here they are:
“On the Road” by Houndmouth: Bearing the same title as beat poet Jack Kerouac’s most famous novel seems like it would entail quite a bit, except “On the Road”, the song, has nothing to do with “On the Road” (the novel). The song “On the Road” is about, well, being on the road. That is, it’s about traveling, and the blues-country-rock flavored sound of “On the Road” seems to fit perfectly with the theme of the song. Another possible theme of the song is anonymity (the chorus of the song states, “I’m goin’ down, and nobody’s gonna know me”). The main point of “On the Road”, though, is that it’s basically just a feel good, traveling down the highway kind of song, and there’s nothin’ wrong with that!
“Open” by Rhye: Not since the days of groups like Frou Frou and Zero 7 (which has now been about ten years ago, as hard as that might be to believe!), has there been such a sensual, authentic smooth jazz sound in indie-pop music! Imogen Heap and Sia have nothing, vocally, on Robin Hannibal’s Sade-goes-Danish approach to singing (don’t worry she’s not a scary person, despite how her last name might sound!) Another comparison that can be made between Rhye and groups like Frou Frou and Zero 7 is that all of those groups are duos, consisting of a female lead singer and a male “backup” member, but one thing that separates Rhye from such musical acts is that they are a multi-heritage group (Robin is Danish, and Mike Milosh is Canadian). If you’ve ever wondered what the non-mainstream adolescent crowd considers to be good “make-out music”, look no further than Rhye, and their song, “Open”. You’ll be amazed!!
“Purple, Yellow, Red, and Blue” by Portugal. The Man: Having a name like “Portugal. The Man” is weird enough, and now they have a song that sounds like the name of a children’s book?! Go figure!! Most of the songs that PTM did before “Purple, Yellow, Red, and Blue” had more of a soul inflected nature in their sound, but now, it seems as though one of the most oddly named bands in indie rock want to go for more of a quirky electronic sound that ends up sounding like a cross between The Postal Service and Gnarls Barkley. Not exactly a direction I would have predicted for Portugal. The Man, but then again, this IS a song from a CD that’s being produced by Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, so that could explain the electronic influence. Also, what’s with the “I just wanna be evil” part of the latter half of the song?! It just sounds so random!! Then again, what’s NOT random about a song whose title consists only of four colors?!
“Sad Angel” by Fleetwood Mac: If groups like The Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows did the songs on “Rumours” instead of Fleetwood Mac, it would probably sound like “Sad Angel”, the first collaborative effort from Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham in almost ten years!! It is essentially a folk-rock song, but a folk-rock song that really rocks, at least rhythmically! Lyrically, “Sad Angel” is also a winner, even its opening lyrics (“My eyes were consumed by the silence in the room/Your dreams would not wake from the words that we break”) indicate this. “Sad Angel” is no “Landslide”, but I imagine it could have enough of an impact to rein in a whole new generation of Fleetwood Mac fans!! This song really pulls at the heartstrings, so I highly recommend it to the more sensitive musicians out there!!
“Saint of Impossible Causes” by Joseph Arthur: Joseph Arthur, who has graced us with such unforgettable, bittersweet indie-folk songs like “In the Sun” and “Honey and the Moon”, sounds as though he took a time machine back to 1967 to India with Ravi Shankar and George Harrison for his latest song, “Saint of Impossible Causes”. Like most of George Harrison’s material, “Saint of Impossible Causes” features both acoustic guitar and sitar as central instruments (though it doesn’t feature any twangy slide guitar solos – sorry if I disappointed any George Harrison fans with that statement!) The song also echoes the spiritual themes that would often be found in the quiet Beatle’s material (although what else would you expect in a song with the word “saint” in the title?!) Joseph repeatedly states that he needs the “saints” of various professions and tasks to satisfy him in his quest for everlasting solitude, but he never explains who exactly these “saints” are. Such is the mystery of life, though, a mystery that is preserved with a cosmic sense of love and kindness in “Saint of Impossible Causes”.
“Things Will Change” by Treetop Flyers: “Chewin’ on a piece of grass, walkin’ down the roa-oh-oad. Say there, how long are you gonna…?” Oh whoops, wrong song!! This song could quite easily be likened to a version of America’s “Ventura Highway” for the indie rock generation, though! Even the vocals of Treetop Flyers’ lead singer sound like that of America’s Gerry Beckley. Although, with a band name like “Treetop Flyers”, the ‘70s soft rock influence should pretty much be expected (“Treetop Flyer” was the name of a song by Stephen Stills). So the next time you’re wondering what the “A Horse With No Name” guys are doing at events like Coachella, just know, you’re probably just hearing Treetop Flyers without even knowing it!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
New songs for the first day of May
here they are:
"Hopeful" by Josh Ritter: Just the title of this song alone indicates happiness, and its sound does, too, but such exuberant, upbeat emotional quality is not typical of Josh Ritter's mostly melancholy musical catalog. However, Josh's poetic persona is still present on "Hopeful", though, what with its reference to Alfred Lord Tennyson (the poet famous for saying, "'Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all") during its opening lyrics. A lot of the lyrics of "Hopeful" are just that - hopeful. That is, except for the fact that the song ends with the lyrics, "Everybody's gonna hurt like hell sometimes". Way to switch the moods on us, Josh! Just kidding, this song is a good one any which way you look at it.
