#24 - Copeland - Sleep
One of 3 Copeland songs on the top 30, this represents the first entry. Copeland are a band I admire highly; Aaron Marsh's voice is angelic, fragile, soft, falsetto-driven, and just downright amazing. This song starts with a catchy piano loop intro, and the vocals come in, and a few bars later soft drumming comes in. After the first verse and soft chorus, the bassy interlude that leads into the stronger second verse is wonderful.
It's a well-produced song, and all the instruments are in the right proportion to the others. It's a joy to listen to.
I don't know how I came upon Copeland. I think I'd heard of them through their touring with another band I like, but didn't actually check them out. That is, until David Goode recommended them. I soon went to their purevolume profile, and listened to the 6 songs that were there over and over and over. I would let them run into each other and then repeat the sequence. I shared many emotions with them while listening online.
I bought their cds slowly but surely, as their supply in Australia was horribly low, but can say I've got every single one of their cds. Their most recent effort 'Eat, Sleep, Repeat' had a lot of songs in the top list of about 85 songs which I whittled down to the 85 we have here. And so does In Motion, where this song is from.
When I saw them live, this song really didn't disappoint. I just stood there watching them enjoying playing, while enjoying listening to the produce of their labour. I got to meet 3/4 of the band, and can safely say that they're great people.
Their new cd, a b-sides and exclusive acoustics album 'Dressed Up and In Line' just came out. I hope to get it as soon as it enters Australian shores.
Go to their Myspace now!
---
In other news, my brother Matthew, the Mexican Waver, has started up a charity-search engine, where the profits go towards Christian missionaries. I don't know enough about it to say how it works, but here's the link:
www.search316.org
---
Ben
Saturday, November 24, 2007
A non-music blog (woo!)
My brother Matthew tagged me in his blog to write about books. Don't know why, because I'm not an avid reader, but hey, I'll give it a crack.
How many books do you own?
Not that many really.. about 20?
What was the last book you read?
Intelligent Church by Steve Chalke, but am most of my way through my second reading of A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren.
What was the last book you purchased?
Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez. An inspiration to small-time filmmakers world-wide, it is a diary style book of the story of the making of El Mariachi for a budget of $7,000, and how it went from there to taking Rodriguez into the limelight, with the film making over $2 million at the Box Office (small for a normal film, but think of the profit margin, films barely ever make even!).
What five books are most meaningful to you?
The Bible - A great book for Christians and those who don't believe.
The Lord of the Rings - You'd hope it stays with you after all that time invested in reading!
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell - Re-awakened me spiritually when I felt suffocated by the system.
A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren - Took Velvet Elvis further. The only book (apart from the Bible) that has made me think for months on end. Though I think a lot of people who like McLaren miss the point with this book. It doesn't give any excuses for cynicism but rather an encouragement to change.
Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez. Makes you a lot happier to realise that you don't have to spend millions of dollars to make films that people will like.
What is your most obscure favourite book?
Good question. Loretta Lux. She's a photographic artist, and the book is basically a short review of her work, and then a whole heap of her work. I found out about her through her work with Anchor and Braille, a musical project featuring a lot of my favourite musicians. Funnily enough, I found the book in a Brunswick St bookstore that has an incredible art/design section (the entire second storey). I think it was about $60.
Yay. Done. I think everyone that I know who has a blog has already been tagged so that would be pointless. I'm listening to Dog Problems by The Format (mentioned in the previous blog) at the moment. Both this band and As Tall As Lions are definitely cranking my tractor.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
#25 - The Format - Oceans
The Format - Oceans
Ooh so we're coming to the end of this first section, I know I haven't posted in a while. Apologies Apologies. If you knew how busy I've been you'd forgive me ;) Anyway, onto the song!
'Aw you've got flaws that you won't admit, yet you tell me it's a sin that I don't believe in, aahhh' One of the amazing strengths is this song's incredible catchiness. I dare you to not like it. A combination of vocals, with oohs, aahs, with hand claps, with a cool keyboard sound fills up the space in this song, which makes it sound full when it needs to sound full, and everything is appropriately placed. I would love to play and sing this song live, I can imagine it would be a lot of fun. The line that probably does the most for me is the final few moments of the chorus, the words go a little something like this: "I hear you're somewhere in the sand, and how I wish I was an ocean. Maybe then, I'd get to see you again." I like the analogy, and the way it's delivered is so summery and wonderful that you wouldn't think it was a song about missing someone you love.
