Today’s/Tomorrow’s Top 40: February 16, 2023…Neutral Milk Hotel, Young Fathers, Peter Gabriel, George Ezra, P!nk, Reve

Welcome to the latest edition of Today’s/Tomorrow’s Top 40. In this post I will talk about two new album releases, three songs that are actively climbing the charts, and I will introduce a new feature, too. That something new is box-set vinyl reissues. When I was looking for new album releases to talk about in today’s post, I discovered that there just weren’t that many new albums coming out this week. I haven’t been operating in this new blog format long enough to know the cyclical patterns of record releases, so I am not sure if this is just the post-holiday doldrums we are in or if there just wasn’t much new that was happening. What I did notice was a number of box sets, commemorative reissues and greatest hits packages were out in the musical marketplace, so I opted to share one that I found particularly interesting. I hope that you end up liking it, too.

So, let’s begin, shall we? Here is Today’s/Tomorrow’s Top 40.

Commemorative Box Sets

The Collected Works of Neutral Milk Hotel

Neutral Milk Hotel with Jeff Mangum in the front

It is almost presumptuous to release a commemorative box set when you are a band that has only ever released two albums, but when that band is Neutral Milk Hotel it seems highly appropriate. As many of you may know, Neutral Milk Hotel was an Indie-Alternative band who came to prominence in the mid-1990s. The band was fronted by singer/songwriter Jeff Mangum and promoted a sub-genre of music known as lo-fi. This meant that the band purposefully recorded their music in basic, simple ways and eschewed polished recording techniques and effects. Their debut album didn’t fare that well when it was released, but their second album, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, is a different story and helped make the band one of the most interesting and important Indie bands of all time. While not completely a concept album, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea was inspired for the most part by the seminal book Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. Singer Jeff Mangum read the book and was profoundly moved by the story it contained. Specifically, he became emotionally overwhelmed at the idea that someone as full of kindness and empathy and the potential for goodness as Anne Frank appeared to be could be taken away from us so cruelly. He postulated that if there was no future for someone as special as Anne Frank, then what hope did any of us have going forward? The songs he wrote while in this state are rough around the edges but possess an earnestness that we rarely see in music today.

When In The Aeroplane Over The Sea was released, opinions were split as to its worth. But, over time, fans and critics alike have come to view the album as being a classic of its kind. I have to tell you that the title track, as well as the song “Holland, 1945” are both songs that are incredibly unique and moving and stay with you long after the last note has been played. This album was released just as the Internet was becoming a thing. Suddenly, Jeff Mangum’s heartfelt thoughts were becoming the fodder for chat room critiques and debates. The weight of being so vulnerable in such a public manner was not what Mangum had intended. Finding himself in that position became distressing, and Mangum simply disappeared for almost a decade. No one knew where he went or even if he was still alive. The manner in which he vanished added an air of mystique to the band’s legacy which, in turn, caused their work to be viewed with greater interest and seriousness. It wouldn’t be entirely incorrect to say that In The Aeroplane Over The Sea became somewhat of a cult classic album. Then, about a decade ago, Jeff Mangum reappeared as if he had never been away. A reunion tour was held but no new music was recorded or released. This new commemorative box set is the first new offering by the band in almost twenty-five years.

If you have never heard Neutral Milk Hotel before then I offer you their two most well known songs. “Holland, 1945” is said to be about Otto Frank, who was Anne Frank’s father and the only member of the Frank family to have survived the Holocaust. The song is about how someone in that situation deals with survivor’s guilt and finds the strength to continue living when all that they have loved is gone. It is actually a peppy, all-over-the-place song that leaves a lasting impression because of the emotional wallop it packs. You can listen to this song here. “In The Aeroplane Over The Sea” is not specifically about Anne Frank and her life, but she certainly helped to inspire it. It is a slightly less jangly song as compared to “Holland, 1945”, but it is uniquely uplifting and passionate at the same time. You can listen to this song here.

New Album Releases

Heavy Heavy by Young Fathers

Young Fathers: Alloysious Massaquoi, “G” Hastings and Kayus Bankole

I have a new favourite band. Young Fathers are an absolutely incredible band from Scotland. Heavy Heavy is their fourth album. Two of their first three releases have gone on to be named Scottish Album of the Year. I am not sure why I had never heard of them prior to conducting my research for this post but now that I have found them, I have been binge-listening to their entire catalogue. They are soooooo good live! Young Fathers consists of three singers Alloysious Massaquoi (Liberian), Kayus Bankole (Nigerian), Graham “G” Hastings (Scottish) who perform in what can best be described as Hip Hop Gospel. Their performance style is not Hip Hop as we know it from America. It is a joyful world music style. Completely uplifting and emotionally energizing. I am going to try to bring you up to speed by giving you three videos to watch and listen to!

