matt’s music blog

I really like this song. And one of th things that I like a lot about it, is I have nearly no idea what it’s about. Okay, that not totally true. I mean, as far as I can tell, it’s mostly just a bunch of verses about what this guy wants to do. Shall we get into it then?

It starts off with a solid bass line, a little bit of reverb-y guitar, and hand claps. Also a little bit of synth on the top, and some shaker. Then, the first verse. Now before I get into the lyrics of the first verse, one of the things that I really like about this song is that there ISNT a chorus, it’s really just the verse part repeated over, separated by a little bridge part.

I want to go up to Detroit
I want to lie in the shade
I want to visit the president
And then I want to get laid

Then, right on cue and perfectly timed, enter the drums!

I want to go down to Memphis
I want to talk to the king
I want to tell him we’re sorry
And it won’t happen again

What does that mean? Is he going to tell Elvis that… he’s sorry that he died maybe? I have no idea, but it’s a really cool line regardless. A little bit of lead synth, and then back to the verses. Notice, we’ve also added an acoustic guitar strum to the beginning of each phrase. And, possibly my favorite part, the amazing call and response singing.

I’ve got a photo of James Joyce
It’s a photo by Man Roy
It’s not very very much like him
But it’s not for me to say

Who’s Man Roy? That’s what I want to know. I used to think he was saying “memory” A quick jump on on wikipedia reveals… Nothing! Who is this mysterious Man Roy? Why did he take a photo of Jame Joyce? We may never know! But on to the next verse.

She sacrifices her body
Almost every night
Just like a lamb to the slaughter
And she thinks it makes him feel right

Bridge, then lead synth, with the addition of some little saxophone hits.

You gave me so many problems
You made me crash in my car
I’ll have a martini cocktail
And then we’ll see where we are

So just be nice to your brother
I’ll take your sister to bed
And I can bloc bloc bloc till the weekend
But you’d better come back soon

“I take your sister to bed!” Ahhhhh. So great! What exactly does bloc bloc bloc, mean? Once again, I have no idea. I really think it’s a song in the Bob Dylan style. Verses that are really just cryptic descriptions of things, instead of being a coherent story line. But instead of being kitschy, it’s well implemented. And kinda silly. But good. I would strongly suggest checking out the rest of this album, as it is similarly good.

-James Out

When I try to think of a way to accurately describe The Incredible Machine, genre wise, I usually fail. The best that I can do is to say that they sound like a mixture of Barenaked Ladies, and They Might Be Giants, with a little Jonathan Coulton thrown in there too. Which is to say, semi silly, sort of geeky lyrics, presented in a very serious fashion. On the other side, very powerful and moving, very lyrically poetic love songs. Also, their command of harmonies, and the interplay between Marrissa’s and Jordan’s voices (The two members) is impressive. I have to say, since I got their album, not a day has gone by that I haven’t listened to it atleast once. And the fact that they are a local band, of which I actually know the members, helps too.

One Time at Choir camp starts off simply with a little piano, and the first verse.

I’m only trying to believe
That you and I weren’t meant to be
I’m much too difficult for you
I couldn’t follow their rules

The tempo kicks up, some acoustic guitar is added, and the piano becomes more bouncy. I’m always reminded of the Freezepop song Science Genius Girl (this isn’t the real music video). I think it’s the chording that sounds similar to me. I dunno. Maybe I’m crazy. Anyway, verse two!

I couldn’t say that I was happy
And you would be the one to know
On these summer nights we’d consecrate our flaws
In hopes our zippers wouldn’t show
Oh, how embarrassing

Oh man. “On these night we’d consecrate our flaws” What a great line. The second part of the verse contains really great  higher, almost haunting, backing vocals from Jordan. Make sure to catch them when they come around.

I want you to dance
I’d like you to sing for me
Regardless of romance
I’ve still got your music to keep me,
company

Verse three continues in a similar manner, the the addition of more backing vocals.

