here they are:
"Dylan Thomas" by Better Oblivion Community Center (Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers): Conor and Phoebe have known each other for quite some time now, so it was only a matter of time before they did something together. And what is the result of this inevitable collaboration? Well, it's a slightly noisy folk-rock song, where sound is concerned, which is not a surprising choice in sound for the Bright Eyes frontman. As for the lyrics, the chorus mentions that Conor and Phoebe want to "die like Dylan Thomas", famous for his "Do not go gentle into that good night" quote. Conor has had a recurring theme of morbid lyrics in his songs before, so it's not surprising to know about how Dylan Thomas serves as the central lyrical inspiration in this song.
"F**k the Rain" by Ryan Adams: Hmmm...could somebody please help me pronounce those two unusual letters in the first word of this song?! I've never seen them before! Oh wait...NOW I know what they are! OK, kidding aside, this song actually IS pretty good, in spite of the fact that its fronting word is one that I don't favor in my own vocabulary. You would expect a song like this to be angry from its title, and Ryan has done a few angry tunes before, but this one actually isn't. It's more a sad, plaintive song that would probably be good to listen to ON a rainy day. John Mayer, the folk-pop musician who has long had the desire to be a bluesman, plays a half blues and half country solo towards the end of this song that wouldn't be out of place in a Grateful Dead tune (fitting, since Mayer has toured with them before).
"Harmony Hall" by Vampire Weekend: After 6 years on hiatus, Vampire Weekend have returned and are doing what they do best! Ezra Koenig's quintet have often emulated the tropical world beat sounds of musicians like Paul Simon, Sting, and Peter Gabriel. "Harmony Hall" seems to take on a lot of the Paul Simon aspects, especially at the beginning with its crisp, river-like acoustic guitar. A sprightly piano takes over the guitar for much of the rest of the song, as Koenig ponders over existential crises with lyrics like, "I don't want to live like this, but I don't want to die." Plights like this define the song's lyrical content, but the title "Harmony Hall" still suits it well for the evenly matched vocals and instrumentation this song has to offer.
"Moderation" by Florence and The Machine: Imagine the opening notes of The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" played three times instead of five, and played on piano instead of bass. That pretty much defines the beginning of "Moderation", which quickly turns into a more enjoyably arts-y Florence tune about 30 seconds afterwards. Lyrically, this is an interesting song, as it is unclear who Flo is speaking to. She seems to be addressing a lover at first, but during the chorus, she addresses a "little girl", which might be Flo herself. Whether she's talking to someone else or herself, she nonetheless claims that the subject of the song "wants (her) to love (them) in moderation". Much like other songs of hers, such as "Shake It Out", "Moderation" seems to be about an inner battle that Florence is having with her own self, trying to decide whether she is truly worthy of love, as well as if love itself is truly worth feeling. Well, as they say, everything in "Moderation", right?!
"Red Bull And Hennessy" by Jenny Lewis: So far, we've had a song with a title containing a word I don't use, and now here's a song containing a title of drinks I don't drink (I don't drink any alcohol, FYI.) I guess I'm what you'd call a rocker who lacks the rock and roll lifestyle, eh?! Oh, and as if by coincidence, it is none other than Ryan Adams (discussed in a previous entry for this week) playing the guitar on this track! Go figure, eh? The legendary Ringo Starr guests on drums here, too. Anyway, this song is pretty much sex, drugs, and...ummm...kind of rock and roll?! All three elements are essential on this vaguely Fleetwood Mac-ish track, which expresses lustful sexual desire, being "wired" and "high" on alcohol, and just the thrill Jenny seems to get from being wild and reckless with partners.
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
New songs for January 23rd, 2019
Here they are:
"All Over Now" by The Cranberries: One of their darkest and most aggressive songs since "Zombie", The Cranberries' first song released after the death of their lead singer seems to have a fair amount of foreshadowing of what was to come in their career. Dolores O'Riordan waxes nostalgic about various events, only to declare in the chorus that those memories are "all over now". Though "All Over Now" does not have as much vocal anger as "Zombie" did, you can still sense the despair and angst in O'Riordan's singing here. This seems like somewhat the opposite of what happened to another recent and sudden death in rock and pop history, when soul singer Sharon Jones delivered a hopeful post-mortem message that it was just a "Matter of Time" before things got set straight. Dolores was not so hopeful about her own future. This is an eerily fitting song to close out both The Cranberries' career and the tumultuous, unpredictable events of the decade at large.
