Spotify Me Part 13: Three Men in a Playlist

Spotify Me Part 13: Three Men in a Playlist

Mark’s Discover Weekly Playlist for the week of 11/23/2015

Thanksgiving is a weird holiday. It seems that as soon as Halloween is over people are gearing up for Christmas. In fact, with the rush everyone is in it’s an amazement that we even remember to celebrate Thanksgiving at all. But we manage it year after year, gathering around a table with either friends or family to enjoy each other’s company and a guilt free meal.

And although every holiday has music associated with it, Thanksgiving gets cut off from that privilege. See how I did that? See how I tied it all back to music? I’m pretty good at stuff like that. Anyway, there isn’t any thanksgiving music out there that people really know about, so here is some unrelated music that you can listen to instead.

The Mountain
Century Media Records and
Inside Out Music

Cockroach King – Haken

What starts out as a great deal of instrumental noise actually turns into an elaborate an complex arrangement of vocals with the accompaniment of hard electronic instrumentation. I was surprised when the vocals chimed in, as right up until that point; I had been lead to believe that this song would fall into the Metal category. But instead, the song moves through out various modes of instrumentation, sometimes filling the soundscape with loud guitars, and at other times sticking to a simple more empty a Capella. The complexity of the arrangement is impressive, and it needs to be if it’s going to hold my attention for the eight minutes that it demands. The alternation between instrumentation keeps the song new and interesting though out that long playtime, but the song never leaves the style that it starts out with. Even with such a long playtime, this song is still one I enjoy.

All That We Know
Silver Sprocket

Ebb and Flow – Larry and his Flask

As far as vocals go, the lead singer’s voice would have been enough. I’m not sure what it is about him, but he has a sincere nature about his voice that makes me want to listen. The harmonies by the other band members are a welcome bonus. This style of song, which I thought of as a more modern folk, leads me to expect a slower pace to the song. However, right from the beginning this song takes off at break neck pace, not slowing down until the tail end of the song when all singers join in. The tune is sweet and endearing, with phrases that end on wavering notes that leave anticipation for the next portion of the song. And the ending of the song is a classing joining in of all singers, making this a song that brings people together, gathering us closer.

Hotto Dogu Single
Shawn Wasabi

Hotto Dogu – Shawn Wasabi

There is something to be said for loud music that shakes your car and breaks your ears. Then you have songs like this, which seem like one of the loudest songs you’ve ever heard, without ever actually getting to loud. The song uses a more of a bouncing base tone as opposed to a speaker shattering blast. And even when the song has a drop, it bounces right back. There is a confident and energetic flow to the music, making for a great attitude and good dance music. That in combination with the comedic sound bites of people screaming the name of the song makes this track really enjoyable.

Computer Vs Banjo
Diagram Records

Give up on Ghosts – Computer vs. Banjo

Now, the name Computer vs. Banjo kind of implies a mixture of country and more modern electronic sounds. That is pretty much the mood this song hits on right out of the gate. There is the heavy beat of strings that alludes to the wild western frontier. That sense of hard sought adventure is conveyed with the gritty low sound of the strings and drums. After the mood is established, distorted vocals and electric guitars join the mix, modernizing the sound. The lyrics hit on some cowboy themes as well, referring to the ghosts of some haunted past that a man is trying to leave behind. Only way to be more cowboy than that is to John Wayne sing the song himself. However the lyrics manage not to ever really sound cliche in my opinion. I know I have a weak spot for songs like this; they make me want to go play more Read Dead Redemption right now.  If I was a cowboy in some future robot punk western movie, I would always be rocking out to songs like this.

