New songs for January 19th 2022

 here they are:


"Brother the Cloud" by Eddie Vedder: Simultaneously a hard rocker and alt-folk-y emotional tearjerker, the Pearl Jam frontman's latest song, "Brother the Cloud," is a poignant and cathartic song in which the word "brother" is not used merely as a metaphor for someone he was close to. "Brother the Cloud" is about Eddie's actual brother (well, half-brother), Chris Mueller, who died 6 years ago in a climbing accident. Similarly, the word "cloud" in this song was also well-chosen, referring not merely to heaven or something of the like, but rather to how Eddie's half-brother reached the end of his life while literally rising up towards the clouds. Vedder is a special kind of poet among rock stars who chooses his words both carefully and cleverly!

"Next to Normal" by Lucius: A psychedelic disco fusion that sounds more like St. Vincent than it does Lucius, "Next to Normal" is ostensibly a love song, but not a typical one. In it, the lead singer describes how she feels "next to normal" with her lover, but the titular phrase is not just some cutesy throwaway term used merely for the sake of romance. Elsewhere in the song, she discusses how her paranoia gets the best of her sometimes and how she has lost friends and tends to laugh at inappropriate moments. This sounds strangely familiar somehow! Maybe because in my own life I've experienced similar things. It is not fun to live life this way, but with a loved one at your side (romantic or platonic), members of the neurodiverse community such as myself can manage to feel "next to normal" for the understanding they are given by the other person. Isn't that what everyone wants?!

"Pa Pa Power" by Cat Power: From time to time, indie-folk musician Chan Marshall, better known as Cat Power, releases cover songs (one of her best was a cover of Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" that she did back in 2008). A little over a decade has gone by since she released that cover, and she has embarked once again on a collection of cover songs, although this one is a much more obscure one that was originally done by Dead Man's Bones, a band that features actor Ryan Gosling on lead vocals. Having not heard the original version of "Pa Pa Power," I can't make a comparison between Cat Power's version and the original version, but CP gives the song a haunting, minor-key mystique, perhaps fitting for its minimalistic yet morbid lyrics. 

"Slide Tackle" by Japanese Breakfast: 2021 was a year of unexpected surprise for electro-indie-pop group, Japanese Breakfast. Their song "Be Sweet," a slinky, seductive slice of synth-pop, became one of the most played adult alt radio singles of the year (and the one that I played the most, apparently), and they have since gotten Grammy nominations, performance spots at Coachella, and a guest appearance on James Corden's late night talk show. So how do you follow up THAT level of success, you may ask?! Japanese Breakfast's latest single, "Slide Tackle," doesn't quite have the power or quirkiness of "Be Sweet," but it has a fun, unique sound all its own. Unlike "Be Sweet"s minor key, "Slide Tackle" is in a major key, and it also has a sleek sax solo to boot that kind of defines the song. 

"You Will Never Work in Television Again" by The Smile: "The Smile" is probably the last thing you'd expect a Radiohead side project to be named, but that is what Radiohead's lead singer Thom Yorke and guitarist Johnny Greenwood are calling their new band! It's also a rather deceptive name for the kind of music they have chosen to do, which is somewhat aggressive both lyrically and musically (although not to an uncomfortable or unlistenable extent), and a bit avant-garde and minimalistic even by Radiohead standards! The title of this song, on the other hand, does seem to encapsulate the song's snide spirit, which probably serve as a way for Thom Yorke to vehemently rail against the entertainment industry. 

New songs for September 15th 2021

 here they are:


"Certainty" by Big Thief: I don't know Big Thief's music too well yet, but of the few songs I know of theirs so far, "Certainty" seems like the gentlest and the sweetest of their already mellow catalog. The song is an unabashed declaration of love delivered in a quaint, folksy manner that brings to mind musicians like Lucinda Williams and Iris DeMent. "My certainty is wild, weaving/For you I am a child believing," lead singer Adrianne Lenker softly croons in a charming Southern drawl (despite actually being a New Yorker) during the song's chorus. The "child believing" part of the song seems to serve as a focal point for the song's video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1eypolupH0), which is little more than an uncolored, pencil-sketched drawing of a bear, dinosaur, and two other animals gathered around a campfire with very little movement. This is an indie-folk song whose lyrics are as charming as the tune itself!

