So, I haven't been able to keep up to date with the postings, mostly because of the holiday season craziness. So I'm going on hiatus for a little bit. I'll be back around the beginning of January. Until then, here's a shit load of songs to hold you over:
Little People "Start Shooting"
This song sounds like if UNKLE did the soundtrack for the Matrix. That piano is seriously well mixed with the funky bass line and solid drum line. It's a little redundant with varying highs and lows, but it makes for some great music to work to and leave in the background.
Superchunk "1000 Pounds"
Unfortunately, I could only find this low quality version to share with you, but it's a great song nonetheless. The two guitars are working off a great harmonious sound where neither of them are playing simple power chords. The lead guitar has these amazing little sections to itself where it's left to aid the singer's emotion. The violin adds this other layer that kind of makes it a little whimsical. Superchunk has this great understanding of itself, putting instruments to use where they need to be. I've heard 3 different versions of this song and each time they use different instruments and it sounds amazing all the way around. I really wish rock was more influenced by the song structure of bands like these, though, not necessarily the sound.
David Guetta "Memories (Feat. Kid Cudi)"
Okay, I have a confession. I really like shitty pop/dance music. As much as I love indie/hipster music, I really love this stuff. This really is more of a guilty pleasure of mine. You've probably heard this song before and it isn't really all that complicated or anything, but it does have a great beat and this little interesting use of auto-tune to just make noises. This is really just a sweaty song that you put on when you want bump and grind... or work out to... yeah, that's what I meant.
Bonobo "Light Pattern"
This song takes a lot of cues from both hip hop and R&B and mixes it up a bit. There are moments of what seems like brief reflections upon itself, and then goes back on it's track. The longing violins keep up this white noise note, haunting the background. The drums have this really nice punch to them to keep the song from falling down in temp, while the bass has fun playing a few simple note progressions. Over time the song keeps reducing itself until its barest core and leaves you softly.
Sleater-Kinney "Jumpers"
This is a darker, later era of Sleater-Kinney and not like their previous works so much. This song still rocks harder than any rock band out today. The guitar rhythms really know how to compliment each other and the drums know when to punch when they need to. Carrie's singing is amazing and her voice knows how to have this aggression in it that isn't well displayed in any female singers today. The song keeps building up while falling gracefully has a couple climaxes on the way out. Sleater-Kinney is a band that really knows how to rock out, so hard that it makes Kings of Leon, Three Days Grace, and other bands like them, sound like pussies.
The Postmarks "Goodbye"
I love the numerous instruments used in this song and how they play well together. Everything meshes well: the brass, violin, guitar, glockenspiel, tambourine, synth, and other things. Her voice is small, but she really makes the most of it that she can, in how it fits into the song. What's even more amazing, is that all she does is sing and play guitar, all of the other instruments are done by 2 other guys. The lyrics on the other hand are powerfully sad. It's a break up song that tries really hard to make the best out of a bad situation. The postmarks have an incredibly layered sound while having these lyrical poems that weave the whimsical backbone.
Modest Mouse "Custom Concern"
Most of you might only know Modest Mouse from their song Float On. Before that, this is more so what they sounded like. This is more on the slower end, though. The twangy guitar work and this almost open mic night feeling resonates well with what seems be a heavy influence from The Pixies. The lyrics are so heavy in emotion. Lyrically, it's very reminiscent of a Charles Bukowski poem that has a dreary outlook with such a harsh bite.
Passion Pit "Sleepy Head" both live and keyboard
This song works extremely well in both ways. I gotta tell you though, when I first heard this song, I imagined that the singer looked completely different. I don't know what I was thinking, but it definitely wasn't beard fro. Anyways, the live version isn't really all that live version sounding, but it I picked it because the video better than the official video. The song uses a bunch of elements to construct its unique sound. Though it heavily relies on synth. The drummer does an effective job of making this more of something to hop and dance to. The piano version on the other hand is absolutely lovely. He knows how to use his voice and works it well with the piano.
The Fashion "Like Knives"
The singer's voice can border on grating and annoying, but after the initial shock of his voice, it comes to work with the song's lyrics in how it is very cutting in comparison to the much more pronounced bass and drums. The guitars kind of follow the singer and stick an upper sound frequency and following their own rhythmic path. It makes for kind of a herky jerky song that makes it very fun to jump to.
The Black Kids "Hurricane Jane"
The singer takes a lot of cues from Robert Smith of The Cure. Only during the chorus, does it really sound like they're really trying to make their own sound, though during the verses, they could possibly be any new wave band from the 80's with a little more refinement. The song keeps building and building till it comes to a point when it's much louder and complex than it was previously. The rubber banding of this siren synth noise sort of becomes the little highlight that you can hear above the funkiness of the bass and guitar.
Hopefully this is enough to hold you down until January. Feel Free to comment any song requests and I'll keep them in consideration for when I return to this blogger thang.
No comments:
Post a Comment