here they are:
"Green Eyes And A Heart of Gold" by The Lone Bellow: Folk-rock trio The Lone Bellow continue to impress me which each new song they release! Between this song and "Bleeding Out", they seem to have a knack for making depressing subject matter sound both happy and sincere. This song might be about trying to endure bad situations, though, ("All the money's gone and the house is cold, but it's alright"). The melody of the song is sweet and thoughtful, but also quite catchy (a lot of their material so far seems to be this way). It's a wonder they haven't reached mainstream success yet! All I can think of is that perhaps they were a year too late on the neo-folk-rock bandwagon.
"Head On" by Man Man: It's a person! It's a human! No, it's MAN Man!! This repetitively named band, whose song "Head On" is not to be confused for the Jesus and Mary Chain (and later, Pixies) song of the same name, are quite an eclectic band, even among other bands of a genre already known for being eclectic! Their sound suggests something of a cross between the clever techno-pop of Moby and the orchestral indie sound of Andrew Bird. Perhaps the best part of this song is its uplifting message, "Hold on to your heart", and the melodic way in which it is sung!
"Home Again" by Elton John: Sir Elton's collaboration with fellow 1970's musician, Leon Russell, proved that Elton still had something to say in the 21st century! "Home Again" proves he can do just as good standing on his own after all these years as he does with other musicians! This one really tugs at the ol' heartstrings like a lot of his best known songs tend to do. This one follows in the footsteps of "Candle In the Wind", "Rocket Man", "Tiny Dancer", etc., with its bittersweet tone, soul searching lyrics, and its rich instrumental arrangements. Elton truly has gone back "home again" with this one, hasn't he?!
"Nothing More" by The Alternate Routes: Wow, is this song ever a tearjerker!! Although, it is a tearjerker that elicits tears of joy, and not sadness. Both the song and the video (which can be seen here, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tXzlVjU1xs), are about lead singer Tim Warren's sister, Katie, when she was a little girl. The video is very cute, and it is basically a collection of home videos featuring Katie just running around and having fun. The song expresses the theme of how close Tim and Katie are as brother and sister. I have just one word to say after viewing the video for this song and listening to it. "Awwwww"!!
"Queenie Eye" by Paul McCartney: Sir Paul's latest song, "Queenie Eye", recalls his best work from The Beatles and then some! It has a rollicking, piano based sound, similar to songs like "Lady Madonna", and the second half of "You Never Give Me Your Money". I don't really know what "Queenie Eye" is supposed to be in the context of the song, but it sure is catchy! I suppose that the title of the song is essentially just filler words, as the imagery of the song seems to be a "word salad" of sorts (like "I Am the Walrus"), though the song itself could be taken as an allegory for how fickle fame can be.
"The Wire" by Haim: An indie-pop trio of teenage sisters from my hometown (L.A.) doesn't exactly sound like the sort of band who would cover a song for a Fleetwood Mac tribute album, but I first got to know them with a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song, "Hold Me". Haim (pronounced like "hime") were a bit more of an electro-pop sort of group back when they covered "Hold Me", but I guess doing one of Fleetwood Mac's songs inspired them to SOUND more like Fleetwood Mac (albeit with an indie pop sheen to it). "The Wire" is a sunny slice of California pop music that would probably put a smile on Christine McVie's face if she ever heard it! Not bad for a "breakthrough" song!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
New songs for October 9th, 2013
here they are:
"Chocolate" by The 1975: The 1975, eh?! Sure doesn't SOUND like it's from 1975!! The origin of this enigmatically named band actually comes from a book of beat poetry that was dated, "June 1st, The 1975". No sign of Ginsberg or Kerouac in this song, though. However, a parallel can be drawn to "musical beat poets" like Lou Reed, since "Chocolate" is about heroin, albeit in more of a tragic manner than an eerie, sprawling one. The title of the song is actually a reference to heroin, and how the sister of The 1975's lead singer used to be an addict.
"Stranger" by Devil Makes Three: The word "devil" may be a part of their name, but don't make the assumption that Devil Makes Three are a metal or punk band just because of this. Devil Makes Three are a rather eclectic group whose musical style cannot be easily identified! Their breakthrough song, "Stranger", appears to be a blend of folk, jazz, and blues that sounds like it came out at least half a century ago! The lyrics of the song contain spooky imagery, but more of a fun kind of "spooky" than a truly depressing or disturbing one (i.e., "Better pray to the moon in the middle of the night"), and the song itself has the vibe of someone sneaking up on you when you least expect it (but once again, in a playful manner). Just in time for Halloween!!