"I Can't Remember the Dream" by They Might Be Giants: Perhaps the only alternative group besides Barenaked Ladies who fit the energetic, silly aesthetic of Nickelodeon more than the trendy aspect of MTV, They Might Be Giants have been making their charmingly offbeat brand of music since the mid 1980's, and they show no signs even now of slowing down! Their latest song, "I Can't Remember the Dream," is another of many goofy songs in their catalog. It opens with a guitar riff similar to "Louie Louie" if a band like Fountains of Wayne were covering the song. "Dream," in this case, does not refer to an aspiration, but to an actual dream - the kind you have at night. The song is literally about the speaker not remembering the dream they had. TMBG typically don't have themes that are too morose or weighty (though they sometimes surprise us, like with "Don't Let's Start"). Heck, sometimes their songs are about subjects as seemingly juvenile and obscure as nightlights ("Birdhouse in Your Soul")! This odd song is accompanied by an equally odd video with a faceless man in a costume doing mundane activities like laundry and dishes, before proceeding to destroy a rock music video award towards the end of it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Zj8ZSz6dE)

"If You Say the Word" by Radiohead: This song is actually a Radiohead B-side, released 20 years after the album it was originally set to be included in! Given that it's a "Kid A" bonus track, it serves as one of Radiohead's trippier, less explainable songs. Amidst its weirdness, though, it is also an incredibly soothing song, combining electronica, trip-hop, and post-psychedelic rock all in one. Lyrically, it seems like one of many Thom Yorke songs that concerns the topic of isolation (or possibly drugs), opening with lyrics like "If you're in a forest out of your mind," and, "If you're stuck in the rainfall of shattering glass. The song is definitely a mind trip, but it is also one meant to ease your pain.


"Long Way" by Eddie Vedder: In 2016, both Sting and his daughter were each releasing songs to adult alt radio stations. This year, Eddie Vedder and HIS daughter, Olivia, are competing with one another on the format, though her dad has been more successful so far this year. Perhaps part of the reason for this, apart from Pearl Jam being a super successful band that has been around for nearly 30 years, is how Eddie's latest song, "Long Way," is a road-weary tune that evokes the sounds of Tom Petty circa Full Moon Fever. The song's Petty-esque sound is no mere coincidence either, as Eddie did enlist help from The Heartbreakers' organ player, Benmont Tench, on his latest album. The lyrics of the song have an almost Springsteen-ian vibe about two lovers who initially seem destined to be together but end up going their separate ways to explore both love and life a little more.

"The Sun Hasn't Left" by Modest Mouse: A fun, quirky little song that opens with a xylophone riff before adding in some synths and vocals shortly afterward, Modest Mouse's "The Sun Hasn't Left" is a song that attempts to dispense good advice to its listeners while still acknowledging the negativity of the world, with messages like "Relax your breath, lean into yourself" and "Not everything is gonna be the best, but there's still something left." While the song seems to criticize technology for taking over flesh-and-blood friendships and relationships during its later verses, "The Sun Hasn't Left" is not a completely bitter song. It seems to mostly serve as a way to comfort us as our world descends into chaos around us, while not completely ignoring that fact either. The song also has a very summery sound, which is funny considering we're on our last gasp of summer right now. 

New songs for April 29th, 2020

here they are:


"Living In A Ghost Town" by The Rolling Stones: The most heavily anticipated song of the week is by a band who is, to quote Gilda Radner's SNL character, Candy Slice, "The greatest rock and roll band in the history of rock and roll"! The Stones may be over half a century old by now, but true to their name, they're still rollin'. What's even MORE incredible, though, is that they continue to roll on through tough times like our present crisis...in fact they decided to do a song about that very subject! Unlike most songs about the lockdown that have been released in the wake of it, this song is actually a pretty groovy, upbeat tune. No sadness here, folks! Mick Jagger and co seem to be simultaneously complaining about and celebrating what it's like to live without anyone else surrounding them. Hey! Who says bad events have to be sad ones?! No one, that's who!


"Retrograde" by Pearl Jam: After the surprising sound (and equally surprising success) of Pearl Jam's new wave-y, synth driven, "Dance of the Clairvoyants", from earlier this year, "Retrograde" marks a return to form for Pearl Jam. A forlorn folk-rock ballad, "Retrograde" is a song that acknowledges how problematic the world has become, but offers a solution in place of that. With lines like "the more mistakes, the more resolve", and "accelerate the change", "Retrograde" is a song calling for action, like many of Pearl Jam's songs have before. You just can't help but get caught up in Eddie Vedder's earnest plea here, and you can't help wanting to respond to it either!


