here they are:
"Dylan Thomas" by Better Oblivion Community Center (Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers): Conor and Phoebe have known each other for quite some time now, so it was only a matter of time before they did something together. And what is the result of this inevitable collaboration? Well, it's a slightly noisy folk-rock song, where sound is concerned, which is not a surprising choice in sound for the Bright Eyes frontman. As for the lyrics, the chorus mentions that Conor and Phoebe want to "die like Dylan Thomas", famous for his "Do not go gentle into that good night" quote. Conor has had a recurring theme of morbid lyrics in his songs before, so it's not surprising to know about how Dylan Thomas serves as the central lyrical inspiration in this song.
"F**k the Rain" by Ryan Adams: Hmmm...could somebody please help me pronounce those two unusual letters in the first word of this song?! I've never seen them before! Oh wait...NOW I know what they are! OK, kidding aside, this song actually IS pretty good, in spite of the fact that its fronting word is one that I don't favor in my own vocabulary. You would expect a song like this to be angry from its title, and Ryan has done a few angry tunes before, but this one actually isn't. It's more a sad, plaintive song that would probably be good to listen to ON a rainy day. John Mayer, the folk-pop musician who has long had the desire to be a bluesman, plays a half blues and half country solo towards the end of this song that wouldn't be out of place in a Grateful Dead tune (fitting, since Mayer has toured with them before).
"Harmony Hall" by Vampire Weekend: After 6 years on hiatus, Vampire Weekend have returned and are doing what they do best! Ezra Koenig's quintet have often emulated the tropical world beat sounds of musicians like Paul Simon, Sting, and Peter Gabriel. "Harmony Hall" seems to take on a lot of the Paul Simon aspects, especially at the beginning with its crisp, river-like acoustic guitar. A sprightly piano takes over the guitar for much of the rest of the song, as Koenig ponders over existential crises with lyrics like, "I don't want to live like this, but I don't want to die." Plights like this define the song's lyrical content, but the title "Harmony Hall" still suits it well for the evenly matched vocals and instrumentation this song has to offer.
"Moderation" by Florence and The Machine: Imagine the opening notes of The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" played three times instead of five, and played on piano instead of bass. That pretty much defines the beginning of "Moderation", which quickly turns into a more enjoyably arts-y Florence tune about 30 seconds afterwards. Lyrically, this is an interesting song, as it is unclear who Flo is speaking to. She seems to be addressing a lover at first, but during the chorus, she addresses a "little girl", which might be Flo herself. Whether she's talking to someone else or herself, she nonetheless claims that the subject of the song "wants (her) to love (them) in moderation". Much like other songs of hers, such as "Shake It Out", "Moderation" seems to be about an inner battle that Florence is having with her own self, trying to decide whether she is truly worthy of love, as well as if love itself is truly worth feeling. Well, as they say, everything in "Moderation", right?!
"Red Bull And Hennessy" by Jenny Lewis: So far, we've had a song with a title containing a word I don't use, and now here's a song containing a title of drinks I don't drink (I don't drink any alcohol, FYI.) I guess I'm what you'd call a rocker who lacks the rock and roll lifestyle, eh?! Oh, and as if by coincidence, it is none other than Ryan Adams (discussed in a previous entry for this week) playing the guitar on this track! Go figure, eh? The legendary Ringo Starr guests on drums here, too. Anyway, this song is pretty much sex, drugs, and...ummm...kind of rock and roll?! All three elements are essential on this vaguely Fleetwood Mac-ish track, which expresses lustful sexual desire, being "wired" and "high" on alcohol, and just the thrill Jenny seems to get from being wild and reckless with partners.
