Monthly Archives: September 2013

My iPod #143: be your own PET – Bunk Trunk Skunk/Thoughts on "AM" and "Reflektor"

1 Reply


I’m very bored. I’m a bit upset too. I’m currently at home by myself and you would think “what’s the matter with you, surely you could do anything you want?” Yes. I’m not that kind of person though. I have food in here, an eclectic choice of music on my iTunes library and a few games on my PS3. But it’s not enough. The weather isn’t great, and even if I wanted to go out there’s nothing in my area that interests me. I may sound like a grouch, but it’s true. This may be the sign that university will probably be the best thing I could have right now. Only ten more days to go.

–

For today’s song, it’s be your own PET again. I didn’t get a lot of views for yesterday’s post. be your own PET haven’t been a band for five years now which may play a part in that. It may have also been the way I outlined the song. There’s a range of possibilities.

“Bunk Trunk Skunk” is the second song on the band’s debut album. My sister had this on her Creative Zen Micro, but did not put it onto the Windows Media Player library that was on our old Windows XP computer. So when I snuck into her bedroom and took the Zen, I made sure that I listened to the song.

I realised why she may not have wanted me to listen to the song. Even though I was eleven at the time. It’s basically about prostitution, or some sort of activity which involves sex. My sis was very much against my knowledge of that subject.

The song is a real rocker. Every instrument is loud, Jemina Pearl shrieks that she is an ‘independent motherfucker with barely any effort. This track is definitely one to freak out to. Not dance. Just swing your arms around and lose control. Structurally, there isn’t really a chorus because everything that is said is repeated more than once, but it’s at the end when the band increase in tempo before not giving a shit what they’re playing. The cacophony of noise ends with a drum roll which collides into the next song. It’s better if you listen to both songs together just for that moment.

Jamie.

ARCTIC MONKEYS – “AM”

Oh, you thought I was finished? Oh, no. It was only the release of Arctic Monkeys’ new album on Monday! (Or yesterday, depending on where you live).

I haven’t bought it yet, but I listened to the exclusive stream on iTunes. I said in my “Brick by Brick” post that I haven’t been very excited for an Arctic Monkeys release for some time, and that was very much the same for “AM” too.

“R U Mine?” was supposed to be the non-album single that wouldn’t appear on another commercial release, but that ended up being the second track. I thought it was OK, when I first heard it. The song really relies on its scaly riff which plays throughout most of the track, and that applies to many other songs on “AM”, including the first proper single “Do I Wanna Know?”

The one thing that annoyed me on this album were the constant high-pitched backing vocals which appear on almost every song but apart from that the rest of the album is very solid. You’ve got more of those observational lyrics that everyone loves to hear from Alex Turner. Most of the tracks are riff oriented as I’ve already said. It’s an album to wear a leather jacket and sunglasses to, and then proceed to nod your head to the beat.

It is clear that these are not the same Arctic Monkeys from 2006. They have evolved into this new thing – I can’t explain it, they’ve developed this new sound. It’s a totally different band. It’s similar to The Strokes. People look to “Whatever People Say I Am” and automatically compare the rest of their work to it. But Arctic Monkeys have grown, Alex Turner’s voice has deepened into a smooth croon sufficient to make any lady weak at the knees. I think they’ve reached their stage of enlightenment.

“I Wanna Be Yours” is my highlight, it incorporates lyrics from a poem by John Cooper Clarke. It has a very dreamlike atmosphere about it. That’s all I say. Get the album if you’re interested.

ARCADE FIRE – REFLEKTOR

Goodness me. Arcade Fire too?

Uh-huh. Arcade Fire release their fourth album “Reflektor” this October, and this is the video for the title track.

One thing to notice is how bloody long it is. It’s almost eight minutes! Don’t let that stop you from listening. A lot of things happen in it. I can’t remember enough to tell you everything, the word “Reflektor” is sung a fair amount of times and the legend that is David Bowie is in there!

It has a relentless disco 4/4 beat, similar to Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) and there may be a lot of fans who hate that. It is produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. I’m not sure but maybe that could have had something to do with it. We’ll just have to wait and see how the rest of the album sounds.