Into the Night
Eleven Records

Last Song – Jason Webley

Endings are always a little bit sad for me, so I guess that it makes sense that the Last Song would have to be a sad one. Yet another song that was once featured as the weather on Welcome to Night Vale, this tune manages to fit in well with the oddball theme most weather reports usually run with. I’m still not sure on the exact meaning of the song, but it does contain hints at a sort of sad defeat, from the Earth being buried in snow, to a man leaving for a woman and being unable to return home. The music works in harmony with this imagery, using heavy organ and accordion sounds to play in a sad minor key. The melody played by the accordion might actually be my favorite part of the song as a whole, as I have a huge weak spot for accordions. I mean like, I have an accordion and am trying to learn to play it, so you know I mean business. The singer’s voice certainly sounds like someone who would be there at the end of the world, old tired, and lonely. But the whole song belongs in a pub, where people still sing together and buy rounds for each other. The place you would go to be with friends as the world is quietly buried in snow.

Spotify Me Part 12: Extraordinary Playlists and Where to Find Them

Spotify Me Part 12: Extraordinary Playlists and Where to Find Them

Mark’s Discover Weekly Playlist for the week of 11/16/2015

It really does nothing to get mad at snow. You go outside, you start up the snow blower, and you go out and get going. And let me tell you, snow is magical… when you get about 5 to 6 inches. When you deal with a snow storm its expensive, exhausting, and clogs your snow blower even though the thing is 9 horse powers. You get mad and abandon the blower for the good ol’ shovel, because he’s never let you down. But then you realize that shoveling is terrible. That’s not a joke shoveling snow is miserable. So you kick the snow blower and get it running again and power though both your driveway and your elderly neighbors. And I bet you can’t wait for the best part! It’s still snowing! And when you finish you get to start all over again because there is MORE SNOW!

Listen guys, this thing had a name, Winter Storm Bella or something. I didn’t even know they named winter storms. But she was a beast. But she isn’t the worst we have seen, and won’t be the last we see this season. So it’s good that while I’ve been freezing here in the great white Midwest, I at least got to listen to some great songs. The past few articles have been rough but this week was great. So hopefully the trend continues, and in the meantime let’s talk about some songs.

The Hands That Thieve
Victory Records

The Three of Us – Streetlight Manifesto

I once had a friend who refused to listen to what I call “angry Ska.” When he explained to me that Ska is supposed to only be happy, I kindly explained to him, in the best and most polite way I could, that he was a narrow minded fool. When I listen to Ska, I usually divide the songs into sub categories based on the emotions that drive the song. There is happy, sad, and of course there is bitter and regretful anger. Streetlight Manifesto has that category locked down pretty tight. Not all of their songs run along this vein, however, those that do are so packed with emotion and energy, I sometimes can feel overwhelmed. That being said, I haven’t listened to every single one of their songs. When The Three of Us started playing, I could recognize the very characteristic style that Streetlight Manifesto almost immediately. And there is quite a bit going on in the song that I love. The defiant attitude, the blaring horns, and especially the three repeated “Oh my Gods” all have a significant amount of feeling in them that really take a hold of me. This is a song with a story to tell if you are willing to listen.

Conical Monical
Pretty Balanced

Station Waggin – Pretty Balanced

If the odd tones and dissonant chords of this song make you feel anxious or nervous in any way, then the song is doing what it intended to do. Everyone has had the experience of moving out and trying to make it on their own. It’s a hard and stressful period in anyone’s life. I’m living that song right now. And the song captures the experience pretty neatly: discussing the reluctance to leave home, the struggle to become independent, and trying to live on your own even when you aren’t sure what you are really doing. Then, while the lyrics tell the story, the instrumentation paints the picture of a girl who is trying, succeeding at times, but struggling still. Everyone over the age of 18 should be able to relate to this song because you are either living it, or have in the past. And if you haven’t then, well, I guess you’ve had it pretty well then haven’t you? Maybe you shouldn't rub it in peoples faces.

neveroddoreven
Dharma Records

Hey Mrs. (Glamor Puss Mix) - i monster

I have a hard time placing the exact tone of this song. But to me it does present a small amount of almost arrogant confidence. You feel c ool while listening to this song, you want to strut, feel powerful. The distortion in the vocals and instrumental adds an element of raw attitude that add to that power as well. And all that power seems to be going to the narrator of this song. The singer seems to know a lot about the people he meets during his day. He tells them plain truths, asks invasive questions, and questions their base in reality. And to be fair, the singer brings up valuable points. The characters in the song are all trying to recapture their youth in ways that are for the most part ineffective. The music is cool, dirty, rude, and fun.

