New songs for February 28th, 2018

here they are:


"Happiness Jones" by The Wood Brothers: Before I heard this song, I wasn't sure if "Happiness Jones" was the name of a person or if it was a desire (a "jones") for happiness. As it turns out, it is the latter. True to its title, "Happiness Jones" will give you a happiness jones. It's just so darn catchy! In "Happiness Jones", The Wood Brothers take a break from their usual quaint folky sound and try a more upbeat, soul inflected one. Clearly, this worked for them, as it has scored them their first true adult alt radio hit (If you don't count their cover of the seasonal Jackson Browne song, "The Rebel Jesus", that is). If you're happy and you know it, sing this song, and listen to it!


"Kids These Days" by Shakey Graves: Crossing the threshold of country-rock and indie-pop, Shakey Graves have now scored their second big hit on adult alt radio with "Kids These Days", a song that's as roots-y as it is catchy. The added use of synthesizer on this song gives it a bit more of a pop sound than their previous Triple A radio hit, "Dearly Departed". Lyrically, the song seems to be built on cliches, including (but not limited to) the title phrase, "gonna live forever", and "mirror mirror on the wall". The title of the song made me think it was going to be a tongue in cheek complaint about millennials, but it actually just seems to be a random phrase thrown into what is basically a word salad song, as far as I can tell. Kids these days. They just don't make songs that make sense like they used to, do they?!


"Mr. Tillman" by Father John Misty: Just when you thought Father John Misty couldn't get more bizarre or hipster-y, he sings a song about (gasp!) HIMSELF!! That's right! "Mr. Tillman" IS Father John Misty, whose real name is Josh Tillman. He literally talks to himself during the opening verse of the song ("Mr. Tillman, good to see you again"). He even manages to name-drop fellow indie-folk-rocker, Jason Isbell, during the first verse. What is the occasion that causes him to speak to himself?! Perhaps it's some words he took from random bits of conversation somebody had with him, presumably a tour manager. We may never know the answer to this one. Such is the mystery, and therefore the appeal, of Mr. Tillman...er...I mean Father John Misty!


"Real Love" by Lo Moon: After proclaiming "This Is It" during autumn of last year, indie-pop trio Lo Moon return for late winter/early spring 2018 with "Real Love". "Real Love" and "This Is It" are similar songs, since they're both influenced by the more atmospheric side of '80s synth-pop and they both have choruses that are louder than their verses. The beat of "Real Love" sets it apart from Lo Moon's previous hit. It's an average pop/rock beat written in C minor, which kind of takes away from the mystique that "This Is It" it had. Fans of groups like The xx, Future Islands, and Rhye should find this well suited to their electro-pop taste, though.


"Wait By the River" by Lord Huron: Lord Huron fans, the wait is over! The Los Angeles indie-folk band now has a new album to follow in the footsteps of their surprisingly successful "Strange Trails" album, which yielded the band four adult alt radio hits. "Wait By the River", the first single from Lord Huron's latest album, deftly weaves together psychedelic rock, folk-rock, and doo-wop into a deliciously hypnotic indie-pop swirl! Though the song provides nostalgic, misty eyed vibes akin to doo-wop classics like "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Wait By the River" is not a love song, at least not in the positive sense. It is actually about a man who has lost his partner, perhaps out of his life or perhaps out of life itself. Knowing Lord Huron's preoccupation with morbid subject matter, it could easily be either one!

New songs for February 21st, 2018

here they are:


"Baby I Love You" by Ryan Adams: Ryan Adams is known for having a bit of a hard heart, esp. when a fan requested BRYAN Adams' "Summer of '69" by mistake at one of Ryan's concerts. In recent years, however, Ryan has softened up, even performing a cover of the aforementioned song to poke fun at himself. Nothing has proven his sentimentality more than "Baby I Love You" so far, though. Ryan purposely released the song a few days after Valentine's Day. Using a lilting, jangly, Byrds-y melody and chord progression over a song whose title is the same as a Ronettes song, Ryan gives us one of his sweetest songs yet, without succumbing to being sappy in the process, thankfully.


