When Irish "I"s are smiling...

 Hi everyone! Happy March, and top o' th' mornin', lads and lassies! Just like the word "Irish" itself, both our entries for this list start with the letter I, hence the goofy title for this week's blog. Here goes!

"I Hear the Ax Swinging" by Ghost of Vroom: Some of you may know Mike Doughty from his mid '90s alt-rock group, Soul Coughing. Others of you may be familiar with his more folksy yet still quirky solo material from the 21st century. His latest project, Ghost of Vroom, is probably closer to Soul Coughing than it is to his solo stuff. It's been a long time since I've heard a Mike Doughty that's this rockin'! Probably not since "Super Bon Bon" back in 1996! Like most Doughty songs, "I Hear the Ax Swinging" has a bit of a caustic edge to it lyrically. Some of the lyrics seem random, but the title of the song, which also serves as its chorus, is probably reflective of how Doughty feels about the world today. In other words, he feels that, at any time, we could be "axed out" of the world! Some clever musical references in this song too ("Reach the beach like The Fixx," referencing the British new wave band's biggest album, and "Roundabout, yes..." referencing the song "Roundabout" by prog-rock group, Yes).

"I Ran Away" by Dinosaur Jr.: Fitting to their somewhat intimidating name, Dinosaur Jr. often had an element of heaviness and unpredictability to their music. This, however, is not such a song. It's almost got a country-rock flavor, actually, although that is not too surprising knowing how much lead singer J. Mascis was influenced by folk-rock legends like Bob Dylan and Neil Young as much as he was by noisier groups like The Velvet Underground and The Stooges. Mascis has recruited help from contemporary musicians influenced by his own work, such as The War on Drugs' Kurt Vile, for this particular tune. Adding to the retro flavor of this tune is the 12-string Vile contributes to it! 

New songs for November 14th 2018

here they are:


"Change" by The Revivalists: "Change" is an apt title for this song, since it is a change from the boastful pop flourish of The Revivalists' previous hit, "All My Friends". Here, the New Orleans octet goes back to the blues-rock they were originally known for before they hit the big time. Not only is the song catchy, but it is clever as well, making more than one use of the word "change" in its lyrics. The chorus uses the word twice: "You've got some CHANGE inside your pocket, but it doesn't CHANGE a thing". This is The Revivalists the way they were meant to sound!


"Dark Dark Dark" by Gregory Alan Isakov: Gregory Alan Isakov has been around for a while now, but this marks the first time I've really heard his music. Mixing the intimate folk-rock of Damien Rice with the down home-y country-rock of The Avett Brothers, Gregory weaves an enchanting, wistful tale in "Dark Dark Dark". The song is an ode to the narrator's girlfriend, presumably named Maria (is the same Maria who showed up in countless Counting Crows songs?!), with reflective, nature laden imagery that wouldn't sound out of place in an Iron & Wine tune. The peaceful calm of songs like this make life worth living to me!


"Elastic Days" by J. Mascis: And now, here comes some more charmingly esoteric folk-rock from the formerly noisy Dinosaur Jr. frontman, J. Mascis. Just a few weeks ago, I was reviewing Mascis' "See You At the Movies", and he's already come out with another new song for the year that adult alt radio stations are gravitating towards! How about that?! Anyway, although both this song and "See You At the Movies" are essentially folk-rock tunes, "Elastic Days" leans even more towards folk-rock than "See You At the Movies" did. "Elastic Days" has a softer backing electric guitar than "See You At the Movies" did. So what does J mean by "the sky is back to all elastic days?" Perhaps only J himself knows the answer to that one. However, the song is not meant for lyrical analyzation as much as it is meant for people to take a breather from an otherwise hectic day, so let's go with the flow here, as Mascis has probably intended for us to do!


"Last of Your Rock 'N' Roll Heroes" by Iron & Wine: There's not a whole lot of rock 'n' roll in this song. It's more just folk music with a catchy drumbeat. The song hearkens back to the simple but weighty lyricism of early R.E.M. tunes, with its title repeated many times throughout the song, and its short, simple verses coming off as oblique but still somewhat meaningful. Sam Beam's music may be rooted in folk, but he is still a rock and roll fan, and with rock heroes leaving the planet by the thousands these days (if not the millions), perhaps that's where he was coming from with the song's title and idea.


"When Bad Does Good" by Chris Cornell: And speaking of fallen rock and roll heroes, here's one who made his exit in the summer of last year. "When Bad Does Good" is a posthumous release in the Chris Cornell catalog. The sweet but powerful "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" seemed to be an apt swan song for Chris, but the beginning of "When Bad Does Good" almost sounds like an ascent into heaven, as though he KNEW how he was going to decide his own fate back when he came up with the idea for this song! Why he chose not to release this beautiful song during his lifetime is anyone's guess, but perhaps he wanted listeners to feel like he was calling to them from heaven when he did this song. Life and death are curious phenomena in the human lifespan, and Cornell captures them both here perfectly!

