here they are:
"Hold Your Nerve" by Boy and Bear: It seems as though with "Hold Your Nerve", Boy and Bear have finally settled on a sound that's just right for them. It is not the folk-rock from early on in their career, but nor is it the more straight ahead rock oriented sound they had three years ago. "Hold Your Nerve" sounds a bit like Fleet Foxes mixed with The Cure. Its synth laden atmosphere provides an ethereal backdrop for both acoustic and electric guitars melding with lead singer Dave Hosking's harmonic vocals. "Hold Your Nerve" is actually a rather nerve wracking story, lyrically speaking. Ever since Dave's career with Boy and Bear started almost a decade ago, he had known something was wrong with him. Initially, people thought it was something akin to depression and anxiety, but the illness gradually became more physical than it was mental or emotional, until eventually, his doctors found out he had a bacterial infection affecting nervous system. Perhaps that's what he's referring to when he says "hold your nerve" in this song!
"Kill In the Cure" by Jocelyn and Chris Arndt: Jocelyn and Chris Arndt's contemporary take on blues-rock gets a slow, churning spin on their latest song, "Kill In the Cure". The guitars and bass chug along slowly by themselves until the drums kick in midway through the song, giving it a mysterious, "edgy" sound. Now, what exactly does Jocelyn mean when she says she's looking for the "kill in the cure"? To be honest, I have no idea. However, I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with British alternative rock group, The Cure!
Showing posts with label Boy and Bear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boy and Bear. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
New songs for March 30th 2016
here they are:
"Brazil" by Declan McKenna: It only figures that a man with Elvis Costello's real first name would be at least a little stylistically similar to Elvis Costello in his early days, wouldn't it?! Then again, maybe it's just coincidence. Either way, Declan McKenna's "Brazil" has an infectiously catchy faux-retro British rock sound that is rapidly becoming a fave of alt-rock fans this year. With its bright, bouncy melody, fresh guitar sound, and raspy British vocals, it's not hard to see why! Also, Declan McKenna was born on Christmas Eve during the year I was in 5th grade!! Who knew such great music could come from a 17-year-old?! I sure didn't!!
"I Don't Care About You" by Lake Street Dive: With the way that Lake Street Dive's "Call Off Your Dogs" from fall of last year sounded like a '70s disco song, I was expecting more of the same with "I Don't Care About You". However, "I Don't Care About You" has a sound that's closer to the soul inflected blues-rock of the typical Lake Street Dive song. At least during the first two or so verses of the song, it does. However, during the last verse, it starts speeding up a bit to sound more like a song from the blues-rock side of the British Invasion (think early Rolling Stones, Animals, Yardbirds, etc.), which is fitting, considering how "I Don't Care About You" sounds like it could be the title of a '60s garage rock song. The message of this song may be "I don't care about you", but I do care about listening to groovy tunes like this one!
"I Need Never Get Old" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: Nathaniel and co continue to wow the indie generation with their brand of '60s influenced R & B and rock with "I Need Never Get Old", currently their third big hit! Imagine what it would be like if Ray Charles, Janis Joplin, and The Four Tops started jamming together. Chances are, whatever you imagined probably sounds like "I Need Never Get Old". The song itself is as saucy and sassy as its titular statement! You need never get old listening to songs like this one. Stay young, my friends, stay young!!
"Pining" by Parker Millsap: Here is yet another song that sounds influenced by early R & B music, just like the previous two I've reviewed for this week. There is something that sets this one apart from most songs of this style, though. This song's central guitar is acoustic, not electric. Yet somehow, Parker Millsap still manages to inject some soulful vim and vigor into his first major breakthrough song, "Pining". What starts off as a happy folk song soon turns into a powerhouse of other instruments, such as piano and percussion, making it seem more like what a more energetic "oldie" might sound like to contemporary ears. Parker may be pining for his lost love, but he sure seems glad about something nonetheless!
"Where'd You Go?" by Boy and Bear: In fall 2015, Boy and Bear probably shocked many of their core fans by releasing the rocking, Cars-sounding "Walk the Wire", a significant departure from the folk-rock they had become known for previously. "Where'd You Go?" is a song that seems to have a folk-rock-y mood while still making prominent use of the electric guitar, particularly during the chorus. Somewhat mythical sounding imagery (i.e. "an ancient shrine that has swallowed your mind") seems to dominate the lyrical themes of this song, which is not entirely new for Boy and Bear.
