NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

A meme is a piece of cultural information that is spread through copying and imitation. These days we know memes mostly as the funny or political pictures people post online. However, by definition, Gotye 's 2011 hit, " Somebody That I Used to Know " is on the level of musical meme-hood. The mega hit which has charted in the top songs of the decade, has left the artist, though, as a one-hit wonder. Gotye has yet to release a follow up record to Making Mirrors , but somehow no one can forget this song. It's been covered, remixed, and parodied all over the Internet, and listeners still can't get enough. Last year, YouTuber Hildegard von Blingin' released a " bardcore " version of the song. Bardcore is a style of music imitating Medieval/Renaissance music, using older instruments and often adapting lyrics to sound more Chaucerian. While the line "send a wagon for thy minstrel and refuse my letters" didn't quite beat the synth wave remix b...

Shura 's 2016 debut, Nothing's Real made a splash in the U.K. and Europe, but the electro-pop singer-songwriter didn't make a huge impact on the American charts, which is a shame. Hits like " What's It Gonna Be? " and " What Happened to Us? " were perfect hits for the mid-summer of the album's release, and I find that I come back to it every spring to early fall. But while her contemporaries like Ellie Goulding and Carly Rae Jepsen keep songs pretty light and upbeat, there's a sadness and introversion that hides the lyrics beneath even the most dance-floor-worthy tracks. SMALL CHANGE IN THE UNIVERSE . The daughter of a British documentary filmmaker, Shura uses a documentary-style motif throughout  Nothing's Real,  featuring audio of Shura as a child speaking and singing. Also in the vein of a documentary, Shura sings about her breakup in the third person " Make It Up ." Other songs, like "Indecision" and "Kidz ...

I 'm not going to go on and on again about how much I admire Ryan Clark 's talent. I talked about in January and February . I think I've touched on the talent of former Project 86 guitarist Randy Torres. Torres left Project 86 to work as an engineer with Aaron Sprinkle making legendary Tooth & Nail albums, then went to work as A & R for the label, toured with Anberlin on their New Surrender tour, and finally landed a job with Microsoft, then doing sound design for films and video games.  Somewhere between their busy schedules, Ryan Clark and Randy Torres crowdfunded an album and an EP as a new project, unrelated to Demon Hunter, called Nyves . Rather than being heavy on the guitars and screaming lyrics, the project takes on a dark electronic-meets '80s progressive metal sound perfect for a gloomy day like today. A FIRE OUT OF BREATH. Spring in Korea is both blessed with beautiful flowers and warmer days and cursed with terrible air quality. The 벚꽃 (Cherry bloss...

We all have to pay the bills, and musicians are certainly no exception. Randy Torres formerly of Project 86 works in sound design. Dan Koch of Sherwood writes music for adverting. Stephen Christian is a music pastor. All of these examples, though, have kept the band separate. The Fold released two records on Tooth & Nail , but never achieved the greatness of their label-mates, save a Grammy nomination for the packaging of their sophomore record. Though having a smaller fanbase than other Tooth & Nail bands, The Fold started partnering with brands, writing theme songs, most notably Lego's Ninjago, for which they performed exclusively for seven years.  I SPENT A LONG TIME BUILDING LADDERS TO THE STARS. The songs this weekend are whimsical stories. Yesterday , the canon story, and today climbing to the stars, meeting a "friendly meteor beside the moon" who tells the speaker to "be yourself and watch the stars come to you." This fun pop-punk song along...

When I think of progressive rock, I think of music that hasn't been refined enough to make it to radio. The lyrics are a little too strange. The instrumentals go off on tangents. Don't get me wrong, I like long guitar solos, but prog. rock gets a bit pedantic. Then I heard Hidden Hospitals' 2016 album Liars. The band calls themselves a progressive rock band, and honestly, I haven't heard anything like it before. Like progressive rock albums, it took me a few listens to get into Liars . But track after track reveals intricate song structures met by lyrics that could be easily passed over, but when they sink in, pack a punch. According to an episode with lead singer Dave Raymond on Matt Carter's Break It Down podcast, Raymond grew up listening to Hip-Hop, but it was rock shows by bands like Emery and Anberlin that got him interested in performing music that would become Hidden Hospitals. FINDING REAL'S LIKE PULLING TEETH. Today's song tells the whimsical st...

