No, I don’t mean the place surrounding every city, I mean the new, totally awesome album released two weeks ago by Arcade Fire. This album seems to have been met with mixed review, but I for one, have nothing but great things to say about this piece of work. I defended their last album three years ago, and (not-surprisingly) I’m happy to do it again!
Why I Love "The Suburbs"
And so it ends how it begins. With reflection and a hint of regret. I’ve saved some of my favourites for the finale here, hope you’ve enjoyed this feature!
Just to recount, here are the first 20 songs that bring us to where we are now…
1. The Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done
2. Bloc Party – This Modern Love
3. Beck – Lost Cause
4. Stars – Your Ex-Lover is Dead
5. Arcade Fire – Rebellion (Lies
6. Matthew Good – Weapon
7. Metric – Monster Hospital
8. M.I.A. – Paper Planes
9. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
10. Ryan Adams – New York, New York
11. Feist – 1234
12. Broken Social Scene – Cause = Time
13. Flobots – Handlebars
14. Kanye West – Jesus Walks
15. DJ Dangermouse – Encore
16. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
17. Justin Timberlake – Sexy Back
18. Flo Rida featuring Kesha – Right Round
19. Outkast – Hey Ya
20. Rihanna featuring Jay-Z – Umbrella
And that brings us to…
After a few times focusing on such serious things as war and slefishness, it’s now time to look at some of the best additions this decade has had to help crowd the dancefloor.
But to recap, here are the first 15 songs:
1. The Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done
2. Bloc Party – This Modern Love
3. Beck – Lost Cause
4. Stars – Your Ex-Lover is Dead
5. Arcade Fire – Rebellion (Lies
6. Matthew Good – Weapon
7. Metric – Monster Hospital
8. M.I.A. – Paper Planes
9. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
10. Ryan Adams – New York, New York
11. Feist – 1234
12. Broken Social Scene – Cause = Time
13. Flobots – Handlebars
14. Kanye West – Jesus Walks
15. DJ Dangermouse – Encore
And now we have…
More than any political or philosophical force, this decade saw the rise of one thing: individualism. This past decade doesn’t really have a name but it could easily be called the “Me Decade” and all of us could be called members of “Generation M-E”. With the increase role that technology has on our lives, the entire world is at our fingertips. We can now decide what we want, when we want it. While I think that the consequences of this shift are still a long way away, the early years of the 21st century will surely be known as the beginning of the “Individual Revolution”. Today I’ll look at the five songs that really make me think about me the individual.
Just to recap, here are the first 10 songs that made the list:
1. The Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done
2. Bloc Party – This Modern Love
3. Beck – Lost Cause
4. Stars – Your Ex-Lover is Dead
5. The Arcade Fire – Rebellion (Lies)
6. Matthew Good – Weapon
7. Metric – Monster Hospital
8. M.I.A. – Paper Planes
9. White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
10. Ryan Adams – New York, New York
The next five additions are…
The past decade has been filled with conflict, from Iraq to Afghanistan, to rising crime in the Western World. Today I look back at the songs from the past 119 months that have had the most impact on me personally that all have to do with conflict.
Before we start, just a reminder from last time our playlist so far was:
1. The Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done
2. Bloc Party – This Modern Love
3. Beck – Lost Cause
4. Stars – Your Ex-Lover is Dead
5. The Arcade Fire – Rebellion (Lies)
The next five additions are….
As the first decade of this millennium draws to a close, it is time to start looking back a bit. One of the ways that I intend to do that is by creating my own personal playlist of the decade. This includes 25 songs that have made an impact on me in the past 9 years and 11 months. I do not think that I have the ability or desire to rank pieces of art objectively. So my criteria are simple. All songs on the list must have been released in a year that begins with 20. Also, for the purposes of accessibility, they are all going to be singles. With that specific definition left up to me.
I plan on releasing the list in groups of five over the next month and a bit. I do not have any schedule, they will just appear when I see fit I suppose.
Interestingly enough, I found that most of these songs were released in between 2004 and 2007. These two years are significant to me both musically, as they are the year that my favourite band, Arcade Fire, released their two albums, and also personally, as they are the two years that I received University Degrees. I am not certain if there is a connection or not, but it does add a certain credence to the notion that we need music when we are seeking meaning to our lives. Something that certainly comes with facing the unknown world outside of the comforts of Academia.
