New songs for St. Patrick's Day 2021!

 Today's songs are the same amount of leaves you would count on a four-leaf clover (plus one!) Enjoy! Here they are:


"Be Sweet" by Japanese Breakfast: No, "Japanese Breakfast" is not the name of some obscure anime, and nor was it just a completely random name. The lead singer of the band IS Asian. However, she is from Korea, not Japan. She had chosen "Japanese" as the nationality for her band name since Japan is a better-known country to the Western world than Korea is. Their latest song, "Be Sweet," is exactly what its title suggests it is. It's a sweet song, with funky guitar riffs and a synthpop sound that sounds like it time traveled from "Back to the Future" into the actual future. More specifically, it is a very yearning song, in which lead singer, Michelle Zauner, states in a bubbly, irresistible singing voice that she "wants to believe" in the subject of the song after telling them to "be sweet." 

"Follow You" by Imagine Dragons: You should know by now that if Imagine Dragons come out with a new song, it's going to explode into popularity at some point or another. The sweet, chill sound of their latest song, "Follow You," is probably no exception to this category. Dan Reynolds and co also seem to know that not everyone who knows them likes them, the aspect of which is highlighted in the intro to "Follow You"'s self-deprecating music video, in which a young adult male is excited that his girlfriend has gotten The Killers to perform on his birthday...except, oops! She actually got Imagine Dragons, HER favorite band, to perform on his birthday instead. "I don't wanna hear these guys," her boyfriend states unenthusiastically, before Imagine Dragons launch into their latest hit song. While the song may be a bit lackluster to those who want "alternative rock" to actually sound alternative and rockin' again, at least those who aren't fans of the band's music can enjoy their humor! The video can be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3zimSRKqNw

"Open Up the Heavens" by Jade Bird: Probably the hardest-rockin' Jade Bird song so far, but certainly not her longest (ALL of her songs seem to clock in under three minutes). Many of the best-known and best loved women in rock, such as Stevie Nicks, Chrissie Hynde, and Patti Smith, seem to have inspired Jade in her latest song, "Open Up the Heavens," perhaps her first song not to have a hint of acoustic guitar at the forefront. Despite briefly resolving to major key and bright instrumentation during the chorus, "Open Up the Heavens" is a pretty angst-ridden song overall, typical of Jade's material. It's a bit more direct than most of her songs, though, confronting the subject of the song and asking them how it feels to be stood up by someone. The title of the song is only mentioned once, during the middle part of it, as a plea requesting the subject of the song to change their mind, while Jade is also fully aware that she will probably not get what she wants. 

"The Last Man on Earth" by Wolf Alice: The latest song from British alt-pop quartet, Wolf Alice, finds lead singer Ellie Roswell contemplating the selfish side of human nature, and why we feel this need to project our own experiences onto everything we see, feel, think, etc. Initially inspired by the Kurt Vonnegut quote, "Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God," Roswell alludes to the quote in the first verse of "The Last Man on Earth," and uses it as a springboard for the rest of the song to suggest that not everything is a "lesson from God" or whatever else you might think sounds profound or meaningful. Over a bittersweet piano ballad, Ellie achingly croons a brokenhearted melody which is actually trying to warn us NOT to see ourselves in her song, or to try to identify everything with our own experiences. Sounds challenging, doesn't it?!

"You Saw Me Coming" by Tom Petty: Petty's posthumously released "Leave Virginia Alone" from last fall was only a taste of the outtakes from his 1994 album, "Wildflowers." Where "Leave Virginia Alone" could be described as a laid back rocker, "You Saw Me Coming" is a more poignant song. Ex-Heartbreaker Benmont Tench even thought it was the perfect song to close out Wildflowers, with its sense of wistful longing. The original release of Wildflowers did close with a similarly bittersweet song called "Wake Up Time," but it hasn't been until now, almost half a decade after Tom Petty's departure from Earth, that we've been able to hear his underrated '94 masterpiece of an album the way it was supposed to. Better late than never, Tom!

