Tag: Cage the Elephant

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #30: “Social Cues” by Cage the Elephant

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs3 Comments

We’ve now reached the rarefied top 30 of my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s, and the song at #30 is “Social Cues” by American rock band Cage the Elephant. With their wonderful bluesy style of alternative/indie/garage rock, they’ve been one of my favorite bands of the past decade. My love and devotion for them became even stronger when they liked several of my tweets and then actually followed me on Twitter!

“Social Cues” is the second of three songs by them on this list, with “Trouble” already having made an appearance at #78. Originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky and now based in Nashville, the band currently consists of lead vocalist Matt Shultz, his brother Brad on rhythm guitar, Nick Bockrath on lead guitar, Matthan Minster on guitar and keyboards, Daniel Tichenor on bass and Jared Champion on drums.

The title track from their fifth studio album Social Cues, “Social Cues” was released in July 2019, and now ranks among my favorites of their many great songs. The bouncy tempo is incredibly catchy, with a terrific bass line and guitars, and those chirpy synths are irresistible. But what I love most of all are Matt Shultz’s wonderful distinctive vocals that always sound so genuine. The rather poignant lyrics speak to the anxieties and insecurities of being a rock star: “Hide me in the back room, tell me when it’s over. Don’t know if I can play this part much longer. I don’t know if it is right to live this way, yeah. I’ll be in the back room, tell me when it’s over. People always say, ‘Man, at least you’re on the radio’.” The song’s production and arrangement are flawless.

Top 30 Songs for November 29-December 5, 2020

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's3 Comments
  1. IS IT TRUE – Tame Impala (1)
  2. BLOODY VALENTINE – Machine Gun Kelly (2)
  3. ARE YOU BORED YET? – Wallows featuring Clairo (4)
  4. MARIPOSA – Peach Tree Rascals (5)
  5. DOWNS – Roadkeeper (3)
  6. MOOD – 24kGoldn featuring iann dior (8)
  7. IDENTICAL – Phoenix (9)
  8. VISITOR – Of Monsters and Men (13)
  9. CAN I BELIEVE YOU – Fleet Foxes (14)
  10. GIANTS – Dermot Kennedy (7)
  11. COME & GO – Juice WRLD featuring Marshmello (10)
  12. CAN I CALL YOU TONIGHT? – Dayglow (6) 20th week on list
  13. VIRUS – Vanity Fear (15)
  14. BURN THE VISION – Amongst Liars (16)
  15. FIRE FOR YOU – Cannons (17)
  16. THINK I’M CRAZY – Two Feet (18)
  17. LETTER TO YOU – Bruce Springsteen (19)
  18. THE LET GO – Elle King (12)
  19. SKIN AND BONES – Cage the Elephant (23)
  20. TROUBLE’S COMING – Royal Blood (26)
  21. TANGERINE – Glass Animals (11)
  22. NERVOUS – Au Gres (25)
  23. SHAME SHAME – Foo Fighters (28)
  24. DIRTY – grandson (29)
  25. CAN YOU FEEL THE SUN – MISSIO (30)
  26. AMOEBAS IN GLASS HOUSES – Moonlight Broadcast (20)
  27. MY OWN SOUL’S WARNING – The Killers (21) 20th week on list
  28. FEEL YOU – My Morning Jacket (22)
  29. IT’S YOU – The Frontier (24) 22nd week on list
  30. LEAVE ME ALONE – I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME (N)

Top 30 Songs for November 22-28, 2020

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's1 Comment
  1. IS IT TRUE – Tame Impala (2)
  2. BLOODY VALENTINE – Machine Gun Kelly (3)
  3. DOWNS – Roadkeeper (1)
  4. ARE YOU BORED YET? – Wallows featuring Clairo (5)
  5. MARIPOSA – Peach Tree Rascals (6)
  6. CAN I CALL YOU TONIGHT? – Dayglow (4)
  7. GIANTS – Dermot Kennedy (7)
  8. MOOD – 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior (9)
  9. IDENTICAL – Phoenix (10)
  10. COME & GO – Juice WRLD featuring Marshmello (8)
  11. TANGERINE – Glass Animals (11)
  12. THE LET GO – Elle King (12)
  13. VISITOR – Of Monsters and Men (16)
  14. CAN I BELIEVE YOU – Fleet Foxes (21)
  15. VIRUS – Vanity Fear (19)
  16. BURN THE VISION – Amongst Liars (18)
  17. FIRE FOR YOU – Cannons (20)
  18. THINK I’M CRAZY – Two Feet (24)
  19. LETTER TO YOU – Bruce Springsteen (29)
  20. AMOEBAS IN GLASS HOUSES – Moonlight Broadcast (17)
  21. MY OWN SOUL’S WARNING – The Killers (13)
  22. FEEL YOU – My Morning Jacket (14)
  23. SKIN AND BONES – Cage the Elephant (26)
  24. IT’S YOU – The Frontier (15) 21st week on list
  25. NERVOUS – Au Gres (28)
  26. TROUBLE’S COMING – Royal Blood (30)
  27. MONSTERS – All Time Low featuring blackbear (22) 23rd week on list
  28. SHAME SHAME – Foo Fighters (N)
  29. DIRTY – grandson (N)
  30. CAN YOU FEEL THE SUN – MISSIO (N)

