I like Random Weekends the best when they unearth a gem that I have long since forgotten, a song that for one reason or another just fell off my radar over time.
We have a great example today with ‘Out On the Town,’ a bonus track from the 2012 album Some Nights by pop rock band fun. This song, like every song on that album, is catchy and smart and anthemic in the most casual way. A real blast.
I was looking for a fifth new release to round out this unofficial theme week, and had to chuckle when I saw that Canadian indie band Arcade Fire had a new album out.
Back in 2013, I made the controversial decision to feature all 16 tracks of Arcade Fire’s celebrated album The Suburbs, much to the consternation of my most loyal readers.
I found that release, a Grammy winner for Album of the Year and a sprawling concept album about suburban malaise, a fascinating and resonant piece of art. The commenters felt differently, to say the least.
Maren Morris seems like a relatively recent arrival to the country pop scene, launched to popularity by her 2016 major label debut Hero and its even better follow-up, 2019’s Girl.
I was surprised to learn that Morris independently released three albums before those, starting back in 2005. That’s a 17-year recording career for a woman who only recently turned 30. Those first few albums, two released before she turned 18, don’t seem to be available anywhere.
Former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello recently released her third solo album in five years. The record, titled Familia, follows up 2018’s Camila and 2019’s Romance, two Platinum-selling albums buoyed by #1 hits ‘Havana’ and ‘Señorita,’ respectively.
Inspired by the time the Cuban-American Cabello spent with her family during COVID quarantine, Familia is a full-fledged Latin pop album, embracing tropical rhythms and featuring plenty of Spanish lyrics.
I haven’t heard much mention of K-pop star Psy since 2012, when his ‘Gangnam Style’ video racked up billions of views on YouTube and turned the song into an international hit.
Psy has continued recording since then, but without another breakthrough hit. He released his seventh and eighth studio albums in 2015 and 2017.
Now he’s back with his ninth, appropriately titled Psy 9th, and might be poised for another worldwide moment.
Meet Me In Montauk 