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My vacation is ending soon.
And randomly, I wonder if my like for Dragonette is at all strange. Whatever. This song makes me warm and fuzzy. Yep.
Sometimes the sun shines on us - Sometimes the rain goes and a rainbow’s all that’s left - We got lucky, hey, didn’t we, baby?
‘Cause I like your head on my shoulder - I like the way you smile, the way you smile - We both think the weather’s getting better - So let’s get lucky, let’s go all the way
I found you seaside in the fog - I hadn’t tried a lot of looking for anything at all - The cloud cover of fog - All the hearts I'm gonna' love in the morning
The weatherman says it’s wet and cloudy - Stay indoors, sit out the storm - It looks like this might be a quickie - Hey handsome, we got it good - Hey mister, we gone and done it - Just because we could - Because it’s cloudy out there - Staying in like we should
Watching (indifferently?) as a random but well-dressed girl topples over in the subway, smashing her face.
Watching (indifferently?) as random people stand to help her, but really do nothing.
Watching (indifferently?) as the random but well-dressed girl gets of the subway, holding her face. Does she even know where she is?
It can always be worse.
Jesus Christ, that's a pretty face
The kind you'd find on someone that could save
If they don't put me away
It’ll be a miracle
Do you believe you're missing out?
That everything good is happening somewhere else
With nobody in your bed
The night is hard to get through
And I will die all alone
And when I arrive I won’t know anyone
Well, Jesus Christ, I’m alone again
So what did you do those three days you were dead?
Because this problem is gonna last
More than the weekend
Well, Jesus Christ I’m not scared to die
But I’m a little bit scared of what comes after
Do I get the gold chariot
Do I float through the ceiling
Do I divide and pull apart
Cause my bright is too slight to hold back all my dark
This ship went down in sight of land
And at the gates does Thomas ask to see my hands?
I know you're coming in the night like a thief
But I’ve had some time alone to hone my lying technique
I know you think that I’m someone you can trust
But I’m scared I’ll get scared and I swear I’ll try to nail you back up
(everyone now)
So do you think that we could work out a sign
So I’ll know it's you and that it's over so I won't even try
I know you're coming for the people like me
But we all got wood and nails
tongue tied in hate factories
We all got wood and nails
tongue tied in hate factories
We all got wood and nails
And we sleep inside of this machine
eat my dust...
too much white wine, bonding over kidneys, cold rice krispies, clogged vacuums, not enough orange juice, the joy of catherine wheel, bar (exams), burning, brilliant yellow roses, praising the kelly, the perfect lighting, free beer, lists and tables and lists.
...you insensitive fuck.
... is what I have been doing in regards to this blog. It has been neglected due to time consuming exams, licensing courses and a move. The good news is that now I am in a hub of activity, a mecca of entertainment and in a location where art and culture is born.*
I say that Toronto is more exciting than Ottawa but that isn't without exception. In addition to participating in other silly tourist activities, I saw Feist (and Shaye and the Cowboy Junkies and others) on Parliament Hill on Canada Day.
Feist is exploding.
I was first introduced to Feist with the release of her album "The Reminder." I fell in love (and I don't do that easily).
The beauty with Feist is that she has achieved mainstream notoriety with a very non-mainstream sound (dare I say it is still fairly "indie"?) Her single "My Moon My Man" has been a regular feature on Much Music's Video Flow and both the video and the sound of the song is very much like "Mushaboom" from "Let It Die" (2004) (which was only recognized in certain crowds). Her Ottawa concert date sold out and she closed the Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill. I don't know if such things are qualities of "mainstream" and "top-40" artists but I bet it helps. And if you still don't believe me, take a look at the records sales.
I recognize that her sound isn't for everyone but her vocal ability, however, is worth noting. And the music is clever. What more could one want?
But do all artists want such success? I would imagine they do. Even if it isn't good for them. (see the story of the late Michael Hutchence from INXS for an example). Is there ever a happy medium? I may have to search for an example.
I have nothing but time.
There's nowhere to go but on Heart on my sleeve Not where it should be The song's out of key again
*I admit that this sentence may be a bit of an exaggeration.