Top 30 Songs for November 15-21, 2020

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30'sLeave a comment
  1. DOWNS – Roadkeeper (1)
  2. IS IT TRUE – Tame Impala (3)
  3. BLOODY VALENTINE – Machine Gun Kelly (4)
  4. CAN I CALL YOU TONIGHT? – Dayglow (2)
  5. ARE YOU BORED YET? – Wallows featuring Clairo (5)
  6. MARIPOSA – Peach Tree Rascals (6)
  7. GIANTS – Dermot Kennedy (9)
  8. COME & GO – Juice WRLD featuring Marshmello (10)
  9. MOOD – 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior (11)
  10. IDENTICAL – Phoenix (13)
  11. TANGERINE – Glass Animals (14)
  12. THE LET GO – Elle King (15)
  13. MY OWN SOUL’S WARNING – The Killers (7)
  14. FEEL YOU – My Morning Jacket (8)
  15. IT’S YOU – The Frontier (12)
  16. VISITOR – Of Monsters and Men (19)
  17. AMOEBAS IN GLASS HOUSES – Moonlight Broadcast (18)
  18. BURN THE VISION – Amongst Liars (20)
  19. VIRUS – Vanity Fear (21)
  20. FIRE FOR YOU – Cannons (24)
  21. CAN I BELIEVE YOU – Fleet Foxes (25)
  22. MONSTERS – All Time Low featuring blackbear (17) 22nd week on list
  23. HOODIE UP – MISSIO (16)
  24. THINK I’M CRAZY – Two Feet (27)
  25. BEAUTIFUL ANYWAY – Judah & the Lion (26)
  26. SKIN AND BONES – Cage the Elephant (29)
  27. FAULT LINES – Callum Pitt (22)
  28. NERVOUS – Au Gres (30)
  29. LETTER TO YOU – Bruce Springsteen (N)
  30. TROUBLE’S COMING – Royal Blood (N)

Top 30 Songs for November 8-14, 2020

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30'sLeave a comment
  1. DOWNS – Roadkeeper (2)
  2. CAN I CALL YOU TONIGHT? – Dayglow (1)
  3. IS IT TRUE – Tame Impala (3)
  4. BLOODY VALENTINE – Machine Gun Kelly (4)
  5. ARE YOU BORED YET? – Wallows featuring Clairo (7)
  6. MARIPOSA – Peach Tree Rascals (8)
  7. MY OWN SOUL’S WARNING – The Killers (5)
  8. FEEL YOU – My Morning Jacket (6)
  9. GIANTS – Dermot Kennedy (10)
  10. COME & GO – Juice WRLD featuring Marshmello (11)
  11. MOOD – 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior (12)
  12. IT’S YOU – The Frontier (9)
  13. IDENTICAL – Phoenix (17)
  14. TANGERINE – Glass Animals (18)
  15. THE LET GO – Elle King (19)
  16. HOODIE UP – MISSIO (13)
  17. MONSTERS – All Time Low featuring blackbear (14) 21st week on list
  18. AMOEBAS IN GLASS HOUSES – Moonlight Broadcast (20)
  19. VISITOR – Of Monsters and Men (21)
  20. BURN THE VISION – Amongst Liars (22)
  21. VIRUS – Vanity Fear (23)
  22. FAULT LINES – Callum Pitt (15)
  23. FRIDAY NIGHT – Heist At Five featuring Francesca Confortini (16)
  24. FIRE FOR YOU – Cannons (27)
  25. CAN I BELIEVE YOU – Fleet Foxes (28)
  26. BEAUTIFUL ANYWAY – Judah & the Lion (26)
  27. THINK I’M CRAZY – Two Feet (30)
  28. HALLUCINOGENICS – Matt Maeson (24) 23rd week on list
  29. SKIN AND BONES – Cage the Elephant (N)
  30. NERVOUS – Au Gres (N)
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0gUqKhyOm1bX8XJIzuFfze?si=-e0vdDGcQvCiUxM_EpY7yA

