Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Names
I think I have finally settled on a name for the blog. Basically, I just picked two words and stuck them together. Fourth time's the charm, right?
Monday, 28 November 2011
Cinema
Well, over the past couple of days, I have obtained several great albums: Contra by Vampire Weekend, I Believe You Liar by Washington and (my personal favourite) Happiness & Surrounding Suburbs by Ball Park Music. Sadly, this last album didn't include Sea Strangers, one of my favourite songs by the group, but it's still good to know that such a fantastic Australian band has finally released an album. So, laughing in the face of all these fantastic albums and logic itself, I decided to review another Cat Empire album. I honestly don't know why, but never mind.
So, providing the level of background provided by 20 seconds on Wikipedia, Cinema was the most recent release by the Cat Empire, released in 2010 and it is their 5th studio album. So, starting at the beginning:
1. Waiting
So, seeing as I have already reviewed a Cat Empire album, I don't think I have to give an overview of the Cat Empire's style. Lively, crazy and awesome is all any person fining themselves accidentally reading this needs to know. So, Waiting is (in comparison to previous songs) a slower song. It has a really good keyboard backing and, it almost goes without saying, has great vocals. It is a rather strange way to start off an album in my opinion. Compared to other Cat Empire songs, it's rather sober but still a very easy tune to dance to.
2. Falling
This is my favourite song of the entire album, just to put it out there. Normally, I have a few favourites but Falling stands out well and truly. I don't know if this reflects badly on the rest of the album or just very well on Falling, but it is an extraordinary song. I think the main theme of the song is just getting older, although it does touch on love a bit at the end. Great everything, typical of the Cat Empire, but Falling just has that extra little bit that will have you singing it in the shower for the next week or so. Anyway, the one thing I'm starting to notice about this album is that, although it has as much life and energy as previous albums, it is a touch more withdrawn and "focused" than previous albums. Instead of just making noise (very good noise), they decided to focus on being a bit more mainstream. I honestly don't know if this is a good or a bad thing, but like I said in the last review, it's a very good sign when a band starts evolving on it's own, especially when no-one is forcing it to. Any band (even a good one) which uses the same formula is eventually going to get stale and old (Mumford & Sons is the first thing I think of. Little Lion Man was an incredible song, and The Cave was also an incredible song. And all their of their songs ..are...incredible songs. Oh. When the entire discography of a band is essentially the same song, these songs fall from "awesome" to "not another one". In the end, I regret listening to Mumford & Sons album because it took a lot of the novelty Little Lion Man had away. What was my point again? Oh, that's right: Change is good).
3. Feeling's Gone
Along with Falling, Feeling's Gone was the other single off Cinema. In my last review, I pointed out that Miserere was how a good sad song sounded, despite the fact I wasn't quite sure what point they were trying to make. Feeling's Gone is the same attempt, just not pulled off as well. Feeling's Gone is an attempt at a sad song. That much is obvious, and a step further than a lot of (supposedly) sad songs these days. I never thought I'd say this about a Cat Empire song, but they put too much energy in it. This is truly ironic, as the excessive amount of energy the Cat Empire put into their music is one of the reasons I like the group. But they just aren't cut out for songs like this. If they had tried to capture some other emotion, they would have been fine, and I even feel like this song was half sadness half anger, but that just doesn't come off enough to make this a good song for me. Absolute over-the-moon joy and absolute I'm-about-to-play-single-player-Russian-roulette misery are the two modes the Cat Empire can switch between perfectly. This is possibly the first Cat Empire song I can ever say this about, but everyone (especially the masses of people that read this blog) can probably give this a miss.
4. Only Light
This song is interesting. It goes to disprove a lot of the things I just said. This song shows that the Cat Empire can do a sad song. I wouldn't be surprised if it was revealed that two different members of the band wrote this and Feeling's Gone (research disproves this theory). This song is the right way to do a sad song. Put just enough energy to make the instruments do what they need to do and put some extra in the chorus. Hey presto, a good song. Definitely captures some key elements about the Cat Empire which Feeling's Gone just misses completely.
5. All Hell
This song really backs up my theory that the Cat Empire are holding themselves back during this album. I'm not sure what emotion this song is trying to get across and although it annoys me a bit, it's not a big problem. It has great piano backing and the best vocals of the album so far. I also think the trumpet (?) parts around the second chorus repeat really add something to the song, I just don't know what. Don't know what are key words to this song. It's really good, but misses out on my top three for this album because I don't know what point the group were trying to make.
6. Shoulders
My second favourite song of the album. Like All Hell, Shoulders doesn't make its driving emotion overly clear, but I think anxiety sums it up pretty well. Not sad enough to warrant that or misery as defining emotions, but certainly not a cheery song. I think anxiety also covers the subject matter pretty well. Like All Hell, Shoulders also makes good use of trumpets, which is one defining instrument of the Cat Empire I'm glad to see in this album a couple of times. A good song overall, but I think the other songs on this album take a bit away from it. Some elements of Shoulders just sound better when not between things like All Hell. Not because All Hell is better, just because the two are a touch too similar. The instrumental at the end of Shoulders is very interesting, but seems to be more of an interlude than an actual part of the song.
7. The Heart Is A Cannibal
This song really is a throwback to the third Cat Empire album, Cities (which I haven't mentioned on this blog, but still might review one day) and is very similar to the group Jackson Jackson (which includes a member of the Cat Empire) so much so that I initially thought this was actually a Jackson Jackson song (which is far from a bad thing). The Heart Is A Cannibal is easily the first song on this entire album which I actually would have picked as a Cat Empire song after hearing their first four albums. It has all the energy expected in a Cat Empire song combined with the strange darkness which seems to occupy all the songs on this album. I can't say this song is a bad song, it just makes no sense (as the name may suggest) and isn't really my kind of thing. It does invoke a certain sense of nostalgia, which is always nice for a piece of mid-album filler.
8. Reasonably Fine
In the same way The Heart Is A Cannibal is the most recognisable Cat Empire song as a Cat Empire song, Reasonably Fine is nothing like a Cat Empire song, and I do really like it. It focuses much more on the vocals than many Cat Empire songs, and the singer holds up perfectly. This song ends up sounding like a mix with Yves Klein Blue (with Cat Empire vocals and more trumpet action). I really like this song, mainly because it shows that the Cat Empire can successfully do songs that are different to their norm. If it had been up to me, I would have released this as the single instead of Feeling's Gone.
9. Call Me Home
The child of All Hell and Shoulders, but a standout song all the same, being the final addition to my top three. This song contains just a bit of the energy and life the rest of the album seems to lack. It has an overall theme of camaraderie and (obviously) returning to your roots. I can't give an actual analysis of the plot of this song (I never can with Cat Empire songs) but I feel it would be worth knowing. The trumpet solo near the end really just gives the entire album just a bit more essence of classic Cat Empire.
10. On My Way
This song has some of the nonsensical lyrics and needless energy that embodies The Cat Empire. It's quite strange that the album pushes the songs more akin to previous Cat Empire work to the end. I would have thought they would have been nearer the top for longtime fans of the group. This song has really good vocals (even by Cat Empire standards) and great use of trumpets. This is the song which has made me want to dance the most throughout the entire album, for whatever that's worth.
11. Beyond All
OK, final song. This song is a strange combo at first. It has slower vocals than usual accompanied with music faster than usual. Eventually the vocals speed up...and then slow down again ...and speed up... never mind. The whole song is really strange, curious and basically a very interesting mix of everything the Cat Empire has made. The three things that this song brings to mind are:
1. The musical equivalent to a clip-show (in a good way).
2. The song to accompany an eclectic nightmare (in a good way).
3. The song to accompany an out of body experience (sort of in a good way).
Possibly the strangest way to end a Cat Empire album (with a resounding bell chime or drum note or something) and a truly strange song.
Overall, this album hardly sounds like a Cat Empire album, and I may be slightly biased in the fact that I wanted a Cat Empire album. I don't think going in a new direction is a bad thing, but it just gave no real notice. Also, this album seems much darker and held back than many other Cat Empire albums, almost like the band grew up, bought a suit, accidentally killed a man in a drunken escapade and them released this album. I don't know if the next album will return to the basics or carry on this path, The strange thin is that I don't really mind. The Cat Empire has proven over and over again that no matter what sort of music they make they will make first-class songs, no matter if they are designed for parties or funerals. As long as they don't take too much after The Conglomerate (shudder) they should be fine.
So, providing the level of background provided by 20 seconds on Wikipedia, Cinema was the most recent release by the Cat Empire, released in 2010 and it is their 5th studio album. So, starting at the beginning:
1. Waiting
So, seeing as I have already reviewed a Cat Empire album, I don't think I have to give an overview of the Cat Empire's style. Lively, crazy and awesome is all any person fining themselves accidentally reading this needs to know. So, Waiting is (in comparison to previous songs) a slower song. It has a really good keyboard backing and, it almost goes without saying, has great vocals. It is a rather strange way to start off an album in my opinion. Compared to other Cat Empire songs, it's rather sober but still a very easy tune to dance to.
2. Falling
This is my favourite song of the entire album, just to put it out there. Normally, I have a few favourites but Falling stands out well and truly. I don't know if this reflects badly on the rest of the album or just very well on Falling, but it is an extraordinary song. I think the main theme of the song is just getting older, although it does touch on love a bit at the end. Great everything, typical of the Cat Empire, but Falling just has that extra little bit that will have you singing it in the shower for the next week or so. Anyway, the one thing I'm starting to notice about this album is that, although it has as much life and energy as previous albums, it is a touch more withdrawn and "focused" than previous albums. Instead of just making noise (very good noise), they decided to focus on being a bit more mainstream. I honestly don't know if this is a good or a bad thing, but like I said in the last review, it's a very good sign when a band starts evolving on it's own, especially when no-one is forcing it to. Any band (even a good one) which uses the same formula is eventually going to get stale and old (Mumford & Sons is the first thing I think of. Little Lion Man was an incredible song, and The Cave was also an incredible song. And all their of their songs ..are...incredible songs. Oh. When the entire discography of a band is essentially the same song, these songs fall from "awesome" to "not another one". In the end, I regret listening to Mumford & Sons album because it took a lot of the novelty Little Lion Man had away. What was my point again? Oh, that's right: Change is good).
3. Feeling's Gone
Along with Falling, Feeling's Gone was the other single off Cinema. In my last review, I pointed out that Miserere was how a good sad song sounded, despite the fact I wasn't quite sure what point they were trying to make. Feeling's Gone is the same attempt, just not pulled off as well. Feeling's Gone is an attempt at a sad song. That much is obvious, and a step further than a lot of (supposedly) sad songs these days. I never thought I'd say this about a Cat Empire song, but they put too much energy in it. This is truly ironic, as the excessive amount of energy the Cat Empire put into their music is one of the reasons I like the group. But they just aren't cut out for songs like this. If they had tried to capture some other emotion, they would have been fine, and I even feel like this song was half sadness half anger, but that just doesn't come off enough to make this a good song for me. Absolute over-the-moon joy and absolute I'm-about-to-play-single-player-Russian-roulette misery are the two modes the Cat Empire can switch between perfectly. This is possibly the first Cat Empire song I can ever say this about, but everyone (especially the masses of people that read this blog) can probably give this a miss.
4. Only Light
This song is interesting. It goes to disprove a lot of the things I just said. This song shows that the Cat Empire can do a sad song. I wouldn't be surprised if it was revealed that two different members of the band wrote this and Feeling's Gone (research disproves this theory). This song is the right way to do a sad song. Put just enough energy to make the instruments do what they need to do and put some extra in the chorus. Hey presto, a good song. Definitely captures some key elements about the Cat Empire which Feeling's Gone just misses completely.
5. All Hell
This song really backs up my theory that the Cat Empire are holding themselves back during this album. I'm not sure what emotion this song is trying to get across and although it annoys me a bit, it's not a big problem. It has great piano backing and the best vocals of the album so far. I also think the trumpet (?) parts around the second chorus repeat really add something to the song, I just don't know what. Don't know what are key words to this song. It's really good, but misses out on my top three for this album because I don't know what point the group were trying to make.
6. Shoulders
My second favourite song of the album. Like All Hell, Shoulders doesn't make its driving emotion overly clear, but I think anxiety sums it up pretty well. Not sad enough to warrant that or misery as defining emotions, but certainly not a cheery song. I think anxiety also covers the subject matter pretty well. Like All Hell, Shoulders also makes good use of trumpets, which is one defining instrument of the Cat Empire I'm glad to see in this album a couple of times. A good song overall, but I think the other songs on this album take a bit away from it. Some elements of Shoulders just sound better when not between things like All Hell. Not because All Hell is better, just because the two are a touch too similar. The instrumental at the end of Shoulders is very interesting, but seems to be more of an interlude than an actual part of the song.
7. The Heart Is A Cannibal
This song really is a throwback to the third Cat Empire album, Cities (which I haven't mentioned on this blog, but still might review one day) and is very similar to the group Jackson Jackson (which includes a member of the Cat Empire) so much so that I initially thought this was actually a Jackson Jackson song (which is far from a bad thing). The Heart Is A Cannibal is easily the first song on this entire album which I actually would have picked as a Cat Empire song after hearing their first four albums. It has all the energy expected in a Cat Empire song combined with the strange darkness which seems to occupy all the songs on this album. I can't say this song is a bad song, it just makes no sense (as the name may suggest) and isn't really my kind of thing. It does invoke a certain sense of nostalgia, which is always nice for a piece of mid-album filler.
8. Reasonably Fine
In the same way The Heart Is A Cannibal is the most recognisable Cat Empire song as a Cat Empire song, Reasonably Fine is nothing like a Cat Empire song, and I do really like it. It focuses much more on the vocals than many Cat Empire songs, and the singer holds up perfectly. This song ends up sounding like a mix with Yves Klein Blue (with Cat Empire vocals and more trumpet action). I really like this song, mainly because it shows that the Cat Empire can successfully do songs that are different to their norm. If it had been up to me, I would have released this as the single instead of Feeling's Gone.
9. Call Me Home
The child of All Hell and Shoulders, but a standout song all the same, being the final addition to my top three. This song contains just a bit of the energy and life the rest of the album seems to lack. It has an overall theme of camaraderie and (obviously) returning to your roots. I can't give an actual analysis of the plot of this song (I never can with Cat Empire songs) but I feel it would be worth knowing. The trumpet solo near the end really just gives the entire album just a bit more essence of classic Cat Empire.
