New Music "Picks of the Week!"

I caught a bit of Kid Rock's performance on television during the nationally televised Green Bay Packers home-opener pre-game festivities at Lambeau Field last week and had to give another listen to his latest single "Care."  Every AC station in the country is probably playing the ballad right now and I came close to recommending it this week.  It's a solid song, especially the version with Martina McBride, but after a couple weeks I found myself already skipping past it whenever it pops up on the Pod.  It became a quick burn-out for me... but check it out for yourself.  See if you Care.

But moving on... there were two stand-out tracks that I've been giving quite a bit of repeated play lately.  Oh, by-the-way, this week's picks are brought to you by the letter "W."


 "I MIGHT"-WILCO

The new Wilco album The Whole Love is supposed to be available toward the end of this month but the band advance-released the track "I Might" which I've already listened to well over 30-times.  Partly because it's so catchy-cool and partly because I've been (unsuccessfully) trying to decipher the lyrics that lead-vocalist Jeff Tweedy is singing.  ("Slim Jim..." what?)  But what makes the song extra special are the xylophone accents throughout the tune and a very catchy keyboard riff à la ? and the Mysterians.




"HANG ON"-WEEZER

The second single from the latest Weezer album Hurley (yeah, that's that "Lost" dude on the cover) is finally getting some notice. Check out "Hang On" which is so hooky I'm sure that when the band performs the tune live, the title will easily become an audience-participatory fist-pumping chant. Here's something curious about the track: "Hang On" features actor Michael Cera ("Superbad," "Juno") on backing vocals, mandolin and hurdy gurdy.

That's it for now.  More to come!  Right now I'm heading to Google to find out what the hell a hurdy gurdy is.

New Music "Picks of the Week!"

Lots of catching-up to do today.  Packers pre-season football had me temporarily distracted.  Here's what got the nod for the Pod this week!


"HOW COME YOU NEVER GO THERE"-FEIST

Remember Feist? The last time she released an album your house was worth twice as much as it is now.  While taking a break from the biz, she found time to pen songs for Metals (out in October), her first collection of new tunes since 2007 when Apple elevated her to pop-star status when they borrowed her "1234" to promote their iPod.  She could have gone the safe-route and released "5678," but kudos to Miss Feist for taking a slightly different, slower, more deliberate and bluesier road with the just-released single, "How Come You Never Go There."




 "I DIDN'T SEE IT COMING"-BELLE and SEBASTIAN

I've been fascinated with the Scottish group Belle and Sebastian since the first time I heard "For the Price of a Cup of Tea."  Check out "I Didn't See It Coming," an easy-on-the-ears pop tune they made much more interesting with addition of the psychedelic bit around the middle-eight.

"WHAT YOU KNOW"-TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB

Next up is a track from the Irish group Two Door Cinema Club.  The best 3-minutes they've ever came up with was "Something Good Can Work" from 2009... but they come close with their latest, "What You Know."  They picked up lots of iPod adds after they performed the song for Jimmy Fallon earlier this year.




 "GO OUTSIDE"-CULTS

Get ready for the... xylophone solo! Here's a band so new they didn't exist a little over a year ago.  With the help of singer Lily Allen, the Manhattan-based duo the Cults picked-up a record deal which was followed by the release of their debut, eponymously-titled album release last month.  Drenched in echo, "Go Outside" has a sing-along, sway-back-and-forth, kind of charm to it.

"THE WALK"-MAYER HAWTHORNE

Is 70's horn-based R&B starting to make a comeback?  You would think so with the recent success of Fitz & the Tantrums.  If you were a fan of "MoneyGrabber," you'll also dig this brand new retro-soul single called "The Walk" from Mayer Hawthorne.  I just read that's a stage moniker he created by pairing his middle name with the street he grew up on.  (But isn't that how you come up with your stripper name?  Just sayin'.)

Here are a few other honorable mentions that deserve a once-over...

"STAY YOUNG, GO DANCING"-DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

"A BRIGHTER DAY"-THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

"PUNCHING IN A DREAM"-THE NAKED AND FAMOUS

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New Music "Picks of the Week!"

Of all the music I've added over the past several weeks, I think I've been playing the tracks "Get It Daddy" (Sleeper Agent) and "When I'm Alone" (Lissie) the most.  They pass my stringent "repeated listens" test.  On the other hand, I did once recommend Santana's cover of "Photograph."  Well, that got old really quick.  Sorry about that.  Anyway...


"SWIM"-SURFER BLOOD

I found a couple tunes which are definitely not your typical pop songs, but they're good!  The first is from a Scottish band called Surfer Blood.  Okay... they're not from Scotland... or even Britain.  Try West Palm Beach, Florida.  Still don't believe it.  They could be singing "In A Big Country" for God's sake.  Anyway, check out the accent on this rocker they dubbed "Swim."




"CAN'T KEEP JOHNNY DOWN"-THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS

The music from They Might Be Giants is an acquired taste, one I first discovered after hearing "Ana Ng," the band's second most familiar track.  (The first has to be "Boss of Me," the theme song to the TV comedy "Malcolm in the Middle.")  The nasally lead-vocals emanate from the beak of John Flansburgh who may or may not be the subject of the two-minute ditty "Can't Keep Johnny Down."




"JACK IN THE BOX"-PAULINE

Finally, a song so new and so obscure the track isn't yet available on iTunes and the only YouTube link has just a thousand hits.  Be the first on your block to add "Jack in the Box" from Pauline, a Swedish vocalist who seems to borrow a bit from Amy Winehouse, Gwen Stefani, Supremes and even Dinah Washington! (All in front of a Fats Domino-styled riff.)  I took a liking to this jazzy number after the first listen!