here they are:
“Best Days” by Lissie: Fitting that a song called “Best Days” sounds so happy and hopeful, isn’t it? Well, there’s a good reason for that. “Best Days” is Lissie’s song of hope, and it’s her way of letting her listeners know that the “good old days” are the ones we are living in right now. Lissie even sings in the middle of the song that she “wants more best days”. What a great attitude to have in times where nearly everyone seems to wish they could escape the present era!
“Girlfriend” by Anderson East: Anderson is a unique musician in this day and age, alternating between gritty sax driven soul music, calmer roots-y country-rock (perhaps influenced by his girlfriend, country star Miranda Lambert), and sometimes even straight up pop. On “Girlfriend”, Anderson goes back to the gutsy soul music that I originally knew him for. Unlike what its title might suggest, “Girlfriend” is not a simple declaration of love here, but instead a love triangle. Anderson loudly and somewhat proudly proclaims during the chorus that he “thinks (he’s) in love” with the subject’s “girlfriend”. I wonder what Miranda is gonna think of THIS one!
“Listening In” by Dr. Dog: Ever the quirky, original sounding indie band, Dr. Dog have done it again with their latest song, “Listening In”. The lyrics are pretty simple, with only three verses with practically identical lyrics and a bridge, but the music itself provides nearly 5 minutes of trippy, neo-psychedelic goodness! It appears the song is even a bit prog-rock influenced, with the middle of the song suddenly changing rhythm before the third verse kicks in. The song also provides just the right amount of balance between keyboard and guitar, unlike most indie songs these days, which tend to focus on one more than the other.
“May You Be Well” – The Lone Bellow: After splashing onto adult alt radio during the summer of last year with the rollicking, energetic, “Time’s Always Leaving”, the second single from The Lone Bellow’s third album, “May You Be Well”, is a more reflective and somewhat reverent sounding piece of music. It is a very sentimental song, both musically and lyrically, and was written by lead singer Zach Williams to his oldest daughter as a declaration of love from father to child. Both of his daughters ended up liking the track, though, especially Betty, his youngest, who expressed how moved she was that her dad chose to dedicate a song to one of his kids. I guess that’s the thing about good music. It can be enjoyed from one generation to the next!
“Never Look Back” by Field Report: It hasn’t been a very easy road for Wisconsin folk-rock quartet, Field Report, but they seem to be able to squeeze out one adult alt radio hit per album. So far, this pattern has continued into their third album with their latest song, “Never Look Back”. One thing I have noticed about the songs that have gained attention from Field Report is how more instrumentation gets used on each song. “Never Look Back” contains more echoic instrumentation and a bit more acoustic/electric guitar harmony than their other two hit songs. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the talk box used during the solo of the song, although it’s used in a rather subtle manner.
“On the Lips” by JD McPherson: What if The Black Keys covered songs like Modern English’s “I Melt With You”? Sounds kinda weird, doesn’t it?! Well, that’s pretty much the sound of JD McPherson’s latest song, “On the Lips”! No one ever thought that a guy whose first big song was a Little Richard sound-alike would be churning out THIS kinda music, but it does manage to work here. Well, kinda. Despite its rather futuristic sound, the song is actually about a moment from JD’s distant past. Specifically, it’s about his first kiss, and how much excitement he felt rushing through him when that special someone’s smooch “hit (him) on the lips”.
“Paradise” by George Ezra: No, this is not a cover of the popular Coldplay song of the same name, although George Ezra’s “Paradise” does have a bit more of a pop element than most of his folk-rock-y material has so far. This “Paradise” is definitely more upbeat and a little more rockin’ than the tune that Chris Martin and co put out a few years ago. It is also a declaration of love the whole way through. There are times when the lyrical fervor of this song runs hotter than others, such as the chorus, when George says, “If it feels like paradise running through your bloody veins, you know it’s love heading your way”. Love sure does make you do strange things sometimes, doesn’t it?!
“Roll On Slow” by Glen Hansard: The Irish folk-rocker whose first big hit was from the “Once” soundtrack amps it up on his latest song, “Roll On Slow”. There is something vaguely similar (though not near as impressive) to Bruce Springsteen songs like “She’s the One” and “Born to Run” on this song, and a bit of a soulful vibe as well during the chorus that could have easily come from fellow Irishmen, The Commitments (even though they were a movie-only band). The Springsteen-esque sound might have been intentional on “Roll On Slow”, since Glen has performed the song before with E Street Band drummer, Max Weinberg. The song definitely has an East Coast vibe to it, and was written while Glen was living in New York City. Behind the song’s determined, gutsy sound, however, lies a tale of sadness and woe. Apparently, the song was inspired by how Glen started drinking alcohol too heavily because his girlfriend was on vacation. The song’s urban vibe and fast beats help to compensate for the sad subject matter, though.
Showing posts with label JD McPherson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JD McPherson. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
New songs for August 9th, 2017
here they are:
"Lucky Penny" by JD McPherson: JD McPherson's style is usually that of a 1950's rocker like Jerry Lee Lewis or Chuck Berry. "Lucky Penny" takes him from the '50s to the early '70s! The organ filled neo-glam-rock style of The Black Keys dominates this song, and it also sounds slightly reminiscent of "Roadhouse Blues" by The Doors. "This lucky penny's been nothing but bad luck", JD sings during the chorus. Unfortunately, a lot of listeners seem to feel this way, too, since the style of the song is largely derivative of The Black Keys, as opposed to the amalgam of '50s rock styles he's become known for. However, "Lucky Penny" might just be the song to get JD from adult alt radio stations to more mainstream alt-rock stations, which would probably work out in his favor! Was this song worth the one cent?! You decide!
