here they are:
"Almost (Sweet Music)" by Hozier: No need for the "almost" here. This is sweet music all the way through! The Irish soul musician, Hozier, lays it down smooth for us here like he usually does in a song about...well...songs! This song is all about how great music can be, with musical references throughout! Duke Ellington and Chet Baker are among the musicians mentioned in this song, and references to song titles by jazz and vocal greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and (one of my personal faves from childhood), The Mills Brothers are sprinkled throughout the lyrics. This is why music exists!
"Forgive Me Friend" by Smith and Thell: The 2010's "rock" scene has really been more of a combination of folk-pop and electronica. A few musicians, such as the recently deceased Avicii, managed to combine both forms into one. Enter Swedish guy-girl duo, Smith and Thell. They seem to be wanting to pick up where Avicii left off with their debut single, "Forgive Me Friend". The song comes off like a dance remix of Of Monsters and Men's "Little Talks". Nothing daring or different here, but it's still a pleasant song to listen to.
"Outta My Head" by Jocelyn and Chris Arndt: Like Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks before them, Jocelyn and Chris Arndt are a blues-rock duo whose young, light-skinned looks belie their true blues roots and sound. Its catchy riff in the key of B builds the foundation of the song as Jocelyn sings about how she can't get a certain someone "out of (her) head". Good luck trying to get this song out of your own head! It sticks to you like glue, and it has a bit more edge than Tedeschi and Trucks, but just as much grit!
"Sheep" by Mt. Joy: Mt. Joy's third adult alt radio hit has an interesting sound to it. It follows in the folk-rock pattern of their other two songs, especially with the beautiful, entrancing ripple effect of the intro. Afterwards, it slides into more of a retro soul flavor while still keeping a mellow folk-rock vibe. The lyrics to "Sheep" are as intriguing as its sound is. Mt. Joy seems to have a thing for combining laid back music with clever, somewhat biting lyrics. With "Silver Lining", we heard what Mt. Joy thinks of college life, and with "Jenny Jenkins", we heard about Mt. Joy's love-hate relationship with Los Angeles. So what, then, does "Sheep" have to offer us? Well, look no further than its title. The band are using "sheep" as a metaphor for conformists who are ignorant as to what's really going on politically in the U.S. of A. This could well be for Mt. Joy what "Born In the U.S.A." was for Bruce Springsteen. A song that sounds like a joyous anthem that's really anything but!
"This Life" by Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend are known for having reggae and world music influences in their music, and they occasionally flirt with baroque pop, as they did in "Unbelievers" and "Step". With "This Life", Vampire Weekend take their first official foray into folk-rock. The intro sounds a bit like Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl". Its subject matter, however, is much darker than "Brown Eyed Girl", and won't be likely to be played on adult contemporary or oldies stations anytime soon due its use of "Christ" as an exclamation (Though this might be similar to John Lennon's use of the same phrase on "The Ballad of John and Yoko"). That's only the tip of the iceberg as to the darkness this song has to offer, though. The song is about being cheated on. Ezra Koenig is also clever (and/or twisted) enough here to make grim, pessimistic phrases sound like cutesy rhymes. For instance, "I know hate is waiting at the gate", and, "I know death hasn't happened yet." Perhaps this isn't your cup of mud, but hey, as the song title implies, this is what life is! Like Forrest Gump has been known to say, it truly is like a box of chocolates...or in this case, a box of...I dunno...wasabi pellets!
"When I'm Gone" by Gary Clark Jr.: Gary Clark Jr. unleashed a torrent of righteous anger earlier this year with "This Land"! "When I'm Gone" is more mellowed out than that, but still retains the crackling blues-rock sound Gary has become known for. There's a bit of an old school soul vibe in this song as well with its use of rhythm guitar as a backing instrument. Nothing political or controversial about this song. "When I'm Gone" is just a song about what it's like to be apart from a loved one, and probably about being on the road as a musician as well. Perhaps after all that ranting and raving on "This Land", Gary felt the need to unwind for his second single of the year. Well deserved, I say!
Showing posts with label Hozier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hozier. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
New songs for November 28th, 2018
here they are:
"Baby Outlaw" by Elle King: If you can picture what it'd be like for a musician like Lorde to cover "Ghost Riders In the Sky", then you've pretty much got Elle King's "Baby Outlaw" in a nutshell! Just the opening of the song gives off imagery of a showdown in an old Western movie. This song has a similar premise to Elle's song, "Good Girls", which was her contribution to the 2016 version of "Ghostbusters". "Baby Outlaw" and "Good Girls" both revolve around how Elle has never been a "good girl", and how, as a result of this, she's no one to mess with. You'd better watch out, 'cause this song is the "Bad" and the "Ugly" to King's "Good Girls"!! (Cue Ennio Morricone theme here).
"Back On the Chain Gang" by Morrissey: The original "Back On the Chain Gang" by The Pretenders came out about a year before Morrissey's best known hit with The Smiths, "How Soon Is Now?", both in the mid 1980's. So how does this mopey alt-rock king interpret one of the best loved songs of a tough but tender rock and roll queen, you may ask?! Well, as you might have guessed, not as good as the original, but it's still worth hearing, and it's a pretty good attempt at covering the song, too! Moz retains the jangle-pop feel and heartfelt emotion of the original quite well. I never would have thought this cover was going to happen (I would have pictured a band like R.E.M. covering it first), but somehow, I'm glad it has!
