DMAT Matters

The End

2011-08-28T18:42:00.002-04:00

After a little thought I've decided that this will be my final post on this blog. It's difficult to find time to do everything that I want and feeling that I need to keep this blog updated is not something I need on my mind. I've had fun with it and hope that people discovered some new music that they maybe didn't know existed. It seems that my musical taste is increasing in schizophrenic tendencies as time progresses, the good thing about this blog is that I can go back and possibly rediscover something that I liked and had forgotten about. The departing song is from one of my favorite bands, one that I come back to time and time again, Radiohead.

Goodbye
Farewell
Auf Wiedersehen
Adios
Au revoir

Song of the Day Part 63

2011-08-15T11:40:00.002-04:00

Song of the Day Part 62

2011-07-18T20:28:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 61

2011-07-10T00:54:00.000-04:00

Song of the Day Part 60

2011-07-03T00:35:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 59

2011-06-23T15:24:00.001-04:00

Exclusive New Culprit 1 Track

2011-06-18T21:04:00.002-04:00

Culprit 1 - Grains Of Light by culprit1

I'm liking the direction Culprit 1 is taking with this new song and soon to be released EP. Don't get me wrong, I love his first two albums "Running in Order" & "Theme 2", they were by no means missteps, but I do believe his strength lies in instrumental music. I still remember the first time hearing Brasilia and being absolutely shocked by it's quality, same goes for 1015 to Godaido. Instrumentals can be very difficult to pull-off but in Culprit's case he composes them with aplomb and leaves a unique touch on each song. For me they are the songs that keep me coming back for more and that's why I like his current approach to the EP. Enjoy the music and support the artist!

Song of the Day Part 58

2011-06-11T21:35:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 57

2011-06-09T18:48:00.000-04:00

Song of the Day Part 56

2011-06-04T22:17:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 55

2011-06-01T11:46:00.002-04:00

*There is a special treat coming to the site in the next couple weeks, stay tuned!*

Song of the Day Part 54

2011-05-25T13:29:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 53

2011-05-24T20:10:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 52

2011-05-22T18:52:00.001-04:00

Live Music Matters - Part 4

2011-05-21T16:52:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 51

2011-05-19T21:33:00.000-04:00

Song of the Day Part 50

2011-05-04T08:55:00.002-04:00

Song of the Day Part 49

2011-05-01T22:31:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 48

2011-04-29T00:04:00.000-04:00

Song of the Day Part 47

2011-04-25T00:46:00.002-04:00

Song of the Day Part 46

2011-04-14T23:39:00.002-04:00

New MMJ album out May 31st.

Song of the Day Part 45

2011-04-12T23:10:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 44

2011-04-06T01:21:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 43

2011-03-31T17:05:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 42

2011-03-28T22:24:00.002-04:00

Song of the Day Part 41

2011-03-22T21:12:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 40

2011-03-17T13:30:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 39

2011-03-16T23:33:00.002-04:00

Beware of the change 50 seconds in.

Song of the Day Part 38

2011-03-15T00:40:00.000-04:00

Song of the Day Part 37

2011-03-05T22:55:00.000-05:00

Song of the Day Part 36

2011-03-01T23:56:00.001-05:00

Song of the Day Part 35

2011-02-26T23:55:00.002-05:00

Happy 83rd Academy Awards!

How Music Works

2011-02-25T13:41:00.002-05:00

It can be quite difficult to break down something as vast as music and make it understandable to a wide variety of people. I've always found it to be an undertaking trying to find a place to start with it. It's therefore always exciting to stumble across a program like "How Music Works" which not only manages to entertain but to educate, and educate well. It's a four episode series with each focusing on a different aspect of music: melody, rhythm, harmony and bass. Presenter Howard Goodall is an award-winning British composer and TV personality who does a fabulous job with the program. His passion for music is quite apparent and makes an already informative experience even more memorable. All of the episodes are on YouTube and below is part 1 of episode 1:

Song of the Day Part 34

2011-02-24T22:54:00.001-05:00

Song of the Day Part 33

2011-02-23T01:46:00.001-05:00

New Radiohead Album Out This Saturday!!!!!!!!!!

