New songs for April 13th, 2022

 here they are:


"Change" by The War on Drugs: As per usual with The War on Drugs, their latest track, "Change," falls somewhere between prog-rock and '80s-era Springsteen, with a fair amount of jangly, harmonious Fleetwood Mac influence thrown in for good measure. Of course, what separates The War on Drugs from its nostalgic influences is how the lyrics of their songs have a jaded nature that distinctly takes place after punk and grunge took over music. "Change" exhibits this jaded nature even more than the usual WOD song. Even the title of the song, which comes from how it's "hard to make the change" that takes place after a relationship has ended, is not exactly on the optimistic side. 

"Clarity" by Vance Joy: "Clarity" marks a change in Vance Joy's music. It still contains acoustic guitar and horns like Vance's material usually does, but "Clarity" uses a marked rhythmic influence with percussion and bass that his stuff doesn't usually have. Not sure why the sudden change in style for Vance since the lyrics seem pretty typical of his material (someone who doesn't realize they love their now ex-partner until it's too late). Dan Wilson of Semisonic (best known for late '90s rock hit, "Closing Time") was the one who produced "Clarity" for Vance. Even Vance didn't like "Clarity" initially, under the impression that it sounded like more of a mainstream pop song than his usual material, but with Dan's encouragement, Vance released "Clarity," and now we have another side of Joy to enjoy. 

"Electrify My Love" by Mondo Cozmo: Mondo Cozmo will probably forever be defined by their mid-2010's folk-rock hit, "Shine," which was kind of a fluke hit for them considering the songs that have been released since by them, which have typically been more electro-pop. Their latest song, "Electrify My Love," also uses electro-pop influence, albeit with neo-psychedelic electric guitars during the chorus section. Another feature of this song that distinguishes it from other Mondo Cozmo songs is its 1-minute-and-17-second long intro. According to lead singer Joshua Ostrander, this stretchy intro is used in the song to lure the listener into a sense of calm before breaking into a more celebratory, party-like vibe afterwards. 

"Hard Drive Gold" by alt-J: The band name "alt-J" in and of itself is kind of quirky, and catchy alt-pop songs with quirky lyrics are pretty much how alt-J have defined their career so far. Their latest song, "Hard Drive Gold," is about a 15-year-old boy, presumably the lead singer, using cryptocurrency to become a millionaire in a short amount of time. The song isn't meant to be taken seriously, though. It's a little hard to take oddly specific tongue-in-cheek lyrics like "I then googled 'neoliberal'" with a straight face, after all.

"Same Team" by Alice Merton: Alice Merton seems like one of those musicians who will forever be remembered for her first hit the most, which was a catchy minor-key alt-pop number called "No Roots," in her case. She has released other material since then, though, one of the most compelling of which was the surprisingly intense "Vertigo," released during the height of the pandemic. "Same Team" continues with the themes of a challenging, fast-changing world that "Vertigo," but instead of being caught up in the heat of the moment, "Same Team" is a song that relies more on facing things that are now past events. Specifically, it deals with how Alice feels like she has been forced into situations with others who are supposedly on her "team," but who really bring her down and make her doubt her worth and herself. If you can't depend on your peers, who can you turn to?! This is a song that faces such issues head-on!

New songs for May 26th 2021

 Here they are:


"Famous Son" by Belle Mt.: With a mix of a crisp, acoustic, folk-pop sound and staccato guitar riffs and pulsating synths forming a new wave influenced sound, Belle Mt's "Famous Son" doesn't really add anything new under the sun, but it's a pleasant song to kick back to nonetheless (we've been needing some of those lately). The real charm of this song, though, is probably more within its lyrics. The title of the song is not mentioned until towards the end, when the lead singer sums up the song's the theme, which is that his father warned him not to be "famous, son." Too bad! With this song being an up-and-comer on adult alt radio stations, Belle Mt. ARE getting famous to a degree.

