Right now there are a lot of great songs coming out of the Alternative music genre. From veteran bands like Weezer, to young popular bands like AJR, the alternative music genre is in a good place right now. Below, are the top five songs I am excited about right now! All of them have their own style to them that makes them unique. From songs that make a statement, to covers of songs made years ago, here are The Friday 5, hope you enjoy!
Dennis Lloyd - "Nevermind"
Dennis Lloyd is a new artist, from Israel, whose music has been described as alternative R&B and indie pop. His song "Nevermind" has been rising on the charts since its release in 2016 on Spotify. Finally in 2018 the song was listed by Time.com as having potential of being the song of the summer next to artists like Drake and Childish Gambino.
According to Billboard Magazine, Lloyd stated, “Nevermind” was written while he was living in Bangkok. His girlfriend at the time was traveling to Indonesia and he was worried the whole time that she would meet someone else. He took all of those insecurities and turned it into a hit single.
This song has a nice groove and can be either played on an alternative station or on a pop station. It is a song worth checking out and with Lloyd being an artist on the rise, this won’t be the last we will hear from him.
Weezer - "Africa"
What else is there to say about a band like Weezer. They have been around since the early 90’s and they have been putting out hits for a really long time. And with their cover of Toto’s “Africa” the hits keep coming.
The Back story of the unlikely cover comes from Twitter of all places. On the cover of the released single is a tweet from a Weezer fan that reads, “@RiversCuomo it’s about time you bless the rain down in Africa.” Apparently this tweet became an entire account dedicated to that mission and Weezer took the bait.
This song regained popularity after it was featured on the Netflix show, “Stranger Things.” No, this not the best cover ever or the best song Weezer has ever released but, the song is fun and Weezer's take on it is well done. The song is worth a listen and the back story is at least cool enough to get you interested.
AJR - "Burn the House Down"
AJR is an alternative/indie pop group whose members consist of brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met. They just took the first letters of all of their names and made a band name out of it, as simple as that. They formed in 2006 and began working and releasing music. Their first hit came with the song. “I’m ready” which featured a sample from Spongebob Squarepants. So, to say that they have always done their own thing would be an understatement.
Their song “Burn Down the House” comes off of their album “The Click” which also features songs like, “Sober up.” The song sounds like social commentary about how with today’s technology anyone and everyone can make a social movement happen. The song highlights this and comments how even though some people may think that social media movements are not effective, they are proven wrong every time.
Death Cab For Cutie - "Gold Rush"
Death Cab for Cutie is a band that has been around since 1997. They are known to make easy going, emotion driven alternative music. And with the release of the song “Gold Rush” that still stands. In fact this is the first single off of their album, “Thank You For Today.”
The song itself is about how the lead singer was seeing changes with in the neighborhood he had lived in for the past 20 years. According to NPR All song considered, he said “As I’ve gotten older I’ve become acutely aware of how I connect my memories to my geography and how the landscape of the city change.” “Gold Rush” is a great solid song that most people, who have been through change, can relate to.
The Bright Light Social Hour - "Trip with Lola"
The Bright Light Social Hour is a band coming out of Austin, TX and they are a group everyone should get to know. Their music has been featured on networks like MTV, HBO, and FOX.“Trip with Lola” is one of their latest releases and in my opinion one of the best. Their music has been described as being mood-punk/cosmic soul and this song plays into that description.
“Trip with Lola” is a melodic song that most alternative fans can really get behind. The song is about a girl who takes acid and becomes a frog. The music video also centers around this concept marrying the two perfectly. My advice would be to check out this band's catalog and look at what other music they have created but, start with “Trip with Lola.”