083111

What's It Called?

Mark Bragg - Which Doctor

What's The Story?

Mark Bragg plays an eccentric brand of rock that's strangely appealing. Which Doctor is the ninth track from his album Bear Music, and it can be bought along with his other work (as well as a free preview of his new single) on his website.

Who's To Blame?

While trying to think of a description for the guy to blame, I noticed that I know too many engineers.

Why ♥ It?

Gogol Bordello have a name for themselves as a band playing punk you're not going to hear anywhere else, and for a tremendous live show. Although his music may remind of those crazy old gypsy punks, Mark Bragg can certainly claim these same things about his music and his show. Hell, Which Doctor is an accordion and a few extra string-and-strum instruments short of sounding like something from the same album as Start Wearing Purple, although the organ adds a great mood instead. The vocals and lyrics match this quirky mood perfectly, with lots of background yells, along with the brooding main vocal you might hear from a Matt Bellamy. The best part of this tune, though, is where there aren't any lyrics: the chorus-type part that's carried on oh-ohs and ow-ows. Having words fill those slots would probably ruin just how catchy the track actually is.

The first time I saw this band, this is the only song that I was really coherent enough to remember. It was in my head all week, and remains my favorite tune by Mark Bragg. You can imagine the jumping around and dancing that goes along with this (and most any tune at a Mark Bragg show); it's worth going out of your way to be a part of.

083011

What's It Called?

Repartee - Brother (Link is to their MySpace, you can find it there)

What's The Story?

Repartee were named the Newfoundland Herald's band to watch in 2011. They play an unabashed breed of power pop, and are more than just another Metric or New Pornographers-style band. They have an EP out, with an LP release coming up in September.

Who's To Blame?

A guy who, on an 8000km+ road trip, we affectionately nicknamed "Piss Break".

Why ♥ It?

Here is a short list of things that are really catchy about this heartfelt-yet-dance-rock-y song:

• The main guitar riff during the verses.
• The percussion during the verse; starting with a series of determined hits, and growing into a quick-paced beat and back again.
• The crunchy guitar riff during the pre-chorus.
• The silky high vocal parts in the pre-chorus and chorus.
• The vocal harmony found in the second half of each chorus.
• The bass guitar at... well, pretty much any time, but especially during the breakdown just after 3:00.
• Everything else in the breakdown. It probably doesn't actually sound like it, but I always file it next to the Peanuts theme in my head.

I could continue, but if seven parts of one song that will get stuck in your head aren't enough, then I give up. Seriously, if you want to hear something that sounds like some of the bands mentioned earlier with a bit more emphasis on instrumentation, all while keeping a foot-movin' hustle in mind, these guys are worth a listen or nine.

082911

What's It Called?

Pathological Lovers - Best Served

What's The Story?

The Pathological Lovers are a new-ish band that have a large following in the city of St. John's, probably based at least somewhat on the renown of longtime local musician Jody Richardson. Best Served is the lead single from their debut album Calling All Favours, and it has a frigging hilarious music video. I think you can find their album on some online vendors, and if interested, their site is here. If you want a genre, they labels themselves as "Melodramatic popular song/other rock".

Who's To Blame?

A waiter who loves the word easement, and parking his jeep on whatever ones he can find.

Why ♥ It?

This song seems a bit long for a radio-ready single at 5 minutes plus tax, but it actually works to keep the novelty for that long while having all the choruses and hooks you'd expect of a single.

I'd be remiss not to mention the lyrics to this song up front. They're easy to miss, but clever as hell and a lot of fun. For a long time, the only line I ever noticed was No one gets laid lying on the couch, get out and lower your standards for a little while, but there are plenty more where that came from.

When I hum this (and most Lovers songs), I often catch myself humming along to the keys. The effect that Grant King uses on this (and most Lovers songs) is bright and stands out while still complementing the guitar perfectly.

The breakdown at 3:00 that moves into a slow dance bit at 3:25 is cool. No fancy adjectives here, it's just cool.

If Kings of Leon had a great keys player, a different singer, wrote clever lyrics and were more upbeat, Sex on Fire may have come out sounding like this. Or maybe not, but fuck it--I really haven't heard many/any big label bands up this alley, and this tune is a great radio-ready showcase of that.

082811

What's It Called?

Matthew Hornell & The Diamond Minds - Khaki Dodgers

What's The Story?

