Songs for the day before Halloween 2019!!

here they are:


“Blind Leading the Blind” by Mumford and Sons: Midway through the 2010’s, Mumford and Sons decided they were tired of people pigeonholing them into the folk-rock category, so they got more of a “rock” sound with songs like “The Wolf”. Just as it seemed like M & S were finally starting to settle on a more acoustic based sound again towards the end of the decade, the quartet surprise us yet again by releasing what sounds like a U2 song with a banjo in the chorus! That’s right, in “Blind Leading the Blind”, Mumford and Sons’ two worlds collide! It seems to have done the trick for much of their fanbase, who favor their decision to meld all their previous sounds into one. In keeping with the theme of many songs from the mid to late 2010’s, “Blind Leading the Blind” laments the current generation, even opening with the words, “My generation’s stuck in the mirror”, immediately followed by “forget about ‘poor’ ‘cause I don’t like the word”. We are indeed a selfish, deceptive, and all-around desperate bunch of people these days, aren’t we?


“Misery” by Michigander: “Michigander”, in case you were wondering, simply means “person from Michigan”, just like “Californian” means “person from California”, and yes, they actually do hail from Michigan. It’s not just a clever name. Their debut song, “Misery”, gives me vibes that are similar to Snow Patrol or early Coldplay, with just a hint of latter-day Cage the Elephant tossed in for good measure. It is a short song without a lot of lyrical depth that talks about a breakup, as can be inferred from the title. A pleasant song nonetheless, though.


“Surefire” by Wilderado: Perhaps the best way to describe this song’s sound is “psychedelic country-rock”. It has a spaced out yet calm vibe similar to Kurt Vile (and his band, The War on Drugs). Fitting with its strung out, blissful, hippie vibe, Wilderado’s “Surefire” has a lot of nature related lyrics. “Surefire”, in this case, is not just a phrase used to describe something that is bound to happen, but a reference to the actual fire of the sun as it sets. The moon, the stars, bears, and forests are all mentioned in the first verse. Groovy, man!


“Van Horn” by Saint Motel: What exactly IS a Van Horn?! Is it like a Van Halen, but with horns in it?! No, it’s actually a town in Texas, which might explain the song’s “spicy twang” sound in the beginning. From there, it turns into the typical indie-dance-pop style of Saint Motel, but that is certainly not a bad thing. Saint Motel have been winners among the alt and adult alt crowds with “My Type” and “Move”, both of which were super catchy! “Van Horn” continues in this direction, creating yet another earworm in the Saint Motel catalog. The song actually has a clearer narrative than their other two hits, centering around the lead singer hesitating over whether to get to know the object of his affections better. As for me, I wanna get to know this song better!

New songs for October 23rd, 2019

here they are:


"Sunflower" by Vampire Weekend: Sometimes Spotify can turn me on to a song before it hits the airwaves. Vampire Weekend's ultra-funky "Sunflower" is one such case. Vampire Weekend's musical flirtation with reggae is pretty well known among their fans at this point in their career, but their love of 1970's funk and soul music might not be as apparent. "Sunflower" brings funk to the forefront. It's also the first Vampire Weekend song I've known where Ezra Koenig scats during the main guitar riff of the song. Cramming only 6 lines that read similarly to haikus into a little less than 2 and a half minutes, "Sunflower" is a fun song that goes by super quickly, and slows down towards the end. As the old saying goes, time flies when you're having fun!


"Uneventful Days" by Beck: Beck is no stranger to making music for the dance floor, but it's normally more energetic and bouncy than the more reflective tones of his latest song, "Uneventful Days". The song sounds almost like a Future Islands song with its chilled out synth vibes. Beck himself says that this ultra-mellow choice of sound is intentional, even going so far as to say that this song and its accompanying record are "meditative". With its curious, somewhat mystical lyrics like, "living in the dark, waiting for the light", "Uneventful Days" is anything but uneventful!

New songs for October 16th, 2019

here they are:


"Good Side" by Liz Phair: There was a time early on in the new millennium when mid-'90s alt-rock goddess, Liz Phair, gave her music an Avril Lavigne styled makeover. Although it brought her music to mainstream radio, not a lot of Liz fans were on board with it. Thankfully, with "Good Side", Liz is back to doing the lyrically acerbic folk-rock with attitude she does best! She's no longer sweetly moaning "why can't I?" in response to falling in love, but is instead spouting more cynical sentences like, "there are so many ways to f**k up a life", the lyrics of which actually open this billowy yet caustic song. The song has lyrical depth that is open to interpretation, too, much like her mid-'90s repertoire. When she sings "I'm gonna leave you with my good side" during the chorus, for instance, what exactly is she talking about? From the overall tone of the song, the phrase "good side" seems somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Hopefully Liz will make more songs like this one, and her early '00s output will just end up being a tiny blemish in an otherwise outstanding catalog!


