here they are:
"Lightning Bolt" by Jake Bugg: Like Jake's previous hit, "Two Fingers", "Lightning Bolt" is full of musical homages to the 1960's, which is incredibly unusual for someone who's only 18 years old! "Lightning Bolt" has a bit more of a fast, rock-y feel to it than the folk-y "Two Fingers" did, and it almost sounds like a White Stripes style cover of a Bob Dylan song circa 1965. At only two and a half minutes, Jake Bugg packs a powerful punch into "Lightning Bolt", with both the steady, catchy beat of the song, and Jake's fast-paced, rambling vocals. Not a hard song to perform by any means, but it still takes an awful lot of skill to pull a song like this off!!
"Never Wanted Your Love" by She & Him: The third record from Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Zooey Deschanel, and her quieter backing singer, M. Ward, is finally out!! The record's first single, "Never Wanted Your Love", is a catchy song, like most of Zooey's material tends to be, and it has a "retro" flavor to it with its somewhat rockabilly inspired beats. The rushing, mariachi influenced sound of the violins in the intro also make "Never Wanted Your Love" a memorable song in the She & Him catalog. Then again, though, what She & Him song isn't?!
"The Ceiling" by Wild Feathers: While roots-rock has come to be a defining feature so far of 2010's music, there have only been a handful of bands (Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, Dawes, etc.) that have gone more for the electric side of the genre than the acoustic side. Enter Wild Feathers. Their debut song, "The Ceiling", proves that the band have somehow managed to be a TRUE "folk-rock" band for the second decade of the 21st century, placing equal emphasis on electric and acoustic guitar, and they also have a vaguely bluegrass-y sound that, amazingly, does NOT require a banjo or mandolin! The freewheeling, unabashedly retro style of Wild Feathers might bring to mind bands like The Black Crowes. Ha! Crows, Feathers!! I wonder if there's a connection there?! Well, like they say, birds of a feather flock together, and Wild Feathers certainly know how to do so!!
Showing posts with label She And Him. Show all posts
Showing posts with label She And Him. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
7 new releases, 2 Christmas songs, and a partridge in a pear tree...
Happy Holidays everyone!! :) 'Tis the season to review new Christmas songs from She & Him and The Killers, not to mention 5 other non-Christmas related tracks. Here goes:
"I Didn't Mean It" by The Belle Brigade: Why is the sky blue? Who (or what) created the universe? Of all these age old questions that have never quite reached a universally agreed upon answer, the one I'd like to know the most right now is this - why do so many great songs and artists end up on the "Twilight" soundtracks?! While I don't think I'll have an answer for that in quite a long time, it just so happens that the latest song to get attention from indie rockers The Belle Brigade is on the "Breaking Dawn" soundtrack of the "Twilight" series. This doesn't mean The Belle Brigade have become "sellouts" (yet), but I can't help but notice how strikingly different this sounds to their other big song, "Losers", released earlier this year in the summer. Where "Losers" was a somber, regretful folk-rock song, "I Didn't Mean It" approaches more of a catchy, alt-pop type sound, almost as if Ben Folds were female and tried covering the Linda Ronstadt version of "You're No Good". Perhaps most interesting of all is how, out of the two songs I know so far from The Belle Brigade, the slower, sadder one ("Losers") is written in a major key, yet the pop-ier, faster one ("I Didn't Mean It") is written in a minor key!! That being said, there must be some really clever people involved in that band!
"Lights" by Ellie Goulding: Is anyone here sick of how much attention Lady Gaga has gotten ever since she debuted? (I know I am!) Looking for a fresher, less sexually excessive alternative to her that sounds kind of like an indie-pop version of Lady Gaga? Perhaps not, but now there is one!! The first major song to get attention from British pop starlet Ellie Goulding, "Lights", is like a hip dance-pop song for those who prefer Tori Amos to Madonna. Like Gaga, Ellie's a blond haired girl who knows how to dance. Unlike Gaga, Ellie seems like she dances more for fun than for promiscuity and/or (desperate) attention. "Lights" is a unique, catchy song, and probably one of the few that can appeal to both the hipsters and the just plain hip!
"Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye: In the 21st century, the world-music-meets-rock-music flame that Peter Gabriel and Sting became well known for using in the '80s has been kept alive by musicians like Robbie Robertson and Paul Simon (both of whom also used that sound frequently in the '80s). Have there been any new artists that have been successful in using that sound, though?! With the possible exception of Vampire Weekend, probably not (and even Vampire Weekend's songs were a bit too bouncy to fully emulate the more reflective Gabriel/Sting sound). After all these years, however, someone has come along to return the world-music-meets-rock-music-sound to the music world as if it were fresh and brand new again, and he goes by the stage name of Gotye (pronounced GO-tee-yay). The ambiance of Gotye's first major song, "Somebody That I Used to Know" (not to be confused with the Elliott Smith song of the same title), is icy and haunting, and seems to borrow heavily from Peter Gabriel's almost equally haunting "Games Without Frontiers", and his vocals are somewhat similar to Sting's, especially as the song draws closer towards the chorus. The "cold shoulder" vibe of the lyrics, combined with the already frigid atmosphere of the song itself makes "Somebody That I Used to Know" the perfect non-Christmas listen for the winter season!!
"That Old Black Hole" by Dr. Dog: So far, Dr. Dog have gotten attention with two songs on adult alt radio, with the jaunty, Beatlesque "Stranger", and the folk-rock-y, Neil Young-ish "Shadow People" (which also manages to sound like The Beatles during the second half). Dr. Dog's latest song, then, "That Old Black Hole", marks a musical departure from the typical neo-psychedelic, "retro" indie-pop of their music, as it sounds more like the type of song a band like Modest Mouse might have done. Speaking of "mouse", another way Dr. Dog have, perhaps, sought for a larger audience in "That Old Black Hole" is through its video, whose only consistent image is of a hamster on a wheel. Other images appear in the video, but they are a bit too brief and surreal for me to find truly memorable in comparison to the hamster. The video for "That Old Black Hole" can be viewed here!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmq7MSwUUAQ)
"The Christmas Waltz" by She & Him: 'Tis the season to be Zooey!! The most beautiful woman in indie-land (and her performing partner, fellow indie musician Matt "M." Ward) has released a heartwarming, sentimental version of the classic Christmas song that states the time it is performed in ("and this song of mine, in three-quarter time...") Zooey's vocals in this are absolutely irresistible!! Matt does a good job at this song too, though, bringing jazz chords to his acoustic guitar in the finest, most tender fashion since Sammy Davis Jr. The whole ALBUM ("A Very She & Him Christmas") that this is on is great, actually, but this song is a standout, for being the opening track, the track that's gotten the most attention so far on adult alt radio stations, and for having the most snuggly, cozy feel of all the songs on the CD!!
"The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" by The Killers: Ever since 2006, Brandon Flowers and his fellow elves, umm, I mean, musicians, have released one Christmas song each December, perhaps the best of which was the one they put out during that year ("A Great Big Sled"). "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" might not be the best Christmas song The Killers have released, but it's a breath of fresh, energetic air compared to the decent (but dreary) "Boots" they released last year. The uptempo beat and tinkly keyboards set the mood for a Christmas song that takes place in the Wild Wild West, with quirky lyrics, and Brandon Flowers singing as though he had a slight "Southern" drawl in his voice. A surprisingly friendly, bubbly song for The Killers, but it still manages to work!!
"The Same Thing" by Cass McCombs: Before I get on with my review for this song, "Cass" might sound like the name of a female performer, but is, in fact, a guy in this case. Its sound is suggestive of Pete Yorn, while the lyrics take on a more Dylan-esque quality ("Nothing in common, our blood thicker than broth/We're cut from different sides of the same cloth"). Both Dylan and Yorn are known for composing melancholy folk-rock songs, and "The Same Thing" also has that sort of sound. Vocally, McCombs seems to derive from Elliott Smith, who, again, has a melancholy folk-rock sort of sound. Cass McCombs seems to have that "lonely guy with a sad, sentimental acoustic guitar sound" pretty good! Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, but it certainly is mine!