"Love Letter" by Clairy Browne and The Bangin' Rackettes: Somewhere between Amy Winehouse's authentic re-styling of '60s girl group soul and the more "white soul" flavor of bands like Fitz and The Tantrums is where the sound of Clairy Browne and The Bangin' Rackettes lies on the musical map. Clairy and The Rackettes' first big song, "Love Letter" (not to be confused with the Bonnie Raitt song of the same name), sounds like it actually could have been released sometime around 1965, and no one would know the difference! There have been many bands and musicians who have joined the "neo-soul" bandwagon since sometime in the mid 2000's, so I tend to be somewhat critical of it occasionally, since it has long passed its days of being a "unique" sound. However, I think that Clairy Browne and The Bangin' Rackettes have both a "retro" sound and passionate delivery that most musicians who are trying to revive pre-rap R & B tend to lack in their performances. This song just screams "retro" all over the place, really, from its colorful band name, to its amount of members, which come close to the amount that groups like Chicago and Sly & The Family Stone had!
"The War Within" by Churchill: When reviewing Churchill's breakthrough song, "Change", back in September of last year, I remarked that "Churchill" sounded more like the name of a folk-rock group than an alt-pop group. Perhaps "Change" was an anomaly for Churchill, though, since "The War Within" actually DOES sound like a folk-rock song, without all the disco and No Doubt-style influence that "Change" had. The guy-girl harmonies and banjo based sound can draw easy comparisons to groups like The Lumineers and The Civil Wars, which is not what I would have expected to hear from Churchill back when "Change" was a big song. "The War Within"'s message of having hope through the hard times and starting anew seems to make Churchill sound more like what the name of their group evokes in my mind, which is not a church, or a hill, but there is something about a name like "Churchill" that makes it sound kind of old-time-y. It would be nice to hear the band continue in this direction for their future material, but if they decide to go some other direction with it, then that's fine, too.
"Hopeful" by Josh Ritter: Just the title of this song alone indicates happiness, and its sound does, too, but such exuberant, upbeat emotional quality is not typical of Josh Ritter's mostly melancholy musical catalog. However, Josh's poetic persona is still present on "Hopeful", though, what with its reference to Alfred Lord Tennyson (the poet famous for saying, "'Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all") during its opening lyrics. A lot of the lyrics of "Hopeful" are just that - hopeful. That is, except for the fact that the song ends with the lyrics, "Everybody's gonna hurt like hell sometimes". Way to switch the moods on us, Josh! Just kidding, this song is a good one any which way you look at it.
"Love Letter" by Clairy Browne and The Bangin' Rackettes: Somewhere between Amy Winehouse's authentic re-styling of '60s girl group soul and the more "white soul" flavor of bands like Fitz and The Tantrums is where the sound of Clairy Browne and The Bangin' Rackettes lies on the musical map. Clairy and The Rackettes' first big song, "Love Letter" (not to be confused with the Bonnie Raitt song of the same name), sounds like it actually could have been released sometime around 1965, and no one would know the difference! There have been many bands and musicians who have joined the "neo-soul" bandwagon since sometime in the mid 2000's, so I tend to be somewhat critical of it occasionally, since it has long passed its days of being a "unique" sound. However, I think that Clairy Browne and The Bangin' Rackettes have both a "retro" sound and passionate delivery that most musicians who are trying to revive pre-rap R & B tend to lack in their performances. This song just screams "retro" all over the place, really, from its colorful band name, to its amount of members, which come close to the amount that groups like Chicago and Sly & The Family Stone had!
"The War Within" by Churchill: When reviewing Churchill's breakthrough song, "Change", back in September of last year, I remarked that "Churchill" sounded more like the name of a folk-rock group than an alt-pop group. Perhaps "Change" was an anomaly for Churchill, though, since "The War Within" actually DOES sound like a folk-rock song, without all the disco and No Doubt-style influence that "Change" had. The guy-girl harmonies and banjo based sound can draw easy comparisons to groups like The Lumineers and The Civil Wars, which is not what I would have expected to hear from Churchill back when "Change" was a big song. "The War Within"'s message of having hope through the hard times and starting anew seems to make Churchill sound more like what the name of their group evokes in my mind, which is not a church, or a hill, but there is something about a name like "Churchill" that makes it sound kind of old-time-y. It would be nice to hear the band continue in this direction for their future material, but if they decide to go some other direction with it, then that's fine, too.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
new songs for April 24th, 2013
here they are:
"King And Lionheart" by Of Monsters and Men: Contemporary folk-rock sensations Of Monsters and Men didn't call themselves "Of Monsters and Men" for nothing. It was a name based on European stories about monsters that some of the members had read. The Icelandic band's love of European folklore is becoming more and more evident with each song I hear by them. "Little Talks" had nautical imagery, and "Mountain Sound" had more pastoral imagery. "King And Lionheart" follows closely in this pattern, as is evident from the title alone. A medieval theme takes up most of the song (except the part where they talk about "night sky ships sailing", revisiting the nautical themes of "Little Talks"). Another similarity "King And Lionheart" shares with "Little Talks" is that both songs revolve around how difficult it is to survive being torn apart from a relationship. Makes you want to brush up on European history and mythology a little more, doesn't it?!
"Where Can I Go?" by Laura Marling: Laura was probably better known for the bands she was involved with (i.e. Mumford and Sons, Noah and The Whale) than her music, until two years ago, when she released her breakthrough album, "A Creature I Don't Know". The album featured tracks like the sprawling, reflective "Sophia", and the bittersweet "All My Rage", both of which easily suggest a Joni Mitchell for the indie-folk generation. "Where Can I Go?" is a different song for Laura Marling. The themes of death and sorrow that Laura had on the "A Creature I Don't Know" songs are replaced by a theme of homesickness and yearning, and the stark, aching sound of those songs is not present on "Where Can I Go?" either, with a more roots-y, upbeat sound taking place instead.
