here they are:
"Continental Breakfast" by Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett: Much like the Kurt and Courtney that came before these two, Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett don't usually make happy songs. "Continental Breakfast" is an exception to the rule. A pleasant, upbeat folk-rock number, "Continental Breakfast" is a feel-good song about...well...feeling good! The song centers around cherishing friendship, but in a natural way instead of a corny one. You can't help but feel happy when you listen to songs like this one!
"Sleep On the Floor" by The Lumineers: "Sleep On the Floor" is a notable song for The Lumineers in that it is one of the few (if not the only one) to feature prominent use of the electric guitar. Over Bob Dylan-esque instrumentation, The Lumi's sing about how desperate times call for desperate measures, which might be why the song is called "Sleep On the Floor" (the phrase doesn't appear anywhere in the lyrics). This song also breaks the pattern of having every song put out as a single from the Lumi's sophomore album being a girl's name (Ophelia, Cleopatra, Angela). "If we don't leave this town, we might never make it out" seems to be the central line in the song, as it is about trying to survive during a difficult situation.
Showing posts with label Lumineers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lumineers. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
New songs for January 25th 2017
here they are:
"All I'm Asking" by Band of Heathens: Band of Heathens have actually been around for awhile, but this is the first song I've heard of theirs so far. It is a roots-y rock number slightly reminiscent of acts like The Band. It starts out with a thumping, funky bass line, but as a honky-tonk sounding piano and various string instruments in the background start to come in, "All I'm Asking" starts to get a bit more of a shape as a song. The chord progression from A major to F sharp minor is a bit like The Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park". A song like this one wouldn't have been out of place in another decade, and it is only from the production of the record that you can tell that this is not actually an older song.
"Angela" by The Lumineers: First "Ophelia", then "Cleopatra", now "Angela"?! Is it just me, or does Wesley Schultz have more girls on his mind than just his bandmate, Neyla Pekarek?! Of the three titular girls, "Angela" seems to suffer less than the other two characters. Ophelia and Cleopatra both suffered in their respective songs, which I suppose makes sense since the names of both are synonymous with Shakespeare characters, but Angela is a more liberated character, one who feels "home at last", as the refrain in her song states. The epic saga of The Lumineers only continues from here!
"Friendship (Is A Small Boat In A Storm)" by Chicano Batman: You're not gonna hear bands with a name like "Chicano Batman" every day, are you?! Didn't think so! Well, as it turns out, you're not gonna hear their kind of music every day either! The weirdly named quartet (who are, in fact, Chicano, but sadly not alternate identities for Batman), have an eclectic blend of late '60s styled soul music, Latino rhythms, swirling psychedelic guitar riffs, and groovy organ riffs, all in one brightly colored package! To top off all the excitement you might be getting just from reading this, Chicano Batman happen to hail from my hometown, which is none other than Los Angeles!
"Hungry Ghost" by Hurray for the Riff Raff: It's not even the second month of the year and already I have a good song for this year's Halloween playlist! The mysterious, spooky (but fun) vibes of Hurray for the Riff Raff's "Hungry Ghost" go perfectly with its haunting title! The electro-rock instrumentation of "Hungry Ghost" is a bit closer to Bat for Lashes than it is for Hurray for the Riff Raff. Come to think of it, the lyrics the song has, largely concerning isolation and alienation, seem a bit inspired by Bat for Lashes as well. Happy Halloween, 10 months in advance!
"I Give You Power" by Arcade Fire (featuring Mavis Staples): With a sound that comes off as an unlikely cross between Talking Heads and Nine Inch Nails, Arcade Fire's latest song is, as you might have guessed, a protest song about the person who now occupies the position of being the 45th President of the United States of America. "I give you power", Win Butler sings, followed by, "and I can take it away", immediately afterwards. Soul mistress Mavis Staples joins Win on what could be described as her darkest song yet! Arcade Fire giveth, and Arcade Fire taketh away. No more Mr. Nice Indie Rocker! When the going gets tough, the tough get going!
"Push Off" by The Palms: "Palms", perhaps, refers to palm trees in this case, and not to the palms of our hands, but I guess we'll never know for sure. The reason I say palm trees is because the music of The Palms' debut song, "Push Off", is gentle like palm trees swaying in the breeze, at least in the musical sense it is. Lyrically, it's a bit more bitter. It's clearly about a relationship that the lead singer wants to brush aside and forget about, as evidenced by him calling his former lover a "push off" and then telling them to "push off" afterwards. What a calming song, though! This mostly acoustic guitar based rock song even has a soft piano solo in the middle of it to add to its already breezy flavor! If you've had a bad breakup but you still wanna play it cool, then this song is for you!
"Shakedown" by Valerie June: After the heavenly, ethereal "Astral Plane" from fall of last year, we now have the more gritty, blues-y "Shakedown" from Valerie June. Not as mean and funky as her debut song, "You Can't Be Told", but it still has a more electric guitar based sound than some of what Valerie's fans might be used to at this point. "Shakedown" is probably one of a growing number of songs that is reflective of how uncertain many people think the world has become today. With its rollicking, catchy, "Lust For Life"-like beat, though, some people might be more under the impression that "Shakedown" could just be your basic blues-y rock song about dancing and falling in love. Valerie June's lyrical themes have never been basic, though, so I'm willing to bet that there is some righteous anger behind "Shakedown".
"Strange Or Be Forgotten" by Temples: The leap from a '60s homage to an '80s homage seems to be becoming increasingly common in today's indie-pop groups. Temples debuted back in 2014 with "Shelter Song", which sounded to many like a long lost Byrds tune. The fluttering synths in Temples' second big tune, "Strange Or Be Forgotten", make it clear that their musical time machine can travel to multiple eras. "Strange Or Be Forgotten" is still somewhat an ode to psychedelia, but with more keyboards than guitars. This is the sort of song that would be likely to play during a scene in a movie when someone is tripping out on drugs at a dance club. So are Temples strange, or do you think they will be forgotten?! I would go with "strange"!
"The Lost Sky" by Jesca Hoop: Jesca Hoop (yes, that's how she spells her first name) is nominally a folk-rocker, but "The Lost Sky" truly has flourishes of folk music in comparison to the only other Jesca Hoop song I currently know, "Born To", which was essentially a blend of indie-pop and singer/songwriter with a sound that was more like a melodic electric guitar distortion than a pure acoustic sound. "The Lost Sky" is primarily an acoustic-guitar-and-vocals-only song and it seems to be the name of a fictitious location that Jesca uses as a metaphor for her means of escapism, presented in poetic lyrical fashion laden with vocals that are as bittersweet as the song itself. It is a place known only to the dreamers of the world, both the aspirational kind and the nocturnal kind.
"All I'm Asking" by Band of Heathens: Band of Heathens have actually been around for awhile, but this is the first song I've heard of theirs so far. It is a roots-y rock number slightly reminiscent of acts like The Band. It starts out with a thumping, funky bass line, but as a honky-tonk sounding piano and various string instruments in the background start to come in, "All I'm Asking" starts to get a bit more of a shape as a song. The chord progression from A major to F sharp minor is a bit like The Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park". A song like this one wouldn't have been out of place in another decade, and it is only from the production of the record that you can tell that this is not actually an older song.