2011-02-14T23:51:00.002-05:00

Well, if you haven't already heard (unlikely), there is a new Radiohead album coming out this Saturday February 19. It's called "The King of Limbs" and will be the band's eighth proper studio album. Details can be found here or anywhere else you like. Exciting news!

Song of the Day Part 32

2011-02-07T23:46:00.002-05:00

Song of the Day Part 31

2011-01-27T16:31:00.001-05:00

Song of the Day Part 30

2011-01-20T02:02:00.001-05:00

Song of the Day Part 29

2011-01-14T00:06:00.001-05:00

Find more artists like Culprit 1 at Myspace Music

Song of the Day Part 28

2011-01-11T22:34:00.001-05:00

Song of the Day Part 27

2011-01-03T22:59:00.002-05:00

Happy 2-for-1 New Year!

Song of the Day Part 26

2010-12-18T19:42:00.003-05:00

This banger from Norwegian band Kvelertak is not for the faint of heart. Those opposed to metal should not continue either.

Song of the Day Part 25

2010-12-13T01:42:00.001-05:00

Song of the Day Part 24

2010-12-12T00:20:00.001-05:00

Song of the Day Part 23

2010-12-05T23:53:00.001-05:00

Song of the Day Part 22

2010-11-25T00:19:00.003-05:00

New Mogwai

2010-11-19T16:24:00.002-05:00

The album's due out next February and this is the first preview I've heard as of yet. After hearing this I'm quite excited:

Song of the Day Part 21

2010-11-17T00:14:00.001-05:00

Song of the Day Part 20

2010-11-09T21:36:00.001-05:00

Bert Jansch

2010-11-05T17:37:00.003-04:00

As per a request, I've compiled a list of some memorable Bert Jansch tunes. His musical career is extensive and I've only just discovered him and as a result this compilation is definitely not as comprehensive as it could be. Nevertheless the following songs are a good starting point and if you want to hear more just search him on YouTube and you'll find a lot more.

Anji
Originally this piece was written by Davey Graham (also worth checking out) and it's been played by many a folk guitarist. I quite like Jansch's rendition.

Needle of Death
Darker territory for Jansch but probably one of his more memorable songs.

One for Jo
A Jansch original piece and my personal favorite of the bunch; voice and guitar matched perfectly.

Crimson Moon
A newer song and more upbeat than the rest. Nice collaboration in the video too.

High Days

The Wagoner's Lad
Jimmy Page used a sample of this tune in Led Zepplin's "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", Jansch wasn't too pleased.

Song of the Day Part 19

2010-11-04T13:45:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 18

2010-11-03T00:31:00.000-04:00

Song of the Day Part 17

2010-10-29T12:06:00.000-04:00

Song of the Day Part 16

2010-10-03T22:57:00.002-04:00

Yet Another YouTube Discovery (Again!)

2010-09-27T02:07:00.004-04:00

Months back I posted a video for a smooth jazz version of Metallica's Enter Sandman. Turns out the same guy who made that video has made several others along the same lines as that one. These are my favorites, enjoy.

Conway Twitty - I See the Want to in Your Eyes (Death Metal Version)

Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me (Metal Version)

Jonas Brothers - Paranoid (Death Metal Version)

Lady Gaga - Polka Face

Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train (Smooth Jazz Version)

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Reggae Version)

Song of the Day Part 15

2010-09-22T00:38:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 14

2010-09-15T00:45:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 13

2010-09-10T13:37:00.001-04:00

Song(s) of the Day

2010-09-03T18:04:00.001-04:00

Underworld - Barking

2010-09-02T01:52:00.004-04:00

It's been 3 years since the fabulous Oblivion With Bells and Underworld are back with Barking, an album of completely different sound to this listener. This is probably due to the fact that eight out of nine tracks on the album are collaborations with other artists. Karl Hyde and Rick Smith wrote the tracks and then sent them to various dubstep, drum/bass and house producers to add extra elements to the songs. The results are hit and miss; opening number "Bird 1" is probably the closest thing in sound to everything else the group have ever made. It's vintage Underworld in it's simple bass, beat and almost whispered vocals that gradually build until a lovely piece of Karl Hyde affected vocal electronic music emerges. Not once during this opener do you remember that there is some foreign influence but by track two it becomes very apparent. "Always Loved a Film" begins and you immediately feel like you're listening to a completely different album. It's not necessarily a bad song, it just doesn't feel like Underworld; it's over-produced and the repeated chorus "heaven..." is a bit cheesy. Song three, "Scribble", suffers similarly but still manages to retain an overall Underworld feel.