"Rolling" by Michael Kiwanuka: African-British singer/songwriter, Michael Kiwanuka, has been a critic's darling for awhile now, but it's taken me awhile to discover why. His initial wave of ultra-mellow folk-pop didn't sweep me off my feet too much, but once he added a little bit of bite to his material, as he did in songs like "Cold Cold Heart" and "You Ain't the Problem", I decided to give him a second chance. His latest song, "Rolling", mixes Jimi Hendrix riffs with funk and soul beats. The song has a simple message of just rolling with the punches set to a powerful tune! Although its album was released late last year, "Rolling" (as a single from the album) has arrived just in time to hopefully get us rolling and raring to go again sometime soon...one can hope!

New songs for January 29th, 2020

here they are:


"Dance of the Clairvoyants" by Pearl Jam: You may find yourself...listening to a song by Pearl Jam. And you may ask yourself, "Why doesn't this sound like Pearl Jam?" And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful Pearl Jam!" This seems to be the reaction many have had to Pearl Jam's latest effort, the surprisingly quirky, "Dance of the Clairvoyants". After nearly 30 years of existence, perhaps Eddie and the boys thought it was time to expand their horizons a bit...and did they ever! The cosmic, almost psychedelic lyrics seem a bit out of place for Pearl Jam as well, and to top that off, it's the first Pearl Jam song I've ever heard with synthesizers! "Dance of the Clairvoyants" clearly dances to the beat of a different drummer!


"Everything Has Changed" by Best Coast: Do you know who loves rock and roll? Bethany Cosentino, that's who! I would not have expected Best Coast to adapt an early '80s hard rock sound a la Joan Jett, but that's exactly what she does here in Best Coast's latest song, "Everything Has Changed". I guess everything HAS changed, although the song is in the key of G major, like most Best Coast songs tend to be. In the song, Bethany recalls what a mess she used to be, and how glad she is that things have taken a turn for the better. I liked Best Coast better when they had a sweeter sound and a more lo-fi approach to their music, so hopefully musical direction is not what Bethany means by "change"!


"I Want More" by Kaleo: Kaleo were truly one of the most eclectic groups of the 2010's. They had taken on folk-rock ("All the Pretty Girls"), Hozier-ish indie-pop with some soul ("Way Down We Go", their biggest hit so far), and even Led Zeppelin-esque hard rock ("No Good"). "I Want More" marks Kaleo's return to folk-rock. It is a sweet, pleasant song. The whistling in the beginning and middle of the song only adds to the cutesy vibe the song has. "I Want More" describes exactly what I want from Kaleo. I want more songs like this one!


"Unreal City" by M. Ward: M. Ward has a lot of the spirit of the '60s in his music, typically either folk-rock or a light form of blues-rock. "Unreal City" touches on that aspect that everyone associates with the '60s that Ward hasn't touched upon yet: psychedelic rock, albeit with more synthesizers than guitars, in this case. This is probably the first M. Ward song I've heard in which he doesn't use guitar as the central instrument. I must say, it's a little disappointing to hear more and more musicians turning away from the guitar, since that's the instrument I like best, but on the plus side, this song does have an adventurous, meandering sound that M. Ward's other songs don't have, so it adds a bit more dimension to his catalog. Oh, and thankfully, a guitar solo does come in the middle of the song, but it's only on during that part.

New songs for March 21st, 2018

here they are:


"Bad Bad News" by Leon Bridges: "Bad bad news" is probably what some of Leon Bridges' fans think of this song! After all, it doesn't have the warm, nostalgic Sam Cooke-ish vibes that the stuff from his debut album did. However, Leon's new direction is still an interesting one. Going about a decade forward in his musical time machine, "Bad Bad News" is more derivative of the music of people like Gil Scott Heron, who provided a "missing link" between jazz and hip-hop during the '70s, back when "hip-hop" wasn't exactly the buzzword it is today. Like a lot of today's contemporary rock and alt acts, Leon seems to be eschewing the guitar of his previous work in favor of a more keyboard based sound, but instead of giving it an '80s synthesizer flavor, he puts his own twist on it by making it sound jazzy!


"Can't Deny Me" by Pearl Jam: In yet another controversial political era, rock and roll fans were probably wondering what, if anything, would end up being the next "American Idiot". Well, Pearl Jam might just have the answer to that question! In their charged new song, "Can't Deny Me", Eddie and the boys point their fingers towards a business tycoon who later starred in a reality show and then somehow became president. "You may be rich, but you can't deny me", Eddie Vedder snarls at his opponent during the chorus. The anti-Robin Hood mentality of the man currently running the U.S.A. is what Pearl Jam appear to be protesting here. In an era where rock and roll has become an endangered species, Pearl Jam remain one of the last known survivors!


