Here's a single that may seem a bit light at the surface, but peel away just a few of the layers and you'll find a lot of darkness. But that's exactly what makes this piece of bipolar pop so compelling.
SoCal's Jillian Rose Banks' latest single "Gemini Feed" features lyrics that sound as if they came directly from a diary where the words were written boldly and firmly by a frequently broken-tipped pencil.
"Gemini Feed" comes across as a confessional tale of unrequited love between exs... a recently empowered but bitter broken-hearted woman and an extremely possessive, controlling, emotionally guarded man. ("I tried to say 'I love you', but you didn't hear me...") And, that eerie wavering synth behind Banks' defiant words makes her situation sound just a tad bit distressing.
Turns out, Jillian majored in romantic drama. What I mean is -- aside from personal experience -- exploring emotional factors regarding toxic relationships is something Banks may have picked-up while earning her degree studying psychology at the University of Southern California. My research also led to the discovery that she was born on June 16th which makes her astrological sign Gemini, additional possible inspiration.
The song is the second release (the first was the extremely freaky "Fuck With Myself") from Banks' second album The Alter. She explained to BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac, "I just had so much to write about. This album for me is really kind of like a metamorphoses of me coming into my own."
But you know what? This very alternative Banks track ain't even close to Top-40 friendly and you really probably won't like -- or even want to listen to -- "Gemini Feed." So... never mind.
I'm sure you've noticed there's been a folk music resurgence of late, but what really surprised me were the number of successful singing sisters on that list (no, none are nuns) which include First Aid Kit, Lily & Madeleine, Haim along with the previously reviewed The Staves and The Pierces... and now there's Joseph.
The very first time I heard this trio of synchronized singing siblings was in between featured films while tuned into the Turner Classic Movies channel. At the time, the cable network was running a three-and-a-half minute self-promotional video featuring lots of quick clips from vintage Hollywood movies edited over an unknown song with strong but beautiful female harmonies. I was so taken by their voices I immediately Googled a few lines of lyrics to discover the song in question was "White Flag" from three sisters performing under the somewhat misleading moniker of Joseph.
It turns out Joseph (a group name honoring their grandfather) is comprised of twins Meegan and Allison Closner and their slightly older sis Natalie.
After falling in love with their never-surrender anthem "White Flag" I next discovered "SOS (Overboard)," another track from I'm Alone, No You're Not. This delicate yet spirited recording is just additional evidence their beautifully layered in-sync triple-harmony vocal traits are simply the result of sisters forever sharing the same pair of genes. According to their bio, "It's just second-nature, like a fifth limb that's already on you," says Natalie. "There’s an ability to anticipate what's going to happen and blend with it. When Meegan and Allison sing, they know exactly what I'm going to do and when."
Joseph's I'm Alone, No You're Not was produced by Mike Mogis -- who had previously worked with a few other of my favorites... most notably Jenny Lewis, Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes, Elizabeth & the Catapult -- and is one of the reasons "SOS (Overboard)" floats more to the pop side of the folk spectrum.
"This was our first time doing a recording like this," says Natalie, "and we learned so much about creativity. Mike is a genius, and he's just a total maniac as a musician, so he took these bare bones songs and brought them to life with lush, gorgeous textures and sounds."
"SOS" begins demure and diffident with lead vocalist Meegan emanating anxious apprehension ("I know I want you but I'm drowning in fear") then giving way to hopeful confidence ("I'm finally ready, help me up out of here").
Me? Well, I consider this new Joseph single very airy, boyant and uplifting. Kinda like a... life preserver.
I'm putting out the call: · · · – – – · · ·
You can hear a whole lot Morse by clicking on the music video below...
I have to take a moment to brag that I was one of the first to be mesmerized when -- in early 2011 -- I heard the electronic power-ballad "Sail" from the then unknown act AWOLNATION. Finally -- almost two-years later -- the alternative track finally got the notice it deserved, eventually spending an unbelievable total of 79-weeks on the Billboard Hot-100 Singles Charts... second longest run in pop music history.
Earlier this year, AWOLNATION (singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Aaron Bruno) released a follow-up album to Megalithic Symphony. Shortly after latching on to the disc's first single "Woman Woman," I began to obsess over the album's title track, a starkly ominous opening-number titled "Run." The lyrics -- minimal and morose -- feature the often repeated line, "I am a human being, capable of doing terrible things."
Although claiming to be a "human being," to me those words come across as a programmed narrative that could have originated from a science fiction character found in an Isaac Asimov novel with a demeanor somewhere between the HAL 9000 and Gort.
