New songs for the day before Thanksgiving 2020

 here they are:


"Basement Tapes" by Semisonic: Semisonic surprised us all in summer of this year with the ultra-catchy "You're Not Alone," a major hit on adult alt radio stations and perhaps the catchiest they've had since "Closing Time" almost two decades ago! Can Semisonic outdo the one-hit wonder curse once again this time of year?! Who knows?! Their next single, "Basement Tapes," tells us that may be so! In a song that sounds like a cross between Third Eye Blind and The Killers, Dan Wilson and co weave a tale about what Semisonic themselves have become for many people: nostalgia. Only this particular nostalgia goes before the '90s and back to the early '70s with an excellent lyrical reference to Big Star, the patron saints of power pop. The song also seems to be about living the rock and roll lifestyle, with the opening lyrics discussing the prospect of getting "loaded" in a van, and later lyrics pointing out various destinations in the U.S. where they've traveled to. 

"Chinatown" by Bleachers (featuring Bruce Springsteen): And speaking of the rock star lifestyle, who better to embody that than Bruce Springsteen?! The Boss has more in common with Bleachers' Jack Antonoff than one might think. In addition to both being musicians, they're also both New Jersey natives! In "Chinatown," a contemporary Jersey boy meets his legendary Jersey hero and gets the opportunity to sing with him! Influence from The Boss was evident on a few Bleachers songs, particularly the '80s Bruce vibes of Bleachers' "Rollercoaster," but it comes out even more here! "Chinatown" romanticizes city life like a typical Bruce song from the early days...except Bruce didn't write it! He must be awfully proud of the people he has influenced!

"Figure It Out" by Blu DeTiger: As much as I try to avoid apps like TikTok, there are some times I can't help but be dragged into it, despite not even having an account on the site. Such is the case with our next song, Blu DeTiger's "Figure It Out." It is yet another song to gain popularity from the app, as many have this year. With its seamless blend of funk and contemporary pop, "Figure It Out" appears to be about a relationship in limbo, in which the object of Blu's affections doesn't know whether he wants to be with her or not. 

"Let Me Love You Like A Woman" by Lana Del Rey: Can you believe it's been almost a decade that Lana Del Rey has had a career as a musician by now?! Within nearly ten years, Lana has gone from curious newcomer flirting with the rock star lifestyle to world weary musician wanting to retreat into a world of her own insecurities. Each LDR song and album seems to be more personal than the other (with the possible exception of her cover of Sublime's "Doin' Time," since it isn't actually hers.) There was something quite haunting and vaguely Leonard Cohen-esque about her last single, "Mariner's Apartment Complex." In "Let Me Love You Like A Woman," she bares her soul like never before. Here, she invites the listener to take a vacation from the glitz and glamour of L.A. and into a world of fragile, introverted love. Sometimes I want to escape into a very similar world to that which I hear being presented within the song, so I feel like I can relate to this one!

New songs for the day before Thanksgiving 2019

here they are:


"Armageddon's Back In Town" by Drive-by Truckers: Though it is not the first time that contemporary Southern rock outfit, Drive-by Truckers, have dealt with dark subject matter, their latest song, "Armageddon's Back In Town", is probably the first one that deals directly with the concept of the end of the world, as can be evidenced from its title alone. As lead singer Patterson Hood deals with the stress of what has now become everyday life for him and countless others, a lively and fiery Southern rock sound blares in the background, defining the essence of the song. Armageddon seems like it's always been lingering in the shadows of DBT, whose previous subjects have included the devil, protest, and even AIDS, so for Patterson to claim that it's "back in town" seems dubious when it seems to have been there all along for them. Perhaps the one thing that can be said is that "Armageddon" has gotten bigger as time has gone on for DBT.


"Fortune" by Wye Oak: Baltimore indie-pop/rock duo, Wye Oak, are a name that is often mentioned but rarely heard among adult alt radio programmers. Until now, that is. With "Fortune", Wye Oak have finally gotten the attention they've deserved on the Triple A format. And why (no pun intended) is that?! Perhaps it's the haunting combination of slinky, shimmering guitar and lead singer Jenn Wasner's sweet but shaky vocals, both of which are backed by a catchy rhythm. Jenn's yearning lyrics, which never seem to get fully resolved in spite of her earnest searching for answers, might be another part of the equation as to why "Fortune" has captured the public's attention like no Wye Oak song has previously.


