New songs for August 17th, 2022

 here they are:


"Burning" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Karen O and the YYY's return to guitar-based music on their latest song, "Burning," at least a little bit. The song is mostly dominated by piano in the beginning and then a synth-string "orchestra" later on, but it's not the instrumentation, necessarily, that makes this song so special. First of all, it's the style that the YYY's chose to go for here. The verses, in particular, seem to recall "girl groups" of the early 1960's such as The Ronettes, The Crystals, and The Chiffons with their pristine pianos on top of trembling tambourines. Although the string section is synth-laden, it still sounds compelling enough to lure listeners in. The subject of the song is also worth mentioning, as it is one of a growing number of songs to address climate change (albeit in a subtle manner, in this case). The imagery of the song is fittingly fiery to its torrid title, but Karen could easily be addressing an actual fire or a metaphorical one here, if not both!

"Lucky Ones" by Julian Lennon: With George and John long gone and Ringo's work not near as well-known to the public as the other members, Paul McCartney has been the only Beatle to remain active in the music scene into the 21st century. However, on a few occasions through the new millennium, John Lennon's kids have kept the Beatle flame burning, even for just a brief moment. Sean Lennon got minor attention for his folk-y, Elliott Smith-esque "Dead Meat" in the mid 2000's, and now it's Julian Lennon's turn to shine in the limelight for the first time in decades! An anthemic, piano-laden song with neat guitar flourishes in the background, "Lucky Ones" is a song of hope during a time of despair. He seems to want to embody the spirit of peace and love now just as much as his dad did in the 1960's and '70s. Like our previous entry, "Lucky Ones" also addresses the plight of climate change, but does so in a way that offers hope to future generations.

"Problem With It" by Plains: If any of you indie-folk fans are hearing this song for the first time and think that its lead vocalist sounds familiar, that's because those are the vocals of Katie Crutchfield from indie-folk group, Waxahatchee. Plains is her side project, and their debut song, "Problem With It," almost sounds like a "sequel song" to Waxahatchee's "Can't Do Much," a mellow country-rock tune in B flat, much like this one is. Adding to the song's country vibe are its "heartbreak out on the road" lyrical theme, as well as the instrumental help the song receives from Jeff Tweedy (Wilco)'s son, Spencer, and Jay Farrar from alt-country groups Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo. 

"Soul Sweet Song" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: One of the TTB's more bittersweet songs, "Soul Sweet Song" is a melancholy (yet still sweet and soulful) tune for a good reason. It's a tribute to the group's now former keyboardist, Kofi Burbridge, who died in 2019. While the song is poignant, it's not completely sad, due to its major key, the honey-drenched harmonies of Tedeschi and Trucks, the soulful horns that punctuate the song, and Tedeschi's trademark blues-guitar sound spreading joy through the sadness that might have permeated this composition otherwise. This is the way to do a tribute song, if you ask me!

"Spit of You" by Sam Fender: While many of Sam Fender's songs tend to evoke the anthemic yet melodic rock sound of acts like Bruce Springsteen and U2, "Spit of You" has a more bittersweet jangle evocative of groups like R.E.M. with soulful acoustic guitars layered with cleanly distorted electrics and a sweet sax solo at the end. The title of the song probably refers to the phrase "spitting image," as the song revolves around the bonds between fathers and sons. "Spit of You" also notably slower than the other songs Sam has gained attention with, although it isn't too slow of a song. Sam showing off his sensitive side is so sweet and sublime!

"Tangled" by Ceramic Animals: Pennsylvania's Ceramic Animals have been around since 2013, but this marks the first time adult alt radio has taken notice of them. The laid-back blues/country/folk/rock combo of their breakthrough song, "Tangled," sounds so much like one of Dan Auerbach (Black Keys)'s solo songs that I was convinced he was part of Ceramic Animals! As it turns out, he is not, but there seems to be a striking similarity between Auerbach's work and Ceramic Animals' sound, so perhaps he produced it. Not any wonder, then, that Ceramic Animals opened for The Black Keys recently!

