New songs for July 27th, 2022

 here they are:

"A.M. Radio" by The Lumineers: The Lumineers' latest song is a bittersweet folk-rock tune, like most of their material is. What separates "A.M. Radio" from their other tunes, however, is its lyrics. The lyrics of the song center around how you can't avoid your life's purpose no matter how far you try to wander away from it. The song evokes a feeling of nostalgia as well, as can be inferred from the title. (I mean who really listens to A.M. radio anymore, or any commercial radio, for that matter?) This is one of those songs that's just meant to give a feeling of comfort to its listeners.

"I'm Just a Clown" by Charley Crockett: I'm just a clown, yes I'm only a clown, and I'm sittin' here on...oh wait, wrong song! "Schoolhouse Rock" references aside, "I'm Just a Clown" is a good song, and one that will sit well with people who have coulrophobia (fear of clowns). The word "clown" in the context of the song simply means "foolish person," not someone with white makeup and colorful, goofy hair who entertains children at birthday parties. As for the song itself, there's also a story to tell there, since it combines country music with soul music, a rare but intriguing trend from the past few years that musicians like Sturgill Simpson have brought to the limelight. If the name "Crockett" sounds familiar, Charley is actually a distant relative of Davy Crockett - yes, THAT Davy Crockett. You know, "King of the Wild Frontier"? 

"The Otter" by Caamp: Folk-rock is a common feature of Caamp's music, but their latest song, "The Otter," sounds a bit more like their take on Mumford/Lumineers-styled songs than it is like the more roots-y sound they typically go for. The song is a love ballad, and its instrumentation seems to have everything that was common to the "neo-folk" boom of the early 2010's: rhythm punctuated by handclaps and snaps, a good mix of acoustic guitar and banjo, sweet harmony vocals, and unconventional guitar tuning (The last of these features seemed specifically common to Mumford and Sons songs, though. Most Lumineers songs use more conventional tuning). It also seems more pop-y than what Caamp typically go for, but by no means is this a bad thing. It could help them gain a wider audience!

"These Are the Days" by Inhaler: Inhaler's "Cheer Up Baby" was one of the catchiest songs to dominate the alt and adult alt airwaves of 2022! It seemed to cement Inhaler as the Irish answer to Scotland's Franz Ferdinand, composed almost entirely of riffs instead of chords except in the middle. Inhaler's latest song, "These Are the Days," seems pretty riff-heavy as well, but instead of relying on the angular pop/rock take on post-punk that Franz Ferdinand were known for, "These Are the Days" sounds a bit more like actual Irish rock, with more than a few nods to U2 in terms of its anthemic yet still warm and melodic sound. In contrast to the more subversive vibe "Cheer Up Baby" had, "These Are the Days" seems more sincere and hopeful than its predecessor. 

New songs for July 20th, 2022

 here they are:


"Brad Pitt" by Coin: Why name your latest track after one of the most well-known actors of all time? Because you're using him to represent the idea of eternal youth, that's why! The celebrity's name is not mentioned even once in the song, but in Coin's latest song, the deceptively catchy "Brad Pitt," the indie-pop trio challenge the idea of eternal youth being something worth celebrating. After all, everyone grows old someday. Coin don't really confront the problem head-on as much as they mock it, singing "keep me young forever" during the chorus in a manner that could be interpreted as being partially sarcastic.

"Here to Forever" by Death Cab for Cutie: Musically, Death Cab's latest song, "Here to Forever," picks up where their 2018 songs left off, giving off a lite-goth-rock sound of sorts. It's lyrically, however, where the song really has some weight. Even in the opening lines, Ben Gibbard has deep and rather dark thoughts about the impermanence of life, commenting how everyone he sees on 1950's movies is no longer alive. He spends the rest of the song trying to come to terms with how he, too, will go one day, while still having a sliver of hope that "forever" might be a possibility if there is an afterlife.

"Hurts (But it Goes Away)" by The Head and The Heart: The intro to this song is cool, using a bass in place of the expected piano and/or guitar, but those two instruments do make their way into this song around the 15-second mark. The Head and The Heart's latest song, "Hurts (But it Goes Away)," continues in the more mainstream pop/rock direction the band have taken roughly since the mid-2010's, adding slightly more artificial synth-y instrumentation in back of the central role the piano takes in the song. These days, it's hard to tell if a song like this is a plea for a lover to come back, or if it's about life itself and wanting reassurance from it. I would opt to say it's the latter, though, given both the time it's come out in and how it doesn't seem to be addressed to a specific person.