"Land of the Free" by The Killers: Our last and only other song of the week is proof of what can happen when the tables turn on you. The Killers' lead singer, Brandon Flowers, had once criticized Green Day for going too political with "American Idiot". Flash forward 15 years later, and Brandon himself has now gone from fun, frivolous rocker to mournful, politically active musician with his latest song, "Land of the Free". The song is a sad, sorrowful, yet anthemic piano centered dirge, probably modeled after Flowers' musical mentor, Bruce Springsteen. Even the lyrics are Springsteen-ian, circa "Born In the U.S.A.", decrying the United States' current political state while trying to push things in a more positive direction with his yearning lyrics. Brandon, to quote the great Woody Guthrie, "This land was made for you and me!"
"All Over Now" by The Cranberries: One of their darkest and most aggressive songs since "Zombie", The Cranberries' first song released after the death of their lead singer seems to have a fair amount of foreshadowing of what was to come in their career. Dolores O'Riordan waxes nostalgic about various events, only to declare in the chorus that those memories are "all over now". Though "All Over Now" does not have as much vocal anger as "Zombie" did, you can still sense the despair and angst in O'Riordan's singing here. This seems like somewhat the opposite of what happened to another recent and sudden death in rock and pop history, when soul singer Sharon Jones delivered a hopeful post-mortem message that it was just a "Matter of Time" before things got set straight. Dolores was not so hopeful about her own future. This is an eerily fitting song to close out both The Cranberries' career and the tumultuous, unpredictable events of the decade at large.
"Land of the Free" by The Killers: Our last and only other song of the week is proof of what can happen when the tables turn on you. The Killers' lead singer, Brandon Flowers, had once criticized Green Day for going too political with "American Idiot". Flash forward 15 years later, and Brandon himself has now gone from fun, frivolous rocker to mournful, politically active musician with his latest song, "Land of the Free". The song is a sad, sorrowful, yet anthemic piano centered dirge, probably modeled after Flowers' musical mentor, Bruce Springsteen. Even the lyrics are Springsteen-ian, circa "Born In the U.S.A.", decrying the United States' current political state while trying to push things in a more positive direction with his yearning lyrics. Brandon, to quote the great Woody Guthrie, "This land was made for you and me!"
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
New songs for January 16th 2019
What a whopper lineup of new songs we have today!! 8 fresh new ones! Here they are:
"Fast Talk" by Houses: Just when you thought indie pop covered everything it needed to cover, along come Houses, a band who might just be trendsetters for the 2020's. Jazz and vocal standards meet electronic music and folk music with just a dash of rock in Houses' debut song, "Fast Talk". The song is a nostalgic look back at the life that Dexter Tortoriello (who, himself, is Houses - a one man band) during his late adolescent years hanging out with his friends and trying to figure out who he was and what he wanted to do with his life. It's also about facing the likely prospect of how once you get older, the people you knew aren't who they used to be, and so you often face disconnection from them as a result. A track that calms you down AND makes you think?! Not often you come across one of those, is it?!
"Friend Better" by Joe Jackson: Like fellow new wave elder statesman, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson has managed to stick around longer than most from his era. Where Elvis has continued to reinvent himself at every turn, Joe Jackson...well...only does that sometimes. Joe's latest song, "Friend Better", is a throwback sort of a tune that sounds like it could have been on Steely Dan's "Aja". Both its ersatz smooth jazz sound and its clever, scathing lyrics wouldn't be out of place in the Dan catalog. The central point of the song seems to be about how complicated love can be. In just four simple words, "Lover good, friend better", Joe conveys a situation many of us are familiar with that frustrates us nonetheless. Sometimes it's nice to know that you're not the only one who goes through the struggles that you do!
