New songs for August 24th, 2022

 Here they are:

"Blood on the Tracks" by Marcus King: With "Blood on the Tracks," blues-rocker Marcus King continues with his throwback 1970's-inspired sound. Taking musical cues from both Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Born on the Bayou" and the CCR-soundalike song, "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)," "Blood on the Tracks" is a slinky, blues-y vamp with lyrics that as rooted in the blues as the music is. The song has a similar lyrical theme to many older blues tunes in that it concerns someone who is in the midst of making a difficult decision between the sensuous allure of music and the more purifying ways of spiritual life.

"Out of My Head" by First Aid Kit: "Out of My Head" is a phrase that some people might think apply to First Aid Kit themselves when they hear this song, as it appears that after about a decade of folk-rock, the Swedish songbird sisters of First Aid Kit have finally surrendered to synth-pop. Chances are, no one saw this coming (I certainly didn't). Apparently, they wanted a sound that was closer to musicians like Kate Bush and 1980's-era Stevie Nicks, both of whom have dabbled in the folk-rock sound as well at times. "Out of My Head" is about being trapped inside your mind and wanting to escape from it, and the throbbing urgency of the song's instrumentation certainly seems to indicate this, yet it still contains the yearning fervor present in most other First Aid Kit songs.

"Stay Out of It" by Michigander: This song features Michigander at their most U2-ish so far. The riffs on the chorus could have easily been influenced by a song like "Where the Streets Have No Name." The more bass-laden verses make for an interesting contrast with the more driven vibe of the chorus. Not a whole lot more to say about this song, but it's a good one.

"Tippa My Tongue" by Red Hot Chili Peppers: This song marks a return to form for RHCP. The mixture of funk and rock they started out with did get featured in a few of the songs they did from the '90s onward, but it wasn't near as common as what it was when they started out. "Tippa My Tongue" brings back the freewheeling and somewhat goofy funk-rock the Chili Peppers started out with, and even features a few "rapped" sections during the verses. 

New songs for October 4th, 2017

here they are:


"Domino (Time Will Tell)" by Hiss Golden Messenger: Much like in Van Morrison's similarly titled "Domino", we never really find out who (or what) "Domino" is in the context of this song, but in both cases, they appear to be a person. Both songs also center around the joys of music. However, this "Domino" has more of a roots-y country-rock sound, as opposed to Van's soulful jazz-rock ditty. It appears to be more lyrically influenced by The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'" than it is by Morrison's "Domino" (which both came out in the year 1970, coincidentally) with its constant name dropping of famous cities and venues in the U.S. and its narrative of life on the road. Will this song hold up as well as The Dead and Van the Man have?! Well, as the parenthetical title of this song implies, "time will tell"!


"If We Were Vampires" by Jason Isbell: After Jason's scathing, rocking, "Hope the High Road" from earlier this year, he has come back a second time around with a much softer and more reflective song, albeit with a spookier title apt for the month Halloween happens to fall on. The song actually has little to do with vampires, and a lot to do with contemplating the meaning of life and whether it's worth living. The song only gets more poignant as it goes on, culminating with the lines, "Maybe we'll get 40 years together/But one day I'll be gone, or one day you'll be gone", quite possibly the deepest lyrics in a country-rock song since "Dust In the Wind".


"It's A Shame" by First Aid Kit: It was just about a month ago that First Aid Kit, a folk-rock duo of Swedish sisters, released a surprisingly catchy song called "Revolution" with newcomer, Van William. Now, First Aid Kit have once again struck out on their own. "It's A Shame" isn't quite as catchy as "Revolution", but it's still memorable, and First Aid Kit fans will likely be drawn to it, since it has the trademark harmonies and bittersweet yet buoyant folk-rock instrumentation the sisters have become known for. The "shame" that is talked about in the song is the shame that is felt when a relationship ends. The vintage sounding organ in the song gives it a slightly Dylan-esque flavor, and was apparently recorded in Jack White from The White Stripes' studio.