"Brazil" by Declan McKenna: It only figures that a man with Elvis Costello's real first name would be at least a little stylistically similar to Elvis Costello in his early days, wouldn't it?! Then again, maybe it's just coincidence. Either way, Declan McKenna's "Brazil" has an infectiously catchy faux-retro British rock sound that is rapidly becoming a fave of alt-rock fans this year. With its bright, bouncy melody, fresh guitar sound, and raspy British vocals, it's not hard to see why! Also, Declan McKenna was born on Christmas Eve during the year I was in 5th grade!! Who knew such great music could come from a 17-year-old?! I sure didn't!!
"I Don't Care About You" by Lake Street Dive: With the way that Lake Street Dive's "Call Off Your Dogs" from fall of last year sounded like a '70s disco song, I was expecting more of the same with "I Don't Care About You". However, "I Don't Care About You" has a sound that's closer to the soul inflected blues-rock of the typical Lake Street Dive song. At least during the first two or so verses of the song, it does. However, during the last verse, it starts speeding up a bit to sound more like a song from the blues-rock side of the British Invasion (think early Rolling Stones, Animals, Yardbirds, etc.), which is fitting, considering how "I Don't Care About You" sounds like it could be the title of a '60s garage rock song. The message of this song may be "I don't care about you", but I do care about listening to groovy tunes like this one!
"I Need Never Get Old" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: Nathaniel and co continue to wow the indie generation with their brand of '60s influenced R & B and rock with "I Need Never Get Old", currently their third big hit! Imagine what it would be like if Ray Charles, Janis Joplin, and The Four Tops started jamming together. Chances are, whatever you imagined probably sounds like "I Need Never Get Old". The song itself is as saucy and sassy as its titular statement! You need never get old listening to songs like this one. Stay young, my friends, stay young!!
"Pining" by Parker Millsap: Here is yet another song that sounds influenced by early R & B music, just like the previous two I've reviewed for this week. There is something that sets this one apart from most songs of this style, though. This song's central guitar is acoustic, not electric. Yet somehow, Parker Millsap still manages to inject some soulful vim and vigor into his first major breakthrough song, "Pining". What starts off as a happy folk song soon turns into a powerhouse of other instruments, such as piano and percussion, making it seem more like what a more energetic "oldie" might sound like to contemporary ears. Parker may be pining for his lost love, but he sure seems glad about something nonetheless!
"Where'd You Go?" by Boy and Bear: In fall 2015, Boy and Bear probably shocked many of their core fans by releasing the rocking, Cars-sounding "Walk the Wire", a significant departure from the folk-rock they had become known for previously. "Where'd You Go?" is a song that seems to have a folk-rock-y mood while still making prominent use of the electric guitar, particularly during the chorus. Somewhat mythical sounding imagery (i.e. "an ancient shrine that has swallowed your mind") seems to dominate the lyrical themes of this song, which is not entirely new for Boy and Bear.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
new songs for September 16th, 2015
here they are:
"All Your Favorite Bands" by Dawes: If by "all your favorite bands", you mean Jackson Browne and The Beatles, then I guess you're right, as this song kinda sounds like a cross between the former's "Rock Me On the Water" and the latter's "Let It Be". Like "Let It Be", "All Your Favorite Bands" is a rather bittersweet song. The title of the song (and the album for which it is named) comes from the line "may all your favorite bands stay together". Well, seeing as Dawes have now been around for about 6 years without any known splitting apart of the members, perhaps they're one of their own favorite bands! The song is basically a sad but hopeful love song, with Taylor Goldsmith pleading, "I hope the world sees the same person that you always were to me" to his lover.
"Mountain At My Gates" by Foals: One of the more experimental bands in indie-rock, Foals might have just finally scored a slightly more mainstream hit with "Mountain At My Gates", which combines the adventurous sounds of Tame Impala and "Kid A" era Radiohead with the sound of more accessible bands like Imagine Dragons. The bright, spirited piano in the background of the song keeps it chugging along, and as its instruments gradually build into a crescendo, it seems to transition from indie-rock to arena rock within the blink of an eye! What a trippy mountain there must be at those gates, eh?!
