being the first song I've heard from Everest, I don't understand these comparisons, as its sound seems to be much closer to Modest Mouse, with a slightly more neo-psychedelic bent than MM typically have. The chord structure in this song reminds me a lot of Modest Mouse's "Float On", even though that song was built around C sharp major, and "Let Go" seems to veer between E major and G sharp minor. Though "Let Go" might not be the most original indie rock song of 2010, it's certainly worth listening to!
"Do You Love Me?" by Guster: Not to be confused with the early '60s R & B song by The Contours of the same name, but still a great song! It's Guster, after all, and I was pretty jazzed to hear that they were releasing a new album after FOUR YEARS!! They still have that charmingly folk-rock-y sound they started with a little over a decade ago in "Do You Love Me?", which is built around a C major chord with the third fret played on the thinner E string (see also Foo Fighters' "Big Me" and The Beatles' "Getting Better"). Guster seem to have a reputation for sunny, summery melodies, but this song seems to take the cake more than their previous works for it! I am already in love with this song, and it seems adult alt. radio is too, with its rocketing up the Triple-A charts from down in the 100's all the way up to the 30's within ONE DAY!! Here's to wishing nothing but the best for Guster in 2010!
"High In the Morning" by Tom Petty: It only seems fitting for Petty, a huge fan of both Bob Dylan and blues-ier rock like The Rolling Stones, to have a song that combines the general vibes of both artists. Specifically, the Dylan that he evokes on "High In the Morning" is similar to that of "Highway 61 Revisited" with its bluesy instrumentation coming from both electric guitars and organs. With the smoky flavor of this song and the Led Zeppelin-y stomp of "I Should Have Known It", it's no wonder Tom Petty chose to call his latest album "Mojo" (as in "Got My Mojo Workin'", a classic Muddy Waters blues tune). Rock on, Petty!
"Let Go" by Everest: The comparisons I have found to Everest tend to be to roots-rock influenced indie rockers such as Blitzen Trapper and Wilco. With "Let Go" being the first song I've heard from Everest, I don't understand these comparisons, as its sound seems to be much closer to Modest Mouse, with a slightly more neo-psychedelic bent than MM typically have. The chord structure in this song reminds me a lot of Modest Mouse's "Float On", even though that song was built around C sharp major, and "Let Go" seems to veer between E major and G sharp minor. Though "Let Go" might not be the most original indie rock song of 2010, it's certainly worth listening to!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
I'm ba-ack!! With ANOTHER EIGHT new entries!!
not bad for returning after a two-week hiatus, eh? Here they are!
"Dirty Side Down" by Widespread Panic: Unlike the Lynyrd Skynyrd-ish "North", the title track from Widespread Panic's latest album shows a more earthy, roots-y feel to it. It almost has a Grateful Dead-ish sound to it, albeit the more folk-y side of their material. Frankly, I'm surprised adult alt. radio stations DIDN'T pick up on this one first since it has such a folk-rock-y, almost hippie-ish vibe to it, but I guess the band wanted "North" to be released as a "hit" first, since it has a more catchy, radio-friendly sound. Fans of The Grateful Dead and The Black Crowes (also reviewed this week) should enjoy this song very much!
"London Calling" by Bruce Springsteen: Before I review this one, let me just point out that it's pretty amazing how much classic rock material has been dominating adult alt. radio lately! This week there's five (Springsteen, The Black Crowes, John Mellencamp, R.E.M., and the classic rock-ish Widespread Panic). Anyway, on with the review. For most of the 2000's, The Boss put out material that I personally thought he could've done better with. A lot of seemed like contemporary folk-rock-ish material a la Dave Matthews Band, Train, Counting Crows, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with those bands (except for everything Train released AFTER their debut), but it just doesn't seem to fit Springsteen's free-spirited brand of rock and roll he's become known for. Thankfully, the hard-rockin' "Radio Nowhere" was released in Fall 2007 and revitalized his youthful energy. The Boss's cover of The Clash's classic hit from 1979 attempts to recapture that same youthful energy he had about 3 years ago with "Radio Nowhere", complete with a guitar solo that seems to rival the original! However, the original version of "London Calling" is just untouchable in my opinion. The Clash already made that one into a solid gold rocker! Though Springsteen's attempt at the song is certainly not bad, I much prefer the original!