Enough dither, there is plenty of time for that as the list goes on.
After the wild success of the “25 Random Things” on Facebook, it seemed destined that music geeks around the world would find something to combat this meme. Thankfully, there was indeed something to come out. I was tagged of this one the Book, and decided that it would be better served as a blog post as well. Feel free to copy this idea (since I clearly did) and post it yourself, and if you are writing this on Facebook, please tag 20 (or so) people who you would like to know about their musical tastes.
The rules for this are simple, find 20 albums that mean the most to you and tell us why. These do not need to be in any particular order, and in no means should represent your thoughts on the 20 “best” albums, just ones that have a special meaning to you in some way, shape or form.
Sounds simple right? Well I thought it was going to be a simple exercise, but then I started writing, and I had a hard time stopping. It amazed me how much my history of musical tastes, is so interrelated to my own personal history, not only serving as a backdrop, but occasionally as a major player, developing a story of its own….enjoy!!!
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1. Arcade Fire — Funeral
I’ll always remember the moment that I acquired this album. I had just got off a bus stop when I noticed someone drop something. Desiring to be the good Samaritan, I rushed through the crowd to pick it up and return it, however, by the time that I fought my way over to what they had dropped, the very person had boarded the very bus that I just got off from and the doors closed, leaving me with a CD in my hand. After processing the events, I went home, and curiously put it into my stereo, and everything changed.
Alright, so I made that all up. My story of how I cam across the most meaningful piece of art is far less romantic than that, and to be honest, is a little bit sad.
Like most of my musical moments of my University days, they traced back to one man, Ryan McNutt. See McNutt (whose blog I have linked to on multiple occasions), is far more of a music geek than I have ever been, and has provided me with countless suggestions and insights into music at different points in time.
It was late in 2004, and I was discussing some record or another that should be the album of the year, and he interjected and told me that his pick was by a Montreal band called “The Arcade Fire”. I nodded and said that I would check it out. The next day, I went out and downloaded a few of their songs, and to be honest, I was not all that impressed. I thought that they were good, but far from great, and I paid them little attention for months.
Then one day, while I was more or less dissatisfied with my life, “Rebellion (Lies)” came on my iTunes shuffle, and I heard something different. Something resonated with me that wasn’t there before. I can’t place my finger on it, but it just sounded…better.
The next time I found myself in a record store, I knew that I needed to buy this album. While I had heard most of the songs on it before, I had yet to hear it that way before, and in that particular context. I was amazed at the symmetry of the album, and how beautifully all of the songs were put together (in particular “Haiti” and “Rebellion (Lies)”). I was spell bound at the art work on the cardboard case. I studied the lyrics and extracted meanings upon meanings.
My lack of income and fast internet connection had turned me into a downloader for most of my University days. I had forgotten the beauty in an album, the story it tells from it’s opening song, down to its aesthetics. Thankfully, along came Funeral and reminded me that an album really is more than a collection of songs, it can be something so much more.
While I could go on and on about my love for this album, I suppose that I have committed to talking about 19 others…
2. Nirvana — Unplugged in New York
Back in the mid-90s these new things called “CDs” came out. Apparently they were much more convenient and durable than tapes. Needless to say, my younger sister and I wanted them, badly. But we had quite the problem, no CD player. We asked Santa for one, but nothing came. We saw how great they were at friends house, and longer for one of our own, when finally our mother gave in and bought one for our house.
Since we obviously needed to expand our collection, my mother signed us up for one of those stupid record clubs that the internet has thankfully killed. For those of you who don’t remember, there were these companies that gave out deals were you could buy 12 CDs for 1 cent each, if you bought several other CDs for a vastly inflated price. It sounds like a good deal and all, but to be honest, the choices of CDs simply weren’t any good.
My mother told me that I could pick out as many of them from the list as I wanted, and I did not really liked any of them, so I ignored it. I am sure now that if I looked back I would find all sorts of hidden gems and CDs that I would absolutely adore, but that simply was not the case when I was 12.
I wanted what all pre-teens want more than anything, acceptance from their peers. I was always looking for some bands on this master list that I had heard of, and finally I noticed one that was not The Backstreet Boys. I was a little bit too young and dorky to get into Nirvana when it mattered, but I knew that I had heard a few of their songs on the radio and I did like them, so I jumped when I saw Unplugged in New York.
