The Converts – Maria
Genre: Folk rock, Alt-Country
Not sure how Bob Dylan felt about the pop music of the late 1960s. But he was responsible for it. No doubt about it! Sure, Dylan was famous, and most people had to have heard “Like A Rolling Stone.”
But it was the jangle-pop of most bands on the radio that were making the big bucks. Most of these groups either covered Dylan’s songs or added their own sun-drenched melodies to the quicksilver lines that accompanied the songwriter’s folk rock.
That sound is held in great esteem still. It had managed to reach an incredible balance. It bubbled-gum pop and Southern-gothic blues. It was comically colorful but wise. Years later, bands are still looking for that kind of balance.
The Converts’ Maria sounds like the work of a clever, proficient group of deep-thinking musicians that want a hint. They demand it. And the world might just be a better place for it. Maria is hooky as can be, quotable, and propelled by a swing that can only be provided by a potentially great live band.
Jordan Wilson Coalition – NOW
Genre: Blues, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Entire books are written, and courses are taught about the importance of making a strong first impression. What’s the very first line that your band’s favorite band utters on their debut record? You probably don’t know.
That’s because most bands, like most people, ignore the strength that the first phrases uttered by a total stranger can have. Those that do understand this power can build entire careers on the strength of a great first single.
Pop-rock music has always thrived on the power of surprise. Audiences wait to receive something that they’ve never heard or seen before. It’s the way that the music world works.
Jordan Wilson Coalition’s NOW begins with the great lyric, “I want you now/ I’ve earned the right to be selfish,” over a Doors-like bluesy groove. This is a confident, direct, blues-inspired number that’s designed to make a great first impression. It finds the sweet spot between pop hits and classic rock values.