"We Were Beautiful" by Belle and Sebastian: The ever eclectic Belle and Sebastian continue to wow indie fans with their latest song, "We Were Beautiful". Most of their fans seem to prefer their work from the '90s and '00s, when they were "twee" (in other words, influenced by sweet sounding orchestral '60s pop, such as "Pet Sounds"). B & S have modified their style a bit ever since to include more electronic influences, such as what they did on their 2014 song, "The Party Line". "We Were Beautiful" continues in the electro-pop pattern, but it also has an ethereal, airy sound that hearkens back to their earlier work. "We were beautiful before this went down", lead vocalist Stuart Lee Murdoch croons bittersweetly during the chorus. On the surface, the lyrics sound like they are referring to a relationship gone bad, but the song could also ostensibly be about how B & S have interpreted criticism of their more recent songs.
"What You Do to Me" by Benjamin Gibbard: And last but certainly not least, the Death Cab for Cutie frontman embarks on his most interesting musical quest to date, an entire album of songs that were covers of tunes by '90s power pop group, Teenage Fanclub. Ben covers one of TF's most famous songs, "The Concept", on this album, but that did not end up being the first single from Ben's latest album. Instead, it was a cover of a lesser known Teenage Fanclub song, "What You Do to Me". It's interesting to hear him take on this song, which serves as a "missing link" between Big Star and Gin Blossoms. DCFC have dabbled plenty in the softer side of alternative rock, but this is the first time one of their members has attempted a power pop/jangle pop song, and the results are quite satisfying! Too bad it's only 2 minutes long.
"Lucky Penny" by JD McPherson: JD McPherson's style is usually that of a 1950's rocker like Jerry Lee Lewis or Chuck Berry. "Lucky Penny" takes him from the '50s to the early '70s! The organ filled neo-glam-rock style of The Black Keys dominates this song, and it also sounds slightly reminiscent of "Roadhouse Blues" by The Doors. "This lucky penny's been nothing but bad luck", JD sings during the chorus. Unfortunately, a lot of listeners seem to feel this way, too, since the style of the song is largely derivative of The Black Keys, as opposed to the amalgam of '50s rock styles he's become known for. However, "Lucky Penny" might just be the song to get JD from adult alt radio stations to more mainstream alt-rock stations, which would probably work out in his favor! Was this song worth the one cent?! You decide!
"We Were Beautiful" by Belle and Sebastian: The ever eclectic Belle and Sebastian continue to wow indie fans with their latest song, "We Were Beautiful". Most of their fans seem to prefer their work from the '90s and '00s, when they were "twee" (in other words, influenced by sweet sounding orchestral '60s pop, such as "Pet Sounds"). B & S have modified their style a bit ever since to include more electronic influences, such as what they did on their 2014 song, "The Party Line". "We Were Beautiful" continues in the electro-pop pattern, but it also has an ethereal, airy sound that hearkens back to their earlier work. "We were beautiful before this went down", lead vocalist Stuart Lee Murdoch croons bittersweetly during the chorus. On the surface, the lyrics sound like they are referring to a relationship gone bad, but the song could also ostensibly be about how B & S have interpreted criticism of their more recent songs.
"What You Do to Me" by Benjamin Gibbard: And last but certainly not least, the Death Cab for Cutie frontman embarks on his most interesting musical quest to date, an entire album of songs that were covers of tunes by '90s power pop group, Teenage Fanclub. Ben covers one of TF's most famous songs, "The Concept", on this album, but that did not end up being the first single from Ben's latest album. Instead, it was a cover of a lesser known Teenage Fanclub song, "What You Do to Me". It's interesting to hear him take on this song, which serves as a "missing link" between Big Star and Gin Blossoms. DCFC have dabbled plenty in the softer side of alternative rock, but this is the first time one of their members has attempted a power pop/jangle pop song, and the results are quite satisfying! Too bad it's only 2 minutes long.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
New songs for April 29th 2015
here they are:
"Fade Out Lines" by The Avener: This song blends the best of two unlikely worlds, upbeat funk music and sad, minor key music. Behind the funky beat of "Fade Out Lines" lies its heartbroken, struggling lyrics, which state that, "The shallower it grows, the fainter we go". Guest vocalist Phoebe Killdeer from new wave cover band Nouvelle Vague provides the sublime yet detached vocals in this song. Not every day that you get lovelorn lyrics wed to funky beats, but somehow, they manage to gel pretty well this time around!
"Head Over Heels" by JD McPherson: What if Nirvana's song "About A Girl" was released more than 50 years ago?! Probably not a question on anyone's mind, but that's pretty much what JD McPherson's latest song, "Head Over Heels", sounds like. It is built around two chords, G major and B flat major, the pattern of which sounds strikingly similar to the E minor to G major shift in the verses of "About A Girl". Coincidentally, "About A Girl" was a song that Kurt Cobain intended to sound like an early Beatles tune. Perhaps JD is (unintentionally) doing Kurt a favor?! Time will tell!
"Language of the Dead" by Delta Spirit: A very late entry, as the single for this song has actually been out since February, but better late than never, I say! This song packs quite a punch, lyrically!! That is to say, it's a whammy of pop culture trivia! Agamemnon (whom I studied in class recently) and Ulysses are both mentioned, as are Tolstoy and Robert E. Lee. The only icon in the song who is not dead is Bob Dylan. Towards the end of the song, we are dealt a different kind of whammy altogether, when lead singer Matthew Vasquez gives his own personal "take that" to "inspirational" songs and poems everywhere, by saying, "dreamers, get your own dream!"
"Fade Out Lines" by The Avener: This song blends the best of two unlikely worlds, upbeat funk music and sad, minor key music. Behind the funky beat of "Fade Out Lines" lies its heartbroken, struggling lyrics, which state that, "The shallower it grows, the fainter we go". Guest vocalist Phoebe Killdeer from new wave cover band Nouvelle Vague provides the sublime yet detached vocals in this song. Not every day that you get lovelorn lyrics wed to funky beats, but somehow, they manage to gel pretty well this time around!
"Head Over Heels" by JD McPherson: What if Nirvana's song "About A Girl" was released more than 50 years ago?! Probably not a question on anyone's mind, but that's pretty much what JD McPherson's latest song, "Head Over Heels", sounds like. It is built around two chords, G major and B flat major, the pattern of which sounds strikingly similar to the E minor to G major shift in the verses of "About A Girl". Coincidentally, "About A Girl" was a song that Kurt Cobain intended to sound like an early Beatles tune. Perhaps JD is (unintentionally) doing Kurt a favor?! Time will tell!