"One Foot" by Walk the Moon: There has always been something irresistibly cheesy about Walk the Moon's music. That's nothing new! What is new, however, is that their latest song, "One Foot", has a bit less guitar than their fans might be used to. Both their debut single, "Anna Sun", and the massively successful "Shut Up And Dance" have used guitar as a prominent instrument, sounding like an unabashedly pop-y version of U2 in doing so. "One Foot" just doesn't have that U2-ish sound. It is largely a synth driven song, except during the chorus when you can hear the guitarist a bit more clearly. One thing WTM haven't lost, though, is their knack for making radio ready pop music with a slightly "alternative" edge. They have turned the cliche phrase, "one foot in front of the other", into a group of words that can be shouted at a stadium! These guys could probably sing a section of the phonebook and still make a Top 40 hit out of it!


"Spent the Day In Bed" by Morrissey: And last, but certainly not least, the distinctly voiced, notoriously cynical lead singer of innovative '80s indie-pop band, The Smiths, has returned to make lyrical poetry out of complaints once again. Though Morrissey is a native Brit, he seems to pay attention to political affairs the world around, and is usually unhappy about them. This leads me to believe that "Spent the Day In Bed" is probably about the current state of American political affairs, particularly when Moz urges his listeners to "stop watching the news" during the chorus. Over a quirky, stilted keyboard sound that might not sound out of place in a Zombies tune, Morrissey broodingly croons about how agoraphobia might not be a bad choice with all the negativity going on in the world outside his house. Hopefully we'll be able to wake you up in 2020, Moz! In the meantime, sweet dreams...hopefully.

New songs for September 6th 2017

here they are:


"Bones of Saints" by Robert Plant: In contrast to the folk-y "The May Queen" from just last week, "Bones of Saints" has a bit more of a sound that suggests what it might sound like if Led Zeppelin had stayed together into the new millennium. The foreboding "bones" part of the title suggests that it's more of a rock song, but fear not, it's not a spooky one. It's a fun little blues-y romp tinged with mythological motifs that were common in Plant's music during the Led Zeppelin days. It doesn't hit quite as hard as the typical Zeppelin tune, but for those who want Robert Plant to show off some of his rock and roll past, you got your wish!


"Day I Die" by The National: Joy Division styled electro-gloom fused with U2 styled guitars might not seem like a good match at first, but The National manage to make it work on their latest song, "Day I Die". Strained family relationships and drug/alcohol abuse make up the core of this song, which has Matt Berninger wondering, "The day I die, where will I be?" Judging by the lyrical content and the somewhat dismal musical landscape, he probably thinks he won't be in a good place when he dies. Fate is a fickle friend, isn't it?!


"No Witness" by LP: A departure from the folk-y vibes of "Into the Wild" and "Lost On You", LP's latest song, "No Witness", has more of a post-millennial alt-pop flavor to it, full of synths and handclap sounds. It comes off sounding like Queen's "We Will Rock You" as if it was covered by Lorde. Where "Lost On You" was more of a mournful pining on a love gone lost, "No Witness" is a song in which LP accepts her fate as the rejected lover, admitting, "No one can save me, love me or hate me". She seems to use the aforementioned line as a bit of a mantra before jumping into the chorus, as if she doesn't like what has happened to her, but has still chosen to accept it that it's just how things are.


"Over Everything" by Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett: Move over, Cobain and Love! There's a new Kurt and Courtney in town! Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett, to be exact, both of whom are eclectic indie-folk-rockers of the 2010's. Their first song together, "Over Everything", epitomizes the "slacker" aesthetic of the indie scene. It is a very lazy, hazy song, with lyrics that don't exactly add up to a cohesive narrative (at least not that I can tell). However, it also has an equal amount of sensitivity in terms of how it sounds, both instrumentally and vocally. At 6 and a half minutes, the song also has a bit of a "jam band" vibe. I wonder if that was influenced by both Kurt and Courtney contributing to an all-indie tribute to The Grateful Dead that came out about a year ago.