"I Need Some of That" by Weezer: Weezer first hit the airwaves in the '90s, but in "I Need Some of That," they set the dials back one decade earlier. Recalling big '80s rock hits like Asia's "Heat of the Moment," and just about any early Bryan Adams or Cars song, "I Need Some of That" indulges unashamedly in nostalgia for a decade during which I was only a baby! The song itself is about nostalgia, not only in sound, but in lyric as well! Rivers Cuomo even opens the song with, "Summertime. I press rewind," and we are transported back to a past when Back to the Future ruled the movie theaters. As if the song didn't have enough of a hammy '80s classic rock sound, Rivers even mentions listening to Aerosmith as part of the lyrics. Party on, Weezer!

"Like I Used To" by Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen: Two of the most progressive female singer/songwriters of the 2010's come together for the first time with a song that is bound to please anyone who enjoys melancholy indie-folk music! Like our previous entry, "Like I Used To" has a jones for nostalgia, but not of the same type. This nostalgia does not take place in a specific decade, but just any time in someone's life when they might have felt like the past was a simpler time than the present. The title of the song already makes this apparent, but listening to both the words they use to accompany the title ("falling in love like I used to," "lighting one up like I used to," etc.) and the sultry yet sad way the lyrics are delivered really drives the point home. Judging from the things they miss doing in the context of the song, Sharon and Angel probably want to go back to when they were either teens or very young adults, pining away for when sex, drugs, and...folk 'n' roll...held a mysterious allure, as opposed to a harmful aftertaste.

"Missing Piece" by Vance Joy: Contemporary folk-rocker, Vance Joy, tends to be popular among both alternative and adult alt radio stations whenever he releases something, but the use of his latest song, "Missing Piece," on Grey's Anatomy seemed to contribute to his most recent wave of success within just a matter of days! Though I've never been a fan of medical dramas (or most dramas, for that matter), I must say that someone who works on the show must be pretty cool if they selected his music to be on the show! Onto the song itself, though, it's a very yearning one, as per usual for Vance, but in a way he hasn't really done so before. Instead of a "Woe is me. Where did my love go wrong?" song, we get a song about how he misses the one he loves. I suspect that part of this could have been in response to separation he might have experienced during the pandemic (if so, he released this song RIGHT in the nick of time). There's a hopeful side to this song as well, as Vance's "missing piece" is something he is positive will be FOUND once he rejoins his romantic partner. Thanks for getting us all through these hard times, Vance!

"Reverie" by Son Volt: '90s country-rock group, Son Volt, continued to soldier on into the new millennium with sparser and sparser appearances as the years went by. By the time the 2010's rolled around, they made only two memorable appearances, both of which had a bittersweet folk-rock sound in comparison to the more gritty stuff they originally became known for. With "Reverie," it seems as though Son Volt have found a comfortable middle ground. It has a more solid rock sound, veering slightly towards a light Southern rock variant, than most of their more recent material, but it retains the earthy, roots-y quality of their early stuff. This song also may serve as an answer as to why Son Volt retreated from the limelight in late 2016. The entire reign of terror of a certain person who shall not be named took place RIGHT at that time, climaxing in both physical and emotional separation as the current generation has never experienced before. With the recurring line, "We won't know where we stand 'till December," "Reverie" could be a way of summing up both last year AND this year. We didn't know where we would stand politically last year until about a month prior to December, and this year, it'll probably take until the end of it to find out where we are regarding if we can see each other again without fear of anyone we hang out with being contagious. A smart and timely song of both idealism and realism!

"Stop Making It Hurt" by Bleachers: In spite of the happy, bouncy sound of this song, there is most definitely a palpable undercurrent of hurt behind" Stop Making This Hurt." The song came about when the seemingly irrepressible Jack Antonoff came to the realization during the coronavirus pandemic that he wouldn't be able to perform face to face in front of his fans like he used to for a long time! The song details the angst, chaos, and disappointment of family life during the pandemic. The kids are complaining, Mom wants to break loose from the Garden State, and Dad has gotten to the point of not even recognizing where he is anymore. Nothing is fine. But sometimes, that's what we need to hear in a song! We need to KNOW that we're not the only ones going through what we are. "Stop Making This Hurt" might just be the spoonful of sugar we need to make the tiresome medicine of our vaccines go down!