"Extraordinary Love" by Erika Wennerstrom (from Heartless B*st*rds): Upon my first time hearing Heartless B*st*rds' music, I had thought their lead singer was a male, but it's actually a female. "Extraordinary Love" marks the first time that HB's lead singer has gone solo, and it also manages to be significantly longer than any song she did with her band, clocking in at a total of 6 minutes and 49 seconds. "Extraordinary Love" certainly lives up to its name in that aspect! It is a very adventurous song for someone whose band was known for its country-rock and roots-rock sounds. "Extraordinary Love" doesn't sound like either. Instead, it is a psychedelic and progressive rock fusion, evoking the sounds of such symphonic rock groups as King Crimson, The Moody Blues, and the Syd Barrett era of Pink Floyd. Each verse seems to take two minutes to complete, but with the enrapturing vibe of this song, each of those two minute intervals feels more like one minute to me!


"Nameless, Faceless" by Courtney Barnett: With its forceful intro bearing similarity to Devo's "Jocko Homo" in terms of its series of half step chords going progressively downward, Courtney Barnett proves herself once again as a force to be reckoned with in her latest song, "Nameless, Faceless". As with most of her material, it's not just the song that proves itself to be tough as nails, but the lyrics as well, particularly the part during the second verse where she says, "I could eat a bowl of alphabet soup and spit out better words than you", which is as scathing as it is funny! Another similarity "Nameless, Faceless" bears to "Jocko Homo" is how it is both hilarious and confrontational. Where Devo challenged the idea of man truly being an "evolved" creature, Courtney challenges the idea of gender harmony and tears it apart mercilessly when she says, "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them." Are we not women?! WE ARE DEVO!!

Happy Val-"N"-tines Day!!

The punny title comes from how all three songs for this week begin with the letter N. Here they are:


"Neighbors" by Lucius: Female-centric indie-pop group, Lucius, walk the line between juicy pop goodness and folk-rock bittersweetness. Their latest song, "Neighbors", is the latter. It is also a bit paranoia fueled, as far as the lyrics go. The song even opens with the lyrics, "I always lock the door 'cause you never know for sure who your neighbors are, real suspicious." The minor key of the song adds to its paranoia, but it probably isn't something that can be easily detected until listening to the song all the way through at least a few times.


"No Hard Feelings" by The Avett Brothers: The Avett Brothers did not release a new album yet this year. This one is actually a leftover from their 2016 album. "No Hard Feelings" is probably the saddest and slowest song to be released as a single from that album so far. The song is a farewell of some sort, but whether it's farewell to a girl, to a family member(s), or even to life itself, is hard to tell. The song closes with the line "I have no enemies" sung four times. All in all, it's a very sad song to listen to, but a good one. Now whoever's been chopping up onions in here, please stop!


"Not Too Late" by Moon Taxi: Almost all of Moon Taxi's songs so far have had a "tropical" vibe to them. This one does not. "Not Too Late" has a bit more of a straight up indie-pop sound, complete with both U2-ish guitars in the verses and club worthy synth in the chorus, the latter of which isn't exactly a common instrument yet in Moon Taxi's songs. Not as remarkable as most Moon Taxi songs, but certainly not bad either.

New songs for February 7th, 2018

here they are:


"Need Your Love" by Curtis Harding: Smooth soul singer Curtis Harding returns to the adult alt charts just in time for Valentine's Day with "Need Your Love". Like his previous hit, "On And On", "Need Your Love" is defined by its fast rhythm and funky riffs, in a similar vein to most Motown songs. The backing synthesizer on this song separates it from "On And On". The relentless energy and passionate pleas in this song make it a winner for the same reason Curtis' previous hit song won me over. Hopefully it'll do the same to whoever listens to it!


"Saturday Sun" by Vance Joy: The use of ukulele and upbeat vibes on Vance Joy's latest song, "Saturday Sun", hearken back to Vance's first (and so far, biggest) hit, "Riptide". Most of his songs that have come out since that one evoke a bittersweet sense of melancholia, but "Saturday Sun" does not, at least not musically. Lyrically, it maintains a positive theme as well, about falling in love with someone for the first time. This might just be the first Vance song that's more sweet than bittersweet, since even "Riptide" had some anguished lyrics. Not bad, I say!


