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Music’s Bridge to a Golden Past
TGIF!
The weekend is here as soon as our workday concludes this overcast Friday. Regardless of the gray clouds outside that appear to be on the fence with another downpour, the warm (yet desirable) temperatures for late June almost makes some pop-up showers a welcomed guest this evening. Keeping in tune with tonight’s likely rainstorm, the smooth voice of Leon Bridges and his old school voice and band seems like the ideal choice of music with his new catchy song, “Smooth Sailin'” and its nautical references describing a hopeful romance.
The clothing, lyrical and vocal style of Leon Bridges is a refreshing nod to the simplistically upbeat sounds of Motown. He and his fellow band mates let the music stand for itself, which is a rarity these days. While creative and elaborate music videos are an important extension of a band, it’s nice to look into a studio and just press play.
Leon Bridge’s debut album is called “Coming Home,” which is a fitting title because it sounds like a return to a defining era in music.
“I don’t really know her destination,
But I got a feeling I, I’m gonna be her passenger”
This may become the motto of his fans.
Happy Monday!
Carly Rae Jepsen had an incredible challenge to follow up her 2012 summer smash hit, “Call Me Maybe.” After collaborating with Owl City for a good time, the pressure mounted for her next equally sensational single. Even though the following music video debuted a couple months ago, it can take a little time for a song to catch on.
And it has.
It’s the impossibly cute Carly Rae Jespen (I’ll call you, maybe?) and Hollywood’s Leading Man: Mr. Tom Hanks.
Nearly 42 million views so far…not bad.
Have a Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Good Week!
Happy Monday!
The Killers killed it.
Last year’s March Madness song came courtesy of the hit, “Shot at the Night” from the Las Vegas rock quartet. It was perfect. And after last night’s exciting bracket reveal, the Killers’ pump-up video from 2014 still holds today for its motivational and inspirational qualities. Before this tournament’s song is debuted in a matter of days, let’s start this magical week with a look back at an instant classic.
Take a Crazy Shot This Week!
Throwback Thursday’s Tunnel Trip
Today, this blog will throw it all the way back to this past Tuesday’s news about a key departure from Blink-182 (He Said, They Said). Even though there is a replacement for Tom DeLonge in the short-term, the future of this famed band is still unknown. Ultimately, it seems like a primary battle for its future will rest in the hands of lawyers. Who will gain the rights to their songs? Who will have the right to play them?
As this inevitable mess gets sorted out behind-the-scenes, one truth from this still cloudy “break-up” is that the music world has benefited from Blink-182 and Angels and Airwaves. In an ideal world, both bands would co-exist in perfect creative harmony. Obviously, that’s been impossible throughout Angels and Airwaves’ path to its recently released fifth album with sporadic Blink-182 records and concerts in-between. And despite Tom’s reported pattern of passive aggressive withdrawal from Mark and Travis over the years, fans cannot help but enjoy that “other band’s” final product. The debut of their music video for “Tunnels” (from “The Dream Walker” album) seen below just so happened to debut yesterday, in the midst of the bands’ drama.
AVA (Angels and Airwaves) has always been original, futuristic, moving and wonderfully cinematic in its vocal and visual storytelling. And interestingly, the first stanza of “Tunnels” reads as follows:
I am still without devotion
Because we’re all asleep at the wheel
Asleep and so surrounded by what we feel
A bad dream…
While many of their other songs are aspirational and love-centric, the timing of a long-held feud going public and this particular music video release is fascinating to say the least. It should not be immediately presumed that this was planned, but this occurrence should also not be ignored in its potential reference to feelings (specific or vague) towards an ongoing struggle that was splashed across music’s front page this week.
(UPDATE: Read that Tom wrote this song about his father passing away). Still, the above stanza seems relevant for what’s going on with him right now…
Will Mark, Travis and Tom see the big picture going forward?
In any event, Tom seems pretty content with his vision for the future…his tunnel vision to be more precise.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 