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #78: “Trouble” by Cage the Elephant

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs2 Comments

Interest in these posts (and my blog in general) seems to be falling faster than a lead balloon, but I’ll soldier on. The song at #78 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Trouble” by American alternative rock band Cage the Elephant. Cage the Elephant are one of my favorite bands, and “Trouble” is one of three of their songs on this list. The song is the second single from their fourth album Tell Me I’m Pretty, (after the uneven “Mess Around”) and was released in April 2016. The album was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, and really shows his strong influence.

“Trouble” has a cool, almost magical vibe, thanks to its twinkling piano keys, xylophone and intricate chiming and gnarly guitars. I love singer Matt Shultz’s wonderful swooning falsetto in the chorus. Shultz explained to ABC Radio in an interview that the song was inspired by a conversation he had with someone close to him. “We were both presenting ourselves as being very honest in the conversation. And I felt there were several places where I was holding back, or kind of curating the idea of what I wanted projected pretty heavily as inside the conversation. So I was curious at what level they were doing the same. “So the song’s kinda just about honesty and adversity and struggle.”

The song’s entertaining video was shot in a Western theme at Joshua Tree National Park, which is near my home and one of the most popular places to make music videos.

Top 30 Songs for July 5-11, 2020

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's1 Comment

1. HELL N BACK – Bakar (3)
2. MARIA – Two Feet (1)
3. LEVEL OF CONCERN – twenty one pilots (2)
4. YOUR LOVE (DÉJÀ VU) – Glass Animals (4)
5. LEMON DROP – Absofacto (6)
6. IF NOT FOR THE FIRE – The Million Reasons (8)
7. HOW WILL I REST IN PEACE IF I’M BURIED BY A HIGHWAY?// – Kenny Hoopla (9)
8. CAUTION – The Killers (5)
9. LAY YOUR HEAD ON ME – Major Lazer feat. Marcus Mumford (10)
10. BLACK & WHITE LOVE – Beating Hearts Club (11)
11. LOST IN YESTERDAY – Tame Impala (7) 22nd week on list
12. HONEYBEE – The Head and the Heart (15)
13. EXPECTATIONS – Katie Pruitt (14)
14. LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN – The Rolling Stones (16)
15. PSYCH FILM – Strangely Alright (17)
16. SOMEONE ELSE – Rezz & Grabbitz (18)
17. HALLUCINOGENICS – Matt Maeson (20)
18. STRANGERS – Mt. Joy (21)
19. FIRE – Black Pumas (22)
20. DELETER – Grouplove (12)
21. BE AFRAID – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (13)
22. HEAVEN IS HEART – Jaded Jane (24)
23. REAL LONG TIME – White Reaper (25)
24. BLACK MADONNA – Cage the Elephant (19) 23rd week on list
25. DON’T LET ME DOWN – Milky Chance featuring Jack Johnson (27)
26. MONSTERS – All Time Low featuring blackbear (28)
27. NOT OK! – Chaz Cardigan (29)
28. SWIMMING CLOSER – HAZY (30)
29. BAD DECISIONS – The Strokes (23)
30. IT’S YOU – The Frontier (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 28-July 4, 2020

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

1. MARIA – Two Feet (1)
2. LEVEL OF CONCERN – twenty one pilots (2)
3. HELL N BACK – Bakar (5)
4. YOUR LOVE (DÉJÀ VU) – Glass Animals (4)
5. CAUTION – The Killers (3)
6. LEMON DROP – Absofacto (8)
7. LOST IN YESTERDAY – Tame Impala (7) 21st week on list
8. IF NOT FOR THE FIRE – The Million Reasons (9)
9. HOW WILL I REST IN PEACE IF I’M BURIED BY A HIGHWAY?// – Kenny Hoopla (10)
10. LAY YOUR HEAD ON ME – Major Lazer featuring Marcus Mumford (11)
11. BLACK & WHITE LOVE – Beating Hearts Club (13)
12. DELETER – Grouplove (6)
13. BE AFRAID – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (15)
14. EXPECTATIONS – Katie Pruitt (16)
15. HONEYBEE – The Head and the Heart (17)
16. LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN – The Rolling Stones (19)
17. PSYCH FILM – Strangely Alright (20)
18. SOMEONE ELSE – Rezz & Grabbitz (21)
19. BLACK MADONNA – Cage the Elephant (12) 22nd week on list
20. HALLUCINOGENICS – Matt Maeson (24)
21. STRANGERS – Mt. Joy (22)
22. FIRE – Black Pumas (23)
23. BAD DECISIONS – The Strokes (14)
24. HEAVEN IS HEART – Jaded Jane (26)
25. REAL LONG TIME – White Reaper (28)
26. LONELINESS FOR LOVE – lovelytheband (18)
27. DON’T LET ME DOWN – Milky Chance featuring Jack Johnson (29)
28. MONSTERS – All Time Low featuring blackbear (30)
29. NOT OK! – Chaz Cardigan (N)
30. SWIMMING CLOSER – HAZY (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 21-27, 2020