"Angela" by The Lumineers: First "Ophelia", then "Cleopatra", now "Angela"?! Is it just me, or does Wesley Schultz have more girls on his mind than just his bandmate, Neyla Pekarek?! Of the three titular girls, "Angela" seems to suffer less than the other two characters. Ophelia and Cleopatra both suffered in their respective songs, which I suppose makes sense since the names of both are synonymous with Shakespeare characters, but Angela is a more liberated character, one who feels "home at last", as the refrain in her song states. The epic saga of The Lumineers only continues from here!
"Friendship (Is A Small Boat In A Storm)" by Chicano Batman: You're not gonna hear bands with a name like "Chicano Batman" every day, are you?! Didn't think so! Well, as it turns out, you're not gonna hear their kind of music every day either! The weirdly named quartet (who are, in fact, Chicano, but sadly not alternate identities for Batman), have an eclectic blend of late '60s styled soul music, Latino rhythms, swirling psychedelic guitar riffs, and groovy organ riffs, all in one brightly colored package! To top off all the excitement you might be getting just from reading this, Chicano Batman happen to hail from my hometown, which is none other than Los Angeles!
"Hungry Ghost" by Hurray for the Riff Raff: It's not even the second month of the year and already I have a good song for this year's Halloween playlist! The mysterious, spooky (but fun) vibes of Hurray for the Riff Raff's "Hungry Ghost" go perfectly with its haunting title! The electro-rock instrumentation of "Hungry Ghost" is a bit closer to Bat for Lashes than it is for Hurray for the Riff Raff. Come to think of it, the lyrics the song has, largely concerning isolation and alienation, seem a bit inspired by Bat for Lashes as well. Happy Halloween, 10 months in advance!
"I Give You Power" by Arcade Fire (featuring Mavis Staples): With a sound that comes off as an unlikely cross between Talking Heads and Nine Inch Nails, Arcade Fire's latest song is, as you might have guessed, a protest song about the person who now occupies the position of being the 45th President of the United States of America. "I give you power", Win Butler sings, followed by, "and I can take it away", immediately afterwards. Soul mistress Mavis Staples joins Win on what could be described as her darkest song yet! Arcade Fire giveth, and Arcade Fire taketh away. No more Mr. Nice Indie Rocker! When the going gets tough, the tough get going!
"Push Off" by The Palms: "Palms", perhaps, refers to palm trees in this case, and not to the palms of our hands, but I guess we'll never know for sure. The reason I say palm trees is because the music of The Palms' debut song, "Push Off", is gentle like palm trees swaying in the breeze, at least in the musical sense it is. Lyrically, it's a bit more bitter. It's clearly about a relationship that the lead singer wants to brush aside and forget about, as evidenced by him calling his former lover a "push off" and then telling them to "push off" afterwards. What a calming song, though! This mostly acoustic guitar based rock song even has a soft piano solo in the middle of it to add to its already breezy flavor! If you've had a bad breakup but you still wanna play it cool, then this song is for you!
"Shakedown" by Valerie June: After the heavenly, ethereal "Astral Plane" from fall of last year, we now have the more gritty, blues-y "Shakedown" from Valerie June. Not as mean and funky as her debut song, "You Can't Be Told", but it still has a more electric guitar based sound than some of what Valerie's fans might be used to at this point. "Shakedown" is probably one of a growing number of songs that is reflective of how uncertain many people think the world has become today. With its rollicking, catchy, "Lust For Life"-like beat, though, some people might be more under the impression that "Shakedown" could just be your basic blues-y rock song about dancing and falling in love. Valerie June's lyrical themes have never been basic, though, so I'm willing to bet that there is some righteous anger behind "Shakedown".
"Strange Or Be Forgotten" by Temples: The leap from a '60s homage to an '80s homage seems to be becoming increasingly common in today's indie-pop groups. Temples debuted back in 2014 with "Shelter Song", which sounded to many like a long lost Byrds tune. The fluttering synths in Temples' second big tune, "Strange Or Be Forgotten", make it clear that their musical time machine can travel to multiple eras. "Strange Or Be Forgotten" is still somewhat an ode to psychedelia, but with more keyboards than guitars. This is the sort of song that would be likely to play during a scene in a movie when someone is tripping out on drugs at a dance club. So are Temples strange, or do you think they will be forgotten?! I would go with "strange"!
"The Lost Sky" by Jesca Hoop: Jesca Hoop (yes, that's how she spells her first name) is nominally a folk-rocker, but "The Lost Sky" truly has flourishes of folk music in comparison to the only other Jesca Hoop song I currently know, "Born To", which was essentially a blend of indie-pop and singer/songwriter with a sound that was more like a melodic electric guitar distortion than a pure acoustic sound. "The Lost Sky" is primarily an acoustic-guitar-and-vocals-only song and it seems to be the name of a fictitious location that Jesca uses as a metaphor for her means of escapism, presented in poetic lyrical fashion laden with vocals that are as bittersweet as the song itself. It is a place known only to the dreamers of the world, both the aspirational kind and the nocturnal kind.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
The Top 20 of 2016!!!
Here it is, folks! The moment you've all been waiting for! Counting 'em down from 20 to 1!! Here we go:
20. "I Need Never Get Old" - Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats
19. "Spirits" - The Strumbellas
18. "Mess Around" - Cage the Elephant
17. "Casual Party" - Band of Horses
16. "Wish I Knew You" - The Revivalists
15. "When the Tequila Runs Out" - Dawes
14. "Trouble" - Cage the Elephant
13. "Move" - Saint Motel
12. "Under the Influence" - Elle King
11. "I Can't Stop Thinking About You" - Sting
10. "Ditmas" - Mumford and Sons
9. "Cleopatra" - The Lumineers
8. "Pretty Pimpin'" - Kurt Vile
7. "Ain't No Man" - The Avett Brothers
6. "All We Ever Knew" - The Head and The Heart
5. "Fire" - Barns Courtney
4. "Off the Ground" - The Record Company
3. "Waste A Moment" - Kings of Leon
2. "Dark Necessities" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
annndddd....the number one song of the year is...
"OPHELIA" BY THE LUMINEERS!!!!
Well, that's it! See ya next year everyone!!
20. "I Need Never Get Old" - Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats
19. "Spirits" - The Strumbellas
18. "Mess Around" - Cage the Elephant
17. "Casual Party" - Band of Horses
16. "Wish I Knew You" - The Revivalists
15. "When the Tequila Runs Out" - Dawes
14. "Trouble" - Cage the Elephant
13. "Move" - Saint Motel
12. "Under the Influence" - Elle King
11. "I Can't Stop Thinking About You" - Sting
10. "Ditmas" - Mumford and Sons
9. "Cleopatra" - The Lumineers
8. "Pretty Pimpin'" - Kurt Vile
7. "Ain't No Man" - The Avett Brothers
6. "All We Ever Knew" - The Head and The Heart
5. "Fire" - Barns Courtney
4. "Off the Ground" - The Record Company
3. "Waste A Moment" - Kings of Leon
2. "Dark Necessities" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
annndddd....the number one song of the year is...
"OPHELIA" BY THE LUMINEERS!!!!
Well, that's it! See ya next year everyone!!
