Monthly Archives: March 2014

My iPod #261: The Offspring – Defy You

Leave a reply


“Defy You” is a track The Offspring recorded for the movie “Orange County“* in 2001. The song was released after the band had released their most album “Conspiracy of One” the previous year, and so it was only available on its single release until 2005 when it appeared as the twelfth track on the band’s greatest hits compilation. It is also their last single featuring original drummer Ron Welty, who coincidentally is focused on a lot in the song’s video.

The track differs a lot in attitude compared to the band’s other singles. I had heard “Original Prankster”, “Hit That”, “Job” and obviously “Pretty Fly” which, when you look at the lyrics for those particular examples, are quite funny songs which aren’t really meant to be thought upon that much. But “Defy You’s” message of never giving up and standing up for what you believe was something that I did not expect and struck me when I first saw it on the TV. This was a serious Offspring single I was listening to.

I like their ‘jokey’ singles, but “Defy You” is one that does not pull any punches. There are no “uh-huh, uh-huhs” or references to popular culture – only a heavy performance and a great vocal by Dexter Holland. It is possibly the coolest track the band have ever done.

My iPod #260: Billy Talent – Definition of Destiny

1 Reply


You know what I just figured out? Literally a few minutes before typing this, every last song on Billy Talent’s albums from “Voices of Violence” to “Dead Silence” went through my mind. Despite differences in tempo, structure and everything – all of them are in D major… I wonder why that is. Do you think that they even realised this? Has anyone else pointed this out before? What the hell, Billy Talent, what the hell. They are all solid tracks, I have all of them on my iPod, but they have to use another key sooner or later, right?

On with today’s song.

“Definition of Destiny” is the final track on Billy Talent’s third album “Billy Talent III”, the last of their usual Roman numerical naming order, released in 2009. Normally the last songs on Billy Talent albums are worth the wait, and the same applied to “Definition” too. It is quite similar to “Burn the Evidence” in that the instrumentation during the verses mirrors the reflective and observational lyrics, staying at a steady beat and keeping a cool rhythm with guitar arpeggios, before turning the levels up and continuing into a stomping and chord heavy chorus which puts emphasis on the intense message of living life to the full your own way before ending up in the casket. Good way to end an album all in all.

I won’t say too much about listening to the album for the first time or how I felt waiting for its release; I’ll probably save that for “Devil on My Shoulder”. However, I will simply state my opinion which is that ‘III’ is not their best work. Some may agree, others may not. The album is okay, but not as good as their first two. The production is different (which is understandable as they used the same producer for the two before) but the tracks lack in something as a result. Less of a bite in guitar tone, perhaps. But most importantly…. there is barely any screaming. That was a disappointment on first listen.

My iPod #259: The Futureheads – Decent Days and Nights

2 Replies
 

When I was standing on a chair in the living room and being an idiot like every other child, the original video for “Decent Days and Nights”, the song from The Futureheads’ debut album came on MTV2. In the video, the band were in a huge warehouse, standing on podiums whilst playing their instruments. That video seems to have disappeared, as it’s not even on YouTube. Does anyone else remember the version I am talking about? It is cool if you do.

No, the video above is one they produced when they re-released the single in 2005. That was the radio mix, which included a new introduction and overall cleaner production. The version I listen to is the original album version, which is the opposite. The guitars sound a bit rough and messier, I swear I always hear this hissing sound during the ‘chorus’ but apart from that the punchy drums, those sweet harmonic vocals the band are known for and the song structure is the same.

I also didn’t recognise until recently why I thought this song was a bit disorienting. The time signature changes throughout the bloody thing. It is 4/4 for the majority, but it switches to 3/4 and 2/4 too. It’s very strange, but does it makes the track a lot more fluid. The verse just rolls right into the ‘chorus’ (which it doesn’t really have hence the apostrophes) which then segues into the bridge and so on and so forth. Not one section drags on for too long and so it maintains your attention.

Another one to remember from the good times that were the mid-2000s.

Update (18/11/2014): Here’s the original video. How good is that!

My iPod #258: Pixies – Debaser

Leave a reply

“Debaser” is the crazy, loud and energetic opener to Pixies’ 1989 album “Doolittle”. Lead singer Black Francis wrote it after seeing a movie where the first scene shows an eyeball being slit by a razor.

I wish I had more to say about this song. But it’s just one of those that hasn’t had that much impact on my life than it probably has for many other people. I simply like it.

It’s not the first one of the band’s I listened to, that goes to “Velouria” or “Here Comes Your Man”….. maybe even “Build High” – my memory’s fading. But I do think I saw the official video (above) on TV and thought “What the hell, is this even a song?” or something along those lines. Francis’ yelling definitely threw me off the first time as it may do for any listener who hasn’t heard “Debaser” before. But listening to it along with the other fourteen tracks that accompany it on the album, it all made sense.

My iPod #257: Coldplay – Death and All His Friends

2 Replies
 

Ah, Coldplay. Not my favourite group. But nevertheless they are back with a new album, their sixth to be exact, in May entitled “Ghost Stories”. They’ve put out two songs already: “Midnight“, which got some polarizing feedback due to its minimalism  – and the first official single “Magic” which is quite similar to “Midnight in the way that there are barely any instruments in it, but actually has a beat and a good melody. It is the one which I like a bit myself and it is better than the former song. But that’s just my opinion.

Today’s song is the other title track from Coldplay’s fourth album “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends“, commonly known as “Viva la Vida”. Most people know it for the album where Coldplay changed. They went around wearing suits a la The Beatles during the Sgt. Pepper phase and generally went for a new approach in making their music. Some may have found it pretentious. I think it’s their best album. I have “Parachutes“, “A Rush” & “X&Y“; they have their moments, but “Viva” along with “Prospekt’s March” – that is good listening. No to “Mylo Xyloto” though.

The beginning of “Death and All His Friends” is actually a song that was meant to be separate altogether. This was its original incarnation. It’s very calm and soothing for the first half before bursting into life when the rest of the band join in and abruptly changing into the soaring and climactic ending (in 7/4 time signature) which will catch any first listener by surprise. The song is a triumphant ending to a wonderful album. There is a full version of the instrumental that you hear at the beginning of the very first track of the album, but I cut that out before putting it on my iPod. You can’t beat that ending.