"It Ain't Over" by The Black Keys: Much like their song "Wild Child" from earlier this year, "It Ain't Over" is another song in The Black Keys catalog that attempts to mix funk and blues-rock into one thing. The song has a very '70s R & B sound and rhythm, but Dan Auerbach's trademark fuzz-guitar sound is still in here, especially during the chorus. A powerful and catchy tune, no doubt about it! The only weakness this song has is probably its guitar solo at the very end, which feels rather anticlimactic compared to the rest of it.

"Records" by Weezer: Seems like as Weezer have aged, they've lost the ability to rock that they once had. I personally have mixed feelings about this myself. I actually think they're really good at being a sweeter and more melodic group, but songs like this one tend to fall flat. Specifically, on "Records," Weezer use a synth-y pop sound for their verses and a chunky, almost "More Than a Feeling"-ish guitar riff during the chorus that rocks a bit less than Boston despite trying to boast otherwise. Not the best mix if you ask me, yet there's still something winsome and fun about this track. 

New songs for July 13th, 2022

 here they are:


"Hollywood Forever Cemetery" by Allison Ponthier: Not to be confused with Father John Misty's "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" by Father John Misty from about a decade earlier, Allison Ponthier's ode to the glitzy yet spooky Los Angeles landmark emphasizes the "cemetery" aspect of "Hollywood Forever Cemetery" in her latest song. The song is in a minor key to shed light on this facet, but it's still a catchy indie-folk/pop-tronica song that fans of musicians like Lana Del Rey, Lorde, and Billie Eilish might enjoy. The song is a rumination that wistfully whispers its woeful worries about what happens to famous women when they die, specifically Marilyn Monroe.

"Part of the Band" by The 1975: The 1975 have thus far been known mainly for catchy pop songs with "indie" instrumentation. Until now, that is. "Part of the Band" takes The 1975 in a different direction with more orchestral instrumentation and a more delicate, percussion-less sound. Underneath its bittersweet sound, frontman Matty Healy cracks sarcastic, subversive, and somewhat self-deprecating jokes. With a title like "Part of the Band," you might think this is a celebratory song. It's really anything but, but the ornate, exquisite beauty of the song makes it very much worth the listen!

"2AM" by Foals: Continuing in the direction of "Wake Me Up," their catchy alt-pop hit from earlier this year, Foals' "2AM" is yet another bright, pop-y anthem dominated mainly by synths with the occasional use of electric guitar punctuating the chorus sections. The song is actually about how self-destructive the members of Foals tend to be. "It's 2AM, I've gone and lost my friends/But I can't be alone again," lead singer Yannis Philippakis sings in the song's opening. The urgency and desperation of his plea is offset by how fun the song itself sounds, but this was a deliberate choice on his part.

"Wretched" by Bartees Strange: This is a song that wears its heart on its sleeve! The moody synth-and-guitar laden and minor key atmosphere of this song sets the scene. The title alone, "Wretched," indicates what kind of song it is. It is still indie-pop, like Bartees' previous song, "Heavy Heart," was, but this one is a bit darker than that one was, centering around how people who truly love Bartees have stood by him even when he was "wretched." Instrumentally, the song is also more interesting because it switches between having little to no percussion during the verses and having a heavy, techno-y percussion during the chorus. 

New songs for July 6th, 2022

 here they are:


"Cracker Island" by Gorillaz (featuring Thundercat): Thus far, no Gorillaz song has reached near the levels of popularity and catchiness that "Feel Good, Inc." and "Clint Eastwood" have, but no song that these fictional, non-human primates have recorded has been lackluster, and "Cracker Island" is no exception to the rule! Contemporary R & B musician, Thundercat, guests on Gorillaz' latest song, "Cracker Island," a song whose apocalyptic lyrics slip under the radar thanks to its super-catchy sound. How a "band" of musicians who are figments of Damon Albarn's imagination have managed to outlast many three-dimensional, human-led bands is truly a wonder to behold, but if you consider that just about every hit they've had has managed to get into the heads of many creatures who aren't "Gorillaz," it should make sense. 