"Mariners Apartment Complex" by Lana Del Rey: To paraphrase Patti Smith, Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not Lana Del Rey's. Patti Smith, particularly the softer side of her music, might have just inspired Lana Del Rey in more ways than one here on LDR's latest song, "Mariners Apartment Complex". For one, there's the lyrical theme of struggling with one's faith in a quest to understand oneself on a deeper level, grappling between the sacred and the profane as Patti has done, as well as other rock poets like Leonard Cohen (the song has even been compared lyrically to Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel # 2"). Musically, it sounds like it's evocative of songs from the mid 1970's, during which both Cohen and Smith were active, relevant musicians. Lana uses the name "Jesus" both sincerely ("kiss the sky and whisper to Jesus") and blasphemously ("I f**ked up, I know that, but Jesus, can't a girl just do the best she can?"), perhaps to represent just how conflicted she feels about love...and about religion and spirituality as well (the phrase "big-time believer", used midway through the song, could reference both love and religion). The world might never understand Lana Del Rey fully...but maybe she prefers being misunderstood.


"Somedays (I Don't Feel Like Trying)" by The Raconteurs: With the possible exception of their 2008 song, "Old Enough", The Raconteurs have never sounded as close to Southern rock as they have on their latest song, "Somedays (I Don't Feel Like Trying)". The song contains echoes of Southern rock staples like Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone" and The Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post", as Jack White tells a sorrowful tale of how downtrodden he feels sometimes. At only the second line into the song, White claims that the "only trouble is it's doomed from the start", "it" being his heart. Jack has really delved into his inner bluesman with his latest record, but this one feels like the blues-iest and most forlorn he's had to offer so far!


"The Fool" by Overcoats: It seems as though Sleater-Kinney's switch earlier this year from raw, guitar centered punk rock to more melodic yet still aggressive electro-rock has influenced other musicians as well, most notably the all-girl New York duo, Overcoats. "The Fool" is not a song for fools, unlike what its title might indicate. Instead, it is a song for people who want to break free from societal moulds and boldly declare their individuality like none before or since. The duo state that fools are what they do NOT want to be during the chorus of the song, and are tired of "bending over backwards" for others. In doing so, Overcoats have created an excellent song for marching forward into the next decade. One small step for woman, one giant leap for womankind!

New songs for May 22nd 2019

here they are:


"Breaking Down the Door" by Santana: The trademark Santana guitar is still featured on this song, but "Breaking Down the Door" is a song that digs more into Santana's Hispanic musical roots than it is a rock song. If not for Carlos' distinctive guitar sound, this song could be mistaken for something by a more roots-y group like Los Lobos. Perhaps not what you'd expect from Mexico's answer to Jimi Hendrix, but still quite a breath of fresh air in comparison to the glut of autotune pop and hip-hop dominating the airwaves today. It doesn't try to sound like a star studded pop song the way "Smooth" did either. Instead, it's just earthy, roots-y music with a slight tinge of that spicy salsa flavor.


"Doin' Time" by Lana Del Rey: Of all the bands that comprised the '90s ska revival movement, the biggest was probably Sublime, whose best known hits cheekily combined sunny melodies with dark subject matter. "Doin' Time" was one such song, copping a tropical summertime sound (and even sampling from George Gershwin's "Summertime") while singing about a promiscuous and somewhat violent woman that lead singer Bradley Nowell was involved with. Sublime have since become revered among stoners, alternative rock fans, and the rock and roll world in general. Lana Del Rey has yet to reach that level of respect, but she's trying. It's a bit strange hearing her cover a song that kind of wasn't meant to BE covered, what with its self-referential lyrics mentioning Bradley Nowell, Ras MG (the song's guest DJ), and Brad's dog, Louie, who figures into many of Sublime's songs (he's mentioned twice in "What I Got", arguably their greatest hit). However, Lana appears to be doing so because of how her and Bradley both share a view of California as being a much more seedy place than it appears to be on the outside. Listen, guys, I'm Californian myself! Do I agree with this opinion of California having a "seedy underbelly"? Yeah, I kinda do, actually, but more from what I've heard about it than what I've seen.