New songs for October 7th, 2020

 here they are:


"Leave Virginia Alone" by Tom Petty: Rock legend Tom Petty left us three years ago, sadly, and his latest, "Leave Virginia Alone", was actually a song that was supposed to be on his 1994 album, "Wildflowers." Petty felt that the song sounded too similar to another he was already doing at the time, giving it away to Rod Stewart in the process of making this decision. Now, almost 25 years later, we finally get to hear "Leave Virginia Alone" the way it was meant to be heard. Not surprisingly, the song sounds very Petty-esque, and it probably wouldn't sound out of place as a Traveling Wilburys song either. "Virginia," in this case, is the name of a woman, and not the name of the state. The titular Virginia appears to be a sex, drugs, and rock & roll fiend on the fringes of society. Why does Petty want people to leave her alone? According to the lyrics, it's because "she's not like you and me." In other words, she's basically a societal rebel that doesn't want people to mess with her.

"Let Down" by Michigander: Michigander, who are, in fact, from Michigan, debuted late last year with the indie-folk-rock tune, "Misery," which was really anything but miserable. Similarly, "Let Down" is anything but a let down. The song has a bit more of a rock oriented sound that separates it from the band's previous single. It has a very mid-2000's indie-pop feel to it, as if The Killers were covering Arcade Fire's "Rebellion (Lies)." It combines the flashy, electric guitar dynamics of the former with the charging, B-flat piano of the latter. Perhaps the reason that "Let Down" sounds uplifting as opposed to melancholic is because lead singer, Jason Singer (yes, that's his actual name), says that song reflects on his tendencies to have big aspirations (only to have them torn down afterwards). He seems to be trying to offer his audience hope amidst a dismal time, like many singers and performers have done lately.


"Officer of Love" by Caamp: Ohio indie-folk quartet, Caamp, have had two hits on the adult alt charts so far with the energetic bluegrass influenced rocker, "Peach Fuzz" and the more purely bluegrass sound of "By And By." Their third Triple A single, "Officer of Love", appears to combine the two sounds, not unlike what groups like Buffalo Springfield and The Flying Burrito Brothers were doing decades ago. The song is basically a love song, but with somewhat quirky lyrics. The chorus of the song claims that its subject is an "officer of love" and that the lead singer will "obey her every word." Not every day that you hear references to law enforcement in a love song, is it?! The quaint charm of this song's sound combined with its outlandish lyrics seems to make it work somehow. 

New songs for February 19th 2020

here they are:


"Beautiful Faces" by Declan McKenna: Declan McKenna's surprisingly catchy debut song, "Brazil", from 2016, got a lot of attention from alt and adult alt radio stations when it was first released. It seemed as though all Declan had to do was make a Britpop influenced earworm with slight hints of techno-pop influence, and he had himself a winner of a song! "Beautiful Faces" uses the same formula, and once again, it really seems to work in his favor! Looking through the YouTube comments section of the song's video, "Beautiful Faces" doesn't seem to have a single bad comment! "Beautiful Faces" is a bit heavier on the techno-pop influence than "Brazil" was, but other than that, Declan uses the same basic musical ingredients for this song as he did for that one...and once again, I must say, it really works in his favor!


"Who's Gonna Love Me Now?" by Cold War Kids: This song marks the first time, to my knowledge, that Cold War Kids have tried out a more blues-y rock and roll style, although not without their trademark piano as a base for it. I guess Nathan Willett got tired after awhile of being "Mr. Sensitive" because this song shows a more gutsy, raw side to the CWK catalog that they haven't really tried before. CWK are not normally a band I'd call "spicy", but in this song, they are! Wanna know what the best part is? It actually works! And it just might win them a whole new audience in the 2020's!


"Wreckless Abandon" by The Dirty Knobs: Rock and roll experienced a major loss in 2017 with the sad, unexpected passing of Tom Petty. Thankfully, he's not the only Heartbreaker who recorded a song. Heartbreakers member Benmont Tench, for instance, had a minor adult alt radio hit in 2014 with "Blonde Girl, Blue Dress". Now, it's Heartbreaker Mike Campbell's turn up at bat. His side project, The Dirty Knobs, have the roots-iest, bluesiest, and longest song in today's blog with "Wreckless Abandon"! The song's purposely misspelled title fits perfectly with what it has to offer! There is plenty of (w)reckless abandon in this song, mixing Keith Richards styled guitar licks with the Heartland rock sound of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. Wreck on...I mean rock on!!

