Jeff Wayne - The Eve of War

Shit, this is amazing. Everything about it comes together so perfectly and the progression is so natural. The bass lines are really groovy and have an awesome tone. The synths sound very dramatic and play very memorable and epic melodies. There's lots of dynamic, going from a sense of impending doom to ''oh shit, run for your lives''. The narration that I would generally find annoying is very fitting here, as the music itself tells a story, and the chorus itself with the Aaa-aaah's is musical ear infection. In a good way of course. The other whistley instruments I have trouble identifying but they sound very campy and satisfying. 40's Alien-y, if you will.
I don't know if the rest of the album is this good, but it seems to be on youtube and I know what I'm doing for the next hour! Great find!

Unleashing my inner hipster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw8IGgBqIio

Wintersleep - Drunk on Aluminum

Indie rock is a genre I don't really listen to all that often. And often it's because of the vocals. They're not bad or anything, but he just has that typical Indie voice that I'm not really into. That said, the songwriting is good and the instrumentation is somewhat interesting. There are some nice build ups and releases and the nice droney (almost shoegaze-ish) guitar parts are cool and add a lot to the atmosphere. Despite my personal dislike for this kind of stuff, this wasn't bad at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlVP6Ch7vrM

@ Necro!

@Abom:

Little Dragon - Little Man

This is so bad I can taste it. It is annoying, high-pitched, and completely without atmosphere. The vocalist bugs the crap out of me. She sounds like the Morcheeba chick kinda but in a weird stuttering, half-baked sort of way. The keyboards are just robotic and sterile sounding. This gives me such a horrible headache, too. It is incredibly repetitive. I guess it is trying to be catchy, but it is failing miserably instead and is profoundly boring, yet somehow VILE at the same time. It vaguely and dirtily reminds me of some cool Detroit electronica I've heard, but only enough to really piss me off.

I really hate this a lot. Actively despise.

Sorry. On I scale from zero to pancake, this rates Pouty.

Memememe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52EMfcZa5dY

Reverend Glasseye - Midnight Cabaret

Ewwwwwwww. I really hate this style of "cabaret punk" a la this band and Dresden Dolls etc. Self consciously "zany" pseudo Klezmer stuff, like a bad-taste explosion at a Jewish wedding where the waiters are all cosplay/steampunk nerds. It's actually LESS that the sum of it's parts. To elaborate,I like fish, and I like I like Ice-cream. But I would never advise putting the two in a bucket and combining them. Maybe I don't like "theatrical" stuff anymore, it seems to try so hard that it lacks a certain sense of organic authenticity. Like a triumph of artifice over natural development.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsIeRxmqiac

@ Scorntyrant:

Death In June - Nation

Have never listened to Death in June though their influence is very prevalent on many bands I listen to. I enjoyed the song. It sounded far more post-punk then I was expecting. As an instrumental, I suppose I would have to listen to the song in context of the album. Standing alone it resembles something more of an interlude rather than a song I would seek to hear on it's own. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is dark and foreboding which works well with my musical sensibilities. I definitely want to hear more from them (as I've been meaning to for quite some time) and this song is a pretty good catalyst to do so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkjQgRHdvYg

"The guilty have no pride" is a strange album for sure, but a great one I think. It's much more akin to Joy Division, Wire, Gang of Four etc than it is to any of the post-industrial bands they later became associated with. I think "Nation" sounds a bit like early U2 personally.

Leftover Crack-Rock the 40 oz

I always thought these guys were a powerviolence/grind band for some reason. This is much more UK-84 style punk than I would have thought. Strange transition between buzzcocks melodic punk with a bit of Discharge/Crass vitriol coming in from time to time. It's actually a pretty killer mix, must look into these guys more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oL_ceQjaGU

Regarding the Leftover Crack tune:


Equations of Eternity - Veve - Baron Samedi

This was pretty cool. On first listen I wouldn't say this is mind blowing or anything, but something interesting to have on in the background. The song is anchored by a laid-back drum groove, which persists throughout the song. Psychedelic ambience shifts about and subtle electronics make an appearance every now and again. This really does have an old school feel without sounding typical. The strings at the end are a wonderful addition. I found this track quite enjoyable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLOg5FVYHBQ

nausea: "Sacrifice"

Knew about this band for ages but never listened until now. We have relentless and very energetic hardcore from the outset...d-beat drumming that I just love and a great sound. There are two vocalists; the first guy leads the charge with a vicious snarl, and the other fellow has a kind of thin, whiny voice that's still pretty cool, though I definitely prefer the other guy. The riffing is full of vigor and I haave gotten more into this kind of stuff in the past few years, so was nodding along with approval. Then the song turned into reggae! Well, not really, but it adopted that kind of reggae-rhythm in bass and guitar strumming, while the drummer kind of refused to play ball and did his own thing. I wasn't at all sure about this transition at first, but by the time the cool lead had played itself out I was a little happier with it. That lead was far more developed than you'd expect from this sort of music and was full of interesting tricks. Still, the section felt a wee bit corny to me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxPVcODcPLg

@ Dystopia:

Echo and the Bunnymen - Over the Wall

Ah! Post-punk! This is another of those bands I've heard mentioned dozens of times but never really listened to. Pretty cool, repetitive and hypnotic lyrics. Echoey (heh), almost psychedelic at times guitars playing delayed goodness with some jangling making some appearances. A quite driving rhythm section mixed equally with it and a propulsive bass (you could dance to it, but it would be a staring at the ground while on hard drugs dance), while the singer sort of half croons/half chokes out the lyrics. I'm not really a fan of this guy, I have to say. He's certainly competent but his timbre is unpleasant his vocal lines aren't very memorable. The song flows so well that it seems to just be one long part, with the only immediately noticeable difference being the screaming guitars towards the end. Further listens cement that there ARE other parts, they just blend well. All in all, commendable post-punk but not exciting. Guess we can't completely agree on ever non-metal thing ever, mate!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDFg7kuX97U

John Grant - Jesus Hates Faggots

From wiki - "Described as a deeply personal album about his past struggles with alcohol and drug addiction and coming to terms with being gay". Well there we go, immediate weighty subjects. I really like this as a massive middle finger to reactionary assholes on behalf of "niggers, spicks, redskins and kikes,Men who cannot tame their wives,Weaklings, cowards, and bald dykes" etc. It's a lot more harsh when you read the lyrics without the somewhat cheery music and without the droll delivery. Perhaps one of those things that I like for existing but would not really feel inclined to listen too very often. Not my thing musically, but I like where it's coming from.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u73k5vRD4M

@Scorntyrant

@ Necro:

for 2 reasons - firstly, this is so obviously led by the lyrics that the music is really just an electronic version of strumming A-G-C-D chord progressions. It's there, it does it's thing, but it's not the core of the song by any means. I would not expect that someone would devote a lot of space in , say, a Woody Guthrie review to the music rather than the lyrics and the wider context. And I dont think this is much different - it's a singer/songwriter piece and the music is playing a distant second to the lyricism.

Secondly, it's an issue I have with reviews. A review is not a description of the piece, especially not in a context where the piece in question is only a mouse-click away. A review, IMO, should be aiming at detailing what effect the piece had on the viewer/listener, how it fits into a wider context and so forth. You would not expect to read a film review that just describes "this happened then that happened", and it's a fault with a great many of the reviews on the archive that they do the musical equivalent of just that. [/spoiler]

Einstürzende Neubauten - Youme & Meyou

Wow. That was a genuine pleasure to listen to. The vocals work very well with the song, and may be the particular high point of this song (besides the lyrics, I'll get to that in a second). Deep, and with a thick accent but I actually really liked that fact. The music itself had a very pleasant atmosphere to it, almost reminiscent of something Brian Eno would compose. The lyrics were what really got my attention. I haven't a clue what the theme of the song is, but the imagery was very vivid. "No more tassels on the hotel key, a phone line, a laptop, and a box of tangerines..." Absolutely wonderful! There is a very abstract air to the lyrics, and I have read them numerous times since listening to the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx8-5eTIGhU

