I'm sorry, internet, but I have to put this blog on hiatus.
I'll settle with "I have no money to buy albums" and "I'm too busy screwing around with freelancing to get more money to buy albums" as my excuses.
I might keep up the other blog I have, but I'm not sure yet. The "I did this this this and this" today is easier than listening to a whole album and thinking up other things to say other than it sucked or it rocked.
So I don't know, stick around. I'm sure this will be back eventually.
I just need an album to kick me in the ass and I'll be like "Holy hell, I have to post about this." :]
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
I Got Some 'Splainin To Do
I know, I know; I royally suck at posting. But financial aid work and general school crap has taken over my life. But good things will be happening, you'll see.
I have a tonnnn of album reviews to get to! I'm so excited!
- Lily Allen's It's Not Me, It's You
- The BPA's I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat
- Beyonce's I Am...Sasha Fierce (I cracked.)
And I'll start keeping up with news again one of these days.
Oh, and the Grammys. Thoughts? But of course.
-The Jonas Brothers should not legally be allowed within a mile of Stevie Wonder, nonetheless singing one of his songs and making him sing theirs. What. An. Insult.
-Adele won Best New Artist. There is a god.
-I loved the rap collaboration.
-M.I.A. was the best part of the Grammys in my opinion, if only for her ridiculous outfit and serious balls going out there and rocking out besides being, oh, you know, NINE MONTHS PREGNANT. You go girl.
I have a tonnnn of album reviews to get to! I'm so excited!
- Lily Allen's It's Not Me, It's You
- The BPA's I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat
- Beyonce's I Am...Sasha Fierce (I cracked.)
And I'll start keeping up with news again one of these days.
Oh, and the Grammys. Thoughts? But of course.
-The Jonas Brothers should not legally be allowed within a mile of Stevie Wonder, nonetheless singing one of his songs and making him sing theirs. What. An. Insult.
-Adele won Best New Artist. There is a god.
-I loved the rap collaboration.
-M.I.A. was the best part of the Grammys in my opinion, if only for her ridiculous outfit and serious balls going out there and rocking out besides being, oh, you know, NINE MONTHS PREGNANT. You go girl.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Music News Monday//2-02
Springsteen Rocks
STEP AWAY FROM THE GUACAMOLE DIP AND PUT THE CHICKEN FINGERS DOWWWWWWWWN.
"Now That's What I Call Music!" Heading To TV?
Fantastic. An entire show of the songs that have been overplayed to death that I never want to hear again. I'm so excited.
Fitty Says "You're so unimportant."
No, I don't really give a crap about another Fitty fight, but that diss was just too hilarious. Just say it in your head, and then say it to someone. They'll burst out laughing and not feel intimidated at all.
Jonas Brothers Have A Chance At Grammys!?
God, I hope not. Sorry boys. You don't get Grammys for being overplayed and loved by lots of naive little teenage girls.
STEP AWAY FROM THE GUACAMOLE DIP AND PUT THE CHICKEN FINGERS DOWWWWWWWWN.
"Now That's What I Call Music!" Heading To TV?
Fantastic. An entire show of the songs that have been overplayed to death that I never want to hear again. I'm so excited.
Fitty Says "You're so unimportant."
No, I don't really give a crap about another Fitty fight, but that diss was just too hilarious. Just say it in your head, and then say it to someone. They'll burst out laughing and not feel intimidated at all.
Jonas Brothers Have A Chance At Grammys!?
God, I hope not. Sorry boys. You don't get Grammys for being overplayed and loved by lots of naive little teenage girls.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Fave Friday: "Samson"
Because I can't really think of an album I'd like to claim as a fave this week, I'd like to showcase one of my favorite songs. In fact, it might be my favorite song in the history of any song.
"Samson" by Regina Spektor
There are no adjectives, no describing terms, no ways of writing to express the beauty of this song. Regina's voice is just so amazingly entrancing and beautiful that it's impossible to not at least feel something at this song. I'm nearly moved to tears no matter how many times I listen to it.