Track number four "Hamburg Hotel" is a welcome change of pace after the frantic and disappointing previous two songs. A constant synth line provides the backbone of an eerie instrumental piece that could've fit right in on Underworld's '96 album Second Toughest in the Infants. The similarities to older albums continues in "Grace" which sounds like the offspring of Dubnobasswithmyheadman's "Dark and Long". This likeness in sound to older material is problematic because nothing can ever live up to what they achieved back then. It may be a result of running out of ideas on Underworld's part or that the collaborators are too much under the influence of those older tunes. Track seven has proved to be the most difficult for me to digest so far because upon first hearing it one thing popped into mind: The Black Eyed Pea's "I Gotta Feeling". I can't quite put my finger on why it reminds me so much of that horrendous song, all I know is that I don't like it. The final two songs "Moon in Water" and "Louisiana" are equally pointless and cap off an overall very disappointing album.

In short, Barking achieves only as much as it could have when it was conceived. It's a mish-mash of collaborations that for the most part fall short of memorable and as an album lacks the one thing that has made Underworld so long-lasting: personality.

Guitar Master in a Cosby Sweater!

2010-08-30T23:45:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 11

2010-08-28T18:11:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 10

2010-08-15T00:10:00.000-04:00

Song of the Day Part 9

2010-08-12T00:27:00.000-04:00

Song of the Day Part 8

2010-08-10T02:12:00.001-04:00

Essential Ween

2010-08-04T22:25:00.002-04:00

Ween will always have a special place in my music collection simply because they were the first band to get me off of crap like this:

Amusing as it is, I'm quite glad that I don't subject my ears to such nonsense anymore. Awhile back I posted a video for Ween's "Buckingham Green", one of my all-time favorites; that very live DVD performance being the first ever Boognish experience for me as well. It's been many Chocolate & Cheese and White Pepper filled years since that viewing and I've become quite familiar with the New Hope based band. Casual and intensive listeners alike have made their essential Ween playlists, choosing personal favorites from records or live performances. I've tried many a time to make my own but have always ended up with a twenty plus song playlist struggling to remove songs because there are so many greats. Now, this may not be the be all and end all of Ween essential lists for me, but, I can confidently say that it is supremely difficult to dispute any of the selections on the following ten song compilation. If you have a strong argument, please, leave it in the comments section and we'll have a little discussion about it. Here we go:

1. Don't Laugh (I Love You) from God Ween Satan: The Oneness
Ween's first two albums are not for the faint of heart. Dark and disturbed but filled with short gems, these are my least listened to of their albums. Most Ween fanatics would use that statement as fodder for an argument against my expertise on the Ween discography, but the simple fact is that I'm partial to the band's later work on albums like Chocolate and Cheese and The Mollusk.

2. Demon Sweat from The Pod

3. Don't Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy) from Pure Guava

4. Buenas Tardes Amigo from Chocolate and Cheese

5. I'm Holding You from 12 Golden Country Greats

6. Buckingham Green from The Mollusk

7. Exactly Where I'm At from White Pepper

8. Transdermal Celebration from Quebec

9. Gabrielle from Shinola Volume 1

10. Your Party from La Cucaracha

The Ageless DJ

2010-07-31T22:40:00.004-04:00

Not many DJs can galvanize a room like this guy. The music may be crap but he's having a hell of a time and you can't help but smile. Then again it could also be drug related...

Song of the Day Part 7

2010-07-25T01:38:00.002-04:00

Song of the Day Part 6

2010-07-21T23:18:00.001-04:00

New Music That Matters 2010: Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

2010-07-20T22:31:00.004-04:00

Flying Lotus (FlyLo) is an LA based electronic musician whose sound is almost categorically impossible to define. Bits and pieces of inspiration from legendary electronic producers are evident in FlyLo's music. Complex beat structures and hazy ambience reminiscent of Aphex Twin and Amon Tobin along with acid-jazz and good old fashioned hip-hop make up this inventive artist's sound. Multiple shorter songs flowing seamlessly into each other is once again the preferred structure for FlyLo; eighteen songs made to sound like one fifty-minute wonder. Starting with "Clock Catcher" and ending with "Velvet Cake" the album sounds original and futuristic throughout and enlists the help of some talented people along the way; the most well-known being Thom Yorke, who lends his voice to the apocalyptic "...And the World Laughs With You". Tracks nine and ten are the highlight of the album for me, the lovely "MmmHmm" transitions perfectly into the bass-blasting wonderment of "Do the Astral Plane". Never a dull moment to be had in those two gems or in the whole of "Cosmogramma" for that matter.
MmmHmm