10. On My Way
This song has some of the nonsensical lyrics and needless energy that embodies The Cat Empire. It's quite strange that the album pushes the songs more akin to previous Cat Empire work to the end. I would have thought they would have been nearer the top for longtime fans of the group. This song has really good vocals (even by Cat Empire standards) and great use of trumpets. This is the song which has made me want to dance the most throughout the entire album, for whatever that's worth.
11. Beyond All
OK, final song. This song is a strange combo at first. It has slower vocals than usual accompanied with music faster than usual. Eventually the vocals speed up...and then slow down again ...and speed up... never mind. The whole song is really strange, curious and basically a very interesting mix of everything the Cat Empire has made. The three things that this song brings to mind are:
1. The musical equivalent to a clip-show (in a good way).
2. The song to accompany an eclectic nightmare (in a good way).
3. The song to accompany an out of body experience (sort of in a good way).
Possibly the strangest way to end a Cat Empire album (with a resounding bell chime or drum note or something) and a truly strange song.
Overall, this album hardly sounds like a Cat Empire album, and I may be slightly biased in the fact that I wanted a Cat Empire album. I don't think going in a new direction is a bad thing, but it just gave no real notice. Also, this album seems much darker and held back than many other Cat Empire albums, almost like the band grew up, bought a suit, accidentally killed a man in a drunken escapade and them released this album. I don't know if the next album will return to the basics or carry on this path, The strange thin is that I don't really mind. The Cat Empire has proven over and over again that no matter what sort of music they make they will make first-class songs, no matter if they are designed for parties or funerals. As long as they don't take too much after The Conglomerate (shudder) they should be fine.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time Part 2
Straight into the review:
19. (Position 2) Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine
Okay, to start off, I like this song and I don't really know why. The first reason I can think of is the anger. Music contains anger all the time, often culminating in a noisy mess. This song not only expresses anger, but makes people angry (in a "good" way). This song urges people into action over the injustices of reality and actually is quite effective. With a melody, vocals and lyrics that would be out of place in any other genre, Killing In The Name truly does deserve its position at 2nd. Honestly, this would have been a million times better than Smells Like Teen Spirit, but than again there aren't many songs that wouldn't be.
20. (Position 42) Banquet by Bloc Party
I have a love hat relationship with Bloc Party they seem to switch from great music to absolute crap. This song is pretty good. A really good melody, it also has decent lyrics but the vocals don't really work for me most of the time. The title of the song is very interesting. I don't think it really gets the point of the song across, but it certainly draws attention. Honestly though, I think Mercury is the best song ever made by Bloc Party. Banquet, as I said, is nothing to be sneered at though.
21. (Position 32) Blue Monday by New Order
What I expected from Daft Punk after hearing the press over their music. Blue Monday is a weird, confusing, twisted, effective piece of music. The lyrics and vocals are pretty good, but the best part of the song is the music. This song is like watching a news reporter while a hurricane passes by in the background. The music is a mess, but a brilliantly chaotic one that I truly recommend listening to.
22. (Position 45) No One Knows by Queens Of The Stone Age.
I don't know hw I feel about this song. I know I like it, but I don't know how much I like it. Some days it shines as a great piece of music that just oozes talent. On other days it's just another song with a good beat and not much else. At the time of this review, it's somewhere in between. I don't overly like it as much as I could, but I can certainly see how many people could like it. The lyrics aren't really that interesting, but the rhythm and melody are pretty solid, keeping the song well above the garbage it could have been. The vocals are pretty good to. To give a show of how much I like this song, I have never done the slightest bit of research into Queens Of The Stone Age or any of their other work. There is also some weird Spanish radio thing going on at the end of the song. What the hell s that about? No one knows.
23. (Position 52) Berlin Chair by You Am I
This song is not one I would ever say I liked, but it certainly is better than I feel it could have ben. The first two seconds make me internally moan that he song will be a mess, but it does get better from there. The music and vocals are a bit of a mess in my opinion but what do I know? There is something vaguely appealing about this song, but I truly cannot put my finger on it. Maybe it just all comes together well. Maybe two messes of sound make a half decent song. The most interesting part of this song for me is the title. Apparently the song is named after a statue in Canberra, the very city I happen to inhabit. Despite this, I have never heard of, seen, or been privy to any reference of this statue. Whatever it is, the name makes it sound pretty interesting. To be fair, the sculptures in this city seem to change every two-three months. Who knows?
24. (Position 38) Mr Brightside by The Killers
This song is pretty damn good. The tune and lyrics are just brilliant and the vocals aren't too bad either. I honestly can't tell if the lyrics refer to the appearance of happiness whilst completely hiding your true feelings, or if the title is ironic and the song is about misery. Considering I'm too lazy to check, I suppose I'll never know. This tune is pretty good and I don't have anything against the Killers, despite the fact I am not very familiar with their discography.
25. (Position 72) New Slang by The Shins
A rather forgettable song, but by no means a bad one. It starts out like a Fleet Foxes song, but has better vocals, in my opinion at least. These reviews seem to be more and more positive. Maybe I should just claim I hate a song without listening to it. Anyway, this song is a pleasant, gentle tune with, as I've said, really good vocals. It's good to know that a band can have good vocals on top of decent music. In many cases there almost seems to be a tradeoff between the two in many songs, but I have no idea why. I can't say much about the lyrics, primarily because I can't pick many of them up, but the sond decent although unimportant.
26. (Position 43) God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
An oldie but a goodie. God Only Knows is a nice simple song that is just generally awesome. The one thing I will say is why does this song sound so christmasy? Maybe I just heard this song for the first time around Christmas or something, but think it might be the bells or tambourine or something in the background. Strange. Anyway, I do like this song, even though it is disappointingly short (though some other songs should take up this practice). Good. Really good.
27. (Position 54) Close To Me by The Cure
I've never been a fan of The Cure. I don't really know why, nor can I say that I am overly familiar with their songs. I've heard A Forest, something about Friday and this. Close To Me is undoubtably the best, but once again has weird shaky vocals. I mean, sure, if that's your style, go for it. The fact that many bands do this is where it gets weird. Anyway, a half-decent song but nothing I feel I can really rant or rave about. Just a good song and I feel The Cure should have made more like it.
28. (Position 100) Take Me Out by Franx Ferdinand.
This is just ridiculous. Sure, the song is fantastic. Sure, the tune deserves to be on a CD compelation. But this CD should only contain the very top songs on the list! If Triple J couldn't get licensing on some, sure, I could understand somewhat erratic numeration. But why is Number 100 not the last on the CD? Who arranged this CD? This is like me saying "Bob Brown should be Prime Minister.". Sure, I believe it, but I'm hardly going to rig an election. Whoever arranged this CD has to realise, even if we don't like it, we should really respect democracy a bit more. I can understand some changes to the godamn CD lineup, but number 100? What. The. Hell? Anyway, Franz Ferdinand. Accompanying a name which naturally appeals to a history nerd, Franz Ferdinand is plain awesome. I think this song is also plain awesome. How this was position 100, I don't know. Damn you, democracy! Maybe mystery CD arranger has a point. Anyway, this song has great rhythm, great vocals and is from one of my favourite UK artists, up there with Fatboy Slim, The Kaisr Cheifs & kasabian. The Prodigy aren't bad either...
29. (Position 70) Breate by The Prodigy
What can you say about The Prodigy? A mass of noise with a good rhythm. That's what. This is one of my favourite...erm...sound groups? I really don't know if there is a word for what these guys are and I'm really unsure wheter I can compare them to anything. Anyway, Breate is not my favourite Prodigy track ever, but is full of chaotic Prdigy goodness anyway. The best Prodigy songs in my opinion are Invader Must Die and Omen. This is really crazy stuff, but damn good too.
30. (Position 97) Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil.
I try not to let my opinion of individuals impact on my opinion of their music. People have accused me in the past of disliking the music because I dislike the person (the example that comes to mind is Pink. No, I don't like her. But me hating her music is a completely separate fact). If I dislike the musician, I won't automatically hate the music. If I like the person, I won't automatically like the music (The one example that comes to mind is The Conglomerate. This band had all the makings of awesome. It had shared members with the Cat empire. It was named one of my favourite words (seriously. Conglomerate is one of my favourite words. Right up there with Sociopath (please, nonexistent reader, don't get Freudian with that.))However, The Conglomerate, left the awesome beats and the majority of the soul of the Cat Empire behind it sucked. Felix Riebl of The Cat Empire recently released a solo song too. It was really meh). The one time I break this internal rule is called The Midnight Oil Exception. Peter Garrett is an Australian "politician" (to use the term VERY loosely). He is the very definition of a knob (well, secondary definition). He is also in Midnight Oil. Midnight Oil, as you may have guessed, is the one occasion where I have been unable to overcome my outright loathing of the individual to enjoy the music of the group. I would say I'm ashamed of myself, but I would be more ashamed if I liked it. Please be aware, this review is going to get biased. Now the song starts out with some of the most twisted and weird vocals to ever come out naturally out of any human mouth. The chorus is okay, however, but far from what many fans claim the song to be. Overall, trying to finish this song as fast as possible. The people suck, but I encourage everyone who is not reading this blog to make up their own minds. I just can't do it. Garrett, both musically and politically, shut the hell up. Forever, preferably.
31 (Position 77) Hearts A Mess by Gotye.
So, first thing first: Gotye is friggin awesome. Just...awesome. This guy has made some of the trippiest, weirdest and must intriguing music ever to come out of this great country. Hearts A Mess is no exception. I will make no attempt to analyze the music. Let's just leave it as worth hearing. The vocals are soothing, warm and cool. The lyrics are sincere, sweet and fit in perfectly with the tone of the song. The end result is like (to give one godamn weird allegory) a storm make of noise hitting your house. Did that make even less sense than I thought it would? Yes. So listen to it. I know I have.
32 (Position 36) Into My Arms by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.
This song is truly the Australian answer to Hallelujah. This song is insanely beautiful. Just so beautiful. Nick Cave has done some weird and wonderful music over the years, but it would take another career for him to come out with something that could even compete with this song. It has lyics which convey emotion like nothing else, the wonderful vocals typical of Nick Cave and is just a masterpeice, which is, as far as I remember, the first time I have used that term to describe any song on this CD. Hopefully not the last.
33 (Position 33) Tomorrow by Silverchair
Silverchair has produced its fair share of good music over the years. This is not part of that music. The worst thing about Tomorow is that every turn it seems like it's getting better, while it's getting, if nothing else, worse. This song is full of pointless noise, jilting vocals not to say there isn't worse on this very CD) and just more noise. The music video is pretty disturbing too. I really don't get the point of this song. If you are going to make a song, at least have a semblance of a point. Unless this song speaks out against capitalism and Western society (If you listen to the actual song, you might see how I could come to that conclusion), in which case I have much more respect for it, it's just kids with instruments. And too much sugar.
34 (Position 81) Common People by Pulp.
I know nothing about Pulp. Perhaps this is for the best, because this song is awesome and I don't want to find out these people kill puppies for kicks or vote Republican or something. The song outlines how a rich girl wants to go "slumming" with the "common people". This, at the very least, makes me think Pulp does not vote Republican. The song contains the usual strange voclas I keep hearing on the album, but it works on this one. Maybe this was the nspiration for all those other albums. Would explain a lot. The music and rhythm are really good and this is the first song on the CD (except maybe Gotye or Nick Cave) that lets people hear the lyrics easily. I don't know if the other songs are ashamed of their lyrics (which is justified in many cases) or if this song is just really proud of their lyrics (also perfectly justified). A good song that actually tells a story, which is actually a good idea (Hint, hint, Silverchair, hint, hint.).
35. (Position 23) Throw Your Arms Around Me by Hunters & Collectors.
This song actually started off very much alike to Tomorrow, which of course scared me shitless. It gets better from there. Containing the typical shaky vocals (which typically don't work), this song ends up feeling like a home-brand version of God Only Knows to the tune of Tomorrow (if the musicians had heard about the songs from a friend of a friend of a friend who is partially deaf). The tune is..okay. Luckily, they try to reproduce a good song. If they were trying to make a home-brand Smells Like Teen Spirit, however, I'd have much less sympathy. Truly, not worth listening to. Just an okay song, nothing special.
36. (Position 3) Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
Okay. Last song. The producer of the CD has crossed the line. WHAT THE HELL? CD two, last song. THAT IS WHERE YOU FEEL THE THIRD BEST SONG OF ALL TIME DESERVES TO GO? Why? OK, I suppose this is a good song to end on, but there are a ton of good songs to end on. If the actual Top 36 had been on this CD in order, this position would have been held by Into My Arms by Nick Cave, which is basically the Australian versoin of this very song. So, producer of this CD, why don't you like common sense? Are you afraid of people understanding what you're trying to do? Do you just like a good mindscrew? The only way I can understand it is if I find out that the producer of this CD had been given their two weeks notice right before this CD was to be made and decided "How can I make Triple J lose an inordinate amount of money without being too obvious?" In that case, I applaud you. Sigh. I feel sad after trying to work thig bloody CD out. Anyway, Hallalejah. This song is brilliant. When I was a kid, I couldn't work out why people would listen to music that mkaes them feel sad. I still don't understand the psychology, but this song would be the perfect way to explain it to somebody. This song contains the essence of human sadness. In a good way. Longing, pain, sadness, misery, hope. It's all there. What I don't know is how someone could listen to this song then go to their computer and vote for Nirvana. I suppose marijuana affects everyone differently. This song just cannot be put into words and everything i write is a feeble, hopeless attempt to do so. Just. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.........................Jeez. Wow. It is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard and is possibly the only song I've ever heard that I cannot imagine that anyone dislikes. From the most hardened forum troll to the happiest person on earth, this song just can't go without stirring something deep, deep inside. Just. Wow. That's it. That's Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time. Just. Wow.
Most of the CD sucked though. Sorry, that last song was awesome but it doesn't go even half the way towards making me forgive every Nirvana, Silverchair and Midnight Oil song on here. At least there was no AC/DC. And for that I am grateful. But the numbering. Dear god, why?
19. (Position 2) Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine
Okay, to start off, I like this song and I don't really know why. The first reason I can think of is the anger. Music contains anger all the time, often culminating in a noisy mess. This song not only expresses anger, but makes people angry (in a "good" way). This song urges people into action over the injustices of reality and actually is quite effective. With a melody, vocals and lyrics that would be out of place in any other genre, Killing In The Name truly does deserve its position at 2nd. Honestly, this would have been a million times better than Smells Like Teen Spirit, but than again there aren't many songs that wouldn't be.
