here they are:
“Best Days” by Lissie: Fitting that a song called “Best Days” sounds so happy and hopeful, isn’t it? Well, there’s a good reason for that. “Best Days” is Lissie’s song of hope, and it’s her way of letting her listeners know that the “good old days” are the ones we are living in right now. Lissie even sings in the middle of the song that she “wants more best days”. What a great attitude to have in times where nearly everyone seems to wish they could escape the present era!
“Girlfriend” by Anderson East: Anderson is a unique musician in this day and age, alternating between gritty sax driven soul music, calmer roots-y country-rock (perhaps influenced by his girlfriend, country star Miranda Lambert), and sometimes even straight up pop. On “Girlfriend”, Anderson goes back to the gutsy soul music that I originally knew him for. Unlike what its title might suggest, “Girlfriend” is not a simple declaration of love here, but instead a love triangle. Anderson loudly and somewhat proudly proclaims during the chorus that he “thinks (he’s) in love” with the subject’s “girlfriend”. I wonder what Miranda is gonna think of THIS one!
“Listening In” by Dr. Dog: Ever the quirky, original sounding indie band, Dr. Dog have done it again with their latest song, “Listening In”. The lyrics are pretty simple, with only three verses with practically identical lyrics and a bridge, but the music itself provides nearly 5 minutes of trippy, neo-psychedelic goodness! It appears the song is even a bit prog-rock influenced, with the middle of the song suddenly changing rhythm before the third verse kicks in. The song also provides just the right amount of balance between keyboard and guitar, unlike most indie songs these days, which tend to focus on one more than the other.
“May You Be Well” – The Lone Bellow: After splashing onto adult alt radio during the summer of last year with the rollicking, energetic, “Time’s Always Leaving”, the second single from The Lone Bellow’s third album, “May You Be Well”, is a more reflective and somewhat reverent sounding piece of music. It is a very sentimental song, both musically and lyrically, and was written by lead singer Zach Williams to his oldest daughter as a declaration of love from father to child. Both of his daughters ended up liking the track, though, especially Betty, his youngest, who expressed how moved she was that her dad chose to dedicate a song to one of his kids. I guess that’s the thing about good music. It can be enjoyed from one generation to the next!
“Never Look Back” by Field Report: It hasn’t been a very easy road for Wisconsin folk-rock quartet, Field Report, but they seem to be able to squeeze out one adult alt radio hit per album. So far, this pattern has continued into their third album with their latest song, “Never Look Back”. One thing I have noticed about the songs that have gained attention from Field Report is how more instrumentation gets used on each song. “Never Look Back” contains more echoic instrumentation and a bit more acoustic/electric guitar harmony than their other two hit songs. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the talk box used during the solo of the song, although it’s used in a rather subtle manner.
“On the Lips” by JD McPherson: What if The Black Keys covered songs like Modern English’s “I Melt With You”? Sounds kinda weird, doesn’t it?! Well, that’s pretty much the sound of JD McPherson’s latest song, “On the Lips”! No one ever thought that a guy whose first big song was a Little Richard sound-alike would be churning out THIS kinda music, but it does manage to work here. Well, kinda. Despite its rather futuristic sound, the song is actually about a moment from JD’s distant past. Specifically, it’s about his first kiss, and how much excitement he felt rushing through him when that special someone’s smooch “hit (him) on the lips”.
“Paradise” by George Ezra: No, this is not a cover of the popular Coldplay song of the same name, although George Ezra’s “Paradise” does have a bit more of a pop element than most of his folk-rock-y material has so far. This “Paradise” is definitely more upbeat and a little more rockin’ than the tune that Chris Martin and co put out a few years ago. It is also a declaration of love the whole way through. There are times when the lyrical fervor of this song runs hotter than others, such as the chorus, when George says, “If it feels like paradise running through your bloody veins, you know it’s love heading your way”. Love sure does make you do strange things sometimes, doesn’t it?!