  If you're driving through Columbus, Ohio you can tune your radio to 88.7 and find out where music is going. First hitting the airwaves in 1996, the radio station went worldwide via SkyAngel satellite network. RadioU plays Christian Rock and has been home to artists who would otherwise never hit the radio waves. However, bands often disappear from the playlist over time. This can because the band changed their sound or their message. Artists like the Newsboys , Audio Adrenaline , dc talk , Jars of Clay, and Jennifer Knapp were played in the '90s and first few years of the '00s, but the listeners didn't like the direction that those artists took in their later careers. Other groups like Copeland, Mae, and MuteMath started out with RadioU and "got too big," or at least that was the story. Sometimes they will pick up groups like Thrice, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and Paper Route, in the middle of a successful career. But is it where music is going? Maybe not thes...

The atmosphere is a casual restaurant. You're enjoying your time with your friends. The food just comes out and everyone is in conversation. The background music was something pop, like  Ariana Grande , or something you didn't notice, but all of a sudden,  Thousand Foot Krutch 's " Welcome to the Masquerade " starts blaring on the speaker overhead. Just when you think you'd never hear your college Christian rock in a foreign country, it comes up at a rather inappropriate time, between talking about something that happened to you at work and the second bite of your taco.  IF WE CAN HANG ON WE CAN CROSS THIS OCEAN.  Thousand Foot Krutch has an album formula that they used especially from their fourth album to their sixth. The albums start heavy and have a few poppier songs in the middle. " Forward Motion " is one of the poppier moments on this album, almost as if it's a preview for some of lead singer  Trevor McNevan 's pop-punk project,  FM St...

Last week I taught a lesson on Irish music to my students. I played examples of Celtic instrumental music. I showed videos of River Dance . I played sad songs like " The Parting Glass " and " Danny Boy ." Then I played some famous Irish artists like Enya ,  U2 , and  T he Cranberries . Then I played  Kodaline 's " High Hopes ."  When I asked my students which they like the best, they said Kodaline. Well, that's kind of a stupid question. There are times when I want to listen to Celtic bagpipes and jigs. There are times I want to go out and have fun an Irish pub and hear Celtic-punk rock. There are times I want to listen to U2, and it's certainly not the same day I want to listen to Enya, but those days happen too. But like my students, I think Kodaline's first album fits more into my everyday listening habits. BROKEN BOTTLES IN THE HOTEL LOBBY. While In A Perfect World  is a great everyday listen, you have to be careful watching the music ...

  It was Superbowl Sunday of 2005 when I bought Anberlin ’s Never Take Friendship Personal .  It was the perfect album for high school. The band’s style took a turn on their sophomore album from a classic or '90s rock sound to a more emotional, mid-2000s sound. The band would redefine themselves with this album, becoming a lesser-known emo staple. Stephen Christian ’s vocals meeting Joseph Milligan ’s riffs, Deon Rexroat ’s heavy bass, and Nathan Young’s reliance on the cymbals make this one of the band’s heaviest records. The band released two recordings of this song on two different albums and many fans debate which one is better. The original feels grungier and Stephen’s scream was perfectly aligned with the musical trends of the day. The New Surrender version beefs up t he guitar intro and the solo has a bend that is quite satisfying.  THIS WAS OVER BEFORE IT EVER BEGAN. However, having already chosen an Anberlin song this month, and without cheating, I’m choosing...