"Silver Lining" by Mt. Joy: Copping a similar acoustic guitar riff to Bon Iver's "Skinny Love", Mt. Joy's breakthrough song, "Silver Lining" is an interesting song. Like Bon Iver's material, "Silver Lining" is about the downside to college life and how easy it can be to get burned out as a 20-something. The title of the song is mentioned as a way for the lead singer to find some good among the pressure and turmoil one can experience during their young adult years. Watch out. This song will be coming soon to a university near you!


"Think It Over" by Wild Child: 7 is a lucky number for Austin, Texas indie-pop group, Wild Child! The group have 7 members, and it's taken 7 years for them to score a hit on adult alt radio stations. Well, now that I've gotten that out of the way, "Think It Over" is a rather soulful, upbeat song. You probably would have never suspected that it was produced by someone like Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, but it was. Vocally, it sounds like Feist trying to do a disco song (which she DID once, covering the Bee Gees' song, "Inside And Out").


"Under the Wheels" by Calexico: Calexico's latest album is certainly their most adventurous yet! First, we had the horn-less "End of the World With You", and now we have the upbeat and slightly psychedelic sounding, "Under the Wheels". Calexico's trademark mariachi sound is back in this song, but make no mistake. The song marks yet another first for the band, in that its sound is fast enough to be danceable! Normally, Calexico are like other indie-folk and alt-country groups as far as their ability to be booty shakin' is concerned, but "Under the Wheels" is different than that! Lyrically, the song continues along the lines of being apocalyptic, like "End of the World With You" was, but unlike that song, it sounds happy enough to mask its moroseness!

New songs for January 31st, 2018

here they are:


“Best Days” by Lissie: Fitting that a song called “Best Days” sounds so happy and hopeful, isn’t it? Well, there’s a good reason for that. “Best Days” is Lissie’s song of hope, and it’s her way of letting her listeners know that the “good old days” are the ones we are living in right now. Lissie even sings in the middle of the song that she “wants more best days”. What a great attitude to have in times where nearly everyone seems to wish they could escape the present era!


“Girlfriend” by Anderson East: Anderson is a unique musician in this day and age, alternating between gritty sax driven soul music, calmer roots-y country-rock (perhaps influenced by his girlfriend, country star Miranda Lambert), and sometimes even straight up pop. On “Girlfriend”, Anderson goes back to the gutsy soul music that I originally knew him for. Unlike what its title might suggest, “Girlfriend” is not a simple declaration of love here, but instead a love triangle. Anderson loudly and somewhat proudly proclaims during the chorus that he “thinks (he’s) in love” with the subject’s “girlfriend”. I wonder what Miranda is gonna think of THIS one!


“Listening In” by Dr. Dog: Ever the quirky, original sounding indie band, Dr. Dog have done it again with their latest song, “Listening In”. The lyrics are pretty simple, with only three verses with practically identical lyrics and a bridge, but the music itself provides nearly 5 minutes of trippy, neo-psychedelic goodness! It appears the song is even a bit prog-rock influenced, with the middle of the song suddenly changing rhythm before the third verse kicks in. The song also provides just the right amount of balance between keyboard and guitar, unlike most indie songs these days, which tend to focus on one more than the other.


“May You Be Well” – The Lone Bellow: After splashing onto adult alt radio during the summer of last year with the rollicking, energetic, “Time’s Always Leaving”, the second single from The Lone Bellow’s third album, “May You Be Well”, is a more reflective and somewhat reverent sounding piece of music. It is a very sentimental song, both musically and lyrically, and was written by lead singer Zach Williams to his oldest daughter as a declaration of love from father to child. Both of his daughters ended up liking the track, though, especially Betty, his youngest, who expressed how moved she was that her dad chose to dedicate a song to one of his kids. I guess that’s the thing about good music. It can be enjoyed from one generation to the next!


