New songs for May 5th 2021

 here they are:


"Elevator Boots" by Counting Crows: Not since the early to mid '90s have I known a Counting Crows song to get this much positive reception! They may not have the presence on mainstream rock and alt-rock radio that they once did, but thanks to YouTube, we do know that these Gen X folk-rockers still have an avid, loyal fanbase! And adult alt radio, thankfully, still loves Counting Crows just as they did over 25 years ago. "Elevator Boots" is a magical song with quirky lyrics, which Counting Crows are pretty much experts at. The song starts off slow and acoustic, but kicks into gear with roots-y Springsteen/Petty-esque electric guitars being added into the mix shortly after. "Elevator Boots" is a rock song about rock music, specifically about what it's like to be a band who does concerts a lot, a lost dream that will hopefully return to reality one day!

"Perennial Bloom" by Lukas Nelson: Our only other song of the week just happens to be a wistful, roots-y country-rock tune as well! Where our previous song was about being on the road, though, Lukas Nelson's "Perennial Bloom" is about being away from the road! The title of the song, for starters, refers to how Lukas and his family were able to stand by one another through the coronavirus pandemic, and that their love for one another continued to stay strong and "bloom" as time went by. A bittersweet yet relevant song here. 

New music FRIDAY (for the day after Thanksgiving)

Would have done my usual Wednesday post, but I was busy then. So here are six songs for the days before December. Hope you enjoy 'em!


"All the Time" by Bahamas: The newest album from indie-pop musicians, Bahamas, has been out since July of this year. I would have thought that their funky, catchy, soulful song, "Stronger Than That" would have been a hit on adult alt stations across the country, but only a few picked it up. I guess sometimes featuring your songs on commercials really does help, as this is what has happened to Bahamas' latest tune, "All the Time", this month. It was featured on a phone commercial. Although not nearly as catchy as "Stronger Than That", "All the Time" certainly has its reasons for being appealing. Perhaps the combination of folky acoustic guitar, lively brass instruments, quirky keyboard sounds, and its 1970's style electric guitars in the song have won people over, as that is a pretty unique mixture of sounds. Almost like The Black Keys' "Little Black Submarines" if the song was a bit slower and had its electric and acoustic guitar sections working together instead of as separate parts.


"Earthquake Driver" by Counting Crows: Steely Dan's famous guitar riffing in "Reelin' In the Years" seems to have become a hipster favorite over the years, what with everyone from hipster prototypes like Nick Lowe (in "So It Goes") to more recent definers of hipster-dom like Stephen Malkmus ("Gardenia") having used it in their songs. Counting Crows might not be what you would call a "hipster" band, but they do take after indie rock legends like Big Star and R.E.M., so I suppose they kinda count. The Crows' latest song, "Earthquake Driver", has a similar rhythm to "Reelin' In the Years", but it also has the country-rock twang of groups like The Old 97's. Adam Duritz and co seem to be trying hard to create more of an "indie" image for themselves, lyrically, on their latest album, with their abstract, seemingly out of context choice of words like "I was born a little north of Disney Land, somewhere under Wonderland and Hollywood", and "I want to be an earthquake driver/I want to be an aquarium diver". Huh?!


"Every Breaking Wave" by U2: Has U2 now taken to ripping off their own material?! The beginning of this song sounds awfully similar to "With Or Without You"! Thankfully, it starts to sound more original by the time the chorus comes around. Where "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)" was (fittingly) straight up rock and roll, "Every Breaking Wave" sounds more characteristic of what you might be likely to hear from a band like The Killers, Snow Patrol, or Coldplay. Lyrically, "Every Breaking Wave" does not have as much substance or meaning as "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)", but musically, it does sound more refreshing, and more characteristic of a classic U2 song.


"Inside Out" by Spoon: I am now convinced there is no such thing as a Spoon song that isn't catchy and clever! They never fail to please me in either aspect! Their latest song, "Inside Out", continues in that direction. Though nowhere near as catchy as their summer smash, "Do You?", "Inside Out" still manages to have a memorable rhythm and sound. The hypnotic ambiance of the synthesizer at the beginning just draws you in, before the other instruments start making their entrance and giving the song more form. The song retains its initial trance-y vibe throughout, but it's still something you can tap your toes to. "Time's gone inside out", Britt Daniels sings during the opening of the song. The fresh but mysterious sound of the song certainly fits with those lyrics!


"The River" by Son Little: And you thought Gary Clark Jr. was reviving blues-rock for the 2010's?! "The River", the debut song from blues-rocker Son Little (actually a stage name for Aaron Livingston from neo-soul/hip-hop group, The Roots), goes even further back in time!! It sounds like an old blues song with a slightly rock and roll-ish instrumentation that came out some time in the '60s, or perhaps even earlier! Little/Livingston's chorus of "walk me to the river, darling" seems like something that could have easily passed for a Robert Johnson lyric if he was still around today!


