SotD: "Limelight" by Rush

In celebration of Geddy Lee's birthday (55!), the song of the day goes Canadian. Today's song is Limelight. I had a hard time choosing which song to select, but essentially this wins for being the first official video to pop up that wasn't on the latest album.

I saw these guys live as a graduation present to myself. It was one of the best concerts of my life. Arena shows aren't my favorite (I'm lame and like those "intimate evenings".), but this was so, so rad. This girl I went to school with hadn't heard of Rush? How is that possible?!

Oh well, enjoy the song.

SotD: "Angle Dance" by Plane Geometry

So my brother walked into my room and said something along the lines of, "You want to know of the best electronic artist ever? Better than Depeche Mode, better than Pet Shop Boys? Search in YouTube for "Square One Angle Dance" So I did, and I was gobsmacked by a huge slice of my childhood! I remember having this thought last year, but Bill Nye the Science guy kind of stole their idea for music videos from Square One.

Whatever, have some links:
Square One Television on Wikipedia
Bill Nye music videos on YouTube

Happy watching! Might I recommend a little Momentissey?

SotD: "Enjoy the Silence" OR "Stripped" by Depeche Mode

So, today's song of the day is a tossup.

Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence What I think is my favorite song ever. From 1990's Violator, one of the most highly-rated Depeche Mode albums out there.

OR

Depeche Mode - Stripped The contender for my favorite song ever. From 1986's Black Celebration, which is a very kickass album. Notable for having the songs "Question of Time" and "Question of Lust".

If the competition was decided by which has the better video, Stripped would win, but barely, because it's a bit WTF.

The Slants

This would have been a concert review if I had been able to make my way to Boise last night, but alas, no. Instead I can only give you a bunch of links and opinions on what appears on their myspace. The Slants are a Portland based band heavily inspired by 80s synthpop/dance music. One can hear the New Order influences and the vocal sounds a bit like Depeche Mode, if David Gahan was an American. They also sound a bit like New Wave contemporaries The Faint. Their angle is that they are all Asian-Americans (but one!) and in an interview I read, they were used to being the token Asian in their respective bands. So they joined up and called themselves The Slants in an acknowledgment of their cultural identity.

I guess the best thing I can say is that I am buying their CD at cdbaby.com. Their music is fun and would any song would be a great addition to a party mix.

Links:
The Slants official website
The Slants on MySpace
The Slants on CD Baby where you can buy their album Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts.

SotD: "Take on Me" by A-ha

A-ha - Take On Me

I remember seeing a snippet of video for this song on commercials for compilation albums while I was waiting for Bewitched to come back on. I remember being weirded out by the imagery without knowing what the hell it was that I was seeing. Other cool fact, this was the number one song in the US on the day of my birth.

So let's have a bit of discussion about the single. Nobody buys them anymore. They used to be the staple of the record store, mostly because they were priced to sell and they came with good music. Well, the single has been suffering for ages. It doesn't really matter why, but let's think about it for a minute. Here is something I learned while I was doing research for my senior paper for history: the Beatles and other artists helped make the album an art form in itself, rather than a collection of songs. First off, the Beatles, along with the Beach Boys and Frank Zappa helped create the concept album. See Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This helped push the sale of albums, since they were meant to be consumed as a whole. An early blow for singles!

Now let's fast forward to when I was a kid looking at the music selection at ShopKo. Singles just didn't seem cost-effective to me. Why buy one disc that was manufactured cheaply with five songs on it when I can spend a few dollars more for a dozen songs on a disc that was manufactured cheaply. It doesn't really make sense. Nowadays with the iTunes Store and all that you can pick and choose which songs to download for $.99 a pop. And that's when looking at albums. No one gives a second thought to the single anymore. And that's kind of a shame.