"Temple" by Kings of Leon: As hard rock group Nazareth famously claimed in the mid-1970's, "love hurts"! Kings of Leon's latest song, "Temple", makes that claim in a rather literal manner!! As Caleb Followill sings about how he'll "take one for the temple" in the chorus, he's referring to taking a shot to the head in order to prove his love for a girl. Ouch! The fun, breezy vibe of the song disguises all the painful imagery, though, and makes it sound more like a summertime romance sort of song.
"Chocolate" by The 1975: The 1975, eh?! Sure doesn't SOUND like it's from 1975!! The origin of this enigmatically named band actually comes from a book of beat poetry that was dated, "June 1st, The 1975". No sign of Ginsberg or Kerouac in this song, though. However, a parallel can be drawn to "musical beat poets" like Lou Reed, since "Chocolate" is about heroin, albeit in more of a tragic manner than an eerie, sprawling one. The title of the song is actually a reference to heroin, and how the sister of The 1975's lead singer used to be an addict.
"Stranger" by Devil Makes Three: The word "devil" may be a part of their name, but don't make the assumption that Devil Makes Three are a metal or punk band just because of this. Devil Makes Three are a rather eclectic group whose musical style cannot be easily identified! Their breakthrough song, "Stranger", appears to be a blend of folk, jazz, and blues that sounds like it came out at least half a century ago! The lyrics of the song contain spooky imagery, but more of a fun kind of "spooky" than a truly depressing or disturbing one (i.e., "Better pray to the moon in the middle of the night"), and the song itself has the vibe of someone sneaking up on you when you least expect it (but once again, in a playful manner). Just in time for Halloween!!
"Temple" by Kings of Leon: As hard rock group Nazareth famously claimed in the mid-1970's, "love hurts"! Kings of Leon's latest song, "Temple", makes that claim in a rather literal manner!! As Caleb Followill sings about how he'll "take one for the temple" in the chorus, he's referring to taking a shot to the head in order to prove his love for a girl. Ouch! The fun, breezy vibe of the song disguises all the painful imagery, though, and makes it sound more like a summertime romance sort of song.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
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!
"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!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
New songs for September 25th, 2013
here they are:
"Fresh Strawberries" by Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand aren't British (they're Scottish), but they sure SOUND like a British group sometimes! Perhaps no song of theirs sounds as "British" as their latest one, "Fresh Strawberries". Unlike most of their post-punk-y material, "Fresh Strawberries" has even older influences! It sounds like a Beatles or Kinks song, with somewhat Elvis Costello-ish instrumentation here and there. In typical Franz fashion, "Fresh Strawberries" is a catchy pop-rock tune with dark lyrical content (in this case, about the fear of death). I never thought Franz Ferdinand would have a song that sounded more like the British Invasion than British post-punk, but what can I say, they managed to pull it off here!
"Shot At the Night" by The Killers: Wait a minute, is this The Killers, or 1980's era Genesis?! Somehow it sounds more like the latter than the former. This songs SCREAMS "1980's"!! Perhaps Brandon Flowers was even thinking of David Byrne for the repeated phrase, "once in a lifetime", for this song, but that was probably just coincidental. Byrne seems too arty and weird (in a good way) to come up with a song like this, though, which sounds like it was pretty much made for a John Hughes film. In spite of the negative comments I'm making about this song, "Shot At the Night" will probably grow on me like pretty much every Killers song (besides "Human") has. So I'm willing to give "Shot At the Night" a shot at success!
"Sirens" by Pearl Jam: After the roaring, angry wake-up call of "Mind Your Manners" from earlier this year, it's nice to hear a more reflective song from Eddie and the boys this time around! "Sirens" is one of the more melancholy songs from their catalog. Its combination of folk-y introspection upfront with rock instrumentation in the background easily brings to mind the best material from acts like Bruce Springsteen and U2. People might like to think of Pearl Jam as a fearless rock 'n' roll band (and indeed, sometimes they are), but I personally think that their best material comes from deep within their hearts, and this song is no exception!