"Today Is the Day" by Eels: A happy song with angry lyrics?! I wouldn't expect anything else from Mark Everett (better known simply as "E"), whose music seems to be based around irony. To more naive listeners, this song might seem like it's about having a great day, but make no mistake! Right from the start, E declares this day to be the day when he throws everything out the door, and then wonders why he's even alive. The "Get out of the f**king road!" spoken by E in the middle of the song would probably have me shaking my head and cringing if it weren't for E's effortlessly sardonic delivery. The Eels are truly unique. They're like Barenaked Ladies for "South Park" fans!

New songs for September 25th, 2013

here they are:


"Fresh Strawberries" by Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand aren't British (they're Scottish), but they sure SOUND like a British group sometimes! Perhaps no song of theirs sounds as "British" as their latest one, "Fresh Strawberries". Unlike most of their post-punk-y material, "Fresh Strawberries" has even older influences! It sounds like a Beatles or Kinks song, with somewhat Elvis Costello-ish instrumentation here and there. In typical Franz fashion, "Fresh Strawberries" is a catchy pop-rock tune with dark lyrical content (in this case, about the fear of death). I never thought Franz Ferdinand would have a song that sounded more like the British Invasion than British post-punk, but what can I say, they managed to pull it off here!


"Shot At the Night" by The Killers: Wait a minute, is this The Killers, or 1980's era Genesis?! Somehow it sounds more like the latter than the former. This songs SCREAMS "1980's"!! Perhaps Brandon Flowers was even thinking of David Byrne for the repeated phrase, "once in a lifetime", for this song, but that was probably just coincidental. Byrne seems too arty and weird (in a good way) to come up with a song like this, though, which sounds like it was pretty much made for a John Hughes film. In spite of the negative comments I'm making about this song, "Shot At the Night" will probably grow on me like pretty much every Killers song (besides "Human") has. So I'm willing to give "Shot At the Night" a shot at success!


"Sirens" by Pearl Jam: After the roaring, angry wake-up call of "Mind Your Manners" from earlier this year, it's nice to hear a more reflective song from Eddie and the boys this time around! "Sirens" is one of the more melancholy songs from their catalog. Its combination of folk-y introspection upfront with rock instrumentation in the background easily brings to mind the best material from acts like Bruce Springsteen and U2. People might like to think of Pearl Jam as a fearless rock 'n' roll band (and indeed, sometimes they are), but I personally think that their best material comes from deep within their hearts, and this song is no exception!

New songs for July 17th, 2013

here they are:


"Mind Your Manners" by Pearl Jam: In spite of what songs like "Just Breathe" and "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In A Small Town" might indicate, Pearl Jam are not always a band who plays nice. After all, they were a major part of the grunge era, and they had an ongoing feud with Ticketmaster back in the day. Their latest song, "Mind Your Manners", is probably their hardest rocking song since "Even Flow". This song does not concern itself with melody or harmony much at all, which most of Pearl Jam's songs do. Eddie Vedder has never been more openly atheistic or antagonistic as he has in this song. Other than the fact that Pearl Jam are typically a hot item for adult alt playlists, I'm not exactly sure what "Mind Your Manners" is doing on so many adult alt stations. The intensity of this song makes all the songs on Led Zeppelin's fourth album sound like they were done by a folk band (including "Stairway to Heaven" in its entirety).


"Mystic Highway" by John Fogerty: And now, yet another song from a famous rock 'n' roller, but thankfully for the average adult alt audience, this one has a calmer feel to it. As its title implies, "Mystic Highway" has an almost country-rock-ish feel to it, and a rather dreamy sound, at least for CCR's leading man. John Fogerty has many "road songs", both with and without CCR, and "Mystic Highway" makes for a great "road song" for traveling on the way back home from a vacation. With this song, Fogerty is still doing what he's done best since the 1960's - feel-good music with a Southern twang.