"My Morning Song" by The Black Crowes: Unfortunately, the version of this song that's hitting adult alt. radio stations, from the Crowes' all-acoustic album, "Croweology", is something that I haven't found anywhwere yet. However, I can still review the original version in the meantime. Though it's an old song (1992), I still want to review it since I haven't heard it before. From what I can tell, it has very much of a Led Zeppelin-y sound, filtered via Southern rock. It borrows quite heavily from Zeppelin's "Traveling Riverside Blues" (which itself borrows from Zeppelin's own "The Lemon Song", both musically and lyrically). The Crowes were unlike any band from the '90s in that they were SO influenced by classic rock, that most "alternative" rock stations wouldn't touch their music (despite the fact that similar sounding bands, such as Spin Doctors, received heavy airplay on such stations at the time they debuted). Likewise, "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels" are some of the few songs of the '90s that classic rock stations WILL touch. With "My Morning Song"'s pure rock-and-roll flavor, it will be quite interesting to hear what the newly released acoustic version will sound like - I'll keep you guys posted and re-review this song once I finally hear that version!
"My Own Sinking Ship" by Good Old War: If I had to name any indie band as "snuggly", "cute", or "warm and fuzzy", it'd be Good Old War, despite their name! Every song of theirs just makes me want to reach out and hug somebody, and this is no exception, despite the subject matter (probably about a crumbling relationship, from what I can tell). Much of GOW's material seems like an update on that of Simon and Garfunkel's, though "My Own Sinking Ship" also adds in a vaguely harmonica-ish instrument that S & G (I don't think) ever had in their songs. If you like your indie music folk-rock-y and precious, this one's for you!
"No Better Than This" by John Mellencamp: Like Springsteen (see "London Calling", also reviewed for this week), Mellencamp was another classic rocker who had his ups and downs for the material he made in the 2000's. Towards the end of the decade, Mellencamp found his inner-rock-star amidst the disillusioned folkie he seemed to be for most of the decade with a song called "My Sweet Love". The song had a feel to it that resembled '50s rockers like Buddy Holly and Bo Diddley (the same schtick fellow classic rocker Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders seemed to be using right around the same time!) "No Better Than This" almost sounds like a "sequel" to "My Sweet Love". It seems to use the same beat and even same guitar distortion to "My Sweet Love". Of course he's not the only rocker to rip off his own material (a famous case of this is John Fogerty, whose "The Old Man Down the Road" sounded almost exactly like his Creedence Clearwater hit, "Run Through the Jungle"). As far as clones of rock songs done by the exact same artist go, this one's pretty cool!
"Ready to Start" by Arcade Fire: Compared to their release earlier this year, "The Suburbs", I was a bit disappointed with this one, so I wanted to hold off on reviewing this one when I first heard about it, but by now it's hit enough adult alt. stations that I felt like I should give it another try. Where "The Suburbs" was bright, jaunty folk-rock at its finest, "Ready to Start" sounds a bit more depressing (though still upbeat), almost like The Cure trying to cover '70s rockers Golden Earring's "Radar Love". "Ready to Start" takes the beat of the latter and mixes it with the world weary, heavy burden-ish vibe of the former. A bit of an uneven mix if you ask me, but I suppose that the catchiness of the song has been what's won over adult alt. radio stations. I MUCH prefer "The Suburbs", but as far as Arcade Fire songs go, this one's not bad. I guess it just reminds me a little too much of the post-punk-ish material they did on their debut, as opposed to the more orchestral, but fun flavor they went for on "Neon Bible".
"The Ghost Inside" by Broken Bells: It's interesting to see the order in which the songs from Broken Bells' album have been chosen to make their mark on adult alt. radio stations. The first song, "The High Road", which has been around almost since the beginning of 2010, was the perfect mix for a band whose alumni are members of indie-folk-rockers The Shins and electro-pop-rockers Gnarls Barkley, as it was equal parts indie-folk-rock and electronic pop music. The second song, "Vaporize", was clearly a James Mercer (Shins) song as far as I could tell with its jaunty, Beatlesque vibe. Now, the third single off Broken Bells' album, "The Ghost Inside", is making its way onto the adult alt. airwaves. This one sounds more like a song Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley) probably wrote/composed. The sing-song-y melody of the other two songs is still present, yet "The Ghost Inside" is MUCH more of an electro-pop song than a contemporary folk-rock song. At times, it almost seems like a new-wave-y update of Foreigner's '80s sax-driven rocker, "Urgent" (though only by the notes that are being used in the song, as there is no sax in "The Ghost Inside"). I don't think that "The Ghost Inside" is as good as the other two songs off Broken Bells' album, but who knows, over time I'll probably grow to like it, just like I have with most of the songs I've blogged about.
