here they are:
"A Ghost" by Travis: Though Travis are actually Scottish, they have often been lumped under the "Britpop" category that also includes groups like The Verve and Radiohead, and (early on), Coldplay. Travis are typically on the melancholy side of the Britpop spectrum, like Radiohead are, but the eerily titled "A Ghost", ironically, is one of the happiest songs I've ever heard by them! The song is bouncy and jangly enough that I could picture it being done by some of British rock's founding fathers, like The Beatles or The Kinks. The titular "ghost" in the song is one that Fran Healy claims to "see in the mirror", according to the lyrics. More than likely, "ghost" is being used as a metaphor for confronting one's past self here. In "A Ghost", Fran gives a kiss-off to his past by unexpectedly embracing his happiness. Go figure!
"Didn't Want to Be This Lonely" by The Pretenders: Here is yet another song whose sound reaches back to the past. The Pretenders have already become "classic" in and of themselves, but here, they reach for influences that came along before their 40-plus-year career even began! There is a clear influence from proto-classic rockers like Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley here. After the melancholy folk-rock/power pop of The Pretenders' "The Buzz" from earlier this year, it's nice to see Chrissie and the gang pick themselves back up again! Like our previous entry, this song also seems like an upbeat tune that masks more negative emotions, and could also be viewed as being somewhat therapeutic in that regard.
"I Do" by Wild Rivers: Have we finally reached a point where neo-folk-rock has hit saturation point? This song from Canadian quartet, Wild Rivers, is one of the few songs of said genre to give me mixed reactions. On the one hand, the guy/girl harmonies of folk-rock that have been essential to the sub-genre since the days of The Mamas and The Papas are present here, which I like. On the other hand, though, the girl's vocals here remind me too much of Colbie Caillat, whom I've never liked, and the production of the music seems squeaky clean in comparison to the more rustic and ragged sound of most folk-rock. The jury's out on this song, but I've reviewed it here just in case I someday grow to like it more than I do now.
"My Own Soul's Warning" by The Killers: Brandon Flowers and co lived up to their name once again in spring and early summer of this year by burning up the alt and adult alt radio charts with the anthemic song, "Caution". The song seemed to evoke the new-wave-meets-Heartland-rock sound that groups like The War on Drugs have cultivated recently. The Killers' latest song, "My Own Soul's Warning", seems to head in this direction as well. Like many Killers songs from 2006 and onward, "My Own Soul's Warning" seems to have somewhat Springsteen-ian instrumentation, which meshes well with its cryptic yet soul searching lyrics. The opening lyrics of the song, "I tried going against my own soul's warning, but in the end something just didn't feel right", kind of sum up what the song is about. In other words, it seems as though during the course of the song, Brandon Flowers tries to find his own purpose in life without listening to the guidance of others, but he veers off course and ultimately decides that such advice might have been worth listening to after all. Flowers might not be near as good a lyricist as his idol, Bruce, but he certainly does try sometimes, and it really shows, too!
"No Time For Love Like Now" by Michael Stipe and Big Red Machine: Sometimes music from two different eras can share a common aesthetic. Such is the case with R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe and The National's Aaron Dessner (with a little help from members of Bon Iver), all of whom have collaborated with one another on the song, "No Time For Love Like Now". Though Stipe takes on the vocal parts here, it is Dessner who heads the musical composition of this number, filled more with the icy electronics of The National than the bittersweet, autumnal jangle of R.E.M. I'm not sure how they found out about one another, perhaps it is because both have proven to be influential in the world of alternative rock at some point in time, but the combo seems to work here. The song seems at least in part to be about the negative and surprising changes our world has experienced this year so far. The title of the song tells of love, but it's more a sense of sadness that permeates through this track.
"Proxima B" by Benjamin Gibbard: Death Cab's lead singer released what could have been his most depressing song ever with "Life in Quarantine" earlier this year around spring. The lyrics to his latest song, "Proxima B", though still somewhat sad, aim to subvert the sadness a bit. Unlike the stark folk-rock of "...Quarantine", "Proxima B" has a more bouncy, power pop/jangle pop sound, not uncommon in Death Cab's own material, such as "Crooked Teeth". The subject of "Proxima B" is basically Ben's desire to have somewhere to escape from the chaos and imminent danger the world is currently facing. With Planet Earth on the wane, Ben suggests Proxima B, the name of a distant planet in another galaxy (a real one, not a fictional one), as a place to be "careless and free", away from all the troubles of our current biological home.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
New songs for June 17th 2020
Wow. It's been nearly a month since I last posted an entry for this blog! Perhaps amidst all the racial issues AND health issues the world has been facing, the music world (at least the Adult Alt world) got sort of quiet for awhile. Things are slowly starting to pick up again in the music world, though, with four new entries for this week.
"Dark Days" by Local Natives (featuring Sylvan Esso): If you're a Local Natives fan and the title of this song sounds familiar to you, that's probably because this is actually a remake of a song that Local Natives have had since 2016. The melody, key, and instruments are exactly the same as the 2016 version, mixing "yacht rock" (think latter-day Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, etc.) with the techno-pop side of the indie scene. The main difference between the two versions is that fellow indie popsters, Sylvan Esso, are guest vocalists on the 2020 version. You might think that the title "Dark Days" is some sort of political reference, especially given how both versions of the song were released on an election year, but it's actually a song about growing up and coming of age in Southern California (my neck of the woods!) The blissed out vibes of this song definitely call for some California dreamin', on such a summer's day.
"Dreamsicle" by Jason Isbell: Jason Isbell's songs are typically either angry, politically fueled Southern rock songs, or else they're sentimental folk/country-rock tunes that often have a sad sound with a heavy message. Musically, "Dreamsicle" falls under the latter category, but the term "Dreamsicle" is actually not some kind of strange metaphor like you might expect from Isbell. Instead, "Dreamsicle" is exactly that - a popsicle! Fittingly, the song manages to serve as comfort food for troubled souls the world around, with lyrics that recount the simple yet unforgettable pleasures of youthful summer vacations that Jason had during his mid-teens.