I've been reading Morrissey: The Albums by Johnny Rogan. It's an examination of all the albums released by Morrissey throughout his entire career, with the Smiths and as a solo artist. This is an intense examination of the lyrics and music by Morrissey and his collaborators. It got me thinking about the B-sides because Rogan frequently compares what appears on the album to what didn't. I also own Morrissey: The Singles '88-'91, an attractive 10-disc set that was released just a few years ago. It really got me thinking about the B-side and what the death of the single means for music consumers.

I'm a completist, even as I don't own many singles. I think the only singles I own are by Morrissey and Depeche Mode. But, they are valuable parts of my music collection. So, the moral at the end of the day? I think the death of the single is imminent as it loses its relevance in today's market. The single is easily forgettable, but it's such a pleasant surprise to rediscover it, especially when it comes to your favorite artists.

A bit of housecleaning

I haven't listened to the new Beck album, ack. How disappointing.

Everyone's already talked about it, but yes, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. AWESOME. All three acts are up for free viewing right now and it lasts for a week, according to wikipedia. There is some great music in this, I have to say. And can anyone say no to Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day. Guys, I totally had a crush on Doogie Howser! And now the world will have crushes too! Up for downloading at the itunes store. There will eventually be a DVD with commentary featuring brand new songs in a section called Commentary! The Musical. (source still wikipedia). Cool beans.

In personal news, I both recently found a picture of me with Jimmy Urine's autograph on my person and found out they'll be back in Boise in September. Also, I'm looking forward to catching both the Faint and Amadan in Boise in the next fortnight. Exciting!

In Boz Boorer news, he's coming out with a new album in September and it'll feature some Adam Ant music that was going to be on Save the Gorilla. Yay, Adam and Boz! Boz Boorer also worked with Adam Ant on 1995's Wonderful, co-writing most of the songs. I have mad respect for Boz Boorer because he is really a hard worker. I'm itching to interview him someday.

Lastly, the music video for Robots in Disguise's "The Tears" is one of the best things I've seen lately. The video was somehow leaked on their site early and so they have been trying to get it removed from all over the internet. I have to say too late to that. They wanted all uploaded graphics, avatars/icons and screencaps, taken down, but that is near impossible as those are easily spread. Also, a copy was put on megaupload. That baby is effectively leaked. Also, Noel Fielding is incredible in this video. I have no idea when the official release date is, so I will be respecting the ban in the meantime. Awww, I'm tricksy.

Blog Info

I am well aware that I haven't had any content in the past couple days. Too bad so sad. In the name of having some content, I'll repost my old wizard rock (wrock) article from ages ago. First appeared in The Coyote

Yes, Virginia, people write music about Harry Potter. The music they create is called Wizard Rock and the way it is spread is through the internet. (http://groups.myspace.com/wizardrock) [Note: Is this link still live? I'm not too fussed to check it out.]

I'm not sure when I first heard of Harry and the Potters, but I found them and heard them on Myspace.com, you know, the third most visited website. [Note: Is that a true statistic anymore?] HatP are the creators of Wizard Rock and many have followed in their legendary footsteps to write in the voice of J.K. Rowling's wizards, witches, house elves, and whomping willow. I've listened to hours of music and I'm here to give you a quick glance at a few of the bands along with the words of a couple of musicians I've interviewed.

Harry and the Potters The original band had to be about Harry Potter, duh. The music is happy, fast, and catchy. The vocals are passable and I love anything with keyboards. Every song makes me laugh. I enjoy them because the allusions arent always so obvious, such as with the song title "The Human Hosepipe". Sample lyric: I'd rather not talk about your dead ex-boyfriends over coffee," from "The Human Hosepipe."

Draco and the Malfoys These lyrics are written in the voice of Harry Potter's nemesis. I do so love when the songwriter sets up a line that rhymes by ending in ass, but they switch it for another word; in the case of "Potions Yesterday" the word is bum. They sound much like Harry and the Potters, simple pop/rock. Sample lyric:" We were teamed up in dueling class. No one else believed that I would knock you on your bum/ Except for Snape, except for Snape", from "Potions Yesterday".

