Cris, If you like Bad Brains try on some Circle Jerks, Minor Threat, DRI, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag etc. There is a ton of great stuff from the early 80's hardcore scene that in my opinion has never lost its appeal. It's not for everyone and the stuff isn't musically brilliant but for my money its hard to beat raw emotions captured on a 4-track recording in some dive soemwhere.
yeah, rottnme, i've heard of most of those bands (DRI, i'm not familiar with). i haven't really gotten into hardcore. i prefer bad brains dub/reggae songs to their hardcore material. but i'll check some of that stuff out. maybe i'll like something.
as long as you play the white keys on the keyboard and play in the key of C major on the bass, up the neck, you can sound like new order...
i listened to skin of yellow country teeth...it doesn't sound like age of consent...age of consent has that distinguishable bassline throughout the song (G A C C CC D CC and so on)...and the faster drum beat with the 16th note hi-hats...
i disagree dammson... i think they two sound very similar.
very similar 1,2 bass drum snare rhythm with high hat emphasis... age of consent has the 16th hi hat as you mention, country teeth quarters it on the up beats but i think the result is very similar.
both use repetitive, layered guitar parts introduced in sequence to set a general tone, and rely on the vocals to move the song forward. both settle into walking, repetitive base lines as well.
truth is i think age of consent sounds like lots of clap your hands songs. just in particular skin of my yellow country teeth.
both use repetitive, layered guitar parts introduced in sequence to set a general tone, and rely on the vocals to move the song forward. both settle into walking, repetitive base lines as well.
i wouldn't call it a re-write though. when i saw that, i immediately thought frente doing bizarre love triangle...many songs fall into that general description you've just made...even an average white band song can have 'repetitive layered guitar parts in sequence to set a general tone...'
the guitar sound, that 'twangy'-loose-strings sound with crunchy distortion, in country teeth does sound like a new order guitar sound...and the strumming technique towards the end.
ill rephrase... clap your hands was obviously heavily influenced by early new order...
'this house on ice' even reminded me a lotof joy division 'love will tear us apart' when i first heard it.
though its possible im hearing what i want to hear, i think i still hear it.
carcass...re-forming to a play death metal festival in germany. ken owen, the drummer, will not join the rest of the band members however. he is still recovering from a brain hemorrhage.
i owe mdler an appology cause i just listened to mistaken for strangers, the national song and for some reason, this time, i really enjoyed it and plan on giving the album a better chance
as much as i love all the lovely indie rock (whatever the hell that is) in my library i have to say: stop. now. destroy all indie rock. stop forming bands.
yeah your lyrics are really crafty and the 24th note repetitious guitar bridge thing was neat. but seriously, youre boring and someone already wrote your song twice
favorite albums as of recently:
Circle Takes the Square: As the Roots Undo
Between The Buried and Me: Colors
i got bored the other day so i wrote my own year end list... ive included links to all the songs on hypemachine.
its pretty cas...and many of you probably know all the songs anyway...but if you dont... maybe now you will..
2007 was a very lazy year for me, as I didn’t find much new music, and didn’t look for much new music. Consequently, you might notice that this list is filled primarily with bands I was already familiar with (or maybe you don’t know me, in which case how could you tell such things?). There were some new albums that I really loved, in particular Radiohead's In Rainbows, Menomena's Friend or Foe, and Architecture in Helsinki's Places like This to name a few. But on the whole, the scope of music I had to work with in order to create this list was rather limited. That being said... I really do love all these songs, and everyone should listen to all of them if they haven't already. Many of you might have, and if you read pitchfork you'll recognize a lot of the bands; so think of this as a personalized interpretation of mostly known 'best of' lists... with a track list populated by mostly known bands.
I don’t really know how to critique these kinds of songs... all I can say is that the chorus is the shit. The beat is great and I love whatever sample that is she and diplo use in the background… that’s about it… way to start eh?
Sound of Silver slightly disappointed me. I have to be honest, I felt like the self titled double album, though much less coherent than this, was more fun. That being said, this could probably be considered James Murphy's first ‘Album’, and "All My Friends" is definitely the climax. A 7 min flight through some pretty personal shit; the song moves well and builds to as emotional a climax as LCD has probably ever created. Structurally simple and perhaps a bit rambling, it’s all saved in the end by super tight hi hat (you'll here it... bout 5:00 in), constant bass drum, and a building background din which keeps this song moving. Oh, and the lines “It comes apart/ the way it does in bad films.../ accept the part/ where the moral kicks in. / Though when were running out of the drugs, and the conversations grinding away/ I wouldn’t trade one stupid decision/ for another 5 years of life."
