New songs for September 25th 2019

here they are:


"Everyone Hides" by Wilco: Did you think that Imogen Heap was the only indie musician who enjoyed playing "hide and seek"?! Well, think again! Wilco enjoy it just as much, and not in the romantic way that Imogen did in her song. The video for "Everyone Hides" is quite literally a fun, harmless game of hide and seek between the band members! It can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Gbbd6pVMg Jeff Tweedy and co are quite the clever punsters in this song and video! The title of the song itself, when used in combination with the video, could be taken as one, using the word "hide" in the sense of both concealing one's inner emotions in the song and literally finding a place to hide in the video. Visual puns that reference Wilco albums like "Being There" (depicted here as a movie starring Peter Sellers) and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" (the tower on the album cover is one place they hide) can be found throughout the video. Happy hunting!


"Missing Home" by Flora Cash: The third song so far to become a hit in the catalog of Swedish indie-folk duo, Flora Cash, "Missing Home" recalls many of the elements that made their first and biggest hit (so far), "You're Somebody Else", so successful on alt and adult alt radio stations. For one, acoustic guitar makes a return to Flora Cash's music (guitar was largely absent on "They Own This Town"). Flora Cash also turn back from the bitter vibes of "They Own This Town" and go back to bittersweet, which suits them better, on "Missing Home". The title alone indicates a sense of yearning, and the moody yet longing vibe of the song and its lovelorn lyrics confirm this. Midway through, the song uses the old adage that "home is where the heart is", but it doesn't feel corny or forced here. Instead, it feels like it plucks at the ol' heartstrings. Here's hoping this song will become one of the smash hits for the final season of both 2019 and the 2010's!


"The Game" by Milky Chance: Often written off as a "one-hit wonder" for the sensually funky alt-folk song, "Stolen Dance", Milky Chance have had a few more songs that their fanbase knows them for, most notably "Flashed Junk Mind" and "Cocoon". Joining the ranks of those songs is the German indie-folk trio's latest tune, "The Game". Once again mixing folk guitars with world music rhythms, "The Game", which has a reggae rhythm that recalls Magic!, another mid 2010's one-hit wonder for their song, "Rude". The lyrics are basically about a relationship gone wrong, where lead singer Clemens Rehbein claims that he doesn't care about what rumors have been spread about him and that he just wants to learn "the rules of the game". The game, of course, is the game of love. I hate to burst anyone's bubble here, but no, it is not about that silly meme that claims, "You just lost the game"!


"The Runner" by Foals: Foals are one of the few indie/alt bands left that can shift between typical indie-pop and the alt-rock music in days of yore that had more guitars. They boasted some mighty fine guitar playing skills on their 2015 hit, "Mountain At My Gates". On their latest song, "The Runner", their guitar skills are once again evident! Where their song "Exits" from earlier this year seemed to evoke feelings of despair and hopelessness, "The Runner" seems to be all about determination! Nothing can get in the way of Foals' success after such a tumultuous, unpredictable decade. Hopefully they'll soldier on into the next one unscathed!

April 17th 2019 part 1: Songs I've missed out on

A two-part blog for this week since I feel like I've missed out on the opportunity to review quite a few new songs. Here's part 1 of 2:


"Big Bear Mountain" by Jr. Jr.: The sweet, breezy piano vibe of this song harkens back to when Jr. Jr. were known as Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and debuted with the light, quirky folk-pop song, "Simple Girl". A lot of Jr. Jr.'s other material seems to take somewhat of a techno slant, but this one does not. It probably wouldn't sound out of place on a Beatles record, actually, and it even contains a Lennon-esque guitar midway through the song, as well as a brief solo reminiscent of George Harrison. Nice to see Jr. Jr. getting back to their roots, even if they no longer bear their namesake in their moniker.


"They Own This Town" by Flora Cash: It seems like it'd be a bit hard for Swedish indie-pop duo, Flora Cash, to outdo their 2018 hit, "You're Somebody Else". The bittersweetness and blunt honesty of "You're Somebody Else" permeated alt and adult alt airwaves throughout the second half of 2018! This time, instead of opting for light, melancholy acoustic guitar like they did the first time around, "They Own This Town" bases its sound around piano instead. However, it still retains the poignancy that their previous hit did. Although there are more pop beats that surround "They Own This Town" than there are guitars, the message and vibe of the song still get across the way they should.


"UFOF" by Big Thief: You-eff-oaf?! Oo-foaf?! It's actually each letter pronounced individually, "You-eff-oh-eff", which stands for "UFO Friend". The song sounds like a folk-rock song from outer space, fittingly, with its ethereal aura surrounding its sweet and tender melody. "UFOF" is basically an ode to a "lover" the singer imagines she met in outer space. There's nothing scary about this song, though. In fact I'd say it's rather precious!

New songs for July 25th 2018

here they are:


"It Might Get Dark" by White Denim: Take some of the best known one hit wonder songs in 1970's rock - say, "Stuck In the Middle With You", "Spirit In the Sky", and "Signs" - and combine them all into one. What you would get is this song. Considering White Denim have always sounded like a rock group from the early '70s, in spite of actually being from the mid 2010's, this is no surprise. In spite of what the title of this song might have you believe, "It Might Get Dark" is the lightest and happiest song White Denim have put out so far. The song will have you tapping your toes and bobbing your head throughout. No getting dark for this group, that's for sure!


"Straight Shot" by DeVotchKa: Denver, Colorado's indie-folk quartet, DeVotchKa, are probably best known for the opening song from the indie comedy smash, "Little Miss Sunshine". The group's mystical indie ethos seems to continue to run in their latest song, "Straight Shot", which contains lyrical phrases like "moonlit swim" and "sea of ghosts". Though DeVotchKa are an American band named for a Russian word that means "girl", there seems to be a lot of Spanish guitar influence on this particular song, which gives it a unique kind of swing.


"You're Somebody Else" by Flora Cash: Swedish indie-folk duo, Flora Cash, have a very bittersweet and touching sound in their debut song, "You're Somebody Else". The song has started making waves on both alt and adult alt radio, and it's not hard to see why. Not only does the song have the perfect combo of pop rhythm and folk guitar, but it also touches on a rather universal theme. It seems to be about deception, as can be deduced from the song's central line, "You looked like yourself, but you're somebody else and you're making me nervous." You think you know someone, and then they turn on you. Haven't we all been there?!