"Language of the Dead" by Delta Spirit: A very late entry, as the single for this song has actually been out since February, but better late than never, I say! This song packs quite a punch, lyrically!! That is to say, it's a whammy of pop culture trivia! Agamemnon (whom I studied in class recently) and Ulysses are both mentioned, as are Tolstoy and Robert E. Lee. The only icon in the song who is not dead is Bob Dylan. Towards the end of the song, we are dealt a different kind of whammy altogether, when lead singer Matthew Vasquez gives his own personal "take that" to "inspirational" songs and poems everywhere, by saying, "dreamers, get your own dream!"
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
New songs for January 21st, 2015
here they are:
"Black Is the Color" by Rhiannon Giddens: No other black female musician has sung about being a "country girl" quite so convincingly, and nor has any other attempted to mix bluegrass instrumentation with hip-hop beats. Qualities like this put Carolina Chocolate Drops' lead singer, Rhiannon Giddens, in a truly special category! She ups the ante on musical diversity with her debut solo song, "Black Is the Color", which is somewhat reminiscent of the harmonica laden soul tunes that Stevie Wonder has become known for. "Black", in this case, does not refer to race, but to the actual color, as it describes Rhiannon's "true love's hair" (well actually, not HER "true love", as people like Nina Simone recorded versions of the song before she did). A truly sublime treat from an equally sublime musician!
"Every Minute" by JJ Grey and Mofro: Moving on to a contemporary soul influenced group of a grittier variety, "Every Minute" is probably the smoothest song JJ Grey and Mofro have put out so far. The song gives more of a romantic, warm summery vibe than most of the grimier material in their catalog. That is, until halfway through the song, when horns start to blare, and guest guitarist Derek Trucks makes his guitar more audible! It starts to mellow out again after about 10 or 20 seconds, but towards the end, the instruments kick into full gear and louder tone once again!
"Gold" by Chet Faker: Notice that "F" in his name. This is not Chet Baker, the romantic singer from days of old, this is a contemporary "trip-hop" musician from Australia who goes by the moniker of Chet Faker, mixing lounge atmosphere and soothing instrumentation with hip-hop beats. Chet Faker isn't faking anything, though! He is quite talented at what he does. His breakthrough song, "Gold", weaves a tale of love gone wrong that is somewhat offset by Chet's mesmerizing, beautiful vocals. Not really sure what he means with the recurring line, "made of gold". Perhaps it has to do with how he might be sensing transparency within his relationship. Maybe if I listen to the song more, I'll be able to figure out the meaning of that line!
"It's A Longer Road to California Than I Thought" by The Wind and The Wave: Guy-girl folk-rock duo, The Wind and The Wave, hail from Texas, so perhaps California really IS a "long road" for them. For me, though, it's where I live! In comparison to their last hit, the bluegrass-rock stomper, "With Your Two Hands", "It's A Longer Road to California..." uses more instruments than just acoustic guitar. That instrument is used in this song, but it also uses keyboard in the background occasionally. The opening line of the song seems to rely on stereotypes about my state, with its "I miss smoking pot and playing guitar" line. Not everyone smokes that stuff in California (I don't)! And not every Californian who plays guitar smokes it either (once again, I don't smoke it - I do play guitar, though). Lucky for me, the rest of the song talks about the more natural aspects of California, like "rolling yellow hills" and "blue skies and the moon out in the distance and a sunset few and far behind". I'm proud to call California my home state! For those who don't live here, though, not all of us are burned out hippies.
"Let the Good Times Roll" by JD McPherson: JD never fails to please me! It's like he's able to channel the ghost of Elvis (before he got drafted into the army) every time he puts out a new song! That being said, it shouldn't come as a surprise that JD's latest tune, "Let the Good Times Roll", does exactly what its title says to do! What might come as a big surprise, though, is the condition he was in when he wrote it. Apparently he was ill when he wrote it, and the fact that he was watching an episode of "Frasier" where Niles finds a skull and holds it up didn't exactly make things any better for him. Isn't life ironic sometimes?!
"Made Up Mind" by The Brothers Landreth: Our last song of the week comes from country-rock group, The Brothers Landreth. Not to be confused with the Tedeschi-Trucks Band song of the same name, "Made Up Mind" a slower, mellower number, dominated by acoustic and steel guitar, with a blues-y electric guitar in the background. The lyrics can be quite poetic at times (especially the recurring line, "serenade of a made up mind"), but the song itself just seems okay to me so far. Not a bad one, though, and perhaps it'll grow on me over time, as many of these songs have.
"Black Is the Color" by Rhiannon Giddens: No other black female musician has sung about being a "country girl" quite so convincingly, and nor has any other attempted to mix bluegrass instrumentation with hip-hop beats. Qualities like this put Carolina Chocolate Drops' lead singer, Rhiannon Giddens, in a truly special category! She ups the ante on musical diversity with her debut solo song, "Black Is the Color", which is somewhat reminiscent of the harmonica laden soul tunes that Stevie Wonder has become known for. "Black", in this case, does not refer to race, but to the actual color, as it describes Rhiannon's "true love's hair" (well actually, not HER "true love", as people like Nina Simone recorded versions of the song before she did). A truly sublime treat from an equally sublime musician!
"Every Minute" by JJ Grey and Mofro: Moving on to a contemporary soul influenced group of a grittier variety, "Every Minute" is probably the smoothest song JJ Grey and Mofro have put out so far. The song gives more of a romantic, warm summery vibe than most of the grimier material in their catalog. That is, until halfway through the song, when horns start to blare, and guest guitarist Derek Trucks makes his guitar more audible! It starts to mellow out again after about 10 or 20 seconds, but towards the end, the instruments kick into full gear and louder tone once again!