"King And Lionheart" by Of Monsters and Men: Contemporary folk-rock sensations Of Monsters and Men didn't call themselves "Of Monsters and Men" for nothing. It was a name based on European stories about monsters that some of the members had read. The Icelandic band's love of European folklore is becoming more and more evident with each song I hear by them. "Little Talks" had nautical imagery, and "Mountain Sound" had more pastoral imagery. "King And Lionheart" follows closely in this pattern, as is evident from the title alone. A medieval theme takes up most of the song (except the part where they talk about "night sky ships sailing", revisiting the nautical themes of "Little Talks"). Another similarity "King And Lionheart" shares with "Little Talks" is that both songs revolve around how difficult it is to survive being torn apart from a relationship. Makes you want to brush up on European history and mythology a little more, doesn't it?!
"Where Can I Go?" by Laura Marling: Laura was probably better known for the bands she was involved with (i.e. Mumford and Sons, Noah and The Whale) than her music, until two years ago, when she released her breakthrough album, "A Creature I Don't Know". The album featured tracks like the sprawling, reflective "Sophia", and the bittersweet "All My Rage", both of which easily suggest a Joni Mitchell for the indie-folk generation. "Where Can I Go?" is a different song for Laura Marling. The themes of death and sorrow that Laura had on the "A Creature I Don't Know" songs are replaced by a theme of homesickness and yearning, and the stark, aching sound of those songs is not present on "Where Can I Go?" either, with a more roots-y, upbeat sound taking place instead.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
New songs for April 17th, 2013
here they are:
"Don't Swallow the Cap" by The National: The National have always been one of the more low-key, brooding bands of indie rock, even their songs titles (i.e. "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "Anyone's Ghost", "Terrible Love", etc.) tend to indicate this. Their latest song title, "Don't Swallow the Cap", sounds like it would be more likely to be a warning on a medicine bottle than it would a piece of music. Musically, it is sandwiched somewhere between the moody goth-rock of Joy Division, and the indie rock orchestration of Arcade Fire (although that would describe most of The National's material, really). "Don't Swallow the Cap" is a tale of alienation and isolation, as one might expect from The National, yet, despite the ghastly nature of the band, there's still something enjoyable about what they do. Their last album, "High Violet", was a masterpiece, yielding many songs that became well-known among the indie and adult alt communities, such as "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "Anyone's Ghost", "Lemonworld", and "Terrible Love" (and maybe "Conversation 16" to a certain extent). Hopefully The National's latest CD will be just as good, if not better! For now, though, we have "Don't Swallow the Cap", a song that is pretty typical of The National, which makes me hopeful that there will be other good songs to enjoy off the same album!
"No One Knows Nothing Anymore" by Billy Bragg: Billy Bragg is a British folk-rocker, yet his latest song, "No One Knows Nothing Anymore", sounds more like a roots-y Bob Dylan song than a somber Nick Drake one. As the title of the song would suggest, "No One Knows Nothing Anymore" is a song of lament, with Bragg pondering thoughts like, "What if there's nothing, no pot of gold?", and "What if our ancestors had stayed up in the trees?" Though it is a pessimistic sounding song, "No One Knows Nothing Anymore" is also an intelligent and thought provoking song, and would make a great addition to public radio stations that also stream music, such as KCRW, if it hasn't been played on there already!
"Don't Swallow the Cap" by The National: The National have always been one of the more low-key, brooding bands of indie rock, even their songs titles (i.e. "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "Anyone's Ghost", "Terrible Love", etc.) tend to indicate this. Their latest song title, "Don't Swallow the Cap", sounds like it would be more likely to be a warning on a medicine bottle than it would a piece of music. Musically, it is sandwiched somewhere between the moody goth-rock of Joy Division, and the indie rock orchestration of Arcade Fire (although that would describe most of The National's material, really). "Don't Swallow the Cap" is a tale of alienation and isolation, as one might expect from The National, yet, despite the ghastly nature of the band, there's still something enjoyable about what they do. Their last album, "High Violet", was a masterpiece, yielding many songs that became well-known among the indie and adult alt communities, such as "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "Anyone's Ghost", "Lemonworld", and "Terrible Love" (and maybe "Conversation 16" to a certain extent). Hopefully The National's latest CD will be just as good, if not better! For now, though, we have "Don't Swallow the Cap", a song that is pretty typical of The National, which makes me hopeful that there will be other good songs to enjoy off the same album!
"No One Knows Nothing Anymore" by Billy Bragg: Billy Bragg is a British folk-rocker, yet his latest song, "No One Knows Nothing Anymore", sounds more like a roots-y Bob Dylan song than a somber Nick Drake one. As the title of the song would suggest, "No One Knows Nothing Anymore" is a song of lament, with Bragg pondering thoughts like, "What if there's nothing, no pot of gold?", and "What if our ancestors had stayed up in the trees?" Though it is a pessimistic sounding song, "No One Knows Nothing Anymore" is also an intelligent and thought provoking song, and would make a great addition to public radio stations that also stream music, such as KCRW, if it hasn't been played on there already!