"Hallucinogenics" by Matt Maeson: Indie-folk/pop musician, Matt Maeson, has had equal success on both the Alternative and Adult Alternative charts so far with "Cringe" and "Go Easy". His third single, "Hallucinogenics", seems to have been his most popular so far on the Alternative charts, probably due to its druggy sounding title, and perhaps also for its use of the F word in only the third line of the song. Seems to follow the Lana Del Rey blueprint of "sex, drugs, and not-quite-rock-and-roll", and the sound of "Hallucinogenics" is somewhat similar to LDR too, albeit a bit more upbeat and tongue-in-cheek. Underneath the song's sweet sound, "Hallucinogenics" is actually somewhat defiant (as much as an indie-pop song can be, anyway), with its vague sense of pride about drug use, as well as its subtle f-you to religion in the recurring line, "Go find yourself a man who's strong, tall, and Christian", indicating that Matt is not a man of God, but a man who plays by his own rules. The line, "I carried on like the wayward son", seems to show that Matt is indeed a rock and roll fan, but the sound of this song suggests otherwise.
"No Flag" by Elvis Costello: Last but not least, we now come to a rock song that is TRULY defiant, from a rocker who is truly defiant! Leave it to Elvis C to continue asking what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding almost 40 years after he first asked that question! "No Flag" starts off being somewhat trippy and mysterious before launching into a rhythmically orchestrated tirade of shattering electric guitars and unapologetically angry words. This is punk rock (or more accurately, psychedelic punk-jazz) from a man who truly knows how to do it! The song is more than likely about just how chaotic the world has gotten. Though Costello hails from Britain, he is certainly aware of American political affairs as well, venomously spewing the title of his song as a not-so-subtle symbol of anarchy. He also rants against religion ("no God for the d*mn that I don't give") and the state of the world as a whole ("I sense no future, but time seems to drag"). This is the sort of punk music that groups like Green Day yearn to be, but never quite get to, the way it was meant to be!
"Dark Days" by Local Natives (featuring Sylvan Esso): If you're a Local Natives fan and the title of this song sounds familiar to you, that's probably because this is actually a remake of a song that Local Natives have had since 2016. The melody, key, and instruments are exactly the same as the 2016 version, mixing "yacht rock" (think latter-day Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, etc.) with the techno-pop side of the indie scene. The main difference between the two versions is that fellow indie popsters, Sylvan Esso, are guest vocalists on the 2020 version. You might think that the title "Dark Days" is some sort of political reference, especially given how both versions of the song were released on an election year, but it's actually a song about growing up and coming of age in Southern California (my neck of the woods!) The blissed out vibes of this song definitely call for some California dreamin', on such a summer's day.
"Dreamsicle" by Jason Isbell: Jason Isbell's songs are typically either angry, politically fueled Southern rock songs, or else they're sentimental folk/country-rock tunes that often have a sad sound with a heavy message. Musically, "Dreamsicle" falls under the latter category, but the term "Dreamsicle" is actually not some kind of strange metaphor like you might expect from Isbell. Instead, "Dreamsicle" is exactly that - a popsicle! Fittingly, the song manages to serve as comfort food for troubled souls the world around, with lyrics that recount the simple yet unforgettable pleasures of youthful summer vacations that Jason had during his mid-teens.
"Hallucinogenics" by Matt Maeson: Indie-folk/pop musician, Matt Maeson, has had equal success on both the Alternative and Adult Alternative charts so far with "Cringe" and "Go Easy". His third single, "Hallucinogenics", seems to have been his most popular so far on the Alternative charts, probably due to its druggy sounding title, and perhaps also for its use of the F word in only the third line of the song. Seems to follow the Lana Del Rey blueprint of "sex, drugs, and not-quite-rock-and-roll", and the sound of "Hallucinogenics" is somewhat similar to LDR too, albeit a bit more upbeat and tongue-in-cheek. Underneath the song's sweet sound, "Hallucinogenics" is actually somewhat defiant (as much as an indie-pop song can be, anyway), with its vague sense of pride about drug use, as well as its subtle f-you to religion in the recurring line, "Go find yourself a man who's strong, tall, and Christian", indicating that Matt is not a man of God, but a man who plays by his own rules. The line, "I carried on like the wayward son", seems to show that Matt is indeed a rock and roll fan, but the sound of this song suggests otherwise.
"No Flag" by Elvis Costello: Last but not least, we now come to a rock song that is TRULY defiant, from a rocker who is truly defiant! Leave it to Elvis C to continue asking what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding almost 40 years after he first asked that question! "No Flag" starts off being somewhat trippy and mysterious before launching into a rhythmically orchestrated tirade of shattering electric guitars and unapologetically angry words. This is punk rock (or more accurately, psychedelic punk-jazz) from a man who truly knows how to do it! The song is more than likely about just how chaotic the world has gotten. Though Costello hails from Britain, he is certainly aware of American political affairs as well, venomously spewing the title of his song as a not-so-subtle symbol of anarchy. He also rants against religion ("no God for the d*mn that I don't give") and the state of the world as a whole ("I sense no future, but time seems to drag"). This is the sort of punk music that groups like Green Day yearn to be, but never quite get to, the way it was meant to be!
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
New songs for May 20th, 2020
here they are:
"Everything's Right" by Phish: Phish are known for being the ultimate example of a jam band from the '90s onward, much like The Grateful Dead were the ultimate example of a jam band during the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Much like The Dead, Phish's studio tracks are usually more "controlled" than their freewheeling live tracks, but that is not always the case. Phish's latest studio recording, "Everything's Right", which started out as a live recording, clocks in at a little over 12 minutes, making it the longest song I've reviewed so far! For the true devotees of Phish, it might be worth it to listen to all 12 minutes. However, for more casual fans such as myself, the first four and a half minutes of the song should do just fine. It's actually a very fun, optimistic track up until that point. After that, it's pretty much nothing but guitar solos. The entire track is for hardcore fans only, but just a slice of this track should be enough to uplift anyone from their quarantine blues.