It was the way you looked above me
And it wasn’t just your height
My silly sorrows weren’t enough to tie me down
I’m simply not the type to need
Oh, the comforts of sympathy

I want you to dance
I’d like you to sing for me
Regardless of romance
I’ve still got your music to keep me,
company

Then for the chorus the piano moves into a little pattern that sounds more like it would be at home in a classical composition.  It repeats it’s self twice. The second time around, the addition of “I know too much” in between each line.

pavement, concrete on the street
will never touch her feet
as long as she has you to
lift her tiny shoes from

Then finally we get a cool solid piano and guitar part, accenting the first and third beat, giving you the impulse to tap your foot, or nod your head in time. Also, the “Wah-ah-oh”s  in between each line, are really solid. The song climaxes, and ends in vocalization.

Stop screaming and believe me
that I was right for leaving

It’s over! Okay, so if that wasn’t an amazing song, then I don’t know what is. This is going to be the first of three that I’m going to review. Ideally I would do the whole album. But I think that it might be a bit much. I’d highly encourage you to see them live, if you can get a chance.

-James Out

Many people know Men Without Hats for their very popular hit single, Safety Dance. And, unfortunately, like so many great 80’s synth-rock groups, it’s pretty much overshadowed their whole career. They’ve released a total of 8 albums all together, (the latest and final being No Hats Beyond this Point, released in 2003) and all of them are great.  Also, they’re lead singer, Ivan Doroschuk, as a cool singing voice, I think.

I picked this song because I think it’s really great. The Lyrics are kinda goofy, but the guitar part is really cool, and it’s all around just pretty good. So, shall we?

We start out with a sinple drum part, and little rock-a-billy guitar part.

Somebody told me to live is a lie
But I know better got a woman inside
Tells me things that I should understand
‘Cause I know better even though I’m a man
So many things go in so many ways
Every single moment like a judgement day
Thank goodness things are gettin better for sure
I got the message
Love is the cure
Uh Huh
Oooh Yeah

Okay. I’m not realllly sure what that means. Except for that love is the answer to everything. The guitar and drums stay constant for the second verse, with the addition of a little backing guitar, accenting the chords.

Now I ain’t stupid but I can’t understand
Why so many things are gettin so out of hand
Think we should wonder what the problem could be?
All the world over sing “I wanna be free”
Don’t really matter what you think of me now
‘Cause I got the message
The message is wow
Got everything, got nothing to hide

I got.. What?
I got a woman inside
Uh Huh
Oooh Yeah

Did you catch that? A little reference to they’re song I got the Message. Next we get into the chorus. We’re joined by our friends the soulful backing singers, an organ, and a little synth trumpet.

I said, hey men.
Quit knocking your children ’round
I say, hey-hey men.
Quit mowin your women down
‘Cause it’s all in the way
That you look at who you are
So hey hey men
Quit looking so far
Oooh Yeah

A little bit of social commentary there, about abusing your children, and girlfriends. The song stays pretty similar, and moves into the third verse.

Land of the free is a poor alibi
I learned my lesson when I learned how to fly
Sounds so silly but I think its the truth
I got the message
The message is you
Somebody told me that we live in a dream
Sounds like something that you hear on T.V.
Got everything even though I’m a guy
Feels so good
I got a woman inside
Uh Huh
Oooh Yeah

Hmmmm. Is that more social commentary? “Land of the free is a poor alibi” Like… people use it to justify they’re actions? Also, “Somebody said that we live in a dream, sounds like something you’d hear on TV” is a pretty good lyric. From here on out the song pretty much continues on as normal. There’s a little bridge part that features come cool orchestral hits, and guitar and organ solos.

I’d really encourage people to look past Safety Dance, and check out their whole discography. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Stephin Marit, in a lot of ways, is the appitomy of singer song writer to me. Being the key creative influance, and songwriter for all of the Magnetic Fields is really only one feather in his cap. And, listening to his music, it makes perfect sense that he and Daniel Handler are such good friends. If I could make a small comparison, Stephin Marit does for music, what Daniel Handler does for books, and writing. Makes them amazing.

What I like a lot about this album is that it’s totally not a 90’s album. Not in the least. In fact, if I hadn’t just looked at when it was released on wikipedia, I would have thought that it came out sometime in the 2000’s. Imagine if you handed Stephin Marit an old synthesizer, and said, “Okay, I want you to make an album,” And then let him go wild. That would be this album.

It starts off with a little intro bit, that sounds like a castlevania riff to me, and we get right into it. Distorted guitar, backed by syth drums, hand claps, and that same keyboard part. A really solid backing part, all tied together by Stephin Marit’s unique singing voice.

