Saturday, July 22, 2017

Week in Review: New Songs/Music Videos You Need to Check Out (July 16-22, 2017)

Another week is in the books. It’s been a struggle, but now that the weekend is here, let’s take a look back at the new music and music videos that came out in the last seven days.

It’s been an emotional week in the music world, but also one filled with great rock music. Linkin Park released a new music video this week only hours before the tragic news of lead singer Chester Bennington’s death broke. Prophets of Rage and Dhani Harrison both released the first songs from their respective upcoming debut albums. We also got new music from X Ambassadors, Nine Inch Nails and Gossip’s Beth Ditto.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, has been searching the internet for the best new songs and music of the week. Here are eight of our favorites that we think you will enjoy too.


1.      Prophets of Rage, “Living On The 110”: Rap-rock returns as Prophets of Rage released the first single from their self-titled debut album this week, “Living On The 110.” The song’s socially conscious lyrics about poverty are delivered over a melody driven by heavy guitars. It’s a lot like a Rage Against the Machine song, except the rapping is more precise and coherent. (video)

2.      Dhani Harrison, “All About Waiting”: Perhaps I’ve just never heard Dhani Harrison sing, but he sounds a lot like his father, the late Beatle George Harrison. With that being said, “All About Waiting,” the first single from his debut solo album, is far from a Beatles song. The song has an experimental and eclectic sound. Its EDM beat and 80s synth-pop vibes give it a more electronic feel while the guitars and layered vocals try to swing the melody towards rock. It can be a bit messy at times, but it’s a pretty good song. (video)

3.      Jack Johnson, “My Mind Is For Sale”: I’ve always loved Jack Johnson’s smooth sun-filled sound. Even when he’s telling someone off, like the lyrics in “My Mind Is For Sale” suggest, it comes off like a beach dude telling you not to “harsh his vibe.” (video)

4.      The Vamps, “Paper Hearts”: Pop-rock band The Vamps new track, “Paper Hearts,” sounds like a pop-ier version of adult contemporary darlings like The Script and Snow Patrol. It’s sweet enough to make any tween girl swoon, but also has a prominent snare beat that prevents it from being too over the top. (video)

5.      X Ambassadors, “Ahead of Myself”: X Ambassadors continue to tease their upcoming, as-yet untitled new album with another new song. “Ahead of Myself” is a catchy pop-rock track with electronic elements that give it even more texture. The vocal and instrumental dynamics are also outstanding. The way singer Sam Harris trails off while descending notes during the verses struck me as interesting and jazzy. I also like how the song gets big during the chorus and almost non-existent during the verses. It’s a well-written song. (video)

6.      Linkin Park, “Talking To Myself”: Hours before news of Chester Bennington’s death broke, the band released a video for “Talking To Myself,” the third single from their latest album, ‘One More Light.’ The lyrics to the song don’t have the same kind of dark, heavy quality that a lot of their songs do, even by ‘One More Light’ standards. It’s a bit lighter and more arena rock than the trudging guitars fans are used to.  But the song works and Bennington sounds amazing on it. The video looks to be a tribute to fans and the making of the new record, which is great too. (video)

7.      Nine Inch Nails, “This Isn’t The Place”: The second single from Nine Inch Nails’ new EP, ‘Add Violence,’ “This Isn’t The Place” is a much softer song for the industrial rock band. It has a bit of an ominous air to it, like it could start to accelerate into something huge at any moment. But it doesn’t. It stays still like a murky fog. It’s also, for the most part an instrumental track, with the few vocals it does have acting more as another instrument than trying to get a point across. (video)

8.      Beth Ditto, “In And Out”: “In And Out” is a melodic indie-pop track that shows off Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto’s vocals well. It’s a simple song with a hum-able tune that has a sense of familiarity to it. (video)

*Bonus: If you are into new versions of old songs being done by their original artists, check out “Do It Again” by the Beach Boys’ Mike Love with John Stamos and Mark McGrath and “Thong Song” by JCY with Sisqo.


These were some of our favorite new songs and music videos from the past week that we think you will enjoy. Check these out and use them as a starting point for music discovery.

---

Discover music new and old at Long Island’s top new independent record shop, Vinyl Bay 777. We have thousands of titles to choose from in a varied array of genres ranging from rock, pop and hip-hop to R&B, dance, classical and more. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia. Shop our Plainview store during business hours or shop online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you will find at Vinyl Bay 777.

No comments:

Post a Comment