here they are:
"Better Than I Used To" by Illiterate Light: You know a song's gonna be kinda quirky when its opening lyrics are, "In my mind there's only three things: rubber band ball bouncing around". Huh?! Sounds like something badly translated from another language! The song itself is charmingly odd as well with its post-psychedelic influences, bringing to mind other bands who have revived psychedelia for the 21st century, such as Dr. Dog and My Morning Jacket. I actually mistook this for a Dr. Dog song when I first heard it on KCSN, a station that has introduced me to many other wonderful songs and bands that resides in SoCal like I do. "Every time that I think of you, I feel better than I used to", the lead singer states during the chorus. I echo that sentiment when I listen to songs like this one!
"Will We Talk?" by Sam Fender: Sam's late spring/early summer adult alt radio hit, "Hypersonic Missiles", sounded like Springsteen circa 1975 being covered by Ryan Adams. A great combo of sounds if ever there was one! Sam's second adult alt radio hit, "Will We Talk?", sounds a bit more modern, evoking the sounds of groups like The Strokes and The Killers, albeit with that distinctly Springsteen-ian chime and string section in the background. The Strokes and The Killers were both heavily influenced by music of the post-punk and new wave eras, so it's only fitting that "Will We Talk?" opens with the lyrics, "Blue Monday blaring through the speakers", referencing "Blue Monday" by New Order, one of the best known groups of the post-punk and new wave eras. Here, the lyrics also seem like early Springsteen, save for an F-bomb that gets dropped midway through the song, if The Boss had kept his original jazzier and grittier sound into the 1980's, weaving a tale of bittersweet urban romance. Bruce was thought to be the new Bob Dylan back in the day. I'd say that Sam is the new Bruce!