The lyrics reveal a few things about the lyricist and vocalist Nate Ruess. He seems to be a bit reclusive, and doesn't like to go out to clubs and pubs:
"Why am I scared of people in a room?
Why can't they see a good time
are the people close to you?
Why don't I just give in?
Have a drink and shake some hands
Oh ey oh
Oh ey oh"
He also laments close friends moving away, but realises that he's been encouraging them the whole time.
"And all my friends
They break and they bend
They take shape and they tend
to get better with time
and I say
"Who am I to work so much less
You get more
You all deserve what I am walking towards
If you want you should move away""
Oceans is at number 15 on my last.fm list, with 19 plays there, but about 40 on itunes at home, not to mention the other times it has been heard on cd players throughout the year. The band is sitting at number 6 on my top artists list as well, which is well deserved.
The Format write some killer pop tunes, and sound like they're influenced a little by some late 60s and 70s pop music as well as some more modern ones too. The album that introduced me to this band is their second album 'Dog Problems' which has Oceans as well as a number of other great songs on it.
I bought the album purely because it got #1 on the absolutepunk.net yearly chart. It got a lot of good feedback, so I thought, why not. Bought it on a hot day while on a break at Coles, threw it in the cd player in Dave's car (which i was borrowing at the time), and was a little puzzled at first at what I was hearing: big band stuff mixed with 70s harmonies and summery pop. But over that summer I became quite a fan. While at Venus Bay with a few friends I listened to this album over and over, each time it became clearer that this band was something I'd fall in love with.
The Format come highly recommended. Dog Problems is an album of genius, and they actually offered it as a free download for a few weeks in the first half of 2007. In more recent news, they've just released a DVD and a b-side/rarities record (which seems to be more of a trend these days, I noticed about 7 b-sides albums coming out from November-December which probably equals record companies hoping for Christmas purchases).
To watch a clip of the DVD (exclusive to absolutepunk.net), a song entitled 'Time Bomb', which is one of the better songs on the album, click here.
Or to listen to other songs and watch other videos, go to their myspace.
That's it for the first section, hope you've enjoyed it so far :) It obviously makes it a lot better if you check out the music yourself, especially if you don't know it :)
I also recently purchased Sigur Ros' documentary feature film 'Heima' and their album 'Takk'. Beautiful music, also highly recommended!
Ben
Ooh so we're coming to the end of this first section, I know I haven't posted in a while. Apologies Apologies. If you knew how busy I've been you'd forgive me ;) Anyway, onto the song!
'Aw you've got flaws that you won't admit, yet you tell me it's a sin that I don't believe in, aahhh' One of the amazing strengths is this song's incredible catchiness. I dare you to not like it. A combination of vocals, with oohs, aahs, with hand claps, with a cool keyboard sound fills up the space in this song, which makes it sound full when it needs to sound full, and everything is appropriately placed. I would love to play and sing this song live, I can imagine it would be a lot of fun. The line that probably does the most for me is the final few moments of the chorus, the words go a little something like this: "I hear you're somewhere in the sand, and how I wish I was an ocean. Maybe then, I'd get to see you again." I like the analogy, and the way it's delivered is so summery and wonderful that you wouldn't think it was a song about missing someone you love.
The lyrics reveal a few things about the lyricist and vocalist Nate Ruess. He seems to be a bit reclusive, and doesn't like to go out to clubs and pubs:
"Why am I scared of people in a room?
Why can't they see a good time
are the people close to you?
Why don't I just give in?
Have a drink and shake some hands
Oh ey oh
Oh ey oh"
He also laments close friends moving away, but realises that he's been encouraging them the whole time.
"And all my friends
They break and they bend
They take shape and they tend
to get better with time
and I say
"Who am I to work so much less
You get more
You all deserve what I am walking towards
If you want you should move away""
Oceans is at number 15 on my last.fm list, with 19 plays there, but about 40 on itunes at home, not to mention the other times it has been heard on cd players throughout the year. The band is sitting at number 6 on my top artists list as well, which is well deserved.
