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Song Spotlight #1 - The Birds And The Beedrill (NSFW)

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Powerstars

Review #011 - "Franz Ferdinand" by Franz Ferdinand

Another selection from my brother's CD collection, this time some Indie Rock. I saw "Take Me Out" on the track list and immediately popped it in. That was one of the defining singles of the early '00s for me, so yeah.

1. Jacqueline
Amazingly catchy, high energy song that works really well to open the album

2. Tell Her Tonight
Ooh. Chorus sounds kinda '60s-poppish, but a lot of it seems to be soul and funk inspired, such as that funktastic opening riff. It's cool to see a collision of genres like this.

3. Take Me Out
In my opinion, this is the defining anthem of '00s indie rock. It's the classic, but a lot of people don't realize that it's about the death of Franz Ferdinand, the group's namesake. His death inspired a little kerfluffle called World War I. Still, amazingly catchy song, my personal favorite indie rock song.

4. The Dark of the Matinée
Another tune with a funky intro. This one particularly makes me want to bop my head until we get a calm, cool verse. The calm, cool feeling during the verses is really enjoyable. Once again, catchy tune. Also if you listen closely, the bass groove is pretty cool. Just saying, cuz I noticed it.

5. Auf Achse
Ooh, piano overtones, hello. Trippy intro guitar, good to see you, how have you been? Funky drums to go along with it all, nice to meet you. Upon the second listening, I want to sing along, but I don't entirely know the lyrics. But hey, that's better than usual, a lot of times it takes a couple listens for a song to get lodged in my brain. This one is trying to work it's way in.

6. Cheating On You
The more Punk side of Franz still has funky bass. Not as catchy as some of the other songs on the album, but it's the kind of great, distorted, high-energy song that I'm in to. Really good stuff.

7. This Fire
Another single from the album. It's also really catchy, and pretty awesome. If I were a pyro, I would say it's a great song to light things on fire to.

8. Darts of Pleasure
More funky drums and bass, please come in. Guitars are also pretty heavy as far as Franz Ferdinand goes, which compliments the sound quite nicely. Also, is it just me, or are the vocals more distorted than usual? Also, supah fantastic.

9. Micheal
No, as far as I know, this song isn't about Micheal Jackson. Pretty good though. Drums really kick in this one. Guitars are almost ska-ish. Chorus is a mess in the best possible way (Not an insult). The guitars in the chorus are just WOW. I love it. And the lyrics are kinda gay, which isn't a bad thing ("Don't Stop With Me Now" is awesome, for instance). Great stuff.

10. Come On Home
Dat intro. This one is a solid headbobber at times, and deeply emotional at others. Mainly headbobbin'. Also, I love the synth/keyboard/whatever it is that we get in some places. So, come on hooooooooooooome...

11. 40
Opening guitar is pretty bad ass. Guitar in this one in general is pretty cool. Sounds like the rock equivalent of circus music at times. Lyrics actually seem to be about a tight rope walker. Harmonies at points is a plus for me, I love subtle harmonies. Great closing track. La la la la la la la la la la la laaaaaaaaa. *Scary trippy solo*

Conclusion: Great first album from a great group. While it does get kind of repetitive at times, it's not long enough to truly overstay it's welcome.

Overall score: 87/100 (Glamorous Indie Rock 'N' Roll)

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Powerstars

Got "The Next Day" by David Bowie. Expect a review when I'm done digesting.

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Powerstars

Teasing a new segment. Don't worry, the segment will fit in with the rest of the journal fine.

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Powerstars

I love the Beatles. I love it when artists make songs with lots of homages to The Beatles. That's what this is. So, backstory time. In the '90s, the 3 remaining Beatles found 2 of John Lennon's unfinished demos and turned them into Beatles songs. For as many people that liked these (Like me), just as many thought it was an insult to his memory. This song was written by one of them, and I find it hilarious. So yeah.

