here they are:
"Follow My Feet" by The Unlikely Candidates: In the 2010's, there have been two ways to define "alternative" and "indie" rock so far. There's the folks-y way that groups like Mumford and Sons have set a trend for, and then there's the more pop-y one used by groups like fun. The Unlikely Candidates have somehow combined both of these styles into one song with their debut song, "Follow My Feet". All three verses of this song deal with making hard decisions, but ultimately choosing to go in the direction that feels the most natural and correct for the person doing so, or, as the song says, to "follow (one's) feet". Perhaps "follow my heart" would have made more sense, but a little alliteration never hurt anyone!
"Neon Eyes" by Saints of Valory: With the best post-U2 "anthem rock" songs (The Airborne Toxic Event's "Sometime Around Midnight" and The Temper Trap's "Sweet Disposition") having both come out 4 years ago, do you think maybe it's time we had another such song to grace the alternative and adult alt charts?! Well, the guys from Saints of Valory certainly seem to think so! "Neon Eyes" has a sound that is both earnest and catchy, much like how a lot of U2's material tends to be. Though the guitar in "Neon Eyes" doesn't have the signature ringing sound that The Edge's has, it still sounds vibrant and echo-y throughout. It repeats the same riff throughout the song, but with different chords being played in the background.
"One Heart" by Leftover Cuties: Somewhere between Zooey Deschanel's "innocently" sassy attitude in She & Him, and the jazzed up alt-pop of April Smith and The Great Picture Show, is where the sound of Leftover Cuties can be properly defined. Lead singer Shirli McAllen cleverly croons about "How much hurt can one heart take?" and "How many times can one heart break?" over an infectious groove that is anything but melancholy in "One Heart"! Definitely not a mopey song, by any means, in fact it is probably more energetic than any song on my list of reviews for this week! I dunno about you, but my heart can take this song pretty well. In fact, I think it can't get enough of Shirli's sexy, swingin' setup for this sizzlin' summer song!
"Supersoaker" by Kings of Leon: No, this has nothing to do with the water gun toy known as "Supersoaker"!! However, that name is a suitable one, considering the summer-y vibe that the more energetic Kings of Leon songs (including this one) tend to have! And, might I add, "Supersoaker" has made quite a "splash" on the alternative and adult alt charts in the past week, perhaps more than any other song for the month so far! Okay, enough with the bad puns, and on with the song. As it has been with the past two KOL albums, "Supersoaker" is from a CD whose first single is irresistibly catchy!! The song is full of references to the good ol' U-S-of-A ("Down in the Delta, they're ringing the bells", "The flags are flying across the Plains", etc.), perhaps appropriate, given how its month of release is the same as America's month of independence. As for bad puns, it seems as though KOL themselves appreciate one now and again, as in the chorus's "Red, white, and BLEW 'em all away"! Hardy har harr!!
"Ways to Go" by Grouplove: Summer just seems to be the perfect season for Grouplove's music!! Last year, their irresistibly pop-y "Tongue Tied" became an anthem for the season (though it was actually released in late spring). Their latest song, "Ways to Go" is another song to get the corners of your mouth smiling and your feet moving! Perhaps the most appealing (and strange) thing about "Ways to Go", though, is its video. Most of it centers around a lookalike of Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Quite weird, and rather incongruous for such a happy sounding song, but towards the end of the video, we see a Korean soldier with a flower at the end of his gun. "Springtime For Hitler", anyone?! Also, check out the wild, '60s influenced hairdos on both lead singer, Christian Zucconi and backing vocalist Hannah Hooper! Hannah looks soooo darn cute in that skeleton outfit, too!! The video can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGvHnDeS12o. Enjoy!!