Armchair Apocrypha came out in 2007 too! Wahoo...feels like it didn’t but I checked... it did... I wanted to pick “Armchairs” off this album because it’s just so beautiful, but I felt like this was the more complete song on. Typical Andrew composition, beautiful songwriting, fantastic vocals... And the production is better, much fuller. And for a man who relies so much on composition and depth, the increase in production quality makes songs like this pop when on Mysterious Production of Eggs it might have sounded flat. Maybe not, who knows. Anyway... really great song... enough on this one.
"Places Like This" was really hard for me, I must admit. Arch in Helsinki is seriously going crazy. This album is filled with dancy, oft sleazy and just silly songs. And some sort of sesame street vocal styling. But beyond all of this, when you get past the fact that these guys wont be making any more albums like Fingers Crossed, you begin to realize that this album is actually more consistently good than their last (In Case We Die). Debbie is the best example of Arch's new wicked stylie. Odd instrumentation as usual, but more consistent writing and believe it or not, less schizophrenic! “Debbie” breaks down in the middle with the berry sax riff "there’s an opportunist dude, watch his mouth is open wide, and he’s trying to eat you" is super cool, and as catchy as anything they did on Fingers Crossed... just with a completely different attitude.
A friend sent me this song a few months back and I've really enjoyed it. Tripped up synths, a driving bass line and atmospheric vocals. This is a great song, and quite addicting according to the play counter on my itunes...
It seems like forever ago now I accidentally saw the Arcade Fire playing at the open end gallery. They were opening for a band I loved (and still do actually) called The Unicorns. Arcade Fire's set was so fantastic, the unicorns came out looking thoroughly rejected... knowing they would in no way be able to compete with the set that had just wrapped up. About 1 1/2 years later, Funeral came out, and Arcade fire got massive. There had to be a lot of pressure to make Neon Bible and I think they did a commendable job. They didn’t stand still, they tried new stuff, and they refined their compositions and created a coherent album. Building Downtown is my favorite from that album... the trend here, I'm realizing, is that I really like songs that avoid the typical verse chorus structure, and build to a singular climax through subtle variation. This is that kind of song... with a fantastic vocal by Regine in the middle, and super cool ending line by win... "I'm through being cute now, through being nice; now tell me lord am I the antichrist?"
Some Loud Thunder was really disappointing... on a whole, there were maybe four good songs on it... fortunately for Clap your Hands, one of them was really, really, really good.
A rolling piano part sort of ebbs and flows, falling apart then pulling itself together. Backing instrumentation distorts the lines of the song, trying to pull it of course. Interestingly with this song, it’s the subtle drumming in the background which really maintains this song. Increasing in intensity, the beating toms, cymbal and bass drum hold the song together, while also effectively signaling the peak of the song. Oddly moving... "We're safe and sound, were safer now"
This band of kids from the UK sort of made a song you'd expect kids to make... its quite cute and cuddly, naive and silly, but it’s also really tight and has a great hook and a beat. My old roommate once showed me a band called the Llama Farmers way back in the day... if they were still around, they might have made this song... That really has no relevance to anything I’ve been talking about, but I thought id mention it. I normally don’t like such kitschy and gimmicky vocal lines... but the rest of this song is just so damn cute I can’t ignore its awesomeness.... "ITS YOU! ITS ME! AND IT’S DANCING!"
PLUS
A very cool video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6SO_yKMe8
I’ve picked two songs from Friend and Foe because I couldn’t make up my mind about which was the better. Truth is they are both super duper and or awesomely great. "It’s hard to take risks, when you’re a pessimist". I guess they had me pegged... I couldn’t risk declaring one the favorite, then regretting my decision later. So I cheated and declared an awesomeness tie.
MENOMENA-THE PELICAN http://hypem.com/track/442442
Such an overdramatic song... Pounding piano and soaring vocals doubled for effect open it up, and give way to a plotting beat... like a song on the prowl... The verses give way to triumphant mini choruses with ripping toms and a guitar.... just totally awesome... I love it. I’m unable to get my bias out of the way enough to tell you anything about this song beyond its awesomeness...