20. (Position 42) Banquet by Bloc Party
I have a love hat relationship with Bloc Party they seem to switch from great music to absolute crap. This song is pretty good. A really good melody, it also has decent lyrics but the vocals don't really work for me most of the time. The title of the song is very interesting. I don't think it really gets the point of the song across, but it certainly draws attention. Honestly though, I think Mercury is the best song ever made by Bloc Party. Banquet, as I said, is nothing to be sneered at though.
21. (Position 32) Blue Monday by New Order
What I expected from Daft Punk after hearing the press over their music. Blue Monday is a weird, confusing, twisted, effective piece of music. The lyrics and vocals are pretty good, but the best part of the song is the music. This song is like watching a news reporter while a hurricane passes by in the background. The music is a mess, but a brilliantly chaotic one that I truly recommend listening to.
22. (Position 45) No One Knows by Queens Of The Stone Age.
I don't know hw I feel about this song. I know I like it, but I don't know how much I like it. Some days it shines as a great piece of music that just oozes talent. On other days it's just another song with a good beat and not much else. At the time of this review, it's somewhere in between. I don't overly like it as much as I could, but I can certainly see how many people could like it. The lyrics aren't really that interesting, but the rhythm and melody are pretty solid, keeping the song well above the garbage it could have been. The vocals are pretty good to. To give a show of how much I like this song, I have never done the slightest bit of research into Queens Of The Stone Age or any of their other work. There is also some weird Spanish radio thing going on at the end of the song. What the hell s that about? No one knows.
23. (Position 52) Berlin Chair by You Am I
This song is not one I would ever say I liked, but it certainly is better than I feel it could have ben. The first two seconds make me internally moan that he song will be a mess, but it does get better from there. The music and vocals are a bit of a mess in my opinion but what do I know? There is something vaguely appealing about this song, but I truly cannot put my finger on it. Maybe it just all comes together well. Maybe two messes of sound make a half decent song. The most interesting part of this song for me is the title. Apparently the song is named after a statue in Canberra, the very city I happen to inhabit. Despite this, I have never heard of, seen, or been privy to any reference of this statue. Whatever it is, the name makes it sound pretty interesting. To be fair, the sculptures in this city seem to change every two-three months. Who knows?
24. (Position 38) Mr Brightside by The Killers
This song is pretty damn good. The tune and lyrics are just brilliant and the vocals aren't too bad either. I honestly can't tell if the lyrics refer to the appearance of happiness whilst completely hiding your true feelings, or if the title is ironic and the song is about misery. Considering I'm too lazy to check, I suppose I'll never know. This tune is pretty good and I don't have anything against the Killers, despite the fact I am not very familiar with their discography.
25. (Position 72) New Slang by The Shins
A rather forgettable song, but by no means a bad one. It starts out like a Fleet Foxes song, but has better vocals, in my opinion at least. These reviews seem to be more and more positive. Maybe I should just claim I hate a song without listening to it. Anyway, this song is a pleasant, gentle tune with, as I've said, really good vocals. It's good to know that a band can have good vocals on top of decent music. In many cases there almost seems to be a tradeoff between the two in many songs, but I have no idea why. I can't say much about the lyrics, primarily because I can't pick many of them up, but the sond decent although unimportant.
26. (Position 43) God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
An oldie but a goodie. God Only Knows is a nice simple song that is just generally awesome. The one thing I will say is why does this song sound so christmasy? Maybe I just heard this song for the first time around Christmas or something, but think it might be the bells or tambourine or something in the background. Strange. Anyway, I do like this song, even though it is disappointingly short (though some other songs should take up this practice). Good. Really good.
27. (Position 54) Close To Me by The Cure
I've never been a fan of The Cure. I don't really know why, nor can I say that I am overly familiar with their songs. I've heard A Forest, something about Friday and this. Close To Me is undoubtably the best, but once again has weird shaky vocals. I mean, sure, if that's your style, go for it. The fact that many bands do this is where it gets weird. Anyway, a half-decent song but nothing I feel I can really rant or rave about. Just a good song and I feel The Cure should have made more like it.
28. (Position 100) Take Me Out by Franx Ferdinand.
This is just ridiculous. Sure, the song is fantastic. Sure, the tune deserves to be on a CD compelation. But this CD should only contain the very top songs on the list! If Triple J couldn't get licensing on some, sure, I could understand somewhat erratic numeration. But why is Number 100 not the last on the CD? Who arranged this CD? This is like me saying "Bob Brown should be Prime Minister.". Sure, I believe it, but I'm hardly going to rig an election. Whoever arranged this CD has to realise, even if we don't like it, we should really respect democracy a bit more. I can understand some changes to the godamn CD lineup, but number 100? What. The. Hell? Anyway, Franz Ferdinand. Accompanying a name which naturally appeals to a history nerd, Franz Ferdinand is plain awesome. I think this song is also plain awesome. How this was position 100, I don't know. Damn you, democracy! Maybe mystery CD arranger has a point. Anyway, this song has great rhythm, great vocals and is from one of my favourite UK artists, up there with Fatboy Slim, The Kaisr Cheifs & kasabian. The Prodigy aren't bad either...
29. (Position 70) Breate by The Prodigy
What can you say about The Prodigy? A mass of noise with a good rhythm. That's what. This is one of my favourite...erm...sound groups? I really don't know if there is a word for what these guys are and I'm really unsure wheter I can compare them to anything. Anyway, Breate is not my favourite Prodigy track ever, but is full of chaotic Prdigy goodness anyway. The best Prodigy songs in my opinion are Invader Must Die and Omen. This is really crazy stuff, but damn good too.
30. (Position 97) Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil.
I try not to let my opinion of individuals impact on my opinion of their music. People have accused me in the past of disliking the music because I dislike the person (the example that comes to mind is Pink. No, I don't like her. But me hating her music is a completely separate fact). If I dislike the musician, I won't automatically hate the music. If I like the person, I won't automatically like the music (The one example that comes to mind is The Conglomerate. This band had all the makings of awesome. It had shared members with the Cat empire. It was named one of my favourite words (seriously. Conglomerate is one of my favourite words. Right up there with Sociopath (please, nonexistent reader, don't get Freudian with that.))However, The Conglomerate, left the awesome beats and the majority of the soul of the Cat Empire behind it sucked. Felix Riebl of The Cat Empire recently released a solo song too. It was really meh). The one time I break this internal rule is called The Midnight Oil Exception. Peter Garrett is an Australian "politician" (to use the term VERY loosely). He is the very definition of a knob (well, secondary definition). He is also in Midnight Oil. Midnight Oil, as you may have guessed, is the one occasion where I have been unable to overcome my outright loathing of the individual to enjoy the music of the group. I would say I'm ashamed of myself, but I would be more ashamed if I liked it. Please be aware, this review is going to get biased. Now the song starts out with some of the most twisted and weird vocals to ever come out naturally out of any human mouth. The chorus is okay, however, but far from what many fans claim the song to be. Overall, trying to finish this song as fast as possible. The people suck, but I encourage everyone who is not reading this blog to make up their own minds. I just can't do it. Garrett, both musically and politically, shut the hell up. Forever, preferably.
31 (Position 77) Hearts A Mess by Gotye.
So, first thing first: Gotye is friggin awesome. Just...awesome. This guy has made some of the trippiest, weirdest and must intriguing music ever to come out of this great country. Hearts A Mess is no exception. I will make no attempt to analyze the music. Let's just leave it as worth hearing. The vocals are soothing, warm and cool. The lyrics are sincere, sweet and fit in perfectly with the tone of the song. The end result is like (to give one godamn weird allegory) a storm make of noise hitting your house. Did that make even less sense than I thought it would? Yes. So listen to it. I know I have.
32 (Position 36) Into My Arms by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.
This song is truly the Australian answer to Hallelujah. This song is insanely beautiful. Just so beautiful. Nick Cave has done some weird and wonderful music over the years, but it would take another career for him to come out with something that could even compete with this song. It has lyics which convey emotion like nothing else, the wonderful vocals typical of Nick Cave and is just a masterpeice, which is, as far as I remember, the first time I have used that term to describe any song on this CD. Hopefully not the last.
33 (Position 33) Tomorrow by Silverchair
Silverchair has produced its fair share of good music over the years. This is not part of that music. The worst thing about Tomorow is that every turn it seems like it's getting better, while it's getting, if nothing else, worse. This song is full of pointless noise, jilting vocals not to say there isn't worse on this very CD) and just more noise. The music video is pretty disturbing too. I really don't get the point of this song. If you are going to make a song, at least have a semblance of a point. Unless this song speaks out against capitalism and Western society (If you listen to the actual song, you might see how I could come to that conclusion), in which case I have much more respect for it, it's just kids with instruments. And too much sugar.
34 (Position 81) Common People by Pulp.
I know nothing about Pulp. Perhaps this is for the best, because this song is awesome and I don't want to find out these people kill puppies for kicks or vote Republican or something. The song outlines how a rich girl wants to go "slumming" with the "common people". This, at the very least, makes me think Pulp does not vote Republican. The song contains the usual strange voclas I keep hearing on the album, but it works on this one. Maybe this was the nspiration for all those other albums. Would explain a lot. The music and rhythm are really good and this is the first song on the CD (except maybe Gotye or Nick Cave) that lets people hear the lyrics easily. I don't know if the other songs are ashamed of their lyrics (which is justified in many cases) or if this song is just really proud of their lyrics (also perfectly justified). A good song that actually tells a story, which is actually a good idea (Hint, hint, Silverchair, hint, hint.).
35. (Position 23) Throw Your Arms Around Me by Hunters & Collectors.
This song actually started off very much alike to Tomorrow, which of course scared me shitless. It gets better from there. Containing the typical shaky vocals (which typically don't work), this song ends up feeling like a home-brand version of God Only Knows to the tune of Tomorrow (if the musicians had heard about the songs from a friend of a friend of a friend who is partially deaf). The tune is..okay. Luckily, they try to reproduce a good song. If they were trying to make a home-brand Smells Like Teen Spirit, however, I'd have much less sympathy. Truly, not worth listening to. Just an okay song, nothing special.
36. (Position 3) Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
Okay. Last song. The producer of the CD has crossed the line. WHAT THE HELL? CD two, last song. THAT IS WHERE YOU FEEL THE THIRD BEST SONG OF ALL TIME DESERVES TO GO? Why? OK, I suppose this is a good song to end on, but there are a ton of good songs to end on. If the actual Top 36 had been on this CD in order, this position would have been held by Into My Arms by Nick Cave, which is basically the Australian versoin of this very song. So, producer of this CD, why don't you like common sense? Are you afraid of people understanding what you're trying to do? Do you just like a good mindscrew? The only way I can understand it is if I find out that the producer of this CD had been given their two weeks notice right before this CD was to be made and decided "How can I make Triple J lose an inordinate amount of money without being too obvious?" In that case, I applaud you. Sigh. I feel sad after trying to work thig bloody CD out. Anyway, Hallalejah. This song is brilliant. When I was a kid, I couldn't work out why people would listen to music that mkaes them feel sad. I still don't understand the psychology, but this song would be the perfect way to explain it to somebody. This song contains the essence of human sadness. In a good way. Longing, pain, sadness, misery, hope. It's all there. What I don't know is how someone could listen to this song then go to their computer and vote for Nirvana. I suppose marijuana affects everyone differently. This song just cannot be put into words and everything i write is a feeble, hopeless attempt to do so. Just. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.........................Jeez. Wow. It is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard and is possibly the only song I've ever heard that I cannot imagine that anyone dislikes. From the most hardened forum troll to the happiest person on earth, this song just can't go without stirring something deep, deep inside. Just. Wow. That's it. That's Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time. Just. Wow.
Most of the CD sucked though. Sorry, that last song was awesome but it doesn't go even half the way towards making me forgive every Nirvana, Silverchair and Midnight Oil song on here. At least there was no AC/DC. And for that I am grateful. But the numbering. Dear god, why?
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Triple J's Hottest 100 Of All Time Part 1
Well, I'm going to try and review a CD which contains the best songs ever written (according to young Australians, anyway). To start with, I like Triple J. Although I don't listen to it as much as I used to, I still dedicate Australia Day to finding out the Hottest 100 of the year. A quick rage first. I detest Tom & Alex. This comment will make no sense to anyone unfamiliar with Triple J, but Tom Ballard and Alex Dyson are like Hamish & Andy, with every ounce of humor, entertainment and charisma drained out, with the addition of high, whiny voices. I have nothing against the two men personally, but I have no desire to wake up to them every weekday morning and listening to them vent their first world problems to the country (This blog doesn't do that because...ahem...never mind, last point revoked).
Robert Buck, Lyndsay "The Doctor" McDougall & Marieke Hardy were the previous hosts and it was a pleasure to wake up at six every morning, just to listen to their chatter. They had charisma, chemistry, humor and anything else you could want in a group of radio show hosts. Now Hardy and Buck have moved on to other pursuits and The Doctor is left on his lonesome, now hosting the afternoon show. As much as I like the man, there should be a rule in radio that you should not allow a man (or anyone) to host a show on his own, as the loneliness and desperation begin to seep through by the end of the second hour of the show. A former weekend morning host, Sam Simmons, had this problem. He is a decent comedian, but during the show he would make the newsreader join the show even, just to come up with something to say. Anyway...
It's getting closer to Hottest 100 time, and I check the website every week to see if voting has begun. For those that are not familiar with the Hottest 100, it is a music poll which consists of people going online and voting for their favourite music released that year. The final result is a list of 100 songs, read out on Australia Day. Voting is not restricted to Australians in any way, but seeing as the poll is hosted by an Australian radio station, it's normally Australians who make up the majority of the voters. I can't say I always agree with the songs or their positions, but I acknowledge that they give a fair reflection of the best music of the year. The winners from the previous three years have been Big Jet Plane by Angus & Julia Stone, Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons and Sex On Fire by Kings Of Leon. The fact that the three groups were respectively Australian, British and American should give a good idea of just how varied the list is.
Between the 2008 and 2009 polls, Triple J held a poll for the greatest songs of all time, which removed the usual convention of the songs having been released in the same year the polls occur. Triple J held similar polls in 1989 and 1999, and it will probably occur in 2019. I'm not even going to bother giving spoilers to this, but Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit wins. Both in 1999 and 2009 this song topped the list. This depresses me greatly. Not because the song is bad (which it is, but I'll go into why later) but because the majority of the voters haven't gotten over their nostalgia for the 90's. Music from the 90's was OK (at best), but I don't feel that it should have made up 4 of the top 5 on the list (the other song having been released in the 80's). In fact, the first song to be released after 1999 (and interestingly, the highest placing Australian song) was at position 17. The song was The Nosebleed Section by The Hilltop Hoods, but still, I may be open to the idea that the best 16 songs of all time were released in the 20th Century, but I downright refuse to believe that 11 of the 16 best songs of all time were released in the 1990's. For God's sake people, let go of music just because you grew up with it and open your mind to a new era of great music. Moving on...