"Vault of Heaven" by Pixies: Interesting that this is the second Pixies song (to my knowledge) that has the word "heaven" in its title (the first would be "Monkey Gone to Heaven," which ranks among their best-known songs) since The Pixies seem a bit too warped and dark to address ideas like heaven in their music. "Monkey..." was a rather twisted and angry environmental protest song, though, and "Vault of Heaven" seems to be almost satirical in a way. Perhaps part of the reason this gritty alt-rock take on "spaghetti western" music even uses the word "heaven" in the first place is to rhyme with "7-11." Lead singer Frank Black seems to weave a short yet compelling tale in "Vault of Heaven" how paradise isn't all that it's cracked up to be, as though it's useless to try to attain idealism in life. Dark and cryptic, as many Pixies songs are, but this one seems more noticeably country-rock than a lot of their stuff is. 

Happy Ground-blog Day!

 It's Groundhog Day...again. But this time, I'm doing something I don't think I've done on previous Groundhog Days: a music blog! Here are today's songs of the week:


"Hold U" by Indigo de Souza: The late '80s brought us the innovative, cutting-edge folk-rock duo, Indigo Girls. The early 2020's have brought us an equally innovative and cutting-edge indie-pop girl NAMED Indigo. Indigo de Souza, that is. Indigo is a North Carolinian with Brazilian heritage whose style of music can't be easily defined. It combines elements of techno, R & B, new wave, and pop music to create a uniquely catchy sound. Her breakthrough song, "Hold U," is a simple love song lyrically, but its sound is truly a breath of fresh air on alt and adult alt radio stations.

"Paddle to the Stars" by The Dip: As far as the indie-folk/rock record label, Dualtone, is concerned, The Dip are probably the most jazz and soul influenced band on their roster. The Dip have cultivated such a sound for a few years now, but "Paddle the Stars" marks the first time that adult alt radio has truly taken notice of their music, which carves out a sound more reminiscent of Stax Records than it does Dualtone. The song's lyrics aren't out of the ordinary for a love song, but the song definitely seems like it would hold appeal to fans of vintage, sax-heavy soul musicians like Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. 

"Pierced Arrows" by Hurray for the Riff Raff: Where our first two entries of the week focused on love (fitting for the month of February), "Pierced Arrows" by Hurray for the Riff Raff focuses on heartbreak, and possibly on other negative emotions like fear. The song even starts on a sour, questionable note, with the lyrics, "Trying to avoid running into my ex on Broadway." Yikes! HFTRR's Alynda Segarra must have had some bad experiences with love before, if we are to go by those lyrics. The title alone indicates something negative, but Alynda holds nothing back right from the start in this paranoid yet catchy synth-driven indie-pop song. The song might also be a "screw-you" to the world at large (the third to the last line of the song is "The whole f**king world is changing.") Alynda gets both more fearful and more fierce than she ever has before on "Pierced Arrows." 

"Seventeen Going Under" by Sam Fender: Sam Fender's bittersweet yet catchy and Springsteen-esque song, "Hypersonic Missiles," might have just been the perfect song for 2019, exactly one year before the coronavirus pandemic. The song focused on the end of the world, but in a very triumphant and poetic manner. Two years later, Sam gives us the equally Springsteen-esque "Seventeen Going Under," combining shimmering, soulful jangle-pop guitars with stellar sax riffs, much like The Boss did during his early years. Lyrically, the song is about being 17, the age Sam was exactly a decade ago, and how awkward it is to be such an age. It's also about both the hunger and the pressure many teenagers feel to "grow up" at that age. Sam was no exception to the rule. He made the realization at this age that although he was no longer a little boy, he didn't feel like a fully-grown man either, and he struggled to cope with the confusing reality of this situation. At age 27, Sam has now realized that "growing up" and growing old are two different things, unlike what his teenage self probably thought. I think a lot of people can relate to this one!

"Simulation Swarm" by Big Thief: One thing that might jump out at listeners about Big Thief's latest song, "Simulation Swarm," if they listen carefully enough, is the contradiction between how sweet and warm the song sounds and how weird the lyrics are. It's a bit hard to make sense of Adrianne Lenker's rather stream-of-consciousness narrative, which consists of vivid imagery that never quite comes to fruition as a coherent story. Midway through, the gentle vibe of "Simulation Swarm" becomes slightly more trippy with its fuzzed-out, psychedelic guitar solo, yet it never climaxes to a point of intense loudness, remaining in the same state of blissed out calm throughout. The song leaves on a quiet, almost whispery note upon fading out. 