The National didn’t impress me at first. Actually, they still don’t too much... but for some reason this song really got me. At first I was thrown off by its apparent lack of direction and dynamic. But after a discussion with a friend, I’ve begun to appreciate greatly its restraint. It reminded me a passionless and non-committal Interpol. Now it just reminds me of a song I don’t think Interpol has the confidence to make anymore. A modern day "Hands Away" in structure, but a beautiful song in its own right... "Now you wouldn’t want an angel watching over you, surprise surprise they wouldn't want to watch... you get mistaken for strangers by your own friends"
JUSTICE-GENESIS http://hypem.com/track/445254
JUSTICE-LET THERE BE LIGHT http://hypem.com/track/445681
Again, I couldn’t pick just one, so I picked the 2 opening tracks. An amazing pair. Genesis's dangerously distorted and blasting horns signal an ominous album. I love how it’s gone so beyond grungy, it almost hurts to listen to. It steadily shifts into a screeching organ, and a much shiftier bass. You have to listen to these two back to back... and I mean, back to back... as the final seconds of genesis tick out, have "let there be light" ready to play...
For the most part, Interpol is falling out of favor with me. They are getting too cocky and too self assured. Its showing up in their compositions as unnecessary guitar parts, string orchestrations, overly glossy piano and self righteous lyrics... actually...that describes this song pretty well... but for some reason, shoot.... I just can’t get over it. It’s in my head all the time. Maybe it’s that cute little piano off in the distance... and I must admit the main guitar riff is great. In its entirety, this song has great potential, though it falls apart for me when the strings come in... That’s the sign of a band to big for its boots...when they have so much money to produce an album they hire of f*cking orchestra. I hate that I’m so cynical about these things, but I want my old Interpol back. That being said, they made "Turn on The Bright Lights"... so they get on my list.
So... I loved the Wolf Parade album 'Apologies to Queen Marry'. And I must be fair, I haven’t given much chance to sunset rubdown... maybe I will in the months ahead.
But this is a very interesting song. Fantastic chorus with that Santana sounding guitar. its an odd choice but it works when pieced together with the collective like odds and ends used for instrumentation, and the almost Tenacious D like vocal and melody..... Or something like that...
THE IN RAINBOW'S SECTION
(It’s no secret... I would put every song in this list, but I parsed it down...)
The second to last track on In Rainbows, this is as great a synthesis of old and new radiohead as there is on the album. Straight ahead beat, simple guitar, moving bass line, building and building to a fantastic climax beautifully orchestrated and balanced. I love these tight vocal harmonies that popped up on Eraser, and have bled onto this album. It’s a great accompaniment to already incredible musicians.
An opening track that rivals "Everything In It's Right Place" (from Kid A) as their best opening track yet. It sets the tone for the album, again displaying an understanding of what worked in the past, and what will work for them in the future. Johnny Greenwood’s guitar in this is shockingly clear and clean, yet slinky and cool... some great lines in this one too... "Used to be alright, what happened? Etc...Etc..."
Small note, Phil Selway busts lose for a few measures around 1:55, but then quickly restrains himself back to his drum-machine-esque status quo... but good god is it effective...
If I really had to pick my favorite song from In Rainbows, it is this one. It’s the simple choice... it’s the most moving, least subtle, most emotional. Songs like this pop out so much in their albums for all these reasons. The typically obscure, cloudy and nebulous structures give way to a song like this... which has clear direction. It takes off slowly upward with chill bass line and drums; reverb rich backing orchestration and Thom’s simple croon "You are all I need; you are all I need... I’m in the middle of your picture, lying in the weeds" To be followed by an explosive climax of straining strings, pounding piano, and Thom... "Its all right, it’s all wrong"
Last but not least, I thought id include a song from the 2nd disc. Banger's and Mash is cool... ok computer b-side cool. Talk Show Host cool... transatlantic drawl cool. (If you don’t know those songs...check them out too) Anyway, this is just a rock out song... not much to diagnose on this... just a fun, tight song.