This is a very promising release though. It’s very adventurous.

Jamie.

My iPod #142: be your own PET – Bummer Time

Leave a reply

The song is not called ‘Blummer Time’*, the person who spelt that is dumb. It is ‘bummer’, to feel down, to be depressed, to be disappointed in something. A bummer.

For today’s post, I’m going to change things up a bit. I will take you through the song, and analyse the lyrics with you. Let’s go.

Bummertime! Bummertime!  – The song’s name is “Bummer Time”
It’s bummertime!
BUMMER!  – Why is it called “Bummer Time”? We don’t know. We’ll see soon.
(x4)

I’d think about you all week long  – She’d think about who?
My mind constantly singing your theme song  – Oh, so it’s like a character in a cartoon or something?
And did you know i looked up to you? – I’ve felt that way people on the TV at some point in my life.
I wanna be just like you! – Like a superhero kind of thing.

No one knows how it was for me – She was a true fan of this person. No one else cared.
No one knows what you meant to me – She loved this person/cartoon? A bit weird.
Everyone talks about it like they were there  – Self explanatory.
All this nostalgia but nobody cares!  – Talking is cheap. Narrator is stunned at people’s ignorance.
Everyone talks about it like they were there
All this nostalgia but nobody cares!  – So stunned, she had to repeat it twice.

I woke up early just for you – Understandable.
I waited all week long for you too – Any child does that if their favourite programme is weekly.
And there you were on my TV – Yep.
It’s like you were there just for me!  – Yeah!

Bummertime! Bummertime! – Still don’t get why there’s a bummer involved.
It’s bummertime! – It is annoying when someone doesn’t appreciate greatness.
BUMMER! – What more could possibly happen?
(x2)

When the time came I’d play along – Like Dora the Explorer? Man, I hate that shit.
I didn’t know that you’d soon be gone – Show got cancelled. Narrator gets older.
And now you’re back what can I say? – Show comes back on TV. Person she admired is older.
I can’t even look at you the same way! – He looks like crap. Narrator is disappointed.

No one knows how it was for me
No one knows what you meant to me
Everyone talks about it like they were there            SHE CARED SO MUCH FOR HIM.
All this nostalgia but nobody cares!                        ALL THOSE TIMES WERE IN VAIN.
Everyone talks about it like they were there
All this nostalgia but nobody cares!

I woke up early just for you!
I waited all week long for you too     PERSON SHE ADMIRED WAS NOTHING SPECIAL.
And there you were on my TV            HER CHILDHOOD WAS A LIE.
It’s like you were there just for me!
BUMMERTIME!                               So that’s why the song’s called “Bummer Time”.

“Bummer Time” is on be your own PET’s second album “Get Awkward”. It’s short and sweet, and totally encapsulates that feeling of disappointment when your favourite TV show returns when you’re older and you can barely look at it in the same way you did with amazement when you were a child.

Life’s a bitch.

Jamie.

09/06/2020* I’m guessing the title on the video was mispelled as ‘Blummer Time’ at the time this blog was originally uploaded. I don’t know, it’s been a while.

My iPod #141: Editors – Bullets

Leave a reply
 First version
Second version

Hi everybody.

It’s time for another Editors song, and again it is one from their first album. Like “Blood”, “Bullets” was also released twice which explains why it has two different videos. The first video plays the album version whereas the second plays a re-recorded version which the band did with the producer Jacknife Lee, a man who has done work with Biffy Clyro, Snow Patrol and Weezer.

If any of you are wondering what’s different in the song in both of the videos, I can only remember the arrangement being a bit different. I don’t like the album version and therefore have not listened to it for a while. It was the second out of the two which I saw first on the television. Nothing much happens in it. Lead singer Tom Smith sings in slow motion and looks at an elderly man, a girl dances in slow motion and two guys drive a car into a field and proceed to vandalise it. It’s not a very exciting video.

