I seem to be drawn to the South Florida music scene, because here I am reviewing my fifth Miami-based band in less than a year. I’ve previously featured SunGhosts, Above the Skyline, Dyslexic Postcards and Xotic Yeyo on this blog, and now I turn my spotlight on a couple of talented musicians who call themselves RAKER. Specifically, RAKER is Michael Sarasti and Andy Rodriguez, who play an intriguing style of experimental indie rock, and they cover all aspects of their music and its production. As stated in their Twitter bio, they “deal in guitars, pedals, machines, buttons, and songs.” Sarasti plays guitar and is lead vocalist and Rodriguez plays bass and provides backup harmonies on their songs.
The guys just dropped their gorgeous new single “Gospel” in late December 2016, and I was smitten the moment I heard it. The song immediately grabs hold with a mesmerizing guitar riff, accompanied by gentle percussion and smooth synths and set to a languid beat. Andy’s layered bass loops beautifully throughout, and Mike’s vocals are beguiling and heartfelt as he sings of trying to salvage a troubled relationship: “Oh baby don’t you waste no time. These are the trials that bind our kind. / Just when you think it’s all an end, we’re on the rise.” The instrumentals, vocals and arrangement are all first-rate, making for an incredibly pleasing, well-crafted song. Take a listen:
One of the things I love about Twitter is discovering great new music and the artists who make it. I continue to be amazed at how much talent there is out there, and a good deal of it is coming from throughout Europe, where rock of all types is alive and well. A new band I recently had the pleasure of discovering when their lead singer contacted me is Maximum High from Athens, Greece. They play an infectiously upbeat style of rock, infused with healthy amounts of soul, funk, punk and blues that give their sound a classic old-school vibe.
The band consists of Irene Dimopoulou (vocals), Thanos Amorginos (lead guitar and producer), Dimitri Koutsiouris (bass), and Nick Zografos (drums), all seasoned musicians who’ve been a part of the Athens music scene for some time. They recently dropped their debut self-titled EP containing four solid tracks that really showcase their rich sound. The exuberant first track “Long Ago” immediately sets the tone for the EP, with assertive guitar riffs and a strong driving beat. Irene’s smooth, sultry vocals weave through the plucky guitars and vibrating synths, Nick’s cymbals crashing nicely in the background.
The band turns a little bluesy with the standout track “Don’t Let Me Down.” The song starts out with a fine hard rock guitar solo, then settles into an alternating tempo, Irene’s seductive vocals smoldering and soaring along with the intensity of the music. Thanos’ shredded guitar riffs and Dimitri’s bluesy bass provide just the right amount of heft to the song. The guys’ expert musicianship are again strongly evident in the high-energy “Control My Love,” as the guitars are really first-rate and, as always, Irene’s sultry vocals are outstanding. Maximum High gets funky with the delightful “Stay.” The relentlessly catchy dance grooves had me gyrating in my chair as I wrote this!
As the band states on their Soundcloud bio, “Maximum High is better listened to on maximum high levels!” I wholeheartedly agree. To learn more about them, check out their website, and show support by following on Twitter and Facebook. Their EP may be purchased on Bandcamp.
1. 24K MAGIC – Bruno Mars (1)
2. MY NAME IS HUMAN – Highly Suspect (2)
3. CLEOPATRA – The Lumineers (4)
4. BLACK BEATLES – Rae Sremmurd, Gucci Mane (5)
5. DON’T WANNA KNOW – Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar (6)
6. STARBOY – The Weeknd (3)
7. STILL BREATHING – Green Day (9)
8. WASTE A MOMENT – Kings of Leon (7)
9. OBSOLETE – Agony in the Garden (10)
10. ATLAS, RISE! – Metallica (11)
11. TAKE IT ALL BACK – Judah and the Lion (12)
12. SQUARE HAMMER – Ghost B.C. (14)
13. BLOOD IN THE CUT – K.Flay (19)
14. BAD DECISIONS – Two Door Cinema Club (8)
15. SURE AND CERTAIN – Jimmy Eat World (13)
16. I NEED A LIGHT – Run With It (18)
17. MOVE – Saint Motel (17)
18. THE SHAKES THAT YOU MAKE – Dyslexic Postcards (15)
19. RUST TO GOLD – Council (N)
20. SHINE – Mondo Cozmo (N)
I’ve long been a fan of hard rock, but it’s only fairly recently that I began appreciating hardcore, death metal, metalcore, deathcore, and all their sub-genres. In fact, I’ve come to like this music so much that I can now state that I’m a big fan, and the louder and more intense the better! What distinguishes hardcore and death metal from traditional hard rock are the powerful, distorted instrumentals and highly aggressive, brutal vocals. And whereas I once thought those brutal vocals were just a lot of guttural screaming, I’ve since learned that there’s a real art to that style of vocalizing (though one criticism I have is that it can be difficult or impossible to understand the often deeply meaningful and compelling lyrics).