“Roll On Slow” by Glen Hansard: The Irish folk-rocker whose first big hit was from the “Once” soundtrack amps it up on his latest song, “Roll On Slow”. There is something vaguely similar (though not near as impressive) to Bruce Springsteen songs like “She’s the One” and “Born to Run” on this song, and a bit of a soulful vibe as well during the chorus that could have easily come from fellow Irishmen, The Commitments (even though they were a movie-only band). The Springsteen-esque sound might have been intentional on “Roll On Slow”, since Glen has performed the song before with E Street Band drummer, Max Weinberg. The song definitely has an East Coast vibe to it, and was written while Glen was living in New York City. Behind the song’s determined, gutsy sound, however, lies a tale of sadness and woe. Apparently, the song was inspired by how Glen started drinking alcohol too heavily because his girlfriend was on vacation. The song’s urban vibe and fast beats help to compensate for the sad subject matter, though.
Showing posts with label Field Report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Field Report. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
New songs for September 10th, 2014
here they are:
"Budapest" by George Ezra: He might not be from Budapest (he's British), but George Ezra's song about the capital of Hungary is still a song that grabs your attention just from the first listen! "Budapest" combines the world music influenced rhythmic patterns of later Paul Simon songs with the more galloping acoustic rhythm of Mumford and Sons. As neo-folk-rock is becoming more and more in demand these days, it's no wonder George Ezra's rise to stardom has climaxed so quickly! "Give me one good reason that I should never make a change", Ezra demands during the chorus. I'm with Ezra, personally. He should make a change, stylistically, as many musicians do, so I can see just how capable and diverse his musical range is. Some folks might sound better than Ezra (including Better than Ezra), but he's still worth listening to for the moment.
"Forgotten Man" by Tom Petty: In less than three minutes, Petty proves that he can really rock no matter how little time he has, with "Forgotten Man"! The song opens with a Bo Diddley shuffle and Chuck Berry licks, and it continues to use them both throughout. Not too many chords are used in the song, either. Petty might be complaining that he "feels like a forgotten man" during the song, but it's pretty much impossible to forget a song like this one! Sometimes, simple is best!!
"Happy Idiot" by TV on the Radio: If "love will tear us apart", as Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis coldly claimed almost three and a half decades ago, then what is there left to do afterwards?! Well, according to TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, the answer to that is to be a "happy idiot". The chords, atmosphere, and lyrics of "Happy Idiot" all owe a lot to Joy Division. "Happy Idiot" is an icy, brutally honest song about how retreating to idiocy can be a way of escaping the harsh reality of certain situations. In this particular case, the other TVOTR members are probably using this song to grieve over how their original bassist, Gerard Smith, died last year. It almost seems eerie that the word "idiot" and the Joy Division influence in the song can serve as a potential parallel to how Iggy Pop's similarly titled album, "The Idiot", was the last album that Joy Division's Ian Curtis listened to due to the fact that he hung himself after putting it on. Isn't music history fascinating?!
"Home (Leave the Lights On)" by Field Report: Folk-rock group, Field Report, seemed like they had one of the saddest, most beautiful songs of 2012, with the stark "I Am Not Waiting Anymore". The fact that no other songs from their debut CD got any attention led me to believe that Field Report were pretty much destined for one-hit wonder status. Two summers later, it appears as though I've been proven wrong with the release of Field Report's "Home (Leave the Lights On)", the bouncy sound of which shines like a glimmer of hope next to the more bittersweet "I Am Not Waiting Anymore". With "Home", Field Report actually sound more like a band, as opposed to sounding like one person posing as a band. A rhythm section is added in, and it sounds like there are two different guitars being used as well. Field Report probably kept their original fanbase in mind, though, as "Home" still sounds as poignant as ever.
"Budapest" by George Ezra: He might not be from Budapest (he's British), but George Ezra's song about the capital of Hungary is still a song that grabs your attention just from the first listen! "Budapest" combines the world music influenced rhythmic patterns of later Paul Simon songs with the more galloping acoustic rhythm of Mumford and Sons. As neo-folk-rock is becoming more and more in demand these days, it's no wonder George Ezra's rise to stardom has climaxed so quickly! "Give me one good reason that I should never make a change", Ezra demands during the chorus. I'm with Ezra, personally. He should make a change, stylistically, as many musicians do, so I can see just how capable and diverse his musical range is. Some folks might sound better than Ezra (including Better than Ezra), but he's still worth listening to for the moment.
