Here's a new good song: "December Nights" by Saskwatch. There's something very '90s about it, which I love. Reminds me a bit of Sneaker Pimps meets Lucious Jackson, or something? Anyway, it's all very cool., and not structurally formulaic at all, so it's a fun ride that's full of surprises. Enjoy!
Sunday, April 23, 2017
New Good Song: "Ultralife," Oh Wonder 4.23.17
Here's a new good song: "Ultralife" by Oh Wonder, a British duo. Man, I love this. It's so charming and affirming, but not corny at all. The richer instrumentals in the second verse are absolutely tremendous. The part of this track from 1:01 to 1:36 (the basketball sequence in the video, which also is lovely) is my favorite. This is easily one of the best songs I've heard so far this year. Also, here's a kind of cool drum cover. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Mo Bounce," Iggy Azalea 4.23.17
Here's a new good song: "Mo Bounce" by Iggy Azalea. Sorry, I gotta call 'em like I see 'em. This track is hella catchy, a ton of fun and well-produced and delivered by Azalea. I absolutely love it. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Halfway There," Sheryl Crow 4.23.17
Here's a new good song: "Halfway There" by Sheryl Crow. I love her, and this track hearkens back to her Tuesday Night Music Club days 20+ years ago. It has a timely message about creating open lines of communication and understanding between the Right and the Left. (Which will never, ever happen, because we're heading toward Civil War, but it's sweet that Crow thinks it's possible.) Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Young Hearts," Bunt f/ Beginners 4.23.17
Here's a new good song: "Young Hearts" by Bunt, featuring Beginners. Bunt is a German duo specializing in what they call Folk House, an unlikely mix of Folk and EDM (electronic dance music). The unusual result of this blend hits you in the first few moments of "Young Hearts," which has a piano part reminiscent of a silent Western movie, a sax part that sounds like it belongs in Miami Vice, and a harmonica breaks fitting for a hoedown, all over a modern, pulsing beat. Bunt's collaborators here are an indie rock quartet called Beginners. This is a fun, somewhat wacky romp. And it's really grown on me over the past month or so. I love it. Enjoy!
Saturday, March 18, 2017
New Good Song: "Good Girls," Lany 3.18.17
Here's a new good song: "Good Girls" by Lany. I don't think these guys are capable of doing a bad song. They have mastered the art of stripped down synth-fueled throwback pop. "ILYSB" was my third-favorite song of 2014 (although they apparently just finally released a video for it a couple weeks ago. "Walk Away" was my 80th favorite song of that year (2014). "Someone Else" was my 13th favorite song of 2015. "Where The Hell Are My Friends" was my 42nd favorite song of 2016. So that's a great track record, considering I'm song loyal and not band loyal. "Good Girls" is another great offering. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "You Won't Know Where You Stand," Aquilo 3.18.17
Here's a new good song: "You Won't Know Where You Stand" by Aquilo. These guys are just incredible songwriters; I'm consistently amazed by how likable their releases are. They have an exceptional sense of what's beautiful and catchy. Their haunting ballad "I Gave It All" was my 17th favorite song of 2014. Their faster song "Good Girl" was my 28th favorite song of 2015. And I very much enjoyed "So Close To Magic" earlier this year. All those videos are great, too. They should be huge. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Stay My Love," Una Healy f/ Sam Palladio
Here's a new good song: "Stay My Love" by Una Healy f/ Sam Palladio. It's a simple but touching and well-executed acoustic guitar duet. Thank you to LuisMa for exposing me to it. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Love," Lana Del Rey 3.18.17
Here's a new good song: "Love" by Lana Del Rey. I liked her breakthrough single "Video Games," which was my 35th favorite song of 2012. I haven't cared for anything since then until now. This one is lovely, though. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Green Light," Lorde 3.18.17
New Good Song: "Kids On The Street," Of Verona 3.18.17
Here's a new good song: "Kids On The Street" by Of Verona. It's very similar to "Cool Kids" by Echosmith, in both musical style and lyrical themes. It's good. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "I'm Betta," Bell Biv DeVoe 3.18.17