"Tell the Truth" by The Avett Brothers: Stepping away from the techno-rock of their adult alt smash hit, "High Steppin'", from earlier this year, "Tell the Truth" has more bittersweet autumnal vibes to contrast with "High Steppin'"s summery sound. The title of the song seems like pretty simple advice, but Seth and Scott confess within the lyrics of the song that it's not an easy thing to do. According to the song, they have lied to many who were near and dear to them, so the song serves as a sad but true reminder of how we really don't have anything to hide, no matter how hard we try to do so. "Tell the truth to yourself", they sing, "and the rest will fall in place". Great advice!


"The Well" by Marcus King: I have not heard a bad song from blues-rocker, Marcus King, as of yet, but "The Well" might just be his best one yet! If the song sounds a bit like The Black Keys' "Howlin' For You", it's because the Keys' Dan Auerbach produced it! It also seems to have the most blues-y lyrics of King's output so far ("Papa was a-preachin' 'bout the fires of Hell/If you want a drink of water, got to go to the well"), with its ever so blues-y struggle between the sacred and the profane. Specifically, this song might be about wanting to disprove the myth how rock music is the "devil's music", with Marcus claiming that the "cornerstone church tried to sell (his) soul", but that "the good Lord gave him rock and roll". Well, if classic rock groups like Argent or Kiss are correct, God DID give rock and roll to us!

New songs for October 9th 2019

here they are:


"Black Cadillac" by Mondo Cozmo: On this song, Joshua Keith Ostrander manages to give The Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting For the Man" a U2 styled makeover. Oh, take that strange look out of your eyes! Haha. Bono and the boys were also influenced by Lou Reed and his quintet of alt-rock forefathers even though it might not seem that apparent at first, so the combination of these sounds might not be as outlandish as it sounds. Josh is not taking on the subject of drugs like Lou did, but he is taking on the equally hairy topic of politics in "Black Cadillac". The lyrics of the song are somewhat cryptic, except when Joshua spells out Brett Kavanaugh's last name midway through the song, attacking him for his insincerity during the Supreme Court hearings.


"Good Luck" by Broken Bells: Our next entry for the week also attacks politics, opening with the lyrics, "The face of evil's on the news tonight". As James Mercer continues to deliver his lyrics in his latest song, the trip-hop influenced "Good Luck", he questions whether the "good times" ever existed in the first place or if we're just looking at our past through rose colored glasses, so to speak. Mercer tends to lean towards the latter answer here. The darkness is all around us, sure, but Mercer acknowledges this is nothing new, ending the song by wishing his listeners "good luck" in coping with a world that doesn't seem to favor our species.


"Wars" by Of Monsters and Men: Given the chilling political atmosphere the lyrics of the previous two entries brought us, you might think that "Wars", from its title alone, would continue this theme. However, anyone tired of hearing about politics can take a breather for our last song of the week! The title of the song actually refers to a relationship gone wrong. In this song, OMAM's male vocalist takes the lead, as opposed to their female vocalist who took on "Alligator" from earlier this year. OMAM have also drifted even further away from their folk-rock sound than they did with "Alligator". That song at least contained a vague hint of electric guitar, whereas "Wars" seems to lack guitar altogether. I'm a little worried for the future of Of Monsters and Men in this aspect, as they had a rich, harmony-laden folk-rock sound for their first two albums that I fell in love with the moment I first heard it! Perhaps this is not entirely a bad thing, though.

Funk-tober!!

I noticed all three entries this week were a blend of funk and rock, hence the silly name I gave this week's blog entry. Here are the songs:


"Colors" by Black Pumas: Neo-soul group, Black Pumas, made the adult alt charts not once, but twice, both times with the funky yet haunting, "Black Moon Rising". Their second song (and third entry?) on the adult alt charts is "Colors", one of the few songs I know that could be called "acoustic funk". The song starts out with a vaguely acoustic strum, only for a soulful rhythm to be gradually added into the song as it progresses. What the song is about could be up for debate. Some of the lyrics hint at the colors of nature, but during the chorus when he talks about "all my favorite colors, my sisters and my brothers", it could be symbolic of the idea of racial harmony, an idea that is desperately needed in today's increasingly divided world.


"Hey Rose" by Son Little: Son Little's slinky, catchy mix of blues and funk continues in his latest song, "Hey Rose". The song is unique in Little's catalog for its use of handclaps. The earthy yet gutsy vibes he got across in his debut single, "The River", back in 2014, are shown prominently on "Hey Rose". The song seems to be about wanting to fall in love with someone by inviting them to a concert, as evidenced by the "big brass band" that Son Little keeps telling the titular Rose about, despite there being no brass instruments on the song itself.


"Over You" by Seratones: The combo of funk and rock music seems to be pretty trendy this week since it makes up the entirety of this week's blog! Our last entry for the week comes from Seratones, the sassy soul sensations from Shreveport who brought us "Gotta Get to Know Ya" in spring of this year. "Over You" is considerably less loud than "Gotta..." but it's just as jagged and unapologetic in its lyrics. "We made love like pianos falling down the stairs", AJ Haynes viciously sings during one part of the song. If that's not proof she's "over" the subject of her song, I dunno what is!

