Stuck in a continuous time loop? Not to worry. We have 6 songs that'll get you through it!
"Gardenia" by Iggy Pop: David Bowie and Lou Reed may not be around anymore to grace us with their presence, but at least ONE punk rock forefather is keeping things alive for us, and that man is Iggy Pop! If you're expecting something with manic reckless abandon like "I Wanna Be Your Dog" or "Lust For Life", you'll be sorely disappointed. "Gardenia", instead, is one of the few calmer songs in Iggy's catalog, in fact it kinda sounds more like David Bowie than Iggy Pop, both musically and vocally. I wonder if the "Gardenia" mentioned in the song is Bowie himself?! Could be! One gets the hint that Iggy wants to continue to impress today's "alternative" crowd, just as he did in days of old, as this song seems to be slightly influenced by groups like The Walkmen and Modest Mouse.
"No Love Like Yours" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: Musically, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros still sound a little like a modern day Mamas and Papas, but vocally, that seems to be lost in this song. That's because the female harmonies supplied by ex-Magnetic Zero Jade are no longer there. Female vocals are present on "No Love Like Yours", but they're not as distinctive as Jade's voice. Nonetheless, ESATMZ fans will probably still be wowed by "No Love Like Yours", as it does have the typical upbeat, post-hippie-folk-rock sound that the group usually have. The tinkly pianos in this song tend to make it distinct from other Magnetic Zeros songs, despite the fact that they've used pianos before. It is also one of their shortest songs, at only 2 minutes and 57 seconds.
"Run Or Hide" by Run River North: Here is yet another indie-pop song in which piano is a defining feature. However, it sounds far too modern to be mistaken for a song from the 1960's, which is funny for a band whose first major song, "Monsters Calling Home", sounded a bit like Mumford & Sons or Of Monsters & Men. "Run Or Hide" definitely has a more modern sound than one might expect from Run River North. Perhaps that's why it's gotten more attention than their other songs have. The shout-y vocals, slightly reminiscent of songs like Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive", might also be a bit jarring for people who originally got to know Run River North through "Monsters Calling Home". However, Run River North seemed to have gained a new fanbase in the process of this song, and they seem to like it, too, especially judging by how much Run River North seem to like interacting with their fans through their YouTube page. Nerds, rejoice! Apparently Run River North are fans of "Pokemon" and "Firefly" according to one YouTube comment they made!
"Spirits" by The Strumbellas: How many people thought that their name was actually "Strumbrellas" instead of "Strumbellas"?! Well, I did. Apparently there's only one "R" in their name, not two. Anyway, The Strumbellas' debut song, "Spirits", is an interesting song. It is an indie-folk-rock song backed by an upbeat drum section and (once again) piano. The paranoid lyrics of the song, "I've got guns in my head and they won't go. Spirits in my head and they won't go" are offset by how happy the song itself sounds. The song seems to be a pretty big hit so far. The secret to their success? Probably just making the song sound as fun and catchy as it does!
"Thank God For Girls" by Weezer: WEEZER?! Some of you probably spit milk through your nose if you know me well enough, as I'm really not a big fan of Weezer ordinarily. However, there are some times where I make an exception to the rule, and this is one such case. Here is yet ANOTHER song where piano takes a central role. (Billy Joel, are you listening?! Take note!) Weezer have made an interesting transformation from self-loathing nerds in the '90s, people questioning their social identity in the '00s, and nerds who are more proud of their nerdiness in the 2010's. This song is pretty quirky, really. I mean who ELSE would use the word "cannoli" in a song even once?! They use that word repeatedly here! I'm not sure that half of this song is even ABOUT girls. "Thank God for girls" just seem to be four words they use here to drill into peoples' eardrums for days upon end.
"Wolves Without Teeth" by Of Monsters and Men: Yet another OMAM song with strange and mystical metaphors for the ups and downs of relationships. I'm sure that's why a lot of their fans (including me) like their music, though. Even their name has an aura of mystique that's just as alluring as the songs they perform. "Wolves Without Teeth" is a light folk-rock affair like a lot of OMAM's songs tend to be, but the distortion of the backing electric guitar here seems to be a bit more noticeable here than it is on their other songs (one YouTube commenter even referred to this song as "Of Mumford and Bastille" - a pretty apt and somewhat funny description, if I do say so myself!)
Showing posts with label Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
New songs for May 29th, 2013
here they are:
"Better Days" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, perhaps the best nine or ten piece indie rock group since Arcade Fire, seem to have a knack for sounding like a band from the 1960's. Even their techniques for production sound like something from 45 or so years ago. Their sound leaned mostly towards folk-rock until their latest song, "Better Days", though. This song sounds more like a long lost "Sgt. Pepper" track, with its steady, marching drumbeat, swirling, psychedelic electric (gasp!) guitars, and shiny, upbeat brass section. Seems like every band is trying to veer off in a new direction these days, and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros are no exception. At least they're staying true to their "retro" sound, though, which is a large part of what makes them so appealing.