New songs for February 27th 2019

here they are:


"Beloved" by Mumford and Sons: If you thought Mumford and Sons' Fall 2018 hit, "Guiding Light", harkened back to their original sound, then you're in for a real treat with "Beloved", which sounds even more like a "Babel" outtake than "Guiding Light" did! The song hovers closer to folk-rock than it does alt-pop, like the early M & S songs, and the poetic and nearly Shakespearean content of "Beloved"'s lyrics is a nice way to welcome fans back into the M & S circle. A few lyrics of the song are what some might call "ambiguously Christian" ("She says the Lord has a plan/but admits it's pretty hard to understand"), but it's not that different than most of the other Mumford and Sons lyrics that straddle the line between religious sincerity and the doubt that gives such songs "indie cred." The only real disappointing part is when they add more synthetic instrumentation in the middle, but on the whole, that does not ruin what is otherwise a fantastic song!


"Boom" by X Ambassadors: "Boom" is a song that last for just 2 and a half minutes and whose title is just 4 letters, but that does not stop it from being an aptly explosive song! This might just be the first X Ambassadors song to rely more on bass than it does on guitar (though you can hear some funky guitar licks during the chorus). "Renegades", "Unsteady" and "Ahead of Myself" all focused on acoustic guitar, and "Low Life" was an unusually blues-y electric guitar song, which gives "Boom" distinction among the other songs in X Ambassadors' catalog. The lyrics are pretty simplistic ("my feet go boom boom boom/my heart beats boom boom boom", etc.), but that doesn't stop "Boom" from being a catchy song!


"Clap Your Hands" by Galactic: Blues and jazz influence are defining features of Galactic's music. They are still present on their latest song, "Clap Your Hands", but they seem to be heading in more of a pop music direction than their previous efforts have suggested here. Thankfully they haven't completely shifted gears. There is still plenty for old school R & B fans and fans of New Orleans jazz to get out of "Clap Your Hands". Fitting for the title of the song, "Clap Your Hands" does contain a lot of clapping, which is probably what gives it more of a pop flavor than most Galactic songs have, but the band are still as jammin' as ever in this one!


"For Real" by Tom Petty: Legends never die! Last summer, a posthumous Petty song was released called "Keep A Little Soul", which sounded like a rock song from the early '80s because that's essentially what it was: an outtake of a previously unreleased Tom Petty song from the '80s. "For Real" sounds like it was done a bit later, and has a bit less of a rock and roll factor than "Keep A Little Soul" did, but it has nevertheless been soaring up the adult alt radio charts within a little over a week. "For Real" is a song that seems to reflect on Tom Petty's life and career in a very poignant manner. The fact that it sounds like a more recent song might be because that's what it probably is. Petty died 2 years ago, and this is more than likely one of the last songs he ever recorded. There seems to be a painfully sad self awareness that Petty has about the last moments of his life in "For Real", which can be compared to other recent post-mortem rock songs like David Bowie's "Lazarus" and The Cranberries' "All Over Now".


"Jingle And Go" by Ryan Bingham: Ryan Bingham is known for his country/folk sounding songs, like "The Weary Kind", but the songs of his that make the biggest impression on me contain a bit more of a rock and roll sound, like the frantic "Heart of Rhythm" and the Tom Petty-esque "Radio". On "Jingle And Go", Ryan seems to take a cue or two from The Rolling Stones circa the late '60s/early '70s. Imagine Mick Jagger's famous rock group with more of a country-rock sound, and you've pretty much got "Jingle And Go" in a nutshell. Eclectic rock guitarist Charlie Sexton provides "Jingle And Go" with its freewheelin' rock and roll sound.


"Ruby" by Strand of Oaks: Strand of Oaks' lead singer, Timothy Showalter, claims that "Ruby" is the happiest song he's ever written! That's pretty something coming from someone who did angst filled songs like "Goshen '97" and "Radio Kids". "Ruby" does not contain any angst at all, and is the softest song so far in Strand of Oaks' catalog. Ruby is also not the name of a person, but a personification of Showalter's past. The song seems to be a yearning for nostalgia for the most part. Given how jaded Strand of Oaks' material usually sounds, the song provides a much needed breath of fresh air the band has probably needed for quite a while now!