The Format write some killer pop tunes, and sound like they're influenced a little by some late 60s and 70s pop music as well as some more modern ones too. The album that introduced me to this band is their second album 'Dog Problems' which has Oceans as well as a number of other great songs on it.
I bought the album purely because it got #1 on the absolutepunk.net yearly chart. It got a lot of good feedback, so I thought, why not. Bought it on a hot day while on a break at Coles, threw it in the cd player in Dave's car (which i was borrowing at the time), and was a little puzzled at first at what I was hearing: big band stuff mixed with 70s harmonies and summery pop. But over that summer I became quite a fan. While at Venus Bay with a few friends I listened to this album over and over, each time it became clearer that this band was something I'd fall in love with.
The Format come highly recommended. Dog Problems is an album of genius, and they actually offered it as a free download for a few weeks in the first half of 2007. In more recent news, they've just released a DVD and a b-side/rarities record (which seems to be more of a trend these days, I noticed about 7 b-sides albums coming out from November-December which probably equals record companies hoping for Christmas purchases).
To watch a clip of the DVD (exclusive to absolutepunk.net), a song entitled 'Time Bomb', which is one of the better songs on the album, click here.
Or to listen to other songs and watch other videos, go to their myspace.
That's it for the first section, hope you've enjoyed it so far :) It obviously makes it a lot better if you check out the music yourself, especially if you don't know it :)
I also recently purchased Sigur Ros' documentary feature film 'Heima' and their album 'Takk'. Beautiful music, also highly recommended!
Ben
Friday, October 19, 2007
#26 - Aaron Marsh - What Child Is This
Aaron Marsh - What Child Is This
Late in 2006 I was getting right into the new Anchor and Braille stuff on their myspace, and I saw that Aaron Marsh, the lead singer from Copeland had his own myspace. I thought I'd check it out, and I found that he'd created his own version of the Christmas carol 'What Child Is This', it was a live recording that featured Aaron playing piano, singing, with programmed strings in the instrumental bits of the song.
I was instantly hooked. It was a free download, I thought 'Why not?' and got it. When Christmas of 2006 rolled around I was up in Sydney for about 3 days (ridiculously short time I know). A lot of the time was spent driving around. Because of the fact that I was so tired from plenty of travel and busyness, I spent a lot of time listening to my new-ish ipod shuffle. This song, along with the +44 cd and another cd that I can't remember became my soundtrack for that trip. At times the song almost brought me to tears, it became a reminder of the beauty of Christmas carols when they're done in a sincere way. I would love to play and sing this song at a carols service because I feel at times like we lose that sincerity with our celebration of Jesus' birth.
I can imagine the writer of the song feeling the same way. Obviously Copeland are one of my favourite bands so it makes sense that I'd love this genuine song about the birth of Jesus.
It clocks in at number 51 on my itunes play count with 22 plays to its name, which denies the amount that i've played it. Last.fm is even worse, with only 5 plays and at equal number 337!
I'll upload the mp3 of this for a short time so you can hear it, and i'll make it available for download. if you wanna listen to a track i created earlier this year give it a go too :) comments would be appreciated :)
www.myspace.com/paperpiano is the URL so yeah, go there!
www.myspace.com/anchorandbraille is a project with stephen christian and aaron marsh
and
www.myspace.com/aaronmarshmusic is one to look at too :)
Late in 2006 I was getting right into the new Anchor and Braille stuff on their myspace, and I saw that Aaron Marsh, the lead singer from Copeland had his own myspace. I thought I'd check it out, and I found that he'd created his own version of the Christmas carol 'What Child Is This', it was a live recording that featured Aaron playing piano, singing, with programmed strings in the instrumental bits of the song.
I was instantly hooked. It was a free download, I thought 'Why not?' and got it. When Christmas of 2006 rolled around I was up in Sydney for about 3 days (ridiculously short time I know). A lot of the time was spent driving around. Because of the fact that I was so tired from plenty of travel and busyness, I spent a lot of time listening to my new-ish ipod shuffle. This song, along with the +44 cd and another cd that I can't remember became my soundtrack for that trip. At times the song almost brought me to tears, it became a reminder of the beauty of Christmas carols when they're done in a sincere way. I would love to play and sing this song at a carols service because I feel at times like we lose that sincerity with our celebration of Jesus' birth.
