New songs for July 28th 2025

 here they are:


"Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)" by Inhaler:  The Irish indie quartet are back, with a more disco-y yet still intimate-sounding flavor than we might be used to from them. A similar vibe to songs like Modest Mouse's "Float On" with its combination of breezy dance-rock and light guitar riffs interspersed enough to make it seem it doesn't stray completely from the rock category. I have a question before I begin this review, though. Who IS Billy, and why do they repeat his name 12 times before the first verse begins?! Billy Idol? Billy Joel? Billy Squier? Billy MAYS, maybe?! (Well, ok, the last one's highly unlikely). It's probably just an ordinary person named Billy, and Elijah Hewson seems to be reaching out to him in a similar way to how Burt Bacharach reached out to someone named Alfie many decades before this song came out. Elijah may not be asking, "What's it all about?" to Billy, but that sense of empathy is clearly there! 

"Dang" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise:  "Dang" is right! I never expected Rainbow Kitten Surprise to sound like Kings of Leon with a reggae-ish backbeat, but here we are, and all I can say is, "Dang!" A very striking title, to say the least, even for a band with as funny and memorable a name as "Rainbow Kitten Surprise." The instrumentation also stays true to the "surprise" element of Rainbow Kitten Surprise! The drums get rockier later on, and the guitars briefly switch from electric to acoustic in one part as well, but the song is surprisingly (no pun intended) KOL-ish otherwise! Even lead singer Ela Melo sounds an awful lot like KOL's Caleb Followill here! I get the feeling Ela wanted to "Use Somebody" as inspiration for their latest song if you know what I mean! 

"Elegantly Wasted" by Hermanos Gutierrez (featuring Leon Bridges):  Not to be confused for the INXS song of the same name, Leon Bridges lends his silky smooth soul vocals to a song by Hermanos Gutierrez (a group, not a person, for those who don't know) that blends light psychedelia with breezy tropical vibes. The combination of Leon's seductive yet earthy crooning on top of those honey-sweet reverb drenched guitars makes for the perfect song for melting into yourself on a hot summer day! Leon's seductive vocals are likely no accident either, as the song does tell the story of a romance that happens through getting "wasted," as the title implies. While getting drunk might be bad for your health, this song is ohh sooo good for your soul!

"Everybody's Song" by Robert Plant:  Not to be confused for the Sesame Street song of the same name (which takes the "body" part somewhat literally - teaching about parts of the body), this song actually is a cover by what could be the "sadcore" movement's most famous group, Low - a staple of indie and adult alt Christmas playlists, but a great band otherwise as well! There aren't that many songs from the Led Zeppelin frontman that really sound like Led Zeppelin (most of them tend to be folk and country influenced stuff, especially from the 21st century onward). While this song continues the folk/country influence Plant has explored in his solo material, there is a mysterious, alluring Middle Eastern-influenced vibe that could fit easily in a real Zeppelin tune like "Kashmir" (though it's not near as hard-rocking). Perhaps "Led Zeppelin does 'Arabian Nights'" is a good way to describe this one! There's also a slight prog-rock influence here as the song suddenly changes rhythm during the chorus.

"This is the Killer Speaking" by The Last Dinner Party:  The Last Dinner Party were one of the greatest success stories alt and adult alt radio have had in a long time when they debuted two summers ago! Their debut scored three hits on both formats with "Nothing Matters," "Sinner," and "The Feminine Urge." Now, they have a fourth one coming on from a brand new album! No two LDP songs have sounded the same so far, but this one really distinguishes itself from the other three! When I first put this one on, I thought I was continuing to listen to the Robert Plant song I just reviewed, as both are slow, meandering songs in F sharp minor...at least that's how they start out. But then the chorus of "This is the Killer Speaking" happens, and suddenly the song becomes more upbeat and fun (despite the spooky sound of the title) and the F sharp minor becomes an F sharp major (albeit still accompanied by a D sharp minor). But wait...there's more!! By the third verse (er, third part, maybe?!) it briefly turns into a piano interlude, almost operatically! And then at the last minute, it slides back into the upbeat, major-key chorus! It's like Florence and The Machine trying to take on "Bohemian Rhapsody"! Not what I'd expect, but sometimes, that's a good thing!! "This is the Killer Speaking"'s operatic crescendo towards the end would not be out of place at all in a Queen song! (Though it's missing the crackling electricity of Brian May's guitar solos).