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

1. MARIA – Two Feet (1)
2. LEVEL OF CONCERN – twenty one pilots (2)
3. CAUTION – The Killers (3)
4. YOUR LOVE (DÉJÀ VU) – Glass Animals (6)
5. HELL N BACK – Bakar (8)
6. DELETER – Grouplove (4)
7. LOST IN YESTERDAY – Tame Impala (5) 20th week on list
8. LEMON DROP – Absofacto (9)
9. IF NOT FOR THE FIRE – The Million Reasons (10)
10. HOW WILL I REST IN PEACE IF I’M BURIED BY A HIGHWAY?// – Kenny Hoopla (12)
11. LAY YOUR HEAD ON ME – Major Lazer featuring Marcus Mumford (13)
12. BLACK MADONNA – Cage the Elephant (7) 21st week on list
13. BLACK & WHITE LOVE – Beating Hearts Club (14)
14. BAD DECISIONS – The Strokes (11)
15. BE AFRAID – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (16)
16. EXPECTATIONS – Katie Pruitt (17)
17. HONEYBEE – The Head and the Heart (18)
18. LONELINESS FOR LOVE – lovelytheband (15)
19. LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN – The Rolling Stones (21)
20. PSYCH FILM – Strangely Alright (22)
21. SOMEONE ELSE – Rezz & Grabbitz (23)
22. STRANGERS – Mt. Joy (24)
23. FIRE – Black Pumas (25)
24. HALLUCINOGENICS – Matt Maeson (26)
25. HALF YOUR AGE – Joywave (19)
26. HEAVEN IS HEART – Jaded Jane (28)
27. BLINDING LIGHTS – The Weeknd (20)
28. REAL LONG TIME – White Reaper (30)
29. DON’T LET ME DOWN – Milky Chance featuring Jack Johnson (N)
30. MONSTER – All Time Low featuring blackbear (N)

My Top 30 Songs for June 14-20, 2020

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's1 Comment

1. MARIA – Two Feet (3)
2. LEVEL OF CONCERN – twenty one pilots (1)
3. CAUTION – The Killers (2)
4. DELETER – Grouplove (5)
5. LOST IN YESTERDAY – Tame Impala (6)
6. YOUR LOVE (DÉJÀ VU) – Glass Animals (7)
7. BLACK MADONNA – Cage the Elephant (4) 20th week on list
8. HELL N BACK – Bakar (8)
9. LEMON DROP – Absofacto (10)
10. IF NOT FOR THE FIRE – The Million Reasons (11)
11. BAD DECISIONS – The Strokes (9)
12. HOW WILL I REST IN PEACE IF I’M BURIED BY A HIGHWAY?// – Kenny Hoopla (13)
13. LAY YOUR HEAD ON ME – Major Lazer featuring Marcus Mumford (15)
14. BLACK & WHITE LOVE – Beating Hearts Club (17)
15. LONELINESS FOR LOVE – lovelytheband (12)
16. BE AFRAID – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (18)
17. EXPECTATIONS – Katie Pruitt (19)
18. HONEYBEE – The Head and the Heart (20)
19. HALF YOUR AGE – Joywave (16)
20. BLINDING LIGHTS – The Weeknd (14)
21. LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN – The Rolling Stones (23)
22. PSYCH FILM – Strangely Alright (24)
23. SOMEONE ELSE – Rezz & Grabbitz (25)
24. STRANGERS – Mt. Joy (27)
25. FIRE – Black Pumas (28)
26. HALLUCINOGENICS – Matt Maeson (29)
27. SHANGRI-LA – EOB (22)
28. HEAVEN IS HEART – Jaded Jane (30)
29. SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT – The Black Keys (21)
30. REAL LONG TIME – White Reaper (N)