"For Me It's You" by Lo Moon: With just a pair of singles ("This Is It" and "Real Love") under their belt so far, I'm a little surprised that Lo Moon are back with a second album after only a year, but "For Me It's You", their first single off of their sophomore record, retains the atmospheric electro-pop vibe of their first two breakthrough songs. "For Me It's You" could be viewed as a parallel to "This Is It", with its mostly melancholic but sweet atmosphere set off by a sudden burst of electric guitar after the chorus, though it does not disrupt the flow of the song overall. With lead singer Matt Lowell's technique of placing whispery, romantic vocals against an ersatz smooth jazz ensemble that briefly turns into a wall of noise, it's not hard to see why Lo Moon have recently toured with bands who use similar techniques, such as The War on Drugs, Phoenix, and Glass Animals, not to mention the band Ride, a legendary group of the "shoegazing" subgenre who have been around since the late '80s that inspired the other bands mentioned here (including Lo Moon themselves).
"Hey! Yeah!" by Deer Tick: Deer Tick have been all over the rock and roll map, primarily dabbling in either folk-rock or Southern rock. "Hey, Yeah!" marks what I believe is the first time that Deer Tick have taken on power pop, albeit with a somewhat Southern flavor to it. Think Big Star meets The Allman Brothers - a combination that sounds like it could just be crazy enough to work, and DOES, in this song! Here's what's even crazier, though. The music video for "Hey! Yeah!" features the band members as DANCING MAYONNAISE JARS!! Who on Earth thought THAT idea up?! I'm pretty sure the band members were ingesting far more than just mayonnaise when they made the music video for this song!! The video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbdcr5_tcd8
"Movement" by Hozier: Hozier's "Nina Cried Power" seemed unbeatable almost throughout this fall! Like all songs, though, its star eventually faded out on the radio airwaves, so here to take place of the Irish soul-ster's thunderous anthem is a more subtle, quieter song called "Movement". No matter what Hozier does, it always seems to gel well with adult alt radio stations, and it's not hard to see why! Whether he's dramatic or romantic, quiet or loud, he always manages to give soul stirring performances in his songs! "Movement" is not revolutionary like his previous hit, but is instead more fluent and more intimate. Regardless of what kinds of songs he puts out, the "movement" of Hozier's music will last a long time!
"Baby Outlaw" by Elle King: If you can picture what it'd be like for a musician like Lorde to cover "Ghost Riders In the Sky", then you've pretty much got Elle King's "Baby Outlaw" in a nutshell! Just the opening of the song gives off imagery of a showdown in an old Western movie. This song has a similar premise to Elle's song, "Good Girls", which was her contribution to the 2016 version of "Ghostbusters". "Baby Outlaw" and "Good Girls" both revolve around how Elle has never been a "good girl", and how, as a result of this, she's no one to mess with. You'd better watch out, 'cause this song is the "Bad" and the "Ugly" to King's "Good Girls"!! (Cue Ennio Morricone theme here).
"Back On the Chain Gang" by Morrissey: The original "Back On the Chain Gang" by The Pretenders came out about a year before Morrissey's best known hit with The Smiths, "How Soon Is Now?", both in the mid 1980's. So how does this mopey alt-rock king interpret one of the best loved songs of a tough but tender rock and roll queen, you may ask?! Well, as you might have guessed, not as good as the original, but it's still worth hearing, and it's a pretty good attempt at covering the song, too! Moz retains the jangle-pop feel and heartfelt emotion of the original quite well. I never would have thought this cover was going to happen (I would have pictured a band like R.E.M. covering it first), but somehow, I'm glad it has!
"For Me It's You" by Lo Moon: With just a pair of singles ("This Is It" and "Real Love") under their belt so far, I'm a little surprised that Lo Moon are back with a second album after only a year, but "For Me It's You", their first single off of their sophomore record, retains the atmospheric electro-pop vibe of their first two breakthrough songs. "For Me It's You" could be viewed as a parallel to "This Is It", with its mostly melancholic but sweet atmosphere set off by a sudden burst of electric guitar after the chorus, though it does not disrupt the flow of the song overall. With lead singer Matt Lowell's technique of placing whispery, romantic vocals against an ersatz smooth jazz ensemble that briefly turns into a wall of noise, it's not hard to see why Lo Moon have recently toured with bands who use similar techniques, such as The War on Drugs, Phoenix, and Glass Animals, not to mention the band Ride, a legendary group of the "shoegazing" subgenre who have been around since the late '80s that inspired the other bands mentioned here (including Lo Moon themselves).
"Hey! Yeah!" by Deer Tick: Deer Tick have been all over the rock and roll map, primarily dabbling in either folk-rock or Southern rock. "Hey, Yeah!" marks what I believe is the first time that Deer Tick have taken on power pop, albeit with a somewhat Southern flavor to it. Think Big Star meets The Allman Brothers - a combination that sounds like it could just be crazy enough to work, and DOES, in this song! Here's what's even crazier, though. The music video for "Hey! Yeah!" features the band members as DANCING MAYONNAISE JARS!! Who on Earth thought THAT idea up?! I'm pretty sure the band members were ingesting far more than just mayonnaise when they made the music video for this song!! The video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbdcr5_tcd8
"Movement" by Hozier: Hozier's "Nina Cried Power" seemed unbeatable almost throughout this fall! Like all songs, though, its star eventually faded out on the radio airwaves, so here to take place of the Irish soul-ster's thunderous anthem is a more subtle, quieter song called "Movement". No matter what Hozier does, it always seems to gel well with adult alt radio stations, and it's not hard to see why! Whether he's dramatic or romantic, quiet or loud, he always manages to give soul stirring performances in his songs! "Movement" is not revolutionary like his previous hit, but is instead more fluent and more intimate. Regardless of what kinds of songs he puts out, the "movement" of Hozier's music will last a long time!
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
New songs for September 12th, 2018
here they are:
"Bambi" by Hippo Campus: I'm not sure if Hippo Campus' lead singer meant something allegorical by the title of this song (which does not appear in its lyrics), or if he's just a really big Disney fan, but either way, "Bambi" is a quirky, synth driven indie-pop song. Nothing new under the sun for today's generation, but for Hippo Campus, it kind of is. Most of their other songs have guitar in 'em, and there's nary a lick or riff to be found in "Bambi". Despite its pleasantly goofy sound, "Bambi" has somewhat depressing lyrics that seem to revolve around the repressed, confused emotions of the lead singer.
