here they are:
"It Takes a Lot to Know a Man" by Damien Rice: It sure does!! Wow! Didn't think Damien had it in him to do a song that surpasses the length of "Stairway to Heaven" by about a minute and a half, but this is exactly what he does in "It Takes a Lot to Know a Man". Damien's songs are typically sad, but this one takes the melodrama of his music to a whole other level! The ending lyrics of the song are when it reaches its zenith. The phrase "What are you so afraid to lose?" becomes a mantra, and leads into what is perhaps the most intense mood I've ever heard in a Damien Rice song, as his voice and the background vocals argue with each other about their innermost insecurities.
"Most In the Summertime" by Rhett Miller (featuring Black Prairie): Just in time for the coming season, this is probably one of the most upbeat songs in both Rhett Miller's catalog and Black Prairie's. It is a mellow but catchy country-rock ditty in which the lyrics concern themselves with the simple pleasures of life. Well, perhaps other kinds of "pleasures" as well, as the chorus indicates that Rhett and Jenny (Black Prairie's lead singer) have their "clothes off, hangin' on the line". But hey, that's what summer's for, isn't it?!
"Scared" by Delta Rae: "Scared", eh?! Well, perhaps the reason why is because this song is different from Delta Rae's other material in two ways. First of all, one of the men in the group sings lead vocals, unlike Elizabeth Hopkins, who usually does so, and second of all, its sound resembles the "neo-soul" of groups like Fitz and The Tantrums more than it does the folk sound of their typical material. The "scare" factor here is really the uncertainty of whether a romance is going to work out, and the song's combination of minor key and catchy beat are enough to keep you on the edge of your seat!
"Song For Someone" by U2: After the anthemic rock vibes of "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)" and "Every Breaking Wave", U2's third single from "Songs of Innocence", "Song For Someone", has a more laid-back and poignant feel to it. Whoever "someone" is, they must have been incredibly important to U2 for them to make such a moving song in which the lyrics tug at the heartstrings as much as the music does. The chorus of the song pretty much defines it with its opening words, "If there is a light, you can always see, and if there is a world, we can always be. If there is a dark within and without, and there is a light, don't let it go out". For those who are in touch with their sensitive side, I highly recommend this song!
"The Stars Over Your House" by Bob Schneider: Ever since Bob Schneider's adult alt radio breakthrough with "40 Dogs (Like Romeo And Juliet)", a lot of his songs have had somewhat of a moody streak, albeit laden with sentimentality in most cases, with the exception of the surprisingly hard-rocking "Unpromised Land". "The Stars Over Your House" seems like a much needed feel-good song in his catalog that he had more in his early days than the later ones. The "oh-oo-woh"s and "yea-ee-yeah"s that punctuate the verses, along with the harmony of the backing vocals, and just the chipper feel of the song in general, are all aspects that make "The Stars Over Your House" the perfect equivalent of a pop chart hit for indie fans.
"True Affection" by Father John Misty: Or as I like to call it, Father John Misty...IN SPAAAACCCE!!! FJM hasn't really used synthesized instruments in his music until now, and boy, does he use them!! The beginning of the song doesn't sound that far off from what you might hear when someone is playing an arcade game! It kinda sounds like one of the trippier Radiohead songs, in particular, songs like "Lotus Flower" and "Staircase". The song basically has only one verse that's repeated twice (with the second verse having only a slight difference in lyrical content), and it doesn't veer from its A minor chord at all, which gives the song a bit of a "static" flavor. FJM, meet LSD!
"24 Frames" by Jason Isbell: Right from the beginning of the song, you can tell it's gonna be a sad one, since the opening lyrics are "This is how you make yourself vanish into nothing". Thankfully, it's not a bleak sadness, but a bittersweet one, and Jason Isbell does an excellent job of pouring his heart and soul into "24 Frames". Its sound is reminiscent of the songs from R.E.M.'s album, "Automatic for the People", and that sound is not just coincidence. It turns out that Jason's band, Drive-by Truckers, was based in Athens, Georgia, the same town R.E.M. hails from! As for the title of the song, it is taken from how many frames roll per second during a movie, which is how life itself is portrayed in "24 Frames". Jason has truly outdone himself this time!!
"Woman (Oh Mama)" by Joy Williams: One half of folk-rock duo, The Civil Wars, Joy Williams' debut solo song is basically like a Celtic version of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" in terms of how it sounds. As the title of the song implies, this is Joy's ode to the spirit of femininity. The one complaint I have about this song is that she seems to be expressing her thoughts as though she is stereotyping those who speak "broken" English, though I'm not sure if this is intentional. Each line of each verse starts with the word "woman" and is followed by a verb of some sort, which reminds me of how Cookie Monster speaks ("Me want cookie!"), or perhaps the Hulk ("Hulk smash!") Why she is choosing to speak this way, I have no idea, but I do appreciate the sentiment she has intended in the song, as well as the way it sounds.
