Song Musings

Happy Wednesday and hope this week has been treating you well. I’d like to welcome you to another installment of my weekly feature, in which I’m taking a closer look at songs I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. Over the weekend, I finally watched Moonage Daydream, the Brett Morgen documentary about David Bowie. While it’s not a traditional music documentary or biopic but a collage of concert and other footage from Bowie’s personal archives, I actually liked the film more than I thought. It also inspired this week’s song pick: Life On Mars?

Written by David Bowie, the tune first appeared on his fourth studio album Hunky Dory released in December 1971. It was the first record with Bowie’s new backing band featuring Mick Ronson (guitar), Trevor Bolder (bass) and Mick Woodmansey (drums), the group that subsequently became The Spiders from Mars. Life On Mars? was also released as a single in the UK, but only in June 1973 at the height of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust period. It peaked at no. 3 there.

Life On Mars? has a bit of a history, which started in 1968 when Bowie was commissioned to write English lyrics for Comme d’habitude, a song by French music artist Claude François. But Bowie’s lyrics were rejected and it was songwriter Paul Anka who took the tune and turned it into My Way, which was popularized by Frank Sinatra in 1969. Apparently annoyed about the success of My Way, Bowie used the song as a template and wrote Life On Mars?, intended as a parody of Sinatra’s recording.

Wikipedia notes that Life On Mars? has been described as a “soaring, cinematic ballad.” Combining elements of glam rock, cabaret and art rock, the tune has a pretty complex structure with different chord changes throughout. The string arrangement was composed by Ronson. Rick Wakeman, who at the time was still a member of English folk rock group The Strawbs, played the piano. Soon thereafter, he would join Yes. Here’s a live version of the song, captured in Paris in October 1999.

Critics and biographers have called Life On Mars? one of Bowie’s best songs. The tune has been covered by various other music artists, including Barbra Streisand and Nine Inch Nails members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. After Bowie’s untimely death in January 2016, the song entered the charts in many countries and became a frequent tribute tune for Bowie. Tributes by organist Nicholas Freestone and singer Lorde gained broad popularity.

Following are some additional tidbits from Songfacts:

The lyricism is very abstract, though the basis of this song is about a girl who goes to watch a movie after an argument with her parents. The film ends with the line “Is there life on Mars?”

Bowie has labeled the song “a sensitive young girl’s reaction to the media” and added, “I think she finds herself disappointed with reality… that although she’s living in the doldrums of reality, she’s being told that there’s a far greater life somewhere, and she’s bitterly disappointed that she doesn’t have access to it.”

The lyrics also contain imagery suggesting the futility of man’s existence, a topic Bowie used frequently on his early albums...

…In 2008, Bowie recalled writing this song to the Mail on Sunday: “This song was so easy. Being young was easy. A really beautiful day in the park, sitting on the steps of the bandstand. ‘Sailors bap-bap-bap-bap-baaa-bap.’ An anomic (not a ‘gnomic’) heroine. Middle-class ecstasy. I took a walk to Beckenham High Street to catch a bus to Lewisham to buy shoes and shirts but couldn’t get the riff out of my head. Jumped off two stops into the ride and more or less loped back to the house up on Southend Road. Workspace was a big empty room with a chaise lounge; a bargain-price art nouveau screen (‘William Morris,’ so I told anyone who asked); a huge overflowing freestanding ashtray and a grand piano. Little else. I started working it out on the piano and had the whole lyric and melody finished by late afternoon. Nice. Rick Wakeman [of prog band, Yes] came over a couple of weeks later and embellished the piano part and guitarist Mick Ronson created one of his first and best string parts for this song which now has become something of a fixture in my live shows.”…

…Mick Rock, a photographer who shot the covers of Lou Reed’s Transformer album and Queen’s Queen II, directed the song’s official video, which he filmed backstage at Earls Court, London, in 1973. Bowie appears in a turquoise suit and makeup, performing the song against a white backdrop.

Rock ended up producing two more versions of the video, first in the ’80s when he treated it with a bleached look, then in 2016 when the Parlophone label commissioned him to do a new edit. “The new version is my favorite, because there are all kinds of things you can do technically, including playing around with the colors and lots things,” Rock told Songfacts. [The first clip is the 2016 version – CMM]

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

Best of What’s New

While plenty of new music keeps coming week after week, picking songs I like can be tricky. As much as I try to be open-minded, I simply cannot deny my strong ’60s and ’70s influences. During some weeks, this means it can take a long time to identify tunes I sufficiently enjoy. On other occasions, I find myself with more options than I want to feature. This week fell into the latter category – a nice problem to have! All picks appeared yesterday (June 24). Let’s get to it!

