You Can Feel Portugal The Man's Bass Grooves

Beefy bass. Two words. One incredible punch. That's the verdict from here regarding Portugal The Man's "Feel It Still". The bass sells the song. It's a slinky little number that helps get you into a undercover spy sort of frame of mind. The drumming is cool to the touch, very tres chic, a perfect compliment to the keyboard fills that accompany it. It's all about stealth with this bunch, firing off winning licks right and left, making a cohesive whole take shape. And the lyrics...very cryptic "Ooh woo, I'm a rebel just for kicks, now. I been feeling it since 1966, now. Might be over now, but I feel it still." Get what I mean? Pure weirdness. John Baldwin Goury's vocals exude confidence as he weaves his yarn from 1966 era life. The smooth feel of this song defies description. You get to be a player by association thanks to John's confidence. Zach Scot Carothers gets credit for the grand bass playing outlined above. This cut promises to be the monster hit of 2018 what with its bodacious hooks and slick production values. I highly recommend this song as a kick start to any party lagging in energy that could use a boost.

Weezer Does Toto Proud With 'Africa'

I'm a big fan of Toto from way back. Weezer's cover of the chestnut "Africa" is nothing short of a revelation. The sound is polished for the millennial generation. Rivers Cuomo's vocals mimic the cool assurance of Bobby Kimball's from the 1983 original. Both are apt storytellers who weave mesmerizing tales plucked straight out of old time mythology. Cue the wild dogs echoing in the night, the old man searching for forgotten melodies saying "Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you. Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengheti. That's New Age deep. In place of Toto's sound we get Weezer's juicy keyboard bridge. Thank you Brian Bell for your delicious handiwork. Patrick Wilson's drumming is feather soft and oh so lounge lizard too cool for the room. In comparison Toto's sound was ballsier, grittier. Overall Patrick's playing ably provides a wondrous comparison to Toto's original. Plus I finally got to understand the lyrics "I bless the rains down in Africa" which I always thought were "I bet the rain's down in Africa." It's funny how decades later mumbled words come to light in bold clarity. Anyway, Weezer's version of this timeless classic pays proper respect to the original in every way that matters. That's no small tip of the hat to Weezer's ability to take a song and make people forget it wasn't their version in the first place. Kudos to Weezer for doing my '80s memories proud.