I recently discovered a new basscore metal band with one of the best names I’ve seen in a while – Godzilla Loves Lemon Trees. The band is actually a duo from Cremona, Italy, consisting of Luca Barbanotti, who plays a 7-string bass guitar, and Ded (Federico “Dedde” Balestreri) who does the incredible vocalizing. The guys call their particular style of music ‘basscore’ because there are no guitars, only bass, which creates a much heavier, denser sound. For a detailed explanation of the origin of their sound and influences, check out this excellent article on the band by Darkland Promotions. But for the sake of reference, I’ll just state that Luca and Ded claim as their influences the hardcore and death metal bands Korn, Tool, Iron Maiden, Gojira, Mastodon, Extinction Level Event, Car Bomb and Cradle of Filth, among others.
Their song lyrics are built around the theme of monsters and humanity, specifically the irony of humanity as seen through the eyes of different monsters. Their debut single is “Kaiju,” named for the Japanese film genre that features classic monsters such as Godzilla who typically attack major cities and engage the military and other monsters in battle. The monster theme is fitting, as Godzilla Loves Lemon Trees play really intense, face-melting music. The song is fairly simple but incredibly powerful, with relentlessly heavy, pummeling bass and furious, staccato drums that conjure up images of a rampaging monster on the loose, laying waste to everything in its path. Despite the crushing intensity of the bass, Luca still manages to make it sound quite melodic. Ded’s savage vocals match the ferocity of the instrumentals note for note. Crank up the volume to fully appreciate this gem!
I’ve included the hard-hitting lyrics that help explain the song’s meaning:
Confused phases of existence melting the hemispheres of denial within this cubical space, within open wounds. Chaos can never be stopped… For this illusion of time shall drop while the makers of cruelty erupts. I have walked the earth, even before you were in her womb, laughed with the eyes of intentional extinction. Tangled between the edge of endless nightmares… Searching for you at the gates of my passage. You are nonsense with the blankest reason to exist. You tried to evolve, but the result ended up in corrosion. Watch the failure of creation infest the life before your eyes! Why justify your doubts to your non-existent idols? Just erase your hope for a better existence. The fracture has opened… Unexpected spectrum of life, knocking the concrete void of the mind… Suicide will never stop your destined ever lasting torment.
Support Godzilla Loves Lemon Trees by following them on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to their YouTube channel. “Kaiju” may be purchased on Bandcamp.
1. 24K MAGIC – Bruno Mars (2)
2. MY NAME IS HUMAN – Highly Suspect (3)
3. STARBOY – The Weeknd, Daft Punk (1)
4. CLEOPATRA – The Lumineers (5)
5. BLACK BEATLES – Rae Sremmurd, Gucci Mane (7)
6. DON’T WANNA KNOW – Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar (9)
7. WASTE A MOMENT – Kings of Leon (4)
8. BAD DECISIONS – Two Door Cinema Club (6)
9. STILL BREATHING – Green Day (13)
10. OBSOLETE – Agony in the Garden (12)
11. ATLAS, RISE! – Metallica (15)
12. TAKE IT ALL BACK – Judah & the Lion (14)
13. SURE AND CERTAIN – Jimmy Eat World (8)
14. SQUARE HAMMER – Ghost B.C. (19)
15. THE SHAKES THAT YOU MAKE – Dyslexic Postcards (11)
16. SAY MY NAME – (IAM)WARFACE (10) 21st week on list
17. MOVE – Saint Motel (18)
18. I NEED A LIGHT – Run With It (20)
19. BLOOD IN THE CUT – K.Flay (N)
20. BELONG – Shelita Burke (16)
Listening to the music of singer/songwriter Don DiLego, one would never guess he is based in New York City. He plays an arresting style of Alt-Country music that combines his favorite aspects of the country music of old with 80’s indie-pop influences, giving him a sound that seems more rooted in Nashville or Oklahoma. Though he was born and raised in rural Western Massachusetts and spent his early adulthood in Boston, DiLego ended up settling in the Big Apple, where he established his Velvet Elk Studio in the East Village.