"Isabella" by Hamilton Leithauser: "Isabella", the latest track from The Walkmen's frontman continues in the folk-rock direction of his previous adult alt radio hit, "Here They Come", but it's a much sweeter song than that one was. Its chill yet yearning vibes make for a bittersweet love song. At least it appears to be a love song on the surface, but underneath it all, there are no direct references that tell how Hamilton truly feels about the titular Isabella. Based on the music, though, he probably thinks she's pretty dreamy.
"One Day She's Here" by Marcus King: After the explosive blues-rock of his 2019 adult alt radio hit, "The Well", Marcus King dials things back a bit with "One Day She's Gone". Though guitar isn't the most audible instrument on "One Day She's Here", Marcus compensates for this by making the song extra sleek and funky. The song is about a girl whom Marcus attempts to build a relationship with, but he never quite gets there. Aren't a lot of relationships like that, though?
"This Forgotten Town" by The Jayhawks: For most of the new millennium, alt-country critical darlings, The Jayhawks, have focused on a jangle-pop sound similar to groups like The Byrds, Big Star, and R.E.M. "This Forgotten Town" marks the first time in nearly 25 years that The Jayhawks have gone back to the more countrified, roots-y rock sound they started with. There's nothing really jangly about this song, which uses roots-y electric guitar riffs backed by acoustic guitar and honky-tonk piano where fans might have expected 12-string guitars and Rickenbacker riffs to be instead. The songs "going down the road" style lyrics also hearken back to earlier Jayhawks songs, which were not as yearning and bittersweet as the ones they put out from the 2000's onward. This might just be the song to win back the small but significant fanbase that The Jayhawks first started building during the early to mid '90s. Who knew?!
"Everything's Right" by Phish: Phish are known for being the ultimate example of a jam band from the '90s onward, much like The Grateful Dead were the ultimate example of a jam band during the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Much like The Dead, Phish's studio tracks are usually more "controlled" than their freewheeling live tracks, but that is not always the case. Phish's latest studio recording, "Everything's Right", which started out as a live recording, clocks in at a little over 12 minutes, making it the longest song I've reviewed so far! For the true devotees of Phish, it might be worth it to listen to all 12 minutes. However, for more casual fans such as myself, the first four and a half minutes of the song should do just fine. It's actually a very fun, optimistic track up until that point. After that, it's pretty much nothing but guitar solos. The entire track is for hardcore fans only, but just a slice of this track should be enough to uplift anyone from their quarantine blues.
"Isabella" by Hamilton Leithauser: "Isabella", the latest track from The Walkmen's frontman continues in the folk-rock direction of his previous adult alt radio hit, "Here They Come", but it's a much sweeter song than that one was. Its chill yet yearning vibes make for a bittersweet love song. At least it appears to be a love song on the surface, but underneath it all, there are no direct references that tell how Hamilton truly feels about the titular Isabella. Based on the music, though, he probably thinks she's pretty dreamy.
"One Day She's Here" by Marcus King: After the explosive blues-rock of his 2019 adult alt radio hit, "The Well", Marcus King dials things back a bit with "One Day She's Gone". Though guitar isn't the most audible instrument on "One Day She's Here", Marcus compensates for this by making the song extra sleek and funky. The song is about a girl whom Marcus attempts to build a relationship with, but he never quite gets there. Aren't a lot of relationships like that, though?
"This Forgotten Town" by The Jayhawks: For most of the new millennium, alt-country critical darlings, The Jayhawks, have focused on a jangle-pop sound similar to groups like The Byrds, Big Star, and R.E.M. "This Forgotten Town" marks the first time in nearly 25 years that The Jayhawks have gone back to the more countrified, roots-y rock sound they started with. There's nothing really jangly about this song, which uses roots-y electric guitar riffs backed by acoustic guitar and honky-tonk piano where fans might have expected 12-string guitars and Rickenbacker riffs to be instead. The songs "going down the road" style lyrics also hearken back to earlier Jayhawks songs, which were not as yearning and bittersweet as the ones they put out from the 2000's onward. This might just be the song to win back the small but significant fanbase that The Jayhawks first started building during the early to mid '90s. Who knew?!
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
New songs for May 13th 2020
here they are:
"Good Times" by The Lone Bellow: A song called "Good Times" oughta be upbeat, and that's exactly what "Good Times" by The Lone Bellow is. An uplifting indie-folk-pop song, "Good Times" is a simple but meaningful song that recalls conversations the group members have had with both one another and with people outside the band. One thing that sets this song apart from other Lone Bellow songs is its prominent use of horns, as well as its electric guitar solo in the middle.
"Time (You And I)" by Khruangbin: Late last year might have been the first time many people heard about Khruangbin through their collaboration with neo-soul musician, Leon Bridges. Perhaps Leon's soulful vibes rubbed off on Khruangbin on their latest song, "Time (You And I)", which itself sounds like it could be a song off one of Leon Bridges' later albums. The song's mid-'70s funk influenced sound gives it a very upbeat, danceable sound. For a little over five and a half minutes, the song's lyrics repeat, and not just in English either. As the song progresses, they also get to French, Portuguese, and at least one East Asian language, perhaps to emphasize how its simple message of love is a universal one. The song's avant-funk sound brings to mind musicians like Prince and Funkadelic.
"Time Stands" by Nathaniel Rateliff: The third song this week with the word "time" in its title is a mellower track than the others. Without The Night Sweats backing him up, Nathaniel Rateliff seems to create more melancholy folk-rock songs, as opposed to the spirited brand of retro R & B that most fans of his were initially acquainted with. "Time Stands" continues in the folk-rock pattern for Nathaniel, and is the most bittersweet song I've heard from him yet. It is a yearning song that seems to wonder if things will be alright without ever answering that question. No one seems to know where time stands anymore, so "Time Stands" has arrived for us just in time (no pun intended).