"Gold" by Chet Faker: Notice that "F" in his name. This is not Chet Baker, the romantic singer from days of old, this is a contemporary "trip-hop" musician from Australia who goes by the moniker of Chet Faker, mixing lounge atmosphere and soothing instrumentation with hip-hop beats. Chet Faker isn't faking anything, though! He is quite talented at what he does. His breakthrough song, "Gold", weaves a tale of love gone wrong that is somewhat offset by Chet's mesmerizing, beautiful vocals. Not really sure what he means with the recurring line, "made of gold". Perhaps it has to do with how he might be sensing transparency within his relationship. Maybe if I listen to the song more, I'll be able to figure out the meaning of that line!
"It's A Longer Road to California Than I Thought" by The Wind and The Wave: Guy-girl folk-rock duo, The Wind and The Wave, hail from Texas, so perhaps California really IS a "long road" for them. For me, though, it's where I live! In comparison to their last hit, the bluegrass-rock stomper, "With Your Two Hands", "It's A Longer Road to California..." uses more instruments than just acoustic guitar. That instrument is used in this song, but it also uses keyboard in the background occasionally. The opening line of the song seems to rely on stereotypes about my state, with its "I miss smoking pot and playing guitar" line. Not everyone smokes that stuff in California (I don't)! And not every Californian who plays guitar smokes it either (once again, I don't smoke it - I do play guitar, though). Lucky for me, the rest of the song talks about the more natural aspects of California, like "rolling yellow hills" and "blue skies and the moon out in the distance and a sunset few and far behind". I'm proud to call California my home state! For those who don't live here, though, not all of us are burned out hippies.
"Let the Good Times Roll" by JD McPherson: JD never fails to please me! It's like he's able to channel the ghost of Elvis (before he got drafted into the army) every time he puts out a new song! That being said, it shouldn't come as a surprise that JD's latest tune, "Let the Good Times Roll", does exactly what its title says to do! What might come as a big surprise, though, is the condition he was in when he wrote it. Apparently he was ill when he wrote it, and the fact that he was watching an episode of "Frasier" where Niles finds a skull and holds it up didn't exactly make things any better for him. Isn't life ironic sometimes?!
"Made Up Mind" by The Brothers Landreth: Our last song of the week comes from country-rock group, The Brothers Landreth. Not to be confused with the Tedeschi-Trucks Band song of the same name, "Made Up Mind" a slower, mellower number, dominated by acoustic and steel guitar, with a blues-y electric guitar in the background. The lyrics can be quite poetic at times (especially the recurring line, "serenade of a made up mind"), but the song itself just seems okay to me so far. Not a bad one, though, and perhaps it'll grow on me over time, as many of these songs have.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
New songs for October 29th, 2014
here they are:
"I Wish You Would" by JD McPherson: JD McPherson's self-consciously "retro" blend of Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley made a huge splash in 2012 with "North Side Gal" and "Fire Bug" (and again in Christmas of that year with "Twinkle Little Christmas Lights"). "I Wish You Would" is more of the same, which is definitely not a bad thing, as I have grown quite accustomed to JD's sound, but it has two differences from his previous work that are both worth noting. First of all, "I Wish You Would" is actually a cover of an ACTUAL "oldie but goodie" from blues musician Billy Boy Arnold. It is also only 1 and a half minutes long. "I Wish It Would" be longer!!
"September Fields" by Frazey Ford: Equal parts country, folk, rock, and soul, but entirely soothing both vocally and instrumentally, Frazey Ford's debut solo song, "September Fields", sounds like a missing link between Dolly Parton and Bonnie Raitt. Frazey used to be a member of indie-folk group, The Be Good Tanyas, who are perhaps best known for their bittersweet holiday song, "Rudy" (about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer). Her humble, down-to-earth qualities, from what I hear, come across both in her music and her personality. I think somebody needs to introduce me to her!!
"Something From Nothing" by Foo Fighters: And you thought The Foos' "The Pretender" was their attempt to emulate "Stairway to Heaven"?! I would say that "Something From Nothing" falls under that category as well!! It has an acoustic intro, slowly builds into more of a rocker, and then goes to full-blown hard rock by the end. Sound familiar?! Those chunky riffs in the middle of the song also seem to be heavily influenced by Zeppelin. I would say that this song is more like "nothing from something". Dave, Jimmy Page called. He wants his guitar back!!
"I Wish You Would" by JD McPherson: JD McPherson's self-consciously "retro" blend of Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley made a huge splash in 2012 with "North Side Gal" and "Fire Bug" (and again in Christmas of that year with "Twinkle Little Christmas Lights"). "I Wish You Would" is more of the same, which is definitely not a bad thing, as I have grown quite accustomed to JD's sound, but it has two differences from his previous work that are both worth noting. First of all, "I Wish You Would" is actually a cover of an ACTUAL "oldie but goodie" from blues musician Billy Boy Arnold. It is also only 1 and a half minutes long. "I Wish It Would" be longer!!
"September Fields" by Frazey Ford: Equal parts country, folk, rock, and soul, but entirely soothing both vocally and instrumentally, Frazey Ford's debut solo song, "September Fields", sounds like a missing link between Dolly Parton and Bonnie Raitt. Frazey used to be a member of indie-folk group, The Be Good Tanyas, who are perhaps best known for their bittersweet holiday song, "Rudy" (about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer). Her humble, down-to-earth qualities, from what I hear, come across both in her music and her personality. I think somebody needs to introduce me to her!!
"Something From Nothing" by Foo Fighters: And you thought The Foos' "The Pretender" was their attempt to emulate "Stairway to Heaven"?! I would say that "Something From Nothing" falls under that category as well!! It has an acoustic intro, slowly builds into more of a rocker, and then goes to full-blown hard rock by the end. Sound familiar?! Those chunky riffs in the middle of the song also seem to be heavily influenced by Zeppelin. I would say that this song is more like "nothing from something". Dave, Jimmy Page called. He wants his guitar back!!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Songs for twelve-twelve-twelve!!
