here they are:
"Bad Bad News" by Leon Bridges: "Bad bad news" is probably what some of Leon Bridges' fans think of this song! After all, it doesn't have the warm, nostalgic Sam Cooke-ish vibes that the stuff from his debut album did. However, Leon's new direction is still an interesting one. Going about a decade forward in his musical time machine, "Bad Bad News" is more derivative of the music of people like Gil Scott Heron, who provided a "missing link" between jazz and hip-hop during the '70s, back when "hip-hop" wasn't exactly the buzzword it is today. Like a lot of today's contemporary rock and alt acts, Leon seems to be eschewing the guitar of his previous work in favor of a more keyboard based sound, but instead of giving it an '80s synthesizer flavor, he puts his own twist on it by making it sound jazzy!
"Can't Deny Me" by Pearl Jam: In yet another controversial political era, rock and roll fans were probably wondering what, if anything, would end up being the next "American Idiot". Well, Pearl Jam might just have the answer to that question! In their charged new song, "Can't Deny Me", Eddie and the boys point their fingers towards a business tycoon who later starred in a reality show and then somehow became president. "You may be rich, but you can't deny me", Eddie Vedder snarls at his opponent during the chorus. The anti-Robin Hood mentality of the man currently running the U.S.A. is what Pearl Jam appear to be protesting here. In an era where rock and roll has become an endangered species, Pearl Jam remain one of the last known survivors!
"Today Is the Day" by Eels: A happy song with angry lyrics?! I wouldn't expect anything else from Mark Everett (better known simply as "E"), whose music seems to be based around irony. To more naive listeners, this song might seem like it's about having a great day, but make no mistake! Right from the start, E declares this day to be the day when he throws everything out the door, and then wonders why he's even alive. The "Get out of the f**king road!" spoken by E in the middle of the song would probably have me shaking my head and cringing if it weren't for E's effortlessly sardonic delivery. The Eels are truly unique. They're like Barenaked Ladies for "South Park" fans!
