All my songs sound the same, at least all the ones I've been working on recently. They all sound like Panda Bear and Brian Wilson singing hooks to 1 or 2 chords (poppy Sung Tongs?). I like the idea that the songs are acoustic and feel very freewheelin'- but they also just sound like really pretty native chants. Pieces of Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes, Beach Boys.
I feel like I've been writing songs like this for a long time now. Sometimes I feel like a song needs a basic electric guitar riff to go with it, but nothing rough: Think Peter Buck. It's jangle pop. Even some Rubber Soul or Spoon-esque marijuana fuzz bass is needed at times.
Actually, it all just sounds a strange lot like Galaxie 500.
I also feel like these songs could use ambient organ intros/outros like Automatic for the People.
I really wanted to do something even less poppy w/ more full instrumentation. I remember making a blog-post for a project called "Reality." That would have some flute parts, solo trumpet hooks, and a healthy dose of vibraphone. I still like the idea, but it doesn't fit where I'm going right now.
+ I also made up this song yesterday that just sounds like a usual Ben Folds song, only with quiet Doug Martsch guitar fills. Has a catchy "la-la-la" part.
These days I mostly listen to electronica-dance music and Neil Young.
Writing music is such a drag.
"The total effect is 'Let's Go Away For Awhile', which is something everyone in the world must have said at some time or another. Nice thought; most of us don't go away, but it's still a nice thought." -Brian Wilson
Friday, December 27, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
10 Years of Kanye West
I remember being 14 years old and I believed anything without a guitar solo wasn't good. I was a freshman at Linden High School and sometime Ms. Grant would play Late Registration during class. I remember liking "Heard 'Em Say" and I thought- maybe there is such thing as good rap music. These days I listen I listen to every genre, but I remember Kanye's "Heard 'Em Say" was the first rap song I ever liked. Soulful, melancholia, catchy...
What happened to that guy?
Kanye's voice was first heard on the radio in 2003 with a verse on Twista's #1 hit "Slow Jamz." He rapped about sexual innuendos for a little over 30 seconds while name-dropping Luther Vandross, Gladys Knight, Michael Jackson, 90s rappers and Cool Whip. Apparently it was enough to get him a record deal on Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella records within the year.
:his solo album works, in a nutshell:
This album was very cheerful and even more cheeky. Commercially popular and critically acclaimed. My mission buddy Elder Funk knows all the words to "Jesus Walks," and I'm pretty he's not the only one. On his debut, Kanye was already causing a cultural stir. Rolling Stone ranked it among their 300 Greatest Albums Of All Time, one of the 8 albums from the 2000s with a ranking so high. I never got the 'bear' thing...
LATE REGISTRATION (2005)- I personally think this one was better. If you can't decide on whether you you want to listen to a cocky rapper or your favorite Curtis Mayfield record, you can chose both with this album. The soul of this album may just be from the direct sampling, but Kanye was producing bigger things and rapping about bigger topics. "Gold Digger" reached #1. That bear was still around...
I remember when this album came out. "Stronger" was the immediate #1 single, although I preferred "Can't Tell Me Nothing." The album's personality was based off 80s-throwback synths. Kanye single-handedly made these shades cool! I love those things!And yes, that bear was on the cover...
808S & HEARTBREAKS (2008)-I think much of the world has forgotten that this album happened. I personally try to. But this has just been universally accepted as his worst work. I think the track "Love Lockdown" is underrated, but I don't even like most of the songs on this album. Plain beats + plain pianos. Nerdy glasses are cool now, but not because of Kanye.
MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY (2010)-
The most important part of the album title is the word "my." I've heard plenty of albums that are more beautiful, darker, more twisted, more fantastical than this one. But this album is definitely his. It's as Kanye as it gets. It's my favorite one by him. "POWER" lives up to its title, coming from the cockiest, angriest man in the music business. More so out of drunken depression than humility, he calls himself a "douchebag" on "Runaway." The album was just so darn loud and legitimately crazy. Critical acclaim up to wazoo- it was the first album in 8 years to get a perfect 10/10 upon release from Pitchfork. It was his first album to have not top 10 singles, but I don't think he was focused on popularity when he made this. As usual, he was more focused on himself.
YEEZUS (2013)- Generally like this album, but I like it less and less every day. I ranked it #11 on my list of favorite 2013 albums, which is lower than where most folks would put it. But I think its minimalism, darkness and volume is only shocking to those who listen to popular rap. I still give it some props for being purposely heartless and overly nasty. I love "New Slaves." But just how unique is this album? Why are critics calling it the best of the year? Who is Kanye West anyway?
:the future of kanye west:
Kanye West is an idiot, a bigot and a wimp. Unlike the best rappers in hip-hop history, he has never experienced poverty or street violence. He may be "artistic" among other celebrity rappers, but seems pretty plain standing next to the underground likes of Death Grips or Shabazz Plalaces. Yet I approve of 5 of the 6 albums listed above. Is it possible to like a guy's music and hate the guy himself? (sigh) Meet Kanye West...
Is he overrated? Yes. But he's done some GREAT stuff. Critics love Yeezus because its release and approach are bold. My buddy Liam Perry said of the album, "Musically it's his worst album, conceptually it's great." This is true. He represents a character in the studio- a different one for each album. I think he's a great artist with great potential. But if you think he's the best, you've fallen into a trap.
I predict a sad future for Kanye. He doesn't have fun anymore. Even cocky people can be fun. Even depressed people can have fun. I've yet to mention any remarks he's ever made outside the studio. Long-story-short: It's all an act. At least it used to be. I'm starting to think that Kanye actually believes all the stupid stuff he says ("I'm the Braveheart of creativity"/"I am the next Nelson Mandela"). I'm a lot more impressed with Kendrick Lamar threatening to murder a list of 11 rappers in the middle of a rap verse. Kendrick just wants a rap battle. Kanye wants an eternal, gold-plated cookie of greatness.
Considering how his latest album is a musical step down from anything he's done before, I think he'll just keep stepping lower and lower. Crude concepts are great and all, but he can't back it up for much longer. The fact that he's already made an album spilling his guts in the studio (Twisted Fantasy) and an album comparing himself to Deity (Yeezus), he has nowhere left to go. I bet his next album is a rap-rock opera with one truly great song as a centerpiece surrounded by awkward turds of music. Coming sooner than later. I might call him a genius if he didn't think so himself. 10 years of this guy... one of the most important artists of our time... but his time is up.
Is he overrated? Yes. But he's done some GREAT stuff. Critics love Yeezus because its release and approach are bold. My buddy Liam Perry said of the album, "Musically it's his worst album, conceptually it's great." This is true. He represents a character in the studio- a different one for each album. I think he's a great artist with great potential. But if you think he's the best, you've fallen into a trap.
I predict a sad future for Kanye. He doesn't have fun anymore. Even cocky people can be fun. Even depressed people can have fun. I've yet to mention any remarks he's ever made outside the studio. Long-story-short: It's all an act. At least it used to be. I'm starting to think that Kanye actually believes all the stupid stuff he says ("I'm the Braveheart of creativity"/"I am the next Nelson Mandela"). I'm a lot more impressed with Kendrick Lamar threatening to murder a list of 11 rappers in the middle of a rap verse. Kendrick just wants a rap battle. Kanye wants an eternal, gold-plated cookie of greatness.
Considering how his latest album is a musical step down from anything he's done before, I think he'll just keep stepping lower and lower. Crude concepts are great and all, but he can't back it up for much longer. The fact that he's already made an album spilling his guts in the studio (Twisted Fantasy) and an album comparing himself to Deity (Yeezus), he has nowhere left to go. I bet his next album is a rap-rock opera with one truly great song as a centerpiece surrounded by awkward turds of music. Coming sooner than later. I might call him a genius if he didn't think so himself. 10 years of this guy... one of the most important artists of our time... but his time is up.
MAYBE HE'S A NICE GUY
My favorite Kanye songs? "Jesus Walks"//"Heard 'Em Say"//"Flashing Lights"//"POWER" to name a few.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
2013: In Memories
(Some cheesy background music as you read this post)
Well,it's been a great year. I feel like I had more fun naturally than I have had in years. This means I don't remember doing as much fun stuff... as much as I remember having fun doing anything I was doing. And for the record, I did darn fun stuff too.
Every season I went through this year was my first season since 2009 without any clinical stress issues. There was a lot of inner rebirth shtuff going on throughout the year.
Here's me and some homies from the summer- Willy C, Robo Rob, Mandrew, Roommate Jake- at "top of the world." Just a few of the many amazing people I met this year.
I didn't do much for the first couple of months. Nothing really happened. But I'm cool with that. I fell in love with the spring colors in Logan.
This fall semester was my only semester as a journalism major here at USU. I worked harder than ever and I guess it payed off. I wrote a bunch of articles for a blog on the local music scene and got to meet some great local bands. I passed Prof. LaPlante's class!
Meanwhile, these homies kept me entertained. Still do.
It was an epic time.
This is just a great picture.
This was taken in the span of 7 weeks where I worked at the ICON factory which had me at work by 5:30 working 10-11 hours a day. I do not miss that.
This is a part of Logan known as "the island." It's not really an island, but it's really pretty & it's where I lived for 8 of 12 months this year. From my apartment, I've either walked or ran by everything in this picture.
My bro Keith got his Masters in Special Ed from some college I've never heard of. This picture is from the last time I saw him before he and his fam moved to Calgary. So far I've gone the whole year without seeing my bro Todd & his fam in Wisconsin. I'll be seeing them around Christmas time.