Sad as a painted clown, a beautiful boy in an ugly town
but when your circus closes down don’t walk away from me
you’ve been asleep too long, the birds are bruises in the dawn
the pounds of flesh between us stretch as far as you can see

Dramatic pause and Chorus time! Back by a little backing vocals.

But all you ever do is walk away and I know if you’d only go slow you could see what it means to be making the scene with me

But all you ever do is walk away and I think if you tried
you could find a little time
for the life I can see in your eyes, don’t go. Don’t go.

The song continues in a similar fashion as before, as we move on to the second verse

Sometimes you just explode and no one alive can break your code
You have a language of your own, an unconnected road
The people you called your friends, the places you won’t go again
The decades lost in finding them, you’ll have to let them go.

Then we get another chorus, repeated until the end. All in all, a simple little song, but very enjoyable. I especially like the strange and image invoking lyrics. As always, I would strongly encourage you to check out the rest of The Magnetic Fields’ work. Especially the concept album, 69 love songs. Which is, as you might imagine, 69 songs about love, in one way or another.

-James out!

The Scissor sisters are a band that, like old wine, get better with age. Their first release, a self-titled album, was outrageous, funky, and had blatant homosexual overtones. It was good, and humorous, but more in a novelty band kind of way. Not so much in a Good Album, way.

And then they released Ta-dah. Which leads with the opening track I Don’t Feel Like Dancing and only gets better. They start out with a disco sound, and really move all over the place, with some of the songs almost hitting a Vaudeville/burlesque feeling.

So, with that stunning intro, lets actually get into the song it’s self.

We start out with a nice little piano line in the back, and vocals, that remind me a bit of Rufus Wainwright.

If anyone was headed for the gates of hell I know you’d be first.
I used to picture your obituary and I wished you the worst.
The danger of the playground. The radio’d said you drowned.
and I’m sorry, almost. Almost sorry.

Yesssss. One of the things that I enjoy thoroughly in a song, is humorous song about dying. This is a technique that’s also displayed in they’re song I Can’t Decide. So someone died, and our humble narator, is glad that the person in question died. But he’s sorry. Almost.

No sympathy is given to the perpetrator charged with the crime.
(Ahhh ahhh)
I’m willing to admit that it feels good to be a victim sometimes.
I won’t ever get to thank you for the terrible things you said.
I’m sorry, almost

This verse is about the same, and then it moves into the chorus, adding a bassline, and drums.

that you’re-
dead to the world, where I hoped you would be.
I never imagined you’d live on in me.
You gave me destination, but I payed for the ride.
The place you punched my ticket left a crater inside.
Where I cried.
(He cried)
Where I cried.
(You died)

The addition of breathy little backing vocals and really cool imagery in the lyrics carries us on into the next part, we’ll call it, chorus 2

Where I cried from the bruises, learned to live with the scars.
Now you live in the mirror. When I look, there you are.
You’re the shadow on the faces of the people I meet
Have you claimed eternal shotgun in my passenger seat?
Well, I’m sorry.
(Almost)
Almost sorry.
(Ahhh ahhh)

Then we get a little solo of… I want to say kazoo, that almost sounds like Goerge Harrison style guitar to me. Then finally we end with this last message.

Sometimes the best design is done by damage.
The accident can cease.
A rainbow still looks pretty when it bleeds.

I first heard about Wolfsheim, when I was listening to a song called Die Flut (The Flood). Die Flut was a collaborative effort between Joachim Whitt and Peter Heppner, both popular German New Wave artists in the 80’s. I like the song a lot, so I wanted to see if they had done anything else together, or what their separate music was like. Joachim Witt’s music was pretty good. And Peter Heppner is the lead singer of Wolfsheim. Which leads us back to where we started.

We start off with some blippy little synth parts, poppy drums, and the lyrics. I haven’t actually looked at the lyrics for this song before, so I’m not totally sure what it’s about. This will be a little experiment, if you will. Anyway, verse one is as follows.

I won’t believe every lie
just ’cause you said you’re mine.
I won’t believe that your heart’s
been cheating from the start.
I won’t believe it’s just a game.
I won’t believe it’s just the same… again.