New songs for the day after Halloween, 2018

...because I couldn't do a blog ON Halloween...could I?! Yeah, I could have, but I chose not to. So here, one day later than usual, are your latest new batch of tunes:


"Head Held High" by Kodaline: Let's see...folk-rock with a pop twist sung by a guy with an Irish sounding accent. New Mumford and Sons?! Nope! This is a new song by the similar but vastly more underrated band, Kodaline. Unlike the Mumfords, Kodaline actually do come from Ireland, as opposed to simply sounding like they do. This song is actually pretty sunny compared to most of what Kodaline does, which is already pretty high spirited. Though the message of the song and the incessant "la la la"s that dominate it might seem a little on the syrupy side to some, it still makes for a nice li'l sing-along, dont'cha think?!


"See You At the Movies" by J. Mascis: Our only other song of the week comes from ex-Dinosaur Jr. frontman, J. Mascis. On his latest song, "See You At the Movies", he tries to replicate the formula that made "Every Morning" a hit on adult alt stations back in the summer of 2014. Acoustic guitar? Check. G major key? Check. Weary vocals? Check. Piercing but somewhat restrained electric guitar solos? Check. It's pretty sedate in comparison to the wildness and unpredictability that J became known for in Dinosaur Jr., but still worth a listen nonetheless. Also, the song's saving grace might be in its chorus, during which J states, "See you at the movies, the movies in my head". This is enough to make me wonder what kind of movies he plays in his head! I bet they're mighty interesting ones.

New songs for October 26th, 2016

here they are:


"Astral Plane" by Valerie June: Do you notice something different about Valerie June's latest song?! It doesn't have the roots-y flavor she usually goes for in her songs, but there is a very good reason for this. That is because "Astral Plane" was a song that was originally written for the smooth-jazz influenced trip-hop group, Massive Attack. "Trip-hop", for those who aren't familiar with it, is basically like a smooth, ethereal, and jazzy form of alternative pop music with electronics as backing instruments. There are no electronic instruments backing Valerie's version of "Astral Plane", but it still manages to maintain the billowy, blissful beauty of what Massive Attack's music typically sounds like. Much like Van Morrison's similarly titled "Astral Weeks", "Astral Plane" is a magical musical trip to heaven written in A major that's guaranteed to soothe all your troubled nerves!


"Glitter And Gold" by Barns Courtney: Throughout both the spring AND summer of this year, Barns Courtney had an unexpected but oh-so-catchy hit song with the blazing, hot song, "Fire", on both the alt and adult alt charts. It was only a few weeks ago that the possibility of a second Barns Courtney hit was hinted at, but perhaps I should have figured this was coming with "Fire" being one of the most successful songs of 2016. His newest song is called "Glitter And Gold" and contains a similar mix of blues-y spirituals and rock and roll attitude. "Glitter And Gold" is already pretty catchy and the vocalized "ting ting" in the chorus of the song brings a bit of humor along for the ride as well. "Glitter And Gold" seems to be about the desire for fame, but I doubt Barns really has such a desire anymore now that he's GOTTEN it! With "Glitter And Gold", his 15 minutes of fame might have just expanded to 30!


"Here In Spirit" by Jim James: Jim James is like the bearded roots-y folk-rock version of David Bowie in some ways. He's not afraid to experiment with other sounds and he's able to sound sweet and heavenly just as much as he is brooding and scary. Jim's "Here In Spirit" attempts to have a more heavenly sound, albeit with an R & B sounding backbeat. Fitting to its title, "Here In Spirit" has a rather spiritual message of peace and love, apt to the neo-hippie image Jim James has attempted to cultivate. As a warning to those who get lulled into James' hypnotic musical trance, there is a "hiccup" in either the keyboards or the percussion at about 3 and a half minutes into the song. It should be a smooth ride otherwise, though.


"In A Drawer" by Band of Horses: It's been awhile since we last heard Band of Horses come up with a solid ballad, and "In A Drawer" is proof that BOH still have potential to be a calmer band at times. The song's odd title seems to be a reference to all the memories that Ben Bridwell keeps finding throughout the song (he finds them in a drawer). As such, the song has a rather bittersweet, nostalgic quality. "Casual Party" might have been a more likely song to hook BOH fans into listening to a new record by them due to its catchiness, but I would have preferred to have "In A Drawer" as the first single off their new album. And who, you might be wondering, is that scraggly, quavering voice singing beside Ben during the chorus? Well that just so happens to be none other than J. Mascis, the lead singer of the legendary proto-indie and pre-grunge group, Dinosaur Jr. Pretty cool, huh?!


"Shine" by Mondo Cozmo: Our last entry of the week comes from the only group of musicians making their debut onto the blog. The other four have had entries on my blog before, but not Mondo Cozmo. Their name alone sounds pretty intriguing, doesn't it?! Well, wait 'till you hear their music! Although folk-rock is precious to me in general, I must admit that I haven't been THIS impressed by a folk-rock song since Mumford and Sons debuted back in 2010! (Or when The Tallest Man on Earth broke through 2 years later). There's something very striking and poignant about Mondo Cozmo's "Shine". Perhaps it's the chord progression or the way it's being played. Perhaps it's the "everything will be alright if you let it go" refrain in the chorus that can lend itself to multiple interpretations. Maybe it could even be the echoic choir sound that comes through as the song builds up. Whatever it is, though, "Shine" does exactly what its title suggests it would do, and how!

