Song: Insensibilidad
Artist: Ska-P
Album: ¡¡Que Corra La Voz!!
Genre: Ska Punk
This is really short because I just got back to CMU and I have a ton of shopping and box shelpping to do, but I felt that it was time for a foreign song that isn't french. Ska-P is a ska punk band from Madrid, and if you can't already tell, Ska-P stands for ska punk. I don't understand a word of this song, because I suck at even languages I know, but I have stinking suspicion that "Insensibilidad" means "Insensible". All in all, it's just another crazy fun song. And crazy fun songs are awesome.
Song here!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
The Best Music Video of All Time. Ever. Period.
I love watching music videos. Official ones, fan ones, even AMVs can be interesting sometimes. Music videos can just bring so much more out of a song (aka Gorillaz) or can totally ruin it (aka EVERY INCUBUS MV except this one).
Recently an online music and film magazine by the name of Stylus posted their "Top 100 Music Videos of All Time". Personally I find the idea of ranked music videos about as stupid as ranked music... BUT i just had to see what they were ranting on about. Naturally I cut through all the crap and went straight for what THEY deemed the best music video of all time.
Rabbit In Your Headlights - Thom Yorke
"It's almost impossible to say what it means, but it's equally hard to find someone who can watch it, really watch it, and remain unmoved." HM. I dunno man, I'll definately say it's better than your cliched meaningless average rock music video that attempts to be deep but fails miserably to be engaging on any level... But the best of all time? I think one of the problems stems from the fact that the song itself isn't particularly amazing (especially for Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke) coupled with a message that's just a bit TOO cryptic. Anyways make sure you watch till the end cuz that's the "interesting part". It's a lot better if you watch it as a "short film" instead of a "music video".
I guess this is as good a time as ever to share some my favorite MV's, so in no particular order:
Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz
Everyone's seen this one before so I won't bother to explain why this music video is so great
Hurt (cover) - Johnny Cash
Originally Johnny Cash didn't want to do a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song, stating that NIN wasn't "his style"... imagine that... Anyways it's good that he did cover this song. It's often lauded as one of the greatest music videos ever created, and I can see why.
1979 - The Smashing Pumpkins
If you listen to alternative rock music, this song should sound familiar. It's often considered the best song that one of the most influential bands of the 90's ever wrote. It's about how great it is to be a kid and how carefree life is. It definately has a nostalgic feel to it... Makes me wish I spent my teen years in the 90's. The song is pretty much summed up in the lines "And we don't even know/just where our bones will rest/to dust i guess."
Recently an online music and film magazine by the name of Stylus posted their "Top 100 Music Videos of All Time". Personally I find the idea of ranked music videos about as stupid as ranked music... BUT i just had to see what they were ranting on about. Naturally I cut through all the crap and went straight for what THEY deemed the best music video of all time.
Rabbit In Your Headlights - Thom Yorke
"It's almost impossible to say what it means, but it's equally hard to find someone who can watch it, really watch it, and remain unmoved." HM. I dunno man, I'll definately say it's better than your cliched meaningless average rock music video that attempts to be deep but fails miserably to be engaging on any level... But the best of all time? I think one of the problems stems from the fact that the song itself isn't particularly amazing (especially for Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke) coupled with a message that's just a bit TOO cryptic. Anyways make sure you watch till the end cuz that's the "interesting part". It's a lot better if you watch it as a "short film" instead of a "music video".
I guess this is as good a time as ever to share some my favorite MV's, so in no particular order:
Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz
Everyone's seen this one before so I won't bother to explain why this music video is so great
Hurt (cover) - Johnny Cash
Originally Johnny Cash didn't want to do a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song, stating that NIN wasn't "his style"... imagine that... Anyways it's good that he did cover this song. It's often lauded as one of the greatest music videos ever created, and I can see why.
1979 - The Smashing Pumpkins
If you listen to alternative rock music, this song should sound familiar. It's often considered the best song that one of the most influential bands of the 90's ever wrote. It's about how great it is to be a kid and how carefree life is. It definately has a nostalgic feel to it... Makes me wish I spent my teen years in the 90's. The song is pretty much summed up in the lines "And we don't even know/just where our bones will rest/to dust i guess."
Saturday, August 18, 2007
"Bathwater" by No Doubt
Song: Bathwater
Artist: No Doubt
Album: Return Of Saturn
Genre: Ska Punk
I was listening to this song recently and it reminded me just how much I missed Gwen Stefani when she was back with No Doubt. Despite all the success she seems to have with radioplay and all that, to me, her solo career has been just ma-ma hu-hu, except for two songs -- "The Sweetest Thing" which was pretty damn catchy and "Hollerback Girl" which was beyond terrible. "Hollerback Girl" is the main reason I blame Gwen Stefani for the horrible music that is Fergie (there's another woman who should not have gone solo, even more so than Gwen Stefani).
Apparently this song didn't do so well in the charts when it was released as a single, but I like it nonetheless. The dark undertones, the funky beat, the bouncy chorus, and Gwen Stefani sounds great! Give it a listen and please tell me No Doubt are gonna get off this damn hiatus already.
Artist: No Doubt
Album: Return Of Saturn
Genre: Ska Punk
I was listening to this song recently and it reminded me just how much I missed Gwen Stefani when she was back with No Doubt. Despite all the success she seems to have with radioplay and all that, to me, her solo career has been just ma-ma hu-hu, except for two songs -- "The Sweetest Thing" which was pretty damn catchy and "Hollerback Girl" which was beyond terrible. "Hollerback Girl" is the main reason I blame Gwen Stefani for the horrible music that is Fergie (there's another woman who should not have gone solo, even more so than Gwen Stefani).
Apparently this song didn't do so well in the charts when it was released as a single, but I like it nonetheless. The dark undertones, the funky beat, the bouncy chorus, and Gwen Stefani sounds great! Give it a listen and please tell me No Doubt are gonna get off this damn hiatus already.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Mandy Moore's Umbrella
aka How "Annoying" got bumped up a notch.
"Man when I heard that Umbrella song.. I was just like "that really is something"... Annoying lyrics, annoying melody, SUPER annoying chorus... it's a guaranteed commercial success! But.. the thing is.... Rihanna just isn't ANNOYING enough. It's just.. she doesn't live up to the rest of the song. I mean the concept is gold, repeating "umbrella -ella -ella -ella" like she's pretending to be her own echo? Hell that's more annoying than paying 2% royalties to my "artists". LOL. It's just... I felt the execution was lacking.
The second I heard it, I knew. I knew that I had a shot to make an irritating song into the most bothersome song ever. So, I called up the most annoying singer I had access to, and essentially turned the song into a melencholy ballad. I cut out all the less annoying hip hop synthed beats and put in a god-awful acoustic guitar and bass/drums from an 80's ktv machine. I told Mandy Moore her parents died right before recording to give her a slight "sad" sort of emotion, or something. THEN to top it off, I made the backup vocals for the chorus male singers! Then I kicked them in the balls repeatedly to get a slightly "hurt" tone out of them. I am confident that I have helped in the creation of the most annoying song ever."
- Mandy Moore's Songwriter/Manager
I fucking dare you to click here.