New songs for September 25th 2019

here they are:


"Everyone Hides" by Wilco: Did you think that Imogen Heap was the only indie musician who enjoyed playing "hide and seek"?! Well, think again! Wilco enjoy it just as much, and not in the romantic way that Imogen did in her song. The video for "Everyone Hides" is quite literally a fun, harmless game of hide and seek between the band members! It can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Gbbd6pVMg Jeff Tweedy and co are quite the clever punsters in this song and video! The title of the song itself, when used in combination with the video, could be taken as one, using the word "hide" in the sense of both concealing one's inner emotions in the song and literally finding a place to hide in the video. Visual puns that reference Wilco albums like "Being There" (depicted here as a movie starring Peter Sellers) and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" (the tower on the album cover is one place they hide) can be found throughout the video. Happy hunting!


"Missing Home" by Flora Cash: The third song so far to become a hit in the catalog of Swedish indie-folk duo, Flora Cash, "Missing Home" recalls many of the elements that made their first and biggest hit (so far), "You're Somebody Else", so successful on alt and adult alt radio stations. For one, acoustic guitar makes a return to Flora Cash's music (guitar was largely absent on "They Own This Town"). Flora Cash also turn back from the bitter vibes of "They Own This Town" and go back to bittersweet, which suits them better, on "Missing Home". The title alone indicates a sense of yearning, and the moody yet longing vibe of the song and its lovelorn lyrics confirm this. Midway through, the song uses the old adage that "home is where the heart is", but it doesn't feel corny or forced here. Instead, it feels like it plucks at the ol' heartstrings. Here's hoping this song will become one of the smash hits for the final season of both 2019 and the 2010's!


"The Game" by Milky Chance: Often written off as a "one-hit wonder" for the sensually funky alt-folk song, "Stolen Dance", Milky Chance have had a few more songs that their fanbase knows them for, most notably "Flashed Junk Mind" and "Cocoon". Joining the ranks of those songs is the German indie-folk trio's latest tune, "The Game". Once again mixing folk guitars with world music rhythms, "The Game", which has a reggae rhythm that recalls Magic!, another mid 2010's one-hit wonder for their song, "Rude". The lyrics are basically about a relationship gone wrong, where lead singer Clemens Rehbein claims that he doesn't care about what rumors have been spread about him and that he just wants to learn "the rules of the game". The game, of course, is the game of love. I hate to burst anyone's bubble here, but no, it is not about that silly meme that claims, "You just lost the game"!


"The Runner" by Foals: Foals are one of the few indie/alt bands left that can shift between typical indie-pop and the alt-rock music in days of yore that had more guitars. They boasted some mighty fine guitar playing skills on their 2015 hit, "Mountain At My Gates". On their latest song, "The Runner", their guitar skills are once again evident! Where their song "Exits" from earlier this year seemed to evoke feelings of despair and hopelessness, "The Runner" seems to be all about determination! Nothing can get in the way of Foals' success after such a tumultuous, unpredictable decade. Hopefully they'll soldier on into the next one unscathed!

New songs for September 11th 2019

here they are:


"Better Than I Used To" by Illiterate Light: You know a song's gonna be kinda quirky when its opening lyrics are, "In my mind there's only three things: rubber band ball bouncing around". Huh?! Sounds like something badly translated from another language! The song itself is charmingly odd as well with its post-psychedelic influences, bringing to mind other bands who have revived psychedelia for the 21st century, such as Dr. Dog and My Morning Jacket. I actually mistook this for a Dr. Dog song when I first heard it on KCSN, a station that has introduced me to many other wonderful songs and bands that resides in SoCal like I do. "Every time that I think of you, I feel better than I used to", the lead singer states during the chorus. I echo that sentiment when I listen to songs like this one!


"Will We Talk?" by Sam Fender: Sam's late spring/early summer adult alt radio hit, "Hypersonic Missiles", sounded like Springsteen circa 1975 being covered by Ryan Adams. A great combo of sounds if ever there was one! Sam's second adult alt radio hit, "Will We Talk?", sounds a bit more modern, evoking the sounds of groups like The Strokes and The Killers, albeit with that distinctly Springsteen-ian chime and string section in the background. The Strokes and The Killers were both heavily influenced by music of the post-punk and new wave eras, so it's only fitting that "Will We Talk?" opens with the lyrics, "Blue Monday blaring through the speakers", referencing "Blue Monday" by New Order, one of the best known groups of the post-punk and new wave eras. Here, the lyrics also seem like early Springsteen, save for an F-bomb that gets dropped midway through the song, if The Boss had kept his original jazzier and grittier sound into the 1980's, weaving a tale of bittersweet urban romance. Bruce was thought to be the new Bob Dylan back in the day. I'd say that Sam is the new Bruce!