I discovered a host of other great CDs (including several other by Nirvana), and this one became largely forgotten. However, when I entered a more adult phase of my musical life I rediscovered how beautiful this live album is. When I listen to it now, I am amazed that my 12 year old self could appreciate something as mellow, raw, and nostalgic as this album, but somehow I did. I’d like to think that it was other reasons than just wanting to fit in, but that may be a little hard to say now.
3. Cake — Fashion Nugget
There are many advantages to having an older sibling, but one of the most tangible is an earlier parent free access to a car. Of course, one of the other advantages to this is that you get to listen to their much older (and usually better) musical tastes while they are driving.
While my older sister, has introduced me to a great deal of excellent bands (and I’d like to think that I have repaid her in recent years) one of the ones that really sticks out to me is Cake. They are a band that is not so big, so I can not really assume that I would have found them on my own, and certainly not so early. Either way, this would quickly become the sound track for car rides with my two sisters, and very much remains a band with a strong familial connection for me (and presumably the other two as well). Special mention to “Stickshifts and Safetybelts”, THE definitive road-tripping song.
4. Everclear — So Much for the Afterglow
Another album that has a special place in our family to me. The major exception being that my older sister and I arrived at this one independently of one another, and to no surprise, we both loved it.
The songs of a broken family held a special resonance with me at a particularly challenging time in my teenage life. The song “I Will Buy You a New Life” was particularly poignant for me in my summer before I was about to move to Nova Scotia, and start a new life of my own. Whenever I hear this CD I am taken to a bit of a hard place, but am relieved to know that I made it out fine enough.
5. Eminem — The Slim Shady LP
6. Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem’s major label debut was another musical gift from my older sister, as she had heard it just before it really broke through. I fell in love with his witty and relevant lyrics, violence and anger aside. It is worth noting that this was shortly after I moved to Nova Scotia, and I remember being mocked for my choice in “scary death music”, but that just led to me listening to this amazing album on my own.
Of course, after a year and a bit, “The Real Slim Shady” became a huge single, and helped propel everyone to rush to the store and go for The Marshall Mathers LP.
Needless to say, I was able to listen to that one in whatever company I wanted.
7. Matthew Good Band — Beautiful Midnight
Not all of my musical energies were being devoted to angry but intelligent rap at the time. There was still a rock starved side to my soul that was drowning in the sea of Brittney-pop that was the late 90s/early 00s.
Thankfully, I found an outlet with this aptly titled, beautiful album.
I think that this is legitimately one of the best put together albums I have ever heard. The track listing here is near perfect. Instead of just going with the traditional track number, each song was given an hour of the night, and each song matched the mood of that particular time. My favourite of course being “Let’s Get it On” for midnight.
8. New Radicals — Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too
I have a bit of a strange story to acquiring this album (and a real one). See when the single “You Get What You Give” came out in 1999, I was not particularly impressed with it. I mean, it was catchy, but I just didn’t seem to get it. My younger sister when out and bought the CD, and seemed to listen primarily to the single, which quickly reached one hit wonder status. I did not think too much about it and moved on.
Fast forward a few years, and I was dragged to some god-awful movie with Mandi Moore (A Walk To Remember maybe? I really don’t remember, someone please help me out with this one) and it used the song “Someday We’ll Know” from this CD, which I instantly recognized from the CD. Somehow, when I heard it in that theatre, I got it.
That summer when I went home, I borrowed it from my sister and listened to the CD front to back a number of times, and fell in love with it. From the stellar opening “Mother We Just Can’t Get Enough” to the depressing “Crying Like a Church on a Monday” finisher, this CD has it all. It chronicles an amazing romantic journey with highs, lows, twists and turns.
Thankfully she let me keep the album from then on, and I can fully appreciate it all the time.
9. Hawksley Workman — Lover/Fighter
Like a lot of Canadians, I grew to like both “Striptease” and “Jealous of Your Cigarette” by Hawksley Workman, mostly for their perverted connotations. I decided to purchase Lover/Fighter on a bit of a whim, and have never lived to regret it. Like the last few albums I have listed, this is amazingly put together as the character in the songs alternates between a lover and a fighter from song to song. Also, this started my backwards journey of Mr. Workman, which has led to some of my absolute favourite and personal of songs on my playlists.