Showing posts with label Damien Rice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Damien Rice. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
New songs for October 1st, 2014
here they are:
"Come From the Heart" by Hard Working Americans: "Hard Working Americans" sure is an apt name for this roots-y rock supergroup! They're a little bit country ("Down to the Well"), and a little bit rock 'n' roll as well ("Stomp And Holler"). Hard Working Americans' third big song, "Come From the Heart", is a slow, heartfelt song, that sounds like a soul-inflected country song. The organ solo in the middle almost gives "Come From the Heart" a gospel-like feel. "It's got to come from your heart, or it's not going to work", Todd Snider smoothly croons, accompanied by Johnny Cash's daughter, Rosanne. This is the kind of song that definitely comes from the heart, and it works great.
"Dangerous" by Big Data: Sometimes, an irresistible dance-rock tune comes about, and makes almost everyone a fan (or sometimes a hater, if it gets overplayed). Songs like Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" are surefire winners in this category, and it looks like a new song is about to join their ranks. That song is "Dangerous" by Big Data. With its thumping, funky guitar hook, "Dangerous" is dangerous...ly catchy!! This is the sort of song you'd be equally likely to hear in independent record stores and shopping malls, and it's what everyone's gonna be shakin' on the dance floor to this fall!!
"Easy Money" by Johnny Marr: Unlike Morrissey, Johnny Marr's melancholy, angst-ridden former bandmate from The Smiths, Johnny Marr seems to have more upbeat solo songs. I first started listening to Johnny's solo work in early 2013, with the garage rock influenced "Upstarts", and his latest song, "Easy Money", continues in a similar direction. "Easy Money" isn't straight up rock 'n' roll like "Upstarts" was, though, and instead has a more pulsating, new wave-y alt-pop sound reminiscent of groups like Foster the People and Phoenix. A similarity Johnny has to Morrissey is that they are both all about addressing social concerns to the media, but the way Johnny does so is a bit more on the sly side than the more obvious and melodramatic way that Morrissey does so. In the case of "Easy Money", the song is about exactly that - money - and it is also a satirical jab at how people think that money can "buy you happiness".
"I Don't Want to Change You" by Damien Rice: Damien Rice seems like the type who is introverted and fragile, so I had thought for a long time that his late 2006 album, "O", would have been his last. It appears as though I was wrong! After 8 years of musical hibernation, Damien has finally come out with a new song! "I Don't Want to Change You" is trademark Damien, all over! Melancholy acoustic guitar, delicate vocals, lovelorn lyrics, lush string arrangement in the background. Pretty much every Damien Rice song sounds like this, but it's why people like me love his work. Traits like this define who Damien is, and he still has 'em! Damien, I don't want to change you, either!
"I Want to Know" by Kongos: Kongos' uniquely catchy "Come With Me Now" was such a smash hit for this year, in multiple formats (including Top 40), that I just knew somehow they were bound to have another hit! For awhile, it looked like that song was going to be the rocking, menacing "I'm Only Joking", but perhaps that was too rough for adult alt audiences, so instead, the more reggae inflected "I Want to Know" has become the second song from Kongos to hit the adult alt airwaves. While nowhere near as catchy as "Come With Me Now", it still has its high points. It actually sounds similar to another reggae-rock fusion I reviewed earlier this year (Magic!'s "Rude"), but since the two bands came out around the same time, this is probably merely coincidence. "I Want to Know" also has a great, reverb soaked guitar solo, to really make the reggae-rock fusion of the song sound more solid.
"Low Key" by Tweedy: The title of this song is quite an apt description of how Jeff Tweedy from Wilco's music typically is. "Low Key", performed with his son, Spencer, is a mellow tune, in which the lyrics ("I've always been low key") match up with the mood of the song quite well. The song is also somewhat autobiographical, and Jeff even claimed in an interview that he thought the song was "meant for (him)". There are probably many times when you've sung a song to yourself, but not every day you've sung songs about yourself!
"Yellow Flicker Beat" by Lorde: Is Lorde a fan of the "Hunger Games" movies?! Between "Glory And Gore", and her newest song, "Yellow Flicker Beat", I would say that could very well be the case! (Or perhaps the people who make the movies are big fans of her music). The typical Lorde song seems to sound like a darker version of Madonna, and "Yellow Flicker Beat" is no exception. Perhaps the one thing that makes this song stand out from her other material is the lyrics, in which the 17-year-old New Zealand native describes a "yellow flicker beat sparking up (her) heart". Quite a vivid description there! Not sure exactly what that's supposed to be a description of, though.