The piano is gorgeous, but it all pales in comparison to Regina's voice.
The song itself could easily pass as a poem, and these lyrics are probably my favorite lyrics in the history of everything. Absolutely. Especially the opening, "You are my sweetest downfall/I loved you first/I loved you first" that describes the sweet pain of love and the loss it comes with. And "beneath the stars/came falling on our heads/they're just old light/they're just old light" takes a shot at all things cliche about love. And that's just the good parts.
The story told is one that brings about dark nights and love and trust and life. I can't even describe it.
So, this is my favorite song, pretty much. Some songs come close, but there are very, very few that have reached this level of godliness.
"Samson" by Regina Spektor
There are no adjectives, no describing terms, no ways of writing to express the beauty of this song. Regina's voice is just so amazingly entrancing and beautiful that it's impossible to not at least feel something at this song. I'm nearly moved to tears no matter how many times I listen to it.
The piano is gorgeous, but it all pales in comparison to Regina's voice.
The song itself could easily pass as a poem, and these lyrics are probably my favorite lyrics in the history of everything. Absolutely. Especially the opening, "You are my sweetest downfall/I loved you first/I loved you first" that describes the sweet pain of love and the loss it comes with. And "beneath the stars/came falling on our heads/they're just old light/they're just old light" takes a shot at all things cliche about love. And that's just the good parts.
The story told is one that brings about dark nights and love and trust and life. I can't even describe it.
So, this is my favorite song, pretty much. Some songs come close, but there are very, very few that have reached this level of godliness.
Review//Franz Ferdinand, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
I'm on top of things today, you guys.
Franz Ferdinand//Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
I don’t know if it’s just my lack of patience relating to Franz Ferdinand CDs or something, but I didn’t get much out of this album. I really genuinely loved their first self-titled album, and the couple of B-sides that went along with it. (“All For You Sophia” and “Words So Leisured”, I believe.) However, I wasn’t so keen on their second album. A few good songs came off of it, and the album was certainly not bad, it was just…there. This album is somewhere in between. It’s not fantastic but it certainly isn’t bad. And it’s a little better than mediocre.
The theme of Tonight seems to be repetition and LA LA LA LA LA in like, every song. I don’t know what FF was on when they made this album, but they either need to quit or take some more. I can’t decide. Anyway, the album doesn’t really differ from the previous two albums the band has had. It’s classic Franz Ferdinand, which should be a genre in itself by now. You can just tell the songs, and these are no different. I’m kind of disappointed they didn’t go anywhere new, but relieved they didn’t fuck it up by going somewhere else. (I’m looking at you, Killers.)
All in all, Tonight is a good album. If you’re a fan, good for you; you get another album. If you’re not a fan, you’re not going to start now. There are a few standout songs, like “No You Girls” and “Katherine Kiss Me”, but mostly it’s the same old same old. Some of us like it that way, some of us don’t.
+++“Katherine Kiss Me”
This is by far the most beautiful song on the album...possibly on all of the albums. The lyrics are absolutely amazing, and the story is great. The story is intertwined with “Ulysses” and this is the softer, more real version. There are also references to a few of the other songs as well. The song is a classic ballad, but has some little sparks of life along the way, like random piano. You sometimes forget how great of a voice Alex Kapranos has, when it’s covered up with so much alternative rock crap backing all the time. This song is simply gorgeous, and I’d love an entire album of them going in this softer direction.
++“No You Girls”
It starts with a great beat and rocks it til the end. These are the subtly dirty lyrics I love Franz Ferdinand for, only with a different musical direction. It’s more upbeat than Franz normally cranks out, and a little more rock-y new backing for them. I love this song. The lyrics are great and tell a great story; they’re definitely quotable. Also, there’s a good message in here somewhere, I just can’t think of it right now.
+ “What She Came For”
Now this is a bit of a different song. Franz Ferdinand relies more on vocals than on rock backing on this song. I like the theme and I like the chorus. Okay, so I pretty much like everything. It reminds me of “40’” off of the first album. Why, I can’t tell you but, it does. It’s a really nice song.