“Never Look Back” by Field Report: It hasn’t been a very easy road for Wisconsin folk-rock quartet, Field Report, but they seem to be able to squeeze out one adult alt radio hit per album. So far, this pattern has continued into their third album with their latest song, “Never Look Back”. One thing I have noticed about the songs that have gained attention from Field Report is how more instrumentation gets used on each song. “Never Look Back” contains more echoic instrumentation and a bit more acoustic/electric guitar harmony than their other two hit songs. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the talk box used during the solo of the song, although it’s used in a rather subtle manner.


“On the Lips” by JD McPherson: What if The Black Keys covered songs like Modern English’s “I Melt With You”? Sounds kinda weird, doesn’t it?! Well, that’s pretty much the sound of JD McPherson’s latest song, “On the Lips”! No one ever thought that a guy whose first big song was a Little Richard sound-alike would be churning out THIS kinda music, but it does manage to work here. Well, kinda. Despite its rather futuristic sound, the song is actually about a moment from JD’s distant past. Specifically, it’s about his first kiss, and how much excitement he felt rushing through him when that special someone’s smooch “hit (him) on the lips”.


“Paradise” by George Ezra: No, this is not a cover of the popular Coldplay song of the same name, although George Ezra’s “Paradise” does have a bit more of a pop element than most of his folk-rock-y material has so far. This “Paradise” is definitely more upbeat and a little more rockin’ than the tune that Chris Martin and co put out a few years ago. It is also a declaration of love the whole way through. There are times when the lyrical fervor of this song runs hotter than others, such as the chorus, when George says, “If it feels like paradise running through your bloody veins, you know it’s love heading your way”. Love sure does make you do strange things sometimes, doesn’t it?!


“Roll On Slow” by Glen Hansard: The Irish folk-rocker whose first big hit was from the “Once” soundtrack amps it up on his latest song, “Roll On Slow”. There is something vaguely similar (though not near as impressive) to Bruce Springsteen songs like “She’s the One” and “Born to Run” on this song, and a bit of a soulful vibe as well during the chorus that could have easily come from fellow Irishmen, The Commitments (even though they were a movie-only band). The Springsteen-esque sound might have been intentional on “Roll On Slow”, since Glen has performed the song before with E Street Band drummer, Max Weinberg. The song definitely has an East Coast vibe to it, and was written while Glen was living in New York City. Behind the song’s determined, gutsy sound, however, lies a tale of sadness and woe. Apparently, the song was inspired by how Glen started drinking alcohol too heavily because his girlfriend was on vacation. The song’s urban vibe and fast beats help to compensate for the sad subject matter, though.

New songs for January 24th, 2018

here they are:


“Bluebirds Over the Mountain” by Robert Plant and Chrissie Hynde: When two rock legends collide, what is the result?! Well, as it turns out, it appears to be a fusion of psychedelic rock and bluegrass music. While that might sound like a strange combination, the Led Zeppelin frontman and Pretenders frontwoman manage to make it work here! “Bluebirds Over the Mountain” comes off like a slightly trippier version of the songs Plant did with country musician Alison Krauss back in 2007. Like much of Plant’s later material, there’s something mysterious and enchanting about “Bluebirds Over the Mountain”, particularly its folksy chorus of “Bluebirds over the mountain, seagulls over the sea. Bluebirds over the mountain, bring my baby to me”.

“Lottery” by Jade Bird: I feel kind of old reviewing this song, since Jade is, in fact, 10 years younger than I am! Speaking of which, age is actually a defining factor in the lyrics of her breakthrough song, “Lottery”, a rather playful and cheeky folk-rock number written in A major. The song even opens with the lyrics, “I was 19 and you were 23”, and the second verse contains lines like, “I’ll tell you about a guy I’ve been with. You ask how old he is and I laugh ‘26’. Nah, but he’s 30. How messed up is that?” When it comes down to it, though, age is just a number, and that seems to be the central point of “Lottery”. The theme of numbers also ties into the chorus when Jade says that the subject of her song used to tell her that “love is a lottery” and that he’s “got his numbers” and is “betting” on her. Finding a good song is a matter of luck. I think I’ve won the lottery with this one!