This past weekend my interest in Feist was confirmed. I am always pleased when the second listen to an album is just as good, if not better, than the first.
On a downloading rampage I went back to Monarch (1999).
I like my covers to be heavy So I don't get cold when I sleep My love affairs always seem unsteady And I never go half-way when I weep Take me anywhere With you Take me in your care With you Take me anywhere With you Take me anywhere With you I'm still true
My brain has exploded and I’ve really only just started. Can I just sign a waiver promising that I will never practice tax and security law? If I could that would really make my day. No. It would make my month.
In a moment of complete submission I resorted to Much Music. Video Flow always makes me feel better. To my pleasant surprise Video on Trial was on. I love this show. Six videos (or is it five?) are played and different Canadian comedians make comments on the singing/acting/costumes (or lack thereof)/etc. The whole product is just enjoyable. It also helps that I happen to agree with most of what is said. (On a random side note it also reminded me of yet another reason I can’t wait to return to Toronto.)
This brings me to Beyonce and Shakira. “Beautiful Liar” was played frequently in both Spain and Italy* amidst pop music that just made no sense to me. I can’t stop singing it. God help those around me if I ever hear it when I am in one of those dancing places….
Yo se cosas que tu, nunca querres saber.
Another one of my guilty pleasures? You have no idea. The Video on Trial people liked it, though. They never like anything.
*Wikipedia tells me that in Italy, the song debuted at number one making it the first #1 single for Beyoncè and the third #1 for Shakira.
Everyone who reads this or who even remotely knows me at all knows that I believe lyrics are just as important as phrases/harmony/musicality.
Most people also know that I really enjoy System of a Down.
What some people don't know is that I enjoy this band with a caveat. I DO NOT like it when they are political or when they try to make any sort of policy statement.
System of a Down became obviously political with Boom! from Steal this Album.
Boom, boom, boom, boom,
Every time you drop the bomb,
You kill the God your child has born.
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
It was around the time of the very political invasion of Iraq and the band began to use their media influence to share their views. The video depicts the unmistakable cartoon of Georgie.
I want to make it clear that I don't always hate it when artists use their work to express their political views. Chopin's Revolutionary Etude is all about his displeasure with Russia's invasion of Poland and that score is probably one of my favourites from the era. The difference is in how the artist structures the work to get the point across without being condescending or forceful. Now, before I am told that Chopin's compositions did not include lyrics I will simply state that his frustration with the political issue was demonstrated in cascading scales with determined chordal progressions. The product succinctly depicts emotions of anger, pride, sadness and frustration. It's the same thing.
The most important factor in being a successful artist, in my humble opinion (especially in mainstream art), is to guide the listener/viewer to naturally draw the exact conclusion you want or an acceptable variation thereof. When finished listening to Chopin's Revolutionary Etude I feel how Chopin intended me to feel. System of a Down just pisses me off.
Violent Pornography from Mezmerize is even more to the point.
It's a violent pornography
Chocking chicks and sodomy
The kinda shit that's on your TV
Now, I'm not a fan of this type of thing but I also know that it's not readily available on my tv. I'd have to look for it and I can guarantee you that it won't be on today's youporn listing.
I want clever lyrics. I want lyrics that don't spoon feed me. I can think. I can conclude. I think political opinions and social issues are much more complicated than the way they are expressed by System of a Down in a three minute song that spends most of its time repeating said lyrics. Sure, System of a Down may be exposing naive listeners to issues that would otherwise not be considered but I highly doubt that they are guiding the listeners to think for themselves.
I much prefer it when political issues are a secondary theme to music. System of a Down needs to stop thinking they are being clever and stick to their material from their pre-mainstream days.
And just for that, I am removing the song from my daily play list.
Apparently I have been incredibly disadvantaged because I didn't know about Pink Floyd's, The Wall. I have been told that they made the album into a Rock Opera.
Does anyone know where I can get a copy of the video/dvd (if there is one)?
Hmph.
There are not many things I hate. Sure, I dislike stuff. I even am indifferent to stuff. Rarely, will I say I hate it.