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This is the new segment. Basically, I take a look at a film related to music in some way shape or form, and I'll tell you if it was worth said look. A concert film, documentary, history, etc. Tonight...

Kurt Cobain's suicide was a mysterious event. He had injected more than a lethal dose of heroin into his system and then shot himself (That's the official story). How'd he pick up the shot gun? Was he actually murdered? This film focuses on exploring the conspiracy theories. Along the way, producer/writer/director/all-around-cool-guy Nick Broomfield faces troubles with Courtney Love's legal people, and Love's suppression of freedom of speech, which becomes one of the main focuses of the film alongside Cobain's death. Among the people interviewed are Hank Harrison (Love's father), Tom Grant (A private investigator), Kurt's aunt Mary, El Duce (A man who claims that Love offered him $50,000 to kill Cobain), among others, including a very brief appearance and not-really-interview by Love herself.

So, what did I think of this movie. Well, as soon as I listened to Nevermind and became a larger Nirvana fan (very recently), I became very interested in Cobain's death. I had heard about this movie, so as soon as I saw it on Netflix, I had to see it. Along the way, we see various film and hear various audio that takes us through Kurt's life, although, no Nirvana songs, because Courtney is a jerk. We get some stuff Kurt recorded when he was about 2 on his Aunt Mary's recording equipment. She also claims that she saw a lyrics sheet for a song Kurt wrote called "Seaside Suicide." Many of the interviews with people Kurt personally knew suggest that he was in fact suicidal, though Tom Grant doesn't believe he could have picked up the gun after injecting all that heroin into his system, as there is no known autopsy that suggests that anyone could have had that much tolerance for heroin.

I think that, for the small budget the movie had, it's pretty good, although Nick seems to be a little bit of a jerk at times when trying to get information out of people, though in Courtney's case, that's perfectly understandable, as she wouldn't answer his questions. At one point, he talks to someone that he says to be Kurt's best friend, who you can see during the interview, is very quiet and depressed. That part was just saddening. Overall though, if you're interested in the conspiracies surrounding Kurt's death, this is essential. Did it change my viewpoint? No, I didn't know what to think before I saw the movie, and I don't know what to think now. But, overall, it is thought provoking and gets you wondering.

Overall: 65/100

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Review #012 - "The Next Day" by David Bowie

January 8th 2013. After 10 years with no new album or single, David Bowie mysteriously drops a song called "Where Are We Now?" on iTunes, with no announcement or anything. Word of the song blows up all over the internet. David Bowie is back. 2 months later, an entire album of new material drops. This is that album. I picked it up because I had heard some of my brother's Bowie CD's and was curious as to what this one sounded like. Did Bowie still have it? Let's find out!

1. The Next Day
Solid rocker to open the album. Not necessarily the most memorable song, but it works well for an album opener, showing that Bowie's voice has barely changed and that he can still pull songs like this off.

2. Dirty Boys
This is a pretty cool song. A '50s style thing with distorted vocals, the horn section really helps with the feel as does the guitar part. Great song, showing that Bowie can pull off any musical style he dreams of. Hm, now I wanna see him do dubstep (xD).

3. The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
My favorite song on the album, it's a fast paced song with very subtle elements that improve it. The percussion, the bass, the occasional spacey sounds, and the orchestra. The lyrics are about Bowie wanting to live a normal life, but he can't, because he lives right next to celebrities. It's kinda funny when you think about it, especially lines like "They burn you with their radiant smiles." A solid track.

4. Love Is Lost
Another solid one. Opens with cool guitar and synth and the little quirky sounds. Dissonant chorus helps round out this solid, but mildly forgettable track. Don't get me wrong, I really like it, but compared to some of the other songs, it has a harder time sticking in my head.

5. Where Are We Now?
The first look we were offered at Bowie's next masterpiece, it shows that Bowie hasn't dodged aging completely. It's a ballad that I interpret as being about the coming of age. At least that's how I read into it. Touching, catchy, this song was truly the best way to show us that Bowie was back.

