I'm a little obsessed with this song at the moment. Dueting lead vocalists, a trio, weird stoner rock style lyrics with Southern rock chords and rhythms, sweet look/vibe/style and rehearsal footage that sounds exactly like the album. w00t!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
4/14/09
Yesterday, a Facebook post from Straylight Run with a clip of a new song made my day. It had been a really bad day, so to hear new material from one of my all-time favorite groups was just the ticket.
Today, I stumbled across their self-titled first record during an afternoon listening session, and I remembered how much I loved it. I think it really captures the spirit, emotion and ideals of a lot of early 2000s groups. It's eloquent and soft, but not so soft that it doesn't flood you with emotional prowess after a full-length listen. Also, it's a really great sing-along record once you know all the words. Choruses in "The Tension and the Terror," "Mistakes We Knew We Were Making," and "Your Name Here" were made to belted out--and from the sound of the clip I heard yesterday, John Nolan continues to belt like no other. Praise the gods.
And of course, who could forget "Existentialism on Prom Night?" Songs like that (and titles like that) shaped the the blogging tastemakers who we're taking advice from.
If you listen to their newer songs, they've got the same sound as the band's earlier material. Soaring, catchy choruses, Nolan's scratching, clawing desperation, and creative, precise rhyming and word emphasis. Unfortunately, I don't know how successful all this is seen in the eyes of critics. True fans of the band's vibe and sound will love it, 'cause it's simply more from Straylight Run. The once "it," indie cool guys don't get the same recognition they used to because their sound hasn't given into fads. It's a tale as old as pop music itself, I imagine, but it doesn't get less sad with time. Its hard to tell how bands with true songwriting chops like SR that fit into a scene will survive after that scene evolves into something else.
I could go on for hours about this concept and it still would probably make no sense.
Unfortunately, not all music from the early aughts was as sweet as SR. The generational hipsters are seeking god know's what in indie-ville, and the orchestral electro dance generation seems to be pushing aside those influenced by more traditional, alternative pop rock songwriting. I feel like it's getting harder and harder for me to find new bands to gel with, unless I'm delving into new genres. 'Cause to look under "indie" these days is not what it used to be.
Still, I am constantly on the lookout for new music, to write about and spread the word about in one medium or another. I've learned this--nothing new can feel as good as your favorite records on a hard day...music remains my mental medicine, time hasn't seemed to change that.
Sidenote: 100th blog post! Congratulate me?
Today, I stumbled across their self-titled first record during an afternoon listening session, and I remembered how much I loved it. I think it really captures the spirit, emotion and ideals of a lot of early 2000s groups. It's eloquent and soft, but not so soft that it doesn't flood you with emotional prowess after a full-length listen. Also, it's a really great sing-along record once you know all the words. Choruses in "The Tension and the Terror," "Mistakes We Knew We Were Making," and "Your Name Here" were made to belted out--and from the sound of the clip I heard yesterday, John Nolan continues to belt like no other. Praise the gods.
And of course, who could forget "Existentialism on Prom Night?" Songs like that (and titles like that) shaped the the blogging tastemakers who we're taking advice from.
If you listen to their newer songs, they've got the same sound as the band's earlier material. Soaring, catchy choruses, Nolan's scratching, clawing desperation, and creative, precise rhyming and word emphasis. Unfortunately, I don't know how successful all this is seen in the eyes of critics. True fans of the band's vibe and sound will love it, 'cause it's simply more from Straylight Run. The once "it," indie cool guys don't get the same recognition they used to because their sound hasn't given into fads. It's a tale as old as pop music itself, I imagine, but it doesn't get less sad with time. Its hard to tell how bands with true songwriting chops like SR that fit into a scene will survive after that scene evolves into something else.
I could go on for hours about this concept and it still would probably make no sense.
