New Good Song: "Heads Or Tails," The Runaway Club 9.13.14

Here's a new good song: "Heads Or Tails" by The Runaway Club. Earlier this year, The Runaway Club had a new good song called "Runaway," which was a somewhat nearsighted title given that it makes the song practically un-Googleable. But they do a nice job of non-ironic unabashedly '80s pop, and "Heads Or Tails" is a fine example, complete with extended sax solos. The nearly 1-minute-long sports intro is an OK feature the first time you sit through it, although when this is on your current playlist, you quickly grow tired of hearing it dozens of times.

New Good Song: "Classic," The Knocks f/ Powers 9.13.14

Here's a new good song: "Classic" by The Knocks f/ Powers, not to be confused with "Classic" by MKTO, which is a cute song if you are 9. This "Classic" is better. A nice dessert of a song, nothing revolutionary, but hard to deny the pleasant impact of the melody and production. Not every song needs to reinvent the wheel. The piano (and to some extent the female vocals) remind me of "Steal My Sunshine" by Len.

New Good Song: "Green Garden," Laura Mvula w/ Metropole Orkest 9.13.14

Here's a new good song: "Green Garden" by Laura Mvula w/ Metropole Orkest. "Green Garden" is a 2013 song from the album "Sing To The Moon," and this version is from a new re-recording of that album in collaboration with Metropole Orkest, a 52-piece Netherlands pop/jazz orchestra. This is not easy to find online right now; visit iTunes if the link below does not work for you.

New Good Song: "Remember The Love," Catherine Scholz f/ Gordon Hellegers 9.13.14

Here's a new good song: "Remember The Love" by Catherine Scholz f/ Gordon Hellegers. This appears to be a warmer, richer re-orchestration of Scholz's 2008 song "Just Not Like Her," with Hellegers playing what sounds like a harp but is, at it turns out, a kora, which is a 21-string West African instrument that's basically a miniature harp in the shape of a lute. The transformation from an acoustic coffeehouse tune to this world music production is refreshing. Scholz appears to be quite talented. She should consider a more sophisticated graphic treatment on her cover to match the sophisticated production of this track.

New Good Song: "Run-Time," Imogen Heap 9.13.14

Here's a new good song: "Run-Time" by Imogen Heap. I was quite a fan of "You Know Where To Find Me" last year. That was a dramatic ballad. This is a much peppier up-tempo song, although the subject matter is not particularly peppy -- arguing for a clean breakup. Feels like there are hints of La Roux in here as well.

New Good Song: "Only Love Can Hurt Like This," Paloma Faith 9.13.14

Here's a new good song: "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" by Paloma Faith. At first I wasn't particularly taken with this song, given its rather unoriginal chord progression and slight Adele ripoff quality. But upon repeated listens it's become among my current favorites. The vocals and lyrics here work so well together; it feels soulful in a genuine way. And the melody beckons one to sing along in the car (until the dramatic leap to a higher octave, which few could follow along with).

New Good Song: "Shiver," Avec Sans 9.13.14

Here's a new good song: "Shiver" by Avec Sans. Retro pop sounds (and video) and an especially great bridge.

New Good Song: "Mother & Father," Broods 9.13.14

Here's a new good song: "Mother & Father" by Broods. Over a catch beat with a smooth bed of synths, this tune is a melancholy ode to dependence. Great verses here. So great that the song would be better if they were longer and the chorus were shorter. But here it is.

New Good Song: "Miracle," Kimbra 8.9.14

Here's a new good song: "Miracle" by Kimbra. This woman creates such great music: "Somebody That I Used To Know" with Gotye, "Warrior" with Mark Foster and A-Trak, "Two Way Street," "Come Into My Head," "Nobody But You," and now this. Always fresh and original, but familiar. Alternatively edgy, but accessible. Charming but not cheesy. Just great, nearly every time. (One exception: Didn't care for the lead single off "Golden Echo," "90s Music."

New Good Song: "Prove It To You," Kris Allen f/ Lenachka 8.9.14

Here's a new good song: "Prove It To You" by Kris Allen f/ Lenachka. This tune harkens back to simple hits like "When Can I See You" by Babyface and "Babylon" by David Gray. A very nice blend of harmonies makes this an easy listen that grows catchier with each repeated listen.