"Cringe" by Matt Maeson: Newcomer Matt Maeson combines the best of both worlds with his brand of indie-pop. In other words, he uses a folk-pop base for his debut song, "Cringe", but adds in more of that electronic instrumentation that all the kids seem to be craving these days as the song progresses. The chorus has Matt pondering if he makes the subject of his song "cringe". Well, Matt, that depends on who you're talking to. People who think that "good music" ended during a previous decade probably will cringe over this song. Not me! Although the style of this song does seem to be getting increasingly more common on both pop AND rock radio by now, so I dunno...
"Nina Cried Power" by Hozier (featuring Mavis Staples): A rising star from the 2010's and a risen star from the '60s and '70s sounds like it'd be quite a powerhouse to listen to, doesn't it?! Well, you'd be right! In "Nina Cried Power", neo-soul meets old school soul, with interesting results from both parties. The song is probably Hozier's darkest sounding since his debut (and so far, best known) song, "Take Me to Church", and for Mavis Staples, it provides proof that you can be almost octogenarian and still stir peoples' souls of all ages! The "Nina" in question is legendary jazz musician, Nina Simone. She, along with Joni Mitchell, are mentioned in the song as examples of people who have "cried power" (in other words, started a revolution). Though many tend to dismiss Hozier as a one-hit wonder, he actually has 7 songs (this one being # 8 in his catalog) that are just as powerful, if not more so, than the one he's known for. His songs will always "cry power" for me! Ditto Mavis Staples, whose star has continued to rise throughout this decade!
"99" by Barns Courtney: 99. 99 WHAT?! Bottles of beer on the wall?! 'Fraid not. It actually isn't 99 of anything, but the year 1999. Prince already sang about the year, famously, but his standpoint was predicting 1999 as a future year. It has now been 19 years SINCE 1999, and Barns Courtney looks back on the year as actually being nostalgic in comparison to what people are currently facing financially. The song is about how Barns once thrived on money and thought he'd be a millionaire, but is now coming to the realization that this is just not so. Sooo...what's gonna happen 20 years from 2020?! I guess we'll never know 'till we get there!
"Teenage Superstar" by Scars on 45: If only Prince was alive today. If he was, he'd know that he's now no longer the only one singing about 1999. In addition to the Barns Courtney entry I talked about previously, this song is ALSO about 1999! Once again, unlike what Prince predicted, the year is being sung about nostalgically instead of apocalyptically. And once again, the song looks at the present as being dismal and disappointing in comparison. Danny Bemrose and Aimee Driver wax nostalgic throughout the song about their glory days when they wanted to BE rock stars. Ever since 2011, their dream has come true...well, sort of. Only a handful of people know who Scars on 45 are. They haven't become near as big as, say, Mumford and Sons, or The Black Keys. But ever since "Give Me Something" came out, the sweet, gentle folk-rock of Scars on 45 has captivated me enough to think of them as rock stars, because their songs have ended up meaning a lot to me over the years!
"Bambi" by Hippo Campus: I'm not sure if Hippo Campus' lead singer meant something allegorical by the title of this song (which does not appear in its lyrics), or if he's just a really big Disney fan, but either way, "Bambi" is a quirky, synth driven indie-pop song. Nothing new under the sun for today's generation, but for Hippo Campus, it kind of is. Most of their other songs have guitar in 'em, and there's nary a lick or riff to be found in "Bambi". Despite its pleasantly goofy sound, "Bambi" has somewhat depressing lyrics that seem to revolve around the repressed, confused emotions of the lead singer.
"Cringe" by Matt Maeson: Newcomer Matt Maeson combines the best of both worlds with his brand of indie-pop. In other words, he uses a folk-pop base for his debut song, "Cringe", but adds in more of that electronic instrumentation that all the kids seem to be craving these days as the song progresses. The chorus has Matt pondering if he makes the subject of his song "cringe". Well, Matt, that depends on who you're talking to. People who think that "good music" ended during a previous decade probably will cringe over this song. Not me! Although the style of this song does seem to be getting increasingly more common on both pop AND rock radio by now, so I dunno...
"Nina Cried Power" by Hozier (featuring Mavis Staples): A rising star from the 2010's and a risen star from the '60s and '70s sounds like it'd be quite a powerhouse to listen to, doesn't it?! Well, you'd be right! In "Nina Cried Power", neo-soul meets old school soul, with interesting results from both parties. The song is probably Hozier's darkest sounding since his debut (and so far, best known) song, "Take Me to Church", and for Mavis Staples, it provides proof that you can be almost octogenarian and still stir peoples' souls of all ages! The "Nina" in question is legendary jazz musician, Nina Simone. She, along with Joni Mitchell, are mentioned in the song as examples of people who have "cried power" (in other words, started a revolution). Though many tend to dismiss Hozier as a one-hit wonder, he actually has 7 songs (this one being # 8 in his catalog) that are just as powerful, if not more so, than the one he's known for. His songs will always "cry power" for me! Ditto Mavis Staples, whose star has continued to rise throughout this decade!
"99" by Barns Courtney: 99. 99 WHAT?! Bottles of beer on the wall?! 'Fraid not. It actually isn't 99 of anything, but the year 1999. Prince already sang about the year, famously, but his standpoint was predicting 1999 as a future year. It has now been 19 years SINCE 1999, and Barns Courtney looks back on the year as actually being nostalgic in comparison to what people are currently facing financially. The song is about how Barns once thrived on money and thought he'd be a millionaire, but is now coming to the realization that this is just not so. Sooo...what's gonna happen 20 years from 2020?! I guess we'll never know 'till we get there!