10. Green Day — American Idiot
11. Franz Ferdinand — Franz Ferdinand
12. The Killers — Hot Fuss
From the fall of 2004 to the spring of 2005, I worked as a Recruitment Officer for Acadia University. One of my major responsibilities was to drive around to different high schools all over the Maritime Provinces. Needless to say, this involved a lot of time alone in a car, so a good CD collection was an absolute must. I bought (and made) several CDs over the course of that year, but these three stand out as the best purchases to soundtrack the open road. Whenever I listen to any of these now, I am taken back to stunning East coast scenery and some deep and personal thoughts.
13. Arctic Monkeys — Whatever People Say, That’s What I’m Not
After a year working for “The Man”, I moved to Scotland for a year. While there I got to experience a bunch of excellent British bands the way they were meant to be experienced, fervently. However, the biggest explosion came in January of 2006, when The Arctic Monkeys released their debut album. Records were shattered, people were amazed, and great musicians earned their place in the spotlight. Not only is this a fantastic album, but it really helped me understand that depth and scope for the British passion for great music.
14. Broken Social Scene — You Forgot It In People
15. Wilco — Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
These two fantastic albums came into my life a little late, but were still incredibly appreciated. For a variety of reasons, these two would soundtrack any late night lesson planning or marking I was doing in either Teacher’s College or during my first year of teaching. If you ever need any music to play while you are questioning your career motivations, these two albums get my highest recommendation.
16. Sufjan Stevens — Seven Swans
While I will fully acknowledge that either the Michigan or Illinois albums are far superior to this Sufjan release, this one still holds a very special place in my heart. I first got into this album at a point that seems like a life time ago. I was really falling for this very special girl, who shall remain nameless for a variety of reasons. I would often play this very mellow and reflective album when I was alone and thinking about her. Now her and I did not work out, for another variety of reasons, but this album and I worked out just fine. Whenever her and I were together we would often listen to different music, so I never formed a direct connection between her and this album, instead these tracks became connected with the feeling of love to me. Whenever I listen to these songs (especially “The Dress Looks Nice on You” and “To Be Alone With You”) I can’t help but feel like I am falling in love again, even if it is just with the gentle melodies.
17. Sigur Ros — ( )
Last year, I was in a state of flux, starting a new career, with a very busy and demanding schedule. As a result, I had difficulties fully slowing down at the end of the day, and I would find myself tossing and turning for hours at a time before falling asleep. Thankfully, this album came along to help me. The volumes that are spoken in this album are simply astounding, despite the absence of any real language. The album seems like it was designed for someone to fall asleep to, as it starts out a little restless, but eventually clams down, only to softly stir later on.
18. Stars — Nightsongs
19. Kanye West — Graduation
Before I start let me get two important things out of the way: Firstly, I realize that this is an incredibly bizarre album pairing, and secondly, I am also fully aware that both of these albums pale in comparison to some of the other works by the band and artist. Last year, while living in Oakville (the suburbs of Toronto) I got to become something that I had never really been before, a semi-regular concert goer. I went to as many concerts as I could, and thoroughly enjoyed them all, however two really stand out to me, Stars in November, and Kanye West in May. Both shows were fantastic, but the most memorable moments of each show came when they played songs from the albums listed above, “On Peak Hill” and “Flashing Lights” respectively. So whenever I hear any songs of either album, I am taken back to some special moments experiencing music the way it is supposed to, in the ringing of the ears and shaking of the chest.
20. Arcade Fire — Neon Bible
It ends how it begins.
After having such a fantastic experience with their debut album, I had lofty ambitions for their follow up, and I was not at all disappointed. When I first heard this album I was simply amazed. More than Funeral I felt that this album was made for me. “Ocean of Noise” described my previous relationship, “My Body is a Cage” described the one I was in at the time, and I feared that my future would be written in the “Neon Bible”. I listened to this album almost obsessively, even sneaking to my computer to hear it during my lunch breaks at school, and every time I found something else that was somehow, someway connected to my life at the time.
Had they written it just for me?
Obviously, I can only assume that they did not, but it felt like it at the time, and looking back I feel it still. While Funeral reunited my love for music, and reminded me of what it was capable of, Neon Bible took it a whole different level for me, and made it personal. It reminded me that music can mean a different thing to everyone in this world, and that is what makes it so special, the fact that you can genuinely feel like an artist is making something for you.
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So there we have it, a lot longer than I anticipated, but done none the less. Hopefully you’ll share your lists too, fair is fair after all!!!