+”Ulysses”
The song starts with a feel of Mika, but goes on to be full of techno rock and hyperness. Oh, the Franz Ferdinand we know and love. This is pretty much exactly what you would expect from the band, only with the addition of “LET’S GET HIIIIGH” to the song. I can’t pick a genre specifically, but I think “this is a Franz Ferdinand song” should be one.
+“Bite Hard”
It starts of soft and sweet, then goes into loud beating rock. Nice bait and switch, there. The beat just makes you want to rock your head, pretty much. The backing music is great. Again, this is a classic song you’d expect from Franz Ferdinand. Another good one on this album.
+“Dream Again”
I thought imitating The Beatles was Panic at the Disco’s thing. Apparently not. However, this song is really good. There are really great lyrics in here and the background music is simply super. This is a nice slow, gentle song with a little hit to it. It gets a little repetitive, but that seems to be the theme of this album. It kinda makes me feel like I’m sailing, which I can’t really explain. I think I might be high or Franz Ferdinand was when they wrote this. Regardless, good song.
+“Turn It On”
It’s got a nice beat to it and is a pretty good dance song. This could be played at a party and everyone would be on the floor instantly. There’s a weird electronic backing sometimes, but you wouldn’t even notice if you were drunk and table dancing to this song. It’s good, I’ll take it.
/“Can’t Stop Feeling”
The parts that aren’t the chorus have great lyrics. However, the rest of it get really repetitive, really fast. This isn’t an African god chant, you guys, it’s alternative music. The backing involves a weird synth sax that kinda freaks me out and makes me think that the Copacabana is angry today. Decent song.
/“Lucid Dreams”
Okay, first of all, this is an OVER SEVEN MINUTE SONG. I have serious contempt for songs that are over five minutes. Anyway, the song rocks a nice beat and good lyrics. They’re kinda pulling a soft Beatles thing here, with a little dash of Of Montreal for good measure. Pretty much, this song is like ten songs in one. It just switches back and forth. Not really a fan of that. And then it goes into random techno. Okay, because that totally fits here. We’ve gone from smooth Britain to a bad rave, super.
/“Live Alone”
Just a decent song, well done. There’s honestly nothing that stands out to me about this song, besides the pretty good synth backing. Sorry, song.
/“Send Him Away”
It’s a pretty decent song. However, it gets choppy at some points and doesn’t really flow right. The lyrics are pretty nice, and the music backing it is good. Nice guitar. However, like a lot of songs on this album, it gets repetitive very, very fast. It starts off as a really good song, and then changes mood halfway through to an entirely different one that isn’t as good. I’ll give it an A for effort and a neutral for trying.
-“Twilight Omens”
I think this was supposed to be a creepy song. There’s the prerequisite weird keyboard music that gives off a really eerie vibe. I don’t really get the lyrics, and it gets repetitive pretty fast. The beat is decent, but it’s definitely my least favorite song on the album, by far.
//Final Verdict//
If you like Franz Ferdinand, good for you, you'll like this. If you don't...this isn't for you. Just save yourself time and download "Katherine Kiss Me" and listen to "Ulysses" on the radio.
Buy, Borrow, or Burn: Borrow. Not worth dropping the money on it. If you're a fan, buy it. If not, don't even bother.
Franz Ferdinand//Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
I don’t know if it’s just my lack of patience relating to Franz Ferdinand CDs or something, but I didn’t get much out of this album. I really genuinely loved their first self-titled album, and the couple of B-sides that went along with it. (“All For You Sophia” and “Words So Leisured”, I believe.) However, I wasn’t so keen on their second album. A few good songs came off of it, and the album was certainly not bad, it was just…there. This album is somewhere in between. It’s not fantastic but it certainly isn’t bad. And it’s a little better than mediocre.