Goose/Hungersite

Goose are an American jam band from Norwalk, Conn. They were formed in 2014 by Rick Mitarotonda (vocals, guitar), Trevor Weekz (bass), Jeff Arevalo (vocals, percussion, drums) and Ben Atkind (drums). Following the release of the debut album Moon Cabin in 2016, the group added Peter Anspach (keyboards, guitar, vocals) in late 2017. Wikipedia notes Goose have been compared to jam bands like Phish and Umphrey’s McGee, while the group itself has characterized their music as indie groove. Hungersite, penned by Mitarotonda, is a track from Goose’s third and latest full-length studio album Dripfield – nice tune!

The Warning/Amour

The Warning are a Mexican rock band from Monterrey, Nuevo León, a state in the country’s northeast region. The trio was formed in 2013 by sisters Daniela Villarreal (guitar, lead vocals), Alejandra Villarreal (bass guitar, piano, backing vocals) and Paulina Villarreal (drums, lead vocals, piano). Apple Music describes The Warning as a “familial Mexican hard rock band that blends savvy riffage, fist-pumping beats, and stadium-ready choruses.” Here’s a bit more from their Apple Music profile: The Villarreal sisters began posting videos online around 2014 and soon attracted attention due to the teen siblings’ instrumental precocity as well as a repertory made up of heavy metal covers by Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, and AC/DC. Signed by Victoria Records, the Warning issued their first EP, Escape the Mind, in 2015. The band’s debut album, XXI Century Blood, appeared in 2017, and before long the trio was sharing the stage with the likes of Def Leppard and the Killers. This brings me to Amour, a track from the group’s third and new studio album Error. These ladies rock!

Young Guv/Too Far Gone

It’s just been a little over three months since I first featured Young Guv, a solo project of Toronto-based guitarist and vocalist Ben Cook. Cook co-founded Canadian hardcore punk band No Warning, initially formed in 1998 under the name As We Once Were. After the band’s break-up in late 2005, he joined another local hardcore punk group named Fucked Up. In 2015, Cook released his solo debut album Ripe 4 Luv, the first of now five that have appeared to date under the Young Guv moniker, including the latest Guv IV. Cook’s Young Guv music is power pop-oriented and as such very different from his hardcore punk roots. Too Far Gone is a song from the aforementioned Guv IV – catchy tune!

Caamp/Come With Me Now

I first learned about Caamp from fellow blogger Eclectic Music Lover, who included the American folk band from Athens, Ohio in a recent installment of his weekly top 30’s feature. From their Apple Music profile: Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall, founders of the folk band Caamp, met as kids at summer camp and began performing together in parking lots and at charity shows while in high school. After bass player Matt Vinson joined the band, Caamp independently released their 2016 self-titled debut, which features the breakthrough viral hit “Ohio.” Meier, who is Caamp’s guitarist and lead vocalist, said Ray LaMontagne and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon are two of his biggest vocal influences. Caamp’s lineup also includes Joseph Kavalec (keyboards). Apart from an EP, they have released three full-length studio albums, including the latest, Lavender Days. Here’s the pleasant opener Come With Me Now, credited to all four members.

Jack Johnson/Open Mind

Jack Johnson is an American singer-songwriter, filmmaker and former professional surfer. From his AllMusic bio: A professional surfer turned chart-topping rocker, Jack Johnson rose to fame in the 2000s with an easygoing, acoustic singer/songwriter style punctuated by an unassuming voice and a mellow, beach-bum demeanor. The combination proved to be particularly potent on the commercial front, as his first five major-label albums all climbed to platinum status, with his most lauded being 2005’s In Between Dreams. While not as prolific, he continued to find success in the 2010s with well-received efforts including From Here to Now to You (2013) and All the Light Above It Too (2017). A handful of collaborations and singles, including 2020’s “The Captain Is Drunk,” ushered Johnson into the next decade ahead of his eighth album, 2022’s Meet the Moonlight. Here’s Open Mind, the beautiful first track off Meet the Moonlight.

Mary Devlin/Lover’s Hands

For this last pick, I’d like to give a shoutout to fellow blogger Angie from The Diversity of Classic Rock. Angie first covered Lover’s Hand, a great rock-oriented tune by Mary Devlin. From her Spotify profile: New Jersey native Mary Devlin made her first debut as a performer at the age of 14 on the streets of her hometown in Ocean City, and has since been actively pursuing a career as a singer/songwriter. Mary’s music is eclectic, ranging from ’80s inspired synth beats to soft acoustic numbers. Yet all Mary Devlin songs are tied together by similar lyrical themes of youth, love, and learning to navigate the world as a 20 something. Devlin has many inspirations, including but not limited to world defining bands such as The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, legendary figures such as Robert Johnson, contemporary acts such as Lorde, Hozier, Marika Hackman and of course all of the Top Hits of the 80s that her mother has raised her on. Angie noted Lover’s Hand is Devlin’s first professionally recorded single produced and mastered by Brandon Ireland and Tyler Sarfert, respectively – very neat!

