Saturday, August 11, 2018

Week in Review: New Songs / Music Videos Released this Week (August 5-11, 2018)


The weekend is finally here! That means it’s time once again to take a look back at some of the new music released over the last week.

This week saw the release of a lot of great new songs and music videos, especially when it came to rock music. Twenty One Pilots completed their video trilogy. Billy Gibbons released the first original track from his upcoming second solo album. We got some new alt-rock tracks from the likes of The Kooks and You Me At Six, as well as a folky new song from Passenger. In pop-punk, We The Kings, Alkaline Trio and With Confidence put out some great new tunes.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, loves new music. That’s why we’ve once again scoured the internet for the best new songs and music videos of the past week. Here are seven that we think you should give a listen to this weekend.


1.       The Kooks, “No Pressure”: “No Pressure” has a feel-good melody that makes you want to bob your head and sing along. As the song suggests, there is no pressure, just pure joy and enjoyment. (video)

2.       You Me At Six, “I O U”: When I think of You Me At Six, I don’t necessarily think about radio rock. But their latest single “I O U” has this familiar, easy alternative sound that is all over rock radio right now. The kick drum beat drives this song forward with a bit of funk, reflected back in the bass, guitar and vocal phrasing, which is enough to keep it interesting and hold your attention throughout. (video)

3.       We The Kings, “What I Wouldn’t Give”: I’ve mentioned my love for sad songs before and “What I Wouldn’t Give” is a real tearjerker. The lyrics unfold like a letter to a lost loved one, pleading for more time with them. There are no frills, just straight minor key understated instrumentals and Travis Clark’s pain-tinged vocals. (video)

4.       Passenger, “To Be Free”: “To Be Free” has a very old school James Blunt feel to it with a little bit of Ed Sheeran storytelling prowess. The song is folky and pensive, but ultimately hopeful, telling the story of someone longing to find their own freedom. (video)

5.       Alkaline Trio, “Is This Thing Cursed”: What stood out the most to me when I heard “Is This Thing Cursed,” the title track to Alkaline Trio’s upcoming album, was the storytelling. The way Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano wrote the song in such a way that you can see and feel the frustration that this unnamed “thing” is giving them. Paired with Alkaline Trio’s dark brand of pop-punk, the song really stands out. (video)

6.       Twenty One Pilots, “Levitate”: “Levitate,” the third single and final video in Twenty One Pilots’ “Trench” trilogy, was released this week. The duo delves further into the rap-rock side of their sound, opting not to have a sung chorus, but to rap straight through. Lyrically, the song seems to be about rising up above the demons trying to pull him back down, but that’s just interpretation. The video finds Tyler Joseph and his band of rebels marching in the wilderness leading their revolution. (video)

7.       Billy Gibbons, “Missin’ Yo’ Kissin’”: After nearly five decades in rock, ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons is getting back to his blues roots. The first single from the ZZ Top frontman’s second solo album, ‘The Big Bad Blues,’ “Missin’ Yo’ Kissin’” intertwines rock and blues sounds to a point where the two become almost indistinguishable from one another. A steady, traditional blues guitar riff frames the song, with separately defined crunchy metal guitars giving it some character. The song expands on the rock sound that he has become known for. (video)

      Bonus: Dave Grohl, “Play”: Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl released a half-hour documentary/music video this week documenting himself playing a roomful of instruments to create one complete song. As an introduction, he interviewed children and their reactions to first learning their instruments and the sense of wonder it brought them, giving this kind of wonder as his reason for recording the 20 minute-long “Play.”

      This past week saw the release of a lot of great new rock songs and music videos. Check out some of our favorites above and let us know what new songs you’ve been enjoying this week in the comments below.

---

      Discover music new and old at Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s favorite new independent record shop. We have thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres to satisfy most music fans. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. Whether you’re looking for something new or to rediscover the classics, we have you covered. And with more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

No comments:

Post a Comment