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
New songs for June 15th 2016
here they are:
"Cleopatra" by The Lumineers: Simon and Garfunkel seem like a pretty obvious influence on bands like The Lumineers, but they've never sounded more like them in both a musical and a lyrical sense than on "Cleopatra", albeit with a slight influence from the softer side of Southern rock as well. Lead vocalist Wesley Schultz weaves a tale filled with metaphor and the struggle between the sacred and the profane in this song. Songs such as Joni Mitchell's "Free Man In Paris" might have also influenced "Cleopatra", as both songs center around protagonists whose genders are the opposite of that of their narrators. In "Cleopatra", Wesley sings as a "young actress" who basically tells the story of her life and career in vivid detail.
"Good Girls" by Elle King: Who you gonna call?! Elle King, apparently! The "Ex's And Oh's" jazz-rock songstress is featured on the soundtrack of a "Ghostbusters" remake. This fierce, feisty, and fun blast of music comes off like a blues-y Stevie Nicks trying to cover "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'". Elle scratchily croons about how she "does what the good girls don't" in a sinfully sweet song filled with references to the unpleasant side of the afterlife in a manner that is more playful than scary. Hell hasn't been this tempting since Squirrel Nut Zippers sang about it back in '97!
"Take It From Me" by Kongos: Just like on their smash hit (and debut song) "Come With Me Now", Kongos have roared back onto the alt and adult alt charts with a song where rock guitars and "Graceland"-esque accordions collide! "Take It From Me" is song that's sure to scorch up your summer (in a good way, of course)! As this quartet of South African brothers proclaim on "Take It From Me", "nothing can stop me". Indeed, nothing CAN stop them from being one of the few 2010's bands that are liked equally by rock, pop, and alt fans! They've got all the good music in a single package here!
"Cleopatra" by The Lumineers: Simon and Garfunkel seem like a pretty obvious influence on bands like The Lumineers, but they've never sounded more like them in both a musical and a lyrical sense than on "Cleopatra", albeit with a slight influence from the softer side of Southern rock as well. Lead vocalist Wesley Schultz weaves a tale filled with metaphor and the struggle between the sacred and the profane in this song. Songs such as Joni Mitchell's "Free Man In Paris" might have also influenced "Cleopatra", as both songs center around protagonists whose genders are the opposite of that of their narrators. In "Cleopatra", Wesley sings as a "young actress" who basically tells the story of her life and career in vivid detail.
"Good Girls" by Elle King: Who you gonna call?! Elle King, apparently! The "Ex's And Oh's" jazz-rock songstress is featured on the soundtrack of a "Ghostbusters" remake. This fierce, feisty, and fun blast of music comes off like a blues-y Stevie Nicks trying to cover "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'". Elle scratchily croons about how she "does what the good girls don't" in a sinfully sweet song filled with references to the unpleasant side of the afterlife in a manner that is more playful than scary. Hell hasn't been this tempting since Squirrel Nut Zippers sang about it back in '97!
"Take It From Me" by Kongos: Just like on their smash hit (and debut song) "Come With Me Now", Kongos have roared back onto the alt and adult alt charts with a song where rock guitars and "Graceland"-esque accordions collide! "Take It From Me" is song that's sure to scorch up your summer (in a good way, of course)! As this quartet of South African brothers proclaim on "Take It From Me", "nothing can stop me". Indeed, nothing CAN stop them from being one of the few 2010's bands that are liked equally by rock, pop, and alt fans! They've got all the good music in a single package here!
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
New songs for February 10th 2016
here they are:
"Anywhere You Want to Go" by Santana: Could it be?! A Santana song with NO special guest appearances that sounds more like rock than pop?! This is what old-school Santana fans have probably dreamed of since 1999, back when "Smooth", Santana's duet with Rob Thomas, was the mega-hit of the year! Perhaps there's a good reason that the Latino rockers wanted to get back to their roots. According to Carlos Santana himself, he was upset that pop stars (Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars) played the Superbowl this time around instead of rock groups (he cited The Steve Miller Band, Metallica, and Journey, as well as his own band, as good examples of who SHOULD be playing the Superbowl instead). Given what a soppy and somewhat unenthusiastic performance Coldplay gave at the Superbowl, Carlos has a very good point! "Anywhere You Want to Go" revitalizes what Santana has been missing for nearly 40 years!! It is a song of pure, unadulterated, free-spirited, non-homogenized rock and roll!! Thanks for keeping the vim, vigor, and vitality of your band alive for us, Carlos!
"Capsized" by Andrew Bird: And speaking of rock and roll...Andrew Bird?! Wait a minute!! The guy who makes a one-man show out of violins, baroque-pop, and whistling?! Yeah, this is him! I guess even HE is getting tired of how calm the whole "indie" thing has become, so he decided to amp things up a bit in his latest song, "Capsized", which one YouTube commenter aptly summed up as "Andrew Bird meets Alabama Shakes". "Capsized" also has a more groovy beat than most Andrew Bird songs. It's not the first Andrew Bird song I've known to have drums, but it is the first one in which drums take on a prominent role. There probably hasn't been any Andrew Bird song that you've wanted to "shake it" to. Until now, that is.
"Ophelia" by The Lumineers: While Andrew Bird continues to experiment further and further with new sounds, The Lumineers, a folk-rock trio that won the hearts of millions in 2012 with their happy sounding earworm, "Ho Hey", prefer sticking to the tried and true. The Lumi's latest song, "Ophelia", is a song that has a rather down-home-y charm like a lot of their songs tend to have. It is a mellow but fun piano-based song with a downright infectiously catchy chorus, which has probably made it the most anticipated new song of the week. Don't be fooled by the innocent sound of the song, though. The "heaven help the fool who falls in love" part of the chorus is actually a subtle reference to how easily people can be drawn into the idea of being famous. This song sure is bright and chipper nonetheless, though!
"Since You Been Gone" by The Heavy: The Heavy's signature brand of indie-pop meets funk appears once again on their latest song, "Since You Been Gone". Between this one, "How You Like Me Now?", and "What Makes A Good Man?", I'm convinced at this point that The Heavy know how to mix together the perfect combination of danceable and catchy into pretty much all of their songs! It might be worth noting that unlike their previous two hits, "Since You Been Gone" is in minor key. However, that does little to affect what a joyride people are in for when they hear this one! Is there anything these guys can't do?!
"Welcome to My World" by Widespread Panic: We started with a band who is legendary among classic rock fans, and we've ended this week with a band who SHOULD be, but isn't. Widespread Panic's loose and funky brand of Allman Brothers-style jam-band rock has been going strong for 25 years, though a lot of their songs sound like they're from even longer ago. "Welcome to My World" is one such song. It's a catchy little Southern rock ditty that bears resemblance to both The Doobie Brothers' "China Grove" and pretty much anything that Lynyrd Skynyrd have done. The song is a reminder of the freewheeling, breezy, fun vibe that rock and roll was meant to have all along! Welcome to their world, a world where every night is a wild party!!
"Anywhere You Want to Go" by Santana: Could it be?! A Santana song with NO special guest appearances that sounds more like rock than pop?! This is what old-school Santana fans have probably dreamed of since 1999, back when "Smooth", Santana's duet with Rob Thomas, was the mega-hit of the year! Perhaps there's a good reason that the Latino rockers wanted to get back to their roots. According to Carlos Santana himself, he was upset that pop stars (Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars) played the Superbowl this time around instead of rock groups (he cited The Steve Miller Band, Metallica, and Journey, as well as his own band, as good examples of who SHOULD be playing the Superbowl instead). Given what a soppy and somewhat unenthusiastic performance Coldplay gave at the Superbowl, Carlos has a very good point! "Anywhere You Want to Go" revitalizes what Santana has been missing for nearly 40 years!! It is a song of pure, unadulterated, free-spirited, non-homogenized rock and roll!! Thanks for keeping the vim, vigor, and vitality of your band alive for us, Carlos!
