New songs for September 22nd, 2025

 here they are:


"Eternal Love" by AVTT/PTTN (The Avett Brothers and Mike Patton):  Did you ever think that a member of a rock group as heavy as Faith No More would get together with a group as roots-y and bluegrass-y as The Avett Brothers?! Well, now they have!! The song is mostly in the Avetts' direction of bittersweet bluegrass-rock, but the surprise synth solo in the middle is likely Patton's idea. The Avetts have done plenty of reflective songs, but it's a fresh new road for Mike Patton. The coolest part?! It works wonderfully for him! Well, for both of them, really. Such a reassuring song for these increasingly dark times!

"Loser" by Tame Impala:  Not to be confused with the Beck song of the same name, Tame Impala's "Loser" is an interesting tune. It takes Tame Impala in a new direction with a fresh funk-rock sound! The song's sound is somewhat reminiscent of "Fame" by David Bowie. Beneath the song's funky heartbeat lies deep-seated anger. The song sounds like it's about a relationship and/or friendship on the brink, and this is also one of the few times Tame Impala not only swears, but does so twice!! I'm not sure what was going through Kevin Parker's mind when he wrote this, but it seems like he needs help!

"Straight Line Was a Lie" by The Beths:  After their surprisingly soothing Triple A summer hit, "Metal," The Beths amp things up again with the spiky, punk-pop-y "Straight Line Was a Lie." This song's lyrics are a bit dizzying, perhaps intentionally. There's only one verse and it gets repeated quite a few times. One of those lines is "I'm back to where I started." It seems like Elizabeth Stokes is trying to be clever with her lyrics here! Every time a seemingly "new" verse happens, it's really just back to the old one. And what is the "straight line" in the title, you might ask, and why was it a "lie"? The "straight line," apparently, was a "circle," thus rendering it a "lie." This song describes itself!

"The Happy Dictator" by Gorillaz (featuring Sparks):  This snarky synth-pop song has a title that feels pretty relevant in this day and age. Supposedly, it's the lead singer of this cartoon group of non-human primates who serves as the titular "dictator," with image and lyrics based off of Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator, but with how dystopian modern life has gotten, I wouldn't be surprised if there was another person that these snarling, snide simians are targeting. I shouldn't have to say his name, but a lot of you probably know who I'm talking about just from the statement I've made about him here. I mean "I am the one to give you life again. I am the one to give you soul." This is a pop piece of pure propaganda on a plastic piano! 

"What is the Reason for It?" by David Byrne (featuring Paramore's Hayley Williams):  Paramore surprised us a few years ago by trading in their trendy punk-pop for a more eccentric, funky Talking Heads-ish sound on "This is Why." Talking Heads' lead singer must have taken note of this to have Paramore's lead singer guest on his latest song! The song's hypnotic, exotic world music rhythms seem characteristic of Byrne, especially his later work and solo stuff, but they're a first for Hayley! The song's verses talk about all the things that love can be, while the chorus questions why love exists and where it comes from. For someone on the spectrum like David Byrne, I'm sure that love can seem like a mysterious emotion, yet he also seems drawn to it. As someone on the spectrum myself, I can identify!