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
New songs for April 10th, 2013
here they are:
"Lightning Bolt" by Jake Bugg: Like Jake's previous hit, "Two Fingers", "Lightning Bolt" is full of musical homages to the 1960's, which is incredibly unusual for someone who's only 18 years old! "Lightning Bolt" has a bit more of a fast, rock-y feel to it than the folk-y "Two Fingers" did, and it almost sounds like a White Stripes style cover of a Bob Dylan song circa 1965. At only two and a half minutes, Jake Bugg packs a powerful punch into "Lightning Bolt", with both the steady, catchy beat of the song, and Jake's fast-paced, rambling vocals. Not a hard song to perform by any means, but it still takes an awful lot of skill to pull a song like this off!!
"Never Wanted Your Love" by She & Him: The third record from Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Zooey Deschanel, and her quieter backing singer, M. Ward, is finally out!! The record's first single, "Never Wanted Your Love", is a catchy song, like most of Zooey's material tends to be, and it has a "retro" flavor to it with its somewhat rockabilly inspired beats. The rushing, mariachi influenced sound of the violins in the intro also make "Never Wanted Your Love" a memorable song in the She & Him catalog. Then again, though, what She & Him song isn't?!
"The Ceiling" by Wild Feathers: While roots-rock has come to be a defining feature so far of 2010's music, there have only been a handful of bands (Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, Dawes, etc.) that have gone more for the electric side of the genre than the acoustic side. Enter Wild Feathers. Their debut song, "The Ceiling", proves that the band have somehow managed to be a TRUE "folk-rock" band for the second decade of the 21st century, placing equal emphasis on electric and acoustic guitar, and they also have a vaguely bluegrass-y sound that, amazingly, does NOT require a banjo or mandolin! The freewheeling, unabashedly retro style of Wild Feathers might bring to mind bands like The Black Crowes. Ha! Crows, Feathers!! I wonder if there's a connection there?! Well, like they say, birds of a feather flock together, and Wild Feathers certainly know how to do so!!
"Lightning Bolt" by Jake Bugg: Like Jake's previous hit, "Two Fingers", "Lightning Bolt" is full of musical homages to the 1960's, which is incredibly unusual for someone who's only 18 years old! "Lightning Bolt" has a bit more of a fast, rock-y feel to it than the folk-y "Two Fingers" did, and it almost sounds like a White Stripes style cover of a Bob Dylan song circa 1965. At only two and a half minutes, Jake Bugg packs a powerful punch into "Lightning Bolt", with both the steady, catchy beat of the song, and Jake's fast-paced, rambling vocals. Not a hard song to perform by any means, but it still takes an awful lot of skill to pull a song like this off!!
"Never Wanted Your Love" by She & Him: The third record from Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Zooey Deschanel, and her quieter backing singer, M. Ward, is finally out!! The record's first single, "Never Wanted Your Love", is a catchy song, like most of Zooey's material tends to be, and it has a "retro" flavor to it with its somewhat rockabilly inspired beats. The rushing, mariachi influenced sound of the violins in the intro also make "Never Wanted Your Love" a memorable song in the She & Him catalog. Then again, though, what She & Him song isn't?!
"The Ceiling" by Wild Feathers: While roots-rock has come to be a defining feature so far of 2010's music, there have only been a handful of bands (Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, Dawes, etc.) that have gone more for the electric side of the genre than the acoustic side. Enter Wild Feathers. Their debut song, "The Ceiling", proves that the band have somehow managed to be a TRUE "folk-rock" band for the second decade of the 21st century, placing equal emphasis on electric and acoustic guitar, and they also have a vaguely bluegrass-y sound that, amazingly, does NOT require a banjo or mandolin! The freewheeling, unabashedly retro style of Wild Feathers might bring to mind bands like The Black Crowes. Ha! Crows, Feathers!! I wonder if there's a connection there?! Well, like they say, birds of a feather flock together, and Wild Feathers certainly know how to do so!!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
New songs for April 3rd, 2013
here they are:
"If I Loved You" by Delta Rae and Lindsey Buckingham: As was once said in the title of a Fleetwood Mac song, "Heroes Are Hard to Find". For contemporary folk-rock group, Delta Rae, the opposite is true, their hero was easy to find, and he just happened to be a Fleetwood Mac member as well! Delta Rae's second big song, "If I Loved You", lacks the Adele-meets-Odetta-ish intensity and depth of "Bottom of the River", but it is still worth listening to nonetheless. It is a much lighter affair than that, musically, and lyrically, it seems like an in-and-out-of-love song, in contrast to the hymn-gone-dark vibe of "Bottom of the River". "If I Loved You" could be easily dismissed as a light, fluffy song in Delta Rae's catalog, but I don't want to make judgments too soon on this one (after all, this is only the second song I've come to know by Delta Rae).
"If So" by Atlas Genius: It was only late spring/early summer of last year that Atlas Genius started making waves with their song, "Trojans", which was equal parts folk-rock and new wave. That being said, I'm surprised that their second major effort, "If So", is from an entirely different album of theirs that was only released about a month ago! Time sure does fly, doesn't it?! Anyway, "If So" is more a push towards new wave than folk-rock for Atlas Genius. There is not even a hint of strummed acoustic guitars in the background for "If So", but it still manages to have the catchy factor that "Trojans" did (in fact, it seems like the two songs could be in competition with each other at the moment!) With its thumping bass, high hat percussion, central synth sound, and pulsating, funky guitars, it's probably quite surprising to realize that, if you listen closely enough to the lyrics of "If So", that it's about the perks of being a nightclub "wallflower", as opposed to being nightclub superstars!