"Teenage Superstar" by Scars on 45: If only Prince was alive today. If he was, he'd know that he's now no longer the only one singing about 1999. In addition to the Barns Courtney entry I talked about previously, this song is ALSO about 1999! Once again, unlike what Prince predicted, the year is being sung about nostalgically instead of apocalyptically. And once again, the song looks at the present as being dismal and disappointing in comparison. Danny Bemrose and Aimee Driver wax nostalgic throughout the song about their glory days when they wanted to BE rock stars. Ever since 2011, their dream has come true...well, sort of. Only a handful of people know who Scars on 45 are. They haven't become near as big as, say, Mumford and Sons, or The Black Keys. But ever since "Give Me Something" came out, the sweet, gentle folk-rock of Scars on 45 has captivated me enough to think of them as rock stars, because their songs have ended up meaning a lot to me over the years!
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
New songs for June 22nd 2016
here they are:
"All I Ever Wonder" by St. Paul and The Broken Bones: Retro-soul revivalists St. Paul and The Broken Bones are on the run once again! In addition to the Al Green-ish R & B they've already become known for, St. Paul and The Broken Bones have a bit of an added gospel influence in their latest song, "All I Ever Wonder", that wasn't exactly apparent on their previous songs. So what is it that they "ever wonder", you may ask? Well, the song is basically about trying to make it through difficult situations. Perhaps the high-spirited gospel influenced sound of the song serves as a way to find light through the darkness of life.
"Better Love" by Hozier: The hits just keep on comin' from Irish soul/alt-pop hybrid, Hozier. Nearly half of his debut album has become well loved among indie and alt fans. With news of a new Hozier song that was NOT on his debut album, I thought maybe he had already released a sophomore effort! Sadly, this is not the case. His newest song, "Better Love", is actually a song featured exclusively on the soundtrack of the new movie, "The Legend of Tarzan". Most of Hozier's songs deal with the battle between the sacred and the profane, but it seems like it is mainly the former that is being focused on in this case. This is especially evident on the chorus when Hozier proudly proclaims that "there's no better love that beckons above me". What does sacred, pure love have to do with Tarzan?! As someone who has not seen the movie yet, I have yet to find out, but I'm guessing it has something to do with some heroic triumph that the title character has towards the end of the film.
"Good Grief" by Bastille: Since when has Charlie Brown joined an indie-pop group?! Come to think of it, that'd probably be pretty fitting for everyone's favorite "blockhead", considering how heavy the weight of his problems are, but I digress. Actually, "Good Grief" is pretty energetic for British indie-pop stars, Bastille, in spite of its pessimistic sounding title. The song plays out like Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure" filtered through a bright, flashy indie-pop lens. It seems to be more of a song about missing a girl than it is about general frustration (which I thought it would have been due to its title.)
"All I Ever Wonder" by St. Paul and The Broken Bones: Retro-soul revivalists St. Paul and The Broken Bones are on the run once again! In addition to the Al Green-ish R & B they've already become known for, St. Paul and The Broken Bones have a bit of an added gospel influence in their latest song, "All I Ever Wonder", that wasn't exactly apparent on their previous songs. So what is it that they "ever wonder", you may ask? Well, the song is basically about trying to make it through difficult situations. Perhaps the high-spirited gospel influenced sound of the song serves as a way to find light through the darkness of life.
"Better Love" by Hozier: The hits just keep on comin' from Irish soul/alt-pop hybrid, Hozier. Nearly half of his debut album has become well loved among indie and alt fans. With news of a new Hozier song that was NOT on his debut album, I thought maybe he had already released a sophomore effort! Sadly, this is not the case. His newest song, "Better Love", is actually a song featured exclusively on the soundtrack of the new movie, "The Legend of Tarzan". Most of Hozier's songs deal with the battle between the sacred and the profane, but it seems like it is mainly the former that is being focused on in this case. This is especially evident on the chorus when Hozier proudly proclaims that "there's no better love that beckons above me". What does sacred, pure love have to do with Tarzan?! As someone who has not seen the movie yet, I have yet to find out, but I'm guessing it has something to do with some heroic triumph that the title character has towards the end of the film.
"Good Grief" by Bastille: Since when has Charlie Brown joined an indie-pop group?! Come to think of it, that'd probably be pretty fitting for everyone's favorite "blockhead", considering how heavy the weight of his problems are, but I digress. Actually, "Good Grief" is pretty energetic for British indie-pop stars, Bastille, in spite of its pessimistic sounding title. The song plays out like Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure" filtered through a bright, flashy indie-pop lens. It seems to be more of a song about missing a girl than it is about general frustration (which I thought it would have been due to its title.)
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
New songs for November 18th 2015
here they are:
"Carter And Cash" by Tor Miller: Between the Jeff Buckley/Tom Waits influence of Tor's previous hit song, "Midnight", and the name checking of two country-rock icons in "Carter And Cash", I would have expected the latter song to have a more roots-y Americana flavor, but it doesn't. Instead, "Carter And Cash" sounds more like a danceable indie-pop song in the vein of Grouplove or Walk the Moon. Perhaps if this song became a single before "Midnight" did, Tor Miller would be a much better known musician, but that's the way the cookie crumbles, I guess. Breaking away from the romanticized bohemian view of city life that "Midnight" had, "Carter And Cash" is just a simple love song in terms of its lyrical content, nothing more. Any love song that name checks Johnny Cash has gotta be worth listening to, though!
"Jackie And Wilson" by Hozier: Back when all I knew from Hozier was "Take Me to Church", a lot of people were telling me "the whole album is good". Well it just so happens that "Jackie And Wilson" is the FIFTH hit song from Hozier's debut album, so the people who listened to that album must have been right, because there aren't many albums from the 2010's with that many songs that have become popular! This particular song's title is a pun on soul music legend Jackie Wilson, probably one of many classic soul musicians who influenced the unique neo-soul stylings of Hozier. "Jackie And Wilson" is a bit grittier and blues-ier than Hozier's previous hits, and its pun based title is mentioned in the chorus when Hozier suggests that his wife name his kids Jackie and Wilson and "raise them on rhythm and blues", so perhaps that's part of why the song has such an earthy '60s soul influenced sound. It's a bit surprising that a man whose musical gumbo is equal parts soul, jazz, blues, rock, and gospel has become so popular, but what a relief it is knowing that people like him can actually succeed in a world full of plastic auto-tuned pop musicians!
