While driving home from Joe and Cathy Zanetti's wedding this past weekend (yay!), I had the great pleasure of taking in some songs that save a little something special for the ending. (I also heard a bunch of songs that are awesome and completely out of character for their respective bands - but that will be the topic of a subsequent post...)
Matchbox Twenty - You Won't Be Mine [Mad Season]: First off, this song would make both lists. Absolute power house song from a band known best for Rob Thomas, 3 AM, and Real World. The song is dark, reflective, and Thomas is backed by a bad-ass orchestra. What really sells the song is the full 2-minute orchestral redux buried long after the piano has faded and Thomas has stopped singing. If you have no idea what I'm talking about... go find a copy of the original CD and listen to the final track until your CD player runs out of disc to read. It's there...
Jimmy Eat World - My Sundown [Jimmy Eat World]: Really great song writers produce a variety of song styles. It shows breadth as well as depth and allows the song writer (and the band) to show off their talent, expand their audience, keep interest throughout an album, and express a range of emotions. Immediately I think of John Stephens (Neve/Stars Align), Stephen Jenkins (Third Eye Blind), Yellowcard, Chris Cornell (formerly of Audioslave)... all phenomenal bands and song writers. Jimmy Eat World is no exception to this list: "Hear You Me" vs. "Bleed American." "My Sundown" is particularly beautiful - with a captivating female harmony throughout the song. The real gem though is the last 60 seconds... "Good, goodbye... good, goodnight..."
Third Eye Blind - The Background [Third Eye Blind]: A) If you don't own this album, go out and purchase it. 2) If you can't sing every word in this song, I would say you have some serious listening to do... D) If you frequently skip the last 30 seconds of this song because they're quiet... YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG! The correct response is to turn up the volume and imagine what that guitar lick could have become. They're still recording... so I'm still holding out hope. :-)
Spacehog - In The Meantime [Resident Alien]: As the distorted guitar fades away in this song (arguably the best song Spacehog ever did), a minimal yet beautiful piano line emerges from the mix. What may really blow your hair back is the UPenn Off the Beat arrangement of this track, where they SING this last part! I couldn't believe they included it... but it's sooo good.
Yellowcard - Holly Wood Died [Lights And Sounds]: I love that this is the last track on Lights And Sounds. I love it as much as the first track, which between the two bookend the album (more than just physically). And if you don't know this song, make sure you turn up the stereo around 3:20... you'll know.
A Perfect Circle - Passive [eMotive]: So, I just recently learned that Trent Reznor had his hand in this, which doesn't particularly surprise me (except perhaps, pleasantly). Maynard puts out another thought-provoking, ear-inclining track, ending in a surprising repetition: "Passive-aggressive bull-shit..." (I just realized that there will be three songs in this list arranged by UPenn OTB. Very strange.)
Hit The Lights - 309 [This Is A Stick Up...Don't Make It A Murder]: This track can share the spotlight with Blink 182 - Feeling This [Blink-182], because they both have similarly sweet a cappella endings! And other than that... they're not especially musically redeeming. So there.
Bell X1 - Eve, The Apple Of My Eye [Eve, The Apple Of My Eye]: Honestly, I found this track on the OC Mix CDs. (Which, by the way, if you haven't heard them, have some pretty decent stuff; especially the aptly-named "Covering Our Tracks.") But I digress! This song is laid back, easy on the ears, and pleasing to listen to... And then... at 0:35... Bell X1 paraphrases the end of the Adam and Eve story from Genesis, ending with "...but Eve is the Apple of my eye." I seriously doubt I will ever get tired of this ending.
Coldplay - Violet Hill [Viva la Vida...]: Not going to lie - not a huge fan of this song. It's too The Clash for me until the last 41 seconds or so... "I took my love down to Violet Hill, there we sat in snow. All that time she was silent still, so if you love me, won't you let me know? If you love me, won't you let me know?" For all those music theory fans out there: Don't you love the deceptive cadence on the first "let me know!?!?" That repeated final line pretty much sold me on the song. True story.
UPenn Off the Beat - Time Is Running Out (Muse) [Float]: I wanted to go out on a high note (no pun intended). UPenn's recording of "Time Is Running Out" is very good - but it's largely unremarkable. Observant observers will notice that their recording is nearly 1:40 longer than the original. (I will tell you now that they don't sing it at 2/3 speed.) Rather, around 5:00, the group starts screwing around in the studio - something we've all done from time to time. To their credit, they're pretty funny, share the mic well, support each other, and end proudly with "We should sing dude." I couldn't agree more.
