In 1966, “Eleanor Rigby” was released as the first (only?) Beatles’ song without a member playing an instrument. The vocals of The Beatles’ single were supported by a string ensemble performing a score that was mostly staccato, rather than melodic. Thus starts “Lay Low” by Amy Guess. However, that’s where the similarity ends. Instead of a reflection on loneliness, Amy Guess announces she wants to be left along. And “Lay Low” shows no interest in being limited to strings.
Amy Guess is based in Las Vegas. She explains the motivation for “Lay Low:”
“When I was writing this song it was definitely about taking a needed break from relationships that felt toxic to me, about taking time for self care to get my head in a better place but much more importantly it was also about feeling like I really wanted to make more time for the people I love most as well, time is so precious and I think a big part of self care that is very crucial is spending that time with the right people.”
Finding songs that can be legally downloaded is easy. The difficult task is to find legally downloadable music that we recommend. Our plan is to post at least one Free, Legal and Recommended (FL&R) song each Saturday.
Australia, Sweden and Norway are ahead of the curve in recognizing the entertainment value of “Dance Monkey.” The song hit "Number 1" on the charts of all three. “Dance Monkey” is from Tones and I, which is the moniker of Australian Toni Watson. Quoting her bio:
Originally from Australia’s Mornington Peninsula, Tones And I journeyed to Byron Bay in early 2018 to take a chance at busking. On the first day she had crowds spilling onto the street. Tones quit her retail job and decided to make Byron her new home, where she lived out of her van for the year.
“Monkey Dance” by Tones and I – To access the free download, go to the Triple J site and click the download arrow:
A number of unrelated questions occurred when we heard the song from 12345. The first was a weak joke – “How did they get my brother’s password?” The second was more pragmatic – “Why do groups select names that make it difficult to research them?” Then came the heartfelt question – “Who damaged these guys?”
“Our Hearts” is easily divided into three segments. Initially, there is some self-blame – “Who was I to say that shit to you?” In the second segment, another male voice enters and the finger is now pointing away - “Who were you to say that shit to me?” Then, a crescendo leads to band vocals that amplify the emotion. Each segment is strong, but the last is most effective.
12345 is a group in Quebec, Canada. Their Facebook site ends with “12345isnotaband,” so we will be careful. The members are Rick Pagano, William Hennessey, Pierre-Olivier Couturier, Jessy Mercier, Simon Gagnon, Lamine Baazi, and Alexandre Richard.
