Have you ever found yourself in a slump? A slump so deep and cavernous all you saw was darkness? And while you might speculate as to how you got to that forsaken spot, you could never truly understand how you arrived in the void in the first place?
Boston's Buffalo Tom penned one of the band's most lionized hits when they composed a song dealing with this subject matter on 1992's Let Me Come Over.
In a 2017 interview with Jeff Gora on Artistwaves.com, Buffalo Tom's guitarist/lead singer, Bill Janovitz, described 'Taillights Fade' as a song "about being resigned, giving up, feeling older than your years, feeling apart and alienated."
The lyrics most certainly channel that sentiment of anguish and despair:
I've hit the wall
I'm about to fall
But I'm closing in on it
I feel so small
Underneath it all
Watch my taillights fade to black
Admittedly, I was ignorant to Buffalo Tom in my teens and twenties. But now as a middle-ager, songs like 'Taillights Fade' occupy new and significant meaning. Life can be such a blur when it comes to parenting, spousing, and working, that it can be hard to keep up. It can seem you have hit a wall with nowhere else to go. And it is easy to feel small. To escape, it can be tempting to drive off into the night, with those you left behind slowly watching your taillights fade to black...
Faye Webster could be this generation's Tori Amos. Just as Tori was, in many ways, the 1990's Carole King, Faye uses her feminine experience to uniquely blend rock, country--and sometimes rap--to author some very authentic and vulnerable tunes.
'But Not Kiss' depicts the classic battle between love and lust; the conflict between seeming too eager, versus trying to present oneself as being just out of reach to avoid the tremendous ache of rejection. (Some old fashioned folks might simply call this "playing hard to get").
Beyond its lyrical implications, 'But Not Kiss' presents some tasty chord changes and ear worms as well. And for those who like piano singer-songwriters, this tune does not disappoint.
Watch the video for 'But Not Kiss' by Faye Webster in the player below:
A little bit Duffy coded, Jessie Baylin delivers a Mid-Century Modern strain with 'A Song For While I'm Away.' Her voice is commanding and steady amidst an electro-organ, which serves as the obvious hook that grasps me to this one.
You can stream the song via the YouTube link below:
Like most of my music discoveries of late, I stumbled upon '79 Shiny Revolvers' six years after its release.
The tune is penned by Rayland Baxter, a more grounded version of Mac DeMarco. But he happens to hail from Nashville, as opposed to the Great White North. Rayland's dad is Bucky, a guitarist in his own right, who passed away in 2020.
'79 Shiny Revolvers' presents itself as a Jeff Buckley-meets-John Prine exegesis; it is a wistfully plaintive ditty about America's great firearm obsession. (Think 'Pumped Up Kicks' by Foster the People, but without the electronica and reverb).
I am honestly surprised that Rayland hasn't had more press or hype than I am aware of. He seems to have a lot of potential.
While there is no official music video for this track, Rayland Baxter performed it live for Paste Magazine a few years ago. You can stream that performance below:
Video Age is a New Orleans duo that makes Elephant 6 sounding indie power pop. Brian Wilson-inspired vocal hooks lay themselves upon jangled guitar strumming. Fans of Real Estate will enjoy this one.
The following post is from Guest Poster, Cassidy. For more information about Cassidy, click here.
Fontaines D.C. has become one of my new favorite “discovered” bands. They formed in 2014, so they have been around for quite some time. Even so, I first heard 'Jackie Down the Line' by this Dublin-based band on Sirius XMU in the Spring of 2022. I was going through a tumultuous time and was heavily relying on music to get through – (a shameless SiriusXM plug coming up) – so I resubscribed to SiriusXM, as I love discovering those “newer” bands. It hits different than Spotify’s “weekly discovery.” The DJ was likely Jenny Elescu.
I have become very fond of the Skinty Fia album, which is the third for Fontaines. The entire album has a way of inducing an innocence-inspired nostalgia. For me, this album reminds me of my college years, as this would be something that would be on my rotation while studying or walking to class.
While 'Jackie Down the Line' may sound upbeat, the lyrics suggest the insecurities and potential hurt we can experience in a relationship.
'Roman Holiday'’s psychedelic rock-esque beat and lyrics have a way of reeling you in and making you stay for the entire ride. It reminds me strongly of Jim James or something that a modern-day Zeppelin would produce.
I sincerely hope that Fontaines D.C continues to move in a direction where they gain more exposure, as they are one of the good ones.
Check out the music videos to 'Jackie Down the Line' and 'Roman Holiday' below:
Awhile back I wrote a post on how enamored I was with Men I Trust. Since then, I have stumbled across another artist who captures the same diffident spirit.