"Witchoo" by Durand Jones and The Indications: Like fellow neo-soul-ster, Leon Bridges, Durand Jones and The Indications started off imitating '60s soul music and have now dipped their feet into '70s funk! "Witchoo" captures that moment in time when the R in R & B was getting stronger than the B, as the focus of this song is primarily rhythmic, lacking the bluesy pulse that was present in early R & B. We've had so many songs here that want to leave the present moment, and for understandable reasons, but this song seems very in-the-moment, at least lyrically speaking. Though its sound is an obvious throwback to soul music of the mid-1970's, "Witchoo"'s lyrics are basically about traveling on the road and spending time with that special someone. The simple pleasures of life. So what are you waiting for?! Get down with yo' bad self and melt into the auditory dance party that is "Witchoo"!

The Top 20 of 2018

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!! Counting 'em down from 20 to 1. Here we go:


20. "Everybody's Coming to My House" - David Byrne
19. "Bad Bad News" - Leon Bridges
18. "Apollo" - St. Paul and The Broken Bones
17. "Shame" - Elle King
16. "All My Friends" - The Revivalists
15. "Girlfriend" - Anderson East
14. "Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin)" - Dave Matthews Band
13. "Nina Cried Power" - Hozier/Mavis Staples
12. "Beyond" - Leon Bridges
11. "Guiding Light" - Mumford and Sons
10. "Hunger" - Florence and The Machine
9. "You're Somebody Else" - Flora Cash
8. "Gold Rush" - Death Cab for Cutie
7. "Severed" - The Decemberists
6. "Life to Fix" - The Record Company
5. "A Little Honey" - Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats
4. "Silver Lining" - Mt. Joy
3. "You Worry Me" - Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats
2. "Lottery" - Jade Bird

anddd...the number one song of 2018 is...

"SATURDAY SUN" BY VANCE JOY!!!

Happy Holidays and New Year, folks. See ya next year!

New songs for February 7th, 2018

here they are:


"Need Your Love" by Curtis Harding: Smooth soul singer Curtis Harding returns to the adult alt charts just in time for Valentine's Day with "Need Your Love". Like his previous hit, "On And On", "Need Your Love" is defined by its fast rhythm and funky riffs, in a similar vein to most Motown songs. The backing synthesizer on this song separates it from "On And On". The relentless energy and passionate pleas in this song make it a winner for the same reason Curtis' previous hit song won me over. Hopefully it'll do the same to whoever listens to it!


"Saturday Sun" by Vance Joy: The use of ukulele and upbeat vibes on Vance Joy's latest song, "Saturday Sun", hearken back to Vance's first (and so far, biggest) hit, "Riptide". Most of his songs that have come out since that one evoke a bittersweet sense of melancholia, but "Saturday Sun" does not, at least not musically. Lyrically, it maintains a positive theme as well, about falling in love with someone for the first time. This might just be the first Vance song that's more sweet than bittersweet, since even "Riptide" had some anguished lyrics. Not bad, I say!


"Silver Lining" by Mt. Joy: Copping a similar acoustic guitar riff to Bon Iver's "Skinny Love", Mt. Joy's breakthrough song, "Silver Lining" is an interesting song. Like Bon Iver's material, "Silver Lining" is about the downside to college life and how easy it can be to get burned out as a 20-something. The title of the song is mentioned as a way for the lead singer to find some good among the pressure and turmoil one can experience during their young adult years. Watch out. This song will be coming soon to a university near you!


"Think It Over" by Wild Child: 7 is a lucky number for Austin, Texas indie-pop group, Wild Child! The group have 7 members, and it's taken 7 years for them to score a hit on adult alt radio stations. Well, now that I've gotten that out of the way, "Think It Over" is a rather soulful, upbeat song. You probably would have never suspected that it was produced by someone like Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, but it was. Vocally, it sounds like Feist trying to do a disco song (which she DID once, covering the Bee Gees' song, "Inside And Out").


"Under the Wheels" by Calexico: Calexico's latest album is certainly their most adventurous yet! First, we had the horn-less "End of the World With You", and now we have the upbeat and slightly psychedelic sounding, "Under the Wheels". Calexico's trademark mariachi sound is back in this song, but make no mistake. The song marks yet another first for the band, in that its sound is fast enough to be danceable! Normally, Calexico are like other indie-folk and alt-country groups as far as their ability to be booty shakin' is concerned, but "Under the Wheels" is different than that! Lyrically, the song continues along the lines of being apocalyptic, like "End of the World With You" was, but unlike that song, it sounds happy enough to mask its moroseness!