New Good Song: "Runaway," sElf 8.1.14

Here's a new good song: "Runaway" by sElf, an '80s-influenced head-bobber and toe-tapper.

New Good Song: "Ghosts," Big Wreck 8.1.14

Here's a new good song: "Ghosts" by Big Wreck.

This is a melodious rock song with a bit of '90s grit in its production. The album version is too long (6 minutes 10 seconds), but the edited mix in the clip below is only 4 minutes 35 seconds. This shorter take is not available on iTunes as of this writing.

New Good Song: "Don't Kill The Magic," Magic! 8.1.14

Here's a new good song: "Don't Kill The Magic" by Magic! (also stylized as MAGIC!). This group currently has the No. 1 song in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Rude." I discovered "Rude" in December 2013 when it was lingering on the lower part of the U.K. singles chart, and think it is one of 2014's best songs. "Don't Kill The Magic" is a follow-up, which at first I found pleasant and nicely written but not particularly special. But it has grown on me very much over the past two months.

As I have mentioned several times, I believe that the beginnings and endings of songs are essential to their goodness or badness, and in modern music the introductions and conclusions are often given short shrift. Especially endings, which are often disappointingly abrupt (example, "The Only Ones" by Deluka, featured in the previous post -- an absolutely excellent song with a very poorly thought-out, sudden ending). Great endings offer some element of surprise and closure, perhaps an interpolation of what came before, a twist on the lyrics, an un-foreshadowed major-to-minor key change, etc.

My favorite aspect of "Don't Kill The Magic" is the ending -- the final 22 seconds or so (from 3:09 to 3:31 in the clip below) where the song breaks down to its percussion and piano foundation and background-vocal hook and tenderly fades away. A great ending like this leaves you feeling more moved by a song, sorry to hear it end. I wish more acts

 

New Good Song: "The Only Ones," Deluka 8.1.14

Here's a new good song: "The Only Ones," by Deluka. It harkens to attitude-driven female-vocalized pop/rock music from the '80s and '90s, or more recently, great songs by The Naked and Famous such as "Hearts Like Ours." If you have difficulty with the Spotify embed below, you can listen to "The Only Ones" on their website and purchase on iTunes. The song is not, as of this writing, on YouTube or Soundcloud.
 

New Good Song: "Don't Look Back," Matrix & Futurebound f/ Tanya Lacey 8.1.14

Here's a new good song: "Don't Look Back" by Matrix & Futurebound f/ Tanya Lacey. It's a shiny, upbeat dance/running tune, similar in many ways to one of the best songs of 2014 so far, "All Of You" by Peter Thomas f/ Betty Who.

New Good Song: "Afterglow," Air Dubai f/ Dia Frampton 7.11.14

Here's a new good song: "Afterglow" by Air Dubai. Reminds me of MIKA.

 

New Good Song: "My Sweet Summer," Dirty Heads 7.11.14

Here's a new good song: "My Sweet Summer" by Dirty Heads. Reminds me of Gym Class Heroes.

New Good Song: "ILYSB," LANY 7.11.14

Here's a good new song: "ILYSB" by LANY. As it turns out, they have a few other good songs as well. Check out their Soundcloud. But this one is my favorite. Crisp, catchy, emotional, ethereal.

12 best songs of 2014 so far

Here are some of the best new good songs of 2014 thus far:

1. "Magic," Coldplay. No idea why this song seems to be divisive -- it's beautifully simple, very touching, fantastically produced, well-performed. When Coldplay emerged about 10 years ago, I found all their releases very annoying, not because they weren't pretty, but because they were so freaking repetitive. Then when "Viva La Vida" came out in 2008, I had to admit that I thought that was good, even though it too was repetitive. Then I was a huge fan of "Paradise" a couple years ago, as well as "Up In Flames." And "Magic" may be my favorite song by them yet. So in my eyes, they just get better. I think it takes confidence to be melodic and simple, and Coldplay has a knack for both. Good songs can be repetitive if they lift the listener beyond the repetition and into its emotions and themes, and they seem to do that better the more experience they get.