"Look It Here" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: During the late summer and early fall of this year, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats went from being under-the-radar musicians who played at the "Gentlemen of the Road" music festivals to alt-rock and adult alt radio sensations with the catchy, sass-mouthed "S.O.B."!! Where that song sounded like it could have been from the '50s or further back, "Look It Here" clearly recalls '60s soul, particularly Memphis soul musicians like Otis Redding and Booker T and The MG's. Will this song make as big a splash as "S.O.B." did?! Probably not, but Rateliff's spicy brand of blue-eyed soul is just as potent here as it was in that song. "Look it here, baby, I'm comin' home", Rateliff sings during the song's chorus. You'd better believe he's comin' home, too, and he's gonna make your sensual urges run wild with fire!
"Carter And Cash" by Tor Miller: Between the Jeff Buckley/Tom Waits influence of Tor's previous hit song, "Midnight", and the name checking of two country-rock icons in "Carter And Cash", I would have expected the latter song to have a more roots-y Americana flavor, but it doesn't. Instead, "Carter And Cash" sounds more like a danceable indie-pop song in the vein of Grouplove or Walk the Moon. Perhaps if this song became a single before "Midnight" did, Tor Miller would be a much better known musician, but that's the way the cookie crumbles, I guess. Breaking away from the romanticized bohemian view of city life that "Midnight" had, "Carter And Cash" is just a simple love song in terms of its lyrical content, nothing more. Any love song that name checks Johnny Cash has gotta be worth listening to, though!
"Jackie And Wilson" by Hozier: Back when all I knew from Hozier was "Take Me to Church", a lot of people were telling me "the whole album is good". Well it just so happens that "Jackie And Wilson" is the FIFTH hit song from Hozier's debut album, so the people who listened to that album must have been right, because there aren't many albums from the 2010's with that many songs that have become popular! This particular song's title is a pun on soul music legend Jackie Wilson, probably one of many classic soul musicians who influenced the unique neo-soul stylings of Hozier. "Jackie And Wilson" is a bit grittier and blues-ier than Hozier's previous hits, and its pun based title is mentioned in the chorus when Hozier suggests that his wife name his kids Jackie and Wilson and "raise them on rhythm and blues", so perhaps that's part of why the song has such an earthy '60s soul influenced sound. It's a bit surprising that a man whose musical gumbo is equal parts soul, jazz, blues, rock, and gospel has become so popular, but what a relief it is knowing that people like him can actually succeed in a world full of plastic auto-tuned pop musicians!
"Look It Here" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: During the late summer and early fall of this year, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats went from being under-the-radar musicians who played at the "Gentlemen of the Road" music festivals to alt-rock and adult alt radio sensations with the catchy, sass-mouthed "S.O.B."!! Where that song sounded like it could have been from the '50s or further back, "Look It Here" clearly recalls '60s soul, particularly Memphis soul musicians like Otis Redding and Booker T and The MG's. Will this song make as big a splash as "S.O.B." did?! Probably not, but Rateliff's spicy brand of blue-eyed soul is just as potent here as it was in that song. "Look it here, baby, I'm comin' home", Rateliff sings during the song's chorus. You'd better believe he's comin' home, too, and he's gonna make your sensual urges run wild with fire!
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
New songs for June 3rd, 2015
here they are:
"Satisfy Me" by Anderson East: People like James Hunter, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, and JJ Grey and Mofro have all proved in recent years that R & B and the blues are genres that transcend race. The latest blues singin' white dude on the rise is Anderson East, whose song "Satisfy Me" is likely to do just that! Anderson brings in both the passion and the grit of '60s R & B into his debut song, as well as raw gutsy vocals and an earthy, sensual delivery of the lyrics. The only thing that is not satisfying about this song is that it's only 2 and a half minutes long. We wanna hear more!
"Someone New" by Hozier: Hozier is certainly NOT "someone new" by now. "Take Me to Church" let everyone know who he was, and he had two more hit songs after that one. It is rare to achieve four hits or more off of a single album these days, but Hozier has now managed to do so! Interesting that both this song and the last one have that "white guy singing the blues" vibe to them. Of the four songs Hozier has put out as singles so far, "Someone New" is probably the most upbeat, as most of his songs sound rather melancholy in comparison. The lyrics are pretty much trademark Hozier, with its "forbidden love" theme. Towards the end, he makes a pun on the word "stranger", using the word initially as a noun, and later as a superlative adjective. This man is truly a rarity in this day and age, but a darn good one nonetheless!
"Satisfy Me" by Anderson East: People like James Hunter, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, and JJ Grey and Mofro have all proved in recent years that R & B and the blues are genres that transcend race. The latest blues singin' white dude on the rise is Anderson East, whose song "Satisfy Me" is likely to do just that! Anderson brings in both the passion and the grit of '60s R & B into his debut song, as well as raw gutsy vocals and an earthy, sensual delivery of the lyrics. The only thing that is not satisfying about this song is that it's only 2 and a half minutes long. We wanna hear more!
"Someone New" by Hozier: Hozier is certainly NOT "someone new" by now. "Take Me to Church" let everyone know who he was, and he had two more hit songs after that one. It is rare to achieve four hits or more off of a single album these days, but Hozier has now managed to do so! Interesting that both this song and the last one have that "white guy singing the blues" vibe to them. Of the four songs Hozier has put out as singles so far, "Someone New" is probably the most upbeat, as most of his songs sound rather melancholy in comparison. The lyrics are pretty much trademark Hozier, with its "forbidden love" theme. Towards the end, he makes a pun on the word "stranger", using the word initially as a noun, and later as a superlative adjective. This man is truly a rarity in this day and age, but a darn good one nonetheless!