But when Bruno hit the road performing the song live, he decided to make one small alteration to the lyrics. The line "I am a human being capable of doing terrible things" became "capable of doing beautiful things," one-word which changed the track's entire vibe.
Bruno told journalist Amanda Wicks, "I think that everyone can relate to negative feelings and that realization of the dark side to humanity, which unfortunately we see too much of around us at times. But then there’s the other side we find in beauty, positivity and love that is ultimately more powerful. I started to change the lyric during our live shows and it was natural to want to record this new version of the song."
Other than swapping "terrible" for "beautiful," the two takes are identical -- including the electronica/strings beginning to its heavy-metal finish -- separated simply by Bruno's plainly-spoken but concerning one-word warning: "Run."
I've been listening to this AWOLNATION track since early-August and I still find it unconventionally unique and curiously captivating. Don't just take my word for it -- 4 out of 5 cyborgs gave this track a solid (but very monotone) "affirmative."
Frenship is actually the group name for a couple of West Coast musicians (Brett Hite and James Sunderland) who became fast-"frens" while working together at an LA fitness store. Soon they were creating music and a buzz on the internet with their synth-laden single-word singles "Knives," "Nowhere" and "Carpet."
As part of their first EP for Columbia, Frenship hooked up with someone you may have heard of... indirectly. Over just the past three-years, New York-native Emily Warren has co-penned dozens of songs for acts like Fifth Harmony, Jesse J, Melanie Martinez and 5 Seconds of Summer. Earlier this year Emily scored her biggest hit to date with "Don't Let Me Down," a tune she co-wrote for the Chainsmokers.
This time around Emily not only shares writing credit on the Frenship track "Capsize," but a microphone as well... and with beautiful results. Her vocals are delicate and boyant and breathy but with metaphors that convey sudden heartbreak and long-lasting regret.
All the words seem to be carefully chosen and laid-out as a conversation between lovers who recently split, not unlike Gotye's 2011 duet "Somebody That I Used to Know." Except less bitter and more blue. I especially love the chorus where his concern ends with a hesitant, "Are you...?" But before he can get out the word "okay" she responds immediately with, "I'm fine." But... you just know she's not.
Hite told Andrew Hannah from the alternative music site The Line of Best Fit that the song is all about honesty and that it "meant something very different to all three of us, so we each wrote about something different in the two verses. Ironically, that is the version that felt the most truthful and cohesive in the end."
I found "Capsize" uplifting yet dark but still likable and a very easy listen. In fact, I guarantee this breezy little pop gem will have you thinking "Oh my God!" after just one spin. Actually, it's sort-of unavoidable. ;v)
By-the-way, that voice you hear at the end of the the track is an audio snippet taken from a message left on Warren's voicemail from her grandmother to whom she credits inspiration.
This wonderfully mesmerizing synth-pop song has been bouncing around in my head ever since I witnessed Christine & the Queens' choreographed act on stage as part of the Coachella Music Fest last April. I should have written something about this hypnotic yet danceable Euro-track that day, but -- for some reason -- I let it slide.
Then yesterday -- as I sat numb absorbing news of yet another deranged murderer taking the lives of so many beautiful souls in the name of hate during Bastille Day celebrations in Nice -- I was brought back to Christine and her message of acceptance. Not only of others, but more importantly of oneself as well.
"Christine" is the androgynous, non-sexualized alter-ego stage-name of five-foot tall French-native Héloïse Letissier, and the non-existent "Queens" is just a tribute to the drag queens she met in London who inspired her to lose her inhibitions and turn all of her energy and uncertainties into a career in music. Héloïse explained, “Christine was a statement about being an unusual little thing... moving and loving people.”
I was immediately attracted to her song "Tilted" with its quiet, steady pulsing synthesized beat and its bilingual we're-all-just-a-little-bit-crazy message. She said it was about, "making an easy song with an uneasy subject. It’s about feeling out-of-place, not finding your balance, or being depressed even, but with playful images, with a song you can dance on."
Speaking of playful, I was immediately taken by the line, "I'm doing my face with magic marker/I'm in my right place, don't be a downer..." which I perceived as just another way of saying; Go ahead -- it's okay -- let your freak-flag fly! On the other hand -- although I haven't the slightest idea what she's saying -- Christine's soft and crisp French-styled rap during the middle-eight is delightfully unique and très mignonne.
By-the-way... If you ever have the chance to see Christine & the Queens live, GO! It's pop performance art at its most tilted.
This is a story of a French producer remixing a seven-year old Australian single and coming up with a big chart hit this year in Germany, England, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Could the next stop for "This Girl" be the States?
