Antonio

Happy Independence Day everyone. I'm just poppin in here right now to add a little something to my journal, and what better to celebrate the day that the United States declared independence than by listening to a song written by a British band and performed by a Cuban singer?

But yeah, this is something I've been listening to constantly, a salsa version of the Beatles' classic. I caught the video for this one Saturday while my mom had the television on and when I heard the familiar chorus it made me stand at attention and do a double take. I'm glad I noticed it too, cause damn do I enjoy it!

It's got a really infectious groove, solid instrumentation and smooth singing in the part of the singer here, where it feels that his accent (I'm assuming he has a Spanish accent) really gives a new look to a timeless song, not sounding like anything else.

While some may not really feel this reworking of the original, I feel that it is well done and enjoyable enough to deserve at least a listen.

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Antonio

So yeah, this is a song that I've just been putting on repeat after repeat after repeat. It has so much that I love in a rock song; catchy riffs with a great hook that pumps you up and makes you want to take on anything, and with that an interesting time signature thrown in for good measure.

For anybody here who skateboards(I've recently gotten back into it recently), you may know this song from the video for Thrasher Magazine's 2011 Skater of the Year Grant Taylor:


And that's the same way I found out about this song as well as this band, which I'm gonna get an album or two from pretty soon.

This is good, hard and fast Rock&Roll with no pretenses, and that's just the way I like it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta get my board and F**K SH*T UP

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Trollheart

Nice review, Antonio, and good to see you back in journalland again. I'm not at all interested in rap/hip-hop/whatever, but as with so many other posters here, I love reading good writing, and yours is very good. Your love for the guy comes through but not as a lickarse, and I love that you're prepared to accept the fact that as you see it, he has his failings and weaknesses too. About the furthest thing removed from a fanboy I can think of.

Well done: not completely unbiased of course, but then, my journal entries couldn't be accused of that either. We love our music (or hate it) and it shows in our writing, so of course it's going to be slanted in one direction or the other. But this shows you taking quite a balanced view, and without bigging him up too much or resorting to things like (now I don't know, maybe this guy has nothing to do with that style, I told you I know nothing of this genre but) "50 cent ain't fit to clean this guy's microphone", or whatever.

Fine writing; hope you'll favour us with some more real soon.
As they say I believe in that world, props!

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Antonio

Thanks alot Trollheart , really appreciate that you took out the time to read on a review that wasn't necessarily your personal taste, but I hope that it may have helped you to see how Hip-Hop has more than just the money/women/cars thing going for it.

Big Ears, yeah I find it interesting that whenever someone does covers online with a particular instrument, there's always (as an unwritten rule) that certain group of songs that get played. Could it be a tradition thing? Submissions from people who watch them maybe?

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Antonio

SONGS I'M DIGGIN'
Ghost B.C.-Year Zero

Hey everyone, I know that it's been really long since I last posted on here, but I've just been getting adjusted to my new job as of late. While I won't go into too much detail, I have some new free time, but at the same time I don't, so trying to work on this thread while juggling different parts of my life. I got into this band more or less on a whim when I saw some page on Facebook about metal and one of those "whose better" things with Opeth, Mastodon and these guys. Already having known the first two groups obviously, I decided to check out Ghost, and I'm glad I did.

The best way I could describe this band is "Satanic disco rock". They have lyrics concerning the dark lord and the occult, and back it up with melodic singing and 70s style synth and a danceable groove to wrap it all together. What might be a selling point for some (and conversely a drawback for others) with this band is the vocals. They're this sort of clean and clear and slightly nasally singing that at first doesn't seem like it should belong anywhere near the music. It really works with what they're trying to do though and is one of the best parts of their music.

This comes off of their soon to be released album Infestissumam and is already a song I've had on repeat for some time. I was originally planning on doing another song of theirs (Ritual from their debut Opus Eponymous), but I can't deny how much of an impact that this song leaves me with. From the very beginning, it's dark chanting sets you up for something foreboding, but then subverts that with a more upbeat and danceable groove to support the menacing chants.

The vocals at first have this sinister side to them, but then the chorus kicks in and you're hit with this soaring melody that pumps you up and makes you want to sing along.

It's funny though, because you may be surprised at how eager you will be to sing "Hail Satan" if you're not into the dark lord already, but this song really has a certain catchiness to it. The song that I had previously planned to do, Ritual, has it's own catchy chorus, but the one in Year Zero is something so infectious that it actually made me forget about Ritual altogether, even though I had listened to the latter song 5 times on the way to work and I don't even own the former song.

The rest of this song is no slouch either; the chugging guitars set up a groove that is supported by the atmospheric keyboard which makes for a really killer track.

In essence, this song isn't the most technical, and it's structure is a bit on the predictable side, so if that doesn't sound like your metallic cup of tea then you may want to pass on this band for now. For people who like heavy music with a melodic edge though, this band can bring something refreshing to the table.

So yeah, this is a good band in my opinion, and I'll definitely look to pick up Infestissumam when it actually comes out.

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Antonio

AWESOME SOUNDTRACKS
Metroid Prime

Now, when I got the idea for this, Metroid Prime was one that I wanted to do for a while, but wanted to wait until I had gotten to and completed the actual game before I talked about it. As a result though, I will say that there are some spoilers that relate to the music which I will reveal. So be forewarned if you haven't played through this game and don't want it ruined for you.