Honorable Mention: Panic! At The Disco - Build God, Then We'll Talk [A Fever You Can't Sweat Out]: I would be remiss if this song didn't make the list - though I'm not sure the latter 1:30+ counts as the "ending" of this song. Way to work a children's song (from the Sound of Music, which I cannot usually stand) and a badass string redux of the same into a pop album. Major props.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
New Music - 10/4
Driving home from Bucknell last weekend, I decided to listen to a playlist populated with 4-star songs - something I highly recommend on longer rides. You get to remember all the songs you love, but haven't heard in a while. It's great! So, on that note, my list for the week:
1. Black Eyed Peas - "I Gotta Feeling" [The E.N.D.]: Ok. I know this has been out for a while, and that people are probably getting tired of this song. I heard it a couple days ago and decided that I needed to download it, mostly because I'm considering doing a remake of it with piano and strings (without all the digitization). I'm thinking The Fray covers Black Eyed Peas. Either that or I'm going to find the vocal track and mix it against The Jealous Sound - "Quiet Life" off The Jealous Sound EP. Thoughts?
2. Paramore - That's What You Get [Riot!]: To be honest, I'm not even all that thrilled with this song. The chorus lacks the energy that it should have given the opening guitar chords. It could be the production, though I'm leaning more towards saying it's the producer's fault. All that notwithstanding, Beyond Unison did such a kick-ass job at this song at Christy's, I can't get enough of it! (I can't wait for the Reunion Concert!) Oh, and the shouting in this song is so anti-climactic that it's sad. I wish Paramore could hear BU do this live - I think they would be embarrassed. On a side note, prior to this week, I boycotted this album since it was released on the grounds that it couldn't hold a candle to All We Know Is Falling. I find it amusing that the same week I finally download a track from Riot!, Paramore headlines the iTunes Store with an LP release of their new album "Brand New Eyes" - which I have yet to have an opinion on... though I'm not especially hopeful so far. Paramore: prove me wrong. :-)
3. Long Since Forgotten - "The Getaway" [Standing Room Only]: I can never remember the name of this song, mostly because I have two albums from Long Since Forgotten, and all the songs sound vaguely similar. "The Getaway" - however - has a bad-ass chorus worth a listen or four. Nice build throughout the song, phenomenal closing, and a beautiful bridge starting just after 2:00:
"Give your thoughts to someone else
As you make-believe you have nothing left
You have nothing, nothing left
You have nothing, nothing left..."
The bridge slams right into the final chorus, providing the song with that little extra boost of energy that it needs to close strong and memorable. Unfortunately, the guitarist solos for the last 40 seconds... but no one's perfect. ;-)
4. Less Than Jake - "Look What Happened" [Anthem]: I don't think I've hit the Ska-genre before now, but this song just rocks too hard not to mention. Another three-word-catchphrase artist, "Look What Happened" starts plain and simple, doesn't bother with a bridge to speak of, and ends with outrageous harmony (in thirds) on the final chorus. Unlike #3, Less Than Jake knows how to close out a song, letting the final chord fade into the dark.
5. Meg & Dia - "Indiana" [Something Real]: This song rocks harder than most of the tracks on "Something Real" - very Paramore (except for the singing). Love love love the guitar into and the style changes between the verses and choruses. Very cool.
6. Breaking Benjamin - "Dear Agony" [Dear Agony]: Well, this is certainly a title track. Nicely done there. Breaking Benjamin has been steadily maturing, putting out one great album after another (I'm specifically thinking of "We Are Not Alone (2004)," "Phobia (2006)," and "Dear Agony (2009).") I'm seriously considering purchasing the rest of this album - but I have to check it out in greater depth before I make that decision. Good stuff though.
7. Janove Ottesen - "Black and White Movie" [Francis' Lonely Nights]: I always associate this album with "Frances the Mute" by The Mars Volta. UPenn Off The Beat arranged "The Widow" off that album, which I heard live in concert many years ago. That was a kick-ass show. (As a side note, they had a female soloist, and she sang it with a sultry/seductive twist which really worked for her / them / the song. It was nothing shy of ridiculously sweet.) But I digress... Ottensen's song is unusual, upbeat, full of horn, piano, and rhodes piano-style synths, and starts with drums reminiscent of Shawn Mullins - "Lullaby" - which is not as damning as it might sound. It's the kind of song I would want playing in my apartment while cooking dinner; the TV on, but the sound off. And I have no idea what this song is about.