"Go" by The Black Keys: "Go" is exactly what The Black Keys do on their latest song! They go! And how!! The Keys give it their all here as one of America's last hopes for a rock and roll band for today's youth. With a chord progression and rhythm slightly similar to "What I Like About You", "Go" proves that Dan and Patrick have still got it after almost a decade in the limelight and over that amount of time in the music biz altogether!


"You And I" by Barns Courtney: Barns Courtney is a musician whose first hit was his best! His song, "Fire", scorched up the alt and adult alt charts like few other songs did in 2016. He's had other hits since, but few that compare to that song. "You And I" might just be his most lackluster effort yet. The execution of the song sounds like the folk-rock and dance-pop combination Imagine Dragons have been known for using, and it also uses the same three chords in succession as two of the 2010's biggest hits: Vance Joy's "Riptide" and Of Monsters & Men's "Little Talks". I like this song, but sadly it does seem to be proof of originality in music becoming rarer and rarer these days.

New songs for August 22nd, 2018

here they are:


"Loading Zones" by Kurt Vile: Yes, this is a song about the troubles of parking cars. Kurt Vile is truly a man of mystery sometimes. I mean, how can he take such mundane subject matter and turn it into such a cool song?! No one really knows the answer that question, but Kurt definitely has the magic touch when it comes to churning out songs that sound both roots-y enough to be Bob Dylan and quirky enough to be Frank Zappa (Come to think of it, that's kinda what Tom Waits did back in the day, isn't it?!) Trouble finding a spot for your vehicle? You now have a song that's right for you!


"Mansion Door" by Shakey Graves: Shakey Graves' debut album really only yielded one adult alt radio hit with the quaint but catchy country-rocker, "Dearly Departed". With their latest album, however, they now have two more hits on their hands. Earlier this year, we heard the energetic indie-pop tune, "Kids These Days", and now we have another song that takes the indie-pop sound in a more quirky direction with "Mansion Door", which sounds a bit like a cross between Wilco and Sufjan Stevens. Like Sufjan's music, "Mansion Door" is a bundle of contradictions: sweet but somewhat loud, ordinary lyrics mixed with more cryptic ones, etc. The sentimental recurring phrase, "my one and only lonely star", fits well with its yearning sound.


"Sky Full of Song" by Florence and The Machine: This song was originally poised to be the first single from FATM's latest album, but instead, that honor went to "Hunger", which has thus far become one of the most successful songs of 2018. Will "Sky Full of Song" do the same?! Well, to answer your question, it's Florence and The Machine, so I'm pretty sure it will! Florence's songs have a thing for being haunting and somewhat poetic. If you thought "Hunger" fit this description, "Sky Full of Song" seems to fit it even more! From the mysterious opening, defined by both thumping bass and lush orchestration, to its passionate vocals, and its profound lyrics ("I can't hide from the thunder in a sky full of song"), "Sky Full of Song" has the potential to be yet another gem in the Florence and The Machine catalog!


"When the Curtain Falls" by Greta Van Fleet: No, this is not a long lost Led Zeppelin song, in spite of how it might sound both instrumentally AND vocally. Greta Van Fleet have become known for pretty much CHANNELING Led Zeppelin in the few years they've been around so far, and they continue to prove this with "When the Curtain Falls". I'm a bit surprised that so many adult alt radio stations have now latched onto this song, given how they could have easily gone for the more folk-y "Flower Power" when they had the chance (but didn't), but the fact is, they have. In particular, "When the Curtain Falls" seems to draw heavily from one of Led Zeppelin's hardest rocking songs, "The Wanton Song", as both are in G major, and both just sneak up on you from behind when you first listen to them. In case you think GVF are a Zeppelin ripoff, you might wanna take note that they have, in fact, received the Robert Plant stamp of approval. Apparently, the Zeppelin frontman thinks they are one of the best new bands out there!