  I first started listening to MGMT in the spring of 2009. Their debut album Ocular Spectacular had been released at the end of 2007, but tracks like " Kids " had hit the alternative radio stations by 2009. My roommate in college loved the opening track " Time to Pretend ," which is a fun song about moving to Paris and marrying models, and when things get difficult, just get a divorce. After enjoying OS, the next year the band released their follow up, Congratulations , which boasted more experimental electronica. After reading the review about how the band refused to release radio singles, I never tried the band and felt that they were venturing into a musical realm that wasn't for me. However, in 2019 when I heard their single, " Me and Michael " in a book store and when I started listening to " Little Dark Age ," I realized that the MGMT that I loved in college was back.  THE MORE I STRAIGHTEN OUT, THE LESS IT WANTS TO TRY . The lyrics ...

I must admit that I know very little about deadmau5 . Somehow the DJ music of the late '00s and '10s just never appealed to me beyond a few catchy songs I heard at the gym just because I heard them over and over again. But when I heard this song today, I had to listen again. The calm House electronica and the melody were pretty catchy. And what was that about being raised by machines, digital families? And lions? It started making me think about something I had read before. But what was it? Was it Hemingway? No. It was based on Ray Bradbury's short story by the same name, " The Veldt " or originally "What the Children Made." HERE, THE WORLD THAT THE CHILDREN MADE. A few years ago, I binge read Ray Bradbury. I think I became aware of Bradbury from the episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents  which were adaptations of his short stories. I became enthralled with Bradbury's description of the double-edged sword that is technology. Though the story "Th...

In many ways Underoath 's 2018 release has seen the band's climb to new levels of success, yet the album and the band have become controversial with longtime fans and critics. Not only were the fans debating the band's expansion to mainstream-sounding rock, but also the band's denouncing of organized religion. However, spiritual themes on this record are undeniable, and the lyrics come from an honest place that the Christian Rock gatekeepers don't allow to make it to the Family Christian shelves. At a time when the Christian bookstores that used to hold the power over if an artist was sold or banned have gone out of business, bands like Underoath can start the honest conversations many would rather sleep through. I HOLD MY TONGUE. For years Underoath toured and recorded music keeping the secret of lead singer Spencer Chamberlain's drug addiction. On an old episode of Labeled tells the story of when the band tried to confront Chamberlain in the summer of '...

  For all of my fantasies about an alternate reality in which I decided to peruse music after high school, the state of the music industry during COVID is certainly something I’m glad I never had to deal with. Imagine being a new band in 2019, releasing your first EP which has earned enough hype to put you on a big tour with a veteran band, only to have that tour canceled. That’s what happened to Welsh brothers Sam and Ben Taylor and their friend Nathan Beaton of Paradise Now. The tour with Disciple may have been canceled, but depending on the state of Covid, they will return to the States with the Juliana Theory. IT’S GETTING OLD. A listen to Paradise Now’s Supernatural is a bit confusing. Sometimes it’s hard rock that gets a little soft with poppy electronic elements like the title track and “Anvmals.” Their hit single “Baptist” plays with a Steve-Milleresque synth intro before taking a hard rock turn. “ WildOnes ” sounds like a Hillsong track until the chorus turns up the ele...

  Olly Alexander grew up next to a church, and as a boy he was fascinated by the what he heard and saw from his home. His parents were not religious, but his impressions of the rituals that took place, during particular liturgical holidays sparked his interest in organized religion. However, as Alexander grew up in his sexuality, he came to realize that the church next door was not a place for him. He was still captivated by the symbolism of ritual. He sought community in gay clubs, which became like a church to him. If you listen to Years & Years two albums, the themes of religion may almost trick you that you are listing to a Christian album. I DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE FINE. The opening track to their debut album, Years & Years start their brand of Pet-Shop-Shop-Boys inspired electronica with an atmospheric, lyrically minimal track. However, it doesn't take a lot of words to convey the complex emotions in this song. And if you take the track with the highly symbolic mu...