"Man when I heard that Umbrella song.. I was just like "that really is something"... Annoying lyrics, annoying melody, SUPER annoying chorus... it's a guaranteed commercial success! But.. the thing is.... Rihanna just isn't ANNOYING enough. It's just.. she doesn't live up to the rest of the song. I mean the concept is gold, repeating "umbrella -ella -ella -ella" like she's pretending to be her own echo? Hell that's more annoying than paying 2% royalties to my "artists". LOL. It's just... I felt the execution was lacking.
The second I heard it, I knew. I knew that I had a shot to make an irritating song into the most bothersome song ever. So, I called up the most annoying singer I had access to, and essentially turned the song into a melencholy ballad. I cut out all the less annoying hip hop synthed beats and put in a god-awful acoustic guitar and bass/drums from an 80's ktv machine. I told Mandy Moore her parents died right before recording to give her a slight "sad" sort of emotion, or something. THEN to top it off, I made the backup vocals for the chorus male singers! Then I kicked them in the balls repeatedly to get a slightly "hurt" tone out of them. I am confident that I have helped in the creation of the most annoying song ever."
- Mandy Moore's Songwriter/Manager
I fucking dare you to click here.
"Walkie Talkie Man" by Steriogram
Song: Walkie Talkie ManBand: Steriogram
Album: Schmack!
Genre: Pop punk
A brief little pimpage while I wait for comics and knock back advils by the handful. This song is just so crazy and fun with fast verses that take you a few listens to catch the lyrics. I used to always put it on our softball warmup playlist because it had the best line - "He's fat and he don't run too fast/But he's faster than me". It applies SO well to my running capabilities.
Courtesy of youtube, I found out that this song was also used for an iPod commercial, which just further supports my "Apple has a knack for choosing awesome songs" theory. But what rocks even more? The music video was directed by Michel Gondry! That man is genius. He's like the Wade Robson of directing.
For just listening purposes, click here.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
English Invasion Part I
lol...i was trying to think of some corny name for the title to summarize what it's about. i'm sure if you're into the contemporary music scene, you'll notice that recently there's been a sudden appearances of female singers from the UK. Two of the most well known UK female artists rite now is Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse. If you don't know either than shame on you. But then again i guess if you're of the male gender, you're somewhat dismissed. After all, i guess they're somewhat accepted artists that go under the genre of 'girl music'.
Lily Allen's songs are characterize by a sort of quirky girl power. I like to think of her as a more appealing version of Lady Sovereign, more pop and more feminine. Take
'Smile' for example, it's basically about taking pleasure in watching an ex bf fall in despair as she secretly destroys his utmost prized possessions (well that's the video anyways)! The song lyrics is more about how she smiles when she sees him sad. lol...well either way it's a lil cheeky and devilish. I love it ( it used to be my ringtone until i dropped my phone in the toilet....so sad)! It's really catchy. She has a few pretty humorous songs, like 'Alfie' (about lil bro smoking weed..well not only that...but that's one of the lines of the lyrics =p) and 'Nan, You're a Window Shopper' (about Nan ENGLISH>'s strange habits). They're fun songs. Then there's another one of my favs called 'Littlest Things', a slower and more serious song. Reminiscing about an old relationship. It's really catchy too..heh. Give her a try if u havn't already, she's cute style-wise and vocally too!
Okay here's a tran 
sition for you...Lily Allen is related to Amy Winehouse through Mark Ronson! They've both done tracks with him...and Lily Allen was seen photographed with Samantha Ronso n r ecently when she was in the 90210. And both Lily and Amy have recently cancelled shows/concerts... well for v. diff reasons...both health reasons though...anyways...
So Amy Winehouse...hmm, she fits under the category of blues/jazz. A lot of songs are about her previous disastrous relationship and hints at her alcoholism. She recently went into rehab with her hubby...and she had a heroin overdose a week ago? smth like that. So apart from 'Valerie' off Mark Ronson's cd (which i posted on the Mark Ronson entry), 'Love is a Losing Game' is another one of my fav. There's 'Rehab' and 'Back to Black', those are her most well known tracks but i'll let u find those yrself. She's quite a character, her entire image is pretty intriguing. Did you kno that she's jewish too? Anyways give that track a listen!
More UK female artists coming up!
Lily Allen's songs are characterize by a sort of quirky girl power. I like to think of her as a more appealing version of Lady Sovereign, more pop and more feminine. Take
'Smile' for example, it's basically about taking pleasure in watching an ex bf fall in despair as she secretly destroys his utmost prized possessions (well that's the video anyways)! The song lyrics is more about how she smiles when she sees him sad. lol...well either way it's a lil cheeky and devilish. I love it ( it used to be my ringtone until i dropped my phone in the toilet....so sad)! It's really catchy. She has a few pretty humorous songs, like 'Alfie' (about lil bro smoking weed..well not only that...but that's one of the lines of the lyrics =p) and 'Nan, You're a Window Shopper' (about Nan Okay here's a tran
So Amy Winehouse...hmm, she fits under the category of blues/jazz. A lot of songs are about her previous disastrous relationship and hints at her alcoholism. She recently went into rehab with her hubby...and she had a heroin overdose a week ago? smth like that. So apart from 'Valerie' off Mark Ronson's cd (which i posted on the Mark Ronson entry), 'Love is a Losing Game' is another one of my fav. There's 'Rehab' and 'Back to Black', those are her most well known tracks but i'll let u find those yrself. She's quite a character, her entire image is pretty intriguing. Did you kno that she's jewish too? Anyways give that track a listen!
More UK female artists coming up!
An apology that is... not really an apology?
So if you follow mainstream music you'll probably know about Akon's new song Sorry, Blame It On Me. It's a good move on his part, putting out a song where he can give some sort of apology to anyone he's offended.
I've liked a lot of Akon's songs and I do like this one too, but I really do have some gripes about it. In a way you can say it's his song to apologize to everyone about all the recent events that have happened (dry humping a 14 year old and throwing a fan at a concert to name the ones I know the best). Although these events might not have been entirely his fault, he definitely has some part in them. If you follow the lyrics it seems more and more like he's trying to make himself look like a saint:
"I'm sorry for the hand that she was dealt
And for the embarrassment that she felt
She's just a little young girl trying to have fun
But daddy should of never let her out that young"
I definitely agree if the club is supposed to have an age limit that someone underage shouldn't be there. Then again he was holding a "contest with a trip to Africa". It ends up the prize is really just dry-humping his fan, which is quite extreme and crude. Given that the club should have people at an age where it wouldn't be completely unacceptable, I think Akon should have at the very least stated his true intentions. A perfectly innocent woman who got caught up in the whole "trip to Africa" thing could've really been hurt. It also ends up the 14 year old girl who "won" had family who were public figures. ( Her brother is the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Crime Watch)
I don't feel like citing more examples, but I just feel this song is trying to sanctify Akon a little too much. Nevertheless, I still like this song and will continue to listen to Akon.