I can imagine the writer of the song feeling the same way. Obviously Copeland are one of my favourite bands so it makes sense that I'd love this genuine song about the birth of Jesus.
It clocks in at number 51 on my itunes play count with 22 plays to its name, which denies the amount that i've played it. Last.fm is even worse, with only 5 plays and at equal number 337!
I'll upload the mp3 of this for a short time so you can hear it, and i'll make it available for download. if you wanna listen to a track i created earlier this year give it a go too :) comments would be appreciated :)
www.myspace.com/paperpiano is the URL so yeah, go there!
www.myspace.com/anchorandbraille is a project with stephen christian and aaron marsh
and
www.myspace.com/aaronmarshmusic is one to look at too :)
p.s. i just finished a whole subjects worth of assessments in a week, 6000 words in 3 assignments haha yay. that's 1 down, 2 more to go :)
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thrice
This isn't a countdown posting, just a small blog about a big band: Thrice.
Thrice have intrigued me ever since I picked up their cd 'Vhiessu' after playing their song 'Red Sky' on myspace a few times. The lyrics are incredible, even biblical in places, and the frontman Dustin Kensrue addresses issues that a lot of us could relate to.
I've gotten back into them recently, into Vhiessu and the new songs from their upcoming Alchemy Index series of 4 Eps: Fire, Water, Earth, Air. They're releasing the first 2: Fire and Water on the 16th of October and I will be amongst the first people to purchase this in Australia if it comes out that day (it might have to wait until the following Saturday when JB has lots of stock).
The 4 Eps have a variety of sounds: Fire is a heavier ep with more metal influences (listen to Firebreather on their myspace, Water has less metal and more digital sounds (listen to Digital Sea), and the other two are supposedly more epic/stadium (Air) and folksy (Earth). Watching the Video updates you can tell that Thrice aren't your normal metal/post-hardcore/hardcore band, they don't go after the same look or sound as other bands. This is why I respect them, because they break out of the scene expectations and norms and make their own path.
So that's my recommendation for the day :)
Ben
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
+44 - Make You Smile
+44 - Make You Smile
This song is fantastic, I love to play it when the weather's sunny with the windows down, but it's not your typical album. It's actually pretty laid back, with a bit of electronics mixed with guitar, the vocalist Mark Hoppus and a band member from a previous incarnation of the band, Carol Heller.
The dual vocals of Carol and Mark trade back and forward like a conversation between two people, and the lyrics point me to the idea that the people being talked about were together once, and the heartbreak experienced by the man is exacerbated when he never seems to be able to communicate with the girl he once loved. 'Man: The last time I saw you, you turned away. Woman: I couldn't see you with the sun shining in my eyes.' etc.
The story looks like the man just wants to be friends but his feelings of being disconnected keep him distant from her. 'Woman: I couldn't feel you, you're always so far away.'
Sounds quite depressing, but it actually provokes a smile rather than a frown.
+44 were formed by former blink 182 members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker with the idea of using electronics and keyboards in parts of their songs. The best songs from this album apart from this one are 'Little Death', 'Weatherman', 'Lillian', '155', and 'Chapter 13'. I saw them earlier this year and they played through the album pretty much how it was, however I was extremely disappointed that during Make You Smile, Mark sang it all by himself, it sounded rushed and didn't do the song justice.
That's the next one down :)
Ben
This song is fantastic, I love to play it when the weather's sunny with the windows down, but it's not your typical album. It's actually pretty laid back, with a bit of electronics mixed with guitar, the vocalist Mark Hoppus and a band member from a previous incarnation of the band, Carol Heller.
The dual vocals of Carol and Mark trade back and forward like a conversation between two people, and the lyrics point me to the idea that the people being talked about were together once, and the heartbreak experienced by the man is exacerbated when he never seems to be able to communicate with the girl he once loved. 'Man: The last time I saw you, you turned away. Woman: I couldn't see you with the sun shining in my eyes.' etc.
