Saw these guys opening for Gyroscope and A Death In The Family at uni. A Wollongong band who’ve been around the block a few times with bands like Kisschasy, Trial Kennedy etc., I probably should like at least something about these guys. They seem nice enough and they’re going for a catchy pop-punk sound. It all falls apart, however, after one look at them (they all look well into their thirties), the fake American accent and the horrid simplicity of it all. It’s weak bunny-mosh styled music that’s very basic in its execution, which loses almost all of its identity within the first minute – Simple Separation is a perfect example of this. I’m sure they’re nice guys and all, but they’re getting WAY too old for this shit.
What can be said that hasn’t already been about these guys? They’ve devolved from a somewhat ambitious rock band with a few catchy tracks in their arsenal (Leader of Men, How You Remind Me) to the epitome of what’s gone wrong with radio rock music. They are currently in the realm of glossy, ugly and mostly downright awful music that takes no brains to create and even less to enjoy.
Apparently this little number has been poisoning the airwaves since September of last year, but I’d thankfully avoided it up until now. In fact, all I’ve heard from the band lately is that song they do for the theme song of WWE Raw, which is bloody annoying. Speaking of bloody annoying, did they REALLY need to do another syrupy ballad about fuck-all? Chad Kroeger goes all cassanova with slow drums, simple chords and quite possibly the worst harmonies in any Nickelback song ever. Completely uneccessary, irritating turd of a song, this one. Like you expected any less.
I finally got around to sussing out Timbaland’s Shock Value II guestlist. It was nowhere near as strong as the first go around which had Elton John, Dr. Dre, Fall Out Boy, Missy Elliott, Nelly Furtado, etc. This is all Chad Kroeger, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, The Fray, Drake…y’know, somewhat good, but definitely not great. Of particular interest to me, however, was the collaboration with Australian band Jet. The song that Timbaland samples for the song Timothy Where You Been is, strangely enough, Timothy, the final track on Jet’s Get Born album. For all the crap the band gets, Timothy is actually one of their best works. It’s a heartfelt ballad around the story of Timothy Cester, the eldest Cester sibling (Nic is the vocalist and Chris is the drummer), who died before Nic was born and was mentally disabled.
With this in mind, it’s strange and a little offensive to think Timbaland has taken the song to be an “all-about-me” ego trip. Sure, the interpolation and reworking of Timothy is very cleverly done, but it’s no secret that Timbo is not a very good rapper or lyricist. His flow is menial and his rhymes pointless – perhaps the rhyme of “Nelly Furtado” and “escargot” could have been avoided if he wasn’t trying to big-up himself and name-drop at the same time? Ahh, who knows. The point is that the whole thing is great when Timbaland keeps his mouth shut. Isn’t that the same for nearly everyone of his tracks to begin with, though?
The best thing about Axis of Awesome is how they are easily able to take one simple idea and turn it into the most ridiculous, hilarious thing possible. The trio performed on the garden at my university, and it was pretty easy to tell that we were loving every second of it. This track in particular was a huge favourite. The parody only works, however, if you're familiar with your 2000s hit singles.
Remember Five For Fighting? No? How about Superman (It's Not Easy)? Ringing a bell. Now we're getting somewhere. What this song does is takes the first few lines of the original and then goes insane.
I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
I'm just trying to find
The better part of me
I'm more than a bird
I'm more than a plane And in come the Axis:
I'm a BirdPlane!
The rest of the song goes off on this tangent of singing about how awesome life is when part of you is a bird and the other part is a plane.And come on, that does sound pretty awesome! A definite listen for fans of clever parodies that are after something non-Weird Al.
This track came to my watching very early Saturday morning rage (about 1am, I think), and I can honestly say that I am glad I was sitting down when I heard it. Holy fucking SHIT.
Marina and the Diamonds, aka Marina Diamandis (I think it's Greek), had her video for Mowgli's Road premiere here in Australia on rage. The video itself is fabulous (scroll down), but the music itself is everything I love about pop music in its current shape and form. Mowgli is catchy, outlandish, engaging, gloriously harmonic and just hooky enough to send you insane over how good it is. Marina's voice is sharp yet easily flexible, showing some bizarre accentuation and a strangely thick range. Even when she's making weird noises in the song, like "cuckoo!", it still sounds amazing.
