Brent Faulkner
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype. When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event
Americans – Janelle Monáe
12 February 2019
“I pledge allegiance to the flag / Learned the words from my mom and dad / Cross my heart and I hope to die / With a big old piece of American pie.” Ah, the pre-chorus lyrics serve as prime example of a vicious cycle of influence, as opposed to free, individual thought…
January 11th, 2017 – Mike Posner
6 February 2019
“The day my daddy died, I damn near quit the band /… The day my daddy died, I became a man.” Singer/songwriter Mike Posner is incredibly honest and vulnerable on “January 11th, 2017,” a highlight from his 2019 studio album, A Real Good Kid….
Scorn – Marsha Ambrosius
30 January 2019
“Boy, you hurt me so bad / I’m scorn.” Uh-oh! Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Marsha Ambrosius taps into an emotional state that many women can relate to on “Scorn,” the 13th track from her underrated 2018 album, Nyla…
The Joke – Brandi Carlile
22 January 2019
“You’re feeling nervous, aren’t you boy? / With your quiet voice and impeccable style…” Americana singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile instantly gets down to business on “The Joke,” an anthem of atonement for the bullied, marginalized, and under-represented souls…
Dear Insecurity – Gnash
16 January 2019
“Dear insecurity / When you gonna take your hands off me? / When you ever gonna let me be / Proud of who I am?” Singer/songwriter Ben Abraham assists Los Angeles alternative pop artist Garret Nash (best known as Gnash) on the memorable, ultra-relatable chorus of “Dear Insecurity.”…
Scarf Song – Sara Wolff
9 January 2019
“I made this scarf to keep you warm / To keep you safe and sound from harm / I made this scarf to keep you warm / But now I want to tighten it round your neck.” Why does the protagonist in “Scarf Song” want to strangle the man (the antagonist) mentioned above in the chorus?…
American Sports – Arctic Monkeys
19 December 2018
“And I never thought, not in a million years / That I’d meet so many Lolas.” Who is Lola and how has Alex Turner met so many people with that name? Clearly, The Arctic Monkeys frontman isn’t referencing a specific person, but rather people who may very well be disappointments in their own right,…
It’s Enough – Lenny Kravitz
12 December 2018
“I just thought somehow things would get better…” Sigh. Unfortunately, according to rocker Lenny Kravitz, things haven’t gotten better. What is the Grammy-winner referring to? The utterly flawed state of the world – violence, political corruption, and social issues among a host of other problems…
x ANA x – Badflower
4 December 2018
“It’s showtime / Got a lump in my throat / I forgot how to breathe / Only know how to choke… / I need x, ANA, x / Help me bury my thoughts.” Add “x ANA x” to a growing list of songs that explore the struggles of mental health…
Me Versus Me – Stacy Barthe
27 November 2018
“Drive myself in the state of denial / So dark and hopeless, I wanted to die.” Far too often, the importance of being in good mental health is understated. Depression isn’t something to be played with, as it can potentially lead to tragedy – suicide…
American Bad Dream – Kane Brown
21 November 2018
“So, wake me up from this American bad dream / Is it this messed up, or is it really reality?” Unfortunately, it isn’t a dream, but definitely reality. Country musician Kane Brown is perturbed about the state of the United States of America on “American Bad Dream,” among the crème de la crème from his 2018 sophomore album, Experiment…
Stick to Your Guns – Watsky
7 November 2018
“You got your finger on the trigger, kid… Line it up, line it up, line it up / And hit me with the truth.” ‘The truth’ is that it’s no secret that in the United States, there’s a serious problem with gun violence and mass shootings. Every shooting is tragic, yet, such incidents occur more and more frequently…