"I Didn't Mean It" by The Belle Brigade: Why is the sky blue? Who (or what) created the universe? Of all these age old questions that have never quite reached a universally agreed upon answer, the one I'd like to know the most right now is this - why do so many great songs and artists end up on the "Twilight" soundtracks?! While I don't think I'll have an answer for that in quite a long time, it just so happens that the latest song to get attention from indie rockers The Belle Brigade is on the "Breaking Dawn" soundtrack of the "Twilight" series. This doesn't mean The Belle Brigade have become "sellouts" (yet), but I can't help but notice how strikingly different this sounds to their other big song, "Losers", released earlier this year in the summer. Where "Losers" was a somber, regretful folk-rock song, "I Didn't Mean It" approaches more of a catchy, alt-pop type sound, almost as if Ben Folds were female and tried covering the Linda Ronstadt version of "You're No Good". Perhaps most interesting of all is how, out of the two songs I know so far from The Belle Brigade, the slower, sadder one ("Losers") is written in a major key, yet the pop-ier, faster one ("I Didn't Mean It") is written in a minor key!! That being said, there must be some really clever people involved in that band!
"Lights" by Ellie Goulding: Is anyone here sick of how much attention Lady Gaga has gotten ever since she debuted? (I know I am!) Looking for a fresher, less sexually excessive alternative to her that sounds kind of like an indie-pop version of Lady Gaga? Perhaps not, but now there is one!! The first major song to get attention from British pop starlet Ellie Goulding, "Lights", is like a hip dance-pop song for those who prefer Tori Amos to Madonna. Like Gaga, Ellie's a blond haired girl who knows how to dance. Unlike Gaga, Ellie seems like she dances more for fun than for promiscuity and/or (desperate) attention. "Lights" is a unique, catchy song, and probably one of the few that can appeal to both the hipsters and the just plain hip!
"Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye: In the 21st century, the world-music-meets-rock-music flame that Peter Gabriel and Sting became well known for using in the '80s has been kept alive by musicians like Robbie Robertson and Paul Simon (both of whom also used that sound frequently in the '80s). Have there been any new artists that have been successful in using that sound, though?! With the possible exception of Vampire Weekend, probably not (and even Vampire Weekend's songs were a bit too bouncy to fully emulate the more reflective Gabriel/Sting sound). After all these years, however, someone has come along to return the world-music-meets-rock-music-sound to the music world as if it were fresh and brand new again, and he goes by the stage name of Gotye (pronounced GO-tee-yay). The ambiance of Gotye's first major song, "Somebody That I Used to Know" (not to be confused with the Elliott Smith song of the same title), is icy and haunting, and seems to borrow heavily from Peter Gabriel's almost equally haunting "Games Without Frontiers", and his vocals are somewhat similar to Sting's, especially as the song draws closer towards the chorus. The "cold shoulder" vibe of the lyrics, combined with the already frigid atmosphere of the song itself makes "Somebody That I Used to Know" the perfect non-Christmas listen for the winter season!!
"That Old Black Hole" by Dr. Dog: So far, Dr. Dog have gotten attention with two songs on adult alt radio, with the jaunty, Beatlesque "Stranger", and the folk-rock-y, Neil Young-ish "Shadow People" (which also manages to sound like The Beatles during the second half). Dr. Dog's latest song, then, "That Old Black Hole", marks a musical departure from the typical neo-psychedelic, "retro" indie-pop of their music, as it sounds more like the type of song a band like Modest Mouse might have done. Speaking of "mouse", another way Dr. Dog have, perhaps, sought for a larger audience in "That Old Black Hole" is through its video, whose only consistent image is of a hamster on a wheel. Other images appear in the video, but they are a bit too brief and surreal for me to find truly memorable in comparison to the hamster. The video for "That Old Black Hole" can be viewed here!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmq7MSwUUAQ)
"The Christmas Waltz" by She & Him: 'Tis the season to be Zooey!! The most beautiful woman in indie-land (and her performing partner, fellow indie musician Matt "M." Ward) has released a heartwarming, sentimental version of the classic Christmas song that states the time it is performed in ("and this song of mine, in three-quarter time...") Zooey's vocals in this are absolutely irresistible!! Matt does a good job at this song too, though, bringing jazz chords to his acoustic guitar in the finest, most tender fashion since Sammy Davis Jr. The whole ALBUM ("A Very She & Him Christmas") that this is on is great, actually, but this song is a standout, for being the opening track, the track that's gotten the most attention so far on adult alt radio stations, and for having the most snuggly, cozy feel of all the songs on the CD!!