My one exception is Bach. Yes. I HATE, Johann Sebastian Bach. I could go on for quite some time explaining how Bach's Preludes and Fugues made me wish I was doing my calculus homework instead of getting my 4th finger of my left hand to successfully carry the melody of the recurring phrases. (It's hard! The 4th finger, no matter how muscled, will always be weaker than the other fingers). I also take unreasonable issue with taking marks away from me during my Harmony III and IV exams (which involved writing scores of music with just paper and a pencil and no other way to test your brilliance) because I just happened to break the same rules that Bach broke when he was doing his four part harmonies. (You see, the rules of classical harmony come from Bach's work ... namely his Preludes and Fugues. He was mostly consistent with what he did but occasionally he would "break a rule" for a moment of dissonance or something different.) It's possible that my level of hate does not quite come through in this post. Trust me ... it's there. In fact, take a look at this to get a better appreciation for my position. This guy had me in stitches.
I just spent the last 10 minutes salivating over a myspace video of Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails (Trent) performing together at a concert. Nevermind that. Even I agree my fascination with the image of Marilyn Manson is strange.
Trent Reznor is a creative genius. I am still deciding if I enjoy his pre-sober/clean creativity more than his buff/muscled creativity but either way...
So the point of this is to say that Nine Inch Nails is releasing "Year Zero" in September 2007. There was a leak and all signs point to it being planned. A shiny silver flash key was found in a not so shiny public washroom. The occupant of the washroom took it home to see what was on it. The "Violent Heart" began to play. After the song was finished there was about 5 minutes of static.
Spectrographic imagery. The static, using certain visualization plugins (such as iTunes), displays a hand dropping down and plucking out a heart. It's violent, all right.
Nine Inch nails is not the first to do this. Aphex Twin did the same thing long ago. The difference is that it is easier for the public to experience the creativity. Media is at our fingertips.
And just like that music takes on a new form.
 I've been listening to a lot of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club lately. Different music for different days.
I never thought I'd see it comin' I never thought I'd ever know Nothin' seems to take me over Nothin' seems to let me go.
I also keep looking over to my flowers. So simple and so pretty and I wonder why they are so appreciated (and I'm not convinced that it is just a "chick" thing).
It's nice to know that you're appreciated, wanted, liked, loved. It's nice to know that someone is thinking about you.
But I know that you're so confused and afraid I just want to be one true thing that don't fade I don't wanna give up tomorrow.
And really - what is wrong with that?
So I'll wrap myself in my music ... dream away the next few days ... except my world ... and move on. It's what I do best, you know.
I own the Fergie album, the Gwen Stafani albums and the Justin Timberlake albums (among others, of course). Music critics sometimes argue that the compilations lack integrity but music lovers disagree. A lot can be said for a well produced album and it's top 40 to a new extreme.
I think the main reason I listen to this music is because I enjoy experiencing the progression of the album. It's unique (to a certain extent), it's easy to listen to but most importantly, it's fun. Music should not always be about assessing how complicated the harmony is or if the beats are true to its proclaimed style. If you like it - you like it. No explanation required.
So this leads me to the Grammy Awards. The usual suspects were nominated and I'm not really surprised with the results. Justin Timberlake walked away with a couple, as did the Dixie Chicks (I'm a big fan of "I'm Not Ready To Make Nice.") I found it refreshing that most of the awards were not only part of the top 40 and recognizable but that they also met whatever technical standard these awards rely on.
What I don't understand, however, is the award for Best Rap Song (which is a song writer's award). "Money Maker" by Ludacris Featuring Pharrell won. Huh? Is this an example of what's popular winning as opposed to quality? If so, it would not explain Wolfmother beating not only System of a Down but also Nine Inch Nails in the Best Hard Rock Performance category. Perhaps, instead it's an example of the top 40 also actually being quality music.
I am not particularly fond of Ludacris or Pharrell (although I would take the later over the former if forced to choose) but I am happy to see that some legitimacy has been given to my age old argument that sometimes top 40 isn't crap.
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