Not sure how this wound up being the last picture on the thing, but it is. Anyways, I'll be starting my theatre studies at Utah State University next year while working for The Statesman.
2013 was a GREAT year and it's not even over yet!
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
MY 25 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2013
Listing songs is hard because there are millions to chose from. Listing albums is hard because I don't have the time to listen to an entire album... somehow, I do.
I've listened to all the albums listed below and plenty more. I wish I had listened to even more though. I don't know everything about music and there are probably plenty of bands that earn a spot on here I may have never heard of. Even having attending an amazing Flaming Lips concert this summer, I wasn't a big fan of the album they released this year. I gave the #25 spot to a guy from SLC who isn't popular in any way at all, but I legitimately enjoyed hearing his album more than other folks there. I listen to too much music recommended by critics and not enough recommended by friends. Any recommendations out there?
25: GOTHEN GOTHEN
24: WE ARE THE 21ST CENTURY AMBASSADORS OF PEACE & MAGIC FOXYGEN
23: PAIN IS BEAUTY CHELSEA WOLFE
22: FADE YO LA TENGO
21: DORIS EARL SWEATSHIRT
20: CUPID DELUXE BLOOD ORANGE
19: THE NIGHT'S GAMBIT KA
18: SHAKING THE HABITUAL THE KNIFE
17: LOUD CITY SONG JULIA HOLTER
16: IMMUNITY JON HOPKINS
15: YOU'RE NOTHING ICEAGE
14: DREAM RIVER BILL CALLAHAN
13: RUN THE JEWELS RUN THE JEWELS
12: VIRGINS TIM HECKER
11: YEEZUS KANYE WEST
10: SILENCE YOURSELF SAVAGES
9: MBV MY BLOODY VALENTINE
8: WAKIN' ON A PRETTY DAZE KURT VILE
7: WONDROUS BUGHOUSE YOUTH LAGOON
6: SUNBATHER DEAFHEAVEN
5: PSYCHIC DARKSIDE
4: REFLEKTOR ARCADE FIRE
3: SETTLE DISCLOSURE
2: RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES DAFT PUNK
1: MODERN VAMPIRES OF THE CITY VAMPIRE WEEKEND
I've listened to all the albums listed below and plenty more. I wish I had listened to even more though. I don't know everything about music and there are probably plenty of bands that earn a spot on here I may have never heard of. Even having attending an amazing Flaming Lips concert this summer, I wasn't a big fan of the album they released this year. I gave the #25 spot to a guy from SLC who isn't popular in any way at all, but I legitimately enjoyed hearing his album more than other folks there. I listen to too much music recommended by critics and not enough recommended by friends. Any recommendations out there?
25: GOTHEN GOTHEN
Monday, December 9, 2013
MY 25 FAVORITE SONGS OF 2013
I hate making lists for songs because it's not like I've heard every song worth hearing in the entire world. I almost ffel like I'm just picking my favorite songs from my favorite albums. I'll probably disagree with my own opinion a year from now. I don't like making song lists...
But I'm gone do it anyway.
25: THE WIRE -HAIM
Because ripping off of Fleetwood Mac is harder than it looks. This band is pretty over-rated, but if you want a perfect pop track that will be stuck in your head all year, you found it here.
"You know I'm bad at communication."
24: A TOOTH FOR AN EYE -THE KNIFE
The best moments on the new album from The Knife are the ones where they sound the least like their older material. I love the unique Indian/African rythms on this track.
"On my doorstep, a screaming hand. I'm telling you stories. Trust me."
23: BRING THE NOIZE -M.I.A
I wasn't a huge fan of the new M.I.A. album, but this song is one of her most powerful to date.
"It's not me and you, it's the banks!"
22: LOVE IS LOST (HELLO STEVE REICH MIX) -DAVID BOWIE/"BY JAMES MURPHY"
This sounds almost nothing like the "Love Is Lost" Bowie originally gave us. That was a good song and all, but I like it a lot better with Mr. James Murphy at the helm, sampling Steve Reich's "Clapping Music" and Bowie's own "Ashes to Ashes."
"Say hello, hello."
21: CONTROL -Big Sean (ft Jay Electronica & KENDRICK LAMAR)
Pusha T's "Nosetalgia," also ft Kendrick, almost made this list. It's a better song by all means, gotta love Pusha T. Big Sean sucks. But Kendrick's verse on here is unforgettable.
"I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you!"
20: SONG FOR ZULA -PHOSPHORESCENT
In my mind, it takes a lot to earn the title of "songwriter." Matthew Houck matches all requirements. His voice just breaks my heart on this track...
"My heart is wild and my bones are steam and I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free."
19: NEW SLAVES -KANYE WEST (ft Frank Ocean)
Kanye West hates the world and he's very crude. This is pretty standard "trap" music. This isn't news, but sampling Gyöngyhajú Lány is.
"All you blacks want all the same thing!"
18: SAN FRANCISCO -FOXYGEN
The first time I listened to Foxygen, I couldn't decide whether they were trying to sound like The Rolling Stones, Donovan or Lou Reed. This is not a bad problem to have. Catchy. 60s vibe.
"We were stating on this hill that Jesus came from Israel."
17: ALL YOU'RE WAITING FOR -CLASSIXX (ft Nancy Whang)
I really tried getting into electronic dance music this year. And I did.
"Somebody needs a little more everyday."
16: YA HEY -VAMPIRE WEEKEND
This is slow, joyful, classy, extremely catchy, raggae-esque, quirky pop song about Jesus. Why wouldn't this song be on this list?
"America don't love you." "Ya Hey! Deo Annotate!"
15: SHUT UP -SAVAGES
I only know enough about 80s gothic post-punk to know that these guys sound a lot like Joy Division or Siouxsie and the Banshees. Which is something the world kinda needs.
"You're living like the bullets to the sun."
14: SHE FOUND NOW -MY BLOODY VALENTINE
My Bloody Valentine release their first piece of new music in nearly 22 years, and this was the first thing we heard. Pure Magic. (+ dig the lack of rhythm for 5 minutes of your life)
"I wonder how that you find out..."
13: AIRGLOW FIRES -LONE
This year's finest release from R&S records sounds like... elevator music... at a club...
"What?"
12: CHAMAKAY -BLOOD ORANGE
I freaking love this song. It's as smooth and silent as R&B can get with it still getting away with being called "R&B." The instrumentation is enjoyably fluffy, as is the production.
"I see you're waiting for a girl like me to come along... baby, go your own."
11: GOD MADE THE WORLD -COLD CAVE
Everybody and their dog wants to make an 80s synthpop hit these days. I don't think Wesley Eisold aims for the "hit" factor on this as he tries to refine the sounds of 80s darkwave. He nails them both here. This song is just so darn depressing and uniquely stale... yet so easy to dance to.
"God made the world, but I made this song."
10: RETROGRADE -JAMES BLAKE
James Blake's voice on here is sexier than ever. Am I aloud to say that? Anyways, Blake polished up his soul & pop senses on this track, yet still manages to give you the chills like his classic old stuff.
"Suddenly I'm hit!"
9: HANG ON TO LIFE -ARIEL PINK (ftJorge Elbrecht)
I can't believe how high this song is ranked. Ariel Pink has this ability to make his songs sound like background music to crappy 80s TV programs. And I love it. It's one of his dreamiest, most emotionally dramatic tracks he's made. This song needed to happen.
"You screwed the pooch, now face it."
8: WAKIN' ON A PRETTY DAY -KURT VILE
Kurt Vile is a songwriter. He's a long-haired stoner-rock guitarist. He's both. You'd probably be more likely to hear this song on a classic rock radio station than on this list. This is a song for everyman. I haven't heard an acoustic guitar sound this crisp in a long time.
"Don't worry 'bout a thing. It's only dying"
7: REFLEKTOR -ARCADE FIRE
There's a noise at the climax of this song- about 4 minutes in- I've never heard that noise before. Meanwhile... this song is epic, catchy, funky, dark- Arcade Fire did not disappoint this year.
"We fell in love when I was 19, and now we're staring at a screen."
6: WHITE NOISE -DISCLOSURE (ft AlunaGeorge)
Disclosure's album Settle was one of my favorites of the year. Every song on their sounds the same: They all sound like hits. This one I think had the most guts (bass?) to it and the synth echoes are the murkiest. #2 hit in the UK- never heard it on US radio once.
"I know you're smart. You spin me round like a knot."
5: MUTE -YOUTH LAGOON
This song blew my mind the first time I heard it, and was a personal favorite of mine throughout the year. On this album, Trevor Powers sometimes tries too hard to sound weird, but his voice on this track is the sound of emotional, youthful wonder. Sick guitar riff through the second half of the song, too. Epic, psychedelic, lo-fi stuff.
"I never listen, I never listen..."
4: BLURRED LINES -ROBIN THICKE (ft Pharrell Williams & T.I.)
The definition of the "feel-good hit of the summer." You know every line. You know what he's talking about. You can play it on your sister's keyboard (and you don't even know how to play keyboard.) It has more cowbell. It's so simple- almost too simple. While Katy Perry was working her butt off to make her annual radio-perfect turds of music, Robin Thicke was doing something other pop stars should be doing: Nothing. Pop stars take themselves too seriously. If you're worried about making money, just play 4 chords on the keyboard and sing about sex.
"Baby, can you breathe? I bought this in Jamiaca!"