"Hard Case" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: For their fourth and final album of the 2010's, Susan and Derek have released a song that showcases what they do best. "Hard Case" is yet another example of the catchy blues-rock The Tedeschi-Trucks Band have been known for, with some roots-y country-rock and New Orleans jazz type influences thrown in there for good measure as well. During the chorus of the song, Tedeschi and Trucks sing to each other that they are a "hard case to refuse". If they're trying to say that they love each other in the chorus, that's an interesting way to do so, but it seems pretty clear to me that it's the sentiment they are trying to express in this high spirited, freewheeling, shuffle of a song!
"Landslide" by Beirut: No, this is not a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song of the same name, in case you were wondering. In spite of the lack of guitars on most of this track, Beirut's "Landslide" could still be said to be the closest that Beirut has come to prog-rock with its soaring, epic organs evoking imagery of grandeur that could fit easily into a Yes or Emerson, Lake, & Palmer song. Perhaps this was intentional on their part, as "Landslide"'s prog-rock sound is every bit as geeky as its video (in a good way, I promise). The accompanying video for the song brings together two nerdy favorites, "Monty Python" and "Game of Thrones", into a single territory. Expect mysterious, mythical beings to join the Ministry of Silly Walks after you watch this music video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCVB5zjwdzE
"Longshot" by Catfish and The Bottlemen: With garage rock ravers like "Kathleen" and the almost Foo Fighters-esque "Soundcheck", the Welsh quartet, Catfish and The Bottlemen, have graced us with some of the most rockin' tracks of the 2010's so far. So how do they plan to exit the decade?! Well, by rockin' out, but in more of an indie-pop fashion than their fans might be used to. Their latest song, "Longshot", seems to lack the fiery passion that their previous two adult alt radio hits had, but it still manages to sound like a rock anthem nonetheless. Another thing "Longshot" seems to lack that CATB's previous songs had is angst. This factor is replaced in the song with a never-give-up, can-do spirit to keep chugging along through tough times. As the state of the world becomes increasingly more chaotic, I guess that's all we can do sometimes!
"Overexcited" by Guster: Overexcited is exactly what adult alt stations have become for Guster's latest song! It's been hard for me to find a copy of this much anticipated song. I only just found one today! I honestly thought Guster would have called it quits with their 2014 song, "Simple Machine", since it didn't seem near as well received as most of their songs from before that, but instead, the now nearly three-decade old indie-pop quintet from Boston has kept on chuggin' along with their goofiest song yet! Guster have always been pretty quirky, but "Overexcited" turns the quirky factor up to 11! From its "Yo Gabba Gabba"-ish energetic kid friendly sound to its odd choice of instrumentation and silly lyrics ("We had a dog once, we all just called it 'Cat'"), "Overexcited" is a song that will have you feeling...well...overexcited!!
"Seventeen" by Sharon Van Etten: 17 is a coming of age number for many well known musicians in rock and pop. Be it Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen" or Janis Ian's "At Seventeen", they all seem to tell a poignant story of bittersweet realization. Sharon Van Etten's "Seventeen" follows in the footsteps of Stevie and Janis as Sharon weaves a tale about how life just hasn't been the same since she's grown up. She looks back wistfully on her mid teens while lamenting who she's become. In spite of the major key this song is in, it still manages to be just as sad. Perhaps she learned a thing or two from Janis Ian, whose "At Seventeen" was also a sad song in a major key.
"This Land" by Gary Clark Jr.: Last, but certainly not least, blues rocker Gary Clark Jr. delivers one of the most potent protest songs of the decade! Fusing reggae, jazz, rock, and blues into a furious gumbo, his song "This Land" is the sort of song that could be a Rage Against the Machine song if a few notches were turned up on the amp, though it still manages to be righteously loud enough with Gary performing it. As you might have guessed by the title of the song, "This Land" is a political song about how it feels to be an African American citizen in what is currently a racist nation. The song even name checks Donald Trump, and is the first Gary Clark Jr. song (to my knowledge) to use the phrase "p*ssed off", and rightfully so, might I add! Though I am not of the same racial background as Gary, I do feel his pain and sympathize with it. Just about anyone who thinks that judging someone simply because of their ethnic background is wrong would probably identify with this song too!