Unfortunately, not all music from the early aughts was as sweet as SR. The generational hipsters are seeking god know's what in indie-ville, and the orchestral electro dance generation seems to be pushing aside those influenced by more traditional, alternative pop rock songwriting. I feel like it's getting harder and harder for me to find new bands to gel with, unless I'm delving into new genres. 'Cause to look under "indie" these days is not what it used to be.
Still, I am constantly on the lookout for new music, to write about and spread the word about in one medium or another. I've learned this--nothing new can feel as good as your favorite records on a hard day...music remains my mental medicine, time hasn't seemed to change that.
Sidenote: 100th blog post! Congratulate me?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
3/23/09
I get to remember songs like this one, "Empires," from The Snake The Cross The Crown. I love the guitar part, it sounds all old-western-blues style to me. It makes me picture some scene like a cowboy lookin dude in leather and a flat-topped cowboy hat, wandering through dusty nowheres in Nevada or something, about to have some sort of showdown.
Plus, I think it's a really well-written song.
Can't seem to find a link though, sadness.
Finally
Oh this is the morning of six eyes
Malicious cold dark stares
One single gentleman is not even watching
Maybe he's not prepared
So this is how
Oh this is how it comes to end
A meeting ground between everything and all that's been
Sweet child, oh cover your ears please
Loudly does your father fall
Last declarations aren't enough to absolve me from
Furies of a mother scorned, reborn
But careful son, your revolution's been won already
But don't let the trail it leads confine your needs
So this is how
Oh this is how it comes to end
A meeting ground between everything and all that's been
So save me
So send me away from here
Our time has come
You can bury me with all your fears
-Empires, Mander Sails
The Snake The Cross The Crown
Plus, I think it's a really well-written song.
Can't seem to find a link though, sadness.
Finally
Oh this is the morning of six eyes
Malicious cold dark stares
One single gentleman is not even watching
Maybe he's not prepared
So this is how
Oh this is how it comes to end
A meeting ground between everything and all that's been
Sweet child, oh cover your ears please
Loudly does your father fall
Last declarations aren't enough to absolve me from
Furies of a mother scorned, reborn
But careful son, your revolution's been won already
But don't let the trail it leads confine your needs
So this is how
Oh this is how it comes to end
A meeting ground between everything and all that's been
So save me
So send me away from here
Our time has come
You can bury me with all your fears
-Empires, Mander Sails
The Snake The Cross The Crown
Friday, March 20, 2009
3/20/09
I love that free music is becoming such a trend.Especially when NIN is involved.
I was going to see that NIN/JA summer tour up in Buffalo but they took that tour date off the list for some reason....sadness. Oh well, maybe I'll hit up when of the Jersey dates. I'm hoping to get to at least one outdoor rock show this summer where I can take advantage of being 21 and get wasted and rock out. This needs to happen, I cannot emphasize this enough.
Hoping to hit up The Prodigy show in NYC next week, finances permitting. God that would be fucking cool....I heard their unreleased tracks today, and they were really fucking good. You don't beat dance music like that, it's so deep and sexy. I remember seeing them perform at the VMA's years ago, and the guy was running around screaming, with vomit or snot or some sort of goo dripping out of his face, underneath this crazy ass light show. I think I tried to hide for a second or two--but I couldn't help but watch through the mirror.
I was going to see that NIN/JA summer tour up in Buffalo but they took that tour date off the list for some reason....sadness. Oh well, maybe I'll hit up when of the Jersey dates. I'm hoping to get to at least one outdoor rock show this summer where I can take advantage of being 21 and get wasted and rock out. This needs to happen, I cannot emphasize this enough.
Hoping to hit up The Prodigy show in NYC next week, finances permitting. God that would be fucking cool....I heard their unreleased tracks today, and they were really fucking good. You don't beat dance music like that, it's so deep and sexy. I remember seeing them perform at the VMA's years ago, and the guy was running around screaming, with vomit or snot or some sort of goo dripping out of his face, underneath this crazy ass light show. I think I tried to hide for a second or two--but I couldn't help but watch through the mirror.
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