3: GET LUCKY -DAFT PUNK (fy Pharrell Williams)
We're up all night to get lucky.
"We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky!"
2: DOIN' IT RIGHT -DAFT PUNK
Oh hey, look, it's Daft Punk again! This song is ranked so highly because I thought it was going to suck. I love Panda Bear and I love Daft Punk. When I heard about the collab, I thought it would be Daft Punk trying to be weird and hip. Instead, we have the perfect copy-and-paste set up for one of the most memorable songs of 2013. Or 1983. Lennox's voice always sounds distant, as it does here. This time, his voice is trying to reach the other end of the dancefloor- a dancefloor covered by everybody dancing (you, your dad, French robots).
"If you lose your way tonight, that's how you know the magic's right."
1: STEP-VAMPIRE WEEKEND
This is only Vampire Weekend's third album and Ezra Koenig sounds like he's the oldest, wisest man in the business. This song covers all memories of ex-girlfriends (and random 90s California hip-hop groups) you need. Koenig delivers line-after-line on this song. http://rock.rapgenius.com/Vampire-weekend-step-lyricsDoes name-dropping make you a truly great artist? No. Only if you're being sincere. This song is nostalgic as a yearbook but built like a museum: Just smile, think about the good old days and don't anything.
"Everyone's dying, but girl, you're not old yet."
But I'm gone do it anyway.
25: THE WIRE -HAIM
Because ripping off of Fleetwood Mac is harder than it looks. This band is pretty over-rated, but if you want a perfect pop track that will be stuck in your head all year, you found it here.
"You know I'm bad at communication."
24: A TOOTH FOR AN EYE -THE KNIFE
The best moments on the new album from The Knife are the ones where they sound the least like their older material. I love the unique Indian/African rythms on this track.
"On my doorstep, a screaming hand. I'm telling you stories. Trust me."
23: BRING THE NOIZE -M.I.A
I wasn't a huge fan of the new M.I.A. album, but this song is one of her most powerful to date.
"It's not me and you, it's the banks!"
22: LOVE IS LOST (HELLO STEVE REICH MIX) -DAVID BOWIE/"BY JAMES MURPHY"
This sounds almost nothing like the "Love Is Lost" Bowie originally gave us. That was a good song and all, but I like it a lot better with Mr. James Murphy at the helm, sampling Steve Reich's "Clapping Music" and Bowie's own "Ashes to Ashes."
"Say hello, hello."
21: CONTROL -Big Sean (ft Jay Electronica & KENDRICK LAMAR)
Pusha T's "Nosetalgia," also ft Kendrick, almost made this list. It's a better song by all means, gotta love Pusha T. Big Sean sucks. But Kendrick's verse on here is unforgettable.
"I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you!"
20: SONG FOR ZULA -PHOSPHORESCENT
In my mind, it takes a lot to earn the title of "songwriter." Matthew Houck matches all requirements. His voice just breaks my heart on this track...
"My heart is wild and my bones are steam and I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free."
19: NEW SLAVES -KANYE WEST (ft Frank Ocean)
Kanye West hates the world and he's very crude. This is pretty standard "trap" music. This isn't news, but sampling Gyöngyhajú Lány is.
"All you blacks want all the same thing!"
18: SAN FRANCISCO -FOXYGEN
The first time I listened to Foxygen, I couldn't decide whether they were trying to sound like The Rolling Stones, Donovan or Lou Reed. This is not a bad problem to have. Catchy. 60s vibe.
"We were stating on this hill that Jesus came from Israel."
17: ALL YOU'RE WAITING FOR -CLASSIXX (ft Nancy Whang)
I really tried getting into electronic dance music this year. And I did.
"Somebody needs a little more everyday."
16: YA HEY -VAMPIRE WEEKEND
This is slow, joyful, classy, extremely catchy, raggae-esque, quirky pop song about Jesus. Why wouldn't this song be on this list?
"America don't love you." "Ya Hey! Deo Annotate!"
15: SHUT UP -SAVAGES
I only know enough about 80s gothic post-punk to know that these guys sound a lot like Joy Division or Siouxsie and the Banshees. Which is something the world kinda needs.
"You're living like the bullets to the sun."
14: SHE FOUND NOW -MY BLOODY VALENTINE
My Bloody Valentine release their first piece of new music in nearly 22 years, and this was the first thing we heard. Pure Magic. (+ dig the lack of rhythm for 5 minutes of your life)
"I wonder how that you find out..."
13: AIRGLOW FIRES -LONE
This year's finest release from R&S records sounds like... elevator music... at a club...
"What?"
12: CHAMAKAY -BLOOD ORANGE
I freaking love this song. It's as smooth and silent as R&B can get with it still getting away with being called "R&B." The instrumentation is enjoyably fluffy, as is the production.
"I see you're waiting for a girl like me to come along... baby, go your own."
11: GOD MADE THE WORLD -COLD CAVE
Everybody and their dog wants to make an 80s synthpop hit these days. I don't think Wesley Eisold aims for the "hit" factor on this as he tries to refine the sounds of 80s darkwave. He nails them both here. This song is just so darn depressing and uniquely stale... yet so easy to dance to.
"God made the world, but I made this song."
10: RETROGRADE -JAMES BLAKE
James Blake's voice on here is sexier than ever. Am I aloud to say that? Anyways, Blake polished up his soul & pop senses on this track, yet still manages to give you the chills like his classic old stuff.
"Suddenly I'm hit!"
9: HANG ON TO LIFE -ARIEL PINK (ftJorge Elbrecht)
I can't believe how high this song is ranked. Ariel Pink has this ability to make his songs sound like background music to crappy 80s TV programs. And I love it. It's one of his dreamiest, most emotionally dramatic tracks he's made. This song needed to happen.
"You screwed the pooch, now face it."
8: WAKIN' ON A PRETTY DAY -KURT VILE
Kurt Vile is a songwriter. He's a long-haired stoner-rock guitarist. He's both. You'd probably be more likely to hear this song on a classic rock radio station than on this list. This is a song for everyman. I haven't heard an acoustic guitar sound this crisp in a long time.
"Don't worry 'bout a thing. It's only dying"
7: REFLEKTOR -ARCADE FIRE
There's a noise at the climax of this song- about 4 minutes in- I've never heard that noise before. Meanwhile... this song is epic, catchy, funky, dark- Arcade Fire did not disappoint this year.
"We fell in love when I was 19, and now we're staring at a screen."
6: WHITE NOISE -DISCLOSURE (ft AlunaGeorge)
Disclosure's album Settle was one of my favorites of the year. Every song on their sounds the same: They all sound like hits. This one I think had the most guts (bass?) to it and the synth echoes are the murkiest. #2 hit in the UK- never heard it on US radio once.
"I know you're smart. You spin me round like a knot."
5: MUTE -YOUTH LAGOON
This song blew my mind the first time I heard it, and was a personal favorite of mine throughout the year. On this album, Trevor Powers sometimes tries too hard to sound weird, but his voice on this track is the sound of emotional, youthful wonder. Sick guitar riff through the second half of the song, too. Epic, psychedelic, lo-fi stuff.
"I never listen, I never listen..."
4: BLURRED LINES -ROBIN THICKE (ft Pharrell Williams & T.I.)
The definition of the "feel-good hit of the summer." You know every line. You know what he's talking about. You can play it on your sister's keyboard (and you don't even know how to play keyboard.) It has more cowbell. It's so simple- almost too simple. While Katy Perry was working her butt off to make her annual radio-perfect turds of music, Robin Thicke was doing something other pop stars should be doing: Nothing. Pop stars take themselves too seriously. If you're worried about making money, just play 4 chords on the keyboard and sing about sex.
"Baby, can you breathe? I bought this in Jamiaca!"
3: GET LUCKY -DAFT PUNK (fy Pharrell Williams)
We're up all night to get lucky.
"We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky! We're up all night to get lucky!"
2: DOIN' IT RIGHT -DAFT PUNK
Oh hey, look, it's Daft Punk again! This song is ranked so highly because I thought it was going to suck. I love Panda Bear and I love Daft Punk. When I heard about the collab, I thought it would be Daft Punk trying to be weird and hip. Instead, we have the perfect copy-and-paste set up for one of the most memorable songs of 2013. Or 1983. Lennox's voice always sounds distant, as it does here. This time, his voice is trying to reach the other end of the dancefloor- a dancefloor covered by everybody dancing (you, your dad, French robots).
"If you lose your way tonight, that's how you know the magic's right."
1: STEP-VAMPIRE WEEKEND
This is only Vampire Weekend's third album and Ezra Koenig sounds like he's the oldest, wisest man in the business. This song covers all memories of ex-girlfriends (and random 90s California hip-hop groups) you need. Koenig delivers line-after-line on this song. http://rock.rapgenius.com/Vampire-weekend-step-lyrics
"Everyone's dying, but girl, you're not old yet."
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Some Lists Before I Make My End-of the-Year Music Lists
I've noticed a few leading music critics have already done their lists for 2013's album of the year.
I plan on making a list of MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2013, and even a short list for SONGS.
I am 100% sure what it's going to look like. I will have it up in about a week.
But until then, I thought it'd be appropriate to share a couple of different lists...
8 ALBUMS FROM LAST YEAR THAT I STILL ACTUALLY LISTEN TO:
#8- Godspeed You! Black Emperor- 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
#7- Death Grips- The Money Store
#6- Beach House- Bloom
#5- Fiona Apple- The Idler Wheel...