"Stare At the Sun" by Eleanor Friedberger: Anyone else find it a little odd that this is the only indie-pop song I'm reviewing for this week?! Well, anyway, "Stare At the Sun" makes for a fine slice of summery indie-pop, with a bit of a snarky attitude underneath its upbeat sound. For those familiar with the duo, The Fiery Furnaces, Eleanor Friedberger comprises one half of that band. As a solo artist, Eleanor is quite intriguing to listen to. She dryly quips about how fast-paced technology has gotten in the 21st century in the opening lyrics ("In the back of your taxi, you turned off the TV, and read me a book on your phone"), over a guitar riff that falls somewhere between Rilo Kiley's "Portions For Foxes" and Television's "See No Evil". For those who like to listen to sunshiny pop music with some bite underneath it, "Stare At the Sun" makes for quite an excellent song!

new songs for April 18th, 2012

here they are:


“Closer I Get” by Rebelution (featuring John Popper from Blues Traveler): Ever since Bob Marley became internationally known (and a little later on, when The Police combined reggae rhythms with rock instrumentation), reggae and rock have occasionally become “bedfellows” with each other, and in a rather successful way, at that. Rebelution are a reggae band that enlisted the help of rocker John Popper from Blues Traveler on harmonica on Rebelution’s latest track, “Closer I Get”. However, this sounds more like POP-reggae (think Matisyahu) than “rock-reggae”. “Closer I Get” manages to sound even more laid back than most Bob Marley tracks, actually. Its sound suggests that of when the funk-influenced rock group 311 briefly flirted with reggae on songs like “Amber” and “I’ll Be Here Awhile”. I was hoping for a vocal spot from John Popper on this song, but instead, all I got was a harmonica solo from him at the end of the song. “Closer I Get” is just one step ahead of Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow” on the color spectrum – it is “mellow green”, and more so than most reggae (and reggae influenced) songs. Not the best sounding song, but still a good one to hear on those sunny days when you feel like chilling in your backyard on a hammock with a pineapple flavored drink!

“Honey” by The Parlotones: This being the third major song I’ve come across from The Parlotones, one thing I can say about them that I can’t say about a lot of contemporary alt/indie acts is that no two Parlotones songs sound alike! So far, they have touched upon urgency (“Should We Fight Back?”) and balladry (“Save Your Best Bits”), and this time around, they’ve come out with a fun, quirky song with “Honey”. Unlike most songs with the word “honey” in the title, The Parlotones’ use of that word refers to the substance, rather than simply being a nickname for a boyfriend/girlfriend. The saxophones in “Honey” make it an even more enjoyable song than it already is! Looking forward to whatever surprises The Parlotones want to pull out next!

“Just Breathe” by Willie Nelson: Just like in the first song I reviewed this week, I’m going outside the rock ‘n’ roll box here! Well, kinda. This is a cover from a legendary country musician of a melancholy alternative rock song, much like Johnny Cash’s version of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt”. Cash practically made “Hurt” his own song, though! Nelson doesn’t quite do the same thing to “Just Breathe”, originally an introspective folk-rock song by Pearl Jam from just a couple years ago. However, it’s definitely a spirited, dedicated attempt at a cover song for Willie (as well as his son, Lukas, who does some of the vocals on this version of the song). This version actually rocks a bit harder than the original, believe it or not, if only for the fact that Willie sneaks in some electric guitar solos towards the end of the song, whereas the original Pearl Jam song was entirely acoustic. If only Johnny Cash were alive to hear Willie Nelson’s take on this song. I bet he’d be pretty impressed!!

“The Real Thing” by Audra Mae and The Almighty Sound: Audra Mae might be a young woman who’s new to the music biz, but she does not intend on sounding like just another “pretty young thing”, neither musically nor vocally! When Audra proclaims she’s “the real thing”, you’d better believe her!! Her vocal qualities suggest what a younger, clearer-voiced version of Janis Joplin might sound like, and her band, well, let’s just say it ain’t called “The Almighty Sound” for nothin’!! The Almighty Sound is a powerhouse of blues, country, and rock that stands as a force not to be reckoned with! If you’re the kind of person who prefers more of a kick in your music, as opposed to a gentler sound, then give “The Real Thing” a listen. It lives up to its title…and how!!

“This Head I Hold” by Electric Guest: If Beck decided to have a jam session with Fitz and The Tantrums, it would probably sound like Electric Guest! This is a band that is as soulful as they are detached, and somehow, they manage to pull it off!! How they do so without making their music sound somewhat forced in the process is anyone’s guess, but I’m glad they don’t! It just makes their material sound that much more original. In the 21st century, I guess anything can happen in the music world, and that would include having the Motown sound getting the new wave treatment! Never thought the day would come when the two sounds of the aforementioned genres merged into one, but the fact they have is nothing short of exciting!!

