"Ladies in the ‘90s" by Lauren Alaina

“I was raised on radio waves, where the ladies dominated… sometimes I close my eyes and just replay it."

   Tonight, the Dial turns it's ever lovin' spotlight toward Nashville, to bring you a tune that celebrates female singers and musical acts from two decades hence. Performed with irresistible gusto by eight year industry veteran Lauren Alaina (impressively, she is but a lass of 24 currently), let me present "Ladies in the '90s".

 

    Though Lauren works firmly in the country music genre, (“country-pop” if you want to get technical), I love how she references not only other country tunes by the likes of Shania, Faith, Reba, and the Dixie Chicks, but also shows love to pop (Christina Aguilera, Madonna), hip hop (TLC), soul (Destiny’s Child), and even an alternative rock icon. (“You Oughta Know” who she is without me even saying!)

   Of course, my personal favorite shout-outs are the lyrical references to Britney and the Spice Girls, two of my favorites of the decade. When Lauren sings “Come on baby hit me, just one more time”, and “I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want”, it’s a guarantee there’s a smile wrapped around my big goofy face.

   So how did I discover this song? One evening, I was reminded of a favorite number of mine by Deana Carter, her signature tune “Strawberry Wine”, a wistful and lovely ballad that speaks to anyone whom has ever missed somebody from their past. Deana’s tune topped the country charts in ‘96, but only crossed over as high as #65 at pop, yet it nevertheless managed to catch my ears and earn my love and respect forever.

   I searched for Deana’s song online, and started seeing references to Lauren Alaina and how Strawberry Wine led off her musical roll call. I gave “Ladies” a listen and dug it right away. And the video is a campy and cute QVC spoof, so there’s that too. Amazingly, this nostalgia filled ditty only got as high as #49 on the hot country charts in late 2018, and didn’t make a blip at pop, which a darn shame. I’m stunned that this wasn’t at least a top 20 country hit.

   I’ve heard that country radio has been largely dominated by the guys in recent years (the awfully formulaic “bro country” trend being largely to blame), but that the ladies are starting to make inroads into taking their rightful place back on the format. I’m all for that. I’ve not been a huge country music fan aside from when it crossed over into pop in the late 70s and early 80s, and again in the mid to late 90s, but I’ve always felt that as a whole, women’s voices tend to carry country songs better than their male counterparts. So more power to Lauren and all ladies like her!

   So, is it uncool for a 45 year old Dad (like me) to like this song? I dunno, and I don’t really care. I can relate to Lauren’s love of the tunes that influenced her, as they echo my own affection toward my favorite tunes. And since our playlists clearly intersect to a degree, and I’m a sucker for musical nostalgia, I’m totally picking up what Lauren’s putting down. You go, girl.  



 https://www.laurenalainaofficial.com/

"Doin' Time" by Lana Del Rey

“Me and my girl… we got this relationship…”

    And so begins Lana Del Rey’s “Doin’ Time”, a lament of her unfaithful, controlling, and unappreciative girlfriend. A woman who sleeps around, and keeps Lana living in an emotional “penitentiary”. Despite proclaiming her love for her, Lana also admits that she’d like to hold her… head underwater. Pretty dark stuff for a pop song, especially one in which the verses are juxtaposed against a laid-back summery vibe and a chorus that evokes parties, concerts, and fun.

    Yet that is exactly what Del Rey delivers on her smoky, jazzy treatment of this classic ‘90s tune, originally recorded by ska-punk icons Sublime. I haven’t been able to get this one out of my head since I first heard it a few weeks ago, and this is why it earns Kyle’s All-New Radio Dial spotlight tonight!

 

    Released on Sublime’s self-titled 1996 breakthrough LP, and as the album’s fourth single in ’97, the original “Doin’ Time” was Sublime’s only hot 100 hit, peaking undeservedly low at US #87. Even the band’s signature tunes “Santeria”, “Wrong Way” and “What I Got” from that album didn’t cross over to the hot 100, (much less the top 40), though the first two peaked at #3 on the US Modern Rock charts, and “What I Got” topped that very same chart.

    Lana Del Ray’s version was recorded for a documentary on Sublime for the Tribeca Film Festival, and may possibly appear on her upcoming 2019 album. To date, she has earned three top 40 singles, with her greatest being the #6 pop, and #2 Hot Dance smash “Summertime Sadness” from 2013. Despite rampant critical acclaim and tunes that draw from indie pop, trip hop, baroque pop, and alternative, Lana has not really burst into the mainstream, and it remains to be seen if “Doin’ Time” scales the Hot 100, or Modern Rock charts, though this reviewer believes it truly deserves to.

