NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

This  year,   Hozier  pulled off an improbable feat. Ten years after the Irish singer’s hit “ Take Me to Church ” peaked at number 2 on  Billboard’s  Hot 100 , Hozier topped the chart with the single “ Too Sweet ,” making him a two-hit wonder. A few years ago,  Chris Molanphy  on the  Hit Parade   podcast examined just how rare the phenomenon is to have a second hit years after the momentum of the first hit. The bluesy track was released as an extension to Hozier’s third studio album,  Unreal Unearth , inspired by Dante’s  Inferno , particularly the sin of gluttony. I’m sure musicologists could explain why Hozier made a comeback ten years later. Was it the feature on a  remix  of  Noah Kahan ’s “ Northern Attitude ” last year? The folk rock singer’s breakthrough last year brought several charting songs, including the collaboration with Hozier, which scored a #37  Billboard  Hot 100 hit. There was certainly a...

  One of the often forgotten  RadioU  minor groups,  Furthermore   was another group that only released two records, 1999's   Fluorescent Jellyfish   and 2003's  She and I .  Furthermore was a trio consisting of vocalists Daniel Fisher and Lee Jester and DJ Jason Jester . The group arrived on  the  precipice of Tooth & Nail Records '  golden age and left the roster shortly after releasing She and I. Fisher went on to play in several bands, and apparently released several other projects under Furthermore after the group's Tooth & Nail run, including a single in 2020 and several singles earlier this year.   BEFORE YOU SAY GOODBYE.  Furthermore is a vestige of when Tooth & Nail signed artists without thinking about the financial consequences. Christian Rap was a burgeoning market for Christian audiences, but rock, punk, and hard music eventually became much of the label's focus. Christian Rap tended to...

The Killers was one of the biggest bands in the early ‘00s, especially in the UK, where their single “ Mr. Brightside ” holds the record for the longest single to chart on the UK Singles Chart at 260 non-consecutive weeks. The band is an example of a band that peaked early. While the band has been releasing consistent quality music after their whirlwind successful debut album Hot Fuss , no subsequent release came close to their first album. After releasing three records with The Killers between 2004 and 2008, lead singer Brandon Flowers released his debut solo record Flamingo in 2010. After the album promotion cycle for Flamingo , The Killers released their fourth album, Battle Born in 2012. The band released their fifth album five years later, during which Flowers released his second album, The Desired Effect .  WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD NOW? In rock ‘n’ roll history, a lead singer recording a solo project is often an omen of the band’s implosion. For the handsome Brandon ...

  The Cure 's " Lovesong " peaked at number 2 on  Billboard 's Hot 100  in October of 1989.  Hit Parade 's 2019 episode " Lost and Lonely Edition ,"  detailing the British Post-Punk movement, views this unlikely pop hit as a kind of peak of the movement that continued into the early '90s.  Of course, The Cure's commercial success came after years of songs that didn't chart and even the invention of a music chart for Alternative Rock bands, at the time called  Billboard 's Modern Rock Chart.  HOWEVER FAR AWAY, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU.  When  Billboard  launched the Modern Rock chart in 1988, "left of the dial" college radio stations began reporting the songs that they were playing. Some of the bands included on the predecessor to today's Alternative Airplay chart were established on other charts-- U2 ,  Elvis Costello , and  Tears for Fears  had mainstream rock and pop hits prior to charting on the Modern Rock...

  I can't explain this well, but some songs give me a feeling for particular weather. I associate songs with seasons, even if the lyrics have nothing to do with that season. As the weather has gotten chilly lately, I wanted to create a playlist of songs that give me a warm feeling by building a cold atmosphere first, especially for the mid-Autumn.  If this playlist makes no sense to you, you're not alone. But maybe it does. I hope that it brings you warmth.

Down Like Silver is a folk duo composed of Peter Bradley Adams and Caitlin Canty . The duo released a self-titled EP in 2011 and has released singles sporadically since then. Their latest single, “ First Light ,” was released in 2022. While Down Like Silver has a limited released discography, the two strong singer-songwriters, Adams and Canty, both have vibrant solo careers. The duo performs much of their songs “co-singing,” or singing together simultaneously rather than taking different parts of the song. Besides beautiful two-part harmony, the group’s country-twinged instrumental parts only enhance the wistful lyrics of the group’s songs. It might be a short trip into Down Like Silver’s discography, like driving through the panhandle of “ Idaho ,” but it’s a scenic trip.   HARD TIMES KNOCKING AT OUR DOOR AGAIN. “Idaho” is one of the six songs on Down with Silver’s debut EP. The song was featured on NoiseTrade’s 25 Love Songs . Caitlin Canty leads the slow song and Peter Bradl...

  Here’s my ongoing playlist of songs featured in Korean dramas or movies. Many of the songs are originals. Some of the songs by non-Korean artists have key plot points in Korean dramas. Check out the playlist on Spotify Many K-pop idols provide original songs for dramas and films. Most of these songs do not become the group’s major hit. Many of these songs are ballads, slower than groups that may regularly use EDM, electronic sounds, or hip-hop. Still, a K-pop group singing at just the right time in a Korean drama or film can bring out the emotional highlight of the visual medium. Positive feelings about the group can cause a similar fondness for the movie or the drama, and positive feelings for the drama or film can create a lifelong fandom for the group. Today, we’ll start an exploration of K-pop soundtracks, known in Korean as OST. Enjoy!