New songs for March 2nd 2022

 here they are:


"Becoming All Alone" by Regina Spektor: The quirky yet sensitive music of Regina Spektor was all over the adult alt airwaves during the mid to late 2000's, yet her power just didn't seem to stay as strong in the decade that followed. She was kind of like an unlikely but irresistible cross between Tori Amos and They Might Be Giants. "Becoming All Alone" is a bittersweet comeback song for Regina. The song might be a bit more electro-pop than the less flashy piano-pop that Regina's fans might be used to, but it really gels in this song, which gradually adds other instruments like percussion and brass as it goes on, winding down towards the end into a more typical piano-and-strings Regina song. As is to be expected with Regina, oddball lyrics (such as "I asked God, 'Please call my name,' and I said, 'Hey. Let's grab a beer") accompany a more somber musical sound. Her mid '10s song, "Bleeding Heart," was somewhat of a disappointment, but I think she's come back to her musical roots with "Becoming All Alone." Welcome back, old friend!

"Come Back" by Trombone Shorty: The sounds of '60s and '70s soul have always been part of the Trombone Shorty sound, but on "Come Back," he really flaunts that sound! As one might think with a title like "Come Back," Trombone Shorty's latest song is basically a lovesick plea. The lyrics aren't anything new to the music world, but the way Shorty delivers his music and the passion with which he delivers it inject fresh life into the rather stagnant musical climate of the 2020's. Fans of early '70s R & B will probably dig this song, and, true to his stage name, Trombone Shorty has heavy use of brass in this song, as he does in all his material. 

"Everything's Electric" by Liam Gallagher (Oasis): Two of the major players of '90s rock collide in the Oasis frontman's latest song, "Everything's Electric." In addition to Oasis finding new musical life, Foo Fighters also do in this song, in which FF's lead singer Dave Grohl is featured on the drums! The song overall sounds like some of the attempts at "new" music that vintage rockers like The Rolling Stones, U2, and Lenny Kravitz have attempted during the new millennium. In other words, it definitely sounds like a rock song, but it doesn't sound like it's trying to add anything in that hasn't been done before. How a notoriously friendly guy like Dave Grohl and a notoriously unfriendly guy like Liam managed to make it work here is anyone's guess, but the chemistry is noticeable here and it works somehow. 

"Highest Bidder" by Fantastic Negrito: Like our entry from two songs ago, this song is also a foray into '70s R & B in the modern era. Fantastic Negrito's "Highest Bidder" really captures the more minimalist side of the funk movement, with almost the entire song defined by just the E minor chord (and guitar solos being played over it sometimes). The song is not without a dose of dark humor either, taking on such topical issues as racism, capitalism, and other subjects of a political nature while both gleefully and sarcastically singing in the chorus that "Everything goes to the highest bidder." In other words, Fantastic Negrito is commenting on how the greedy people of the world are profiting while those on the lower yet more generous end of the economic totem pole are suffering. Fantastic Negrito clearly knows what he's talking about here and isn't afraid to put it in our faces! The song culminates with an E minor riff that's noticeably more distorted than the rest of the song, perhaps as a way of symbolizing the anger he feels throughout the song and just letting it all out for the last few seconds!

"Made Up Mind" by Bonnie Raitt: Not actually a Bonnie tune, but actually one from the bluegrass-influenced rock group, The Brothers Landreth, that came out in the mid-2010's. The original version wasn't very memorable, but Bonnie has a knack for making just about anything she does good, and her cover of "Made Up Mind" is no exception. She turns the mild country sound of the original into a slinky, blues-y vamp all her own here! The fact she is now two years past 70 and still churning out juicy blues-rock tunes just as she did at the start of her career is also truly a wonder to behold!

"Problems" by Neal Francis: Neal's first big adult alt radio hit, "Can't Stop the Rain," had a very blues-y, gritty sound to it that quickly caught on with its demographic! His followup song, "Problems," is not as blues-y, but still attempts to go with the whole "blue-eyed soul" feel that he had with his first big song. In fact, the song sounds an awful lot like something Hall and Oates, arguably the best-known blue-eyed soul group of the 1970's and early '80s, would have come up with, though it has noticeably more synth than the typical H & O song does. Perhaps it's the song's seamless, fluid mixture of meaty rock riffs, crooning vocals, and soulful rhythm that give me the H & O vibes here. Also distinguishing "Problems" from its predecessor, "Can't Stop the Rain," is the fact that "Problems" has a bridge that doesn't quite sound like the rest of the song does that almost feels like it doesn't need to be there, yet it still comes back strong in the end. 

New songs for August 3rd, 2016

here they are:


"Bleeding Heart" by Regina Spektor: Is it just me, or has Regina Spektor gotten more synth-heavy lately?! Her latest song, "Bleeding Heart" certainly seems to indicate this. This sounds a bit more like a latter-day Lily Allen song than it does like something from quirk-folk queen Regina Spektor. Part of Regina's charm initially was her unabashed love of composing Tori Amos-esque tunes during a time when it wasn't exactly "hip" to do so. Of course, offbeat lyrics are another part of what makes Regina so fascinating to listen to, and those are present on "Bleeding Heart". The chorus simply consists of the phrases "never mind" and "bleeding heart" repeated a few times, which seems like a pretty Regina-esque thing to do. "Bleeding Heart" leaves something more to be desired, though. I was expecting something either more sad or more enjoyably weird, and "Bleeding Heart" is neither.