New songs for September 11th 2019

here they are:


"Better Than I Used To" by Illiterate Light: You know a song's gonna be kinda quirky when its opening lyrics are, "In my mind there's only three things: rubber band ball bouncing around". Huh?! Sounds like something badly translated from another language! The song itself is charmingly odd as well with its post-psychedelic influences, bringing to mind other bands who have revived psychedelia for the 21st century, such as Dr. Dog and My Morning Jacket. I actually mistook this for a Dr. Dog song when I first heard it on KCSN, a station that has introduced me to many other wonderful songs and bands that resides in SoCal like I do. "Every time that I think of you, I feel better than I used to", the lead singer states during the chorus. I echo that sentiment when I listen to songs like this one!


"Will We Talk?" by Sam Fender: Sam's late spring/early summer adult alt radio hit, "Hypersonic Missiles", sounded like Springsteen circa 1975 being covered by Ryan Adams. A great combo of sounds if ever there was one! Sam's second adult alt radio hit, "Will We Talk?", sounds a bit more modern, evoking the sounds of groups like The Strokes and The Killers, albeit with that distinctly Springsteen-ian chime and string section in the background. The Strokes and The Killers were both heavily influenced by music of the post-punk and new wave eras, so it's only fitting that "Will We Talk?" opens with the lyrics, "Blue Monday blaring through the speakers", referencing "Blue Monday" by New Order, one of the best known groups of the post-punk and new wave eras. Here, the lyrics also seem like early Springsteen, save for an F-bomb that gets dropped midway through the song, if The Boss had kept his original jazzier and grittier sound into the 1980's, weaving a tale of bittersweet urban romance. Bruce was thought to be the new Bob Dylan back in the day. I'd say that Sam is the new Bruce!

New songs for May 8th 2019

here they are:


"Alligator" by Of Monsters and Men: Well, THIS song is sure to win the "most random song title of the week" award, right?! There aren't very many songs with the word "alligator" in the title, and perhaps even less with that word being the ONLY word in a song title! As it turns out, this song doesn't have much to do with alligators to begin with. Instead, it appears to be about either an acid trip or a "vision quest" of some sort. The sound of this song might alienate a few people who were initial fans of OMAM. It is not the neo-folk-rock of OMAM's last two albums, but rather a pop sound with a "dark" edge. Make of this song what you will...just know that there are no alligators in it.


"Hypersonic Missiles" by Sam Fender: What an amazing combination of sounds this guy has!! Mixing the arena ready indie rock of acts like Ryan Adams and Kings of Leon, the moody yet echoic chime of The Cranberries, and saxophones reminiscent of Men At Work's biggest hits, Sam Fender has launched his "Hypersonic Missiles" onto our ears, and boy, do they explode! In a good way, of course. Lyrically, it's a "love among the ruins" song, a bit like Goo Goo Dolls' "Name" (another personal fave of mine). Amidst the post-apocalyptic imagery, Sam manages to try to find hope in a hopeless situation. If the world ends in my lifetime, THIS is the song I want to exit with!


"I'll Wait" by The Strumbellas: It's not quite the toe tapping indie-pop of "Salvation" from late last year, but "I'll Wait", the second single from Strumbellas' latest album, is still a happy little slice of indie-folk-pop. Acoustic guitar takes a backseat in this song, though, to a backing string orchestra that swells throughout this song, providing it with a spirited vibe. The lyrics are nothing special, really. Just a simple love song. However, this seems to be what The Strumbellas do best with their music.


"Joy" by Bastille: Bastille have always put the "pop" in "indie-pop", but this song screams pop music! If the title alone wasn't enough to clue you in, "Joy" is pretty much just that. It's a joyful song. The song is their bounciest song yet. The harmonizing vocals towards the end of the song only reinforce the squeaky clean image the song attempts to paint in our minds.