"Fresh Strawberries" by Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand aren't British (they're Scottish), but they sure SOUND like a British group sometimes! Perhaps no song of theirs sounds as "British" as their latest one, "Fresh Strawberries". Unlike most of their post-punk-y material, "Fresh Strawberries" has even older influences! It sounds like a Beatles or Kinks song, with somewhat Elvis Costello-ish instrumentation here and there. In typical Franz fashion, "Fresh Strawberries" is a catchy pop-rock tune with dark lyrical content (in this case, about the fear of death). I never thought Franz Ferdinand would have a song that sounded more like the British Invasion than British post-punk, but what can I say, they managed to pull it off here!
"Shot At the Night" by The Killers: Wait a minute, is this The Killers, or 1980's era Genesis?! Somehow it sounds more like the latter than the former. This songs SCREAMS "1980's"!! Perhaps Brandon Flowers was even thinking of David Byrne for the repeated phrase, "once in a lifetime", for this song, but that was probably just coincidental. Byrne seems too arty and weird (in a good way) to come up with a song like this, though, which sounds like it was pretty much made for a John Hughes film. In spite of the negative comments I'm making about this song, "Shot At the Night" will probably grow on me like pretty much every Killers song (besides "Human") has. So I'm willing to give "Shot At the Night" a shot at success!
"Sirens" by Pearl Jam: After the roaring, angry wake-up call of "Mind Your Manners" from earlier this year, it's nice to hear a more reflective song from Eddie and the boys this time around! "Sirens" is one of the more melancholy songs from their catalog. Its combination of folk-y introspection upfront with rock instrumentation in the background easily brings to mind the best material from acts like Bruce Springsteen and U2. People might like to think of Pearl Jam as a fearless rock 'n' roll band (and indeed, sometimes they are), but I personally think that their best material comes from deep within their hearts, and this song is no exception!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
New songs for September 18th, 2013
here they are:
"Broken Heart" by Dr. Dog: There are many things to love about Dr. Dog, a band whom I had the pleasure of seeing in concert about a month ago! One of the best things about them is that there isn't a single song I've heard of theirs so far that doesn't sound fun or upbeat! Don't let the lovelorn title of Dr. Dog's latest song fool you, it still continues in their typical musical style. Quirky, clever lyrics are also a defining feature of their music, and the faux-literal opening lyrics to "Broken Heart" ("I never really had a broken heart/I always played it kind of close to my chest") already steer the song in a good direction.
"Come A Little Closer" by Cage the Elephant: In the summer of 2009, Cage the Elephant debuted with their slide guitar laden stomp-rocker, "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked", which is probably their best known song so far. It seemed like that song pigeonholed CTE into being labeled a "frat rock" band, and although many of their songs follow this pattern, some of the material I consider the best from them does not sound like "frat rock" at all! "Shake Me Down", for instance, sounds like it could have been a "Magical Mystery Tour" bonus track. CTE's latest song, "Come A Little Closer", could be their most indie rock influenced song yet! Its pseudo-psychedelic pop sound recalls groups like Grizzly Bear, The Kooks, and The Shins, among others. Another thing to take notice of is that CTE's "softer" tracks (like this one) have smoother vocals, in addition to having a smoother sound.
"Love Won't Bring Us Down" by Ed Roland and The Sweet Tea Project: Ed Roland's post-grunge hit making machine band, Collective Soul, might have been labeled "alternative" during the time they debuted, but Ed's music owes more to the theatrical, in-your-face presence of '70s arena rock than it does to the more aloof, dismal features of grunge and post-grunge. Once the post-grunge phenomenon subsided, Ed seemed to embrace his inner rocker (and occasionally even his inner pop star) a little more, but in my opinion, his latest tune, "Love Won't Bring Us Down", is the most unabashed tribute to 1970's rock he's done so far in the 21st century! The song seems to be influenced by contemporary blues-rockers like Gary Clark Jr. and Susan Tedeschi, albeit with a slightly more pop influenced beat. It has a positive message and a fun sound! What more could you ask for?
"Made Up Mind" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: Funny I mentioned Susan Tedeschi during my previous entry for this week, because the next song I'll be talking about just happens to be one of hers! Unlike the more soul inflected "Part of Me" from earlier this year, "Made Up Mind" has a more blues rock influenced sound, like most of the TTB's material. The song's combination of Chuck Berry-ish chord progressions and chug-along rhythms recall many classic rock songs of the '70s, but the guitar solos in the song can't possibly be attributed to any band other than The Tedeschi-Trucks Band. I think I've got a "made up mind", too. My mind's made up, and it's ready to rock!