"Throw Those Trolls Away" by R.E.M.: This is actually an old R.E.M. song (and kinda sounds like one) from the band's 1985 album, "Fables of the Reconstruction", which featured such classic R.E.M. songs as "Can't Get There From Here" and "Driver 8". However, they decided to wait until this year to release it. My question is, why?!? It has that great vintage R.E.M. sound that meets at the intersection of The Byrds, The Beatles, and The Velvet Underground. Perhaps what makes "Throw Those Trolls Away" unique, besides its retro sound in a new decade, is that it seems like it reflects one of the few times that R.E.M. are comfortable just goofing around (there's even a part in the middle where Michael Stipe says, "Turn the guitar up, will ya?") Amidst the typical folk-rock and light psychedelic influences R.E.M. had in the '80s, there's also a bit of Chuck Berry influence in "Trolls" in the way that the A and D chords are being played around with. Pre-fame R.E.M. material is often the best from the band in my opinion, and thankfully we've got yet another example of this now!
"Dirty Side Down" by Widespread Panic: Unlike the Lynyrd Skynyrd-ish "North", the title track from Widespread Panic's latest album shows a more earthy, roots-y feel to it. It almost has a Grateful Dead-ish sound to it, albeit the more folk-y side of their material. Frankly, I'm surprised adult alt. radio stations DIDN'T pick up on this one first since it has such a folk-rock-y, almost hippie-ish vibe to it, but I guess the band wanted "North" to be released as a "hit" first, since it has a more catchy, radio-friendly sound. Fans of The Grateful Dead and The Black Crowes (also reviewed this week) should enjoy this song very much!
"London Calling" by Bruce Springsteen: Before I review this one, let me just point out that it's pretty amazing how much classic rock material has been dominating adult alt. radio lately! This week there's five (Springsteen, The Black Crowes, John Mellencamp, R.E.M., and the classic rock-ish Widespread Panic). Anyway, on with the review. For most of the 2000's, The Boss put out material that I personally thought he could've done better with. A lot of seemed like contemporary folk-rock-ish material a la Dave Matthews Band, Train, Counting Crows, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with those bands (except for everything Train released AFTER their debut), but it just doesn't seem to fit Springsteen's free-spirited brand of rock and roll he's become known for. Thankfully, the hard-rockin' "Radio Nowhere" was released in Fall 2007 and revitalized his youthful energy. The Boss's cover of The Clash's classic hit from 1979 attempts to recapture that same youthful energy he had about 3 years ago with "Radio Nowhere", complete with a guitar solo that seems to rival the original! However, the original version of "London Calling" is just untouchable in my opinion. The Clash already made that one into a solid gold rocker! Though Springsteen's attempt at the song is certainly not bad, I much prefer the original!
"My Morning Song" by The Black Crowes: Unfortunately, the version of this song that's hitting adult alt. radio stations, from the Crowes' all-acoustic album, "Croweology", is something that I haven't found anywhwere yet. However, I can still review the original version in the meantime. Though it's an old song (1992), I still want to review it since I haven't heard it before. From what I can tell, it has very much of a Led Zeppelin-y sound, filtered via Southern rock. It borrows quite heavily from Zeppelin's "Traveling Riverside Blues" (which itself borrows from Zeppelin's own "The Lemon Song", both musically and lyrically). The Crowes were unlike any band from the '90s in that they were SO influenced by classic rock, that most "alternative" rock stations wouldn't touch their music (despite the fact that similar sounding bands, such as Spin Doctors, received heavy airplay on such stations at the time they debuted). Likewise, "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels" are some of the few songs of the '90s that classic rock stations WILL touch. With "My Morning Song"'s pure rock-and-roll flavor, it will be quite interesting to hear what the newly released acoustic version will sound like - I'll keep you guys posted and re-review this song once I finally hear that version!