"Red Hands" by Walk Off the Earth: So, do the people behind the infamous YouTube cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" that featured five people playing one guitar (sometimes simultaneously) have what it takes to make good music of their own?! Well, honestly, I'm still trying to figure out if they do! Their first major original effort, "Red Hands", somehow manages to sound as fresh as it does generic! On one hand, the song attempts to be an alt-pop song centered around acoustic guitar, which I normally can't go wrong with, but on the other hand, both the instruments and the vocals of this song sound so studio produced that they seem like the audio equivalent of a typical fast food restaurant. The song never makes any significant deviations from its F, C, A minor, G chord progression either, which makes me wonder if Walk Off the Earth even planned this song to sound original, or if it was just a desperate attempt to win more fans than they already had. Perhaps this is one band that is better at covers than they are at originals. Not bad for a first try, though.
"Rumble And Sway" by Jamie N Commons: If you put the catchy, jazzy, retro rock of Brian Setzer, the world-weary country/blues-rock of John Hiatt, and the ghostly, haunting vibe of some of the darker Tom Waits songs, you'd probably have a good idea of how adult alt newcomer Jamie N Commons sounds! In a sultry, steamy melting pot of jazz, blues, country, and rock, Commons really knows how to make his song, "Rumble And Sway", live up to its name! It both sizzles and swivels, much like its title suggests it would! It seems like the kind of song that would probably be played during a bar scene in a movie or TV show, though it would work equally well as a fight song or an initial romance song. Some mean sax playin' on this song, too!
"Unpromised Land" by Bob Schneider: A hard rocking Bob Schneider song?! Sounds unlikely, coming from the guy who did such sentimental indie-pop songs like "40 Dogs (Like Romeo And Juliet)" and "Let the Light In". Well, it's not exactly "hard rock", but for Schneider, it's the closest he's gotten! He even swears twice in the second verse of the song, and not exactly with "light" swears either ("They can f**k right off", he angrily sings in one line - wow, Bob...just, wow!! How atypical of you!) This song, for Bob Schneider, is like what the crunchy, indie-hard-rock of "Hands Open" was for Snow Patrol. Perhaps deep down inside, though, what Bob Schneider wants is a bigger audience. An artist needs to experiment and take chances, right?! The beginning of this song sounds like it wants to be an Everclear song, but goes into more Wallflowers-ish territory with the roots-y organs added into the song later on. "Father of Mine" meets "One Headlight"?! Sounds like a weird combination at first, but it manages to work here. Also, can't go wrong with "Unpromised Land"'s '90s rock influenced sound!!
"Your Life, Your Call" by Junip: One might not expect a song from a band led by a man who was influenced by the stark, acoustic guitar based sound of musicians like Elliott Smith and Nick Drake to have a techno sound starting it off, but perhaps many aren't aware that post-punk musicians, Joy Division, are just as admired by Jose Gonzalez as Nick and Elliott are. In fact, two of Jose's best-known songs, "Heartbeats" and "Crosses", have techno connections; the former was a cover of a song by techno group, The Knife, and the latter was made into a "trip-hop" song shortly after its release. Jose even does a fine cover of Joy Division's most famous song, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (albeit with acoustic guitar only, and no electronic instruments, for his version). Anyway, Jose's love of techno and his love of folk music merge into one on his latest song with Junip, "Your Life, Your Call". Despite the clear use of synthesizers on "Your Life, Your Call", it still manages to be as soothing as most of Jose's material tends to be. Even the dry, detached manner in which he sings the chorus of the song ("It's your life, your call, stand up and enjoy your fall"), is closer to Ian Curtis than it is Nick Drake. Though I much prefer Jose's folk-ier side, his techno-pop side isn't that bad either.
"If I Loved You" by Delta Rae and Lindsey Buckingham: As was once said in the title of a Fleetwood Mac song, "Heroes Are Hard to Find". For contemporary folk-rock group, Delta Rae, the opposite is true, their hero was easy to find, and he just happened to be a Fleetwood Mac member as well! Delta Rae's second big song, "If I Loved You", lacks the Adele-meets-Odetta-ish intensity and depth of "Bottom of the River", but it is still worth listening to nonetheless. It is a much lighter affair than that, musically, and lyrically, it seems like an in-and-out-of-love song, in contrast to the hymn-gone-dark vibe of "Bottom of the River". "If I Loved You" could be easily dismissed as a light, fluffy song in Delta Rae's catalog, but I don't want to make judgments too soon on this one (after all, this is only the second song I've come to know by Delta Rae).
"If So" by Atlas Genius: It was only late spring/early summer of last year that Atlas Genius started making waves with their song, "Trojans", which was equal parts folk-rock and new wave. That being said, I'm surprised that their second major effort, "If So", is from an entirely different album of theirs that was only released about a month ago! Time sure does fly, doesn't it?! Anyway, "If So" is more a push towards new wave than folk-rock for Atlas Genius. There is not even a hint of strummed acoustic guitars in the background for "If So", but it still manages to have the catchy factor that "Trojans" did (in fact, it seems like the two songs could be in competition with each other at the moment!) With its thumping bass, high hat percussion, central synth sound, and pulsating, funky guitars, it's probably quite surprising to realize that, if you listen closely enough to the lyrics of "If So", that it's about the perks of being a nightclub "wallflower", as opposed to being nightclub superstars!