"Broken Heart" by Dr. Dog: There are many things to love about Dr. Dog, a band whom I had the pleasure of seeing in concert about a month ago! One of the best things about them is that there isn't a single song I've heard of theirs so far that doesn't sound fun or upbeat! Don't let the lovelorn title of Dr. Dog's latest song fool you, it still continues in their typical musical style. Quirky, clever lyrics are also a defining feature of their music, and the faux-literal opening lyrics to "Broken Heart" ("I never really had a broken heart/I always played it kind of close to my chest") already steer the song in a good direction.
"Come A Little Closer" by Cage the Elephant: In the summer of 2009, Cage the Elephant debuted with their slide guitar laden stomp-rocker, "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked", which is probably their best known song so far. It seemed like that song pigeonholed CTE into being labeled a "frat rock" band, and although many of their songs follow this pattern, some of the material I consider the best from them does not sound like "frat rock" at all! "Shake Me Down", for instance, sounds like it could have been a "Magical Mystery Tour" bonus track. CTE's latest song, "Come A Little Closer", could be their most indie rock influenced song yet! Its pseudo-psychedelic pop sound recalls groups like Grizzly Bear, The Kooks, and The Shins, among others. Another thing to take notice of is that CTE's "softer" tracks (like this one) have smoother vocals, in addition to having a smoother sound.
"Love Won't Bring Us Down" by Ed Roland and The Sweet Tea Project: Ed Roland's post-grunge hit making machine band, Collective Soul, might have been labeled "alternative" during the time they debuted, but Ed's music owes more to the theatrical, in-your-face presence of '70s arena rock than it does to the more aloof, dismal features of grunge and post-grunge. Once the post-grunge phenomenon subsided, Ed seemed to embrace his inner rocker (and occasionally even his inner pop star) a little more, but in my opinion, his latest tune, "Love Won't Bring Us Down", is the most unabashed tribute to 1970's rock he's done so far in the 21st century! The song seems to be influenced by contemporary blues-rockers like Gary Clark Jr. and Susan Tedeschi, albeit with a slightly more pop influenced beat. It has a positive message and a fun sound! What more could you ask for?
"Made Up Mind" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: Funny I mentioned Susan Tedeschi during my previous entry for this week, because the next song I'll be talking about just happens to be one of hers! Unlike the more soul inflected "Part of Me" from earlier this year, "Made Up Mind" has a more blues rock influenced sound, like most of the TTB's material. The song's combination of Chuck Berry-ish chord progressions and chug-along rhythms recall many classic rock songs of the '70s, but the guitar solos in the song can't possibly be attributed to any band other than The Tedeschi-Trucks Band. I think I've got a "made up mind", too. My mind's made up, and it's ready to rock!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
New songs for September 11th, 2013
here they are:
"Further Away (Romance Police)" by Lissie: With "Further Away (Romance Police)", Lissie continues to make her mark as the 2010's answer to Alanis Morissette (with less nasal vocals). She rocks with reckless abandon on this song (though not as much as she did on "Shameless" from earlier this year). "Further Away" starts out as being this sort of dark but catchy pop song, and by the time the chorus kicks in, it starts sounding like the lovechild of the songs from Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" and the songs from Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill". The song centers around a love affair gone awry that only starts sounding more desperate as it goes on, with its peak in the middle of the song, when Lissie cynically wonders if "anyone loves anyone anymore".
"Gang of Rhythm" by Walk Off the Earth: Whether they're covering Gotye or harmonizing on their own tunes, Walk Off the Earth seem like a group of people who like to have fun with what they do, and so far, no song in their career illustrates that better than their latest song, "Gang of Rhythm". The song is simply about playing music and having a good time, which WOTE urge their audience to do with lyrics like, "Come on now everybody, come on now everyone!" In the second verse, WOTE claim that they "bring in the harmonies like CSNY" (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young), which makes me wonder how the folk-rock legends feel about being mentioned in a song by a group of newbie folk-rockers. After all, they sound more like The Mamas and The Papas than CSN & Y to me, for both their equal part guy/girl harmonies, and their upbeat, pop-y sound.