The first comes from a live in-studio performance at my favourite radio station KEXP-FM in Seattle. They play four older songs live in this set. They are so intense. You will be drained just watching it. So good. The link to that video is here. ***There is no lyric video.

The second video also comes from a live performance of a song called “Only God Knows”. This song was written for inclusion on the soundtrack of the Trainspotting sequel, T2. Again, the intensity of the performance is something else, especially the second half of the song. You can watch this video here. ***Because it is a live performance, there is no lyric video.

The third and final video is a lyric video!!! It is the lyric video for the latest single from their new album, Heavy Heavy, and is simply called “Rice”. It can be found here.

i/o by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel recently celebrated his 73rd birthday by releasing a new album called i/o. Over the course of his long and successful career, Peter Gabriel has released many hit songs such as “Sledgehammer”, “Big Time”, “Don’t Give Up” featuring Kate Bush, “In Your Eyes” featuring Youssou N’Dour, “Shock The Monkey”, “Games Without Frontiers”, “Solsbury Hill”, “Biko” and many more. He has also championed causes such as human rights, as well as protection of the environment.

His new album i/o is his first new album in twenty years. He released the first single from the album, “Panopticom: Bright Side Mix”, on the first full moon of this year. On the second full moon, he released “Panopticom: Dark Side Mix”. Gabriel plans to continue releasing new material as each full moon appears, giving each new song the “bright side/dark side” alternative versions as time goes on. Gabriel claims that the idea of the “Panopticom” is to create a global database of information and ideas that is controlled by ordinary citizens so that we have unfiltered access to the information necessary to understand what is happening to our world and make proper informed decisions accordingly.

You can watch/listen to the videos for “Panopticom: Bright Side Mix” here and “Panopticom: Dark Side Mix” here. ***There are no lyric versions.

Songs That Are Currently on the Charts

“Green Green Grass” by George Ezra (BBC Radio 1, Billboard and Spotify)

George Ezra

George Ezra burst on to the UK music scene in 2014 when he had a big hit with the song “Budapest”. In the time since, he is generally regarded in the same musical peer group as Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith. Ezra has had several #1 hit songs in the UK and was named the Best British Male Solo Artist at The Brit Awards in 2019.

He is presently climbing the Top 40 charts around the world with a song called “Green Green Grass”. The story behind the song is that he was vacationing on the island of St. Lucia with family and friends in 2018. As they were driving around the island they came upon what appeared to be a festival or street party in a small town. When they stopped to enquire as to what the nature of the celebration was, they were informed that it actually was a celebration of life for three different people at the same time. The music was so joyous, the colours so vibrant and the atmosphere so happy that everyone in Ezra’s party came to the conclusion that when their turn came to pass that they definitely wanted a sendoff such as the one they had just witnessed. “Green Green Grass” is about having such a party after you have died. Despite the subject matter, “Green Green Grass” is a peppy, upbeat tune that is a popular hit for a reason.

The link to the video for “Green Green Grass” by George Ezra can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here.

“Never Gonna Not Dance Again” by P!nk (CHUM-FM, Billboard, Spotify)

P!nk

Despite the double-negative song title, “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” by P!nk is climbing the charts all across North America. This song was inspired by the George Michael and Wham song “Careless Whisper” and the line, “I’m never gonna dance again”. However, P!nk approached the song with the idea that, unlike what happened in the George Michael song, no one was ever going to take away her spirit and her willingness to express herself through music and movement and dance.

P!nk is terrific. She has such a powerful voice and such a charismatic personality. In her career, she has had many hits, such as “There You Go”, “Lady Marmalade”, “Get The Party Started”, “Just Like a Pill”, “So What”, “Sober”, “Bad Influence”, “Raise Your Glass”, “Perfect”, “Try”, “Just Like Fire”, “What About Us” and many more. She has also performed with other artists, such as Eminem, Cher, City and Colour, Keith Urban, as well as appearing at the recent Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert in Los Angeles and singing with the Foo Fighters.