Yann Tiersen - Fuck Me

Ok, first things first. That opening is amazing. In spite of the fact that both of the singers have the stereotypical voice for modern folk/indie/obscure rock, it still is just so charming. The lyrics are vulgar and ridiculous, but the goddamn melody is infectious and wondrous. It's like this was an exercise in proving that lyrical context means more than the actual words themselves. The lyrics themselves, outside of the chorus, are obscured and kind of depressing, in a strange manner, and the dual layered vocals add a ton to the atmosphere - the fact that they change "fuck me, fuck me, fuck me - make me cum again" to "love me, love me, love me - make me love again" was beautiful. It summarized the entire nature of the dual presence in the action of sex, at least in my case. Where one constantly pretends not to be attached in any spiritual way, but is dying inside when that other person leaves. The violin highlights and drum buildup is fan-fucking-tastic. The length is fucking perfect too, and the splashes of the threshold breaking, and then the onslaught of noisy synths and broken melodies is just other-worldly, especially leading into that flute section.

This song, simply put, is wonderful. I might be drunk, but I know a good goddamn song when I hear it. I will definitely check this band out.

Another contribution, as I know far more about non-metal songs, than metal songs,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ-vUZ0E-YU

@Scorntyrant:

^ John Grant is a goddamn hero and is an excellent songwriter, the fact that it may be "simple chord progressions" is not an excuse to not delve more into the music. Pearls before swine, Lexi.

Look, dont get me wrong - there is a lot of beauty in simplicity for sure. But what we are all doing here is describing rather than analysing.If all we are doing is running a thread where we describe what the last poster suggested, I think it's a waste. That's what we have ears for after all. Maybe I'm alone in this, but it's much more interesting to me to see people drawing connections between different styles, offering humorous anecdotes about the song/band and times in their lives they were into it, or even creatively dissing the song. But describing music in words is about as much use as describing a painting or a meal that someone cooked you - it tells you something about it, but really cant capture a lot of insight. It's the wrong medium to be working in. I'm much more interested in getting "meta" about this than just saying "it's got some surf guitar, then the breakbeats come in. at 3.20 the ragga vocals start" etc. That's reductionist and the worst way of writing about music I think.

Scorntyrant:

Summer of Love - Prince Rama

Well this is, uh, interesting. It starts out with new agey sort of stuff, subtle ambiance and percussion, with prominent wind chimes (or some instrument that produces a sound in that vein). Right off the bat, I'm having bad feelings about this song. Then these vocals come in - they're totally hypnotic and mesmerizing. They are sung by a woman, they are slow, ritualistic and are the sort of thing that will lull you into a trance. Not long after the two minute mark, the song completely changes. These really could be two separate songs. It still sounds Eastern (I'm thinking Indian), but this time it sounds more active and involved. It's really cool, the percussion, while subtle, is effective. The melodies are cool, the woman's voice is nice, although here it is much less focused on atmosphere. Overall, this is pretty cool. While I'm not crazy about the windchimes or whatever, the woman's voice makes up for it. The second part is cool (I do have to admit I have a soft spot for Eastern-tinged music) and the songwriting is strong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c0_745sHc4

Maaaaan, where do I start with this? At first, due to the simple deeply resonating piano, I'm expecting something from a soundtrack, complete with the slow swell of random noises with the same repeated piano motif slowly, slowly, slowly... and then we have the voice of... a street corner poet? A beatnick practicing in his basement erratically circling and batting at the light bulb? Or the ramblings of a homeless bum freely giving a sermon to anyone listening around that 44 gallon drum fire under the freeway flyover? The story woven is, well kind of irritating, with it's over-arching prose trying to hint at madness, dirty desire and menace, but I'm sorry this fails to deliver in either of those regards. The musical backdrop is as forgettable as the poetry, and gives neither added tension, or helps this hapless story in any way. Did not enjoy that at all.