"Reflektor" by Arcade Fire: Arcade Fire have tried their hand at prog-rock many times, but as far as I know, this is the first time a radio single by AF has attempted to incorporate a "Floyd-ian" slip, if you will. "Reflektor" clocks in at over 7 and a half minutes, and its sprawling length and meandering melody make it seem more like an album track than a hit, but perhaps its Bowie-esque rhythm and instrumentation were enough to make the members of Arcade Fire want to release it as the first single from their new album. "Reflektor" is also the kind of song that seems like it could be performed in outer space, and AF have had more than their fair share of songs like that so far, but none as much as this song. I feel like "Reflektor" will be the song that either expands Arcade Fire's fanbase, or the song that turns their fanbase away from them (or perhaps both).
"Shine On" by Blitzen Trapper: How is it that Blitzen Trapper have the ability to sound like both a Southern rock group AND a progressive rock group within the same song?! Honestly, I have no idea, but they manage to make both (unlikely) ends meet in their most recent tune, "Shine On". It seems as though Blitzen Trapper want to challenge those who think of them as a "folk-rock" group, although two of their finest songs ("Black River Killer" and "Love the Way You Walk Away") fall under this category. Unless Lynyrd Skynyrd and Pink Floyd are your idea of "folk-rock" (which they're probably not), "Shine On" is definitely a song that deviates significantly from the material Blitzen Trapper have become known for. With its blazing electric guitars, anthemic chorus, and backing vocalists who sound like they might have been the same ones for "Sweet Home Alabama", I can't help but feel like this song belongs on a classic rock station somewhere.
"St. Croix" by Family of the Year: Steven Tyler from Aerosmith's comparison of Family of the Year to "The Mamas and The Papas on acid" seemed somewhat appropriate for Family of the Year's first big song, "Hero", which could be said to be FOTY's "California Dreamin'", since both songs are bittersweet, acoustic guitar based compositions about the yearning for something better to come along. FOTY's second big song, "St. Croix" is no "Monday Monday", though. Far from it! "St. Croix" is actually a very optimistic sounding song, both musically and lyrically. I mean, how much more friendly sounding can you get than "You bring the ocean, I'll bring the motion, together we'll make a love potion"?! Such lyrics make FOTY sound like hippies who stuck around long after the 1960's, which, as far as I'm concerned, they are. This is certainly not a bad thing, though, and it's probably the perfect song to listen to at a beach party! Too bad it came out towards the end of summer instead of the beginning.
"The Perfect Life" by Moby and Wayne Coyne: The bald headed animal rights activist, Moby, and Flaming Lips frontman, Wayne Coyne, are, undoubtedly, two of the most eccentric musicians of '90s alt-rock, so it only seems fitting that they would perform something together (I'm surprised it took them this long to think of doing a musical collaboration, personally!) What's even more bizarre than two musical bizarr-o's doing a song together, though, is the music video they made of the song!! The two musicians walk down the streets of Los Angeles in Mariachi outfits, and encounter some guy who looks like the Burger King, roller skating ghosts, and a choir of goth musicians along the way. "The Perfect Life"?! Sounds perfect to me!! The video can be viewed at http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/moby-leads-wayne-coyne-to-the-perfect-life-premiere-20130903
"Further Away (Romance Police)" by Lissie: With "Further Away (Romance Police)", Lissie continues to make her mark as the 2010's answer to Alanis Morissette (with less nasal vocals). She rocks with reckless abandon on this song (though not as much as she did on "Shameless" from earlier this year). "Further Away" starts out as being this sort of dark but catchy pop song, and by the time the chorus kicks in, it starts sounding like the lovechild of the songs from Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" and the songs from Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill". The song centers around a love affair gone awry that only starts sounding more desperate as it goes on, with its peak in the middle of the song, when Lissie cynically wonders if "anyone loves anyone anymore".
"Gang of Rhythm" by Walk Off the Earth: Whether they're covering Gotye or harmonizing on their own tunes, Walk Off the Earth seem like a group of people who like to have fun with what they do, and so far, no song in their career illustrates that better than their latest song, "Gang of Rhythm". The song is simply about playing music and having a good time, which WOTE urge their audience to do with lyrics like, "Come on now everybody, come on now everyone!" In the second verse, WOTE claim that they "bring in the harmonies like CSNY" (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young), which makes me wonder how the folk-rock legends feel about being mentioned in a song by a group of newbie folk-rockers. After all, they sound more like The Mamas and The Papas than CSN & Y to me, for both their equal part guy/girl harmonies, and their upbeat, pop-y sound.