This quartet of cool cats are a folk rock unit that you can party to and/or listen to at a family affair. They've got one album out (which can be acquired on the band's site), and another is anticipated. Khaki Dodgers is the fifth track on that first, self-titled album.

Who's To Blame?

The only other ginger in sight at the show last night.

Why ♥ It?

When I think of the folk rock I love the most, it's the ability to enrich a song with more than just a guitar and poetry. Johnny Cash livened his tunes up with some of the best stories you'll hear musically, and bands like Mumford & Sons have a large cast to have a big sound. This song represents a hardworking intersection of those two strategies.

The song tells the story of Hornell's own grandparents and how they met, and of a hockey team in a nearly-dead industrial mining town in Central Newfoundland. The song starts slow and styles almost like a hearthside story, with the guitar-and-poetry already discussed. However, after a verse or so, the rest of the band joins, and as the song rolls along from verse to chorus to verse to chorus, it gets more and more intense. They keep this momentum until, by the end, it's used for a couple breakdowns with mandolin solos and heavily strummed instruments that really put the rock in folk rock.

These guys had a show last night that stated that they weren't breaking up; they were friends with benefits. It's this kind of character that runs through their songs and performances, and it attracts bars full of twenty-somethings routinely whenever they play.

Themes!

I'm thinking that to spice this thing up, I'm going to do theme weeks once every so often. Trying to set a limit or timeframe on it (e.g. once a month*) will only box me in and probably cause the quality of the posting to suffer, so I'm going to do theme weeks once every whenever-I-damn-well-feel-like-it.

Anyone who knows me in real life (i.e. most of my readers*) knows that I spend a lot of time downtown locally catching shows in various states of inebriation. So, for the first theme week, I'm going to go with bands that can often be found playing in downtown St. John's. Pretty broad, but picking seven of my favorites shouldn't be too bad.

Stay tuned!

* = Fun fact: I had to run across my bedroom to the poster I have of The Oatmeal's When To Use I.E. In A Sentence to actually write the above without screwing it up.

082711

What's It Called?

!!! - Steady As The Sidewalk Cracks

What's The Story?

!!! (pronounced "chk chk chk") are a raucous dance-punk band from Sacramento. Steady As The Sidewalk Cracks is from 2010's Strange Weather, Isn't It?

Who's To Blame?

One of the few locally owned/operated record stores left on Earth.

Why ♥ It?

!!! are pretty hard to empirically quantify. The aforementioned record store had them listed as electronic, Last.fm calls them dance-punk. Whatever your flavor, this tune is a great showcase of what they bring to the table.

The verse has a constantly moving vibe, but keys and percussion alike seem an underwater afterthought. This is clearly intentional, as the first chorus seems to breach the surface of this mood; the processed drums and keys during the verse are left raw, and the bass kicks in with a groovy edge. Catchy. As. Balls.

As the song keeps moving, the vocals and drums are now more real, and make the rest of the tune all the more rockin'. Also featured is an elongated horn solo that somehow fits perfectly in an electronic dance rock song. It's breaks like these from either convention or common sense that makes this song and this band so attractive as well as hard to pin down genre-wise.

Regardless, you can dance your face off to it, so who cares about all that other stuff?

082611

What's It Called?

DJ Hero OST - Feel Good Inc vs Hollaback Girl

What's The Story?

DJ Hero was approximately where the ____ Hero series jumped the shark for most gamers, myself included. However, some of the mixes that came from the OST are gems.

Who's To Blame?

If our high school yearbook had a "most likely to become Indiana Jones", the guy would have been a shoo-in.

Why ♥ It?

If you asked fans of newer music to make you a list of catchiest bass lines, Feel Good Inc would almost assuredly be a common thread. And, if you could convince those same people to make a list of catchy guilty pleasure songs and actually share it, Hollaback Girl would be likely to make an appearance. Take Activision's pocketbook, assemble a team of all star DJs and producers, get them to collide those two songs, and this mix emerges. And, unlike many of the DJ Hero mixes, the scratching doesn't feel like a cheating way to blend two songs, it's used tastefully with great timing.

If you like either original track, chances are that you'll like this mix just as much or more.

082511

What's It Called?

The Fashion - Like Knives

What's The Story?

The Fashion are a recently broken-up band from Denmark. I have to steal Wikipedia's adorable description, that "their musical style has been compared to a mix of The Rapture, Beastie Boys, Head Automatica, and LCD Soundsystem". Like Knives is from their self-titled second (and, tentatively, last) release.

