here they are:
"Can't Do Much" by Waxahatchee: Waxahatchee had one of the most unexpectedly catchy adult alt radio hits of the year with "Lilacs" this spring. The song's buoyant, sunny country-rock sound was a breath of fresh air for both Waxahatchee fans and adult alt/indie-folk fans in general. Their next adult alt radio hit, "Can't Do Much", follows in a similar pattern to "Lilacs". "Can't Do Much" is yet another country-rock tune, a bit unusual for the normally edgier material of Waxahatchee, but it's probably given them more fans than ever as a result (including me). "Can't Do Much" is essentially a love song with slightly odd lyrics. The chorus of the song starts out average enough, as love songs go, with "I want you all the time", but Katie Crutchfield immediately follows that line with "sanity nullified." So Katie wants an insane love, eh?! Well, she'd better watch out!
"I Remember Everything" by John Prine: There seems to have been a pattern of rock and pop musicians being aware of their own death and putting that painful awareness into song in the past few years. David Bowie and Leonard Cohen both had such songs with "Lazarus" and "You Want It Darker", respectively, and a year later, Gregg Allman had one with "My Only True Friend". The clever, tongue-in-cheek folk-rocker, John Prine, departed the Earth a few months ago, and "I Remember Everything" seems to be his way of waving a bittersweet goodbye to all his fans. The song has the darkness of the Bowie and Cohen songs, but it also has the forlorn sense of country-rock pathos the Gregg Allman song had. Evoking rustic, nature-like images, John Prine looks back on the last year of his life with a view that is both endearing and sad. Prine was one of a kind and he will truly be missed!
"Mariana Trench" by Bright Eyes: If "Persona Non Grata", Bright Eyes' song from earlier this year, seemed like too much of a weary dirge for you, then perhaps "Mariana Trench" might be more up your alley. In typical Bright Eyes fashion, most of "Mariana Trench" seems pretty cynical in terms of both its lyrical content and musical atmosphere, but it tries to inject at least a bit more pep into its sound than "Persona Non Grata" did. Perhaps it helps that none other than Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers plays bass on this track. The thumping of the bass is pretty noticeable here, but on this song, it bobs with an ebb and flow, as opposed to the "slapping" technique Flea is known for. The lyrics of "Mariana Trench" create vivid imagery within the mind, especially during the chorus when Conor Oberst mentions Mount Everest and the 405 Freeway, in addition to the titular location.
"Turn Off the TV" by Old 97's: This rowdy, Tom Petty-esque song from Rhett Miller's country-rock/roots-rock ensemble, Old 97's, is full of references! Fitting to its title, their newest song, "Turn Off the TV", only mentions one show ("Kids in the Hall", in the first verse). The very next line mentions alternative rock icons like The Pixies and T. Rex. The intent central to the song, though, is just Rhett Miller wanting to get with a girl he admires. You already have sex and rock & roll mentioned in this song, and aptly, one of the other references in this song is to Jim Beam alcohol. There you have it: sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll! Contrary to its title, this song really doesn't have that much to do with TV, does it?
"Where to Start" by Bully: Just the name "bully" probably makes you think of either a punk band or a heavy metal group. Of the two, Bully's "Where to Start" evokes the former of the two genres. The song is a righteously ticked off punk tune, and one done by a lady, not a fellow, who bears a strange resemblance to cartoon voice actress, Tara Strong. Right from the beginning of this tune, you can feel the anger of lead singer, Alicia Bognanno, as she sings, "I don't know where to start with you!" The song seems to be about falling in love with someone you don't really want to fall in love with. Sigh...I can relate!
"Worry" by Songhoy Blues: Hailing from the African nation of Mali, Songhoy Blues deliver upbeat, spicy blues-rock in their debut song, "Worry". The song is not about worrying, though. In fact, the urgent plea in the chorus is "DON'T worry". With the song's blazing guitar riffs, you can't help but clap your hands and tap your feet along to this song as you start to lose your worries just by listening to this song! The aim of this song is to get people to find hope in times of darkness. Mission accomplished, I say!
"You're Not Alone" by Semisonic: Semisonic, Dan Wilson's half post-grunge and half power pop trio, have only one hit to speak of for most people, and that is "Closing Time", a song that came out over 20 years ago! That Semisonic took roughly around that long to reunite (or that they even DID reunite) is probably quite a surprise to most fans of the band, but they did it! Their latest song, "You're Not Alone", is rife with '90s rock influence, fitting to the era they were most popular in. Fans of groups like Better than Ezra, Third Eye Blind, and Marvelous 3 will probably like this song a lot! Lead singer Dan Wilson actually made a name for himself as a pop music songwriter for successful musicians such as Adele and Taylor Swift during his time apart from Semisonic, so I was a little skeptical as to how good this song might be, but it's really good! As an avid fan of '90s rock, I must say I'm mighty pleased by this song! As can be inferred from the title, Dan Wilson and co wanted their fans to feel comforted during these recent times of crisis. This is how "You're Not Alone" came about. I'm just glad that it did!