After the revelation of the Hottest 100 of All Time, Triple J released a two-disc compelation album with some of the songs from the list included. What I must say is strange is that they don't include the Top 36 songs, they pick 36 songs from the list and include them. I am not one to argue against the fact that people are idiots, but if you are going to let them vote for their favourite songs, just put the highest ranked songs on the bloody CD's. Perhaps they just couldn't get licensing for all the songs, or something like that, but it really draws away from the concept of voting for the best music.
Anyway, going on to the goddamn review. I'll probably break this up into two parts (especially after just spending 850 words in a series of rants), like the two different CD's.
1. (Positions 1) Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
I don't like this song. Just putting it out there, but I really don't like this song. When Triple J had this dramatic reveal of the Top Song in July, 2009, I thought it would be something revolutionary which I never even considered consciously as a good song. Well, the second part is true. Smells Like Teen Spirit may have the emotion impact of a dying relative, but it just doesn't turn raw emotion into a good song. A good allegory for this song is a friend shouting nonsensically whilst crying. You know they are emotional and what they are saying is probably important (at least to them), but it isn't very nice to listen to. Poor vocals, general "noise", nonsensical lyrics and generally an unpleasant and downright painful song. If anyone actually read this blog, I'd be scared of really pissing someone off.
2. (Position 5) Paranoid Android by Radiohead.
Although I don't know much about this song, I don't feel I need to, just reviewing how it sounds. To say the least, it's a hell of a lot better than Nirvana, but I feel this song sufferes from some of the same problems. Mainly, the fact it seems to rely on an underlying emotion or power which I really can't pick up. Using another allegory, it's like switching into a press conference with a politician talking about an incredibly important issue and referring to confronting it and then ending the meeting without saying what the actual problem is. Despite this, Paranoid Android has better vocals and much better instrumental imput than Smells Like Teen Spirit.
3. (Position 18) Knights Of Cydonia by Muse
I think this song makes perfect sense after Paranoid Android, as both are very unique ballads using very interesting musical techniques. Also very interesting is the fact that all the songs I've mentioned on this disc so far really irritated me when I first heard them. Despite, this fact not having changed for Smells Like Teen Spirit, Paranoid Android just didn't grab me at first (I think I just wasn't paying much attention at the time, to be perfectly fair) and Knights Of Cydonia's music video just really turned me off. I just felt that Muse was making up some bullshit designed to be sold and critically acclaimed. Although I still think this, I now give Muse a bit more credit and have learned to love the tripe and just go with it. Although this isn't the best Muse song I've heard or even the best Muse power ballad I've ever heard, it is by no means a bad song. Another thing this song has in common with the previous two is that the lyrics make no sense. I mean, just what the hell are you talking about? ANyway, not a bad song.
4. (Position 17) The Nosebleed Section by The Hilltop Hoods.
Two things I have to point out before I review this song. Firstly, why the hell did Muse, at position 18, get placed on the CD before The Hilltop Hoods, who placed at position 17? I'm just going to write the whole CD choice as the actions of someone smarter than me who knew what they were doing and move along. Secondly, in my opinion, this song is the best on both CD's. I'm not saying that every other song on the CD is bad (despite the fact a lot of them are), just that I really like the Hilltop Hoods and I don't feel any other song on the CD surpasses this one. Anyway, this song continues the trend of my disapproval upon first hearing. Not dislike, persay, but a respounding "meh". Since then both the song and The Hilltop Hoods repertoire in general has really grown on me. This song is the first upbeat and cheery tune on the CD and really is the first that has made me feel any emotion, which makes me think of the previous three as failures, in that respect anyway. This song contains a flute throughout the song (which is less annoying than it sounds) and some of the best rhyming of the Hilltop Hoods career (so far. They just released a new single which could mean a new album. Who knows?). Despite the fact that I feel the Hilltop Hoods have made better songs, I can see why this song is popular, mainly because it is a good way of introducing people into the work of the Hilltop Hoods and Aussie Hip-Hop in general. This song was actually one of three which really got me interested in the work of the HH (the other two being Still Standing and Chase That Feeling). I am surprised (and delighted) by the fact that this was ranked as the best Australian song o alltime on the list. I mean, I get that, but seeing as how many other well known Australian songs there are, I was sure Powderfinger of (shudder) AC/DC would get in the Top 10. Perhaps the general population deserves more credit than I give them. Then I look at the entire genre which is "metal" and place the general public on that low, low standing where they deserve to be.
5. (Position 58) Around The World by Daft Punk
If you have never heard this song before, go on YouTube and listen to it three times. Even if you don't like it. This is a vaccination against liking it in the future. This song is good for, as I mentioned, about three listens. One line of lyrics. That should say it all. Sadly, it doesn't. OK, this song has a good beat, good rhythm and a good overall sound. However, it has one line of lyrics. Very irritating, dull lyrics that mean nothing. Meh. It's electronic music. It holds the very special role of not needing to make A) Sense & B) Any emotional impact on the listeners. And Daft Punk obey these two commands to the letter, yet somehow managing to place 58th on the list and end up on the CD for the best 36 songs. Huh. Moving on...
6. (Position 4) Love Will Tear US Apart by Joy Division.
I really like this song. I feel that this should be numero uno on the list and it certainly had a chance, considering it was voted the best song of all time in 1989. LWTA fulfills one simple quality that can truly make me like a song: it makes me feel an emotion. This song just has deep, deep misery written all over it, and manages to reflect this in a way which does not make me consider it "goth" or "emo" or anyone who just seems to hate life. This song has nice music, vocals that stand out, decent lyrics and you can just feel this song arose from a moment where someone thought "I just really fucked this up". I can really understand why this song was so popular in 1989. Why wasn't it as popular in 2009?
7 (Position 12) Wonderwall by Oasis.
Ah, Wonderwall. I don't know if I like or dislike this song, but I would never use a word more emotive than "like" or "dislike" to describe it. I have nothing against a song just being average. Saves me an impassioned rant or rave. Wonderwall is just a basic song which is enjoyable enough, but not good enough to justify me doing the slightest bit of research into Oasis or looking for more music by them. Just okay.
8. (Position 46) Epic by Faith No More.
Sigh. Nirvana set a very low standard for songs on this CD and Epic just manages to cross on the "not complete garbage" side of that standard, but I would never, no matter what the circumstances, call this a "good" song. I mean, it at least has more of a beat than Smells Like Teen Spirit and definetly makes me feel slightly less worried at the state of the world in comparison, but not by much. Although, I must give credit where credit is due: Epic is one of the best possible one-word names for a song ever. That's all the praise I'm ever going to give to this song.
9. (Position 34) Prisoner Of Society by The Living End.
I enoy the musci of the Living End on the most part. Although they don't really have a style I would normally subscribe to, they certainly have noise on their side, and in a good way. Prisoner Of Society is definetly one of their best songs and of this disc so far, this has the best lyrics (Nosebleed Section is good, but this is still better). Most bands that embrace sond and anger or frustration end up going too far into "metal" territory (if you haven't picked up on it yet, nonexistant reader, I don't like metal as a genre). But despite the fact they might appease some more vocal fns by doing that, I appreciate that they manage to use their instruments in a way that falls more into "music" than "raw noise". Quite impressive for a band that actually had a song called "White Noise".
10. (Position 47) Betterman by The John Butler Trio.
Where would Australian music be without The John Butler Trio? This is the first placement on the CD which makes perfect sense to me. You just can't have a best of Australian music CD or a best of ever CD from Australia without JBT. Betterman is not their best song in my opinion, but it certainly is not their worst and beats a hell of a lot of songs from this entire CD set. A breath of fresh, familiar air like JBT is sorely needed on this disc. The actual song uses the usual acoustic guitar and "groovy" vocals of any JBT song. These guys really have redefined the concept of folk music and mainstream music as separate entities.
11. (Position 29) Where Is My Mind? by The Pixies.
I enjoy this song sometimes and dislike it at others. Although it has a good rhythm and a sense of wonder and weird whymsy that many songs could do with, it also has jilting, irritating vocals. Who gave that man a microphone? As the eighties and nineties taught the music community, anyone can "sing", but I don't really think that they should. To be perfectly honest, I prefer the cover of this song performed by Australian Hip-Hop artist Illy a couple of years ago. Just because a song is a classic dosen't mean you have to like it.
12. (Position 22) Teardrop by Massive Attack.
This song is one of the best examples of instrumentals making people feel an emotional connection to a song. This song is strange (in a good way) and very beautiful. The music video, as a bit of a sidenote will ruin the song for anyone. Although it would have accompanied the song in an elegant fasion if pulled of well, it ends up making the song feel seedy and cheap, which I don't think should be associated with Teardrop in any way. I can't say all Massive Attack songs have done it for me, but Teardrop certainly does. Also, this is the first song I've reviewed which makes me want to go watch a TV show (House, anyone?). All the same, I don't feel a craving for medical procedurals takes away from the power and elegance of the song. Teardrop is the first TV themesong I've reviewed and probably won't be the last, but will almost certainly be the best (unless I find a Fatboy Slim album with the Inspector Gadget theme on it. I honestly wouldn't put it past him, somewhere along the line).
13. (Position 76) Fools Gold by The Stone Roses
This song came into the list on position 76. I swear, Triple J has less respect for democracy than North Korea. Despite this, Fools Gold is not a bad song. If you took a Cat Empire song and took some of the energy out of it, you would have this song. Just because it is a bit tamer and slower doesn't make it a bad song by any measure. It still supplies a good rhythm, smooth vocals and some freaky electric guitar throughout. Relly, do they really need that damn electric guitar? It just seems to really distract from what The Stone Roses were going for. Screw it. I'm no expert in music. I just write long blog entries to myself in the vague hope someone will read these entries some day, who am I to say a band is doing the wrong thing? But again, position 76? What the hell?
14 (Position 64) Blister In The Sun by The Violent Femmes
A happy little tune with a strange name. A perfect bit of life in a rather dull CD. Making someone want to dance is nothing to be sneered at and is probably as difficult as making a song carry an emotional connection. Look at Daft Punk. Despite that song being designed as a song that would make people dance, it just makes me carefully finger the "Next" button on my disc-man (Yes, I have a disc-man. What of it?). A cheery tune with pleasant, if somewhat shaky, vocals.
15 (Position 20) Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
Possibly the coolest sounding song I have ever heard. A legendary baseline, good vocals, suitably weird (if not once again, nonsensical) lyrics and a suitably bizarre music video. Really, that baseline would honestly improve any bad song by at least a little. I enjoy the music of the White Stripes and concur with consensus: his is the best song they have ever made. I don't have much to say about this song except just listen to it if you don't know it. This song may be truly incapable of review.
16. (Position 21) These Days by Powderfinger
Finally, a Powderfinger song. And not the one I was expecting. Although this song is great and shows just how talented the group is, I expected a different Powderfinger song on this CD. I'm not sure which, but not this one. A slow, sad song about the path of life which has the good music, emotive lyrics and lively vocals typical of Powderfinger. Not quite the saddest song on the CD (Joy Division) nor the most emotive (Teardrop) but very close. A strange fact is that song four, The Nosebleed Section actually uses a line from this song. They didn't sample it but tried to sing it like in the song. It must have been strange when the song they were referencing actually ended up further down the Hottest 100 list than the Hilltop Hoods.
17 (Position 79) Is There Life On Mars? by David Bowie
A true classic and another of my favourites. Contrary to how I expected this CD to turn out, it actually does contain many songs which I enjoy (although I do feel the credit for this should go to the mighty Picker Of Songs rather than the Australian public, especially considering this song came in Position 79). A slow, beautiful melody, charming yet bizarre lyrics and the unique vocals which only David Bowie can do. I enjoy this song because it doesn't set out to just be a sad song. It also sets out to be a good song. With Joy Division, These Days and Teardrop, I think the emotion came first and success was incidental. With this song, I think quality was foremost and the deep emotion just sort of snuck in. This song truly does feel ike it is from another world. Also, I thought it would be longer before I reviewed my second TV theme song. At the very least, Life On Mars was one of my favourite detective/time travel TV shows (both the American and British versions). Please note that somewhere there is probably is another detective/time travel show, and I bet Life On Mars is still better.
18. (Position 59) One Crowded Hour by Augie March
Another sad, slow song. This song has moving lyrics, good vocals and a fantastic melody. My one complaint is that it feels like the song is put on half speed for the first half of the song. I don't know if this is intentional or just the CD, but it does irritate me a touch. Other than that , I think this song really does capture the essence of missed opportunities. I don't really care for any other Augie March songs, but this song shows they have the talent to be much more than a one hit wonder.
Anyway, this is the end of CD One of Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time and just about all the ranting, raving, reviewing and writing I can deal with tonight. Tomorrow, Part Two. If I don't get around to it, who the hell is going to care? But still, I'll probably do it. Damn my twisted sense of honour.
Robert Buck, Lyndsay "The Doctor" McDougall & Marieke Hardy were the previous hosts and it was a pleasure to wake up at six every morning, just to listen to their chatter. They had charisma, chemistry, humor and anything else you could want in a group of radio show hosts. Now Hardy and Buck have moved on to other pursuits and The Doctor is left on his lonesome, now hosting the afternoon show. As much as I like the man, there should be a rule in radio that you should not allow a man (or anyone) to host a show on his own, as the loneliness and desperation begin to seep through by the end of the second hour of the show. A former weekend morning host, Sam Simmons, had this problem. He is a decent comedian, but during the show he would make the newsreader join the show even, just to come up with something to say. Anyway...
It's getting closer to Hottest 100 time, and I check the website every week to see if voting has begun. For those that are not familiar with the Hottest 100, it is a music poll which consists of people going online and voting for their favourite music released that year. The final result is a list of 100 songs, read out on Australia Day. Voting is not restricted to Australians in any way, but seeing as the poll is hosted by an Australian radio station, it's normally Australians who make up the majority of the voters. I can't say I always agree with the songs or their positions, but I acknowledge that they give a fair reflection of the best music of the year. The winners from the previous three years have been Big Jet Plane by Angus & Julia Stone, Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons and Sex On Fire by Kings Of Leon. The fact that the three groups were respectively Australian, British and American should give a good idea of just how varied the list is.
