New songs for May 19th, 2021

 here they are:


"Down" by St. Vincent: After her success on adult alt radio stations with the Prince/Bowie-esque "Pay Your Way in Pain," Annie "St. Vincent" Clark continues with work influenced by the two aforementioned eclectic electro-funk-rock masters. "Down" also showcases a Prince/Bowie influence, albeit with one factor that distinguishes it from all other St. Vincent songs that have come out so far. "Down" makes distinctive use of the sitar, as well as the Vocoder (the voicebox thingy Peter Frampton is known for using, which has gained prominent use in funk-rock as well). With all these unique, flavorful elements combined, "Down" sounds anything BUT down, and puts St. Vincent in a place that is too outer space-y to be the past, but too retro to be the future! Far out!

"Motorbike" by Leon Bridges: And speaking of funk music, Leon Bridges is another contemporary musician who has explored the influence of funk in his own sweet way. He started with a record that was a throwback to soul masters like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, followed that up with a sophomore album exploring more sides of the R & B spectrum, including jazz, funk, and even folk-soul, and now, with a third album on the way, we get to hear Leon exploring...pop-reggae?! "Motorbike" seems to head in that direction, and it is also notable for being Leon's first guitar-less track (if there IS any guitar in it at all, it's barely audible). It's still soul music, as all of Leon's music has been so far, but something feels a little out of place about this one. For one thing, he has enlisted the help of fellow neo-soul musician, Anderson Paak, on this one, and I've never been particularly thrilled with Anderson's style the way I have with Leon's. 

"Worry With You" by Sleater-Kinney: It was only two years ago that the fiercely defiant alt-rock duo, Sleater-Kinney, last released an album. However, with the major changes that came afoot the year after, the sentiments expressed in some of their last songs, such as the passionate yet sexually desperate "Hurry on Home," already seem like the products of a bygone era! Their latest song, "Worry With You," could be thought of as a "sequel" of sorts to that song: still spiky, intense, and sexually driven, yet somewhat more subdued, both musically and lyrically, and with the acknowledgment that love life (and life in general) has become more difficult to manage within the space of just a few years. Here, they are not merely looking for someone to spend a naughty night in the nude with, but are instead seeking a more solid form of companionship with someone whom they can feel comfortable mulling over the future with while still trying to enjoy the sparse pleasures of the present. A slightly blues-y garage rock influence on this one, but as usual, this dynamic duo gives it their all! 

New songs for August 7th 2019

here they are:


"Baptise Me" by Robert Randolph and The Family Band: Not to be confused with "Baptize Me" from the "Book of Mormon" musical, there is something rather spiritual about the latest song from blues-rocker, Robert Randolph. Unlike BOM's "Baptize Me", "Baptise Me" doesn't contain any sexual metaphors. Instead, it's a sincere plea from Robert Randolph to be made into someone who is more closely anointed with God. This song does exactly what it aims to do. It uplifts the spirits, regardless of one's personal worldview. It has often been said that rock and roll was rooted from the blues. Robert Randolph brings the two genres into holy matrimony here, full stop!


"Can I Go On?" by Sleater-Kinney: This song is probably a bit more pop than what Sleater-Kinney's fans are used to. That is, until Annie Clark (St. Vincent)'s guitar kicks in and gives what seems to be an upbeat, pleasant pop song more of an edge. The lyrics are pure Sleater-Kinney, though, as cutting and gritty as ever. One thing that is noticeably different about the lyrics of "Can I Go On?" is how its target is not a person(s), but a machine. A group of machines, to be more precise, that are closing off the way we used to communicate with one another. Thankfully, music still remains our greatest tool of communication, as illustrated in this song!


"Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile" by The New Pornographers: At 7 words long, this sounds more like the title of a Panic! At the Disco song than it does a New Pornographers song title! Its sound, however, is pure New Pornographers, particularly during the chorus of the song. It hearkens back to the power pop sound most NP's albums have, which was lacking in their previous post-punk/new wave influenced album, "Whiteout Conditions". The lyrics don't seem to mean much of anything, but this seems pretty typical of a band whose other song titles include such oddities as "Sing Me Spanish Techno" and "Brill Bruisers" (not to mention A.C. Newman's solo adult alt radio hit, "Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns"). Like an indie-rock Fleetwood Mac, the male and female vocals of A.C. Newman and Neko Case, respectively, harmonize well with one another on this song and both play important roles in it. Neko shines particularly brightly during the song's chorus.