I first heard The Cranberries ' " Zombie " when I was at a 4-H state presentation. All the different counties of North Carolina sent their qualifiers in different categories to Charlotte to compete with other counties. My presentation was about coin collecting, which was something I was kinda-sorta into, and I'm pretty sure I qualified for State only because I was the only one in the category in that section. It was a good experience with public speaking; however, I realized that there was a talent show which was far more interesting than anything I could have presented. The only talent I remember was the gothic people, members of a 4-H group from another county. They performed "Zombie," and may have won the talent show. I T'S NOT ME; IT'S NOT MY FAMILY . Today is St. Patrick's Day. I like to pick Irish artists; however, this song is not a cheery song about drinking in the pub and dying the river green. Instead, this song delves into the issues i...

In keeping with a recurring theme of emotions, I elect this song as a song of the day. Songs like " Blue " and " Rose-colored Boy " explored sadder emotions, but "Float On" by Modest Mouse takes on a cheery disposition. If it's bad, thank God it's not worse. It's the lyrics of this song that would have Paramore's Haley Williams upset, as Issac Brooks's lyrics certainly are rosy. While bad things happen, they could be worse. If it didn't kill you, you can get over it. Just float on, man. After all, isn't it the hardships ending that make the good times better? I BACKED MY CAR IN TO A COP CAR THE OTHER DAY. An upbeat guitar rhythmically starts this indie-rock classic. Singer Isaac Brock's vocal style works out great for this track and only a few other Mouse tracks. The lyrics are funny, but not so Weird Al to make you stop singing along out of laughter. Sometimes bad things happen to us. Other times they happen out of an acci...

March 15th is the Ides of March, the day when Julius Cesar was stabbed. I realized that I didn't celebrate Casimir Pulaski Day (March 1st, also a Sufjan Stevens song), nor did I celebrate Pi Day with a song about circles yesterday, but I thought that it would be fun to analyze Stevens's most ironic song of all, in which he states to his fans that he doesn't want to be their "Julius Caesar... [nor their] personal Jesus." The pairing of the two figures I found fascinating because in Dante's Inferno  we meet Judas (betrayer of Christ), and Brutus and Cassius (betrayers of Caesar) in the deepest layer of hell, tortured by Satan himself. Beware indeed the Ides of March. I DON'T WANT TO BE THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. Just when we thought we firmly established Sufjan Stevens as a folk singer, perhaps an heir to Woody Guthrie or Gordan Lightfoot, he goes and makes an electronic album. While the singer-songwriter had incorporating synths into his folk sound prior...

  Some people listen to music casually. It’s on in the car, you dance to it at the club, you sing it at church. Maybe there was a song you love from high school. Then there’s those for whom music is a Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience. If words on a page can evoke every sense, can’t music do the same? Throughout history people have reported seeing colors when they listen to music. In 2003, a group of musicians from Norfolk, Virginia debuted on Tooth & Nail Records with Destination:Beautiful . After their second release, the band’s success scored them a deal Capitol Records, but the band landed in the purgatory of distancing themselves from Christian radio but being too Christian and too indie to be marketed to the pop or rock markets. After the release of the independent eps (m)orning , (a)fternoon , and (e)vening , the band took a break and came back to Tooth & Nail Records releasing their second* Self-titled record. IT'S A LOSING GAME. Unfortunately, Mae ’s passion doesn...

Kye Kye released two albums in the early 2010s. My earliest memory with this indie-electronic band was their single "Broke" on RadioU , which took a while to grow on their listenership, failing to beat the other singles of the week on their " Battle of the Buzz " program. However, when the single was finally released to regular rotation, it quickly topped their " TMW " (Ten Most Wanted) program. That summer, I saw the band perform at Cornerstone in the Come & Live tent before or after Showbread. Lead singer, Olga Yagolnikov Phelan, seemed a little shy when talking to the audience, but the band sounded great when performing. The band's strength lies in their atmospheric sound rather than their spiritually cryptic lyrics.  TAKE YOUR TIME; I ALREADY SEE IT. One Saturday night in college some of my friends and I were invited to one of our professor’s homes. That night the professor taught us a game involving classic issues of National Geographic and ...