Here's a new good song: "I'm Betta" by Bell Biv DeVoe. This groundbreaking R&B trio resurfaced a few months ago with the decent "Run." I think "I'm Betta" is a little betta, but both are solid in a throwback kind of way. Whenever I see old-school R&B groups release new material, which happens quite a bit, I always wonder ... Why? There's a 0% chance these will be popular because the public's taste has changed. So I don't know why "I'm Betta" exists, but here it is. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Some Kinda Wonderful," Betty Who 3.18.17
Here's a new good song: "Some Kinda Wonderful" by Betty Who. This Australian singer, who for some reason doesn't seem to have an Australian accent during the speaking part of this video, has had one of the most consistent marketing pushes on iTunes I can recall. And yet she remains obscure and unknown in the United States. Her 2014 song "All Of You," which originally was credited to Peter Thomas featuring Betty Who but later was credited solely to her, was one of my favorite tracks of the year (but certainly not one of my favorite videos; yeesh). I haven't been particularly fond of her subsequent output, but "Some Kinda Wonderful" is a fun track. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Crying On The Bathroom Floor," Muna 3.18.17
Here's a new good song: "Crying On The Bathroom Floor" by Muna. This all-female "dark pop" trio is one of my favorite acts to emerge in the past 12 months. I loved their previous singles "Loudspeaker," "So Special" and "I Know A Place." This one is darker but also fantastic. Enjoy!
Sunday, February 26, 2017
New Good Song: "Chained To The Rhythm," Katy Perry f/ Skip Marley 2.26.17
Here's a new good song: "Chained To The Rhythm" by Katy Perry f/ Skip Marley. In the '90s, my taste was very mainstream. In the '00s, I didn't find much of anything I liked, but to the extent I did, it was generally mainstream. In the '10s, though, my taste has become more obscure, probably because it's easier to find non-mainstream music than it ever has been. But as mainstream acts go, Katy Perry is among my favorite. Her output is consistently solid, this included. I also appreciate the attempt to go at least somewhat deeper, lyrically, than what is typically on the radio. Great throwback production and vocal performance here as well. The synth on pre-chorus ("So put your rose-colored glasses on ...") is especially delicious. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Collateral Damage," Levv 2.26.17
Here's a new good song: "Collateral Damange" by Levv. This act is tremendous; they had my 6th favorite song of 2015, and dare I say I already think "Collateral Damage" is perhaps even better. Just jaw-droppingly beautiful, and goes in a dance direction midway that's a risk but works. Certainly will end up in a good spot on my 2017 year-end list, I'm sure of it. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Ain't Love Strange," Stanaj 2.26.17
Here's a new good song: "Ain't Love Strange" by Stanaj. This is definitely a slow-cooker; it's been on my playlist for a couple months but only recently did I start to really get into it. It's an earnest R&B waltz that asks an awfully good question. He's also sporting quite a sexy physique beneath this dorky-hipster exterior. See for yourself. Enjoy!
Friday, February 3, 2017
New Good Song: "Paris," The Chainsmokers 2.3.17
Here's a new good song: "Paris" by The Chainsmokers. This duo had tremendous breakout success in 2016, the best of their output being "Closer" f/ Halsey and "Roses" f/ Rozes, singles that landed at No. 29 and 52 on my year-end tally respectively. They also had a huge hit with "Don't Let Me Down" f/ Daya, but I don't happen to care for that one. "Paris" builds to a climax very similar to M83's "Midnight City," a song I love. I drew this comparison completely independently, Googled it just now and discovered others have noticed the same thing. In fact here's a mash-up of the two tracks. "Paris" features an un-credited vocal by Emily Warren. It's a good effort. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "City Of Stars," Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone 2.3.17
Here's a new good song: "City Of Stars" by Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone. This is, of course, from the highly lauded film La La Land. The tune is repeated a few times, including a scene with Gosling and Stone. This version, available on the soundtrack, apparently was recorded on set as opposed to in a studio. It's very catchy and moving, and I've enjoyed having it on my playlist to remind me of the movie, which was truly a treasure. Enjoy!
New Good Song: "Issues," Julia Michaels 2.3.17
Here's a new good song: "Issues" by Julia Michaels. The background string plucks are cute, and the melody is pretty good. This is Michaels' first release after years of success writing songs for A-list acts like Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson and Selena Gomez. Enjoy!
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