here they are:
"Fingertip" by Aqualung: If you only know Aqualung for their soothing Brit-pop-ish hit, "Brighter Than Sunshine", you might want to think twice before listening to this one! No, it's not "edgier" than that song (as Aqualung have always been a pretty benign band in my opinion), but it's definitely a lot quirkier! The opening "Doo-doo...doo-doo...doo-doo...doooo's" don't sound like Matt Hales (they are sung by a female from what I can tell). The rest of the song, which Matt does take the lead on, takes on a sort of vibe one might get if Coldplay had a catchier sound and were covering a Ben Folds song, and the lyrics seem to go for a technique that is equal parts surreal and cutesy. Songs like this remind me of what the "indie spirit" is all about - doing whatever you want and having fun with it!
"The Suburbs" by Arcade Fire: If Arcade Fire took on hip-hop, they could just be called the Beck of the early 21st century (but they haven't...yet). So far, though, they've taken on just about everything else, ranging from post-punk ("Neighborhood # 2), U2-ish alt-pop ballads ("Une Anee Sans Lumiere"), anthemic baroque-ish piano-based songs ("Wake Up"), and even Springsteen inspired material ("Keep the Car Running", which The Boss joined in with them on a live version of the song!) Arcade Fire's latest, "The Suburbs", takes on a jaunty honky-tonk sound (which emulates the rhythm of a song released earlier this year, "Heaven Can Wait" by Charlotte Gainsbourg). This could be viewed as a "stripped down" version of what most Arcade Fire songs sound like, since it lacks (or at least doesn't have as much of) the full-on orchestration of most of their other material. But I guess they wanted to go in a "different" direction this time, and who can blame 'em?! Seems like that's what they always do! Looking forward to whatever else they foray into later on!
