New songs for November 17th 2025

 here they are:

"Cold at Night" by The Mountain Goats:  A song that was released last month but that I'm just starting to get to know now...it only figures The Mountain Goats would release something on Halloween month, right?! I mean with titles like "Damn These Vampires," "Up the Wolves," and "Werewolf Gimmick," The Mountain Goats run the gamut when it comes to "spooky" titles and topics. "Cold at Night" fits right along with that. The song also has a bit more of a rock sound than fans of the Goats' normally folk-rock-y music might be used to, but it still lands roughly in that indie-folk-ish patch. I'm surprised there isn't "fandom rivalry" between The Mountain Goats and The Decemberists, given how both were mid-'00s indie-folk-rock groups who often sing about dark subject matter over sweet folk-rock-y melodies. "Cold at Night" totally lands in that Decemberists-ish spot with its tale of shipwrecked tragedy told over a bouncy, lilting tune!

"Does This Go Faster?" by Lala Lala:  Don't let a chirpy, sweet-sounding name like "Lala Lala" (real name: Lily Amadea West) fool you. Her debut song, "Does This Go Faster?", is a melancholy slice of indie-electro-pop that centers around regret, in multiple ways. Some of it seems like it almost describes a hangover ("Hell is the day after the party") while other parts seem to be more about regrets of life in general ("I don't live here, I don't live anywhere"). You can really feel Lily's bittersweet ache in this song, and perhaps some listeners who feel like they weren't given the lives they were promised might even be able to identify!

"Human Mind" by Mavis Staples:  In the early 1970's, the heyday of Mavis' family band, The Staple Singers, I don't think anyone thought Mavis would be making music into her 80's, yet here she is doing exactly that, and she is still coming up with material that sounds as fresh and powerful as ever! A friendship must have been struck between her and alt-pop/rock sensation, Hozier, when they first collaborated back in 2018, since Mavis' latest song, "Human Mind," was written by him! The vulnerable soul-meets-folk influence of Hozier really shines through in this song, and Mavis brings her own touches with the brass that keeps this sensitive song pumping. "Human Mind" is about finding the good in people despite difficult circumstances. I think in times like these, we need these sorts of songs!

"Masquerade" by Cardinals:  We've reached a point in music history where a lot of bands can now be called "the new Radiohead." The newest among these might be Cardinals, who evoke Thom Yorke and co's "trippy" vibes while still being warm and melodic. Electric guitar, synth, and accordion melt into a psychedelic swirl on Cardinals' "Masquerade." The song is about music itself, but not necessarily in a good way. More specifically, it's about how it feels to perform music in front of an audience who heaps trapping assumptions onto you before you've even performed, thus signaling the desire to "masquerade" as someone you're not. Been there, done that!

"Rock 'N' Roll" by Langhorne Slim:  This song may not be AS "rock 'n' roll" as, say, "Rock and Roll All Nite," "Rock 'N' Roll High School," "I Love Rock 'N' Roll," or countless other songs with "Rock and Roll" in the title, but for roots-y indie-folk musician, Langhorne Slim, this song does live up to its title! It manages to be a bit more gritty and rock-oriented than most of his stuff is, enough to pass for a slightly less flashy but still catchy Kings of Leon type song. Like most songs with "Rock 'N' Roll" in the title, this song is anthemic and contains a memorable electric guitar riff, and it's basically a celebration of how good music makes you feel! 

"Sympathy Magic" by Florence and The Machine:  I think Flo has got us cornered for every new start of a holiday-ish season! She spooked us (in a good way) a month before October with the eerie yet catchy "Everybody Scream." Now, as Thanksgiving and Christmas draw near, she pours her heart on her sleeve and gives us "Sympathy Magic," a song that allows us to find solace among a largely unforgiving and hard-to-understand world. The tone of this song is almost ethereal and reverent compared to the gothic tones of "Everybody Scream," which also fits with the end-of-the-year holidays that focus more on love than fear. All is not fair in love and war, though (or just love itself, in this case), as can be inferred from lyrics like "The scar fades, it pulls inside tugging at me all the time," and "Anxious and ashamed/the vague humiliations of fame." Almost seems like she wants a break from the limelight, but is still seeking salvation in order to do so.


"What You Need" by Jay Som:  Not to be confused with the INXS song of the same name, Jay Som's "What You Need" evokes shoegaze vibes with its shiny and swirly yet still eerie and woozy sound, defined simultaneously by synth, bass, and guitar, all wrapped up in a shimmering yet aching space. The song seems to be about regret in a relationship with Jay telling her partner she "can't give them what they need." She might start the song by saying she's "better now," but she's clearly not, spilling her feelings out into the open about a love that should have never been, backed by instrumentation that's as spacious as it is loopy.