The song itself is very solid though. You’ve got Chris Urbanowicz’s delivering that wailing siren-sounding riff which repeats itself during the choruses and outro. I’m sure the drumming pattern doesn’t change but it certainly hits hard. It’s very snare-y. A lot more so than “Blood”. That doesn’t take anything away though. Lyrically the song is very repetitive but it’s good that the melody isn’t annoying otherwise it would be very tiresome. The chorus “You don’t need this disease” just runs into itself over and over again it becomes something of a madness mantra.

The word ‘bullets’ isn’t mentioned anywhere in the lyrics. Listen to the song and figure out why it may be called “Bullets” because thinking about it now, I can’t tell you.

YOUDONTNEEDTHISDISEASEYOUDONTYOUDONTNEEDTHISDISEASEYOUDONT.

Bye.

Jamie.

My iPod #140: Weezer – Buddy Holly

3 Replies

I’ve never been a fan of “Happy Days”, but I did attempt to watch a few episodes after seeing the music video for “Buddy Holly” when I was ten. The video by Spike Jonze was something I’d never seen before. How were Weezer able to perform in front of the cast of Happy Days? How did they get that man – who I assume to be ‘Fonzie’ – to dance to their music? Well, the video just combined footage of the sitcom with the band performing. A stunt double helped along too. The scenes were placed at very appropriate times to add great comedic effect, and I showed the video to my friend at his house and also found it funny. Especially at the Asian man near the end making a squee face. I’d found my favourite video of all time.

“Buddy Holly” is one of the main reasons I wanted “Weezer” for my eleventh birthday. It seemed that there was no way to actually listen to the full song online. Instead I was treated to a mash-up that included the song with “99 Problems” by Jay-Z. It wasn’t on YouTube though. That wasn’t around. All I wanted to do was listen to the song on Windows Media Player and put it on repeat, and it seemed that getting the album was the most efficient way to do it. That was a good decision on my part. Weezer’s first album is a damn fine piece of work.

Did you know the song almost never made it onto the album? Rivers first thought it would be too cheesy, but it was the persistent encouragement from the album producer that changed his mind in the end. It’s nice to know that Rivers once thought about how his songs sounded one time. I’ve pretty much given up on the albums they’ve released lately.

Oh, I don’t want to be mean. Rivers Cuomo is a nice guy.

Jamie.

My iPod #139: Kings of Leon – The Bucket

3 Replies
 

There are creepy people out there. There I was going down the escalator in Stratford’s Westfields so we could wait for a mate who needed to go to the loo, when these two guys came over to us asking if we were born again Christians. They then directed their attention to me, and told me to ‘talk to them privately’ to say the ‘prayer’ and I was like “FUCK THIS, I HAVE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE”. So I told them a wrong phone number and made up a name for myself, and proceeded to leave the mall with my friends.

It was very scary. I’ve never wanted to be anywhere else in the world like I did during those moments. I’m really glad to be home. Typing to you.

–

Right. Kings of Leon. I’ve probably said as much as I can on what I think about them in other posts. Thinking about it now, I’m positive that I’ve only done one post. But in short, from Youth & Young Manhood to Because of the Times = good stuff, Only by the Night onwards = the bad stuff. Except “Supersoaker” and “Wait for Me” which depicts “Mechanical Bull” as something that will be a return to form. We can only hope. Well, I can only hope.

“The Bucket” was the first song to be released from the band’s second album “Aha Shake Heartbreak” in 2004, which is my favourite album they’ve done. I can’t remember when I first heard it. I’ll just say it was on MTV2. Yes, it was on MTV2.

I wonder who yells “Wooooooo!”at the start. It sounds like someone fucked up and didn’t know they were recording, but I can’t imagine the song without that exclamation. I’m just used to it after listening to the track for all these years.

The subject matter of “The Bucket” is the band’s bassist Jared Followill, who was having problems dealing with the fame of being in the band.

The thing that I’ve always liked about older Kings of Leon songs, especially those on the Aha Shake and Times albums, is Caleb’s vocals. Now he’s older he actually sings from the stomach, but I preferred those when his voice was breaking almost every time he tried to reach the high notes. There’s a bit of this in “The Bucket”.

Have fun listening to it.

Jamie.