Showing posts with label Conor Oberst. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conor Oberst. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
New songs for March 8th 2017
here they are:
"A Little Uncanny" by Conor Oberst: In the fashion of his idol, Bob Dylan, Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes attempts here to make a roots-y folk-rock tune that contains plenty of name dropping and cryptic but interesting lyrics. Ronald Reagan, Robin Williams, Sylvia Plath and Jane Fonda are all mentioned here in this song. It's hard to tell what the central message of it is, but my best guess is that it gets spelled out towards the end of the song when Conor says, "They say a party can kill you. Sometimes I wish it would." As for what that means, perhaps he's trying to indicate that self-medication can sometimes feel painful after a long time of doing it. Given how critical Mr. Dylan tends to be of many things, I'm not sure if he'd find this song flattering or overbearing, but "A Little Uncanny" does seem to be the most Dylan-inspired song yet from Conor Oberst, who has done many other songs in his style as well.
"Black Tears" by Imelda May (featuring Jeff Beck): The wild, sassy Irishwoman who gave us fun ravin' rockers like "Mayhem" and "Inside Out" back in 2011 tones it down a bit for her latest song, "Black Tears", featuring legendary rock guitarist, Jeff Beck. This is also a calmer song for Jeff than most of his material as well, though he still shows his guitar wizardry in a more subtle manner here. The song bears similarity to the early '60s instrumental song, "Sleep Walk", by Santo and Johnny, in terms of both its slow doo-wop styled rhythm and its loopy Hawaiian influenced guitar sound. Imelda pours her emotions out like never before in "Black Tears" with a passion akin to musicians like Etta James and Janis Joplin. Bittersweet with a bite, "Black Tears" is a great song to listen to if you've recently broken up with someone.
"Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man: Portugal. The Man may be big among "indie" fans, but they've always had a bit of an R & B streak hidden behind their neo-psychedelic pop facade. "Feel It Still" starts out with just bass and vocals, but gradually gets other instruments added in shortly afterward, most prominently a brass instrument that, when combined with the bass and drums, sounds like it would not be out of place in a "James Bond" or "Austin Powers" movie. PTM clearly want to reflect the era of both cinema and music from the mid '60s in "Feel It Still", going so far as to mention the year 1966 by name in a lyric that ends up being a play on words of the Chuck Berry song, "Route 66". The last verse of "Feel It Still" makes it apparent that "Feel It Still" is not just a song written for fun, but also for the cause of ending war, similar to statements they've made in songs of theirs like "So American" and "Modern Jesus".
"Fight For Love" by Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors: You probably already knew that you had to fight for your right to party, but did you know you also have to fight for your right to love? Well, country-rocker Drew Holcomb certainly seems to think so! In this roots-y John Mellecamp-esque number, Drew passionately pleads for peace among everyone. In contrast with the slightly rocking sound of this song, Drew sounds almost sad but urgent at the same time with the delivery of his lyrics. Love should be free, but sometimes you just gotta work for it instead!
"Green Light" by Lorde: The now 20-year-old "Royals" hitmaker, Ella Yelich O'Connor, better known by her stage name, "Lorde", has returned to grace the pop and rock airwaves a little wiser for the wear than she once was. She had a few bittersweet songs early on, like "Team", but most of her songs went for a catchy but somewhat mystical sound. "Green Light" has a slightly more melancholy sound, at least initially. The song plays out like a Tori Amos tune that starts to sound more like a Madonna song as it progresses and starts gaining more instruments than just the keyboard. The song is centered around what Lorde's life became like after her high school years. In interviews, she came off as down-to-earth and not nearly as obsessed with her own image as most pop stars tend to be. She even thought it was funny when "South Park" decided to make fun of her, so she has a pretty strong backbone! Or so it would seem. Having a popular television show skewer your image for comedy is nothing like trying to build a new image for your own self so that people don't see you as a "glamor queen" and instead see you as a serious artist. Hints of not feeling like "part of the crowd" were already evident with songs like "Tennis Court", which served as her scathing indictment of the high school drama she was then surrounded with, but "Green Light" brings it to a whole new level! This song will probably make a huge impression on people who are fans of more music than just pop and rock!