We don't have twelve songs this time around, but there are four, and three times that makes twelve! So here goes:
"Call Me the Breeze" by Beth Orton: Not to be confused with the more boogie-woogie style, hard rocking Lynyrd Skynyrd song of the same title, Beth Orton's "Call Me the Breeze" sounds more, well, breezy! It is soft and billowy, like listening to a cloud, and it also shows just how much she has departed from the "folk-tronica" she started out with in her career. "Call Me the Breeze" is just pure and simple folk-rock. No electronic instruments or synthetic drumbeats to distract from the essence of the song here. "Call Me the Breeze" plays out almost like a children's song, with its repetitive "call me the..." verses ("Call me the day, call me the night, call me the dark, call me the light", for instance), interrupted only by its chorus ("hear my call, hello-lo-lo-lo, lo-lo-lo-lo, lo"). Definitely a good song to start out the morning with!
"Lover of the Light" by Mumford and Sons: The third single of 2012 from the unlikely folk-rock sensations Mumford and Sons is, perhaps, unlike any they have ever done! Hearing this song live during their "Gentlemen of the Road" tour was already pretty uplifting, and thankfully, M & S retain the magic of the song for the studio version of it! "Lover of the Light" is the first M & S song to feature a percussion section, and it is also the first song in their catalog that is TRULY "folk-rock", with an electric guitar providing a backbone to their more expected use of acoustic guitar and banjo. "Lover of the Light" has a similar rhythm (and sound, somewhat) to The Dave Matthews Band's "Crash Into Me". Unlike Mr. Matthews' song, "Lover of the Light" is not seductive in any way, shape, or form (for it to be so would be a shock for fans of M & S), and is instead, honest and heartfelt to the very core ("So love the one you hold, and I'll be your goal, to have and to hold, a lover of the light")! The Mumfords continue to amaze me with every song they do, and I hope they will continue in that direction for as long as they can keep a musical career!!
"Maybe On Monday" by Calexico: "Maybe On Monday" is both a sadder song and an edgier song than most of Calexico's material. The electric guitar makes a surprise appearance in this song by a band who is typically more known for their acoustic-y stuff (though "Maybe On Monday" can still be called "folk-rock" nonetheless), and there is no horn solo in the song, which is incredibly unusual for a Calexico composition. The subject matter of the song also leaves a lot of questions floating around in the listener's mind. For instance, why do the opening lyrics ("Woke up on Monday and wrote you a love song/Well the pen stopped and the paper flew out the window, and the notes rang down the road") sound as though Calexico's lead singer is somehow equating a painful relationship with writer's block?! Can't say I know too many songs that are like this one, but that's just all the more reason to like it!
"Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights") by JD McPherson: JD's success among adult alt audiences (particularly with the catchy, Little Richard-esque "North Side Gal"), came as a big surprise (but a darn good one) to listeners everywhere! Perhaps that's why JD felt like the time was right for him to do a Christmas song, even though he's only had two hits so far! The whimsical lyrics and jingle-bell sound of "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights") recalls a lot of the Phil Spector Christmas songs from the early '60s, but the rhythm of the song, like most of JD's material, is pure '50s rock! Merry Christmas and a rockin' New Year!!
"Call Me the Breeze" by Beth Orton: Not to be confused with the more boogie-woogie style, hard rocking Lynyrd Skynyrd song of the same title, Beth Orton's "Call Me the Breeze" sounds more, well, breezy! It is soft and billowy, like listening to a cloud, and it also shows just how much she has departed from the "folk-tronica" she started out with in her career. "Call Me the Breeze" is just pure and simple folk-rock. No electronic instruments or synthetic drumbeats to distract from the essence of the song here. "Call Me the Breeze" plays out almost like a children's song, with its repetitive "call me the..." verses ("Call me the day, call me the night, call me the dark, call me the light", for instance), interrupted only by its chorus ("hear my call, hello-lo-lo-lo, lo-lo-lo-lo, lo"). Definitely a good song to start out the morning with!
"Lover of the Light" by Mumford and Sons: The third single of 2012 from the unlikely folk-rock sensations Mumford and Sons is, perhaps, unlike any they have ever done! Hearing this song live during their "Gentlemen of the Road" tour was already pretty uplifting, and thankfully, M & S retain the magic of the song for the studio version of it! "Lover of the Light" is the first M & S song to feature a percussion section, and it is also the first song in their catalog that is TRULY "folk-rock", with an electric guitar providing a backbone to their more expected use of acoustic guitar and banjo. "Lover of the Light" has a similar rhythm (and sound, somewhat) to The Dave Matthews Band's "Crash Into Me". Unlike Mr. Matthews' song, "Lover of the Light" is not seductive in any way, shape, or form (for it to be so would be a shock for fans of M & S), and is instead, honest and heartfelt to the very core ("So love the one you hold, and I'll be your goal, to have and to hold, a lover of the light")! The Mumfords continue to amaze me with every song they do, and I hope they will continue in that direction for as long as they can keep a musical career!!
"Maybe On Monday" by Calexico: "Maybe On Monday" is both a sadder song and an edgier song than most of Calexico's material. The electric guitar makes a surprise appearance in this song by a band who is typically more known for their acoustic-y stuff (though "Maybe On Monday" can still be called "folk-rock" nonetheless), and there is no horn solo in the song, which is incredibly unusual for a Calexico composition. The subject matter of the song also leaves a lot of questions floating around in the listener's mind. For instance, why do the opening lyrics ("Woke up on Monday and wrote you a love song/Well the pen stopped and the paper flew out the window, and the notes rang down the road") sound as though Calexico's lead singer is somehow equating a painful relationship with writer's block?! Can't say I know too many songs that are like this one, but that's just all the more reason to like it!
"Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights") by JD McPherson: JD's success among adult alt audiences (particularly with the catchy, Little Richard-esque "North Side Gal"), came as a big surprise (but a darn good one) to listeners everywhere! Perhaps that's why JD felt like the time was right for him to do a Christmas song, even though he's only had two hits so far! The whimsical lyrics and jingle-bell sound of "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights") recalls a lot of the Phil Spector Christmas songs from the early '60s, but the rhythm of the song, like most of JD's material, is pure '50s rock! Merry Christmas and a rockin' New Year!!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
New songs for September 12th, 2012
here they are:
"Fire Bug" by JD McPherson: The greatest '50s rock sensation that never was had a big hit on the adult alt charts earlier this year with "North Side Gal", and now he's burnin' up those charts again with his latest song, "Fire Bug"! With its pounding Jerry Lee Lewis style pianos, Chuck Berry style guitars, and soulful saxophones, "Fire Bug" sounds like the perfect song for a 1950's diner to be playing. Like "North Side Gal", "Fire Bug" is yet another song about an object of JD's affections. An ordinary subject, but an extraordinary song, so much so, that it probably wouldn't matter what JD sang about, as long as he delivered it with enough passion and energy!
"Let Me Lie" by Trey Anastasio: For a jam band aficionado, you'd probably expect a more complex, or at least a more electric guitar oriented song from Phish's leading man. But no, Trey has decided to mellow out and unplug for his latest song, "Let Me Lie". Even the lyrics ("Gonna take my bike out, gonna take my bike, gonna ride it slowly, ride it just how I like") suggest that Trey doesn't want to go all Jerry Garcia on us this time like he usually does, he just wants to take a break from all that fast paced life out on the road. For a man who's been jammin' his brains out for more than 20 years, both with and without Phish, I'd say that "Let Me Lie" is a well deserved break for Trey. Not that I don't enjoy it when he jams, though, he's great at that!!
"Love Is A Fire" by Courrier: With a sound that comes halfway between Snow Patrol and The Killers, Courrier already seem poised for success with their debut single, "Love Is A Fire". Somehow, though, even though Courrier have a solid, dynamic, appealing sound, something seems missing from their music. Perhaps because their lyrics (like the chorus, "Can you hear my heart, hear my heart now? Love is a fire and it's burning me down") seem ordinary in comparison to those that Gary Lightbody and Brandon Flowers typically deliver in their music. Courrier don't even seem to have the "tight harmony" concept that make songs by groups like Scars on 45 so profound sounding to me. Yet somehow, I still like Courrier, and I still like this song. It's not bad. I just think it needs a little improvement, and I think that Courrier have potential to make better songs.
"1957" by Milo Greene: Has it somehow become a trend to use 20th century years in indie-pop/rock song titles?! First there was Phoenix's "1901", and earlier this year, The Tallest Man on Earth put out a song called "1904". Now, thanks to Milo Greene (a band, not a person), we have our third "year song" in the indie-pop category, "1957". "1957" also utilizes other trends in indie-pop/rock. Like Of Monsters and Men, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, The Civil Wars, and The Lumineers, Milo Greene are a band that plays bittersweet folk-rock with a guy and girl sharing vocals, somewhat like a modern day Mamas and Papas. The video for the song is particularly interesting, in that it plays out like a three and a half minute version of current indie flick, "Ruby Sparks". The guy in the video appears to be writing a story about this girl, he falls for her, she appears to be real, but she turns out to (more than likely) just be imaginary. Surreal enough for ya?! The video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8Mc8YRigmw
"Teardrop Windows" by Benjamin Gibbard: So Death Cab's leading man has finally decided to go solo, eh? Well, it sounds like...ummm...not that different from Death Cab themselves. However, "Teardrop Windows" is a relief for me since its sound hearkens back to the bittersweet folk-rock Death Cab initially became known for, as opposed to the more electronic flourishes of more recent Death Cab songs like "You Are A Tourist" and "Underneath the Sycamore". As you might expect from a song with the word "teardrop" in the title, "Teardrop Windows" has both a moody sound and moody lyrics (even the opening lyrics, "Teardrop windows crying at the sky, he's all alone and wondering why"). But Ben doesn't let the tears flow too hard in "Teardrop Windows", since the song has a somewhat catchy backbeat, as well as a good balance of major and minor chords throughout the song.
"Fire Bug" by JD McPherson: The greatest '50s rock sensation that never was had a big hit on the adult alt charts earlier this year with "North Side Gal", and now he's burnin' up those charts again with his latest song, "Fire Bug"! With its pounding Jerry Lee Lewis style pianos, Chuck Berry style guitars, and soulful saxophones, "Fire Bug" sounds like the perfect song for a 1950's diner to be playing. Like "North Side Gal", "Fire Bug" is yet another song about an object of JD's affections. An ordinary subject, but an extraordinary song, so much so, that it probably wouldn't matter what JD sang about, as long as he delivered it with enough passion and energy!
"Let Me Lie" by Trey Anastasio: For a jam band aficionado, you'd probably expect a more complex, or at least a more electric guitar oriented song from Phish's leading man. But no, Trey has decided to mellow out and unplug for his latest song, "Let Me Lie". Even the lyrics ("Gonna take my bike out, gonna take my bike, gonna ride it slowly, ride it just how I like") suggest that Trey doesn't want to go all Jerry Garcia on us this time like he usually does, he just wants to take a break from all that fast paced life out on the road. For a man who's been jammin' his brains out for more than 20 years, both with and without Phish, I'd say that "Let Me Lie" is a well deserved break for Trey. Not that I don't enjoy it when he jams, though, he's great at that!!
"Love Is A Fire" by Courrier: With a sound that comes halfway between Snow Patrol and The Killers, Courrier already seem poised for success with their debut single, "Love Is A Fire". Somehow, though, even though Courrier have a solid, dynamic, appealing sound, something seems missing from their music. Perhaps because their lyrics (like the chorus, "Can you hear my heart, hear my heart now? Love is a fire and it's burning me down") seem ordinary in comparison to those that Gary Lightbody and Brandon Flowers typically deliver in their music. Courrier don't even seem to have the "tight harmony" concept that make songs by groups like Scars on 45 so profound sounding to me. Yet somehow, I still like Courrier, and I still like this song. It's not bad. I just think it needs a little improvement, and I think that Courrier have potential to make better songs.