The theme of Tonight seems to be repetition and LA LA LA LA LA in like, every song. I don’t know what FF was on when they made this album, but they either need to quit or take some more. I can’t decide. Anyway, the album doesn’t really differ from the previous two albums the band has had. It’s classic Franz Ferdinand, which should be a genre in itself by now. You can just tell the songs, and these are no different. I’m kind of disappointed they didn’t go anywhere new, but relieved they didn’t fuck it up by going somewhere else. (I’m looking at you, Killers.)
All in all, Tonight is a good album. If you’re a fan, good for you; you get another album. If you’re not a fan, you’re not going to start now. There are a few standout songs, like “No You Girls” and “Katherine Kiss Me”, but mostly it’s the same old same old. Some of us like it that way, some of us don’t.
+++“Katherine Kiss Me”
This is by far the most beautiful song on the album...possibly on all of the albums. The lyrics are absolutely amazing, and the story is great. The story is intertwined with “Ulysses” and this is the softer, more real version. There are also references to a few of the other songs as well. The song is a classic ballad, but has some little sparks of life along the way, like random piano. You sometimes forget how great of a voice Alex Kapranos has, when it’s covered up with so much alternative rock crap backing all the time. This song is simply gorgeous, and I’d love an entire album of them going in this softer direction.
++“No You Girls”
It starts with a great beat and rocks it til the end. These are the subtly dirty lyrics I love Franz Ferdinand for, only with a different musical direction. It’s more upbeat than Franz normally cranks out, and a little more rock-y new backing for them. I love this song. The lyrics are great and tell a great story; they’re definitely quotable. Also, there’s a good message in here somewhere, I just can’t think of it right now.
+ “What She Came For”
Now this is a bit of a different song. Franz Ferdinand relies more on vocals than on rock backing on this song. I like the theme and I like the chorus. Okay, so I pretty much like everything. It reminds me of “40’” off of the first album. Why, I can’t tell you but, it does. It’s a really nice song.
+”Ulysses”
The song starts with a feel of Mika, but goes on to be full of techno rock and hyperness. Oh, the Franz Ferdinand we know and love. This is pretty much exactly what you would expect from the band, only with the addition of “LET’S GET HIIIIGH” to the song. I can’t pick a genre specifically, but I think “this is a Franz Ferdinand song” should be one.
+“Bite Hard”
It starts of soft and sweet, then goes into loud beating rock. Nice bait and switch, there. The beat just makes you want to rock your head, pretty much. The backing music is great. Again, this is a classic song you’d expect from Franz Ferdinand. Another good one on this album.
+“Dream Again”
I thought imitating The Beatles was Panic at the Disco’s thing. Apparently not. However, this song is really good. There are really great lyrics in here and the background music is simply super. This is a nice slow, gentle song with a little hit to it. It gets a little repetitive, but that seems to be the theme of this album. It kinda makes me feel like I’m sailing, which I can’t really explain. I think I might be high or Franz Ferdinand was when they wrote this. Regardless, good song.
+“Turn It On”
It’s got a nice beat to it and is a pretty good dance song. This could be played at a party and everyone would be on the floor instantly. There’s a weird electronic backing sometimes, but you wouldn’t even notice if you were drunk and table dancing to this song. It’s good, I’ll take it.
/“Can’t Stop Feeling”
The parts that aren’t the chorus have great lyrics. However, the rest of it get really repetitive, really fast. This isn’t an African god chant, you guys, it’s alternative music. The backing involves a weird synth sax that kinda freaks me out and makes me think that the Copacabana is angry today. Decent song.
/“Lucid Dreams”
Okay, first of all, this is an OVER SEVEN MINUTE SONG. I have serious contempt for songs that are over five minutes. Anyway, the song rocks a nice beat and good lyrics. They’re kinda pulling a soft Beatles thing here, with a little dash of Of Montreal for good measure. Pretty much, this song is like ten songs in one. It just switches back and forth. Not really a fan of that. And then it goes into random techno. Okay, because that totally fits here. We’ve gone from smooth Britain to a bad rave, super.
/“Live Alone”
Just a decent song, well done. There’s honestly nothing that stands out to me about this song, besides the pretty good synth backing. Sorry, song.