“Severed” by The Decemberists: The most heavily anticipated song of the week on the adult alt charts (and probably the regular alt charts, soon enough), “Severed” is not what you’d expect from Colin Meloy and his folk-rock entourage, primarily because the song is NOT folk-rock. The Decemberists have done slight detours from the genre before, like “O, Valencia!” and “The Perfect Crime # 2”, but at least both of those songs were guitar focused, so those both went over well with their core audience. “Severed” is not. It uses a rather dark synthesizer sound to dominate its atmosphere combined with an angular, jagged guitar in the background, slightly reminiscent of songs by groups like Joy Division. The Decemberists are known for having cynical and sometimes disturbing lyrical content in spite of their normally pleasant instrumental sound. “Severed” puts these factors at the forefront by being a brooding song both lyrically and musically!

New songs for January 17th 2018

here they are:


"Connected By Love" by Jack White: The eerie synths that open the latest song from the famed White Stripes frontman don't exactly define this song. About 15 seconds into the song, those instruments get supplanted by Jack's soulful delivery, both vocally and instrumentally. The chorus almost seems gospel influenced, and it uses female backing vocals that wouldn't sound too out of place in an actual gospel song. The organ solo in the song further accentuates its spiritual fervor. I have said before that music is like a religion to me. "Connected By Love" makes me feel like I'm in a church listening to a choir and soaking in each note and the overall passionate message of the song!


"Dream" by Bishop Briggs: In the summer of 2016, Bishop Briggs (then known simply by her first name) won over the alt and adult alt charts with "River", a song that combined soulful, impassioned vocal delivery, folk-rock guitar instrumentation, electronica ambience, and stomp-and-holler rhythms into a neat little musical package. On "Dream", Bishop uses this same combination of elements and manages to win over her target audience once again! Perhaps the biggest attraction, though, for "Dream", is in its lyrics. Bishop bares her heart and soul with lyrics like, "I wanna wake up where your love is, 'cause your love is always waking mine", and "I wanna break down where your heart gets so torn it's breaking mine". Bishop could be speaking to a lover, a close friend, or a higher power, but it's up to the listener to decide which suits them the best, ultimately. Such is the beauty and impact of music!


"Feels Like Lightning" by Josh Ritter: From the clippety-clop rhythm in the opening, you know that folk-rocker Josh Ritter wants to make "Feels Like Lightning", well, feel like lightning! The song's unique, memorable rhythm feels like a horse trampling through a field at lightning speed. Though horses aren't mentioned anywhere in the lyrics, there is quite a bit of nature related imagery in the song nonetheless. Wind, cherry blossoms, bluebirds, and fields are among the many choice words Josh uses to evoke the mood of being surrounded by scenery that is at once vibrant and pastoral. So let your heart run free and stir up some excitement whenever you listen to this one!


"Taste" by Rhye: It's rare these days for an electronic song to be so poignant and emotionally bare, but this is what Rhye excels at. They seemed destined for one-hit-wonder status in spring 2013 with their intimate and aptly titled song, "Open", but "Taste" has proven me wrong. "Taste" has a bit more energy than "Open" did, but still manages to have a calming, ethereal atmosphere nonetheless. The words "I'll lick your wounds. I'll lay you down" are repeated during certain sections of the song, illustrating the song's intent of comfort and reassurance to the individual who happens to be listening to it. Just as they did with "Open", Rhye have once again managed to succeed at making music perfect for wanting to escape into a world full of billowy clouds!


"You Worry Me" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: Nathaniel and his spunky, blues-y, R & B revival group don't worry ME, that's for sure! As with most of their material, this song makes me wanna get up and dance! Along with Jack White's latest song, "You Worry Me" is one of the most heavily anticipated new songs of the week, and it's not hard to see why! Though the song might not have the fiery, no-frills attitude of their breakthrough song, "S.O.B.", "You Worry Me" has still managed to win me over and remind me of why I like this group so much! Though the song is written in a minor key (a first for the group, as far as their better known songs are concerned), it still feels more like a major key song for its sheer exuberance and fervor. Well, what are ya waitin' for?! Let's boogie down!!