    On the surface, Lana’s vocals are relaxed and dreamy; lovely and melodic, but lying just below the surface there is a tangible level of anguished weariness that speak to the dark subject matter. In fact, it almost sounds like a beautiful lullaby until you notice the story of the awful relationship she is stuck in.

    I also appreciate that Lana did not alter any of the lyrics (no gender swapping of “boyfriend” for “girlfriend”, no sanitizing the “S” word, etc.), and she still calls out the members of Sublime during the chorus exactly as done in the original. This makes me imagine that Lana is at a Sublime concert, and thus she would actually be referring to the late singer Bradley Nowell when she sings “Bradley’s on the microphone with Ras M.G.”, as opposed to Nowell speaking of himself in the third person.

    Even if you somehow are not a fan of (or are, perish the thought, unfamiliar with the original version), do yourself a favor, and lend Lana’ your ear below. Hands down, this one deserves to be her next top 10 hit!

https://lanadelrey.com/

"If Love is the Law" by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

     Hey everyone! Tonight, the Dial invites you to check out a tune which hails from jolly old Manchester England. A tune that barely got noticed upon its release almost two years ago in either Europe, or the States, though it damn well deserved to garner a lot of notice and tons of airplay. Tonight let’s join Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds as he explains what can happen “If Love is the Law”.
 

    Noel is notoriously remembered as being one half of the troubled Gallagher brother team (Liam was the other Gallagher… not the Sledge-O-Matic comedian!) that fronted ‘90s alt-rockers Oasis, who charted big in 1996 stateside with “Wonderwall”, “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, and “Champagne Supernova”. They also had other hits in the UK beyond this brief American chart success period.

 

    Following the fiery collapse of Oasis, Noel formed the creatively titled Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in 2010, featuring many former Oasis bandmates (Gem Archer on guitar, Mike Rowe on piano, drummer Chris Sharrock), along with bassist Russell Pritchard, formerly of The Zutons. And what of that crazy band name? Turns out it draws inspiration from the band name structure of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, and the song “High Flying Birds” by Jefferson Airplane.

 

    Taking inspiration from an obscure early track from Genesis, 1969’s "The Conqueror", Noel has admitted that he was obsessed with the classic tune while writing and recording If Love is the Law. Indeed, the overall instrumentation and cadence of the verses are very similar to the Genesis tune, though Noel has capped it off with a beautiful Phil Spector “wall of sound” style which was not present in the earlier tune.

 

    An upbeat, poetic song about heartbreak and the confrontation of an ex-lover, Noel expertly taps into the pain, isolation and confusion felt due to the betrayal from his former flame. And here’s a crazy fact… the guitar and harmonica here is handled by none other than Johnny Marr of The Smiths!

 

    Also, maybe it’s just me, but I also detect more than a passing similarity in vocal rhythm to Limahl’s 1984 movie theme “The Never Ending Story” whenever Noel begins a verse.

 

    Culled from 2017’s “Who Built the Moon” album, the High Flying Birds have remained significantly more “underground” when compared to Noel’s high profile former group with brother Liam, and they’ve only earned four UK Top 20 singles since 2011. Shockingly, “If Love is the Law” was not one of those four. Of course, none of Noel’s work has made inroads in America, because we are too busy worshipping at the feet of Flo Rida, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift. (to be fair, I like one of those artists, but can’t stand the other two… I’ll leave it to you to figure out which is which.)

 

    So give If Love is the Law a spin below and see if you agree that it deserved a spot on our airwaves here in the U.S. And be sure to keep your ears and receivers tuned to the Dial, as I spotlight more recent overlooked tunes that deserve a second chance – I think the next one I plan to do may really surprise you.

    “I didn’t come here to make up your mind… I do believe that you were wasting my time… There’s no more tears left to cry myself blind… If love is the law… then this is a crime.”

https://www.noelgallagher.com/
 

"Take On Me" by Weezer

    Hello friends, and thanks for checking out the latest audio offering on Kyle's All-New Radio Dial! Tonight, we combine our love of '80s top 40 and our growing interest in modern tunes, to spotlight a pop classic which was reborn earlier this year, and in the process, sounds fresh and new once more. Read on for Weezer's take on... "Take on Me"!

 

 

    Originally recorded by Norwegian synthpop trio A-ha in 1984, and topping the singles chart all over the world the following year, California based Weezer, who made their debut in 1993 with the alt-rock classic LP "Weezer (The Blue Album)", selected “Take on Me” to be among the many inclusions on their 2019 covers LP “Weezer (The Teal Album)”, a surprise release dropped just five weeks before their planned album of original material, “Weezer (The Black Album)”. There is definitely a trend in their album titles, to be sure!

 
   Now Weezer hasn’t deviated too far from the sound of the original here. I find the lyrics are easier to understand than in the original, (probably due the absence of A-ha lead singer Morten Harket’s Norwegian accent) and the instrumental bridge portion has been recast with more of a hard rock flair.
 