Om, Municipal Waste, Baroness, SkeletonWitch, The Haunted, Sleep, The Black Dahlia Murder, High on Fire, 3 Inches of Blood, Napalm Death, Goblin Cock, Witchcraft, Grails, Dio, Himsa, Genghis Tron, Death, Disfear, etc...
dammson: yeah, the Carcass reunion is cool, but I'm patiently awaiting US tour dates for the At The Gates reunion.
I completely agree with most of your analysis for songs of 2007, although I would change MIA's Paper Planes with Jimmy. The beats on that song are irresistible.
n_
oo menomena is fantastic... their first album is called I am the Fun Blame Monster and it to is amazing. You should that one out if you like the two songs above. In reality, Friend and Foe was so good i could have picked a couple other songs off of it for my favorite songs of the year, but i didnt want to be sooo one dimensional haha
lyrical content wise.... i seem to drift further back, stuff like wish bone ash cannot be compared with, sensitivity like zep, urban drama like the doors, experimental floyd, crooner dylan, acid beatles.... closest to newer genre is some trip hip which tries to fuse blues and funk with acid rock..... hip hop must die......
She said I'm sorry baby I'm leaving you tonight
I found someone new he's waitin' in the car outside
Ah honey how could you do it
We swore each other everlasting love
She said well yeah I know but when
We did - there was one thing we weren't
Really thinking of and that's money
Money changes everything
Money, money changes everything
We think we know what we're doin'
That don't mean a thing
It's all in the past now
Money changes everything
They shake your hand and they smile
And they buy you a drink
They say we'll be your friends
We'll stick with you till the end
Ah but everybody's only
Looking out for themselves
And you say well who can you trust
I'll tell you it's just
Nobody else's money
Money changes everything
Money changes everything
We think we know what we're doin'
We don't pull the strings
It's all in the past now
Money changes everything
Money changes everything
Money changes everything
We think we know what we're doing
We don't know a thing
It's all in the past now
recently, i've read a few articles about the story of \v/ayhe\v/...the suicide of lead singer Dead, the murder of Euronymous by bassist Varg Vikernes/Count Grishnackh/Burzum...i've read some excerpts from Varg Vikernes' manifesto. sh*t's intense.
dammson, i think i read a little bit about that euronymous murder in an issue of vice magazine. pretty chilling. correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't varg make a stew of euronymous's brains?
anyway... i'm really liking architecture in helsinki's latest album places like this.
yeah, FOG, i'm really liking the vampire weekend too. sounds kind of african pop influenced. their full length comes out @ the end of the month, i do believe.
i wanna talk about music
Cris, If you like Bad Brains try on some Circle Jerks, Minor Threat, DRI, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag etc. There is a ton of great stuff from the early 80's hardcore scene that in my opinion has never lost its appeal. It's not for everyone and the stuff isn't musically brilliant but for my money its hard to beat raw emotions captured on a 4-track recording in some dive soemwhere.
yeah, rottnme, i've heard of most of those bands (DRI, i'm not familiar with). i haven't really gotten into hardcore. i prefer bad brains dub/reggae songs to their hardcore material. but i'll check some of that stuff out. maybe i'll like something.
the minutemen...the best from the 80's imho
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/77ZmpOCqkOA&rel=1"[/youtube]
oh well, here is the link.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=77ZmpOCqkOA
i just realized that clap your hands sound exactly like early New Order...
listen to skin of my yellow country teeth and tell me its not and Age of Consent re-write...
as long as you play the white keys on the keyboard and play in the key of C major on the bass, up the neck, you can sound like new order...
i listened to skin of yellow country teeth...it doesn't sound like age of consent...age of consent has that distinguishable bassline throughout the song (G A C C CC D CC and so on)...and the faster drum beat with the 16th note hi-hats...
new wu-tang album comes out today...
I'm in love with bat for lashes.
i disagree dammson... i think they two sound very similar.
very similar 1,2 bass drum snare rhythm with high hat emphasis... age of consent has the 16th hi hat as you mention, country teeth quarters it on the up beats but i think the result is very similar.
both use repetitive, layered guitar parts introduced in sequence to set a general tone, and rely on the vocals to move the song forward. both settle into walking, repetitive base lines as well.
truth is i think age of consent sounds like lots of clap your hands songs. just in particular skin of my yellow country teeth.
i wouldn't call it a re-write though. when i saw that, i immediately thought frente doing bizarre love triangle...many songs fall into that general description you've just made...even an average white band song can have 'repetitive layered guitar parts in sequence to set a general tone...'
the guitar sound, that 'twangy'-loose-strings sound with crunchy distortion, in country teeth does sound like a new order guitar sound...and the strumming technique towards the end.
agreed, maybe i shouldn't have said re-write...
ill rephrase... clap your hands was obviously heavily influenced by early new order...