8. Coheed & Cambria - "The Suffering" [Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness]: Powerhouse song. True story: Kerry and I arranged this for Beyond Unison way back when. It never got performed, but it would be so good! With the drummin' and the high repeated soprano notes and the shouting and the harmony... oh man. A loss, to be sure. :-( All right, that bit of history aside, the chorus in this song is completely out of control, totally worth the 1:55 wait, and should be played at full blast in one's car, preferably with the windows down and the car full of Coheed fans, but I understand that it's getting cold and you might have trouble finding 4 other fans (or hesitant to lend your car to 5 fans if you're worthless). If that can't be arranged, play it at your place while you clean: you will feel empowered, you will look better in formalwear, and your friends/spouse/significant-other/dog/cat/goldfish/iPhone/Facebook-friends/Twitter-followers will find you more attractive. (Note: this claim may not hold up to the rigors of scientific testing - or any other kind of scrutiny.)
9. Matt & Kim - "Daylight" [Grand]: I bet you know this song: it's the background on that time-travelling Bacardi commercial. It was recently pointed out to me that this song has the strangest (untrue - but it's still weird) music video. His girlfriend (bed buddy/whatever) is really into the drumming! Regardless, this song still puts a smile on my face whenever it comes on. Maybe it's the memory of the mojitos I had at Awful Al's Wine & Whiskey Bar the last time I was there; maybe it's the commercial; or maybe it's just the flood of neurochemicals that occurs when the song comes on, but I like it, and it's good.
10. Four To Three - "So You Cry" [four 2 three]: Debuted in 2007, I managed to get a free copy of the 2:27 song "So You Cry," which turned out to be this powerhouse single that just tears through the little time it occupies on your playlist. If you don't count the ambient / environmental ending, the song plows from start to finish in less than 2 minutes. Sure it's short and sweet, but I can't think of a song with more development / second of playtime. An absolute must.
In a related note, I'm still rocking to the new 311 album as well as the new Dream Theater single. If you are still negligent in checking out these tracks, you probably need to reevaluate your priorities in life. No really: I'm not kidding.
Rock hard children. AND PLEASE SEND ME SUGGESTIONS / COMMENTS / OPINIONS SO I KNOW WHAT I NEED TO BE LISTENING TO! Always add fuel to the fire...
1. Black Eyed Peas - "I Gotta Feeling" [The E.N.D.]: Ok. I know this has been out for a while, and that people are probably getting tired of this song. I heard it a couple days ago and decided that I needed to download it, mostly because I'm considering doing a remake of it with piano and strings (without all the digitization). I'm thinking The Fray covers Black Eyed Peas. Either that or I'm going to find the vocal track and mix it against The Jealous Sound - "Quiet Life" off The Jealous Sound EP. Thoughts?
2. Paramore - That's What You Get [Riot!]: To be honest, I'm not even all that thrilled with this song. The chorus lacks the energy that it should have given the opening guitar chords. It could be the production, though I'm leaning more towards saying it's the producer's fault. All that notwithstanding, Beyond Unison did such a kick-ass job at this song at Christy's, I can't get enough of it! (I can't wait for the Reunion Concert!) Oh, and the shouting in this song is so anti-climactic that it's sad. I wish Paramore could hear BU do this live - I think they would be embarrassed. On a side note, prior to this week, I boycotted this album since it was released on the grounds that it couldn't hold a candle to All We Know Is Falling. I find it amusing that the same week I finally download a track from Riot!, Paramore headlines the iTunes Store with an LP release of their new album "Brand New Eyes" - which I have yet to have an opinion on... though I'm not especially hopeful so far. Paramore: prove me wrong. :-)
3. Long Since Forgotten - "The Getaway" [Standing Room Only]: I can never remember the name of this song, mostly because I have two albums from Long Since Forgotten, and all the songs sound vaguely similar. "The Getaway" - however - has a bad-ass chorus worth a listen or four. Nice build throughout the song, phenomenal closing, and a beautiful bridge starting just after 2:00:
"Give your thoughts to someone else
As you make-believe you have nothing left
You have nothing, nothing left
You have nothing, nothing left..."