He released his first album The Lonestar Hitchhiker in 2001 and subsequently recorded three more albums at his Velvet Elk Studio, plus the soundtrack for the film Ranchero in 2012. His albums are self-produced, and recorded with musicians that have formed the core of his band The Touristas over the last couple records. He dropped his appropriately-named album Magnificent Ram A in July 2016, a collection of 10 excellent tracks that really showcase his songwriting and musical talents. In December, he released the beguiling single “Idiot Heart.”
The song is a gentle but melancholy ballad about falling for someone and wanting to do right by them, but knowing it won’t be easy given past transgressions. DiLego’s beautiful vocals convey a heartfelt sincerity, making the lyrics all the more compelling. Musically, the song features a somber piano riff and delicate percussion, backed by smooth synths and ambient guitars that give the song a somewhat haunting, ethereal vibe.
“I’ve been waiting for some time For the sidewalks to come alive I’ve had good days and sleepless nights Cause you and me got lost in time
I was praying for a sign For the tides to begin to unwind I was splayed out among the pines When you and me got lost in time
I’ve been trying to change my life I’ve been trying to do what’s right But my idiot heart won’t oblige But I’ll try, I’ll try, I’ll try
Oh wake me up Lay me down”
The gorgeous video for the song shows a young woman in a contemplative mood before joining her boyfriend for the day, having lunch together, then walking through the forest alone wearing his raincoat, and ending up lying face up in a snowy meadow.
Here’s a great video worth watching of DiLego and his musicians performing songs for Magnificent Ram A at Velvet Elk Studio.
Learn more about Don by checking out his website. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to his YouTube channel. Stream his music and follow him on Spotify, and purchase his music on iTunes, Bandcamp and other sites offering music for purchase.
1. STARBOY – The Weeknd (1)
2. 24K MAGIC – Bruno Mars (2)
3. MY NAME IS HUMAN – Highly Suspect (3)
4. WASTE A MOMENT – Kings of Leon (4)
5. CLEOPATRA – The Lumineers (6)
6. BAD DECISIONS – Two Door Cinema Club (8)
7. BLACK BEATLES – Rae Sremmurd, Gucci Mane (10)
8. SURE AND CERTAIN – Jimmy Eat World (7)
9. DON’T WANNA KNOW – Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar (14)
10. SAY MY NAME – (IAM)WARFACE (5)
11. THE SHAKES THAT YOU MAKE – Dyslexic Postcards (11)
12. OBSOLETE – Agony in the Garden (13)
13. STILL BREATHING – Green Day (18)
14. TAKE IT ALL BACK – Judah & the Lion (19)
15. ATLAS, RISE! – Metallica (20)
16. BELONG – Shelita Burke (12)
17. WELCOME TO YOUR LIFE – Grouplove (9)
18. MOVE – Saint Motel (17)
19. SQUARE HAMMER – Ghost B.C. (N)
20. I NEED A LIGHT – Run With It (N)
2016 was a year of music highs and lows. Lots of excellent music was released, yet the year also saw an unusually high number of untimely and significant losses of legendary musicians – most notably David Bowie, Prince, Natalie Cole (on New Year’s Eve), Glenn Frey, Maurice White, Paul Kantner, Phife Dawg, Merle Haggard, Bobby Vee, Leon Russell, Sharon Jones, Leonard Cohen, George Michael on Christmas Day and, most tragically, the entire promising young band Viola Beach.