'this house on ice' even reminded me a lotof joy division 'love will tear us apart' when i first heard it.
though its possible im hearing what i want to hear, i think i still hear it.
yeah, do that. putz
the melodic basslines in the major C scale is probably the core of the new order sound and those songs have it...
what about regret and in this home on ice?
do you two know each other? (steve and letdown)
i have no idea who that kid is, honestly, hes just messing around because he finds it funny.
i can see regret as well, but i think its starting to get too polished at that point. its a good pick though, i love that song...
awww.....you honestly don't know who i am?
Fatboy Slim
LCD Soundsystem
Wax Tailor
Royksopp
Brett Dennen
Booka Shade
Daft Punk
Groove Armada
carcass...re-forming to a play death metal festival in germany. ken owen, the drummer, will not join the rest of the band members however. he is still recovering from a brain hemorrhage.
I've been feeling the nu-dub lately; burial, pinch and disrupt have been playing non-stop for the past month.
-andrew
@ rabbits Burial has also been my jam the last few weeks...
And i do love me some OM..
i like crappy music.
i owe mdler an appology cause i just listened to mistaken for strangers, the national song and for some reason, this time, i really enjoyed it and plan on giving the album a better chance
yeah, i still need to listen to it. i've had it for a while, but it hasn't made it to my playlist yet.
n_, good call on the books. i've really been enjoying thought for food.
lletdownl
appology accepted
Yaaaaaaaaaah! I'm glad I have another convert.
yeah, the books rule it
as much as i love all the lovely indie rock (whatever the hell that is) in my library i have to say: stop. now. destroy all indie rock. stop forming bands.
yeah your lyrics are really crafty and the 24th note repetitious guitar bridge thing was neat. but seriously, youre boring and someone already wrote your song twice
favorite albums as of recently:
Circle Takes the Square: As the Roots Undo
Between The Buried and Me: Colors
i got bored the other day so i wrote my own year end list... ive included links to all the songs on hypemachine.
its pretty cas...and many of you probably know all the songs anyway...but if you dont... maybe now you will..
As a little prelude to this list...
2007 was a very lazy year for me, as I didn’t find much new music, and didn’t look for much new music. Consequently, you might notice that this list is filled primarily with bands I was already familiar with (or maybe you don’t know me, in which case how could you tell such things?). There were some new albums that I really loved, in particular Radiohead's In Rainbows, Menomena's Friend or Foe, and Architecture in Helsinki's Places like This to name a few. But on the whole, the scope of music I had to work with in order to create this list was rather limited. That being said... I really do love all these songs, and everyone should listen to all of them if they haven't already. Many of you might have, and if you read pitchfork you'll recognize a lot of the bands; so think of this as a personalized interpretation of mostly known 'best of' lists... with a track list populated by mostly known bands.
MIA-PAPER PLANES
http://hypem.com/track/446942
I don’t really know how to critique these kinds of songs... all I can say is that the chorus is the shit. The beat is great and I love whatever sample that is she and diplo use in the background… that’s about it… way to start eh?
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM-ALL MY FRIENDS
http://hypem.com/track/446965
Sound of Silver slightly disappointed me. I have to be honest, I felt like the self titled double album, though much less coherent than this, was more fun. That being said, this could probably be considered James Murphy's first ‘Album’, and "All My Friends" is definitely the climax. A 7 min flight through some pretty personal shit; the song moves well and builds to as emotional a climax as LCD has probably ever created. Structurally simple and perhaps a bit rambling, it’s all saved in the end by super tight hi hat (you'll here it... bout 5:00 in), constant bass drum, and a building background din which keeps this song moving. Oh, and the lines “It comes apart/ the way it does in bad films.../ accept the part/ where the moral kicks in. / Though when were running out of the drugs, and the conversations grinding away/ I wouldn’t trade one stupid decision/ for another 5 years of life."