Leap Year Blog Post?!?

That's right!!! So, to make this more "special", here's a "leap" ahead as to four songs that I will be likely to review within the next month or so:

1. "Can't Find" by Eddie Vedder
2. "Don't Leave Me INe Me Quitte Pas)" by Regina Spektor
3. "Out of the Game" by Rufus Wainwright
4. "This Isn't Everything You Are" by Snow Patrol

And now, on with the REAL show...


“On the Run” by Kaiser Chiefs: I’ll admit, I didn’t think much of Kaiser Chiefs when they debuted in the mid 2000’s with the Knack-ish power pop song “I Predict A Riot”, but they grew on me. “Ruby” is one of the sunniest slices of alt-pop I’ve ever heard, and “Never Miss A Beat” is quite a catchy tune as well. “On the Run” has a bit of a darker tone than the Chiefs’ previous songs, but, like most of their songs, it has memorable moments. The fragmented synthesizer sound of “On the Run” pretty much defines the song, and it has a somewhat danceable rhythm (though not as much as their previous three hits). Paul McCartney was one of the first famous people I knew of to praise the music of The Kaiser Chiefs, and it’s no wonder, really, as both McCartney and Kaiser Chiefs are British rock musicians known for their melodic but irresistibly rhythmic music. “On the Run” doesn’t seem like it has the same sort of sound that McCartney would favor, but what can I say, sometimes bands need room to grow, and Kaiser Chiefs seem like the type of band who would benefit from doing so.

“Primitive Girl” by M. Ward: It’s only two minutes and twenty seconds, but Zooey Deschanel’s backing man from She & Him churns out a charming piano-rocker with “Primitive Girl”. Ward’s material is usually rawer (though still kinda folk-y) and more guitar focused than how he comes off as on “Primitive Girl”, so he almost comes off sounding (musically) more like Zooey than himself! Aptly enough, “Primitive Girl” SOUNDS primitive, with its repetitive note sequences, starkly arranged instrumentation, and small amount of words. Ward’s fans were probably expecting more from him than this, but songs like “Primitive Girl” are among the best kind of indie songs – the cute kind!

“Temporary” by White Rabbits: Despite the name of this band, White Rabbits have little (if anything) to do with Jefferson Airplane. Their sound is a lot more contemporary than that, and comparable to bands like Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio, and Modest Mouse, all of whom are far more influenced by new wave and post-punk than psychedelic. Unlike most of the songs I review, it’s hard to tell where the guitar is in this song (until the solo), yet it’s quite easy to tell where the bass is throughout the song, as the bass (and synthesizer) serve as the dominant instruments in “Temporary”. In contrast to the thumping bass-and-synth sound of the song, the vocals in “Temporary” are more wry and detached, the combination of which comes off sounding a bit like The Cars crossed with Radiohead, with a techno influence added in as well. In addition, the cover of White Rabbits’ latest album alone gives hints as to how off-the-wall their sensibilities can be. On it, their name is written backwards, the album title is written like an all black Jackson Pollock work of art, and even the title of the album itself (Milk Famous), sounds bizarre and enigmatic.

“That Dangerous Age” by Paul Weller: Paul Weller was once the frontman of the heavily Kinks-influenced British punk group, The Jam (fans of the movie “Stranger Than Fiction” would probably be familiar with their sarcastic “ballad”, “That’s Entertainment”). Since splitting apart from The Jam, Paul has released a couple of solo albums, but so far, no songs from any of those albums have gotten near as much attention as his latest song, “That Dangerous Age”. This time around, though, Ray Davies is not the British rocker Paul Weller is trying to imitate, but instead, the sleek disco-meets-punk type sound David Bowie had in the middle of his career! I have yet to figure out what “dangerous age” Weller is referring to, but at this point, it doesn’t matter, because the song is already catchy enough!! What an awesome comeback!