This is another best listened to with headphones, and with minimal light...

@Crushed:

Arcana: "Angel of Sorrow"

I remember this. Haven't listened in years! I used to quite like this album. Very bleak and cold and moody stuff, for sure. Synth strings and oboe sounds lead everything, with the thrumming percussive bass tones being rather relentless and plodding. Female vocals chant sorrowfully in the background, definitely not setting out to lead anything but rather to add to the hopeless ambience. It's very evocative and entrancing, but doesn't develop as much as I might hope. If anything this track seems too short. It just sort of ends abruptly, leaving me hanging. Might have to find the album again to relate it to its context...I'm sure it's still around somewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMt1Oy5uQ0w

@Necro


@Abom

@ Abominatrix

Brian Eno - Baby's On Fire

Not what I expected from Eno. I've only ever heard the Airports stuff, and this is the polar opposite of that. It has a really propulsive hi-hat beat and some seriously blistering guitar work. I like the vocals, too, in a weird way. Overall, though, it gets a little repetitive. I really appreciate the guitar playing, but it is not musically exciting enough for me to enjoy it for the entirety. I'm not exactly a guitar solo enthusiast, and this song seems to be a big showcase for the guitarist. Eventually, though, there is some interesting contrapuntal ornamentation going on (guitar? keyboard?) in the background, and that changes it up a bit. Thankfully, the vocals kick back in and make it a tad more interesting again. I love the way the vocalist (Eno?) says "FIYAHHH". Abrupt ending.

Can't say I'd seek anything like this out again, though I didn't hate it and I really appreciate the musicianship.

Something I've been digging on heavily lately:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvUQUSrjwsU

Re: Arcana



Re: Brian Eno

Certainly not something I guess I would normally hunt down and listen to, but disregard that because this is quite interesting. I am a sucker for minor chordal movements, which this has in spades to begin with, with full eastern-tinged, flourishing plucked notes. The flute is magical and masterful in the sense of timing and grace - sprightly (and brassy bright) when needed, and having wonderful moments of subdued finesse. The slower parts are without a doubt the most beautiful parts of this, when playing alongside a harp or shamisen (I think?), which complement each other extremely well. The ebb and flow of energy within this is very tangible, with light and shadow, or sorrow perhaps, dancing together as two sides of the same coin so to speak. The main melody line though, had me scratching my head as for some reason it reminded me of Burzum, especially from the Hvis lyset tar oss album, don't ask why, it just does okay?

Funnily enough, when I listened to this it seemed that this song would be a fantastic bookend to complement it for some reason...

the Cure - Cold

I'm sure it will surprise nobody that I'm a massive fan of the Cure, or at least of certain parts of their discography. Pornography as an album, along with Disintegration and 17 seconds, is one of those untouchable pinnacles of deliberate miserablism that, if you hear them in your teenage years, stick with you forever. It's a song that does not really "do" anything as far as dramatic chord progression or sonic dynamics, but that works in it's favour as far as capturing the leaden weight of depression. It doesn't work all that well as a song on it's own for those reasons, but I think that before the "occasional catchy pop song" element that crept in on Wish came in, Smith's songwriting worked better if you hear the whole album rather than a track in isolation.

In purely descriptive terms, here we have the Cure still well and truly in post-punk/Goth mode - monotonous drum beats overlaid with guitar/bass which is non-narrative in the sense that it provides texture rather than repeating motifs. Well to the forefront is Robert Smith's desperate and forlorn vocal performance - somewhat melodramatic, yes, but still authentic for all that. One of the things I really like about the Cure (and Joy Division for that matter) is that there is less of a conscious character construction. You get the impression that those albums came from the heart. If you compare them to, for instance, Sisters of Mercy or Fields of the Nephilim, there is less of a sense that it was about a grand romantic gesture or something that illustrates an occult concept. and in that sense the Cure was the most "punk" of the early "goth" bands (with the problematic exception of the Damned).

Anyway, seeing as we're back on the post-punk track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKMRbbuE_k