Monthly Archives: March 2021

#809: The Knife – Marble House

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I’ve always admired this one just for how it sounds. ‘Marble House’ by Swedish electronic music duo The Knife arrives in the middle of Silent Shout. After that comes ‘Like a Pen’. The midsection of that album is probably my favourite part of it. While ‘Pen’ is a bit more hectic and bustling, ‘Marble House’ moves along with a relaxing flow, but has a sense of mystery and eeriness provided by its minor key and melody.

Taking a closer look at the lyrics for you people at home, it seems that the they concern a relationship. I mean, I always kind of knew that just by listening, but what kind of relationship it could specifically be is up in the air. Some can say a familial one. Others could say romantic. You’re all right. But the titular house is where this relationship is taking place, and where the song’s narrator physically and emotionally cares for their other half.

Again, another highlight of this track like almost all the other Knife songs is singer Karin Dreijer’s vocals. Such a great tone and delivery to them. She’s accompanied by fellow Swedish singer-songwriter Jay-Jay Johansen who sings on the second verse; he fits in quite perfectly on there. I guess he provides the voice from the perspective of the person who is being cared for. Whatever the deeper meaning and inner machinations may be, this song makes for some good listening. It has a stop-motion animated music video of these woodland creatures living in this wooden house. It’s below, but it doesn’t use the full version of the track which I like to listen to more. It was also uploaded in 2008, so the quality’s not too great.

#808: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps

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I saw the video for this track the first time on TV a long time ago. Wasn’t through MTV2, but through some other channel. I think The Amp, if anyone out there remembers it. There was no message or sign showing the band name or the song name, so I remember being confused as to whether this was a music video or a really long advert for a dramatic music television show or something. I was quite young when this happened, so forgive me. Wasn’t until a bit later that it was revealed to me. ‘Maps’ was a very much a real song by a real band, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Could do with a new song by them.

The track’s quite an emotional one. The music video even more so. Lead singer Karen O’s boyfriend at-the-time was meant to show up the shoot, but he was very late and she was about to go on tour and didn’t think he was going to show. During the performances, the tears start falling from her eyes while all these warm lights of fluorescent colours are glaring in the camera and she sings, “They don’t love you like I love you.” Sometimes I go on about songs that can be made so much more emphatic with the right music video. This is another of those instances.

Amidst Brian Chase’s rolling drum pattern and O’s silky vocals is Nick Zinner’s guitars which really keep the track moving. The one note loop is the first thing you hear and the last as the song fades out. In between, he provides that staccato line during the verses and those twinkling high notes in the choruses. I guess he also provides the bassline in those sections, even though the band don’t use a bass guitar. His playing is a highlight for me on this one. ‘Maps’ is a bit of an indie classic, and its cultural legacy cant be understated. Beyoncé took the chorus’ main lyric and used it in one of her songs. So there you go, I guess.

#807: Supergrass – Mansize Rooster

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I received I Should Coco for what I think was my 14th birthday. Might have even been my 13th. But by the end of that first full listen, I was sure it was another 10/10 by the group. As time’s gone on, I do think some songs on there do sound a bit dated. ‘Mansize Rooster’ falls under that category. Everything from the jaunty piano, the walking bassline, and those horns that come in the chorus. Those are just a few things. But it’s just so darn catchy, still.

The track is about a young man who is well-endowed for his age. The narrator’s strapped for cash and things aren’t looking too great in life, but with his package he might just be able to turn things around. It took me a while to get the joke in the song’s title. What’s another name for a rooster? There you go. And although the music sounds dated, I think it definitely works to give off this strange childish and horny tone of the lyrics. It’s a swinging number from the beginning before switching to a frenetic, fast-paced freakout for the choruses. It alternates between those tempos every time. It’s a crazy ride of a listen.

As you can see, Supergrass were very, very young in this music video. The members were practically children, it’s quite surreal to see. Some strange things happen in it. The three guys share a bathtub, guitarist Gaz Coombes appears in women’s clothing for a brief moment. It’s all a bit campy. It’s a good time for all.

#806: The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Manic Depression

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The Jimi Hendrix estate is usually very stringent on what songs it allows on YouTube. At the time I’m writing this, you can listen to the song through the player above, but that may be taken by the time I actually publish this. We’ll see how it goes. But there it is anyway, ‘Manic Depression’ by the Jimi Hendrix Experience from the band’s debut album Are You Experienced?.

Really, the groove of this track is the best part. Right from the start and throughout, the guitar and bass play the same climbing, triple-time lines with Mitch Mitchell swinging drum pattern as clanging on those ride cymbals and striking the tom-toms. It’s a track that’s at full force and never lets up until that final strike of the last guitar chord. Jimi Hendrix doesn’t sing too badly either. He does song from the gut, and with a lot of feeling. There’s soul to his voice.

‘Manic depression’ was an old name for what is known today as bipolar disorder, but this song’s not about the condition. It’s a story about a man who wants to make love to music instead of women. Hendrix said so when introducing the number to a live audience. Not quite the way I’ve worded it, he said it in a more slick 60s man-of-the-times style.

#805: Jamie T – The Man’s Machine

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‘The Man’s Machine’ was the third and final single from Jamie T’s second album, Kings & Queens. It was the last commercial release of his for a while. After promotion for that album died down, he sort of disappeared for a few years before returning with a new album in 2014. Admittedly, after really liking his debut album, I didn’t feel the same about ‘Sticks ‘n’ Stones’ or ‘Chaka Demus’ that much, so I didn’t give Kings & Queens that much chance. Maybe I’ll listen to it in full one day. The video for ‘The Man’s Machine’ started showing on MTV2 though. And after hearing that many times in the morning while getting ready for school, I couldn’t forget about the song very easily.

So what’s this one about? I think it’s one of those travelling man songs. One where the narrator talks about a person who’s walked the land, seen many things and encountered situations and problems that he’s learned from in order to make themselves a better person. I can’t think of an example of those types of songs, but I’m sure there’s one out there somewhere. I think the track also touches upon the fragility of life and how there are always better times ahead. Jamie T flows nicely over the top of the instrumental track which is a cool hybrid of hip-hop, punk rock and reggae. It’s just a good marriage of vocals and production.

The version used for the music video was cut down just a bit to make it suitable for the radio. The album includes a longer introduction. Taking samples of ‘Kids on the Street’ and ‘You’re Nicked’ from Angelic Upstarts Live, the song’s given this ‘live onstage banter’ effect to set the mood before it actually begins. In fact, if you listen to that whole Upstarts album you’ll hear a lot of noises that appear in ‘The Man’s Machine’. Anyway, both versions are on this page so you can witness the differences.