"Walk the Wire" by Boy and Bear: Wait a minute, who let Ric Ocasek join Boy and Bear?! I don't even...well a lot of bands have been trying to change their sound lately, but I would NOT have expected the quaint and folk-y Boy and Bear to turn into an arena ready new wave revival band!! Therefore, "Walk the Wire" is quite a fitting name for this song! Boy and Bear will probably lose some fans along the way. However, fans of The Cars will probably be clamoring over to "Walk the Wire", which even features a brief Elliot Easton-esque guitar solo! Brandon Flowers and co, take note. THIS might be what you want your next album to sound like!
"Yellow Eyes" by Rayland Baxter: At last, a newcomer on this week's blog! Rayland Baxter's autumnal, pleasant folk-rock sound seems to have arrived just in time for the fall season! The sound of Rayland's debut song, "Yellow Eyes", recalls some of the older Ryan Adams and Wilco songs from before they started adding a crunchier electric guitar sound to their songs. The song's lyrics seem to be delivered in a rather soul-searching manner, but they're actually about a man who has a bad habit of leaving his girlfriends without a significant other. What a great title, too. I'm sure we've all heard songs about people with blue eyes, brown eyes, and maybe even green eyes, but not yellow eyes. Until now, that is.
"All Your Favorite Bands" by Dawes: If by "all your favorite bands", you mean Jackson Browne and The Beatles, then I guess you're right, as this song kinda sounds like a cross between the former's "Rock Me On the Water" and the latter's "Let It Be". Like "Let It Be", "All Your Favorite Bands" is a rather bittersweet song. The title of the song (and the album for which it is named) comes from the line "may all your favorite bands stay together". Well, seeing as Dawes have now been around for about 6 years without any known splitting apart of the members, perhaps they're one of their own favorite bands! The song is basically a sad but hopeful love song, with Taylor Goldsmith pleading, "I hope the world sees the same person that you always were to me" to his lover.
"Mountain At My Gates" by Foals: One of the more experimental bands in indie-rock, Foals might have just finally scored a slightly more mainstream hit with "Mountain At My Gates", which combines the adventurous sounds of Tame Impala and "Kid A" era Radiohead with the sound of more accessible bands like Imagine Dragons. The bright, spirited piano in the background of the song keeps it chugging along, and as its instruments gradually build into a crescendo, it seems to transition from indie-rock to arena rock within the blink of an eye! What a trippy mountain there must be at those gates, eh?!
"Walk the Wire" by Boy and Bear: Wait a minute, who let Ric Ocasek join Boy and Bear?! I don't even...well a lot of bands have been trying to change their sound lately, but I would NOT have expected the quaint and folk-y Boy and Bear to turn into an arena ready new wave revival band!! Therefore, "Walk the Wire" is quite a fitting name for this song! Boy and Bear will probably lose some fans along the way. However, fans of The Cars will probably be clamoring over to "Walk the Wire", which even features a brief Elliot Easton-esque guitar solo! Brandon Flowers and co, take note. THIS might be what you want your next album to sound like!
"Yellow Eyes" by Rayland Baxter: At last, a newcomer on this week's blog! Rayland Baxter's autumnal, pleasant folk-rock sound seems to have arrived just in time for the fall season! The sound of Rayland's debut song, "Yellow Eyes", recalls some of the older Ryan Adams and Wilco songs from before they started adding a crunchier electric guitar sound to their songs. The song's lyrics seem to be delivered in a rather soul-searching manner, but they're actually about a man who has a bad habit of leaving his girlfriends without a significant other. What a great title, too. I'm sure we've all heard songs about people with blue eyes, brown eyes, and maybe even green eyes, but not yellow eyes. Until now, that is.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
New songs for August 13th, 2014
here they are:
"I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You" by The Hold Steady: Where Bruce Springsteen romanticized city life, The Hold Steady expose the seedy underbelly of city life. "I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You" is basically meant to frighten you, at least lyrically it is. It's a woefully angry tale of Craig Finn's current life breaking into shambles before his very eyes. The passionately grungy sound of the song recalls similarly themed life-gone-wrong, downward spiraling songs, like The Afghan Whigs' "What Jail Is Like" and Goo Goo Dolls' "Long Way Down". The Hold Steady are clearly not holding steady!!
