Filed under: Uncategorized
Bloc Party is not a band I’ve given an adequate chance. Yes, I own their debut, Silent Alarm but I never found it exceptionally appealing. Don’t get me wrong, I think their music, which is a cool mix of indie and brit pop/rock, is fun and interesting, but for some reason I never really felt a serious want to listen to their music.
I had heard that their sophomore effort, A Weekend In the City was a notable achievement, but for whatever reason, my fancy wasn’t really ever tickled. Until now.
The opening song of A Weekend in the City is an incredible track, worth more than multiple listens. The lyrics are wonderful, based on a Bret Easton Ellis novel Less Than Zero, the track captures the desolation of the life in London (like the book tried to create for the city of Los Angeles. It’s called “Song for Clay (Disappear Here)” [Download]. Clay is the name of the main character in Less Than Zero.
The opening lines are most interesting, “I am trying to be heroic in an age of modernity.” There’s a constant juxtaposition with life in today’s “modern” world with history or the past, assuming that people had emotion then. The idea of being detached from emotion and the belief that everything is ultimately the sway of entropy is the prevalent theme of the song. Reviews of Ellis’ novel say that he attempts to do the same. Less than Zero chronicles Clay’s winter visit to his hometown, L.A. and the odd and destructive things he notices people do there (and that he does himself). “People are afraid to merge on freeways in Los Angeles” is a recurring line in the book and again in the song (minus the Los Angeles part). The subtitle of the song, “Disappear Here” is found often in the book on billboards throughout the city (a la Great Gatsby).
[Take a look at the CD cover and look at its title, ...I really like these guys.]
The composition of the song is what makes it most interesting. The start of the song is a silent confession of apathy then a driving, seemingly electronic beat begins backed by heavy guitar and base. The song becomes a fast-paced moody conglomerate of sound until the bridge slows the song and Kele Okereke exclaims that “East London is a vampire that sucks the joy right out of me!” A choir of bases crescendoes in the background until the song regains its driving beat that is sustained ’till its end.
Download: “Song For Clay (Disappear Here)” by Bloc Party
Please give this track a listen. It’s a great piece.
[Side note: you'll be interested to know that the title of the book, Less Than Zero comes from an Elvis Costello song. So in essence the tale has come full circle with this song.]
What do you think of the song? Please leave me a comment!
Filed under: covers
“Take A look at my girlfriend, she’s the only one I’ve got. Not much of a girlfriend, I never seem to get a lot.”
This is the opening line of “Breakfast in America” by Supertramp. The song was a hit on the airwaves in 1979 but written about 12 years earlier by singer Roger Hodgson. Calling it an “innocent song”, Hodgson admits to the lack of depth in the song, simply chalking it up to the fact that he wrote it when he was 17. However, it’s a catchy song and now a new generation is taking a listen. You should too:
Sound familiar? It might. A few months ago, hip-hop “band” Gym Class Heroes used the opening line and catchy melody of “Breakfast in America” as the hook to their hit song “Cupid’s Chokehold.” The hook is sung by Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, it was surprising because he has, apart from actually understandable few lines, an uncanny similarity in vocal timbre to Hodgson. Take a listen:
What do you think of the songs? Please leave me a comment!
Filed under: Review
Every month or so I make a mix CD I hand out to my friends that encompasses the music I’ve been listening to since the time of the last mix. If you ask any of them about them they’ll probably say that I spend an excessive amount of time on them. I spend all that time perfecting the playlist and the flow of the mix as well as making it accessible to those who listen to certain types of music or (like me) all types of music.
The latest of these is called ‘A Most Vicious Crime’. I’ve already uploaded some tracks from this mix on to the site but I intend from now on to post at most 5 of the tracks from the mixes to promote the artists and to let people sample what I consider to be their best songs.
Let’s Get Started!
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The Most Vicious Crime – Sparta (Threes) [Download!]
- I hadn’t completely listened to this song before I fell for it. I first heard parts of it on the trailer for the band’s independent short film, Eme Nakia about drummer Tony Hajjar’s young life. You can see it here. (The movie features Pablo Orrantia as young Tony, who incidentally is one of my younger brother’s best friends. The band Sparta hails from El Paso, Texas like myself.) The monumental build and fall of the song is what makes this track worthwhile. -
Starts With One – Shiny Toy Guns (We Are Pilots) [Download!]
