The Music Banter Members' Journals Monthly Update Thread

[Trollheart]

Ah, spring is in the air. The nights are getting shorter and warmer, the days brighter and some weird yellow disc is poking through the clouds and making me feel all warm. Soon be Easter Egg time! They say in springtime a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love, so let’s see what the thoughts of the young men down in Journaltown (hey ladies don’t blame me if it’s a male-dominated update! Write something! You know you want to…) are turning to…

Actually, let’s not. We could be in big trouble and have a lot of explaining to do, Your Honour. Let’s instead see what they’re writing about.

Anteater kicks us off once again with another port of call on http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ravaganza.html; this time it’s to the many songs on which a certain Michael MacDonald has added backing vocals. Some of them may surprise you. Or not.

Music from Morgan Page, Nervo and others at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...continuum.html, as well as mixes and playlists. Be warned: one of the current one has twelve videos in a row, so those of you with less than Crays, be careful…

After two years almost, Bulldog is back! This is I guess what you’d call version 3.0 of http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ouse-v-ii.html, and we hope Bulldog will stick around. He’s looking into an interesting mashup by the way,

Frownland sadly just missed last week’s update by a few hours, but then that’s what happens when you’re http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...wnapilago.html! However he has been talking about himself (didn’t know he had another side project: could Jesus the Carpenter possibly be something I might listen to I wonder?) and also going on about pornography and how it’s ruining the world of film. Huh? Maybe that’s meant to be the lack of pornography? Oh no wait: he’s slagging off “Fifty shades”. Fair enough.

There’s some interesting reads (yeah I said reads) at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nnerspace.html

while Ki is kicking off Post Rock Month with I hear Sirens, Maybeshewill and --- anybody? --- Uh-huh! Pg.lost. Sure why not? Also something called The Angel Room, songs that make him cry and live stuff. Basically, just check it all out at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-music.html

Machine is judging your music in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-its-dumb.html (really should change that title; it’s so depressing and downbeat) with a contribution from Frownland. He’s also writing more poetry. Lyrics? Poetry? Not sure, but it’s pretty darn good stuff.

Another who just missed the deadline last week is Oriphiel, and in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...rgy-story.html he’s now up to chapter seven. Check it out if you haven’t already; it’s a really good read with some decent music. He’s also back to being http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ck-garage.html after something of a prolonged absence, with music from Melanie Safka.

Back on http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...crap-heap.html, Pet_Sounds is telling us about another of his favourite Beatles tracks, and also climbing up into the pulpit to spread “The Gospel of Joel”. Interesting…

http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...listening.html has Taimane, news about bands he’s in, knows or knows people in, and also a newscast. Yeah, really. Check it out.

http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...o-reviews.html gets under way this week, with a review of Everclear. We wish him well in his new endeavour. He’s also taking requests and offers of collaboration. Who wants to see him and Batty do Cannibal Corpse or Fleshgrind’s latest?

Other than the time of my sabbatical from Music Banter, I think this may be the first time I’ve not updated my main journal, but I’m having so much fun with others that I just can’t knuckle down to it. I will, though. More Tom Waits on the way soon. Meanwhile, as probably everybody knows by now and nobody cares, Star Trek Month has begun in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-emporium.html and there’s plenty there for the first week, including reviews of the first episode from both the original series and Nextgen, aliens and characters and planets, and of course a tribute to the recently deceased and already bitterly missed Leonard Nimoy.

Back at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-reviews.html there are reviews from Shattered Skies, Kim Wilde and Boduf Songs, while we close out 1967 in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ive-metal.html with a look at the debut from The Nice and some final words. 1968 here I come! There’s even time to read about Irish hero Cuchulainn in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...gy-legend.html

Van Halen are unlucky for some at number 13 in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html and Jag Panzer take the number 12 slot as we head towards 1984’s top ten...

Always one with the funny story, Urban does not disappoint in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sed-ideas.html, where he relates the tale of when he saw Kiss. But not Kiss. Really. Sort of. You ever see that episode of “The Simpsons” where Krusty is going to licence imitators that can stand in for him all over America? No? Then just read what he has to say. Trust me, it’s good.

Finally, Zero brings the curtain down with two journals this week. In http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-sound.html, he’s looking at Alcest and in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ollection.html there’s Aztec Camera and Sleigh Bells.

So to

I really wanted to give this to Urban again, as his anecdote really deserves it, but I tend to shy from awarding to the same member if I can. And then I saw this. For sheer delusion it has to win. Needless to say, I completely disagree with its sentiment in every way.

Originally Posted by William_the_Bloody

13!!! Did you do this to drag me out of the woodwork, it should be number 1!!!

Hot for Teacher, Jump, and Panama walk over anything that is on Maiden's Powerslave.

