Monthly Archives: July 2014

My iPod #319: Pavement – Elevate Me Later

1 Reply

After the opening track “Silence Kit” from Pavement’s second album “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” is “Elevate Me Later”, a song which I believe is Stephen Malkmus’ critique of celebrity lifestyles and other things that are considered to be of higher statuses. He clearly doesn’t give a shit about those, and the song title shows that he’d rather pass on being associated with them.

It took me a while to get into it. Didn’t think it was that great of a track. But the ascending guitar riff got stuck in my head one time and I just wanted to listen to it repetitively.

The song itself is very laid-back and easy to listen to.  There isn’t a lot to it except two verses, both of which are sung with a very simple but enjoyable melody and a part where the band execute this faux big rock ending where they ploughing in as much noise as they can from their instrument, with Malkmus yelling something which is buried deep in the mix….. only to begin playing the guitar riff again until the song actually ends and the album continues with “Stop Breathin'”.

It sounds simple. That’s not a bad thing. Simplicity is all you need sometimes.

My iPod #318: Tame Impala – Elephant

1 Reply

Didn’t know what Tame Impala was until a sample of “Elephant” appeared in adverts for a new Blackberry product. Why Blackberries are still being made is beyond me because I don’t know anyone who uses them anymore. But you can’t say that the people behind that advert have bad taste in music. Wouldn’t have listened to “Innerspeaker” or “Lonerism” because of them, so I probably have to say thanks to them.

For those of you who don’t know, Tame Impala is an Australian psychedelic rock project led by Kevin Parker. He plays almost every instrument on the two albums so far, and he also sounds a bit like John Lennon when singing. The whole thing sounds like if The Beatles and Pink Floyd got together and made babies, or something similar to what I saw in YouTube comments one time. Overall, he is a very talented guy. As are the other members who play with him on the live shows and stuff.

“Lonerism” is the album on which “Elephant” can be found. The majority of tracks on it contain a significant use of synthesizers, and then adding effects to make everything sound wavy and colourful. That isn’t the case for “Elephant” though. The track’s really groovy, carried along by its chugging, bluesy guitar line and shuffling drum beat. Yeah, there’s a bit of synthesizer and stuff in the middle section but that’s about it in this song. It does make it seem like the odd one out on the album, but if it wasn’t on there “Lonerism” wouldn’t be the same.

My iPod #317: Radiohead – Electioneering

Leave a reply

I haven’t listened to this song for a long time. Not because I don’t want to, but only because it hardly ever comes on when I put my iPod on shuffle.

Honestly, I can’t say much about the track. I do like it. I like it a lot. Hasn’t had an impact on my life so much. Just added it because of its sound. It’s a really bouncy 12/8 rock tune, with great playing by the members all around. The jangly, out of tune introduction by Thom (or Ed, not quite sure), the piercing lead guitar work provided by Jonny and the solid rhythm section by Phil and Colin all come together to produce one of the rougher, hard hitting tracks on “OK Computer”. Everything is relentlessly delivered from Thom’s vocals to the overall instrumentation, leaving no room to breathe and even when that chance arises when everyone stops playing for a few seconds, a thunderous drum roll brings everyone back in again.

Yeah. A fine track. From a very good album.

My iPod #316: The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby

1 Reply

I don’t like “Eleanor Rigby” that much. I feel like it should grip me somehow with its dramatic strings and depressing lyrics, but it never does. Is there something wrong with me? Because from what I’ve read and researched, this track is one of the most popular by The Beatles and definitely one of the most loved on the band’s album “Revolver”. But I have to be that guy who prefers “I Want to Tell You” and “Doctor Robert”.

The song is the second one on “Revolver”, and the first time Paul takes lead vocal on the album. It’s not one to listen to if you’re in a good mood. The lyrics focus on two lonely characters, Eleanor Rigby and Father MacKenzie. The former wishes to be married and the latter writes sermons that apparently no one will hear. At the end of the track, the former character has died and the latter conducts her funeral. The irony.

I may not like it that much. But this track was a sign of many exhibiting the band’s evolution from the mop-top pop group that amazed everyone in the 60s to the experimental group that maintained that admiration.

My iPod #315: Weezer – El Scorcho

Leave a reply

I think it was some time in 2008 when I heard “El Scorcho” for the first time. It was either that year or 2007. Whichever year it was, the track was the one which persuaded me to ask for “Pinkerton” for my thirteenth birthday. A good decision, I know.

I had owned the band’s first self-titled blue album for about a year and a bit, but for some reason in that time listening to anything from “Pinkerton” never crossed my mind. Possibly because I had heard shit about it being named the worst album in 1996 by some music magazine. Eventually I thought I should listen to at least one track from it at some point, and where better to start than the album’s first single? What could go wrong? Nothing apparently, because it was very good and still is.

I have to admit, I was a bit confused at the start of it. Actually, I might have listened to it and then skipped it thinking the rest of the track wasn’t worth the time. The gargle and the loose guitar riff may bring up a few ‘wtf is this’ reactions. But as the track carried on I gradually found myself getting into it. The backing vocals sound improvised and are delivered with a ‘don’t give a fuck’ feel, so many times you will hear a random ad-lib here and there courtesy of former bassist Matt Sharp. But this does lead to the chorus sounding like a bunch of drunk guys at a karaoke night. If that is the thing you’re into, you might just be in luck.

Actually, a lot of first time listeners might find the track confusing. It’s slow for the majority, speeds up and gets very loud in the middle, has a guitar solo that sounds like it’s being made up on the spot and generally sounds like it could fall apart at any moment. But you might like it, so why not listen to it before making a decision for yourself?