"Come From the Heart" by Hard Working Americans: "Hard Working Americans" sure is an apt name for this roots-y rock supergroup! They're a little bit country ("Down to the Well"), and a little bit rock 'n' roll as well ("Stomp And Holler"). Hard Working Americans' third big song, "Come From the Heart", is a slow, heartfelt song, that sounds like a soul-inflected country song. The organ solo in the middle almost gives "Come From the Heart" a gospel-like feel. "It's got to come from your heart, or it's not going to work", Todd Snider smoothly croons, accompanied by Johnny Cash's daughter, Rosanne. This is the kind of song that definitely comes from the heart, and it works great.
"Dangerous" by Big Data: Sometimes, an irresistible dance-rock tune comes about, and makes almost everyone a fan (or sometimes a hater, if it gets overplayed). Songs like Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" are surefire winners in this category, and it looks like a new song is about to join their ranks. That song is "Dangerous" by Big Data. With its thumping, funky guitar hook, "Dangerous" is dangerous...ly catchy!! This is the sort of song you'd be equally likely to hear in independent record stores and shopping malls, and it's what everyone's gonna be shakin' on the dance floor to this fall!!
"Easy Money" by Johnny Marr: Unlike Morrissey, Johnny Marr's melancholy, angst-ridden former bandmate from The Smiths, Johnny Marr seems to have more upbeat solo songs. I first started listening to Johnny's solo work in early 2013, with the garage rock influenced "Upstarts", and his latest song, "Easy Money", continues in a similar direction. "Easy Money" isn't straight up rock 'n' roll like "Upstarts" was, though, and instead has a more pulsating, new wave-y alt-pop sound reminiscent of groups like Foster the People and Phoenix. A similarity Johnny has to Morrissey is that they are both all about addressing social concerns to the media, but the way Johnny does so is a bit more on the sly side than the more obvious and melodramatic way that Morrissey does so. In the case of "Easy Money", the song is about exactly that - money - and it is also a satirical jab at how people think that money can "buy you happiness".
"I Don't Want to Change You" by Damien Rice: Damien Rice seems like the type who is introverted and fragile, so I had thought for a long time that his late 2006 album, "O", would have been his last. It appears as though I was wrong! After 8 years of musical hibernation, Damien has finally come out with a new song! "I Don't Want to Change You" is trademark Damien, all over! Melancholy acoustic guitar, delicate vocals, lovelorn lyrics, lush string arrangement in the background. Pretty much every Damien Rice song sounds like this, but it's why people like me love his work. Traits like this define who Damien is, and he still has 'em! Damien, I don't want to change you, either!
"I Want to Know" by Kongos: Kongos' uniquely catchy "Come With Me Now" was such a smash hit for this year, in multiple formats (including Top 40), that I just knew somehow they were bound to have another hit! For awhile, it looked like that song was going to be the rocking, menacing "I'm Only Joking", but perhaps that was too rough for adult alt audiences, so instead, the more reggae inflected "I Want to Know" has become the second song from Kongos to hit the adult alt airwaves. While nowhere near as catchy as "Come With Me Now", it still has its high points. It actually sounds similar to another reggae-rock fusion I reviewed earlier this year (Magic!'s "Rude"), but since the two bands came out around the same time, this is probably merely coincidence. "I Want to Know" also has a great, reverb soaked guitar solo, to really make the reggae-rock fusion of the song sound more solid.
"Low Key" by Tweedy: The title of this song is quite an apt description of how Jeff Tweedy from Wilco's music typically is. "Low Key", performed with his son, Spencer, is a mellow tune, in which the lyrics ("I've always been low key") match up with the mood of the song quite well. The song is also somewhat autobiographical, and Jeff even claimed in an interview that he thought the song was "meant for (him)". There are probably many times when you've sung a song to yourself, but not every day you've sung songs about yourself!
"Yellow Flicker Beat" by Lorde: Is Lorde a fan of the "Hunger Games" movies?! Between "Glory And Gore", and her newest song, "Yellow Flicker Beat", I would say that could very well be the case! (Or perhaps the people who make the movies are big fans of her music). The typical Lorde song seems to sound like a darker version of Madonna, and "Yellow Flicker Beat" is no exception. Perhaps the one thing that makes this song stand out from her other material is the lyrics, in which the 17-year-old New Zealand native describes a "yellow flicker beat sparking up (her) heart". Quite a vivid description there! Not sure exactly what that's supposed to be a description of, though.
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