"Red Hands" by Walk Off the Earth: So, do the people behind the infamous YouTube cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" that featured five people playing one guitar (sometimes simultaneously) have what it takes to make good music of their own?! Well, honestly, I'm still trying to figure out if they do! Their first major original effort, "Red Hands", somehow manages to sound as fresh as it does generic! On one hand, the song attempts to be an alt-pop song centered around acoustic guitar, which I normally can't go wrong with, but on the other hand, both the instruments and the vocals of this song sound so studio produced that they seem like the audio equivalent of a typical fast food restaurant. The song never makes any significant deviations from its F, C, A minor, G chord progression either, which makes me wonder if Walk Off the Earth even planned this song to sound original, or if it was just a desperate attempt to win more fans than they already had. Perhaps this is one band that is better at covers than they are at originals. Not bad for a first try, though.
"Rumble And Sway" by Jamie N Commons: If you put the catchy, jazzy, retro rock of Brian Setzer, the world-weary country/blues-rock of John Hiatt, and the ghostly, haunting vibe of some of the darker Tom Waits songs, you'd probably have a good idea of how adult alt newcomer Jamie N Commons sounds! In a sultry, steamy melting pot of jazz, blues, country, and rock, Commons really knows how to make his song, "Rumble And Sway", live up to its name! It both sizzles and swivels, much like its title suggests it would! It seems like the kind of song that would probably be played during a bar scene in a movie or TV show, though it would work equally well as a fight song or an initial romance song. Some mean sax playin' on this song, too!
"Unpromised Land" by Bob Schneider: A hard rocking Bob Schneider song?! Sounds unlikely, coming from the guy who did such sentimental indie-pop songs like "40 Dogs (Like Romeo And Juliet)" and "Let the Light In". Well, it's not exactly "hard rock", but for Schneider, it's the closest he's gotten! He even swears twice in the second verse of the song, and not exactly with "light" swears either ("They can f**k right off", he angrily sings in one line - wow, Bob...just, wow!! How atypical of you!) This song, for Bob Schneider, is like what the crunchy, indie-hard-rock of "Hands Open" was for Snow Patrol. Perhaps deep down inside, though, what Bob Schneider wants is a bigger audience. An artist needs to experiment and take chances, right?! The beginning of this song sounds like it wants to be an Everclear song, but goes into more Wallflowers-ish territory with the roots-y organs added into the song later on. "Father of Mine" meets "One Headlight"?! Sounds like a weird combination at first, but it manages to work here. Also, can't go wrong with "Unpromised Land"'s '90s rock influenced sound!!
"Your Life, Your Call" by Junip: One might not expect a song from a band led by a man who was influenced by the stark, acoustic guitar based sound of musicians like Elliott Smith and Nick Drake to have a techno sound starting it off, but perhaps many aren't aware that post-punk musicians, Joy Division, are just as admired by Jose Gonzalez as Nick and Elliott are. In fact, two of Jose's best-known songs, "Heartbeats" and "Crosses", have techno connections; the former was a cover of a song by techno group, The Knife, and the latter was made into a "trip-hop" song shortly after its release. Jose even does a fine cover of Joy Division's most famous song, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (albeit with acoustic guitar only, and no electronic instruments, for his version). Anyway, Jose's love of techno and his love of folk music merge into one on his latest song with Junip, "Your Life, Your Call". Despite the clear use of synthesizers on "Your Life, Your Call", it still manages to be as soothing as most of Jose's material tends to be. Even the dry, detached manner in which he sings the chorus of the song ("It's your life, your call, stand up and enjoy your fall"), is closer to Ian Curtis than it is Nick Drake. Though I much prefer Jose's folk-ier side, his techno-pop side isn't that bad either.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
New songs for March 28th, 2013
Hi everyone! Sorry I missed out on posting some songs to review here yesterday but I was a bit busier than I expected to be. Anyway, I'm not as busy now, so here are this week's latest songs. Enjoy!
"I Wonder" by Brittany Howard (from Alabama Shakes) and Ruby Amanfu: Sixto Rodriguez (better known simply by his last name), the 1960's folk-rock musician who was barely known in the U.S. until the documentary "Searching For Sugar Man" came out, doesn't seem like he'd be very likely to have someone influenced by soul and jazz, like Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard, covering his work, but now she has, along with singer/songwriter Ruby Amanfu. Considering what a soul inflected beat the original song has (slightly reminiscent of John Lennon's "Nobody Told Me"), it's definitely a more fitting choice for a Brittany Howard cover song than, say, the more folk-rock-y, sedate song, "Sugar Man", which could be said to be Rodriguez' other "hit". Towards the middle of Brittany's version of "I Wonder", the song segues into a reggae beat, perhaps simply because she and/or Ruby Amanfu wanted it to sound that way, as there is nothing remotely Marley-esque about any of Rodriguez' music. Another way that this version of "I Wonder" can be distinguished from its more gentle, baroque-ish 1960's counterpart is by its use of fuzzed out, Dan Auerbach-ish blues-garage rock electric guitar sound. One more thing worth mentioning is that this is the second time that Alabama Shakes' lead singer has been associated with an indie flick ("Searching For Sugar Man"), the first being "Silver Linings Playbook", with Alabama Shakes' "Always Alright" being her contribution to that film.
"Just Make It Stop" by Low: Like The Killers, Low are one of the rare indie/alt bands that just happen to be Mormon. Unlike The Killers, Low have never made even the slightest attempt to sound commercial. Low are a band that seem to live up to their name, in a couple ways. Their ranking is probably "low" as far as how well-known they are, and their sound is also pretty "low" (as opposed to upbeat). Yet none of these factors have stopped Low from making music, and thank goodness for that! Their latest song, "Just Make It Stop", sounds like Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmins singing lead vocals for a Bon Iver song. It is never made quite clear what "it" is in "Just Make It Stop", but it probably refers to depression or some other negative emotion, considering how detached both the music and the vocals sound for this song. In spite of its gloomy nature, though, "Just Make It Stop" is actually a catchy song, in its own, weird way, and it is also written in major key. Perhaps that's why it's getting more attention than most of Low's other material.