"Revolution" by Van William (featuring First Aid Kit): No, this is not a Beatles cover song, for those who might be wondering. Far from it, in this case. Unlike the rollicking, roaring Lennon-McCartney tune of the same name, this "Revolution" is soft and folk-y and has nothing to do with politics whatsoever. This song is simply about a strained relationship that both members of the couple want to patch up. Nothing too remarkable about this song, but it is pleasant to listen to, and the horns that come in midway through the song make it sound a bit more unique than it would otherwise.


"The Sky Is A Neighborhood" by Foo Fighters: Last, but certainly not least, the mighty Foo Fighters are still roarin' and rockin' to this very day! Their latest song is essentially arena rock in the vein of The Who or Queen, but meant more for the current generation. What's particularly remarkable about this song, though, is the lyrics. Dave Grohl supposedly was reading Neil DeGrasse Tyson books when he came up with the lyrics to this song. Its talk of heaven, the stars, and the sky is not merely poetic metaphor in this song, but rather a literal musing on the cosmos. Rock never sounded so out of this world!

New songs for November 19th, 2014

here they are:


"Rollercoaster" by Bleachers: Jack Antonoff from fun.'s side project, Bleachers, exploded onto the alternative and adult alt charts in spring 2014 with an irresistibly catchy, almost bubblegum-y slice of stadium worthy indie-pop with "I Wanna Get Better". Did you expect Bleachers' second big song to sound like an outtake from Bruce Springsteen's "Born In the U.S.A."?! Didn't think so! But that IS basically what you get in "Rollercoaster", which sounds a bit like "Dancing In the Dark" if it was covered by The Killers. As if influence wasn't enough for the classic rock quotient of "Rollercoaster", Jack also brings up a "killer queen" during the chorus, which may or may not be a reference to Queen's "Killer Queen" (there's a good chance it might be, since all of the members of fun. have been said to be huge Queen fans). The "rollercoaster" in this song is not one that is skyrocketing to the future, but plunging backwards into the past!


"Stay Gold" by First Aid Kit: Our only other song of the week is one that provides a relaxing low to contrast with the high energy '80s style rock and roll of the previous song. In fact, if the Swedish all female duo First Aid Kit ever did a song with a higher energy sound, that would be quite a shock! First Aid Kit are known for being soothing, melodious, and folks-y, and the pattern continues with their latest song, "Stay Gold". Johanna and Klara yearningly croon about what might happen if their "hard work ends in despair" and "the road won't take (them) there", and wonder why they can't just "stay gold", which probably means something roughly along the lines of "Why can't life always be fair?" The words "no gold can stay" are repeated twice before the first chorus comes into the song, which makes me think that First Aid Kit are probably S.E. Hinton fans, as "nothing gold can stay" is a famous quote from her book (and one of my personal faves), "The Outsiders".

New songs for June 4th, 2014

here they are:


"Back to You" by Twin Forks: Is it just me, or is "bluegrass rock" getting even more catchy than it was before?! "Back to You" by Twin Forks certainly seems to prove that this is so! With its proficiently plucked banjo strings, and its jovial, stomp-along rhythm, "Back to You" is one of those songs that's guaranteed to put a smile on anyone's face! Seriously, who wouldn't wanna just break out into song and dance during this one?!


"My Silver Lining" by First Aid Kit: I only heard three songs ("Blue", "The Lion's Roar", and "Emmylou") from First Aid Kit before I heard their latest song, "My Silver Lining", but those three songs were enough to let me know what First Aid Kit typically sound like. They are a Swedish folk-rock duo consisting of two sisters who use their honey-sweet harmonies and soft, billowy sound to melt the hearts of even the most cold-hearted people out there. "My Silver Lining" is like a "survival in times of trouble" type of song, contrasting dulcet harmonies with despairing emotions, which is typical of their material. In spite of their sweet nature, First Aid Kit often have negative subject matter within their songs, but their songs are just so sweet and lovely, I usually don't remember what their true nature is!