"Woman" by Cat Power and Lana Del Rey: Two women doing a song CALLED "Woman". What to think of that?! Well, given how the women in question are Cat Power and Lana Del Rey, count me in! Cat Power is no stranger to acoustic guitar, which dominates this song, but it's probably the first time that Lana Del Rey has dabbled in folk-rock, and I must say it suits her well! Lyrically, the song is a bit like Courtney Barnett's "Charity" from earlier this year, only more melancholy than angry. Both songs are about women who are mistreated and have suffered far too long from verbal abuse in their relationships. While I am not female, I would consider myself feminist, and I consider this song to be a gentle but still very convincing feminist anthem for the late 2010's.

New songs for April 12th 2017

here they are:


"Don't Take the Money" by Bleachers: An indie-pop band led by Jack Antonoff from 2010's alt-pop group, fun., Bleachers debuted in spring 2014. They took the new wave influences fun. had and ran with 'em in songs like the bubblegum-y, infectious, "I Wanna Get Better" and the Springsteen-goes-new-wave sounding song, "Rollercoaster". Three springs later, Bleachers have returned with yet another new wave influenced indie-pop tune, "Don't Take the Money". What's interesting about this song isn't the sound so much as the subject matter! It is actually about his relationship with "Girls" actress Lena Dunham. Here's another bit of music pop culture trivia behind the song that might just throw you for a loop. It was written by New Zealand alt-pop songstress, Lorde (best known for "Royals"). Being that Jack and Lena's relationship is a movie star/music star one, I dunno how long it's gonna last, but I guess one can always hope for the best!


"Love" by Lana Del Rey: The title of Lana's latest song might be a positive emotion, but the song itself is more of a bittersweet flavor, as are its lyrics. The four chords the song uses are very common in rock and pop music by now, particularly in songs like Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and U2's "With Or Without You". Not even "With Or Without You" is this melancholy, though. Why is this? One reason is because of Lana's whispery, emotional vocals, which don't ever go from being passionately sweet to passionately loud like Bono's has been known to do. Another might be because fans of hers, such as myself, have come to associate her music with sadness. No song I have known of hers so far has been upbeat, and "Love" is not an exception to the rule.

New songs for August 26th 2015

here they are:


"Do You Remember?" by Jarryd James: Upon listening to this song, I can't help but feel that its sound is a little like Gotye, only creepier! In a good way, though, I promise you. There is a bit of a stalker-y vibe to this song somehow, but it sinks into your mind as though nothing ever happened! Many people seem to describe this song as a mix between soul and electronica, and that's a pretty accurate description if you ask me! Soul has never been so eerie, and nor has electronica sounded so funky!


"High By the Beach" by Lana Del Rey: Sex and drugs and...ummmm...something kinda like rock 'n' roll but not quite. That's Lana Del Rey for ya! Last year's "West Coast" definitely emphasized the sex element, albeit in a warm, intimate manner. Now Lana takes on the second subject of the unholy trinity, drugs. She repeatedly states in the chorus that "all (she) want(s) to do is get high by the beach". With the song's breezy, beach-like vibe combined with its "I don't feel like doing much of anything" attitude, you really believe that that's all she wants to do when you listen to the song! Though her music doesn't really scream out "rock and roll" (Joni Mitchell's "Raised On Robbery" sounds like Zeppelin in comparison to LDR's music), Lana seems to often romanticize the R 'N' R lifestyle, whether it's mentioning "rock and roll groupies" in her lyrics, or even her infamous "wish to be dead" inspired by Kurt Cobain (which made both Kurt's daughter Frances and fellow grungette Kim Gordon rather irate). Perhaps Lana should go back to playing "video games", like she sang about in her debut song.


"Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" by Chris Cornell: Speaking of grunge alumni, we also have a new song from Soundgarden's Chris Cornell! It might surprise you to know that the man whose most famous song was called "Black Hole Sun" is a bit of a folkie, but he is, and he's pretty good at being one, too! He even managed to make Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" into a long, drawn-out drama with music comparable to Dylan and Cash. Some might view "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" as a way to one-up Eddie Vedder's somber, ukulele driven folk songs from the "Into the Wild" soundtrack, but Chris's brand of folk-rock is purely his own here! "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" is reflective, and almost spiritual in a way. Soundgarden fans needn't be disappointed, though, for the song does feature a brief electric guitar solo.


"Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party" by Courtney Barnett: And the winner for longest song title of the week, at ten words long, goes to Courtney Barnett!! The title of this song is gonna be a mouthful for radio DJ's to announce, wow! Luckily, Courtney's aim is not at radio DJ's. Well, not the mainstream ones, anyway. Courtney's latest album has catapulted her status from the singer/songwriter of slacker hit, "Avant Gardener", to someone with a bit more eclectic taste. She has emulated quite a few legendary rock 'n' roll women on her latest album, from Courtney Love ("Pedestrian At Best") to Chrissie Hynde ("Dead Fox") to Patti Smith (this song, which has a similar feel to Patti's version of the garage rock classic, "Gloria", albeit without as much intensity). Like "Gloria", "Nobody Really Cares..." is pretty much the E, D, and A chords used repeatedly throughout the song, but it works here. Echoing the rock 'n' roll dilemma of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?", the chorus of "Nobody Really Cares..." is "I wanna go out but I wanna stay home". Rock on, brown-haired woman!


"Year Zero" by Moon Taxi: This isn't the first song Moon Taxi have done, but it does look like the one that's gonna make them known to a wider audience! "Year Zero" is all about embracing the feeling of being apart from people and seeing where it will lead you. With its determined, fearless sound, I'm not surprised the song is about that. Makes for a great opening track to their latest album, too. I guess Moon Taxi are ready to face the final frontier!! (Or, to use another famous movie quote, to go "to infinity...and beyond!")

New songs for May 21st, 2014

here they are:


"Control" by Broken Bells: Broken Bells' latest album is called "After the Disco". So what IS after the disco? New wave?! From the sound of their latest song, "Control", I would certainly think so! Opening with fuzzy guitars and a flange soaked bass (and a soulful sax solo to boot), "Control" is the best song David Bowie never wrote. As usual, though, James Mercer adds a Shins-y touch of light pop-rock bounce and lovely, sweet harmony to the song. Perhaps this could be said to be a "sequel song" to their previous hit from "After the Disco", "Holding On For Life". In that song, they were talking about clinging to things, but in this one, they talk about losing control. Will their next song have a theme of trying to get things back to normal?! We'll see. Only time will tell.


"Don't Just Sit There" by Lucius: With the relentless, danceable energy of Lucius' previous song, "Turn It Around", I was expecting "Don't Just Sit There" to be just as catchy if not more so. It's not. However, it is the perfect song to listen to after a bad day with its more melancholy folk-rock-y flavor. "Don't Just Sit There" is a rather somber, brokenhearted song about the aftermath of a breakup. The song has a bit of an R.E.M.-ish jangle-pop sound, as well as gently strummed acoustic guitars in the background. Lucius - do they want to make us tap our feet or cry our eyes out?! I guess we'll never know for sure until we hear other songs of theirs!


"I Don't Know You Anymore" by Bob Mould: As an ex-punk rocker, Bob Mould doesn't always make an immediate connection with the more mellowed out adult alt crowd. One of the few times he did was with the beautiful, R.E.M.-ish "See A Little Light" back in 1988. "I Don't Know You Anymore" isn't exactly Bob's mellowest, but I guess with the rise of bands who have a brand of "Springsteen-ian punk" (Hold Steady, Gaslight Anthem) who have become popular with the adult alt audiences, a song like "I Don't Know You Anymore" is probably more palatable to those whose taste in music is more soft and melodic than it would have been 10 or 20 years ago. "I Don't Know You Anymore" does indeed boast a sound similar to groups like The Hold Steady and The Gaslight Anthem. The song rocks relentlessly, but it also has a sense of pathos underneath it all that not every rock song does.


"Saturday Night" by G. Love and Special Sauce: G. Love's "Nothing Quite Like Home" came out in winter of this year, and that song brought back the signature blend of rock, blues, jazz, and hip-hop that G. Love had originally become known for. His second single of the year, "Saturday Night", doesn't rock out quite as hard as "Nothing Quite Like Home", but it is still worth listening to. G. Love might be a Pennsylvania native, but the spicy gumbo he cooks up with the drums and harmonica of "Saturday Night" make it seem like it comes from down south in Louisiana instead! "Saturday Night" is a bit more folk-rock-y than his previous hit of 2014, but it still has just the right sort of flavor for the typical G. Love fan to indulge him/herself in. The song is basically the auditory equivalent of eating a jar of salsa marked "mild".