Last but not least, here’s a Spotify list of all the above and a few additional tunes:

Sources: Wikipedia; Goose website; Apple Music; AllMusic; The Diversity of Classic Rock; YouTube; Spotify

Best of What’s New

As we head into the long Labor Day weekend here in the U.S., it’s time for another look at recently released new music. Before I get to it, let me use this opportunity to address the common misconception that’s driving me crazy, which is this holiday marks the end of summer. It does not. Summer 2020 officially ends on September 22.

Of course, with the ongoing COVID-19 national crisis, this season hasn’t felt much like summer except for heat and, depending on where you live, humidity. In fact, this entire year is pretty much lost in my book and I can’t wait for it to be over, hoping 2021 will bring back better times – this country desperately needs change!

Back to the much more pleasant subject of music. This is actually the 25th installment of Best of What’s New. This week features a nice mix of music styles, including high-energy rock, pop, indie surf rock (does that genre even exist? Who cares!) and country. With artists coming from the Houston, TX area; Los Angeles; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and the Canadian province of Alberta, there is also decent geographic diversity. Let’s get to it.

JunkBunny/Another Summer Song

JunkBunny are a rock trio from Montgomery County, Texas, which is north of Houston. According to their website, the band consists of 3 young musicians – Mac Johnson (lead vocals & guitar, 18), Cayden Diebold (vocals & bass, 17), and Jake Douglas (drums, 17). Like their heroes in Green Day or Blink-182, these childhood best friends save the “serious” for their songs, offering up anthems with the scale of Foo Fighters without sacrificing youthful exuberance and good-natured mischief...Over the past few years, the trio’s live reputation has continued to grow, as they performed with ZZ Top, The Struts, Sammy Hagar and more, as well as at festivals like Louder Than Life…The trio celebrated 17th and 18th birthdays the year they entered the studio with Howard Benson, Grammy-winning producer of landmark rock records by My Chemical Romance and P.O.D., to make their debut album for Lava Records, home to Greta Van Fleet and Lorde. Another Summer Song is the opener to JunkBunny’s new EP Down the Rabbit Hole, their sophomore release from September 2. Credited to all members of the band, the catchy rocker first appeared as a single on July 24. There’s definitely some of Greta’s energy and Green Day’s sound in that tune.

FINNEAS/What They’ll Say About Us

There’s something very soothing about What They’s Say About Us, the new single by 23-year-old American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor Finneas Baird O’Connell, aka FINNEAS. He’s the older brother of pop artist Billie Eilish who last year broke through internationally with her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and earlier this year scored a hit with No Time to Die, the theme song of the upcoming James Bond picture of the same name. FINNEAS produced the album and co-wrote the Bond tune. When he’s not working with his sister, he’s making his own music. To date, he has released his debut EP Blood Harmony from October 2019 and some 15 singles, including his latest What They’ll Say About Us, which appeared on September 2. Reminds me a bit of Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

Surfer Blood/Summer Trope

Surfer Blood are an American indie rock band from West Palm Beach, Fla., which were founded in 2009. Their members include John Paul Pitts (lead vocals, guitars) and Tyler Schwarz (drums), who had played together in an early incarnation of the band called TV Club. Mike McCleary (guitars, backing vocals), and Lindsey Mills (bass, backing vocals) complete the current lineup. Their debut single Swim from 2009 was well received and ended up at no. 37 on Pitchfork’s 100 Best Songs of 2009. Surfer Blood followed it up with the release of their debut album Astro Coast in January 2010. Four additional studio albums, two EPs and more than 15 singles have since come out. Written by Pitts, Summer Trope is from the band’s upcoming sixth studio album Carefree Theatre scheduled to appear on September 25. While the clip isn’t the most exciting, I do like sound of that tune.

Tenille Townes/The Way You Look Tonight

Let’s wrap up this installment of Best of What’s New with Canadian country singer-songwriter Tenille Townes, who hails from Grande Prairie, Alberta, and has been active since 2009. The now 26-year-old artist released her debut single Home Now at age 15. Her first studio album Real came out in June 2011. That same year, Townes was also nominated for a Canadian Country Music Award for Female Artist of the Year. Her published catalog to date includes two additional studio albums, 2 EPs and more than 10 singles. The Way You Look Tonight is a track from Townes’ most recent album The Lemonade Stand released on June 26. It was co-written by her, Daniel Tashian and Nashville-based singer-songwriter Keelan Donovan who also contributed vocals. Nice pop-oriented country that’s a bit reminiscent of Lady Antebellum.

Sources: Wikipedia; JunkBunny website; YouTube