Do the Astral Plane

Song of the Day Part 5

2010-07-16T01:38:00.002-04:00

One of my all time favorite songs.

New Song From The Walkmen

2010-07-14T00:46:00.003-04:00

Their next album,"Lisbon", is set for release in September but we get a taste of it right now with this new song "Stranded". The band once again utilizes horns to perfection in this ballad. If they haven't already reached classic status among fans and critics (they have with me) surely this song indicates that they will once "Lisbon" is released later this year.

Song of the Day Part 4

2010-07-12T23:33:00.002-04:00

They sounded so promising with this, what happened?

New DJ Shadow

2010-07-11T09:53:00.002-04:00

As of yet untitled album is due out in 2011. "Def Surrounds Us" can be heard right now and it's a bit of a return to form for the Shadow. It takes a couple minutes to get going but once that beat kicks in you'll be hooked.

Song of the Day Part 3

2010-07-08T11:18:00.001-04:00

From the woefully underrated album "It Still Moves".

Song of the Day Part 2

2010-06-29T13:06:00.001-04:00

Song of the Day Part 1

2010-06-24T23:22:00.002-04:00

I've got to keep the posts coming and this seems like the best way to do so.

New Music That Matters 2010: The Chemical Brothers - Further

2010-06-11T21:55:00.003-04:00

The Chemical Brothers have returned to form with this album. Big beats are back and hitting hard, reverberating synths once again bring about feelings of nostalgia and at eight tracks the duo don't overstay their welcome. The opening track kicks off "Further" just right with lyrics of 'lifting me higher' setting the table nicely for the next fifty minutes of ethereal electronic bliss. The highlight of the album is "Another World", a song of much inspiration to me as an artist in it's emotional capacity. It has rekindled my interest and reminded me of why I love the genre.

Golden Oldie

2010-05-24T23:37:00.001-04:00

Live Music Matters - Part 3

2010-05-23T23:10:00.002-04:00

What do you get when you combine three guitars, Jeff Tweedy and some shredding solos? The answer: one of my favorite Wilco songs "Impossible Germany", from their 2007 album "Sky Blue Sky". Lame Volkswagen advertisements aside, "Sky Blue Sky" contains some of Wilco's finest music to date. Performed live, the aforementioned track is a prime example with newest Wilco member Nils Cline bringing a new dimension to the band's sound. Great footage of a legendary band at work:

RIP Ronnie James Dio

2010-05-17T00:14:00.002-04:00

Ronnie James Dio passed away earlier today from stomach cancer at the age of 67. This news saddens me terribly, Dio was and will forever be one of the most influential heavy metal artists to ever live. Perhaps the best way we can remember him is by listening to his music:

Television

2010-05-15T21:09:00.002-04:00

Ricky Gervais is a comedian from the UK that some of you may or may not have heard of. Before making it 'big' in Hollywood, Gervais co-wrote a great sitcom called "Extras" with him in the starring role of a 40-something year old background actor trying to break through into major TV and movie roles. Each episode guest stars one or two different celebrities (Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Ian McKellan to name a few) who play major parts in the maturation of Gervais' character. If you're not into British humor you might want to avoid watching it but I highly recommend it to those of you that do. Every episode of both series is available for viewing on YouTube and each episode has it's hilarious moments (wait until you get to the Patrick Stewart episode). Here's the first episode:

As a bonus, here is what Gervais was doing before acting and writing:

Galactic Empire State of Mind

2010-05-10T23:34:00.003-04:00

This is a parody of Jay-Z's ode to New York "Empire State of Mind". It encompasses all of the Star Wars movies that matter.
'Keep fencing mister, 'cause now I sense a sister...'

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Update: I'm Still Here!

