here they are:
“No Bullets Spent” by Spoon: A best of collection from Spoon?! Seems kinda weird for a band who never had a single major chart hit, but they’ve become well loved by listeners of adult alternative radio stations, and 10 of the 12 songs on their "best of" collection that show up before their latest song, “No Bullets Spent”, does, have all become significant adult alt radio hits to a degree. So how does “No Bullets Spent” hold up in comparison to the other 12 songs on Spoon’s upcoming best of collection? Somewhere in the middle, I’d say. While it doesn’t have quite the appeal of enduring Spoon “classics” (if they can be called that yet) like “The Way We Get By” and “The Underdog”, “No Bullets Spent” still has a charm all its own. The song sounds more like the post-punk and new wave sound that Britt Daniel and co have cultivated during the 2010’s than it does like the more quirky and whimsical power pop and folk-rock they started out with in the 2000’s. Lyrically, Spoon continue their streak as a modern-day Steely Dan, as they have been for a long time, spouting wry, cynical political observations over catchy beats and sweet melodies.
“Oh No” by The Revivalists: It’s not unusual to hear a song by The Revivalists that’s R & B influenced. However, up until this point, they’ve been more about the R (rhythm) than the B (blues). “Oh No” has sort of a “Black Keys lite” sound, a bit unusual for the New Orleans octet. It also has a thicker, heavier, and longer guitar solo than the other Revivalists songs I’ve come to know so far. The song also seems to be a distant cousin of The Heavy’s “What Makes A Good Man?” earning it yet another comparison to an R & B influenced tune that’s more blues than rhythm.
“Social Cues” by Cage the Elephant: Ah yes, social cues. Also known as, “The things I have trouble understanding sometimes from other people.” Haha. As if by coincidence, the song’s sound seems to take influence from David Bowie, a musical icon who probably misunderstood numerous social cues as well. The phrase “social cues” is mentioned nowhere in the song, leaving the listener puzzled as to why the song is called what it is in the first place. Much of the song seems to revel in making fun of the concept of fame, with such clever and somewhat tongue-in-cheek lines as, “I think it’s strange when people say, ‘You’re the next best thing. You’ll never fade’”, and “People always say, ‘Man, at least you’re on the radio.”