"Can You Get to That?" by Mavis Staples: The soul legend, Mavis Staples, seems to have been all about cover songs in the 2010's. At the start of the decade, she did a rather roots-y rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Wrote A Song For Everyone". This time around, she's covering a Funkadelic song (which was covered earlier this year by indie-pop group, The Living Sisters, coincidentally). Her choice is interesting, considering that this is sort of a folk-rock song, which was an extremely uncommon style for Funkadelic to perform in (though Funkadelic are a pretty eclectic group, esp. when it comes to songs like the not-so-funky, 8-minute, Hendrix-ian guitar jam-fest, "Maggot Brain"). Regardless, though, Mavis injects enough soulfulness and talent to make her take on "Can You Get to That?" shine through!
"Get Lucky" by Daft Punk: Yet another retro-soul styled song, but reminiscent of a different era (it sounds a bit like a disco song circa '78), and from a group I never would have expected, either! Daft Punk are typically more of a techno group - not only in sound, but in looks as well (their members regularly dress up in robot costumes!!) The instruments don't sound very Daft Punk-ish. There is clearly an electric guitar keeping rhythm throughout the song, and nary a synthesizer in the whole thing! The "robot voice" present in most Daft Punk songs only appears twice in "Get Lucky". The vocals that take place in most of "Get Lucky" sound more...well...human!! A refreshing, unique song for the guys whom I previously knew for doing a song whose sole "lyrics" were "Bow...now now now now nowww...bow now now nowwww...bow now now now nowww..."
"I Will Steal You Back" by Jimmy Eat World: In the early '00s, Jimmy Eat World had one of the catchiest power pop mega-hits with "The Middle", a song that, in my opinion, rivaled the catchiness (and, arguably, popularity) of power pop classics like "My Sharona" and "What I Like About You". However, Jimmy Eat World's other songs seemed more like that messy cross between power pop and grunge that groups like Weezer (whom I've honestly never quite warmed up to) became known for. About the closest I came to liking a Jimmy Eat World song other than "The Middle" was their surprisingly neo-folk-rock-y cover of Wham!'s "Last Christmas". That being said, I was NEVER expecting Jimmy Eat World to come out with a song like "I Will Steal You Back"!! While it is nowhere near as catchy as "The Middle", it is a lot more tolerable than most of their material to me. It starts out with an acoustic guitar, for one, an instrument that is usually not present on their material. The song builds up to a chorus that has a bit more punch to it than the verses, but still manages to remain relatively mellow, almost like one of the "lighter" songs that The Foo Fighters have done, though the vocals on "I Will Steal You Back" are a bit too harmony laced to be Foos-ish. It took almost 10 years for Jimmy Eat World to win me over again, but now they finally have!! Wonder if they'll continue in this direction?!
"Pour A Little Poison" by David Ford: One of the most bitter, sarcastic folk-rock songs I have ever known is "I Don't Care What You Call Me" by David Ford, which, up until now, was the only song I knew by him. The title alone of "Pour A Little Poison" made me think it was gonna be a similar song to "I Don't Care What You Call Me", and lyrically, it is ("Pour a little poison on my good name"), but instrumentally, it sounds like an unusually catchy Bob Dylan song, complete with a "clap-along" rhythm section, a huge departure from the world-weary sound of "I Don't Care What You Call Me". "Pour A Little Poison" is also much shorter in length, clocking in at only 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Perhaps David has been taking cues from other "sarcastic but catchy" indie-folk-rock singers, like Jake Bugg and Frank Turner. It certainly sounds that way to me!
"That's Who I Am" by Neko Case: Neko Case has always peppered her brand of alt-country with a bit of snark, and "That's Who I Am" is no exception. What makes this song different is that (surprise!!) it's actually a cover of a John Mellencamp song!! Even stranger than that is that it's from a musical that John Mellencamp wrote with Stephen King (yes, THAT Stephen King). To warp your opinion of this song even further, Neko's take on this song has a sound that suggests what it might be like if Johnny Cash started doing cabaret material!! Well it sounds like that to me, anyway. See for yourself, though!!
"Better Days" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, perhaps the best nine or ten piece indie rock group since Arcade Fire, seem to have a knack for sounding like a band from the 1960's. Even their techniques for production sound like something from 45 or so years ago. Their sound leaned mostly towards folk-rock until their latest song, "Better Days", though. This song sounds more like a long lost "Sgt. Pepper" track, with its steady, marching drumbeat, swirling, psychedelic electric (gasp!) guitars, and shiny, upbeat brass section. Seems like every band is trying to veer off in a new direction these days, and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros are no exception. At least they're staying true to their "retro" sound, though, which is a large part of what makes them so appealing.