"Hold You Down" by X Ambassadors: X Ambassadors debut album from 2015 was marked by the energetic, catchy, "Renegades" being followed by the more bittersweet "Unsteady". It seems the band has taken a similar course for the first two singles they've released for 2019. X Ambassadors had a surprisingly rocking, super catchy smash hit with "Boom" in spring of this year, and now they've decided to mellow out a bit and show their more sensitive side with "Hold You Down". While it doesn't tug at the heartstrings near as heavily as "Unsteady" did, "Hold You Down" is still a sweet, romantic tune with a chorus that reassures the lead singer's love interest that "when there's no one left to hold (her)" he will still "hold (her) down". A nice song to listen to on a romantic beach trip once the sun starts to set!


"Peach Fuzz" by Caamp: The band's weird name (probably pronounced like "camp") is as unique as its sound. Well, maybe not THAT unique, but it's certainly a neat combo of sounds! It wouldn't be out of place to describe their debut song, "Peach Fuzz", as being like The Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" mixed with Ray LaMontagne's "Supernova". Caamp's lead singer even seems to have Ray LaMontagne's husky vocals! "Peach Fuzz" is a love song, though a bit of an odd one, in which the lead singer describes himself as a "peach fuzz boy". Uhhh...what?!


"Summer Girl" by Haim: Interesting that both this song and the previous one have brought about Lou Reed comparisons. This one bears resemblance to Lou's biggest chart hit, "Walk On the Wild Side". It contains a similar bass line and a similar sax riff as well. After hearing the sunny, Fleetwood Mac-ish pop/rock of "The Wire" and the more plaintive indie-folk-pop of "Want You Back", it's a welcome change of pace to hear the all-sister trio, Haim, take on something more jazzy and soulful. Between the upbeat vibes of the song and a video that ends with the three girls revealing how they look in bathing suit tops (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjuA_o6Jzyo), you would think this song would be celebratory, when in fact it really isn't. "I'm your summer girl" is not just a mere declaration of romance from lead singer Danielle Haim, but words of reassurance that she would tell her producer, to whom she was and is romantically linked, during a time when he was suffering from cancer. This is proof of just how powerful music can be!



"Supply And Demand" by Wilder Woods: I was never a fan of William Stanley "Bear" Rinehart's band, Needtobreathe, who combined the sweeter yet blander side of '00s folk-pop with Christian rock lyrical themes. However, Bear has redeemed himself with his side project, Wilder Woods, and their surprisingly soulful song, "Supply And Demand". The song sounds so much like an early '70s soul song that I would have never guessed that a white South Carolinian man from a post-millennial band did this song! Even the lyrics of this song, revolving around passionate and soul-baring love making, seem like they wouldn't be out of place in a band like The Delfonics, The Stylistics, or The Chi-Lites. This is a great song to get your groove on with!

New songs for June 5th 2019

here they are:


"Calm Down" by Pete Yorn: Pete Yorn released an album in 2009 that yielded three adult alt radio hits with "Don't Wanna Cry", "Last Summer", and "Paradise Cove". I would not have anticipated that exactly one decade later he'd still be doin' stuff in the music biz. Yorn's career has gone on for almost 20 years now, and his latest song, "Calm Down" seems to combine the best of the moody, introspective folk-rock he went for in the 2000's with the more indie-pop direction he seemed to take in the 2010's. The keyboards in "Calm Down" give it a pop-y aspect, but the melancholy folk-rock guitars remind me of why I fell in love with Pete Yorn's music way back in 2001 when he debuted! I loved the bittersweet flavor of his breakthrough song, "Strange Condition", and it looks like with "Calm Down", Pete has finally found his way back to doing what he was so great at doing in the first place. Welcome back, Pete!


"Chevrolet Van" by The Nude Party: This song is not as glam-rock as their debut single, "Feels Alright", but it still sounds retro. This time, The Nude Party are going for a Bob Dylan sound, circa the mid '60s when Dylan "went electric". Much like Dylan, the lyrics to "Chevrolet Van" seem oblique yet somewhat caustic as well. Hard to believe this is the same band who did "Feels Alright", one of the hardest rocking songs of 2019 to hit the adult alt airwaves. "Chevrolet Van" is a much more mellow song, but still one that feels like it might still have some edge in terms of its lyrical content.