"Let's Be Still" by The Head and The Heart: While seeing The Head and The Heart in concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, I got a taste of this song before I reviewed it! "Let's Be Still" is a very calming song, as its title implies. It is probably one of the best contemporary songs to meditate to, for both its soothing melody and for its message of trying to find a blissful escape from the fast pace of the modern world. The vocal harmony of the song flows quite well with the spiritual harmony of the lyrics.
"Three Headed Woman" by Boy and Bear: For Boy and Bear to even come up with a song title as bizarre as "Three Headed Woman", they are probably more eccentric than the quaint folk-rock group they appear to be. The title is only mentioned at the beginning of the song, when Dave Hosking sings about how he "had one of those dreams where you were a three headed woman". What this means is anyone's guess, and Sigmund Freud would probably have a field day with trying to figure out its meaning! As for the song itself, it seems to be about being caught between loving and hating one's object of affection.
"Work It Out" by Knox Hamilton: Don't be fooled by the name, Knox Hamilton are a quartet, not a single person. You should also not be fooled by the gentle "Mr. Rogers"-ish chime of the xylophone in the intro of the song, as it is does not define the song, and it is also not used in the rest of the song, which is one of many alt-pop songs that I have come to label "new new wave" (using an anthemic contemporary pop/rock sound in which guitars and synthesizers are both dominant instruments). Not a whole lot of particularly memorable substance in the song, and the chorus of "I know we can work it out" is nothing new. Sure is catchy, though!
"I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You" by The Hold Steady: Where Bruce Springsteen romanticized city life, The Hold Steady expose the seedy underbelly of city life. "I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You" is basically meant to frighten you, at least lyrically it is. It's a woefully angry tale of Craig Finn's current life breaking into shambles before his very eyes. The passionately grungy sound of the song recalls similarly themed life-gone-wrong, downward spiraling songs, like The Afghan Whigs' "What Jail Is Like" and Goo Goo Dolls' "Long Way Down". The Hold Steady are clearly not holding steady!!
"Let's Be Still" by The Head and The Heart: While seeing The Head and The Heart in concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, I got a taste of this song before I reviewed it! "Let's Be Still" is a very calming song, as its title implies. It is probably one of the best contemporary songs to meditate to, for both its soothing melody and for its message of trying to find a blissful escape from the fast pace of the modern world. The vocal harmony of the song flows quite well with the spiritual harmony of the lyrics.
"Three Headed Woman" by Boy and Bear: For Boy and Bear to even come up with a song title as bizarre as "Three Headed Woman", they are probably more eccentric than the quaint folk-rock group they appear to be. The title is only mentioned at the beginning of the song, when Dave Hosking sings about how he "had one of those dreams where you were a three headed woman". What this means is anyone's guess, and Sigmund Freud would probably have a field day with trying to figure out its meaning! As for the song itself, it seems to be about being caught between loving and hating one's object of affection.
"Work It Out" by Knox Hamilton: Don't be fooled by the name, Knox Hamilton are a quartet, not a single person. You should also not be fooled by the gentle "Mr. Rogers"-ish chime of the xylophone in the intro of the song, as it is does not define the song, and it is also not used in the rest of the song, which is one of many alt-pop songs that I have come to label "new new wave" (using an anthemic contemporary pop/rock sound in which guitars and synthesizers are both dominant instruments). Not a whole lot of particularly memorable substance in the song, and the chorus of "I know we can work it out" is nothing new. Sure is catchy, though!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
First blog of the new year - Part 2 - Brand new for 2014!!
So, here are the rest of my songs for this week. Here goes:
"Bad Self Portraits" by Lake Street Dive: In 2013, the word "selfie" exploded to rather unreasonable popularity. Now, in 2014, there's a song about selfies! Well, at least that's what the title would suggest. The song is actually about the loneliness felt after a breakup, but the jazzy beat of this song would probably indicate otherwise. Actually, now that I think of it, "jazzy" isn't enough to describe this song. It also has elements of folk, soul, and indie-pop. Think of all the most talented female musicians that get played on adult alt stations, from the blues-y Susan Tedeschi, exotically alluring Florence Welch, and laid-back, folk-y Indigo Girls, and mix them all together into one sound. That's pretty much Lake Street Dive in a nutshell!