"Wild Fire" by Laura Marling: This song may be gentle, but its words are most certainly not! Laura Marling's latest song, "Wild Fire", seems to emulate her idol, Joni Mitchell, both lyrically and musically. From the song's opening question, "Are you trying to make a cold liar out of me?" to its penultimate lyrical statement of, "You can stop playing that sh*t out on me", it's clear that "Wild Fire" is, well, wild and fiery! Laura is no soft, gentle hippie chick. She means business here! Then again, Joni Mitchell was never comfortable being referred to as a "hippie chick" either. For every whimsical musing like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Both Sides Now" Joni had, she also aimed caustic, stinging messages to her exes in songs like "Nathan LaFraneer" and "Raised On Robbery". Likewise, for every bittersweet song like "Sophia" that Laura has, she also has songs that are just plain old bitter, like "Wild Fire"!
"A Little Uncanny" by Conor Oberst: In the fashion of his idol, Bob Dylan, Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes attempts here to make a roots-y folk-rock tune that contains plenty of name dropping and cryptic but interesting lyrics. Ronald Reagan, Robin Williams, Sylvia Plath and Jane Fonda are all mentioned here in this song. It's hard to tell what the central message of it is, but my best guess is that it gets spelled out towards the end of the song when Conor says, "They say a party can kill you. Sometimes I wish it would." As for what that means, perhaps he's trying to indicate that self-medication can sometimes feel painful after a long time of doing it. Given how critical Mr. Dylan tends to be of many things, I'm not sure if he'd find this song flattering or overbearing, but "A Little Uncanny" does seem to be the most Dylan-inspired song yet from Conor Oberst, who has done many other songs in his style as well.
"Black Tears" by Imelda May (featuring Jeff Beck): The wild, sassy Irishwoman who gave us fun ravin' rockers like "Mayhem" and "Inside Out" back in 2011 tones it down a bit for her latest song, "Black Tears", featuring legendary rock guitarist, Jeff Beck. This is also a calmer song for Jeff than most of his material as well, though he still shows his guitar wizardry in a more subtle manner here. The song bears similarity to the early '60s instrumental song, "Sleep Walk", by Santo and Johnny, in terms of both its slow doo-wop styled rhythm and its loopy Hawaiian influenced guitar sound. Imelda pours her emotions out like never before in "Black Tears" with a passion akin to musicians like Etta James and Janis Joplin. Bittersweet with a bite, "Black Tears" is a great song to listen to if you've recently broken up with someone.
"Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man: Portugal. The Man may be big among "indie" fans, but they've always had a bit of an R & B streak hidden behind their neo-psychedelic pop facade. "Feel It Still" starts out with just bass and vocals, but gradually gets other instruments added in shortly afterward, most prominently a brass instrument that, when combined with the bass and drums, sounds like it would not be out of place in a "James Bond" or "Austin Powers" movie. PTM clearly want to reflect the era of both cinema and music from the mid '60s in "Feel It Still", going so far as to mention the year 1966 by name in a lyric that ends up being a play on words of the Chuck Berry song, "Route 66". The last verse of "Feel It Still" makes it apparent that "Feel It Still" is not just a song written for fun, but also for the cause of ending war, similar to statements they've made in songs of theirs like "So American" and "Modern Jesus".
"Fight For Love" by Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors: You probably already knew that you had to fight for your right to party, but did you know you also have to fight for your right to love? Well, country-rocker Drew Holcomb certainly seems to think so! In this roots-y John Mellecamp-esque number, Drew passionately pleads for peace among everyone. In contrast with the slightly rocking sound of this song, Drew sounds almost sad but urgent at the same time with the delivery of his lyrics. Love should be free, but sometimes you just gotta work for it instead!