"Capsized" by Andrew Bird: And speaking of rock and roll...Andrew Bird?! Wait a minute!! The guy who makes a one-man show out of violins, baroque-pop, and whistling?! Yeah, this is him! I guess even HE is getting tired of how calm the whole "indie" thing has become, so he decided to amp things up a bit in his latest song, "Capsized", which one YouTube commenter aptly summed up as "Andrew Bird meets Alabama Shakes". "Capsized" also has a more groovy beat than most Andrew Bird songs. It's not the first Andrew Bird song I've known to have drums, but it is the first one in which drums take on a prominent role. There probably hasn't been any Andrew Bird song that you've wanted to "shake it" to. Until now, that is.
"Ophelia" by The Lumineers: While Andrew Bird continues to experiment further and further with new sounds, The Lumineers, a folk-rock trio that won the hearts of millions in 2012 with their happy sounding earworm, "Ho Hey", prefer sticking to the tried and true. The Lumi's latest song, "Ophelia", is a song that has a rather down-home-y charm like a lot of their songs tend to have. It is a mellow but fun piano-based song with a downright infectiously catchy chorus, which has probably made it the most anticipated new song of the week. Don't be fooled by the innocent sound of the song, though. The "heaven help the fool who falls in love" part of the chorus is actually a subtle reference to how easily people can be drawn into the idea of being famous. This song sure is bright and chipper nonetheless, though!
"Since You Been Gone" by The Heavy: The Heavy's signature brand of indie-pop meets funk appears once again on their latest song, "Since You Been Gone". Between this one, "How You Like Me Now?", and "What Makes A Good Man?", I'm convinced at this point that The Heavy know how to mix together the perfect combination of danceable and catchy into pretty much all of their songs! It might be worth noting that unlike their previous two hits, "Since You Been Gone" is in minor key. However, that does little to affect what a joyride people are in for when they hear this one! Is there anything these guys can't do?!
"Welcome to My World" by Widespread Panic: We started with a band who is legendary among classic rock fans, and we've ended this week with a band who SHOULD be, but isn't. Widespread Panic's loose and funky brand of Allman Brothers-style jam-band rock has been going strong for 25 years, though a lot of their songs sound like they're from even longer ago. "Welcome to My World" is one such song. It's a catchy little Southern rock ditty that bears resemblance to both The Doobie Brothers' "China Grove" and pretty much anything that Lynyrd Skynyrd have done. The song is a reminder of the freewheeling, breezy, fun vibe that rock and roll was meant to have all along! Welcome to their world, a world where every night is a wild party!!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
New songs for November 20th, 2013
here they are:
"Down to the Well" by Hard Working Americans: For once, the name of a band actually describes who it is! This eclectic folk-rock/country-rock supergroup, featuring Americana musician Todd Snider, Ryan Adams' backing guitarist Neil Casals, and Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools, is all American, and clearly all hard working since they managed to come up with a group this eclectic! So how do they sound all together?! Well, like a country-rock group, which isn't really that surprising, considering that both Todd Snider and Ryan Adams started out with a country influenced sound. While Widespread Panic tends to focus more on blues-rock than the other two, some of their songs ("Dirty Side Down", for instance) still have a country-rock sound to them. "Down to the Well" itself was originally a song by roots-y country musician Lucinda Williams. Don't let the "country music" description of this song prevent you from listening to it, though. There is absolutely nothing about this song that aims to appeal to a "pop-country" audience. Instead, it's honest and heartfelt, while still somewhat raw, the way a GOOD country (or country-rock) song should be!
"Pretty Green" by White Denim: If Daft Punk were re-envisioned as a neo-psychedelic rock and roll band instead of an electronica duo, they would probably end up being White Denim. It is clear from the video of White Denim's debut song, "Pretty Green", that at least half of the band members prefer hiding behind masks to showing their actual faces, much like Daft Punk did (though this could also be influenced by the "eyeball masks" of '70s avant-garde group, The Residents). The video only gets weirder as the song goes on, as the members of White Denim take a vivid voyage through a land of...ummm...lips with no body or face attached. The second half of this bizarre journey involves entering into a realm of splattering paint (didn't "Sesame Street" already do this years ago with their new wave styled song about "Wet Paint"?!) Perhaps I should have expected the song to involve kaleidoscopic, colorful imagery. After all, the band's name is WHITE Denim, and the song is called "Pretty GREEN"!! If you are willing to let your mind blow out of your butt (or is that the other way around?!), then check out the music video for this song, which can be viewed here (www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMCoiehkH8U)
"Thirsty Man" by Blitzen Trapper: Between this song and "Shine On" (the one they put out in early fall of this year), I could swear that if time machines were real, that Blitzen Trapper took one to the 1970's somewhere in the Southern United States. "Thirsty Man" is more of a return to the folk-rock-y roots that Blitzen Trapper were originally known for, yet it sounds more like an acoustic Allman Brothers song ("Midnight Rider", "Melissa", etc.) than it does like Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, and the like. When lead singer, Eric Earley, sings about being a "thirsty man" walking through the desert, his vocal delivery tends to give off a "been through it all" attitude that can often be found in the music of bands like The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Doors-y organs and fuzzed-out "psychedelic" guitar solo are about the only things keeping "Thirsty Man" from completely sounding like a Southern rock song.
"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" by The Lumineers (originally by Talking Heads): So the first song we hear covered from The Lumineers ISN'T by Simon and Garfunkel, or Crosby Stills & Nash?! That's a shocker! What's even MORE of a shocker is that they chose to cover a song by quirky new wave legends, Talking Heads, whose sound seems a bit too jittery and electronic in comparison to the laid-back, acoustic sound of The Lumineers. If a band like, say, MGMT covered it, that wouldn't be too surprising (and they have done so, too). But The Lumi's?! I love them, but I would NEVER have expected them to choose a song from David Byrne and co. According to their cellist (and only girl member) Neyla Pekarek, the reason they chose to release a cover version of "This Must Be the Place" is because The Lumineers usually ended their live shows with the song, since its lyrics center around going home ("Home is where I want to be, but I guess I'm already there...") So how does their version measure up to the unstoppable, oddball energy of the original?! It's a decent cover, but it pales in comparison to their originals, like "Ho Hey" and "Stubborn Love". As a folk-rock song, "This Must Be the Place" just doesn't feel like it should! I'll give it an A for effort, though.
"Down to the Well" by Hard Working Americans: For once, the name of a band actually describes who it is! This eclectic folk-rock/country-rock supergroup, featuring Americana musician Todd Snider, Ryan Adams' backing guitarist Neil Casals, and Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools, is all American, and clearly all hard working since they managed to come up with a group this eclectic! So how do they sound all together?! Well, like a country-rock group, which isn't really that surprising, considering that both Todd Snider and Ryan Adams started out with a country influenced sound. While Widespread Panic tends to focus more on blues-rock than the other two, some of their songs ("Dirty Side Down", for instance) still have a country-rock sound to them. "Down to the Well" itself was originally a song by roots-y country musician Lucinda Williams. Don't let the "country music" description of this song prevent you from listening to it, though. There is absolutely nothing about this song that aims to appeal to a "pop-country" audience. Instead, it's honest and heartfelt, while still somewhat raw, the way a GOOD country (or country-rock) song should be!