New songs for July 30th, 2014

here they are:



"Every Morning" by J. Mascis (from Dinosaur Jr.): With a past full of sardonic, grungy rock songs, it's a bit of a surprise to me that J. Mascis, the lead singer of noise-rock pioneers, Dinosaur Jr., has mellowed out in recent years! I didn't believe I'd hear anything even remotely acoustic from him until I heard him cover Edie Brickell's "Circle". Mascis' latest solo effort, "Every Morning", is a folk-rock song. The song is not without his fuzzy yet spastic trademark electric guitar solos, but those are not the defining features of "Every Morning" by a long shot! Mascis' dry attitude is still there in both the lyrics ("every morning makes it hard on me") and in the way they're delivered. It seems as though he has been quite the busy man this year, having also provided the guitar solos on "Goshen '97" by up-and-coming indie rock group, Strand of Oaks.


"Family Tree" by Kings of Leon: Kings of Leon have done plenty of odes to classic rock, but so far, none of those songs quite capture the spirit of the vintage 1970's electric guitar sound like "Family Tree". It is by far the most upbeat song from KOL's latest album, "Mechanical Bull", and quite possibly their most upbeat song in general! The chorus of the song is memorable, though it does have some awkward rhyming ("I am your family tree, I know your A to Z, this is a secret proposition, lay your hands on me"). It seems as though the whole song centers around the subject of the song trying to make it with the girl of his dreams, but that is rather typical subject matter for a 1970's rock song, so the Followill brothers once again manage to capture the essence of the glory days of rock 'n' roll!


"Rise Up Singing" by Trigger Hippy: You know that a band with the word "hippy" in the name is probably going to sound like something from the past, and it does, but in a rather fresh, soulful way! Trigger Hippy are a supergroup that comprise of various members of The Black Crowes (including newer member, Jackie Greene), and alt-rocker turned soul mistress, Joan Osborne. Not surprisingly, Trigger Hippy sounds like a group whose music got stuck in the early '70s, combining elements of rock, folk, and soul all in the same sound. The message of the song is simple, but quite joyful and exuberant.

New songs for July 2nd, 2014

here they are:


"Gimme Something Good" by Ryan Adams: Ryan Adams could easily be likened to a younger Neil Young, with his tendency to switch between heartfelt, acoustic ballads, and electrifying, arena ready rockers. The "rock side" of Ryan's material seems to be largely influenced by U2 and Bruce Springsteen. Opting for a Tom Petty style sound is not something I recall Ryan Adams doing. Until now, that is. "Gimme Something Good" clearly recalls Tom Petty, circa the late '70s/early '80s, in many ways. First off, there's that mix of roots-y but gutsy electric guitar that evokes the sound that The Heartbreakers' Mike Campbell typically used, and there's even a keyboard in the background that sounds remarkably like Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench. To top it all off, the chorus of "Gimme Something Good" kinda sounds like "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", Petty's duet with Fleetwood Mac vocalist, Stevie Nicks. Not sure if Petty would be honored or insulted if he heard this song, but chances are, probably one of the two. With Petty having recently released a new record, it'd be interesting to find out what he thinks of Ryan Adams' latest song!!


"Goshen '97" by Strand of Oaks: The title of the song is never mentioned in the lyrics, but it's a pretty clear statement of what the song is about. It is a no-frills, cheekily nostalgic look back on what life was like for Strand of Oaks' lead singer, Timothy Showalter, in Goshen, Indiana, back in 1997. The chorus of the song tells it all, as Showalter creakily growls that he was "lonely but (he) was having fun", and that he does not want to "start all over again". Various bits of '90s nostalgia are laced through the song, from its mention of "singing Pumpkins in the mirror" (Smashing Pumpkins), to the fact that Dinosaur Jr. guitarist J. Mascis provides guest guitar work on the song. Welcome to the '90s!


"Rainbow" by Robert Plant: From Zeppelin to zen. This seems like an apt way of describing how Robert Plant's recent work has turned out. Yes, he still performs rock music, but not the mighty, thunderous roar of Led Zeppelin. Instead, it is a more mature, transcendentally influenced, and almost meditative form of rock music. His latest song, "Rainbow", continues in this pattern, having not only a peaceful sound, but soothing, hippie-like lyrics as well, especially when he describes himself as being the "rainbow" in the title of the song. "I will sing my song for you, and carry on", Plant sings, in a blissfully existential manner. Also, I'm sorry to dash the hopes of any Led Zeppelin fans who might be reading this, but Plant is not planning a reunion tour with the band, as he would much rather focus on the here and now than dwell on the past.