"Taking Chances" by Sharon Van Etten: How do you make a leap from the PJ Harvey-esque angst of "Serpents" to the Joni Mitchell-ish folk-rock of "All I Can", and now trip-hop in the style of Portishead and Massive Attack for "Taking Chances"?! Don't ask me how, but all I know is that Sharon Van Etten can do it! "Taking Chances", indeed! With musical style, anyway. The subject matter of the song is nothing new, as it deals with dissatisfaction in a relationship like most of Sharon's songs tend to, but the delivery of her passionate, sulky yearning on this song, combined with its moody, electronic musical aspects, does the trick for me here.


"Violent Shiver" by Benjamin Booker: Take the "chug 'n' pound" drumming of Delta Spirit's Brandon Young, and combine it with the mighty, forceful guitar sound of an old Chuck Berry or Rolling Stones record, and you've got "Violent Shiver" by Benjamin Booker. This is one powerhouse song!! Defiant and headstrong throughout, "Violent Shiver" is more violent than shiver inducing, but more of a righteous violence than an unjust one. And then there's the subject of who Benjamin Booker IS!! He is a young black man, probably not much older (or younger?) than I am, who is from New Orleans, and enjoys hardcore punk groups like Black Flag just as much as he does more "traditional" New Orleans jazz and blues. You don't meet (or hear) someone like THAT every day, do you?!

My biggest blog everrrr!!! TWELVE SONGS!!!

This calls for a celebration!! I have officially broken my record of having eleven songs being the most I've reviewed. So, without further ado, here are this week's songs!!!

“Amalia” by Melody Gardot: In the early 2000’s, vocal driven jazz-pop was pretty much reduced to Norah Jones and others of her ilk. A couple years later, a singer/songwriter named Melody Gardot came along and proved that her style of vocal jazz-pop was unlike any other musician who dabbled in that musical subgenre. Melody has probably received comparisons to Norah, but personally, I think Melody is better, and that’s not just my tendency to “root for the underdog” talkin’ here. Melody’s latest song, “Amalia”, picks up where Joni Mitchell’s musical career left off sometime in the mid-‘70s (Joni even has a song with a similar title from that era, “Amelia”). Melody’s seemingly effortless ability to combine jazz, folk, and pop in “Amalia” is proof (to me, at least) that she is not just your average mellow Sunday, coffee-sippin’ Starbucks type musician. She is much more than that!


“Amazing Eyes” by Good Old War: Lyrically, Good Old War have had better songs than “Amazing Eyes” (like their pleasantly quirky debut song, “Coney Island”, for instance). Musically, though, “Amazing Eyes” is probably one of the best songs GOW have ever done! It shimmers, shines, and sparkles like no other GOW song, and it almost sounds like The Decemberists trying to cover The Eagles’ “Hotel California” without the flashy electric guitar solos (or, in this case, no electric guitars anywhere, as GOW are primarily a folk-pop band). How to appreciate this song is quite easy to do. Just close your “amazing eyes”, open your even more amazing mind, and be prepared for a glistening, musical magic carpet ride!


“Blue” by First Aid Kit: Take the preciously bittersweet vibe of Big Star’s classic indie-pop masterpiece, “Thirteen”, the folk-pop-y harmonies of your typical Nicks/McVie era Fleetwood Mac song, sad, aching lyrics, and chimes that sound like they came from “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”, and you’ve got a neat little song called “Blue” by the band First Aid Kit. The lyrics of the song tell the story of a relationship on the line, but the music tells an entirely different story! The kind of story that might bring you back to simpler days when teddy bears gathered for picnics on the grass in the springtime, and majestic, winged horses frolicked through fields of flowers. Perhaps “Blue” might be best described as the ultimate “dance in the rain” song. It has both a rainy mood in the lyrics, and a “run-through-the-rain” musical sound! In any case, I’m pretty much in love with this song (and whoever the lead singer of this band is, too!)