"Green Light" by Lorde: The now 20-year-old "Royals" hitmaker, Ella Yelich O'Connor, better known by her stage name, "Lorde", has returned to grace the pop and rock airwaves a little wiser for the wear than she once was. She had a few bittersweet songs early on, like "Team", but most of her songs went for a catchy but somewhat mystical sound. "Green Light" has a slightly more melancholy sound, at least initially. The song plays out like a Tori Amos tune that starts to sound more like a Madonna song as it progresses and starts gaining more instruments than just the keyboard. The song is centered around what Lorde's life became like after her high school years. In interviews, she came off as down-to-earth and not nearly as obsessed with her own image as most pop stars tend to be. She even thought it was funny when "South Park" decided to make fun of her, so she has a pretty strong backbone! Or so it would seem. Having a popular television show skewer your image for comedy is nothing like trying to build a new image for your own self so that people don't see you as a "glamor queen" and instead see you as a serious artist. Hints of not feeling like "part of the crowd" were already evident with songs like "Tennis Court", which served as her scathing indictment of the high school drama she was then surrounded with, but "Green Light" brings it to a whole new level! This song will probably make a huge impression on people who are fans of more music than just pop and rock!
"Wild Fire" by Laura Marling: This song may be gentle, but its words are most certainly not! Laura Marling's latest song, "Wild Fire", seems to emulate her idol, Joni Mitchell, both lyrically and musically. From the song's opening question, "Are you trying to make a cold liar out of me?" to its penultimate lyrical statement of, "You can stop playing that sh*t out on me", it's clear that "Wild Fire" is, well, wild and fiery! Laura is no soft, gentle hippie chick. She means business here! Then again, Joni Mitchell was never comfortable being referred to as a "hippie chick" either. For every whimsical musing like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Both Sides Now" Joni had, she also aimed caustic, stinging messages to her exes in songs like "Nathan LaFraneer" and "Raised On Robbery". Likewise, for every bittersweet song like "Sophia" that Laura has, she also has songs that are just plain old bitter, like "Wild Fire"!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Songs from A to Z!
From Tom Petty's action-packed anthem "American Dream Plan B", to the zephyrean zen of Conor Oberst's "Zigzagging Towards the Light", we've got 'em all! Here they are:
"American Dream Plan B" by Tom Petty: Is there a better way to start out this week's blog than with a solid, rockin' tune like Tom Petty's "American Plan B"?! I don't think so! One of the greatest advantages Tom Petty has over fellow "heartland rockers", like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, is that Petty typically seems to stick to rock 'n' roll music more than they do, instead of switching between rock and folk/country. Apparently, this time around, Petty wanted his entire album to have a no-frills rock sound, from start to finish. That being said, "American Dream Plan B" brings his newest album, "Hypnotic Eye" off to a great start!
"Out On the Street" by Spanish Gold: This marks the second time that a member of My Morning Jacket has joined a supergroup, the first of whom was lead singer, Jim James, with his side project, Monsters of Folk. This time, MMJ drummer Patrick Hallahan takes a swing at joining a supergroup, along with Dante Schwebel from Canadian indie-folk/rock group, City and Colour, and Adrian Quesada from Grupo Fantasma. Though two thirds of the group started out as folkies, their song "Out On the Street" doesn't fit that description, and is instead a rather soulful number that sounds remarkably like "Somebody's Watching Me" by '80s one-hit wonder and R & B musician, Rockwell. The coincidence in sound to that song is not accidental, as the members of Spanish Gold wanted their sound to recall the R & B and early hip-hop music of the 1980's, since all three of them grew up watching MTV during the first couple of years the channel was on the air.
"The Line" by Phish: And here we have yet another soulful, slinky, jazzy track, albeit in a more mellow, blissed out mood, typical of Phish. At least it SEEMS like a typical Phish song until you realize that the song is actually about a basketball player! Not exactly a common subject among post-hippie jam bands, but apparently the members of Phish were big fans of basketball player, Darius Washington, Jr., so they decided to dedicate a song to him. The song is written from the perspective of a basketball player whose destiny hangs in the balance (or "the line", hence the title of the song). I'm the last person you'd ever want to have join a basketball team, but I still appreciate this song.
