Saturday, February 17, 2018

Week in Review: New Songs / Music Videos You Need to Check Out (February 11-17, 2018)

Another long week is finally over. Now that the weekend is here, it’s a great time to catch up on the latest music that came out over the last seven days.

This week saw the release of a lot of new music, especially in rock, pop and country. Willie Nelson announced his 73rd album with a brand new song. Courtney Barnett and Brandi Carlile both released inspiring new songs from their upcoming albums.  We also got new rock tunes from the likes of Death From Above, Ryan Adams, Muse, The Plot In You, Moon Taxi, The Chainsmokers and Waterparks.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, has been searching for the best new songs and music videos of the week. Here are nine that we think are worth a listen.


1.       Brandi Carlile, “The Joke”: A beautiful and powerful anthem for anyone who has been put down by others, “The Joke” shares a message of strength in the face of adversity. It’s soft and subtle when it needs to be, showing compassion for such serious subject matter. At the end, Carlile ramps it up, powering through the final chorus with passion and strength. (video)

2.       Death From Above, “Caught Up”: “Caught Up” has a really nice 1990s alt-rock vibe to it. The drums and bass take turns conducting the song’s cadence in such a way that the song’s rhythm is never dull. It starts off slow and a bit fuzzed out with the drums playing lead before the bass takes over half way in to whip the song up into a frenzy, then brings it back down, far away from where it started. (video)

3.       Moon Taxi, “Not Too Late”: With a sound that mixes Imagine Dragons with 30 Seconds to Mars, Moon Taxi’s “Not Too Late” is a strong pop-rock track that wouldn’t feel out of place on alternative radio. The song is built up to sound anthemic, which is accented by synth beats, snare hits and group vocals. (video)

4.       Courtney Barnett, “Nameless, Faceless”: Earlier this week, Australian singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett released the first single from her upcoming solo album, ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel.’ On “Nameless, Faceless,” her sing-speak vocals have this grungy, fuzzed out sound, as if they were recorded through a megaphone. Such makes the song feel even more like a soapbox speech where she takes a stab at the male ego, asking why men are the way they are. Barnett even uses a famous Margaret Atwood quote on the subject as the song’s chorus. (video)

5.       Donovan Woods, “Burn That Bridge”: “Burn That Bridge” is a catchy, acoustic tune about taking the next step from friends to “more than friends.” The song’s melody and lyrics drip with the excitement of new love. (video)

6.       Ryan Adams, “Baby I Love You”: Released on Valentine’s Day, Ryan Adams’ “Baby I Love You” is a sunny love song. It starts off in an early 60s rock n’ roll-style before delving into guitar-heavy 90s garage rock. (video)

7.       Willie Nelson, “Last Man Standing”: The title track from Willie Nelson’s upcoming 73rd album, “Last Man Standing” deals with mortality, more specifically him outliving his contemporaries. Accompanied at a jaunty pace by his band, Nelson contemplates why he would be the one that is still here, saying that he “doesn’t want to be the last man standing,” then rethinking that thought, finding that there is a reason why he is still here. (video)

8.       Muse, “Thought Contagion”: On first listen, “Thought Contagion” is a very different song than most Muse fans are used to. The band goes for a harder edge here, flattening out its sound and making it heavier, like a funeral dirge. With that being said, not all of their lofty, arena rock elements are gone. You can still hear singer Matt Bellamy trying to break free of the darkness here and there. (video)

9.       The Chainsmokers, “You Owe Me”: The second one-off single from The Chainsmokers, “You Owe Me” finds the duo heading in a more pop-rock direction. The song lacks their signature looped beat (let’s just face it, is the same loop for every song), opting instead for real guitar, drums and synths. What hasn’t changed is the catchiness of the melody, which holds up against the songs fans and radio listeners are used to. (video)


From rock and pop to country, this week saw the release of a lot of great new songs and music videos. Check out some of our favorites above and let us know what songs you’ve been listening to this week.

---

Discover music new and old at Vinyl Bay 777. Long Island’s favorite new independent record shop has thousands of titles to choose from in an array of genres. 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 to find something new or 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