Who's To Blame?

It wasn't not on an episode of Gossip Girl.

Why ♥ It?

That four chord main riff is cocaine, and The Fashion know it. Every now and then, they let the focus drop for some other instrumentation, but it always remains like that bad habit. The vocals are catchy like Black Kids, the drums have the same kooky energy you'd hear in the Arctic Monkeys, and the bass is fuzzy like The Killers.

Like Knives doesn't offer anything entirely original, but it does indie rock staples just right.

082411

What's It Called?

Foster The People - Helena Beat

What's The Story?

Foster The People are a young three-piece group from Los Angeles... whoa, deja vu. Helena Beat is the intro track on their only album Torches.

Who's To Blame?

An environmental engineer who, I can attest, likes at least some plants.

Why ♥ It?

A close friend recently remarked on Twitter that everyone sounds like MGMT now. However, since MGMT consciously decided to stop sounding like the MGMT that everyone loved, it's great that some other acts have stepped up to the task.

Now, I'm not saying check this tune out for another Kids or Electric Feel. It still has a distinct voice and doesn't come off at all like a ripoff. However, from the quirky little drum intro, to the following synth sounds that scream of Ratatat, to the high-enough-to-be-female-but-is-actually-a-dude vocals, to the bouquet of post processing in the noisy chorus, to the bizarre breakdown mid-track that re-enters with just vocals, to the funky-as-fuck bass after that breakdown. to... see where I'm going here?

This track takes all the appeal of 2008's indie rock success story and repackages it into a fresh format that you'll still love. It'll be hard for this track to shine in the public eye like Pumped Up Kicks, but damned if it doesn't deserve to.

Just a note on the same band double-post here; I couldn't do Foster The People without acknowledging their smash single that, honestly, is a great tune. However, it would be an absolute shame to pass this track up.

082311

What's It Called?

Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks

What's The Story?

Foster The People are a young three-piece group from Los Angeles. Pumped Up Kicks is their smash single, hitting #8 on the US charts. It's from their debut album Torches.

Who's To Blame?

I spent 8 hours in the woods with the guy this weekend only to discover I didn't actually know his name.

Why ♥ It?

It's a fun tune you can bring home to mom.

I really don't have a library of ways to explain why this song is great. It sounds just like something you could hear from similar indie one-hitters like Peter, Bjorn & John or Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: spaced out indie vocals, a prominent whistling part and competent & catchy instrumentation.

Somehow, though, I've managed to go all this time without hearing it, and that means there's a chance that you have, too. Check it out!

082211

What's It Called?

Pantera - The Art of Shredding

What's The Story?

Pantera were one of the heavy metal bands that caught the tail end of the 80s to keep metal legitimate into the next decade. The Art of Shredding is from their infamous first major label release, Cowboys From Hell.

Who's To Blame?

His nickname in high school was Beavis, despite having Butthead's hair color and style. Figure that one out.

Why ♥ It?

Humor me here; check out the first minute of this track. Many credit Pantera with a niche genre of "groove metal", and this intro is a poster boy for that. The drums and bass signal heavy metal, but the guitar has a catchy voice that plays around a neat set of chords.

From there, the song kicks into full thrash metal fun, with parts that sound just like Master of Puppets, a signature high-octane Dimebag solo, and some of Phil Anselmo's best metal screams.

Even for longtime fans of Pantera, it's really easy to shut off CFH after the first half and go on to something else--I've been guilty of that too. Just check this track to remind yourself what you're missing when you do.

082111

What's It Called?

deadmau5 - Raise Your Weapon (Madeon Remix)

What's The Story?

Raise Your Weapon is an uncharacteristically extra-dirty half-dubstep beat from deadmau5's third album, 4x4=12.* More importantly, Madeon is only like 17 and is getting acclaim from some heavy names on the electro scene, including (but not limited to) deadmau5 himself, Skrillex, and Rob Swire (Pendulum).** This mix was on an album of Raise Your Weapon remixes.

Who's To Blame?

My fantasy football nemesis for the impending year.

Why ♥ It?

Forget everything about the original Raise Your Weapon. The remix mostly features the vocal line from the original. Whereas the original sees the vocal as sort of a gem among the rocks, the remix has a real Justice-like feel with the intensity, overarching organs, and slappy bass pieces. What results is a song that feels much cleaner and lighter than the original without losing vocal intensity.