"Fast Talk" by Houses: Just when you thought indie pop covered everything it needed to cover, along come Houses, a band who might just be trendsetters for the 2020's. Jazz and vocal standards meet electronic music and folk music with just a dash of rock in Houses' debut song, "Fast Talk". The song is a nostalgic look back at the life that Dexter Tortoriello (who, himself, is Houses - a one man band) during his late adolescent years hanging out with his friends and trying to figure out who he was and what he wanted to do with his life. It's also about facing the likely prospect of how once you get older, the people you knew aren't who they used to be, and so you often face disconnection from them as a result. A track that calms you down AND makes you think?! Not often you come across one of those, is it?!
"Friend Better" by Joe Jackson: Like fellow new wave elder statesman, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson has managed to stick around longer than most from his era. Where Elvis has continued to reinvent himself at every turn, Joe Jackson...well...only does that sometimes. Joe's latest song, "Friend Better", is a throwback sort of a tune that sounds like it could have been on Steely Dan's "Aja". Both its ersatz smooth jazz sound and its clever, scathing lyrics wouldn't be out of place in the Dan catalog. The central point of the song seems to be about how complicated love can be. In just four simple words, "Lover good, friend better", Joe conveys a situation many of us are familiar with that frustrates us nonetheless. Sometimes it's nice to know that you're not the only one who goes through the struggles that you do!
"Hard Case" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: For their fourth and final album of the 2010's, Susan and Derek have released a song that showcases what they do best. "Hard Case" is yet another example of the catchy blues-rock The Tedeschi-Trucks Band have been known for, with some roots-y country-rock and New Orleans jazz type influences thrown in there for good measure as well. During the chorus of the song, Tedeschi and Trucks sing to each other that they are a "hard case to refuse". If they're trying to say that they love each other in the chorus, that's an interesting way to do so, but it seems pretty clear to me that it's the sentiment they are trying to express in this high spirited, freewheeling, shuffle of a song!
"Landslide" by Beirut: No, this is not a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song of the same name, in case you were wondering. In spite of the lack of guitars on most of this track, Beirut's "Landslide" could still be said to be the closest that Beirut has come to prog-rock with its soaring, epic organs evoking imagery of grandeur that could fit easily into a Yes or Emerson, Lake, & Palmer song. Perhaps this was intentional on their part, as "Landslide"'s prog-rock sound is every bit as geeky as its video (in a good way, I promise). The accompanying video for the song brings together two nerdy favorites, "Monty Python" and "Game of Thrones", into a single territory. Expect mysterious, mythical beings to join the Ministry of Silly Walks after you watch this music video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCVB5zjwdzE
"Longshot" by Catfish and The Bottlemen: With garage rock ravers like "Kathleen" and the almost Foo Fighters-esque "Soundcheck", the Welsh quartet, Catfish and The Bottlemen, have graced us with some of the most rockin' tracks of the 2010's so far. So how do they plan to exit the decade?! Well, by rockin' out, but in more of an indie-pop fashion than their fans might be used to. Their latest song, "Longshot", seems to lack the fiery passion that their previous two adult alt radio hits had, but it still manages to sound like a rock anthem nonetheless. Another thing "Longshot" seems to lack that CATB's previous songs had is angst. This factor is replaced in the song with a never-give-up, can-do spirit to keep chugging along through tough times. As the state of the world becomes increasingly more chaotic, I guess that's all we can do sometimes!
"Overexcited" by Guster: Overexcited is exactly what adult alt stations have become for Guster's latest song! It's been hard for me to find a copy of this much anticipated song. I only just found one today! I honestly thought Guster would have called it quits with their 2014 song, "Simple Machine", since it didn't seem near as well received as most of their songs from before that, but instead, the now nearly three-decade old indie-pop quintet from Boston has kept on chuggin' along with their goofiest song yet! Guster have always been pretty quirky, but "Overexcited" turns the quirky factor up to 11! From its "Yo Gabba Gabba"-ish energetic kid friendly sound to its odd choice of instrumentation and silly lyrics ("We had a dog once, we all just called it 'Cat'"), "Overexcited" is a song that will have you feeling...well...overexcited!!