“When the Ship Comes In” by The Chieftains and The Decemberists: This song is pretty much folk-rock all over the place, but in varying styles! It is a cover of a song by folk-rocker master Bob Dylan, with instrumentation by Irish folk group The Chieftains, and vocals from contemporary folk-rockers The Decemberists! Of course, this being a cover of a Dylan song, the lyrics have a very folk-y feel to them, too, but more in a sea shanty kind of way, with all of its maritime imagery (seagulls, shorelines, sand, ships, etc.) It’s not a very somber song, either, in fact it has a rather jolly, upbeat sound to it, in a way that might create mental imagery of what it would be like if “Riverdance” met “Spongebob Squarepants”. The Decemberists spinning tales from the briny deep?! Hasn’t happened before, but so far, I really like it!

new songs for March 23rd, 2011

here they are:

"Longing to Belong" by Eddie Vedder: This song suggests Pearl Jam's leading man longing to belong...to the "Into the Wild" soundtrack again. The same mix of acoustic guitar, ukulele, and bittersweet heart-melting emotional quality he used on such gems from the smash indie flick's soundtrack like "Rise" and "Guaranteed" are once again present on "Longing to Belong". It is less than three minutes long, though, unlike most (if not all) of the songs on the soundtrack, but somehow Eddie has managed to wrap all of his wistfully tearful thoughts into roughly two and a half minutes of pure bliss in this tune! As refreshing as it was to hear Eddie rock out with Pearl Jam on songs like "The Fixer" and "Amongst the Waves" two years ago, it's also nice to hear him at his more somber, precious moments as well.

"Lost In My Mind" by The Head and The Heart: This one is a very pleasant, wistful indie-folk tune, sounding like a cross between the autumnal folk-rock of Good Old War and the more rootsy variety from that of bands like The Avett Brothers. A real heart melter, just like the one I mentioned above (though so far, I like this one better). "Lost In My Mind" is a very apt title for a song that evokes nostalgic images of taking a road trip during the fall season with orange-gold leaves falling from the trees and an orange-y sunset sky in the background. The combination of being written in a major key, yet still retaining a somber mood, somehow makes this song a surefire winner for me!

"Rope" by Foo Fighters: I was gonna hold off on reviewing this one, it's been circulating on adult alt stations for awhile now, despite its resemblance to "harder" acts, mostly '70s classic rock/progressive rock like Queen, Rush, Yes, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and The Who. I was pretty shocked, though, when I found out Music Choice Adult Alternative, which I often have considered to be one of the most accurate representations of the (sub)genre, started playing this!! Therefore, I'm gonna give this one a go. "Rope" starts off benign enough with its unique chords played on echo-y distortion, but once the drums start kicking in, the song becomes faster and harder, and starts spouting off guitar riffs vaguely similar to songs like Yes' "Roundabout" and Rush's "The Spirit of Radio". The chorus is also a bit shaky, with Dave Grohl's somewhat frantic, desperate delivery of "Gimme some rope I'm fallin' dooowwwwnnnnn!!!!" A good song, but a bit rough for stations that are more known for playing more melodic, balanced acts like U2, R.E.M., and Counting Crows. Oh well, I guess different doesn't hurt once in a while!!

"Uberlin" by R.E.M.: For the legendary alt-rock band's third major song from "Collapse Into Now", they've calmed down a bit, but still retained their cleverness. The title alone, "Uberlin", is actually a pun, combining the phrase "Uber" (meaning "very") and the German capital, Berlin. Perhaps what makes this song so appealing, though, is not necessarily the song itself as much as a video for the song I recently discovered in which the lyrics are written out as though they are on a map, moving from place to place as they are written out. Since the lyrics of the song largely center around traveling, it's quite fitting as a "music video" (if indeed it is one).

"Velcro" by Bell X1: Until their big breakthrough with the Talking Heads soundalike song, "The Great Defector", Bell X1 were primarily an Irish folk-rock act. Ever since then, it seems as though they've tried to tweak their sound into sounding more like Modest Mouse than Damien Rice. "The Great Defector" was, in my opinion, one of the best songs of 2009, because it was just so...different!! And Bell X1's lead singer did an excellent David Byrne imitation (whether he intended it or not)!! So how does "Velcro" compare?! It's got the same new wave-y sound as "The Great Defector", but somehow it just isn't the same! Perhaps the saving grace for "Velcro" is in its quirky lyrics, from the chorus ("I'll be your velcro"), to random bits in the verses (for instance, "Watching a 6-year-old on YouTube playing drums to 'Billie Jean'", somebody tell me what THAT's supposed to mean!!) Heck, even the TITLE is quirky (how many other songs do you know called "Velcro", or that even USE that word for that matter?!)

"Werewolves" by The Damnwells: No, this is not a cover of the late, great Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London", and it doesn't sound like the song either. It's a song simply called "Werewolves". This song is another one of those somber, autumnal, somewhat wistful/nostalgic sounding songs (see also the first two songs I reviewed in this week's blog). I seem to fall instant prey to these kinds of songs. I have only heard one other song by The Damnwells, the uber-melodic, somewhat Fleetwood Mac-ish "Golden Days", which was another song I just loved instantly! "Golden Days" had better harmony techniques than "Werewolves" does, though. But that by no means disqualifies "Werewolves" from becoming another instant classic for me, though. The Damnwells are melodic indie/neo-folk-rock geniuses, 'nuff said!