“Ceiling of Plankton” by Givers: The title to this song is quirky enough, and the lyrics seem to dance to the beat of their own drum (literally!) Such is the appeal to The Givers, though! They’re like what Jethro Tull might have been like if they were a relentlessy happy indie-pop band, since flute solos tend to punctuate their music somewhat. Electronica meets an almost “H.R. Pufnstuf” style of psychedelic pop in “Ceiling of Plankton”. It’s no wonder The Givers’ shiny aura was welcomed at the annual modern day equivalent of Woodstock known as Coachella, their musical style and harmonies are perfect for such an event! Also, what IS a “ceiling of plankton”?! I have no idea, although I usually picture Plankton from “Spongebob Squarepants” being stretched out to the length of a ceiling whenever I hear this song!!


“Every Single Night” by Fiona Apple: Fiona has never strayed far in terms of her lyrical themes of disappointment with life (she even has claimed that “I Know” is the only “happy ending” song she has ever done!) That being said, though, she has had a VERY interesting musical development with each album she has done! She started out when she was just 19 years old with an album that sounded like a jazzed up version of Tori Amos, and a couple years later, she released another album with a similar sound. Fiona’s “comeback” album from 2005, “Extraordinary Machine”, however, marked a creative leap in sound for her! With people like Feist, Cat Power, and Regina Spektor suddenly citing Fiona as a musical influence, Fiona herself decided to pay them all tribute by releasing a quirkier sounding “piano-pop” album in the vein of these artists, particularly Spektor, from what it seemed. 7 years later, and Fiona’s still got it!! “Every Single Night” has an even more Spektor-esque sound than her previous material, actually! It starts off with instruments that sound like they could have been used on a children’s lullaby, and progresses from there, not once adding any percussion along the way! Fiona is truly something else!!


“Generals” by The Mynabirds: Who would have thought a band who sounded like an indie-pop version of The Shirelles and The Crystals would get so lowdown and nasty for their next big song?!? I sure didn’t!! It seems like it’s getting The Myna’s more attention than they previously received in 2010, though! Perhaps it IS because of that “Whoa, didn’t expect to hear THAT!!” factor that just seems to grab at peoples’ ears that “Generals” is getting the Myna’s more noticed. Instead of a tinkly piano like they used in their only other known song so far, “Numbers Don’t Lie”, a psychedelic-blues-y guitar takes over as lead instrument for “Generals”. With an F-bomb dropped in the middle of the song, and the lyrics “So get your warpaint on/Let ‘em know we’re out for blood” closing the song off with a punch, you KNOW The Mynabirds mean BUSINESS here, and you’d BETTER listen to what they have to say!!!



“Heroin Lovers” by Robert Francis: Robert’s late 2009/early 2010 song, “Junebug”, pretty much had me convinced that he’d be a one hit wonder! “Junebug”, which sounded like a cross between Ryan Adams and The Cranberries, was a song unlike any other for its time, and there were no other songs from Francis that gained very much attention. Until now, that is. “Heroin Lovers” isn’t quite as impressive or stellar as “Junebug” was, but it still has its high points (no pun intended). One of the highlights of “Heroin Lovers” is that Mike Campbell from Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers plays the twangy guitar solo towards the end of the song! Not exactly what I’d expect for a melancholy alt-rocker, but part of the fun of listening to the songs I review are the surprises within the songs! Fans of Pete Yorn and (once again) Ryan Adams will probably enjoy this song, though I can’t help but feel like it comes off as a “poor man’s” version of both Adams and Yorn. Oh well, still a worthy comeback for the man who graced us with “Junebug”!


