Wow. It's been nearly a month since I last posted an entry for this blog! Perhaps amidst all the racial issues AND health issues the world has been facing, the music world (at least the Adult Alt world) got sort of quiet for awhile. Things are slowly starting to pick up again in the music world, though, with four new entries for this week.
"Dark Days" by Local Natives (featuring Sylvan Esso): If you're a Local Natives fan and the title of this song sounds familiar to you, that's probably because this is actually a remake of a song that Local Natives have had since 2016. The melody, key, and instruments are exactly the same as the 2016 version, mixing "yacht rock" (think latter-day Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, etc.) with the techno-pop side of the indie scene. The main difference between the two versions is that fellow indie popsters, Sylvan Esso, are guest vocalists on the 2020 version. You might think that the title "Dark Days" is some sort of political reference, especially given how both versions of the song were released on an election year, but it's actually a song about growing up and coming of age in Southern California (my neck of the woods!) The blissed out vibes of this song definitely call for some California dreamin', on such a summer's day.
"Dreamsicle" by Jason Isbell: Jason Isbell's songs are typically either angry, politically fueled Southern rock songs, or else they're sentimental folk/country-rock tunes that often have a sad sound with a heavy message. Musically, "Dreamsicle" falls under the latter category, but the term "Dreamsicle" is actually not some kind of strange metaphor like you might expect from Isbell. Instead, "Dreamsicle" is exactly that - a popsicle! Fittingly, the song manages to serve as comfort food for troubled souls the world around, with lyrics that recount the simple yet unforgettable pleasures of youthful summer vacations that Jason had during his mid-teens.
"Hallucinogenics" by Matt Maeson: Indie-folk/pop musician, Matt Maeson, has had equal success on both the Alternative and Adult Alternative charts so far with "Cringe" and "Go Easy". His third single, "Hallucinogenics", seems to have been his most popular so far on the Alternative charts, probably due to its druggy sounding title, and perhaps also for its use of the F word in only the third line of the song. Seems to follow the Lana Del Rey blueprint of "sex, drugs, and not-quite-rock-and-roll", and the sound of "Hallucinogenics" is somewhat similar to LDR too, albeit a bit more upbeat and tongue-in-cheek. Underneath the song's sweet sound, "Hallucinogenics" is actually somewhat defiant (as much as an indie-pop song can be, anyway), with its vague sense of pride about drug use, as well as its subtle f-you to religion in the recurring line, "Go find yourself a man who's strong, tall, and Christian", indicating that Matt is not a man of God, but a man who plays by his own rules. The line, "I carried on like the wayward son", seems to show that Matt is indeed a rock and roll fan, but the sound of this song suggests otherwise.
"No Flag" by Elvis Costello: Last but not least, we now come to a rock song that is TRULY defiant, from a rocker who is truly defiant! Leave it to Elvis C to continue asking what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding almost 40 years after he first asked that question! "No Flag" starts off being somewhat trippy and mysterious before launching into a rhythmically orchestrated tirade of shattering electric guitars and unapologetically angry words. This is punk rock (or more accurately, psychedelic punk-jazz) from a man who truly knows how to do it! The song is more than likely about just how chaotic the world has gotten. Though Costello hails from Britain, he is certainly aware of American political affairs as well, venomously spewing the title of his song as a not-so-subtle symbol of anarchy. He also rants against religion ("no God for the d*mn that I don't give") and the state of the world as a whole ("I sense no future, but time seems to drag"). This is the sort of punk music that groups like Green Day yearn to be, but never quite get to, the way it was meant to be!