Akon - Sorry, Blame it On Me
I've liked a lot of Akon's songs and I do like this one too, but I really do have some gripes about it. In a way you can say it's his song to apologize to everyone about all the recent events that have happened (dry humping a 14 year old and throwing a fan at a concert to name the ones I know the best). Although these events might not have been entirely his fault, he definitely has some part in them. If you follow the lyrics it seems more and more like he's trying to make himself look like a saint:
"I'm sorry for the hand that she was dealt
And for the embarrassment that she felt
She's just a little young girl trying to have fun
But daddy should of never let her out that young"
I definitely agree if the club is supposed to have an age limit that someone underage shouldn't be there. Then again he was holding a "contest with a trip to Africa". It ends up the prize is really just dry-humping his fan, which is quite extreme and crude. Given that the club should have people at an age where it wouldn't be completely unacceptable, I think Akon should have at the very least stated his true intentions. A perfectly innocent woman who got caught up in the whole "trip to Africa" thing could've really been hurt. It also ends up the 14 year old girl who "won" had family who were public figures. ( Her brother is the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Crime Watch)
I don't feel like citing more examples, but I just feel this song is trying to sanctify Akon a little too much. Nevertheless, I still like this song and will continue to listen to Akon.
Akon - Sorry, Blame it On Me
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Tristan Prettyman
Tristan Prettyman is one of my favorite artists ever! She is one of those artists where you are just like “I can’t believe she isn’t more famous”. (The Rocket Summer is another one, but that is for another time)
Her music in three words or less: acoustic, mellow, and amazing. She is a singer-songwriter from San Diego, California. I like to describe her as a female Jason Mraz, although she is more mellow and softer than him. Incidentally, those two used to date. They even have a kickass duet together called “Shy That Way”. Tink also came up with another comparison of a mix between Norah Jones and uh... someone I'll think of later. But really, she is just her own unique sound, all quiet melodies and mellow lyrics. Love it all. Random trivia tidbit: Tristan Prettyman is a surfer girl and she used to be Roxy model. Oh, the things you can learn on the internet.
I absolutely love her cd “twentythree” and I can't wait until she comes out with another album. One thing to note is that the difference between her live music and her studio music is quite palpable – songs recorded for the cds tend to sound more upbeat than when they are sung live. It could be because of additional/increased instruments. The live versions are also pretty great, because they sound so stripped down, just Tristan Prettyman and her guitar.
So to sum up, listen to Tristan Prettyman! Or at least give her music a spin. You’ll fall in love with her right away.
Recommended Songs: "The Kiss", "Smoke", and "Love, Love, Love"
Her music in three words or less: acoustic, mellow, and amazing. She is a singer-songwriter from San Diego, California. I like to describe her as a female Jason Mraz, although she is more mellow and softer than him. Incidentally, those two used to date. They even have a kickass duet together called “Shy That Way”. Tink also came up with another comparison of a mix between Norah Jones and uh... someone I'll think of later. But really, she is just her own unique sound, all quiet melodies and mellow lyrics. Love it all. Random trivia tidbit: Tristan Prettyman is a surfer girl and she used to be Roxy model. Oh, the things you can learn on the internet.
I absolutely love her cd “twentythree” and I can't wait until she comes out with another album. One thing to note is that the difference between her live music and her studio music is quite palpable – songs recorded for the cds tend to sound more upbeat than when they are sung live. It could be because of additional/increased instruments. The live versions are also pretty great, because they sound so stripped down, just Tristan Prettyman and her guitar.
So to sum up, listen to Tristan Prettyman! Or at least give her music a spin. You’ll fall in love with her right away.
Recommended Songs: "The Kiss", "Smoke", and "Love, Love, Love"
Those are only my absolute favorites, otherwise I’d be spamming you guys with song titles. But other great ones include "The Story" and "Electric" and practically everything else she sings. Oh, and also the Jason Mraz duet "Shy That Way"
Official Website (currently under construction)
Myspace (a lot of her songs can be found here, including all of her twentythree songs)
Buy twentythree! Trust me, it is completely worth it. Especially for all you downloading fiends, because most of the stuff you will find online is only her live music.
"Henrietta" by The Fratellis
Song: Henrietta
Artist: The Fratellis
Album: Costello Music
Genre: Rock/Indie
You probably heard of this band before. Their song “Flathead” was featured in a recent iPod commercial. Say what you will about Apple and iPods, you can’t deny the fact that they choose great music for their commercials. Personally, they remind me of Scissors Sisters and a little bit of Franz Ferdinand, but the Fratellis have also drawn comparisons to The Libertines and The Ramones (although that is mainly for adopting the same last name).
Like “Flathead”, “Henrietta” is just one of those get-up-and-dance-stupid songs. Totally upbeat and quirky and happy! I love happy music. Just ignore the fact that the song is supposedly about an older woman stalker. I think I'm usually better off being completely oblivious to what songs are talking about anyways. I mean the lyrics in the middle become totally nonsensical (Wah-wah-wah-WAHHHH and Shing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling, anyone?) It’s like the musical equivalent to those times when you are so excited you can’t think coherent thoughts and all you can do is babble.
These are craaaaazy times.
Artist: The Fratellis
Album: Costello Music
Genre: Rock/Indie
You probably heard of this band before. Their song “Flathead” was featured in a recent iPod commercial. Say what you will about Apple and iPods, you can’t deny the fact that they choose great music for their commercials. Personally, they remind me of Scissors Sisters and a little bit of Franz Ferdinand, but the Fratellis have also drawn comparisons to The Libertines and The Ramones (although that is mainly for adopting the same last name).
Like “Flathead”, “Henrietta” is just one of those get-up-and-dance-stupid songs. Totally upbeat and quirky and happy! I love happy music. Just ignore the fact that the song is supposedly about an older woman stalker. I think I'm usually better off being completely oblivious to what songs are talking about anyways. I mean the lyrics in the middle become totally nonsensical (Wah-wah-wah-WAHHHH and Shing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling, anyone?) It’s like the musical equivalent to those times when you are so excited you can’t think coherent thoughts and all you can do is babble.
These are craaaaazy times.
Friday, August 10, 2007
DHT- Listen To Your Heart
I'm sure a lot of you will kno this track. It's one of the most classic dance tracks. I decided to post this song coz I stumbled over some prettty interesting stuff about it.
First of all the...band...no duo...no, uh group(gah band is not the right word, nor artist...i keep wanting to use the word band with all these groups...) consists of 2 singers Edmée Daenen (she's like 2 years older than...uh.. me, so she was 15 when she joined) and Flor Theeuwes who is also known as MC Jerky along with two other DJs: DJ Base and DJ Malone. DHT originally stood for Danger Hardcore Team (uh, interesting choice of name) but later changed to Dance House Trance (btw they're Belgian). They are most famous for the cover hit "Listen to Your Heart" which
was originally by Roxette. When Edmée joined, the image of the group also changed from an underground happy hardcore (yes happy hardcore is a type of techno apparently, go figure...) music to a pop image which was more widely accepted by radio stations. There's also more that goes on with the image change, but i'll spare u guys of the info, which u can find elsewhere. But here's the original graphic that DHT took on when they were Danger Hardcore Team (right). In comparison check out their present website (link above).
On top of that...did u kno this song was used in the commercials for Czech Civic Forum elections in 1989? (...which then lead to collaspe of Communism....kinda...u can read up on it on wiki) LOL, yea the original goes way back baby!
