Saturday, May 13, 2017

Week in Review: Songs/Music Videos You Need to Check Out (May 7-May 13, 2017)

Keeping up with new music can be hard. If you don’t have the time to stay up-to-date, you could miss some amazing songs.

Now that the week is over, it’s time to take a look back at some of the new songs and music videos you may have missed.

This week in music, we saw the return of Miley Cyrus playing yet another new genre of music, as well as The National, who released their first bit of new music in four years. Harry Styles (of One Direction fame) released a highly talked about new video for his song “Sign of the Times,” as DNCE, who released a video for their Nicki Minaj collaboration, “Kissing Strangers,” and Katy Perry for her song “Bon Appétit.”  We also got more new music from Bleachers, New Politics, The Classic Crime and the Goo Goo Dolls.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is here to help you keep track of the latest songs and music videos. Here are eight that we think are definitely worth checking out.


1.       DNCE feat. Nicki Minaj, “Kissing Strangers”: DNCE has this way of making all of their music completely fun and infectious and “Kissing Strangers” is no exception. Though the song has very few actual words, you can get the gist of what they are talking about right away. I don’t even mind the Nicki Minaj verse, as it doesn’t get in the way and plays along well with the subject of the song. The video, which they credit like a short film, is pretty funny too. (video)

2.       Bleachers, “Everybody Lost Somebody”: Even on sensitive subjects, Bleachers are still able to stand out with that big sound. Written by Antonoff about the passing of his sister, “Everybody Lost Somebody” manages to avoid piling sadness on the listener, instead celebrating life through a big chorus and slightly more demure verses. (video)

3.       The National, “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”: “The System” is kind of an uplifting song, unlike many of The National’s other singles. The chorus almost feels like gospel. It’s oddly atmospheric drums also contribute to that feel, as they are more part of the background than a driving force in the music. I think there is a lot more to unpack in this song than just giving it one or two listens. (video)  

4.       Harry Styles, “Sign of the Times”: The first time I heard this song a few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure I liked it, but upon watching the just released video for “Sign of the Times,” I have to say, it’s not terrible. The song sounds a little like an early Jason Mraz slow song and his vocals fit it very well. It’s a far cry from One Direction, but that’s not a bad thing. (video)

5.       New Politics, “One Of Us”: I like the slower, more pop-y nature of “One Of Us.” It’s a little tamer than the socially conscious pop-punk the band is known for, the message of the song is quite clear: you are not alone in the world. (video)

6.       Miley Cyrus, “Malibu”: Miley Cyrus returned this week with another brand new sound. This time, the 24-year-old has decided to turn into a singer/songwriter and it…okay. The song is beach-y (like the video) and sincere, talking about how much her love interest has given her. It would probably be better if the song were completely acoustic without the drum machine behind her, but not bad. (video)

7.       The Classic Crime, “Wonder”: “Wonder” is a multi-dimensional song. While its lyrics are very introspective, the song remains upbeat. The song is also catchy and would sound pretty good on rock radio. (video)

8.       Goo Goo Dolls, “Use Me”: In recent years, the Goo Goo Dolls have been putting out very soft, uplifting songs, the kind that do very well on adult contemporary radio because they are so universal. But “Use Me,” off their brand new ‘You Should Be Happy’ EP, with its scaled-back melody and personal lyrics, harkens back to the band’s early music, and it sounds so much better. (video)


These are just some of the new songs and music videos you may have missed this week that we think deserve a listen/view. Check these out and use this list as a starting point in your music discovery efforts.

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Discover music from many of these artists and more at Long Island’s top new independent record shop, Vinyl Bay 777. Choose from thousands of titles in a wide variety of genres. We carry a wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia both in store and on our website, vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, it’s always a good time to discover something new at Vinyl Bay 777.

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