/“Send Him Away”
It’s a pretty decent song. However, it gets choppy at some points and doesn’t really flow right. The lyrics are pretty nice, and the music backing it is good. Nice guitar. However, like a lot of songs on this album, it gets repetitive very, very fast. It starts off as a really good song, and then changes mood halfway through to an entirely different one that isn’t as good. I’ll give it an A for effort and a neutral for trying.
-“Twilight Omens”
I think this was supposed to be a creepy song. There’s the prerequisite weird keyboard music that gives off a really eerie vibe. I don’t really get the lyrics, and it gets repetitive pretty fast. The beat is decent, but it’s definitely my least favorite song on the album, by far.
//Final Verdict//
If you like Franz Ferdinand, good for you, you'll like this. If you don't...this isn't for you. Just save yourself time and download "Katherine Kiss Me" and listen to "Ulysses" on the radio.
Buy, Borrow, or Burn: Borrow. Not worth dropping the money on it. If you're a fan, buy it. If not, don't even bother.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Why There's Not An Album Review Here
I really tried to write an album review this week. I really, really did.
The problem was a.) that nothing good (that I knew about) came out last week and b.) I decided to tackle the most overhyped album of the century.
I just couldn't, internet. I tried to listen to it and it just would not happen.
This album right here...it just doesn't translate to me, I think.
[however, they do have the best album cover ever. no question.]
Maybe it's my mainstream-loving heart that just didn't get Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion. Maybe I'm just not indie enough. Maybe I just didn't have enough pot to actually get the album. My disclaimer here is that it isn't a bad album, it's just definitely not to my tastes. I don't claim to understand all music or know what's good or not all the time. I know my mainstream and I know what sucks and what doesn't. This, I don't.
Most of the things that Animal Collective does on Merriweather Post Pavillion are pretty nuts. Lots of techno, lots of chanting going on. But the songs just kind of drag a bit, for my taste. The only song I was able to get through all the way was "My Girls." I guess I just don't have the attention span for this indie stuff.
Long story short, this album is probably amazing if you're high.
Or if you like crazy indie stuff.
But I'm definitely sure this isn't the greatest album ever created. It is beautiful at some points, but it isn't worth the hype to most of the mainstream crowd.
In other news, I'll be taking on something I can actually handle this week, Tonight-Franz Ferdinand by, obviously, Franz Ferdinand.
The problem was a.) that nothing good (that I knew about) came out last week and b.) I decided to tackle the most overhyped album of the century.
I just couldn't, internet. I tried to listen to it and it just would not happen.
This album right here...it just doesn't translate to me, I think.
[however, they do have the best album cover ever. no question.]
Maybe it's my mainstream-loving heart that just didn't get Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion. Maybe I'm just not indie enough. Maybe I just didn't have enough pot to actually get the album. My disclaimer here is that it isn't a bad album, it's just definitely not to my tastes. I don't claim to understand all music or know what's good or not all the time. I know my mainstream and I know what sucks and what doesn't. This, I don't.
Most of the things that Animal Collective does on Merriweather Post Pavillion are pretty nuts. Lots of techno, lots of chanting going on. But the songs just kind of drag a bit, for my taste. The only song I was able to get through all the way was "My Girls." I guess I just don't have the attention span for this indie stuff.
Long story short, this album is probably amazing if you're high.
Or if you like crazy indie stuff.
But I'm definitely sure this isn't the greatest album ever created. It is beautiful at some points, but it isn't worth the hype to most of the mainstream crowd.
In other news, I'll be taking on something I can actually handle this week, Tonight-Franz Ferdinand by, obviously, Franz Ferdinand.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
(vlate) Artist Tuesday: Lily Allen
Here goes it. I swear, I'm working on stuff to post. Really. But I'm feeling damn fierce this week, so I picked a fierce woman.
Lily Allen
Wikipedia tells you:
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is a British singer-songwriter. Best known for her songs "Smile" and "LDN" and their Mockney style, Allen is the daughter of actor/musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Allen also hosts her own BBC Three talk show Lily Allen and Friends...