Between the 2008 and 2009 polls, Triple J held a poll for the greatest songs of all time, which removed the usual convention of the songs having been released in the same year the polls occur. Triple J held similar polls in 1989 and 1999, and it will probably occur in 2019. I'm not even going to bother giving spoilers to this, but Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit wins. Both in 1999 and 2009 this song topped the list. This depresses me greatly. Not because the song is bad (which it is, but I'll go into why later) but because the majority of the voters haven't gotten over their nostalgia for the 90's. Music from the 90's was OK (at best), but I don't feel that it should have made up 4 of the top 5 on the list (the other song having been released in the 80's). In fact, the first song to be released after 1999 (and interestingly, the highest placing Australian song) was at position 17. The song was The Nosebleed Section by The Hilltop Hoods, but still, I may be open to the idea that the best 16 songs of all time were released in the 20th Century, but I downright refuse to believe that 11 of the 16 best songs of all time were released in the 1990's. For God's sake people, let go of music just because you grew up with it and open your mind to a new era of great music. Moving on...
After the revelation of the Hottest 100 of All Time, Triple J released a two-disc compelation album with some of the songs from the list included. What I must say is strange is that they don't include the Top 36 songs, they pick 36 songs from the list and include them. I am not one to argue against the fact that people are idiots, but if you are going to let them vote for their favourite songs, just put the highest ranked songs on the bloody CD's. Perhaps they just couldn't get licensing for all the songs, or something like that, but it really draws away from the concept of voting for the best music.
Anyway, going on to the goddamn review. I'll probably break this up into two parts (especially after just spending 850 words in a series of rants), like the two different CD's.
1. (Positions 1) Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
I don't like this song. Just putting it out there, but I really don't like this song. When Triple J had this dramatic reveal of the Top Song in July, 2009, I thought it would be something revolutionary which I never even considered consciously as a good song. Well, the second part is true. Smells Like Teen Spirit may have the emotion impact of a dying relative, but it just doesn't turn raw emotion into a good song. A good allegory for this song is a friend shouting nonsensically whilst crying. You know they are emotional and what they are saying is probably important (at least to them), but it isn't very nice to listen to. Poor vocals, general "noise", nonsensical lyrics and generally an unpleasant and downright painful song. If anyone actually read this blog, I'd be scared of really pissing someone off.
2. (Position 5) Paranoid Android by Radiohead.
Although I don't know much about this song, I don't feel I need to, just reviewing how it sounds. To say the least, it's a hell of a lot better than Nirvana, but I feel this song sufferes from some of the same problems. Mainly, the fact it seems to rely on an underlying emotion or power which I really can't pick up. Using another allegory, it's like switching into a press conference with a politician talking about an incredibly important issue and referring to confronting it and then ending the meeting without saying what the actual problem is. Despite this, Paranoid Android has better vocals and much better instrumental imput than Smells Like Teen Spirit.
3. (Position 18) Knights Of Cydonia by Muse
I think this song makes perfect sense after Paranoid Android, as both are very unique ballads using very interesting musical techniques. Also very interesting is the fact that all the songs I've mentioned on this disc so far really irritated me when I first heard them. Despite, this fact not having changed for Smells Like Teen Spirit, Paranoid Android just didn't grab me at first (I think I just wasn't paying much attention at the time, to be perfectly fair) and Knights Of Cydonia's music video just really turned me off. I just felt that Muse was making up some bullshit designed to be sold and critically acclaimed. Although I still think this, I now give Muse a bit more credit and have learned to love the tripe and just go with it. Although this isn't the best Muse song I've heard or even the best Muse power ballad I've ever heard, it is by no means a bad song. Another thing this song has in common with the previous two is that the lyrics make no sense. I mean, just what the hell are you talking about? ANyway, not a bad song.
4. (Position 17) The Nosebleed Section by The Hilltop Hoods.
Two things I have to point out before I review this song. Firstly, why the hell did Muse, at position 18, get placed on the CD before The Hilltop Hoods, who placed at position 17? I'm just going to write the whole CD choice as the actions of someone smarter than me who knew what they were doing and move along. Secondly, in my opinion, this song is the best on both CD's. I'm not saying that every other song on the CD is bad (despite the fact a lot of them are), just that I really like the Hilltop Hoods and I don't feel any other song on the CD surpasses this one. Anyway, this song continues the trend of my disapproval upon first hearing. Not dislike, persay, but a respounding "meh". Since then both the song and The Hilltop Hoods repertoire in general has really grown on me. This song is the first upbeat and cheery tune on the CD and really is the first that has made me feel any emotion, which makes me think of the previous three as failures, in that respect anyway. This song contains a flute throughout the song (which is less annoying than it sounds) and some of the best rhyming of the Hilltop Hoods career (so far. They just released a new single which could mean a new album. Who knows?). Despite the fact that I feel the Hilltop Hoods have made better songs, I can see why this song is popular, mainly because it is a good way of introducing people into the work of the Hilltop Hoods and Aussie Hip-Hop in general. This song was actually one of three which really got me interested in the work of the HH (the other two being Still Standing and Chase That Feeling). I am surprised (and delighted) by the fact that this was ranked as the best Australian song o alltime on the list. I mean, I get that, but seeing as how many other well known Australian songs there are, I was sure Powderfinger of (shudder) AC/DC would get in the Top 10. Perhaps the general population deserves more credit than I give them. Then I look at the entire genre which is "metal" and place the general public on that low, low standing where they deserve to be.
5. (Position 58) Around The World by Daft Punk
If you have never heard this song before, go on YouTube and listen to it three times. Even if you don't like it. This is a vaccination against liking it in the future. This song is good for, as I mentioned, about three listens. One line of lyrics. That should say it all. Sadly, it doesn't. OK, this song has a good beat, good rhythm and a good overall sound. However, it has one line of lyrics. Very irritating, dull lyrics that mean nothing. Meh. It's electronic music. It holds the very special role of not needing to make A) Sense & B) Any emotional impact on the listeners. And Daft Punk obey these two commands to the letter, yet somehow managing to place 58th on the list and end up on the CD for the best 36 songs. Huh. Moving on...
6. (Position 4) Love Will Tear US Apart by Joy Division.
I really like this song. I feel that this should be numero uno on the list and it certainly had a chance, considering it was voted the best song of all time in 1989. LWTA fulfills one simple quality that can truly make me like a song: it makes me feel an emotion. This song just has deep, deep misery written all over it, and manages to reflect this in a way which does not make me consider it "goth" or "emo" or anyone who just seems to hate life. This song has nice music, vocals that stand out, decent lyrics and you can just feel this song arose from a moment where someone thought "I just really fucked this up". I can really understand why this song was so popular in 1989. Why wasn't it as popular in 2009?
7 (Position 12) Wonderwall by Oasis.
Ah, Wonderwall. I don't know if I like or dislike this song, but I would never use a word more emotive than "like" or "dislike" to describe it. I have nothing against a song just being average. Saves me an impassioned rant or rave. Wonderwall is just a basic song which is enjoyable enough, but not good enough to justify me doing the slightest bit of research into Oasis or looking for more music by them. Just okay.
8. (Position 46) Epic by Faith No More.
Sigh. Nirvana set a very low standard for songs on this CD and Epic just manages to cross on the "not complete garbage" side of that standard, but I would never, no matter what the circumstances, call this a "good" song. I mean, it at least has more of a beat than Smells Like Teen Spirit and definetly makes me feel slightly less worried at the state of the world in comparison, but not by much. Although, I must give credit where credit is due: Epic is one of the best possible one-word names for a song ever. That's all the praise I'm ever going to give to this song.
9. (Position 34) Prisoner Of Society by The Living End.
I enoy the musci of the Living End on the most part. Although they don't really have a style I would normally subscribe to, they certainly have noise on their side, and in a good way. Prisoner Of Society is definetly one of their best songs and of this disc so far, this has the best lyrics (Nosebleed Section is good, but this is still better). Most bands that embrace sond and anger or frustration end up going too far into "metal" territory (if you haven't picked up on it yet, nonexistant reader, I don't like metal as a genre). But despite the fact they might appease some more vocal fns by doing that, I appreciate that they manage to use their instruments in a way that falls more into "music" than "raw noise". Quite impressive for a band that actually had a song called "White Noise".
10. (Position 47) Betterman by The John Butler Trio.
Where would Australian music be without The John Butler Trio? This is the first placement on the CD which makes perfect sense to me. You just can't have a best of Australian music CD or a best of ever CD from Australia without JBT. Betterman is not their best song in my opinion, but it certainly is not their worst and beats a hell of a lot of songs from this entire CD set. A breath of fresh, familiar air like JBT is sorely needed on this disc. The actual song uses the usual acoustic guitar and "groovy" vocals of any JBT song. These guys really have redefined the concept of folk music and mainstream music as separate entities.
11. (Position 29) Where Is My Mind? by The Pixies.
I enjoy this song sometimes and dislike it at others. Although it has a good rhythm and a sense of wonder and weird whymsy that many songs could do with, it also has jilting, irritating vocals. Who gave that man a microphone? As the eighties and nineties taught the music community, anyone can "sing", but I don't really think that they should. To be perfectly honest, I prefer the cover of this song performed by Australian Hip-Hop artist Illy a couple of years ago. Just because a song is a classic dosen't mean you have to like it.
12. (Position 22) Teardrop by Massive Attack.
This song is one of the best examples of instrumentals making people feel an emotional connection to a song. This song is strange (in a good way) and very beautiful. The music video, as a bit of a sidenote will ruin the song for anyone. Although it would have accompanied the song in an elegant fasion if pulled of well, it ends up making the song feel seedy and cheap, which I don't think should be associated with Teardrop in any way. I can't say all Massive Attack songs have done it for me, but Teardrop certainly does. Also, this is the first song I've reviewed which makes me want to go watch a TV show (House, anyone?). All the same, I don't feel a craving for medical procedurals takes away from the power and elegance of the song. Teardrop is the first TV themesong I've reviewed and probably won't be the last, but will almost certainly be the best (unless I find a Fatboy Slim album with the Inspector Gadget theme on it. I honestly wouldn't put it past him, somewhere along the line).
13. (Position 76) Fools Gold by The Stone Roses
This song came into the list on position 76. I swear, Triple J has less respect for democracy than North Korea. Despite this, Fools Gold is not a bad song. If you took a Cat Empire song and took some of the energy out of it, you would have this song. Just because it is a bit tamer and slower doesn't make it a bad song by any measure. It still supplies a good rhythm, smooth vocals and some freaky electric guitar throughout. Relly, do they really need that damn electric guitar? It just seems to really distract from what The Stone Roses were going for. Screw it. I'm no expert in music. I just write long blog entries to myself in the vague hope someone will read these entries some day, who am I to say a band is doing the wrong thing? But again, position 76? What the hell?
14 (Position 64) Blister In The Sun by The Violent Femmes
A happy little tune with a strange name. A perfect bit of life in a rather dull CD. Making someone want to dance is nothing to be sneered at and is probably as difficult as making a song carry an emotional connection. Look at Daft Punk. Despite that song being designed as a song that would make people dance, it just makes me carefully finger the "Next" button on my disc-man (Yes, I have a disc-man. What of it?). A cheery tune with pleasant, if somewhat shaky, vocals.
15 (Position 20) Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
Possibly the coolest sounding song I have ever heard. A legendary baseline, good vocals, suitably weird (if not once again, nonsensical) lyrics and a suitably bizarre music video. Really, that baseline would honestly improve any bad song by at least a little. I enjoy the music of the White Stripes and concur with consensus: his is the best song they have ever made. I don't have much to say about this song except just listen to it if you don't know it. This song may be truly incapable of review.
16. (Position 21) These Days by Powderfinger
Finally, a Powderfinger song. And not the one I was expecting. Although this song is great and shows just how talented the group is, I expected a different Powderfinger song on this CD. I'm not sure which, but not this one. A slow, sad song about the path of life which has the good music, emotive lyrics and lively vocals typical of Powderfinger. Not quite the saddest song on the CD (Joy Division) nor the most emotive (Teardrop) but very close. A strange fact is that song four, The Nosebleed Section actually uses a line from this song. They didn't sample it but tried to sing it like in the song. It must have been strange when the song they were referencing actually ended up further down the Hottest 100 list than the Hilltop Hoods.
17 (Position 79) Is There Life On Mars? by David Bowie
A true classic and another of my favourites. Contrary to how I expected this CD to turn out, it actually does contain many songs which I enjoy (although I do feel the credit for this should go to the mighty Picker Of Songs rather than the Australian public, especially considering this song came in Position 79). A slow, beautiful melody, charming yet bizarre lyrics and the unique vocals which only David Bowie can do. I enjoy this song because it doesn't set out to just be a sad song. It also sets out to be a good song. With Joy Division, These Days and Teardrop, I think the emotion came first and success was incidental. With this song, I think quality was foremost and the deep emotion just sort of snuck in. This song truly does feel ike it is from another world. Also, I thought it would be longer before I reviewed my second TV theme song. At the very least, Life On Mars was one of my favourite detective/time travel TV shows (both the American and British versions). Please note that somewhere there is probably is another detective/time travel show, and I bet Life On Mars is still better.
18. (Position 59) One Crowded Hour by Augie March
Another sad, slow song. This song has moving lyrics, good vocals and a fantastic melody. My one complaint is that it feels like the song is put on half speed for the first half of the song. I don't know if this is intentional or just the CD, but it does irritate me a touch. Other than that , I think this song really does capture the essence of missed opportunities. I don't really care for any other Augie March songs, but this song shows they have the talent to be much more than a one hit wonder.
Anyway, this is the end of CD One of Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time and just about all the ranting, raving, reviewing and writing I can deal with tonight. Tomorrow, Part Two. If I don't get around to it, who the hell is going to care? But still, I'll probably do it. Damn my twisted sense of honour.
Monday, 21 November 2011
Two Shoes
Well, I have about half an hour of free time, so I shall spend another session of talking to myself via reviewing an album. The particular album is the 2005 release "Two Shoes" by the fantastic Cuban inspired Australian jazz band The Cat Empire. Just like Wild Colonial, I'm going to try to review tis album song by song, whilst listening to the album.Well, let's get started.
1. Sly
I cannot think of a better way to open this album. It shows the life, vibrancy, rhythm and general essence of the Cat Empire. Because there are many fantastic songs on this album, I won't be able to pick just a single favourite. Instead, like Wild Colonial, I'll pick three and Sly is certainly the first. One thing with The Cat Empire is that I will not even remotely attempt to analyze their lyrics, especially in the livlier songs, partially because they are often incomprehensible, partially because they are often nonsensical and because I believe that you really have to make up your own story to accompany many Cat Empire songs. Just take the title, the tune and however many words you can catch and make your own narrative. All together though, Sly is one of the first songs I recommend to people who want to know about the Cat Empire (both of those people seemed to enjoy it).