Her latest single is “Never Gonna Not Dance Again”. The link to the video for this song is here. ***The lyrics version can be found here.

“Whitney” by Rêve (Chum-FM, Spotify)

Reve

Rêve is the Montreal-based singer who broke onto the music scene this past year with the catchy hit song “Ctrl-Alt-Del”. She is back with a new song called “Whitney”, which, as you may suspect, is inspired by the late, great Whitney Houston. Rêve has stated that this song has two meanings for her. First of all, it is a tip-of-the-hat to Whitney Houston and to all of the other iconic performers who inspired Rêve to follow her own dream of becoming a singer in her own right. She says that having such impactful role models was the key to giving her the confidence to believe that she could write and sing hit songs, too. She also hopes that by being a successful woman who is supporting and applauding other successful women, that maybe, one day, some young aspiring teenage female singer with a dream will look to her as being an inspiration, too. The second point that Rêve is making with the song “Whitney” is that being a successful singer takes more than just talent; it takes a sense of self-confidence that allows you to develop a stage presence that catches the eye of the public. So, this song is Rêve’s way of thanking the likes of Whitney Houston for helping her to develop a sense of style and swagger to her on-stage persona.

The link to the song, “Whitney” by Rêve can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here.

That’s a wrap for this week. I hope that you found some new music to enjoy. I will be back next week with an all-new look at what is trending now, what may be trending in the very near future, as well as celebrating the very best of the past should there be box sets and reissues of note to pass along. Until then, take care. Thanks for reading this post. I appreciate your presence on my blog.

PS: The header photo was taken at the Cultivate Festival in Port Hope, Ontario this past summer. The link to the Festival website can be found here.

***As always, all original content contained within this blog remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2023 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com

Today’s Top 40: The Stories Behind the Biggest Hits of Today…Song Position: #35

The songs listed in this post were found using the Top 40 charts of the following music organizations: CHUM-FM, CFNY-FM, KEXP-FM, Billboard Magazine, Spotify and BBC Radio 1. All songs listed below occupied position #35 on their respective music lists from this past week. So, let’s take a quick look at today’s songs, and then a bit of a longer look at the song in today’s spotlight: Ojitos Lindos by Bad Bunny.

Woman by Doja Cat (Spotify)

Rapper extraordinaire…Doja Cat.

My two daughters really like Doja Cat. My youngest daughter, Sophie, particularly so. When I asked Sophie about why she liked Doja Cat so much, she responded that it was a combination of Doja Cat being a good singer with a pleasing voice, the songs having a good beat, and that the songs and videos she puts out all seem to have a theme of female empowerment woven into them. Sophie is also drawn to Doja Cat because she is a tiny woman and resembles her other favourite singer Ariana Grande quite a bit in body type. Seeing a successful female role model being sexy and self-assured means a lot to girls like Sophie. For me, having viewed several of her videos, I think they are all kind of the same. If you like your heroes to be pixie like, scantily clad and bringing the men in their world to heel, then Doja Cat is for you. For what it is worth, the video for the song “Woman” is fairly indicative of who Doja Cat is. If you like watching and listening to it, then you will like her other songs, too. Doja Cat has won a Grammy and many Billboard and MTV video awards for her songs and is definitely one of the rising female Soul and Hip Hop stars out there today.

Don’t Forget My Love by Diplo and Miguel (BBC Radio 1)

Diplo and Miguel.

Diplo made his name in the genre of electronic dance music as a DJ. He is known mostly because of the various collaborations he has engaged in over the years. In no particular order, he has put out music with Beyoncé, Shakira, Justin Bieber, Madonna, Britney Spears, Ellie Goulding, No Doubt and today’s featured star, Bad Bunny. This particular collaboration is with a singer named Miguel. The song “Don’t Forget My Love” is actually a groove-filled song that is pleasant to listen to. It will get your toes a-tapping and hands a-clapping. The videos for this song are another matter altogether. There are two “official” videos. The first one involves Diplo trying to warn Miguel that there is something amiss with Miguel’s new girlfriend. The video is bizarre at times, and the big reveal at the end might come off as disturbing to some viewers. The second video shows Diplo and Miguel engaging in one of the newest marketing strategies for artists these days, and that is attempting to stage a surprise, unannounced pop-up concert in various spots in NYC. This video reminds me a little of how the police broke up The Beatles rooftop concert at Abbey Road Studios, as well as when U2 put out their video for “The Streets Have No Name”. It may just be me, but I think I would like the song better without watching the videos. But, check it out and decide for yourself.

