Cute Girls
Patrick Stump
It doesn't matter if you like Fall Out Boy or not, the fact remains that Patrick Stump has SERIOUS talent. Sure, you can write him off with whatever ignorant remark of the week that you've got going for you, and I'll be happy to discredit any future remarks as uneducated dribble.
I'm on the cusp of a serious snooze, so I may be going off topic here.
Anyway, by now I'm sure you're aware that I don't do "guilty pleasures" because of my obsession with 80's electro-pop and quite frankly, I don't value anyone else's opinion highly enough to feel 'guilt' about my tastes. In my head, you're the ones who should be ashamed.
Yeah that's right... you!
So, if you search the empty void between old-skool Michael Jackson and latter day Justin Timberlake, this is where you'd find "Cute Girls". The song obviously, you can find cute girls almost anywhere these days. And yeah, I know he's lost a LOTTA WEIGHT!
Wednesday 30 March 2011
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 12 - A Song From A Band You Hate
Pyramid Song
Radiohead
CONTROVERSIAL!
I was actually gonna do The Beatles, but that would probably destroy the space/time continuum as everyone gets thrown into an existential quandary as they try and understand the complexity of someone not liking The Beatles.
Instead I've gone with Radiohead. Now don't get me wrong, I don't HATE Radiohead, it's too strong a word. Hate isn't really in my lexicon, unless we're talking about Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote but that's a different story all together.
If I could rename this it would be "A Song From A Band That Winds You Up", purely for the fans. Radiohead fans (and I'm talking about the die-hards here) are a bag of arse-ends. I was never a fan of them when they were just an indie-guitar band, but when they released Kid A all the fans who stood by them went shooting up into their own arse-holes faster than Chewbacca with his finger on the "Light-Speed" button.
Again, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Kid A to a certain degree, but if I want to listen to a Bjork album, I'll probably just listen to a Bjork album. The fans, the once-upon-a-time-indie-guitar-kids who suddenly thrust themselves up onto their high-horse of avant-garde superiority, all look down upon anyone who isn't obsessed with the album because "they obviously don't get it".
I spent maybe two hours at a house party cornered by some spotty southerner telling me how Kid A was the start of a new musical revolution, how it will be a historical flag-mark for the new wave of intelligent music to come. I then had to send his ass back by twenty years ago by slamming into his face the likes of Bjork, John Zorn, Einstürzende Neubauten, Bauhaus, Autechre etc. However, it's terribly difficult for someone to hear someone else's point of view when your head is tightly holed up inside your own anus. Arguing with someone telling me "I just don't understand it" when I'm telling them who has been doing it decades beforehand is a one-way street, hence why I wash my hands of these people.
I've chosen Pyramid Song cause it is actually a very good song and a great use of time signitures with an Eastern string section to boot, but it's nothing new and that's the point I find myself hammering on about every time. There's plenty of music that is similar and better IF YOU LOOK FOR IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. Radiohead simply have the financial backing to be able to find you, rather than the other way around.
To anyone who owns a Radiohead album and simply enjoys it, then I have nothing against you. Just educate yourself first before you start preaching. Everything is derivative. End of.
Stick that in your family album.
Radiohead
CONTROVERSIAL!
I was actually gonna do The Beatles, but that would probably destroy the space/time continuum as everyone gets thrown into an existential quandary as they try and understand the complexity of someone not liking The Beatles.
Instead I've gone with Radiohead. Now don't get me wrong, I don't HATE Radiohead, it's too strong a word. Hate isn't really in my lexicon, unless we're talking about Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote but that's a different story all together.
If I could rename this it would be "A Song From A Band That Winds You Up", purely for the fans. Radiohead fans (and I'm talking about the die-hards here) are a bag of arse-ends. I was never a fan of them when they were just an indie-guitar band, but when they released Kid A all the fans who stood by them went shooting up into their own arse-holes faster than Chewbacca with his finger on the "Light-Speed" button.
Again, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Kid A to a certain degree, but if I want to listen to a Bjork album, I'll probably just listen to a Bjork album. The fans, the once-upon-a-time-indie-guitar-kids who suddenly thrust themselves up onto their high-horse of avant-garde superiority, all look down upon anyone who isn't obsessed with the album because "they obviously don't get it".
I spent maybe two hours at a house party cornered by some spotty southerner telling me how Kid A was the start of a new musical revolution, how it will be a historical flag-mark for the new wave of intelligent music to come. I then had to send his ass back by twenty years ago by slamming into his face the likes of Bjork, John Zorn, Einstürzende Neubauten, Bauhaus, Autechre etc. However, it's terribly difficult for someone to hear someone else's point of view when your head is tightly holed up inside your own anus. Arguing with someone telling me "I just don't understand it" when I'm telling them who has been doing it decades beforehand is a one-way street, hence why I wash my hands of these people.