"Reflektor" by Arcade Fire: Arcade Fire have tried their hand at prog-rock many times, but as far as I know, this is the first time a radio single by AF has attempted to incorporate a "Floyd-ian" slip, if you will. "Reflektor" clocks in at over 7 and a half minutes, and its sprawling length and meandering melody make it seem more like an album track than a hit, but perhaps its Bowie-esque rhythm and instrumentation were enough to make the members of Arcade Fire want to release it as the first single from their new album. "Reflektor" is also the kind of song that seems like it could be performed in outer space, and AF have had more than their fair share of songs like that so far, but none as much as this song. I feel like "Reflektor" will be the song that either expands Arcade Fire's fanbase, or the song that turns their fanbase away from them (or perhaps both).
"Shine On" by Blitzen Trapper: How is it that Blitzen Trapper have the ability to sound like both a Southern rock group AND a progressive rock group within the same song?! Honestly, I have no idea, but they manage to make both (unlikely) ends meet in their most recent tune, "Shine On". It seems as though Blitzen Trapper want to challenge those who think of them as a "folk-rock" group, although two of their finest songs ("Black River Killer" and "Love the Way You Walk Away") fall under this category. Unless Lynyrd Skynyrd and Pink Floyd are your idea of "folk-rock" (which they're probably not), "Shine On" is definitely a song that deviates significantly from the material Blitzen Trapper have become known for. With its blazing electric guitars, anthemic chorus, and backing vocalists who sound like they might have been the same ones for "Sweet Home Alabama", I can't help but feel like this song belongs on a classic rock station somewhere.
"St. Croix" by Family of the Year: Steven Tyler from Aerosmith's comparison of Family of the Year to "The Mamas and The Papas on acid" seemed somewhat appropriate for Family of the Year's first big song, "Hero", which could be said to be FOTY's "California Dreamin'", since both songs are bittersweet, acoustic guitar based compositions about the yearning for something better to come along. FOTY's second big song, "St. Croix" is no "Monday Monday", though. Far from it! "St. Croix" is actually a very optimistic sounding song, both musically and lyrically. I mean, how much more friendly sounding can you get than "You bring the ocean, I'll bring the motion, together we'll make a love potion"?! Such lyrics make FOTY sound like hippies who stuck around long after the 1960's, which, as far as I'm concerned, they are. This is certainly not a bad thing, though, and it's probably the perfect song to listen to at a beach party! Too bad it came out towards the end of summer instead of the beginning.
"The Perfect Life" by Moby and Wayne Coyne: The bald headed animal rights activist, Moby, and Flaming Lips frontman, Wayne Coyne, are, undoubtedly, two of the most eccentric musicians of '90s alt-rock, so it only seems fitting that they would perform something together (I'm surprised it took them this long to think of doing a musical collaboration, personally!) What's even more bizarre than two musical bizarr-o's doing a song together, though, is the music video they made of the song!! The two musicians walk down the streets of Los Angeles in Mariachi outfits, and encounter some guy who looks like the Burger King, roller skating ghosts, and a choir of goth musicians along the way. "The Perfect Life"?! Sounds perfect to me!! The video can be viewed at http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/moby-leads-wayne-coyne-to-the-perfect-life-premiere-20130903
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
New songs for September 4th, 2013
here they are:
"Graceless" by The National: The title of this song alone indicates that it will not exactly be an uplifting one (then again, there aren't really any songs by The National that contain positive subject matter, so it's hardly surprising). It seems as though Matt Berninger is literally "losing his religion" in "Graceless", with such lines as "I figured out how to be faithless", "now I know what dying means", and "God loves everybody, don't remind me". The rhymes Matt sings for the title of the song can feel a bit strained at times (e.g. "erase this", "waste this", "weightless", "face this", etc.) but then again, perhaps the struggle for a word to rhyme with "graceless" goes in line with the weary, cumbersome feeling the song itself has to offer.