The whole thing is great, but the chorus merits a highlighting all its own. It's mostly a funky breakdown, but what Madeon does is take snippets of the original vocal, run it through an autotune type filter, and play them almost like an instrument. The impressive part is the halfsecond of angelic vocal that almost every layer stops for, but not long enough to miss a beat. It's a series of small releases that feel absolutely awesome to listen to. After a couple rounds of verses and breakdown bliss, the bridge at 3:20 (You won't feel a thiiiiiiiiing) has the perfect soaring feel before the song tapers out.

I told a coworker about this song, and a couple weeks later he was telling me about how he'd bought $250 headphones the previous day, and one of the first things he did was listen to this song and hear a whole new tune. I'm no hardware audiophile, but I'd already thought this remix was a whole new tune. With layering like that, I hope Madeon makes a career of it.

* = Stand back, I have a math degree. It's true in base 14!

** = Needless to say, Madeon is from France.

082011

What's It Called?

The Hold Steady - Sequestered In Memphis

What's The Story?

The Hold Steady are a 4-piece (nee 5-piece) indie rock outfit from Brooklyn that Wikipedia affectionately identifies as "heartland rock". Sequestered In Memphis is from their fourth studio album Stay Positive, their last where Franz Nicolay claimed membership with the band on keys.

Who's To Blame?

If you're reading this blog on a BlackBerry, he may have had a part in it.

Why ♥ It?

If there's one word to describe this song, it's fun. Everything about it carries a great mood, and from 0:01 through to the end, it's hard not to get sucked in along with that mood.

There are an array of instruments working together and doing different, interlocking things that make this tune great, and there isn't a single regrettable facet. A few examples though; the guitar tone and riff sound a little reminiscent of Do The Evolution (see 0:28), except rather than using this for a chaotic mood, the song adds organs, horns and group vocals to flow in an upbeat fashion. The guitar licks found in the song are fun, and would appeal to classic rock fans. The chorus piano is incredibly uplifting. The breakdown to group vocal and subsequent piano roll to bring it back in (starting around 2:40) is a tried and true staple, used perfectly.

Lyrically, the song seems to tell the story of a drunken hook-up in the Southern US that led to legal trouble, and it unfolds to the listener like an episode of a happy-go-lucky 90s sitcom. I almost wonder if the entirety of the lyrics are written as an excuse to be able to sing the ultra-fun-to-say title. If so, The Hold Steady can be absolved completely, because the song has one of the most singalongable choruses you'll ever hear.

Ya know what, if there's one thing I don't want to do while listening to this tune, it's hold steady. I'd much rather sing and dance around my room when no one's looking, thank you very much.

081911

What's It Called?

LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great

What's The Story?

LCD Soundsystem are a now-unfortunately-defunct group from New York City. Someone Great is from their second of three releases, Sound of Silver.

Who's To Blame?

Someone great. Duh.

I caught a drumstick at a show once, and gave it to her!

Why ♥ It?

Build.

Progression.

This song uses patience to set up an intense beauty.

Ambience. Seconds later, a drum beat. A few more seconds, simple bass notes. More time, keys with flare. Finally, a minute and a half in, vocals and a glockenspiel. The glock shadows each and every word. At this point, they could've called the song Ham Sandwich and it would still have a heavy, dreary effect.

Of course not though; with lyrics like The worst is all the lovely weather / I'm sad, it's not raining / The coffee isn't even bitter / Because, what's the difference?, the song is aware of its mood and plays into that lyrically. The deliberate form continues for what seems like just a moment, and then one is left to wonder where the last 6 minutes got to.

Gotta be sad sometimes to be happy sometimes. Might as well listen to some great music while you're at it.

081811

What's It Called?

Hot Hot Heat - Jedidiah

What's The Story?

Hot Hot Heat are a four piece from Victoria, BC. Jedidiah is from their fourth studio release Future Breeds. (I almost feel bad that this is the best flavor text I can muster for such a fun band.)

Who's To Blame?

A guy whose last name sounds best when "ski" is attached to the end of it. It's all about the two syllables.

Why ♥ It?

The guitars in this song sound great. The acoustic guitar gels with the busy electric noise of the rest of the band. I specifically love that little lick that's played during the choruses. (Trust me, you'll know what one I mean)

The lyrics are a little masturbatory, but being someone who uses the word "masturbatory" in a sentence, I've no room to judge. Besides, they add to the novelty of the track; try and count the number of other songs that rhyme "pornographer" and "oceanographer".