"Upside Down" by Mondo Cozmo: Most of the songs from this week were actually songs released earlier in the year from albums that already had singles. "Upside Down" by Mondo Cozmo is not such a song. It was thought up last month and is one of a growing number of songs that has been written in response to our current pandemic. "Everything is upside down", Joshua Ostrander sings during the chorus. What he means, as you might have guessed, is that nothing seems to make sense anymore. Instead of lamenting this, though, Joshua decides to make the most of it, turning his thoughts of uncertainty into a party anthem that starts out with half-sung/half-spoken lyrics recalling songs like Beck's "Loser" and Cage the Elephant's "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked". I'm all for creativity, but I still wish things turn right side up sooner than later.
"Good Times" by The Lone Bellow: A song called "Good Times" oughta be upbeat, and that's exactly what "Good Times" by The Lone Bellow is. An uplifting indie-folk-pop song, "Good Times" is a simple but meaningful song that recalls conversations the group members have had with both one another and with people outside the band. One thing that sets this song apart from other Lone Bellow songs is its prominent use of horns, as well as its electric guitar solo in the middle.
"Time (You And I)" by Khruangbin: Late last year might have been the first time many people heard about Khruangbin through their collaboration with neo-soul musician, Leon Bridges. Perhaps Leon's soulful vibes rubbed off on Khruangbin on their latest song, "Time (You And I)", which itself sounds like it could be a song off one of Leon Bridges' later albums. The song's mid-'70s funk influenced sound gives it a very upbeat, danceable sound. For a little over five and a half minutes, the song's lyrics repeat, and not just in English either. As the song progresses, they also get to French, Portuguese, and at least one East Asian language, perhaps to emphasize how its simple message of love is a universal one. The song's avant-funk sound brings to mind musicians like Prince and Funkadelic.
"Time Stands" by Nathaniel Rateliff: The third song this week with the word "time" in its title is a mellower track than the others. Without The Night Sweats backing him up, Nathaniel Rateliff seems to create more melancholy folk-rock songs, as opposed to the spirited brand of retro R & B that most fans of his were initially acquainted with. "Time Stands" continues in the folk-rock pattern for Nathaniel, and is the most bittersweet song I've heard from him yet. It is a yearning song that seems to wonder if things will be alright without ever answering that question. No one seems to know where time stands anymore, so "Time Stands" has arrived for us just in time (no pun intended).
"Upside Down" by Mondo Cozmo: Most of the songs from this week were actually songs released earlier in the year from albums that already had singles. "Upside Down" by Mondo Cozmo is not such a song. It was thought up last month and is one of a growing number of songs that has been written in response to our current pandemic. "Everything is upside down", Joshua Ostrander sings during the chorus. What he means, as you might have guessed, is that nothing seems to make sense anymore. Instead of lamenting this, though, Joshua decides to make the most of it, turning his thoughts of uncertainty into a party anthem that starts out with half-sung/half-spoken lyrics recalling songs like Beck's "Loser" and Cage the Elephant's "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked". I'm all for creativity, but I still wish things turn right side up sooner than later.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
New songs for May 6th 2020
May the 4th be with us, as I churn out a blog that contains more songs than there have been Star Wars sequels (11 songs, to be precise)! Let's begin, shall we?!
"Alphabetland" by X: Interesting that a band whose name consists of only one letter of the alphabet (and one of the rarest, at that) has put out a song about the entire alphabet...well, kind of. "Alphabetland" is just a catchy and quirky song title from the Los Angeles punk quartet, X, who have not released an album with all four original members in 35 years! As the members of the band rotated during the late '80s and early '90s, X went for more of a plaintive folk-rock influenced sound. With "Alphabetland", that sound is gone, and in its place is the original fiery yet melodic punk sound that X started with. "Alphabetland" could be best described as The White Stripes trying to cover "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones. It's a bit hard to tell upon first listen what the song is actually about, but fans of X will not be let down by this surprising new release in their catalog. A title like "Alphabetland" would not be out of place on Sesame Street...speaking of which, no one has ever told us how to get there. Perhaps Exene, John, DJ, and Billy could tell us how to get, how to get to Alphabetland?!
"Blank Slate" by Chicano Batman: Chicano Batman just keep getting funkier and funkier with each song they release. Their latest song, "Blank Slate", seems like a Talking Heads-ish dance track mixing techno beats and funk guitars. Lyrically, the song's excitement is conveyed in its lyrics about newfound desire for love. "I just wanna love you" seems to be the central line in the song. Chicano Batman, we already loved you!
"Don't Let Me Down" by Milky Chance (featuring Jack Johnson): Not to be confused with the Beatles song of the same name, "Don't Let Me Down"'s chill brand of funk-rock is nothing new for German indie-pop duo, Milky Chance. For Jack Johnson, however, it's a whole new world. Jack Johnson has been kind of like the millennial answer to the '70s Jimmy Buffett, combining acoustic guitar soft rock with blissed out tropical island vibes. Jack briefly flirted with electric guitar music in the early 2010's, but he's never gone guitar-LESS...until now, that is. Milky Chance's songs could also be described as having super blissful vibes, so in that sense, they fit well with Jack Johnson. Between this song and the last one I reviewed for this week, this year's early summer is shaping up to be a pretty chill one so far!