"Love Has Come For You" by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin: Did you ever think it was possible for a wisecracking goofball like Steve Martin to have a chance with a more artfully minded, reserved person like Edie Brickell?! I'm guessing you probably thought it was about as likely as Jim Carrey doing a project with Natalie Merchant. That's what I thought, until I heard this song! For those who forgot (or simply didn't know), Steve Martin once had a bluegrass band called The Steep Canyon Rangers, which is probably why his (and Edie's) song, "Love Has Come For You" sounds like something that came straight from the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack! While bluegrass music is nothing new for Steve Martin, "Love Has Come For You" marks what is perhaps the first time since his late '70s novelty hit, "King Tut", that he has had a specific song that has gotten noticed by certain radio stations. As for Edie Brickell, jumping from folk-rock (even that of a more jazzy, "alternative" nature, like "What I Am") to bluegrass really isn't that far of a stretch if you stop and think about it!
"Love to Get Used" by matt pond PA: Yet another indie rock tale about love gone wrong. Matt pond (whose first and last name are both lowercase, like k.d. lang and e.e. cummings) has been writing songs like this long before it became a trend in indie music, though. There are also certain ways matt tries to keep it real in this song, too, from what I can see. For instance, the chorus of the song mentions the names of birds (blackbirds and hawks, specifically), but it is unknown as to why the birds' names are being evoked in the song, which gives the listener a lot more to think about when hearing the song than just pontificating over lovelorn emotions. Also, the two verses of the song both open with the words, "in Athabasca", the name of a Canadian university, which brings matt closer to the ranks of bands like Vampire Weekend, who name dropped Oxford in their "Oxford Comma" (though that is probably a much better known university than Athabasca, at least here in the U.S. it is).
"99 Shades of Crazy" by JJ Grey and Mofro: 99 shades of crazy?! That's almost twice the amount of shades of grey (and a whole heck of a lotta crazy, too!!) JJ Grey and Mofro have always had a thing for blues and jazz music, but this song pushes them slightly closer to rock 'n' roll, with its driving beat, chunky guitars, and its almost Stones-y take on organ driven R & B music. I'm thinking that the kind of "crazy" mentioned in the song might the kind of "cool" crazy one hears of in beatnik poetry and jazz music, especially considering that JJ is referring to HIMSELF (as opposed to an object of his affections) as "99 Shades of Crazy". Now that I think of it, this song could be as many shades of crazy as it is shades of rock 'n' roll! I already mentioned the Stones influence in this song, but I can also detect some Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin influence (another review I read of this song even brought up how the song sounds like it could have been from 1970's rock group, Grand Funk Railroad). Well that's four shades of "crazy" right there. Maybe I'll let you know what the other 95 are when I have time to figure 'em out!!
"Nothing Arrived" by Villagers: An "existential indie rock quandary" might be a good way to describe this song. The oddly worded but curious chorus of the song states that The Villagers' lead singer, "waited for something, and something died", so his solution was to "wait for nothing, and nothing arrived". Almost seems like what you'd get if you mixed Radiohead's "Karma Police" with Samuel Beckett's "Waiting For Godot". Radiohead's Mr. Yorke and literature's Mr. Beckett might seem like they're worlds apart, but I think that, in their own way, they were both philosophers of their time, and music can be a philosophical medium, so it's not much of a surprise, really, that the seemingly distant lands of rock music and philosophy met up with each other in The Villagers' "Nothing Arrived". It's still quite a cosmic, profound meeting of the minds though, I must say!
"Safe And Sound" by Capital Cities: Mixing electronica and rock has become somewhat of a trend in indie rock music, especially in bands like Phoenix, The Postal Service, and Foster the People. There doesn't seem to be a "rock" element in Capital Cities' "Safe And Sound", though, it just seems to be pure electronica, which I ordinarily do not like. Yet SOMETHING has me drawn to this song! What, though?! Perhaps part of it is how it has a soothing sound, in spite of its artificial beats and pulsating synths. Another thing I like about it is how a brass instrument gets thrown into the mix seemingly at random, yet it actually fits in with the rest of the song! It almost sounds like what it would be like if The Human League's "Don't You Want Me?" got a British dance hall makeover! Not too fond of any of those sorts of things either, so, again, I must ask myself, why DO I like this song?! I guess I'll never know!!
"I Wonder" by Brittany Howard (from Alabama Shakes) and Ruby Amanfu: Sixto Rodriguez (better known simply by his last name), the 1960's folk-rock musician who was barely known in the U.S. until the documentary "Searching For Sugar Man" came out, doesn't seem like he'd be very likely to have someone influenced by soul and jazz, like Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard, covering his work, but now she has, along with singer/songwriter Ruby Amanfu. Considering what a soul inflected beat the original song has (slightly reminiscent of John Lennon's "Nobody Told Me"), it's definitely a more fitting choice for a Brittany Howard cover song than, say, the more folk-rock-y, sedate song, "Sugar Man", which could be said to be Rodriguez' other "hit". Towards the middle of Brittany's version of "I Wonder", the song segues into a reggae beat, perhaps simply because she and/or Ruby Amanfu wanted it to sound that way, as there is nothing remotely Marley-esque about any of Rodriguez' music. Another way that this version of "I Wonder" can be distinguished from its more gentle, baroque-ish 1960's counterpart is by its use of fuzzed out, Dan Auerbach-ish blues-garage rock electric guitar sound. One more thing worth mentioning is that this is the second time that Alabama Shakes' lead singer has been associated with an indie flick ("Searching For Sugar Man"), the first being "Silver Linings Playbook", with Alabama Shakes' "Always Alright" being her contribution to that film.