There were a lot of great albums, but I’ve honestly heard only a fraction of the hundreds released in 2016. My personal favorites are the gorgeous albums by Radiohead (A Moon Shaped Pool), The 1975 (I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It), David Bowie (Blackstar) and Matto Rules (What Comes Around, which I reviewed previously on this blog). A few other highlights were the eagerly anticipated albums from Green Day, Metallica, Kings of Leon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, A Tribe Called Quest and Bon Iver.
Now I unveil my 100 Best Songs of 2016. These are my favorite songs of the year, and I’m confident everyone seeing this list will disapprove of some of my selections, and that’s fine. Music is very subjective and what sounds good to me may not sound good to someone else, and vice versa. My favorite genres are alternative and hard rock, so my list reflects that. However, I never expected that a Justin Bieber song would end up in my top 40 -lol. There were hundreds of songs that I really liked, so picking only 100 was difficult. Some songs on this list were released in 2015 (and “Walking on a Dream” from Empire of the Sun was released in 2009, but didn’t get airplay in the U.S. until seven years later), but they were “hits” or appeared on my Weekly Top 20 in 2016. A few songs overlapped both 2015 and 2016, and are therefore in my Top 100 for both years. Those songs are marked with an *.
1. STRESSED OUT – twenty øne piløts * 2016 was clearly the year of twenty øne piløts, as the duo saw their fame skyrocket with their enormously successful Emotional Roadshow World Tour and the immense popularity of their magnificent album Blurryface. I think they’re one of the best bands to emerge in many years, with a totally original sound that is like no other act around today. Their song “Tear In My Heart” was my #1 song of 2015, and their follow-up single “Stressed Out” is my #1 song of 2016 – and one of my favorite songs of the past 10 years. It’s a brilliant song about facing the burdens of responsibility of adulthood while longing for the simplicity of one’s childhood: “Wish we could turn back time, to the good old days. When our mama sang us to sleep, but now we’re stressed out.” I also think it’s a particularly appropriate song to top the list, as 2016 was certainly a stressful year on many levels. “Stressed Out” was #8 on my Top 100 for 2015, but it had such staying power that it ends up at #1 for 2016. twenty øne piløts have three songs in my top 10, a feat accomplished by only two other artists: the Beatles in 1964 and Foster the People in 2011.
2. DARK NECESSITIES – Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been making music for 30 years, and have had scores of hits. But “Dark Necessities” is their greatest song yet and a masterpiece in my opinion. The complex music and meaningful lyrics show a real maturation of their sound, which is totally appropriate for a band whose members are now in their late 40s to early 50s. Without question one of the best songs of 2016.
3. RIDE – twenty øne piløts The exhilarating “Ride” was the fourth track from Blurryface released as a single, and is further proof of the high caliber of the songs on the album. Literally every track could be a hit song. The song’s lyrics speak to uncertainties and anxieties over the meaning of life. Tyler Joseph fervently sings “I’ve been thinking too much, help me.“
4. MOUNTAIN AT MY GATES – Foals * Let me just state up front that UK band Foals is awesome and I passionately love their unique sound. “Mountain At My Gates” is a gorgeous anthem about overcoming life’s obstacles. Lead vocalist Yannis Philippakis has an amazing and immediately identifiable singing style that smolders, wails and soars. The powerful song builds to a climactic flourish that gives me chills every time.
5. BURN THE WITCH – Radiohead The release of Radiohead’s amazing album A Moon Shaped Pool was one of the music highlights of 2016. The brilliant single “Burn the Witch” has dark lyrics, hauntingly sung by Thom Yorke’s beautiful falsetto, and set to a gorgeous arrangement by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and lush strings performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra. The clever, stop-action animation video, directed by Chris Hopewell, pays homage to the 1973 horror film The Wicker Man.
6. BANG BANG – Green Day Green Day proved their staying power with the release of their 12th studio album Revolution Radio, 26 years after their first album 39/Smooth in 1990. The album’s hard-driving first single “Bang Bang” stays true to the band’s penchant for topical themes, with lyrics that speak to America’s culture of gun violence and mass shootings in an era of narcissistic social media. The song’s high points are the furious guitar riffs and Tré Cool’s awesome drum solos.
7. ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME – Coldplay * Coldplay pulled out all the stops with their joyously upbeat “Adventure of a Lifetime.” Jonny Buckland’s gorgeous swirling guitars, Will Champion’s spot-on drums and Chris Martin’s signature soaring vocals make for a truly great song. Guy Berryman’s strong bass gives the feel of a heart beating and the mandolin at song’s end is stunning. The whimsical video has the bandmembers as gorillas cavorting about in the jungle.
8. LIFE ITSELF – Glass Animals “Life Itself” is one of the most interesting and musically complex songs on this list and I adore it. Glass Animals employs all kinds of instruments, from harps and tom toms to tambourines, piano and unusual guitar synths to create an exceptionally strong track. Lead singer Dave Bayley’s vocals are hypnotic and mesmerizing, and the lyrics about being a millennial slacker are superb: “I can’t get a job, so I live with my mom. I take her money but not quite enough. I sit in the car, and I listen to static. She said I look fat, but I look fantastic.“
9. HEATHENS – twenty øne piløts The brilliant “Heathens” was recorded for the Suicide Squad film soundtrack. The dark song has a haunting arrangement set to a slow hip hop beat. Mournful piano, rough scratching sounds, Tyler Joseph’s monotone vocals, and a mysterious disembodied voice chanting “watch it” contrast with the sweeping orchestration, creating a menacing sense of danger.
10. TROUBLE – Cage the Elephant Another one of my favorite bands, Cage the Elephant returned at the end of 2015 with their album Tell Me I’m Pretty. Produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, the album really shows his strong influence. “Trouble” was the second single to be released (after the uneven “Mess Around”) and it’s absolutely brilliant. The song features beautiful piano, xylophone and guitar instrumentation, accompanied by Matt Shultz’s incredibly beguiling vocals. The song’s video was shot at Joshua Tree National Park, which is near my home and one of the most popular places to make music videos.
11. THE SOUND OF SILENCE – Disturbed When I first heard Disturbed’s “The Sound of Silence” I thought meh. I gave it another listen and thought “well this is actually good.” By my third listen, I was totally blown away by the song’s magnificence. It’s hard to believe anyone could do a respectable cover of this iconic Simon & Garfunkel song, but David Draiman and his band accomplished the feat and then some. Wow, just wow!
12. ALL WE EVER KNEW – The Head and the Heart “All We Ever Knew” is one of the most beautiful and heartfelt songs on my list, which seems quite appropriate given the band’s name. The beautiful melody, instrumentals and vocals belie the bittersweet lyrics about a broken relationship that cannot be fixed.
13. WASTE A MOMENT – Kings of Leon Kings of Leon came roaring back with their gorgeous anthem “Waste A Moment.” The song features Caleb Followill’s signature soaring vocals and the band’s lusty guitars.
14. SAY MY NAME – (IAM)WARFACE I was literally blown over the first moment I heard this incredibly powerful hard rock song by the appropriately-named UK band (IAM)WARFACE. It was like being hit by an atomic blast, and I never tired of hearing this gem!
15. ONE DANCE – Drake, Kyla, WizKid Drake hit the mark with this simple but oh so awesome hip hop dance song. He had assistance by the sultry vocalist Kyla and rapper WizKid. The song spent many weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
16. TRIP SWITCH – Nothing But Thieves “Trip Switch” by UK band Nothing But Thieves is an incredibly catchy song with outstanding instrumentation. Lead singer Conor Mason’s distinctly seductive vocals are mesmerizing.
17. STARBOY – The Weeknd “Starboy” is a beautiful, rather mysterious song from the amazingly talented The Weeknd. His slightly falsetto vocals are really captivating in this song.
18. SPIRITS – The Strumbellas I seem to love gorgeous anthems, because “Spirits” by Canadian band The Strumbellas is certainly that. Everything about this song is perfect – orchestration and arrangement, instrumentals, lyrics and the band’s beautiful harmonizing vocals, led by lead singer Simon Ward.
19. PRETTY PIMPIN – Kurt Vile I really love this quirky song. Great lyrics and guitar, plus Kurt Vile’s wonderful vocals.