I've chosen Pyramid Song cause it is actually a very good song and a great use of time signitures with an Eastern string section to boot, but it's nothing new and that's the point I find myself hammering on about every time. There's plenty of music that is similar and better IF YOU LOOK FOR IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. Radiohead simply have the financial backing to be able to find you, rather than the other way around.
To anyone who owns a Radiohead album and simply enjoys it, then I have nothing against you. Just educate yourself first before you start preaching. Everything is derivative. End of.
Stick that in your family album.
Monday 28 March 2011
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 11 - A Song From Your Favorite Band
Desert Search For Techno Allah
Mr Bungle
I'm not sure if I even have a favourite band anymore, but seeing as Mr Bungle stole an epic proportion of my youth I'm throwing THIS in your face. 'Techno Allah' is probably the song that got me into Mr Bungle in the first place, and it's a great example of what to expect from the band.
Mr. Bungle was Mike Patton's high school band before guitarist Trey Spruance encouraged him to send in a demo tape showcasing his vocal talents when it was announced Faith No More needed a new singer. The downside to this was that Mike became the front-man for FNM and then went supernova, leaving Mr. Bungle as a sniveling clown in an abandoned corner.
It was only until Warner Bros heard that he was 'still in another band' that they became interested in Mr Bungle, and so they threw money at him to go and make another Faith No Morey type of record. Enter the eponymous debut album, which can only be described as a screwy, funk-fueled carnival orgy.
Realizing that both bands sound nothing alike, WB dropped Mr Bungle like an old man's turd, and thus created a rift between FNM and MB fans forcing them to behave like divorced parents fighting over their only vocally-gifted child.
Their second album 'Disco Volante' was recorded using only one microphone in people's houses and garages and drove both Trey Spruance and John Zorn to insanity whilst trying to produce it. More avant-garde than the previous and stinking like a Naked City album (a good thing), it's more insane, more sporadic and definitely my favorite.
By this point Mike grew more distant from the Bungle boys with many other side projects, and an altercation between Trey during his short time with FNM on the album "King For A Day..." forced a tension upon the two of them. After recording their last album, the surf-injected "California", the band members were virtually strangers, a group of session musicians forced to work together as they toured their final shows.
I'm not even sure if Mr Bungle is officially dead, but either way, he ain't coming back like Faith No More did.
Mr Bungle
I'm not sure if I even have a favourite band anymore, but seeing as Mr Bungle stole an epic proportion of my youth I'm throwing THIS in your face. 'Techno Allah' is probably the song that got me into Mr Bungle in the first place, and it's a great example of what to expect from the band.
Mr. Bungle was Mike Patton's high school band before guitarist Trey Spruance encouraged him to send in a demo tape showcasing his vocal talents when it was announced Faith No More needed a new singer. The downside to this was that Mike became the front-man for FNM and then went supernova, leaving Mr. Bungle as a sniveling clown in an abandoned corner.
It was only until Warner Bros heard that he was 'still in another band' that they became interested in Mr Bungle, and so they threw money at him to go and make another Faith No Morey type of record. Enter the eponymous debut album, which can only be described as a screwy, funk-fueled carnival orgy.
Realizing that both bands sound nothing alike, WB dropped Mr Bungle like an old man's turd, and thus created a rift between FNM and MB fans forcing them to behave like divorced parents fighting over their only vocally-gifted child.
Their second album 'Disco Volante' was recorded using only one microphone in people's houses and garages and drove both Trey Spruance and John Zorn to insanity whilst trying to produce it. More avant-garde than the previous and stinking like a Naked City album (a good thing), it's more insane, more sporadic and definitely my favorite.
By this point Mike grew more distant from the Bungle boys with many other side projects, and an altercation between Trey during his short time with FNM on the album "King For A Day..." forced a tension upon the two of them. After recording their last album, the surf-injected "California", the band members were virtually strangers, a group of session musicians forced to work together as they toured their final shows.
I'm not even sure if Mr Bungle is officially dead, but either way, he ain't coming back like Faith No More did.
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 10 - A Song That Makes You Fall Asleep
Art Of Motion
Andy McKee
I speak from experience when I say this dude is great to have a midday nap to. I don't mean this song in particular, I mean all his stuff. I had an afternoon snooze about 2 weeks ago, thought the album had finished. Turned out I'd listened to all 4. Oops.