"Zigzagging Towards the Light" by Conor Oberst: You've gotta love the title of this song!! It uses both an unusual letter and an unusual word beginning with the letter, and adding "towards the light" after the first word of the title makes it sound poetic! The song is a laid back, roots-y folk tune with a rock 'n' roll undercurrent, almost like a long, lost Traveling Wilburys song. The title is not the only poetic lyric in the song. It is full of cosmic sounding metaphors and descriptions, actually, like "my mind's a weathervane, it spins around just like a top", "it forms a figure eight, and goes on for eternity", and "I fly by interstate across a purple mountain range". So basically, "Zigzagging Towards the Light" is the tale of a dissatisfied youth product of bohemian pop culture trying to search for the meaning of life through dream-like descriptions of his surroundings. It's like Kerouac's "On the Road" set to music!
"American Dream Plan B" by Tom Petty: Is there a better way to start out this week's blog than with a solid, rockin' tune like Tom Petty's "American Plan B"?! I don't think so! One of the greatest advantages Tom Petty has over fellow "heartland rockers", like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, is that Petty typically seems to stick to rock 'n' roll music more than they do, instead of switching between rock and folk/country. Apparently, this time around, Petty wanted his entire album to have a no-frills rock sound, from start to finish. That being said, "American Dream Plan B" brings his newest album, "Hypnotic Eye" off to a great start!
"Out On the Street" by Spanish Gold: This marks the second time that a member of My Morning Jacket has joined a supergroup, the first of whom was lead singer, Jim James, with his side project, Monsters of Folk. This time, MMJ drummer Patrick Hallahan takes a swing at joining a supergroup, along with Dante Schwebel from Canadian indie-folk/rock group, City and Colour, and Adrian Quesada from Grupo Fantasma. Though two thirds of the group started out as folkies, their song "Out On the Street" doesn't fit that description, and is instead a rather soulful number that sounds remarkably like "Somebody's Watching Me" by '80s one-hit wonder and R & B musician, Rockwell. The coincidence in sound to that song is not accidental, as the members of Spanish Gold wanted their sound to recall the R & B and early hip-hop music of the 1980's, since all three of them grew up watching MTV during the first couple of years the channel was on the air.
"The Line" by Phish: And here we have yet another soulful, slinky, jazzy track, albeit in a more mellow, blissed out mood, typical of Phish. At least it SEEMS like a typical Phish song until you realize that the song is actually about a basketball player! Not exactly a common subject among post-hippie jam bands, but apparently the members of Phish were big fans of basketball player, Darius Washington, Jr., so they decided to dedicate a song to him. The song is written from the perspective of a basketball player whose destiny hangs in the balance (or "the line", hence the title of the song). I'm the last person you'd ever want to have join a basketball team, but I still appreciate this song.
"Zigzagging Towards the Light" by Conor Oberst: You've gotta love the title of this song!! It uses both an unusual letter and an unusual word beginning with the letter, and adding "towards the light" after the first word of the title makes it sound poetic! The song is a laid back, roots-y folk tune with a rock 'n' roll undercurrent, almost like a long, lost Traveling Wilburys song. The title is not the only poetic lyric in the song. It is full of cosmic sounding metaphors and descriptions, actually, like "my mind's a weathervane, it spins around just like a top", "it forms a figure eight, and goes on for eternity", and "I fly by interstate across a purple mountain range". So basically, "Zigzagging Towards the Light" is the tale of a dissatisfied youth product of bohemian pop culture trying to search for the meaning of life through dream-like descriptions of his surroundings. It's like Kerouac's "On the Road" set to music!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
New songs for March 26th, 2014
here they are:
"Fever" by The Black Keys: With the popularity of each song they've had a hit with in the 2010's, it's no wonder The Black Keys' latest song, "Fever", is the most anticipated new song of the week!! However, it's a bit, well, different than most of their material. There is a bit more focus on the synthesizer in this song, yet it still keeps up with the sound of the Keys' trademark blues-rock sound, almost as if Devo was trying to cover a Led Zeppelin song! That being said, there really isn't that much "fever" in "Fever", but it's still worth checking out!