2010-05-09T23:15:00.002-04:00

Dear readers,

Activity has been lacking of late on the blog and I apologize. Looking for some insight into what 'matters' you've been coming here for answers and have been hugely let down. Truth be told I'm not finding much in the way of inspiration in a lot of the music I've been listening to lately and haven't had much reason to post. I've thought about it and have narrowed it down to three possible explanations:
1. Shortage of time.
2. Not being completely truthful with myself about what I want to/think I should be bothering to listen to.
3. Music sucks.
Option one is just an excuse and option three is just plain insanity so I therefore can only think that my only relief in this period of frustration is to remedy option two. I pledge to fix the problem and bring some excitement and intrigue back into DMAT Matters. Hopefully sooner rather than later... Let's begin now!

New Music that Matters

Bonobo - Black Sands
I listened to this album three times today and although it hasn't completely sunk in I'm already quite enamored with it. Much of it reminds me of Thievery Corporation, heavy on the horns and latin vibes but with an Asian twist and some great synth touches. Three tracks have vocals, "The Keeper" in particular standing out with it's memorable guitars and cool flow. My favorite moment on the album is the finale title track which plucks along perfectly before flourishing into a medley of clarinets, horns and strings.

Awesome Dubs Part 2

2010-04-29T15:22:00.002-04:00

Rolling Stones (Passing Stones):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8CtWUY7nvg

Queen - "The Behemothian Potpourri"

Kiss

Without You

2010-04-17T23:12:00.003-04:00

I'm a bit obsessed with this song at the moment and it's not because of any heartbreak/schmaltzy hopeless romanticism. Originally written by Badfinger in 1970, "Without You" has gone on to be covered by many artists but arguably the best cover is by Harry Nilsson. Contrary to what some people think, the lyrics are actually "can't live" and not "Ken Lee".

Original Version

Harry Nilsson Cover

"Ken Lee" Version

Chewing Chewing Gum

2010-04-15T01:31:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite songs ever and it's about falling asleep whilst chewing gum. Complete with an awesome organ blast at the 2 minute and 35 second mark.

"Fancy lad, fancy lad..."

2010-04-10T22:10:00.005-04:00

This song from New York band Extra Life is the strangest I've heard in quite some time. I find it weirdly addictive.

Joker - Tron

2010-04-09T21:03:00.003-04:00

Everyone else in the music universe has posted about this guy and this track, so why can't I? Dubstep is becoming increasingly popular and most of it I don't like, with the exception of this song. The first few hi-hat hits made me laugh at first, maybe you will too.

Decade Look: Part 15 - Muse's Absolution

2010-04-09T17:19:00.003-04:00

For me, this trio from Britain have proven difficult to get into despite critical acclaim in their home country and beyond. Since I first discovered them about two years ago I've had stretches where I go from being absolutely enamored and then disregarding. Admittedly, up until the other day, I had never sat through an entire Muse album; I had always found Matt Bellamy's singing a bit superfluous. After putting on this 2003 album a couple days ago and sitting through the whole thing (and thoroughly enjoying it) I realized that Muse's sound is as Bellamy sings: over the top. While this is normally a contemptible trait and most 'mainstream' artists are as such, in Muse's case, it's what makes them so alluring. The first heavily struck piano chords of second track "Apocalypse Please" are a prime example: excessive yet intriguing. Before you know it you're caught up in the infectious bass-line of the following track "Time is Running Out" and the catchy chorus of "Sing for Absolution". The breathless pace continues with the shredding guitar licks and thrash of "Stockholm Syndrome" before a reprieve is finally found in "Falling Away With You". A few more hyper tracks follow including the immense "Butterflies and Hurricanes" that has to do with the butterfly effect of chaos theory, blah blah blah, who cares, it's a good song. Nearing the end of the album comes one of my favorite tracks on it, "Endlessly", a ballad of sorts that has stuck with me more than any other song. Soft electronic piano is accompanied by brushed drums, a perfect synth line in the chorus and Matt Bellamy's pining lyrics. I'm inclined to think my difficulties with Muse are a thing of the past and my interest in their music is just beginning.

