5 Songs You Need To Hear, Vol. 6

Greetings lovers of new and undiscovered music! It's back -- an all-new, all-awesome edition of 5 Songs You Need To Hear. My job is simple: introduce you to new songs from new artists you've most likely never heard. Your job is also simple: listen, purchase, share, support.

I apologize for the delay in publishing volume 6; I was sick all week last week. But I'm feeling much better and ready to share some of my favorite new songs and artists with you. Let's do this thing...

1. Salt - Bad Suns. I admit there is a good chance that you may have heard this song. Bad Suns got some decent airplay from an earlier song called Cardiac Arrest on alternative stations. I heard this song in a Rue21 store with my daughter. It immediately reminded me of the classic 80s MTV band, The Fixx, in their heyday. Catchy, funky, grooving pop with some surprisingly deep lyrics. I am posting the lyric video because 1) the official music video is distractingly awful, and 2) I don't want yo to miss what this song is about.

2. Postcard - Jukebox the Ghost. Here's another band you may have heard before if you follow alternative music radio. They've been around for a while now garnering a rather large, mostly cult following. I first heard this particular song on a sampler of SXSW festival bands. It's clever and funny and really, really well-written. This one is a gem!

3. Work It Out - Knox Hamilton. I don't even remember where I heard this song but I'm so glad I did. There is just nothing to not like about this song. The hook is brilliant and the tones and textures these guys use are a testimony to their love of what they do. It's just stunning in it's stark contrast to the bland fodder that pollutes so much of the musical landscape these days. Don't let the video fool you! They may look like a bunch of Dr.-Who -watching, World-of-Warcraft-playing, whiter-than-whitey-white college nerds who have never been on a date in their lives... but they can play!
For the first time this week, let me just say it.......... you're welcome.

4. None of These Things - The Damnwells. OK, look at me. Look me in the eye. I want to make sure you hear me. DO. NOT. MISS. THIS. SONG. If you only listen to one track from this blog this week, it's this one. Beautiful, mesmerizing, forlorn, haunting, achingly sad. It takes talent to evoke these things in a time when it's been done so many times so brilliantly by so many artists. It takes something special. Apparently, it takes the Damnwells. Cuz this thing is already one of my picks for Best Song of the Year. Trust me when I say, forget 5 songs... this is ONE song you NEED to hear.

5. Bike Ride - Nora Jane Struthers. OK, consider this kind of like a palate cleanser from that last song... Refreshingly simple and fun, I just love this song. A cynic will probably listen to this song, waiting with a sneer for some innuendo or double-meaning. But, no, it really is about riding a bike. Not a metaphorical bike. A real bike. On a real road. Because it's enjoyable. And so is this song.

Alright, kids, there they are. You've got some work to do now. Go buy these songs, support the artists, share them with your friends, play them in your car or at the office so the people around you turn their heads and say, "What is that song?" And you can be that cool person everyone looks to for great new music that no one else has heard yet.

5 Songs You Need To Hear, Vol. 5

NOTE: This is an updated version of Vol. 5. The previous version had a different song in the number 1 spot. But after a more careful review of the prior selection, I could not in good conscience leave it there due to objectionable lyrical content. However, the updated list is every bit as good, if not better, than the original. Enjoy.

Man, oh, man, have I got some gems for you guys this week! There has been a flood of really cool new music this past week and I can't wait for you to hear it. So let's don't wait, let's do it!

1. Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating in the Future - Mike Doughty. This jam has it all: killer groove, trippy vocals, a long list of random words instead of real lyrics, and best of all -- a wicked cool banjo riff. Yep. Banjo. Banjos are all the rage in alternative music these days. Makes sense when you think about it. Heck, what's more alternative in rock and roll than a banjo? I imagine a good rock banjoist (sp?) could name his price in L.A. right now.  Anyways, I digress... this is a great tune for driving with your top down and cranking it really loud so that when you stop at a red light and look over at the guy in the minivan listening to talk radio, you can nod your head at him knowingly, and rest in the warm satisfaction that you are infinitely cooler than that. And it has a banjo.

2. Colors - Genevieve. Another freebie on iTunes this week. Though the song has been out for several months now, it has somehow escaped the recognition and airplay it deserves. Just in time for summer, sunshine, cookouts, and days at the beach with friends. This song is so catchy and bright, it will probably be on my "flavor-of-the-week" playlist throughout the summer.

3. Love My People - Crown and the M.O.B. I'm not a rap guy. I don't hate it; hate is too strong a word. I guess I just don't get the appeal. A great beat and clever lyrics are usually a recipe for awesomeness, but somehow in rap, it's all out of its context and so falls flat to my ear. But this... this is an exception. And it's not just this tune, their whole record is really, really good. I also respect the message of this song that calls for love and respect between all people regardless of race, religion, political persuasion, etc. And it's got the one thing I'm looking for in every single good song that most rap songs do not have: a chorus. The video below is not the studio recording but a terrific live version from the Jam In The Van web series. You can get this jam free on Noisetrade!

4. I Can't Help Falling In Love With You - Leftover Cuties. I wanted to save this one for a special covers edition, but it's just too good to keep from you any longer. Simple, gorgeous, and deeply moving. Just a ukelele ( I think), an upright bass, and a single voice. Too often, popular music is like a cupcake with entirely too much frosting and not enough substance. It may look delicious but one bite makes you regret it. If you want to know how well a song is written, sing it like this -- emotionally raw, musically stripped down, and performed with a passion for the beauty it invokes in your own heart. If it still draws a crowd, you've got a hit. Enjoy this little gem like a vacation to the beach for about 5 minutes. And once again... you're welcome.

5. Lovely - Compass & Rose. OK, I'm going to have to ask you to work a little for this one... This is a local band right here from Atlanta and from the looks of their photos, they are probably high school kids, maybe college. They have no videos available yet so I can't post it below. As far as I can tell, their self-titled EP is only available on Noisetrade.com where you can download it for free or tip the artist whatever you like. So you are going to have to actually click the link below and leave this blog to go to their page on Noisetrade and there you can stream the entire EP. I recommend Lovely as a standout track, but if you like that, you will probably enjoy the rest as well. It's hippy, folky, mellow, place-of-zen indie with a breathy female vocal ala Julee Cruise from Twin Peaks. (Major bonus geek points if you actually know who she is!)
 Here is the link: http://noisetrade.com/compassandrose/compass-and-rose

OK, kids, now go listen, enjoy, and support new artists so they can get rich and famous and make more great music for many years to come. And if you discover any hidden musical gems, please don;t hesitate to share them with me so I can pass them along. Adios!