"Just Make It Stop" by Low: Like The Killers, Low are one of the rare indie/alt bands that just happen to be Mormon. Unlike The Killers, Low have never made even the slightest attempt to sound commercial. Low are a band that seem to live up to their name, in a couple ways. Their ranking is probably "low" as far as how well-known they are, and their sound is also pretty "low" (as opposed to upbeat). Yet none of these factors have stopped Low from making music, and thank goodness for that! Their latest song, "Just Make It Stop", sounds like Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmins singing lead vocals for a Bon Iver song. It is never made quite clear what "it" is in "Just Make It Stop", but it probably refers to depression or some other negative emotion, considering how detached both the music and the vocals sound for this song. In spite of its gloomy nature, though, "Just Make It Stop" is actually a catchy song, in its own, weird way, and it is also written in major key. Perhaps that's why it's getting more attention than most of Low's other material.
"Love Has Come For You" by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin: Did you ever think it was possible for a wisecracking goofball like Steve Martin to have a chance with a more artfully minded, reserved person like Edie Brickell?! I'm guessing you probably thought it was about as likely as Jim Carrey doing a project with Natalie Merchant. That's what I thought, until I heard this song! For those who forgot (or simply didn't know), Steve Martin once had a bluegrass band called The Steep Canyon Rangers, which is probably why his (and Edie's) song, "Love Has Come For You" sounds like something that came straight from the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack! While bluegrass music is nothing new for Steve Martin, "Love Has Come For You" marks what is perhaps the first time since his late '70s novelty hit, "King Tut", that he has had a specific song that has gotten noticed by certain radio stations. As for Edie Brickell, jumping from folk-rock (even that of a more jazzy, "alternative" nature, like "What I Am") to bluegrass really isn't that far of a stretch if you stop and think about it!
"Love to Get Used" by matt pond PA: Yet another indie rock tale about love gone wrong. Matt pond (whose first and last name are both lowercase, like k.d. lang and e.e. cummings) has been writing songs like this long before it became a trend in indie music, though. There are also certain ways matt tries to keep it real in this song, too, from what I can see. For instance, the chorus of the song mentions the names of birds (blackbirds and hawks, specifically), but it is unknown as to why the birds' names are being evoked in the song, which gives the listener a lot more to think about when hearing the song than just pontificating over lovelorn emotions. Also, the two verses of the song both open with the words, "in Athabasca", the name of a Canadian university, which brings matt closer to the ranks of bands like Vampire Weekend, who name dropped Oxford in their "Oxford Comma" (though that is probably a much better known university than Athabasca, at least here in the U.S. it is).
"99 Shades of Crazy" by JJ Grey and Mofro: 99 shades of crazy?! That's almost twice the amount of shades of grey (and a whole heck of a lotta crazy, too!!) JJ Grey and Mofro have always had a thing for blues and jazz music, but this song pushes them slightly closer to rock 'n' roll, with its driving beat, chunky guitars, and its almost Stones-y take on organ driven R & B music. I'm thinking that the kind of "crazy" mentioned in the song might the kind of "cool" crazy one hears of in beatnik poetry and jazz music, especially considering that JJ is referring to HIMSELF (as opposed to an object of his affections) as "99 Shades of Crazy". Now that I think of it, this song could be as many shades of crazy as it is shades of rock 'n' roll! I already mentioned the Stones influence in this song, but I can also detect some Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin influence (another review I read of this song even brought up how the song sounds like it could have been from 1970's rock group, Grand Funk Railroad). Well that's four shades of "crazy" right there. Maybe I'll let you know what the other 95 are when I have time to figure 'em out!!
"Nothing Arrived" by Villagers: An "existential indie rock quandary" might be a good way to describe this song. The oddly worded but curious chorus of the song states that The Villagers' lead singer, "waited for something, and something died", so his solution was to "wait for nothing, and nothing arrived". Almost seems like what you'd get if you mixed Radiohead's "Karma Police" with Samuel Beckett's "Waiting For Godot". Radiohead's Mr. Yorke and literature's Mr. Beckett might seem like they're worlds apart, but I think that, in their own way, they were both philosophers of their time, and music can be a philosophical medium, so it's not much of a surprise, really, that the seemingly distant lands of rock music and philosophy met up with each other in The Villagers' "Nothing Arrived". It's still quite a cosmic, profound meeting of the minds though, I must say!
"Safe And Sound" by Capital Cities: Mixing electronica and rock has become somewhat of a trend in indie rock music, especially in bands like Phoenix, The Postal Service, and Foster the People. There doesn't seem to be a "rock" element in Capital Cities' "Safe And Sound", though, it just seems to be pure electronica, which I ordinarily do not like. Yet SOMETHING has me drawn to this song! What, though?! Perhaps part of it is how it has a soothing sound, in spite of its artificial beats and pulsating synths. Another thing I like about it is how a brass instrument gets thrown into the mix seemingly at random, yet it actually fits in with the rest of the song! It almost sounds like what it would be like if The Human League's "Don't You Want Me?" got a British dance hall makeover! Not too fond of any of those sorts of things either, so, again, I must ask myself, why DO I like this song?! I guess I'll never know!!
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