#4- Swans- The Seer
#3- Japandroids- Celebration Rock
#2- Frank Ocean- Channel Orange
#1- Kendrick Lamar- good kid, m.A.A.d city
(i also listen to the occasional Flying Lotus, Converge, Tame Impala and Cloud Nothings these days)
FAVORITE ALBUMS OF THE NEW DECADE:
#10- my #2 album from this year 2013
#9- Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues 2011
#8- Frank Ocean- Channel Orange 2012
#7- Destroyer- Kaputt 2011
#6- my #1 album from this year 2013
#5- LCD Soundsystem- This Is Happening 2010
#4- Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 2010
#3- Kendrick Lamar- good kid, m.A.A.d city (this is my #1 on a good day) 2012
#2- Beach House- Teen Dream (same here) 2010
#1- Bon Iver- Bon Iver 2011
WHY DID I POST THIS? TOP 3 REASONS:
#3- I think about this a lot more often than I'd like to admit
#2- Needed a break from homework
#1- Actually, I'm getting back to that RIGHT NOW.
I plan on making a list of MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2013, and even a short list for SONGS.
I am 100% sure what it's going to look like. I will have it up in about a week.
But until then, I thought it'd be appropriate to share a couple of different lists...
8 ALBUMS FROM LAST YEAR THAT I STILL ACTUALLY LISTEN TO:
#8- Godspeed You! Black Emperor- 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
#7- Death Grips- The Money Store
#6- Beach House- Bloom
#5- Fiona Apple- The Idler Wheel...
#4- Swans- The Seer
#3- Japandroids- Celebration Rock
#2- Frank Ocean- Channel Orange
#1- Kendrick Lamar- good kid, m.A.A.d city
(i also listen to the occasional Flying Lotus, Converge, Tame Impala and Cloud Nothings these days)
FAVORITE ALBUMS OF THE NEW DECADE:
#10- my #2 album from this year 2013
#9- Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues 2011
#8- Frank Ocean- Channel Orange 2012
#7- Destroyer- Kaputt 2011
#6- my #1 album from this year 2013
#5- LCD Soundsystem- This Is Happening 2010
#4- Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 2010
#3- Kendrick Lamar- good kid, m.A.A.d city (this is my #1 on a good day) 2012
#2- Beach House- Teen Dream (same here) 2010
#1- Bon Iver- Bon Iver 2011
WHY DID I POST THIS? TOP 3 REASONS:
#3- I think about this a lot more often than I'd like to admit
#2- Needed a break from homework
#1- Actually, I'm getting back to that RIGHT NOW.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
"Reality" song titles
I plan on recording some self-written songs on my laptop that only require an acoustic guitar + vocals. (and maybe a vibraphone) I guess I'd call it a project and I guess I'd call the project "Reality" and I guess these are some song titles I'd be using.
"Our Hero Tries Something New"
"Memory Maker"
"Falselife"
"October/Abandon" (inst)
"The Maturity Wars"
"Our Hero Takes a Week Off & Misses Everything Important"
"Just a World"
"WI" (inst)
"Ageless"
a very personal song ("fighting the fire with wood?")
"Reality"
*I really want a vibraphone for half of these songs.
"Our Hero Tries Something New"
"Memory Maker"
"Falselife"
"October/Abandon" (inst)
"The Maturity Wars"
"Our Hero Takes a Week Off & Misses Everything Important"
"Just a World"
"WI" (inst)
"Ageless"
a very personal song ("fighting the fire with wood?")
"Reality"
*I really want a vibraphone for half of these songs.
Friday, November 8, 2013
My Personal Hipster Victories
I have apparently been getting my name out in the world of hipster things.
I'm cool like that.
and of course, i listed them...
#9-I have the top comment on a youtube video of a high school a cappella choir covering The Dirty Projectors' "Cannibal Resource."
#8-Whenever Anthony Fantano answers the stupid stuff I post on his wall (ex: Me- "Is there a count for how many times a Fugazi album has been in the background of your reviews this year?" Him- "Nobody is counting that.")
#7-I talked on the phone at work with a guy from Eau Claire, WI. He was friends w/ Justin Vernon's mom. His kids went to high school w/ Justin Vernon.
#6-I had an email interview with the man who does official college radio promoting for tons of indie bands. To name a few: M83, Destroyer, Wilco... this guy was friends with Jeff Tweedy
#5-Just weeks before Lou Reed passed away, I had the top comment on a youtube video for The Velvet Underground & Nico full album.
#4-Whoever works the LCD Soundsystem Facebook page commented on something I posted on their wall last week (They said "why thank you!" ...If this Facebook page is ran by James Murphy, this might move up to #1.)
#3-I stood next to the lead singer of Swearin' (Allison Crutchfield) at a Japandroids show. Told her she did a great job, gave her a high 5 and we rocked out.
#2-I have the top comment on youtube for the official video of Grizzly Bear's "While You Wait for the Others."
#1-The lead singer for Japandroids (Brian King) walked by me before the show (with his girlfriend), noticed my Vancouver Canucks jersey and stopped to say, "Hey dude, nice shirt!" Thanks.
I'm cool like that.
and of course, i listed them...
#9-I have the top comment on a youtube video of a high school a cappella choir covering The Dirty Projectors' "Cannibal Resource."
#8-Whenever Anthony Fantano answers the stupid stuff I post on his wall (ex: Me- "Is there a count for how many times a Fugazi album has been in the background of your reviews this year?" Him- "Nobody is counting that.")
#7-I talked on the phone at work with a guy from Eau Claire, WI. He was friends w/ Justin Vernon's mom. His kids went to high school w/ Justin Vernon.
#6-I had an email interview with the man who does official college radio promoting for tons of indie bands. To name a few: M83, Destroyer, Wilco... this guy was friends with Jeff Tweedy
#5-Just weeks before Lou Reed passed away, I had the top comment on a youtube video for The Velvet Underground & Nico full album.
#4-Whoever works the LCD Soundsystem Facebook page commented on something I posted on their wall last week (They said "why thank you!" ...If this Facebook page is ran by James Murphy, this might move up to #1.)
#3-I stood next to the lead singer of Swearin' (Allison Crutchfield) at a Japandroids show. Told her she did a great job, gave her a high 5 and we rocked out.
#2-I have the top comment on youtube for the official video of Grizzly Bear's "While You Wait for the Others."
#1-The lead singer for Japandroids (Brian King) walked by me before the show (with his girlfriend), noticed my Vancouver Canucks jersey and stopped to say, "Hey dude, nice shirt!" Thanks.
"Cannibal Resource" a capella cover
"While You Wait for the Others" official
Whole album.
Funerals
There are 3 ways I talk about the classic album Funeral. 1- Musically/critically speaking. 2-My personal connection with it. 3- The message of the album. This is a blog about that 3rd one.
I never fully understood Arcade Fire's Funeral until this summer, my first summer in a few years without any clinical stress disorder issues. I don't want to talk about who the band is now or who they've been for the last few years, but I'd like to talk about people dying.
The band recorded the album after a series of recent deaths of their family members. Making music is hard to do in a time of mourning, but perhaps it's easier when your music mourns with you.
Funeral covers all post-traumatic emotion, the fear and the comfort that follows it.
The first song starts with an organ that sounds like it had already been playing, and we just started listening in abruptly. The first word of the album is "and." It's as if Win Butler has already gotten a lot off his chest, but he and his band can go on for another 45 minutes.
The album has a lot of themes: Family, death, youth, lies, neighborhoods, love, babies, sleeping, light, shadows... as familiar as these themes seem, you never know when they're going to bring up which topic.
The album kicks off at the end of tears and the beginning of a comforting revelatory experience. You can always just "dig a tunnel" if things go wrong. There's even a moment or two of fear in Win's voice, but everything turns out okay in the end. Track 2 is a harsh return to reality and full of panic, realizing the world is still a scary place and the past is real. Track 3 is some much-needed comfort food, mostly slow, but turning into something energetic by the end. Track 4 doesn't stop the energy at all, just turns it into something dark. The blood just started pumping in track 3, and it was a joyful experience. In track 4, the power goes out ("in the heart of man"). It's an anxious run through the neighborhood trying to find the light again. Track 5 is very slow, very quiet, and even includes the household familiar sound of a boiling kettle. The character figures out what he wants with his life, if only for a few minutes.
Track 6 keeps the same slow pace, but the volume builds up and the original patience eventually crashes into a something that reminds me of tantrums I used to have as a toddler. The sprint apparently ends at a mountain top where track 7 takes place. A banner is waving from above reminding us to never grow up and staying young is the only way to hold on to good feelings through sucky adulthood. Track 8 is a dreamy tack with samples that sound like a stream you'd find in meadow. It's refreshing, but it doesn't make any sense. Track 9 has a throbbing beat throughout, while the band ponders if everything in this world is "just a lie." The original chord progression is a major key that's uplifting, but there's an unexpected minor chord progression that throws you off-guard. The beat doesn't stop, but what started out as inspiring ends on a dark note. Track 10 is the finale. Very slow. It's the lonely ride home at 1 a.m. Classic theatrical build (soft/loud/not as soft/very loud/prolonged diminuendo). It ends so softly, I'm still not sure what the final note is. Perhaps it ends right where it began.
I'm sure that the depressive feeling of thinking nobody cares about you comes after a loved one loses a life. Considering these guys were just some random people making a debut album in Canadian city with little rock history, I'm sure Arcade Fire felt this way commercially as well. But they worked their butts off on it anyway.
