Spotify Me part 19: This Naming Convention is Running Thin

Spotify Me part 19: This Naming Convention is Running Thin

Mark’s Discover Weekly Playlist for the week of 1/4/16

They new year has arrived, and with it, true winter weather. It's cold outside and the snow is thin, blowing easily in the howling winter wind. Last night, as me and my friends sat on a back porch, with only a small lamp illuminating our small world, I felt as though I was in the antarctic tundra, with the wind howling, and the shadows hiding the common look of modern suburbia. With only our small area illuminated, and the darkness hiding reality, I was able to escape into a world of harsh yet calmin isolation. It was incredible. 

Then you have to go and drive in it which is miserable and ruins the magic entirely. Your car slides every where and brakes do less and less as the mess piles up. You arrive home and cant go to sleep in case it warms up casting a thick sheet of ice over your drive way. At least I have music while I'm driving. Seriously, it's poetic, but also a nightmare.

Port Entropy
P-Vine Records

Rum Hee – Shugo Tokumaru

This is not the first time this song has appeared on the playlist, and it still catches me off guard every time. The only reason I hadn’t written about it yet is because the last time I heard it was before I started writing this article. I’m not hyper aware of music styles and trends in Japan, but this is never what I expect form a Japanese artist. It actually reminds me of the band Jónsi, a band I am aware of purely because I am an adult who enjoys kid’s movies about dragons. This song matches the aloof, innocent, and adventurous nature of these types of kid’s movies, and could see it being associated with a Miyazaki film, specifically one of the lighter films, more aimed at children. I bring Miyazaki up because of the Japanese affiliation, however any what really is important is the sense of childlike adventure the song carries. There are no sad notes, no worries, and the beat is colorful and alive. I can’t rally speak for the lyrics, as I do not speak Japanese, but I can say the light signing matches the style of the song well, adding to the carefree nature of the tune. The many features of the song work well together, making it a joy to listen to every time.

Letters in the Dirt
Red House Records

Bill & Annie – Chuck Brodsky

I don’t know if Spotify has a data base of songs that have appeared on Welcome to Night Vale, or if the guy who runs their music selection just has similar taste in music to me. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, the Podcasts weather section gets another mention here on our blog. However, the artist himself should also be mentioned, as the song is his hard work and labor, and sometimes I think these “Weather Songs” don’t get that kind of proper recognition. I want to make sure that isn’t the case here as Chuck Brodsky deserves the recognition for this song. The tune is light, and just sad enough for the story that is told. The song is all about timing, and how important it is to falling in love. The characters in this song are in love, and maybe even meant for each other. However, their timing is never perfect, and they sacrifice their chance at love so they can do right by the others in their lives. The song leaves a good deal of questions unanswered though. For example, the singer introduces himself as Chuck and introduces his wife Annie. While to me it seems that the name Annie simply reminds Bill of his past life, it is possible that Chucks wife Annie may be the very same he fell in love with. The other question that isn’t answered is whither it was right for Bill to value his commitments over his love, though it seems Bill knows the answer to the question. We the listeners are left to think about the answer for ourselves.

Trilogy
No Quarter

Escape From Midwich Valley – Carpenter Brut

Ok, so, this is a song from a movie. But I didn’t know that, and as was revealed by way to much research, neither do most of the people who have heard it. From what I can tell, the song was also used in a trailer for the video game Hot Line Miami 2. This, and the limited material available on the short film that the song is from, made it almost impossible to figure out if the song was actually in the movie, or just inspired by it. Which was possible as the song is released as a part of an album separate from the short film and was released in the following year. However, Carpenter Brut is listed as the composer for the film, and I went ahead and watched a bit of the movie to make sure, and yes, the song is in the film in bits and pieces. This version of the song may be a conglomerate of all the sounds he composed for the short film. But before I knew any of that, it was, to me, just an eerie and cool electronic song. It sent me on a journey both while I was listening to it, and while I was researching it. Its sound is reminiscent of 80’s electronic sounds and styles, but also reflective of horror and thriller films. And the song is apparently versatile, having been used in a horror film, and a crime noir video game. The song is all about the experience of the sounds, and the sounds are great. Not only that, but I now know about a Lovecraft inspired film that I have to watch, as the film Escape from Midwich Valley is inspired by the book The Shadow over Innsmouth. And that is one of my favorite books.

Volcanology - Single
Industry of Cool

Volcanology – Brooklyn

Music like this doesn’t seem like anything new. Young artists see issues as they become old enough to understand them, put them into a song or some other form of media, and send it out over the internet. I should know, I post a weekly blog. But what has allowed this kind of band to exist for so long? There are, probably, so many studies that go to show why this type of music is timeless, and why it remains popular. But the point of it all is that this is a very over saturated genre, and it takes a lot of work and talent to make it while playing this type of music. And Brooklyn has all of that. Small things in this song make it better than average. The tune is happy, even though the lyrics contain a hint of youth angst and rebellion. This conflict of attitude puts an ironic twist on the song, making it both the voice of a youthful concern as well as a joyful anthem. And their talent has been recognized, as this song was featured in one of the Saint’s Row games. Teenage rebellion will never go away, and so long as it’s here, this music will be too. This music is important, and I like it.