It's a simple song as far as construction goes -- jazzy brass with soulful vocals and an often-repeated yet hooky guitar riff -- but it's one of those charming melodies that has this innate ability to elevate your ever changing moods.
19-year old French DJ Valentin Brunel -- whose performing sobriquet is Kungs (pronounced "Koongs") -- got his hands on a single from the Melbourne trio Cookin' On 3 Burners and did a bit of remixing. Not only did he add house drums, horns and hand claps to "This Girl," but a few RPMs as well, eventually creating a popular European club hit.
I was already somewhat familiar with Cookin's vocalist Kylie Auldist as I first heard her soulful voice as one of the singers with the Bamboos after discovering the track "Avenger" a couple of years ago.
After my very first listen to "This Girl" -- eventually credited to Kungs vs. Cookin' On 3 Burners -- I immediately made comparisons to Paul Weller's 80s new wave British band The Style Council and the Robin Schulz remix of Lilly Wood & The Prick's "Prayer in C" from 2014.
So, the next time you wanna get your groove on, why not kick-up the Kungs. It's just "something that you got to know... 'This Girl'."
I've been an Ingrid Michaelson fan going on ten-years now. Songs like "Parachute," "Be OK," "Afterlife" and "Time Machine" are all still in rotation on my iTunes playlist. In fact, Ingrid's "Boys Chase Girls" was one of my top-10 best picks from all of 2014.
Well, my favorite bespectacled female indy-singer-songwiter may have just released her strongest pop-single to date with "Hell No..." a you-go-girl break-up anthem that you can dance to.
No doubt "Hell No" was inspired by Michaelson's own recent and somewhat messy divorce. She told the Huffington Post, “We all have been through being wronged, so we created a powerful break up song. This song is not about one specific relationship but about lots of different relationships and how they culled together into one unified force of anger."
For me, Ingrid's new see-ya-later single is a mix of Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and Avril Lanigne's "What the Hell" with a few dashes of Meghan Trainor's "No" sprinkled over the chorus.
"Hell No" was written by Ingrid in Nashville with country music vets Barry Dean and Luke Laird (Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw). Michaelson told James Dinh of iHeart Radio, “I just wanted to kind of go outside of my comfort zone and write in this different world and see what happened.” She added, “I think there is definitely a country feeling to the vibe of the song. It's just produced in such a poppy way but we just had so much fun."
With clever/cute/cutting lines like, "I should've known better/I saw her wearing your sweater/Nice glasses, fake red hair/Just like me," I feel the Parker Posey of Pop may have just produced her first true mainstream breakthrough single. (By-the-way, the song's yet-to-be-titled parent album -- featuring more letting-go/moving-on themed tunes -- is set to be released this August. And her self-made Snapchat Filters-inspired music video is below.)
So, go ahead... give it a spin! I'm sure you too with say "Hell yeah!' to "Hell No!"
Now here's one smooth, gliding power-pop concoction that should have you singing along with its delightfully hooky chorus before this three-minute clip comes to a cold close with a "ha-ha-ha!"
The band is Philadelphia's Good Old War -- a group moniker Frankensteined from members Keith GOODwin, Tim ArnOLD and Daniel SchWARtz's surnames -- who have come up with their most radio-friendly track to date.
"Never Gonna See Me Cry" is fun and clean and genuine and full of lyrical metaphors. And aside from being skillfully scored, what really stands-out is the song's smartly crafted harmonies. You'll "Ahh" at their "Oohs."
This very good Good Old War song has been around since last year, but because the band's label is just now getting behind and promoting the trio's "new" single, I just had to give "Never Gonna See Me Cry" five :v) :v) :v) :v) :v)... and zero frowns.
I don't think the alt-indy guys have released an official music video* for "Never Gonna See Me Cry," yet... but you can stream the audio by clicking on the image below. And, to give you an idea of how vocally talented these dudes are, be sure to audition their library acoustic version, too! They're both right here!
I found myself alone, on a passenger car linked-up far behind the locomotive where the steady, evenly spaced clicks of the steel wheels against the tracks below the floor put me into a six-minute semi-hypnotic-like trance.
Well, sort of.
At least those were a few of the first images that drifted around in my head while zoning-out to the latest Chemical Brothers creation "Wide Open." But I must admit, this ultra-alternative track is not for everyone.
Twenty-years after becoming electronica pioneers, the duo released the album Born In The Echoes (rumored to be their last) which features "Wide Open," a simple four-chord recording supporting the song's mechanical yet floating, dreamy aura. They told Rolling Stone, "We wanted to make a record that would fit alongside the other records we've made, and we both felt that there was another good Chemical Brothers album in us."
