New songs for August 17th, 2026

 here they are:


"Billy Came Back" by This is Lorelei:  A bittersweet indie-folk-pop/rock tune in D minor, "Billy Came Back" almost comes off like a deadpan, slightly faster, and almost Beck-ish "slacker" version of "All I Want" by Toad the Wet Sprocket, musically speaking. I don't know who Billy is, but from the story the lyrics tell, he is most likely someone who was a karaoke regular at bars. Nate Amos (who is "This is Lorelei" himself - he's a one-man band) states in the second verse he hasn't seen Billy since 2022. Oddly specific lyric, I must say! But it does give more context about him...kind of. Something strange about this snide slacker song that seems sweet and somewhat silly simultaneously!

"Sick of the Times" by Thao (featuring tUnE-YaRdS, and The Linda Lindas):  Holy mother of mothers! This list already reads like a who's who of women in indie rock before I even hear it! Thao is a distinctive and powerful indie-folkie from the early 2010's with memorable vocal style, tUnE-YaRdS' Merrill Garbus is one of the most eclectic women in an already eclectic subgenre, and although The Linda Lindas are newer than the other two, they quickly made a name for themselves among both classic and modern rock fans with their unusual knowledge and influence of vintage punk rock. Although all three (especially The Linda Lindas) have made guitar-y pieces before, this is more a synth-y one, albeit darkly synth-y. It's also left ambiguous to the listener whether "the times" means the world at large or if it refers to a bad relationship that Thao was in. Its key is also hard to figure out. It's clearly C sharp, but it's not really major OR minor. Even the ending lyrics leave it on a cliffhanger:  "Impossible or possible to save me? I've been catching all of the symptoms lately." Thao deliberately leaves her listeners with an impossible-to-solve problem. Also, what are "all of the symptoms"?! She never says!

"Swim!!!" by Bailen:  Oh wow!!! With a title THIS exciting, it DEMANDS me to like it!!! So what's in store??? Weeeellll...actually, the triple-exclamation-point usage in the title points more to frustration than it does to excitement. Sorry to burst your bubble!! But what else would you expect from an indie-folk group whose only other hit so far was the bittersweet "I Was Wrong" from 2019?! "Swim!!!" is equally bittersweet, but in a different way. Where "I Was Wrong" is apologetic, "Swim!!!" seems more resigned and almost defeated. One might even say it's angry beneath its buoyant folk-rock sound! Why, you might ask?! Well, just take a look at the lyrics of the chorus! "So burn that bridge/Say 'f**k it,' I know how to swim/Yeah, I'm lucky I know how to live without you/I've done it before." Yeaaahhh...not exactly something you should get excited over. Julia Bailen is done with this person's drama! There's also an undercurrent of Julia's jaded, jilted jealousy during the bridge:  "You got the house/You got the friends/You got the money/Go drive a Benz/I fell for the sellout/I guess that's on me/You're no badge of honor/I'd rather be free," and then she quickly adds, "As a full moon on a Friday night." Almost as though she resents her former friend/partner, blames herself for even striking up a bond with them in the first place, and then throws her jealousy back in the person's face! Ouch!!