ANDREW BIRD-PLASTICITIES
http://hypem.com/track/446548
Armchair Apocrypha came out in 2007 too! Wahoo...feels like it didn’t but I checked... it did... I wanted to pick “Armchairs” off this album because it’s just so beautiful, but I felt like this was the more complete song on. Typical Andrew composition, beautiful songwriting, fantastic vocals... And the production is better, much fuller. And for a man who relies so much on composition and depth, the increase in production quality makes songs like this pop when on Mysterious Production of Eggs it might have sounded flat. Maybe not, who knows. Anyway... really great song... enough on this one.
ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI-DEBBIE
http://hypem.com/track/439205
"Places Like This" was really hard for me, I must admit. Arch in Helsinki is seriously going crazy. This album is filled with dancy, oft sleazy and just silly songs. And some sort of sesame street vocal styling. But beyond all of this, when you get past the fact that these guys wont be making any more albums like Fingers Crossed, you begin to realize that this album is actually more consistently good than their last (In Case We Die). Debbie is the best example of Arch's new wicked stylie. Odd instrumentation as usual, but more consistent writing and believe it or not, less schizophrenic! “Debbie” breaks down in the middle with the berry sax riff "there’s an opportunist dude, watch his mouth is open wide, and he’s trying to eat you" is super cool, and as catchy as anything they did on Fingers Crossed... just with a completely different attitude.
AIR-MER DU JAPON (TEENAGER MIX)
http://hypem.com/track/368176
A friend sent me this song a few months back and I've really enjoyed it. Tripped up synths, a driving bass line and atmospheric vocals. This is a great song, and quite addicting according to the play counter on my itunes...
THE ARCADE FIRE-BUILDING DOWNTOWN (ANTICHRIST TELEVISION BLUES)
http://hypem.com/track/435957
It seems like forever ago now I accidentally saw the Arcade Fire playing at the open end gallery. They were opening for a band I loved (and still do actually) called The Unicorns. Arcade Fire's set was so fantastic, the unicorns came out looking thoroughly rejected... knowing they would in no way be able to compete with the set that had just wrapped up. About 1 1/2 years later, Funeral came out, and Arcade fire got massive. There had to be a lot of pressure to make Neon Bible and I think they did a commendable job. They didn’t stand still, they tried new stuff, and they refined their compositions and created a coherent album. Building Downtown is my favorite from that album... the trend here, I'm realizing, is that I really like songs that avoid the typical verse chorus structure, and build to a singular climax through subtle variation. This is that kind of song... with a fantastic vocal by Regine in the middle, and super cool ending line by win... "I'm through being cute now, through being nice; now tell me lord am I the antichrist?"
CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH-LOVE SONG NO. 7
http://hypem.com/track/440841
Some Loud Thunder was really disappointing... on a whole, there were maybe four good songs on it... fortunately for Clap your Hands, one of them was really, really, really good.
A rolling piano part sort of ebbs and flows, falling apart then pulling itself together. Backing instrumentation distorts the lines of the song, trying to pull it of course. Interestingly with this song, it’s the subtle drumming in the background which really maintains this song. Increasing in intensity, the beating toms, cymbal and bass drum hold the song together, while also effectively signaling the peak of the song. Oddly moving... "We're safe and sound, were safer now"
LOST CAMPESINOS-YOU! ME! DANCING!
http://hypem.com/track/446961
This band of kids from the UK sort of made a song you'd expect kids to make... its quite cute and cuddly, naive and silly, but it’s also really tight and has a great hook and a beat. My old roommate once showed me a band called the Llama Farmers way back in the day... if they were still around, they might have made this song... That really has no relevance to anything I’ve been talking about, but I thought id mention it. I normally don’t like such kitschy and gimmicky vocal lines... but the rest of this song is just so damn cute I can’t ignore its awesomeness.... "ITS YOU! ITS ME! AND IT’S DANCING!"
PLUS
A very cool video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6SO_yKMe8
MENOMENA-WET & RUSTY
http://hypem.com/track/445533
I’ve picked two songs from Friend and Foe because I couldn’t make up my mind about which was the better. Truth is they are both super duper and or awesomely great. "It’s hard to take risks, when you’re a pessimist". I guess they had me pegged... I couldn’t risk declaring one the favorite, then regretting my decision later. So I cheated and declared an awesomeness tie.