2. In My Pocket.
This song is why I don't try to analyze lyrics. The title alone makes me realize that these songs should be judged on the tune alone and I will do so. In My Pocket is a touch slower than Sly at several points, but still manages to give across the vibe that captures The Cat Empire. A sure way to work out if someone is a real fan of The Cat Empire is to see if this song is on their play-list. l mean, it is by no measure a bad song, there are just many better songs by this band. Also, despite my previous comments about lyrics, this song just loses respect from me by having a title like "In My Pocket". For God's sake, there are lyrics like "Mountains rise and mountains fall" or "Can you hear the oceans roar?". Use any combination of words from those lines and you will have a better title than In My Pocket. Hell, just call it Na Na Na Na Na, seeing as that is the most common phrase in the song, and it will still be a better title than In My Pocket.
3. Lullaby.
This song starts out much slower than the other songs so far and although it speeds up, it still is slower than the other two songs. I think one distinction that The Cat Empire manages to prove that they make in this song is that there is a difference with the speed of the song and the life and spirit of the song. Lullaby delivers the typical Cat Empire lust for life more than In My Pocket despite being a slower song, and I think this is a very important distinction to make. It would be tempting to just deliver the same tempo songs over and over again, but The Cat Empire manages to delive songs at a less than manic pace without losing the positivity and joy that make their songs so unique. Lullaby is a lovely song.
4. The Car Song.
The first song on the album I can actually judge by the lyrics. The main theme is a guy who doesn't do any work in school, despite realizing the necessity of good grades. Now, the typical conclusion to such a story would be (in most genres of music, anyway) the slacker getting everything he wanted. This song is a bit different in the sense that the slacker doesn't get the dream life, in fact a person from his year who does try ends up with the job, the girl & the Porsche (which, for the recored, is not the car the song is referring to). The Slacker realises he's happy with the life he lives and doesn't resent the hard working guy (...much). This is a great way to finish the song. People who don't really try and yet seem to always succeed really piss me off (either I try and succeed, don't try and don't succeed or try and don't succeed, and I feel like the majority of the world in this equation). I like the fact that the guy who worked hard succeeded but I also like the fact the song didn't even try to have a moral and went for the more realistic it's-just-high-school-not-the-end-of-the-world approach, where just because the protagonist didn't pass one test doesn't mean he is doomed to a life of failure and mysery. People can find happiness in many walks of life. Also, the video to this song is nice, simple, memorable and is quite clever (Sly's music vidoe is pretty good too, but doesn't really add anything to the experience of listening to the song while I feel that The Car Song's does). Also, if you can't guess by the sheer length of the review of The Car Song, it makes my Top Three of Two Shoes.
5. Two Shoes
The title track of the album is another masterpeice by the Cat Empire, with a more "reggae" (for want of a better word) beat, slowing down but still being a very nice song. Although I have a tendency to get this song confused woth another Cat Empire song from another album (Fishies), I still think it's a good representation of just what music by the Cat Empire is all about, even if it sn't the most memorable song. If I was to pick a fourth song for my Top Three of Two Shoes, this would be it. Thinking back, reggae may be the perfect word to descrie the beat. Hell, it's not like anyone is going to A) read this or B) correct me.
6. Miserere
After 10 seconds Wikipedia research, I found out that Miserere is Latin for Have Mercy and is also the name of an old religious song. Also, without hearing the name of the song in the actual song, I would have no idea how to pronounce this word. Now, there are three questions I have to ask about the content of this song. Firstly, what the hell does Have Mercy mean? Does it mean have mercy on the human race? A particular person? What? Secondly, Does this song have anything to do with the old religious song? I haven't been to curch since I was twelve and don't think I would know anyway. Thirdly, in a song recorded by Australians from Melbourne in Havana, Cuba, how the hell does a song end up titled in LATIN? I mean, what is the connection? Anyway, the actual song (once again, ignoring lyrical content). Miserere is the slowest song I have ever heard by the Cat Empire and is undoubtedly sad. As previously mentioned, I have no idea why it is sad or who exactly I should be feeling sad for. This does not make the song a bad one. Considering this is one of very few sad Cat Empire songs I have been able to find, I applaude them for trying something different, even if I don't enjoy it as much as some other songs by that particular group. This brings up one thing that the Cat Empire does have a problem with. After listening to more than a dozen Cat Empire songs, it becomes incredibly obvious that they are very similar. 90% of Cat Empire songs are just crazy awesome dance tunes with trumpets thrown in and who can really blame them? It works! They have had a series of albums and singles, which from what I hear, sell reasonably well. If it works don't change it. Despite this, I still appreciate when any group which is under no pressure to anything differently does so from its own free will without outside pressure (insert subtle jibe at basically any governments policy on anything. Let's go Australia and Climate change this time). Anyway, whether you consider the Cat Empire successful at a new variety of music, you must at least respect them for attempting a song which, theoretically, could be unappreciated by some listeners. You listen to Cat Empire songs for life, for oy and to dance. None of these motivations are to be found in Miserere. Although Miserere is not one of my favourite songs by The Cat Empire, it is without a doubt the saddest song I have ever heard, and I don't even know what it's about (quick clarification, Miserere is the saddest song that has tried to be sad. Fifty in Five is an incredibly sad song in the sense that it shows a bleak past for a bleak future, despite that possibly not being what they were aiming for. The opposite of this is a song like Like A G6 which, although upbeat, just makes me feel sad, for the whole bleak future and "these are our future leaders?" reasons.
7. Sol Y Sombra.
After another ten seconds research on Wikipedia and Babel Fish, I have learned that Sol Y Sombra is both a cocktail of some variety and Spanish for "Sun & Shade". Unlike Miserere, I'm not even going to try to guess why. The whole song is in Spanish (or other foreign languages or incomprehensible English. I don't know or care, considering they aren't aying anything important). This song is nice, but very forgettable. Worth one listen to find out if it gives you a new look on reality as we know it and move along. It does have what I believe to be the only serious piano solo on the entire album.
8. Party Started.
The overall vibe I get from this song is smug. And why wouldn't you be? Hell, this song was probably written in a Cuban recording studio between getting drunk and sleeping off last night, living on the profits of their last album. I know I'd be smug at that stage! Honestly, I like this song in all its smugness. It has agood beat, interesting instruments (I swear I hear I hear a cow-bell about two and a half minutes in). Not as forgettable as Sol Y Sombre, Party Started sticks with the usual Cat Empire title focus (which is basically the same as Hip-Hop, with less violence and "haters" and more partying, music and women. An intelligent and understandable trade off, in my opinion).
9. Protons, Neutrons & Electrons.
This song at points feels like it would fit perfectly into an episode of Playschool or Hi-5. And before anyone asks (yeah, because people aare commenting all the time) this song is not educational (at least not in any way any kind of educator would vouch for). Now, this song is not my favourite Cat Empire song, but if I find myself humming a Cat Empire song, at least of a quarter of the time it will be this one. This song manages to really stand out among Cat Empire songs, even if it is just because of its strange lyrics, tune and general sound. Also, I take back what I said about Sol Y Sombra. This one has a piano solo too.
10. Saltwater
This is the third in my Top Three of Two Shoes, and I don't really know why. It has the fastest beat of any song on the album, good rhythm and is generally it is a fun song, which would be justification for any song to be a favourite of anyone. But I think the thing that makes this song significantly better than, say, Two Shoes, is the ocean theme. I grew up near the sea, and this song just encapsulates the crazy, wild, untameable exitement and adrenaline rush of going down to the beach as a kid. I think that that feeling is what inspired this song and it certainly is a feeling that justifies having a song written about it. Also, the slower music at the end surely shows the impact sunburn has on that mood a couple of hours in.
11. The Night That Never End.
Ignoring the grammar in the title, this song just reflects the name of the first song on the album. I think Sly would have been the perfect title to this song. In fact, I think there are a lot of names I would have picked over this grammatical nightmare. All the same, I understand why the name was chosen. The actual song is a duality. One half is dark, slinky, smooth and slow, representing the night. The other half is loud, powerful and dramatic, showing "day" (or something like it. Perhaps dawn?) This all meets at the instrumental peice at the end, which truly reflects the Cuban influence upon this album.
11 & 3/4. 1001.
Another smooth piece that is a chilled and relaxed tune that really reflects a large amount of The Cat Empire. All Cat Empire songs (with several notable exceptions) are either insanely happy dance pieces or smooth, chilled, happy tunes which just make ever ounce of stress in the human body drain away. 1001, despite being a hidden track, is a fully fledged member of the second group and is the best example of the chilled aspect of Cat Empire I know of. Why the hell is this a hidden track? This would have made perfect sense between 5 & 6 or 6 & 7 as an ease in or out of the mod created by Miserere. I do like this song, but I feel it was not the best way to end an album. If you wanted a piece that reflects what the majority of Cat Empire songs are like, so people would remember the album realistically, it should have ended at The Night That Never End. If you wanted the listener to leave with a strong memory of the album, it should have ended with Miserere. 1001 is a halfway between the two, but satisfies neither. It reflects some Cat Empire music, but not many of the songs on this album. Ath the same time, it doesn't leave a powerful emotional impact on the listener. If a song could be summed up in one simple intruction to the person hearing it, Miserere is "Think" and The Night That Never End is "Dance". 1001. despite being a fantastic song, only leaves the instructions (at best) "Chill" or (at worst) "Sleep", neither of which are good ways to end the album.
Despite several small complaints, Two Shoes is a fantastic album by yet another fantastic Australian band. I hope they continue creating fantastic music and, more importantly, people keep buying it.
1. Sly
I cannot think of a better way to open this album. It shows the life, vibrancy, rhythm and general essence of the Cat Empire. Because there are many fantastic songs on this album, I won't be able to pick just a single favourite. Instead, like Wild Colonial, I'll pick three and Sly is certainly the first. One thing with The Cat Empire is that I will not even remotely attempt to analyze their lyrics, especially in the livlier songs, partially because they are often incomprehensible, partially because they are often nonsensical and because I believe that you really have to make up your own story to accompany many Cat Empire songs. Just take the title, the tune and however many words you can catch and make your own narrative. All together though, Sly is one of the first songs I recommend to people who want to know about the Cat Empire (both of those people seemed to enjoy it).
2. In My Pocket.
This song is why I don't try to analyze lyrics. The title alone makes me realize that these songs should be judged on the tune alone and I will do so. In My Pocket is a touch slower than Sly at several points, but still manages to give across the vibe that captures The Cat Empire. A sure way to work out if someone is a real fan of The Cat Empire is to see if this song is on their play-list. l mean, it is by no measure a bad song, there are just many better songs by this band. Also, despite my previous comments about lyrics, this song just loses respect from me by having a title like "In My Pocket". For God's sake, there are lyrics like "Mountains rise and mountains fall" or "Can you hear the oceans roar?". Use any combination of words from those lines and you will have a better title than In My Pocket. Hell, just call it Na Na Na Na Na, seeing as that is the most common phrase in the song, and it will still be a better title than In My Pocket.
3. Lullaby.
This song starts out much slower than the other songs so far and although it speeds up, it still is slower than the other two songs. I think one distinction that The Cat Empire manages to prove that they make in this song is that there is a difference with the speed of the song and the life and spirit of the song. Lullaby delivers the typical Cat Empire lust for life more than In My Pocket despite being a slower song, and I think this is a very important distinction to make. It would be tempting to just deliver the same tempo songs over and over again, but The Cat Empire manages to delive songs at a less than manic pace without losing the positivity and joy that make their songs so unique. Lullaby is a lovely song.
4. The Car Song.
The first song on the album I can actually judge by the lyrics. The main theme is a guy who doesn't do any work in school, despite realizing the necessity of good grades. Now, the typical conclusion to such a story would be (in most genres of music, anyway) the slacker getting everything he wanted. This song is a bit different in the sense that the slacker doesn't get the dream life, in fact a person from his year who does try ends up with the job, the girl & the Porsche (which, for the recored, is not the car the song is referring to). The Slacker realises he's happy with the life he lives and doesn't resent the hard working guy (...much). This is a great way to finish the song. People who don't really try and yet seem to always succeed really piss me off (either I try and succeed, don't try and don't succeed or try and don't succeed, and I feel like the majority of the world in this equation). I like the fact that the guy who worked hard succeeded but I also like the fact the song didn't even try to have a moral and went for the more realistic it's-just-high-school-not-the-end-of-the-world approach, where just because the protagonist didn't pass one test doesn't mean he is doomed to a life of failure and mysery. People can find happiness in many walks of life. Also, the video to this song is nice, simple, memorable and is quite clever (Sly's music vidoe is pretty good too, but doesn't really add anything to the experience of listening to the song while I feel that The Car Song's does). Also, if you can't guess by the sheer length of the review of The Car Song, it makes my Top Three of Two Shoes.
5. Two Shoes
The title track of the album is another masterpeice by the Cat Empire, with a more "reggae" (for want of a better word) beat, slowing down but still being a very nice song. Although I have a tendency to get this song confused woth another Cat Empire song from another album (Fishies), I still think it's a good representation of just what music by the Cat Empire is all about, even if it sn't the most memorable song. If I was to pick a fourth song for my Top Three of Two Shoes, this would be it. Thinking back, reggae may be the perfect word to descrie the beat. Hell, it's not like anyone is going to A) read this or B) correct me.
6. Miserere
After 10 seconds Wikipedia research, I found out that Miserere is Latin for Have Mercy and is also the name of an old religious song. Also, without hearing the name of the song in the actual song, I would have no idea how to pronounce this word. Now, there are three questions I have to ask about the content of this song. Firstly, what the hell does Have Mercy mean? Does it mean have mercy on the human race? A particular person? What? Secondly, Does this song have anything to do with the old religious song? I haven't been to curch since I was twelve and don't think I would know anyway. Thirdly, in a song recorded by Australians from Melbourne in Havana, Cuba, how the hell does a song end up titled in LATIN? I mean, what is the connection? Anyway, the actual song (once again, ignoring lyrical content). Miserere is the slowest song I have ever heard by the Cat Empire and is undoubtedly sad. As previously mentioned, I have no idea why it is sad or who exactly I should be feeling sad for. This does not make the song a bad one. Considering this is one of very few sad Cat Empire songs I have been able to find, I applaude them for trying something different, even if I don't enjoy it as much as some other songs by that particular group. This brings up one thing that the Cat Empire does have a problem with. After listening to more than a dozen Cat Empire songs, it becomes incredibly obvious that they are very similar. 90% of Cat Empire songs are just crazy awesome dance tunes with trumpets thrown in and who can really blame them? It works! They have had a series of albums and singles, which from what I hear, sell reasonably well. If it works don't change it. Despite this, I still appreciate when any group which is under no pressure to anything differently does so from its own free will without outside pressure (insert subtle jibe at basically any governments policy on anything. Let's go Australia and Climate change this time). Anyway, whether you consider the Cat Empire successful at a new variety of music, you must at least respect them for attempting a song which, theoretically, could be unappreciated by some listeners. You listen to Cat Empire songs for life, for oy and to dance. None of these motivations are to be found in Miserere. Although Miserere is not one of my favourite songs by The Cat Empire, it is without a doubt the saddest song I have ever heard, and I don't even know what it's about (quick clarification, Miserere is the saddest song that has tried to be sad. Fifty in Five is an incredibly sad song in the sense that it shows a bleak past for a bleak future, despite that possibly not being what they were aiming for. The opposite of this is a song like Like A G6 which, although upbeat, just makes me feel sad, for the whole bleak future and "these are our future leaders?" reasons.
