NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

  I first encountered  White Lies  in 2009 on an iTunes sampler. The song was " Farewell to the Fairground ," a song from their freshman album  To Lose My Life...  Their follow up album,  Ritual ,  was unimpressive, and I kind of forgot about this band until I heard their single " There Goes Our Love Again, " from their 2013 album  Big TV .  The album is certainly their strongest to date and plays like a New Wave album, taking influence from the most venerated post-punk acts of the ‘80s but released thirty years late. The song " Big TV " deals with themes of modern city life in regards to alienation, capitalism, and fleeting trends. Its electronic feel sounds like it's the kind of music that would be playing late at night, coming from the blue light of a big TV in a studio apartment downtown. YOU CAN RAISE A STAR FROM GARBAGE ON THE STREET.  Big TV  is a concept album, following a woman who leaves a relationship she’s unhappy with to find a lifestyle t

There were a number of Christian extreme sports shows that featured harder Christian Rock. These shows might be featured late nights on cable tv or on Christian channels. In 2003,   Anberlin   released their first radio hit to Christian Rock radio, " Change the World (Lost Ones) ." However, around that time " Readyfuels " was included in one of those sports shows. The sport: luge racing. "Readyfuels" was the band's first promoted single by the record label. "Change the World" was sent to Christian radio. But "Readyfuels" wasn't a Christian Rock song, in the traditional sense.  GIRLS AND THE BOYS CHASE DOWN RUNNING HOT TONIGHT. “Readyfuels” is   a song that   mostly  glorifies the carnal nights of youth--a prelude to an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Today’s song would go on to chart on even Air1 , a Contemporary Christian pop radio station. Anberlin's intention was never to be a Christian band, but unlike other Tooth & Nail

Thomas Wolfe is most famous for his novel  You Can't Go Home Again   which is a tome that I haven't read. However, I did read his first novel,  Look Homeward, Angel ,  which deals with similar themes. I picked up the book in the middle of a semester from hell and an existential crisis. I found Wolfe's descriptions of Southern life--the people in town and family members, the scenery, and the food--so comforting. The mostly autobiographical novel is nostalgic, but the protagonist, Eugene's academic pursuits push him to see the world outside of the isolated mountain town of Altamont (Asheville). DEFER TOMORROW. The Juliana Theory is a band whose influence far exceeds their success. Formed as the side project Brett Detar , the guitarist of the Christian metal band Zao , when he wanted to incorporate the catchiness of radio rock bands like Third Eye Blind that the metal band listened to in van on tour, The Juliana Theory became a legendary band in the pop-punk scene. The J

In 1999, Carlos Santana topped the Top 40 radio stations, the Billboard Hot 100, and the Adult Contemporary charts with his biggest single in years, " Smooth ." Santana's latin guitar licks were accompanied by the sexy vocals of pop-rock frontman Rob Thomas . Three years prior to this #1 hit, Thomas' band Matchbox 20 --later stylized as Twenty --had released their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You , which featured several hits on pop and rock radio. It was a year after the Santana collaboration that Matchbox Twenty followed up Yourself or Someone Like You with Mad Season .  SHOULDN'T BE SO COMPLICATED. After "Smooth," Rob Thomas' fame soared, and with a renewed interest in Matchbox Twenty, the band returned four years after their successful first album. The first single, " Bent " topped the Hot 100, radio top 40 singles, and several other charts, which was the only Matchbox Twenty single to do so. Although Matchbox Twenty continu

From the band's heaviest album,  In Motion ,   Copeland   released songs that bore some similarities to mid-to-late '90s rock. The sound of  In Motion  is a natural progression from their first album  Beneath Medicine Tree .  However, Copeland's sound changed drastically after  In Motion . Starting with a bonus EP recorded prior to but released with their third album,  Eat, Sleep, Repeat ,  exclusively at Best Buy , the band reworked three of their songs from  In Motion,  slowing them down and using a string section rather than guitars. The three songs from this release would be included on the band's  B Sides  record,  Dressed Up & In Line .  The band would continue to experiment instruments, synthesizers, and non-traditional rock arrangements.  NOT BECAUSE YOU LOVE THE SONG, BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO SING. Between the two versions of " You Love to Sing " the original is my favorite. It's a great road trip song on a great road trip album. Grungy guitars, p

Last summer, I wrote about the opening track, " My Secrets Have Secrets Too ," to Search the City 's sophomore record, Flight . A few days later, I realized that the song wasn't showing up in my AppleMusic playlist (see August 2021 ). It turns out that the version I bought in 2013 on the iTunes Store and the version that eventually made its way back to Spotify and AppleMusic in 2020 are quite different. The version I bought has the track listing on Discogs.com , while the a-cappella intro is missing on from the streaming services and the remaining 11 tracks are scrambled in a new order . THEY SEE YOU LOSING HOPE.   I'm interested to find out why "My Secrets Have Secrets Too" didn't make it to the streaming version of the album. The band had a lot of trouble getting the rights to their record after a lawsuit with their former manager, who claimed the rights to the record. What was hoped to be a comeback record and a reboot of the pop-punk band, ultim

You shouldn't expect too much from a group whose first single is a monologue about a young woman who is addicted to her phone as she goes out for the evening who vaguely sounds like she could be the daughter of the girl from the opening of " Baby Got Back ." But we don't get Sir Mix-A-Lot to break up the monotony of The Chainsmokers ' " Selfie ." But in a way, it's great that the band started their career with their most picayune song. GETTING DRUNK ON THE PAST. It's been rather silent at the frat house since the pandemic has put a damper on the party. Sure there have been some party tracks from Gaga and Charlie XCX , but it's been a minute since The Chainsmokers seemed relevant. At one point, though, the handsome duo were the most highly paid DJs in the world. After topping the Billboard Hot 100 with their duet with Halsey , it seemed that " Closer " and the band's string of hits was the musical tide of the late '10s, muc