"The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" by The Killers: Ever since 2006, Brandon Flowers and his fellow elves, umm, I mean, musicians, have released one Christmas song each December, perhaps the best of which was the one they put out during that year ("A Great Big Sled"). "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" might not be the best Christmas song The Killers have released, but it's a breath of fresh, energetic air compared to the decent (but dreary) "Boots" they released last year. The uptempo beat and tinkly keyboards set the mood for a Christmas song that takes place in the Wild Wild West, with quirky lyrics, and Brandon Flowers singing as though he had a slight "Southern" drawl in his voice. A surprisingly friendly, bubbly song for The Killers, but it still manages to work!!
"The Same Thing" by Cass McCombs: Before I get on with my review for this song, "Cass" might sound like the name of a female performer, but is, in fact, a guy in this case. Its sound is suggestive of Pete Yorn, while the lyrics take on a more Dylan-esque quality ("Nothing in common, our blood thicker than broth/We're cut from different sides of the same cloth"). Both Dylan and Yorn are known for composing melancholy folk-rock songs, and "The Same Thing" also has that sort of sound. Vocally, McCombs seems to derive from Elliott Smith, who, again, has a melancholy folk-rock sort of sound. Cass McCombs seems to have that "lonely guy with a sad, sentimental acoustic guitar sound" pretty good! Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, but it certainly is mine!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
New songs for Feb. 17th
Got 5 new ones just waitin' to be reviewed!! And here they are:
"Ain't No Grave" by Johnny Cash: Yes, it's another Johnny Cash cover song released after his death. This one's a little different than the others that have been released since "Hurt", in that it's a traditional folk song, rather than an alternative rock song, that is being covered. It really makes me wonder just how many songs Cash recorded in the double zeroes. Oh well, it's still a good song.
"Beat the Devil's Tattoo" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: It's interesting how ever since BRMC broke through with "Shuffle Your Feet" and "Ain't No Easy Way" back in 2004, all their songs since have sounded like an attempt to mix The White Stripes with acoustic blues. Supposedly, that's not the way they sounded before those songs came out (though I don't know this for sure). But "Beat the Devil's Tattoo" continues in the tradition of mixing The White Stripes with acoustic blues. I like the primal rhythm in this song 'cause it kinda reminds me of "Wild Thing" by The Troggs. Perhaps BRMC have been listening to The Raconteurs, since "Beat the Devil's Tattoo" starts out (vaguely) acoustic, and then picks up with an electric guitar backing it up in the middle - much like The Raconteurs' "Old Enough" and "Top Yourself"
"In the Sun" by She And Him: You know I love my Zooey Deschanel!! And she's back (with M. Ward) with a new song. I have only heard one other song from this dynamic duo, "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" and this one sounds significantly different. In "...Stay Here", Zooey went for an old-fashioned sound that almost sounded like it belonged in another decade - like a very happy, piano-based country-rock sound. Zooey gets her indie on, so to speak, in "In the Sun" (not to be confused with the poignant Joseph Arthur song of the same name). It's still bright, happy, and toe-tapping, like "...Stay Here", but it uses more instruments and production techniques that make it sound more like sunshiny indie-pop a la "Silver Lining" by Rilo Kiley. That being said, "In the Sun" is probably the one I like less out of the two songs I've heard from She And Him, but it's still worth checking out!
"Lisztomania" by Phoenix: If you've heard Phoenix's other big song, the mega-hit, "1901", you probably know one thing about Phoenix - they love making rhythmic music! "Lisztomania" picks up where "1901" left off. Instead of having techno inspired beats and a chunky guitar sound like "1901" did, "Lisztomania" has a more happy, toe-tapping sound, a looser guitar sound, and a tinkly piano sound added in for good measure. Interestingly, both songs are in the key of C major, though "Lisztomania" is consistent about this, whereas "1901" had A minor verses with a C major chorus. It's interesting to compare the two songs, since they are the only two so far I've heard by Phoenix, but the diversity of influence between the two songs proves what a talented band Phoenix are! So I highly recommend checking "Lisztomania" out, if you haven't already!