I dunno what else to say. Just fucking listen to it.
I got the debut EP from super FLORENCE jam to review alongside Neon Indian's album and Stroke, the compilation CD for Chris Knox. Stroke was excellent, Neon Indian was boring and this...well, this was garbage.
These kids are posturing themselves as the new saviours of Oz rok-n-rol.They fail on several levels, notably their singer sounding like an inbred Andrew Stockdale. The song has no hooks, just irritation repetition. The guitar is lame, the drums are weak, the vocals have a case for justifiable homicide...ahh, fuck this, I don't want to write about this anymore!
The gorgeous Keri Hilson has been working her way into mainstream conscience ever since her show-stealing chorus in Timbaland's smash hit The Way I Are. Her own hit came in the form of the epic Knock You Down, but she was unfortunately overshadowed by the incredible Kanye West. In A Perfect World, her debut, gives her the opportunity to finally make a name for herself as opposed to herself "featuring".
I Like is the first song that I've heard of Keri's on her own, and it's rather sweet. It's a little run-of-the-mill in terms of production and lyrics - swishing synth and boom-boom-pap-boom beat matched with "going out tonight with a guy I'm into" lyrics. Still, you can tell that Hilson is on her way to standing out above all of that. She's got a versatile voice that reach sexy, breathy lows and chirpy highs that suit their environment almost perfectly. The whole thing is over and done with within three minutes, but it's done enough to interest me in the rest of the album. We'll see how she goes.
I've officially completely lost touch with what is "cool" on Triple J standards. For the first time ever in my seven years of following the Hottest 100, a song has come in the top 20 that I have never heard a single thing about before in my entire life. Who the fuck is Edward Sharpe? Who are the Magnetic Zeros? Why did this beat In For The Kill, My Girls, Rabbit Heart and Two Weeks? I sat there at my girlfriend's house in total confusion as this song played. Shortly afterward, however, this shock turned to pleasant surprise.
There are twelve dudes in this band, making a lot of joyful noise across this five-minute love ode. It plays out like a mini-Polyphonic Spree taking on a Johnny and June Carter Cash love duet like Jackson or If I Were A Carpenter. Sure, it's a little cheesy, but you'll be damned if you're not grinning like an idiot at the end of this little number. It's fun, catchy and infectiously cute. Look out for my favourite part of the song, which is the spoken word near the end.
I write for a site called The AU Review, who have a pretty good relationship with a cool little venue called the Oxford Art Factory on Oxford St. in Sydney. Out of a list of upcoming shows they are promoting, this one in particular took my interest. I have continuously heard the name A Place To Bury Strangers thrown around, but I had no idea what to expect. Nevertheless, I put my name down and I downloaded their latest album, Exploding Head.
It is Nothing is the first track on the record, and it's a fairly good indication of what Strangers are all about. It's quick, trashy, messy and loud as fuck. You'll feel the need to wear earplugs just listening to this fucking record. If Dave Davies from The Kinks ripped a hole in his amp speaker and put a pin in, guitarist Oliver Ackermann may as well have sliced his entire amp in half. This take-no-prisoners affair is soaked in reverb, distortion and pure noise. It will throw you off guard on the first few listens, but it ultimately proves to be one of the best tracks on the entire album.
Saturday was the Big Day Out time! What a momentous day - it was the one hundredth BDO and even though the lineup was a little disappointing to a lot of people, there was still plenty to enjoy throughout the day. Of particularly good fun was Mr. Dylan Mills - better known as Dizzee Rascal.
It was a set mostly consisting of hits - Dance Wiv Me, Fix Up Look Sharp, Bonkers, etc. This track took my interest, however, as it was one I hadn't previously heard. It's taken from his fourth album, Tongue N' Cheek, of which I have only heard the singles. I'm pretty interested to hear the rest of the record on the back of this one, though. As the title would suggest, the beat is a pure cruise - squealing synthesizer, clicking rhythm and an upbeat, free-spirit vibe. It's one of those beats you'd have to hear to properly "get", but as usual Dizzee kills it up top with a tight flow that never gets aggressive or over-the-top. Classy.
FINAL RATING (/10): 8
Dizzee leaves the country soon, so make sure you get along to see him!