-Please see my post on Shiny Toy Guns for my opinion on both the band and this song. -
The Underdog – Spoon (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga) [Download!]
- Spoon has created this great upbeat song for their upcoming album (Which I call Ga x 5) once again exploring a new sound that is highly effective. The song features a very happy horn section making the song both fun, poppy and grand (as in, big). What I love about this band is their deceptive sound, much like The Killers’ Hot Fuss, which almost hides the meaning of the lyrics behind catchy melodies and amazing production.
- Time Wont Let Me Go – The Bravery (The Sun and the Moon)
-The first single off the Bravery’s sophomore album has the same deceptive sound as “The Underdog”, the lyrics are mournful yet the song sounds light and fun. The dichotomy is very intriguing to me because it works so well. [The section of 'ba ba ba's' near the end of the song is marvelous.] - Scythian Empires – Andrew Bird (Armchair Apocrypha) [Download!]
-Andrew Bird is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists. The wonderful melodies complimented by intricate instrumentation and lyrics this and most of his songs hold makes listening to Mr. Bird an experience in itself. If that doesn’t make the song notable to you, maybe his whistling solo will. - Either/Or – Elliott Smith (New Moon)
-Part of the posthumously released collection of B-sides and demos, the absent title track of his album Either/Or is revealed. It’s a compelling track which has that aforementioned deceptiveness I like so much. Listening to Smith is heartbreaking. I suggest you do it, your heart may just need that. - Cold As Ice – Foreigner (Foreigner: Greatest Hits)
- Yes, Foreigner. This song is interesting to listen to in this day because so much pop-rock music has begun to emulate this style of music. Also, the production of this 1977 classic is incredible. The song is huge featuring synth strings, a piano, a chorus of Lou Gramms and of course a good rock beat and guitar. - I’ve Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers – Fall Out Boy (Infinity On High)
-This is one of the bands I was talking about which has begun emulating 70s rock or 70s music in general. The opening of the song sounds straight out of the 70s with a piano, beat, horns and again, synth strings. My only beef with this song is that it goes in strong and then devolves into another Fall Out Boy song. Disappointing. One day this band will reach its potential, that and I hope that Patrick Stump will begin to correctly pronounce words while singing in his God-given key. - Makes Me Wonder – Maroon 5 (It Won’t Be Soon Before Long)
-Hearing a pattern? The band’s chart-topping single sounds like a disco/funk song from, you guessed it, the 1970s. This song is far from exceptional but it makes for a fun time and that’s always great for a summer mix. - Throw It On Me (Feat. The Hives) – Timbaland (Timbaland Presents: Shock Value)
-The single from the megaproducer’s “solo” album features rock band The Hives. Timbaland once again proves that the studio is an instrument, too by melding hip-hop and rock in an exquisite and unique way. I have never heard a track like this. - Alfie – Lily Allen (Alright, Still)
- Lily Allen blows me away. She’s cute and funny with witty lyrics and light concepts propelled by creative sampling and really great beats. This song is truly worth a listen. - Secret – The Pierces (Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge)
- This song is very high concept. The opening song of the Pierce sisters’ debut grabs you, holds you down makes you listen. It is obvious that the girls had a great time making this track – their enthusiasm is infectious. - The Bird and the Worm – The Used (Lies for the Liars) [Download!]
-Check out my post on this song. Since then I’ve learned that this song is pretty addictive. - Teenagers – My Chemical Romance (The Black Parade)
- Many people compare My Chemical Romance with The Used but I feel that they have grown into two very separate entities both with different sounds. This track, out of MCR’s masterful The Black Parade cries out as a tribute to big 1980s rock. The guitarwork is stellar. - Mind Reader – Silverchair (Young Modern)
- Young Modern is not yet available in the United States. The band’s fifth album is a smash hit in their native Australia. The band has once again re-invented their sound and even this track has so many layers of influence it’s hard to decide what genre to attribute to it. If one must, they should make it broad, like ‘Rock’ or something. - Move Away – The Killers (Spider-Man 3 OST)
- I love this band. It’s one of those few bands that because of their constant output of quality music, in my eyes can do no wrong. They will always have the benefit of the doubt with me. This song is from the new (disappointing) Spider-Man film which had a phenomenal soundtrack. This song, of course, is one of my favorites. The bridge about “jumping out of my skin” is gorgeous. I don’t know if I would classify the song as one of the band’s best but it is a great deal better than anything you’d hear on the radio lately. - One On One – Illinois (What The Hell Do I Know?)