"Hold Me" by The Teskey Brothers: The Teskey Brothers mid-summer adult alt radio smash, "So Caught Up", had a strong Motown/'60s soul influence. "Hold Me" reaches even further back into the history of R & B music, sounding almost like a gospel song in comparison. There is no noticeable instrumentation until midway through the song. Until that point, "Hold Me" is defined mostly by handclaps, in a similar manner to a great number of gospel and early blues tunes. The title, "Hold Me", is not merely a desire to be in a relationship, but one of brotherhood, both in the literal and spiritual sense of the term. It's almost like this song is trying to be a 21st century update of "Lean On Me". Nice try, if that's the case...but it'll never hold up to that song!
"Hometown Heroes" by Moon Taxi: We've had quite a few blissed out summer songs on this week's blog so far. Moon Taxi are normally experts on this sort of song, but "Hometown Heroes" is a different flavor than most of their material. It is a bittersweet folk-rock song, in contrast to the blend of reggae, funk, and indie-pop that defines most of Moon Taxi's material. Sooo...why the change in sound?! Well, part of the reason for that is likely because of what the song is about. Moon Taxi wanted to give their fans hope during our current pandemic. A song that conjured up images of summertime and partying would not get their message across seriously, so instead they opted for a light indie-folk sound to thank all of the heroes who have helped out during this unexpected world crisis. As they say, not all heroes wear capes!
"I Contain Multitudes" by Bob Dylan: Unlike Moon Taxi, Bob Dylan (of course) is no stranger to bittersweetness. This is the mood that Dylan chose for his latest song, "I Contain Multitudes". Mr. Dylan most certainly DOES contain multitudes, being one of the most enigmatic musicians out there! It's amazing he's still alive today, and that in itself seems to be part of the musical rumination of "I Contain Multitudes". Dylan himself seems to be amazed he is still surviving with the stark mode of this song and its complex lyrics, during which he name drops many celebrities and characters, including Anne Frank, Indiana Jones, and The Rolling Stones, and referencing David Bowie without actually mentioning him. Dylan compares himself to many during the course of this song, but in the end, Bob Dylan is Bob Dylan. There can be no other!
"Light of Love" by Florence and The Machine: Florence Welch and co are the next of many who have shared songs that are relevant to the outbreak of COVID-19. Although her latest song, "Light of Love", is not actually about that, she probably chose to release it now because of how people have been impacted the sudden societal separation that the coronavirus' impact has resulted in for us. "In every one of us shines the light of love", Florence sweetly sings over a sorrowful yet tuneful bed of string instruments. In a similar theme to one of FATM's biggest hits, "Shake It Out", "Light of Love" seems to be about the regret that can be experienced from partying too much on a previous night. Of course, Florence, like all of us, realizes there will be no party for quite awhile now, but the regret we've been feeling inside is no different. If a coronavirus victim's last song happens to be this one, it could serve a strong purpose as a bittersweet lullaby for them to sail away from the shackles of mortal life and into the realm of a sparkling orchestra of eternity!
"Private Lives" by Low Cut Connie: Wow...I must admit, the last three songs have really made me cry on the inside! So let's lighten the mood, shall we? Enter Philadelphia blues-rock outfit, Low Cut Connie, to chase away your sadness! Utilizing a Black Crowes-ish groove over a "Please, Mr. Postman" styled melody, "Private Lives" exposes the bizarre, screwed up side of human nature. Sex addicts, drug addicts, nudists...all are mentioned or referred to in this song, which emphasizes the message of how "deviant" behavior is just the way some of us live, and that we should just continue to live our lives normally instead of dwelling on our wrongdoings or being afraid that people will judge us for the "weird" or "bad" things we do.
"Real Long Time" by White Reaper: Like The Cars before them, White Reaper saddle hard rock guitar riffs and rope them into a synth-studded new wave atmosphere. White Reaper's breakthrough summer hit, "Might Be Right", set them on the right track with this unique sound. "Real Long Time" continues in this direction, amping up the classic rock influences even more so than they did on their previous single. 1970's rock groups ranging from Kiss, Cheap Trick, Queen, Sweet, and Thin Lizzy can all be heard as influences in White Reaper's "Real Long Time". It is an irresistibly cheesy yet anthemic rock and roll tune that stands in the corner between glam rock and punk rock. Songs like this one sound like they were made for "That '70s Show", a show centered around nostalgia that has now become nostalgia itself. Someday, White Reaper will end up that way too, but while they're still hot, give 'em a listen! You won't be sorry!
"The Good Life" by Devon Gilfillian: Like our previous entry, Devon Gilfillian's "The Good Life" seems like it traveled to us on a time machine built in the 1970's. This time, though, the focus is on early '70s R & B, as opposed to mid '70s rock. "The Good Life" seems like it could fit easily on a Marvin Gaye album from that era. In addition to its nostalgic sound, "The Good Life"'s subject matter could also be interpreted as nostalgic. The song opens with the lyrics, "I remember yesterday, troubles seemed so far away, making castles in the sand", setting the tone for the rest of the song, which is basically just Devon reminiscing about better times during his life. A deeper meaning of the song might be construed as a plea for all of us to get along with one another, echoing the theme of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" in a lighter but still powerful shade of soul!
"You And Your Folks, Me And My Folks" by Brittany Howard: Our final entry of the week is not actually a Brittany Howard song. It was originally by the eclectic soul-rock fusion group, Funkadelic, and it also marks the second time I've blogged about a song originally by Funkadelic, the first being Mavis Staples' cover of "Can You Get to That?" from 2013. Howard manages to add a blues-y flavor to "You And Your Folks..." that the original version only had a subtle hint of. The song originally came out in 1971. Coincidentally, this was the same year Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" came out, and both songs aimed for a similar purpose of trying to instill a sense of unity amongst a divided world. With the massive amount of civil unrest we have experienced in the past few years, Brittany Howard's saucy, powerful take on the Funkadelic classic has arrived just in time!
