Ann 2
Alain
JennYApril's Finest Music
May 1st 2010 21:53
Hello folks, first of all I'd like to apologize for our lack of reviews this month. We both have been pretty busy with school and other stuff. We got some reviews on the backburner so we'll get them posted as soon as we can. Now, the monthly playlists still go on. We didn't post anything for Easter since we were out of town but I think you will get plenty of satisfaction with this month's list. It has numerous classics as well as great indie bands and underground rappers. In my opinion, this is our first truly “balanced” playlist in terms of worldwide hits and indie stuff. I hope you'll enjoy it.
This month's playlist begins with a relatively recent indie band, Shearwater, which was formed by Okkervil River members Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff. “The Ice Covered Everything” is the seventh track of their sophomore album, Everybody Makes Mistakes. The song's structure is pretty simple: just three verses with the final line of the first and third verse - “you know” and “you knew” - acting as a chorus. It's basically a sung poem. The instrumental reflect its simplicity with only an acoustic guitar and orchestral strings as accompaniments.
“Cold Desert” is the final track of King of Leon's Only By The Night. Led by a continuous bassline, the song rips at your heart as Caleb's voice reeks of pain. Like “The Ice Covered Everything,” “Cold Desert” has no chorus but follows a AABB rhyme pattern reminiscent of a poem.
You might not know the band, but I bet that many of you are familiar with the song “Eyes” which was featured in the movie Just Friends and made an appearance the TV shows 90210 and Heroes. Like Shearwater, Rogue Wave is a relatively recent band but their music have been heavily featured in movies and TV whether it's TV shows or commercials. It's only a matter of time before they blow up as several bands did before them.
A Southern classic, “Ramblin' Man” by the Allman Brothers Band is a masterful song. From the catchy chorus to Dickey Betts' superb solos as lead guitar, the track is all-around solid. I was happy to find a live performance video of the song since they rarely play it in live shows. For videogames lovers, the song is also playable in Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour.
In my review of The Fray's sophomore effort, I often criticized Isaac Slade's poor vocals. I still stand by my opinion but after listening to the album several times since then, I have to admit that his voice works in the grand scheme of things. “Enough For Now” was one of my least favorite songs of the album (mostly due to Slade's vocals) but it has turned into quite a guilty pleasure. Of course, I still think that The Fray are nothing more than a cheap copy of Lifehouse but I'll let you enjoy this one.
“Carolina Rain” is a great alt-country song and makes a perfect introduction to the genre for country haters. Ryan Adams' drawling voice and the slide guitar give the song a nice “Southern” feel while still being accessible to average rock fans.
The opening track and lead single of Metallica's self-titled album, “Enter Sandman” is probably the most recognized song of the band's catalog. While many hardcore Metallica fans spurn the song for being too commercial and simple, I personally feel that “Enter Sandman” is the doorway to metal. If you want to convert a rock fan to metal, “Enter Sandman” - and “Nothing Else Matters” to a certain extent – provides the smoothest transition between the genres.
Players of the first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater videogame probably recognize this funky song from the game's soundtrack. A perfect mix of intriguing vocals, a sick bassline and a weird but effective guitar solo, “Jerry Was A Race Driver” was arguably Primus' biggest hit, peaking at number 23 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1991.
In the year 2000, the song “Freestyler” by Bomfunk MC's was all the rage in Europe, peaking at number 1 in several countries. It was largely ignored in North America – its only notable appearance being in the Matt Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 videogame. I definitely recommend to check it out.
“Enjoy The Silence” is one of Depeche Mode's most popular songs, charting in the Top 10 in both the UK and US. Mike Shinoda's reinterpretation of the song brings the Linkin Park sound in the mix to great success. This version of the song was stuck on “repeat” in my MP3 player for quite a while. A great, energetic track, perfect to start the day.
Giants of the underground, OuterSpace and Celph Titled, unite on this song to add another great track to their respective catalogs. There is no question that all three rappers have skills but it's the smooth instrumental that allowed the track to be in this month's playlist.
“How The Leopard Got Its Spots” is the opening track of Portugal. The Man's debut album, Waiter: “You Vultures.” It's a great upbeat song with excellent vocals, a sharp bass on the chorus, and a stellar instrumental overall.