Until next time,
G
Hello one and all, it is that time of the year for everyone’s favourite Hallmark fueled holiday! As I have done in the past two years, I will be making a romantic playlist, should any of you out there need any inspiration for anything romantical. If you are still getting ideas/suggestions for your special someone, slap all of these songs onto a CD and pray for the best.
Enjoy…
1. My Morning Jacket — “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Part 2″. Not the most traditional romantic song, especially with the bizare spacey introduction, but trust me this is a great song, that really can be quite sappy. Also, it has an exciting energy to kick things off well.
Most Romantic Line: “I can see it all…by the way you smile/I’m smiling too, I see myself in you”
2. Broken Social Scene – “Major Label Debut”. I continue with the excellent uniquely sappy songs from Drew et. al. There are a vast amount of options that are always open. I quite like this song, and think that it fits as a nice followup to the opener. There are two versions of this song (Fast and Original) I would stick with the Original, since you want to slow things down soon, but the Fast is not bad itself.
Most Romantic Line: “I could be here, I could move town/Forced to live like it’s a curfew/Translation, means I love you”
3. The Eels – “Fresh Feeling”. This really is one of the most romantic songs out there. It is really straightforward and explains things quite well. The lyrics are easy to hear and relate to, and bound to get a tear and an “awww” from even the most jaded listeners.
Most Romantic Line: “Words can’t be that strong/My heart is reeling/This is that fresh/That fresh feeling”
4. TV on the Radio — “Ambulance”. I know, I’ve talked about this song before, but I really think that it is the most romantic song ever made. Listen to it, play it for her, thank me later.
Most Romantic Line: “I will be your one more time/If you will be my one last chance/Fall fast, fall free, fall for me”
5. Mates of State — “Like u Crazy”. A rather cute addition to this list. The light hearted intro and chorus that repeats “I like you crazy” is very catchy and can make you float in the clouds.
Most Romantic Line: “I can’t wait to say, all the things you can’t see/All the things that make you better”
6. Feist — “Tout Doucement”. An adorable french Feist song. It has a certain charm, even if you don’t understand the language, it’s still really cute.
Most Romantic Line: “L’amour alors viendra”
7. She and Him — “I Was Made For You”. A great song off an incredibly cute album. For the record, this was made in 2008, and not 1958 like it may sound, it adds a certain nostalgia trip to it all. If you don’t like this song, just look at almost any other song from their album, and it’ll make your heart smile a little bit.
Most Romantic Line: “When I saw you smile/I saw a dream come true”
8. The Constantines and Feist — “Islands in the Stream”. BEAUTIFUL cover of the Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers classic. This doesn’t have the same campy appeal of the original, but it comes across as being slightly more real. I can just imagine people in love singing this to one another.
Most Romantic Line: “We start and end as one/In love forever”
9. Stars — “Umbrellas”. (Stream unavailable, my apologies) A great and cute some from the masters of the great and cute. Like the last few tracks, it has a certain nostalgic feel to it, and feels like a perfect song to dance a slow waltz to.
Most Romantic Line: “I counted all the lights/They don’t shine as bright/They don’t pierce the night/Like you do”
10. Dispatch — “Walk With You”. From the extended flute intro, to the powerful and easily identifiable romantic imagery makes this one a winner. Go for this one for sure!
Most Romantic Line: “I will walk with you/Using the stars as guides.”
11. Matthew Good — “Song for the Girl”. Looking back at my previous lists, I honestly can’t believe that this song did not make a previous list!!! It’s a great song by a great singer, describing how special his one girl is. It has just enough rock to it to get you out of the comfortable lull that the playlist has probably put you in by now.
Most Romantic Line: “Up again, down again, out of your heard/When she’s beside you, you’re really not so dead.”
12. New Radicals — “Flowers”. A fantasic track from one of the most underrated albums of the 90s. The love story about a guy chasing down a hippie who has been heartbroken before, may not entirely fit your situation, but it’s got some great things for just about everyone.
Most Romantic Line: “My love is real/As real as the flowers you smoke to high”
13. Joseph Arthur — “Honey and the Moon”. A great song made famous by the O.C. Like all Joseph Arthur songs it has a bit of sadness to it, but it is still sappy enough to make the cut, especially since it is not going at the end (where it’s sadness would be magnified).