People Who Can Eat People are
The Luckiest People in the World
Asian Man Records

People II: The Reckoning – Andrew Jackson Jihad

Today, punk rock is kind of synonymous with “Diet Metal” in a way. However, when it was first starting out, punk’s definition was little more than the sound of a generations raw angst and sense of rebellion. The bands that headlined this act were some old greats such as Blondie, Violent Femmes, and one of my favorites The Talking Heads. The punk rock movement eventually faded, and bands either disappeared, or adapted to survive.  However angst never dies and that leaves us with great songs like this one. The instrumentals are sweet and simple, just a few instruments that keep a sad tune flowing for the solid 4 minutes of the song. The lyrics are stream of thought, severely defeatist, and leave no room at all for a bright side. The idea is that everyone has a dark side, and that’s pretty much the side that’s going to win. No one really cares about other people, and the world hasn’t really left us with enough time to figure that mess out. It’s an intense emotional and existential struggle that the narrator is dealing with, which in a way really reminds me of those old punk rock classics. If you are a fan of bands like Violent Femmes, you should take a look at this song, and the rest of the bands work.

Ahoy!
Nonesuch Records

Another New World – Punch Brothers

I’m very excited to talk about this song. It might actually be my favorite song I’ve written about so far. But before you read this, listen to the song, because it tells a story and I don’t want to ruin it. It covers a classic idea, a man in love with his ship. This is an idea that has been thrown through ever generation and ever genre from Jack Sparrow to James T. Kirk. Spoilers begin here though because not every love story ends happy, and sometimes the sad stories can be crippling. I’ve said I like sad songs before and this one conveys utter despair. You see, the singer loves his ship, the Anna Bell Lee. But when he takes his ship north through the ice looking for a new world the ship becomes stuck in the ice. As the winter gets colder, the crew abandons ship, wondering out into the ice. But the captain stays behind, as Anna Bell Lee sacrifices herself, giving him her hull to burn for warmth. The emotion during this part of the song is palpable. The ship was his world and his home, and now it’s gone. The instrumentals say quite a bit too. The plucky strings provide you with a time period while the tune creates a sad atmosphere. During portions of the song there are bass notes that emphasize certain statements that I can’t get enough of. Suffice it to say that I really like this song, am excited to look into the rest of the bands work. Every once in a while you find a song you just can’t stop listening to and this has been that song for me. 

Spotify Me Part 11: The Strange Playlist of Charles Dexter Ward

Spotify Me Part 11: The Strange Playlist of Charles Dexter Ward

Mark’s Discover Weekly playlist for the week of 11/9/15

We can all be forgetful sometimes. For example, I took my wristwatch on a dive this weekend. We went to 50 feet, with a normal average wristwatch. Luckily its rates to 3 atmospheres, and actually still ticks! It’s still on time! IT really is the best wristwatch I have ever purchased. There wasn’t a point to this story; I just wanted to tell you about my watch and how great it is.  We also saw paddlefish in the water, which was pretty cool. I wanted to mention the fish also.

I’m still getting a great deal of game sound tracks or covers of game sound tracks. But it’s very on and off, meaning that some weeks there are only 5 or 6, and some weeks over half of the songs are of this category. But there are always a few winners, so I will continue to fight with the program. However, if next week is as bad, then I may just do an album review. There was an album that came out recently that I really want to talk about. Heck I might review it either way. No promises, the future is uncertain.