"Forgotten Man" by Tom Petty: In less than three minutes, Petty proves that he can really rock no matter how little time he has, with "Forgotten Man"! The song opens with a Bo Diddley shuffle and Chuck Berry licks, and it continues to use them both throughout. Not too many chords are used in the song, either. Petty might be complaining that he "feels like a forgotten man" during the song, but it's pretty much impossible to forget a song like this one! Sometimes, simple is best!!
"Happy Idiot" by TV on the Radio: If "love will tear us apart", as Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis coldly claimed almost three and a half decades ago, then what is there left to do afterwards?! Well, according to TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, the answer to that is to be a "happy idiot". The chords, atmosphere, and lyrics of "Happy Idiot" all owe a lot to Joy Division. "Happy Idiot" is an icy, brutally honest song about how retreating to idiocy can be a way of escaping the harsh reality of certain situations. In this particular case, the other TVOTR members are probably using this song to grieve over how their original bassist, Gerard Smith, died last year. It almost seems eerie that the word "idiot" and the Joy Division influence in the song can serve as a potential parallel to how Iggy Pop's similarly titled album, "The Idiot", was the last album that Joy Division's Ian Curtis listened to due to the fact that he hung himself after putting it on. Isn't music history fascinating?!
"Home (Leave the Lights On)" by Field Report: Folk-rock group, Field Report, seemed like they had one of the saddest, most beautiful songs of 2012, with the stark "I Am Not Waiting Anymore". The fact that no other songs from their debut CD got any attention led me to believe that Field Report were pretty much destined for one-hit wonder status. Two summers later, it appears as though I've been proven wrong with the release of Field Report's "Home (Leave the Lights On)", the bouncy sound of which shines like a glimmer of hope next to the more bittersweet "I Am Not Waiting Anymore". With "Home", Field Report actually sound more like a band, as opposed to sounding like one person posing as a band. A rhythm section is added in, and it sounds like there are two different guitars being used as well. Field Report probably kept their original fanbase in mind, though, as "Home" still sounds as poignant as ever.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
New songs for August 1st, 2012
here they are:
"Charmer" by Aimee Mann: Just a mere 3 years ago, Aimee Mann released a song called "Freeway", which was more of a country-pop song than that of Aimee's usual style of quirky, vaguely Beatlesque power pop. Thankfully, "Charmer" marks a return to Aimee's signature musical style! Aimee's sense of subtle sarcasm is also present on "Charmer" ("when you're a charmer, you hate yourself"). The goofy yet irresistible synths on "Charmer" are also likely to draw its listeners in. To sum it all up, "Charmer" lives up to its name. It has "charmed" me into listening to it more, and it has also restored my musical faith in Aimee Mann!
"I Am Not Waiting Anymore" by Field Report: Fans of Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and Iron & Wine will probably like the melancholy but gentle folk-rock flavor of Field Report. Their debut song, "I Am Not Waiting Anymore", definitely puts the emphasis on the melancholy part in terms of the lyrics. The raspy vocals of Field Report's lead singer seems to double the emotion in this already emotional song. My favorite part of "I Am Not Waiting Anymore" is probably in the final verse, in which Field Report's singer talks about how he has spent "8 long years, working on (his) screenplay", and how that screenplay is a "teen movie with young actresses that plays to the middle ages". Somehow the description of this "movie" cracks me up!! It sounds almost like the typical indie film, which would be quite fitting considering this is an indie song!
"Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" by 7Horse: Earlier this year, 7Horse gave us one of the spiciest, catchiest, most rockin' songs of the year with "Low Fuel Drug Run". Now, the roots-rockers known as 7Horse are back with another '70s rock throwback with "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker", of which even the title references classic rock ("Zoso" is what the runes on the cover of Led Zeppelin's 4th album spell out). The lyrics of "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" are sung so fast, it almost feels like they're rapped, even though they're not. The chug-along rhythm and Lynyrd Skynyrd-esque guitar riffs evoke images of a truck barreling along the freeway as much as they do a car commercial. To top off the classic rock homages in "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker", 7Horse's lead singer even lets out a Steve Miller-esque "Woo-hoo!" during the chorus a couple times!
