100211

What's It Called?

Simian Mobile Disco (feat. Beth Ditto) - Cruel Intentions

What's The Story?

Simian Mobile Disco come from the same school of electronic artists as Justice & Daft Punk. They're a duo, with the more noteworthy of the two being James Ford, a producer who's worked with Arctic Monkeys & Florence + The Machine, among others. Cruel Intentions is from their most recent, 2009's Temporary Pleasure.

Who's To Blame?

According to Anderson Cooper, a hub for illicit pictures of kids on the internet.

Why ♥ It?

Cruel Intentions is great movin' mood music that's powerful despite being quiet.

Picture the opening scene of a film. In this opening scene, a montage of shots of a nightclub are displayed. It's not a particularly wild nightclub, but everyone is dressed well, and it's a nice spot. Lots of colored lights that don't strobe, but gently alter color and intensity. This is the tune that's playing in the background during that montage.

100111

What's It Called?

Porcupine Tree - The Creator Has A Mastertape

What's The Story?

Porcupine Tree are probably the Radiohead of progressive rock: immaculately constructed tunes that sound like emotional damage. The Creator Has A Mastertape is a lesser known track from a better known album, In Absentia.

Who's To Blame?

A designer from Holland who married a different kind of designer from Hong Kong.

Why ♥ It?

Porcupine Tree tends towards heartbreak rather than happiness. This song is upbeat and frequently sounds industrial (think Ministry), but still keeps to the essential brooding Porcupine Tree style.

Like 40% of the songs I post here (at least), the bass line in this song is one of the prime draws. Nothing complex, just constant & driving. The vocals are delivered without emotion by design, and sound like dystopia. The guitar features odd sounds and dissonant chords in otherwise quiet atmospheres and during thrash-friendly rock out sections.

The dynamic is admirable as well: the verses feature the aforementioned brooding vocals, driving bass and bizarre guitar, and this gets more chaotic in the prechorus before the full on headbanger emerges with no vocals, the same (now overshadowed) bass line, and the Ministry-sound I talked about.

Don't mind the prog rock label; if catharsis rock was a thing, I'd file it there. It's worth hearing, especially if you feel like breaking stuff.

093011

What's It Called?

The Bird & The Bee - Love Letter To Japan

What's The Story?

The Bird & The Bee are an indie synthpop-ish duo from Los Angeles. They're perhaps best known for their Hall & Oates cover album. This tune comes from the album that precedes that one, 2008's Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future.

Who's To Blame?

A girl I met while peeling potatoes.

Why ♥ It?

There is so much going on in this tune. It sounds like a blur of neon lights at night while in a moving car. Perhaps it's the song's title that conjures that image, but the music definitely helps the mood; especially during the whoa-whoa parts, its upbeat nature just sounds like movement feels.

The song is also really cute-sy in the way that we stereotype Japanese culture. There's a really high-pitched bell sound to introduce the track that is persistent throughout. The drums are processed and electronic, and there are plenty of high dinging sort of sounds. Inara George's voice is candy sweet, and she's singing about love as an ideal, which goes well with this adorable song.

Love Letter To Japan is perhaps a strange indie pop offering at first blush, but this surface oddity doesn't keep it from being easy to love.

092911

What's It Called?

Girl Talk - Oh No

What's The Story?

Girl Talk is the stage name of Gregg Gillis, who (I love this) famously gave up on his degree/work in biomedical engineering to work fulltime on his music mashups. His latest album, All Day, contains hundreds of samples from just about every genre you can imagine. Oh No is the first track on that album, although the whole thing really plays like a mixtape.

Who's To Blame?

A Nova Scotian who looks a little like Girl Talk, and conversely, looks very unlikely to listen to (let alone enjoy) Girl Talk.

Why ♥ It?

Perfect example of the genre blurring you'll catch here: Oh No gets its name from a verse in Ludacris' Move Bitch, and is paired with Black Sabbath's War Pigs for the intro to the track. Hearing Luda rap over that ever-famous power-chord part from when War Pigs' tempo picks up is sheer novelty, but doesn't lose its lustre like some novelty tends to.