"My Own Sinking Ship" by Good Old War: If I had to name any indie band as "snuggly", "cute", or "warm and fuzzy", it'd be Good Old War, despite their name! Every song of theirs just makes me want to reach out and hug somebody, and this is no exception, despite the subject matter (probably about a crumbling relationship, from what I can tell). Much of GOW's material seems like an update on that of Simon and Garfunkel's, though "My Own Sinking Ship" also adds in a vaguely harmonica-ish instrument that S & G (I don't think) ever had in their songs. If you like your indie music folk-rock-y and precious, this one's for you!
"No Better Than This" by John Mellencamp: Like Springsteen (see "London Calling", also reviewed for this week), Mellencamp was another classic rocker who had his ups and downs for the material he made in the 2000's. Towards the end of the decade, Mellencamp found his inner-rock-star amidst the disillusioned folkie he seemed to be for most of the decade with a song called "My Sweet Love". The song had a feel to it that resembled '50s rockers like Buddy Holly and Bo Diddley (the same schtick fellow classic rocker Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders seemed to be using right around the same time!) "No Better Than This" almost sounds like a "sequel" to "My Sweet Love". It seems to use the same beat and even same guitar distortion to "My Sweet Love". Of course he's not the only rocker to rip off his own material (a famous case of this is John Fogerty, whose "The Old Man Down the Road" sounded almost exactly like his Creedence Clearwater hit, "Run Through the Jungle"). As far as clones of rock songs done by the exact same artist go, this one's pretty cool!
"Ready to Start" by Arcade Fire: Compared to their release earlier this year, "The Suburbs", I was a bit disappointed with this one, so I wanted to hold off on reviewing this one when I first heard about it, but by now it's hit enough adult alt. stations that I felt like I should give it another try. Where "The Suburbs" was bright, jaunty folk-rock at its finest, "Ready to Start" sounds a bit more depressing (though still upbeat), almost like The Cure trying to cover '70s rockers Golden Earring's "Radar Love". "Ready to Start" takes the beat of the latter and mixes it with the world weary, heavy burden-ish vibe of the former. A bit of an uneven mix if you ask me, but I suppose that the catchiness of the song has been what's won over adult alt. radio stations. I MUCH prefer "The Suburbs", but as far as Arcade Fire songs go, this one's not bad. I guess it just reminds me a little too much of the post-punk-ish material they did on their debut, as opposed to the more orchestral, but fun flavor they went for on "Neon Bible".
"The Ghost Inside" by Broken Bells: It's interesting to see the order in which the songs from Broken Bells' album have been chosen to make their mark on adult alt. radio stations. The first song, "The High Road", which has been around almost since the beginning of 2010, was the perfect mix for a band whose alumni are members of indie-folk-rockers The Shins and electro-pop-rockers Gnarls Barkley, as it was equal parts indie-folk-rock and electronic pop music. The second song, "Vaporize", was clearly a James Mercer (Shins) song as far as I could tell with its jaunty, Beatlesque vibe. Now, the third single off Broken Bells' album, "The Ghost Inside", is making its way onto the adult alt. airwaves. This one sounds more like a song Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley) probably wrote/composed. The sing-song-y melody of the other two songs is still present, yet "The Ghost Inside" is MUCH more of an electro-pop song than a contemporary folk-rock song. At times, it almost seems like a new-wave-y update of Foreigner's '80s sax-driven rocker, "Urgent" (though only by the notes that are being used in the song, as there is no sax in "The Ghost Inside"). I don't think that "The Ghost Inside" is as good as the other two songs off Broken Bells' album, but who knows, over time I'll probably grow to like it, just like I have with most of the songs I've blogged about.
"Throw Those Trolls Away" by R.E.M.: This is actually an old R.E.M. song (and kinda sounds like one) from the band's 1985 album, "Fables of the Reconstruction", which featured such classic R.E.M. songs as "Can't Get There From Here" and "Driver 8". However, they decided to wait until this year to release it. My question is, why?!? It has that great vintage R.E.M. sound that meets at the intersection of The Byrds, The Beatles, and The Velvet Underground. Perhaps what makes "Throw Those Trolls Away" unique, besides its retro sound in a new decade, is that it seems like it reflects one of the few times that R.E.M. are comfortable just goofing around (there's even a part in the middle where Michael Stipe says, "Turn the guitar up, will ya?") Amidst the typical folk-rock and light psychedelic influences R.E.M. had in the '80s, there's also a bit of Chuck Berry influence in "Trolls" in the way that the A and D chords are being played around with. Pre-fame R.E.M. material is often the best from the band in my opinion, and thankfully we've got yet another example of this now!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
new songs for June 23rd, 2010
four of 'em - Enjoy!