The story looks like the man just wants to be friends but his feelings of being disconnected keep him distant from her. 'Woman: I couldn't feel you, you're always so far away.'
Sounds quite depressing, but it actually provokes a smile rather than a frown.
+44 were formed by former blink 182 members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker with the idea of using electronics and keyboards in parts of their songs. The best songs from this album apart from this one are 'Little Death', 'Weatherman', 'Lillian', '155', and 'Chapter 13'. I saw them earlier this year and they played through the album pretty much how it was, however I was extremely disappointed that during Make You Smile, Mark sang it all by himself, it sounded rushed and didn't do the song justice.
That's the next one down :)
Ben
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Jars of Clay - River Constantine
Jars of Clay - River Constantine
This song is a calming, still, reflective song. Jars of Clay have drawn upon a large number of different influences in their time as a band, and this song is one of their better ones. River Constantine is from the album 'If I Left The Zoo', which was released in 1999, which makes it about as old as the Stereophonics song in the previous countdown post, and marks the last of the pre-millenial tunes.
I've listened to this song countless times before going to bed at night, or whenever I feel like putting something quiet on.
I'm not sure what Constantine refers to in this song, however the meaning I attach to this song is from the POV of me, to God.
'Carry me, Your love is wider than my need could ever be.' is the first line of the song and is probably my favourite lyric from the song, equal to the chorus line 'Pour out, come down on me.'
I think when I got this album I was more into the faster songs 'Collide', 'Unforgetful You', but in time I think the slower songs are much more memorable: 'No One Loves Me Like You', power ballad 'Famous Last Words', and 'Hand'. But obviously, nothing has ever hit the spot from this album as much as 'River Constantine'.
This song is a calming, still, reflective song. Jars of Clay have drawn upon a large number of different influences in their time as a band, and this song is one of their better ones. River Constantine is from the album 'If I Left The Zoo', which was released in 1999, which makes it about as old as the Stereophonics song in the previous countdown post, and marks the last of the pre-millenial tunes.
I've listened to this song countless times before going to bed at night, or whenever I feel like putting something quiet on.
I'm not sure what Constantine refers to in this song, however the meaning I attach to this song is from the POV of me, to God.
'Carry me, Your love is wider than my need could ever be.' is the first line of the song and is probably my favourite lyric from the song, equal to the chorus line 'Pour out, come down on me.'
I think when I got this album I was more into the faster songs 'Collide', 'Unforgetful You', but in time I think the slower songs are much more memorable: 'No One Loves Me Like You', power ballad 'Famous Last Words', and 'Hand'. But obviously, nothing has ever hit the spot from this album as much as 'River Constantine'.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
for the curious
I found a youtube video of a live version of 'The Widow' by As Cities Burn, with one singer with a guitar, singing about his father leaving the family when he was young, and if the lyrics are anything to go by, drugs were a factor. Pretty honest stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMBmfhmHj4sOn a lighter note, a band called 'Polysics' added me on myspace today. They looked quite interesting so I checked em out. Little did I know what I was getting myself in for. We're talkin new wave dance rock from Japan. Japan really is a golden place to find bands.
check them out at their myspace and listen to Catch on Everywhere, Baby Bias, I Me My Mine, and look at their video clips on the page.
I'll put the next top 30 entry up when I've done it :)
*edit* I bought 'pick a part that's new', 'the widow' (as cities burn), and 'have a nice day' - stereophonics in itunes today. i love itunes. so good.*
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Stereophonics – Pick A Part That’s New
Stereophonics – Pick A Part That’s New
This is an absolute trip down memory lane. I think only my brothers Mat and Pete will recognise this song as being part of my life. I first saw the video clip at home when I was 13, and was immediately hooked, but I only saw the second half of the clip so I didn't get to see the actual title of the song, which is quite annoying obviously. It was kinda a re-do of the classic Italian Job (from the 60s(?)) and I was pretty impressed. But anyway it was lost to me, for the time being, with me only remembering the catchy chorus line 'you can do all the things that you like to do, all around, underground, pick a part thats new'.