Van Halen - 1984 Diamond = (10 or over 10 platinum records)
Iron Maiden - Powerslave = (1 Platinum record)
Scorpions - Love at first sting = (3 times platinum)

There is a reason why Eddie Van Halen is one of the greatest guitarist of all time

This is an injustice lol! I express my dissent!!!

Of course I have to mention the mighty Bulldog, who after a two year absnce almost has returned to us, hopefully for good this time. Welcome back man!


February began, as he warned us, with Briks looking into the music (ahem!) of one Justin Bieber, starting off with Believe and, uh, ending there. Surprised he got through one album. Then there was his reaffirming his love for Coldplay, more Modest Mouse, this time Music for people who hate good news, and another slight rip-off of yours truly when he opened “Essential emo albums I have never heard”. Yeah. Kicking off this with Jawbreaker’s Unfun and Bivouac, Tell all your friends from Taking Back Sunday and then Cap’n Jazz, with a title way too long for me to reproduce it here, but you know the one.

As March broke he was “In the mood for some metal”, and so chewed an iron bar. No, really, he took a listen to Metallica’s Master of Puppets and Ride the lightning, Death’s Scream bloody gore and Venom’s Black Metal, also Helloween’s The time of the oath and Van Halen’s s/t. And Motley Crue’s Too fast for love, Mercyful Fate’s Don’t break the oath, Pantera’s Far beyond driven. Also Candlemass’ Epicus Doomicus metallicus, Witchfinder General’s Death Penalty and Bon Jo --- hold on a sec! Bon Jovi? Look, I’m the biggest Bon Jovi fanboy here but they are in no way, shape or form metal of any kind! The very idea! Hard rock? Maybe. AOR? Almost certainly. Metal? Never!

Continuing with what was becoming the premier source of metal in a journal outside of Pounding Decibels or Batty’s journals, he listened to Ozzy’s Blizzard of Ozz and Amon Amarth’s Twilight of the thunder god, Bathory’s Blood fire death, Relentless by Pentagram and then he spoiled it all by bringing Dragonforce into it. Realised his mistake though, but that was after he had listened to the album.

Originally Posted by Briks

Briks listens to an entire Dragonforce album to see if it is a rewarding experience

Artist: Dragonforce
Album: Valley of the Damned
Year: 2003
Chronological position: Debut album
Genre: Power metal

Since Batty told me that I should make up my own mind, that's exactly what I'm going to do, and I'll do that by listening to an entire Dragonforce album. I chose Valley of the Damned, since it's their debut album and I like debut albums, they show the band at an early stage, before the members get sick of making music/sell out/change their style to the worse.

The first of October, 2012, I received a message from one of my friends, whose taste in music seems to develop in about the same direction as mine and with whom I started the metal album club. The message translates into something like this: Dude, if you want to hear someone who's sick at power metal, search on YouTube: 'Through the Fire and the Flames'. Watch it all, you'll be impressed. If I am to be completely honest with you, I was a bit impressed. The band played an insane speed, and it was very melodic, so I decided to check out some more of this then-new-to-me subgenre called “power metal”. I soon forgot about Dragonforce, before even bothering to hear an entire album of theirs. But no matter whether I'll hate them, love them, or think they're okay after listening to their debut, I'll have to credit them for introducing me to power metal and maybe even making me a fan of metal in general, just because of one song that I thought was “pretty cool”.

Halfway through:
Wow, the guitarwork on this album is amazing! These guys are brilliant songwriters, and all the lyrics up until now have been topnotch. The song “Starlight” is such a hard-hitting ballad, I feel that I can relate to it very much... like as if it's written just for me. I'm being sarcastic, of course. A thing I think is funny, though, is how much “Starlight” reminds me of “California King Bed” by Rihanna. Metal.

Finished:
I'm sorry for not listening to you, Batty. This was garbage. It's sad that something like this, an album made by mislead poseurs, can pass as power metal, a True Metal subgenre, when it really should be called “speedy nintendo mallcore”. The synth is gross, and there's way too much of it. The lyrics are repetitive and unoriginal. Half of the album length is made up of wanky chiptune solos. There is one good thing about that last bit, though: more solos mean less lyrics. This was 52 minutes wasted.

What I will do now:
Cleanse my mind with Nirvana and celebrate that I'm done with this.

Among all this he also managed to squeeze in some Beatles and Greenday. Busy two months! And his metal phase was not done yet, but that’s another month and to be covered next week. I’m an old man and I need my sleep, goddangit!

That marathon session at the Poseur Cave then takes us to the end of this week’s update. I should mention that Ki graciously agreed to allow innerspaceboy to take the Workhorse award, so isb it’s yours. Back with another update next Sunday.
Till then,
Toodles!