"Pretty Green" by White Denim: If Daft Punk were re-envisioned as a neo-psychedelic rock and roll band instead of an electronica duo, they would probably end up being White Denim. It is clear from the video of White Denim's debut song, "Pretty Green", that at least half of the band members prefer hiding behind masks to showing their actual faces, much like Daft Punk did (though this could also be influenced by the "eyeball masks" of '70s avant-garde group, The Residents). The video only gets weirder as the song goes on, as the members of White Denim take a vivid voyage through a land of...ummm...lips with no body or face attached. The second half of this bizarre journey involves entering into a realm of splattering paint (didn't "Sesame Street" already do this years ago with their new wave styled song about "Wet Paint"?!) Perhaps I should have expected the song to involve kaleidoscopic, colorful imagery. After all, the band's name is WHITE Denim, and the song is called "Pretty GREEN"!! If you are willing to let your mind blow out of your butt (or is that the other way around?!), then check out the music video for this song, which can be viewed here (www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMCoiehkH8U)
"Thirsty Man" by Blitzen Trapper: Between this song and "Shine On" (the one they put out in early fall of this year), I could swear that if time machines were real, that Blitzen Trapper took one to the 1970's somewhere in the Southern United States. "Thirsty Man" is more of a return to the folk-rock-y roots that Blitzen Trapper were originally known for, yet it sounds more like an acoustic Allman Brothers song ("Midnight Rider", "Melissa", etc.) than it does like Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, and the like. When lead singer, Eric Earley, sings about being a "thirsty man" walking through the desert, his vocal delivery tends to give off a "been through it all" attitude that can often be found in the music of bands like The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Doors-y organs and fuzzed-out "psychedelic" guitar solo are about the only things keeping "Thirsty Man" from completely sounding like a Southern rock song.
"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" by The Lumineers (originally by Talking Heads): So the first song we hear covered from The Lumineers ISN'T by Simon and Garfunkel, or Crosby Stills & Nash?! That's a shocker! What's even MORE of a shocker is that they chose to cover a song by quirky new wave legends, Talking Heads, whose sound seems a bit too jittery and electronic in comparison to the laid-back, acoustic sound of The Lumineers. If a band like, say, MGMT covered it, that wouldn't be too surprising (and they have done so, too). But The Lumi's?! I love them, but I would NEVER have expected them to choose a song from David Byrne and co. According to their cellist (and only girl member) Neyla Pekarek, the reason they chose to release a cover version of "This Must Be the Place" is because The Lumineers usually ended their live shows with the song, since its lyrics center around going home ("Home is where I want to be, but I guess I'm already there...") So how does their version measure up to the unstoppable, oddball energy of the original?! It's a decent cover, but it pales in comparison to their originals, like "Ho Hey" and "Stubborn Love". As a folk-rock song, "This Must Be the Place" just doesn't feel like it should! I'll give it an A for effort, though.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
A "light" entry
I can't resist a good ol' bad pun, what can I say?! This week's pun comes from the "light" amount of songs (only two), and how the word "phosphorescent" and the prefix "lumi-" both refer to "light" (as in light of the sun). Anyway here are today's songs. Enjoy!
"Song For Zula" by Phosphorescent: "Grey's Anatomy" has promoted quite a few adult alt songs into more popular territory, but I know few that are as beautiful (or as long) as "Song For Zula", the debut song from the band Phosphorescent. Its lush string laden sound combined with its echo-y drums recall Daniel Lanois, who was best known for producing some of the more atmospheric, poignant songs from U2. I don't know who (or what) "Zula" is, but he/she/it must have been pretty special in the band's life in order to make a song that both tugs at the heartstrings, and one that's over 6 minutes long. The length of this song is truly a rarity in 21st century music, and arguably, so is the song itself! Highly recommended!!
"Submarines" by The Lumineers: Two guys, a girl, and some of the catchiest folk-rock tunes that ever existed! That would be a good way to describe the Denver trio known as The Lumineers. "Submarines" continues the trend they have with catchy songs, but it veers in a different direction than "Ho Hey" and "Stubborn Love". Where the two aforementioned songs centered around guitars, "Submarines" centers around piano. A comparison to Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros could easily be drawn to "Submarines" because of the quasi lo-fi recording techniques the song has, combined with its sweet harmonies and unusual subject matter. The friendly sound of "Ho Hey" sounded a little like a children's song to me when I first heard it, but "Submarines" hones in that kiddie sound even more. In fact, I'd say it sounds little like another band who did a children's music influenced song about submarines that were the same color as the sun!
"Song For Zula" by Phosphorescent: "Grey's Anatomy" has promoted quite a few adult alt songs into more popular territory, but I know few that are as beautiful (or as long) as "Song For Zula", the debut song from the band Phosphorescent. Its lush string laden sound combined with its echo-y drums recall Daniel Lanois, who was best known for producing some of the more atmospheric, poignant songs from U2. I don't know who (or what) "Zula" is, but he/she/it must have been pretty special in the band's life in order to make a song that both tugs at the heartstrings, and one that's over 6 minutes long. The length of this song is truly a rarity in 21st century music, and arguably, so is the song itself! Highly recommended!!
"Submarines" by The Lumineers: Two guys, a girl, and some of the catchiest folk-rock tunes that ever existed! That would be a good way to describe the Denver trio known as The Lumineers. "Submarines" continues the trend they have with catchy songs, but it veers in a different direction than "Ho Hey" and "Stubborn Love". Where the two aforementioned songs centered around guitars, "Submarines" centers around piano. A comparison to Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros could easily be drawn to "Submarines" because of the quasi lo-fi recording techniques the song has, combined with its sweet harmonies and unusual subject matter. The friendly sound of "Ho Hey" sounded a little like a children's song to me when I first heard it, but "Submarines" hones in that kiddie sound even more. In fact, I'd say it sounds little like another band who did a children's music influenced song about submarines that were the same color as the sun!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
New songs for August 15th, 2012
here they are:
"Do It Anyway" by Ben Folds Five: Ben Folds and his "Five" (actually just two other people) are like what a cynical, sarcastic version of Elton John might be like, in that they are known for their soft, sensitive side, but occasionally they can dabble in other more energetic material as well. "Do It Anyway" is an example of the BF5's more energetic side. The typical Folds deadpan factor is here as well, as he talks about various troublesome situations, but urges the listener to "do it anyway", without a lot of sincerity attached to the statement. Folds does break from his deadpan-ness in the middle of the song to sing that he "used to not like (the subject of the song), but now (he) thinks (he/she)'s o...KAAYYYY-yeah-yeah-yeah!!!", with the "kay" part of the word "okay" marking the exact point that Ben not only creates a brief shift in the mood of the song, but also the only part of "Do It Anyway" in which he lets out a somewhat Dave Grohl-ish "scream".