"1957" by Milo Greene: Has it somehow become a trend to use 20th century years in indie-pop/rock song titles?! First there was Phoenix's "1901", and earlier this year, The Tallest Man on Earth put out a song called "1904". Now, thanks to Milo Greene (a band, not a person), we have our third "year song" in the indie-pop category, "1957". "1957" also utilizes other trends in indie-pop/rock. Like Of Monsters and Men, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, The Civil Wars, and The Lumineers, Milo Greene are a band that plays bittersweet folk-rock with a guy and girl sharing vocals, somewhat like a modern day Mamas and Papas. The video for the song is particularly interesting, in that it plays out like a three and a half minute version of current indie flick, "Ruby Sparks". The guy in the video appears to be writing a story about this girl, he falls for her, she appears to be real, but she turns out to (more than likely) just be imaginary. Surreal enough for ya?! The video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8Mc8YRigmw
"Teardrop Windows" by Benjamin Gibbard: So Death Cab's leading man has finally decided to go solo, eh? Well, it sounds like...ummm...not that different from Death Cab themselves. However, "Teardrop Windows" is a relief for me since its sound hearkens back to the bittersweet folk-rock Death Cab initially became known for, as opposed to the more electronic flourishes of more recent Death Cab songs like "You Are A Tourist" and "Underneath the Sycamore". As you might expect from a song with the word "teardrop" in the title, "Teardrop Windows" has both a moody sound and moody lyrics (even the opening lyrics, "Teardrop windows crying at the sky, he's all alone and wondering why"). But Ben doesn't let the tears flow too hard in "Teardrop Windows", since the song has a somewhat catchy backbeat, as well as a good balance of major and minor chords throughout the song.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
New songs for March 28th, 2012
here they are:
"Looking For A Sign" by Beck: Beck might as well be called the David Bowie of the '90s and 21st century. You never knew what kind of Beck you were gonna get next. The wacky hip-hop/funk influenced Beck, the sensitive folkie Beck, the surf-guitar Beck, the moody, trip-hop/jazzy Beck, and the list goes on and on from there! For his latest song, "Looking For A Sign", Beck has chosen to go for sensitive folkie mode, which makes sense, considering it is on the soundtrack to the (comedic) indie film, "Jeff, Who Lives At Home". The highlighting moments of "Looking For A Sign" are not in the mood or lyrics, though, as much as they are in the unique chord progression of the song! What can I say, Beck never ceases to amaze me!
"Never Go Back" by Grace Potter and The Nocturnals: And here is yet ANOTHER musician (with a backing band) who has trodden eclectic waters! Grace started out as a quiet country-pop/rock musician, but soon went into more hard rock territory with her cover of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit", as well as the punchy, Lenny Kravitz-ish "Paris (Ooh La La)". "Never Go Back" is NEITHER of the subgenres I've mentioned so far, but rather an electronic alterna-pop sound. "Never Go Back" is catchy, and combines synthesizers and guitars kind of like the typical Killers song might, but Grace sounds more detached on this song than she did on "Paris", in which she had wild but passionate vocals. Perhaps not the best decision Grace and The Noc's have made, but I still like it, and personally, it holds my attention much better than the dry, country-ish sound she had on "Ah, Mary" and "Ain't No Time".
"No Light, No Light" by Florence and The Machine: This song is equal parts electronic, alternative, soul, and gospel, but it still sounds great!! I'm pretty convinced Flo can do no wrong with every new song I hear by her! "No Light, No Light", of course, is no exception, no exception! The lyrics of this song seem to indicate this is a breakup song, as many of her songs tend to be, but our red-haired beauty takes the angst of her situation and turns it into full-blown, four minute opera/sermon with this song. Flo, you're just too amazing for words, what can I say?!
"North Side Gal" by JD McPherson: Wow! Has Little Richard released his comeback album?! Or maybe that's Fats Domino, or perhaps Chuck Berry?! Nope, it's the latest '50s rock influenced sensation from the 21st century, JD McPherson! I swear, this song sounds like it came out back when rock 'n' roll was as young as a newborn baby!! With the increasing lack of zippiness and zest in today's music, though, I think that's a good thing! Sometimes I feel like the world might need a new Elvis Presley, and I can't think of anyone better than JD McPherson (well, maybe the sexy, snazzy Irish gal, Imelda May would be an exception, but still...)!! It even sounds like it's own song, despite having the chord progression almost every '50s rock song has (although the end part of the song, in which JD repeatedly sings, "Crazy 'bout a north side gal", sounds a bit too similar to when Elvis repeatedly sings "Dancin' to the jailhouse rock" at the end of "Jailhouse Rock"). This is a real swingin' song, though, and I highly recommend it!!
"Paddling Out" by Miike Snow: No, "Miike" is not a typo, that's how this band spells their name. And it's not pronounced like "Mike" or "Mikey" (or "Mi-yike", as I have jokingly pronounced their name based on how it has two "i"s), but it's actually pronounced like "MEE-kay". The piano hook in this song combined with its hip-hop beats remind me of people like Fatboy Slim, only Miike Snow seem like their music is more directed at a neo-hippie, NPR-ish audience than Slim's music was. It seems as though terms like "alternative" and "indie" aren't good enough to describe a song like "Paddling Out", though. Something about it sounds more eclectic than most songs/bands that are typically considered as such. The unique musical qualities of "Paddling Out" only make me want to know more about Miike Snow, though, and hopefully the same can be said of most (if not all) of the listeners of this song!!
"Stare Into the Sun" by Graffiti 6: Before their adult alt mega-hit, "Free", "Stare Into the Sun" was actually the FIRST song to get noticed by Graffiti 6, but I guess it didn't go anywhere initially. Now, however, "Stare Into the Sun" is slowly but surely attracting more listeners! Like "Free", "Stare Into the Sun" is basically a "psychedelic soul" type of song, but it has a bit more of a "retro" '70s-style sound than "Free" did. The organs and tambourines in "Stare Into the Sun", in addition to the relentlessly optimistic sound of this song overall, make me picture a rainbow with musical notes going around Graffiti 6 as they sing this song! Plenty of songs are trippy, and plenty more are soulful, but it's rare that they'd be combined into one sound. That being said, I think we've got another big hit on our hands with this song!