I say this makes me sleep NOT in a boring way, just great to listen to and to soundtrack whatever bizarre perpetrations of the day that your mind throws at you when you fall under.
Andy McKee
I speak from experience when I say this dude is great to have a midday nap to. I don't mean this song in particular, I mean all his stuff. I had an afternoon snooze about 2 weeks ago, thought the album had finished. Turned out I'd listened to all 4. Oops.
I say this makes me sleep NOT in a boring way, just great to listen to and to soundtrack whatever bizarre perpetrations of the day that your mind throws at you when you fall under.
Saturday 26 March 2011
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 9 - A Song That You Can Dance To
Jermaine Stewart
We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off (To Have A Good Time)
The insufferable irony of this is, of course, Jermaine Stewart died of AIDS in 1997. Had he taken his own advice, who knows? Or perhaps the song is just an excuse for not having to get naked for the ladies to hide his secret homosexual life.
But let's face it, there's nothing secret about it, is there?
All issues aside, the song is a stonewall tune with a capital "CH". Do I really need to go into great depth about how this is "a song that I can dance to"? No, no I don't.
For a laugh, I've included a few BONUS (though dubious) cover choices too;
We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off (To Have A Good Time)
The insufferable irony of this is, of course, Jermaine Stewart died of AIDS in 1997. Had he taken his own advice, who knows? Or perhaps the song is just an excuse for not having to get naked for the ladies to hide his secret homosexual life.
But let's face it, there's nothing secret about it, is there?
All issues aside, the song is a stonewall tune with a capital "CH". Do I really need to go into great depth about how this is "a song that I can dance to"? No, no I don't.
For a laugh, I've included a few BONUS (though dubious) cover choices too;
Friday 25 March 2011
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 8 - A Song That You Know All The Words To
Rapper's Delight
Sugarhill Gang
Aiiiight you sucka MCs?!
When I was about 10 I made it my life's ambition to learn the entire words to this song, and I'm not talking about this 6:15 min version, I'm talking the whooooole 14 min original version. And you can bet yer black/white/red/brown/purple/yellow ass that I did too.
That's right, even the bit when they start running out of ideas and Wonder Mike starts rapping about going to a friend's house to eat but the "chicken tastes like wood", and how he's too polite to say no to a second portion.
I tried to demonstrate to some friends when I was about 17 that I could recite the entire works on night. I can imagine it was the longest 14 minutes of their collective life, watching some fool sat in an armchair nonchalantly spouting "I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast but we're like hot butter on a breakfast toast".
Enjoy.
Sugarhill Gang
Aiiiight you sucka MCs?!
When I was about 10 I made it my life's ambition to learn the entire words to this song, and I'm not talking about this 6:15 min version, I'm talking the whooooole 14 min original version. And you can bet yer black/white/red/brown/purple/yellow ass that I did too.
That's right, even the bit when they start running out of ideas and Wonder Mike starts rapping about going to a friend's house to eat but the "chicken tastes like wood", and how he's too polite to say no to a second portion.
I tried to demonstrate to some friends when I was about 17 that I could recite the entire works on night. I can imagine it was the longest 14 minutes of their collective life, watching some fool sat in an armchair nonchalantly spouting "I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast but we're like hot butter on a breakfast toast".
Enjoy.
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 7 - A Song That Reminds You of A Certain Event
Oliver's Army
Elvis Costello
A few years back, during the long sprawl of Glassjaw's major 9-year hiatus, and after many cancellations of any physical appearance from Daryl Palumbo due to his bleeding bowel issues, if you wanted to see Glassjaw or Daryl you where better off booking a flight to NYC and knocking on as many doors as possible until you found his mam's house.
That was until his side project Head Automatica decided to come to town, and so I jumped at the chance of seeing this sexy beast in the flesh. You remember Head Automatica don't you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zINlfg0aGqw&feature=fvsr <<CLICKY CLICKY!
Well anyway, after the set we headed over to see Daryl DJ across the road where there we ended up hanging out with the band, and then somehow ended up riding a Magic Bus to go to someone's house party in Withington, Manchester (flash-forward 1 hour: this party would later turn out to be just full of 40 year old Mancs on pills. Uuugh.)
Still on the bus, and after ridiculing the drummer about how his old band Rival Schools only had one good song, the band began to sing, from out of nowhere, "Oliver's Army is on their waaa-aaa-aaaaaay... sum sum sum sum sum neer ner neerr ooooh... TO-DAAAAAY..." on the top deck of said Magic Bus, repeatedly, for the remainder of the journey. Wait, hang on, you remember Rival Schools don't you?