Fast forward a few months, I'm on the plane with my family going to the UK for a few months. I'm listening to the on-board 'radio', which is really just a cd mix, that loops over and over for the duration of the flight. So I'm listening away and I hear 'you can do all the things that you like to do, all around, underground, pick a part thats new'. Needless to say, it piqued my curiosity. I madly flick through the airplane magazine that has a track listing for the cd. I look down the list, which one could it be? It all becomes obvious when I catch the title. Who are these Stereophonics people? So I listen intently, listening to the whole cd over and over again to try and catch the song as it rolls around on the loop.
But, another problem arises. I'm going overseas for a few months, with close to no internet connection so I can't download it (that's how I did it back in the days). So it almost becomes lost again, apart from the fact that it's running through my head for the duration of the trip. By the time I got home approximately 3 months later, it was a given that this song would be chosen from among the many songs in the world for download. That's right, I downloaded it, shock, horror.
I listened to this song a lot, and by that, I mean lots. But this is the age before music statistics became a thing of importance, so I can't tell you how much I listened to it. I never actually got a legal copy of this song, it makes me tempted to grab it off iTunes. It'll be a good soundtrack for summer I say.
Stereophonics are a 3 piece from Wales, I enjoy the singers voice from other songs I've heard but it does get grating after a while, another strong song written by the trio would be Dakota. Love singing it on that playstation karaoke game.
So there we have it, the second entry in the 30-25 category.
From Benjamin
This is an absolute trip down memory lane. I think only my brothers Mat and Pete will recognise this song as being part of my life. I first saw the video clip at home when I was 13, and was immediately hooked, but I only saw the second half of the clip so I didn't get to see the actual title of the song, which is quite annoying obviously. It was kinda a re-do of the classic Italian Job (from the 60s(?)) and I was pretty impressed. But anyway it was lost to me, for the time being, with me only remembering the catchy chorus line 'you can do all the things that you like to do, all around, underground, pick a part thats new'.
Fast forward a few months, I'm on the plane with my family going to the UK for a few months. I'm listening to the on-board 'radio', which is really just a cd mix, that loops over and over for the duration of the flight. So I'm listening away and I hear 'you can do all the things that you like to do, all around, underground, pick a part thats new'. Needless to say, it piqued my curiosity. I madly flick through the airplane magazine that has a track listing for the cd. I look down the list, which one could it be? It all becomes obvious when I catch the title. Who are these Stereophonics people? So I listen intently, listening to the whole cd over and over again to try and catch the song as it rolls around on the loop.
But, another problem arises. I'm going overseas for a few months, with close to no internet connection so I can't download it (that's how I did it back in the days). So it almost becomes lost again, apart from the fact that it's running through my head for the duration of the trip. By the time I got home approximately 3 months later, it was a given that this song would be chosen from among the many songs in the world for download. That's right, I downloaded it, shock, horror.
I listened to this song a lot, and by that, I mean lots. But this is the age before music statistics became a thing of importance, so I can't tell you how much I listened to it. I never actually got a legal copy of this song, it makes me tempted to grab it off iTunes. It'll be a good soundtrack for summer I say.
Stereophonics are a 3 piece from Wales, I enjoy the singers voice from other songs I've heard but it does get grating after a while, another strong song written by the trio would be Dakota. Love singing it on that playstation karaoke game.
So there we have it, the second entry in the 30-25 category.
From Benjamin
P.S. I bought 2 cds yesterday - Dashboard Confessional - Swiss Army Romance (from 2000, Chris Carrabba makes a big dent on these charts, you'll see why later (unless you already know!)), and New Buffalo - Somewhere, Anywhere. Both good, quite relaxing cds.
Friday, September 14, 2007
As Cities Burn - Bloodsucker Pt 2
As Cities Burn - Bloodsucker Pt 2
I first heard this song after downloading the (free and legal) SolidState Sampler from purevolume.com, and didn't like it that much, in fact, most of that sampler i really don't like and wouldn't choose to listen to.
however, there was something about this that was really hooky, that kept me coming back for more. it wasn't the whiny vocals, i didn't like them much, but after a few listens i started to really get into the 2 very different styles of singing, and the constant barrage of singing/screaming. This song really doesn't let up, there's barely a moment that isn't filled by voice, constant overlapping.
Then I really started listening to the lyrics:
"And I swear, I swear not to scream at my becoming part of the machine."