"Can You Get to That?" by Mavis Staples: The soul legend, Mavis Staples, seems to have been all about cover songs in the 2010's. At the start of the decade, she did a rather roots-y rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Wrote A Song For Everyone". This time around, she's covering a Funkadelic song (which was covered earlier this year by indie-pop group, The Living Sisters, coincidentally). Her choice is interesting, considering that this is sort of a folk-rock song, which was an extremely uncommon style for Funkadelic to perform in (though Funkadelic are a pretty eclectic group, esp. when it comes to songs like the not-so-funky, 8-minute, Hendrix-ian guitar jam-fest, "Maggot Brain"). Regardless, though, Mavis injects enough soulfulness and talent to make her take on "Can You Get to That?" shine through!
"Get Lucky" by Daft Punk: Yet another retro-soul styled song, but reminiscent of a different era (it sounds a bit like a disco song circa '78), and from a group I never would have expected, either! Daft Punk are typically more of a techno group - not only in sound, but in looks as well (their members regularly dress up in robot costumes!!) The instruments don't sound very Daft Punk-ish. There is clearly an electric guitar keeping rhythm throughout the song, and nary a synthesizer in the whole thing! The "robot voice" present in most Daft Punk songs only appears twice in "Get Lucky". The vocals that take place in most of "Get Lucky" sound more...well...human!! A refreshing, unique song for the guys whom I previously knew for doing a song whose sole "lyrics" were "Bow...now now now now nowww...bow now now nowwww...bow now now now nowww..."
"I Will Steal You Back" by Jimmy Eat World: In the early '00s, Jimmy Eat World had one of the catchiest power pop mega-hits with "The Middle", a song that, in my opinion, rivaled the catchiness (and, arguably, popularity) of power pop classics like "My Sharona" and "What I Like About You". However, Jimmy Eat World's other songs seemed more like that messy cross between power pop and grunge that groups like Weezer (whom I've honestly never quite warmed up to) became known for. About the closest I came to liking a Jimmy Eat World song other than "The Middle" was their surprisingly neo-folk-rock-y cover of Wham!'s "Last Christmas". That being said, I was NEVER expecting Jimmy Eat World to come out with a song like "I Will Steal You Back"!! While it is nowhere near as catchy as "The Middle", it is a lot more tolerable than most of their material to me. It starts out with an acoustic guitar, for one, an instrument that is usually not present on their material. The song builds up to a chorus that has a bit more punch to it than the verses, but still manages to remain relatively mellow, almost like one of the "lighter" songs that The Foo Fighters have done, though the vocals on "I Will Steal You Back" are a bit too harmony laced to be Foos-ish. It took almost 10 years for Jimmy Eat World to win me over again, but now they finally have!! Wonder if they'll continue in this direction?!
"Pour A Little Poison" by David Ford: One of the most bitter, sarcastic folk-rock songs I have ever known is "I Don't Care What You Call Me" by David Ford, which, up until now, was the only song I knew by him. The title alone of "Pour A Little Poison" made me think it was gonna be a similar song to "I Don't Care What You Call Me", and lyrically, it is ("Pour a little poison on my good name"), but instrumentally, it sounds like an unusually catchy Bob Dylan song, complete with a "clap-along" rhythm section, a huge departure from the world-weary sound of "I Don't Care What You Call Me". "Pour A Little Poison" is also much shorter in length, clocking in at only 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Perhaps David has been taking cues from other "sarcastic but catchy" indie-folk-rock singers, like Jake Bugg and Frank Turner. It certainly sounds that way to me!
"That's Who I Am" by Neko Case: Neko Case has always peppered her brand of alt-country with a bit of snark, and "That's Who I Am" is no exception. What makes this song different is that (surprise!!) it's actually a cover of a John Mellencamp song!! Even stranger than that is that it's from a musical that John Mellencamp wrote with Stephen King (yes, THAT Stephen King). To warp your opinion of this song even further, Neko's take on this song has a sound that suggests what it might be like if Johnny Cash started doing cabaret material!! Well it sounds like that to me, anyway. See for yourself, though!!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
New songs for August 8th, 2012
here they are:
"Give A Little" by Everest: The second song to get attention from indie-pop band Everest, "Give A Little" doesn't have the funky, catchy factor of their previous single, "Let Go", but the unique chord progression of "Give A Little" makes it a memorable song for me to listen to. Some guitar solos are added into the second verse to give "Give A Little" even more of a distinct flavor than it already has. Nothing particularly special about this song lyrically, but the fact that Everest can deliver a song with with more than four chords in only two verses with a sticks-in-your-head hook prove that they can "give" more than just "a little" when they want to carve out a solid song!