New songs for July 19th 2017

here they are:


"Find Yourself" by Lukas Nelson and The Promise of the Real: Lukas' super famous dad, Willie, might be best known for country music, but both of the Nelsons have proven themselves to be more than that over the years. Back in 2012, I first got the opportunity to hear Lukas and his spicy, energy fueled, Southern rock styled song, "Wasted". "Find Yourself", the latest song Lukas has put out, has a bit more of a soulful flavor to it. More aptly, it is a blend of soul, rock, and country, with plenty of bluesy licks sandwiched in between to keep listeners on their toes! The song has nothing to do with philosophy or "finding yourself" in the manner that you might think it suggests from the title. Instead, it has a more straightforward meaning revolving around taking back the love you think you deserve.


"Jumpstarting" by Deer Tick: A bar band rock song that suggests a sloppier Springsteen in some ways, Deer Tick's "Jumpstarting" is a rollicking song that is actually about companionship more than anything else. Many of their songs (even the ones they've done for the Christmas season) involve the subject of drinking in some way. This one does too, but in a different way than most of their material does. "Jumpstarting", essentially, is a message that the lead singer sent out to his drinking buddy that he'd be there for him through good times and bad.


"Lay It On Me" by Vance Joy: When Vance Joy debuted in late summer 2013 with "Riptide", I got the impression he was a surf-folk musician in the manner of Jack Johnson, but with more melancholy lyrics. The more I got to know Vance's music, though, the more I realized that most of his other material is as melancholy as his lyrics. "Lay It On Me", his first single from his second album, continues in this direction. There is an uplifting, brassy part during the chorus of the song, but it doesn't mask how much Vance feels about how much he has failed as a lover. Being able to let out those feelings is what music is all about, though!

New songs for August 19th, 2015

here they are:


"Empty Heart" by Grace Potter: Grace has dabbled in folk and in rock, but "Empty Heart" is probably the first song she's done that's a little of both. Its sound comes off like what it would be like if Gin Wigmore did a song that sounded like a cross between John Lennon's "Give Peace A Chance" and The Lumineers' "Ho Hey", with a vaguely hip-hop influenced beat to keep the time. Like John Lennon, Grace Potter lets the piano play a central role in "Empty Heart", particularly during the chorus, where the song's key of C major briefly turns into a blues-y, jazzy C7. "Why don't you let me fill up your empty heart?" Grace pleads during the chorus. Grace, you've already filled it up with your free-spirited, spunky approach to music!


"Fire And the Flood" by Vance Joy: Though folks like Phillip Phillips, The Lumineers, and Of Monsters & Men were already riding high on the coattails of what New Zealand folk-rocker Vance Joy did about a year later than they did, I still can't help but feel like Vance Joy has a sound all his own nonetheless. "Fire And the Flood" does seem kinda Phillip Phillips-esque, though, with its bright brass bursting through its otherwise reserved and melancholy sound. Perhaps what appeals to me the most about Vance's latest song, "Fire And the Flood", is how it manages to sound old and new at the same time! In addition to the 2010's neo-folk-rock sound that "Fire And the Flood" is probably intending to give off, I can also detect a sort of "lo-fi" influence in the song as well that gives the song a late '60s/early '70s, almost Cat Stevens-ish flavor. Also, the "fire and the flood" mentioned in the song's chorus is clearly a girl that Vance has developed affections for. Given how disastrous both fires and floods are, I would venture to say that said girl is also doing him some damage as well. What can I say, that's love for ya!


"Into the Deep" by Galactic (featuring Macy Gray): You probably haven't heard the name Macy Gray since the late '90s, and Galactic is a name that (sadly) doesn't get tossed around much at all, but together, on "Into the Deep", Macy and Galactic combine forces to make a smooth, silky soul powerhouse! Galactic aren't nearly as funky and jazzy as they usually are here, but the old school R & B flavor is still there, it's just slowed down a bit here. "Into the Deep" is a passionate love song, perfect for kiss heavy, love making nights, and it'll sink deep into your soul, too!