"Turn It Up" by Robert Plant: Our last tune of the week is yet another attempting to revive blues-rock. However, this IS Robert Plant of the mighty Led Zeppelin we're talking about here, and he has exposed people to his unique, distinctive brand of blues-rock since the late 1960's! He's no newcomer to the blues, though he has gotten more into folk and country in recent years. "Turn It Up" does exactly what its title implies. It takes the now folk-ified soul of Plant, and transforms it into more of a rock and roll sound. No, it doesn't crank it up to 11 like Zeppelin did, but it does give people craving a blues-y sound from Plant what they want, more or less. Best part of the song?! When Plant pleads, "I'm stuck inside the radio...let me out!!", followed by the stark, hollow sound of a drumbeat for about five seconds, before the song gets back into its basic groove.

New songs for July 23rd, 2014

here they are:


"Are You Behind the Shining Star?" by Trampled by Turtles: Their name is funny, and their music is excellent! I fell in love instantly with Trampled by Turtles' melancholy, bittersweet "Alone", and their calming ode to the road, "Midnight On the Interstate" was almost as good. Their third big song, "Are You Behind the Shining Star?", maintains the rustic, old world charm of their first two hits, and it also sounds more energetic, as if TBT are just now trying to get on to the Mumford and Sons bandwagon. After lead vocalist Dave Simonett opens the lyrics with the title of the song, he asks, "Am I as hopeless as you are?", perhaps indicating that, although this is their happiest SOUNDING song so far, it might not actually BE their happiest song.


"From Now On" by Delta Spirit: Although there is (so far) no such thing as a guitar-less Delta Spirit song, their last two songs to make an impact on adult alt radio stations ("California" and "Tear It Up") focused more on rhythm than on guitar. Their latest song, "From Now On", returns to the guitar-focused sound that Delta Spirit originally had. In spite of the chorus's reassurance that "from now on I'm gonna be your friend", "From Now On" is probably the least friendly sounding Delta Spirit track I've heard so far! The sound of the song tends to evoke the moody indie-pop of both contemporary groups like The National and the even darker sounds of classic indie groups like My Bloody Valentine.


"Scarecrow" by Counting Crows: Though Counting Crows have only released one other album so far in the 2010's, I'd say it's been a great decade for Adam Duritz and his fondly remembered '90s folk-rock group! They tend to be currently focusing on songs with a roots-y Neil Young/Tom Petty type sound, and their latest song, "Scarecrow" is no exception to the rule. The song seems to largely work as an exercise in clever wordplay and quirky lyrics, from its opening lyrics ("Mary steers clear of the men from space"), to its silly but memorable chorus, which varies from "snowman, scarecrow, John Doe, buffalo" to "spaceman, scarecrow, peep show, freak show", but always includes the word "scarecrow".

New songs for February 22nd, 2012

here they are:


“Hallways” by Islands: Islands are an indie band that has been around for a long time, but haven’t gotten much attention for any particular song of theirs until now. Considering how maudlin Islands usually are, “Hallways” comes as a breath of fresh air, and that’s probably why it’s ending up being their “breakthrough” track so far. With its jaunty, piano-based sound, and a rhythm and chord progression that both seem somewhat derived from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s similarly carefree “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”, “Hallways” is not only a catchy song, but also one in which the title of it makes sense in hindsight, in that the rhythm and mood of it leave you wanting to skip and dance merrily through the “hallways”!

“Ho Hey” by Lumineers: “Lumineers” doesn’t exactly sound like the name of a part bluegrass/part indie-pop trio consisting of two men and one woman, but that’s what they are. The Lumineers manage to squeeze essential song elements like harmony, an infectious gets-stuck-in-your-head chorus (“I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweet-ha-art”), and a catchy rhythm section into just two and half minutes in “Ho Hey”, which also boasts some of the most jovial, rockin’ banjos I’ve ever heard! If this song doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will!

“It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons: Between the name of this band, and My Pet Dragon from earlier this year, I think I can officially declare that any indie/alt-pop band with the word “Dragon” in their name is pretty cool! The sound of “It’s Time” is absolutely phenomenal, especially during the verses, which seem to combine world music influenced string instrumentation with a marching band type rhythm! It sounds a bit more like a regular alt-pop song during the chorus, but by that time, the listener will probably be hooked on the song enough that it will just blend in with the rest of the song. That’s how “It’s Time” worked out for me, anyway!

“Origins” by Tennis: Along with Hockey (whose “Song Away” was one of the most successful indie/alt songs of 2010), Tennis are one of the few bands I’ve ever known to name themselves after a sport. Unlike Hockey, who had a rather Cars-ish new wave-y sound, Tennis draw inspiration more from bands of the ‘60s, like Jefferson Airplane, The Velvet Underground, and The Zombies (whose “Tell Her No” Tennis do an excellent job at covering) The lead singer of Tennis just happens to be a female with somewhat smoky, detached vocals, which makes them stand out among most contemporary bands. Even the instrumentation of this song is strikingly different, adding in a vintage ‘60s-ish organ sound and a lower than low sounding sax along with the more typical guitar/bass/drums sound. Are there any more good things about “Origins”? Yes, plenty! The lyrics are self-conscious and doubting, but written from an earnest point of view. Oh, and did I mention that lead singer Alaina Moore looks a little like Stevie Nicks?! Think we might just have a new babe in the music biz to talk about!!

