here they are:
"Funny Girl" by Father John Misty: Well, it's the '20s, isn't it?! The new '20s, that is. Yet this song, especially its intro, would not have sounded too out of place in the old '20s (or '30s or '40s). A piece of orchestral easy listening that I could easily picture Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett doing, "Funny Girl" is yet another daring venture in the already eclectic catalog of Father John Misty. The lyrics, however, are pure Misty. No time during the first half of the 20th century would you have heard about the "Cathy" comics, or about David Letterman, both of which get referenced in this song. Unlike the unrelenting sincerity of Frank or Tony, Father John Misty injects a hidden dose of sarcasm into "Funny Girl." It is not merely a song about someone he falls in love with, but rather a song that parodies such songs in a rather subtle manner, spitting snide, subtle commentary about contemporary society while pretending to serenade a special someone. Unless your lover is a hipster, you might wanna stick with something like "My Funny Valentine" this Valentine's Day. Nonetheless, this song is a welcome gem for being the first new song I've heard so far for the new year!
"Hell to Pay" by Davy Knowles: The guitarist for blues-rock group, Back Door Slam, Davy Knowles strikes out on his own this year with "Hell to Pay," a song that sounds anything but hellish. In fact, it actually sounds rather slinky, seductive, and soulful! Though the song's minor key does hint at the song's negative point of view and subject matter, Davy turns his heartbreak into heated, passionate music in "Hell to Pay." The song's R & B flavor turns slightly more to the "B" side (blues) towards the end, but even its blues-y guitar solo is one that's more tepid than torrid.
"In the Wake of Your Leave" by Gang of Youths: Gang of Youths had a surprisingly big adult alt radio hit last year with "The Angel of 8th Avenue," a song that mixed the urban poetry and rootsy folk-rock of Bruce Springsteen with the cold, detached synth-rock dynamics of New Order. GOY's followup single, "In the Wake of Your Leave," doesn't have quite as compelling or unique a sound as that one did, but is still a deep and inspired song lyrically. The "your" in question refers to the lead singer's recently deceased father, whose death he had a difficult time coping with. "In the Wake of Your Leave" serves as an outlet for GOY's lead singer to release his grief and stress into song.
"Paint This Town" by Old Crow Medicine Show: Old Crow Medicine Show have thus far had only one adult alt radio hit with "Wagon Wheel," which came out over 15 years ago and became slightly better known about two years after its initial release when Hootie and The Blowfish's Darius Rucker took the song's rustic, roots-y bluegrass sound and turned it into country-pop. Who knew OCMS would return to adult alt radio over a decade and a half after that song was released?! I sure didn't! Their newest song, "Paint This Town," has slightly more rock influence than "Wagon Wheel" while still managing to retain OCMS's trademark country/folk/bluegrass inspired sound. The song sounds a little like some of the songs John Mellencamp was churning out in the mid to late '80s after his success at Farm Aid. The lyrics to "Paint This Town," telling of touring life out on the open road, seem to be more derivative of latter-day Bruce Springsteen than they do John Mellencamp, but either way, "Paint This Town" is sure to be a fave among roots-rock and "Heartland rock" enthusiasts!