The Amazing New Electronic Pop
Sound of Jean Jacques Perrey
Vanguard Records

The Mexican Cactus – Jean Jacques Perrey

At times you can find a song that has the ability to cheer you up in some pretty gloomy times. This is most definitely one of those songs. The tune is light hearted, cheerful, and just a little goofy. But the history of the song, or rather the creator of the song, makes this music a little more interesting. In the early days of electronic music, Perrey was an important pioneer in the genre of electronic music. After leaving medical school to join the field of music, he developed new processes for generating rhythms, and became ne of the first moog musicians. For me, that makes this song, and other songs on the album, a look through history. When you listen to this song, you get an idea for where electronic music came from. You can see what’s changed, and what’s stayed the same. Even if you don’t like this song as much as modern electronic music, its still cool to see how the genre developed.

Bangs
Universal Music

Terrible Things – Brick + Mortar

A fast paced drum beat and distorted vocals immediately set the mood for this song. The song is urgent in sort of a worried paranoid tone. The artist portrays his worry in the song, o how he often dreams of doing “Terrible things.” And the image on the album art also inspires a certain amount of apprehension. It’s a really cool look into madness, or the fear of madness and what lies in our own heads. There is angst in the music that is reminiscent of early punk, but with a faster more modern feel. Sometimes the rhythm can feel a little disjointed which threw me off at first. However, I still like this song, and the ideas it plays with.

Keep It Going
Fat Wreck Chords

Tired Bones – Mad Caddies (Fat Wreck Chords)

At times, this song reminds me of something that Squirrel Nut Zippers would play. However, this is not to say Mad Caddies don’t have their own unique sound. The song has some strong, excellent elements of swing music throughout, but throws some pretty hard rock elements into the mix. This song carries a good amount of energy, speed, and emotion. But at the same time it communicates a narrative that shows exhaustion and fatigue. I have heard Mad Caddies before, but never took a serious look into their style. However, after writing this, I am more interested in looking at the rest of what they have to offer.

Little By Little
Phonographic

Wine, Women and Song – Harvey Danger (Phonographic)

You have most likely heard a song by Harvey Danger before and don’t realize it. And by that I mean, you have almost certainly heard one specific song called Flagpole Sitta and just never knew who sang it. Until this week that was the only song I had ever heard by the band, and had always kind of thought of them as a one hit wonder. However, they do have plenty of other music out there, including of course, Wine, Women and Song. This song is just a bit quieter, but is by no means a quiet song. It’s a sad song, if not a little bitter. Unlike Flagpole Sitta, which is more of a loud anthem, this song is a bit of a lament. But in then end, the band manages to keep a consistent style as they venture into different territories. And now that I know there is more music by this band out there, I might be listening to it quite a bit more soon.

 (The album artwork in this article is not owned by the authors of this blog, but by the producers of the albums themselves.)

Spotify Me Part 10: Tale of Two Playlists

Spotify Me Part 10: Tale of Two Playlists

Marks Discover Weekly playlist for 11/2/2015

Writing this article was a good amount of fun. While watching the show “Demon files” on Destination America (real fun garbage if you are interested) while chatting with my brother. I’m serious though this show is terrible. It’s just some guy walking around shouting at ghosts for half an hour. It was a real nice and relaxing Sunday evening. 

I have always been interested in emotions in film, books, and especially music. The ability of songs to display, and sometimes make the listener feel an emotion is amazing to me. I listen to a good amount of music over multiple genres because sometimes, I don’t categorize them by the type of songs they are, but by the emotion they make me feel. It might be weird, but its why I listen to music. So tonight, I thought I would focus a bit more on that.

Act III: Life and Death
Triple Crown Records

Go Get Your Gun – The Dear Hunter

Saturated with bitter intent and hollow apologies, the emotions displayed within the song Go Get Your Gun are immediately present. The subject of this song is not an uncommon one: distaste for military, deaths of young men, and hollow apologies. However, this song has a bit more to it once you start to look at the rest of the album, as well as this bands work as a whole. I have not had a chance to sit down and listen to The Dear Hunter’s full discography, but a small amount of research revealed that this album is actually part 3 in a 6 part story, with recurring characters and a full plot. Looking back at the song though, this one holds well on its own. Often multi-song stories like this can create songs that don’t feel whole on their own. But this song manages to remain a strong single. It has hints of twang and rock, and a fast beat that drives it home. The lyrics don’t depend to much on narrative from other songs, allowing the song to remain independent. That being said, I’m still going to have to look into the rest of the story to see if it enhances the songs meaning.