Despite the darkness and fear that comes with Funeral, it's a reminder that you have something to live for. You may be thinking negative thoughts and feel confused everyday, but somebody's hearing you. You can pray. You can talk to a friend. You can talk to a stranger. You can record it in a studio so millions of strangers can hear you.
And of course, you can always dig a tunnel.
You shouldn't have to feel alone at a funeral.
I never fully understood Arcade Fire's Funeral until this summer, my first summer in a few years without any clinical stress disorder issues. I don't want to talk about who the band is now or who they've been for the last few years, but I'd like to talk about people dying.
The band recorded the album after a series of recent deaths of their family members. Making music is hard to do in a time of mourning, but perhaps it's easier when your music mourns with you.
Funeral covers all post-traumatic emotion, the fear and the comfort that follows it.
The first song starts with an organ that sounds like it had already been playing, and we just started listening in abruptly. The first word of the album is "and." It's as if Win Butler has already gotten a lot off his chest, but he and his band can go on for another 45 minutes.
The album has a lot of themes: Family, death, youth, lies, neighborhoods, love, babies, sleeping, light, shadows... as familiar as these themes seem, you never know when they're going to bring up which topic.
The album kicks off at the end of tears and the beginning of a comforting revelatory experience. You can always just "dig a tunnel" if things go wrong. There's even a moment or two of fear in Win's voice, but everything turns out okay in the end. Track 2 is a harsh return to reality and full of panic, realizing the world is still a scary place and the past is real. Track 3 is some much-needed comfort food, mostly slow, but turning into something energetic by the end. Track 4 doesn't stop the energy at all, just turns it into something dark. The blood just started pumping in track 3, and it was a joyful experience. In track 4, the power goes out ("in the heart of man"). It's an anxious run through the neighborhood trying to find the light again. Track 5 is very slow, very quiet, and even includes the household familiar sound of a boiling kettle. The character figures out what he wants with his life, if only for a few minutes.
Track 6 keeps the same slow pace, but the volume builds up and the original patience eventually crashes into a something that reminds me of tantrums I used to have as a toddler. The sprint apparently ends at a mountain top where track 7 takes place. A banner is waving from above reminding us to never grow up and staying young is the only way to hold on to good feelings through sucky adulthood. Track 8 is a dreamy tack with samples that sound like a stream you'd find in meadow. It's refreshing, but it doesn't make any sense. Track 9 has a throbbing beat throughout, while the band ponders if everything in this world is "just a lie." The original chord progression is a major key that's uplifting, but there's an unexpected minor chord progression that throws you off-guard. The beat doesn't stop, but what started out as inspiring ends on a dark note. Track 10 is the finale. Very slow. It's the lonely ride home at 1 a.m. Classic theatrical build (soft/loud/not as soft/very loud/prolonged diminuendo). It ends so softly, I'm still not sure what the final note is. Perhaps it ends right where it began.
I'm sure that the depressive feeling of thinking nobody cares about you comes after a loved one loses a life. Considering these guys were just some random people making a debut album in Canadian city with little rock history, I'm sure Arcade Fire felt this way commercially as well. But they worked their butts off on it anyway.
Despite the darkness and fear that comes with Funeral, it's a reminder that you have something to live for. You may be thinking negative thoughts and feel confused everyday, but somebody's hearing you. You can pray. You can talk to a friend. You can talk to a stranger. You can record it in a studio so millions of strangers can hear you.
And of course, you can always dig a tunnel.
You shouldn't have to feel alone at a funeral.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
thoughts on Arcade Fire's REFLEKTOR (after 2 listens)
Who is Arcade Fire?
A very brief history: *From some humble beginnings, their 2004 kickoff LP Funeral has been hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time. It was meta-critically ranked as the 2nd most acclaimed album of the 2000s. Since then, they come up with a concept album every 3 years. They've all been great thus far and have accelerated the band's commercial success. Still with little-to-none radio-airplay in the U.S., they've somehow become the biggest band in the world.*
This success is pure happenstance, in my opinion. Funeral set the stage for indie bands in the next 10 years, but that was on mistake. The band's follow up albums have increasingly strayed from that original sound. Reflektor does anything but reflect the sound of Funeral, their popularity is also foreign to what it was 9 years ago. It's a move that big rock bands have done in the past- U2's Achtung Baby was U2's abandoning the sounds that made them popular in the first place and showing off a rock-star persona that's both really goofy and really scary. Reflektor doubles as both AF's Achtung Baby AND their Magical Mystery Tour, toying with crazy studio production tricks with help from indie-music production hero James Murphy.
The title track is the band's first song to actually reach the U.S. Hot 100 (peak at #99), but I feel like no matter what the lead single was, this was going to happen anyway, because of where they are. But for the record, it's a GREAT track. It's a powerful album opener, the lyrics are open to interpretation, it's catchy, it's danceable, it's dark, the production is top-notch. Too many good things to say about this track. The rest of the album is not as instantly loveable. Like... at all.
No matter what you say about the music, Mr. Murphy definitely worked his butt off on this thing. "Normal Person," despite it's lyrical stupidity, packs a lot of glam rock energy and comes off a very enjoyable, Bowie-esque standout track. "Joan of Arc," my indefinite least favorite track, comes off overly cheesy and I'm 75% sure it's just about love. Murphy's handiwork saves this track from hopelessness with epic overdubs in the chorus and a cool-enough Gary Glitter beat. (Gosh, this song bugs me though.) Also, I feel like in scattered parts of the album, Win Butler's lyrics aren't as strong as they've been in the past, especially after the very much "songwriter" album The Suburbs.
I've never taken drugs before. But this album would sound GLORIOUS if I was high.
"We Exist" > "Flashbulb Eyes" > "Here Comes the Night Time" make for a great coked-out trio of songs. The beat on "Exist" is worthy of a disco ball. "Eyes" has freaky production tricks chopped up throughout. "Night Time's" lyrics creep me out behind its dark yet joyful rhythms that speed up and slow down unexpectedly. Disc 2's closer "Supersymmetry" would fit in nicely on the recent LPs from Destroyer or M83; it's hazy, dreamy, there's a nice use of strings to keep it interesting.
This album tells a story, but I'm not sure what. Unlike the friendly, relatable tales of childhood that Suburbs tell, Reflektor talks about death and makes senseless statements throughout. ("We exist!" "Love is real, like a disease." "If you're looking for Hell, just try looking inside.") Despite Butler's elaborate lyrics in the past, I love this. It fits the band's new personality. "Afterlife" is an emotional highlight on the album with a sprinting rhythm, while Win cries out his fear of death and anything afterwards. It's a great track placed perfectly, saving disc 2 from being too quiet or too boring.
There's supposed to be a personal intermission between disc 1 and 2. The album is a lot more enjoyable this way. Like most musical theater productions, the first half is fast, loud and interesting, and the second half is for those who've been following the real plot, testing the audience to see if they can stay awake. It's a neat idea. Considering the strenuous length of the album, the 5 minute fade following "Supersymmetry" is a good way to exit the theater.
The sound samples of introducing the band and people cheering on disc 1 weren't necessary. I suppose it made me smile at 1 in the morning. "Awful Sound" is a beautiful, uncomfortably emotional track. "Porno" has some awkward lyrical content that I approve. Actually, a lot of this of this album is awkward, and I do quite enjoy it.
How does Reflektor compare with other AF albums? How does it compare with other 2013 albums? It hurts me to think about this, so I'll leave that up to you. But fact is, Arcade Fire passed the test of tortured artists disguised as senseless rock stars. It's definitely not a perfect album, but it fits the criteria for a "beautiful dark twisted fantasy." AF and Murphy worked hard on this, but arguably harder than they needed to. Hmmm...
I usually don't score albums, but what the hey: 8.5, maybe 9 out of 10...
A very brief history: *From some humble beginnings, their 2004 kickoff LP Funeral has been hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time. It was meta-critically ranked as the 2nd most acclaimed album of the 2000s. Since then, they come up with a concept album every 3 years. They've all been great thus far and have accelerated the band's commercial success. Still with little-to-none radio-airplay in the U.S., they've somehow become the biggest band in the world.*
This success is pure happenstance, in my opinion. Funeral set the stage for indie bands in the next 10 years, but that was on mistake. The band's follow up albums have increasingly strayed from that original sound. Reflektor does anything but reflect the sound of Funeral, their popularity is also foreign to what it was 9 years ago. It's a move that big rock bands have done in the past- U2's Achtung Baby was U2's abandoning the sounds that made them popular in the first place and showing off a rock-star persona that's both really goofy and really scary. Reflektor doubles as both AF's Achtung Baby AND their Magical Mystery Tour, toying with crazy studio production tricks with help from indie-music production hero James Murphy.
The title track is the band's first song to actually reach the U.S. Hot 100 (peak at #99), but I feel like no matter what the lead single was, this was going to happen anyway, because of where they are. But for the record, it's a GREAT track. It's a powerful album opener, the lyrics are open to interpretation, it's catchy, it's danceable, it's dark, the production is top-notch. Too many good things to say about this track. The rest of the album is not as instantly loveable. Like... at all.