"We Are the Selfish Ones" by Cowboy Junkies: To wrap up this week's review, we end with a somber song, and we started with a somber song, but the other songs in between were energetic! Odd, but I guess that's what I get for reviewing songs in alphabetical order, haha!! Anyway, this song is pretty much an entirely acoustic song from Cowboy Junkies. Not anything too out of the ordinary, I guess, but usually their songs have a bit more backbone than this one does. I was expecting a little more than this from Margo Timmins and co. It's also just a little under 3 minutes, so I feel like it could have been longer, too. This isn't a bad song, as I pretty much like everything I've heard so far from Cowboy Junkies, I just feel like "We Are the Selfish Ones" COULD use just a LITTLE more tweaking wouldn't ya say?!
"Looking For A Sign" by Beck: Beck might as well be called the David Bowie of the '90s and 21st century. You never knew what kind of Beck you were gonna get next. The wacky hip-hop/funk influenced Beck, the sensitive folkie Beck, the surf-guitar Beck, the moody, trip-hop/jazzy Beck, and the list goes on and on from there! For his latest song, "Looking For A Sign", Beck has chosen to go for sensitive folkie mode, which makes sense, considering it is on the soundtrack to the (comedic) indie film, "Jeff, Who Lives At Home". The highlighting moments of "Looking For A Sign" are not in the mood or lyrics, though, as much as they are in the unique chord progression of the song! What can I say, Beck never ceases to amaze me!
"Never Go Back" by Grace Potter and The Nocturnals: And here is yet ANOTHER musician (with a backing band) who has trodden eclectic waters! Grace started out as a quiet country-pop/rock musician, but soon went into more hard rock territory with her cover of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit", as well as the punchy, Lenny Kravitz-ish "Paris (Ooh La La)". "Never Go Back" is NEITHER of the subgenres I've mentioned so far, but rather an electronic alterna-pop sound. "Never Go Back" is catchy, and combines synthesizers and guitars kind of like the typical Killers song might, but Grace sounds more detached on this song than she did on "Paris", in which she had wild but passionate vocals. Perhaps not the best decision Grace and The Noc's have made, but I still like it, and personally, it holds my attention much better than the dry, country-ish sound she had on "Ah, Mary" and "Ain't No Time".
"No Light, No Light" by Florence and The Machine: This song is equal parts electronic, alternative, soul, and gospel, but it still sounds great!! I'm pretty convinced Flo can do no wrong with every new song I hear by her! "No Light, No Light", of course, is no exception, no exception! The lyrics of this song seem to indicate this is a breakup song, as many of her songs tend to be, but our red-haired beauty takes the angst of her situation and turns it into full-blown, four minute opera/sermon with this song. Flo, you're just too amazing for words, what can I say?!
"North Side Gal" by JD McPherson: Wow! Has Little Richard released his comeback album?! Or maybe that's Fats Domino, or perhaps Chuck Berry?! Nope, it's the latest '50s rock influenced sensation from the 21st century, JD McPherson! I swear, this song sounds like it came out back when rock 'n' roll was as young as a newborn baby!! With the increasing lack of zippiness and zest in today's music, though, I think that's a good thing! Sometimes I feel like the world might need a new Elvis Presley, and I can't think of anyone better than JD McPherson (well, maybe the sexy, snazzy Irish gal, Imelda May would be an exception, but still...)!! It even sounds like it's own song, despite having the chord progression almost every '50s rock song has (although the end part of the song, in which JD repeatedly sings, "Crazy 'bout a north side gal", sounds a bit too similar to when Elvis repeatedly sings "Dancin' to the jailhouse rock" at the end of "Jailhouse Rock"). This is a real swingin' song, though, and I highly recommend it!!
"Paddling Out" by Miike Snow: No, "Miike" is not a typo, that's how this band spells their name. And it's not pronounced like "Mike" or "Mikey" (or "Mi-yike", as I have jokingly pronounced their name based on how it has two "i"s), but it's actually pronounced like "MEE-kay". The piano hook in this song combined with its hip-hop beats remind me of people like Fatboy Slim, only Miike Snow seem like their music is more directed at a neo-hippie, NPR-ish audience than Slim's music was. It seems as though terms like "alternative" and "indie" aren't good enough to describe a song like "Paddling Out", though. Something about it sounds more eclectic than most songs/bands that are typically considered as such. The unique musical qualities of "Paddling Out" only make me want to know more about Miike Snow, though, and hopefully the same can be said of most (if not all) of the listeners of this song!!
"Stare Into the Sun" by Graffiti 6: Before their adult alt mega-hit, "Free", "Stare Into the Sun" was actually the FIRST song to get noticed by Graffiti 6, but I guess it didn't go anywhere initially. Now, however, "Stare Into the Sun" is slowly but surely attracting more listeners! Like "Free", "Stare Into the Sun" is basically a "psychedelic soul" type of song, but it has a bit more of a "retro" '70s-style sound than "Free" did. The organs and tambourines in "Stare Into the Sun", in addition to the relentlessly optimistic sound of this song overall, make me picture a rainbow with musical notes going around Graffiti 6 as they sing this song! Plenty of songs are trippy, and plenty more are soulful, but it's rare that they'd be combined into one sound. That being said, I think we've got another big hit on our hands with this song!
"We Are the Selfish Ones" by Cowboy Junkies: To wrap up this week's review, we end with a somber song, and we started with a somber song, but the other songs in between were energetic! Odd, but I guess that's what I get for reviewing songs in alphabetical order, haha!! Anyway, this song is pretty much an entirely acoustic song from Cowboy Junkies. Not anything too out of the ordinary, I guess, but usually their songs have a bit more backbone than this one does. I was expecting a little more than this from Margo Timmins and co. It's also just a little under 3 minutes, so I feel like it could have been longer, too. This isn't a bad song, as I pretty much like everything I've heard so far from Cowboy Junkies, I just feel like "We Are the Selfish Ones" COULD use just a LITTLE more tweaking wouldn't ya say?!
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