"Weight of Love" by The Black Keys: Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney seem to enjoy the comparisons to classic rock musicians they have gotten with their last two albums. As any fan of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, or The Rolling Stones knows, "rock" doesn't always have to be hard, and some of the best known rock songs are quite ambitious in terms of their length and/or structure. The Black Keys' "Weight of Love" is BOTH!! It is a softer song (at least it starts as one), that clocks in at almost seven minutes!! It seems to take the form of a Floyd-esque "stoner jam" during its first two minutes, which are entirely instrumental. Turn on, tune in, and drop out with The Black Keys. Wow, I never thought I'd say THOSE words together in one sentence!!


"West Coast" by Lana Del Rey: For a pop star, Lana Del Rey is quite bittersweet in pretty much all of her songs! I can't really think of a happy Lana Del Rey song, actually. This is a good thing for me, though, since it proves that you don't have to sound happy or energetic to be popular. "West Coast" continues to go in the poignant direction of Lana's other material. There are some things that are noticeably different about "West Coast", though. For one, the song seems to be almost like a Moody Blues song for the indie-pop generation, alternating between faster verses and a slower chorus. It is also one of the few songs of hers in which the electric guitar plays a central part. The guitar also stays throughout the song, rather than wandering off into the background like it did in "Blue Jeans". The guitar we get on "West Coast" is drenched in reverb, but a rather sad sort of reverb, serving more as an echo of painful emotions than merely as a "psychedelic" sound effect used in the song.


"Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" by Arctic Monkeys: And now we have yet another song that uses a reverb guitar sound. This one is a more bouncy, energetic kind of reverb, though (is there such a thing as a sad Arctic Monkeys song?!) Much as the title of this song would indicate, "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" has a rather mischievous sound, as though someone is creeping up and down a stairway in the middle of the night. Midnight (or rather, after midnight) is when the song takes place, actually, so they probably used this sound on the song on purpose. The lyrics basically give out the message of "don't bother me, I'm trying to sleep, and you're on drugs", but the song itself tells an entirely different story!

Songs for the day after Election Day!!

Before I begin my next review, just wanted to say congrats to Barack Obama for getting elected into office for another four years!! :) (My apologies if you disagree here, as I realize some of you reading this might). Now that I've said that, here are this week's songs:


"Cry For Judas" by The Mountain Goats: Though the only other song I know from The Mountain Goats besides this one is "This Year", I remember that something about that song made me fall in love with it immediately! The same could be said (perhaps more so) for The Goats' latest song, "Cry For Judas". Beginning with an acoustic guitar strumming a similar sounding chord progression (and rhythm) to Joni Mitchell's "Help Me", with muted horns, a thumping electric bass, and a percussion section kicking in immediately afterwards, "Cry For Judas" is neo-folk-rock at its finest! Beneath the triumphant sound of "Cry For Judas" are scathing, cynical lyrics, such as "Long black night, morning frost, I'm still here, but all is lost", but even with that known, the song still doesn't lose its "innocent" flavor. At least for me it doesn't.


"Pigtail" by Trey Anastasio: The daddy of post-Grateful Dead jam-rock decides to amp it up once again after his mostly acoustic previous hit, "Let Me Lie". Lyrically, Trey sounds almost as "psychedelic" as he does musically in "Pigtail", with the imagery he creates with pigtails being dipped in ink, becoming conscious again, and stars lining up in the sky. As if the song's words weren't tasty enough, we are treated to a horn solo towards the end of the song. Have a groovy time listenin' to this song, cats and chicks!


"Ride" by Lana Del Rey: For a pop star, Lana Del Rey sure is melancholy! No song of hers seems to illustrate such emotion like her latest song, "Ride", though. It demonstrates more depth than her previous material as well, especially during its chorus, which consists of four chords and an upward/downward progression of the chords. As "Ride" goes on, bittersweet lyrics like "Dying young and playing hard/That's the way my father made his life in art" are sung over soaring string sections. A very sad song, but still well worth the listen!!