"Compliments" by Band of Horses: Though "Laredo" is still a hot item on the Adult Alt. charts, "Compliments", the second single off of BOH's "Infinite Arms" is rapidly getting attention on adult alt. stations as well. Longtime fans of BOH will probably take more of a liking to this song than "Laredo" since it goes more for a '60s pop/rock sound (a la The Beatles' "Getting Better" and Three Dog Night's "One", at least rhythmically) than "Laredo"'s John Fogerty/Neil Young-ish vibe. Lyrically, I can't tell whether it is supposed to be sincere or tongue-in-cheek, especially during the somewhat ambiguously worded lyrics in the chorus ("If there's a God up there/Someone looking over everyone, at least you've got someone to fall back on"). Apparently, many of BOH's most loyal fans seem to have taken both the lyrics and the song itself to be a vain attempt for the band to garner more radio airplay than they've previously had, though personally, I think "Laredo" already took care of that. I still wouldn't call BOH "sellouts", though. They still have good music, it's just going in a slightly different direction at the moment.
"Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers: Of all the "indie" bands out there, Brandon Flowers' band, The Killers (who aren't always viewed as "indie" due to their popularity among listeners of more "mainstream" modern rock stations), is probably the one that is most influenced by that crop of bands who tend to overlap the boundaries of musical time by being played on both classic rock and alternative rock stations (i.e. The Police, U2, The Pretenders, etc.) Flowers seems to have only gotten MORE intent on displaying these influences with each new record he makes. It's not as though this is a bad thing, necessarily (as I much prefer the U2-ish "Read My Mind" to the more Depeche Mode-ish sounds of "Somebody Told Me"), but in "Crossfire", it seems like he's trying a bit TOO hard to emulate the U2 sound. He also seems to employ the use of pseudo-philosophical lyrics whenever possible (like the chorus's "lay your body down"), in what seems like a desperate, almost fanboy-ish effort to please Bono and maybe Bruce Springsteen as well. In spite of how harsh this review might sound, though, I must admit that I LIKE this song! Flowers might not rank so high on originality in "Crossfire", but he gets an A for effort, catchiness, and accessibility.
"If You Let Me" by JP, Chrissie, and The Fairground Boys: During The Pretenders' reign of popularity, Chrissie Hynde was almost like a female Neil Young in her ways of alternating between heartfelt, bittersweet songs like "Kid", "Talk of the Town", and "2000 Miles" and tough, unapologetic rockers like "Tattooed Love Boys", "Mystery Achievement", and "Middle of the Road". These days, Chrissie seems to want to go more in between the two moods. In her latest effort, "If You Let Me", she pulls off a distinctly classic rock vibe a la The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, just as she pulled off a decent Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley in her 2008 songs, "Boots of Chinese Plastic" and "Break Up the Concrete" with The Pretenders. While "If You Let Me" lacks the in-your-face vibe of her nearly punk-ish early days in The Pretenders, it is certainly no "Kid", "Talk of the Town", or "2000 Miles" either! It is clearly a rock and roll song, from beginning to end, complete with a catchy, memorable guitar riff. Welcome aboard the S.S. Classic Rock Renaissance of 2010, Chrissie!
"Stranger Here" by Cowboy Junkies: In spite of their name, Cowboy Junkies are not called "Cowboy Junkies" because of their love for country music. It was basically just a random name they came up with, supposedly (see also The Grateful Dead, R.E.M., and Indigo Girls, each of whom got their names by flipping through a dictionary). However, Cowboy Junkies are basically a country-rock band masquerading as an alt/indie band. Even on their debut album, they covered a Hank Williams tune, as well as a Patsy Cline song. Their latest song, "Stranger Here", is also pretty country-rock influenced, but with the past 5 or so years of adult alt. radio being dominated by indie groups, it seems as though the sound of this song is probably more commonplace than it would've been during their debut in 1988. Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, in particular (and perhaps the whole band) would probably appreciate a song like this, since she knows from the blatantly country-rock sound of "Carpetbaggers" (which she did with Elvis Costello) what it's like to be an indie/alt act with country influences. Personally, I would have preferred Cowboy Junkies to release something more along the lines of their bittersweet, lushly orchestrated 2007 song "Brand New World", but "Stranger Here" is still a good song nonetheless.
