here they are:
"Are You Behind the Shining Star?" by Trampled by Turtles: Their name is funny, and their music is excellent! I fell in love instantly with Trampled by Turtles' melancholy, bittersweet "Alone", and their calming ode to the road, "Midnight On the Interstate" was almost as good. Their third big song, "Are You Behind the Shining Star?", maintains the rustic, old world charm of their first two hits, and it also sounds more energetic, as if TBT are just now trying to get on to the Mumford and Sons bandwagon. After lead vocalist Dave Simonett opens the lyrics with the title of the song, he asks, "Am I as hopeless as you are?", perhaps indicating that, although this is their happiest SOUNDING song so far, it might not actually BE their happiest song.
"From Now On" by Delta Spirit: Although there is (so far) no such thing as a guitar-less Delta Spirit song, their last two songs to make an impact on adult alt radio stations ("California" and "Tear It Up") focused more on rhythm than on guitar. Their latest song, "From Now On", returns to the guitar-focused sound that Delta Spirit originally had. In spite of the chorus's reassurance that "from now on I'm gonna be your friend", "From Now On" is probably the least friendly sounding Delta Spirit track I've heard so far! The sound of the song tends to evoke the moody indie-pop of both contemporary groups like The National and the even darker sounds of classic indie groups like My Bloody Valentine.
"Scarecrow" by Counting Crows: Though Counting Crows have only released one other album so far in the 2010's, I'd say it's been a great decade for Adam Duritz and his fondly remembered '90s folk-rock group! They tend to be currently focusing on songs with a roots-y Neil Young/Tom Petty type sound, and their latest song, "Scarecrow" is no exception to the rule. The song seems to largely work as an exercise in clever wordplay and quirky lyrics, from its opening lyrics ("Mary steers clear of the men from space"), to its silly but memorable chorus, which varies from "snowman, scarecrow, John Doe, buffalo" to "spaceman, scarecrow, peep show, freak show", but always includes the word "scarecrow".
