New songs for January 30th, 2023

 here they are:

"Let's Make a Mistake Tonight" by Tennis: Why would anyone want to make a mistake, you might ask?! Well, in this case, it's because Alaina Moore wants to "find something better" with her bandmate and husband, Patrick Riley. It's probably just a weird but clever way of saying she wants more romance in her life. Whatever the meaning of the song is, though, it will probably appeal sound-wise to synth-pop fans, which is a bit of an unexpected turn for a band known mostly for evoking the fluffier side of psychedelic pop into their sound. It's a bit less orchestral and guitar-oriented than most of their material. That said, though, it's still worth the listen.


"Madman's Eyes" by Dave Matthews Band: Just hearing the name "Dave Matthews Band" has become practically synonymous with "inoffensive, light rock music." While there's nothing offensive per se about "Madman's Eyes," it's clearly a more turbulent and intense song than most DMB songs are. People tend to forget that Dave and his ensemble have done "scary" songs before, perhaps most notably "Halloween" which, fitting to its title, has intense orchestration, discordant notes, and disquieting vocals. "Madman's Eyes" might be the first DMB song since "Halloween" to really evoke the dark side of the Dave. Why all the madness in the song?! Well, let's just say that during the days of "Crash Into Me," there wasn't a pandemic gripping the world and driving us to insanity the way there is today. "Madman's Eyes" is pretty much a response to the paranoia of the modern day. When the going gets tough, the band get going!

"Maestro (Tears Don't Lie)" by Wilder Woods: The way that Wilder Woods look might suggest a country-rock band, but the way they sound is more rooted in vintage soul music. This was evident upon their initial release, "Supply and Demand," which could have been mistaken for a "slow jam" of the early 1970's. Their latest song, "Maestro (Tears Don't Lie)," is one of those songs that emphasizes the "B" in "R & B," almost mimicking the sound of other neo-blues-rock/soul groups like Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats while doing so. Lead singer William "Bear" Rhineheart's vocals even sound like Nathaniel's here. There are a few factors that distinguish it from Nathaniel's material, though. First of all, there are female backing singers that add flavor to the song's chorus, and in addition to that, the song boasts a groovy guitar solo. Most neo-soul groups use their guitars more for rhythm than for soloing, but on "Maestro (Tears Don't Lie)," the mighty axe is used for both!

"Ride On" by The Nude Party: We're not sure how nude The Nude Party likes to get (and it's probably not our business to know - haha), but they sure know how to party! A lot of their songs evoke the glam-rock excesses of the early 1970's, and their latest song, "Ride On," is no exception to that. The song has already garnered numerous comparisons to Loaded-era Velvet Underground, which practically served as the blueprint to glam rock, along with David Bowie. Perhaps it's a combination of the song's rough, blues-y garage rock edge combined with lead singer Patton McGee's deadpan yet defiant vocals that's been gaining it the VU comparisons. The word "ride" in the title seems to be both literal and figurative. It was initially inspired by someone telling Patton about a Mexican bull rider, but what resulted for the song was that it became one about accepting the everlasting qualities of how rebellious rock and roll can be, and how you just "ride on" when you live a rock and roll lifestyle.

"The Loneliest" by Maneskin: Maneskin's latest song, "The Loneliest," is not as funky as other songs of theirs like "Beggin'" or "Supermodel," but it has become popular almost as fast as those songs did! Oddly, the song seems to almost be evocative of a post-grunge ballad a la Creed or 3 Doors Down if the lead singers of those bands had clearer vocals and a slightly less "corporate rock" sound, and its solo wouldn't be out of place in an Audioslave song. It's a little weird to hear a song like this in this day and age where Eddie Vedder/Chris Cornell-esque vocals are no longer the norm, and where their brooding rock guitar sounds aren't exactly in fashion anymore either. To have the song come from a band known more for funk-rock than for post-grunge (post-post-grunge?!) is even weirder...yet something here works! It seems perfect for an era where early 2000's rock has become nostalgia, and thankfully it doesn't hearken back to nu-metal or emo, neither of which I ever liked. Instead, it's more of a "butt-rock" song, and as much as butt-rock has been derided by critics, I can at least tolerate it compared to a lot of the other mainstream rock crazes of the early '00s. 

"$20" by boygenius: boygenius are neither boys nor (as far as I know) geniuses. The cartoon nerd in me wants to think they got their name from either Dexter's Laboratory or The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, both of which used the phrase "boy genius" to describe their title characters, but I digress. What makes boygenius unique, aside from the fact that their name is intentionally ironic, is the fact that the group is comprised of moderately successful indie-folk musicians. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, all of whom I've reviewed on my previous music blog site, are the members who comprise this group. Their breakthrough single, "$20," has a slightly more aggressive sound than you might expect from performers who are essentially folk-rock musicians. The guitar in the sound is more grungy than folky, which might come as a surprise to fans of these three musicians. Why the aggression?! Perhaps it's yet another response to how chaotic and unpredictable the world has become lately. There's not as much time for sweet melodies as there used to be, and these three ladies seem to know that and take advantage of it. Paranoia and uncertainty loom large throughout the song and come to a climax towards the end when the normally sedate Phoebe Bridgers shouts the title of the song a few times in an almost threatening manner. Not for the faint of heart, but still well worth the listen!

"Wolf" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs: The YYY's, long a fave of post-punk revival fans, had their biggest adult alt radio hit during the summer and fall of last year with the fiery, soulful, and super catchy "Burning." The almost Motown-ish vibe of "Burning" made it easy to see why it caught on so well with adult alt radio fans! Their latest song, "Wolf," goes more in the moody synth-pop direction that their first 2022 single, "Spitting Off the Edge of the World," did. Karen O describes throughout the song why she feels lupine, and there are various reasons for it. She is hungry, bleeding, lost, lonely, and hunting, and she compares all those sensations with the gray wild canine creature known for howling at the moon and giving off slightly spooky vibes. Thankfully, nothing authentically scary happens in the song, although it is one of the more lonesome and isolating YYY's tracks.