Songs That Shape a Life: YorkeDaddy Gets Personal

YorkeDaddy · 01-20-2014, 06:37 PM

Think of, for a moment, a song or an album that means something to you.

It doesn't have to be your favorite album or song. It doesn't have to be something you often revisit.

If you're on this forum, that means you share a passion. Everyone has a passion or passions for something, and for all of us, music is a central dynamic in the roller-coaster ride that we call life. Some people are casual music listeners that just listen for enjoyment or because they like to dance, and there's nothing wrong with that. But then there's us. I personally feel a direct emotional and psychological connection with the music I truly love, to the point where people unlike me have trouble understanding what exactly it is I feel about some songs and why I even feel it.

That's why this is going to be a hard journal to write, but not one that I will get bored with. I could gush for days about what some songs mean to me, but it will never really come out right. These are relate-able works of art that have guided me through processing some of the deepest, most complex emotions that frankly no one in the history of mankind has been able to truly articulate. If you've ever truly been in love with someone, have you ever heard or read a definition that honestly encompasses the feelings that accompany such a powerful emotion? The answer is no, because it's impossible, but artists have come damn close to describing that feeling and dozens of other feelings, and those are the songs that touch me the most.

Enter August of 2012. Where am I at this point in my life? I'm driving three hours from my home to begin the most important chapter of my existence: I'm moving away from my parents and starting college. I'm on my own. I was scared and worried, but outside of my inner conscience I came across as excited and optimistic, so I guess I'm just a compulsive liar. What song could have possibly helped me relate to something as amazingly profound as finally leaving the comfort of your parents' protection and guidance?

Now, as a disclaimer, I am in no way, shape, or form a seventeen year-old girl. But what I am is a human being, and this song is one of the most raw displays of humanity that I've ever heard, which is why it's one of the most timelessly wonderful songs I will ever know. Frankly, I don't even know much about Broken Social Scene. I've listened to most of their stuff and I hardly even like any of it. But somehow, someway, way back in 2002 when they were working on "You Forgot It in People," they came up with something so powerful that it transcends what almost any other song has conveyed.

Now, you may not agree, but I am speaking from the heart. I would have this song on repeat for the next six months or so. I know every word because there's only a handful of them, and they are repeated over and over until the message is engrained in your brain until you will never forget them. "Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me", approximately eighteen times in a row for almost the entire 2/3 of the song. It sounds so silly but overwhelms me with emotion every time I hear it. Even today, playing this song, I flashback to those first few weeks, sitting at my laptop in my dorm room, realizing that a new chapter in my life has began and there's really no going back.

"Used to be one of the rotten ones and I like you for that/Now you're all gone, got your make-up on, and you're not coming back". Amidst feelings of being lost and not ready for the future, Broken Social Scene crafted something that hit all the right notes in my heart. While I'm no longer in such an emotional state, I still come back to this song to remember just what it was like. It's a nostalgic song, reminiscing of things passed while foreshadowing the future, and it's a song I'll never forget.

Thank you for reading, if you did. I plan on continuing this journal and each entry will be in a similar light, so if you really want to read about how music and a listener can really connect, this is the journal to follow.

Trollheart · 01-20-2014, 08:27 PM

Woo-hoo! A new journal from Bryan! Delighted to see you back man and looking forward to reading about what moves you in the music you love. Will be following this closely.

YorkeDaddy · 01-20-2014, 10:10 PM

Glad to see that I have at least one excited fan! I felt like this was the best route to go if I were to have a journal because it's a topic I'm the most likely to keep up with. I think there might be times I'll make an entry about something else entirely too, so hopefully this can be an enlightening and eclectic journal that sticks around for a long time!

YorkeDaddy · 01-26-2014, 03:17 PM

Writing An Album: Take 2

Creating an album is a daunting task, especially when you're doing all of it by yourself.

That means you have to not only write, but also create every note yourself. It's a painstaking process. Maybe I'm a masochist. I already hate winter enough, and then I decide on a whim to put enormous pressure on myself to create a cool album.

