New songs for March 2nd, 2026

 here they are:


"Dancing on the Wall" by Muna:  This song smacks of '80s pop influence, but there's something urgent and somewhat dark about this song that wouldn't get in your run-of-the-mill Madonna or synth-pop song (this song seems to be influenced by both). On the subject of '80s pop, "Dancing in the Wall" is not like "Dancing on the Ceiling" by Lionel Richie. "Dancing on the Wall" is not a song where the singer playfully dances somewhere where a person wouldn't ordinarily be seen dancing. In fact, "dancing," in this case, is a metaphor. It's really a song where Katie Gavin is being rejected by a lover and left "dancing on the wall" as a result (fending for herself without a leg to stand on). 

"Donnie Takes the Bus" by Fantastic Cat:  A throwback to late '60s/early '70s roots-rock, "Donnie Takes the Bus" by Fantastic Cat is probably going to become a fave among people who were fans of early '70s era Rolling Stones and early '70s era Rod Stewart. It has that sort of gritty yet roots-y feel to it. We don't exactly know who "Donnie" is, but upon listening to the lyrics more closely, we do know why he takes the bus. It's because he takes public transportation for survival purposes. He's a wanderer with no real place to call home. Why this is a concern of Fantastic Cat, I have no idea, but it's a cool way to write observational lyrics. Sort of an Elvis Costello approach to writing combined with a classic rock approach to sound.

"Indigo Park" by Bruce Hornsby:  If Michael McDonald was the king of early '80s "yacht rock," then Bruce Hornsby might have been such for the mid and late '80s. "The Way it Is" is ubiquitous in elevators, dentist's offices, waiting rooms, you name it! It has a pleasant, buoyant, and inoffensive sound that fits such atmospheres perfectly. What people who don't know Hornsby beyond that song might not know is that he was quite the jam band man! Heck, he even did stuff with The Grateful Dead themselves! The subtle guitar licks on songs like "Every Little Kiss," "Across the River," and "The Valley Road" all give hints to this. Hornsby's first song in what seems like over 20 years, "Indigo Park," almost has a lite-alt flavor that carries his signature piano sound into the 21st century. And yes, much like the three songs I just mentioned, "Indigo Park" has guitar licks bubbling beneath the pianos, but unlike Hornsby's '80s output, the guitars in "Indigo Park" seems like they'd fare better in a latter-day Bon Iver song than a Dire Straits one. As for the song itself, "Indigo Park" seems to be a largely nostalgic tune, recalling Bruce's first time in a real romantic relationship, his first time driving - probably about his teen years and very young adult years.

"On Fire" by Langhorne Slim:  Langhorne Slim might have given a bit of a shock to his fans with "Rock N Roll" from late last year, which actually DID sound more "rock 'n' roll" than the alt-country stuff he usually puts out. "On Fire" gets Langhorne back to his alt-country roots. As the song's title implies, "On Fire" is essentially Langhorne expressing passionate sexual desire for someone, and he does so over sultry, sizzling alt-country riffs and grooves. 

"Orange County" by Gorillaz:  How a band that isn't even a band can make a song that is as bittersweet as it is catchy is beyond me, but such is the charm of Gorillaz. Their latest song, "Orange County," punctuated by both synths and whistles (and subtle "ghost guitar" riffs in and out of the song), is a breakup song. Not exactly common subject matter for this group of cartoon non-human primates, but I suppose even fictional characters can be heartbroken. Damon Albarn (or whoever his "Gorilla" persona is) repeatedly sings about how he is "not (the subject's) enemy," perhaps feeling the need to clarify that he didn't intend harm in whatever situation he was in. Maybe there's more reality to Gorillaz than I thought. Perhaps they're actually Humanz in disguise?!