6. Valentine's Day
We open with a cool drum intro. Catchy song, with some...OOH! Cool little dissonance. Not enough to be terribly obvious, but still cool! Also, the solo's pretty awesome. Surprisingly good, yet lighthearted lyrics, fantastic song!

7. If You Can See Me
Rocking trippy song! Lyrics seem to be about crossdressing in one of his friend's or his wife's clothes...oh man, classic Bowie. Probably the most kickin' song on the album, just what he needed to restore our interest. Most albums start to drag around 7 songs in, so Bowie decided to kick it up a notch to keep our attention. And, boy, did it work! I can't express how much I like the drums and harmonies!

8. I'd Rather Be High
As the title implies, this is like the perfect song to get stoned to. It's trippy with it's guitars, but sober people like me can still appreciate it because of some of the melodic elements like the chorus and the drum beat. The drum beat almost reminds me of Ringo Starr's experimental style that he had with the Beatles, which is never a bad thing if you're trying to write a song to get stoned to. Nothing much to say but DOOOOD!

9. Boss Of Me
Dat opening. Bowie going for more of a modern rock song, but the bass kinda brings in a mix of '50s/'80s which complements the song well. It's another catchy one, although not terribly notable this time.

10. Dancing Out In Space
Really cool spacey stuff in this one. It sends me almost a Killers-y vibe mixed with a showtune. It's creative, it's cool, it's trippy. Bowie just had to do another song about space.

11. How Does The Grass Grow?
Another trippy rocking song, this one has a really weird sound with the lead instrument (it sounds like a harpsichord) and the harmonies. The lyrics aren't exactly the best, but it doesn't matter. I like the sped-up part with the YEAHYEAHYEAHYEAH. It's a really cool song. AND DUDE THE FREAKING SOLO IS SO COOL.

12. (You Will) Set The World On Fire
Guitars sound pretty cool. It's another pretty cool song, with female vocal harmonies. It's fairly catchy. Drums are once again pretty cool and we have the really nice subtle elements like percussion.

13. You Feel So Lonely You Could Die
Opening harmonies and synth are a good sign. A cool ballad with a subtle orchestra, that somehow reminds me of easy listening while completely avoiding that tag by being actually good. A very nice song, it's catchy, it's lovely, and I love it.

14. Heat
Downtempo song with cool harmonies, spacey effects, and dissonance. Emotional, it almost makes me want to cry at times. It ends the album in an eerie light, which is the only way to end the album.

Conclusion: Solid album with little to no flaws. It brought back Bowie in the best possible way.

Overall: 92/100 (B-B-Bowie's back?)

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Trollheart

Great review man: I told you you'd like it!
One or two points though: "Love is lost" a weak track? Man that's my favourite on the whole album! Bowie doing Krautrock? Sweet!

And the lyrics to "Valentine's Day" are anything but lighthearted: it's about someone who's setting a plan to go on a killing spree at his school....

Other than that, solid review and nice work. As you say, the TWD is back!

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Powerstars

Thanks man, two things. One, I never said "Love Is Lost" was weak, I just said it wasn't very memorable...I was wrong. After repeat listens, it keeps getting stuck in my head.

Second, that's what "Valentine's Day" was about? That would explain the "icy heart" bit and it gives a new meaning to what's in his "scrawny hands!"

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Trollheart

Yeah. Look at it again:

Valentine told me who's to go
Feelings he's treasured most of all
The teachers and the football star
It's in his tiny face
It's in his scrawny hand
Valentine told him so
He's got something to say, it's Valentine's Day
The rhythm of the crowd,
Teddy and Judy down

Makes sense really.

No, I just said that Love is Lost was the track that stood out to me the most, which is why I was surprised you said it wasn't memorable at first. It was the first track on the album where I really sat up and said OOH YEAH!

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018