Ron and the Weasleys Again with the odd name grammar! Ron and the Weasleys feature really simple songs with guitar and voice and little else. The songs have a very cute sound, endearing them to listeners. Sample lyric: "Why'd we have to go and follow the spiders? Couldn't it have been follow the butterflies instead?" from "Why'd We Have to Follow the Spiders?"

The Dark Markers [Note: this guy, James, took the page for The Dark Markers down. Many wept.] Mind you, these are not very good or complex songs, but this band is easily my favorite simply because the songs James Bousfield writes are hysterical. Part of the humor of The Dark Markers is that he sings in a foreboding tone laid over simple keyboard music. Bousfield also enjoys more flexibility with his songs because he sings in the voice of any dark wizard. Sample lyric: "My name is Lucius Malfoy. Does my hair look gay?" from "Here in Azkaban."

The Hermione Crookshanks Experience Hermione is all about the singer/songwriter, indie sound. She comes up with awesome rhymes and clever lyrics. Kristine Thune started The Hermione Crookshanks Experience because of a love of the books and an admiration for Harry and the Potters. "I think one of my main reasons for 'joining the movement' is that there weren't any female wizard rockers. So, instead of waiting for someone else to do it, I picked my favorite character and started writing songs," Kristine said in an interview. There's an added benefit for writing as a character: "I actually think it's easier to sing songs written in Hermione's voice than it is to sing songs written in my voice. Music is a revealing medium, where artists bare their soul for an audience." Sample lyric: "You're the greatest seeker in the world, shouldn't be hard to find a girl," from "Krum's Song".

The Remus Lupins I know that some of you folks reacted with a "Why?" when you first read about Wizard Rock, so I asked Alex Carpenter of The Remus Lupins that very same question. "There is so much going on [in the Harry Potter series], I wanted to delve into that and explore it a little bit. Plus, it's fun," Alex replied. Both Kristine and Alex told me that they relate to the characters they've chosen and see a bit of themselves in Hermione and Lupin, respectively. Alex is easily the most friendly wizard rocker with personalized comments on myspace profiles for new friends. The Remus Lupins sound is acoustic and indie and his lyrics are playful. The sound is definitely not over-styled. Alex is one of my faves. Sample lyric: "Percy Weasley, you're a prick/no one wants you around, you stupid git," from "Burn Your Prefect Badge."

The Whomping Willows Oh yes sirree, the Whomping Willow sings. (So does the giant squid in the Hogwarts lake.) Wizard Rock goes undeniably weird with songs like "Whore for Dumbledore" and "Crawl Through My Treehole", which has an oddly sexy tone that creeped me out at first. Sample lyric: "Crawl through my treehole, baby. You've got me going crazy. Fulfill my nightmare, baby, as I reach into your soul", from "Crawl Through My Treehole"

Dobby and the House Elves The sound of this band is primarily dance and electronica, but there is a song ("The Knight Bus") that consists of rap-like lyrics over a disco beat. The Knight Bus is also educational because I learned the names of many wizard rock bands I didn't know existed during the shout-outs. Sample lyric: "Stan is the man that'll give ya a ticket. Ernie's behind the wheel, can you dig it!" from "The Knight Bus."

What's the appeal of Wizard Rock for listeners? One of my guinea pigs noted that, "It makes you think about the books and then you go, 'awwwww.'" Besides, looking up Wizard Rock bands is a fun procrastination idea. As if you needed any more.

---

In other news, I think that blogs are more fun when there are multiple contributors, so my sister Rachel and my brother Chris have agreed to guest every now and again.

Video post

This video had my sister and I cracking up. OMG, BABIES.

Alan: "Dammit, I hate it when my baby shipment is late."

Dm Baby Sitting Services never did go solvent.

Ah lookit, that baby's pulling on Martin's hair!

I was saying earlier today that I need to find an Alan Wilder fan site, but I don't feel like searching.

I always do this.