Maybe that's what drove me to make this. In a recent PM to Trollheart, I said something to the effect of, "I don't plan on making music like this anymore". And then right away I decided to compile an album.

A lot of the work was already done over the past few months when I made little tracks off and on. I love ambient electronic music, and making it myself is a blast. I worked tirelessly for several days to fix up some of the older tracks I had and make some new ones to bring the album together as a cohesive work.

I even finished sooner than I expected, and was more satisfied than I thought I would be with it. I didn't even take the easy way out like most ambient electronic producers do by just making a whole album out of a couple simple ideas. I took those couple simple ideas, and made it a two minute song rather than a ten minute song. There's a lot of unique content here that I worked hard on.

I think the album is a perfect representation of my peace of mind. It's a winter album. Cold, bare, minimalistic. Wistful. Constantly building up as it trudges through the deep snow and bitter cold that lay outside the warm doors of where we're most comfortable. I hope someone here grows to appreciate it the way I appreciate what I managed to create.

Everywhere and In Between | Daydream Society

Trollheart · 01-26-2014, 08:41 PM

I've just downloaded this. Will take some time to soak in it and then let you have my opinion, maybe do a review. Be interesting to see what you created on your own...

YorkeDaddy · 01-30-2014, 05:23 PM

DRUNKEN RAMBLINGS WITH YORKEDADDY: SONGS THAT SUCK BUT ACTUALLY DON'T

Hello there, and welcome to Drunken Ramblings With Yorkedaddy, where I pick something and ramble about it whilst drunk. And today, I'm going to ramble about another one of my favorite songs ever and why it should be one of your favorite songs ever too even though it sucks.

First off, some history behind the band. Bombay Bicycle Club is a few British blokes that have released three albums so far, and all of them are absolutely awful. I mean frankly this is some seriously uninteresting attempts at indie folk and there's only three minutes and fifty-five seconds out of their whole catalog that has ever truly interested me, and it's this song right here.

Now I don't know how the hell stuff like this happens, and by stuff like this I mean crappy bands coming up with impeccable tunes. Maybe an actually good songwriter came up to them with the idea for this song and was like hey, do this. And then they did it, and I love the **** out of it.

The first few seconds you are greeted with the coolest bouncy piano riff I've ever heard, and it's frankly the crux of the song. The bridge fades it in along with some thick bass and it's just overwhelmingly cool for some reason, despite the fact that this band is ass in every other realm.

The lyrics are actually really cool. "Weight is coming off/Soaring high/Pleading you to stay/Come alive" is the opening verse which accompanies the piano riff. All of it just invokes feelings of pure joy and nostalgia in me. It just makes me want to bop my head and revel in everything in life that makes me happy, despite me having no idea what it's actually supposed to be about. Why is the song called "Shuffle"? I have no idea, because it makes no damn sense because the dudes in this band are not actually smart and they got lucky to make such a sweet ****ing song.

"Once you get the feeling, it/Wants you back for more/Says it's gonna heal it, but/You won't make the call/One step back you're leaving it/Now it's moving on/Why won't you believe in it/'till it's gone?"

I think these guys are talking about themselves here. Once you get the feeling it wants you back for more is referring to this song. I feel like I want to listen to this song all the damn time, and I keep thinking I'm going to actually like this band ("Says it's gonna heal it but you won't make the call"), but I never actually do like them ("One step back, you're leaving it, now it's moving on") and I refuse to accept that they actually deserve to take the credit for writing such a good song ("Why won't you believe in it"), but then I realize that maybe I'm taking such a wonderful tune for granted ("'till it's gone?") and then I give Bombay Bicycle Club the proper credit it deserves.

So kudos to you, Bombay Bicycle Club. Your track, "Shuffle," which is the sixth track on your album "A Different Kind of Fix," is one of my favorite songs I've ever heard. It's bouncy, joyous, and everything I love about music. I can close my eyes and listen to it and feel happy as that piano riff echoes through my brain.