"Josephina" by Big Head Todd and The Monsters: The blues-meets-folk-meets-rock amalgam Big Head Todd and The Monsters once had in the '90s seemed to be reduced to mere folk-pop in the 2000's. Thankfully, in the 2010's, Big Head Todd and The Monsters have picked up the slack once again! Their newest song, "Josephina", has a slightly rockin', but still kinda roots-y sound that might bring to mind musicians like Dire Straits and Tom Petty. The beat of the song could be said to resemble the classic rock sound, too, particularly that of "Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. For those complaining that the old rock 'n' roll sound isn't around anymore, look beyond your radio dial, and listen to "Josephina" by Big Head Todd and The Monsters today!
"Southern Sun" by Boy and Bear: In fall 2011, I thought Boy and Bear would wind up being one of those indie-folk/pop bands that would hit "one-hit wonder" status with their song, "Feeding Line", since no other songs from their debut CD seemed to become well-known. Their latest song, "Southern Sun", has proven me wrong, though. It seems as though Boy and Bear have polished up their sound a bit for this song. We get a bit of the wistful folk-pop that "Feeding Line" provided in the beginning of "Southern Sun", but the rest of it seems to be a cross between the vocals of Fleet Foxes mixed with the instrumentation of Fleetwood Mac (albeit with more of an "indie" slant in the instrumentation as well). Definitely more meshing together of acoustic and electric guitars in "Southern Sun", and a more consistent guitar riff as well.
"The Devil You Know" by Tommy Castro and The Painkillers: You know a song with the word "devil" in the title is going to be energetic and brash in some way or another. "The Devil You Know" by blues-rock combo, Tommy Castro and The Painkillers, is exactly that! It is not only brash and energetic, but quite spicy as well! The guitar licks in this song are like the audio equivalent of a thick, chunky, smoky salsa! Each sizzling hook only leaves you wanting more, as Tommy Castro weaves a cautionary tale about how "when you dance with the devil, you have hell to pay". Time to set the night on fire!!
"The Moment" by Toad the Wet Sprocket: Just as "New Constellation" proved that '90s alt-pop sensations, Toad the Wet Sprocket, might be hip on the indie-pop trends of the '00s and 2010's in summer 2013, "The Moment" is out to prove the same thing for winter 2014. Each song seems to fit the respective seasons in which they were released to radio stations, too. "New Constellation" was bright and summery, but "The Moment" is a bit more melancholy and wintry. It still has a good beat, though. "The Moment" sounds like it could have been a Scars on 45 or Alpha Rev song, and its chorus, letting its listeners know that "there is nothing but the moment", goes well with the reflective mood of the bands it is trying to emulate.
"Bad Self Portraits" by Lake Street Dive: In 2013, the word "selfie" exploded to rather unreasonable popularity. Now, in 2014, there's a song about selfies! Well, at least that's what the title would suggest. The song is actually about the loneliness felt after a breakup, but the jazzy beat of this song would probably indicate otherwise. Actually, now that I think of it, "jazzy" isn't enough to describe this song. It also has elements of folk, soul, and indie-pop. Think of all the most talented female musicians that get played on adult alt stations, from the blues-y Susan Tedeschi, exotically alluring Florence Welch, and laid-back, folk-y Indigo Girls, and mix them all together into one sound. That's pretty much Lake Street Dive in a nutshell!
"Josephina" by Big Head Todd and The Monsters: The blues-meets-folk-meets-rock amalgam Big Head Todd and The Monsters once had in the '90s seemed to be reduced to mere folk-pop in the 2000's. Thankfully, in the 2010's, Big Head Todd and The Monsters have picked up the slack once again! Their newest song, "Josephina", has a slightly rockin', but still kinda roots-y sound that might bring to mind musicians like Dire Straits and Tom Petty. The beat of the song could be said to resemble the classic rock sound, too, particularly that of "Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. For those complaining that the old rock 'n' roll sound isn't around anymore, look beyond your radio dial, and listen to "Josephina" by Big Head Todd and The Monsters today!
"Southern Sun" by Boy and Bear: In fall 2011, I thought Boy and Bear would wind up being one of those indie-folk/pop bands that would hit "one-hit wonder" status with their song, "Feeding Line", since no other songs from their debut CD seemed to become well-known. Their latest song, "Southern Sun", has proven me wrong, though. It seems as though Boy and Bear have polished up their sound a bit for this song. We get a bit of the wistful folk-pop that "Feeding Line" provided in the beginning of "Southern Sun", but the rest of it seems to be a cross between the vocals of Fleet Foxes mixed with the instrumentation of Fleetwood Mac (albeit with more of an "indie" slant in the instrumentation as well). Definitely more meshing together of acoustic and electric guitars in "Southern Sun", and a more consistent guitar riff as well.