“Brothers On A Hotel Bed” marks the second appearance of Death Cab For Cutie on our playlists and it is a masterpiece. The melancholic tone of piano plays well with the song's lyrics – a tale of a couple growing distant as time goes by to the point of sleeping like “brothers on a hotel bed.” A superb song.
A hip hop classic, “Shook Ones Pt. II” marks the second appearance of Mobb Deep on our lists. The laid-back instrumental is the perfect counterpart to the lyrics dealing with making money and surviving the violence in the streets. Every hip hop head knows or should know this song. It's been in movies and videogames.
The second album of the year 2009 in my opinion (it was narrowly beat by Get Busy Committee's Uzi Does It), Apathy's Wanna Snuggle? finally features on our playlist with the song “Thinkin'.” Using a sample from what seems like 50's music, Ap makes a great track about women's suspicious nature. The *boom-boom* of the drum serves as great support to Apathy's delivery and the voice samples are subtle enough to bring a nice touch to the track.
“Come Back Down” is the opening track of Lifehouse's self-titled third album. As most Lifehouse songs from that album and on, “Come Back Down” is slower in pace than the tracks from previous albums. I mentioned Lifehouse earlier when talking about The Fray and listening to both bands, you can clearly see that there's no contest. Lifehouse is the superior band by far.
I have KRS-One's entire discography but I never felt that his songs were catchy or solid enough to be on our playlists. “13 And Good” changed all that. A song about statutory rape and its – unpredictable – consequence. Two things make this song a great track: first, the bassline is simply perfect and, secondly, KRS-One's storytelling skills truly shine on that track.
“4 Words” was one of the first Bullet for My Valentine tracks that I heard. Although the song is basically one part repeated twice, it doesn't make it any less great. The guitars are great - I especially liked the long sustain at the end of the first part – and the vocals are impeccable. It might have too much screaming for some but the screams just add to the energy in my opinion. Furthermore, a lot of people can identify themselves with the song lyrics which are basically about overcoming the odds and showing everyone how they were wrong.
From metalcore, we jump into mambo. Perry Como's “Papa Loves Mambo” is a classic for all ages. I first heard it on Ocean's Eleven soundtrack but a quick check on Wikipedia will show that it has played in almost every kind of visual entertainment whether it's movies, TV, commercials or viedogames. The song is quite catchy, you'll find yourself singing along after a couple of listens. Everything is perfect on this track.
What rock fan doesn't know Motörhead's classic “Aces of Spades?” Even if you're not a fan, the song has been everywhere and even featured as a playable track in both the Guitar Hero and Rock Band videogame franchises. Like Metallica's “Enter Sandman,” “Ace of Spades” is a band-defining song. Motörhead wouldn't be Motörhead without that track. The relentless pace of the instrumental along with Lemmy's unmistakable voice is the perfect illustration of rock as the ultimate badass' genre.
Where “Ace of Spades'” magic was in its musical and vocal pace and power, “2 Minutes To Midnight” is all about the chorus and the superb guitar work by both Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. The bass is not too shabby either, giving a nice rhythm to the track.
“Hey, it's the Rocky song!!” That's usually the comment you hear when “Eye of the Tiger” comes on. Few songs define a movie like “Eye of the Tiger.” Even by itself, the song gives a nice message of perseverance. It's the ultimate underdog's song.
With so many classics on this month's list, AC/DC fans may be wondering where their band is. Unfortunately, the Aussie giants didn't come up this month. Instead, I give you their closest imitators, Airbourne who are also from Australia. “Heartbreaker” sounds like what AC/DC would release minus Brian Johnson's trademark voice. It has it all: a catchy chorus, fast and furious guitars and a decent solo. All that's missing is the man with the cap.
Readers of this blog know how much I loved New Moon's soundtrack and today I include one of the album's tracks, “Slow Life” performed by Grizzly Bear with Victoria Legrand. The song is slow but beautiful. Having Legrand on the verse while Droste took care of the chorus was a stroke of genius as it's usually the other way around. The instrumental's quietness on the verses allowed Victoria's voice to shine through while Edwards' fit perfectly with the music as it picked up in intensity.
“Take That” is the second underground rap song in this month's list and it's performed by Styles of Beyond. The two rappers shine equally on this track but I really liked Ryu's fast-paced delivery on the first verse. It's a great track.