But everything else you've made sucks dick.

#journaloftheyear2014

**Goofle** · 01-30-2014, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YorkeDaddy

#journaloftheyear2014

Great jounal btw.

YorkeDaddy · 01-30-2014, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goofle11

Great jounal btw.

bro ima sweep the journey awards.

you should consider this a challenge.

but thanks for the compliment

<3

YorkeDaddy · 02-04-2014, 04:45 PM

Announcement:

[album cover is tentative]

cloudcover - Untitled Fourth Album is in the works.

I may post some finished tracks in here once they come along, but we're in the very early stages of this! Expect updates periodically!

YorkeDaddy · 02-05-2014, 02:18 PM

SOBER RAMBLINGS WITH YORKEDADDY: ALBUMS THAT ARE AWESOME (LIKE, SERIOUSLY)

Hello there, and welcome to Sober Ramblings With Yorkedaddy, where I pick something and ramble about it whilst not drunk. And today, I'm going to ramble about one of my favorite albums: an album I have endorsed endlessly.

Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe

Now, why exactly, am I going to ramble about this album? Well, that's because it's the closest thing to a perfect pop album that I can even think of. Yes, I like it that much. There are two whole songs that hold it back from being a 10/10 from me.

But before I start explaining myself, allow me to get one thing out of the way first: Lauren Mayberry is an angel. One of the most pleasant voices I've ever heard, and damn it, she's a fine physical specimen as well:

Yep. Consider me sufficiently seduced.

Now onto the music. This little album here is a relentless onslaught of hooks galore. Every line on this album is catchy as all hell, and chances are that upon first listen, there will be no turning back. No matter what you do, no matter where you go, you're going to want to listen to some more Chvrches. The songs won't leave your head. You will be doomed. So while I can't recommend this album enough, I also have to recommend that you all proceed with caution.

You are first greeted with one of the lead singles of the album and one of the more ambiguous songs of Chvrches' catalog. What exactly does "The Mother We Share" mean? I don't think it's as simple as Lauren singing about a brother or something, so I could speculate about it being about "mother nature" or something deep like that, but I won't bother. Just let the song bask in it's catchy glory as you listen, and let the soundscapes of intricate electronica take your mind to new places. Once this delightful little pop tune ends, you will probably need to go change your pants. I recommend pausing the album and taking care of that.

I hope you brought some extra pairs of pants, too, because this album is only just getting started. The Mother We Share is a sweet ass song. Let's all agree on that. The second song on the album blows it away, though. I mean, it's as if Chvrches have discovered some sort of scientific combination of musical goodness that results in a track so wonderfully cool that resistance is futile.

The instrumentation is just so simple but so effective and atmospheric. It's merely a backdrop for the glory that is Lauren Mayberry, but it gets the job done. An array of dreamy synthesizers enter as Lauren spouts typical themes about having trouble with a relationship, but these lyrics to me are considerably more poignant than the average love song. "I'll be a thorn in your side, 'till you die/I'll be a thorn in your side, for always/If we sink, we lift our love". It's just such a powerful group of words, indicating that even in the hardest of times (which are numerous, as suggested by Lauren stating that she'll be a thorn in this dude's side until he dies :X), that they always "lift our love". It's an amazingly catchy chorus...and wouldn't you know it? You need to go change your pants again. Make sure you bring some more this time, because you'll need it.

Still recovering from the euphoric aural onslaught Chvrches have delivered so far? Well, either unfortunately or fortunately, they're not done. The third track may just be the catchiest yet. This song, titled simply, "Gun," doesn't quite have lyrics that 'sink' (lolpuns) deep into my soul, but it's still a cool little, sassy song: "You had better run from me/With everything you own/Cause I am gonna come for you/With all that I have". As usual, Lauren's vocal carries the song, but the electronic production is surprising superb. This is a band that has no shortage of talent; the males in the band clearly know how to create a nice, poppy backing track for Lauren to work her magic.