New songs for May 30th, 2012

Here they are:


"Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Rey: With the seemingly mundane titles Lana Del Rey chooses for her songs ("Video Games", "Diet Mtn. Dew", "Blue Jeans"), you would think that people who don't know Lana Del Rey's material might dismiss it easily because of how the titles of her songs come off. As the saying goes, though, still waters run deep (and thankfully, largely due to word of mouth on the Internet, there are more Lana Del Rey fans now than I would have thought possible). Like Lana's last successful song, "Video Games", "Blue Jeans" is a dark, smoky, alt-pop ballad about a relationship gone sour. The moody and hypnotic, but still pop-y atmosphere of songs like "Blue Jeans" seem to put Lana in the current position of Florence Welch's "little sister", musically speaking. Doesn't mean LDR can't rise above that position, though!


"Ghosts" by The Head and The Heart: The bittersweet neo-folk-rock of The Head and The Heart's "Lost In My Mind" and "Down In the Valley" caught on immediately with the indie and adult alt crowds! The Head and The Heart's latest song to get attention, "Ghosts", seems to be taking a little longer to catch on, but its on its way. Musically, "Ghosts" is a rarity in contemporary popular music, in that it changes key from B flat minor in the verses to D minor in the chorus (and it switches yet again to F major later on in the song). Name one other song from the past 50 or so years with as much of an abrupt key change! "Ghosts" isn't exactly a bittersweet song as much as it is like a jaunty, honky-tonk style version of Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky". Definitely different than most songs you're likely to encounter these days, but that's a good thing, right?!


"How Do I Know?" by Here We Go Magic: "Here We Go Magic" is quite an apt name for a band with a sound that is as upbeat and innocent as it is swirly and psychedelic! A chunky, pulsating electric guitar draws the listener in initially, and as soon as the vocals kick in, the "magic" of "How Do I Know?" starts up! A relentlessly happy drumbeat backs up the guitars, as lead vocalist Luke Temple yearningly asks "How do I know that I love you?", "How do I know that I know you?", and similar questions to lure in the listener even more than they already are! An echoing, prog-rock-y Moog synthesizer hook that sounds like it was lifted directly from Van Morrison's "Wavelength" kicks in at about a minute into "How Do I Know?", continuing the mesmerizing, magical mystery tour of this song! Truly a wonder to behold!!


"1904" by The Tallest Man On Earth: Yeah, hate to burst your bubble, folks, but "The Tallest Man On Earth" is NOT Shaquille O'Neal's folk-rock alter ego!! It is, instead, the stage name of Swedish folk-rocker Kristian Mattson (which, personally, I prefer, as I've never been a sports person). Don't let the title fool you either, it's not a sequel to Phoenix's similarly titled "1901" (that new wave-y song from a couple years ago with the "fallin', fallin', fallin', fall-innn..." chorus). Now that you know what "1904" is NOT, let me tell you what it IS! "1904" is a song with surreal lyrics and quirky, yet memorable vocal delivery. His unusual but still hauntingly beautiful guitar tuning in this song (and most of his material, apparently) hearken back to the original folk-rock generation, particularly Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake, the latter of whom is a huge influence on The Tallest Man On Earth. Not exactly sure what The TMOE means by the refrain of "since they shook the Earth in 1904", but perhaps lines like that are better left to the imagination to interpret.


"Only For You" by Heartless B*st*rds: The name of this band might sound a bit intimidating to some, but the origin of their name is more humorous than it is disdainful (it comes from how a contestant on a game show thought that "Heartless B*st*rds" was the name of Tom Petty's backing group!!) Their sound isn't bad either, almost like Blind Melon's Shannon Hoon joining a roots-y, country influenced indie group. Their first big song, "Parted Ways" showed a rougher, more ragged side to Heartless B*st*rds, so it seems fitting, in a way, that they followed it up with a "ballad" with "Only For You". "Only For You" still has that "tough country" sound to it, but it definitely has a sweeter sound to it than "Parted Ways". One more thing to add that I thought would be worth pointing out, is that this band, along with fellow roots-y indie rockers Alabama Shakes, both have lead singers who sound like men with tenor vocals (to me, at least), when in fact, they are women! I don't suppose that's becoming a trend, is it?!