Jedidiah is a delightful and odd little tune that really has to be heard to be appreciated. Quickly, there's no time to waste!

081711

What's It Called?

Holy Fuck - P.I.G.S.

What's The Story?

Holy Fuck is an electronic post-rock band infamous for having a Canadian prime minister use them as a talking point excuse to cut arts funding. P.I.G.S. is the last track on their latest release, Latin.

Who's To Blame?

We've been known to call his car the Phillenium Falcon.

Why ♥ It?

Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine's boyfriend demands silence during Desperado? And she counters by trying to do the same during Witchy Woman? P.I.G.S. is my Desperado, and I've been known to shush people over it.

I've said this about more than one song featured on this blog; this song is all about the structure, and ultimately, the ending. The song spends a minute carefully constructing a backdrop, and then another half minute filling in the gaps. From 1:30 until around 2:50, a main bassline and lead synth sound emerge as parallels, rising and falling, though in constant ascent. At 3:00 (literally halfway), the song just bottoms out into an almost exact minute of interlude. The bass-y refrain enters to begin a new build. Another fifty seconds; the higher refrain returns. In this second swelling, things move faster, and rather than taper to a breakdown, the song builds to a scorching crescendo at 5:27 that, not unlike the solo to Stairway, makes the last 5 minutes of your attention feel like an investment rather than a waste.

I'll close with a fun thought exercise. However you choose to genre-fy Holy Fuck, just try and imagine the centerpiece ending on an entirely different stage. I can hear jazzy brass horns trumpet the notes to close their encore, a thrash metal band destroying power chords with their balls to the wall, a string section erupting with strength that could back Tchaikovsky's cannons, or a hip hop artist closing with a silky & fast-talking hook. It's this transcendence that helps make this song one of my absolute favorites.

081611

What's It Called?

Alberta Cross - ATX

What's The Story?

Alberta Cross are a band formed in NYC with members from both North America & across the pond. ATX is the lead single from their first album Broken Side of Time.

Who's To Blame?

The largest hippie drum circle in a field that I've had the joy of experiencing.

Why ♥ It?

The main attraction for most who like this song is the chorus. It rocks out, has soaring vocals and guitar, and you can guiltlessly bang your head to it a little. Pay attention to the inflection of singer Stakee's voice. The first time through, the word "home" is a solid, unremarkable yell that suits the mood. Check out the chorus at 2:46, though: the first time he sings "home", there's a marked updraft in the vocal, bringing more energy to the equation. Sometimes it's these little things rather than the big things that make a track stand out.

The verse guitar, if a little repetitive, is another example of little things at work. The song features the most casual chugging rhythm guitar riffage, but the palm mutes and pedal effects rarely fall in the same place twice, and this freestyling method gives the verses a laid back feel for such a driving, high energy song.

Check out the sound at 2:21 that sounds like a cross between a slide of the guitar and a piece of alien technology. Cool, eh?

This song is a rock anthem contender laced with fun-to-catch subtleties that could easily make these guys the next big thing. Or not, but then they can be our little secret.

081511

What's It Called?

Skrillex - Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites

What's The Story?

Sonny Moore, known better these days as Skrillex, is the former frontman of the hardcore post-rock outfit From First To Last. Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites is the title track from his second electronic effort.

Who's To Blame?

deadmau5 spends more time on Facebook than I do, and in between pictures of his gear, Minecraft, and his cat, he occasionally posts a snap of his fellow producer friends.

Why ♥ It?

Primer: this is dubstep. Not for the electronic moderate. I only dabble myself, but I've seen people who know a slew more about good music than I try and figure out what exactly is up with this genre to no success. A matter of preference, to say the least.

This song, specifically, is all about dynamic. The name alone suggests it; mental images are conjured of Tinkerbell fighting Gollum. Skrillex takes this a dubstep further, infusing this whole idea right into the tune itself. The intro sounds much more like the former, riding a sunny synth line until about 0:40. This is where the elevator to hell drops in an instant, and the dirtiest of the dirty beats emerges. What Skrillex does here that's so appealing, though, is alternate from monster to sprite. Every fourth bar (give or take) has the main sunny synth line act as a transition, contrasted against three bars of grime. The listener jumps out of this cycle for a break back to sunshine & lollipops mid-song (1:40 or so), before another deluge of intensity, followed by a casually tapering outro on the synth again.