I get a new album and it takes me six months to really get into it. This is practically the rule with me. I'm only three months off this time - right now, I'm getting into Last Night, the latest offering from Moby. I have been a Moby fan ever since I heard "Drop a Beat" and "Next Is the E" off his self-titled album while I watched my brother play computer games. From there, I fell in love with Everything is Wrong. "Feeling So Real" was my favorite for many years but now it's "Everytime You Touch Me". "Cool Blue Hive" made its way onto many soundtracks, including Scream. This and his breakout album Play saddled him with the techno/electronica label - and we all heard "Porcelain" way too many times. He soon followed it up with much of the same with 18. But one has to look to the albums Animal Rights and Hotel (Disc 1 only; Disc 2 is ambient stuff) to know that Moby knows how to rock.

With Last Night he returns to a techno, dance sound with palpable touches of disco, notable on "Disco Lies" (duh!). I still don't know that much about Last Night but I can say that it's slick and feels good to listen to. It's a bit reminiscent of his self-titled album, and that's okay. This album is a love letter to the 1980s club scene. Even though I didn't live it, I still wish I could be transported to a different time and place so I could dance the night away.

Random Artist Plug: ABC

Now admittedly I don't know much about ABC other than a few of their songs. But they win for having one of the best album titles How To Be A...Zillionaire! (1985). From that album they have an awesome song called "Be Near Me". This song is catchy as hell and the video is amazing. My brother, sister and I caught in on VH1 Classic one day and we were enthralled by its simple beats and oversized instruments.

Now I think their most popular song was "The Look of Love" from The Lexicon of Love (1982). What some people may not know is that Lexicon is a concept album (according to wikipedia, anyway) about the singer's heartbreak as he tries to have a successful romantic relationship. Poor Martin Fry.

Next up: a review of a local artist from Nampa.

ETA: I heard David Bowie's "Stay" (You know, from Station to Station. You know, Thin White Duke era Bowie.) at the bank today and I was pleasantly surprised. I don't know what sort of music setup they have, probably satellite radio. Whatever forces conspired to allow this to happen, it made me very happy. It literally made my day. I sent a text to my sister telling her "I heard Stay at the bank!" Turns out she thought I meant Oingo Boingo's "Stay" which would be just as surprising to hear at the bank, if not more.

I'm trying to keep this relatively regularly updated. So what do I have to discuss this day? I don't know. Let's talk about my huuuuuuge new found obsession with Depeche Mode. So I've always loved "Enjoy the Silence". I remember hearing this both on the radio and my brother had a .mp3. I would request it all the time. I have this clear memory of getting a ride to school from my mom and hearing it come on the radio. I bounced in the backseat. That makes me sound weird. I know.

So it took me more than 22 years, but I decided that "Enjoy the Silence" is my favorite song. This was practically a revelation for me. So now I want to do some sort of reading on the subject, so naturally I go to the library website. NOTHING. And then I find that my local public library is not listed on Worldcat. I did an Amazon search. HOLY COW PRICES. I so seriously get sad because books are hella expensive.

This is what I get for wanting to read about stuff.

First post

This is the requisite first post. There has to be a first before there can be anything else. This can be a Declaration of Principles, if you will. Except I'm not Charles Foster Kane, nor do I own a crappy newspaper. I'm just someone who loves music and I want to make a career out of loving music. My goal in life is to be a music journalist researching all the damn time and listening and writing. This is step one. I guess I can start by telling you what's on the back burner. This is a long-term project. I plan on writing a book about Morrissey's band members. Starting from the era of the Lads, circa 1992 in the Your Arsenal period. The first step was creating a sort of rapport with Spencer Cobrin when I interviewed him via myspace.com last summer for my college newspaper. Short digression: This was my second piece of music journalism. The first being a short article about wizard rock that I wrote my sophomore year.

This blog is about music. It can be music news, essays that touch on artists I like for personal reasons, album reviews, live concert reviews, and much, much more! (If you call in the next 30 minutes, your order will be doubled!)