Last week was a good one for rock and roll. It was so good that I could write about 10 new rock – or rock-adjacent - songs and not even mention a pretty damn good Rolling Stones number. But that was last week. This week? Not so good.
It was shaping up to be a promising new music Friday. Queens of the Stone Age and Beck both dropped new songs. There was plenty of pop from quality artists like Gracie Abrams. There was a bunch of country and dance. (There’s always a bunch of country and dance.)
Alas, most of what I heard was OK at best. Not many bangers, regardless of genre. But that doesn’t mean it was all blah. There were a handful of great new tunes out this week. I present them to you here so you don’t have to waste your time looking.
The five best new songs out this week
“Horns of a Bull” by Fiona Apple
It’s just nice to have some new Fiona Apple to listen to. Do you realize she is pushing 50? How exactly did that happen? She hasn’t released an album since 2020’s highly acclaimed Fetch the Bolt Cutters. Last year, we got a taste of the Apple with “Pretrial,” a solid track with a primitive beat and a heart in the right place. But it didn’t really scratch the itch.
“Horns of a Bull,” on the other hand, smashes. Her voice is authoritative. As expected, the drums drive the vehicle, but there is more going on as she warns, “I pay attention to the men behind the curtain.”
Several years back, Mick Jagger recorded his best song in many years – “Strange Game” for the TV show Slow Horses. Now Apple TV has done it again, getting Apple to record this song for their new crime story, Lucky. Based on the song alone, I’ll give the show a try.
“Sleeping With My Boots On” by Lily Meola
“Sleeping With My Boots On” is the lead track on Meola’s debut album Lucky to Be. Nominally a country artist, Meola is a protégé of the venerable Willie Nelson, which ensures this is not merely going to be a country album.
“Sleeping With My Boots On” blends western swing with modern pop in a way that should be irresistible to fans of both genres. She has a voice that can be sweet without sacrificing attitude. The whole album is worth listening to, but for today we’re just recommending the first track. And, by the way, do you think Willie ever thought he’d be referred to as “venerable?”
“Fight Like Hell” by Motionless in White
I didn't really promise you rock, but since I usually write about it, I can understand if Lily Meola is too far afield for your tastes. So let me reassure you there is new rock worth listening to.
“Fight Like Hell,” which appears as a bonus track at the end of Motionless’ new album Decades, manages to sound like actually fresh nu metal...something that a lot of us considered extinct. There is screaming and rap, melody and guitars of both the pounding and wiry variety.
“Fight Like Hell” occupies a very sound middle ground on Chris Motionless’ new album, which bounces between straight-up metalcore on the title track and downright emo-metal on the Skylar Grey collab “R.I.P.” I’m not convinced every track hits the right mark, but “Fight Like Hell” threads its needle perfectly.
(BTW, my “last song out” on this particular list was Mastodon’s new speed metal rave-up “Snakes for Dinner,” in case this is all a little too soft for your tastes.)
“I Hate Berlin!” by panicbaby
If you are a fan of SZA’s glorious murder ballad “Kill Bill,” this is the new song for you. No – no one dies here. (For murder, check out Willow Avalon’s new album, which has two excellent examples.)
Sophie Hertenstein – AKA panicbaby – came out of nowhere to produce her debut EP f u jonathan earlier this year. Actually, she didn’t come out of nowhere. She came out of Berlin, and she takes advantage of that city’s legendary musical curiosity to create a sweet slice of dram pop that never falls victim to schmaltz.
Looking backwards to cabaret and forward to modern pop, panicbaby builds on what the EP began. We keep waiting for the new Amy Winehouse, and it is becoming clear that copying Amy’s sound and style isn’t going to get anyone home. Copying her spirit is the key, and panicbaby is making an early claim to doing just that.
“Switchblade” by beabadoobee
This is my song of the week, which is saying a lot because when it begins, I figure it is just going to be another decent pop tune. But beabadoobee builds it and builds it. By the end of the first verse, it becomes a more languid, more modern version of Veruca Salt. And I really like Veruca Salt.
This is high-end, spacey rock, played at a slower pace but no less compelling. Beabadoobee has released a lot of music since entering the scene five or six years ago. And she’s getting much more assured.
The other single released from her new album, Pylon (out in mid-September) – “Sun Has Set” – rocks harder if you want that. “Switchblade” proves she can take this brand of rock in many directions. I like it enough to let the name slide – I have to look up “beabadoobee” each time I type it to see if I’m spelling it right.
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