For vocals, the "Brothers" (Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons) wisely recruited Beck whose laid-back delivery didn't dominate, but instead softly complimented the duo's synth-laden backing track. Beck's lines seem to be deep but empathetic, most likely to fans like me with more than a few decades under their belts. "Slow me down, it's getting away from me. It's getting away from me. Getting away... from... me."
Aside from being the kings of EDM, the Chemical Brothers are also well known for their imaginative promotional music videos, most notably the visually trippy 1999 clip "Let Forever Be."
Most likely inspired by last year's sci-fi film "Ex Machina," the recently released mini-music movie for "Wide Open" is just as fascinating and beautifully compliments the duo's Kraftwerkian creation giving the song yet another dimension. Trust me... check it out below. It's pretty cool.
1. The hippocampus is the name of a small region of the brain that controls memory.
2. Hippo Campus is a Twin Cities-based indy-alternative band made up of four 20-year olds who just released their second collection of songs.
Guitarist Nathan Stocker explained to WRGW, “I was in psychology class one day and I was reading about the brain and was like 'Yo, that’s a cool word,' and split it up into two words and that’s a band name!"
And what-do-ya-know... after just a couple of listens to the new Hippo Campus track "South," my hippocampus had me humming the catchy tune during the days that followed.
A simple, easy-going, infectious opening guitar riff leads into a 30-word stanza that ends with, "Chest hum, a black gun and forty dollars." Huh?! Now, I haven't the slightest idea what they're singing about there, but I do kinda like how that curious line rolls off the tongue. "Chest hum, a black gun and forty dollars." Righteous.
By the second verse, Jake Luppen's vocals turn raspy taking on an edgier feel while the lyrics become a little bit clearer, apparently coming-of-age lines from a bunch of coming-of-age guys.
'“South' is about growing up, and recognizing where you come from, and the environment that you’ve grown up in, and accepting that that was then... and this, now,” Stocker told The Current's Andrea Swensson. “It’s about personal growth.”
The band's jangly-guitars may sound more West Coast than Upper Midwest but I also found some similarities to Two Door Cinema Club, Shout Out Louds, Vampire Weekend and maybe the Shins.
For a bunch of nerdy-guys just out of high school I must say they sure do sound like polished recording studio vets. But see what you think. Their music video clip is "South."
For us, the Aurora Borealis is a beautiful yet fascinating display of light in the Northern Latitudes. On the other hand, Aurora Aksnes, who grew up in the Northern Latitudes, is a beautiful yet fascinating display of talent. But this 19-year old Norwegian chanteuse (who professionally goes by just her first name) will soon shine worldwide.
I first discovered this unique talent late last year through the tracks "Running With the Wolves" and "Half the World Away" which were released shortly after signing her first recording contract in October of 2014. To me, she seemed to be this anomalous mix of Lorde, Tori Amos and Björk.
This young blond, blue-eyed(?) singer/songwriter -- whose second language is English -- conveyed to Francine Gorman of JaJaJaOnline two-years ago, "I started when I was nine, when my life started to need it. -- Creating music is satisfying in another way, I can’t describe it. Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are both heroes of mine, and they inspired me to use music to help myself and others, and that is still my intention."
Her latest creation is called "The Conqueror" which is bright and poppy, a deep contrast to her earlier recordings which I felt were a bit dark and ethereal, even mystical (and, to me, more interesting). Aurora's new, more mainstream sounding single is an obvious attempt to make a mark on the music charts outside her native Norway. "This is one of the only happy songs that I have." She added, "It's a special child."
She told iHeartRadio, "'Conqueror' is about a world is kind of falling apart around you, and you're looking for a conqueror to save you. But you're looking for the conqueror in someone else, which I think is you should not do. You should find the conqueror in yourself first, and be your own hero. If you stand strong, then you will stand for a bit longer."
Aurora possesses a beautiful voice, but I also discovered she is extremely expressive, often utilizing her arms, hands, fingers, eyes while performing her songs. She explained, "But it is good to have my hands free and be able to move them around in my storytelling."
"The Conqueror" is the lead single from the album All My Demons Greeting Me As a Friend, due out March 11. Aurora will also be performing a handful of dates in the States beginning with a show in Los Angeles on April 5.
You can view both "The Conqueror" and "Running With the Wolves" music videos below.
Okay, here are the results of 12-months of listening to all of the new single releases from
record companies each week and then whittling them all down to just a handful I feel
are solid enough overall songs to withstand repeated listens.
This ain't your usual year-end tally, it's my list of the best less-obvious and overlooked tracks from the past year that still sound just as amazing as
they did at first listen. I've included each of the song's videos but -- as usual -- the focus should remain
solely on the music itself. Check 'em all out. I just know there's
something here you can take with you into 2016!
