The Physical Hearts--River Song

This song is sleepier than the songs I make a habit of regularly listening to. I choose to classify it as "psychedelic folk." But don't let that mislead you into assuming it's simply "hippie music" requiring one to be in a purple haze to appreciate it.

This song, and the singer behind it, bring equal parts of calming force and raw passion. It's beautiful to experience. There is a nearly hollow airy quality to Nathaniel Talbot's voice, as if his throat is a flute. I really appreciate the clarity of his tones, and the sincerity behind his delivery. I have it on decent authority that Nathaniel Talbot is part of multiple groups from different genres, including Sleepy Bell, which is also worth a checkout. The purity of his voice transcends a lot of genre lines.

I would say this is the perfect song to listen to driving westbound toward the Oregon Coast, or eastbound along The Gorge. For those unaware: those are two completely opposite directions! That just shows the versatility of this song. :-)

Chris Velan: Best of Me

From the get-go, the strains of this song possess something slightly reminiscent of Jack Johnson; in its ability to just get a grin on your face and make you say right off the bat "this song is going to make me feel good."

Chris Velan's voice has a puppy-like quality to it that says "I already love you, and I hope you'll just let my voice cuddle up beside you on your pillow." Whomever he may be offering a bedside serenade at night, or early dawn break, or mid afternoon is lucky indeed.

As far as the song goes, maybe it's the timing of having discovered this particular tune, but it struck me. In a way I needed to be touched. After so much self-doubt and conflicted emotion, I needed to hear someone else say boldly (but without desperation): "No I'm not fine, but I'm not broken. So go ahead, forget the rest of me. I love it when you get the best of me.""

The song expresses with lightheartedness, the sensation of taking love at it's scariest when you are at your most vulnerable... and surrendering to it all with a smile and a shrug.

Thank you, Chris, for creating this song.

DJ Shortee!

I was introduced to this chick's scratching about 3 years ago, and I don't really know why I have failed to post any of her videos on this blog. She is how I first learned just how complex scratching really is, and is one of several DJ's who first got me respecting what DJ's can do.

I know there are a lot of DJ's out there with solid scratching and beat juggling skills. But DJ Shortee has some extra showmanship to go along with those skills. For one, if you pay attention closely, she's completely ambidextrous with her juggling and scratching. I can't even eat or write with both hands. I give her "mad props" for it. In videos of her doing competitions and live shows, she very often will spin behind her back, do little turns and tricks with her body as she scratches, etc.

I know for some people it may not really seem like much more than making noise on a couple records. I used to be one of them. But just paying attention to the movement of her hands; the speed and intricacy (along with the delicacy) with which she executes the creation of every sound, makes the video worth watching.

It's beautiful music... for the eyes

This doesn't have anything to do with auditory music. BUT, looking at this guy's pictures is like music for my eyes. Some strains are so soft and lilting they border on ethereal, like a visual Claire de Lune. Others are bold and exciting, but mellowed slightly, like the a twilight bossa nova. And there are even those images that conjure sounds of offbeat jazz in my mind's ear.

That's the best way I can describe it. I find this guy's pictures so breathtaking, I just had to share them with my lovely readers. I hope you enjoy them. :-) Next time I'm stressed out, I know whose photos I'm escaping into...

http://pyro303.deviantart.com/gallery/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanandersonstudios/

Hatsune Miku

I asked myself if this was a gimmick cartoon screen performance, like those done by Gorillaz.

NOPE. See this link ----> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatsune_Miku

She's a synthesizer?! No wonder I didn't like her voice very much. It isn't REAL! This basically is another way in which the Japanese obsession with technology and unrealistically proportioned girls/women, and their superiority at creating both. She is a technological triumph, but she is not, a musical triumph.

I feel as though I should be impressed by their ability to create a synthesized voice program that has pulled in no doubt millions of fans. But... her voice isn't anything special. If they had been able to completely synthesize a voice as strong as Christina Aguilera's or Aretha Franklin's... THEN I would be raving a bit more. But Hatsune Miku's voice, unfortunately, sounds synthesized. Thus, she doesn't sound any better than any of the over-produced, voice-corrected, hyper-synthesized music that's being put out there by "real" artists.

I say this, acknowledging that her voice is technically sampled from Fujita Saki's. Which makes me curious as to whether Saki-chan's voice is capable of singing these songs sans-synthesizer, or if she is tone deaf and Miku-chan is her improved counterpart. No doubt, I will have to waste countless hours researching this.

At the very least, I found a video of a talk show she helps host. And I found her voice incredibly grating. This does not bode well for any theories I might have about her being a great singer without her voice undergoing great technological modification. :-/

This is barely a review of Mint Royale's "Singin' in the Rain"

So, my buddy Wes recommended this band. And I type them into youtube, and lo and behold, the title "Singin' in the Rain" pops up. Since that is my favorite movie of all time, I was prepared to either be very happy... or VERY angry that some band had the gall to tinker with that song. Here's the video put out by Mint Royale.

In the first 15 seconds, I shouted (internally... since there's no sense in waking up sleeping children), "I know this song!"

Indeed I do... because a young George Sampson WON Britain's Got Talent by dancing to it.

I have included that clip below.

George later did a more full length music video choreographed by someone else with tons of background dancers... which you can find on youtube as well. I chose the clip of him competing, however, because he's BRINGING it. He's fighting for the title of his dreams... and the passion in his limbs has forced his heart out of his chest right onto his sleeve... and in the final moments as he splashes to the floor, if you look carefully, you can see his blood, sweat, and tears mixing slowly into the rain. He isn't the most incredible dancer I've ever seen, but this is the best performance I ever saw him put out. And I've watched MANY of his videos subsequent to his winning B.G.T. But there is something breathtaking about anyone putting it all out there with every fiber of their being because they have everything to win and nothing left to lose.