"Hundreds of Ways" by Conor Oberst: Anyone ever notice how Conor Oberst's solo material has more of an upbeat, country-rock feel than his material with Bright Eyes?! Well, I have, and his latest solo song, "Hundreds of Ways", is no exception. In fact, I would say that it's the Bright Eyes frontman's most optimistic sounding song to date! The bright, brassy sound in the chorus is atypical for Conor, but it adds more pep to the already peppy vibe of this song. Conor is still as contrary as ever, though, insisting repeatedly that there are "hundreds of ways to get through the day", while also hoping that he's "forgotten when (he) dies".
"Milwaukee" by The Both: Aimee Mann and Ted Leo. She's a little bit folk-pop. He's a little bit rock 'n' roll. So what do crafty pop chanteuse, Aimee Mann, and indie-punk-rocker Ted Leo, as a duo known as "The Both", sound like together?! Well, indie rock, basically, but with an emphasis on the "rock" part (the song definitely seems like more of a Ted Leo song than an Aimee Mann one). The guitar distortion suggests indie rock legends, Pavement, yet the melody is more characteristic of classic rock, particularly the beat and key of Steely Dan's "Reelin' In the Years" mixed with the melody of Tommy Tutone's "867-5309/Jenny". Though Aimee Mann's role in "Milwaukee" is a bit understated, it's definitely there. Her voice is present during the first verse of the song, as well as the chorus, but in the latter, it mainly serves as a way to harmonize with Ted's vocals. The song is about when the two of them first toured together and encountered a statue of Henry Winkler's iconic TV character, "The Fonz", while walking around in the titular Wisconsin town.
"Morning Song" by The Avett Brothers: With a sound that seems halfway between James Taylor and Gillian Welch, "Morning Song" is one of The Avett Brothers' finest moments of melancholia, both lyrically and instrumentally. Its sound hearkens back to The Avetts' earlier material, with its stark instrumentation, consisting of many string instruments (acoustic guitar, banjo, and cello), but no percussion or bass. Scott Avett's yearning, keening vocals, lamenting about how it "hurts so bad", "nothing's really helping", and how he'll "have to sing that melody alone" really makes this one a major tearjerker! As if its lonesome sound wasn't enough to make you cry. Excuse me while I go grab my nearest handkerchief!!
"Raging Fire" by Phillip Phillips: Just the title of Phillip Phillips' latest song, "Raging Fire", makes it sound intense! It is a folk-pop/rock song, like most of his material, but there is something in "Raging Fire" that DOES make it more intense than his other songs, and that is a combination of the unbridled passion he puts into this song, and the equally passionate string orchestra he uses for its chorus! The "raging fire" in the title refers to an emotional "fire" of sorts, like a "burning" desire within the soul. Perhaps the coolest part about this song is the ending, which is a "cliffhanger", in that it leaves the song hanging on the second to the last part of the D major chord in its chorus, instead of resolving to the G major chord that dominates the song.
"Wait For Me" by Kings of Leon: In the late 2000's, Kings of Leon unintentionally became modern day arena rock giants, and they have used that sound to their advantage ever since. Nowhere does the power of their arena rock styled sound shine more brightly than on "Wait For Me", though, a song that sounds a little like John Mellencamp attempting to perform a Police song. The rather foreboding opening notes give way to a bittersweet ballad, in which KOL reassure the subject of the song that "it's all better now", in spite of the romantic troubles they might be going through. These guys sure have come a long way from being the garage rock group who sang "Molly's Chambers"!!