Avenged Sevenfold make another appearance on our lists, this time with “A Little Piece Of Heaven.” I never realized the song's dark subject matter until I saw the video and read the lyrics a couple of weeks ago. The orchestral instrumental combined with the drums and guitars' furious pace makes the song even more sinister.
We complete the Demigodz round-up with “Feel The Velvet” by 7L & Esoteric. The latter recently went solo, releasing four records in the past three years but none his work compare to the duo's releases. 7L's ambient-electro-almost-techno beats on A New Dope are a perfect match for Esoteric's unique flow.
“Rhinestone Eyes” is the most recent song to make an appearance on one of our lists. The smooth rapping goes very well with the sharp electro beat.
“Roter Sand” is probably my most favorite song on Rammstein's latest album along with “Frühling in Paris.” It is a slow song similar to “Ohne Dich” and “Amour” and deals with two guys squaring off for a girl. The whistling part after the chorus was a nice touch to the song.
We conclude this playlist with a piano instrumental: “Metamorphosis Five” by Philip Glass (performed by Branka Parlic in the video). Fans of Battlestar Galactica probably remember this song from the episode “Valley of Darkness” when Starbuck and Helo hide in Starbuck's apartment on Caprica. It makes for great background music.
Full Tracklist
1. The Ice Covered Everything – Shearwater - Everybody Makes Mistakes – 2002
This month's playlist begins with a relatively recent indie band, Shearwater, which was formed by Okkervil River members Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff. “The Ice Covered Everything” is the seventh track of their sophomore album, Everybody Makes Mistakes. The song's structure is pretty simple: just three verses with the final line of the first and third verse - “you know” and “you knew” - acting as a chorus. It's basically a sung poem. The instrumental reflect its simplicity with only an acoustic guitar and orchestral strings as accompaniments.
2. Cold Desert – Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night – 2008
“Cold Desert” is the final track of King of Leon's Only By The Night. Led by a continuous bassline, the song rips at your heart as Caleb's voice reeks of pain. Like “The Ice Covered Everything,” “Cold Desert” has no chorus but follows a AABB rhyme pattern reminiscent of a poem.
3. Eyes – Rogue Wave – Just Friends soundtrack – 2005
You might not know the band, but I bet that many of you are familiar with the song “Eyes” which was featured in the movie Just Friends and made an appearance the TV shows 90210 and Heroes. Like Shearwater, Rogue Wave is a relatively recent band but their music have been heavily featured in movies and TV whether it's TV shows or commercials. It's only a matter of time before they blow up as several bands did before them.
4. Ramblin' Man – The Allman Brothers Band – Brothers And Sisters – 1973
A Southern classic, “Ramblin' Man” by the Allman Brothers Band is a masterful song. From the catchy chorus to Dickey Betts' superb solos as lead guitar, the track is all-around solid. I was happy to find a live performance video of the song since they rarely play it in live shows. For videogames lovers, the song is also playable in Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour.
5. Enough For Now – The Fray – The Fray – 2009
In my review of The Fray's sophomore effort, I often criticized Isaac Slade's poor vocals. I still stand by my opinion but after listening to the album several times since then, I have to admit that his voice works in the grand scheme of things. “Enough For Now” was one of my least favorite songs of the album (mostly due to Slade's vocals) but it has turned into quite a guilty pleasure. Of course, I still think that The Fray are nothing more than a cheap copy of Lifehouse but I'll let you enjoy this one.
6. Carolina Rain – Ryan Adams – 29 – 2005
“Carolina Rain” is a great alt-country song and makes a perfect introduction to the genre for country haters. Ryan Adams' drawling voice and the slide guitar give the song a nice “Southern” feel while still being accessible to average rock fans.
7. Enter Sandman – Metallica – Metallica – 1991
The opening track and lead single of Metallica's self-titled album, “Enter Sandman” is probably the most recognized song of the band's catalog. While many hardcore Metallica fans spurn the song for being too commercial and simple, I personally feel that “Enter Sandman” is the doorway to metal. If you want to convert a rock fan to metal, “Enter Sandman” - and “Nothing Else Matters” to a certain extent – provides the smoothest transition between the genres.
8. Jerry Was A Race Car Driver – Primus – Sailing the Seas of Cheese - 1991
Players of the first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater videogame probably recognize this funky song from the game's soundtrack. A perfect mix of intriguing vocals, a sick bassline and a weird but effective guitar solo, “Jerry Was A Race Driver” was arguably Primus' biggest hit, peaking at number 23 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1991.