"Let Love Be (With U)" by Kula Shaker: Ah, to be a part of a British rock group in the '90s. Oasis and Radiohead reigned supreme in the middle of the decade. Millions of other names in British rock of the '90s went under the radar, though, and Kula Shaker were one such band. Much like Oasis, Kula Shaker were a band that were more indebted to timeless upbeat classic rock during a time of gloomy alternative rock. Kula Shaker even covered Deep Purple's "Hush" and seemed to have a minor hit with it too. "Let Love Be (With U)" has a retro flavor as well, but its sound is more blue-eyed soul (white R & B) than it is rock. It has a happy, toe tapping sound defined by brass and rhythm, and the electric guitar takes a backseat until towards the end of the song. Kula Shaker were never a product of their times, but that's probably why their small but significant fanbase likes them.


"Rita Mae Young" by The Record Company: One of the biggest shocks of the year was to know that a song that wouldn't have sounded out of place among Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin songs was one of THE top selling adult alt songs of the year ("Off the Ground"). "Rita Mae Young" is a lighter song than "Off the Ground", but its smoky, gritty, soulful sound would probably still appeal to fans of '60s rock. This song really puts the "blues" in blues-rock. The lead singer of The Record Company mourns the loss of his relationship with a woman named Rita Mae Young throughout the song, but does so in such a way that it becomes upbeat instead of sad. What a way to sing the blues!

New songs for April 4th, 2012

here they are:

"Are You Gonna Waste My Time?" by Zeus: Just the very name of the mighty Greek god of thunder probably brings to mind, musically, the name of a heavy metal band, or perhaps a progressive rock band, probably from somewhere in Europe, like Norway or Germany. Surprise! Zeus, in this case, are a Canadian indie rock band, whose sound probably wouldn't be too out of place on a classic rock (or oldies) station. Traces of songs like The Faces' "Stay With Me" and The Rolling Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'?" can be heard throughout "Are You Gonna Waste My Time?", and even the lead vocalist sounds somewhat like a young Rod Stewart. With The White Stripes and The Black Keys making the '70s rock sound cool again, I'm thinkin' Zeus oughta be next on the bandwagon!

"Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)" by Regina Spektor: The quirky, red-haired, doe-eyed indie-pop-ster known as Regina Spektor takes her musical influences a step further than she usually does in her latest song, "Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)" (the French words in parentheses literally translate to "don't leave me"). Instead of the typical piano-pop sound Regina offers in most of her songs, we are treated to a delectable mix of synths, bass, and muted trumpets! The fact that this is a rather bubbly, free spirited take on a typically sad song that was originally performed by Belgian-born French composer Jacques Brel only makes me like this song even more! Was waiting for Regina to release a new CD for a couple years. Now that she has, I must say, I'm quite pleased with the results so far!

"Headlights" by Morning Parade: Sound-wise, there is nothing particularly special about this song, as it basically sounds like a cross between The Killers and Kings of Leon, two great bands that have somehow spawned a legion of second and third rate imitators. I like this song anyway, though. I guess that's partly because I've become accustomed to the sound that songs like this one have. The lyrics to the first line in the chorus ("like a rabbit in your headlights") provide particularly interesting imagery for me, though. Morning Parade's lead singer is probably just referring to the feeling of being surprised or dumbfounded, but for some reason, I still like that line.

"New Ceremony" by Dry the River: Even before "New Ceremony" hit the adult alt airwaves (which was quite recently), Dry the River were heavily hyped because of their performances they had at indie rock showcase, South By Southwest (better known by its acronym, "SXSW"). Upon hearing "New Ceremony" for the first time, it's not hard to see why they were so talked about! Though it has the typical Arcade Fire/Mumford and Sons/Decemberists type sound, it also plays with chord structure in a suspenseful way that has only been used in a handful of songs in rock/pop history (most notably Eddie Money's "Baby Hold On" and Barenaked Ladies' "It's All Been Done"). Its quiet-to-loud dynamics seem to borrow from the grunge era, but they are presented here in a more orchestral manner than a heavily distorted one. "New Ceremony"'s lyrical combinations of religious imagery (phrases like "angel of doubt" and verses like "I named you like a prayer", for instance), and its general theme of regrets about a relationship also make this song well worth listening to. Highly recommended!

"One Engine" by The Decemberists: Not planning on seeing (or reading) "The Hunger Games", but for those who are interested in knowing, The Decemberists' latest song, "One Engine" was made specifically for the soundtrack of that movie. The lyrics of the song seem to center around how dismal and violent having a competitive nature can be, which seems fitting for a movie about violence and competition. Musically, this is an interesting leap back for The Decemberists, who seemed to be focusing on honing more traditional, rustic, folk-y sounds into their music for the past couple years. "One Engine" sounds more like The Smiths (particularly "Bigmouth Strikes Again"), and would probably be much more at home on their 2006 CD "The Crane Wife", than it would on their 2010 release, "The King Is Dead". The Smiths are one of The Decemberists' biggest influences, though, so perhaps they're trying to pay them more homage here.

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!