New songs for May 18th 2026

 here they are:


"Doors" by Noah Kahan:  After the surprisingly angst-y explosion of "The Great Divide" from earlier this year, Noah Kahan's fans might be looking for a more relaxing song characteristic of what he started out with. That song is "Doors," a song complete with a roots-y, acoustic guitar-centered sound and even a DADF#AD tuning! The title of the song is metaphorical, referring to ways his partner could leave his relationship. There's a very "push-pull" dynamic in this song where Noah seems torn between pushing his partner away and keeping her in his life, much like how doors themselves work.

"In the Stars" by The Rolling Stones:  The Stones, as they say, just keep on rollin'! Even with Charlie Watts now absent from the group for a few years, Mick and Keith still keep the band alive with their unmistakable vocals and guitar playing! Their latest song, "In the Stars," still has plenty of guitar swagger as only Keith can pull off, but the title alone indicates something of a more vulnerable nature, and this can be evidenced from the lyrics. There is acknowledgment in the second verse, for instance, that both the political and environmental aspects of the world today are harder to handle than they used to be, but despite the despair, Mick seems certain that something is "in the stars" that still anchors us to carry on in the world. That something is music. He even asks the listener during that same verse if they "wanna dance 'til the roof caves in," as if to say that even in a dangerous world, music is what matters most. A rather poetic, poignant statement for a band known for their excesses!

"Machines" by Happy Landing:  If The Lumineers got slightly more gritty and decided to cover the Pixies song, "Where is My Mind?" it might sound like "Machines" by Happy Landing! For a band with "happy" in their name, they're really not that happy, but they're still memorable. And who are the "machines" in the song's title? That's what reveals a lot about this song! The machines are none other than our own selves! A song like this is enough to reduce human beings down to their bare bones, both as a species and as a concept. Lyrics like "We all scream/we're all machines" and "Nothing is ever as it seems/it'll be the death of me" prove just how dark this song is! It's deliciously dark, though!!

"You're the Man" by Brother Wallace:  This song is like hearing a '70s funk track from the wrong side of the streets! Unlike Brother Wallace's previous single, "Who's That?" "You're the Man" is in a minor key, D sharp (or E flat) minor, to be precise. "You're the Man" might sound like friendly acknowledgment from its title, but in this context, "the man" probably means something like "the survivor." Whoever Brother Wallace is singing about has clearly been through a lot! This person is "Bound to drown when the sun goes down to sea" and was "never taught wrong from right." Blues-y phrases like "dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight" and "standing in the shadows of the midnight hour" make me wonder just who this "man" is! This is like a Robert Johnson song being covered by Curtis Mayfield!