"The Devil You Know" by Tommy Castro and The Painkillers: You know a song with the word "devil" in the title is going to be energetic and brash in some way or another. "The Devil You Know" by blues-rock combo, Tommy Castro and The Painkillers, is exactly that! It is not only brash and energetic, but quite spicy as well! The guitar licks in this song are like the audio equivalent of a thick, chunky, smoky salsa! Each sizzling hook only leaves you wanting more, as Tommy Castro weaves a cautionary tale about how "when you dance with the devil, you have hell to pay". Time to set the night on fire!!
"The Moment" by Toad the Wet Sprocket: Just as "New Constellation" proved that '90s alt-pop sensations, Toad the Wet Sprocket, might be hip on the indie-pop trends of the '00s and 2010's in summer 2013, "The Moment" is out to prove the same thing for winter 2014. Each song seems to fit the respective seasons in which they were released to radio stations, too. "New Constellation" was bright and summery, but "The Moment" is a bit more melancholy and wintry. It still has a good beat, though. "The Moment" sounds like it could have been a Scars on 45 or Alpha Rev song, and its chorus, letting its listeners know that "there is nothing but the moment", goes well with the reflective mood of the bands it is trying to emulate.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
New songs November 9th, 2011
here they are:
“After the Gold Rush” by Thom Yorke: Radiohead’s enigmatic but passionate frontman performed his cover of the classic Neil Young song, “After the Gold Rush”, at Neil’s own Bridge School Benefit Concert, which are held annually to benefit children with disabilities who attend Bridge School (a school in Mountain View, California). I am a huge fan of both Radiohead and Neil Young, so I was very curious in knowing if their two musical worlds would meet or drift apart in Thom Yorke’s cover of “After the Gold Rush”. Though not as good as the Neil Young original, Yorke does “After the Gold Rush” justice by maintaining the melancholy but earnest feel of the original tune (and Yorke’s reedy tenor vocals match Young’s quite well, though perhaps unintentionally).
“Feeding Line” by Boy and Bear: This song does not really have any factors that distinguish it from other indie songs, but I like it anyway! I’m always a sucker for smooth harmonies, random whistling (which “Feeding Line” has towards the middle of it), and acoustic and electric guitars complementing each other in their sound. And, what can I say, I’ve become accustomed to the “lyrical dissonance” songs like this feature (lyrics like “Nevertheless when this pain in my chest seems to grow…” are juxtaposed against a catchy, vibrant melody in A major). Yeah, like I said, nothing particularly special about “Feeding Line”, but it’s still a fun song to listen to and sing along to.
“Games People Play” by Lissie: The folk-pop/rock musician known simply as “Lissie” onstage has made huge strides for herself this year! Up until last month, she was merely a two-hit wonder (for “In Sleep” and “When I’m Alone”), known among the indie circles but not much outside of that. In October of this year, though, she toured with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers in order to boost the ratings of Los Angeles adult alt outlet, KCSN, which plays both Lissie’s and Tom Petty’s music on a regular basis! As if THAT weren’t enough major star power for Lissie, her latest CD is an all covers album, encompassing everything from country songs to heavy metal songs within the process! The first song off her collection of covers is “Games People Play”. No, this is not a cover of the Alan Parsons song, for those wondering, it is actually a cover of a song by country musician Joe South. Lissie does a fine job at covering it, though, remaining faithful to the original song by performing it in A major like Joe did, and even adding in the sitar-sounding instruments that his version had!
“Look Around” by Red Hot Chili Peppers: And now, we come to yet another musical act that has gotten major attention for their latest album this year! “Look Around” marks the FOURTH song to get attention from The Chili Peppers’ “I’m With You” (quite a lot of songs to get noticed from an album that came out only 4 and a half months ago)! “Look Around” seems to bridge the gaps between the original funk-rock sound The Chilis had in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, and the more melodic rock sound they developed ever since then. Flea’s bass playing is spectacular (and wild) enough here to win back their initial fanbase, yet Anthony Kiedis’ vocals shine enough here (especially during the title-only chorus) that I can’t help but want to harmonize with him when he sings! 25 years and still going strong!! Few other rock and roll bands have achieved such a feat, so congrats to them!
