here they are:
"Do You Remember?" by Jarryd James: Upon listening to this song, I can't help but feel that its sound is a little like Gotye, only creepier! In a good way, though, I promise you. There is a bit of a stalker-y vibe to this song somehow, but it sinks into your mind as though nothing ever happened! Many people seem to describe this song as a mix between soul and electronica, and that's a pretty accurate description if you ask me! Soul has never been so eerie, and nor has electronica sounded so funky!
"High By the Beach" by Lana Del Rey: Sex and drugs and...ummmm...something kinda like rock 'n' roll but not quite. That's Lana Del Rey for ya! Last year's "West Coast" definitely emphasized the sex element, albeit in a warm, intimate manner. Now Lana takes on the second subject of the unholy trinity, drugs. She repeatedly states in the chorus that "all (she) want(s) to do is get high by the beach". With the song's breezy, beach-like vibe combined with its "I don't feel like doing much of anything" attitude, you really believe that that's all she wants to do when you listen to the song! Though her music doesn't really scream out "rock and roll" (Joni Mitchell's "Raised On Robbery" sounds like Zeppelin in comparison to LDR's music), Lana seems to often romanticize the R 'N' R lifestyle, whether it's mentioning "rock and roll groupies" in her lyrics, or even her infamous "wish to be dead" inspired by Kurt Cobain (which made both Kurt's daughter Frances and fellow grungette Kim Gordon rather irate). Perhaps Lana should go back to playing "video games", like she sang about in her debut song.
"Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" by Chris Cornell: Speaking of grunge alumni, we also have a new song from Soundgarden's Chris Cornell! It might surprise you to know that the man whose most famous song was called "Black Hole Sun" is a bit of a folkie, but he is, and he's pretty good at being one, too! He even managed to make Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" into a long, drawn-out drama with music comparable to Dylan and Cash. Some might view "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" as a way to one-up Eddie Vedder's somber, ukulele driven folk songs from the "Into the Wild" soundtrack, but Chris's brand of folk-rock is purely his own here! "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" is reflective, and almost spiritual in a way. Soundgarden fans needn't be disappointed, though, for the song does feature a brief electric guitar solo.
"Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party" by Courtney Barnett: And the winner for longest song title of the week, at ten words long, goes to Courtney Barnett!! The title of this song is gonna be a mouthful for radio DJ's to announce, wow! Luckily, Courtney's aim is not at radio DJ's. Well, not the mainstream ones, anyway. Courtney's latest album has catapulted her status from the singer/songwriter of slacker hit, "Avant Gardener", to someone with a bit more eclectic taste. She has emulated quite a few legendary rock 'n' roll women on her latest album, from Courtney Love ("Pedestrian At Best") to Chrissie Hynde ("Dead Fox") to Patti Smith (this song, which has a similar feel to Patti's version of the garage rock classic, "Gloria", albeit without as much intensity). Like "Gloria", "Nobody Really Cares..." is pretty much the E, D, and A chords used repeatedly throughout the song, but it works here. Echoing the rock 'n' roll dilemma of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?", the chorus of "Nobody Really Cares..." is "I wanna go out but I wanna stay home". Rock on, brown-haired woman!
"Year Zero" by Moon Taxi: This isn't the first song Moon Taxi have done, but it does look like the one that's gonna make them known to a wider audience! "Year Zero" is all about embracing the feeling of being apart from people and seeing where it will lead you. With its determined, fearless sound, I'm not surprised the song is about that. Makes for a great opening track to their latest album, too. I guess Moon Taxi are ready to face the final frontier!! (Or, to use another famous movie quote, to go "to infinity...and beyond!")