-The Pennsylvanian band, Illinois’ (odd, I know) first EP is packed with songs that each have a very different sound, making it a remarkable listen. “One on One” is poppy and catchy, though not all of their stuff is. I suggest you pick up a copy at a local record store or on iTunes. Support an indie band today. - New Shoes – Paolo Nutini (These Streets)
- Stolen – Dashboard Confessional (Dusk and Summer)
- Make A Plan To Love Me – Bright Eyes (Cassadaga) [Download!]
- The Story – Brandi Carlile (The Story) [Download!]
- On and On and On – Wilco (Sky Blue Sky) [Download!]
-This song is emotionally impacting. The last track of Wilco’s brilliant new album Sky Blue Sky is a perfect endnote. The song is about life and love, more specifically the eternality of them. “Please don’t cry, we’re designed to die” is repeated throughout the song as well as “On and on and on, we’ll be together, yeah.” The woman that he is talking to, the woman he loves, must fear death because as humans it is hard to not see it as an end. At the beginning of the song he tells her “don’t deny what’s inside” and at it’s climax he tells her “this world of words and meanings makes you feel outside, something that you feel already, deep inside. You’ve denied, go ahead and cry.” This suggests that by the end she understands that she has denied the truth of eternal life. It’s beautiful and powerful and extremely subtle, but then, isn’t life? To deny it is a most vicious crime.
- This song goes around, I think I heard it on a commercial for AT&T the other day. The Scottish singer has a very cool voice, in my opinion. the song is catchy and good. The song isn’t actually about a new pair of shoes. It’s about deciding to change your life. You know, like the expression “walking in someone else’s shoes” it’s a spin on that. I think it’s a good song, maybe Nutini will make some more interesting music in the future, I think he has good potential.
- This song was released about one year ago but Chris Carraba, the man that once made up the whole of Dashboard Confessional, and his company re-released the album Dusk and Summer with an uptempo take of the song in which Carraba’s voice is much more agreeable. (I.E. not as whiny.) The new take is great, I had actually included the original on a mix I made a year ago but I much prefer this version of the track.
-Cassadaga might have already been my favorite album of the year if this year hadn’t seen light to Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky (but more on that later). This song is one of Conor Oberst’s most beautiful ballads. The song is beautifully written both lyrically and instrumentally. The string sections are sweet, the acoustic guitar is touching and the horns are soothing. The backup vocals of the lead singers of the band Eisley, the DuPree sisters, (especially near the chorus) give a 1950s air to the song (and just make it so much more beautiful.) The lyrics long for reciprocating love and they also show how Oberst’s perception of it has grown. He’s understanding of the other person’s desire to know the world: “Life’s too short to be a fool, I don’t owe you that. Do what you feel, whatever’s cool. But I just have to ask, will you make a plan to love me sometime soon?”
- See my last post for my feelings on this gorgeous song.
(Yes, all of these tracks fit on one CD)
What do you think of the mix and the tracks? Please leave me a comment!
Filed under: Uncategorized
The most curious thing happened to me today.
I listened to a song and it immediately gave me chills. Those kind of chills that make you choke up. That kind of feeling when you know that a piece of music just fits within your heart. A song you’re sure you’ve known all along, like the melody has always been with you but you could have never found the notes. That’s what this song is to me.
[Please listen to the song before reading any further. I would rather you not expect this, I didn't. Oh, and turn it up.]
Oh, but the artist is the most important part. I had heard the woman’s voice before this but it 
had never hit home like it did here. There are artists who are meant to sing the songs of other artists and then there are Brandi Carliles. Her powerful yet sweet voice is full of soul. If it had been any other voice singing “The Story”, it just wouldn’t have been as impacting.
The song is lyrically a beautiful ballad that’s very, dare I say-old school, a song that’s classic.
It’s the unexpected punch of the guitar that just blew me away. It’s one of the most beautiful love songs I have heard and the juxtaposition or somewhat accordance of Carlile’s gorgeous vocals with the electric guitar makes it even more exceptional.
I guess it’s my love for powerful women’s voices and rock music plus my recent conversion to country (not pop country) that makes the song so powerful to me.
“The Story” is one of the best songs I’ve heard that has been released in the past 5 years. I hope you can agree that it is at least a great song.
What do you think of the song? Leave me a comment!