"Compliments" by Band of Horses: Though "Laredo" is still a hot item on the Adult Alt. charts, "Compliments", the second single off of BOH's "Infinite Arms" is rapidly getting attention on adult alt. stations as well. Longtime fans of BOH will probably take more of a liking to this song than "Laredo" since it goes more for a '60s pop/rock sound (a la The Beatles' "Getting Better" and Three Dog Night's "One", at least rhythmically) than "Laredo"'s John Fogerty/Neil Young-ish vibe. Lyrically, I can't tell whether it is supposed to be sincere or tongue-in-cheek, especially during the somewhat ambiguously worded lyrics in the chorus ("If there's a God up there/Someone looking over everyone, at least you've got someone to fall back on"). Apparently, many of BOH's most loyal fans seem to have taken both the lyrics and the song itself to be a vain attempt for the band to garner more radio airplay than they've previously had, though personally, I think "Laredo" already took care of that. I still wouldn't call BOH "sellouts", though. They still have good music, it's just going in a slightly different direction at the moment.
"Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers: Of all the "indie" bands out there, Brandon Flowers' band, The Killers (who aren't always viewed as "indie" due to their popularity among listeners of more "mainstream" modern rock stations), is probably the one that is most influenced by that crop of bands who tend to overlap the boundaries of musical time by being played on both classic rock and alternative rock stations (i.e. The Police, U2, The Pretenders, etc.) Flowers seems to have only gotten MORE intent on displaying these influences with each new record he makes. It's not as though this is a bad thing, necessarily (as I much prefer the U2-ish "Read My Mind" to the more Depeche Mode-ish sounds of "Somebody Told Me"), but in "Crossfire", it seems like he's trying a bit TOO hard to emulate the U2 sound. He also seems to employ the use of pseudo-philosophical lyrics whenever possible (like the chorus's "lay your body down"), in what seems like a desperate, almost fanboy-ish effort to please Bono and maybe Bruce Springsteen as well. In spite of how harsh this review might sound, though, I must admit that I LIKE this song! Flowers might not rank so high on originality in "Crossfire", but he gets an A for effort, catchiness, and accessibility.
"If You Let Me" by JP, Chrissie, and The Fairground Boys: During The Pretenders' reign of popularity, Chrissie Hynde was almost like a female Neil Young in her ways of alternating between heartfelt, bittersweet songs like "Kid", "Talk of the Town", and "2000 Miles" and tough, unapologetic rockers like "Tattooed Love Boys", "Mystery Achievement", and "Middle of the Road". These days, Chrissie seems to want to go more in between the two moods. In her latest effort, "If You Let Me", she pulls off a distinctly classic rock vibe a la The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, just as she pulled off a decent Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley in her 2008 songs, "Boots of Chinese Plastic" and "Break Up the Concrete" with The Pretenders. While "If You Let Me" lacks the in-your-face vibe of her nearly punk-ish early days in The Pretenders, it is certainly no "Kid", "Talk of the Town", or "2000 Miles" either! It is clearly a rock and roll song, from beginning to end, complete with a catchy, memorable guitar riff. Welcome aboard the S.S. Classic Rock Renaissance of 2010, Chrissie!
"Stranger Here" by Cowboy Junkies: In spite of their name, Cowboy Junkies are not called "Cowboy Junkies" because of their love for country music. It was basically just a random name they came up with, supposedly (see also The Grateful Dead, R.E.M., and Indigo Girls, each of whom got their names by flipping through a dictionary). However, Cowboy Junkies are basically a country-rock band masquerading as an alt/indie band. Even on their debut album, they covered a Hank Williams tune, as well as a Patsy Cline song. Their latest song, "Stranger Here", is also pretty country-rock influenced, but with the past 5 or so years of adult alt. radio being dominated by indie groups, it seems as though the sound of this song is probably more commonplace than it would've been during their debut in 1988. Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, in particular (and perhaps the whole band) would probably appreciate a song like this, since she knows from the blatantly country-rock sound of "Carpetbaggers" (which she did with Elvis Costello) what it's like to be an indie/alt act with country influences. Personally, I would have preferred Cowboy Junkies to release something more along the lines of their bittersweet, lushly orchestrated 2007 song "Brand New World", but "Stranger Here" is still a good song nonetheless.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)