here they are:
"Doom And Gloom" by The Rolling Stones: "A rolling stone gathers no moss", or so the saying says. Mick Jagger, on the other hand, has gathered his fair share of "moss", as even the title of his latest song, "Doom And Gloom" indicates. Mick doesn't go down without a fight on this song, though, as an army of electric guitars and passionate vocals go up against current events, and how "All (he) hear(s) is doom and gloom!" It's clear here that Mick is sick of politics (trying saying THAT ten times fast!), so he diverts from the topic in the chorus of the song, urging his listeners to "take a chance" and "dance" with him. The Stones just keep on rolling in "Doom And Gloom", and just in time for Election Day, too!
"Hero" by Family of the Year: While on the subject of classic rock musicians, Steven Tyler from Aerosmith (of all people) apparently really likes Family of the Year, so much so, that he referred to them as "The Mamas and Papas on acid"! This description is probably quite fitting for a band like Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, but does it do justice to describing Family of the Year?! Perhaps, but "Hero" sounds more like a Fleetwood Mac song to me (albeit with male vocals), nothing "acid"-like about it, just a gentle, bittersweet folk-rock song about how FOTY's lead singer doesn't want to be anyone's "hero", and how he, instead just wants to be like an everyday person. So basically, "Hero" is a song with "Landslide" style acoustic guitar picking about trying to fit in. Sounds like my kinda song!
"Now Is the Start" by A Fine Frenzy: So far, the 2010's seem to be a decade of change for Allison Sudol from the one-woman band A Fine Frenzy. She's dyed her hair blond, as opposed to the darkish shade of red it once was, and she seems to be channeling Florence more than she is Fiona (the latter of whom is a more typical influence for her) on her latest AFF song, "Now Is the Start", which also seems to have a dash of Killers influence in there. Allison's experimentation with electronic sound is definitely a departure from the average AFF song, but she seems to ease into "Now Is the Start" quite naturally, without trying too hard at any point in the song. In fact, she actually seems to be having fun with what she's doing in this song!
"Tore Down" by Wanda Jackson: Back when rock 'n' roll was young, Elvis Presley was proof that a white man could sing the blues! But what about a white WOMAN singing the blues?! Well, that would be Wanda Jackson, who was around during Elvis' era, but isn't nearly as well known! Wanda is quite convincing as a blues musician here, nailing not only the typical blues structure, but also the smoky, world weary vocals, lovelorn lyrics, and flawless transitioning from chords to guitar riffs! Even the two and a half minute length recalls blues music from the days of old. What can I say, it's always great to hear a new take on an old style!