"New" by Paul McCartney: Paul McCartney's new song is "New". No, I'm not trying to sound redundant, it's just that "New" happens to be the TITLE of McCartney's latest tune. Part of the charm of this song comes from who produced it, if you ask me, and that would be Mark Ronson, who has been known for producing material for musicians like Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse. It seems as though whenever Sir Paul has hired good producers for his 21st century material, it ends up having a solid sound, like the Nigel Godrich (Radiohead's producer) produced albums he had during the mid-'00s. "New" doesn't sound a thing like Amy Winehouse or Lily Allen, though. It sounds better (at least I think it does)!! Its catchy, Beatlesque pop sound and Brian Wilson-ish harmonies make "New" sound timeless!!
"Pompeii" by Bastille: With electronica becoming an increasingly more dominant form of popular music, the arrival of "Pompeii" seems quite timely. Ordinarily, electronica doesn't impress me too much, but thankfully, "Pompeii" is laced with both smooth enough harmonies and a catchy enough melody for me to appreciate it. Perhaps what's gotten so many people hooked on the song so far, though, is its faux-Latin "day-oo day-oo, day, day-oo, day-oo" chorus, which makes it stand out from other forms of contemporary music. As a side note, "Pompeii" is a triple geographical whammy! Pompeii is in Italy, Bastille is in Canada, yet the band itself is British! Go figure!!
"Say the Words" by Satellite: These guys sound like Travis, Coldplay, The Doves, and many other "Britpop" bands, and even their accent sounds somewhat British. So why are they from America?! Oh well, that's not the point of this song, as far as I'm concerned. The main focus of "Say the Words" is to bring the more guitar based side of the Britpop sound into the 2010's. On the surface, "Say the Words" sounds like a love song, and perhaps part of it is, but the first two verses of the song seem to indicate that the song is more centered around someone who has given up all hope on his/her life. The chorus is probably encouragement that the lead singer is providing to the subject of the song in order for him/her to feel less pressure regarding his/her life.
"Graceless" by The National: The title of this song alone indicates that it will not exactly be an uplifting one (then again, there aren't really any songs by The National that contain positive subject matter, so it's hardly surprising). It seems as though Matt Berninger is literally "losing his religion" in "Graceless", with such lines as "I figured out how to be faithless", "now I know what dying means", and "God loves everybody, don't remind me". The rhymes Matt sings for the title of the song can feel a bit strained at times (e.g. "erase this", "waste this", "weightless", "face this", etc.) but then again, perhaps the struggle for a word to rhyme with "graceless" goes in line with the weary, cumbersome feeling the song itself has to offer.
"New" by Paul McCartney: Paul McCartney's new song is "New". No, I'm not trying to sound redundant, it's just that "New" happens to be the TITLE of McCartney's latest tune. Part of the charm of this song comes from who produced it, if you ask me, and that would be Mark Ronson, who has been known for producing material for musicians like Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse. It seems as though whenever Sir Paul has hired good producers for his 21st century material, it ends up having a solid sound, like the Nigel Godrich (Radiohead's producer) produced albums he had during the mid-'00s. "New" doesn't sound a thing like Amy Winehouse or Lily Allen, though. It sounds better (at least I think it does)!! Its catchy, Beatlesque pop sound and Brian Wilson-ish harmonies make "New" sound timeless!!
"Pompeii" by Bastille: With electronica becoming an increasingly more dominant form of popular music, the arrival of "Pompeii" seems quite timely. Ordinarily, electronica doesn't impress me too much, but thankfully, "Pompeii" is laced with both smooth enough harmonies and a catchy enough melody for me to appreciate it. Perhaps what's gotten so many people hooked on the song so far, though, is its faux-Latin "day-oo day-oo, day, day-oo, day-oo" chorus, which makes it stand out from other forms of contemporary music. As a side note, "Pompeii" is a triple geographical whammy! Pompeii is in Italy, Bastille is in Canada, yet the band itself is British! Go figure!!
"Say the Words" by Satellite: These guys sound like Travis, Coldplay, The Doves, and many other "Britpop" bands, and even their accent sounds somewhat British. So why are they from America?! Oh well, that's not the point of this song, as far as I'm concerned. The main focus of "Say the Words" is to bring the more guitar based side of the Britpop sound into the 2010's. On the surface, "Say the Words" sounds like a love song, and perhaps part of it is, but the first two verses of the song seem to indicate that the song is more centered around someone who has given up all hope on his/her life. The chorus is probably encouragement that the lead singer is providing to the subject of the song in order for him/her to feel less pressure regarding his/her life.
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