Hmmmm. So, it kinda looks like he’s using opposing statements. I mean The first part, is kinda negative, right? Not trusting. But then, the next, is like, I don’t believe that you are cheating on me. Like, people have been telling tales. Okay, so the music starts to pick up a little, gets a bit more solid on the drums, and a solid bass line going too.

I won’t believe… you could be far away
but staying on my mind.
I’ve to believe… at last, there won’t be
anything that’s left behind, my friend…
I understand, that you just saw
the signs, but not their sense
and laid your trust in me… I won’t believe

He won’t believe that he could really be missing this person, or that he’d still have feelings for her. So maybe this is really a song about denial? Anyway, we get into a little break-down bit, and build up in intensity, with more prominent drums and guitars, the synth moving into more of the background.

I won’t believe…
that you will be there at all…
you know… that I believe…
this is what a friend is for…
I said I won’t believe, but then…
I understand that you could see
the signs but not their sense…
don’t lay your trust in me…

See, here’s where I’m getting confused. Because sometimes this song seems to be about a guy that isn’t willing to accept that his lover is like… leaving him, or moving on, or whatever. And then sometimes it seems like it’s about a guy that’s kinda synical and scorned. This last verse continues to repeat and fade. Over all, a very good track. I’d encourage you to check out the rest of this album, at least.

-James out

Sorry it’s taken me so long to get around to this other post. So this is my favorite song off of the Passion Pit EP, Chunk of Change, that was mentioned in the previous post.

I think you’ll notice right off, that this song is a little bit more… low-fi, shall we say. Not as polished as Little Secrets. It starts out with a strange little voice clip and we are taken right into the song. Syth guitar and pads back up the song, as we get the chorus

you’re gonna drive me crazy
you’re gonna drive me mad
you got an angel on your shoulder
makin hairpins outta glass

The backing track drops back a little, there’s a cool little breakdown, then we get the verse.

i believe in believing
the things that we don’t see
and the skin violin is where the neighbors wont read meals
and the family heirloom jewelery
with sets and heaps of thieves
will cast down things
that you’ve never even seen

Suddenly the song starts building in intensity, adding a little bit of harpsichord in the background. Keep an ear out for the doubled ‘oh no’ in this part too.

ike the gods
like the glory like the stories
that your fathers set before you
ride the tiger round the kingdom
oh no (oh no)
oh no there’s a meeting in the canyons
oh no! (oh no) this is rising to the clouds

Very nicely exicuted Passion Pit. I can just imagine them members punching the air at every “oh no!” I know that I do. The chorus comes back with a little bit of electric guitar to accent it, and move directly into the next verse.

i’m shooting off the cannons
of the clouds begin to flow
and the baskets weave with your mother’s teeth but the ones we’ll never keep
just pretend that things are mobile and will never stay put
and the way we were the day we climbed to the top of the
steeple with its people spewing angels out their mouths and letting tables turn to charcoal in the lipstick and the lipstick in the evening(oh no)
oh no we were waving like the trees
oh no then they moved us to the sky

I really only take time to show you all of the lyrics, because I think they are really genious, and again, kinda easy to miss, if you don’t actually look at them. Anyway, on to the bridge. We get a little zilaphone part, and the drums back off a bit.

two or three times the bell will ring but when when we look for the better things we search for this we have not build i feel it crash upon your skin

The the drums start to come back in, and we get building hand claps,

i find it hard to believe there more
of these things behind the door
do you miss me like i miss you
do i miss you like you miss me

Then we’re thrown back into the chorus and secondary chorus for a few more times. Then it kinda fades away with a little organ part and wailing guitar.

All in all I think this is a fantastic song. It’s upbeat happy feeling, plus good us of synth, and shouting chorus parts, combined with really cool lyrics, makes it a definite winner. Anyone who enjoyed this one, I encourage you to check out the EP, and their album too (Manners)

-James out

I still have mixed feelings about  Passion Pit’s album, versus their EP (Chunk of Change). So in an attempt to better explain my conundrum, I thought that I’d post my favorite song off of each, and let you, the readers, decide.

The first thing you’ll notice as we start off is a upbeat little 80’s intro synth line. Then, as the lyrics start, we get powerful drums, and a little higher synth part. Some pretty cool lyrics, if not a bit cryptic.