"Valleys of Neptune" by Jimi Hendrix: Interesting that both the song I began with AND ended with this time are "undiscovered" releases by dead rock stars! I almost held off on this one (it actually debuted last week), because it's just so darn weird having a Hendrix song on so many adult alt. stations. Guess there's a ringer every year, though (last year's was Depeche Mode's "Wrong", which also came out around February). Not that I have anything against Hendrix (after all, classic rock was my main musical love before I discovered adult alt. music), but most of his material seems a bit too heavy to be included on most adult alt. stations. What's even more perplexing is that "Valleys of Neptune" is no "Wind Cries Mary" or "Castles Made of Sand" - it sounds a bit more like a "faster" Hendrix track, like "Crosstown Traffic". Perhaps the stations that are playing this want to move beyond their standard fare of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam to show that they also have equal respect for those who influenced them. Could a new Led Zeppelin or Who track be far behind?!?
"Ain't No Grave" by Johnny Cash: Yes, it's another Johnny Cash cover song released after his death. This one's a little different than the others that have been released since "Hurt", in that it's a traditional folk song, rather than an alternative rock song, that is being covered. It really makes me wonder just how many songs Cash recorded in the double zeroes. Oh well, it's still a good song.
"Beat the Devil's Tattoo" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: It's interesting how ever since BRMC broke through with "Shuffle Your Feet" and "Ain't No Easy Way" back in 2004, all their songs since have sounded like an attempt to mix The White Stripes with acoustic blues. Supposedly, that's not the way they sounded before those songs came out (though I don't know this for sure). But "Beat the Devil's Tattoo" continues in the tradition of mixing The White Stripes with acoustic blues. I like the primal rhythm in this song 'cause it kinda reminds me of "Wild Thing" by The Troggs. Perhaps BRMC have been listening to The Raconteurs, since "Beat the Devil's Tattoo" starts out (vaguely) acoustic, and then picks up with an electric guitar backing it up in the middle - much like The Raconteurs' "Old Enough" and "Top Yourself"
"In the Sun" by She And Him: You know I love my Zooey Deschanel!! And she's back (with M. Ward) with a new song. I have only heard one other song from this dynamic duo, "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" and this one sounds significantly different. In "...Stay Here", Zooey went for an old-fashioned sound that almost sounded like it belonged in another decade - like a very happy, piano-based country-rock sound. Zooey gets her indie on, so to speak, in "In the Sun" (not to be confused with the poignant Joseph Arthur song of the same name). It's still bright, happy, and toe-tapping, like "...Stay Here", but it uses more instruments and production techniques that make it sound more like sunshiny indie-pop a la "Silver Lining" by Rilo Kiley. That being said, "In the Sun" is probably the one I like less out of the two songs I've heard from She And Him, but it's still worth checking out!
"Lisztomania" by Phoenix: If you've heard Phoenix's other big song, the mega-hit, "1901", you probably know one thing about Phoenix - they love making rhythmic music! "Lisztomania" picks up where "1901" left off. Instead of having techno inspired beats and a chunky guitar sound like "1901" did, "Lisztomania" has a more happy, toe-tapping sound, a looser guitar sound, and a tinkly piano sound added in for good measure. Interestingly, both songs are in the key of C major, though "Lisztomania" is consistent about this, whereas "1901" had A minor verses with a C major chorus. It's interesting to compare the two songs, since they are the only two so far I've heard by Phoenix, but the diversity of influence between the two songs proves what a talented band Phoenix are! So I highly recommend checking "Lisztomania" out, if you haven't already!
"Valleys of Neptune" by Jimi Hendrix: Interesting that both the song I began with AND ended with this time are "undiscovered" releases by dead rock stars! I almost held off on this one (it actually debuted last week), because it's just so darn weird having a Hendrix song on so many adult alt. stations. Guess there's a ringer every year, though (last year's was Depeche Mode's "Wrong", which also came out around February). Not that I have anything against Hendrix (after all, classic rock was my main musical love before I discovered adult alt. music), but most of his material seems a bit too heavy to be included on most adult alt. stations. What's even more perplexing is that "Valleys of Neptune" is no "Wind Cries Mary" or "Castles Made of Sand" - it sounds a bit more like a "faster" Hendrix track, like "Crosstown Traffic". Perhaps the stations that are playing this want to move beyond their standard fare of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam to show that they also have equal respect for those who influenced them. Could a new Led Zeppelin or Who track be far behind?!?
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