“Lonesome” by Dr. Dog: I have a question. Is there any song by Dr. Dog that is NOT catchy?! Because so far, I haven’t heard a single song by them that hasn’t gotten stuck in my head! This includes their latest song, “Lonesome”, which is a much happier sounding song than its title would suggest. Driven by a blues-y, somewhat psychedelic sounding slide guitar riff in A major, “Lonesome” is a song that both asks a question (“What does it take to be lonesome?”), and answers that question (“Nothing at all”) during the chorus. Both the question and the answer of “Lonesome” are the parts of the song that get stuck in my head the most, as if that was the central theme of the song (which it probably is). Though the lyrics to “Lonesome” are probably much more of a downer than the song itself, “Lonesome” still sounds like a song that is anything but what its title suggests it is. That being said, I’ve got four more words to close off this song review. Rock on, Doc Dog!!


“Love Don’t Leave Me Waiting” by Glen Hansard: The one time “Once” actor is probably the closest thing to Van Morrison that the indie audience can get, with his free-flowing, almost spiritual blend of folk, soul, jazz, and rock. It’s not as though Glen hasn’t let out his inner soul man before (“Low Rising” is a good example of this), but “Love Don’t Leave Me Waiting” is perhaps the most soulful he’s gotten so far! Glen’s acoustic guitar is supported on this song by a tight, catchy rhythm section and a lively horn section. The lyrics are typical Glen, an aching plea for love gone lost to be found again, but it’s incredibly hard to resist “Love Don’t Leave Me Waiting” with the way he delivers those lyrics, not to mention how naturally they seem to flow with the instrumentation of the song!


“Man of the World” by Alejandro Escovedo: The gutsy, raw vocals and Chuck Berry style guitar riffs riding on top of the roots-y twang of Alejandro Escovedo’s “Man of the World” might make you think you’ve just discovered a long lost John Mellencamp song! But, surprise! You’re really just hearing the latest song from Springsteen’s occasional contemporary music collaborator Alejandro Escovedo! Every song I hear from Alejandro makes me rather surprised he hasn’t had such a huge impact among people who listen to rock music! Alejandro’s songs wouldn’t sound too out of place on a classic rock station if it weren’t for the fact that they were recent. “Man of the World” is a song that’s as much of an anthem as it is a just plain fun song. Sometimes, those are the best kinds of songs rock ‘n’ roll has to offer!!


“Out of Love” by Rhett Miller: Rhett, the frontman of roots-y alternative rock group, The Old ‘97s, might be typically thought of as an “alt-country” musician, but his musical influences run much deeper than that! His most recent tune, “Out of Love”, seems to mix elements of the more bittersweet side of Elvis Costello’s catalog with that of the typical “jangle-pop” sound of R.E.M. “Out of Love” provides an interesting contrast to Rhett’s last solo tune, “I Need to Know Where I Stand” from Spring 2009. “I Need to Know…” was done almost entirely in major key, and “Out of Love” is done almost entirely in minor key. Yet BOTH songs share the same sort of “alt-country” twang, and they BOTH take on rather cynical themes revolving around relationships. Rhett might be “out of love”, but it’s good to know he’s not out of ideas!


“Wasted” by Lukas Nelson: So Willie’s son decided to release something about a week or two after Willie himself?! Well, why not! Lukas seems to want to run with a more rowdy crowd than his dad, though, and this evident from the almost Lynyrd Skynyrd-esque southern rock sound of the song, and even from the song’s title, “Wasted”. Lukas is daring enough here to do what few “country-rock” musicians have done – to really put the “rock” in “country-rock”! From the amped up guitars in “Wasted”, to Lukas’ rough, ragged vocals, to the risky themes mentioned in the song, it’s pretty clear that Lukas is not a big cuddly teddy bear, at least not in “Wasted”!! Like father, like son?! Maybe not completely, but somewhere deep inside, the apple probably doesn’t fall TOO far from the tree!