7. Sol Y Sombra.
After another ten seconds research on Wikipedia and Babel Fish, I have learned that Sol Y Sombra is both a cocktail of some variety and Spanish for "Sun & Shade". Unlike Miserere, I'm not even going to try to guess why. The whole song is in Spanish (or other foreign languages or incomprehensible English. I don't know or care, considering they aren't aying anything important). This song is nice, but very forgettable. Worth one listen to find out if it gives you a new look on reality as we know it and move along. It does have what I believe to be the only serious piano solo on the entire album.
8. Party Started.
The overall vibe I get from this song is smug. And why wouldn't you be? Hell, this song was probably written in a Cuban recording studio between getting drunk and sleeping off last night, living on the profits of their last album. I know I'd be smug at that stage! Honestly, I like this song in all its smugness. It has agood beat, interesting instruments (I swear I hear I hear a cow-bell about two and a half minutes in). Not as forgettable as Sol Y Sombre, Party Started sticks with the usual Cat Empire title focus (which is basically the same as Hip-Hop, with less violence and "haters" and more partying, music and women. An intelligent and understandable trade off, in my opinion).
9. Protons, Neutrons & Electrons.
This song at points feels like it would fit perfectly into an episode of Playschool or Hi-5. And before anyone asks (yeah, because people aare commenting all the time) this song is not educational (at least not in any way any kind of educator would vouch for). Now, this song is not my favourite Cat Empire song, but if I find myself humming a Cat Empire song, at least of a quarter of the time it will be this one. This song manages to really stand out among Cat Empire songs, even if it is just because of its strange lyrics, tune and general sound. Also, I take back what I said about Sol Y Sombra. This one has a piano solo too.
10. Saltwater
This is the third in my Top Three of Two Shoes, and I don't really know why. It has the fastest beat of any song on the album, good rhythm and is generally it is a fun song, which would be justification for any song to be a favourite of anyone. But I think the thing that makes this song significantly better than, say, Two Shoes, is the ocean theme. I grew up near the sea, and this song just encapsulates the crazy, wild, untameable exitement and adrenaline rush of going down to the beach as a kid. I think that that feeling is what inspired this song and it certainly is a feeling that justifies having a song written about it. Also, the slower music at the end surely shows the impact sunburn has on that mood a couple of hours in.
11. The Night That Never End.
Ignoring the grammar in the title, this song just reflects the name of the first song on the album. I think Sly would have been the perfect title to this song. In fact, I think there are a lot of names I would have picked over this grammatical nightmare. All the same, I understand why the name was chosen. The actual song is a duality. One half is dark, slinky, smooth and slow, representing the night. The other half is loud, powerful and dramatic, showing "day" (or something like it. Perhaps dawn?) This all meets at the instrumental peice at the end, which truly reflects the Cuban influence upon this album.
11 & 3/4. 1001.
Another smooth piece that is a chilled and relaxed tune that really reflects a large amount of The Cat Empire. All Cat Empire songs (with several notable exceptions) are either insanely happy dance pieces or smooth, chilled, happy tunes which just make ever ounce of stress in the human body drain away. 1001, despite being a hidden track, is a fully fledged member of the second group and is the best example of the chilled aspect of Cat Empire I know of. Why the hell is this a hidden track? This would have made perfect sense between 5 & 6 or 6 & 7 as an ease in or out of the mod created by Miserere. I do like this song, but I feel it was not the best way to end an album. If you wanted a piece that reflects what the majority of Cat Empire songs are like, so people would remember the album realistically, it should have ended at The Night That Never End. If you wanted the listener to leave with a strong memory of the album, it should have ended with Miserere. 1001 is a halfway between the two, but satisfies neither. It reflects some Cat Empire music, but not many of the songs on this album. Ath the same time, it doesn't leave a powerful emotional impact on the listener. If a song could be summed up in one simple intruction to the person hearing it, Miserere is "Think" and The Night That Never End is "Dance". 1001. despite being a fantastic song, only leaves the instructions (at best) "Chill" or (at worst) "Sleep", neither of which are good ways to end the album.
Despite several small complaints, Two Shoes is a fantastic album by yet another fantastic Australian band. I hope they continue creating fantastic music and, more importantly, people keep buying it.
Friday, 18 November 2011
10 Songs I Find Myself Singing
Well, I figure it's about time to return to writing blog posts for me to read back to myself and for the masses of people who don't read this blog.
Well, this time Idecided to do a short post about the 10 songs I find myself singing all the time. Some of these will change with time and some have, but this is just a basic list.
10. Allstar by Smash Mouth.
I know nothing about either the band or the song and I don't have any ovverwhelming wish to, as the only real reason I enjoy this song and find myself singing it is the great beat and decent lyrics. Not a bad song by far, but it doesn't mean anything.
9. Rich People Are Stupid by Ball Park Music.
Possibly the best band to come out of Triple J's Unearthed website, the first track I heard by this group, iFly, didn't really appeal to me. The second track by this group instantly caught my attention. The third track, Rich People Are Stupid kept up with the standards I held compared to their previous songs. A great tongue in cheek laugh at the wealthy and how to deal with working for them.
8. Amos Moses by Jerry Reed.
Although I am not familiar with any other music by Jerry Reed, this song has stuck in my head for years. The first time I heard it was on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. I enjoy this game to this day, partialy for the gameplay but also for the fantastic soundtrack. Amos Moses had me addicted to the in-game radio station K-Rose, in the hope I would hear this song.
7. Parlez Vous Francais? by Art vs. Science.
Art vs. Science is another wonderful product of Triple J's Unearthed initiative, and have produced many great songs. Although many songs (such as Magic Fountain) have reached the same levels as Parlez Vous Francais?, Parlez is the only song of theirs that I have actually learned the lyrics of.
6. Clockwork by Phrase.
Phrase has produced many fantastic tracks and is one of the greatest solo Australian Hip-Hop artists I have ever heard, but no other song of his has ever reached the legendary sound of Clockwork. I love this song and find myself often just singing a line or two from the chorus. The main reason this song didn't acheive higher in the list is the fact I still haven't learned all the lyrics yet.
5. Toorali by The Herd.
Although, as I have previously stated on this blog, I adore the music of The Herd, Toorali is the only song of theirs which I have actually learned the lyrics of. The actual song is a great twist on an Australian classic, with the song telling the story of a suspected terrorist being abducted by the government.
4. Fire by Kasabian
This song is one of the best made by Kasabian, which is saying quite a lot in comparison to songs like Shoot The Runner & Empire. This song just has the rythmic beat and creepy lyrics that just work amazingly well together.
3. Sad Rude Future Dude by Ball Park Music.
Sad Rude Future Dude is the second song by the previously mentioned Ball Park Music and has phenominal lyrics which express the emotions of a lonely frustrated man perfectly, acompanied by a cheery, jumpy beat which contrasts powerfully with the lyrics of the song.
2. The Complete History Of The USSR Through The Eyes Of A Humple Worker, Arranged To The Melody Of Tetris by Pig With The Face Of A Boy.
One hell of a title to accompany one hell of a song. Now, I wasn't familiar with the tune Korobeiniki (better known as the Tetris Song) before a friend sent me the link to this song. Since then, have watched this song at least a dozen times and memorized the lyrics in just one night. The song itself is witty, observant, clever, interesting and most of all set to a memorable beat. I know that for the rest of my life I will think of this song every time I hear the "Tetris Song".
1. Fifty In Five by The Hilltop Hoods
Imagine the raw emotion of Killing In The Name, the historical element of We Didn't Start The Fire's evil twin, the natural talent of the Hilltop Hoods and the sobering effects of reality, all set to rhyme. Meet Fifty In Five. Whatever I say here, I doubt it will be the last time this song is mentioned on this blog. Well, to start from the top, the Hilltop Hoods are a fantastic Hip-Hop group from Adelaide, Australia and are the people behind such songs as Nosebleed Section and Chase That Feeling. In 2009, the Hilltop Hoods released an album called State Of The Art. This album ended on a five minute recap of the past fifty years of world history (thus the name of the song). Sadly, this song has received not nearly enough attention. This song has references to almost every significant event in world history over the past 50 years. To give an idea of how this song carries on, the first few lines are:
Terror cleared the skyline,
And Anger clouded judgment,
So they spent 1000 nighttimes in the desert...
I recommend to all the people who don't read this blog, at best go out and find the album or at least go on you-tube and take 5 minutes out of your day to listen to this legendary song. One quick note is that the song does have a slightly Australian focus at certain points. (For example, if he line: Abbott and Costello, right wing overlords means nothing to you, than the song may make a little less sense, but I recommend it anyway.)
I think I will come back with another Top 10 list at some pont, but next post I may do another album review. Or not. I don't know.
Well, this time Idecided to do a short post about the 10 songs I find myself singing all the time. Some of these will change with time and some have, but this is just a basic list.
10. Allstar by Smash Mouth.
I know nothing about either the band or the song and I don't have any ovverwhelming wish to, as the only real reason I enjoy this song and find myself singing it is the great beat and decent lyrics. Not a bad song by far, but it doesn't mean anything.
9. Rich People Are Stupid by Ball Park Music.
Possibly the best band to come out of Triple J's Unearthed website, the first track I heard by this group, iFly, didn't really appeal to me. The second track by this group instantly caught my attention. The third track, Rich People Are Stupid kept up with the standards I held compared to their previous songs. A great tongue in cheek laugh at the wealthy and how to deal with working for them.
8. Amos Moses by Jerry Reed.
Although I am not familiar with any other music by Jerry Reed, this song has stuck in my head for years. The first time I heard it was on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. I enjoy this game to this day, partialy for the gameplay but also for the fantastic soundtrack. Amos Moses had me addicted to the in-game radio station K-Rose, in the hope I would hear this song.
7. Parlez Vous Francais? by Art vs. Science.
Art vs. Science is another wonderful product of Triple J's Unearthed initiative, and have produced many great songs. Although many songs (such as Magic Fountain) have reached the same levels as Parlez Vous Francais?, Parlez is the only song of theirs that I have actually learned the lyrics of.
6. Clockwork by Phrase.
Phrase has produced many fantastic tracks and is one of the greatest solo Australian Hip-Hop artists I have ever heard, but no other song of his has ever reached the legendary sound of Clockwork. I love this song and find myself often just singing a line or two from the chorus. The main reason this song didn't acheive higher in the list is the fact I still haven't learned all the lyrics yet.
5. Toorali by The Herd.
Although, as I have previously stated on this blog, I adore the music of The Herd, Toorali is the only song of theirs which I have actually learned the lyrics of. The actual song is a great twist on an Australian classic, with the song telling the story of a suspected terrorist being abducted by the government.
4. Fire by Kasabian
This song is one of the best made by Kasabian, which is saying quite a lot in comparison to songs like Shoot The Runner & Empire. This song just has the rythmic beat and creepy lyrics that just work amazingly well together.
3. Sad Rude Future Dude by Ball Park Music.
Sad Rude Future Dude is the second song by the previously mentioned Ball Park Music and has phenominal lyrics which express the emotions of a lonely frustrated man perfectly, acompanied by a cheery, jumpy beat which contrasts powerfully with the lyrics of the song.
2. The Complete History Of The USSR Through The Eyes Of A Humple Worker, Arranged To The Melody Of Tetris by Pig With The Face Of A Boy.
One hell of a title to accompany one hell of a song. Now, I wasn't familiar with the tune Korobeiniki (better known as the Tetris Song) before a friend sent me the link to this song. Since then, have watched this song at least a dozen times and memorized the lyrics in just one night. The song itself is witty, observant, clever, interesting and most of all set to a memorable beat. I know that for the rest of my life I will think of this song every time I hear the "Tetris Song".
1. Fifty In Five by The Hilltop Hoods
Imagine the raw emotion of Killing In The Name, the historical element of We Didn't Start The Fire's evil twin, the natural talent of the Hilltop Hoods and the sobering effects of reality, all set to rhyme. Meet Fifty In Five. Whatever I say here, I doubt it will be the last time this song is mentioned on this blog. Well, to start from the top, the Hilltop Hoods are a fantastic Hip-Hop group from Adelaide, Australia and are the people behind such songs as Nosebleed Section and Chase That Feeling. In 2009, the Hilltop Hoods released an album called State Of The Art. This album ended on a five minute recap of the past fifty years of world history (thus the name of the song). Sadly, this song has received not nearly enough attention. This song has references to almost every significant event in world history over the past 50 years. To give an idea of how this song carries on, the first few lines are:
Terror cleared the skyline,
And Anger clouded judgment,
So they spent 1000 nighttimes in the desert...
I recommend to all the people who don't read this blog, at best go out and find the album or at least go on you-tube and take 5 minutes out of your day to listen to this legendary song. One quick note is that the song does have a slightly Australian focus at certain points. (For example, if he line: Abbott and Costello, right wing overlords means nothing to you, than the song may make a little less sense, but I recommend it anyway.)
I think I will come back with another Top 10 list at some pont, but next post I may do another album review. Or not. I don't know.
Saturday, 12 November 2011
A Book Concluded
Well, I recently realised that despite mentioning "The Advertising of Evil", I never actually did post a follow up post. I don't think I would risk my mental stability by going back and borrowing it again, but I will talk about the impressions it left with me.
So, Mr Kupelian manages to disagree with and attempts to offend everyone in his book. He manages to accuse "radical feminists" of causing divorce to accusing other Christians of not being devout enough.
Overall, this book quite simply disturbs me on several levels. Firstly, how the hell did a book like this end up in an Australian library? Even in America, I can't image this book sold very well or had a large print run, so how the hell did it end up on the other side of the Pacific?
