here they are:
"I Won't Be Long" by Beck: Earlier this year, David Bowie released his first single of the year shortly after his birthday, and now, rock 'n' roll's other "chameleon" has done the same thing a few days after HIS birthday!! Coincidence?! Unlike Bowie's latest material, Beck's most recent song, "I Won't Be Long", does not delve into crooner jazz or neo-psychedelia, and instead, it sticks to the tried-and-true "melancholy techno" sound that Beck originally became known for. "I Won't Be Long" somehow manages to sound both wistful and catchy. Beck's voice repeatedly echoes the title of the song during the chorus, as his voice slowly resonates, and then vanishes without a trace into the distance afterwards. Definitely ranks among the more haunting songs in Beck's catalog.
"Kissin' On the Blacktop" by Daughn Gibson: When you think "stoner metal", you probably don't think of country-rock, and you probably don't think of words like "goofy" either. However, Daughn Gibson, the ex-drummer of stoner metal group, Pearls and Brass, provides both country influenced rock music, as well as rather eccentric vocals, on his latest solo effort, "Kissin' On the Blacktop". Also, when I say "country", I don't mean the kind of quaint, down-home-y sorta thing that country has become today. I mean country inflected with a mean brand of dirty blues that you could blast during your next major barbecue event!! Daughn's vocals are incredibly low in this song, but I almost feel like they are intentionally low. I don't think that even Elvis has as many "dips" in his singing voice as Gibson does!!
"Right Action" by Franz Ferdinand: In many ways, Franz Ferdinand are an oddity among indie-pop groups. Every song they do is catchy and funky, yet (with the possible exception of "No You Girls"), their songs always seem to have a deeper meaning than what is implied upon merely listening to them. Subjects like war ("Take Me Out") and pyromania ("This Fire") are not uncommon in their material. The lyrical theme of "Right Action" is not as violent as those sorts of themes, but it still creates a contrast to their upbeat Talking Heads/Blondie influenced style of indie-dance-pop. Is there any other band from whom you'd expect to hear almost Buddhistic thoughts ("right thoughts, right words, right action") set to a Saturday night party song?!