"And no one wins against the machine, so get back, get back in line."
"Well, it's yours, you can have it if it means that much to you, don't let me stop you (now)"
"Are you the man now, that you got what you wanted? are you the man now, that you got it?"
"Turn me into someone else, someone more like yourself."
I don't know the meaning of the lyrics from the writers perspective, but I take it as an call to break free of the pressure of the 'machine', or the 'man', and to truly aim to be myself. It also makes me think of when I have been that part of a machine and have wanted people to change to how I want them to be, which is inconsistent with what I believe about God and church.
As Cities Burn are an interesting band, im thinking of getting their new cd 'Come Now, Sleep' but I'm not sure if i'd get the album that this song is on, but that's pointless information really. Their lyrics deal with a christian's perspective on various issues, something that is always a drawcard.
To prove my point about statistics, this song is ranked #133 out of 399 rankings on last fm. it's #195 out of 1,087 songs in my itunes. This isn't accurate, I can assure you of that.
Well, thats the first post done!
Any feedback or suggestions would be nice :)
love from me
I first heard this song after downloading the (free and legal) SolidState Sampler from purevolume.com, and didn't like it that much, in fact, most of that sampler i really don't like and wouldn't choose to listen to.
however, there was something about this that was really hooky, that kept me coming back for more. it wasn't the whiny vocals, i didn't like them much, but after a few listens i started to really get into the 2 very different styles of singing, and the constant barrage of singing/screaming. This song really doesn't let up, there's barely a moment that isn't filled by voice, constant overlapping.
Then I really started listening to the lyrics:
"And I swear, I swear not to scream at my becoming part of the machine."
"And no one wins against the machine, so get back, get back in line."
"Well, it's yours, you can have it if it means that much to you, don't let me stop you (now)"
"Are you the man now, that you got what you wanted? are you the man now, that you got it?"
"Turn me into someone else, someone more like yourself."
I don't know the meaning of the lyrics from the writers perspective, but I take it as an call to break free of the pressure of the 'machine', or the 'man', and to truly aim to be myself. It also makes me think of when I have been that part of a machine and have wanted people to change to how I want them to be, which is inconsistent with what I believe about God and church.
As Cities Burn are an interesting band, im thinking of getting their new cd 'Come Now, Sleep' but I'm not sure if i'd get the album that this song is on, but that's pointless information really. Their lyrics deal with a christian's perspective on various issues, something that is always a drawcard.
To prove my point about statistics, this song is ranked #133 out of 399 rankings on last fm. it's #195 out of 1,087 songs in my itunes. This isn't accurate, I can assure you of that.
Well, thats the first post done!
Any feedback or suggestions would be nice :)
love from me
About the 30
So, with this top 30 business, I had already decided the songs in the top 30, however they aren't ranked. I find them impossible to rank, so i'm going to do it in categories:
30-25,24-20,19-15,14-10,9-5, and 4-1.
hope this gives you a better idea of the sort of impact each song has had :)
next post will be the first entry into the 30-25 category. there will be ranking numbers within the categories but they aren't indicative of rank, only the categories are.
also, unlike david, i won't be consistently including statistics: from using various computers and having an ipod shuffle makes it hard for last.fm to be truly accurate, it's actually far from accurate because it is only from when i am sitting at home, mostly in front of the computer, or doing the dishes, stuff like that.
anyway, onto the first post!
love from me
The Top 30
Hey-0h
This blog is pretty much set up for one thing:
The top 30 posts.
If you go to one of my great friend david's blog: daviddouglasgoode.blogspot.com, then you can see that he did a top 25 songs of his life so far blog series. in fact, it is still going.
He's been wanting me to do this for a while, only now getting sorta around to it.
I went through a lot of songs to get to this point, my first list was 85, which is obviously too many, but i whittled it down to 30, and find it hard to go further than that.
I hope in this blog series that you get a better idea of what I like in an artist, in lyrics, in musical style and any other factor that might make me like a song, like emotional attachments and that. it could be a quite informative experience.
enough of the serious talk, i really don't know how often these posts will be made but i'll try, with a little encouragement needed, to get them done. if it's been too long between posts, sms me some abuse, and i may just run to my computer to get the next one out.
love from me
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