"I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons: More like "I CAN'T Wait"!!! And, really, I can't!! M & S were talking about making a new CD ever since November of last year, and I thought it would come pretty soon after that. The folk-rock quartet teased us with a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer" earlier this year, but that was not on any of their CD's (it was actually a track they lent their vocals to by bluegrass musician Jerry Douglas). So I had to wait 10 long months for Mumford and Sons to release a follow up to their debut CD, "Sigh No More". At long last the wait is over!! The question is, was it worth all that waiting?! Yes, it was!! The band's signature style of delicate harmonies and intense but refreshing banjo playing is 100 % present on "I Will Wait"! Marcus, Ben, Ted, and Winston don't stray a bit from what made people like them initially on this song. They even add muted trumpets in for good measure towards the end of the track like they did on "The Cave" and "Winter Winds". I'm almost too sure this will end up as one of my Top 20 Songs of 2012 come December!! We'll see, though.
"Old Friend" by Sea Wolf: Sea Wolf were a band I almost got to see back when they weren't even a well-known band among "indie" audiences, so I feel a special connection to their music whenever I hear it! At their core, Sea Wolf are a folk-rock group, but they have tied in quite a bit of "outside" influences in their songs, like the Elliott Smith/Jeff Buckley type sound they had for "You're A Wolf", as well as the much brighter, more orchestral, Arcade Fire type sound they had for "Wicked Blood". For SW's third major song, "Old Friend", they dress up their folk-rock guitar sound with shimmering electric guitars in the background, and a "soft electronic" sound in the drums, a la Imogen Heap or Beach House. "Old Friend" almost feels like a "You're A Wolf" rewrite in some ways, with its stark instrumentation, bittersweet vocals, and even its E minor key, but in other ways, it stands out. For instance, there is no violin or cello sound on "Old Friend" (though that sound was present on both "You're A Wolf" and "Wicked Blood"). Instead, Sea Wolf opt for an echoic but relaxing electric guitar distortion for "Old Friend". Overall, though, "Old Friend" is an impressive song, like most of Sea Wolf's material tends to be.
"Splitter" by Calexico: Calexico could be described as a band that (kind of) sound like their name. "Calexico" is a portmanteau of "California" and "Mexico", and a lot of Calexico's songs tend to sound like a cross between Americana (roots-y country-rock type material), and mariachi band music. Their latest song, "Splitter", is no exception. It has a more upbeat, somewhat surf music type vibe than most of their songs do, but still, the acoustic guitars and muted trumpets that tend to define Calexico's songs are present on "Splitter". It's one of those songs that would fit equally well with traveling down a freeway or traveling to the beach!
"That's What's Up" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: In "That's What's Up", Alex, Jade, and the rest of The Magnetic Zeros do what they do best, combine the easygoing, sing-song vibes of children's music with those similar vibes of psychedelic pop music. Even the opening lyrics of "You be the church, I'll be the steeple, You be the king, I'll be the people", sound vaguely like the sort of lyrics that a children's performer like Raffi might come up with. The faux-cutesy lyrical pattern of "That's What's Up" continues throughout the song ("You be the words I'll be the rhyming"). Ed and The Zeros seem like they already made "Home" their signature song upon their debut, but if "That's What's Up" becomes more popular than it is, it could be the next "1234" (the song by Feist that goes "1, 2, 3, 4, tell me that you love me more...")!! Nothing wrong with that, after all, Paul McCartney also toyed with the idea of children's music in "All Together Now" ("1, 2, 3, 4, can I have a little more? 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, I love you", etc.)
"Give A Little" by Everest: The second song to get attention from indie-pop band Everest, "Give A Little" doesn't have the funky, catchy factor of their previous single, "Let Go", but the unique chord progression of "Give A Little" makes it a memorable song for me to listen to. Some guitar solos are added into the second verse to give "Give A Little" even more of a distinct flavor than it already has. Nothing particularly special about this song lyrically, but the fact that Everest can deliver a song with with more than four chords in only two verses with a sticks-in-your-head hook prove that they can "give" more than just "a little" when they want to carve out a solid song!