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
New songs for March 4th, 2015
here they are:
"Big Decisions" by My Morning Jacket: It was no "big decision" to decide to review the latest My Morning Jacket song this week!! Already during its first week of existence it has gotten airplay on 18 adult alt stations! Quite a major achievement if you ask me (though this may be happening just because of how much certain people love My Morning Jacket). MMJ's music tends to come in two flavors. There's the trippy neo-psychedelia present in songs like "Off the Record", "Holdin' On to Black Metal", and "I'm Amazed", and there's also the soulful folkie side of their music that shows up in songs like "Golden" and "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)". "Big Decisions" happens to fall into the former category. The song, as its title implies, is about wondering what do do with your life when you aren't quite ready to do so. Here's hoping that MMJ make more "big decisions" (and good ones) in the near future!!
"Falling From the Sky" by Calexico: Like most Calexico songs, "Falling From the Sky" is an indie-folk-rock song that is punctuated (and somewhat defined) by the mariachi-like horns that come in during the chorus. However, there are two things that make this song distinct from their other songs. First of all, it features guest background vocals from Band of Horses' Ben Birdwell, and second of all, it has a spacey Moog synthesizer sound that seems somewhat out of place!! Perhaps Calexico are a band who sound better when sticking to their "core" sound, which, for the most part, they do here (I just wanna know what's up with that blasted synthesizer in the track!) This song is kinda like a slightly mellower version of The Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait", in terms of its sound.
"Sagres" by The Tallest Man on Earth: Every little thing The Tallest Man on Earth does truly is magic!! Or so I thought before I heard this song. Since "Sagres" features an electric guitar as a backing instrument, a lot of The TMOE's biggest fans seemed a bit disappointed, since he normally performs as a one man acoustic band. I must say that I am in slight agreement with the fans here, as it lacks the charm of "1904", "Little Brother", and my personal fave of his, "Wind and Walls", but I also don't think that "Sagres" is a complete departure from what The TMOE normally does. It is still, essentially, a folk-rock song, and it still retains that enchantingly lo-fi sound that most of his songs have. The chords tend to get a bit repetitive, though, and are pretty derivative of Bruce Springsteen's "My Hometown".
"Work Song" by Hozier: Perhaps it is somewhat cliche to use the word "different" to describe the sounds of certain musicians, but for Irish singer/songwriter, Andrew Hozier Byrne (best known by his middle name), there is no better word to describe his music! It doesn't sound like anything else on the radio! They're like hymnals that somehow manage to be solemn and catchy at the same time. Hozier's third big song, "Work Song", continues displaying the depth and talent that Hozier is capable of! Being caught between sexual and spiritual desire seems to be a favorite topic for Hozier, and it continues to resurface here, as he ruminates on being "laid down gently in the cold, dark earth" when he dies, yet contemplating the love he feels for his girlfriend at the same time.
"Big Decisions" by My Morning Jacket: It was no "big decision" to decide to review the latest My Morning Jacket song this week!! Already during its first week of existence it has gotten airplay on 18 adult alt stations! Quite a major achievement if you ask me (though this may be happening just because of how much certain people love My Morning Jacket). MMJ's music tends to come in two flavors. There's the trippy neo-psychedelia present in songs like "Off the Record", "Holdin' On to Black Metal", and "I'm Amazed", and there's also the soulful folkie side of their music that shows up in songs like "Golden" and "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)". "Big Decisions" happens to fall into the former category. The song, as its title implies, is about wondering what do do with your life when you aren't quite ready to do so. Here's hoping that MMJ make more "big decisions" (and good ones) in the near future!!
"Falling From the Sky" by Calexico: Like most Calexico songs, "Falling From the Sky" is an indie-folk-rock song that is punctuated (and somewhat defined) by the mariachi-like horns that come in during the chorus. However, there are two things that make this song distinct from their other songs. First of all, it features guest background vocals from Band of Horses' Ben Birdwell, and second of all, it has a spacey Moog synthesizer sound that seems somewhat out of place!! Perhaps Calexico are a band who sound better when sticking to their "core" sound, which, for the most part, they do here (I just wanna know what's up with that blasted synthesizer in the track!) This song is kinda like a slightly mellower version of The Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait", in terms of its sound.
"Sagres" by The Tallest Man on Earth: Every little thing The Tallest Man on Earth does truly is magic!! Or so I thought before I heard this song. Since "Sagres" features an electric guitar as a backing instrument, a lot of The TMOE's biggest fans seemed a bit disappointed, since he normally performs as a one man acoustic band. I must say that I am in slight agreement with the fans here, as it lacks the charm of "1904", "Little Brother", and my personal fave of his, "Wind and Walls", but I also don't think that "Sagres" is a complete departure from what The TMOE normally does. It is still, essentially, a folk-rock song, and it still retains that enchantingly lo-fi sound that most of his songs have. The chords tend to get a bit repetitive, though, and are pretty derivative of Bruce Springsteen's "My Hometown".
"Work Song" by Hozier: Perhaps it is somewhat cliche to use the word "different" to describe the sounds of certain musicians, but for Irish singer/songwriter, Andrew Hozier Byrne (best known by his middle name), there is no better word to describe his music! It doesn't sound like anything else on the radio! They're like hymnals that somehow manage to be solemn and catchy at the same time. Hozier's third big song, "Work Song", continues displaying the depth and talent that Hozier is capable of! Being caught between sexual and spiritual desire seems to be a favorite topic for Hozier, and it continues to resurface here, as he ruminates on being "laid down gently in the cold, dark earth" when he dies, yet contemplating the love he feels for his girlfriend at the same time.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
New songs for October 8th, 2014
here they are:
"Above the Clouds of Pompeii" by Bear's Den: This beautiful, heartfelt song has been around since August, and, two months down the road, it has finally gotten the radio play on adult alt stations that it has deserved for so long! A bittersweet acoustic ballad, "Above the Clouds of Pompeii" is one of those songs that comes around only once in a blue moon. The song is about the death of someone important in the lead singer's life, probably his mother, but the song itself sounds more like the achingly lovely event of life starting anew! Highly recommended!!