New songs for October 17th, 2018

here they are:


"I'd Rather Go Blind" by Grace Potter: Grace Potter has zigzagged through the years between folk, blues, rock, and pop. Perhaps she's always been a blues-woman at heart, though, and there's proof of this in her Muscle Shoals produced cover of Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind". Grace pours her heart and soul out on this cover, which would make both Etta James and Bonnie Raitt proud. Unlike Etta's version, Grace's take on this blues classic runs for a full 5 minutes, proving just how passionate she is about this song!


"Walls" by The Lumineers: Another cover for the only other song of the week, this time one of the late, great, Tom Petty. "Ho Hey" might be a far cry from, say, "Refugee", but "Walls" is one of the softer, more roots-y songs in Petty's catalog, so it's fitting for The Lumi's to pay tribute to Petty like this. Once again, even after 6 years in the music biz, The Lumi's STILL haven't compromised their folk-rock for techno-pop, making them tried and true survivors of the indie-folk scene. I need only for someone like Leon Bridges to cover Aretha Franklin now that she has passed on, and my life will be complete!

New songs for July 18th 2018

here they are:


"Keep A Little Soul" by Tom Petty: The last song Tom Petty had a hit with on adult alt radio stations before he departed to Rock and Roll Heaven was "Forgotten Man". Petty might be gone, but he certainly isn't forgotten, and his latest song to be released (actually an outtake from 1982), "Keep A Little Soul", shows just how much his fans have remembered him! The song certainly sounds like a vintage Petty tune, and would probably fit right into an album of his from the olden days, like "Damn the Torpedoes". "Keep A Little Soul" is an optimistic song, as its title implies. The message is simple. Just keep a little soul, as Petty says, and nothing else will matter. A short message, but a powerful one nonetheless!


"Nobody" by Mitski: There's something both nostalgic and futuristic about "Nobody", the debut song from Japanese-American musician, Mitski. It plays out like a Bjork song with Tori Amos-esque pianos. The lyrics to "Nobody" are just as intriguing as its music. "My God, I'm so lonely", Mitski pines during the song's opening verse, "So I open the window to hear sounds of people". In the lines that follow that one, she sings, "Venus, planet of love, was destroyed by global warming", echoing a popular speculation about the planet to the left of us, and then she wonders, "Did its people want too much?" From those lyrics alone, you can tell Mitski's music is far more than mere "ear candy", and is instead music that makes you both think and listen. The way the song meanders to somewhat unpredictable melodies throughout gives me hope for music of the future. I guess there's still a way to make "new" genres and sub-genres after all!


"Tidal Wave" by Portugal. The Man: After around 7 years under the radar, it seems as though Portugal. The Man just can't escape "Feel It Still" fever (the song even became my # 1 song of last year!!) The two other songs from the same album (this song and "Live In the Moment") are almost as catchy, though, so clearly PTM WANTED to appeal to the masses (as far as I can tell, anyway). "Tidal Wave" takes on a pop flavor with reggae rhythms and jazzy horns. It's no "Feel It Still", but it's a bit better than "Live In the Moment" due to its R & B influences (a popular factor in PTM's music). When PTM's lead singer sings about being "hit like a tidal wave" during the chorus, it seems quite apt for a song that will probably hit all its listeners like a tidal wave!


"Tonight Tonight" by Mondo Cozmo: Not to be confused for the Smashing Pumpkins song of the same name, "Tonight Tonight" combines the best of both worlds for Mondo Cozmo. That is to say, it takes the acoustic guitar sound that made "Shine" so memorable and mixes it with the more indie-pop flavored sound of their other songs. Come to think of it, "Automatic" and "Plastic Soul" didn't really have guitar at all in them from what I could tell, so the use of the instrument in "Tonight Tonight" is quite a welcome return to form. This might just be the catchiest song Mondo Cozmo have done so far, actually, as their other songs aren't quite this upbeat. It has echoes of other uber-catchy indie-pop tunes, like "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" by Foster the People. Also, since Mondo Cozmo's lead singer says "tonight" four times during the chorus, it should be called "Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight" to avoid confusion with both The Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight Tonight" and Genesis' "Tonight Tonight Tonight".

New songs for April 6th, 2016

here they are:


"Can't Let You Do It" by Eric Clapton: In recent years (roughly since this blog started up, actually) Eric Clapton has been successful at escaping soppy love ballads like "Wonderful Tonight" and returning back to his blues-y roots. The guitar legend's latest tune, "Can't Let You Do It", is yet another of his blues-rock songs. It has rockin' riffs and a funky backbeat to boot! In some respects, it almost sounds like a more rock-oriented version of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", as both songs share a similar rhythmic pattern and are also both in the key of E.