"You've Got the Love" by Florence and The Machine: The seven words Sting became famous for singing almost 30 years ago ("every little thing she does is magic") would most certainly describe the cute, redheaded Florence Welch from Florence and The Machine! "Dog Days Are Over" became the surprise smash hit of the summer/fall of 2010, and it looks like "You've Got the Love" is going to end up being the song following in its footsteps. Once again, Florence has used her eclectic musical palette to combine indie/alternative rock, pop, and soul to create an irresistibly catchy, danceable number on "You've Got the Love", which actually wasn't her song originally, but she seems to have made it her own! The video is also pretty awesome, with our ginger haired leading lady singing on a plastic moon in a silky golden outfit! Lookin' forward to knowing what she'll churn out next!!

New songs for May 26th, 2010

four of 'em - enjoy folks!

"Amongst the Waves" by Pearl Jam: This song seemed like it was long overdue for making its way onto the adult alt. airwaves, as Sirius XM's Spectrum has been playing this one since January. Other stations, however, seemed to have taken until now to catch up with this song. Of the three songs on Pearl Jam's latest CD, "Backspacer", this might just end up being the one I like best if it doesn't receive overkill airplay like the other two ("Just Breathe" and "The Fixer") did. However, it's more than just airplay that makes (or would make?) "Amongst the Waves" better than those songs. It serves as a perfect balance between "The Fixer"'s rough garage rock sound and "Just Breathe"'s gentle folk-rock sound, as a sound that seems to hearken back to classic Pearl Jam songs like "Black" and "Yellow Ledbetter", with its melancholy blues-rock inspired vibe. Here's to hoping "Amongst the Waves" will do well, but hopefully not TOO well on adult alt. stations!

"Call Back" by Truth & Salvage Co.: With both well-established bands like My Morning Jacket, The Hold Steady, and Wilco and newcomers like Alberta Cross and Dawes, it seems like classic rock revivalism is becoming increasingly more common in indie rock (if it can even be called that anymore...) Truth & Salvage Co. are the latest to jump onto this bandwagon with their song, "Call Back". The feel of this song is not only rootsy, but very earthy as well. Add to that its well-produced sound, and it comes off sounding like the typical Joe Walsh-less Eagles song (think "Take It Easy", "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "Lyin' Eyes", etc.) Perhaps "alt-country" would be a better way of describing this song than "indie" since that's just how organic (for lack of a better term) this song comes across.

"Fixed" by Stars: Amazingly, this is probably the only song I'm reviewing for this week that DOESN'T have a classic rock-ish feel to it (unless of course you consider Depeche Mode and/or The Cranberries classic rock, which I don't). To give a background to what Stars generally sound like, they often sing chirpy songs with dark subject matter ("Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" is a good example of this). "Fixed" is a departure, both lyrically and musically, from the typical Stars song. Instead of sounding like a somewhat macabre Burt Bacharach type of song, "Fixed" takes on a sound that more suggests, like I pointed out earlier, a cross between Depeche Mode and The Cranberries (with a bit of a Killers sound mixed in there for good measure). Lyrically, the subject matter isn't exactly positive, but it seems to deal with more general subject matter (a crumbling relationship, from what I can tell) than their other songs. This isn't the Stars that I'm used to, but it's still a good song.

"North" by Widespread Panic: In the '90s, there were two major "cult" jam bands - Phish and Widespread Panic. The former could easily be likened to a modern-day Grateful Dead, while the latter typically take on a more Allman Brothers-ish sound. "North", however, seems to trade in the bluesy improv of the typical Widespread Panic song for a more radio-friendly Southern rock sound that is especially evident in many Lynyrd Skynyrd songs. The philosophical lyrics of "North" tend to provide an interesting contrast to its barn-burnin' Southern rock sound (much like how Skynyrd used their typical upbeat bar band sound to disguise the dark nature of "That Smell"). For people hoping for an epic worthy of a song like "That Smell", "Freebird", or "Sweet Home Alabama", you might be a little disappointed in "North" since it's only three and a half minutes long. It does, however, give off the general vibe of such songs (particuarly "Sweet Home Alabama").