Thunder, Lightning, Strike
The Memphis industries

Get it Together – The Go! Team

I have stated before that I think a really important part of music is the emotion behind a song. Songs have a really great ability to share an emotion of the creator with the listener, often times without words. This song without a doubt shares an innocent joy that instantly got it on this list. Wen listening to this song you cant help but smile, and your day brightens up a bit. I tend to listen to sad music when I’m sad, but if I’m honest this song would probably be better for that situation. The innocence of the song in part comes from the instruments used, such as a recorder. But wide ranges of exotic instruments are used giving a slight worldly feel to the song. The name of the song at first implied that the song might be a bit pessimistic. But when listening to the song, you realize that the song might actually be trying to help you get things together.  Not only that, but the song manages to do this without any lyrics. Certainly one of my favorites from this week.

S/T EP Single
Self Released

Run – IAMTHEKIDYOUKNOWWHATIMEAN

This is an interesting review for me, because I always told myself I wouldn’t write about songs I didn’t like. But the problem is, I’m not sure I dislike this song because its bad, in fact I think its quite the opposite. When I first heard the song, I found it deeply unsettling. When I looked at my laptop to see what the heck I was listening to, the album art actually scared me. The black and white image of the girl holding what I assume is a tortilla over her face is as unsettling as the song. Then, the song is called run, which makes sense after listening to the song. The worst part? The song is 7 minutes and 37 seconds long. Through out that time, the song cycles through distorted dissonant electronic piping, deep base tones, and chopped up sound bytes of odd whispers. It isn’t a song I would listen to every day, but it works for what it’s trying to do. It’s just so bad this song didn’t appear over Halloween.

Electric Girls
she

Headshot – she

If the key emotion of a song is going to be this weeks theme, then this song is all about aggression. Right from the get go, the singer lets us know exactly what her attitude is, and it isn’t friendly. Then hard electronic noise fills the sound scape. The song has a driving beat, and is loud and in your face. The song has a good mount of energy, which the listener can easily pick up on, and feel. It’s a song that gets you moving, either to dance or otherwise. The tone of the singers voice is somewhat apathetic, which creates an interesting effect when mixed with the hard electronic sound. The contrast adds up for an effect that really works with the song. Over all a very good energetic song.

Cheer Up!
Jive Records, Mojo Records

Drunk Again – Reel Big Fish

I have heard this song before. I used to listen to this song on repeat over an over again on my IPod. This song has a very powerful emotional base, despair. Where as Reel Big Fish tend to be a goofy lighthearted Ska band, they change style a bit for this song, which might be my favorite song they have ever performed. Its quiet at first, starting out as a smooth lament. But it builds into a powerful show stopping style number. The lead singer pulls out his best wailing for this song, and the brass goes all out as well.  Reel Big Fish did a great job on this song, stepping out of their comfort zone and putting together a truly great song. It’s a shame to me that this song never gained as much popularity as some of their covers, or the song Beer. But for me, this might always be the best song the band ever played.

 (The album artwork in this article is not owned by the authors of this blog, but by the producers of the albums themselves.)

Spotify Me part 9: A Playlist for Owen Meany

Spotify Me part 9: A Playlist for Owen Meany

Mark's Discover Weekly Playlist for 10/26/2015

Well, this is it. The week I really put lots of effort into typing out reviews as the week went, so that it wasn’t a mad rush on Sunday night. I had it all written out and ready to go. And then, I completely forgot to post it on Sunday night. Go me!

We saw Halloween this week! And although my playlist had delighted me with songs about skeletons and ghosts all season, they were all a no show this week. I guess they were out on town, having a great spooky evening. But as October comes to an end, and radio stations start their holiday marathons, I think it is now more important than ever that we get some new music on our hands to distract us from the endless and absurd forced enjoyment of holiday tunes. So let’s get fight the power shall we?