"Handclap" by Fitz and The Tantrums: How did Fitz and The Tantrums go from Motown revivalists to alt-pop chart-toppers?! That may be a question that nobody knows the answer to! What I do know, however, is that FATT's latest song, "Handclap", does have one thing in common with pretty much all the songs in their catalog. It's catchy! The title alone seems to indicate this, but once you get into the song and hear the chorus, which contains both actual hand clapping and the words "I can make your hands clap", you probably won't be able to get it out of your head (or out of your feet!) This song, to quote another recent hit song, is "all about that bass". The actual bass, that is. The thumping of the bass pretty much defines this song, a song which could be said to be the missing link between Gorillaz and Gwen Stefani.


"Trailer" by Mudcrutch: Tom Petty's old backing group before The Heartbreakers, in case you were wondering who Mudcrutch was. In spite of this, Mudcrutch never had a successful album until 2008, spawning two adult alt radio hits with "Scare Easy" and a cover of The Byrds' "Lover of the Bayou". Why it's taken them 8 years to record a followup album is anyone's guess, but better late than never. If Mudcrutch had any songs under their belt before their albums got released that sounded simliar to their known material, it could be the reason behind why some of Petty's biggest hits, such as "American Girl" and "The Waiting", have a bit of a Byrds-y sound, as a lot of Mudcrutch's songs sound combines the jangle of The Byrds' material with the more ragged, roots-y sound of Neil Young. "Trailer" is pretty much more of the same from Mudcrutch, more roots and more jangle. It is perhaps worth noting, though, that this song is also full of harmonica solos, which weren't heard in "Scare Easy" or "Lover of the Bayou".

New songs for June 17th 2015

here they are:


"Dreams" by Beck: After two melancholy singles (and an entirely melancholy album), Beck has now decided to up the energy on his tunes once again, musically channeling both David Byrne and Prince in the process! Don't be fooled by the song's "dream"-y title, heheh. Most songs with the title "Dreams" are rather bittersweet (I'm looking at you, Fleetwood Mac and Cranberries). This one is most certainly not. It's basically funk from outer space. It's like someone went to the moon and put a dance floor there! Forget about walking on the moon. It's time for bouncin' and bumpin' on the moon, now!


"Let It Happen" by Tame Impala: Even MORE funk from outer space!! This time, the "space" factor is increased in this 7-minute sprawl of a song from the same guys who brought you the Black Keys-meets-Pink Floyd jam, "Elephant". "Let It Happen" is an apt title for Tame Impala's latest song, as that is exactly what they do here! They just "let it happen". Whatever goes, goes! Fade-ins, fade-outs. Rock 'n' roll, disco, dance, funk, jazz...it's all here! Get ready for a wild ride!


"Somewhere Under Heaven" by Tom Petty: Our last song of the week isn't funky or weird, but it still rocks! After all, this IS a Tom Petty song. Specifically, this one rocks in the same way Petty might have during the '80s, with its similarity to some of the more jangly, Byrds-y Petty tracks like "The Waiting". I strongly suspected this was an outtake from one of his '80s albums, but it's actually from a decade later. It's a "missing" track from his mid-'90s album, "Wildflowers". This song kinda sounds like what you might expect to hear from a song with the word "heaven" in its title. It shimmers and sparkles throughout with its shiny, glistening wall of Rickenbacker guitars. Enough to satisfy both the mellower and rougher sides of Petty's catalog!

New songs for September 10th, 2014

here they are:


"Budapest" by George Ezra: He might not be from Budapest (he's British), but George Ezra's song about the capital of Hungary is still a song that grabs your attention just from the first listen! "Budapest" combines the world music influenced rhythmic patterns of later Paul Simon songs with the more galloping acoustic rhythm of Mumford and Sons. As neo-folk-rock is becoming more and more in demand these days, it's no wonder George Ezra's rise to stardom has climaxed so quickly! "Give me one good reason that I should never make a change", Ezra demands during the chorus. I'm with Ezra, personally. He should make a change, stylistically, as many musicians do, so I can see just how capable and diverse his musical range is. Some folks might sound better than Ezra (including Better than Ezra), but he's still worth listening to for the moment.