“Save the Hammer For the Man” – The Nightwatchman (featuring Ben Harper): While perhaps not quite as unique in sound as the artist formerly known as Tom Morello’s “Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine” (from late summer of last year), “Save the Hammer For the Man” is still a powerful song. Or at least it tries to be. Musically, the sound of it falls somewhat flat (until the guitar solo, that is) in comparison to Tom Morello’s material both with and without Rage Against the Machine. For Ben Harper, it’s a “somewhere in the middle” song. Ben didn’t seem to get too much into exploring the deeper, darker side of blues and rock until about 3 years ago, but he’s been remarkable at doing so. In “Save the Hammer For the Man”, Ben Harper delivers his vocals quite powerfully and convincingly, but musically, it sounds like this could have been just another pre-Relentless 7 Ben Harper song. This is definitely not a bad song, though. Once the guitar solo comes in, “Save the Hammer For the Man” picks up, not just because of the guitar solo either. It carries through stronger afterwards, both musically and vocally. And lyrically, as always, Tom Morello drives home a challenging political statement that is still well worth listening to.

“See It For Yourself” by Sugar and The Hi-Lows: Another cute female indie vocalist?! Could it be?!? Yes, it could!! “Sugar” definitely seems like a good (nick)name for the lead vocalist of this band, not only because of how she looks, but also because of how she delivers the lines of this catchy, blues-y indie rock tune, with vocals that are as sweet and honey voiced as they are sexy! The lyrics of the song almost recall the “there’s no place like home” part of “The Wizard of Oz”, with their “it was right there in front of you all along” theme. Sugar and The Hi-Lows are a pretty new band, so I don’t know the name of the lead singer (or any members) yet, but what I DO know is that she can take my ruby red slippers into the Land of Oz anytime she wants to! Yes, that was a weird attempt at innuendo, wasn’t it?! :P

“Shiny Things” by Fanfarlo: Fan WHAT now?! Well, some of you might be familiar with the song “Harold T. Wilkins” (the one that goes “They sail the same STRAIT! They sail the same STRAIT!” towards the end of it), and Fanfarlo were the ones who did that one. “Shiny Things” comes from Fanfarlo’s second record so far, and its sound is a bit of a departure from the folk-rock sound of “Harold T. Wilkins”, as it goes for more of an icy new wave type sound instead. The sound of “Shiny Things”, combined with how detached the lead singer’s voice sounds, might as well be described as “Joy Division lite”, for while the song comes nowhere near close to the intensity of the late Ian Curtis’s gloomy post-punk band, one can still detect a Joy Division type influence in this song. The video for “Shiny Things”, with its surreal, somewhat disturbing images of people getting swallowed up by gold, also sounds like an idea that’s not too far off from the typical Joy Division song. Unbelievable that the same band who did the bouncy “Harold T. Wilkins” could come up with a more cynical, cold hearted song like “Shiny Things”, but perhaps that means I could expect something different from either of those two songs from Fanfarlo sometime in the future!

“Staircase” by Radiohead: And speaking of bands with a reputation for being icy and detached, Radiohead are probably one of the first bands that come to mind when describing such a musical mood! Truth be told, Radiohead are really much more diverse than that, but, as if by coincidence (from the last song I reviewed), “Staircase” could also be said to be somewhat of a Joy Division sound-alike (though it would probably garner comparisons just as easily to bands like Depeche Mode, New Order, and Kraftwerk). In typically clever Radiohead fashion, the lyrics to “Staircase” READ like a “staircase”, in that they wind up and down continuously. Though a return to folk-rock-y Radiohead (like they did on most of “In Rainbows”) would be nice, “Staircase” isn’t bad as far as the “weirder” songs in their catalog are concerned. Only one question remains. Why did they decide to release a new song in February of THIS year, when they already did so February of LAST year?! I guess we’ll never know, will we?!?

“Untitled (Love Song)” by Counting Crows: Untitled (Love Song) is an Interesting (Piece of Music), and it’s also a Cover (Of an Obscure Indie Song). Though Counting Crows released various songs on and off throughout the 2000’s, none of them came close to what they did in the ‘90s (especially not the mucky pop version they did of the classic Joni Mitchell song, “Big Yellow Taxi”, that should have been a forgotten version of the song, but which instead comes back to haunt me in grocery stores, fast food places, and everywhere else adult cotemporary stations are played). Someone must have talked to Adam Duritz and co and convinced them to crank up the electric guitars on their latest song (which, as mentioned before, isn’t actually theirs), because it sounds closer to the gritty indie-rock sound of Ryan Adams and My Morning Jacket (with a bit of Matthew Sweet influence thrown in for good measure) than it does the folk-y post-grunge of bands like The Wallflowers and The Dave Matthews Band (both of whom were frequently compared to Counting Crows). Not only do Counting Crows have their rock ‘n’ roll groove back on “Untitled (Love Song)”, but their organ player Charlie Gillingham delivers a forceful, dynamic Hammond solo, followed in a verse or two by some of the most Neil Young-ish guitar playing Dan Vickrey has done since the ‘90s!! Welcome back guys! A million other Counting Crows fans and I have really missed the way things used to be with you guys!