The bridge slams right into the final chorus, providing the song with that little extra boost of energy that it needs to close strong and memorable. Unfortunately, the guitarist solos for the last 40 seconds... but no one's perfect. ;-)
4. Less Than Jake - "Look What Happened" [Anthem]: I don't think I've hit the Ska-genre before now, but this song just rocks too hard not to mention. Another three-word-catchphrase artist, "Look What Happened" starts plain and simple, doesn't bother with a bridge to speak of, and ends with outrageous harmony (in thirds) on the final chorus. Unlike #3, Less Than Jake knows how to close out a song, letting the final chord fade into the dark.
5. Meg & Dia - "Indiana" [Something Real]: This song rocks harder than most of the tracks on "Something Real" - very Paramore (except for the singing). Love love love the guitar into and the style changes between the verses and choruses. Very cool.
6. Breaking Benjamin - "Dear Agony" [Dear Agony]: Well, this is certainly a title track. Nicely done there. Breaking Benjamin has been steadily maturing, putting out one great album after another (I'm specifically thinking of "We Are Not Alone (2004)," "Phobia (2006)," and "Dear Agony (2009).") I'm seriously considering purchasing the rest of this album - but I have to check it out in greater depth before I make that decision. Good stuff though.
7. Janove Ottesen - "Black and White Movie" [Francis' Lonely Nights]: I always associate this album with "Frances the Mute" by The Mars Volta. UPenn Off The Beat arranged "The Widow" off that album, which I heard live in concert many years ago. That was a kick-ass show. (As a side note, they had a female soloist, and she sang it with a sultry/seductive twist which really worked for her / them / the song. It was nothing shy of ridiculously sweet.) But I digress... Ottensen's song is unusual, upbeat, full of horn, piano, and rhodes piano-style synths, and starts with drums reminiscent of Shawn Mullins - "Lullaby" - which is not as damning as it might sound. It's the kind of song I would want playing in my apartment while cooking dinner; the TV on, but the sound off. And I have no idea what this song is about.
8. Coheed & Cambria - "The Suffering" [Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness]: Powerhouse song. True story: Kerry and I arranged this for Beyond Unison way back when. It never got performed, but it would be so good! With the drummin' and the high repeated soprano notes and the shouting and the harmony... oh man. A loss, to be sure. :-( All right, that bit of history aside, the chorus in this song is completely out of control, totally worth the 1:55 wait, and should be played at full blast in one's car, preferably with the windows down and the car full of Coheed fans, but I understand that it's getting cold and you might have trouble finding 4 other fans (or hesitant to lend your car to 5 fans if you're worthless). If that can't be arranged, play it at your place while you clean: you will feel empowered, you will look better in formalwear, and your friends/spouse/significant-other/dog/cat/goldfish/iPhone/Facebook-friends/Twitter-followers will find you more attractive. (Note: this claim may not hold up to the rigors of scientific testing - or any other kind of scrutiny.)
9. Matt & Kim - "Daylight" [Grand]: I bet you know this song: it's the background on that time-travelling Bacardi commercial. It was recently pointed out to me that this song has the strangest (untrue - but it's still weird) music video. His girlfriend (bed buddy/whatever) is really into the drumming! Regardless, this song still puts a smile on my face whenever it comes on. Maybe it's the memory of the mojitos I had at Awful Al's Wine & Whiskey Bar the last time I was there; maybe it's the commercial; or maybe it's just the flood of neurochemicals that occurs when the song comes on, but I like it, and it's good.
10. Four To Three - "So You Cry" [four 2 three]: Debuted in 2007, I managed to get a free copy of the 2:27 song "So You Cry," which turned out to be this powerhouse single that just tears through the little time it occupies on your playlist. If you don't count the ambient / environmental ending, the song plows from start to finish in less than 2 minutes. Sure it's short and sweet, but I can't think of a song with more development / second of playtime. An absolute must.
In a related note, I'm still rocking to the new 311 album as well as the new Dream Theater single. If you are still negligent in checking out these tracks, you probably need to reevaluate your priorities in life. No really: I'm not kidding.
Rock hard children. AND PLEASE SEND ME SUGGESTIONS / COMMENTS / OPINIONS SO I KNOW WHAT I NEED TO BE LISTENING TO! Always add fuel to the fire...
::Horns::
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