And the degree to which he dislikes so many different groups also disturbs me. Some authors have a clear dislike for people or groups of people, whether they attempt to subtly hint at it or approach it directly, it normally comes to the surface (If any of the people who don't read this blog haven't worked it out, I dislike crazy right-wing religious nutcases who seem to hate everything). But Kupelian takes it to a whole new level. Some writers may subtly hint at a certain group, race, religion, political ideology or other division of the human race which they don't like in their books and I can live with that. But when it is harder to work out who this guy likes than who he hates, I start to wonder about humanity.
All in all, I just wonder how the hell this book ended up in Australia at all, let alone Canberra, a city with less the 500,000 inhabitants. Was the book seriously popular in America? Did someone accidentally pick it up in America on holiday, get home to Canberra and donate the book? What happened?
Anyway, if you are in a mood for a good laugh followed by a mix of horror and nausea, I truly recommend this stinking pile of opinions.
So, Mr Kupelian manages to disagree with and attempts to offend everyone in his book. He manages to accuse "radical feminists" of causing divorce to accusing other Christians of not being devout enough.
Overall, this book quite simply disturbs me on several levels. Firstly, how the hell did a book like this end up in an Australian library? Even in America, I can't image this book sold very well or had a large print run, so how the hell did it end up on the other side of the Pacific?
And the degree to which he dislikes so many different groups also disturbs me. Some authors have a clear dislike for people or groups of people, whether they attempt to subtly hint at it or approach it directly, it normally comes to the surface (If any of the people who don't read this blog haven't worked it out, I dislike crazy right-wing religious nutcases who seem to hate everything). But Kupelian takes it to a whole new level. Some writers may subtly hint at a certain group, race, religion, political ideology or other division of the human race which they don't like in their books and I can live with that. But when it is harder to work out who this guy likes than who he hates, I start to wonder about humanity.
All in all, I just wonder how the hell this book ended up in Australia at all, let alone Canberra, a city with less the 500,000 inhabitants. Was the book seriously popular in America? Did someone accidentally pick it up in America on holiday, get home to Canberra and donate the book? What happened?
Anyway, if you are in a mood for a good laugh followed by a mix of horror and nausea, I truly recommend this stinking pile of opinions.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Wild Colonial
Well, it's been a while since I've had an urge to talk to myself, but I feel like doing so once again, this time in the form of another album review, this time it is Wild Colonial by Ozi Batla.
Firstly, the genre of this particular album is once again hip-hop. It actually ties in with my last review of an album, as Ozi Batla is actually a member of The Herd.Now, this time, I am going to go through the album track by track. This may backfire and leave me with nothing of substance in the review, but never mind.
1. Air Raid
I am honestly not sure if this is a nearly 4 minute long intro or a rather frantic, confused fully fledged track. Not really a good song by my definitions, it is a rather interesting track. The only thing I really have to say is that id does not set a good tone for the rest of the album. In my opinion, they should have shoved this tune somewhere in the middle.
2. Wild Colonial
Okay, so the title track of the album is not the best. By no means is it a bad song, but there are far better songs on the album. It samples some interesting tunes and has a decent beat, but if this was all I had heard from the album, I would not have even considered buying it.
3. Joyride
This song is also not among the best songs on the album, but I give it much better status than Wild Colonial, especially as it starts to touch on the strange mystery and serenity that I adore about Ozi Batla. Again, it samples some very interesting tracks, but it is a touch all over the place. Depending on what mood you're in, this can either be a good or bad thing. If I heard this song alone, I definitely would have looked a little more into who Ozi Batla is. A almost "slow" song from a hip-hop album.
4. Integrity
Although, this is not the best song of the album, it is among the best and is certainly the catchiest. The first time I heard the chorus, I could not get it out of my head for weeks. For ages I would just be walking down the street and suddenly:
"1,2,3
It's Ozi Batla, you know me"
would just pop into my head. The rest of the song is not bad but is easily forgettable, especially in comparison with the chorus. This also brings up one thing I don't really get with Ozi Batla songs. I don't know if its my fault for not really listening, but many of Ozi Batla's songs seem to be random lines thrown together, meaning nothing or very dull, pointless tales if there is a plot. I don't feel this detracts much from the songs themselves, especially as many groups in this genre do exactly the same thing, but one song on this album (which I'll get to) makes me feel like he could be doing much better tracks.
5. Have A Beer
I really like this interlude, which reflects on the great Australian pastime of drinking beers and just how strange someone who doesn't drink (like myself) seems to the majority of the population.
6. Mics, Peeps & Light
This track has some good rhyming, but is just as forgettable as several other songs on the album. Again, good samples and it fulfills the hip-hop cliché of having a song about starting out your career.
7. She's Gotta Have It
This song is what I had in mind when I claimed that many of the "plots" in Ozi Batla's songs are somewhat trivial. This is not to say that it's a bad song, but the cetral premise is Ozi Batla's relationships with several women who enjoy lots of..well, guess what "It" in the title of the track is. To his credit, I thought would just be about some demanding, shopaholic ex-girlfriend of Ozi Batla. Thank god I was wrong.
8. What A Place
A clever little interlude. Not much else to say.
9. Put It On Wax
The best known of Ozi Batla's solo tracks and one which explores the best aspects of his style. Perhaps the best use of samples I have ever heard and contains some great verses. Also, the premise of this song is the golden age of hip-hop, which is a fascinating set-up compared to several other Ozi Batla songs. The music video which accompanies this song is also very clever and as it is to date the only Ozi Batla music video (of one of his solo songs) I recommend to everyone not reading this blog to check it out.One of the best songs on the album.
10. 1000 Drummers
Another of the best tracks on the album. A fantastic song about love and loss, which is always a good way to inspire a good song. Using another array of great samples and great rapping, this song explores something I touched on in Joyride. It's hard to explain, but Ozi Batla seems to be able to create a kind of mysterious "aura" around some of his songs, especially when combined with the cover art (look it up, I'm not putting it here). This "aura" just makes it seem he is writing these songs in a dark, foggy, strange alternate dimension or something. I really can't explain it, but it demonstrates itself on another song (which I will get to). Another really good song.
11. Don't Wanna Wait
Another song which explores Ozi Batla's "aura". Decent use of sampling, but altogether a very forgettable track, although not bad. To demonstrate how forgettable this song is, before starting this review I completely forgot it was on here. In fact, it might just be an interlude. I honestly can't tell. That's sad.
12. Shoot The Breeze
Dear god. This song makes me sad. This is a techno mess. It has decent rapping and a half-decent chorus, but the music sounds like an alternate sound track to the faster levels of "Space Invaders" and not in a good way. This song takes Ozi Batla's "aura" and, while not getting rid of it, does not utilize it. This song really is so very far from Ozi Batla's best.
13. Doesn't Matter
This is another song which has a touch of Ozi Batla's "aura", but the verses are far from his best and I really don't have to question why they put this song second last. After saying this, I start to feel I'm too harsh on Wild Colonial. I honestly love this album and it is one of my all time favourites. It just doesn't seem to work when you analyze each song one at a time. Perhaps all together they create a better experience than all the songs individually. I just don't know. Anyway, this song isn't too bad but is again one of the most forgettable of his tracks.
14. Distant Shore
This song is incredible. Where Put It On Wax took what Ozi Batla does well and made it better, this track takes things I never thought Ozi Batla was very good at and perfects them. Beautiful samples, a great beat, well timed and perfectly paced rhyming and the lyrics...I can't get over how great the lyrics are. This song is where Ozi Batla's "aura" peaks. It makes me think that so many great things can be done with music that I never knew could be done. Magical. Just so magical. This song could kill someone who goes in unprepared. A brilliant way to conclude, almost making me forget about Shoot The Breeze. I just have to mention again the brilliant sampling done by this MC.
So, after listening again to this album, I feel that Ozi Batla deserves his place as my favourite solo MC, possibly just because of Distant Shore. I think this album was good, but could have been better if half the songs were replaced by Distant Shore again. I honestly think the Shoot The Breeze never needed to be created.
Also, one thing I must note is that this album continues a trend I have noticed where the best song is the last on an album. I don't mean as a hidden track, but just the last song. The best example of this is State Of The Art by the Hilltop Hoods, where the last song is Fifty In Five, to date one of my favourite songs. I wonder if this is to leave people with a good impression when the album concludes, or to reward people who have just listened to the entire album or as a way of ensuring these songs will only be appreciated by the hardcore fans. Whatever it is, I don't really mind, but it has made me curious. I'll have to review another album soon, and see if it does the same thing.
Firstly, the genre of this particular album is once again hip-hop. It actually ties in with my last review of an album, as Ozi Batla is actually a member of The Herd.Now, this time, I am going to go through the album track by track. This may backfire and leave me with nothing of substance in the review, but never mind.
1. Air Raid
I am honestly not sure if this is a nearly 4 minute long intro or a rather frantic, confused fully fledged track. Not really a good song by my definitions, it is a rather interesting track. The only thing I really have to say is that id does not set a good tone for the rest of the album. In my opinion, they should have shoved this tune somewhere in the middle.
2. Wild Colonial
Okay, so the title track of the album is not the best. By no means is it a bad song, but there are far better songs on the album. It samples some interesting tunes and has a decent beat, but if this was all I had heard from the album, I would not have even considered buying it.
3. Joyride
This song is also not among the best songs on the album, but I give it much better status than Wild Colonial, especially as it starts to touch on the strange mystery and serenity that I adore about Ozi Batla. Again, it samples some very interesting tracks, but it is a touch all over the place. Depending on what mood you're in, this can either be a good or bad thing. If I heard this song alone, I definitely would have looked a little more into who Ozi Batla is. A almost "slow" song from a hip-hop album.
4. Integrity
Although, this is not the best song of the album, it is among the best and is certainly the catchiest. The first time I heard the chorus, I could not get it out of my head for weeks. For ages I would just be walking down the street and suddenly:
"1,2,3
It's Ozi Batla, you know me"
would just pop into my head. The rest of the song is not bad but is easily forgettable, especially in comparison with the chorus. This also brings up one thing I don't really get with Ozi Batla songs. I don't know if its my fault for not really listening, but many of Ozi Batla's songs seem to be random lines thrown together, meaning nothing or very dull, pointless tales if there is a plot. I don't feel this detracts much from the songs themselves, especially as many groups in this genre do exactly the same thing, but one song on this album (which I'll get to) makes me feel like he could be doing much better tracks.
5. Have A Beer
I really like this interlude, which reflects on the great Australian pastime of drinking beers and just how strange someone who doesn't drink (like myself) seems to the majority of the population.
6. Mics, Peeps & Light
This track has some good rhyming, but is just as forgettable as several other songs on the album. Again, good samples and it fulfills the hip-hop cliché of having a song about starting out your career.
7. She's Gotta Have It
This song is what I had in mind when I claimed that many of the "plots" in Ozi Batla's songs are somewhat trivial. This is not to say that it's a bad song, but the cetral premise is Ozi Batla's relationships with several women who enjoy lots of..well, guess what "It" in the title of the track is. To his credit, I thought would just be about some demanding, shopaholic ex-girlfriend of Ozi Batla. Thank god I was wrong.
8. What A Place
A clever little interlude. Not much else to say.
9. Put It On Wax
The best known of Ozi Batla's solo tracks and one which explores the best aspects of his style. Perhaps the best use of samples I have ever heard and contains some great verses. Also, the premise of this song is the golden age of hip-hop, which is a fascinating set-up compared to several other Ozi Batla songs. The music video which accompanies this song is also very clever and as it is to date the only Ozi Batla music video (of one of his solo songs) I recommend to everyone not reading this blog to check it out.One of the best songs on the album.
10. 1000 Drummers
Another of the best tracks on the album. A fantastic song about love and loss, which is always a good way to inspire a good song. Using another array of great samples and great rapping, this song explores something I touched on in Joyride. It's hard to explain, but Ozi Batla seems to be able to create a kind of mysterious "aura" around some of his songs, especially when combined with the cover art (look it up, I'm not putting it here). This "aura" just makes it seem he is writing these songs in a dark, foggy, strange alternate dimension or something. I really can't explain it, but it demonstrates itself on another song (which I will get to). Another really good song.
11. Don't Wanna Wait
Another song which explores Ozi Batla's "aura". Decent use of sampling, but altogether a very forgettable track, although not bad. To demonstrate how forgettable this song is, before starting this review I completely forgot it was on here. In fact, it might just be an interlude. I honestly can't tell. That's sad.
12. Shoot The Breeze
Dear god. This song makes me sad. This is a techno mess. It has decent rapping and a half-decent chorus, but the music sounds like an alternate sound track to the faster levels of "Space Invaders" and not in a good way. This song takes Ozi Batla's "aura" and, while not getting rid of it, does not utilize it. This song really is so very far from Ozi Batla's best.
13. Doesn't Matter
This is another song which has a touch of Ozi Batla's "aura", but the verses are far from his best and I really don't have to question why they put this song second last. After saying this, I start to feel I'm too harsh on Wild Colonial. I honestly love this album and it is one of my all time favourites. It just doesn't seem to work when you analyze each song one at a time. Perhaps all together they create a better experience than all the songs individually. I just don't know. Anyway, this song isn't too bad but is again one of the most forgettable of his tracks.
14. Distant Shore
This song is incredible. Where Put It On Wax took what Ozi Batla does well and made it better, this track takes things I never thought Ozi Batla was very good at and perfects them. Beautiful samples, a great beat, well timed and perfectly paced rhyming and the lyrics...I can't get over how great the lyrics are. This song is where Ozi Batla's "aura" peaks. It makes me think that so many great things can be done with music that I never knew could be done. Magical. Just so magical. This song could kill someone who goes in unprepared. A brilliant way to conclude, almost making me forget about Shoot The Breeze. I just have to mention again the brilliant sampling done by this MC.
So, after listening again to this album, I feel that Ozi Batla deserves his place as my favourite solo MC, possibly just because of Distant Shore. I think this album was good, but could have been better if half the songs were replaced by Distant Shore again. I honestly think the Shoot The Breeze never needed to be created.
Also, one thing I must note is that this album continues a trend I have noticed where the best song is the last on an album. I don't mean as a hidden track, but just the last song. The best example of this is State Of The Art by the Hilltop Hoods, where the last song is Fifty In Five, to date one of my favourite songs. I wonder if this is to leave people with a good impression when the album concludes, or to reward people who have just listened to the entire album or as a way of ensuring these songs will only be appreciated by the hardcore fans. Whatever it is, I don't really mind, but it has made me curious. I'll have to review another album soon, and see if it does the same thing.
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