MENOMENA-THE PELICAN
http://hypem.com/track/442442
Such an overdramatic song... Pounding piano and soaring vocals doubled for effect open it up, and give way to a plotting beat... like a song on the prowl... The verses give way to triumphant mini choruses with ripping toms and a guitar.... just totally awesome... I love it. I’m unable to get my bias out of the way enough to tell you anything about this song beyond its awesomeness...
THE NATIONAL-MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS
http://hypem.com/track/446204
The National didn’t impress me at first. Actually, they still don’t too much... but for some reason this song really got me. At first I was thrown off by its apparent lack of direction and dynamic. But after a discussion with a friend, I’ve begun to appreciate greatly its restraint. It reminded me a passionless and non-committal Interpol. Now it just reminds me of a song I don’t think Interpol has the confidence to make anymore. A modern day "Hands Away" in structure, but a beautiful song in its own right... "Now you wouldn’t want an angel watching over you, surprise surprise they wouldn't want to watch... you get mistaken for strangers by your own friends"
JUSTICE-GENESIS
http://hypem.com/track/445254
JUSTICE-LET THERE BE LIGHT
http://hypem.com/track/445681
Again, I couldn’t pick just one, so I picked the 2 opening tracks. An amazing pair. Genesis's dangerously distorted and blasting horns signal an ominous album. I love how it’s gone so beyond grungy, it almost hurts to listen to. It steadily shifts into a screeching organ, and a much shiftier bass. You have to listen to these two back to back... and I mean, back to back... as the final seconds of genesis tick out, have "let there be light" ready to play...
INTERPOL-PIONEER TO THE FALL
http://hypem.com/track/438496
For the most part, Interpol is falling out of favor with me. They are getting too cocky and too self assured. Its showing up in their compositions as unnecessary guitar parts, string orchestrations, overly glossy piano and self righteous lyrics... actually...that describes this song pretty well... but for some reason, shoot.... I just can’t get over it. It’s in my head all the time. Maybe it’s that cute little piano off in the distance... and I must admit the main guitar riff is great. In its entirety, this song has great potential, though it falls apart for me when the strings come in... That’s the sign of a band to big for its boots...when they have so much money to produce an album they hire of f*cking orchestra. I hate that I’m so cynical about these things, but I want my old Interpol back. That being said, they made "Turn on The Bright Lights"... so they get on my list.
SUNSET RUBDOWN-THE TAMING OF THE HANDS THAT CAME BACK TO LIFE
http://hypem.com/track/433858
So... I loved the Wolf Parade album 'Apologies to Queen Marry'. And I must be fair, I haven’t given much chance to sunset rubdown... maybe I will in the months ahead.
But this is a very interesting song. Fantastic chorus with that Santana sounding guitar. its an odd choice but it works when pieced together with the collective like odds and ends used for instrumentation, and the almost Tenacious D like vocal and melody..... Or something like that...
THE IN RAINBOW'S SECTION
(It’s no secret... I would put every song in this list, but I parsed it down...)
RADIOHEAD-JIGSAW FALLING INTO PLACE
http://hypem.com/track/440917
The second to last track on In Rainbows, this is as great a synthesis of old and new radiohead as there is on the album. Straight ahead beat, simple guitar, moving bass line, building and building to a fantastic climax beautifully orchestrated and balanced. I love these tight vocal harmonies that popped up on Eraser, and have bled onto this album. It’s a great accompaniment to already incredible musicians.
RADIOHEAD-15 STEPS
http://hypem.com/track/439294
An opening track that rivals "Everything In It's Right Place" (from Kid A) as their best opening track yet. It sets the tone for the album, again displaying an understanding of what worked in the past, and what will work for them in the future. Johnny Greenwood’s guitar in this is shockingly clear and clean, yet slinky and cool... some great lines in this one too... "Used to be alright, what happened? Etc...Etc..."
Small note, Phil Selway busts lose for a few measures around 1:55, but then quickly restrains himself back to his drum-machine-esque status quo... but good god is it effective...