"Alphabetland" by X: Interesting that a band whose name consists of only one letter of the alphabet (and one of the rarest, at that) has put out a song about the entire alphabet...well, kind of. "Alphabetland" is just a catchy and quirky song title from the Los Angeles punk quartet, X, who have not released an album with all four original members in 35 years! As the members of the band rotated during the late '80s and early '90s, X went for more of a plaintive folk-rock influenced sound. With "Alphabetland", that sound is gone, and in its place is the original fiery yet melodic punk sound that X started with. "Alphabetland" could be best described as The White Stripes trying to cover "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones. It's a bit hard to tell upon first listen what the song is actually about, but fans of X will not be let down by this surprising new release in their catalog. A title like "Alphabetland" would not be out of place on Sesame Street...speaking of which, no one has ever told us how to get there. Perhaps Exene, John, DJ, and Billy could tell us how to get, how to get to Alphabetland?!
"Blank Slate" by Chicano Batman: Chicano Batman just keep getting funkier and funkier with each song they release. Their latest song, "Blank Slate", seems like a Talking Heads-ish dance track mixing techno beats and funk guitars. Lyrically, the song's excitement is conveyed in its lyrics about newfound desire for love. "I just wanna love you" seems to be the central line in the song. Chicano Batman, we already loved you!
"Don't Let Me Down" by Milky Chance (featuring Jack Johnson): Not to be confused with the Beatles song of the same name, "Don't Let Me Down"'s chill brand of funk-rock is nothing new for German indie-pop duo, Milky Chance. For Jack Johnson, however, it's a whole new world. Jack Johnson has been kind of like the millennial answer to the '70s Jimmy Buffett, combining acoustic guitar soft rock with blissed out tropical island vibes. Jack briefly flirted with electric guitar music in the early 2010's, but he's never gone guitar-LESS...until now, that is. Milky Chance's songs could also be described as having super blissful vibes, so in that sense, they fit well with Jack Johnson. Between this song and the last one I reviewed for this week, this year's early summer is shaping up to be a pretty chill one so far!
"Hold Me" by The Teskey Brothers: The Teskey Brothers mid-summer adult alt radio smash, "So Caught Up", had a strong Motown/'60s soul influence. "Hold Me" reaches even further back into the history of R & B music, sounding almost like a gospel song in comparison. There is no noticeable instrumentation until midway through the song. Until that point, "Hold Me" is defined mostly by handclaps, in a similar manner to a great number of gospel and early blues tunes. The title, "Hold Me", is not merely a desire to be in a relationship, but one of brotherhood, both in the literal and spiritual sense of the term. It's almost like this song is trying to be a 21st century update of "Lean On Me". Nice try, if that's the case...but it'll never hold up to that song!
"Hometown Heroes" by Moon Taxi: We've had quite a few blissed out summer songs on this week's blog so far. Moon Taxi are normally experts on this sort of song, but "Hometown Heroes" is a different flavor than most of their material. It is a bittersweet folk-rock song, in contrast to the blend of reggae, funk, and indie-pop that defines most of Moon Taxi's material. Sooo...why the change in sound?! Well, part of the reason for that is likely because of what the song is about. Moon Taxi wanted to give their fans hope during our current pandemic. A song that conjured up images of summertime and partying would not get their message across seriously, so instead they opted for a light indie-folk sound to thank all of the heroes who have helped out during this unexpected world crisis. As they say, not all heroes wear capes!
"I Contain Multitudes" by Bob Dylan: Unlike Moon Taxi, Bob Dylan (of course) is no stranger to bittersweetness. This is the mood that Dylan chose for his latest song, "I Contain Multitudes". Mr. Dylan most certainly DOES contain multitudes, being one of the most enigmatic musicians out there! It's amazing he's still alive today, and that in itself seems to be part of the musical rumination of "I Contain Multitudes". Dylan himself seems to be amazed he is still surviving with the stark mode of this song and its complex lyrics, during which he name drops many celebrities and characters, including Anne Frank, Indiana Jones, and The Rolling Stones, and referencing David Bowie without actually mentioning him. Dylan compares himself to many during the course of this song, but in the end, Bob Dylan is Bob Dylan. There can be no other!
"Light of Love" by Florence and The Machine: Florence Welch and co are the next of many who have shared songs that are relevant to the outbreak of COVID-19. Although her latest song, "Light of Love", is not actually about that, she probably chose to release it now because of how people have been impacted the sudden societal separation that the coronavirus' impact has resulted in for us. "In every one of us shines the light of love", Florence sweetly sings over a sorrowful yet tuneful bed of string instruments. In a similar theme to one of FATM's biggest hits, "Shake It Out", "Light of Love" seems to be about the regret that can be experienced from partying too much on a previous night. Of course, Florence, like all of us, realizes there will be no party for quite awhile now, but the regret we've been feeling inside is no different. If a coronavirus victim's last song happens to be this one, it could serve a strong purpose as a bittersweet lullaby for them to sail away from the shackles of mortal life and into the realm of a sparkling orchestra of eternity!
"Private Lives" by Low Cut Connie: Wow...I must admit, the last three songs have really made me cry on the inside! So let's lighten the mood, shall we? Enter Philadelphia blues-rock outfit, Low Cut Connie, to chase away your sadness! Utilizing a Black Crowes-ish groove over a "Please, Mr. Postman" styled melody, "Private Lives" exposes the bizarre, screwed up side of human nature. Sex addicts, drug addicts, nudists...all are mentioned or referred to in this song, which emphasizes the message of how "deviant" behavior is just the way some of us live, and that we should just continue to live our lives normally instead of dwelling on our wrongdoings or being afraid that people will judge us for the "weird" or "bad" things we do.
"Real Long Time" by White Reaper: Like The Cars before them, White Reaper saddle hard rock guitar riffs and rope them into a synth-studded new wave atmosphere. White Reaper's breakthrough summer hit, "Might Be Right", set them on the right track with this unique sound. "Real Long Time" continues in this direction, amping up the classic rock influences even more so than they did on their previous single. 1970's rock groups ranging from Kiss, Cheap Trick, Queen, Sweet, and Thin Lizzy can all be heard as influences in White Reaper's "Real Long Time". It is an irresistibly cheesy yet anthemic rock and roll tune that stands in the corner between glam rock and punk rock. Songs like this one sound like they were made for "That '70s Show", a show centered around nostalgia that has now become nostalgia itself. Someday, White Reaper will end up that way too, but while they're still hot, give 'em a listen! You won't be sorry!