"Gotta Get to Know Ya" by Seratones: For those who like a bit of sass in their rock and soul songs, "Gotta Get to Know Ya" might just be for you! The song seems a bit like what The Black Keys might be like if their lead singer was a black female, as opposed to a white male. That singer's name is AJ Haynes, and boy, does she deliver in this track! You know AJ means business when she says, "I know what I'm doin', baby, so don't f**k with me!" Wowzer! I guess I won't mess around with her! But still, she makes some mighty fine music that will keep both rock and roll and R & B chugging on into the next decade!


"Help Me Stranger" by The Raconteurs: Earlier this year, The Raconteurs pulled off a rare feat of getting two hit singles to hit the adult alt airwaves within a single day! A little less than half a year later, The Rac's are back with "Help Me Stranger". The song's vibe is much like their previous songs, with a blues-rock sound that's both roots-y and punchy, and equally blues-y lyrics like, "Help me, stranger. Brother can you spare the time?" being repeated many times during the song. "These 16 strings we're strumming will back up every line" might just be the best line in the song for a few reasons. For one, does this mean that Jack White and Brendan Benson are each playing guitars with EIGHT strings instead of six?! If so, I wanna see those! Second off, note the alliteration of "sixteen", "strings", and "strumming". Last but not least, the line does exactly what the band members are doing at that very moment. The action of the lyrics describe guitar playing accompanying the lyrics, and...well...that's exactly what they're doing!


"Hurry On Home" by Sleater-Kinney: The piercing electric guitar attack of indie darlings, Sleater-Kinney, is normally a lot more vicious and gritty than it is on their latest song, "Hurry On Home". However, rest assured, the song still has an edge of its own that will probably please their longtime fanbase. Instead of taking from punk rock like The Sex Pistols and Patti Smith, "Hurry On Home" takes more from post-punk like Siouxsie and The Banshees and Joy Division. Joy Division particularly comes to mind here with "Hurry On Home"'s combination of techno beats and angry, brooding guitars that never spiral out of control yet still seem on edge. Lead singer Corin Tucker's voice quakes with urgency as she sings the words of the song's title, as though she's expecting someone to clean up her emotional mess. One also senses both jealousy and spite when she claims she's "unlovable" and "unf**kable" midway through the song. (That's the second time I've used a word that I don't normally use in real life on this blog this week. How weird! Well, for me, that is...)


"Live Wire" by Sheryl Crow (featuring Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples): I get the sense that Sheryl has tired from the folk-pop/rock image that songs like "Soak Up the Sun" and just about every other song she did during the first 10 years of the millennium gave her. Within the past three or so years she's tried to escape that by getting back to her blues-rock roots with Gary Clark Jr., as well as her "alternative" roots with St. Vincent. "Live Wire" is yet another attempt, and quite a successful one, at that, for Sheryl to get in touch with her blues-rock roots, enlisting the help of legendary blues-y women who inspired her like Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples. The song has a very Bonnie Raitt-ish vibe to it, and since she is one of the three people featured on the track, it's not hard to see why. In addition to a theme of femininity, a theme of motherhood might also be present on "Live Wire". Sheryl has been greatly inspired by Bonnie Raitt, and Bonnie has been greatly inspired by Mavis, thus uniting three generations of blues and country inspired rock together. Sheryl has been a mother for quite some time now, so this might just be her way of passing down the wonderful gift of music to her own children!


"Losing Battles" by Josh Ritter: Much like "Old Black Magic" from earlier this year, "Losing Battles" is yet another Josh Ritter song that moves away from his folk-rock roots and goes more into scorching Southern rock territory. The lyrics to this one evoke Southern rock and roots-rock here as well. In "Losing Battles", Josh mentions Colorado and Tennessee. A lot of "road trip" rock songs, such as The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'", use names of states and cities to give their songs a distinctly roots-y feel, and it looks like that's what Josh is going for here on "Losing Battles". I mean, don't lyrics like, "Drifted down to Tennessee/Lost my girl to a heart of silver" sound like they wouldn't be too out of place in a song by a group like The Allman Brothers or The Black Crowes?! Well I'd say they do!


"When We Drive" by Death Cab for Cutie: Death Cab's latest album seems to be a trip back in time across alternative rock history. Their previous single, "Northern Lights", evoked both The Smiths and R.E.M. Death Cab's latest song, "When We Drive", seems somewhat inspired, musically, by David Bowie's "Heroes", with its spacey, pulsating guitar and synth combo droning dreamily in D major. This seems like the perfect song to listen to when you just want to stare out into space at the stars with your loved one, imagining you and that special someone drifting into outer space and uniting in the cosmos!