The project is called Homeshake.And its architect is another Quebec-based
artist named Peter Sagar.The kicker is
that Homeshake recorded almost half a decade before Men I Trust’s Oncle Jazz,
yet I only learned of it now.It’s a
shame I am late to the party, because Homeshake perfectly captures the aura of solitary
indie rock.
The song I would like to feature today is ‘Midnight Snack,’
which is reminiscent of a Mac DeMarco production.That is because Peter was Mac’s touring guitarist
for some time before his solo breakout.
The general vibe is flaccid, yet longing.The instrumentation is thinly layered, with a
proper sprinkling of despair.In other
words, it is the perfect jam for a pensive, introspective day.
Check out the video to ‘Midnight Snack’ by Homeshake below:
For many years, the only song by Talk Talk I knew of was ‘It’s
My Life,’ the megahit popularized by Gwen Stefani’s dynamic cover decades later. Recently, though, I encountered the band’s
lesser-known single, ‘Life’s What You Make It.”
The track was released in 1985, but its sound was way ahead
of its time.Lacking a traditional pop
hook, its structure is rather unconventional:a shadowy piano lick repeats itself ad naseum, while Mark Hollis broodingly echoes the title, “Life’s What You Make It.”Synth and guitar eventually complement the
track, but it is otherwise a relatively bare bones production—at least when compared to other records of the time.
Men I Trust is an indie band from Montreal. I first came across their seductive sounds while routinely listening to Real Estate Radio on Pandora. I am a huge fan of Real Estate's abandoned mall rock sound, which emphasizes a sort of collective loneliness. And I find myself gravitating toward the band's music when I am desiring something melodic and chill, without feeling like I am stuck on the endless loop of a monotonous spa playlist.
In the course of listening to hours' worth of Real Estate radio while working or commuting, the algorithm had played Men I Trust's single, 'Show Me How,' several times; and each time I heard it, it resonated deeply: Slow funky bass, Francophone-accented vocals, and spacey guitar amounted to a sonic smorgasbord this old soul couldn't get enough of.
'You Deserve This' is another song the station played from time to time. That track is consistent with the theme of steamy dream pop.
When I was really lucky, the Pandora algorithm dropped 'Porcelain,' from time to time. This song is what Failure might sound like if they had a female vocalist, in case you were wondering.
Based on the overwhelming impressiveness of these three tracks, I recently attempted to purchase the vinyl record from which they originate from, and I found many locations were out of stock of the album. I checked out the secondhand market on Ebay and Discogs, and found the prices were greatly inflated. So, I ultimately tracked down a record store that could backorder it for me for a decent price, but I would have to wait at least eight weeks for the pressing to complete and be available for pick up. I easily relented and made the purchase despite the long wait, as this LP is just that good.
But don't worry; I didn't go to all this trouble of tracking down a pressing of Oncle Jazz--yes, that is the aforementioned album's title--without enacting some due diligence. I have been able to stream the whole production in Hi-fidelity using Qobuz, and every single track delivers. In fact, the album is organized somewhat as a faux radio station, similar to what The Weeknd did a few years ago with Dawn FM. For example, Track 1 is in bumper format, reminding the listener they are hearing "Oncle Jazz." And Track 24 features a funked out Muzak interlude reminiscent of free form FM broadcasts from decades ago. In sum, the album is a complete work of art in which each track blends perfectly into the next.
If my hype on this band has intrigued you, I have included the video for 'Show Me How' in the player below. Enjoy!
Thanks to a recent referral by fellow contributor Tae, I have been able to embrace my Scandinavian roots, and experience some modern day infrared sauna at a nearby luxury spa. The setup is amazing; you check in and are given your own private room, complete with bluetooth audio and hundreds of internet television channels. A complete array of chromatherapy is also available.
While the heat is unassuming for the first few minutes, once the infrared's photons have had enough time to microwave your insides, it can begin to feel like you are finishing a marathon without having set foot on a running track. Your heart rate increases, euphoria arises, and you soon discover your skin contains more pores than you ever realized, each expelling metal-laden toxicants by way of colossal perspiration.
During one recent session, I was grinding against the heat when '4th of July' by BOSCO came on the room's bluetooth stereo. It provided the necessary inspiration for me to endure the final portion of my 40 minute session. BOSCO's vocals carried the sweet swagger of a young Janet Jackson, while the beat of the song presented an untroubled array of chilled-out R&B.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find a whole lot of information on BOSCO on the internet. The only link of substance I could really find was the one to her album, Someday This Will All Make Sense, on Amazon here.
But, you can watch the immersive video to '4th of July' by BOSCO down below. Although, without the requisite heat, your viewing results may vary:
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