"Miles and Miles" by The Heavy Heavy: Hey hey! Is there an echo, is there an echo, in here, in here?! Both the song title AND the band who does it contain repetition! "Miles and Miles" is the debut song of the American-sounding British duo, The Heavy Heavy, and its country-rock sound is fitting to its theme of being on the road. The song's simultaneously mellow yet energetic sound combined with its road-centered lyrics make this one a great summer treat!

New songs for June 29th, 2022

 here they are:


"Big Time" by Angel Olsen: You would have never expected the singer of a Morissette-esque song like "Shut Up Kiss Me" to have turned to country for her next song, would you?! Well, that's exactly what happens here with Angel Olsen and her song, "Big Time." The song brings to mind some of the more countrified songs of groups like The Grateful Dead, The Band, and Crosby Stills Nash & Young. The song plays out like a typical country lament of a "lost love" as Angel pines for a relationship she has lost. 

"Hospital" by Madison Cunningham: On the other hand, you could also start out more quaint and folks-y and then have a more angst-ridden song afterwards! Such is the case with Madison Cunningham, whose jazz-folk-y "Pin it Down" seems rather quiet and subdued compared to her latest song, "Hospital," which seems like it could easily fit on an alt or soft rock station of the mid-'90s with a sound similar to songs of the era like "One of Us" or "Everyday is a Winding Road." Like our last entry, "Hospital" is also about a breakup, but approaches the subject more from a world-weary, disappointed point of view than a bittersweet one.

"My Babe" by Spoon: One of the more sensitive, folk-influenced songs in Spoon's catalog, "My Babe" is, to date, the most bittersweet song that Britt Daniels and co have attempted so far! Spoon are no strangers to folk-rock, as songs like "The Underdog," "I Summon You," and "Do You?" all illustrate, but "My Babe" is their first indie-folk song that's more tender than quirky. Electric guitars do come midway through the song, but they don't change the sedate mood of this track. The lyrics are also very sweet for Spoon, who typically opt more for songs where no one can quite figure out what they're about. "My Babe," clearly, is a love song, as can be inferred from the title alone!

New songs for June 22nd, 2022

 here they are:


"Anything But Me" by Muna: All-female indie-pop trio Muna combines the Fleetwood Mac-ish harmonies that dominated the 1970's with the shiny, plastic synth-pop sound of the 1980's. Their latest song, "Anything But Me," utilizes both of these factors to great effect as lead singer Katie Gavin weaves a tale about a relationship gone wrong. More specifically, "Anything But Me" is about a relationship Katie opted out of simply because it didn't feel right for her. 

"Free" by Florence and The Machine: After the atmospheric, moody pop of Flo's latest song, "My Love," her summer 2022 hit, "Free," seems poised to be one that is more suited to the upbeat vibes people typically associate with summer. The song is one of Flo's more spirited numbers. Just as "Shake it Out" shook off her inner demons in 2011, "Free" seems to be doing the same thing in 2022. The main difference, of course, is that Flo was not suffering through a pandemic in 2011. "Shake It Out" was more about trying to relieve stress after a hangover (which her 2015 song, "Ship to Wreck," seemed to be about as well). There's no tipsiness that I can tell in "Free." Instead, this is a song where Flo releases her tension the way that pretty much anyone else has these past two years, whether sober or drunk. Everyone has been feeling anxiety lately, and Flo puts those frazzled feelings to the forefront on "Free"! 

"McKenzie" by Houndmouth: With Houndmouth's tendency to sing about life on the road, I thought "McKenzie" might have been the name of a person OR place. As it turns out, it's the name of a person (I personally prefer the spelling "Mackenzie," but I digress). The song, whose sound is a welcome return to the folks-y roots-rock Houndmouth started out with, is ostensibly a love song, but not one that declares Matt Myers' love for another person, but rather one that vents frustration about how he wants to love the titular McKenzie but can't. Matt reminisces about how they first met over the course of the song's two verses, but it's more of a bittersweet reminiscing than it is nostalgic.