"Outta My System" by My Morning Jacket: The fifth song to get noticed so far from My Morning Jacket's CD "Circuital" (which is over a year old by now) is "Outta My System". MMJ have ran the gamut on "Circuital", with their unique attempts at straight ahead rock ("Holdin' On to Black Metal"), psychedelia ("You Wanna Freak Out"), jazz-rock ("First Light"), and bittersweet folk-rock ("Wonderful [The Way I Feel]"). So with all that musical diversity already tackled on one CD, what have Jim James and the boys thought up next?!? Well, "Outta My System" is a song that combines the harmonies and instrumentation of a "Pet Sounds" type song with shimmering country influenced guitar riffs. The combination described might sound a bit uneven, but it works out spectacularly, creating a soaring, winsome song as a result! MMJ continue to impress me immensely with "Outta My System", and I look forward to knowing what they'll come up with next!!
"Underwater" by Joshua Radin: Ahh, Joshua Radin! One of those musicians I've always found to have a wistful, yet crisp and solid sound! "Underwater" adds a dimension to Radin's music that I haven't previously seen (although then again I don't know that many songs by him), and that is a side of whimsy! The song basically seems to be about how, in times of trouble, Joshua Radin's preferred way of escaping is "underwater", seemingly the opposite of "Up On the Roof" (although that song is about the same thing, escaping from the pressures of everyday life). The bittersweet vibe and universally relatable subject matter of "Underwater" already draws the listener in, but the appeal of the song builds up midway through when a sweeping string orchestra joins in with the acoustic guitar leading the song along. "Underwater" only makes me want to rise above the water, and into my imagination to see where it takes me when I listen to this song!
"(Won't Be) Coming Home" by Robert Cray: This song might be from 2012, but it still sounds like it's from another time when Robert Cray's slick, polished brand of blues-rock competed with rock 'n' roll giants like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
"(Won't Be) Coming Home" seems to dabble in the nostalgia of Robert Cray's original sound, with a full band backing him and Clapton-esque guitar riffs throughout the song. Cray did release an album midway through the 2000's, but its sound was more earthy and organic. I was hoping Robert Cray would continue with that sound in
"(Won't Be) Coming Home", but instead, he opts for a sound that is halfway between blues and 1980's classic rock. Nevertheless, though, "(Won't Be) Coming Home" is still worth listening to, even if it is just for its surprisingly throwback-ish sound.
"Would That Not Be Nice?" by Divine Fits: Anyone who mistakes "Would That Not Be Nice?" for being the latest song from Spoon has a good reason to do so. It not only sounds like a Spoon song, but its band, Divine Fits, is also the side project of Spoon's lead singer, Britt Daniels. "Would That Not Be Nice?" is also a song that sounds bright enough and catchy enough to be a summertime anthem! The quirkiness of the typical Spoon song is evident in both the song and the lyrics (particularly the added alliterative appeal of the verse where Britt sings about a "cup of coffee" and a "candleabra from California"). Just when you thought this song couldn't get any quirkier, Britt pulls a "false ending" on us towards the end of "Would That Not Be Nice?", with about a minute extra of just instrumental jammin'. "Would That Not Be Nice?" Yes, it WOULD be "nice"!!
"Charmer" by Aimee Mann: Just a mere 3 years ago, Aimee Mann released a song called "Freeway", which was more of a country-pop song than that of Aimee's usual style of quirky, vaguely Beatlesque power pop. Thankfully, "Charmer" marks a return to Aimee's signature musical style! Aimee's sense of subtle sarcasm is also present on "Charmer" ("when you're a charmer, you hate yourself"). The goofy yet irresistible synths on "Charmer" are also likely to draw its listeners in. To sum it all up, "Charmer" lives up to its name. It has "charmed" me into listening to it more, and it has also restored my musical faith in Aimee Mann!
"I Am Not Waiting Anymore" by Field Report: Fans of Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and Iron & Wine will probably like the melancholy but gentle folk-rock flavor of Field Report. Their debut song, "I Am Not Waiting Anymore", definitely puts the emphasis on the melancholy part in terms of the lyrics. The raspy vocals of Field Report's lead singer seems to double the emotion in this already emotional song. My favorite part of "I Am Not Waiting Anymore" is probably in the final verse, in which Field Report's singer talks about how he has spent "8 long years, working on (his) screenplay", and how that screenplay is a "teen movie with young actresses that plays to the middle ages". Somehow the description of this "movie" cracks me up!! It sounds almost like the typical indie film, which would be quite fitting considering this is an indie song!
"Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" by 7Horse: Earlier this year, 7Horse gave us one of the spiciest, catchiest, most rockin' songs of the year with "Low Fuel Drug Run". Now, the roots-rockers known as 7Horse are back with another '70s rock throwback with "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker", of which even the title references classic rock ("Zoso" is what the runes on the cover of Led Zeppelin's 4th album spell out). The lyrics of "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" are sung so fast, it almost feels like they're rapped, even though they're not. The chug-along rhythm and Lynyrd Skynyrd-esque guitar riffs evoke images of a truck barreling along the freeway as much as they do a car commercial. To top off the classic rock homages in "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker", 7Horse's lead singer even lets out a Steve Miller-esque "Woo-hoo!" during the chorus a couple times!
"Outta My System" by My Morning Jacket: The fifth song to get noticed so far from My Morning Jacket's CD "Circuital" (which is over a year old by now) is "Outta My System". MMJ have ran the gamut on "Circuital", with their unique attempts at straight ahead rock ("Holdin' On to Black Metal"), psychedelia ("You Wanna Freak Out"), jazz-rock ("First Light"), and bittersweet folk-rock ("Wonderful [The Way I Feel]"). So with all that musical diversity already tackled on one CD, what have Jim James and the boys thought up next?!? Well, "Outta My System" is a song that combines the harmonies and instrumentation of a "Pet Sounds" type song with shimmering country influenced guitar riffs. The combination described might sound a bit uneven, but it works out spectacularly, creating a soaring, winsome song as a result! MMJ continue to impress me immensely with "Outta My System", and I look forward to knowing what they'll come up with next!!
"Underwater" by Joshua Radin: Ahh, Joshua Radin! One of those musicians I've always found to have a wistful, yet crisp and solid sound! "Underwater" adds a dimension to Radin's music that I haven't previously seen (although then again I don't know that many songs by him), and that is a side of whimsy! The song basically seems to be about how, in times of trouble, Joshua Radin's preferred way of escaping is "underwater", seemingly the opposite of "Up On the Roof" (although that song is about the same thing, escaping from the pressures of everyday life). The bittersweet vibe and universally relatable subject matter of "Underwater" already draws the listener in, but the appeal of the song builds up midway through when a sweeping string orchestra joins in with the acoustic guitar leading the song along. "Underwater" only makes me want to rise above the water, and into my imagination to see where it takes me when I listen to this song!
"(Won't Be) Coming Home" by Robert Cray: This song might be from 2012, but it still sounds like it's from another time when Robert Cray's slick, polished brand of blues-rock competed with rock 'n' roll giants like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
"(Won't Be) Coming Home" seems to dabble in the nostalgia of Robert Cray's original sound, with a full band backing him and Clapton-esque guitar riffs throughout the song. Cray did release an album midway through the 2000's, but its sound was more earthy and organic. I was hoping Robert Cray would continue with that sound in
"(Won't Be) Coming Home", but instead, he opts for a sound that is halfway between blues and 1980's classic rock. Nevertheless, though, "(Won't Be) Coming Home" is still worth listening to, even if it is just for its surprisingly throwback-ish sound.
"Would That Not Be Nice?" by Divine Fits: Anyone who mistakes "Would That Not Be Nice?" for being the latest song from Spoon has a good reason to do so. It not only sounds like a Spoon song, but its band, Divine Fits, is also the side project of Spoon's lead singer, Britt Daniels. "Would That Not Be Nice?" is also a song that sounds bright enough and catchy enough to be a summertime anthem! The quirkiness of the typical Spoon song is evident in both the song and the lyrics (particularly the added alliterative appeal of the verse where Britt sings about a "cup of coffee" and a "candleabra from California"). Just when you thought this song couldn't get any quirkier, Britt pulls a "false ending" on us towards the end of "Would That Not Be Nice?", with about a minute extra of just instrumental jammin'. "Would That Not Be Nice?" Yes, it WOULD be "nice"!!
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