"I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons: More like "I CAN'T Wait"!!! And, really, I can't!! M & S were talking about making a new CD ever since November of last year, and I thought it would come pretty soon after that. The folk-rock quartet teased us with a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer" earlier this year, but that was not on any of their CD's (it was actually a track they lent their vocals to by bluegrass musician Jerry Douglas). So I had to wait 10 long months for Mumford and Sons to release a follow up to their debut CD, "Sigh No More". At long last the wait is over!! The question is, was it worth all that waiting?! Yes, it was!! The band's signature style of delicate harmonies and intense but refreshing banjo playing is 100 % present on "I Will Wait"! Marcus, Ben, Ted, and Winston don't stray a bit from what made people like them initially on this song. They even add muted trumpets in for good measure towards the end of the track like they did on "The Cave" and "Winter Winds". I'm almost too sure this will end up as one of my Top 20 Songs of 2012 come December!! We'll see, though.
"Old Friend" by Sea Wolf: Sea Wolf were a band I almost got to see back when they weren't even a well-known band among "indie" audiences, so I feel a special connection to their music whenever I hear it! At their core, Sea Wolf are a folk-rock group, but they have tied in quite a bit of "outside" influences in their songs, like the Elliott Smith/Jeff Buckley type sound they had for "You're A Wolf", as well as the much brighter, more orchestral, Arcade Fire type sound they had for "Wicked Blood". For SW's third major song, "Old Friend", they dress up their folk-rock guitar sound with shimmering electric guitars in the background, and a "soft electronic" sound in the drums, a la Imogen Heap or Beach House. "Old Friend" almost feels like a "You're A Wolf" rewrite in some ways, with its stark instrumentation, bittersweet vocals, and even its E minor key, but in other ways, it stands out. For instance, there is no violin or cello sound on "Old Friend" (though that sound was present on both "You're A Wolf" and "Wicked Blood"). Instead, Sea Wolf opt for an echoic but relaxing electric guitar distortion for "Old Friend". Overall, though, "Old Friend" is an impressive song, like most of Sea Wolf's material tends to be.
"Splitter" by Calexico: Calexico could be described as a band that (kind of) sound like their name. "Calexico" is a portmanteau of "California" and "Mexico", and a lot of Calexico's songs tend to sound like a cross between Americana (roots-y country-rock type material), and mariachi band music. Their latest song, "Splitter", is no exception. It has a more upbeat, somewhat surf music type vibe than most of their songs do, but still, the acoustic guitars and muted trumpets that tend to define Calexico's songs are present on "Splitter". It's one of those songs that would fit equally well with traveling down a freeway or traveling to the beach!
"That's What's Up" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: In "That's What's Up", Alex, Jade, and the rest of The Magnetic Zeros do what they do best, combine the easygoing, sing-song vibes of children's music with those similar vibes of psychedelic pop music. Even the opening lyrics of "You be the church, I'll be the steeple, You be the king, I'll be the people", sound vaguely like the sort of lyrics that a children's performer like Raffi might come up with. The faux-cutesy lyrical pattern of "That's What's Up" continues throughout the song ("You be the words I'll be the rhyming"). Ed and The Zeros seem like they already made "Home" their signature song upon their debut, but if "That's What's Up" becomes more popular than it is, it could be the next "1234" (the song by Feist that goes "1, 2, 3, 4, tell me that you love me more...")!! Nothing wrong with that, after all, Paul McCartney also toyed with the idea of children's music in "All Together Now" ("1, 2, 3, 4, can I have a little more? 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, I love you", etc.)
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
New songs for March 21st, 2012
Here they are:
“Man On Fire” by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: A deceptively cheerful, naïve sounding band, whose biggest hit so far has been the surprise 2010 indie/alt hit “Home”, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros were loved by indie fans from the time they debuted in late 2009. Their faux-‘60s Mamas and Papas-meets-Simon and Garfunkel type folk-pop/rock sound has only gained them more fans ever since then! Unlike “Home” and “40 Day Dream”, both of which were merely happy sounding songs with dark lyrical content, “Man On Fire” seems to evoke joyful emotions both in its child-like, clap-along sound, and in its simplistic choice of words (“Man on fire/Walking down the street/Got one guitar/two dancing feet”). Is this really reason for the initial fans of Ed and The Zeros to complain?! I think not!! It’s rare to find songs that bear even a slight resemblance to rock music that make one think of “Sesame Street” more than The Stones, so I say embrace the opportunity to hear songs like this one!
“Myth” by Beach House: Continuing their tradition of one-word song titles (“Norway”, “Zebra”), the hypnotically dreamy indie duo known as Beach House are back with another song, “Myth”, that will put you to sleep in a charmingly trippy way just like how most of their songs tend to. “Myth” seems to go for a bit more of a studio-based sound than “Norway” and “Zebra” did, but Beach House still retain their trademark “psychedelic lullaby” type sound, as lead singer Victoria Legrand urgently sings, “Help me today” in its chorus, in a way that is pleading, yet irresistible, like the voice of a siren from Greek mythology in human form! I can’t help but feel like I’m floating on the most delicate, billowy clouds every time I hear “Myth”. It is a magical song that is not “magical” in the cheesy way. “Myth” is a pure, unadulterated stardust fantasy of a song!
