Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today’s tune is a new single from Janet Devlin, a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland. Devlin rose to fame after appearing on The X Factor (UK) in 2011. Since then, she has released two albums, 2013’s Hide and Seek, which received a limited digital release through Pledge Music, and 2014’s Running with Scissors, which is available on iTunes and in stores.
X Ambassadors are an alternative rock band from Ithaca, New York. They are currently supporting Canadian pop singer Lights on her Little Machines tour. Over the weekend, a friend and I had the pleasure of seeing them live. “Unconsolable” is a song that stood out to me at the show, so I’ve selected it as this week’s tune.
This week, I’m featuring one of my favorite Sonic Youth songs, “Chapel Hill,” from the band’s 1992 album, Dirty. The song is based on the city of – wait for it – Chapel Hill in North Carolina. There are also references to people and places related to the state, such as late bookstore owner and activist Bob Sheldon, the famed venue Cat’s Cradle, the city of Durham, the Char-Grill restaurant, and politician Jesse Helms.
This Tuesday, I’m enjoying a snow day off thanks to Winter Storm Octavia. I’m also enjoying some music from Sloan, a favorite band of mine. Hailing from Canada, Sloan is known for their unchanged lineup throughout their 20+ year career and their unique approach to making music – each member shares songwriting duties. “The Life of a Working Girl,” written by bassist Chris Murphy, appears on the band’s 2001 album, Pretty Together.
Whether or not you watched the Grammys on Sunday, if you’ve visited any social media websites since then, you’ve probably read about Beck Hansen’s Morning Phase earning three Grammys for Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical), Best Rock Album, and Album of the Year. You may have also seen celebrities’ reactions to his Album of the Year win or heard Kanye West’s comments about Beck “disrespecting artistry” – comments I find rather nonsensical and ironic.
On January 30, Mad Season joined the Seattle Symphony Orchestra at Benaroya Hall in Seattle for a one-time reunion concert. Titled Sonic Evolution, the show featured original compositions by former Mad Season member Mike McCready, […]
Today’s song is from Soundgarden’s frontman, Chris Cornell. Cornell wrote “The Keeper” for the 2011 film, Machine Gun Preacher. The song appears on the film’s soundtrack and on Cornell’s 2011 live solo album, Songbook. Though […]
Blind Melon is best known for their 1992 hit single, “No Rain,” but this band’s catalog is full of hidden gems that slipped under the radar. This week’s song is one of those gems – “Soul One.”
This week’s tune comes from Colorado-based math-rock band Aspen Hourglass. I stumbled across their music last fall and became an instant fan after watching “Veil of Anxiety” on YouTube. One thing was immediately clear: members Grayson Erhard (lead vocals/guitar), Elvin Holderfield (piano/synthesizers), and Sean Hanson (drums/backing vocals) are all extremely talented musicians.
The first Tuesday Tune of 2015 comes from one of my favorite bands, The Posies. “You Avoid Parties” appears on the band’s second album, Dear 23, released by DGC Records in 1990.
Dear 23 is one of my favorite albums and since the first listen, I’ve considered “You Avoid Parties” a standout track, largely due to its great vocal harmonies and well-crafted lyrics. Its story is told in second person and every verse reveals a new layer of the narrative. I’ve always thought this song described someone’s struggle with depression as they gradually pull away from the people and things they once enjoyed. Each thing this person avoids – parties, fathers, and thinking – remind them of who they used to be. In particular, the following lyrics stand out to me:
Between the Notes 