I've always enjoyed Elvis Costello in the past, but never really gotten into the albums, and I guess the morning after this event is where I associate REALLY getting into Mr Costello, and every time I hear this song I will always remember this mis-matched motley bunch of badly dressed Americans wailing their hearts out on a Magic Bus.
Elvis Costello
A few years back, during the long sprawl of Glassjaw's major 9-year hiatus, and after many cancellations of any physical appearance from Daryl Palumbo due to his bleeding bowel issues, if you wanted to see Glassjaw or Daryl you where better off booking a flight to NYC and knocking on as many doors as possible until you found his mam's house.
That was until his side project Head Automatica decided to come to town, and so I jumped at the chance of seeing this sexy beast in the flesh. You remember Head Automatica don't you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zINlfg0aGqw&feature=fvsr <<CLICKY CLICKY!
Well anyway, after the set we headed over to see Daryl DJ across the road where there we ended up hanging out with the band, and then somehow ended up riding a Magic Bus to go to someone's house party in Withington, Manchester (flash-forward 1 hour: this party would later turn out to be just full of 40 year old Mancs on pills. Uuugh.)
Still on the bus, and after ridiculing the drummer about how his old band Rival Schools only had one good song, the band began to sing, from out of nowhere, "Oliver's Army is on their waaa-aaa-aaaaaay... sum sum sum sum sum neer ner neerr ooooh... TO-DAAAAAY..." on the top deck of said Magic Bus, repeatedly, for the remainder of the journey. Wait, hang on, you remember Rival Schools don't you?
I've always enjoyed Elvis Costello in the past, but never really gotten into the albums, and I guess the morning after this event is where I associate REALLY getting into Mr Costello, and every time I hear this song I will always remember this mis-matched motley bunch of badly dressed Americans wailing their hearts out on a Magic Bus.
Wednesday 23 March 2011
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 6 - A Song That Reminds You of Somewhere
Threesome
Fenix TX
What could be more fun that a load of chubby Hispanics making catchy pop-punk anthems?
Upon leaving the Old Country behind and starting a fresh new life in the post-industrial Mecca of Manchester, I moved into a house with 3 other buddychums from back home and like most champions in their 20's got drunk, partied, threw down some bad-ass shapes and did a long list of many other silly, fun things.
This song in particular, I wasn't too familiar with at the time, yet it was getting endlessly rinsed by certain individuals I lived with as we started swigging cheap corner-shop cider whilst getting ready to go out.
It reminds me of the fun, 'innocent' times, before the middle-20's crisis kicks in and the perils of reality, life and future prospects ram it's claws into your skull, dragging you away from the comfort zone of your expired youth you've been desperately clinging onto.
An ode to Manchester, circa 2007.
Fenix TX
What could be more fun that a load of chubby Hispanics making catchy pop-punk anthems?
Upon leaving the Old Country behind and starting a fresh new life in the post-industrial Mecca of Manchester, I moved into a house with 3 other buddychums from back home and like most champions in their 20's got drunk, partied, threw down some bad-ass shapes and did a long list of many other silly, fun things.
This song in particular, I wasn't too familiar with at the time, yet it was getting endlessly rinsed by certain individuals I lived with as we started swigging cheap corner-shop cider whilst getting ready to go out.
It reminds me of the fun, 'innocent' times, before the middle-20's crisis kicks in and the perils of reality, life and future prospects ram it's claws into your skull, dragging you away from the comfort zone of your expired youth you've been desperately clinging onto.
An ode to Manchester, circa 2007.
Tuesday 22 March 2011
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 5 - A Song That Reminds You of Someone
Prince
Uptown
There are many songs that remind me of certain people for individual reasons, however I guess this song reminds me of a 'collective of people' rather than some 'one' person.
I had the pleasure of seeing Mr Nelson during his epic residency at the London O2 Arena a few years back with a large and motley bunch of Welsh gits, as part of an extended weekend amidst a friend's birthday bash and other miscellaneous tomfoolery.
He didn't actually play this, but when I think of Prince it's either this or Controversy, which he DID play. HOWEVER, when I saw Mr Oizo, he didn't play Controversy sandwiched between Flat Beat and JT's Sexy Back, did he?
No, he played Uptown. Why? Because it's killer-sick that's why.
I'm riffing now, so I'll get back to the point;
Great weekend.
Great people.
Great song.
Simples.
Uptown
There are many songs that remind me of certain people for individual reasons, however I guess this song reminds me of a 'collective of people' rather than some 'one' person.
I had the pleasure of seeing Mr Nelson during his epic residency at the London O2 Arena a few years back with a large and motley bunch of Welsh gits, as part of an extended weekend amidst a friend's birthday bash and other miscellaneous tomfoolery.