20. WAY DOWN WE GO – Kaleo This hauntingly beautiful song by Icelandic rock/blues band Kaleo is from their second studio album A/B, and one of the most compelling singles of 2016. The bluesy melody is almost funereal, but in a torch song kind of way, with a strong drumbeat that propels the song forward. The guitars and piano are gorgeous, and JJ Julius Son’s raw, impassioned vocals bring chills.
21. OPHELIA – The Lumineers 22. BORED TO DEATH – Blink-182 23. 7 YEARS – Lukas Graham 24. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG – Adele 25. GENGHIS KHAN – Miike Snow 26. FEEL INVINCIBLE – Skillet 27. 24K MAGIC – Bruno Mars 28. OFF THE GROUND – The Record Company 29. HELLO – Adele * 30. CHEAP THRILLS – Sia featuring Sean Paul 31. GOOD GRIEF – Bastille 32. HYMN FOR THE WEEKEND – Coldplay featuring Beyoncé 33. SEND MY LOVE (To Your New Lover) – Adele 34. WALKING ON A DREAM – Empire of the Sun 35. YOU DON’T GET ME HIGH ANYMORE – Phantogram 36. SORRY – Justin Bieber 37. CHANGES – MUTEMATH 38. COLOR – Finish Ticket 39. HAPPY SONG – Bring Me The Horizon 40. SOUNDCHECK – Catfish and the Bottlemen 41. CAKE BY THE OCEAN – DNCE 42. HARDWIRED – Metallica 43. PRAYERS/TRIANGLES – Deftones 44. SOMEBODY ELSE – The 1975 45. BAD DECISIONS – Two Door Cinema Club 46. KISS THIS – The Struts 47. 10,000 EMERALD POOLS – BØRNS 48. UNDER THE INFLUENCE – Elle King 49. WELCOME TO YOUR LIFE – Grouplove 50. NIGHTLIGHT – Silversun Pickups 51. CLEOPATRA – The Lumineers 52. SURE AND CERTAIN – Jimmy Eat World 53. JUGGERNAUT – Partisan 54. THANK GOD FOR GIRLS – Weezer 55. MESS AROUND – Cage the Elephant 56. SMOOTH SAILIN’ – Leon Bridges 57. I TOOK A PILL IN IBIZA – Mike Posner 58. TONIGHT – Matto Rules 59. FIRE – Barns Courtney 60. DESTRUCTION – Joywave 61. RIVER – Bishop Briggs 62. WOMAN, WOMAN – AWOLNATION 63. LET IT GO – James Bay 64. WAKE UP CALL – Nothing But Thieves 65. LOVE YOURSELF – Justin Bieber 66. SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN – Young the Giant 67. REAPERS – Muse 68. BAD REPUTATION – Adelitas Way 69. MAGNETS – Disclosure featuring Lorde 70. WISH I KNEW YOU – The Revivalists 71. LOVE ME – The 1975 72. DARK OLD HOUSES – Chris Watkins & Drunk Poets 73. CLOSE – Nick Jonas & Tove Lo 74. DANG! – Mac Miller featuring Anderson .Paak 75. JUST LIKE FIRE – P!nk 76. CAN’T STOP THE FEELING! – Justin Timberlake 77. VICTORIOUS – Panic! At the Disco 78. DEVIL’S BLEEDING CROWN – Volbeat 79. STARS – Wons Phreely + the Horses 80. THE POP KIDS – The Pet Shop Boys 81. THE SHAKES THAT YOU MAKE – Dyslexic Postcards 82. AWAKE – Acrylic 83. WOW – Beck 84. THE SOUND – The 1975 85. YOUR SATURDAY NIGHT – Bryan Howell & the Standalones 86. BELONG – Shelita Burke 87. OBSOLETE – Agony in the Garden 88. RED SUN – Whale House 89. EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT – Neil and Adam 90. ASKING FOR IT – Shinedown 91. UNSTEADY – X Ambassadors 92. CLOSER – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey 93. THIS IS WHAT YOU CAME FOR – Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna 94. RETURN TO THE MOON – El Vy 95. HAND CLAP – Fitz & the Tantrums 96. AIN’T NO MAN – The Avett Brothers 97. FIRE AND THE FLOOD – Vance Joy 98. DON’T LET ME DOWN – The Chainsmokers featuring Daya 99. BRAZIL – Declan McKenna 100. DON’T THREATEN ME WITH A GOOD TIME – Panic! At the Disco
I’m back in South Florida to shine my spotlight on Xotic Yeyo, a three-piece band that plays a fun and funky style of psychedelic rock. And let’s face it, you just gotta love a band with a name like “Xotic Yeyo.” Formed little more than a year ago (in October 2015), the band consists of Stu Sauce on guitar and lead vocals, Rod Reiter on bass and backing vocals, and Cody Orange on drums. Their upbeat eclectic sound is influenced by funk greats like Parliament, Curtis Mayfield, Average White Band, Prince, Gil Scott Heron, Phish, Primus and Jamiroquai, among others.