Anyways my favorite mix of this particular song is by DHT and it's the Edmee's Unplugged Vocal Edit. So here it is =] ('I Go Crazy' is really good too...by DHT again..)
First of all the...band...no duo...no, uh group(gah band is not the right word, nor artist...i keep wanting to use the word band with all these groups...) consists of 2 singers Edmée Daenen (she's like 2 years older than...uh.. me, so she was 15 when she joined) and Flor Theeuwes who is also known as MC Jerky along with two other DJs: DJ Base and DJ Malone. DHT originally stood for Danger Hardcore Team (uh, interesting choice of name) but later changed to Dance House Trance (btw they're Belgian). They are most famous for the cover hit "Listen to Your Heart" which
was originally by Roxette. When Edmée joined, the image of the group also changed from an underground happy hardcore (yes happy hardcore is a type of techno apparently, go figure...) music to a pop image which was more widely accepted by radio stations. There's also more that goes on with the image change, but i'll spare u guys of the info, which u can find elsewhere. But here's the original graphic that DHT took on when they were Danger Hardcore Team (right). In comparison check out their present website (link above).On top of that...did u kno this song was used in the commercials for Czech Civic Forum elections in 1989? (...which then lead to collaspe of Communism....kinda...u can read up on it on wiki) LOL, yea the original goes way back baby!
Anyways my favorite mix of this particular song is by DHT and it's the Edmee's Unplugged Vocal Edit. So here it is =] ('I Go Crazy' is really good too...by DHT again..)
Last random post
Okay I know I haven't been the best contributor in terms of recommending music... so this is it. My very last random post. Anyways, foreign music. Some music in foreign languages are really really good, but some things I don't think I can ever understand completely. For example I couldn't stop laughing when I watched this, it's the catchiest thing ever:
The link is here if your proxy site doesn't support flash
The link is here if your proxy site doesn't support flash
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Dance/House tracks
Ever since the start of college, I've started to listen to a bit more dance/house tracks, due to the influences of my friends at Parsons. After all NYC is known for the nightlife and the club scene, which can be related back to my earlier entry about Mark Ronson. =p (yay it's all related) Plus it's summer and that's like perfect for house/dance tracks, coz we're partying it up ;) hehe
I'm sure a lot of you will know about the track called 'Satisfaction' by Ben Benassi (He's italian). It's a pretty sweet track for those of you who haven't heard it before. There's like 12 diff mixes of the song. They also made 2 diff videos for it coz the first didn't get much attention. The second one however reach the top charts, for very obvious reasons. The whole video is pretty sexually explicit. What's to love more? A motionless pic of Ben/The Biz wit mouths moving once in awhile (which actually moves sluggishly as the song progresses...which is rather creepy)? Or a some chic wit ass using power tools? I'm sure it's pretty darn obvious (esp for the guys). Sex sells (remember health class?). The former can be interesting if it was a mini clip/some flash site content...u can even push it and say it's artistic...but i guess i havta say it cant quite compare to the other one. it's even mayb a lil funny, how they juxtapose the definitions of the power tools next to the women. Here's some trivial info:
Another great house track is 'Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit' by Fedde Le Grand...he's Dutch. Hmm, apart from that i've got not much else to say about him, coz i can't be bothered to read up on him kinda...well he was born in Utrecht (which is also a name of the art store that i go to v. often in NYC and spend ubber loads of cash...coz i'm a freaking poor art student...sighs). Oh, and apparently D12 (yes Eminem's lil crew... ok mayb not so lil) created a vocal version of it. (Anyone who can find some form of the D12's track, feel free to drop us a link!) And basically this track earned Fedde Le Grand plenty of attention.
The last track I'm gona talk about is 'Summer Jam' by the Underdog Project. I believe this is the mix for VS Sunclub...not too sure, correct me if i'm wrong. But I like it better than the original by far, i like the upbeat tempo. it makes it more dance-able =p. (gah now i want to go clubbing. YAY tmrw is friday!!) The track is spose to be a mix of Reggae/RnB. The reggae of it is somewhat watered-down though, i think. But give it a listen and find out for urself =]
This leads me to the final part of this entry. Here's a mix by a friend of mine who goes by DJ RoA. It's a mix of all 3 tracks above, it's called 'System kru In Action'. (okay...so i heard wrong but I swear in 1:40 it sounds like Summer Jam is mixed into it. do u guys hear it? perhaps it's another track that goes 'Put your hands up! Get on the dance floor! heheh[EDIT the track is actually called 'Bounce' by Steve'N King, too lazy to do another paragraph lol]) In order for me to post this song, he personally asks me to tell you guys not to judge it if u listen to it....even if u like it =p. But Enjoy~! ;)
I'm sure a lot of you will know about the track called 'Satisfaction' by Ben Benassi (He's italian). It's a pretty sweet track for those of you who haven't heard it before. There's like 12 diff mixes of the song. They also made 2 diff videos for it coz the first didn't get much attention. The second one however reach the top charts, for very obvious reasons. The whole video is pretty sexually explicit. What's to love more? A motionless pic of Ben/The Biz wit mouths moving once in awhile (which actually moves sluggishly as the song progresses...which is rather creepy)? Or a some chic wit ass using power tools? I'm sure it's pretty darn obvious (esp for the guys). Sex sells (remember health class?). The former can be interesting if it was a mini clip/some flash site content...u can even push it and say it's artistic...but i guess i havta say it cant quite compare to the other one. it's even mayb a lil funny, how they juxtapose the definitions of the power tools next to the women. Here's some trivial info:
- The track was featured in the Wendy's and Burger King commercials (here they go with combining fast food with sex imagery again)...
- In the track 'Ultimate Satisfaction' Ludacris also featured the dance track.
Another great house track is 'Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit' by Fedde Le Grand...he's Dutch. Hmm, apart from that i've got not much else to say about him, coz i can't be bothered to read up on him kinda...well he was born in Utrecht (which is also a name of the art store that i go to v. often in NYC and spend ubber loads of cash...coz i'm a freaking poor art student...sighs). Oh, and apparently D12 (yes Eminem's lil crew... ok mayb not so lil) created a vocal version of it. (Anyone who can find some form of the D12's track, feel free to drop us a link!) And basically this track earned Fedde Le Grand plenty of attention.
The last track I'm gona talk about is 'Summer Jam' by the Underdog Project. I believe this is the mix for VS Sunclub...not too sure, correct me if i'm wrong. But I like it better than the original by far, i like the upbeat tempo. it makes it more dance-able =p. (gah now i want to go clubbing. YAY tmrw is friday!!) The track is spose to be a mix of Reggae/RnB. The reggae of it is somewhat watered-down though, i think. But give it a listen and find out for urself =]
This leads me to the final part of this entry. Here's a mix by a friend of mine who goes by DJ RoA. It's a mix of all 3 tracks above, it's called 'System kru In Action'. (okay...so i heard wrong but I swear in 1:40 it sounds like Summer Jam is mixed into it. do u guys hear it? perhaps it's another track that goes 'Put your hands up! Get on the dance floor! heheh[EDIT the track is actually called 'Bounce' by Steve'N King, too lazy to do another paragraph lol]) In order for me to post this song, he personally asks me to tell you guys not to judge it if u listen to it....even if u like it =p. But Enjoy~! ;)
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
"Ankle Injuries" by Fujiya & Miyagi
Song: Ankle Injuries
Artist: Fujiya & Miyagi
Album: Transparent Things
Genre: Electronica/Krautrock (whatever that is...)