9. Freestyler – Bomfunk MC's – 2000
In the year 2000, the song “Freestyler” by Bomfunk MC's was all the rage in Europe, peaking at number 1 in several countries. It was largely ignored in North America – its only notable appearance being in the Matt Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 videogame. I definitely recommend to check it out.
10. Enjoy The Silence 04 – Depeche Mode [Reinterpreted by Mike Shinoda] – Remixes 81-04 – 2004
“Enjoy The Silence” is one of Depeche Mode's most popular songs, charting in the Top 10 in both the UK and US. Mike Shinoda's reinterpretation of the song brings the Linkin Park sound in the mix to great success. This version of the song was stuck on “repeat” in my MP3 player for quite a while. A great, energetic track, perfect to start the day.
11. The Revolution – OuterSpace ft. Celph Titled – Blood And Ashes - 2004
Giants of the underground, OuterSpace and Celph Titled, unite on this song to add another great track to their respective catalogs. There is no question that all three rappers have skills but it's the smooth instrumental that allowed the track to be in this month's playlist.
12. How The Leopard Got Its Spots – Portugal. The Man – Waiter: “You Vultures” - 2006
“How The Leopard Got Its Spots” is the opening track of Portugal. The Man's debut album, Waiter: “You Vultures.” It's a great upbeat song with excellent vocals, a sharp bass on the chorus, and a stellar instrumental overall.
13. Brothers On A Hotel Bed – Death Cab For Cutie – Plans – 2005
“Brothers On A Hotel Bed” marks the second appearance of Death Cab For Cutie on our playlists and it is a masterpiece. The melancholic tone of piano plays well with the song's lyrics – a tale of a couple growing distant as time goes by to the point of sleeping like “brothers on a hotel bed.” A superb song.
14. Shook Ones Pt. II – Mobb Deep – The Infamous – 1995
A hip hop classic, “Shook Ones Pt. II” marks the second appearance of Mobb Deep on our lists. The laid-back instrumental is the perfect counterpart to the lyrics dealing with making money and surviving the violence in the streets. Every hip hop head knows or should know this song. It's been in movies and videogames.
15. Thinkin' – Apathy - Wanna Snuggle? - 2009
The second album of the year 2009 in my opinion (it was narrowly beat by Get Busy Committee's Uzi Does It), Apathy's Wanna Snuggle? finally features on our playlist with the song “Thinkin'.” Using a sample from what seems like 50's music, Ap makes a great track about women's suspicious nature. The *boom-boom* of the drum serves as great support to Apathy's delivery and the voice samples are subtle enough to bring a nice touch to the track.
16. Come Back Down – Lifehouse – Lifehouse – 2005
“Come Back Down” is the opening track of Lifehouse's self-titled third album. As most Lifehouse songs from that album and on, “Come Back Down” is slower in pace than the tracks from previous albums. I mentioned Lifehouse earlier when talking about The Fray and listening to both bands, you can clearly see that there's no contest. Lifehouse is the superior band by far.
17. 13 And Good – Boogie Down Productions – Sex and Violence - 1992
I have KRS-One's entire discography but I never felt that his songs were catchy or solid enough to be on our playlists. “13 And Good” changed all that. A song about statutory rape and its – unpredictable – consequence. Two things make this song a great track: first, the bassline is simply perfect and, secondly, KRS-One's storytelling skills truly shine on that track.
18. 4 Words (To Choke Upon) – Bullet for My Valentine – The Poison – 2005/2006
“4 Words” was one of the first Bullet for My Valentine tracks that I heard. Although the song is basically one part repeated twice, it doesn't make it any less great. The guitars are great - I especially liked the long sustain at the end of the first part – and the vocals are impeccable. It might have too much screaming for some but the screams just add to the energy in my opinion. Furthermore, a lot of people can identify themselves with the song lyrics which are basically about overcoming the odds and showing everyone how they were wrong.
19. Papa Loves Mambo – Perry Como – Ocean's Eleven Soundtrack – 2001
From metalcore, we jump into mambo. Perry Como's “Papa Loves Mambo” is a classic for all ages. I first heard it on Ocean's Eleven soundtrack but a quick check on Wikipedia will show that it has played in almost every kind of visual entertainment whether it's movies, TV, commercials or viedogames. The song is quite catchy, you'll find yourself singing along after a couple of listens. Everything is perfect on this track.