"Seventeen" by Sharon Van Etten: 17 is a coming of age number for many well known musicians in rock and pop. Be it Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen" or Janis Ian's "At Seventeen", they all seem to tell a poignant story of bittersweet realization. Sharon Van Etten's "Seventeen" follows in the footsteps of Stevie and Janis as Sharon weaves a tale about how life just hasn't been the same since she's grown up. She looks back wistfully on her mid teens while lamenting who she's become. In spite of the major key this song is in, it still manages to be just as sad. Perhaps she learned a thing or two from Janis Ian, whose "At Seventeen" was also a sad song in a major key.
"This Land" by Gary Clark Jr.: Last, but certainly not least, blues rocker Gary Clark Jr. delivers one of the most potent protest songs of the decade! Fusing reggae, jazz, rock, and blues into a furious gumbo, his song "This Land" is the sort of song that could be a Rage Against the Machine song if a few notches were turned up on the amp, though it still manages to be righteously loud enough with Gary performing it. As you might have guessed by the title of the song, "This Land" is a political song about how it feels to be an African American citizen in what is currently a racist nation. The song even name checks Donald Trump, and is the first Gary Clark Jr. song (to my knowledge) to use the phrase "p*ssed off", and rightfully so, might I add! Though I am not of the same racial background as Gary, I do feel his pain and sympathize with it. Just about anyone who thinks that judging someone simply because of their ethnic background is wrong would probably identify with this song too!
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
2019: New songs for the New Year!!
It's the last year of the 2010's!! Can you believe it?! Here are 6 songs to get us started on the right track. All are left over from 2018, though I'm sure by next week there will be a few that are brand new for this year. Here goes:
“Funny Business” by Alice Merton: “I don’t play cards, I don’t do funny business”, alt-pop sass queen Alice Merton proclaims in her latest song, “Funny Business”. You’d better believe she means it! Alice’s songs tend to be full of both cleverness and insults set to a sound that’s half alternative and half pop music, not unlike what Lily Allen was doing midway through the 2000’s. So far, it appears as though the last year of the 2010’s is gonna go out with a bang! But let’s see what else is in store for the first month of the new year…
“Hey Larocco” by Rayland Baxter: The normally folk-y Rayland Baxter surprised us all with his psych-pop tinged “Casanova” in late spring/early summer of last year. “Hey Larocco” marks a return to Rayland’s folk-rock roots, to the point of which it could be considered a “sequel song” to his breakthrough single, “Yellow Eyes”. It’s even in the same key as that one is. Unlike the wistful romanticism of “Yellow Eyes”, “Hey Larocco” is about a predicament that Rayland finds himself in trying to apologize to his friend, whose name is Larocco (a name as unusual as his own, might I add).
“Now That You’re Gone” – The Raconteurs: It’s been about a decade since we last heard from Jack White’s side project, The Raconteurs. So Jack, Brendan, and the gang have decided to treat us to not one, but TWO new songs within a single month! The first of these is “Now That You’re Gone”, the crunchier and blues-ier of the two tracks. The song has all the makings of a trademark Jack White tune, such as squealing guitars, husky vocals, and chunky power chords. Adding to the blues-rock vibe of the song are its lovelorn lyrics, pontificating on the loss of a love life repeatedly in just two short verses.
“Shelter” by Broken Bells: It’s been four years since The Shins’ James Mercer and record producer Brian Burton (better known as “Danger Mouse”) last released an album. “Shelter” has many of the things you might expect from a Broken Bells song. Indie-pop melodies combine with techno instrumentation (with the occasional guitar playing in the background). The song revolves around the uncertainty of falling in love. A far cry, lyrically, from the more optimistic sounding “The High Road”, but a good one nonetheless.