"Forgotten Man" by Tom Petty: In less than three minutes, Petty proves that he can really rock no matter how little time he has, with "Forgotten Man"! The song opens with a Bo Diddley shuffle and Chuck Berry licks, and it continues to use them both throughout. Not too many chords are used in the song, either. Petty might be complaining that he "feels like a forgotten man" during the song, but it's pretty much impossible to forget a song like this one! Sometimes, simple is best!!


"Happy Idiot" by TV on the Radio: If "love will tear us apart", as Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis coldly claimed almost three and a half decades ago, then what is there left to do afterwards?! Well, according to TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, the answer to that is to be a "happy idiot". The chords, atmosphere, and lyrics of "Happy Idiot" all owe a lot to Joy Division. "Happy Idiot" is an icy, brutally honest song about how retreating to idiocy can be a way of escaping the harsh reality of certain situations. In this particular case, the other TVOTR members are probably using this song to grieve over how their original bassist, Gerard Smith, died last year. It almost seems eerie that the word "idiot" and the Joy Division influence in the song can serve as a potential parallel to how Iggy Pop's similarly titled album, "The Idiot", was the last album that Joy Division's Ian Curtis listened to due to the fact that he hung himself after putting it on. Isn't music history fascinating?!


"Home (Leave the Lights On)" by Field Report: Folk-rock group, Field Report, seemed like they had one of the saddest, most beautiful songs of 2012, with the stark "I Am Not Waiting Anymore". The fact that no other songs from their debut CD got any attention led me to believe that Field Report were pretty much destined for one-hit wonder status. Two summers later, it appears as though I've been proven wrong with the release of Field Report's "Home (Leave the Lights On)", the bouncy sound of which shines like a glimmer of hope next to the more bittersweet "I Am Not Waiting Anymore". With "Home", Field Report actually sound more like a band, as opposed to sounding like one person posing as a band. A rhythm section is added in, and it sounds like there are two different guitars being used as well. Field Report probably kept their original fanbase in mind, though, as "Home" still sounds as poignant as ever.

New songs for June 18th, 2014

here they are:


"Just One of the Guys" by Jenny Lewis: The Rilo Kiley frontwoman's latest song is a piece of alt-country melancholia, centering around how she feels regret for how she just can't be "one of the guys" no matter how hard she tries. The titular phrase could be interpreted in one of two ways. It could refer to how she always feels like a female in a crowd full of males, or it could refer to how she doesn't feel like an individual even though she wants to be seen as one ("guys", in this case, would simply mean "people", referring to both genders). The second part of the chorus states that she also feels regretful about not having an open mind. The irony about the statements in this song are that she is incredibly individual, she usually blends in successfully with men (I particularly like it when she collaborates with Elvis Costello, which she has done a few times by now), and that she (as far as I know) does have an open mind. Is this a song of true regret, or just four minutes of sarcasm disguised as a lonesome country-rock song?! Perhaps we'll never know!


"Rent I Pay" by Spoon: It's been about four years since the indie-pop/rock quintet known as Spoon last released an album. Their simple but quirky name goes well with their musical style, which is also simple but quirky, influenced equally by rock, pop, and folk, with a dash of Elton John/Billy Joel-esque piano-pop thrown in there on occasion. Spoon's latest song, "Rent I Pay", almost seems like their attempt at trying to be The Rolling Stones, with its main riff sounding somewhat like a slowed down version of "Street Fighting Man". The lyrics, though, are pure Spoon. I mean honestly, would you expect Mick Jagger to have lyrics like, "that's the rent I pay/like my brother say"? Probably not. But such offbeat lyrics would seem pretty typical for a guy like Britt Daniel!


"Slow Motion" by Phox: Monica Martin is a black woman who leads an indie-folk-rock group!! Not every day you come across that! The instrumentation of "Slow Motion", the debut song from her band, Phox, is also something unusual, even by indie standards. In the beginning of the song, you think you're gonna get a bluegrass song, but it quickly turns into something that comes off as a cross between Florence & The Machine and The Kopecky Family Band. Top it all off with a clarinet solo in the middle, and a section towards the end with a slight reggae influence, and you've basically got a tasty indie-pop stew on your hands! "Everything I do, I do in slow motion", Monica sings during the chorus. An apt description for the song, but the eclectic mix of sounds chosen for the song seem like they were done in anything but slow motion!