"The Good Life" by Devon Gilfillian: Like our previous entry, Devon Gilfillian's "The Good Life" seems like it traveled to us on a time machine built in the 1970's. This time, though, the focus is on early '70s R & B, as opposed to mid '70s rock. "The Good Life" seems like it could fit easily on a Marvin Gaye album from that era. In addition to its nostalgic sound, "The Good Life"'s subject matter could also be interpreted as nostalgic. The song opens with the lyrics, "I remember yesterday, troubles seemed so far away, making castles in the sand", setting the tone for the rest of the song, which is basically just Devon reminiscing about better times during his life. A deeper meaning of the song might be construed as a plea for all of us to get along with one another, echoing the theme of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" in a lighter but still powerful shade of soul!
"You And Your Folks, Me And My Folks" by Brittany Howard: Our final entry of the week is not actually a Brittany Howard song. It was originally by the eclectic soul-rock fusion group, Funkadelic, and it also marks the second time I've blogged about a song originally by Funkadelic, the first being Mavis Staples' cover of "Can You Get to That?" from 2013. Howard manages to add a blues-y flavor to "You And Your Folks..." that the original version only had a subtle hint of. The song originally came out in 1971. Coincidentally, this was the same year Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" came out, and both songs aimed for a similar purpose of trying to instill a sense of unity amongst a divided world. With the massive amount of civil unrest we have experienced in the past few years, Brittany Howard's saucy, powerful take on the Funkadelic classic has arrived just in time!
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
New songs for April 29th, 2020
here they are:
"Living In A Ghost Town" by The Rolling Stones: The most heavily anticipated song of the week is by a band who is, to quote Gilda Radner's SNL character, Candy Slice, "The greatest rock and roll band in the history of rock and roll"! The Stones may be over half a century old by now, but true to their name, they're still rollin'. What's even MORE incredible, though, is that they continue to roll on through tough times like our present crisis...in fact they decided to do a song about that very subject! Unlike most songs about the lockdown that have been released in the wake of it, this song is actually a pretty groovy, upbeat tune. No sadness here, folks! Mick Jagger and co seem to be simultaneously complaining about and celebrating what it's like to live without anyone else surrounding them. Hey! Who says bad events have to be sad ones?! No one, that's who!
"Retrograde" by Pearl Jam: After the surprising sound (and equally surprising success) of Pearl Jam's new wave-y, synth driven, "Dance of the Clairvoyants", from earlier this year, "Retrograde" marks a return to form for Pearl Jam. A forlorn folk-rock ballad, "Retrograde" is a song that acknowledges how problematic the world has become, but offers a solution in place of that. With lines like "the more mistakes, the more resolve", and "accelerate the change", "Retrograde" is a song calling for action, like many of Pearl Jam's songs have before. You just can't help but get caught up in Eddie Vedder's earnest plea here, and you can't help wanting to respond to it either!
"Rolling" by Michael Kiwanuka: African-British singer/songwriter, Michael Kiwanuka, has been a critic's darling for awhile now, but it's taken me awhile to discover why. His initial wave of ultra-mellow folk-pop didn't sweep me off my feet too much, but once he added a little bit of bite to his material, as he did in songs like "Cold Cold Heart" and "You Ain't the Problem", I decided to give him a second chance. His latest song, "Rolling", mixes Jimi Hendrix riffs with funk and soul beats. The song has a simple message of just rolling with the punches set to a powerful tune! Although its album was released late last year, "Rolling" (as a single from the album) has arrived just in time to hopefully get us rolling and raring to go again sometime soon...one can hope!
"Living In A Ghost Town" by The Rolling Stones: The most heavily anticipated song of the week is by a band who is, to quote Gilda Radner's SNL character, Candy Slice, "The greatest rock and roll band in the history of rock and roll"! The Stones may be over half a century old by now, but true to their name, they're still rollin'. What's even MORE incredible, though, is that they continue to roll on through tough times like our present crisis...in fact they decided to do a song about that very subject! Unlike most songs about the lockdown that have been released in the wake of it, this song is actually a pretty groovy, upbeat tune. No sadness here, folks! Mick Jagger and co seem to be simultaneously complaining about and celebrating what it's like to live without anyone else surrounding them. Hey! Who says bad events have to be sad ones?! No one, that's who!
"Retrograde" by Pearl Jam: After the surprising sound (and equally surprising success) of Pearl Jam's new wave-y, synth driven, "Dance of the Clairvoyants", from earlier this year, "Retrograde" marks a return to form for Pearl Jam. A forlorn folk-rock ballad, "Retrograde" is a song that acknowledges how problematic the world has become, but offers a solution in place of that. With lines like "the more mistakes, the more resolve", and "accelerate the change", "Retrograde" is a song calling for action, like many of Pearl Jam's songs have before. You just can't help but get caught up in Eddie Vedder's earnest plea here, and you can't help wanting to respond to it either!
"Rolling" by Michael Kiwanuka: African-British singer/songwriter, Michael Kiwanuka, has been a critic's darling for awhile now, but it's taken me awhile to discover why. His initial wave of ultra-mellow folk-pop didn't sweep me off my feet too much, but once he added a little bit of bite to his material, as he did in songs like "Cold Cold Heart" and "You Ain't the Problem", I decided to give him a second chance. His latest song, "Rolling", mixes Jimi Hendrix riffs with funk and soul beats. The song has a simple message of just rolling with the punches set to a powerful tune! Although its album was released late last year, "Rolling" (as a single from the album) has arrived just in time to hopefully get us rolling and raring to go again sometime soon...one can hope!