   The video is well worth watching as it takes place in 1985, with a teenage Rivers Cuomo and his bandmates working on a version of A-ha’s hit in Rivers’ living room. The young Cuomo and friends are played by the members of the real life band Calpurnia, an up-and-coming indie rock group led by Stranger Things actor Finn Wolfhard.
 
   Additionally, the original award winning A-ha music video (you know the one) is referenced several times via rotoscoped sketch animation that pays tribute to the memorable visuals of the 1985 MTV staple.
 
   The Radio Dial daughter, Zoey, absolutely loves watching the video for this. Her favorite part is when “the girl really rocks out", and she’s also told me that Rivers’ house seen here is the coolest house ever.
 
   Sure, “Take on Me” is a well-worn, clichéd ‘80s classic that always seems to be on the radio or in a movie somewhere, but I really dig Weezer’s take, possibly even more so than their excellent viral version of Toto’s “Africa” from last year. Check it out, and tell me what you think. And stay tuned to the Dial for coverage of an excellent overlooked 2017 single from one half of one of the '90s most loved Britpop groups. See you then!

 

 https://weezer.com/

"Right Down The Line" and "Something About You" by Lucius

 

   Hey everyone! Today's article spotlights an outstanding band that has been around for several years now, but whom I only recently discovered, thanks to Mrs. Radio Dial winning tickets to their show! Hailing from Los Angeles by way of Brooklyn, it's indie pop sensations Lucius!

 

    Formed in 2005, but not releasing their first studio LP (Wildewoman) until 2013, Lucius' influences range from jangle pop to glam, soul to jazz, and folk to country. Currently a four piece act, the group consists of guitarist Peter Lalish, drummer Don Molad, and co-lead vocalists Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe, whom share the same double sided microphone on stage as they sing.

 

   The concert was held at the Columbus Athenaeum on Thursday, May 2, a welcome “date night” out for me and the missus. We had been listening to their songs online to familiarize ourselves with their material before the show, but nothing could have prepared us for the beauty and class of their performance.

 

   The set began with “Go Home”, a lovely ballad with a ‘50s pop vibe in which Holly and Jess declare that they are “your dolly, stuffed with extra baggage”. This was followed by “Tempest”, a melodic alt-folk number that speaks to the importance of understanding between partners in a relationship.

 

   Next up was a cover that greatly impressed me, “Right Down the Line”. I bought the single of the original 1978 Gerry Rafferty version (on a 45), when I was almost five years old. To hear the gorgeous harmonies of Lucius update this forgotten pop gem and long favorite of mine, was an absolute delight to my ears.

 

   That was followed with a rollicking rendition of the Supremes’ 1966 smash “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”, which managed to incorporate a few bars of the 1995 Edwyn Collins modern rock hit “A Girl Like You”, delighting and surprising us all in the audience.

 

   Continuing to channel a Motown vibe, the band then played their own “Something About You” from 2016’s “Good Grief”, a soulful and cosmic up-tempo nugget which I’m astonished wasn’t a breakout hit for the band. (especially with that crazy music video…)

 

   Other flawlessly performed tracks included “Turn It Around” which involved some delightful audience participation during the clapping and “ahh-ahh-ahhhhs”, “Two of Us on the Run” (telling the story of how we made something of ourselves), and the graceful and haunting “Woman”.

 

   The ladies of Lucius then called out friend, audience member, and fellow indie musician Emily King, (whom would headline the Athenaeum with her own set the following night), to join them on Lucius’ original “Dusty Trail”, a country & western styled tune with the wonderful lyrics “A penny for your thoughts would leave me broke”, and a gorgeous rendition of Elvis’ chestnut “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. Of all the versions I’ve ever heard of this tune (and it’s been covered a lot), Lucius and Emily’s reading was the first to give me a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, as the three ladies’ voices harmonized together like a trio of angels.

 

   Holly and Jess then relocated to one of the balconies overlooking the stage for the finale, “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes”, the very song Cinderella sings to her animal friends in Disney’s classic film, at which point it became Mrs. Radio Dial’s turn to get all misty eyed. (She’s a huge Disney fan…)

 

   Overall, the experience was absolutely amazing. The ladies’ vocals were exquisite, and at times reminded us of Agnetha and Anni-Frid of Abba, while the lyrics to their original material reminded me of Aimee Mann. The band played acoustic stripped-down renditions of their studio recordings, entrancing all in the audience with their gorgeous, heavenly melodies. It was a marvelous night, and one that made lifelong Lucius fans out of the wife and I!

 

   Do yourself a favor, and move Lucius to the top of your list of acts to see live! After you check out “Right Down the Line” and “Something About You” below, of course!

 



 

https://www.ilovelucius.com/