From there, through a convoluted sample segue, Dorrough's Ice Cream Paint Job is on display alongside The Brothers' Johnson's Strawberry Letter 23, which is a sick beat that really brings the rap to life. I didn't know either track prior to this mashup, but they're both solid library additions.

Finally, nearing the end, The Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop is used both musically and lyrically: they have the vocals over Slick Rick's La Di Da Di, and then swap to the upbeat guitar paired with Missy Elliott's Get Your Freak On.

The above is by no means an exhaustive list of samples used, but they're the main and memorable ones in the track, and All Day continues with more of the same for an hour or so. If you like mashups, novelty, and hearing either familiar tunes in a new light, or new tunes in a compressed format, Girl Talk is perfect. It's great party music too; even the heaviest ADD will be satisfied.

092811

What's It Called?

Neon Trees - Animal

What's The Story?

This tune was in a tourism commercial for Vegas last week, and when asked if I knew it, I insisted that it was Two Door Cinema Club for like five minutes before I got contrary enough to jfgi. Neon Trees are a four piece from Utah, and Animal was the lead single from their first & only album to date, Habits.

Who's To Blame?

His beard is probably what a playoff beard would've looked like on an Oilers fan in the 80s.

Why ♥ It?

As stated above, despite its radio appeal and generally maligned teen/young adult audience, Animal is a tune that could easily be by a band your hipster friend was telling you about last week. Neon Trees nail the genre rudiments of singable chorus and a clean vocal line, laid over some power chords and a happy, upbeat chord progression.

But don't think that it's entirely boring.

Having the bass guitar turned up to 11 or so can always give a track an added voice, and this is true of Animal as well. See also from 1:25 until the second chorus for a great quirk in the vocals. For a song called Animal, it mostly wears kitten mittens, but at this point the vocals have a sandpaper moment that'll make you feel better about listening to such a pseudo teeny-bopper song.

You know that 14-year old cousin you have with the jet-black dyed hair, skinny jeans and goofy superfluous glasses? They like this song, but so will you.

092711

What's It Called?

Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing

What's The Story?

Dire Straits are a fixture on classic rock radio, best known for their hit Money For Nothing, which, alongside being one of the biggest hits of the 80s, caused a stir in Newfoundland (& later, Canada) due to its use of the word "faggot". On the other hand, Sultans of Swing is the song that launched their career while touring with the Talking Heads in the late 70s; it's from their eponymous first album.

Who's To Blame?

The only stonecutter I deal with on a daily basis.

Why ♥ It?

I don't need to explain why this is a great song, but I noticed while listening to it this morning that my favorite part far & away is actually the post-chorus. Most songs have their catchy hooks in the chorus; occasionally, in the pre-chorus, and sometimes even the verse. However, that lovable guitar lick comes most commonly and most prominently after the chorus they play so often. The structure was one that I took time to ponder, and realized I couldn't think of another song that had its best to offer immediately following the refrain. Blogosphere, what are some other songs where the most famous & catchiest part come after the chorus, but before the verse?

Oh, and if you haven't heard this song at all, listen to it right. now. (I probably should've said that first)

092611

What's It Called?

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Buster Voodoo

What's The Story?

These guys are nifty. A fella and a lady from Mexico who grew up loving heavy metal, they moved to Ireland and started a career in flamenco guitar. The album this tune comes from, 11:11 features 11 songs, each inspired by a different rock/metal artist. This one's for Hendrix.

Who's To Blame?

An old friend who's probably a hipster, but has the right attitude about it.

Why ♥ It?

Flamenco guitar in general is wonderful and flexible music. There aren't too many situations where it's inappropriate. What Rodrigo y Gabriela bring to the table is a style that, like both themselves and myself, grew up on the hard stuff.

Buster Voodoo features a wonderfully catchy rhythm refrain that's paired with a catchier lead, plenty of blinding & technical solos, and hand-slapping percussion on the guitars that makes you forget that there isn't actually a percussionist.

As long as you're okay with not having something to sing along to, this song is as good as it gets.