"U Get Me High" by Tom Petty: Doesn't it bother you when musicians release one single off their new album one week, and then the VERY NEXT WEEK they release ANOTHER one?! Well, it bothers me!! This is exactly what Tom Petty did with his latest album, "Hypnotic Eye". "American Dream Plan B" was released last week, and now we have "U Get Me High". Not exactly as forceful and driving as "American Dream Plan B", but rest assured, "U Get Me High" is still good. It sounds a bit like something Petty might have done circa the mid '90s, using rock 'n' roll guitars with a mid-tempo drumbeat. This song may or may not be about drugs, as it is equally likely to be about a girl he's in love with, who gives him "something so deep". There's only one other complaint I have about this song, aside from its earlier than expected release date, and that is that eye don't no Y Tom Petty chose 2 have the letter "U" in the title of the song instead of the pronoun "you", with its proper spelling. Seriously, what did he have 2 do that 4?

Songs from A to Z!

From Tom Petty's action-packed anthem "American Dream Plan B", to the zephyrean zen of Conor Oberst's "Zigzagging Towards the Light", we've got 'em all! Here they are:


"American Dream Plan B" by Tom Petty: Is there a better way to start out this week's blog than with a solid, rockin' tune like Tom Petty's "American Plan B"?! I don't think so! One of the greatest advantages Tom Petty has over fellow "heartland rockers", like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, is that Petty typically seems to stick to rock 'n' roll music more than they do, instead of switching between rock and folk/country. Apparently, this time around, Petty wanted his entire album to have a no-frills rock sound, from start to finish. That being said, "American Dream Plan B" brings his newest album, "Hypnotic Eye" off to a great start!


"Out On the Street" by Spanish Gold: This marks the second time that a member of My Morning Jacket has joined a supergroup, the first of whom was lead singer, Jim James, with his side project, Monsters of Folk. This time, MMJ drummer Patrick Hallahan takes a swing at joining a supergroup, along with Dante Schwebel from Canadian indie-folk/rock group, City and Colour, and Adrian Quesada from Grupo Fantasma. Though two thirds of the group started out as folkies, their song "Out On the Street" doesn't fit that description, and is instead a rather soulful number that sounds remarkably like "Somebody's Watching Me" by '80s one-hit wonder and R & B musician, Rockwell. The coincidence in sound to that song is not accidental, as the members of Spanish Gold wanted their sound to recall the R & B and early hip-hop music of the 1980's, since all three of them grew up watching MTV during the first couple of years the channel was on the air.


"The Line" by Phish: And here we have yet another soulful, slinky, jazzy track, albeit in a more mellow, blissed out mood, typical of Phish. At least it SEEMS like a typical Phish song until you realize that the song is actually about a basketball player! Not exactly a common subject among post-hippie jam bands, but apparently the members of Phish were big fans of basketball player, Darius Washington, Jr., so they decided to dedicate a song to him. The song is written from the perspective of a basketball player whose destiny hangs in the balance (or "the line", hence the title of the song). I'm the last person you'd ever want to have join a basketball team, but I still appreciate this song.


"Zigzagging Towards the Light" by Conor Oberst: You've gotta love the title of this song!! It uses both an unusual letter and an unusual word beginning with the letter, and adding "towards the light" after the first word of the title makes it sound poetic! The song is a laid back, roots-y folk tune with a rock 'n' roll undercurrent, almost like a long, lost Traveling Wilburys song. The title is not the only poetic lyric in the song. It is full of cosmic sounding metaphors and descriptions, actually, like "my mind's a weathervane, it spins around just like a top", "it forms a figure eight, and goes on for eternity", and "I fly by interstate across a purple mountain range". So basically, "Zigzagging Towards the Light" is the tale of a dissatisfied youth product of bohemian pop culture trying to search for the meaning of life through dream-like descriptions of his surroundings. It's like Kerouac's "On the Road" set to music!

new songs for July 28th, 2010

here they are:

"Do You Love Me?" by Guster: Not to be confused with the early '60s R & B song by The Contours of the same name, but still a great song! It's Guster, after all, and I was pretty jazzed to hear that they were releasing a new album after FOUR YEARS!! They still have that charmingly folk-rock-y sound they started with a little over a decade ago in "Do You Love Me?", which is built around a C major chord with the third fret played on the thinner E string (see also Foo Fighters' "Big Me" and The Beatles' "Getting Better"). Guster seem to have a reputation for sunny, summery melodies, but this song seems to take the cake more than their previous works for it! I am already in love with this song, and it seems adult alt. radio is too, with its rocketing up the Triple-A charts from down in the 100's all the way up to the 30's within ONE DAY!! Here's to wishing nothing but the best for Guster in 2010!