"Spectrum (Say My Name)" by Florence and The Machine: For those thrown off by the "Say My Name" part of the title of the song, let me assure you that, no, Florence has NOT gone the way of Beyonce! However, this song does have a bit more disco influence than most of Flo's material. I don't know of any actual disco songs with harps in them (and especially not one with a harp SOLO), though, so "Spectrum (Say My Name)" is a song that is in Flo's own unique style! The word "spectrum" does not appear in the chorus of the song, but there are quite a few references to color throughout it, (such as "as every color illuminates, we are shining"). Funny to think that one of the stations I know of that spins Florence and The Machine's music is CALLED "The Spectrum". I can only wonder what they would think of playing a song whose name is the same as their own station!!
"Stubborn Love" by The Lumineers: So where do The Lumineers go from the surprise success of the folks-y but catchy "Ho Hey"?! Well, with another folks-y but catchy song! Well, kind of. The folks-y part of The Lumes' latest song, "Stubborn Love", is definitely there, but it is mostly a minor key song with darker lyrics (even the opening lyrics, "She'll lie and steal and cheat, and beg you from her knees, and make you think she means it this time", prove this). In its own way, though, "Stubborn Love" IS catchy, since it has a strong enough backbeat, though not nearly in the same way "Ho Hey" was. The instrumentation here is slightly reminiscent of Bob Dylan's "Hurricane", especially the cello part, though the percussion here is more light tambourines than heavy drums (which brings about yet another Dylan connection - he DID sing about a "Tambourine Man", didn't he?!)
"This Gift" by Glen Hansard: I don't think I've known an Irishman so far with more success in both music AND movies than Glen Hansard! He first became noticed with the bittersweet ballad "Falling Slowly" from the indie flick, "Once", and now, Glen has yet another song from a movie soundtrack, although this time it is the more family friendly (but still quirky) film, "The Odd Life of Timothy Green". "This Gift" is probably the most amazing song I've heard from Glen SINCE "Falling Slowly", actually. Glen proves here that with just two chords, he can still pull at the ol' heartstrings! The harmonizing vocals backing Glen up on "This Gift" only make it even more memorable! It is never mentioned what exactly the "gift" in the song is, but one could probably easily imagine that it is love, or perhaps even life itself. Whatever it is, though, "This Gift" still makes for quite a memorable song!
"Yet Again" by Grizzly Bear: Taking our only detour into electric guitar oriented music for the week (with a post-psychedelic flavor, in this case), Grizzly Bear reach new heights of both intriguing and weird with "Yet Again". Much like how they did with "Sleeping Ute" merely a month ago, The Grizzlies continue to push the indie envelope with "Yet Again". The song features a rather complex chord structure in comparison to most contemporary bands/songs with the "indie" label, and by the time "Yet Again" gets to its last minute, it dissolves into a swirly noise-fest in which it becomes trickier to tell which chords are being used. In a world full of Byrds-y and Simon-and-Garfunkel-ish bands, Grizzly Bear want to be like the Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, or perhaps an even more exotic band like King Crimson.
"Do It Anyway" by Ben Folds Five: Ben Folds and his "Five" (actually just two other people) are like what a cynical, sarcastic version of Elton John might be like, in that they are known for their soft, sensitive side, but occasionally they can dabble in other more energetic material as well. "Do It Anyway" is an example of the BF5's more energetic side. The typical Folds deadpan factor is here as well, as he talks about various troublesome situations, but urges the listener to "do it anyway", without a lot of sincerity attached to the statement. Folds does break from his deadpan-ness in the middle of the song to sing that he "used to not like (the subject of the song), but now (he) thinks (he/she)'s o...KAAYYYY-yeah-yeah-yeah!!!", with the "kay" part of the word "okay" marking the exact point that Ben not only creates a brief shift in the mood of the song, but also the only part of "Do It Anyway" in which he lets out a somewhat Dave Grohl-ish "scream".
"Spectrum (Say My Name)" by Florence and The Machine: For those thrown off by the "Say My Name" part of the title of the song, let me assure you that, no, Florence has NOT gone the way of Beyonce! However, this song does have a bit more disco influence than most of Flo's material. I don't know of any actual disco songs with harps in them (and especially not one with a harp SOLO), though, so "Spectrum (Say My Name)" is a song that is in Flo's own unique style! The word "spectrum" does not appear in the chorus of the song, but there are quite a few references to color throughout it, (such as "as every color illuminates, we are shining"). Funny to think that one of the stations I know of that spins Florence and The Machine's music is CALLED "The Spectrum". I can only wonder what they would think of playing a song whose name is the same as their own station!!
"Stubborn Love" by The Lumineers: So where do The Lumineers go from the surprise success of the folks-y but catchy "Ho Hey"?! Well, with another folks-y but catchy song! Well, kind of. The folks-y part of The Lumes' latest song, "Stubborn Love", is definitely there, but it is mostly a minor key song with darker lyrics (even the opening lyrics, "She'll lie and steal and cheat, and beg you from her knees, and make you think she means it this time", prove this). In its own way, though, "Stubborn Love" IS catchy, since it has a strong enough backbeat, though not nearly in the same way "Ho Hey" was. The instrumentation here is slightly reminiscent of Bob Dylan's "Hurricane", especially the cello part, though the percussion here is more light tambourines than heavy drums (which brings about yet another Dylan connection - he DID sing about a "Tambourine Man", didn't he?!)
"This Gift" by Glen Hansard: I don't think I've known an Irishman so far with more success in both music AND movies than Glen Hansard! He first became noticed with the bittersweet ballad "Falling Slowly" from the indie flick, "Once", and now, Glen has yet another song from a movie soundtrack, although this time it is the more family friendly (but still quirky) film, "The Odd Life of Timothy Green". "This Gift" is probably the most amazing song I've heard from Glen SINCE "Falling Slowly", actually. Glen proves here that with just two chords, he can still pull at the ol' heartstrings! The harmonizing vocals backing Glen up on "This Gift" only make it even more memorable! It is never mentioned what exactly the "gift" in the song is, but one could probably easily imagine that it is love, or perhaps even life itself. Whatever it is, though, "This Gift" still makes for quite a memorable song!
"Yet Again" by Grizzly Bear: Taking our only detour into electric guitar oriented music for the week (with a post-psychedelic flavor, in this case), Grizzly Bear reach new heights of both intriguing and weird with "Yet Again". Much like how they did with "Sleeping Ute" merely a month ago, The Grizzlies continue to push the indie envelope with "Yet Again". The song features a rather complex chord structure in comparison to most contemporary bands/songs with the "indie" label, and by the time "Yet Again" gets to its last minute, it dissolves into a swirly noise-fest in which it becomes trickier to tell which chords are being used. In a world full of Byrds-y and Simon-and-Garfunkel-ish bands, Grizzly Bear want to be like the Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, or perhaps an even more exotic band like King Crimson.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
New songs for February 22nd, 2012
here they are:
“Hallways” by Islands: Islands are an indie band that has been around for a long time, but haven’t gotten much attention for any particular song of theirs until now. Considering how maudlin Islands usually are, “Hallways” comes as a breath of fresh air, and that’s probably why it’s ending up being their “breakthrough” track so far. With its jaunty, piano-based sound, and a rhythm and chord progression that both seem somewhat derived from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s similarly carefree “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”, “Hallways” is not only a catchy song, but also one in which the title of it makes sense in hindsight, in that the rhythm and mood of it leave you wanting to skip and dance merrily through the “hallways”!