“Sunday Driver” by The Raconteurs: And now we come to The Raconteurs OTHER song for the decade’s final year. “Sunday Driver” is a bit slower paced and roots-y than “Now That You’re Gone”, but it is not without its fair share of excitement. This one also has some blues-y lyrics, but more in the vein of the “travelin’ down the road” variety than of the “my love has done me wrong” sort. Not sure whose decision it was to make The Racs have two songs on the adult alt charts simultaneously (things like that don’t usually happen), but I have a feeling it’s gonna pay off big time for ‘em!
“Traveling On” by The Decemberists: For those who were disappointed by “Severed” from last year around this month, “Traveling On” might just be your antidote! “Traveling On” contains no synths or post-punk influenced sounds, and is instead a return to the familiar for Decemberists fans: a bittersweet folk-rock song, like most of the material they’ve become known for. There’s also a somewhat roots-y vibe to “Traveling On” with its weary traveler centered lyrics. You could easily picture a “long and lonesome highway” in your head as you listen to this one!
“Funny Business” by Alice Merton: “I don’t play cards, I don’t do funny business”, alt-pop sass queen Alice Merton proclaims in her latest song, “Funny Business”. You’d better believe she means it! Alice’s songs tend to be full of both cleverness and insults set to a sound that’s half alternative and half pop music, not unlike what Lily Allen was doing midway through the 2000’s. So far, it appears as though the last year of the 2010’s is gonna go out with a bang! But let’s see what else is in store for the first month of the new year…
“Hey Larocco” by Rayland Baxter: The normally folk-y Rayland Baxter surprised us all with his psych-pop tinged “Casanova” in late spring/early summer of last year. “Hey Larocco” marks a return to Rayland’s folk-rock roots, to the point of which it could be considered a “sequel song” to his breakthrough single, “Yellow Eyes”. It’s even in the same key as that one is. Unlike the wistful romanticism of “Yellow Eyes”, “Hey Larocco” is about a predicament that Rayland finds himself in trying to apologize to his friend, whose name is Larocco (a name as unusual as his own, might I add).
“Now That You’re Gone” – The Raconteurs: It’s been about a decade since we last heard from Jack White’s side project, The Raconteurs. So Jack, Brendan, and the gang have decided to treat us to not one, but TWO new songs within a single month! The first of these is “Now That You’re Gone”, the crunchier and blues-ier of the two tracks. The song has all the makings of a trademark Jack White tune, such as squealing guitars, husky vocals, and chunky power chords. Adding to the blues-rock vibe of the song are its lovelorn lyrics, pontificating on the loss of a love life repeatedly in just two short verses.
“Shelter” by Broken Bells: It’s been four years since The Shins’ James Mercer and record producer Brian Burton (better known as “Danger Mouse”) last released an album. “Shelter” has many of the things you might expect from a Broken Bells song. Indie-pop melodies combine with techno instrumentation (with the occasional guitar playing in the background). The song revolves around the uncertainty of falling in love. A far cry, lyrically, from the more optimistic sounding “The High Road”, but a good one nonetheless.
“Sunday Driver” by The Raconteurs: And now we come to The Raconteurs OTHER song for the decade’s final year. “Sunday Driver” is a bit slower paced and roots-y than “Now That You’re Gone”, but it is not without its fair share of excitement. This one also has some blues-y lyrics, but more in the vein of the “travelin’ down the road” variety than of the “my love has done me wrong” sort. Not sure whose decision it was to make The Racs have two songs on the adult alt charts simultaneously (things like that don’t usually happen), but I have a feeling it’s gonna pay off big time for ‘em!
“Traveling On” by The Decemberists: For those who were disappointed by “Severed” from last year around this month, “Traveling On” might just be your antidote! “Traveling On” contains no synths or post-punk influenced sounds, and is instead a return to the familiar for Decemberists fans: a bittersweet folk-rock song, like most of the material they’ve become known for. There’s also a somewhat roots-y vibe to “Traveling On” with its weary traveler centered lyrics. You could easily picture a “long and lonesome highway” in your head as you listen to this one!
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