Despite the band name, Fujiya & Miyagi are an electro trio from the UK. They seem to suffer from the same thing as Mike Jones because the vocals continuously go "Fujiya... Miyagi.. Fujiya... Miyagi..." to the point where I originally thought that the band was called Ankle Injuries and some moron mislabeled it.
Some sites recently called out this song's music video for being too similar to the White Stripes "Fell In Love With A Girl" music video. (White Stripes used lego pieces, Fujiya & Miyagi used colored dice) Maybe so, but the song is pretty good on its own. Reminds me a little bit of the Eels, just in the way the singer sounds.
I really want to find the lyrics for this song, because what I can hear other than the band name sounds really random. Although according to the band, the song is about "walking to school as a kid and finishing a porno mag in the middle of the road and realizing that a female's genetalia is different from a male's". Err... anyways, check out the song.
Artist: Fujiya & Miyagi
Album: Transparent Things
Genre: Electronica/Krautrock (whatever that is...)
Despite the band name, Fujiya & Miyagi are an electro trio from the UK. They seem to suffer from the same thing as Mike Jones because the vocals continuously go "Fujiya... Miyagi.. Fujiya... Miyagi..." to the point where I originally thought that the band was called Ankle Injuries and some moron mislabeled it.
Some sites recently called out this song's music video for being too similar to the White Stripes "Fell In Love With A Girl" music video. (White Stripes used lego pieces, Fujiya & Miyagi used colored dice) Maybe so, but the song is pretty good on its own. Reminds me a little bit of the Eels, just in the way the singer sounds.
I really want to find the lyrics for this song, because what I can hear other than the band name sounds really random. Although according to the band, the song is about "walking to school as a kid and finishing a porno mag in the middle of the road and realizing that a female's genetalia is different from a male's". Err... anyways, check out the song.
Relient K - MMHMM
Our first guest contributor! Album review by Aran.
Band: Relient K
Album: MMHMM
Genre: Punk/Rock
Relient K is not your average punk/pop band. Their fourth and most mature album to date, MMHMM, takes some of their famous tongue in cheek attitude and mixes it with serious themes to deliver their best album to date. On the first listen, it may seem like nothing more than a standard punk album. After listening a few times, the album quickly shows its own style. Relient K’s notorious humor is evident in songs like “My Girl’s Ex-Boyfriend”, where a guy thanks a former suitor for breaking up with his girlfriend. Despite such songs that retain some of the band’s former goofiness, MMHMM is a departure from the band’s previous works, introducing to their already impressive sound the versatility of the piano and a more mature approach to their songwriting. The album’s two main singles, “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been” and “Be My Escape” are both energetic songs with solid lyrics that will be sure to have you singing along with them in no time. Other songs, such as “I So Hate Consequences” and “More Than Useless” discuss themes of responsibility and redemption rarely heard in punk rock. On the other hand, songs such as “This Week The Trend” and “Maintain Consciousness” retain some of their former silliness, while at the same time acting as a wake up call for teen apathy and laziness. The album ends with the seven minute long “When I Go Down”, a song with constantly shifting moods that correspond to the lyrics, which take the listener on an emotional journey through failure and sadness to hope.
Band's Website
If you would like to also contribute a review, feel free to email any of the admins (either Tink, Isabelle, or myself)
Band: Relient KAlbum: MMHMM
Genre: Punk/Rock
Relient K is not your average punk/pop band. Their fourth and most mature album to date, MMHMM, takes some of their famous tongue in cheek attitude and mixes it with serious themes to deliver their best album to date. On the first listen, it may seem like nothing more than a standard punk album. After listening a few times, the album quickly shows its own style. Relient K’s notorious humor is evident in songs like “My Girl’s Ex-Boyfriend”, where a guy thanks a former suitor for breaking up with his girlfriend. Despite such songs that retain some of the band’s former goofiness, MMHMM is a departure from the band’s previous works, introducing to their already impressive sound the versatility of the piano and a more mature approach to their songwriting. The album’s two main singles, “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been” and “Be My Escape” are both energetic songs with solid lyrics that will be sure to have you singing along with them in no time. Other songs, such as “I So Hate Consequences” and “More Than Useless” discuss themes of responsibility and redemption rarely heard in punk rock. On the other hand, songs such as “This Week The Trend” and “Maintain Consciousness” retain some of their former silliness, while at the same time acting as a wake up call for teen apathy and laziness. The album ends with the seven minute long “When I Go Down”, a song with constantly shifting moods that correspond to the lyrics, which take the listener on an emotional journey through failure and sadness to hope.
Band's Website
If you would like to also contribute a review, feel free to email any of the admins (either Tink, Isabelle, or myself)
Sunday, August 5, 2007
John Butler Trio - Grand National
Band: John Butler Trio
Album: Grand National
Genre: Indie/Rock/Jam Band
Recommended Songs: TBD
Grand National is the newest of three releases from The John Butler Trio. Their previous two albums have gone platinum in Australia (where they're from) and I don't see why this one won't. Their songs seem find inspiration in a variety of styles: ballad, folk, blues, reggae, country, and psychedelic rock among others. Its a potpourri of ear candy. Not only do they experiment with different styles of songs, but instruments as well. The album features a series of instrumental solos from the harmonica as well as brass.
In experimenting with a variety of styles in one album there is a fine line between stagnation of creativity and discordant chaos that finds a perfect amount of eclecticism, and JBT walks this fine line with the ease of a tightrope walker. Their identity as a jam band shines through all of their songs, creating a thread that brings the tracks together into a whole that is greater than the sum of all its parts.
Get the album. Its upbeat, it features a harmonica, the solos are "jammin" (haha get it, they're a jam band... no? ok i'll shut up now), they're from Australia, and the songs are different enough that even if you don't like one or two of the odd songs on the album (I like them all), you'll find a song that suits you just fine.
Links to music:
Official Website
Myspace Music
Album: Grand National
Genre: Indie/Rock/Jam Band
Recommended Songs: TBD
Grand National is the newest of three releases from The John Butler Trio. Their previous two albums have gone platinum in Australia (where they're from) and I don't see why this one won't. Their songs seem find inspiration in a variety of styles: ballad, folk, blues, reggae, country, and psychedelic rock among others. Its a potpourri of ear candy. Not only do they experiment with different styles of songs, but instruments as well. The album features a series of instrumental solos from the harmonica as well as brass.In experimenting with a variety of styles in one album there is a fine line between stagnation of creativity and discordant chaos that finds a perfect amount of eclecticism, and JBT walks this fine line with the ease of a tightrope walker. Their identity as a jam band shines through all of their songs, creating a thread that brings the tracks together into a whole that is greater than the sum of all its parts.
