New songs for MLK Day 2024 (and the first blog of the New Year)!!

 EIGHT whoppin' new songs for a whoppin' new year!! Can you believe it?! Here they are!!

"Beautiful People (Stay High)" by The Black Keys:  While The Black Keys are known for having a "retro" sound to pretty much all of their songs, they haven't yet nailed the sunny side of psychedelic pop quite like they have for their latest tune, "Beautiful People (Stay High)." If the words "beautiful" and "high" weren't clues already, this is a song that attempts to capture the spirit of the swingin' '60s! This is probably the happiest song I've heard from Dan and Patrick so far. For a year that is probably going to be a shaky one for many, The Black Keys have managed to kick off 2024 with positive energy like no other! Highly recommended!

"Deja Vu" by Abraham Alexander (featuring Mavis Staples):  This is only the second song I've heard so far from neo-soul musician Abraham Alexander (the first being "Tears Run Dry"), but already I'm starting to see a lot of depth and dimension in his material! Where "Tears Run Dry" captured the sweet, sensitive vibe of classic soul ballads, "Deja Vu" veers more towards a futuristic sound that combines folk, soul, and electronica. With help from soul legend, Mavis Staples, Abraham Alexander weaves a poignant tale of racial struggle that has arrived just in time for Martin Luther King Jr. Day! In the song, Alexander openly talks about the pain he suffered through in childhood just to be recognized as an equal, and even the song's title is a powerful one, referencing a passage in the Bible about the changing, vulnerable nature of seasons (possibly the same one that inspired "Turn! Turn! Turn!") In an era where so many marginalized groups have been unfairly maligned, we need songs like this one!

"Dramamine" by Middle Kids:  Not to be confused with the Modest Mouse song of the same name, Middle Kids' "Dramamine" is a song that seemed like it was released one month too early, as it seems like the perfect song for Valentine's Day, and here's why. Lead singer Hannah Joy wrote the song both with and for her husband, Tim Fitz. "You are the only reason I believe in anything," she sings dreamily during the song's chorus. Aww! Also, who or what is "Dramamine" anyhow?!

"Ice Cream (Pay Phone)" by Black Pumas:  Last fall, Black Pumas stunned us with the catchy acoustic soul of "More Than a Love Song." This year, Eric and Adrian have gone in a slightly different direction with "Ice Cream (Pay Phone)," perhaps the first song of theirs that really sounds like an "indie rock" tune while still staying somewhat true to their funk and soul roots. Unlike the universalities and simple yet stunning truths of "More Than a Love Song," "Ice Cream (Pay Phone)" seems a bit more quirky and random in terms of its lyrics, perhaps in an attempt to match the "indie" sound they're trying to emulate here. A lot of the lyrics seem to be food-related metaphors for hot, steamy love. It's like a Prince song that was written by Weird Al (bet you don't hear descriptions like that every day, do ya?!) However you describe it, though, "Ice Cream (Pay Phone)" is a catchy, enjoyable song that I highly recommend!

"Mess it Up" by The Rolling Stones:  Yet another follow-up to a stunner from last fall, "Mess it Up" by The Rolling Stones is the follow-up single to the Stones' fiery yet catchy "Angry." Somehow, this one doesn't have the torrid passion of "Angry." "Mess it Up" sounds more like a run-of-the-mill Stones song in comparison that seems like it was a leftover of the late '70s/early '80s era of the band, but that being said, it's not a bad one. It's still a funky, catchy tune like Mick and Keith have been known to make for decades. There's a more palpable disco/funk influence on this one than there was on "Angry." What can I say? It's remarkable that they've been able to come up with material as fresh as this for around half a century! What'll they think of next?!

"Spirit" by The Killers: The Killers have now been around for almost 20 years!! Can you believe it?! During their 10-year anniversary, they released the very '80s-sounding "Shot at the Night" as part of their greatest hits collection. As another decade has come and gone in The Killers' career, they now have another greatest hits collection, and another song exclusive to said collection with "Spirit." Like "Shot at the Night," "Spirit" is another Killers song that has huge '80s synth-pop vibes without a whole lot of guitar present (except during the chorus). It almost seems like they're doing the same thing over again that they did 10 years ago, although "Spirit" is certainly a faster song than "Shot at the Night." "Spirit" is only three minutes long and seems kind of derivative of other Killers songs, but since it is a very spirited song, it certainly lives up to its title!

"The Glass" by Foo Fighters:  Foo Fighters' lead singer, Dave Grohl, turned 55 just yesterday!! Can you believe it?! Their latest song, "The Glass," is the third single from their latest album. Unlike the previous two singles from their latest album, "The Glass" is more of a slow and somewhat folk-rock-y ballad. The song continues the theme of loss that "Rescued" and "Under You" both had, the specific loss in question being that of their now ex-drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who passed away two years ago. The word "glass" in the song is a metaphor for both fragility and "seeing through" someone (as in seeing their emotions better than other people can), and Dave uses that metaphor powerfully in this song! "Rescued" and "Under You" were both bittersweet lyrically, but "The Glass" takes that bittersweetness and multiplies it tenfold by making both the sound and lyrics of the song poignant!

"Wanting and Waiting" by The Black Crowes:  Though The Black Crowes have released a few songs in the 2010's, they have not released a full album since 2009. Many Crowes fans rejoiced when they heard the big news of a new album, naturally! So does the sound measure up to the hype?! Absolutely! The song manages to sound more like The Rolling Stones than the Stones themselves do in the present day, somehow! After much experimentation with folk and country and roots-y stuff during the course of the 21st century, The Black Crowes are back where they used to be in the early '90s with their latest song, "Wanting and Waiting"! The brothers Robinson have said that this song is supposed to be a "love letter to rock and roll." It really shows here! Their efforts have certainly paid off!