8 Tracks: Catchin’ my Ear

1. “Infinitesimal” – Mother Mother

This is a song that has crept into my brain and just lurked there, haunting me for the past several days.  I catch myself humming the tune at work, while I’m out running and I wake up with it on the tip of my ears.  It’s a tune that is nothing but a pure ear hook.  I also can’t get enough of lines like “’cause I’ve been making mountains out of concaves” and “They say it started with a big bang.  But they say it came out of a small thing.”, lines which are easy enough to miss, but once you start to think about they really get your brain moving.

 

2. “I Got You” – Jack Johnson

Say what you will, Jack Johnson makes great summery tunes.  This would also be great for the newlyweds out there as a great Wedding Song, or for the new Parents which this sounds like it could be for.  It’s a great mellow tune, it’s not for those operating heavy machinery as it may cause some issues (read: naps).  Solid tune from Johnson’s forthcoming album (due in Sept)

 

3. “Control” – Big Wreck

This tune may have already gotten some love on a previous 8 Track, but in case it didn’t I’m mentioning it here.  This is easily one of my favorite Big Wreck tunes, only barely being edged out by “That Song”.  Fantastic atmospheric rock, proving that Ian Thornley is one hell of a musician and that Big Wreck is far more than a Nickelback-esque rock Oaf.

 

4. “Let Her Cry” – Darius Rucker

I, much like every other person in the mid ninties had a copy of Cracked Rear View and played the hell out of that disc and in particular “Let Her Cry”, the fact that we’re well removed from that time (the better part of two decades) is a testament to how good this track actually is.  Darius’ voice is still unmistakable and just as engaging.

 

5. “Someday Never Comes” – Dawes & John Fogerty

http://youtu.be/wrlE0zXlNGs

This is a very cool cover of the CCR classic tune from the recent Fogerty release Wrote a Song for Everyone.  A great pairing of a veteran artist such as Fogerty with a relatively new act such as Dawes.  Welll worth a listen, and the album is one I’d highly recommend, as it’s a great collection of classic CCR tunes re-imagined and revisted.

 

6. “Demons” – Imagine Dragons

As we near a saturation point with the band’s latest single “Radioactive”, I started to delve deeper into their album Night Visions and forgot how much I enjoyed their earlier singles such as “Demons” and “It’s Time”.  So check out the Coldplay vibe the band exhibits on “Demons”.

 

7. “Sea Dreamer” – Wildlife

In the interest of researching the unknown band which was added to the Fredrock lineup alongside noteable acts such as Matt Mays and The Tea Party, I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard (think Snow Patrol meets the Arcade Fire).  I’d be very interested in seeing these guys perform later this summer.

 

8. “Put Your Lights On” – Everlast

Who didn’t love House of Pain’s “Jump Around” it’s still a pretty bad ass tune, but fans of Everlast know that he went in a decidedly different direction with the folk rock stylings of the Whitey Ford records and the collaboration with Santana a few years ago.  Last week while he was in studio with Joe Rogan for Joe’s Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Everlast busted out a few tunes and here is a great version of “Put Your Lights On”.  This is a tune that more than holds up, this version may even add to the song.

About the author

Trev

A proud and over-caffeinated husband, father, runner and writer. I've written for the local weekly The Coast for over a decade and have since taken to creating and writing for HAFILAX for even longer. I hope you enjoy the musings of a guy who has loved music for the better part of 4 decades, and has an album of concert tickets to show for it.

Instagram