2. "All Of You," Peter Thomas f/ Betty Who. Not sure when I've heard a more engaging lead-in line: "It's a perfect day for a fight." This is rich, lush dance music at its best. Mysteriously, months after buying it on iTunes, I can no longer find it on iTunes. But I'm certain this would be a very big mainstream success in the U.S. if it managed to get any exposure. Betty Who has subsequently released several tracks I find appealing, but this remains my favorite so far. I suggest Peter Thomas adopt a stage name, or a unique spelling of his given name, because his real name is so common that it makes him un-Googleable.

3. "Ride The Thrill," Scenic. Here's one I'm still not tired of, no matter how many times I play it. Fans of '90s alternative will appreciate this very much. It's trippy, but not too trippy. I admit that for most of this song's run on my personal playlist I thought the vocalist was female, and I've only recently begun to piece together that I may have been mistaken. This has been difficult to ascertain because there is no music video, and I can't find any live performance of the song, or by the band. But Scenic has an all-male lineup, and this song is not credited to any featured vocalist, so maybe the singer is a man. Who knows. I wrote to them on Facebook a few months ago to express my love of the song and asking who the vocalist is (not explaining why I was asking), and they didn't reply.

4. "Dangerous," Big Data f/ Joywave. Great song and great video to boot. Groovy bass line, catchy hand claps, fabulous lyrics. Creepy and fun all at once, kind of like "Pumped Up Kicks," but better.



5. "Fancy," Iggy Azaleo f/ Charli XCX. Sometimes the mainstream gets it right. This song proves that simple can be effective, and it's a rare rapped/sung collaboration whose rap is as catchy as its hook. I'm admittedly mildly uncomfortable with Iggy's borrowing of Eve's delivery style, especially in a time when black musicians are watching their white counterparts outsell them (Macklemore, Eminem, Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake, even Justin Bieber). But maybe that's an old-fashioned thought, and we've evolved to the point where music is music. Either way, this is a great ditty.

6. "Chinatown," Starcadian. This is amazing, as is Starcadian's "HE^RT." The vocal manipulation is a little off-putting at first listen, but repeated listens prove out this song's songwriting value. If you like what you hear, look up the lyrics, and when you come to know it well enough you can sing along in the car, you'll find this to be a very addictive song indeed. Cool video too.

7. "(We Started A) Fire," Katie Cole. I'm a sucker for a good bass line, so this song had me by 0:08. It's very catchy. Not sure there's anything overly groundbreaking here, but it's a cute, tightly written, breezy piece of pop-rock music, with sophisticated production. Should have more than a couple thousand views.

8. "Thirsty For My Tears," Joan Osborne. "One Of Us" was a radio staple in 1995, but Osborne never had another mainstream hit, and "Thirsty" will not change that because it's not in line with current trends, and it appears that no one is interested in promoting it. But the lyrics and melody here are very nice, and it's a song that never gets old. I'm also pleased to see her still on the road and putting herself out there.

9. "Rude," Magic! This was on my list last December -- not because I'm ever-so-more evolved than the general American public, but because I pay attention to the UK and Australian Top 40 charts,and was on one or the other or both last year, even though this band is Canadian. Now everyone's jumping on the band wagon, and "Rude" is No.1 on iTunes. Surprised this has become such a mainstream success, but I welcome it wholly. They have another new good song called "Don't Kill The Magic."

10. "Selkie," Tori Amos. Artists who have been around a while, like Amos and Joan Osborne (above), can get themselves into a tough spot when they release new material. We expect artists to change and evolve, but not too much. "Selkie" would sound at home on "Little Earthquakes," now 22 years old, but that's OK because "Earthquakes" itself was both ahead of its time and timeless. So this is very welcome.

11. "First Love," Ayiesha Woods. About once a year, I'll take a liking to a Christian ballad whose lyrics are vague enough that the meaning can be applied broadly. Here's one of those. This song could be about Christ, or any kind of first love -- a romance, a career, a hobby, a parent, a pet. But it's lovely. Reminds me of one of 2012's best songs, "A Little While" by Heather Headley -- also a piano-driven "Christian" song.

12. "Ten Feet Tall," Wrabel. Later remixed by Afrojack, but here's the original.

New Good Song: "Youth," Ben Khan 6.23.14

Here's a new good song: "Youth" by Ben Khan. The video is not good, though. I am particularly impressed by the use of the "Yeah! Woo!" loop, used in a zillion songs, most famously "It Takes Two" by Rob Base.