"Sunshine" by Matisyahu: A Jewish reggae musician?! Now I've seen everything! Of course, Matisyahu's fans are familiar with this aspect about him, and that seems to be part of what makes him so appealing! But it's also how simultaneously inspirational and catchy Matisyahu makes his songs that has gotten him so many fans. "Sunshine" is no exception to the rule. It's sunny, optimistic vibe has arrived just in time for summer! Lyrics like "reach for the sky, keep your eye on the prize" would probably sound cliche from any other musician, but Matisyahu manages to make it work, in such a way that it almost sounds like he invented those sorts of phrases! Next time you hit the beaches and there's a dance party going on, expect to hear this song!


"That Time Is Gone" by The dB's: One of the premiere acts in the "college rock" scene of the 1980's, The dB's seemed to be more of a "cult act" than one that scored any major hits (or minor hits, for that matter). But, as the title of this song indicates, "That Time Is Gone", and after ummm...what...30 years?!?...the dB's finally have a song that's getting them noticed beyond their core audience! I guess good things really DO come to those who wait!! My first impression of this song was that it combined the quirkily energetic keyboards of Elvis Costello's songs with the jangly alt-rock guitars of the typical R.E.M. song. R.E.M. and Costello are both some of my all-time faves! If the dB's material usually sounds like that, then I honestly don't see why they weren't such a big hit back in their day!! This song and the Here We Go Magic song are probably my two faves of this week. Highly recommended!!


"The Way We Are" by Scars on 45: A British alt-pop band with "soft rock" influences and lofty harmonies? Sounds like I'm describing Coldplay or Keane at first, doesn't it? Nope! I'm actually describing Scars on 45, a band whose more guitar-oriented approach to Britpop sounds closer to Snow Patrol or Travis than it does to Coldplay or Keane. Their previous two songs that garnered attention in the adult alt world, "Give Me Something" and "Heart On Fire", both became huge hits among that audience. "The Way We Are" seems to have the same formula as those two songs: laid-back yet pensive harmonies and neo-folk-rock instrumentation, so it won't surprise me if this becomes a huge hit for Scars on 45 as well (though so far it has some catching up to do). Somehow, even though Scars' songs sound similar to each other, they manage to win me over each time! Maybe it's just "The Way (They) Are"!! (rimshot)

Let's hear it for the gals!!

I think this is the first time my blog entry of the week has focused entirely on female performers! And what great names they have, too, Imelda May and Lana Del Rey (hey, that rhymed!!) Anyway, enough chatter, and on with the show!!

"Inside Out" by Imelda May: In the summer of this year, the sexy, jazzy, black-haired Irishwoman known as Imelda May caused a lot of "Mayhem", and this time around she's up to more of her old tricks with the saucy, slinky, seductive, soulful (and somewhat subversive) song, "Inside Out"!! The instrumentation of this song (and Imelda's steamy, passionate vocals) make "Inside Out" catchy enough, as though Gwen Stefani joined the Brian Setzer Orchestra, but it's the lyrics to the song that just crack me up and are worth mentioning!! Throughout the song, Imelda not only says she loves the subject of her song "inside out", but also describes why, pointing out how she loves each part of her subject's body on the way. It starts out relatively innocent ("I love your eyes, blue as the skies/I love your lips to your fingertips"), but it gets weirder as the song goes on, ultimately resulting in lyrics like, "I love your nails, even your entrails", and "I love your wits and your wobbly bits" (Whoa!! TMI, Imelda!!) She even admits that the way she loves the person in question is "kinda creepy", but that, at the same time, the person she's addressing "loves it deeply", and that he "know(s) (he)'s gonna keep (her)". Catchy AND funny (and attractive)?!? I think we got a winner here!!!

"Video Games" by Lana Del Rey: A good song about a subject I've never been crazy about (though practically all my friends are). Or so it would seem. Though "Video Games" might be the title of this song, that's not exactly what it's about. In fact, the term "video games", in this song, is probably more of a metaphor, suggesting either masculinity and/or an example of an activity Lana Del Rey doesn't like but is willing to endure to keep her boyfriend company. Lana tends to deliver the lyrics of "Video Games" in a rather dry manner, but with sweet, benign vocals, and instrumentation similar to acts like Feist, Florence and The Machine, and Joanna Newsom.