The fourth song, which ends the magical opening run of the album (the fifth track is a drag =/), titled "Tether", is an interesting little track that's very slow moving but climaxes in an awesome way. Lauren sees vulnerable here, stating, "I feel incapable of seeing the end/I feel incapable of saying it's over" during the final couple epic minutes of the song. It's not exactly catchy, but it's an effective track that starts out slow and reaches an exciting climax.

So now that you've gone through four pairs of pants, you can confidently leave your current pair on, as Chvrches finally shows that they are human and capable of writing a less-than-stellar track. It's not that I dislike "Lies," I just find it tremendously below the standard of quality presented throughout the rest of the album. It's another sort of sassy track, and it seems like Lauren is straight up playing some dude: "I can sell you lies/You can't get enough/Make a true believer of anyone, anyone, anyone". It's just a strange change of direction from the rest of the album; this track doesn't focus much on hooks and focuses more on an admittedly tight electronic backing track, but that's not really why I'm listening to Chvrches even though they are clearly strong producers. Immediately following is a track, "Under the Tide," that is the first of two instances where Lauren doesn't sing lead, and it doesn't work that great. I actually think this is a solid track, but the male singer's voice is nowhere near as delightful as Lauren's, and he has trouble carrying this track on his own.

Oh, but now we're back into the good stuff. "Recover" and "Night Sky" are by no means works of pure art like I think "We Sink" and "Gun" are, but they are wonderfully catchy songs that are excellent additions to the album. As it typical of the album thematically, both songs seem to describe the many facets of a relationship, and there's nothing remarkable about the lyrics, but damn it, sometimes I love me some catchy synthpop!

The next three tracks are interesting to me. "Science/Visions" is certainly not amongst the upper tier of songs on the album, but it certainly very interesting and a major change thematically and in terms of mood. Frankly there are sections of the song that are a little unnerving, like when the male utters "I, I, feel, feel, your, your, breathing" with some strange vocal effects and it's unlike anything else on this album. I really have no idea what this song is about, either, but it's a curious little album track that breaks up the slew of "relationship" songs that flood the album. Or at least I think so. Maybe this track really is about a relationship and I'm just a complete moron!

But anyway, suddenly Chvrches present you with another nearly flawless song. I can't say enough about how Lungs is one of the coolest songs I've ever heard. The instrumentation isn't particularly interesting besides the post-chorus that features some thick, heavy, almost dubstep-like instrumentation which is kind of awesome. The rest of the song is carried by Lauren's delightful voice singing an awesome melody with a very interesting double tracking going on to make her voice sound incredibly unique on this track. I love basically everything about this song.

If you have the regular version of this album without bonus tracks, the last two songs aren't particularly interesting which is slightly disappointing. The final track is long and led by the male, while "By the Throat" is pretty cool but just always seems like it's building towards something that the song never reaches. Slightly frustrating, but it's still plenty catchy and pleasant to hear.

But if you're the type of person that gets deluxe editions, you're in for a treat. I'm not sure what kind of band makes a song like "Strong Hand" a mere bonus track, but as long as I get to listen to it that a-okay with me. I mean, really? It may be the greatest bonus track of all-time. I can't think of any bonus track that was even remotely interesting, let alone one of the best tracks on an already excellent album. I mean good lord, Chvrches.

Albums like this don't come around very often. I hope after this lengthy review of sorts that everyone clearly understands how hopelessly in love with this album I am, and I hope I made a few more Chvrches fans!

Oh, so what would I rate this album? I'd be lying if I gave it anything less than a 9.5/10.

01-20-2014, 08:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Woo-hoo! A new journal from Bryan! Delighted to see you back man and looking forward to reading about what moves you in the music you love. Will be following this closely. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-26-2014, 08:41 PM	#5 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	I've just downloaded this. Will take some time to soak in it and then let you have my opinion, maybe do a review. Be interesting to see what you created on your own... __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018