"High In the Morning" by Tom Petty: It only seems fitting for Petty, a huge fan of both Bob Dylan and blues-ier rock like The Rolling Stones, to have a song that combines the general vibes of both artists. Specifically, the Dylan that he evokes on "High In the Morning" is similar to that of "Highway 61 Revisited" with its bluesy instrumentation coming from both electric guitars and organs. With the smoky flavor of this song and the Led Zeppelin-y stomp of "I Should Have Known It", it's no wonder Tom Petty chose to call his latest album "Mojo" (as in "Got My Mojo Workin'", a classic Muddy Waters blues tune). Rock on, Petty!

"Let Go" by Everest: The comparisons I have found to Everest tend to be to roots-rock influenced indie rockers such as Blitzen Trapper and Wilco. With "Let Go" being the first song I've heard from Everest, I don't understand these comparisons, as its sound seems to be much closer to Modest Mouse, with a slightly more neo-psychedelic bent than MM typically have. The chord structure in this song reminds me a lot of Modest Mouse's "Float On", even though that song was built around C sharp major, and "Let Go" seems to veer between E major and G sharp minor. Though "Let Go" might not be the most original indie rock song of 2010, it's certainly worth listening to!

new songs for May 12th, 2010

three of 'em this time. Enjoy!

"Anchor" by Alejandro Escovedo: Alejandro Escovedo is one of those alt-country artists (think Old '97s, early Wilco, etc.) who proudly wears his classic rock influences on his sleeve. His previous single from 2008, "Always A Friend", even had a live version with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band backing him up on it! The follow-up single from his 2008 album, "Sister Lost Soul" was a bit weaker, emotionally, to me, so I didn't know what to expect for Alejandro's latest effort, "Anchor". Thankfully, he has once again cranked up his amp on this one, a la Neil Young! Perhaps Alejandro is one of those musicians whose "electric" songs are actually better. Keep up the good work!

"Bushwick Blues" by Delta Spirit: Yet another band who hasn't made a record since 2008 (it's like 2008 all over again this year!!) Delta Spirit were one of those bands who were indie even AMONG indie audiences. They did manage to score a hit on adult alt. stations that year with the sunny, catchy, '70s pop-rock-styled "Trashcan" (and a modest one with the slightly more indie-leaning "People C'mon"), but they still haven't gotten as much recognition in the indie rock world as much as, say, Spoon, Death Cab for Cutie, Wilco, or even slightly lesser-known bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, for that matter. "Bushwick Blues" has a bit less of a "retro" feel than either of the other two songs I know by Delta Spirit, so hopefully this will make them more well-known to indie audiences. It comes off sounding like a cross between Spoon and The Strokes, and it ends up with a musical flavor that's more unique than either of them!

"I Should Have Known It" by Tom Petty: Is this the year for classic rock comebacks or what?! The Stones and Hendrix have already landed songs on adult alt. (and mainstream rock) radio this year (as has Johnny Cash, though I'm not sure if everyone would count him as "classic rock" - he kinda predates it in my opinion). Petty has managed to, surprisingly, make what could be the most hardest rocking of all these songs with "I Should Have Known It", with its nearly Led Zeppelin-y stomp (not to mention the faster pace and epic guitar soloing at the end of it!) Petty hasn't rocked out this hard since "Runnin' Down A Dream" in '89, and "I Should Have Known It" has more of a juicy, spicy feel than that song. Petty has long been a staple of adult alt. stations, but although this song is no "Free Fallin'" or "I Won't Back Down", they haven't shyed away from this one. With the inclusion of this song and the Stones and Hendrix songs, I'm thinking 2010 will go down in adult alt. radio history as the year such stations got more "edgy"!!