My Latest Listens Part I (Beck and Doe Paoro)

   Hello friends!

   Sorry for the lack of reviews over the last several months. I just entered a bit of a non-motivated slump what with the holidays, a health issue, family stuff and things, basically, life got in the way. That being said, I think any reviews going forward will be posted on more of an occasional basis instead of the twice a month schedule I used to maintain.

   But don’t despair, I didn’t totally abandon my musical pursuits… during the autumn and winter, I enjoyed a few new songs that I feel are quite share-worthy with loyal readers of the Dial.

   So, tonight, the Dial will transmit two of those songs to you, and then another two in an upcoming article. A two-part special episode of Kyle’s Radio Dial, if you will. So without further ado, let the cartoon begin!

“Never-ending days, never-ending nights… everything I say, I know I can’t get right.”



   Yes, we start this article with a little Beck, and his latest single, “Uneventful Days”, which has the highest profile of the four songs I will be covering. It currently sits at #33 on the US Alternative charts.

   A song that speaks to modern day depression, Beck’s lyrics could point to it being either a simple breakup song with the singer bemoaning the loss of a romantic relationship, or perhaps (in a deeper interpretation), a lament that the world has changed dramatically leaving the singer in unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. And don’t we all feel like that from time to time, especially in recent years? 

   Even though “Uneventful Days” has a modern “alternative meets folk meets synth-pop” thing going on, something about Beck’s latest offering reminds me of rocker Bob Welch, specifically his 1978 classic hit “Sentimental Lady”. The first time I heard “Uneventful”, I was reminded of Welch’s hit. Both songs have a similar relaxed vibe, but where “Lady” is a poetic love song, “Uneventful” has a sadder focus dealing with emotional desperation and confusion.

   Beck was one of those artists that I really only knew through his radio hits, “Where It’s At”, “Devil’s Haircut”, “New Pollution”, and of course, his slacker ode “Loser”… but I never really followed his work. Based on “Uneventful”, I may need to delve deeper into his discography, and certainly will give his latest LP, 2019’s “Hyperspace” (of which “Uneventful” is extracted) a spin.

https://www.beck.com/
 

  Now, onto our second spotlighted track, in which we’ll take a listen to Los Angeles’ Doe Paoro and her newest single, “Midnight Choir”.

“And we’ll sing… a song of beginnings, a song of beginnings… and we’ll sing of sweet never endings cause we’re never-ending…”

   Doe’s smooth pop entry carries a timeless, soulful vibe, and possesses an exotic quality, which is unsurprising, given her background in Tibetan folk music.

   As the song begins, Doe implores a friend to meet her in a garden that is “overgrown and disregarded” for what I believe to be some sort of spiritual healing or emotional centering. Perhaps it is simply meditation, or perhaps it’s just the rejuvenation of being surrounded by nature, “as stars dangle above”. The remainder of the song continues on with this imagery. Sounds delightfully peaceful to me, Doe, I’ll join you tonight.

   Musically, I hear multiple influences from various female singers and songwriters (and “singer/songwriters”) all over Paoro’s style. Most prominently, her expressive lyrics echo that of Aimee Mann’s late 80’s work with her former band ‘Til Tuesday, specifically “The Other End (of the Telescope)”, and “J for Jules”. I also detected a bit of Sheryl Crow in her phrasing and the way she holds certain notes, and an occasional trill to her voice that recalled both Stevie Nicks and Belinda Carlisle.

   “Midnight Choir” was released as a single in the summer of 2019, and is not yet attached to a full length LP. Her prior album was 2018’s Soft Power. Now that Doe is on my radar, I’ll be checking out more of her angelic and inspiring music.

https://doepaoro.com/

 

   So I hope you enjoyed these two new songs that I’ve been enjoying, and please stay tuned for the second half of this special Kyle’s Radio Dial entry, in which I will spotlight a classic honky-tonk style country flirter, and an indie rock tune about music unlocking your hidden memories that borrows quite a bit from the pages of Tom Petty.

   All this… and MORE, coming up on Kyle’s Radio Dial!

   Eventually.

"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/