(Although I would say you should definitely play the game as soon as you can; at this point it's probably one of my top 5 games of all time)

But anyway, let's get on with it.

Metroid Prime was a game released in late 2002/early 2003 for the Nintendo Gamecube and was the 4th game in the Metroid series as well as the beginning of the Prime series. What really makes this game stand out from the titles before it was not just the fact that it was the first 3D Metroid game, but also the fact that it largely takes place in the first person view, something that was considered controversial for the time. Now, while some may argue that it made the game worse to go into first person, I'm of the camp that it made for a hugely atmospheric adventure, and personally made the game so much more engrossing, but I digress. The soundtrack for this game was done primarily by Japanese composer Kenji Yamamoto, with assistance from Koichi Kyuuma. What really makes it interesting for me is the fact that much of the music from the game was remixed from previous Metroid titles like Super Metroid, but still manages to be so perfectly fitting to the setting and the game as a whole. The remixes of natural and organic sounds such as pianos and chants with electronic and unnatural sounds such as is something befitting of the game, where you seek to uncover ancient technology that is both at odds with and working with the natural landscape of the planet. The first theme for the Tallon Overworld is basically a remix of the theme for Brinstar, but compared to the original's sense of adventure and push to go at it, this new version's rising chants and meditative majesty makes it one that is a masterful piece in it's own right.

Coming from the last installment of this that I did with Bastion, Metroid Prime is a game who's music serves a different purpose. Where Bastion's soundtrack is one that led alot of great parts of the game, becoming something great in its own right, MP is a different beast. Prime's soundtrack is more subdued; something that works hand in hand with it's accompanying game.

Indeed, the music makes for a number of great moments in this game. One huge part that it helps with is helping to build the atmosphere. For those who haven't played the series, the one thing that makes a Metroid game above all else is exploration and the atmosphere that comes with it. As such the music has a way of setting the stage, from the majestic structures and mystery of the Chozo Ruins to the quiet serenity of the Phendrana Drifts to the toiling and boiling of the Magmoor Caverns to the twisted scientific monstrosities that await in the Phazon Mines.

Did I also mention that there are multiple tracks for each single area? For example, when you first enter the Phendrana Drifts, it's snow capped majesty is topped by a serene ambience which makes you feel as if the wind is brushing against your face from atop a mountain in deep thought. When you reach the Deep Lake Area of Phendrana, this discovery is accompanied by a track that perfectly represents the snow falling and the ice forming in a quicker way.

It's music for a number of bosses and enemies can serve as both your backup and the tool for your demise. The track that plays when you're battling Chozo Ghosts is so intense and foreboding that it fills you with a strong sense of dread whenever it pops up and the room grows dark and these unsightly spectres come into view. When you come upon a giant room with a cryogenic chamber holding the largest Space Pirate you've ever seen, the track that starts playing when you're fighting this behemoth serves only to let you know how much longer it is until your eventual failure. In a way some of the more dangerous creatures and bosses you come upon have this quality to their music that ends up sucking the gung-ho ready-for-anything mentality you have if you're not careful. I know that this happened to me while playing and led to me getting trounced more than a few times.

On the other hand as well, it can serve to be the piece that makes you want to blast that last shot into your enemies and claim your victory. This is something I felt during the fight with Meta-Ridley, a robotically modified version of your arch nemesis who's accompanied by a more electronic remix of his theme to keep you going.

In the end though, what makes this a great soundtrack is just how cohesive it is with a great game. It doesn't feel like something just anyone would come up with and it definitely doesn't feel tacked on. This is something that's really meant to be heard while playing said game. That's why I didn't try to review it like Bastion or give it a score, as I would rather have someone play through and experience the sounds the way that it was meant to be.

But yeah, here's a full playlist if you don't have the time to actually play Metroid Prime (although I would highly suggest to make some), and have some of my personal favorite tracks in here too while we're at it.

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Antonio

Here's a song that hits all cylinders in terms of chill and well executed hip-hop. Joey Bada$$ is an 18 year old rapper from Brooklyn and a part of the Pro ERA crew, a New York collective of sorts. The beat here sounds fresh and bright and at the same time calm enough to flow with the rapping. And speaking of flow, Joey and his partner on here CJ have some deviously good flows that seem to never run out of steam. This track is a great thing to have on at a barbecue or driving on a sunny day.

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Antonio

Oh man, there's so many things I love about this track that I don't know where to start. For one, the guitar line here is probably one of my favorites right now, its funky foundation supporting what makes for a finely structured piece of music. When the rest of the song comes in though, that's when the real fun starts. The high energy of the vocals and the overall structure of this track is something I love; keeps me dancing even when I don't realize it.

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Big Ears

On the subject of YouTube covers, for some bizarre reason there are a lot of covers of the drumming on Radar Love by Golden Earring. The best by far is this person, about whom I know nothing, except that he is a good drummer:

Antonio

Hey everyone, I just wanted to share another song that I've had stuck in my head for a couple of days now. Roadgeek is the solo music project of independent filmmaker Michael Shanks. I first found him through the criminally underrated and awesome Doomsday Arcade (if you like video games and cheeky humor with an interesting story then you should definitely check it out)

Anyway, after DA ended, I followed him over to his youtube channel and from there I found this song. I really enjoy the instrumentation, especially the keys and guitar, and the singing has this strong but vulnerable feeling to it. It's a pretty catchy tune, but has some cool ideas musically, and that's why I like it.

Oh yeah, and he made the video too, and I think that's just cool.

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