The WUB WUB WUB of dubstep is to electronic what the scream and growl are to hard rock: not everyone will love it, and that's legitimate. Either way, this creative song is a great place to dip feet in the water rather than just jumping right in.

081411

What's It Called?

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Wrestler

What's The Story?

Does It Offend You, Yeah are a five piece British electronic/electronic rock group who have just released their second full length album. Wrestler is the seventh track from that offering.

Who's To Blame?

Dude's facial hair grows more in a day than mine does in a month. Best beard farmer I know.

Why ♥ It?

If you check out this tune and the intro track sounds familiar, you aren't alone. It's Paul Heyman's locker room speech before underdog wrestling federation ECW's first pay-per-view, as seen in 1999's documentary Beyond The Mat. Like or lump wrestling, it's easy to see how this spoken piece is a motivational kick in the teeth, and its selection goes beyond just the song's title.

The intro to the track actually sounds like an intro tape for a concert; the subtle background along with Heyman's speech creates a great anticipation. When the spiel ends and the song proper begins, the main line is cheeky and catchy in a way that echoes more of a techno sound than an electronic rock sound. The main line stays constant while the rest of the band plays around and has a lot of fun in the song.

As if an intro-tape-worthy start and an upbeat tune aren't enough to get the blood flowing, the band pulls a breakdown and re-induction at around 2:00, replaying the full Heyman sound byte and kicking the tune back in twice as hard before playing it out 'til the end. It's not long enough to lose the momentum that the song starts with, but it's not short enough to go unnoticed.

Wrestler is an electronic rock jam that's a perfect pump-up piece before a run, before a night out, before a game; anything worth anticipating.

081311

What's It Called?

virt - Get On The Bus

What's The Story?

virt is an online moniker for Jake Kaufman, a sound engineer and music enthusiast based in Los Angeles and best known for his takes on video game music. Get On The Bus is from Bound Together, a collection of rearranged tunes from Nintendo's classic RPG, Earthbound.

Who's To Blame?

A friend who worked on and/or with that black hole device they have in Switzerland.

Why ♥ It?

In Earthbound's storyline, there's a group called the Runaway Five, a jazzy group with a funky big band sound and a Blues Brothers personality. This track runs though many of the game's main themes reimagined as if they'd been played by a real life Runaway Five, and as such, comes out sounding like an overture.

The piano is jazzy, the organ and horns are swingin', and the bass is funky. These are all amicable traits in any jazz band-style sound, and hearing familiar midis explode into this soundscape is great. My choice favorite of this is when the tune blows into the title theme at about 2:05 in a grand, seamless fashion. Then, at around 2:50, they play the Runaway Five's theme, and it really does feel like a Blues Brothers sorta thing. This runs to a neat organ solo around 4:15, and transitions to an almost-random guitar solo that still fits the mood. The meat is definitely at the center of the tune, but the intro and outro, like any good overture, still hold interest.

I usually have a hard time telling if a remix of music from an old video game is great because it's great, or if it's great because I loved the old music when I was 10. This is one case where I have no doubt that the first of those is true, and this song is worth checking it out whether you know what's coming or not.

081211

What's It Called?

Arcade Fire - Empty Room

What's The Story?

They won 2011's Grammy for album of the year, and David Bowie has said many times that they're one of his favorite bands going. This is the fifth track from the winning album, The Suburbs.

Who's To Blame?

A singer who always seems to both hate and love people as much as I do.

Why ♥ It?

Anyone who talked music with me prior to three months ago would probably believe that someone killed me and wrote this entry. I have long been a detractor of the Arcade Fire; I respect them as musicians, but my driving complaint was that they had so many members doing so many things that it diluted anything they had going for them, and they just bored me personally.

This is the song that singlehandedly changed my mind.

It's hard to be bored with the pure elation coming from the string section in this tune. From start to finish, never wavering; one could dance and fight and fuck all for those few notes played over and over again at such a high pace. The vocals are exactly what indie rock staples like Arcade Fire are often known for, a male and a female vocal collaborating to deliver emotion, and at this tempo, the emotion is heavily positive. The chorus/hook (1:02, 1:46), both lyrically and musically, feels like a triumphant downfall, recalling the hard moments at a high watermark of manic contentedness. The fade at the end of the song is well-picked, and could really be the only way to end the song without a jagged letdown.