Okay, got a lot of ground to cover over the past six days, so here we go:
I went and saw Dan Mangan for the third and final time on Friday. He's the one I blogged about back at Song #37. This was his last show in the country before flying back to Canada (ehh), and it was such a thrill to see him off. Of note, however, were his support act - The Retreat.
This Sydney band play a low-key, charming style of countrified pop-rock that recalled acts like Bob Evans, Bright Eyes and even a young Ryan Adams. This song in particular was a charmer. Its major chord progressions and sugar-sweet harmonies were simple but incredibly pleasant. It will also make you want to give lead singer Ross a big hug - and the dude works at JB HiFi in Pitt Street, so there's easily a chance to do so. You have been warned.
Here we are, people! The half way mark! Very exciting stuff.
Speaking of very exciting, I made it my mission to finally find out what all the fuss was with this guy Tiesto today. He's coming to Australia in a few months and he's sold out some really big venues. So what does he do? Well, he appears to be a DJ/producer type with an exceptionally awesome guestlist on his latest record, Kaleidoscope. Amongst the more awesome collaborators are Kele Okereke, Emily Haines, Jonsi Biriggson and the divine Quin twins - Tegan and Sara.
This is a great sound. As proven on parts of The Con, T & S can work with things like synthesizers and drum machines. This is a lot different to anything they've done previously, however - it's a full-on dance tune with some soaring rave-inducing moments. The good vibrations coming from the song pick up in particular near the end and during the soaring choruses. Practically everything works, I have no idea why this hasn't been a bigger hit.
FINAL RATING (/10): 8
Tiesto is here in March. Tegan and Sara should be here before the end of the year. Here's the video. Party on, Garth.
It's time for the second mash-up of my challenge, and I'm really interested in this one. In the blue corner, Beyonce's smash hit Halo. In the red corner (see what I did there?), the gorgeous Hayley Williams with Paramore's Brick by Boring Brick. Two of the most popular women in music today, together at last (what, just me?).
I'll admit, I was pretty skeptical on face value. The potential to be awesome was just sitting there, staring me in the face. Count yourself lucky, Schmolli (if that is your real name), because this is the balls. Knowles' acapella is thrown in the deep end with the pop-rocking Boring Brick's instrumental track (with Williams popping in near the end). A few choppy transitions aside, it's amazing nobody thought of mixing these two before. The move from verse to chorus blends perfectly with B's soaring scales, and some moments just seem perfect for one another. Some great chemistry here.
Sometimes, where I hear my song that I've never heard before previously is just plain weird. 45 was no exception - this came to me over the P.A. of the Myer store in Wollongong, where I was stocking up on my Michael Jackson collection. The horror that it was your mum's favourite crooner covering your dad's favourite band only came to me half way through.
So, this is off Michael Buble's latest album, Crazy Love. Y'know, the one with that horrible Haven't Met You Yet song that keeps coming up on the Winter Olympics ads (it's in Canada! He's Canadian! The similarities are endless!). It's a cover of a track by the Eagles, I believe from the Long Run record. I really like the Eagles for some reason - their harmonies and songwriting have always been dead impressive to me. This track is fun, too - the big chorus and the guitar matched with the horn section always impressed me. Buble doesn't do much with his cover, though. It's safer, with more of a swing to it. Is there any more to it, though? Not a chance. MOR crooner, Buble stylee.
Went to Sydney on Sunday for the second annual Days Like This! festival. Turned out to be a pretty quality day in spite of a pretty odd venue choice (the main stage was practically a car park). Highlights included Amp Fiddler, Cat Power and once again seeing my friends in Micachu and the Shapes. This lot, however, were easily my surprise of the day. Mica would not stop hyping them up in the lead-up to their set, but when it came down to it she could easily validate it.
Let's focus on this track in particular. The fact I had never heard it before and already knew the chorus within the first thirty seconds speaks volumes about how goddamn catchy this one was. Huge booming rhythms, a slinky bass line and even a nod to roller-disco is what makes this one such a treat. Live, it was even more off the chain - the titular "OH!" was practically screamed by Darren, Tom and Dede as they swayed and shook their respective booties in proper accordance with our own. Pure, unadulterated fun. Fuck yeah.