"Return to the Moon" by El Vy: Do you recognize the maudlin baritone of the lead singer of El Vy? If you do, that's because those are the vocals of Matt Berninger, lead singer of indie faves, The National. "Return to the Moon" does NOT sound like the National, though, in terms of its instrumental content. It's not often you hear indie-pop that's this funky, but when you do, cherish the moment! It's a rare but noteworthy opportunity! As you would probably suspect, the "moon" is being used as a metaphor here, and it is likely that the metaphor revolves around how Matt had longed to return to his home state of Ohio ("the moon") while he was living in California ("Earth"). I've never heard Matt sound so upbeat ever, but perhaps he should do more songs like this! I can dig it!


"S.O.B." by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: The letters "S.O.B." aren't actually mentioned in this song. Therefore, as you might have guessed, the song's title is actually just a radio-friendly way of saying the REAL words of the chorus, "son of a b...." ....better not say that last word!! Anyway, this is a pretty unique song! It almost seems like a fusion of bluegrass music, gospel, and Elvis Presley-style early rock. Never thought anyone would try to combine all those genres together, but it actually sounds really good! This song is full of relentless energy, and is also enough for many people to long for the days of a time that happened before they were even born!


"Say It" by Houndmouth: And here's another retro-style song! This time, the sound that's being emulated is that of Canadian folk-rock group, The Band (and probably many other similar acts, but The Band seem to be the most obvious here). First off, I NEVER would have thought that Houndmouth would become so big with their song "Sedona" from earlier this year, but they did, on both the adult alt AND regular alt charts!! Perhaps part of "Sedona"'s success was the fact that it DID sound a bit more "alternative" than most of Houndmouth's material. "Say It" returns to the basic country-rock formula that Houndmouth became known for among their initial fanbase. "Say It" is definitely the most upbeat song in the Houndmouth catalog so far! It also sounds like the lead singers are having a lot of fun saying "say it like you mean it" over and over again as fast as they can, as though singing a tongue twister along the lines of "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers", or "she sells seashells by the seashore"!


"Steven's Cat" by Widespread Panic: Underneath all their jam-band glory, Widespread Panic have always seemed like a band with a witty sense of humor. The title of their latest song, "Steven's Cat" sounds like a pun on folk-rock musician, Cat Stevens, though the song itself doesn't sound a thing like Cat Stevens. There is a subtle reference to Cat's "Moonshadow" in the lyric, "shadow the moon lighting the wood path". The song doesn't seem to be about anything in particular, but it almost seemed like that's what WP intended here in this invigorating, freewheeling song!

New songs for the New Year!! 2015

Got five great ones for ya!! Here they are:


"Chateau Lobby # 4" by Father John Misty: Ah, a nice pleasant, folk-y tune about...having "Satanic Christmas Eve"?!? Whaaat?!? Seriously, though, what else would you EXPECT from the guy whose best known solo tune has enigmatic lyrics like "I'm no doctor, but that monkey might be right" and "Heidegger and Sartre drinking poppy tea"?! Even the subtitle of the song (in C for Two Virgins) is kinda weird! The brass instruments in the background are a nice new touch for Father John, as his music is mostly the basic guitar/bass/drums setup. The only thing that really makes sense about this song is how the subtitle states that it is "in C", which it is (C major). If you like your folk-rock to be out of the ordinary, this one's for you!


"I Blew It Off" by Punch Brothers: Fans of Punch Brothers might think that the title to this song fits perfectly with how it sounds! Punch Brothers do sound like they're "blowing it off" in this song. That is to say, they've traded in their more traditional sounding bluegrass-y sound for something that sounds closer to folk-rock. Rest assured, the bluegrass-y violins are still in this song, but they're most audible during the verses of the song. The chorus is electric and acoustic guitars mingling with one another, backed by drums (another instrument uncommon to most Punch Brothers songs).


"Lampshades On Fire" by Modest Mouse: So what have Modest Mouse been up to for the past 6 years?! Perhaps the reason their hiatus from the music world was so long this time around was because they wanted another uber-catchy funk/ska inflected hit single to catch the world by storm! Songs like "Float On" from their first big breakthrough album, and "Dashboard" from the album that followed it gave them chart success like they had never experienced before! Somehow "Satellite Skin" from their third album just didn't do as well, so perhaps they were trying to get over what little success that song had in comparison to their two biggest hits so far. Their latest song, "Lampshades On Fire", continues in the direction of the songs that put Modest Mouse on the map in the first place! It's a catchy song that features Isaac Brock's signature quavering vocal style and a ska influenced rhythm that wouldn't sound out of place in a song by The Specials or Madness. No surprise that this is the most anticipated new song of the week, is it?!