20. Ace of Spades – Motörhead – Ace of Spades – 1980
What rock fan doesn't know Motörhead's classic “Aces of Spades?” Even if you're not a fan, the song has been everywhere and even featured as a playable track in both the Guitar Hero and Rock Band videogame franchises. Like Metallica's “Enter Sandman,” “Ace of Spades” is a band-defining song. Motörhead wouldn't be Motörhead without that track. The relentless pace of the instrumental along with Lemmy's unmistakable voice is the perfect illustration of rock as the ultimate badass' genre.
21. 2 Minutes To Midnight – Iron Maiden – Powerslave – 1984
Where “Ace of Spades'” magic was in its musical and vocal pace and power, “2 Minutes To Midnight” is all about the chorus and the superb guitar work by both Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. The bass is not too shabby either, giving a nice rhythm to the track.
22. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor – Eye of the Tiger – 1982
“Hey, it's the Rocky song!!” That's usually the comment you hear when “Eye of the Tiger” comes on. Few songs define a movie like “Eye of the Tiger.” Even by itself, the song gives a nice message of perseverance. It's the ultimate underdog's song.
23. Heartbreaker – Airbourne – Runnin' Wild – 2007
With so many classics on this month's list, AC/DC fans may be wondering where their band is. Unfortunately, the Aussie giants didn't come up this month. Instead, I give you their closest imitators, Airbourne who are also from Australia. “Heartbreaker” sounds like what AC/DC would release minus Brian Johnson's trademark voice. It has it all: a catchy chorus, fast and furious guitars and a decent solo. All that's missing is the man with the cap.
24. Slow Life – Grizzly Bear with Victoria Legrand – The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack – 2009
Readers of this blog know how much I loved New Moon's soundtrack and today I include one of the album's tracks, “Slow Life” performed by Grizzly Bear with Victoria Legrand. The song is slow but beautiful. Having Legrand on the verse while Droste took care of the chorus was a stroke of genius as it's usually the other way around. The instrumental's quietness on the verses allowed Victoria's voice to shine through while Edwards' fit perfectly with the music as it picked up in intensity.
25. Take That – DJ Green Lantern with Styles of Beyond – Razor Tag – 2007
“Take That” is the second underground rap song in this month's list and it's performed by Styles of Beyond. The two rappers shine equally on this track but I really liked Ryu's fast-paced delivery on the first verse. It's a great track.
26. A Little Piece Of Heaven – Avenged Sevenfold – Avenged Sevenfold – 2007
Avenged Sevenfold make another appearance on our lists, this time with “A Little Piece Of Heaven.” I never realized the song's dark subject matter until I saw the video and read the lyrics a couple of weeks ago. The orchestral instrumental combined with the drums and guitars' furious pace makes the song even more sinister.
27. Feel The Velvet – 7L & Esoteric – A New Dope – 2006
We complete the Demigodz round-up with “Feel The Velvet” by 7L & Esoteric. The latter recently went solo, releasing four records in the past three years but none his work compare to the duo's releases. 7L's ambient-electro-almost-techno beats on A New Dope are a perfect match for Esoteric's unique flow.
28. Rhinestone Eyes – Gorillaz – Plastic Beach – 2010
“Rhinestone Eyes” is the most recent song to make an appearance on one of our lists. The smooth rapping goes very well with the sharp electro beat.
29. Roter Sand – Rammstein - Liebe ist für alle da – 2009
“Roter Sand” is probably my most favorite song on Rammstein's latest album along with “Frühling in Paris.” It is a slow song similar to “Ohne Dich” and “Amour” and deals with two guys squaring off for a girl. The whistling part after the chorus was a nice touch to the song.
30. Metamorphosis Five – Philip Glass – Metamorphosis for Piano – 2008
We conclude this playlist with a piano instrumental: “Metamorphosis Five” by Philip Glass (performed by Branka Parlic in the video). Fans of Battlestar Galactica probably remember this song from the episode “Valley of Darkness” when Starbuck and Helo hide in Starbuck's apartment on Caprica. It makes for great background music.
| 45 |
| Vote |
Add Comments