No matter what you say about the music, Mr. Murphy definitely worked his butt off on this thing. "Normal Person," despite it's lyrical stupidity, packs a lot of glam rock energy and comes off a very enjoyable, Bowie-esque standout track. "Joan of Arc," my indefinite least favorite track, comes off overly cheesy and I'm 75% sure it's just about love. Murphy's handiwork saves this track from hopelessness with epic overdubs in the chorus and a cool-enough Gary Glitter beat. (Gosh, this song bugs me though.) Also, I feel like in scattered parts of the album, Win Butler's lyrics aren't as strong as they've been in the past, especially after the very much "songwriter" album The Suburbs.
I've never taken drugs before. But this album would sound GLORIOUS if I was high.
"We Exist" > "Flashbulb Eyes" > "Here Comes the Night Time" make for a great coked-out trio of songs. The beat on "Exist" is worthy of a disco ball. "Eyes" has freaky production tricks chopped up throughout. "Night Time's" lyrics creep me out behind its dark yet joyful rhythms that speed up and slow down unexpectedly. Disc 2's closer "Supersymmetry" would fit in nicely on the recent LPs from Destroyer or M83; it's hazy, dreamy, there's a nice use of strings to keep it interesting.
This album tells a story, but I'm not sure what. Unlike the friendly, relatable tales of childhood that Suburbs tell, Reflektor talks about death and makes senseless statements throughout. ("We exist!" "Love is real, like a disease." "If you're looking for Hell, just try looking inside.") Despite Butler's elaborate lyrics in the past, I love this. It fits the band's new personality. "Afterlife" is an emotional highlight on the album with a sprinting rhythm, while Win cries out his fear of death and anything afterwards. It's a great track placed perfectly, saving disc 2 from being too quiet or too boring.
There's supposed to be a personal intermission between disc 1 and 2. The album is a lot more enjoyable this way. Like most musical theater productions, the first half is fast, loud and interesting, and the second half is for those who've been following the real plot, testing the audience to see if they can stay awake. It's a neat idea. Considering the strenuous length of the album, the 5 minute fade following "Supersymmetry" is a good way to exit the theater.
The sound samples of introducing the band and people cheering on disc 1 weren't necessary. I suppose it made me smile at 1 in the morning. "Awful Sound" is a beautiful, uncomfortably emotional track. "Porno" has some awkward lyrical content that I approve. Actually, a lot of this of this album is awkward, and I do quite enjoy it.
How does Reflektor compare with other AF albums? How does it compare with other 2013 albums? It hurts me to think about this, so I'll leave that up to you. But fact is, Arcade Fire passed the test of tortured artists disguised as senseless rock stars. It's definitely not a perfect album, but it fits the criteria for a "beautiful dark twisted fantasy." AF and Murphy worked hard on this, but arguably harder than they needed to. Hmmm...
I usually don't score albums, but what the hey: 8.5, maybe 9 out of 10...
Friday, October 11, 2013
4 songs from 2013 I HAD to write a blog about
Before I go into this, here are a few songs I considered writing about:
* 'Get Lucky' (Daft Punk) * 'White Noise' (Disclosure) * 'God Made the World' (Cold Cave) * 'Wakin' on a Pretty Day' (Kurt Vile) * 'Ya Hey' (Vampire Weekend) * 'Retrograde' (James Blake) * 'Hang on to Life' (Ariel Pink) * other stuff *
Okay. 2013 isn't over yet. Not even close. There are plenty of releases coming up that I predict to be really really good. But when it comes to songs, it's hard to follow. I myself don't consider critic's lists for songs at the end of the year to be all that accurate. It's hard to tell which songs are going to last a long time. But here are 4 songs (in no particular order) that I have totally loved all year.
DOIN' IT RIGHT -Daft Punk (ft Panda Bear)
"This Daft Punk album would probably be really good to take drugs and listen to on a rainy bridge across the Gulf of Mexico." -Diplo. I have never never done drugs or visited the Gulf of Mexico. But I think this song captures that feeling more than any other. I'm specifically referring to the short, basic keyboard solo in the middle of the song. Panda Bear's voice in this song is basically the sound of magic, echo, overdub and all. There are only a few lyrics to the song. You hear robots saying the same 4 lines over and over again. This is like the song you've heard a million times before you've even heard it once. In an attempt to make an album that sounds like it could've been made 30 years ago, Daft Punk gave us something that just might last 30 years and beyond.
MUTE -Youth Lagoon
I feel stupid trying to explain how Youth Lagoon sounds. I always conclude that it's like MGMT & Mercury Rev covering AC's Merriweather Post Pavilion. And then I actually listen to them and I'm like- nah. Trevor Powers (aka Youth Lagoon) comes from Boise, ID, and I'm glad I can enjoy an artist that lives so close to my hometown. He music has been defined as lo-fi, psychedelic, dream pop. The lyrics on his Wondrous Bughouse album are mostly about death, ghosts, sleep. One of my favorite critics Anthony Fantano, didn't even review the album. He makes a case for artists who make plain melodies behind unnecessary noise. I guess Youth Lagoon goes under that category. If you're lame. This is probably my favorite album opener of the year. Great guitar riff, great playful, mysterious noises in the background. It's the beginning of something weird and epic.
BLURRED LINES -Robin Thicke (ft Pharrell Willians & T.I)
Am I sell-out? I sold out from the very first time I heard this song. IT'S STUPID. There are only a few notes here. It's not exactly the most harmonic thing in the world. The song is about sex. Zero poetic value ("Baby, can you breath? I got this from Jamaica!" ...I don't know what that means) .Anyway, what I love about this song is that Thicke & his crew didn't try too hard. Spoon's Kill the Moonlight has been praised for it's sounding like the perfect "bare bones" rock record. This is the bare bones of generic pop/r&b. We have the lead guy who's only made 1 good song his entire life, we have the sexy black dude, and we have a rap verse in the middle. What more do you need, what more do you want? Each line should be classic, doesn't have to make sense or be intelligent, just has to be quotable (see Janelle Monae's "Tightrope" or Outkast's "Hey Ya!" for further instructions on that one). You want more cowbell, we got plenty of cowbell. Can there be a 100% guaranteed "feel good hit of the summer"? Let's just make this the #1 song in America from June 22-September 7. This song shouldn't be so controversial to the public- it's the perfect example of every generic pop hit from the last 20 years. Get over it.
STEP -Vampire Weekend
I said these songs were in no particular order. The other 3 aren't. This is my favorite. And for the record, Vampire's Weekend album has been my favorite album of the year thus far (it might get beat!), but this song is a golden child. Webster's dictionary defines nostalgia as "a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition." Aren't songs about ex-girlfriends and growing old supposed to be depressing? Ezra Koenig turns these topics into something "wistful." It's both cheeky and tongue-and-cheek. Think Paul Simon's "Kodachrome" or "You Can Call Me Al"... only with church organs, synthesized choirs, a cool harpsichord part, tons of cultural references and hints of hip-hop. It's hard, I know, but think about it. Koenig delivers line-after-line on this song more than any other VW tracks. I have not studied what every single line is about, but if you really want to, there's this: http://rock.rapgenius.com/Vampire-weekend-step-lyrics#note-1593862. For a song about personal memories, it doubles as university-class library of history. Now just because a song has a bunch of personal pronouns in its lyrics, that doesn't make it better than everything else (then again, the Barenaked Ladies were launched to popularity with "One Week" and "If I Had $1,000,000"). But I think the music captures the lyrical concept and turns it into something joyful- and as far as pop music goes- spiritual. Here's a crisp, delicate wine-glass toast to everything stupid you've done in your youth, and everything you've learned as well.
* 'Get Lucky' (Daft Punk) * 'White Noise' (Disclosure) * 'God Made the World' (Cold Cave) * 'Wakin' on a Pretty Day' (Kurt Vile) * 'Ya Hey' (Vampire Weekend) * 'Retrograde' (James Blake) * 'Hang on to Life' (Ariel Pink) * other stuff *
Okay. 2013 isn't over yet. Not even close. There are plenty of releases coming up that I predict to be really really good. But when it comes to songs, it's hard to follow. I myself don't consider critic's lists for songs at the end of the year to be all that accurate. It's hard to tell which songs are going to last a long time. But here are 4 songs (in no particular order) that I have totally loved all year.
DOIN' IT RIGHT -Daft Punk (ft Panda Bear)
"This Daft Punk album would probably be really good to take drugs and listen to on a rainy bridge across the Gulf of Mexico." -Diplo. I have never never done drugs or visited the Gulf of Mexico. But I think this song captures that feeling more than any other. I'm specifically referring to the short, basic keyboard solo in the middle of the song. Panda Bear's voice in this song is basically the sound of magic, echo, overdub and all. There are only a few lyrics to the song. You hear robots saying the same 4 lines over and over again. This is like the song you've heard a million times before you've even heard it once. In an attempt to make an album that sounds like it could've been made 30 years ago, Daft Punk gave us something that just might last 30 years and beyond.
MUTE -Youth Lagoon
I feel stupid trying to explain how Youth Lagoon sounds. I always conclude that it's like MGMT & Mercury Rev covering AC's Merriweather Post Pavilion. And then I actually listen to them and I'm like- nah. Trevor Powers (aka Youth Lagoon) comes from Boise, ID, and I'm glad I can enjoy an artist that lives so close to my hometown. He music has been defined as lo-fi, psychedelic, dream pop. The lyrics on his Wondrous Bughouse album are mostly about death, ghosts, sleep. One of my favorite critics Anthony Fantano, didn't even review the album. He makes a case for artists who make plain melodies behind unnecessary noise. I guess Youth Lagoon goes under that category. If you're lame. This is probably my favorite album opener of the year. Great guitar riff, great playful, mysterious noises in the background. It's the beginning of something weird and epic.