“Man On Fire” by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: A deceptively cheerful, naïve sounding band, whose biggest hit so far has been the surprise 2010 indie/alt hit “Home”, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros were loved by indie fans from the time they debuted in late 2009. Their faux-‘60s Mamas and Papas-meets-Simon and Garfunkel type folk-pop/rock sound has only gained them more fans ever since then! Unlike “Home” and “40 Day Dream”, both of which were merely happy sounding songs with dark lyrical content, “Man On Fire” seems to evoke joyful emotions both in its child-like, clap-along sound, and in its simplistic choice of words (“Man on fire/Walking down the street/Got one guitar/two dancing feet”). Is this really reason for the initial fans of Ed and The Zeros to complain?! I think not!! It’s rare to find songs that bear even a slight resemblance to rock music that make one think of “Sesame Street” more than The Stones, so I say embrace the opportunity to hear songs like this one!
“Myth” by Beach House: Continuing their tradition of one-word song titles (“Norway”, “Zebra”), the hypnotically dreamy indie duo known as Beach House are back with another song, “Myth”, that will put you to sleep in a charmingly trippy way just like how most of their songs tend to. “Myth” seems to go for a bit more of a studio-based sound than “Norway” and “Zebra” did, but Beach House still retain their trademark “psychedelic lullaby” type sound, as lead singer Victoria Legrand urgently sings, “Help me today” in its chorus, in a way that is pleading, yet irresistible, like the voice of a siren from Greek mythology in human form! I can’t help but feel like I’m floating on the most delicate, billowy clouds every time I hear “Myth”. It is a magical song that is not “magical” in the cheesy way. “Myth” is a pure, unadulterated stardust fantasy of a song!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
5 newbies and 2 oldies-come-lately
Well, here goes:
"40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: One of the two "oldies-come-lately", as listed in the title of this week's review. This song seems to have been circulating on adult alt. stations since the summer of this year, but has only seen a big increase within the last week. Ed and The Zeros' song "Home" has been around since February of this year (a week before I made this blog!), and seems to have become a fave among both adult alt and "regular" alt audiences (surprisingly), probably for its nostalgic, Mamas-and-Papas-ish vibe and lush, melodic, harmonizing vocals. Their second big hit, "40 Day Dream", retains the nostalgic vibe of "Home", but uses more keyboards (the old-timey kind, not electronic), and has a slower rhythm. It seems a bit incongruous that the chorus of this song seems to lift from the exact same chords of the chorus of Journey's "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'", as Journey seem to be built on being "crowd pleasers", where Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros seem more about recreating the quirky but catchy folk-rock sound of The Mamas and The Papas and The Lovin' Spoonful. Comparisons aside, though, "40 Day Dream" is still nostalgic and catchy enough to win my heart over!
"I Want the World to Stop" by Belle and Sebastian: When hearing the term "critic's darlings", Belle and Sebastian are typically the FIRST band that come to mind! The fact alone that they were named after a British children's TV show should be a hint as to what Belle and Sebastian's music typically sounds like to those who are unfamiliar with them - very warm-and-fuzzy, childlike, nostalgic, etc. B & S also manage to put a little "zing" into their music sometimes, by making their music energetic, as opposed to just wistful, as they had done with their 2006 song, the somewhat Todd Rundgren-esque "Funny Little Frog". "I Want the World to Stop" continues in "Frog"'s footsteps, only the energy level is sped up a bit, and it has more of a mid-'70s disco feel than early '70s Todd Rundgren. The trademark muted trumpet solos that nearly every B & S song seem to have continues in "I Want the World to Stop", though, so that helps it to retain the typical B & S spirit that it might have lacked if not for that.
"Only the Young" by Brandon Flowers: If the synthesized intro in the otherwise guitar-oriented "Read My Mind" from Flowers' band The Killers were extended, it would probably sound like "Only the Young". If Flowers' previous solo effort, "Crossfire", was his attempt at a Springsteen/U2 song, then "Only the Young" seems more like an attempt to emulate Sting's mid-to-late '80s solo works. I know what some of you might be thinking, but this isn't necessarily a BAD thing! It does yield more disappointing results than "Crossfire" did (which I initially gave a somewhat harsh review to, but it grew on me the more it played). "Only the Young" at least makes an effort to TRY to sound good, though, and maybe it will grow on me eventually, too.