"Fever" by The Black Keys: With the popularity of each song they've had a hit with in the 2010's, it's no wonder The Black Keys' latest song, "Fever", is the most anticipated new song of the week!! However, it's a bit, well, different than most of their material. There is a bit more focus on the synthesizer in this song, yet it still keeps up with the sound of the Keys' trademark blues-rock sound, almost as if Devo was trying to cover a Led Zeppelin song! That being said, there really isn't that much "fever" in "Fever", but it's still worth checking out!
"Hundreds of Ways" by Conor Oberst: Anyone ever notice how Conor Oberst's solo material has more of an upbeat, country-rock feel than his material with Bright Eyes?! Well, I have, and his latest solo song, "Hundreds of Ways", is no exception. In fact, I would say that it's the Bright Eyes frontman's most optimistic sounding song to date! The bright, brassy sound in the chorus is atypical for Conor, but it adds more pep to the already peppy vibe of this song. Conor is still as contrary as ever, though, insisting repeatedly that there are "hundreds of ways to get through the day", while also hoping that he's "forgotten when (he) dies".
"Milwaukee" by The Both: Aimee Mann and Ted Leo. She's a little bit folk-pop. He's a little bit rock 'n' roll. So what do crafty pop chanteuse, Aimee Mann, and indie-punk-rocker Ted Leo, as a duo known as "The Both", sound like together?! Well, indie rock, basically, but with an emphasis on the "rock" part (the song definitely seems like more of a Ted Leo song than an Aimee Mann one). The guitar distortion suggests indie rock legends, Pavement, yet the melody is more characteristic of classic rock, particularly the beat and key of Steely Dan's "Reelin' In the Years" mixed with the melody of Tommy Tutone's "867-5309/Jenny". Though Aimee Mann's role in "Milwaukee" is a bit understated, it's definitely there. Her voice is present during the first verse of the song, as well as the chorus, but in the latter, it mainly serves as a way to harmonize with Ted's vocals. The song is about when the two of them first toured together and encountered a statue of Henry Winkler's iconic TV character, "The Fonz", while walking around in the titular Wisconsin town.
"Morning Song" by The Avett Brothers: With a sound that seems halfway between James Taylor and Gillian Welch, "Morning Song" is one of The Avett Brothers' finest moments of melancholia, both lyrically and instrumentally. Its sound hearkens back to The Avetts' earlier material, with its stark instrumentation, consisting of many string instruments (acoustic guitar, banjo, and cello), but no percussion or bass. Scott Avett's yearning, keening vocals, lamenting about how it "hurts so bad", "nothing's really helping", and how he'll "have to sing that melody alone" really makes this one a major tearjerker! As if its lonesome sound wasn't enough to make you cry. Excuse me while I go grab my nearest handkerchief!!
"Raging Fire" by Phillip Phillips: Just the title of Phillip Phillips' latest song, "Raging Fire", makes it sound intense! It is a folk-pop/rock song, like most of his material, but there is something in "Raging Fire" that DOES make it more intense than his other songs, and that is a combination of the unbridled passion he puts into this song, and the equally passionate string orchestra he uses for its chorus! The "raging fire" in the title refers to an emotional "fire" of sorts, like a "burning" desire within the soul. Perhaps the coolest part about this song is the ending, which is a "cliffhanger", in that it leaves the song hanging on the second to the last part of the D major chord in its chorus, instead of resolving to the G major chord that dominates the song.
"Wait For Me" by Kings of Leon: In the late 2000's, Kings of Leon unintentionally became modern day arena rock giants, and they have used that sound to their advantage ever since. Nowhere does the power of their arena rock styled sound shine more brightly than on "Wait For Me", though, a song that sounds a little like John Mellencamp attempting to perform a Police song. The rather foreboding opening notes give way to a bittersweet ballad, in which KOL reassure the subject of the song that "it's all better now", in spite of the romantic troubles they might be going through. These guys sure have come a long way from being the garage rock group who sang "Molly's Chambers"!!
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