Get the album. Its upbeat, it features a harmonica, the solos are "jammin" (haha get it, they're a jam band... no? ok i'll shut up now), they're from Australia, and the songs are different enough that even if you don't like one or two of the odd songs on the album (I like them all), you'll find a song that suits you just fine.
Links to music:
Official Website
Myspace Music
Passion- Lemonade
I think I'm starting to develop a taste for Southeast Asian artists. I found this song randomly thru surfing youtube. There's becoming more and more users uploading more and more videos of themselves singing to prove their talent. Whenever I see those videos i can't help thinking that at least a good handful of these people are trying and hoping to land record deals by doing so. But in a sense, this way of getting a record deal is better than thru physical appearances, these ppl are actually showing their talent rather than exposing skin.
So I looked up the original of this song. And it's by a guy that goes by the stage name Passion, it's call 'Lemonade'. His name refers to his passion for music (hear hear!) and for Christ (sorry no agreement here). He's Filipino and from SF.
The beginning of the song reminds me of the scene in Step Up when they're dancing by the harbor on the rooftop. But as the song progresses it rings up some middle-school-dance vibe to it, not in a bad way. The lyrics makes me associate the song with puppy love. Here's a line from the song "Like a tall glass of lemonade/When it’s burnin’ hot on summer days/She’s exactly what I need". It's a cute & "romantic" song. What do u think about when you hear this song?
So I looked up the original of this song. And it's by a guy that goes by the stage name Passion, it's call 'Lemonade'. His name refers to his passion for music (hear hear!) and for Christ (sorry no agreement here). He's Filipino and from SF.
The beginning of the song reminds me of the scene in Step Up when they're dancing by the harbor on the rooftop. But as the song progresses it rings up some middle-school-dance vibe to it, not in a bad way. The lyrics makes me associate the song with puppy love. Here's a line from the song "Like a tall glass of lemonade/When it’s burnin’ hot on summer days/She’s exactly what I need". It's a cute & "romantic" song. What do u think about when you hear this song?
Icky Thump
So just the other week I went to a concert at Madison Square Garden, where The White Stripes played some of their new songs from their album Icky Thump. It was a blast, especially since it was my first concert. Loud music to bust your ear drums, overpriced food, and drunken fans doing some overenthusiastic and embarassing dances. Not much more you could wish for (to be honest the concert was, in fact, really awesome).
I must admit though that the opening acts weren't that great. The first one was a country band, where the lead guy had this amazingly shiny and sparkly blue suit (oooooh shiny~!). I am quite sure that if I were into country music I would have enjoyed it, since it did not sound so bad. The second act was just horrendous. I'm not a big fan of metal rock myself, but there are the occasional songs I like to listen to. We just so happened to have a band I have never heard of play almost an hours worth of loud, obnoxious, and terrible metal rock. I swear my ears were bleeding as I gouged my eyes out with my fingernails. Most of the people I went to the concert with went out into the area where you buy food to watch the Mets game. Meanwhile I tried to fall asleep (don't ask, it didn't work too well).
Now it seems that not many people I know have listened to this new album, so here's a sample.
The White Stripes - I'm Slowly Turning Into You
Of course their songs are played by the same 2 members, Meg and Jack White (who, by the way, are not real siblings. They are divorced and yet have managed to fool a lot of the media. They did introduce themselves as siblings at the concert though, tricksy little hobbitses!) They have a good rhythm, and Meg has improved on her drumming skills, although it's still nothing mind-blowing. I love the rest of the songs on the album too (except maybe these two songs that have some sort of Irish ring to it; Sounds sort of out of place, which just so happens to fit the White Stripes' style)
I must admit though that the opening acts weren't that great. The first one was a country band, where the lead guy had this amazingly shiny and sparkly blue suit (oooooh shiny~!). I am quite sure that if I were into country music I would have enjoyed it, since it did not sound so bad. The second act was just horrendous. I'm not a big fan of metal rock myself, but there are the occasional songs I like to listen to. We just so happened to have a band I have never heard of play almost an hours worth of loud, obnoxious, and terrible metal rock. I swear my ears were bleeding as I gouged my eyes out with my fingernails. Most of the people I went to the concert with went out into the area where you buy food to watch the Mets game. Meanwhile I tried to fall asleep (don't ask, it didn't work too well).
Now it seems that not many people I know have listened to this new album, so here's a sample.
The White Stripes - I'm Slowly Turning Into You
Of course their songs are played by the same 2 members, Meg and Jack White (who, by the way, are not real siblings. They are divorced and yet have managed to fool a lot of the media. They did introduce themselves as siblings at the concert though, tricksy little hobbitses!) They have a good rhythm, and Meg has improved on her drumming skills, although it's still nothing mind-blowing. I love the rest of the songs on the album too (except maybe these two songs that have some sort of Irish ring to it; Sounds sort of out of place, which just so happens to fit the White Stripes' style)
"Toxic" by Britney Spears (and others)
This post is inspired by Tink.Song: Toxic
Artist: Britney Spears
Album: In The Zone
Don't you hate it when terrible singers do really catchy songs? Case in point: Paris Hilton's "Stars Go Blind" and Ashlee Simpson's "La La". So catchy, and you always end up singing along until about two seconds later when you start hating yourself. I'll admit that Britney Spears isn't quite on the same level as those two, but nowadays, she's pretty darn close to it. (And if you hear Tink go on about it, you would think she was the worst human being ever to live, even worse than Lindsay Lohan.)
I'm definately not a fan of Britney Spears, but I do love "Toxic". I even used it as my monophonic ringtone for quite a few years - although I feel I should inform you that it has now been replaced by "What's My Age Again?" by Blink-182 because I felt that was more apt. Basically, all I am saying that "Toxic" is a damn awesome song. So kudos to you, Britney Spears.
Don't deny it, everyone knows this song and, even more than that, everyone loves this song. Probably B-Spears's best song ever. (I don't know if she can crawl out of this PR mess she's created to make a song equal on the plane of "Toxic"). It's the perfect dance-pop song. So catchy, so sex-ay. It just makes you want to pull some random obese man into the bathroom to join the mile high club. Jay-kay everyone. But do you know what is the best part about "Toxic"? It makes for great covers from really awesome singers and bands. Thus, without further ado, I bring you many covers of "Toxic"!!
First off, in case you live in a hole (Abe), the ORIGINAL with all of its stewardess outfit, no underwear awesomeness.
As Tink previously mentioned, Mark Ronson (yes, the Ooh Wee guy) covered "Toxic". His version of Toxic makes it even quirkier than it was before. I really dig how the guy sings the song, although it does make the song edge towards the creepy side, but in a good way. In particular though, I love the use of horns and he even has a rap guest star - Nick Catchdubs!
Tristan Prettyman is one of my favorite singers of all-time and if you don't listen to her, I may have to hurt you. Her acoustic version of "Toxic" is the first cover of Britney's song I ever heard. It is so mellow and chill and utterly Tristan, which means it is totally awesome. (Note to self: Must. pimp. Tristan. more.)