When I came down the sun poured into me
I shook em up, the walls came crumbling
my fists kept trembling with these salty wounds
my stolen gold inside the emperors tomb
now baby wait looks like a lovely face
I built this cardboard neighborhoods disgrace
who let it said that you’re my favorite sphere
within the confines of such chemistry

So…. yeah. I’m not really really sure what that all means. But like I said, cool and cryptic. I especially like “I built this cardboard neighborhood in disgrace” and “My fists keep trembling with these salty wounds” But just hold on, my favorite part is coming up. The chorus! Complete with Matt’s favorite musical device. Little children singing!

Let this be our little secret
no one needs to know were feeling
higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
up and up I keep on climbing
higher and higher and higher

God. This song really gets better and better as we go. Okay, so now there’s this really nicely exicuted drum break. Syncopated rhythm, if I’m not mistaken, and we get right back into the next verse. Which happens to contain my favorite lyric in this whole song.

My face blew up at such a casual sight
this miracle is of ecstatic fright
they’ll rush above me to oblivion
outlining white sidewalks with halogen

Oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong
how come it takes some people so damn long
he tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain
the citrus drawing out the seasons stains

“My face blew up at such a causal sight” Holy Fucking Shit. I don’t know if I have the words to tell you how amazing that is. Also, “He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain, the citrus drawing out the season’s stains” Is really really good. Then the bridge, gives us some more amazing lyrics.

Watch the basin drain
as your life lines wane
and you cant explain
as your friends complain

You’ve caused all this pain
and you proudly shame
your whole families name

Wait, did they actually say “as your life lines wane?” The answer is yes. Yes they did. And let me tell you, anyone who can use the word ‘wane’ in a song this cool, get’s like… a hundred golden stars from me. We return to the chorus, and that’s about the gist of it.

So lets reveiw what makes this an awesome song:

1. Really good 80’s style synthesizer parts
2. Interesting and cryptic lyrics
3. Intense drum break that leads into the second verse
4. Well placed use of the word ‘wane’
5. Children’s choir backing vocals on the chorus.

I’m not sure weather it was my Uncle Steve that first introduced me to The Faint, or if it was my brother. But ever since I heard Danse Macabre, I was in love. They often get a lot of flack from the punck-rock community for trying to be punk, or being too mainstream. Which is purely ridiculous, because if you pay attention to a lot of their songs, they are punk as hell.

Danse Macabre has always been my favorite of their albums. So much so that I own it on vinyl. But lately I’ve been listening to their third album (Wet From Birth) and enjoying it quite a bit too. One of my favorite tracks is Desperate Guys, the first track off the album. So, lets get down to it, shall we?

We are played in with a brief little violin intro. Then we get into the vocals and a little bit of bass syth, and drums.

Was it more than attraction and a physical lust?
Her loins, my imagination, that first inconceivable touch,
That I was planning, er, I mean wishing, uh..
How embarassed I’d been if you knew what I was thinking of.

Her loins? Nice! That verse is followed by this really cool bass snyth part that sounds something like “Ooo Ooo wah wah wah” Which I really like, and we move on to the next part.

And whoa, when it started, my first thought was love,
Not just lust, because when I heard you speak, I felt warm.
In the evening I saw you, you were warming the bass up.
Your hair covered your face up,
I was acting indifferent at the merch booth, putting on makeup

For some reason, it works really well with the rest of the song it cram that last line in, despite the fact that it’s a bit too long to fit in.

The prechorus, and then we move into the chorus, where the drums get a little more intense, and we get a little more orchestral action.

I crossed my fingers, but I didn’t beg, no ,
Cause I knew you knew,
Cause I knew you knew I liked you.
I knew you knew I liked you,
I knew you knew it,
But I figured desperate guys,
Never had a chance with you.
I figured desperate guys,
Never had a chance with you.

We get another prechorus and the chorus repeats a few more times. Finally we end with a cool little break-down outro.

All in all, this songs is really a pretty good one. I’d highly advise that anyone out there that’s tantalized by it, should investigate the rest of this album, and, indeed, the rest of their work. Except for the remix album, which is, in this man’s humble opinion, not really that good.

-James out