"Loop de Li" by Bryan Ferry: Perhaps the name "Bryan Ferry" isn't exactly a household one overall in the music world, but he's been a hard working, accomplished musician with a career that dates back to 1972 with alt-rock pioneers, Roxy Music. Ferry is known for being as glitzy and seductive as he is detached and ironic, and the icy cold vibe of the music mixed with the allure of the saxophones and Ferry's dreamily hushed vocals on "Loop de Li" basically make this like a vintage Ferry tune that just happened to be released during the modern era. And for the record, no, I do not know what a "loop de li" is. Probably just filler words.


"Mess Is Mine" by Vance Joy: A folkie from down under with a somewhat Irish influence in both his music and vocals, Vance Joy first hit the big time with "Riptide" two Septembers ago, though it took a while for the song to be played on multiple formats. Beneath the sunny vibe of the song were dark lyrics about a relationship gone bad. "Mess Is Mine" is similar, but it has a more serious, contemplative sound than "Riptide" did, so its lyrics, which also concern a relationship on the fritz, fit better with the overall mood of the song. There's a bit more electric guitar in the background to this song than most of Vance's material, but it is still a folk-rock song, complete with acoustic guitar as its central instrument, personal, thought-provoking lyrics, and some handclaps added in towards the middle of the song.

Music from down under!!

Hi everyone. Two thirds of the musicians reviewed in this blog (Vance Joy and Lorde) happen to be from Australia and New Zealand, respectively, both countries in Oceania (or, the continent of Australia). That being said, here are this week's songs!


"Rewrite Our Lives" by Ha Ha Tonka: By far the most "indie-centric" (and most American - only American, actually) band on this week's list, Ha Ha Tonka's brand of indie-folk hearkens back to what the subgenre sounded like before Mumford, et al, took over at the start of the 2010's. The recording equipment sounds perfectly lo-fi, and the mix of somewhat messily played (but still decent sounding) acoustic guitars and '60s style organs make Ha Ha Tonka sound "retro" in more than one way in what is now almost the middle of the the second decade of the new millennium. The funny thing is, supposedly Ha Ha Tonka had an even MORE "true indie" sound (think Beck, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elliott Smith, etc.) before "Rewrite Our Lives" was released. Also, for those wondering about how they got their seemingly random name, it wasn't from someone laughing at a children's brand of toy trucks, it was actually from a state park in Missouri!


"Riptide" by Vance Joy: It's no surprise that Vance Joy hails from a land surrounded mostly by water, given how Hawaiian his song "Riptide" sounds, with its breezy vibe and ukulele dominated sound. Even his last name makes him sound optimistic! The lyrics to the song are positively dark, though! Many even suspect that the song could be about someone committing an unforgivable sexually deviant act to his girlfriend, and with lyrics like "Lady, running down through the riptide, taken away to the dark side, I wanna be your left hand man", they could be right! The video contains some freaky imagery as well, so I won't post it in case someone of a more sensitive nature happens to stumble upon the site. You've been warned, though! Always seems to be something scary in October, doesn't there?!


"Team" by Lorde: Lorde, the 16-year-old, New Zealand bred, musical cross (sound-wise) between Lana Del Rey and Bjork, had a huge hit over the summer with "Royals". "Royals" was pretty darn catchy, so it's no wonder she became a success on the heels of that song! Her second single, "Team", seems slightly more melancholy, but it's got plenty of irresistible rhythmic goodness to back it up, so it should do pretty well. As I'm getting to know Lorde's music more, I've also gotten to know her fascination for historical royalty. "Royals" (as well as the "court" part in the title of her song "Tennis Court") seems to hint at this, and even her stage name sounds like a title bestowed upon a royal master if you take out its artificial silent "e". "Team" could be interpreted as a team of guards, kings, queens, princesses, princes, etc. And no, I'm not just drawing conclusions based on coincidence regarding Lorde's interest in monarchy, the little trivia section on the side of the Music Choice channels told me so!