The Monsters From Mars version is my favorite cover of this song. Unfortunately, it is the only one on here that I do not have. If anyone figures out how/where to get it, let me know. Until then, check it out at their myspace. Basically, it is the surf rock instrumental of "Toxic". If the original made you want to dance up and down on a stripper pole, this cover makes you want to do monkey arms and that scuba diver dance move.
I also really love Local H's alternative rock twist on "Toxic". But one of the best part of their cover is the picture they include on the free download page for the song. Laugh out loud funny. Click the picture for the song.
Here is another acoustic version, courtesy of the bluegrass band Nickel Creek. If you don't know them, let's just say they have a guitarist, a fiddler, and a mandonlin...-ist (Is that what you call those people?) Need I say more?
Last but not least, the techno remixes of Toxic! Technically, these are not covers, but I feel obliged to include them in order to fully complete this little lovefest.
"Toxic" vs. Usher's "Yeah!"
"Toxic" vs. Linkin Park's "Faint"
If anyone knows any other ones, feel free to contribute in the comments.
Friday, August 3, 2007
.nataS = cisuM
Well we've all heard the rumor that if you listen to a certain section of Stairway To Heaven backwards you'll hear a certain satanic message... ANYWAYS here is incontrovertible PROOF that music is evil and that we should delete our music collection ASAP before it takes over. I'll lead by example and rub my ipod with a magnet... you should all too..
(you may have seen this before as it used to be pretty popular)
http://jeffmilner.com/backmasking.htm
BEHOLD the EVIL
(you may have seen this before as it used to be pretty popular)
http://jeffmilner.com/backmasking.htm
BEHOLD the EVIL
This band holds the record for most number one singles on the modern rock charts
What is... Red Hot Chili Peppers? Correct! 11 matter of fact
Song: Gong Li
Band: Red Hot Chili Peppers
No doubt RHCP is one of the sickest bands ever; they have to be doing something right in order to stay relevent for almost 25 years. I stumbled across this song on last.fm (an uber cool online radio) and found this little b-side track.
Anyways it's gotta be one of the most soulful songs ever. The harmonized chorus is just sublime and the weird 6/8 timed instrumental bridges are pretty cool.... and of course great lyrics.
Give it a listen.
I have no idea why it's named after Gong Li; if anyone figures it out i'll give them something. If anyone knows any other good/obscure RHCP songs, comment!
Song: Gong Li
Band: Red Hot Chili Peppers
No doubt RHCP is one of the sickest bands ever; they have to be doing something right in order to stay relevent for almost 25 years. I stumbled across this song on last.fm (an uber cool online radio) and found this little b-side track.
Anyways it's gotta be one of the most soulful songs ever. The harmonized chorus is just sublime and the weird 6/8 timed instrumental bridges are pretty cool.... and of course great lyrics.
Give it a listen.
I have no idea why it's named after Gong Li; if anyone figures it out i'll give them something. If anyone knows any other good/obscure RHCP songs, comment!
Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson is well known producer and well respected DJ (he has a show on East Village Radio call Hello Echo). He's English but grew up in NYC. He's probably the most well known by the song "Ooh Wee", you know the song from Honey. He's also produced many other hits for artists such as Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Britney Spears (ew, i dont think so highly of her. not my fault) just to name a few. He doesn't only produce HipHop/RnB, he also worked with Radiohead and Coldplay. I've heard only a few songs from his new album 'Version', his music is a good mix of rock, soul and hiphop. 'Stop Me' ft Daniel Merriweather is a catchy cover he did, although it takes some time to get use to the style of the song. There's also 'Oh My God', a tune he did for Lily Allen. Both really different styles, but check them out. I think my fav has got to be 'Valerie' ft Amy Winehouse. It's such a sunday song, listen to it then you'll know what i mean. Oh and coming up soon, Nicole will be posting a (Mark Ronson inspired) 'Toxic' covers entry. For now here's a sample of what Mark Ronson's cover for 'Toxic' sounds like.
On another note, you might have also heard of Samantha Ronson, if 1) you catch up with celeb gossip, esp concerning Lindsay Lohan or; 2) you own the Laguna Beach/Mean Girls soundtrack. I think for me i would be guilty of the former, too much gossip blog reading. Sam Ronson is an interesting character, from what i gather from articles about her, although her profile for music is much smaller/less impressive compared to her older brother's. Sam Ronson's music is more Alternative and Rock. She's also a Dj (irrelevant but she knows DJ AM) and singer. Out of the songs that i tried to listen to by her...i've got to say 'Built This Way' is the best...which i'm not sure if that's a good or bad sign..check out her myspace and see for yrself. She also has her own official site...but there's not much there unless you want to book her for Djing.
Okay so one last Ronson...Sam Ronson also has a twin sister, if you're into fashion (hahaha, me) you might kno her. Charlotte Ronson is a fashion designer, her stuff looks pretty comfortable, i've yet to check out her clothes in person though...looks can be deceiving. Just thought i should comment on all the Ronsons. =p
Enjoy <3
On another note, you might have also heard of Samantha Ronson, if 1) you catch up with celeb gossip, esp concerning Lindsay Lohan or; 2) you own the Laguna Beach/Mean Girls soundtrack. I think for me i would be guilty of the former, too much gossip blog reading. Sam Ronson is an interesting character, from what i gather from articles about her, although her profile for music is much smaller/less impressive compared to her older brother's. Sam Ronson's music is more Alternative and Rock. She's also a Dj (irrelevant but she knows DJ AM) and singer. Out of the songs that i tried to listen to by her...i've got to say 'Built This Way' is the best...which i'm not sure if that's a good or bad sign..check out her myspace and see for yrself. She also has her own official site...but there's not much there unless you want to book her for Djing.
Okay so one last Ronson...Sam Ronson also has a twin sister, if you're into fashion (hahaha, me) you might kno her. Charlotte Ronson is a fashion designer, her stuff looks pretty comfortable, i've yet to check out her clothes in person though...looks can be deceiving. Just thought i should comment on all the Ronsons. =p
Enjoy <3
Hand Clapping and Various Alternative Instruments
Song: Bop Badhum
Artist: Formerly Known As Oedipusaurus Rex
This will probably be the best 1:24 of washboard, jaw harp, banjo, spoons, mandolin, vocals, guitar, keyboards, and hand clapping combination you will ever hear. As for what an Oedipusaurus Rex is, there's a whole different story. Two of the three band members Kenji Baugham and Padgett Arango were taking a creative writing course together and had discussed writing an epic postmodern fable in which a young man is sent out to destroy the three titans of modernity: Jesusaurus Rex, Thesaurus Rex, and Oedipusaurus Rex. The story never got written but they thought Oedipusaurus Rex was a great name for a band, so they settled on being Formerly Known As Oedipusaurus Rex and left it at that.
Other songs by FKAOR can be downloaded from their website.
Artist: Formerly Known As Oedipusaurus Rex
This will probably be the best 1:24 of washboard, jaw harp, banjo, spoons, mandolin, vocals, guitar, keyboards, and hand clapping combination you will ever hear. As for what an Oedipusaurus Rex is, there's a whole different story. Two of the three band members Kenji Baugham and Padgett Arango were taking a creative writing course together and had discussed writing an epic postmodern fable in which a young man is sent out to destroy the three titans of modernity: Jesusaurus Rex, Thesaurus Rex, and Oedipusaurus Rex. The story never got written but they thought Oedipusaurus Rex was a great name for a band, so they settled on being Formerly Known As Oedipusaurus Rex and left it at that.