“No Spare Parts” by The Rolling Stones: And speaking of long-standing rock bands, The Stones have GOT to be one of the LONGEST lasting of them all!! Mick Jagger and co started rolling in the mid-‘60s and haven’t given up ever since! Their latest, “No Spare Parts”, has a rather country-rock sound to it. Not the first thing that comes to mind when The Stones are mentioned, but they’re certainly no strangers to country-rock (though it took them until “Wild Horses” was released to do a song that wasn’t a mockery of the genre). Being that this song was an “outtake” from the largely sarcastic, misogynistic, angst-ridden “Some Girls” album, “No Spare Parts” is probably more mockery than it is a “serious” song. Mick’s rather detached, weary sounding vocals on “No Spare Parts” also seems to hint at the insincerity this song might have. Yeah, I know, it’s (kind of) “only rock and roll” of them to pull off a half-hearted song like “No Spare Parts”, but I like it!
“Should We Fight Back?” by The Parlotones: Before I actually sat down and listened to “Should We Fight Back?” I was a bit skeptical as to whether or not I would enjoy it since I only knew The Parlotones for being a band that Coldplay selected to play with them on their latest tour prior to this song’s release to adult alt radio stations. The Parlotones, however, do not have a contrived, overproduced, adult-contemporary-meets-alt-pop type sound like Coldplay’s later (and latest) album(s) do. Instead, they are more an “indie-dance-pop/rock” band in the vein of The Killers, Phoenix, and Foster the People, all three of whom seemed to have instance success, both commercially and among more independent minded audiences, upon their debuts! So far, The Parlotones haven’t made quite the same impact with “Should We Fight Back?” but the way the guitars, drums, and vocals blend together seamlessly on this song seems to indicate it will do pretty well! Listener, beware, though. Beneath the irresistibly catchy sound of “Should We Fight Back?” are lyrics of political dissatisfaction. That shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the song, though!!
“Tomorrow” by The Cranberries: And last, but certainly not least, how can you have a great November without some “Cranberries”?!? Dolores O’Riordan and her band of merry Irish alt-rockers haven’t had a successful record in 10 years (see also Ben Folds Five’s “House”, which I reviewed last week), but it’s definitely been worth the wait!! Unlike other major ‘90s rockers like Counting Crows and Goo Goo Dolls, The Cranberries haven’t veered an inch from the Smiths-meets-Sinead O’Connor type sound that made them famous! “Tomorrow” is a bittersweet but memorable slice of jangle-pop that recalls The Smiths’ “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” throughout, albeit with a more hopeful sounding message. So what if it doesn’t have the “sonic-boom” guitar sound of “Dreams” or the pseudo-hard-rock sound of “Zombie”?! “Tomorrow” is STILL a great song, and probably my fave song of the week!! Highly recommended!!!
“After the Gold Rush” by Thom Yorke: Radiohead’s enigmatic but passionate frontman performed his cover of the classic Neil Young song, “After the Gold Rush”, at Neil’s own Bridge School Benefit Concert, which are held annually to benefit children with disabilities who attend Bridge School (a school in Mountain View, California). I am a huge fan of both Radiohead and Neil Young, so I was very curious in knowing if their two musical worlds would meet or drift apart in Thom Yorke’s cover of “After the Gold Rush”. Though not as good as the Neil Young original, Yorke does “After the Gold Rush” justice by maintaining the melancholy but earnest feel of the original tune (and Yorke’s reedy tenor vocals match Young’s quite well, though perhaps unintentionally).
“Feeding Line” by Boy and Bear: This song does not really have any factors that distinguish it from other indie songs, but I like it anyway! I’m always a sucker for smooth harmonies, random whistling (which “Feeding Line” has towards the middle of it), and acoustic and electric guitars complementing each other in their sound. And, what can I say, I’ve become accustomed to the “lyrical dissonance” songs like this feature (lyrics like “Nevertheless when this pain in my chest seems to grow…” are juxtaposed against a catchy, vibrant melody in A major). Yeah, like I said, nothing particularly special about “Feeding Line”, but it’s still a fun song to listen to and sing along to.