Standout tracks: Time is Running Out, Stockholm Syndrome, Blackout, Butterflies and Hurricanes, Endlessly

New Music That Matters 2010: Caribou - Swim

2010-04-03T23:40:00.005-04:00

"Odessa" is the opening track to Caribou's third album and it gets the album off to a roaring start. A bubbling, stabbing bass bit is center-stage throughout the song along with squealing synths and industrial metal clanking noises. Caribou's soft lyrics round out what is one of the best songs of the year so far. The rest of the album follows the same liquid electronic sound especially in second and third tracks "Sun" and "Kaili", the former using a repeated filtered uttering of 'sun' to go along with a jazzy drum-line. Another highlight is fifth track "Bowls", an instrumental minimal techno number that brings master of the genre Pantha Du Prince to mind upon hearing it. The following track "Leave House" is a funk/pop song and it's use of pan flutes and other woodwinds makes it the closest thing in sound to Caribou's previous album "Andorra". The weakest track on the album is the finale "Jamelia" which features guest vocals from some nerdy, nasally sounding guy and on the whole is a little bit over the top. Nevertheless, "Swim" is one of the year's finest so far.

Awesome Dubs

2010-03-25T00:10:00.003-04:00

Creed Shreds

Metallica Smooth Jazz

Radiohead Live on Later... with Jools Holland

2010-03-18T22:01:00.002-04:00

Later... with Jools Holland is a show that airs in the UK in which multiple different bands will perform every show. It's been running non-stop since 1992 and Radiohead have been one of the bands to play quite often over the years. The performances are of top notch quality as always and it's interesting to see the progression of the look of the band in the videos. They've performed songs from every album except "Pablo Honey" and I've posted them below for you to see.

"High and Dry" from "The Bends" 1995

"Airbag" from "OK Computer" 1997

"Idioteque" from "Kid A" 2000

"Life in a Glasshouse" from "Amnesiac" 2001 (As far as I know a very rare performance)

"Where I End and You Begin" from "Hail to the Thief" 2003

"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" from "In Rainbows" 2007

Worst Album Covers Ever

2010-03-16T22:34:00.009-04:00

Please post contributions in the comments section

New Music That Matters 2010: Errors - Come Down With Me

2010-03-12T16:31:00.003-05:00

Errors are a Glaswegian band that I recently discovered and after hearing one song on their Myspace I decided to give their newest album a listen. Obvious comparisons to Mogwai arose after only a few minutes time as their sound is along the same post-rock/instrumental vein. They utilize synthesizers a bit more and therefore have been labeled as 'post-electro'. "Come Down With Me" is catchy as a whole and hooks are found in abundance, never needing vocals to be had. First track "Bridge or Cloud?" builds with layers of synths before crashing into a drum line full of cowbell segueing into the delicate end of a perfect opener. Following track "A Rumor in Africa" is insanely catchy and is one of the album's best songs. Metronomy (see earlier post) came to mind when I first heard third track "Supertribe"; it focuses less on the guitars and more on the synths and is yet again catchy as hell. The finale "Beards" is more of a Krautrock offering and is perhaps the only song on the whole album that is a little bit different than all the rest. It's the longest song on the album clocking in at just shy of six minutes and is an epic (behemoth) end to (I hate to say it again) catchy as hell album.

Live Music Matters - Part 2

2010-03-10T23:38:00.002-05:00

Iron Maiden: Children of the Damned (Live in Chile 2009)

Iron Maiden is a band I've always wanted to see live, especially after watching this footage of their classic song "Children of the Damned". For a bunch of old dudes they can still compete with the best of them and the energy they bring is almost palpable. This isn't a song they normally play live (as Bruce Dickinson tells us at the beginning of the video) but it still kicks some major ass and the guitar solo on the double-neck at around 5 minutes is amazing.

BONUS

Decade Look: Part 14 - RJD2's Since We Last Spoke

2010-03-05T20:29:00.003-05:00

Released in 2004 "Since We Last Spoke" is still my favorite RJD2 album. His debut "Deadringer" had a couple classic tunes ("Ghostwriter" and "Smoke and Mirrors" in particular) but I've never been album to sit through the entire album; it's way too long. "Since We Last Spoke" on the other hand clocks in at a reasonable 47 minutes and is nicely paced and cohesive. The stop-start title track is a perfect beginning; it sees RJD2 going more rock oriented and gives the listener a good idea of what to expect from the rest of the album. "1976" is almost a dead-ringer (ha!) of "Ghostwriter" and I defy you to not start whistling along halfway through. "Making Days Longer" is an acoustic ballad sung by Ramble John himself and is a cover of "Bless the Telephone" by Labi Siffre. The smooth hip-hop track "To All Of You" is what "Deadringer" fans might've expected/wanted the album to sound like. "Iced Lightning" is an instrumental song that could easily be mistaken for something from the catalogue of DJ Shadow and is one of the album's best moments. Second last track "Through the Walls" comes slightly from left-field with it's 80's sounds but is nevertheless an enjoyable late addition. The outro of "One Day" feigns grandiosity (in a good way) and makes for a perfect album closer.