Most Romantic Line: “Don’t know why I’m still afraid/If you weren’t real, I would make you up”
14. Ingrid Michaelson “The Way I Am”. This song makes me just plain happy. I am not going to lie, I have a MASSIVE crush on Ingrid Michaelson, and everything that she does makes me smile. This song is just too sweet for me to describe, so listen to it yourself.
Most Romantic Line: “Cuz I love you more than I could ever promise/And you take me the way I am”
15. Coldplay — “Strawberry Swing“. I know that the internet is rife with Coldplay haters these days, but they are still capable of putting out some great songs, and Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends was a fine example of that. This song just sounds nostalgic and is reminiscent of a powerful and young love. Even the biggest haters can’t deny something that powerful!
Most Romantic Line: “Now the sky could be blue/I don’t mind/Without you it’s just a waste of time”
16. Moxy Fruvous — “I Will Hold On”. And we finish this list of cute songs with one of the cutest. This is a great, slow, romantic song by a band who is better known for their faster comedic works. It is just a repeat of a bunch of things that a guy would be willing for his love, and boy are they sweet. Just know that if you put a song this nice on your playlist, you will need to deliver yourself. Tread carefully with this one!
Most Romantic Line: “I’ll hold the hope that we won’t part”
And that just about concludes the playlist here. Let me know if it helps!!!!
Until next time,
G
Archieved Posts:
Prologue: Back in a distant time, a man made an extraordinary claim. He said that he would bring freedom to a long oppressed land. As the years passed, people thought that this day of freedom would never arise. However, to the shock of many, freedom would come, and it would be just what the doctor ordered. People were bound to ask though, was it worth the wait?
In 1994, at the height of their popularity, Guns N’ Roses front man, announced the name of their next album, Chinese Democracy. However, as delay upon delay came, and the band changed members repeatedly, it appeared as if we were going to see actual democracy in China before the album’s release.
Years past, and the album became a punchline. With the Offspring even hinting at calling their album Chinese Democracy: You Snooze, You Lose in 2002, however they backed off for legal reasons. Even as early as this year, Dr. Pepper, made a (presumably) satirical offer to give one free can of Dr. Pepper to everyone in the United States if Chinese Democracy was released in 2008.
I am not if Axl Rose likes Dr. Pepper or not, but that seemed to motivate him. It was announced in the fall of 2008 that the album would be released in November. As is often the case in this digital age, the tracks of the album were leaked. However, in a stunning development, Axl Roses pursued legal measures against the bloggers who leaked the tracks, and so far one man, Kevin Cogill, has been sentenced to a year in prison as a result of the track leaking.
Much like Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace this album faced a near impossible volume of hype and expectations. When you keep people waiting for so long, you need to come to terms with the fact that it may be better in the minds of fans than in reality. However, unlike the first Star Wars prequel, Chinese Democracy did not make its creators any richer. The album boasted some very low sales, and in no way justified its $13, 000, 000 reported price tag.
Once more, it really just wasn’t very good. Sure, it had its inspired moments, however, the chords are over produced, and the lyrics are under thought. Which hardly warrants the fourteen years that Axl Rose had to meditate on the subject.
If there is one thing that Chinese Democracy has proven, it is that good things do not always come to those who wait.
Epilogue: Chinese Democracy sold only 261,000 units in the first week of sales, and the numbers sharply declined after wards. It ranked #12 on The Rolling Stones year end rank of albums, but #1 on IGN’s Worst Album of 2008 list.
There have been no talks of releasing a new album.
Until next time,
Achieved Year in Review Posts:
The Fall of the Prophet – January 6th
The Rise of the Ice Queen -January 7th
An Unlikely Fruition – January 7th
Attack of the Three-Headed Terror – January 9th
A Most Sincere Inquiry – January 10th
The Golden League – January 14th
The Fall from Grace – January 16th
The Eighth Layer of Injustice – January 16th
The Transmuter of Nations – January 22nd
Welcome to the second installment of the regular(ish) feature, Musical Thumbs Up and Down. Where I give some pretty random thoughts on some pretty random songs.
Thumbs Up to “Lonelily” by Damien Rice!! Fans of Mr. Rice will know that this song has been out for several years now, but I have recently rediscovered it, and completely fallen for it this time. I absolutely love the story about not wanting to be alone that you’d sacrifice anything, even your integrity. That kind of loneliness is something that is so incredibly easy to identify with, making this song just perfect for dealing with those kinds of feelings.