RADIOHEAD-ALL I NEED
http://hypem.com/track/443834
If I really had to pick my favorite song from In Rainbows, it is this one. It’s the simple choice... it’s the most moving, least subtle, most emotional. Songs like this pop out so much in their albums for all these reasons. The typically obscure, cloudy and nebulous structures give way to a song like this... which has clear direction. It takes off slowly upward with chill bass line and drums; reverb rich backing orchestration and Thom’s simple croon "You are all I need; you are all I need... I’m in the middle of your picture, lying in the weeds" To be followed by an explosive climax of straining strings, pounding piano, and Thom... "Its all right, it’s all wrong"
RADIOHEAD-BANGERS AND MASH
http://hypem.com/track/439850
Last but not least, I thought id include a song from the 2nd disc. Banger's and Mash is cool... ok computer b-side cool. Talk Show Host cool... transatlantic drawl cool. (If you don’t know those songs...check them out too) Anyway, this is just a rock out song... not much to diagnose on this... just a fun, tight song.
perhaps i should have actually proof read this thing before i posted it everywhere...
alas
Om, Municipal Waste, Baroness, SkeletonWitch, The Haunted, Sleep, The Black Dahlia Murder, High on Fire, 3 Inches of Blood, Napalm Death, Goblin Cock, Witchcraft, Grails, Dio, Himsa, Genghis Tron, Death, Disfear, etc...
dammson: yeah, the Carcass reunion is cool, but I'm patiently awaiting US tour dates for the At The Gates reunion.
I completely agree with most of your analysis for songs of 2007, although I would change MIA's Paper Planes with Jimmy. The beats on that song are irresistible.
Never heard of Menomena. I'll get on that.
n_
oo menomena is fantastic... their first album is called I am the Fun Blame Monster and it to is amazing. You should that one out if you like the two songs above. In reality, Friend and Foe was so good i could have picked a couple other songs off of it for my favorite songs of the year, but i didnt want to be sooo one dimensional haha
lyrical content wise.... i seem to drift further back, stuff like wish bone ash cannot be compared with, sensitivity like zep, urban drama like the doors, experimental floyd, crooner dylan, acid beatles.... closest to newer genre is some trip hip which tries to fuse blues and funk with acid rock..... hip hop must die......
» Cindy Lauper
(Tom Gray)
She said I'm sorry baby I'm leaving you tonight
I found someone new he's waitin' in the car outside
Ah honey how could you do it
We swore each other everlasting love
She said well yeah I know but when
We did - there was one thing we weren't
Really thinking of and that's money
Money changes everything
Money, money changes everything
We think we know what we're doin'
That don't mean a thing
It's all in the past now
Money changes everything
They shake your hand and they smile
And they buy you a drink
They say we'll be your friends
We'll stick with you till the end
Ah but everybody's only
Looking out for themselves
And you say well who can you trust
I'll tell you it's just
Nobody else's money
Money changes everything
Money changes everything
We think we know what we're doin'
We don't pull the strings
It's all in the past now
Money changes everything
Money changes everything
Money changes everything
We think we know what we're doing
We don't know a thing
It's all in the past now
Money changes everything
Money changes everything
Money changes everything
ah man, the website i got it from misspelled "cyndi"
that first paragraph is brutal
yeah black dahlia murder.
that band makes menomena and any other indifad look like a 6th grade talent show
yes. brutal.
recently, i've read a few articles about the story of \v/ayhe\v/...the suicide of lead singer Dead, the murder of Euronymous by bassist Varg Vikernes/Count Grishnackh/Burzum...i've read some excerpts from Varg Vikernes' manifesto. sh*t's intense.
dammson, i think i read a little bit about that euronymous murder in an issue of vice magazine. pretty chilling. correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't varg make a stew of euronymous's brains?
anyway... i'm really liking architecture in helsinki's latest album places like this.
Vampire Weekend and Lykke Li have been on repeat for me the last 2 days. Too, too catchy.
yeah, FOG, i'm really liking the vampire weekend too. sounds kind of african pop influenced. their full length comes out @ the end of the month, i do believe.
Lykke Li
hmm, videos for both groups reveal that they like spastically edited video of whacky dancing.
yeah, they are quite good. It's kind of afro-pop by way of Paul Simon's Graceland.
And, *cough*soulseek*cough* the full length is all good.
Um... Ratatat
sally shaprio, will you marry me?
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