FINAL RATING (/10): 9
Their album drops in April and I'm wetting myself in excitement for it. Let's party.
Woo! Another landmark! How exciting. Another hectic weekend, so here's the three songs from the past three days.
First up, a very cool band that I saw for the first time on Saturday, opening for a one-off Epitomes reunion - the name's Let Me Down Jungleman, Gently. They immediately intrigued me on the basis of having two lead vocalists that both played instruments, as well as the fact they weren't playing the kind of music I'm used to seeing at tiny south-coast gigs. There was melody! Song structure! Time signature changes! ...okay, that probably made everything else sound shit, but I'm so used to straightforward hardcore that this was a real surprise.
Not complaining in the slightest, for the record. This track in particular was fantastic - strong vocals, a thick twisting bassline and a compromise between abrasiveness and cohesiveness. Think At the Drive-In if there was more of a focus on Jim Ward's vocals (no, not Sparta, shut up) and you're on your way. It's a track even Frenzal Rhomb/Triple J man Lindsay "The Doctor" McDougall has shown some appreciation for - so perhaps that's a bit of incentive?
FINAL RATING (/10); 8.5
Mostly, the bonus .5 is for the fact their two-track demo has a stroke of real red paint on it. Mad cool.
Last night, I had the privilege of seeing hardcore supergroup Burning Empires live, which was huge for me but strangely enough not for a lot of the other people there. The crowd was surging forward and subsequently going apeshit for a band I'd previously never listened to - Perth's Break Even.
Currently wrapping up their Endless Bummer tour with BE and The Amity Affliction, this quartet couldn't match the intensity of Empires, but they still put on a fairly enjoyable show. This track in particular - the finale of their debut album, The Bright Side, stood out in particular. It's aggressive, but also very open in its emotion - a trait that only the very best hardcore can do. Its recorded version is also significantly less heavy than when it was performed live. Rather than seeing this as a flaw, I perceive it to be an indication of the kind of passion they put into their live show. I'm now definitely keen to listen to a bit more of these guys.
Before we begin, some self-indulgent, name-dropping wankery: What a weekend!!!! Back from Slopfrenzy, which turned out to be deadset insane - I spent most of today sightseeing in Sydney with fucking Micachu and the Shapes. I can't even begin to describe how weird that shit was, man. But it was so great! I also met the wonderful humans from Ponytail, as well as JD Samson from Le Tigre and her girlfriend...who happens to be Sia friggin Furler. What a weekend.
No rest for the wicked, let's get on with the goddamn listening. Today, we've got a band from the states called Asobi Seksu. I believe their name is something really naughty in Japanese, but I can't remember. It doesn't matter. They made an album a few years' back called Citrus. It had two amazing songs in particular - New Years and Thursday. Haven't heard much from them since, so it's good to know they're still kicking around - they released an album in 2009 entitled Hush, and I'm finally getting around to taking a listen to some of the tracks.
Yuki Chikudate still unquestionably has a wonderful set of pipes about her. The notes she can soar to are done flawlessly and really engage you as a listener - if you're to take anything away from this song, chances are this will be it. The song itself, in comparison, takes a little longer to find its wings. It's a shift into dream-pop territory, with direction towards the capital city made exceptionally clear. Lovely, yes. Interesting? Not nearly as much as previously. Even still, there's a few wonderful sounding parts (particular the synth outro that will trip your speakers out something chronic), and if you were a fan of the band previously then you're almost certain to develop enjoyment of this over time.
FINAL RATING (/10): 6.5
It's no New Years, that's for sure. Try that song for those of you uninitiated with the band. Regardless, we've got a pretty nice little track on our hands here. Big ups this time go to Stereo Jealousy.
Before we get into it, a very happy new year to anyone and everyone reading the blog and to everyone doing the 100 Days project! More power to each and every one of you, and I sincerely hope you make 2010 your year.
What a way to kick off 2010! The magnificent DJ Earworm has made his return by once again compiling the 25 most popular songs of the year (in this instance, 2009 - his third) into a magnificent mashup.
I'm not even exaggerating - this is an absolutely, unquestionably brilliant composition. How can this be? Easy: U.S.-based mashup king Earworm has tapped into euphoria by simple yet incredibly effective means.