BLURRED LINES -Robin Thicke (ft Pharrell Willians & T.I)
Am I sell-out? I sold out from the very first time I heard this song. IT'S STUPID. There are only a few notes here. It's not exactly the most harmonic thing in the world. The song is about sex. Zero poetic value ("Baby, can you breath? I got this from Jamaica!" ...I don't know what that means) .Anyway, what I love about this song is that Thicke & his crew didn't try too hard. Spoon's Kill the Moonlight has been praised for it's sounding like the perfect "bare bones" rock record. This is the bare bones of generic pop/r&b. We have the lead guy who's only made 1 good song his entire life, we have the sexy black dude, and we have a rap verse in the middle. What more do you need, what more do you want? Each line should be classic, doesn't have to make sense or be intelligent, just has to be quotable (see Janelle Monae's "Tightrope" or Outkast's "Hey Ya!" for further instructions on that one). You want more cowbell, we got plenty of cowbell. Can there be a 100% guaranteed "feel good hit of the summer"? Let's just make this the #1 song in America from June 22-September 7. This song shouldn't be so controversial to the public- it's the perfect example of every generic pop hit from the last 20 years. Get over it.
STEP -Vampire Weekend
I said these songs were in no particular order. The other 3 aren't. This is my favorite. And for the record, Vampire's Weekend album has been my favorite album of the year thus far (it might get beat!), but this song is a golden child. Webster's dictionary defines nostalgia as "a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition." Aren't songs about ex-girlfriends and growing old supposed to be depressing? Ezra Koenig turns these topics into something "wistful." It's both cheeky and tongue-and-cheek. Think Paul Simon's "Kodachrome" or "You Can Call Me Al"... only with church organs, synthesized choirs, a cool harpsichord part, tons of cultural references and hints of hip-hop. It's hard, I know, but think about it. Koenig delivers line-after-line on this song more than any other VW tracks. I have not studied what every single line is about, but if you really want to, there's this: http://rock.rapgenius.com/Vampire-weekend-step-lyrics#note-1593862. For a song about personal memories, it doubles as university-class library of history. Now just because a song has a bunch of personal pronouns in its lyrics, that doesn't make it better than everything else (then again, the Barenaked Ladies were launched to popularity with "One Week" and "If I Had $1,000,000"). But I think the music captures the lyrical concept and turns it into something joyful- and as far as pop music goes- spiritual. Here's a crisp, delicate wine-glass toast to everything stupid you've done in your youth, and everything you've learned as well.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
A Few Words On 'In Utero'
Nirvana.
Yeah, I may or may not have heard of them. I may or not have been alive for the last 22 years.
Anyway, in a week or so, the folks at Universal are re-releasing Nirvana's 1993 album In Utero.
I was like, 2 years old when this album was released. And it isn't even Nevermind, the Nirvana album that changed rock 'n' roll forever and all that shtuff. So why do I give a crap?
I freaking love In Utero.
I haven't always been a Nirvana fan. For most of my life, I just thought they were over-rated. And maybe they are... I just love them for different reasons than most folks.
I often wonder if as many people would think Kurt Cobain a legend if he didn't commit suicide. He was a very personal songwriter with pop instincts he fought hard not to use. Some people think him to be a poetic God. To me, he's like the dude I wish I had living in my garage my whole life. (We'd probably get along. I'd probably also help him avoid cocaine abuse.)
Nirvana didn't invent "grunge" music. But they were arguably the best at it. Kurt Cobain isn't worth worshiping. But he's worth your time. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" isn't my pick for the best song of the 90s (ooh, I should list that some day!). But it's pretty darn close.
In Buddhism, the term "Nirvana" is used to define a state of "external reality to pain or care." (Thank you, LDS's Preach My Gospel.) Nirvana was a band true to their name. Total numbness in lyric and music I would like to go into a music history lesson, but I'd rather talk about my personal connections with the album.
I bought In Utero for 99 cents at a Hasting's.
My favorite Nirvana song through-and-through is "All Apologies."
I think the riffs are better on this album than on Nevermind.
Kurt Cobain's mumbling is super legit, to me.
Some of Cobain's influences: Dinosaur Jr, The Pixies, Neil Young, Daniel freaking Johnston.
Steve Albini is a boss on production.
Kris Novoselic is a boss on bass.
Dave Grohl is a boss at life.
"I tried hard to have a father, but instead I had a dad." No personal relation to this. In all honesty, I don't know what it means. But it's sounds nonsensical and I like it.
Consider yourselves cultured.
Yeah, I may or may not have heard of them. I may or not have been alive for the last 22 years.
Anyway, in a week or so, the folks at Universal are re-releasing Nirvana's 1993 album In Utero.
I was like, 2 years old when this album was released. And it isn't even Nevermind, the Nirvana album that changed rock 'n' roll forever and all that shtuff. So why do I give a crap?
I freaking love In Utero.
I haven't always been a Nirvana fan. For most of my life, I just thought they were over-rated. And maybe they are... I just love them for different reasons than most folks.
I often wonder if as many people would think Kurt Cobain a legend if he didn't commit suicide. He was a very personal songwriter with pop instincts he fought hard not to use. Some people think him to be a poetic God. To me, he's like the dude I wish I had living in my garage my whole life. (We'd probably get along. I'd probably also help him avoid cocaine abuse.)
Nirvana didn't invent "grunge" music. But they were arguably the best at it. Kurt Cobain isn't worth worshiping. But he's worth your time. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" isn't my pick for the best song of the 90s (ooh, I should list that some day!). But it's pretty darn close.
In Buddhism, the term "Nirvana" is used to define a state of "external reality to pain or care." (Thank you, LDS's Preach My Gospel.) Nirvana was a band true to their name. Total numbness in lyric and music I would like to go into a music history lesson, but I'd rather talk about my personal connections with the album.
I bought In Utero for 99 cents at a Hasting's.
My favorite Nirvana song through-and-through is "All Apologies."
I think the riffs are better on this album than on Nevermind.
Kurt Cobain's mumbling is super legit, to me.
Some of Cobain's influences: Dinosaur Jr, The Pixies, Neil Young, Daniel freaking Johnston.
Steve Albini is a boss on production.
Kris Novoselic is a boss on bass.
Dave Grohl is a boss at life.
"I tried hard to have a father, but instead I had a dad." No personal relation to this. In all honesty, I don't know what it means. But it's sounds nonsensical and I like it.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
ONE DAY
I
just wanted to remind everyone that today is September 11. On this day
in 2001, I was in the 5th grade & was very unemotional about the
event. I was a dumb kid and didn't take it seriously. I guess I don't
have much to say about 9/11/01 that nobody else can say. But I do know
that this ONE DAY has impacted the nation ever since. There have been
wars, conspiracy theories, economic issues, unjust angst
& justified angst alike... But in ONE DAY, over 2750 people died on
US soil. That's about 25% of my hometown, Jerome. No matter what
happened, we KNOW that THAT happened.
(Side note: For the last 2 weeks, my Facebook cover photo was a picture of the Marina City towers in Chicago. It may have looked like the World Trade Center buildings, but it wasn't...)
Is the United States of America the greatest country in the world? If you're from the US, the answer is yes. Is it a perfect country? It never has been. So I'd just like to see ONE DAY on internet where we don't have to see any stupid posts about how "OBAMA IS PURPOSELY MESSING UP OUR COUNTRY," or about how "GEORGE BUSH WAS A TYRANT," and especially nothing like "THOSE RAG-HEADS IN THE MIDDLE-EAST ARE TRYING TO BLOW US UP." At the end of the day, our political biases amount to crap, especially on a day like today. You can definitely give it a rest for ONE DAY.
Please at least remember the fact that September 11, 2001, was a somber, transformative moment in the history of a country that has done everything in it's power for the last 250 years to keep people alive and well. If you care to disagree with that statement, unfriend me.
God Bless America.
(Side note: For the last 2 weeks, my Facebook cover photo was a picture of the Marina City towers in Chicago. It may have looked like the World Trade Center buildings, but it wasn't...)
Is the United States of America the greatest country in the world? If you're from the US, the answer is yes. Is it a perfect country? It never has been. So I'd just like to see ONE DAY on internet where we don't have to see any stupid posts about how "OBAMA IS PURPOSELY MESSING UP OUR COUNTRY," or about how "GEORGE BUSH WAS A TYRANT," and especially nothing like "THOSE RAG-HEADS IN THE MIDDLE-EAST ARE TRYING TO BLOW US UP." At the end of the day, our political biases amount to crap, especially on a day like today. You can definitely give it a rest for ONE DAY.
Please at least remember the fact that September 11, 2001, was a somber, transformative moment in the history of a country that has done everything in it's power for the last 250 years to keep people alive and well. If you care to disagree with that statement, unfriend me.
God Bless America.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Complaint Box, Vol. 1
After a 3 day weekend of basically zero worries, I'm back in school and have come to a cold realization:
Oh. Wait. I'm a journalism major.
This means I have to do something on a daily basis that I often avoid:
Actually follow the news.
Anyways, I have not been following the news and I have an assignment or 2 due this week that tells me I should have been doing that for the last week. I also realize that I kinda suck at writing news, but I guess I'll get better at that. As for staying up to date with current events, it will be quite hard for me to give a crap. So I just consider this a humbling experience. A humbling experience that I really really really don't like.