“Ho Hey” by Lumineers: “Lumineers” doesn’t exactly sound like the name of a part bluegrass/part indie-pop trio consisting of two men and one woman, but that’s what they are. The Lumineers manage to squeeze essential song elements like harmony, an infectious gets-stuck-in-your-head chorus (“I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweet-ha-art”), and a catchy rhythm section into just two and half minutes in “Ho Hey”, which also boasts some of the most jovial, rockin’ banjos I’ve ever heard! If this song doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will!
“It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons: Between the name of this band, and My Pet Dragon from earlier this year, I think I can officially declare that any indie/alt-pop band with the word “Dragon” in their name is pretty cool! The sound of “It’s Time” is absolutely phenomenal, especially during the verses, which seem to combine world music influenced string instrumentation with a marching band type rhythm! It sounds a bit more like a regular alt-pop song during the chorus, but by that time, the listener will probably be hooked on the song enough that it will just blend in with the rest of the song. That’s how “It’s Time” worked out for me, anyway!
“Origins” by Tennis: Along with Hockey (whose “Song Away” was one of the most successful indie/alt songs of 2010), Tennis are one of the few bands I’ve ever known to name themselves after a sport. Unlike Hockey, who had a rather Cars-ish new wave-y sound, Tennis draw inspiration more from bands of the ‘60s, like Jefferson Airplane, The Velvet Underground, and The Zombies (whose “Tell Her No” Tennis do an excellent job at covering) The lead singer of Tennis just happens to be a female with somewhat smoky, detached vocals, which makes them stand out among most contemporary bands. Even the instrumentation of this song is strikingly different, adding in a vintage ‘60s-ish organ sound and a lower than low sounding sax along with the more typical guitar/bass/drums sound. Are there any more good things about “Origins”? Yes, plenty! The lyrics are self-conscious and doubting, but written from an earnest point of view. Oh, and did I mention that lead singer Alaina Moore looks a little like Stevie Nicks?! Think we might just have a new babe in the music biz to talk about!!
“Save the Hammer For the Man” – The Nightwatchman (featuring Ben Harper): While perhaps not quite as unique in sound as the artist formerly known as Tom Morello’s “Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine” (from late summer of last year), “Save the Hammer For the Man” is still a powerful song. Or at least it tries to be. Musically, the sound of it falls somewhat flat (until the guitar solo, that is) in comparison to Tom Morello’s material both with and without Rage Against the Machine. For Ben Harper, it’s a “somewhere in the middle” song. Ben didn’t seem to get too much into exploring the deeper, darker side of blues and rock until about 3 years ago, but he’s been remarkable at doing so. In “Save the Hammer For the Man”, Ben Harper delivers his vocals quite powerfully and convincingly, but musically, it sounds like this could have been just another pre-Relentless 7 Ben Harper song. This is definitely not a bad song, though. Once the guitar solo comes in, “Save the Hammer For the Man” picks up, not just because of the guitar solo either. It carries through stronger afterwards, both musically and vocally. And lyrically, as always, Tom Morello drives home a challenging political statement that is still well worth listening to.
“See It For Yourself” by Sugar and The Hi-Lows: Another cute female indie vocalist?! Could it be?!? Yes, it could!! “Sugar” definitely seems like a good (nick)name for the lead vocalist of this band, not only because of how she looks, but also because of how she delivers the lines of this catchy, blues-y indie rock tune, with vocals that are as sweet and honey voiced as they are sexy! The lyrics of the song almost recall the “there’s no place like home” part of “The Wizard of Oz”, with their “it was right there in front of you all along” theme. Sugar and The Hi-Lows are a pretty new band, so I don’t know the name of the lead singer (or any members) yet, but what I DO know is that she can take my ruby red slippers into the Land of Oz anytime she wants to! Yes, that was a weird attempt at innuendo, wasn’t it?! :P
“Shiny Things” by Fanfarlo: Fan WHAT now?! Well, some of you might be familiar with the song “Harold T. Wilkins” (the one that goes “They sail the same STRAIT! They sail the same STRAIT!” towards the end of it), and Fanfarlo were the ones who did that one. “Shiny Things” comes from Fanfarlo’s second record so far, and its sound is a bit of a departure from the folk-rock sound of “Harold T. Wilkins”, as it goes for more of an icy new wave type sound instead. The sound of “Shiny Things”, combined with how detached the lead singer’s voice sounds, might as well be described as “Joy Division lite”, for while the song comes nowhere near close to the intensity of the late Ian Curtis’s gloomy post-punk band, one can still detect a Joy Division type influence in this song. The video for “Shiny Things”, with its surreal, somewhat disturbing images of people getting swallowed up by gold, also sounds like an idea that’s not too far off from the typical Joy Division song. Unbelievable that the same band who did the bouncy “Harold T. Wilkins” could come up with a more cynical, cold hearted song like “Shiny Things”, but perhaps that means I could expect something different from either of those two songs from Fanfarlo sometime in the future!
“Staircase” by Radiohead: And speaking of bands with a reputation for being icy and detached, Radiohead are probably one of the first bands that come to mind when describing such a musical mood! Truth be told, Radiohead are really much more diverse than that, but, as if by coincidence (from the last song I reviewed), “Staircase” could also be said to be somewhat of a Joy Division sound-alike (though it would probably garner comparisons just as easily to bands like Depeche Mode, New Order, and Kraftwerk). In typically clever Radiohead fashion, the lyrics to “Staircase” READ like a “staircase”, in that they wind up and down continuously. Though a return to folk-rock-y Radiohead (like they did on most of “In Rainbows”) would be nice, “Staircase” isn’t bad as far as the “weirder” songs in their catalog are concerned. Only one question remains. Why did they decide to release a new song in February of THIS year, when they already did so February of LAST year?! I guess we’ll never know, will we?!?
“Untitled (Love Song)” by Counting Crows: Untitled (Love Song) is an Interesting (Piece of Music), and it’s also a Cover (Of an Obscure Indie Song). Though Counting Crows released various songs on and off throughout the 2000’s, none of them came close to what they did in the ‘90s (especially not the mucky pop version they did of the classic Joni Mitchell song, “Big Yellow Taxi”, that should have been a forgotten version of the song, but which instead comes back to haunt me in grocery stores, fast food places, and everywhere else adult cotemporary stations are played). Someone must have talked to Adam Duritz and co and convinced them to crank up the electric guitars on their latest song (which, as mentioned before, isn’t actually theirs), because it sounds closer to the gritty indie-rock sound of Ryan Adams and My Morning Jacket (with a bit of Matthew Sweet influence thrown in for good measure) than it does the folk-y post-grunge of bands like The Wallflowers and The Dave Matthews Band (both of whom were frequently compared to Counting Crows). Not only do Counting Crows have their rock ‘n’ roll groove back on “Untitled (Love Song)”, but their organ player Charlie Gillingham delivers a forceful, dynamic Hammond solo, followed in a verse or two by some of the most Neil Young-ish guitar playing Dan Vickrey has done since the ‘90s!! Welcome back guys! A million other Counting Crows fans and I have really missed the way things used to be with you guys!
“Hallways” by Islands: Islands are an indie band that has been around for a long time, but haven’t gotten much attention for any particular song of theirs until now. Considering how maudlin Islands usually are, “Hallways” comes as a breath of fresh air, and that’s probably why it’s ending up being their “breakthrough” track so far. With its jaunty, piano-based sound, and a rhythm and chord progression that both seem somewhat derived from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s similarly carefree “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”, “Hallways” is not only a catchy song, but also one in which the title of it makes sense in hindsight, in that the rhythm and mood of it leave you wanting to skip and dance merrily through the “hallways”!