Standout tracks: Since We Last Spoke, 1976, Making Days Longer, Iced Lightning, Through the Walls

New Music That Matters 2010: Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

2010-03-04T13:35:00.003-05:00

"Plastic Beach" was my first highly anticipated release of 2010 and after a couple full plays of it I can confidently say it's going to be on my year end best of list. I'm inclined to think that Damon Albarn can do no wrong; every project he has ever had any involvement with has been a success, from The Good, The Bad & The Queen to Blur. This time around with Gorillaz Albarn has crafted a sprawling album that sees the band evolving from four animated characters to 'an organisation of people doing new projects.' Along with the original band members the enlisted help this time around includes Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, De La Soul, Gruff Rhys, and Lou Reed. In addition to that a couple tracks have some orchestral help from the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music.

The album begins with a short "Orchestral Intro" before going into "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach" which features Snoop Dogg and is a laid-back, smooth yet tentative second track. Third track "White Flag" is a classic Gorillaz cut that echoes "Dirty Harry" from "Demon Days" in it's fusion of rap and orchestral sounds. Fourth track "Rhinestone Eyes" features no guest appearance and is a synth-pop precursor to the album's gargantuan next few tracks, beginning with lead single "Stylo" and ending with the instrumental "Glitter Freeze". "Stylo" features Bobby Womack and Mos Def but it's Womack's soulful singing that rounds off an infectious, stabbing bass-line driven pop number. "Superfast Jellyfish" has lyrical content that mocks TV adverts and features De La Soul and Gruff Rhys, the latter providing one of the album's most memorable choruses. "Empire Ants" starts off with Albarn singing in his yearning manner before bursting into atmospheric, melancholic pop drenched in synths and female vocals provided by Swedish band Little Dragon.

Then there's "Glitter Freeze"; my favorite track and arguably the album's finest moment. As I mentioned, it's an instrumental track and it never at any point feels like it needs vocals; it has plenty of hooks and I can almost guarantee you that you'll be reaching for the repeat button. Unfortunately the album drops off a bit at this point, especially with twelfth track "Sweepstakes", which features Mos Def and is completely forgettable.

Sixteen tracks does seem a bit long to me; who knows, maybe I'll whittle it down to fourteen for my own satisfaction, I can do that right?

Official "Stylo" video featuring Bruce Willis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9vAOzYz-Qs&feature=fvst

Live Music Matters - Part 1

2010-03-01T21:09:00.005-05:00

Live music is extremely important for a number of reasons and therefore needs to be written about. A band you may like on an album can either be awesome at a show, or shit. You may come away from a live performance with a greater appreciation for the artist's music, or, a bitter taste in your mouth, resulting from shit music ruining the taste of your precious ten dollar beer. An evening tainted by an atrocious act does not go away, it leaves a burn-mark in your brain that inflames every time you go to listen to that artist again. An evening graced by an awesome act does not go away either, it leaves a similar mark that instead scorches pure awesomeness upon future listens. The topic of live music will be a continuous segment on this blog and with each successive post I will provide a short video from YouTube containing some great live performances from some great bands.

The topic of this inaugural Live Music Matters update is the beast from Germany known as Rammstein. Their live shows are generally reputed as one of the best around and one can see why in this video. Lead singer Till Lindemann is a madman on the stage, he'll bludgeon himself with the microphone, light himself on fire, anything to provide entertainment. The other band members are equally strange, especially the guitarists who are statuesque in this performance of "Ohne Dich". You also get a sense of the enormity of the performance in the video, European crowds are some of the vastest in the world when it comes to live shows. Check out some of the other songs from the show in the info section of the video, "Du Hast" is a good one too.