The Mollusk
Elektra Records

Ocean Man –Ween

When you really like a band, especially a little known band, you can get really excited when you hear them in a place you didn’t expect. I get this way with They Might be Giants (TMBG), Talking Heads, the list goes on. But when my friend (the same mentioned in the Cool for Cats review in part #) heard Ocean Man at the end of the Spongebob Movie, he was ecstatic. If you’re going to try and listen to Ween, you have to understand that these guys are out there. In many ways they are similar to TMBG, having started around the same time, originating as a duo with the use of electronic backing, and experimenting in various genres. In fact, they opened for TMBG in their early days. Ween takes weird a step further though, and as a result has developed a strong cult following. Although I remember my friend franticly trying to show me the song Ocean Man by playing it at a bar jukebox, the first time I actually heard it was this week on my playlist. I have to say it’s great. The lyrics make no sense to me, and might not make any sense in general, but they flow well and are memorable.  The tune is an alternative rock spin on island music that is good for light hearted atmosphere and a beach going attitude. The song can act as a good entry way into listening to the rest of the band’s music. I want to suggest you listen to Ween, but remember, there is no guarantee that any one song is going to sound like another, so get ready for a real trip.

Circular Doorway
Cathedral Sounds

No Wonder I – Lake

Soft and quiet, but still holding a rather deliberate beat, No Wonder I was a quick addition to this list. In this song, Lake carries a soft and affectionate tone, while the lyrics reference the feelings of waking up in the morning, possibly next to a new lover. There is hope in that moment, as well as small amount of anxiety. But though all of this, the song remains a truly sweet and beautiful sound. I’ve probably mentioned before that I am a pretty big fan of female vocalists with soft and carful voices, and this singer is certainly included in that group. Her signing has a certain innocent and careless tone that adds to the atmosphere of the song. Also, the lyrics do a good job of flowing along with the music rather than just running to the same tune. At the same time the light but ever present drum beat pushes the song forward, preventing all the lighter tones from fading away too soon. While listening to this song I can’t help but imagine early morning sun, shining through the trees while driving with friends. The song was featured on the cartoon Adventure Time, where its sound fits in with the rest of the soothing music that this show tends to feature. No Wonder I is relaxing, and smooth to listen to. Its great for those times when you just need to let go and sit back for a while.

Crab in Honey
Complicated Game

Source – Fever the Ghost

This song takes funk and pumps it full with a modern indie sound. The guitar and bass drive a fast and exciting groove sound from beginning to end of this song, while the singers high pitched and aloof singing style puts that more modern “indie rock” sound into the mix. The soundscape is full and complex which makes for an exciting and very fun song. But if I’m honest, what really made me fall in love with this song is the music video, which you can watch here. The video has a unique style that is both modern and reminiscent of the psychedelic music videos of the 70’s and 80’s, but at the same time is newer and cleaner. The world that is presented in the short animation is surprisingly full of life and imagery considering it only has the short runtime of the song to present its own little universe. The video compliments the song immensely, filling it with even more life and spirit. And if you like the video, the animator who created it, Felix Colgrave, has his own YouTube channel here where you can see similarly bizarre and interesting animations.

Absentee
Produced by Brett Bullion

Absentee – Jack Campbell (brett bullion)

This song is one of my favorites to come across my Discover Weekly playlist so far. And, once again, this is another song that I had actually heard before, and didn’t realize it at first. And yes, once again, it was featured as The Weather on Welcome to Night Vale. I don’t know who is in charge of choosing the music for that segment, but I would sure like to meet that person. As for Absentee, At times the song is gentle and quiet, and at others it is distorted and loud. But at no time in the song is the transition jarring or out of place. The lyrics meanwhile, are sweet and sincere, expressing the anxieties of being alone, and making an impression. They flow well for the most part, really hitting their groove at the chorus. I really do have high hopes for what this band can create in the future.

(The album artwork in this article is not owned by the authors of this blog, but by the producers of the albums themselves.)