I tell you:
This is the woman I pretend to be when I'm having a bad day. This is the woman I pretend to be when I want to be confident and say "Well, screw you." to the world. Lily Allen is beyond amazing and she has the sass, balls, and sarcasm to take on the music industry.
I love all of Lily's songs. No, really, all of them. Many of them have a sassy quality to them that just makes them amazing. There are some retro background influences that make them really old-timey. More often than not, the songs are a good ol' harsh "gtfo" to someone who annoyed her. Lily is not afraid to go where other people are and writes about things your run of the mill music artist wouldn't dare to because they'd offend somebody. Lily just doesn't care.
The woman is not ashamed to admit her shortcomings with weight (she looks fine), beauty (I think you're gorg, honey), and love. Hell, if you can't write songs about yourself, you can't make fun of anything. Lily has a reputation for badmouthing other artists, getting way too drunk and far too unclothed, and needing a foot in her mouth. But I love her for it and the rest of us do to. Oh, and her fashion sense can't be matched. Ever.
What I am BEYOND excited about is the release of her new album, It's Not Me, It's You, on February 10th. There are promotional songs all around and I'm just jumping up and down in excitement. So much so that I can't even type because of it. I'll let the promo speak for itself at the end here.
Her insanely popular Alright, Still is more than "Smile" as well, people. Even though "Smile" is one of the best written popular songs of the decade, it's still overly popular. The album is full of fun yet snarky songs about everything from nightclubs to her grandmother. I'm not joking. It's probably one of the best albums to listen to if you need inspiration to tell someone to fuck off. Go Lily.
Oh, I have lots of links this time.
"LDN"
One of my favorite songs and one of my favorite videos of all time.
Lily's Cover of Britney Spears' Womanizer
There's no words for how awesome this is.
Preview of It's Not Me, It's You
This album is going to be phenomenal.
Lily Allen
Wikipedia tells you:
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is a British singer-songwriter. Best known for her songs "Smile" and "LDN" and their Mockney style, Allen is the daughter of actor/musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Allen also hosts her own BBC Three talk show Lily Allen and Friends...
I tell you:
This is the woman I pretend to be when I'm having a bad day. This is the woman I pretend to be when I want to be confident and say "Well, screw you." to the world. Lily Allen is beyond amazing and she has the sass, balls, and sarcasm to take on the music industry.
I love all of Lily's songs. No, really, all of them. Many of them have a sassy quality to them that just makes them amazing. There are some retro background influences that make them really old-timey. More often than not, the songs are a good ol' harsh "gtfo" to someone who annoyed her. Lily is not afraid to go where other people are and writes about things your run of the mill music artist wouldn't dare to because they'd offend somebody. Lily just doesn't care.
The woman is not ashamed to admit her shortcomings with weight (she looks fine), beauty (I think you're gorg, honey), and love. Hell, if you can't write songs about yourself, you can't make fun of anything. Lily has a reputation for badmouthing other artists, getting way too drunk and far too unclothed, and needing a foot in her mouth. But I love her for it and the rest of us do to. Oh, and her fashion sense can't be matched. Ever.
What I am BEYOND excited about is the release of her new album, It's Not Me, It's You, on February 10th. There are promotional songs all around and I'm just jumping up and down in excitement. So much so that I can't even type because of it. I'll let the promo speak for itself at the end here.
Her insanely popular Alright, Still is more than "Smile" as well, people. Even though "Smile" is one of the best written popular songs of the decade, it's still overly popular. The album is full of fun yet snarky songs about everything from nightclubs to her grandmother. I'm not joking. It's probably one of the best albums to listen to if you need inspiration to tell someone to fuck off. Go Lily.
Oh, I have lots of links this time.
"LDN"
One of my favorite songs and one of my favorite videos of all time.
Lily's Cover of Britney Spears' Womanizer
There's no words for how awesome this is.
Preview of It's Not Me, It's You
This album is going to be phenomenal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