"Save My Love" by Bruce Springsteen: Hmmmm...this sounds like a VINTAGE Springsteen tune. That's because it IS!! It's an outtake from The Boss's 1978 masterpiece, "Darkness On the Edge of Town". It sounds like it belongs on there, too, for it's not the Van Morrison-esque jazz-rock of Bruce's first two albums, and nor is it the Phil Spector-meets-Bob Dylan epic rock of "Born to Run" (the album AND the song), but rather the tinkly but still rollicking piano-rock that is purely The Boss's own! This is a great track! My only question is, why did Springsteen stop releasing songs of this quality once "Born In the U.S.A." came around?!?
"Telephone" by Black Angels: As The Black Keys, Carney, and (to a certain extent) of Montreal's latest tunes have proven, 2010 has proven to be a year of renewed interest in '60s garage rock!! Even the name of the band, "Black Angels", was taken from a Velvet Underground tune, the violent violin-rocker "Black Angel's Death Song". The irresistibly cheesy organs of this song, and even the little-over-2-minute length of it make it seem like it could have been used by the same guys who did the "BBC" song in the credits of one of the "Austin Powers" movies! Its simplistic, repetitive rhythm, chord structure, and frustrated-by-love lyrics all convey the same vibe "Louie Louie" and "96 Tears" did many years ago! A must for fans of '60s rock!!
"Terrible Things" by April Smith and The Great Picture Show: Beginning with Lily Allen and Kate Nash, and continuing to this day in bands like Florence and The Machine, there seems to have been a trend in the late '00s/early 2010's for eclectic but sassy female alt-rock/indie musicians. The latest to jump on the bandwagon are the super-eclectic, ultra-catchy, melodic soul-inflected indie-pop of April Smith and The Great Picture Show. The eclectic qualities of this song are definitely worth discussing, as "Terrible Things" combines, reggae (in the beginning), jazz, soul, and even some subtle elements of punk into one big auditory party!! April Smith's Gwen Stefani-esque vocals tend to add to the sexiness and slinkiness that "Terrible Things" already has going for it! Within the sudden slew of songs that have come out in October 2010, this one might just be my fave so far!
"The Cave" by Mumford and Sons: Just like the first song reviewed this song, this last one is also an "oldie-come-lately". It's been receiving airplay on adult alt. stations since summer of this year, yet it's only been within the past 2 or so weeks that stations besides Sirius XM's Spectrum have started adding it in regular rotation. Even among bands already classified as "indie", Mumford and Sons have a special quality to each of their songs, which typically feature an old Celtic folk sound, a dobro (think a cross between a mandolin and a banjo), and almost Crosby-Stills-and-Nash-ish vocal harmonies. I've known about these guys since Sirius XM first featured "White Blank Page" back in January of this year, and since their now smash hit, "Little Lion Man", had made an epic journey across many adult alt and "regular" alt stations. The Celtic folk/dobro/harmony factor is present in pretty much every Mumford and Sons song, yet what sets apart "The Cave" from the rest of their material is the muted trumpet solo at the end of the song! It's my favorite part of the whole thing!! Though each of their songs seems to take on a similar rhythmic pattern, the chord structures are not usually the same, so "The Cave" is also memorable for that factor as well. If you haven't heard these guys, PLEASE do!! I initially thought they were an Irish group (only to find out from various sources that they're actually from England), but their influences almost CERTAINLY seem to be rooted in Irish folk - another reason I like them SO much - I'm Irish, too, in my heritage.
"40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: One of the two "oldies-come-lately", as listed in the title of this week's review. This song seems to have been circulating on adult alt. stations since the summer of this year, but has only seen a big increase within the last week. Ed and The Zeros' song "Home" has been around since February of this year (a week before I made this blog!), and seems to have become a fave among both adult alt and "regular" alt audiences (surprisingly), probably for its nostalgic, Mamas-and-Papas-ish vibe and lush, melodic, harmonizing vocals. Their second big hit, "40 Day Dream", retains the nostalgic vibe of "Home", but uses more keyboards (the old-timey kind, not electronic), and has a slower rhythm. It seems a bit incongruous that the chorus of this song seems to lift from the exact same chords of the chorus of Journey's "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'", as Journey seem to be built on being "crowd pleasers", where Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros seem more about recreating the quirky but catchy folk-rock sound of The Mamas and The Papas and The Lovin' Spoonful. Comparisons aside, though, "40 Day Dream" is still nostalgic and catchy enough to win my heart over!
