My Latest Listens Part II (Stephanie Quayle & The Head and the Heart)

Hello again friends!

   Thanks for checking in to check out part two of “My Latest Listens”. In part one, I introduced Beck’s “Uneventful Days”, and Doe Paoro’s “Midnight Choir”, two songs that draw from the sounds of alternative, folk, soul, and pop.

   This time, I bring you a song firmly rooted in the country genre, followed by a second tune that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a later day Tom Petty album.

   So, without further ado, let the cartoon begin!

   “Whatcha drinkin’ ‘bout? Boy, let’s talk it out. Did you lose your one and only, are you lonely?”

   Our first spotlighted tune is “Whatcha Drinkin ‘Bout”, coming to you courtesy of Stephanie Quayle, a member of CMT’s 2019 Next Women of Country class. A Bozeman, Montana native, Quayle began singing in bands at the age of 16, and released her first solo EP “Stand Back” in 2013.

   “Drinkin” was extracted as the second single from her five song EP “If I Was a Cowboy” in August 2019, (following the title cut), and currently sits at #59 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. Wake up country station program directors! This is a charming and sweet-hearted single that deserves to get tons of play on your stations!

   Stephanie sings a story of an easygoing gal flirting with down-on-his-luck fellow at her local watering hole. She offers to buy him a drink, and provide him a sympathetic ear. She mentions that she can’t resist his “tipsy, heartbroke eyes”, and she’ll be there all night for him, or at least until last call. I wonder if she has actually done this before, or if it is just a sweet fantasy?

   Either way, I love Steph’s carefree delivery, and the song’s mid-tempo honky-tonkish feel, it’s all so endearing to me. It echoes some of the country crossover ladies from the late 70s and early 80s, along the lines of Barbara Mandrell, Deborah Allen, and Dolly Parton. And her adorable little giggle at the 2:19 mark… melts my heart every time! This is just a great tune all around! Give it a spin!

https://www.stephaniequayle.com

 

 

   Now we’ll turn our attention to our second spotlighted tune, a soft and uplifting little verse entitled “People Need a Melody”, by indie pop darlings The Head and the Heart.

   Originating in Seattle in 2009, The Head and the Heart was founded by Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell, and currently includes Russell on vocals and guitar, violinist and vocalist Charity Rose Thielen, guitarist Matt Gervais, drummer Tyler Williams, bassist Chris Zasche, and pianist Kenny Hensley.

   “People need a melody to open their eyes… like a key to a memory frozen in time”

 

 

   Pulled from the band’s 2019 LP “Living Mirage”, “People…” is all about how music has the power to unlock memories. We’ve all experienced that… you hear a tune from your younger years and all of a sudden you are back in middle school, or on a road trip with your best friend, or on that first date (yeah, THAT first date), or any number of experiences or places you may not have thought about in forever. It’s amazing that the mind just needs the right prompting to bring the past to the present.

   However, I detect that “People…” may possibly harbor a second meaning. It seems to carry a cautionary message about being too nostalgic for the past, and living behind a persona that does not accurately represent you to the world. Lyrically, there is also a reference to lovers looking back on a former relationship. Hmmm, maybe this song is deeper than it initially seems. I’ll leave it up to you what you get out of it.

   I heard an interview with the band on the radio, and Jonathan mentioned Tom Petty as a huge influence on his work, which really comes through on “People”. It certainly seems like “People…” could belong to Petty’s “Wildflowers” era.

   Though there is more than echoes of Tom here, as Jonathan’s opening verse strongly recalls the rhythm to Pink Floyd’s "Mother", and the chorus reminds me (and rather randomly, I might add) of Kenny Rogers' soft rock/country classic "Love Will Turn You Around". I’ve listened both to “People…” and “Love Will…” back to back, and I can’t quite identify why Kenny popped into my head here. Perhaps it’s just the feeling I got listening to them. Both songs have a shared easy going style with calm voiced singers. Yes, that must be it. There’s an emotional similarity. It’s almost like “People…” was the key to my memory of that Kenny Rogers song that was frozen…

   oh…

   Woah. That’s cool.  

 

 https://www.theheadandtheheart.com

 

   So post a comment and let me know what you think of these new songs I've covered over the past two articles. Hopefully at least one of them will be added to your playlist and become a "latest listen" of your very own!

    As for the Dial, I plan to continue posting reviews of both new and classic cuts, as time and inspiration allows. So until the next time I check in with you, and you check in with me, remember... this is Kyle's Radio Dial... the more you listen, the more you remember!

 

 





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/