"Run Away" by Jocelyn and Chris: Brother-and-sister blues-rock duo, Jocelyn and Chris, sing of hope gone lost on their latest song, the fiery, Melissa Etheridge-esque song, "Run Away." The song seems to attempt more of a mainstream rock sound that is vaguely "alt" inspired than the blues-y flavor most of their songs have, and the song's rather urgent theme is probably one reason why it sounds like it does. The title, "Run Away," seems to hint at just escaping from having to hold out hope during seemingly hopeless times. Indeed, stress has been hitting many of us quite hard lately, including those with more neurologically stable mindsets. This flame-fueled folk-rock-ish tune might be just what some of us need. 

"Want Want" by Maggie Rogers: Maggie Rogers has been around for a few years now, but "Want Want" marks the first time in her career that both alt and adult alt radio stations have paid attention to her. Perhaps it's the song's propulsive, driving bass line, or maybe it's equally throbbing, synthetic percussion. The song's dynamic performance at the most recent Coachella concert might be yet another reason that "regular" alt stations are finally starting to pay attention to her music. Whatever the reason, though, there's no denying that "Want Want" might just be the catchiest song she's put out yet! Her material is typically more low-key than "Want Want" is. This might earn Maggie a whole new audience, but I'm sure she has no regrets about that!

New songs for June 15th, 2022

 here they are:

"Blood Runs Red" by Matt Maeson: A fast and somewhat dark folk-rock waltz that turns quickly to an Imagine Dragons-esque indie-alt/pop anthem ("Radioactive" and "Believer" are two songs that come to mind here), "Blood Runs Red" might just be Matt Maeson's answer to "Radioactive." Both songs seem to take place in a post-apocalyptic world. However, where Imagine Dragons seemed to accept their fate begrudgingly in "Radioactive," Matt Maeson seems to struggle with the negative changes of the world around him in "Blood Runs Red," even asking a higher power for guidance in the song's pre-chorus. To cope with the destruction of the world, Matt turns to alcohol and drugs to get him through it all. 


"Hear My Dear" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: If Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks did folk-rock music, it'd probably sound like their latest tune, "Hear My Dear." It's sort of a blues-y variant of Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You," almost identical to that song in terms of rhythm, and somewhat so in chord structure. The song is a love song, as is obvious from its title, but it seems more specifically to be a love song for the 2020's. That is to say, it's a song that seems to be saying "Let's keep our love lasting for as long as it can while we still can." Both a sweet and timely sentiment for us all.

"Spitting Off the Edge of the World" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Almost 20 years into their career, Yeah Yeah Yeahs have lived up to their name by making their audience say "Yeah yeah yeah!" to their ever-changing musical output. They started as a rough garage rock influenced group, but added to their sound quickly afterwards, starting with their breakthrough hit, "Maps," which was more of a sensitive alt-rock ballad than it was a brash garage rock song. Since then, they've touched upon folk-rock ("Turn Into"), and now they appear to be going in more of an icy techno-pop direction with their latest song, "Spitting Off the Edge of the World." The song is the first from the YYYs in nearly a decade, and the best part about it is that it has a strong, commanding presence, in true YYY's fashion. Lead singer Karen O has pursued solo efforts on occasion, perhaps most notably "Strange Love" for the soundtrack of the Tim Burton film, "Frankenweenie." While "Strange Love" was enjoyable for its cuteness, "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" is enjoyable because it has a frigid yet still domineering presence!

"Tek It" by Cafune: Both the band name and song title are unexplainable here! Nowhere is the phrase "Tek It" (take it?) used in the song, and nor do I have even an inkling of a clue who or what a "Cafune" even is! Mystery elements aside, "Tek It" is still a good song. A catchy techno-pop tune with alt/indie elements, "Tek It" is one of those songs that has become popular thanks to social media app, TikTok. The lines "I watch the moon/Let it run my mood/Can't stop thinking of you" comprised the tidbit most TikTok users seem to be familiar with. 

"These Are the Ways" by Red Hot Chili Peppers: After their smash alt and adult alt radio hit, "Black Summer" (which, ironically, took radio by storm in spring, not summer), RHCP rock the airwaves once again with their latest song, "These Are the Ways." The song shows a bit more chunky hard rock grit than their last song did, both in terms of Frusciante's guitar and Chad Smith's drums! Where "Black Summer" was a lament on the state of the world, "These Are the Ways" is a lament as well, but more of an angry one than a sad one. It takes on the subject of politics, and how corrupt America has become. At the same time, though, it also seems to have a begrudging stance of acceptance on that exact subject.