The song's instrumental basis revolves around the catchy chord progression and beat found in Black Eyed Peas' I Gotta Feeling (which is, for those of you playing at home, G/C/Em/C), and brought it up one whole step - thus transforming it to A/D/F#m/D. For the non-musical types, this may not mean very much at all. To me, however, it's a small gem of beatmatched brilliance - in turn with the key change, the songs sampled have been tweaked to a new corresponding key (save for Kelly Clarkson's My Life Would Suck Without You and Beyonce's Halo which were already in the key of A to begin with). Everything changes. Kings of Leon's Use Somebody sounds more desperate than ever. A strange sense of world-weariness is added to the lyrics of Jay Sean's Down. Taylor Swift has her confidence boosted through the roof as she powers out lyrics from Love Story and You Belong With Me in notes soaring above their previous incarnations. Instead of sounding depressed about singing "the old me is dead and gone", Justin Timberlake now sounds as if he's been emancipated on T.I.'s Dead and Gone. Good God, even artists I normally cannot stand, such as The Fray (with You Found Me) and Jason Mraz (with I'm Yours), sound wonderful.
Herein lies another element of Blame It on the Pop's genius. No matter what change comes from the pitch-shifted samples, every single one of them is for the better. The songs sampled sound as if they are working towards a collective goal - and the way they tessellate is a wonder in itself. Just listen to the virtual duet between Beyonce and Miley Cyrus with her track The Climb. With the similar lyrics (Knowles sings "The risk that I'm taking", as Cyrus plays call-and-response with "Every chance I'm taking", etc.), the two have a momentary eclipse of pop-ballad beauty.
With 2009 a thing of the past, the pop music puzzle is complete. What Earworm has done is take the pieces apart once more, completing the same reconstructive task yet helping us notice the minute, formerly-ignored details we didn't take notice of when taking in the big picture. It also shows the mood that was set in 2009's United States of Pop, as its prequels did. 2007 was raucous and loudmouthed (Crank That Soulja Boy, Fergalicious, Umbrella). 2008 saw pop mature and engross itself in the grandiose (Viva La Vida, Bleeding Love, Apologize). So what of 2009? It was a year of uncertainty, distress and occasional incoherence. But that never got in the way of a good party. When Earworm posted the track on his page, he had this to say in relation to the composition and its bracketed title:
This year in the charts, so many of the pop songs this year seem to tell the same story: Yeah, we’ve been through a lot, but right now we’re gonna celebrate with music and dance, and it’s gonna be ok. With that spirit in mind, I invite you to…BLAME IT ON THE POP
FINAL RATING (/10): 10
Blame? Maybe later.
Right now, I just want to thank it for the good times. And while we're at it, let's thank Earworm for another stroke of genius - 25 in 1 never seemed like a better deal.
Finally, big ups to Vinyl and Vodka for helping me pick up on this. Muchos appreciated.
Here's to 2010!!
xoxoxo
David
P.S.: This is probably the most I've written about a song in the blog so far, so I apologise if it's a little long-winded, but I can't emphasise enough how great this is.
If you haven't heard Bomb The Music Industry!, you've surely heard of them by reputation - the alternative/punk collective who don't do a damn thing by the norm. They've got everything they've ever recorded up on Tumblr, for god's sake. They only play all ages shows for $10 or less. They even let you play with them if you learn a song of their and come to the show with your instrument. If that doesn't intrigue you, I've got nothing...they're all monkeys? No, that won't work.
Anyway, this track was recorded the exact same way the first BtMI! song was recorded - in frontman Jeff Rosenstock's bedroom on a laptop. The lo-fi, indie creation doesn't get in the way of the song itself being a happy-sad anthem, with the hook "I don't want to go outside/Cause it might be a terrible day!" and kitchen-sink instrumentation (cheesy fake drums, ukulele, horns, etc). Songs like this normally don't kick you out of your chair and demand repeated listens at gunpoint. I can assure you, however, that this little fucker did. And I gladly let it do so. And yes, I would do it again.
Hi there! I'm David, a nineteen-year-old aspiring writer. I'm taking on the challenge of Josie Long's 100 Days project by listening to one song a day that I've never listened to before in my life. If you have any suggestions, feel free to email me: valkyriefasterlouder@gmail.com
Thanks for checking it all out!
