New songs for January 6th, 2025

 here they are!!

"Archbishop Harold Holmes" by Jack White:  This is a song that encapsulates rock music of the '70s in so many ways! The main riff of the song resembles Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz," it sounds like a Led Zeppelin song in its overall presentation, and any number of other bands from the era could easily be compared to it! What sells this song, perhaps, even more than its music, is the hammy vocals Jack White pulls off on it! He sounds like a deranged preacher trying to sell what he believes in as passionately as he can to his audience! The title of the song also brings preachers to mind, so perhaps that's what Jack White was going for there!

"Carousel Horses" by Christian Lee Hutson: Nothing says "indie" like Phoebe Bridgers and Maya Hawke guesting on your song, right?! Well, that's exactly what you should expect to hear on Christian Lee Hutson's "Carousel Horses," which starts out with a propulsive indie rock guitar crunch before calming down once the vocals come in. Phoebe provides world-weary yet honey-sweet vocals in the background just as she has for countless Bright Eyes songs. The title of the song is only mentioned once, and it's not quite clear what it means in the context of the song, but my best guess is that it refers to how unpredictable life can be. The recurring line, "How could you know how I feel?" would not be out of place in a Phoebe song, or in a Conor/Bright Eyes song, for that matter. The way Christian sings the line is simultaneously angst-ridden and yearning.

"If Our Love is Dead" by Royel Otis:  A simultaneous mix of post-punk and synth-pop, "If Our Love is Dead" by Royel Otis is a dour yet still catchy song that questions whether the lead singer is in a meaningful relationship. "If our love is dead," Otis Pavlovic asks, "What are we holding on to?" Good question, Otis! It is never answered, but he's probably talking about what happens when love is no longer exciting but still worth investing in. 

"Silk Petals" by Amythyst Kiah (featuring Butch Walker):  Though Butch had but one hit with his band, the late '90s punk-pop and power pop group, Marvelous 3 ("Freak of the Week"), he has still managed to make a successful solo career for himself! Butch might also be one of the few artists of his era and initial genre who has been able to change with the times! In addition to power pop and punk-pop, he has also dabbled in folk-rock, singer/songwriter, and jangle-pop. With his latest song, "Silk Petals," a collaboration with Amythyst Kiah, Butch has now tried tackling the territory of 2010's and 2020's indie-pop! A song like this one wouldn't sound out of character for a musician like Lana Del Rey or Billie Eilish, though it is more upbeat than most of their material is. I've never heard Butch sound less guitar-y, but for him, it's just a brave new step in his already eclectic career!

"Sugar in the Tank" by Julien Baker and Torres:  I'm familiar with Julien Baker, both with her solo work and her work with indie-folk-rock supergroup, boygenius, but this is my first time hearing Mackenzie Ruth Scott, known professional Torres. Both are indie-folk musicians, so it only makes sense that their first collaboration would sound like an indie-folk song as well. It leans slightly towards a more roots-y country sound than I'm accustomed to hearing from Julien Baker, but maintains the same melancholia as most of her material does. The sound of the song could probably be described as a cross between Phoebe Bridgers and Lucinda Williams. With Torres hailing from Tennessee, the country sound of this song does make sense. The titular phrase is more than likely one of many euphemisms for "make love to me," but both the phrase and the way it's sung make it come off as uniquely Southern.

"Thieves" by Sammy Rae and The Friends:  The sleek, funky indie-pop/rock sound of this song is already pretty appealing, but in this day and age where music videos are becoming an endangered species, the ones for "Thieves" by Sammy Rae and The Friends is a clever and appealing one, I must say! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8hSQ1hfOkQ) Almost seems like a Wes Anderson-esque take on the video for Jane's Addiction's "Been Caught Stealing" (though the song itself sounds nothing like that one). It's a quirky one that features kid "versions" (roughly elementary school-aged) of Sammy Rae and her band members stealing various items at a convenience store. Unlike the sneaky members of Jane's Addiction who get away with their crimes, Sammy Rae (or rather, her alternate younger self) and her gang don't get off so easy. Cops do appear in the video, but the kids ultimately get off scot-free. (Perhaps simply because they're kids?) I don't know this song well enough yet to know what it's about, but I have a feeling that its unique music video has something to do with the song's title!