“Games People Play” by Lissie: The folk-pop/rock musician known simply as “Lissie” onstage has made huge strides for herself this year! Up until last month, she was merely a two-hit wonder (for “In Sleep” and “When I’m Alone”), known among the indie circles but not much outside of that. In October of this year, though, she toured with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers in order to boost the ratings of Los Angeles adult alt outlet, KCSN, which plays both Lissie’s and Tom Petty’s music on a regular basis! As if THAT weren’t enough major star power for Lissie, her latest CD is an all covers album, encompassing everything from country songs to heavy metal songs within the process! The first song off her collection of covers is “Games People Play”. No, this is not a cover of the Alan Parsons song, for those wondering, it is actually a cover of a song by country musician Joe South. Lissie does a fine job at covering it, though, remaining faithful to the original song by performing it in A major like Joe did, and even adding in the sitar-sounding instruments that his version had!
“Look Around” by Red Hot Chili Peppers: And now, we come to yet another musical act that has gotten major attention for their latest album this year! “Look Around” marks the FOURTH song to get attention from The Chili Peppers’ “I’m With You” (quite a lot of songs to get noticed from an album that came out only 4 and a half months ago)! “Look Around” seems to bridge the gaps between the original funk-rock sound The Chilis had in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, and the more melodic rock sound they developed ever since then. Flea’s bass playing is spectacular (and wild) enough here to win back their initial fanbase, yet Anthony Kiedis’ vocals shine enough here (especially during the title-only chorus) that I can’t help but want to harmonize with him when he sings! 25 years and still going strong!! Few other rock and roll bands have achieved such a feat, so congrats to them!
“No Spare Parts” by The Rolling Stones: And speaking of long-standing rock bands, The Stones have GOT to be one of the LONGEST lasting of them all!! Mick Jagger and co started rolling in the mid-‘60s and haven’t given up ever since! Their latest, “No Spare Parts”, has a rather country-rock sound to it. Not the first thing that comes to mind when The Stones are mentioned, but they’re certainly no strangers to country-rock (though it took them until “Wild Horses” was released to do a song that wasn’t a mockery of the genre). Being that this song was an “outtake” from the largely sarcastic, misogynistic, angst-ridden “Some Girls” album, “No Spare Parts” is probably more mockery than it is a “serious” song. Mick’s rather detached, weary sounding vocals on “No Spare Parts” also seems to hint at the insincerity this song might have. Yeah, I know, it’s (kind of) “only rock and roll” of them to pull off a half-hearted song like “No Spare Parts”, but I like it!
“Should We Fight Back?” by The Parlotones: Before I actually sat down and listened to “Should We Fight Back?” I was a bit skeptical as to whether or not I would enjoy it since I only knew The Parlotones for being a band that Coldplay selected to play with them on their latest tour prior to this song’s release to adult alt radio stations. The Parlotones, however, do not have a contrived, overproduced, adult-contemporary-meets-alt-pop type sound like Coldplay’s later (and latest) album(s) do. Instead, they are more an “indie-dance-pop/rock” band in the vein of The Killers, Phoenix, and Foster the People, all three of whom seemed to have instance success, both commercially and among more independent minded audiences, upon their debuts! So far, The Parlotones haven’t made quite the same impact with “Should We Fight Back?” but the way the guitars, drums, and vocals blend together seamlessly on this song seems to indicate it will do pretty well! Listener, beware, though. Beneath the irresistibly catchy sound of “Should We Fight Back?” are lyrics of political dissatisfaction. That shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the song, though!!
“Tomorrow” by The Cranberries: And last, but certainly not least, how can you have a great November without some “Cranberries”?!? Dolores O’Riordan and her band of merry Irish alt-rockers haven’t had a successful record in 10 years (see also Ben Folds Five’s “House”, which I reviewed last week), but it’s definitely been worth the wait!! Unlike other major ‘90s rockers like Counting Crows and Goo Goo Dolls, The Cranberries haven’t veered an inch from the Smiths-meets-Sinead O’Connor type sound that made them famous! “Tomorrow” is a bittersweet but memorable slice of jangle-pop that recalls The Smiths’ “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” throughout, albeit with a more hopeful sounding message. So what if it doesn’t have the “sonic-boom” guitar sound of “Dreams” or the pseudo-hard-rock sound of “Zombie”?! “Tomorrow” is STILL a great song, and probably my fave song of the week!! Highly recommended!!!
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