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
New songs for April 22nd, 2020
here they are:
"Hollywood" by Car Seat Headrest: Make no mistake. This is not a song glamorizing the famed city of movie stars. It is actually a song attacking Hollywood and the very concept of people taking advantage of aspiring actors and actresses just to make big bucks. You can tell this song is lyrically on the more sour side right from the very beginning, during which point the lead singer lists things he's "sick of", which include violence, money, drinking, drugs, and yes, even that thing that begins with the letter F that rhymes with "ducking". In other words, he's sick of the way people use their vices as a means to manipulate others. Musically, this song sounds like a very early Beck song (his not-so-well-known grunge spoof, "Fume", comes to mind here, specifically). It also comes with a trippy music video that looks like a sort of chalky graffiti come to life! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka9l8X8W03Y) As the world descends further and further into madness, it only figures we'd get a lyrical assault like this one, doesn't it?! Well, at least its trippy yet catchy sound makes up for its lyrical cynicism. I also wanted to give a shoutout to a friend of mine I met earlier this year for enlightening me to this band. I think I'll have to give them more of a listen now!
"Kyoto" by Phoebe Bridgers: So far, we have two song titles that are also city names (though that pattern will be broken with our third and final song of the week). Both songs seem to reflect stereotypes of the cities as well. "Hollywood" was loud and cynical, a bit like how some people picture Hollywood executives to be, and "Kyoto" sounds like the way some people, especially the nerds of the world, view Japan: a place that is both exciting and soothing. That is how Phoebe Bridgers' "Kyoto" sounds, happy and billowy. The song is told from the point of view of a naive explorer going to Japan for the first time. Underneath the wild eyed idealism, though, there is a bit of darkness, as she also addresses the feeling of what it might be like to live someone else's life, also known as "impostor syndrome". There is both city imagery and nature imagery in the video for the song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw0zYd0eIlk). The nature-y images are simultaneously psychedelic and innocent. Combine that with Phoebe looking ever so cute in her skeleton suit, and you've basically got what anime would probably be like if it happened in real life! The Miyazaki kind, not the giant fighting robot kind!
"Shameika" by Fiona Apple: And now we come to the song that breaks the pattern of city names as song titles, although it still fits the one-word-only category the other songs had. Alt-pop piano chanteuse, Fiona Apple, gives us the most anticipated song of the week with "Shameika" (pronounced "Shuh-MEE-kuh"). "Shameika" drifts away from the sweet piano pop she gave us during most of the 21st century and back into the more frenzied flurry of piano based alt-rock she started with in the '90s. It might surprise you, then, to know that this song is actually about one of Fiona's childhood memories, although not necessarily a pleasant one. Shameika is the name of a childhood friend of Fiona's who really did tell her, as the chorus states, that Fiona "had potential" during a time she was an unfortunate target for school bullies. At least she WAS a friend until another girl at her school convinced her not to hang around with her. Sadly, I've been through times like that too. Thank goodness they're over now!
"Hollywood" by Car Seat Headrest: Make no mistake. This is not a song glamorizing the famed city of movie stars. It is actually a song attacking Hollywood and the very concept of people taking advantage of aspiring actors and actresses just to make big bucks. You can tell this song is lyrically on the more sour side right from the very beginning, during which point the lead singer lists things he's "sick of", which include violence, money, drinking, drugs, and yes, even that thing that begins with the letter F that rhymes with "ducking". In other words, he's sick of the way people use their vices as a means to manipulate others. Musically, this song sounds like a very early Beck song (his not-so-well-known grunge spoof, "Fume", comes to mind here, specifically). It also comes with a trippy music video that looks like a sort of chalky graffiti come to life! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka9l8X8W03Y) As the world descends further and further into madness, it only figures we'd get a lyrical assault like this one, doesn't it?! Well, at least its trippy yet catchy sound makes up for its lyrical cynicism. I also wanted to give a shoutout to a friend of mine I met earlier this year for enlightening me to this band. I think I'll have to give them more of a listen now!
"Kyoto" by Phoebe Bridgers: So far, we have two song titles that are also city names (though that pattern will be broken with our third and final song of the week). Both songs seem to reflect stereotypes of the cities as well. "Hollywood" was loud and cynical, a bit like how some people picture Hollywood executives to be, and "Kyoto" sounds like the way some people, especially the nerds of the world, view Japan: a place that is both exciting and soothing. That is how Phoebe Bridgers' "Kyoto" sounds, happy and billowy. The song is told from the point of view of a naive explorer going to Japan for the first time. Underneath the wild eyed idealism, though, there is a bit of darkness, as she also addresses the feeling of what it might be like to live someone else's life, also known as "impostor syndrome". There is both city imagery and nature imagery in the video for the song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw0zYd0eIlk). The nature-y images are simultaneously psychedelic and innocent. Combine that with Phoebe looking ever so cute in her skeleton suit, and you've basically got what anime would probably be like if it happened in real life! The Miyazaki kind, not the giant fighting robot kind!
"Shameika" by Fiona Apple: And now we come to the song that breaks the pattern of city names as song titles, although it still fits the one-word-only category the other songs had. Alt-pop piano chanteuse, Fiona Apple, gives us the most anticipated song of the week with "Shameika" (pronounced "Shuh-MEE-kuh"). "Shameika" drifts away from the sweet piano pop she gave us during most of the 21st century and back into the more frenzied flurry of piano based alt-rock she started with in the '90s. It might surprise you, then, to know that this song is actually about one of Fiona's childhood memories, although not necessarily a pleasant one. Shameika is the name of a childhood friend of Fiona's who really did tell her, as the chorus states, that Fiona "had potential" during a time she was an unfortunate target for school bullies. At least she WAS a friend until another girl at her school convinced her not to hang around with her. Sadly, I've been through times like that too. Thank goodness they're over now!
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