“Ho Hey” by Lumineers: “Lumineers” doesn’t exactly sound like the name of a part bluegrass/part indie-pop trio consisting of two men and one woman, but that’s what they are. The Lumineers manage to squeeze essential song elements like harmony, an infectious gets-stuck-in-your-head chorus (“I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweet-ha-art”), and a catchy rhythm section into just two and half minutes in “Ho Hey”, which also boasts some of the most jovial, rockin’ banjos I’ve ever heard! If this song doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will!
“It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons: Between the name of this band, and My Pet Dragon from earlier this year, I think I can officially declare that any indie/alt-pop band with the word “Dragon” in their name is pretty cool! The sound of “It’s Time” is absolutely phenomenal, especially during the verses, which seem to combine world music influenced string instrumentation with a marching band type rhythm! It sounds a bit more like a regular alt-pop song during the chorus, but by that time, the listener will probably be hooked on the song enough that it will just blend in with the rest of the song. That’s how “It’s Time” worked out for me, anyway!
“Origins” by Tennis: Along with Hockey (whose “Song Away” was one of the most successful indie/alt songs of 2010), Tennis are one of the few bands I’ve ever known to name themselves after a sport. Unlike Hockey, who had a rather Cars-ish new wave-y sound, Tennis draw inspiration more from bands of the ‘60s, like Jefferson Airplane, The Velvet Underground, and The Zombies (whose “Tell Her No” Tennis do an excellent job at covering) The lead singer of Tennis just happens to be a female with somewhat smoky, detached vocals, which makes them stand out among most contemporary bands. Even the instrumentation of this song is strikingly different, adding in a vintage ‘60s-ish organ sound and a lower than low sounding sax along with the more typical guitar/bass/drums sound. Are there any more good things about “Origins”? Yes, plenty! The lyrics are self-conscious and doubting, but written from an earnest point of view. Oh, and did I mention that lead singer Alaina Moore looks a little like Stevie Nicks?! Think we might just have a new babe in the music biz to talk about!!
“Save the Hammer For the Man” – The Nightwatchman (featuring Ben Harper): While perhaps not quite as unique in sound as the artist formerly known as Tom Morello’s “Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine” (from late summer of last year), “Save the Hammer For the Man” is still a powerful song. Or at least it tries to be. Musically, the sound of it falls somewhat flat (until the guitar solo, that is) in comparison to Tom Morello’s material both with and without Rage Against the Machine. For Ben Harper, it’s a “somewhere in the middle” song. Ben didn’t seem to get too much into exploring the deeper, darker side of blues and rock until about 3 years ago, but he’s been remarkable at doing so. In “Save the Hammer For the Man”, Ben Harper delivers his vocals quite powerfully and convincingly, but musically, it sounds like this could have been just another pre-Relentless 7 Ben Harper song. This is definitely not a bad song, though. Once the guitar solo comes in, “Save the Hammer For the Man” picks up, not just because of the guitar solo either. It carries through stronger afterwards, both musically and vocally. And lyrically, as always, Tom Morello drives home a challenging political statement that is still well worth listening to.
“See It For Yourself” by Sugar and The Hi-Lows: Another cute female indie vocalist?! Could it be?!? Yes, it could!! “Sugar” definitely seems like a good (nick)name for the lead vocalist of this band, not only because of how she looks, but also because of how she delivers the lines of this catchy, blues-y indie rock tune, with vocals that are as sweet and honey voiced as they are sexy! The lyrics of the song almost recall the “there’s no place like home” part of “The Wizard of Oz”, with their “it was right there in front of you all along” theme. Sugar and The Hi-Lows are a pretty new band, so I don’t know the name of the lead singer (or any members) yet, but what I DO know is that she can take my ruby red slippers into the Land of Oz anytime she wants to! Yes, that was a weird attempt at innuendo, wasn’t it?! :P
“Shiny Things” by Fanfarlo: Fan WHAT now?! Well, some of you might be familiar with the song “Harold T. Wilkins” (the one that goes “They sail the same STRAIT! They sail the same STRAIT!” towards the end of it), and Fanfarlo were the ones who did that one. “Shiny Things” comes from Fanfarlo’s second record so far, and its sound is a bit of a departure from the folk-rock sound of “Harold T. Wilkins”, as it goes for more of an icy new wave type sound instead. The sound of “Shiny Things”, combined with how detached the lead singer’s voice sounds, might as well be described as “Joy Division lite”, for while the song comes nowhere near close to the intensity of the late Ian Curtis’s gloomy post-punk band, one can still detect a Joy Division type influence in this song. The video for “Shiny Things”, with its surreal, somewhat disturbing images of people getting swallowed up by gold, also sounds like an idea that’s not too far off from the typical Joy Division song. Unbelievable that the same band who did the bouncy “Harold T. Wilkins” could come up with a more cynical, cold hearted song like “Shiny Things”, but perhaps that means I could expect something different from either of those two songs from Fanfarlo sometime in the future!
“Staircase” by Radiohead: And speaking of bands with a reputation for being icy and detached, Radiohead are probably one of the first bands that come to mind when describing such a musical mood! Truth be told, Radiohead are really much more diverse than that, but, as if by coincidence (from the last song I reviewed), “Staircase” could also be said to be somewhat of a Joy Division sound-alike (though it would probably garner comparisons just as easily to bands like Depeche Mode, New Order, and Kraftwerk). In typically clever Radiohead fashion, the lyrics to “Staircase” READ like a “staircase”, in that they wind up and down continuously. Though a return to folk-rock-y Radiohead (like they did on most of “In Rainbows”) would be nice, “Staircase” isn’t bad as far as the “weirder” songs in their catalog are concerned. Only one question remains. Why did they decide to release a new song in February of THIS year, when they already did so February of LAST year?! I guess we’ll never know, will we?!?
“Untitled (Love Song)” by Counting Crows: Untitled (Love Song) is an Interesting (Piece of Music), and it’s also a Cover (Of an Obscure Indie Song). Though Counting Crows released various songs on and off throughout the 2000’s, none of them came close to what they did in the ‘90s (especially not the mucky pop version they did of the classic Joni Mitchell song, “Big Yellow Taxi”, that should have been a forgotten version of the song, but which instead comes back to haunt me in grocery stores, fast food places, and everywhere else adult cotemporary stations are played). Someone must have talked to Adam Duritz and co and convinced them to crank up the electric guitars on their latest song (which, as mentioned before, isn’t actually theirs), because it sounds closer to the gritty indie-rock sound of Ryan Adams and My Morning Jacket (with a bit of Matthew Sweet influence thrown in for good measure) than it does the folk-y post-grunge of bands like The Wallflowers and The Dave Matthews Band (both of whom were frequently compared to Counting Crows). Not only do Counting Crows have their rock ‘n’ roll groove back on “Untitled (Love Song)”, but their organ player Charlie Gillingham delivers a forceful, dynamic Hammond solo, followed in a verse or two by some of the most Neil Young-ish guitar playing Dan Vickrey has done since the ‘90s!! Welcome back guys! A million other Counting Crows fans and I have really missed the way things used to be with you guys!
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