The guys dropped their debut EP Down 2 Funk in November, a collection of three infectious tunes guaranteed to funk you up! The artwork on the EP sleeve is a good indication that not only is the band’s sound pretty hot, they also have a playful attitude. The first track “Trip the Lights” is a six and a half minute long funky jam session. I love Stu’s wobbly distorted guitar solo that continues throughout the song, helped along by Rod’s funky bass and Cody’s light percussion that complements, but never overpowers, the track.
Xotic Yeyo lays it all out about who they are and what they do in the delightfully funky gem “Mothership.” The lyrics are so good I have to include a few stanzas:
“First time I ever set foot on the Mothership, jamming hard at the bass was the rapid responder – Ring Cody Orange for a drummer. So funky – swear this brotha’s pandemic. Radioactive to the hips and I hope you all catch it. Cause we got that dancing beat that goes on and on and on. Abducted then we’re gone.”
They call me Stu Sauce. Had vision in my verses – some call the blessings a chorus, some call the verses curses. Why people of the planet want to stay or escape, humans feeling alien to their alien race.
So I sought some lifeforms off of the inner-coastal. Like the vice of Miami, we’re called Xotic Yeyo. Taking over your TV, taking over the radio, taking over your airwaves beyond the international. We funk it up intergalactic, and we want the world to know it. Our style is the freshest, and our fresh ain’t ever frozen. The minute that you’re in it and the moment that your dancin.”
The band’s funky style is in full swing on this track, with Stu’s deft guitar riffs in perfect rhythmic harmony with Rod’s funked-up bass. Stu’s quirky, rapid-fire vocals inject a playful hip-hop energy that makes this a hot, compelling tune. The song’s video shows the band performing the song and cavorting with a few friends, clearly enjoying what they’re doing and proving that these guys are all about having fun and wanting their listeners and fans to have fun too.
“Disco Zombies” is a hook-laden funk fest, with great guitar riffs and jazzy grooves set to a catchy dance beat. There’s no way even the biggest wallflower could hear this song and not want to dance!
To learn more about Xotic Yeyo, check out their website. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to their YouTube channel. Stream their music on Spotify and Soundcloud, and purchase it on their website, iTunes or other music platforms.
This is the final Top 20 of 2016, and the first time since May 2015 that twenty øne piløts has not had a song in my Top 20.
1. STARBOY – The Weeknd, Daft Punk (1)
2. 24K MAGIC – Bruno Mars (2)
3. MY NAME IS HUMAN – Highly Suspect (5)
4. WASTE A MOMENT – Kings of Leon (4)
5. SAY MY NAME – (IAM)WARFACE (3)
6. CLEOPATRA – The Lumineers (7)
7. SURE AND CERTAIN – Jimmy Eat World (8)
8. BAD DECISIONS – Two Door Cinema Club (10)
9. WELCOME TO YOUR LIFE – Grouplove (6)
10. BLACK BEATLES – Rae Sremmurd, Gucci Mane (11)
11. THE SHAKES THAT YOU MAKE – Dyslexic Postcards (13)
12. BELONG – Shelita Burke (14)
13. OBSOLETE – Agony in the Garden (15)
14. DON’T WANNA KNOW – Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar (16)
15. FEEL INVINCIBLE – Skillet (9)
16. CHANGES – MUTEMATH (12)
17. MOVE – Saint Motel (20)
18. STILL BREATHING – Green Day (N)
19. TAKE IT ALL BACK – Judah & the Lion (N)
20. ATLAS, RISE! – Metallica (N)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 