Not like I don't find the news interesting, but I'm just too self-conscious to dedicate time to it.
And my feisty comment of the day: Most people reading this don't follow the news, either. Some people out there think they do, and they act like smart-@$$es about it.
Shout outs go to my brother Keith, Hyrum Hemingway, Patrick Harberd, Mr Brown, Ross Irwin + many others I can't think of right now. You guys follow the news and don't focus on 1 story all week.
It took me about 10 minutes to write this. I will now be pulling news stories from the past week from my butt and spilling them onto the class's discussion board.
"Fight the powers that be." -Public Enemy
Oh. Wait. I'm a journalism major.
This means I have to do something on a daily basis that I often avoid:
Actually follow the news.
Anyways, I have not been following the news and I have an assignment or 2 due this week that tells me I should have been doing that for the last week. I also realize that I kinda suck at writing news, but I guess I'll get better at that. As for staying up to date with current events, it will be quite hard for me to give a crap. So I just consider this a humbling experience. A humbling experience that I really really really don't like.
Not like I don't find the news interesting, but I'm just too self-conscious to dedicate time to it.
And my feisty comment of the day: Most people reading this don't follow the news, either. Some people out there think they do, and they act like smart-@$$es about it.
Shout outs go to my brother Keith, Hyrum Hemingway, Patrick Harberd, Mr Brown, Ross Irwin + many others I can't think of right now. You guys follow the news and don't focus on 1 story all week.
It took me about 10 minutes to write this. I will now be pulling news stories from the past week from my butt and spilling them onto the class's discussion board.
"Fight the powers that be." -Public Enemy
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Favorite lyrics from Beach House's 'Teen Dream'
Zebra
"YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOLD//YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY NONE..."
Silver Soul
"IT'S A VISION!"
Norway
"THE BEAST, HE COMES TO YOU//HE'S A HUNTER FOR A HUNGRY HEART."
Walk in the Park
"THE FACE THAT YOU SEE IN THE DOOR//ISN'T STANDING THERE ANYMORE."
Used to Be
"DOES EACH DAY JUST FEEL LIKE ANOTHER LIE?"
Lover of Mine
"NEAR, YET SO FAR//ISN'T IT?"
Better Times
"HOW MUCH LONGER CAN YOU PLAY WITH FIRE BEFORE YOU TURN INTO A LIAR?"
10 Mile Stereo
"THE HEART IS A STONE, AND THIS IS A STONE THAT WE THROW..."
Real Love
"I MET YOU SOMEWHERE..."
Take Care
"IT'S REAL, AND THEN IT'S FAKE..."
"YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOLD//YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY NONE..."
Silver Soul
"IT'S A VISION!"
Norway
"THE BEAST, HE COMES TO YOU//HE'S A HUNTER FOR A HUNGRY HEART."
Walk in the Park
"THE FACE THAT YOU SEE IN THE DOOR//ISN'T STANDING THERE ANYMORE."
Used to Be
"DOES EACH DAY JUST FEEL LIKE ANOTHER LIE?"
Lover of Mine
"NEAR, YET SO FAR//ISN'T IT?"
Better Times
"HOW MUCH LONGER CAN YOU PLAY WITH FIRE BEFORE YOU TURN INTO A LIAR?"
10 Mile Stereo
"THE HEART IS A STONE, AND THIS IS A STONE THAT WE THROW..."
Real Love
"I MET YOU SOMEWHERE..."
Take Care
"IT'S REAL, AND THEN IT'S FAKE..."
Monday, June 24, 2013
2013 So Far (musically speaking, of course)
FAVORITE 2013 SONGS THUS FAR
1"Step" // Vampire Weekend
2"Mute" // Youth Lagoon
3"She Found Now" // My Bloody Valentine
4"Give Life Back to Music" // Daft Punk
5"Retrograde" // James Blake
6"White Noise" // Disclosure ft AlunaGeorge
7"Shut Up" // Savages
8"Wakin' on a Pretty Day" // Kurt Vile
*OTHER GREAT SONGS*
"Dumb Disco Ideas" (Holy Ghost!)
"Suit & Tie" (Justin Timberlake)
"So Good (Good Ass Intro)" (Chance the Rapper)
"Get Lucky" (Daft Punk)
FAVORITE 2013 ALBUMS THUS FAR
1Modern Vampires of the City // Vampire Weekend
2Settle // Disclosure
3m b v // My Bloody Valentine
4Random Access Memories // Daft Punk
5Wondrous Bughouse // Youth Lagoon
6Yeezus // Kanye West
7Silence Yourself // Savages
8You're Nothing // Iceage
*OTHER STUFF I'M DIGGING*
...Like Clockwork (Queens of the Stone Age)
We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic (Foxygen)
Wakin' on a Pretty Daze (Kurt Vile)
Shaking the Habitual (The Knife)
:( DISAPPOINTING ALBUMS :(
The 20/20 Experience (Justin Timberlake)
Amok (Atoms for Peace)
Monomania (Deerhunter)
1"Step" // Vampire Weekend
2"Mute" // Youth Lagoon
3"She Found Now" // My Bloody Valentine
4"Give Life Back to Music" // Daft Punk
5"Retrograde" // James Blake
6"White Noise" // Disclosure ft AlunaGeorge
7"Shut Up" // Savages
8"Wakin' on a Pretty Day" // Kurt Vile
*OTHER GREAT SONGS*
"Dumb Disco Ideas" (Holy Ghost!)
"Suit & Tie" (Justin Timberlake)
"So Good (Good Ass Intro)" (Chance the Rapper)
"Get Lucky" (Daft Punk)
FAVORITE 2013 ALBUMS THUS FAR
1Modern Vampires of the City // Vampire Weekend
2Settle // Disclosure
3m b v // My Bloody Valentine
4Random Access Memories // Daft Punk
5Wondrous Bughouse // Youth Lagoon
6Yeezus // Kanye West
7Silence Yourself // Savages
8You're Nothing // Iceage
*OTHER STUFF I'M DIGGING*
...Like Clockwork (Queens of the Stone Age)
We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic (Foxygen)
Wakin' on a Pretty Daze (Kurt Vile)
Shaking the Habitual (The Knife)
:( DISAPPOINTING ALBUMS :(
The 20/20 Experience (Justin Timberlake)
Amok (Atoms for Peace)
Monomania (Deerhunter)
* The year holds more great tracks, great albums and great disappointments to come. My opinion could very possibly change over time. *
Sunday, June 16, 2013
The Death of the Singer Songwriter
Does anyone remember The Great Singer-Songwriters? Not me. I wasn't alive for any of them.
The term "singer-songwriter" doesn't have a strict definition. I suppose if you look at the album covers on this blog, you could say a "singer-songwriter" is a person who gets pictures of themselves with their name next to it. I suppose there are a lot of artists like that these days. The difference now is the personality behind that picture. Or more importantly, the personality behind the microphone.
All (or most) of the artists portrayed here actually have unique voices and full sounds to back up their names. Some are born entertainers (Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen). Some never even toured (Harry Nilsson, Nick Drake). Some were just flat-out depressing (Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake again). I believe there are still great singer-songwriters out there, but the title doesn't mean the same thing as it did in the early-mid-70s. I'd say there's a difference between being a "singer-songwriter" and a "solo artist." There are plenty of great solo artists out there talented in lyricism and songsmith. There are even great artists who are frontmen for great bands, but their solo work doesn't add up. I think that singer-songwriters have a different edge though. What artists these days live up to the title next to folks in these pictures? That new Fiona Apple album definitely does. Joanna Newsom. Sufjan Stevens. Nick Cave. What else do all these artists have in common? They're not popular.
Looking back on the 70s, I could've added plenty of other artists to this blog post- Elton John, John Denver, Carole King, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce- and you would all totally know who I'm talking about. But today? The billboard chart is full of solo artists, and for that matter, CRAPPY ONES. Not like there wasn't any crappy music back then, but you gotta admit, it was a better place. The singer songwriter died. I couldn't tell you when, but looking at these album covers tell me when they were alive and kicking. So here's to one man or woman who uses all their energy, heart, wit and honesty behind the microphone.
Now go make a serious face and put your name next to it!
All (or most) of the artists portrayed here actually have unique voices and full sounds to back up their names. Some are born entertainers (Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen). Some never even toured (Harry Nilsson, Nick Drake). Some were just flat-out depressing (Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake again). I believe there are still great singer-songwriters out there, but the title doesn't mean the same thing as it did in the early-mid-70s. I'd say there's a difference between being a "singer-songwriter" and a "solo artist." There are plenty of great solo artists out there talented in lyricism and songsmith. There are even great artists who are frontmen for great bands, but their solo work doesn't add up. I think that singer-songwriters have a different edge though. What artists these days live up to the title next to folks in these pictures? That new Fiona Apple album definitely does. Joanna Newsom. Sufjan Stevens. Nick Cave. What else do all these artists have in common? They're not popular.
Looking back on the 70s, I could've added plenty of other artists to this blog post- Elton John, John Denver, Carole King, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce- and you would all totally know who I'm talking about. But today? The billboard chart is full of solo artists, and for that matter, CRAPPY ONES. Not like there wasn't any crappy music back then, but you gotta admit, it was a better place. The singer songwriter died. I couldn't tell you when, but looking at these album covers tell me when they were alive and kicking. So here's to one man or woman who uses all their energy, heart, wit and honesty behind the microphone.
Now go make a serious face and put your name next to it!
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