"Cigarette Daydreams" by Cage the Elephant: Cage the Elephant are really putting the "mellow" in their latest album, "Melophobia", with each new song they've released from it. "Cigarette Daydreams" is, by far, the mellowest song on the album, and perhaps even of CTE's career. Though CTE aren't exactly strangers to "soft" rock, they have never done an acoustic song, to my knowledge, which makes "Cigarette Daydreams" a first for the band, since it is dominated by an acoustic guitar sound. "Cigarette Daydreams" is far from sounding pungent like a cigarette, and instead sounds light and airy, like a daydream. For a group of guys who started with frat-rock anthems like "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked", they sure have come a long way!
"Ex's And Oh's" by Elle King: Elle King could be the one to give fellow jazz/rock/blues/roots hybrid femme fatale, Gin Wigmore, a run for her money. Even their voices sound somewhat similar. Elle King's cleverly titled "Ex's And Oh's" is, of course, about Elle's ex-boyfriends, and how they have treated her, and has nothing to do with tic tac toe. Gin Wigmore exudes more energy and has more of an edge than Elle King, but Elle knows how to be sultry and jazzy with the best of 'em!
"From Eden" by Hozier: Does religion play a theme in the music of Irish indie-pop artist, Hozier? With titles like "Take Me to Church", and now, "From Eden", I would venture to say that is so! The two songs couldn't sound more opposite, though! "Take Me to Church" sounded like a dirge turned into a pop song, and was somewhat controversial (probably why the song was such a big hit on "alternative" rock stations), but "From Eden" sounds more like a bouncy indie-pop song, written in a more major key than its predecessor. Beneath the chirpy sound of "From Eden", however, lies yet another dark theme, and that is the temptation of lust, as indicated in the song's refrain, "I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door". What a two-faced "snake" Hozier is!
"Above the Clouds of Pompeii" by Bear's Den: This beautiful, heartfelt song has been around since August, and, two months down the road, it has finally gotten the radio play on adult alt stations that it has deserved for so long! A bittersweet acoustic ballad, "Above the Clouds of Pompeii" is one of those songs that comes around only once in a blue moon. The song is about the death of someone important in the lead singer's life, probably his mother, but the song itself sounds more like the achingly lovely event of life starting anew! Highly recommended!!
"Cigarette Daydreams" by Cage the Elephant: Cage the Elephant are really putting the "mellow" in their latest album, "Melophobia", with each new song they've released from it. "Cigarette Daydreams" is, by far, the mellowest song on the album, and perhaps even of CTE's career. Though CTE aren't exactly strangers to "soft" rock, they have never done an acoustic song, to my knowledge, which makes "Cigarette Daydreams" a first for the band, since it is dominated by an acoustic guitar sound. "Cigarette Daydreams" is far from sounding pungent like a cigarette, and instead sounds light and airy, like a daydream. For a group of guys who started with frat-rock anthems like "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked", they sure have come a long way!
"Ex's And Oh's" by Elle King: Elle King could be the one to give fellow jazz/rock/blues/roots hybrid femme fatale, Gin Wigmore, a run for her money. Even their voices sound somewhat similar. Elle King's cleverly titled "Ex's And Oh's" is, of course, about Elle's ex-boyfriends, and how they have treated her, and has nothing to do with tic tac toe. Gin Wigmore exudes more energy and has more of an edge than Elle King, but Elle knows how to be sultry and jazzy with the best of 'em!
"From Eden" by Hozier: Does religion play a theme in the music of Irish indie-pop artist, Hozier? With titles like "Take Me to Church", and now, "From Eden", I would venture to say that is so! The two songs couldn't sound more opposite, though! "Take Me to Church" sounded like a dirge turned into a pop song, and was somewhat controversial (probably why the song was such a big hit on "alternative" rock stations), but "From Eden" sounds more like a bouncy indie-pop song, written in a more major key than its predecessor. Beneath the chirpy sound of "From Eden", however, lies yet another dark theme, and that is the temptation of lust, as indicated in the song's refrain, "I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door". What a two-faced "snake" Hozier is!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
There will be no blog this time...
....APRIL FOOLS!! Yeah, I had to throw one in there a day late! Anyway, here is today's blog:
"Dark Sunglasses" by Chrissie Hynde: Just from the title of this song, I guessed that this song would be one of the "tougher" sounding songs of the Pretenders frontwoman's catalog. Boy, was I right! Not necessarily hard rock here, but certainly rock!! Opening with a cowbell driven percussion section, "Dark Sunglasses" is full of both attitude and mystique. This is my first taste of Chrissie minus The Pretenders, yet it still sounds like The Pretenders! It doesn't quite sound like a solo effort with its full band instrumentation keeping it together. However, it's still great to know that even into her 60's, Chrissie can still rock it, and sound as young as ever!!
"Fall In Love" by Phantogram: One woman, one man, yet tons of sound!! This is a good way to describe the New York duo known as Phantogram, whose debut song, "Fall In Love", takes electronica to new, more orchestrated heights! In fact, "Fall In Love" doesn't even open with electronic instruments, but instead with a string section. The synthesizer in the song comes in at about 30 seconds into the song. Sarah Barthels' soothing vocals contrast with the scathing lyrics of the song (i.e. "I was the reason you feel sick inside", "The lines on my face that ate away my smile", etc.) In spite of all this, "Fall In Love" still lives up to its title, and makes you want to do exactly as it says, with its sultry, seductive sound!