If you're not an Arcade Fire fan, give this one a try as a gateway drug. If you're a fan of only early Arcade Fire, reconsider this one*. If you're a fan of the band and the song, my work here is done!

* = this means you, hipster.

081111

What's It Called?

The Faint - The Geeks Were Right

What's The Story?

The Faint have been playing electronic rock in a new wave fashion since Talking Heads were still kinda cool, and well before the genre's recent resurgence. The Geeks Were Right is from their eighth studio offering, Fasciinatiion.

Who's To Blame?

A nifty little website named for a catastrophic chest of myth.

Why ♥ It?

The intro of this song kind of leads you to believe it could be a poor man's Helicopter; boasting a catchy lead guitar riff that's heavy on treble playing over a run of the mill backing sound. That alone would make it worth a listen.

However, as soon as the guitar cuts and the verse hits, there are some tasty subtleties that are easy to miss. The drums have different fills to introduce a number of bars which are never complex, but are rewarding to follow. The fuzzy bass of the song seems to play the same note over and over, and the difference could go unnoticed. With a specific attention, though, it turns out the ultra-fuzzy effect just hides the constant clever changing of the bass sounds. Lyrically, the song follows this processed futuresound, and talks about robots and plastic islands and it's just generally wacky. Then, once all this begins to set in, the Helicopter-esque guitar from the intro returns and doubles as a chorus.

So, with that said, you can take what you want from this song. I've made it clear that this would gel in a playlist with Bloc Party, but if you wanted to slip it alongside Mr. Roboto, you'd be well served.

081011

What's It Called?

Broken Bells - Citizen

What's The Story?

Broken Bells are a duo formed by the producer Danger Mouse & by James Mercer, best known for his work with The Shins. Citizen is from their self-titled debut album.

Who's To Blame?

A recently departed roommate.

(...Not dearly departed. He just moved out.)

Why ♥ It?

If it's raining, if work sucks, if your significant other's a jerk, if your significant other fails to exist; right from the heartwrenching intro chords to the entrance of the dark lyric This is a day / without a trace of reason, this song resonates with hurt. Fans of The Shins would expect no less from James Mercer. And, in Shin-like fashion, the chorus manages to pick up the tempo without really consoling the listener. Great, unified mood music from start to 3:07.

I neglect to say start to end, because the reason this song first caught my ear is the outro. After playing what could be any sad song, Broken Bells turn the last minute and a half of this track into something memorable. It starts with just the main progression on guitar and a drumbeat, and adds a droning hum. This continues, and other instruments (piano, bass, horns) are invited to add something to carry the sad tune out. It's almost like a funeral procession for the song, and could perhaps rival Exit Music (For A Film) for a feel-bad finish that you almost hate to love.

A Blogger's Lament

To be a blogger, whether it be a personal blog, a blog about something you love; whatever, is an experience. A blogger pours somewhere between a few minutes and a few hours of themselves into a piece hoping that it might reach people. It's a wonderful thing; you've got an end product, and whether ten people or ten thousand people read what you've written, you've made some sort of ripple in the water that is the world around you.

...Well, that's the dramatic and picturesque version.

The reality is that everyone and their brother has three blogs and follows three hundred others. The reckless abandon of putting a piece of yourself out into the world turns into reckless abandonment once you realize that next-to-nobody read it or cared.

I have to admit that, as of 101810, that was why I finally gave up; the enjoyment I was getting out of blogging wasn't worth the time input to me. I left this blog as a tab on my web browser's link bar, and it acted as an occasional sad reminder of something I enjoyed, but not that much.

That is, until recently, when a friend asked me out of the blue what happened to my blog. She wasn't the first to ask, but it was the length of time that her memory persisted that caught me off guard. Others have mentioned it as an aside when talking about blogging, but in this instance, it was an out of the blue "why don't you do it anymore?" The reason that I'd quit back then just wasn't a good enough answer to that question.

So, back to the ten-or-ten-thousand measure at the start of this post; I find myself re-energized to write for whatever audience I merit. I came back and finished the long tagging-my-backlog-of-posts process that I started and that probably helped drive me away from the blog in the first place, and I've experienced music more frequently and personally this summer than at any other time in my life. I can't promise that I'm here to stay, but I do feel compelled to give it another go.

Stay tuned!