"I Want the World to Stop" by Belle and Sebastian: When hearing the term "critic's darlings", Belle and Sebastian are typically the FIRST band that come to mind! The fact alone that they were named after a British children's TV show should be a hint as to what Belle and Sebastian's music typically sounds like to those who are unfamiliar with them - very warm-and-fuzzy, childlike, nostalgic, etc. B & S also manage to put a little "zing" into their music sometimes, by making their music energetic, as opposed to just wistful, as they had done with their 2006 song, the somewhat Todd Rundgren-esque "Funny Little Frog". "I Want the World to Stop" continues in "Frog"'s footsteps, only the energy level is sped up a bit, and it has more of a mid-'70s disco feel than early '70s Todd Rundgren. The trademark muted trumpet solos that nearly every B & S song seem to have continues in "I Want the World to Stop", though, so that helps it to retain the typical B & S spirit that it might have lacked if not for that.
"Only the Young" by Brandon Flowers: If the synthesized intro in the otherwise guitar-oriented "Read My Mind" from Flowers' band The Killers were extended, it would probably sound like "Only the Young". If Flowers' previous solo effort, "Crossfire", was his attempt at a Springsteen/U2 song, then "Only the Young" seems more like an attempt to emulate Sting's mid-to-late '80s solo works. I know what some of you might be thinking, but this isn't necessarily a BAD thing! It does yield more disappointing results than "Crossfire" did (which I initially gave a somewhat harsh review to, but it grew on me the more it played). "Only the Young" at least makes an effort to TRY to sound good, though, and maybe it will grow on me eventually, too.
"Save My Love" by Bruce Springsteen: Hmmmm...this sounds like a VINTAGE Springsteen tune. That's because it IS!! It's an outtake from The Boss's 1978 masterpiece, "Darkness On the Edge of Town". It sounds like it belongs on there, too, for it's not the Van Morrison-esque jazz-rock of Bruce's first two albums, and nor is it the Phil Spector-meets-Bob Dylan epic rock of "Born to Run" (the album AND the song), but rather the tinkly but still rollicking piano-rock that is purely The Boss's own! This is a great track! My only question is, why did Springsteen stop releasing songs of this quality once "Born In the U.S.A." came around?!?
"Telephone" by Black Angels: As The Black Keys, Carney, and (to a certain extent) of Montreal's latest tunes have proven, 2010 has proven to be a year of renewed interest in '60s garage rock!! Even the name of the band, "Black Angels", was taken from a Velvet Underground tune, the violent violin-rocker "Black Angel's Death Song". The irresistibly cheesy organs of this song, and even the little-over-2-minute length of it make it seem like it could have been used by the same guys who did the "BBC" song in the credits of one of the "Austin Powers" movies! Its simplistic, repetitive rhythm, chord structure, and frustrated-by-love lyrics all convey the same vibe "Louie Louie" and "96 Tears" did many years ago! A must for fans of '60s rock!!
"Terrible Things" by April Smith and The Great Picture Show: Beginning with Lily Allen and Kate Nash, and continuing to this day in bands like Florence and The Machine, there seems to have been a trend in the late '00s/early 2010's for eclectic but sassy female alt-rock/indie musicians. The latest to jump on the bandwagon are the super-eclectic, ultra-catchy, melodic soul-inflected indie-pop of April Smith and The Great Picture Show. The eclectic qualities of this song are definitely worth discussing, as "Terrible Things" combines, reggae (in the beginning), jazz, soul, and even some subtle elements of punk into one big auditory party!! April Smith's Gwen Stefani-esque vocals tend to add to the sexiness and slinkiness that "Terrible Things" already has going for it! Within the sudden slew of songs that have come out in October 2010, this one might just be my fave so far!
"The Cave" by Mumford and Sons: Just like the first song reviewed this song, this last one is also an "oldie-come-lately". It's been receiving airplay on adult alt. stations since summer of this year, yet it's only been within the past 2 or so weeks that stations besides Sirius XM's Spectrum have started adding it in regular rotation. Even among bands already classified as "indie", Mumford and Sons have a special quality to each of their songs, which typically feature an old Celtic folk sound, a dobro (think a cross between a mandolin and a banjo), and almost Crosby-Stills-and-Nash-ish vocal harmonies. I've known about these guys since Sirius XM first featured "White Blank Page" back in January of this year, and since their now smash hit, "Little Lion Man", had made an epic journey across many adult alt and "regular" alt stations. The Celtic folk/dobro/harmony factor is present in pretty much every Mumford and Sons song, yet what sets apart "The Cave" from the rest of their material is the muted trumpet solo at the end of the song! It's my favorite part of the whole thing!! Though each of their songs seems to take on a similar rhythmic pattern, the chord structures are not usually the same, so "The Cave" is also memorable for that factor as well. If you haven't heard these guys, PLEASE do!! I initially thought they were an Irish group (only to find out from various sources that they're actually from England), but their influences almost CERTAINLY seem to be rooted in Irish folk - another reason I like them SO much - I'm Irish, too, in my heritage.
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