The sun is finally back in my hometown (it's been a while) and as I stood in the shower for about half an hour on freezing temperature I remembered just how much I like the cold. The first good homework of my life, though: watching films and reading books (for media and English), and not bad choices either: Wuthering Heights and Se7en the highlights so far.
I'm going to try and start blogging everyday now, or at least every other day. Things have been weird lately, my mind in too many other places to actually focus on writing. Although I am a world class procrastinator - my school can attest to it - so maybe that's just an excuse. Expect lots of film and music posts, and a video game essay I've been trying to write for a while.
Anyways, here's what I've been listening to:
Pools - Glass Animals. Every Sunday morning my mum watches a show called Sunday Brunch (it's on British TV - avoid at all costs), the only highlight being the random song selections of up and coming artists they play. That's how I found Glass Animals. They're debut album is all lush, free-flowing rock music, and Pools is the highlight. Chilled but powerful.
My Motive - Knytro. Gangster rap is so hard to pull off now, to actually sound threatening; most of the time it comes off sarcastic or over the top campy. My Motive actually sounds threatening - 'like a sniper in the trunk' - without being campy. I still don't know anything about Knytro which is always exciting.
Love Lockdown - Kanye West. I keep thinking I've overplayed all of Kanye's library only to find something I skipped by. I skipped by most of 808s and Heartbreak, a good sometimes difficult album. This track sounds bare and primal, the tribal chant vibe sounds like a prelude to Lost In The World. The hook is so brilliantly addictive: 'so keep your love locked down'.
Ghost - Ella Henderson. One of those millions of pop songs which when first heard sound like they could be something else, something really special. It's not the flush of emotion after re-listening so many times, but deserves credit anyway.
Be Right - Asher Roth. I'm still indifferent to the album; I wished Roth would have just settled on a style that suits him by now. This track's great though; such a positive message, about seizing the moment and doing something with life - reminds me of early non-murderous Eminem.
Overgrown - James Blake. The album of the same name makes me think of an EDM version of Jeff Buckley's Grace. They both have that beautiful floaty sound to them, although don't really sound that similar - but they have that same feeling: so full of emotion and life, yet perfectly encapsulating the feeling of not having found yourself yet.
Homecoming - Kanye West. I've been listening to a lot of the more soulful Kanye tracks (see also: Heard Em Say). Well ok, I'm always listening to the more anything Kanye tracks, but these ones especially. This was the last era of his music where he was really trying to make people dance. And you gotta love Chris Martin's chorus (better than anything else he's done since): 'Maybe, do you remember when, fireworks at lake Michigan'.
People Who Died - The Jim Carroll Band. A web page celebrating the life of Tommy Ramone linked to this. I'd heard in films and stuff but never thought to actually sit down and give it a listen. Amazing when I found out the singer was little Leo from The Basketball Diaries (brilliant, by the way). Now one more time: 'Those are people who died, died!'.
I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) - Sandi Thom. This reminds me of my childhood - this was always bouncing around the music channels when it came out. There's something so appeasing about a song asking for a return to rock revolution yet done in such a minimalistic style, Thom's voice bigger than anything else. Anyone ever hear from her again, though?
Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - Talking Heads. How could I have never heard this album - Remain in Light - before? You know when something just knocks you over so bad that the reasons you love music just morphs around it a little. I should put the whole album here, but the opening track is just so great. You can hear their African influences (and David Byrne's craziness) literally leaking out of the speakers.
Safe European Home - The Clash. The moment The Clash started making real Clash songs? It has such a rhythm to it, they were certainly straying further than Europe. See Greil Marcus' Rolling Stone review of Give 'Em Enough Rope (one of their best) for a better analysis of the lyrics than I could ever put down.
Happy Valentine's Day - Outkast. As fantastically weird as Outkast, and only Outkast, could be: 'There's so much fuss about Santa Claus, but see Cupid will not be defeated!' And you just want to climb into that hook and live in it.
Homecoming - Kanye West. I've been listening to a lot of the more soulful Kanye tracks (see also: Heard Em Say). Well ok, I'm always listening to the more anything Kanye tracks, but these ones especially. This was the last era of his music where he was really trying to make people dance. And you gotta love Chris Martin's chorus (better than anything else he's done since): 'Maybe, do you remember when, fireworks at lake Michigan'.
People Who Died - The Jim Carroll Band. A web page celebrating the life of Tommy Ramone linked to this. I'd heard in films and stuff but never thought to actually sit down and give it a listen. Amazing when I found out the singer was little Leo from The Basketball Diaries (brilliant, by the way). Now one more time: 'Those are people who died, died!'.
I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) - Sandi Thom. This reminds me of my childhood - this was always bouncing around the music channels when it came out. There's something so appeasing about a song asking for a return to rock revolution yet done in such a minimalistic style, Thom's voice bigger than anything else. Anyone ever hear from her again, though?
Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - Talking Heads. How could I have never heard this album - Remain in Light - before? You know when something just knocks you over so bad that the reasons you love music just morphs around it a little. I should put the whole album here, but the opening track is just so great. You can hear their African influences (and David Byrne's craziness) literally leaking out of the speakers.
Safe European Home - The Clash. The moment The Clash started making real Clash songs? It has such a rhythm to it, they were certainly straying further than Europe. See Greil Marcus' Rolling Stone review of Give 'Em Enough Rope (one of their best) for a better analysis of the lyrics than I could ever put down.
Happy Valentine's Day - Outkast. As fantastically weird as Outkast, and only Outkast, could be: 'There's so much fuss about Santa Claus, but see Cupid will not be defeated!' And you just want to climb into that hook and live in it.
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