Other songs by FKAOR can be downloaded from their website.
"High School" by Jeremy Fisher
Song: High SchoolArtist: Jeremy Fisher
Album: Let It Shine (2004)
Genre: Folk/Alternative
Fisher is a Canandian singer-songwriter. His work is heavily influenced by folk and blues music. Honestly speaking, Fisher's voice isn't the greatest (but in this day and age of Paris Hiltons and Ashlee Simpsons, whose is?), even has a bit of a nasal tone to it. The cheerful melody and acoustic instrumentals more than make up for it, in fact, even makes his voice fit with the song. You know, awkward high school, awkward voice. (Jeremy Fisher, if you are reading this, I don't mean it!)
A song about reflecting on old high school memories. How many times have you done that in the last year? It probably isn't quite as Fisher describes it, and hopefully we won't end up in the same mess he depicts in the song. (Sample: "You're so the same, but you're so different/I didn't recognize you") At any rate, this upbeat song breathes nostalgia. Instead of specific memories like most of these reminiscence-type songs, Fisher sings about the inherent feelings of high school - in all of its awkward, confusing glory.
Check out the song here
(Someone yelled at me for using youtube links, so it's zshare for the time being. When I get back to the states, I'm going to figure out how to imbed a music player)
If you like Jeremy Fisher, also check out his other popular song "Cigarette".
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Driving Music
In honor of my new ability to drive a car without crashing it, I am here to pimp two songs. Driving songs, if you will. You all probably have heard them already, but I still love them
"Skyline Drive" by Mae
I came across this song from a tv show. I'm not quite sure which show exactly, but I have a stinking suspicion it was One Tree Hill. Terrible show, but I'll admit it played great music. "Skyline Drive" is from Mae's debut album "Destination: Beautiful" (2003). On an off-note, I love that album title. What can I say, I'm a sap. But this song is indeed beautiful. Sample lyrics: "Sometimes I drive with my eyes closed tight/'Cause if the skyline looks this way/Then I don't want to sleep tonight." Beautiful, right?
Listen to it here
Ignore the fan video. I just wanted to showcase the song. I don't even know who Cloud and Aerith is. Lord of the Rings characters, maybe?
"Boston" by Augustana
"Boston" is the relatively more upbeat of the two, although lyrics-wise, it's more depressing. I love the melody though, especially the beginning of the chorus (The "She said, I think I'm going to Boston" part). This song is one of the good things that came from my internship, thanks to me listening to internet radio (Accuradio.com) for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week. "Boston" is from Augustana's debut album "All The Stars and Boulevards" (2005). Incidentally, my sister just informed me that this song was also featured on One Tree Hill. Like I said, terrible show, great music.
Listen to it here
They are quite similar songs that emote the same feeling. Beautiful, slow, emotional songs from two awesome rock bands. Perfect for when you just want to mellow out while driving in the car.
"Skyline Drive" by Mae
I came across this song from a tv show. I'm not quite sure which show exactly, but I have a stinking suspicion it was One Tree Hill. Terrible show, but I'll admit it played great music. "Skyline Drive" is from Mae's debut album "Destination: Beautiful" (2003). On an off-note, I love that album title. What can I say, I'm a sap. But this song is indeed beautiful. Sample lyrics: "Sometimes I drive with my eyes closed tight/'Cause if the skyline looks this way/Then I don't want to sleep tonight." Beautiful, right?
Listen to it here
Ignore the fan video. I just wanted to showcase the song. I don't even know who Cloud and Aerith is. Lord of the Rings characters, maybe?
"Boston" by Augustana
"Boston" is the relatively more upbeat of the two, although lyrics-wise, it's more depressing. I love the melody though, especially the beginning of the chorus (The "She said, I think I'm going to Boston" part). This song is one of the good things that came from my internship, thanks to me listening to internet radio (Accuradio.com) for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week. "Boston" is from Augustana's debut album "All The Stars and Boulevards" (2005). Incidentally, my sister just informed me that this song was also featured on One Tree Hill. Like I said, terrible show, great music.
Listen to it here
They are quite similar songs that emote the same feeling. Beautiful, slow, emotional songs from two awesome rock bands. Perfect for when you just want to mellow out while driving in the car.
Riot in Belgium- La Musique
Band: Riot in Belgium
Album: The Acid Never Sleeps
Song: La Musique
Mood: Clubbing
Genre: Electro/Dance
Review/Comments: Hmm, so I also thought this duo was French/Belgian...again I am wrong the guys are from Australia. they're not really a band either...they're more like DJs? or what do u call ppl who make dancetracks? I love this song. It one of those dance songs that makes me want to go crazy and just get up and dance like i'm on acid or smth. i guess that's why the title of their album is kinda perfect. I've got to admit though this is the only song i hav listen to by them.
*here's a copy of the song.
Album: The Acid Never Sleeps
Song: La Musique
Mood: Clubbing
Genre: Electro/Dance
Review/Comments: Hmm, so I also thought this duo was French/Belgian...again I am wrong the guys are from Australia. they're not really a band either...they're more like DJs? or what do u call ppl who make dancetracks? I love this song. It one of those dance songs that makes me want to go crazy and just get up and dance like i'm on acid or smth. i guess that's why the title of their album is kinda perfect. I've got to admit though this is the only song i hav listen to by them.
*here's a copy of the song.
Up Dharma Down
Band: Up Dharma Down
Album: Fragmented
Mood: Chill
Genre: Indie Rock/Experimental
Review/Comments: So I've been listening to this band for quite awhile now. Subconsciously in my head, I also remember this band as the 'band-that-sings-in-a-foreign-language-that-I-don't-understand-but-sounds-realllly-relaxing/chill". But in fact, they do sing in English... heh... Recently, (like 10 seconds ago), I found out that they are actually Filipino. I found their stuff really mellow, lighthearted, and uplifting. The vocals are by a girl called Armi Millare. Check out the songs "June" and "Oo".
There's not much at the moment, but here's their website:
http://www.updharmadown.net/
*Here's June and Oo.
Album: Fragmented
Mood: Chill
Genre: Indie Rock/Experimental
Review/Comments: So I've been listening to this band for quite awhile now. Subconsciously in my head, I also remember this band as the 'band-that-sings-in-a-foreign-language-that-I-don't-understand-but-sounds-realllly-relaxing/chill". But in fact, they do sing in English... heh... Recently, (like 10 seconds ago), I found out that they are actually Filipino. I found their stuff really mellow, lighthearted, and uplifting. The vocals are by a girl called Armi Millare. Check out the songs "June" and "Oo".
There's not much at the moment, but here's their website:
http://www.updharmadown.net/
*Here's June and Oo.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Welcome!
Welcome to Music Ink, the brainchild of Tink!! (Heh, that rhymes.) This is a place for you to post about any music you find, any music you love, current obsessions, whatever. Pictures, youtube imbedments, music clips... all acceptable!
Spread the music, spread the love.
Spread the music, spread the love.
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