Favourite Lyric: “In a way, I’ve lost all I’ve believed in, and I never found myself so alone. And let me down”
(Not an official video)
Thumbs Down to “Gotta Be Somebody” by Nickleback!!! If you are a fan of Canada’s most boring musical export, then I advise you to scroll down, because this will not be kind.
Still here? Good, that means that you have some sense. This song completely blows!!!! These guys are the absolute pure epitome of sell-outs. Their first album had some decent songs and a bit of a rock edge, but since then it’s been bad, really bad. “Just like a paperback novel” ranks among the most one dimensional and forced rock similes, which is a shame given the potential they showed with such songs as “Leader of Men”. But I guess record sales are all that matter, and Kruger and co. will still be able to sleep at night on their piles of money, even if nobody remembers their work for producing anything of substance a few years from now.
With this song, Nickleback have neared, or perhaps eclipsed a new low for generic boring lyrics with some passable at best music thrown in there.
Least Favourite Lyric: “Someone to love with my life in their hands. There has gotta be somebody for me Ohhhhhh.”
(Not an official video)
Thumbs Up for “Family Tree” by TV on the Radio!!!!! Another amazing song from a simply amazing band. Their new album Dear Science has got to be considered one of the best of 2008. In the spirit of “Ambulance” (which I have mentioned two different times on this very blog), they produce another amazingly romantic song. As they describe the often-described-indescribables of love in new and exciting ways, this time talking about getting together underneath a family tree. I mean coudl you have any more powerful of an image?
Favourite Lyric: “It’s echoing moonlight on to the blue nightmare of your heart. In cosy red rainbow, it’s shaking off halos,
and the memory of our sacred so and so’s”
(Not an official video)
(For the record I wanted to find “DLZ” off of this album, but had no luck. Should you have the chance to hear that song, be prepared to be amazed)
Thumbs Down for “Hot n’ Cold” by Katy Perry!!!! Uggh….I hate this woman, she tries to be subversive and edgy, but is really just as prepackaged as the Jonas Brothers. She seems like she’s writing the rest of the song around such cutting edge lyrics as “PMS” and “bipolar”, which completely makes them lose their power and seem insignificant.
On top of that, the cheesy 90s pop beats are not-yet-nostalgic, so they just seem bad.
Do yourself a favour and skip this one, although I doubt you will be able to…
Least Favourite Lyric: “You change your mind, like a girl changes clothes”
(The official music video!!! For “Hot” by Avril Lavigne….with this song dubbed over)
Thumbs Up for “Disturbia” by Rihanna!!! Man this girl is talented!!! When she first debuted, she seemed like she may be another flash in the pan songstress, but she has proven any of her detractors wrong by producing some legitimatly fantastic work. After suffering through all that is Brittney, Christina et al., it was easy to discount the genre of girl pop, however Rihanna proves time and time again that there can be substance to go along with the style.
I simply love this song, not only for it’s solid beats, but for the incredible story that Rihanna is able to tell. She sings a song about losing her mind, but as her paceing gets more erratic as the song progresses you get the legitimate feeling listening to it (not to mention watching the video) that she may actually be doing losing it.
Favourite Lyric: “It’s a thief in the night to come and grab you, it can creep up inside you”
(Actually an official video)
Thumbs Down for “Paper Planes (Remix)” by Lil’ Wayne!!! This really just doesn’t do it for me. Partially because of my ambivalence for ego-rap, but mostly because I adore the original version of this song and this one just doesn’t feel right. It includes the incredibly unique chorus, but all of Lil’ Wayne’s lyrical masturbation just takes away from any of M.I.A.’s original, and poignant lyrics. While I am not against remixes as a rule, I feel that they need to add something to the original, this one clearly robs the original of its intelligent.
Least Favourite Lyric: “Banana in ya ass, its what you hear right behind ya”
(Yet again, not the official video)
Thumbs Up for “Paper Planes” by M.I.A.!!!! After raving about it in the last song, it only seems natural that I talk about this one. The major difference here, is that this song is never really about the artist, it’s about her actions. It’s about her living a life of crime. Plus this song is just so original and poignant, something that the remix, by its very definition, lacks.
Favourite Lyric: “We pack and deliver like UPS trucks, already going to hell, just pumping that gas.”
(Sorry, yet another unofficial video…and the audio kind of sucks too)
Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did…
Until next time,
G
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