"Lanterns" by Birds of Tokyo: For any anime/Japanese culture fans who may be reading this, I hate to burst your bubble, but no, Birds of Tokyo aren't actually from Tokyo. They are an Australian band who named themselves after a newspaper headline that talked about the increasing endangering of birds in Tokyo. Their song "Lanterns" is a rather dreamy, wistful sounding one, set to sparkly synthesizers, tranquil vocals, and poetic sounding lyrics like, "On we march to the midnight sun, we will light our way with our lanterns on". Midnight is definitely a good time to be listening to "Lanterns", but preferably when envisioned as a still, starlit midnight, as opposed to one bustling with nightlife.
"Mr. Tembo" by Damon Albarn: Damon is one hard working British musician! He started out in the Brit-pop group, Blur (whose biggest hit, the "woo-hoo" dominated "Song 2", didn't sound a THING like most of their songs), and then went onto unlikely success as a band of wild, hip-hop/techno loving cartoon primates in The Gorillaz. A lot of his material can be described as "quirky, but edgy". His latest song, "Mr. Tembo", is certainly quirky (just look at the title of the song!) Edgy?! Not really. In fact, I'd even venture to say that it sounds like a Latin tinged version of a Raffi song! It's certainly repetitive and (insanely) catchy enough to be compared to Raffi! The subject of the song is in the chorus, about "Mr. Tembo, and what he's going to do". So who IS "Mr. Tembo"?! I haven't the slightest idea! Sure is a fun song, though!
"Take Me to Church" by Hozier: The funny thing about most successful Irish musicians is that you can't really tell they're Irish at first when you hear them sing!! Just ask Bono, or Van Morrison, both of whom have that soulful sound that fellow Irishman Hozier has now adopted with his debut song, "Take Me to Church". The "church" in the title of the song is not your grandma's church, though, make no mistake! "Take Me to Church" is not meant to sound like uplifting gospel music, but rather like a slow, aching dirge, exposing the dark side of religion and spirituality. The chorus opens with the title of the song, followed by lyrics like, "I'll worship like a dog in the shrine of your life", and "I'll tell you my sins while you sharpen your knife". Chilling words, but sometimes it can be just as enlightening to explore the dark side of life as it is to explore the light side!
"Dark Sunglasses" by Chrissie Hynde: Just from the title of this song, I guessed that this song would be one of the "tougher" sounding songs of the Pretenders frontwoman's catalog. Boy, was I right! Not necessarily hard rock here, but certainly rock!! Opening with a cowbell driven percussion section, "Dark Sunglasses" is full of both attitude and mystique. This is my first taste of Chrissie minus The Pretenders, yet it still sounds like The Pretenders! It doesn't quite sound like a solo effort with its full band instrumentation keeping it together. However, it's still great to know that even into her 60's, Chrissie can still rock it, and sound as young as ever!!
"Fall In Love" by Phantogram: One woman, one man, yet tons of sound!! This is a good way to describe the New York duo known as Phantogram, whose debut song, "Fall In Love", takes electronica to new, more orchestrated heights! In fact, "Fall In Love" doesn't even open with electronic instruments, but instead with a string section. The synthesizer in the song comes in at about 30 seconds into the song. Sarah Barthels' soothing vocals contrast with the scathing lyrics of the song (i.e. "I was the reason you feel sick inside", "The lines on my face that ate away my smile", etc.) In spite of all this, "Fall In Love" still lives up to its title, and makes you want to do exactly as it says, with its sultry, seductive sound!
"Lanterns" by Birds of Tokyo: For any anime/Japanese culture fans who may be reading this, I hate to burst your bubble, but no, Birds of Tokyo aren't actually from Tokyo. They are an Australian band who named themselves after a newspaper headline that talked about the increasing endangering of birds in Tokyo. Their song "Lanterns" is a rather dreamy, wistful sounding one, set to sparkly synthesizers, tranquil vocals, and poetic sounding lyrics like, "On we march to the midnight sun, we will light our way with our lanterns on". Midnight is definitely a good time to be listening to "Lanterns", but preferably when envisioned as a still, starlit midnight, as opposed to one bustling with nightlife.
"Mr. Tembo" by Damon Albarn: Damon is one hard working British musician! He started out in the Brit-pop group, Blur (whose biggest hit, the "woo-hoo" dominated "Song 2", didn't sound a THING like most of their songs), and then went onto unlikely success as a band of wild, hip-hop/techno loving cartoon primates in The Gorillaz. A lot of his material can be described as "quirky, but edgy". His latest song, "Mr. Tembo", is certainly quirky (just look at the title of the song!) Edgy?! Not really. In fact, I'd even venture to say that it sounds like a Latin tinged version of a Raffi song! It's certainly repetitive and (insanely) catchy enough to be compared to Raffi! The subject of the song is in the chorus, about "Mr. Tembo, and what he's going to do". So who IS "Mr. Tembo"?! I haven't the slightest idea! Sure is a fun song, though!
"Take Me to Church" by Hozier: The funny thing about most successful Irish musicians is that you can't really tell they're Irish at first when you hear them sing!! Just ask Bono, or Van Morrison, both of whom have that soulful sound that fellow Irishman Hozier has now adopted with his debut song, "Take Me to Church". The "church" in the title of the song is not your grandma's church, though, make no mistake! "Take Me to Church" is not meant to sound like uplifting gospel music, but rather like a slow, aching dirge, exposing the dark side of religion and spirituality. The chorus opens with the title of the song, followed by lyrics like, "I'll worship like a dog in the shrine of your life", and "I'll tell you my sins while you sharpen your knife". Chilling words, but sometimes it can be just as enlightening to explore the dark side of life as it is to explore the light side!
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