Ctrl + Alt + Del by Rêve (CHUM-FM).

Briannah Donolo aka Reve.

“Ctrl + Alt + Del” is a song that has been playing on the radio in my hometown for quite awhile now. It is sung by a Canadian girl named Briannah Donolo who goes by the stage name, Rêve. I have to be honest and admit that I always thought this song was from a band when I heard it on the radio. But, it is from this one girl who got her big break by singing the Canadian national anthem at Montreal Canadiens hockey games. Donolo sang the US anthem with a bit of a dance-oriented flair, that combined with her raven-haired good looks, helped make her a viral internet sensation. Donolo parlayed that internet fame into a recording contract and now has a Top 40 hit in Canada on her hands. “Ctrl + Alt + Del” are computer keyboard keys, for those who may not have known. If you press all three at the same time, it will act as an alternative way to shut your computer down. This song is certainly a catchy one that, if the US market becomes involved, will make Rêve one of the rising stars of 2022/23 for sure.

Road Runner by Turnstile (CFNY-FM)

Turnstile in Concert.

John Lydon, former lead singer of The Sex Pistols, as well as his second band, Public Image Limited, once sang a song that contained the line, “Anger is an energy”. The line meant that there was something potentially dangerous and lethal about the emotional anger possessed by many young people in society as it existed in the UK in the early 1980s. When channeled properly, anger as an energy can be used as a weapon against the powers that be. Well, every generation seems to have reason to gripe about their circumstances and leading today’s cry against conformity and politicians and greedy billionaires is a group called Turnstile. Their latest song, “Roadrunner”, is three minutes of pure anger and energy. It is loud and fast and performed with reckless abandon. These guys remind me of some of the early hardcore US punk bands such as Black Flag and Bad Brains. I am sure that this won’t appeal to very many of you, but the overarching importance of knowing about it is that there are segments of the teenage/20-something population who feel as though they have been dealt a bad hand because of COVID and lockdowns and rising house prices and so on…and they are ticked off! “Road Runner” by Turnstile is that anger unleashed in song.

Blood Money by The Lounge Council (KEXP-FM)

The Lounge Society.

The Lounge Council are a UK band who mine much of the same ground as does Turnstile. However, they do so in a more melodic manner. This is not to say that their music isn’t loud at times, but it does appear to contain less pure rage and more pure musical skill than what you get from Turnstile. Their videos are kinda interesting in a quirky sort of way that you have to see for yourself to completely appreciate. I am not sure that this song will end up on anyone’s personal playlist but it is worth checking out. “Blood Money” is anger expressed subtly.

Ojitos Lindos by Bad Bunny (ft. Bomba Estéreo) (Billboard)

The man they call…Bad Bunny.

Bad Bunny is the stage name of a Puerto Rican rapper named Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio. I knew something was up with Bad Bunny a few weeks ago when I was researching for a previous “Today’s Top 40” post and went to check the Spotify chart and found every song from Bad Bunny’s latest album in the Top 20! As it turns out, Bad Bunny has arguably had the most successful run of any performer during the time of the pandemic. In the past two years, Bad Bunny…who only sings in Spanish…is the most streamed artist in any genre in the entire world. His latest video was streamed 111 million times during the first two weeks it was out. Ocasio is a social media phenomenon who has made a name for himself as a rapper, a professional wrestler in the WWE, as a style icon, and will soon be joining the Marvel family in a 2024 movie called El Muerto where he will play a starring role as an anti-hero. Neither my wife nor I had ever heard of him, and yet it seems like everyone else on the planet has heard of him and are singing his praises. I am flabbergasted that someone who sings in Spanish has taken the English-speaking world by storm. But, truly he has. If you want instant street cred with your grandchildren, mention Bad Bunny.

Bad Bunny, like a lot of modern day artists, likes to perform with other artists. So, many of his songs are collaborations. He has worked with Drake before, and now, for this video, he is working with a duo named Bomba Estéreo from Colombia. Bad Bunny has stated that he wants to improve the reach of Latin music and musicians throughout the Americas, and he has no plans to deviate from releasing Spanish-speaking albums and using his platform to showcase other Latin American artists. So far, mission accomplished. In case you don’t know who Bad Bunny is either, in the video, he will be the one with the stylish sunglasses. Just so ya know.

***As always, all original content found in this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post may be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2022 tommacinneswriter.com