Scissor Sisters: Invisible Light

Scissor Sisters has been recommended to me twice in the last week, but I refuse to review their most well known songs. Invisible Light was sent to me by a good friend of mine who is really into a variety of techno.

This song without the video would definitely get me dancing, but it doesn't get me high and leave me spent after pumping through my veins. It's a mild upper at best. Like Jolt Cola.

However, the video for this song was very well done, insofar as it thoroughly taps into the psychotropic potential of the song. The scene changes match the beat of the song, making it seem more frenzied than it manages to be all on its own.

Epic Metal Review, Part 4

The Devin Townsend Band - Hyperdrive (off the Addicted album, with Anneke Van Giesbergen on vocals)

I like her voice a lot. It's extremely clean in tone. I get the feeling she could be successful singing in a variety of genres.

The lyrics are so so. But the song itself is entertaining to listen to and the synthesized, techno-ish elements to it make it fun to get into. I don't feel tired of listening to it, like I do most metal (and techno for that matter), in which I feel like it's just an incessant driving explosive sound that isn't really going anywhere. This song has more dynamics, and I appreciate that.

Kalmah - Holy Symphony of War

I like the lead/solo guitarist on this. There's some decently tricky picking and syncopated rhythm work going on there.

The lead singer is terrible. His growling doesn't really scare me so much as make me want to give him Theraflu...and if it's possible to be "off pitch" while death growling, I think that's how I'd describe him. His voice is very inconsistent, without seeming versatile. Worst of both worlds. :( And the chorus line behind him isn't that great either.

"I sing, you sing, we all sing Holy Symphony War!" Really? I didn't hear any singing. A lot of loud talking, though.

Killswitch Engage: My Curse

I really enjoy the lead voice, but something about it makes him sound like Rick Astley doing metal. But not in a corny way. It's just the rounded, spoon-like quality of his voice and the way in which he projects it. It's hard to explain what I mean by spoon-like, but it's like his mouth and throat are a ladle, slowly and steadily pouring out the sound, rather than a trumpet, or a dynamite blast, etc. So there's something calming about the music, even if it's metal, and emotional, and frustrated.

I love the slow, wistful refrain at the beginning. There's something poetic in the music, simple as it is. And the sudden pick up in beat isn't awkward or explosively jolting like some metal I've heard. The transition between the two tempos is somewhat abrupt, but clean at the same time. Definitely not like every song out there. It seems to pull from classical and even jazz music that switches meter over and over throughout the song, making it more of a ride than just a listening experience.

This was a ride I'd go on again, for sure.

Bleeding Through: Anti-Hero & Love Lost in a Hale of Gunfire

I'm sorry, but literally nothing stuck out to me about this band, except for perhaps their showmanship in their videos. Which makes me think they'd be great showmen live. They are obviously passionate and high energy. Other redeeming qualities of this band include a good looking lead singer, and a chick on keyboard. But I didn't find them very musically unique.

Sorry, Bleeding Through, but to quote your song: "I've heard enough of you."

Volbeat: Sad Man's Tongue

I wasn't sure I was listening to the right song at first. But I was. This song makes me happy. It's extremely high energy without being deafening or exhausting. If you enjoy Johnny Cash's music, but like me, sometimes find it drags, this is the perfect cure for that. The lead singer's higher notes are alright, but his bass notes are gorgeous. And the accent makes it extra fun. I think this song's definitely worth a listen, even for those who aren't really into metal.

More Danish metal tributes to Johnny Cash are in order, I think. :-)

Phor the PHAT man ;)

Dark Tranquillity - Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive)

I am not the least bit intimidated by this. I suppose that's a good thing?

I'd be more impressed if the band members could instantly switch their faces between "skull" and yellow in real life.

I am slightly confused about why the singer is growling into a sink pipe.

Also, how are the guitars making sound without strings?

And how did the owner of these talented Legos ever get any sleep with them practicing this stuff in the toy box?

"Everybody Loves Duck Sauce"

Well, all you "Gleeks" out there, I'm sorry to say that the mall dance to Barbra Streisand doesn't begin to compare to the official music video for the song. The actual song doesn't begin to compare to the music video for the song.

For those who don't know, Duck Sauce is a collaboration between A-Trak and Armand Van Helden. Armand has put several tracks at #1 in the UK, and A-Trak has won a ridiculous number of DJ/turntablist competitions and titles.

Anyway, their big hit right now is Barbra Streisand. Personally, the first time I heard the song, it was just the track sans video, and I found it moderately to extremely annoying.

BUT, I have gained a new love for it. Why?

Because I watched the official music video, and saw the people who were involved in it. It made all the difference to see Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Pharrell, Kanye, DJ Premier, Chromeo (which makes sense since one of the members is A-Trak's older brother), Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend, Santigold, Biz Markie (well, sort of)...and even just the people on the street. This collaborative video takes a song that is borderline unbearable on its own, and makes it fun and dynamic and entertaining. Sometimes the difference between mediocrity and brilliance is WHO you allow to dip their toes in your song.

The other thing I love about this is that the members of Duck Sauce also play around with the song a second time. Not only is the scratching at 1:54-2:08 by Preem (DJ Premier) impressive, but the beat juggling by A-Trak himself at 2:42-2:56 makes it nearly impossible to keep your heart rate steady. Both moments of variation were WAY MORE AWESOME than the song just playing all by itself.

So watch this video. If for no other reason, then just because it's good fun.

Oh, and just for kicks, here's a Duck Sauce song recommended by my friend, that I actually like a lot more. Mostly because, as my friend mentioned, it'd be really fun to Hustle to. And no I don't mean scamming, I mean dancing.