"10,000 Emerald Pools"-BØRNS
Marc Bolin lives on! If you haven't already, listen to the best glam-rock track to hit the airwaves since Bowie collaborated with T-Rex! First came “Electric Love” and then this spacey gem. Both songs also have that Southern California Sixties psychedelic vibe. According to Garrett Borns, "'10,000 Emerald Pools' is my friend's mom's address in Las Vegas." He added, "It's the only address in Las Vegas with a theme song!" Tie-dye shirt and lava lamp sold separately.
"Feeling OK"-Best Coast
Now here's a wonderful example of SoCal rock complete with melodic jangly-guitars, a catchy chorus and lyrics espousing the drug of choice… love! Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast says the song's lead-guitar part was inspired by "Cool" from Gwen Stefani while the lyrics evoke "...a journey on what I had to go through to get to this point of feeling OK." OK!
"Friends"-Raury
This Atlanta hip-hop artist surprised everyone by recording a gliding, lyrically Utopian track that features an “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” message but without all of the sugar. I found that parts of the instrumental break just before the middle-eight seem to emulate pieces of George Harrison’s production on the Beatles' “Tomorrow Never Knows” and Dave Collins' shout-outs from "Double Barrel." Oh, and it features guitar work from Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine. Anyway, take a listen... I think you'll really like-like-like-like-like-like-like-like it!
"Deadwater"-Wet
It’s all in lead-singer Kelly Zutrau’s emotional, heart-wrenching poetry laid gently over this simple yet poignant piano-based backing-track. You can read my full review here.
"In the Summer"-IAMDYNAMITE
A perfect laid-back ode to many Midwesterner’s most savored season where people measure their Summers in weeks instead of months. IAMDYNAMITE’s Chris Phillips told Vents Magazine, "’In The Summer’ is a reflective song. You
can treat it like a summer-fun anthem, or a wintertime ode to what was
once a warm sun-filled amazing season. Coming from Michigan... where three-months out of the year it’s nice... and nine-months out of the year you’re
thinking about those three-months.” Sounds best while lathered-up in Coppertone and wearing your coolest shades.
"Cake By the Ocean"-DNCE
Yes! You can have your cake and eat it by the ocean, too! Here’s one hell of an infectious confection with a groovy bass-line under one of the sweetest, dance-able power-pop rockers of the year. It’s nothing but pure fun! You can read my full review here!
"No One Is Lost"-Stars
Synthetically uplifting yet lyrically fatalistic, this veteran Canadian trio has probably provided the finest “Fuck it!” anthem of the last 12-months. Apparently, initial inspiration for "No One Is Lost" came from the constant thumping-bass felt beneath the floorboards of their recording studio in Montreal where "The Royal Phoenix" gay bar was in full dance mode. Singer Torquil Campbell told ETCanada, "We feel very much this is music that will stay in your life. That's all we're trying to do, trying to make kitchen sink music.
You can have it on the shelf, you can pull it off seven years later and
it will still sound good to you."
"Go Go Go"-Panic is Perfect
It’s a little bit Phoenix, a little bit Death Cab, a little bit Amélie and a whole lot of perfect as an alternative-rock track can be! Ready? Steady? Va! Va! Va! You can read my full review here!
"Monument"-Mutemath
This is the New Orleans alternative, indy-rock band’s most accessible single to date… uptempo, positive, catchy and downright poppy! According to keyboardist Paul Meany, the lyrics tell the tale of an enduring love, not unlike the story told in their mini-documentary music video. It's a love song meant for those couples who have truly experienced that rare lifetime bond.
"Dystopia"-Polarheart
This indy Aussie duo created one very unique alternative track featuring dreamy but dark lyrics perfectly produced over a very lush, ethereal background. Plus, I gave it extra points for its use of the word "Dystopia." It's strange that Polarheart does not yet have a Wikipedia page and has only over a thousand likes on Facebook. But I'm issuing a "Band to Watch" alert as -- with uniquely artsy alternative offerings such as this -- I'm sure their star has just begun to rise. You can "LIKE" them here.
Also Worth Checking Out from Last Year...
"Woman Woman"-Awolnation "We Move Like the Ocean"-Bad Suns "Shenanigans"-Genevieve Bellemare "Wide Open"-Chemical Brothers "Sugah Daddy"-D-Angelo and the Vanguards "The Wrong Year"-Decemberists "You Don’t Own Me"-Grace "I’m In Love With My Life"-Phases "Lightning Strike"-A Silent Film "New Bohemia"-Transviolet