He didn't actually play this, but when I think of Prince it's either this or Controversy, which he DID play. HOWEVER, when I saw Mr Oizo, he didn't play Controversy sandwiched between Flat Beat and JT's Sexy Back, did he?
No, he played Uptown. Why? Because it's killer-sick that's why.
I'm riffing now, so I'll get back to the point;
Great weekend.
Great people.
Great song.
Simples.
Monday 21 March 2011
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 4 - A Song That Makes You Sad
Warren G feat. Nate Dogg
Regulate
Now don't get me wrong, this song is bad-ass but what with the recent events of Nate Dogg's passing, I've been blasting this tune out harder than Arnie in a Nazi factory. A true classic "old-skool" hip-hop stonker, back when the genre was awesome, when hip-hop was still FUN GODDAMMIT!
To me, this song marks the end of an era, a final parting gift perhaps, that says a fond farewell to the golden age before ushering in the new wave of Hip Hop that would focus primarily on irreverent vanity projects and infantile delusions of money, leaving the music to suffer as the consequence.
The music, of course is set to the backing of Michael McDonald's "I Keep Forgetting" which in itself is a stonewall groove-fist to the stomach, with the added panache of the late Nate Dogg's pipes that leak liquid chocolate onto every thing it touches. Only an idiot could put these two things together and NOT make this an uber-ouasif hit.
Ever wanted to know what it would look like if Zach Galifianakis wandered into Frasier's apartment and started knocking out a tune? THEN WANDER NO MORE:
Sunday 20 March 2011
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 3 - A Song That Makes You Happy
Linzi Ellen
Something Silly (Billy)
I'm not even sure if this is allowed to be submitted within the confines of the rules to the 30 Day Song Challenge seeing as she's not 'famous' or whatnot, however the theme does require 'a song that makes you happy' and this song just fulfills that sentiment.
It's essentially a quirky little piano romp set to reminiscent tones of Regina Spektor with a chorus that would make Tori Amos blush with a reserved envy. Okay, sure the song has been recorded through a video camera but it goes to show that with solid writing skills, a great song can can still shine through whatever the murky production issue may be. There's a metaphor involving 'workman', ' bad tools' and 'blame' reference I'd like to make, but I'm not sure where I'm really going with that statement.
Bottom line is that's its a fun, beautiful feel good song and you should check out her stuff (link below). I stumbled upon her by complete accident and quite frankly, during the last few weeks I've been listening to very little else since.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Linziellenjo
Saturday 19 March 2011
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 2 - Your Least Favorite Song
Underworld
Born Slippy
I detest with song with vehement urges to vomit. It physically makes me feel ill. I don't know what it is, or why, my blood boils, my skin itches...
I'm not even going to elaborate any further.
Born Slippy
I detest with song with vehement urges to vomit. It physically makes me feel ill. I don't know what it is, or why, my blood boils, my skin itches...
I'm not even going to elaborate any further.
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 1 - Your Favorite Song
John Frusciante
Dying Song
The Brown Bunny OST
Written for Vincent Gallo's The Brown Bunny soundtrack, "Dying Song" is considered a somewhat rare and unconventional Frusciante track amongst the vast plethora of his "obsessive post-smack" recordings.
Firstly, the lyrics are for once quite personal and not the inane ramblings from a toothless crevice situated in the face of a man who released two solo albums purely to earn pocket money for more brown sugar.
Bizarrely, the song itself is produced terribly and yet fantastically. Riddled with a Lo-Fi 8-track hiss throughout, this song shakes with reverberated loveliness and haunted electronic tones where it finally leads into a crescendo of multi-layered vocals. Beautiful, honest music.
Not sure if this IS my all time favorite song, however it WAS for a long, long time and hence why I'm giving it this spot.
Dying Song
The Brown Bunny OST
Written for Vincent Gallo's The Brown Bunny soundtrack, "Dying Song" is considered a somewhat rare and unconventional Frusciante track amongst the vast plethora of his "obsessive post-smack" recordings.
Firstly, the lyrics are for once quite personal and not the inane ramblings from a toothless crevice situated in the face of a man who released two solo albums purely to earn pocket money for more brown sugar.
Bizarrely, the song itself is produced terribly and yet fantastically. Riddled with a Lo-Fi 8-track hiss throughout, this song shakes with reverberated loveliness and haunted electronic tones where it finally leads into a crescendo of multi-layered vocals. Beautiful, honest music.
Not sure if this IS my all time favorite song, however it WAS for a long, long time and hence why I'm giving it this spot.
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