Category Archives: Music

My iPod #156: The Strokes – Call It Fate, Call It Karma

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It’s quite late, but what the hell.

“Comedown Machine” was The Strokes ‘comeback’ album released earlier this year in March. “One Way Trigger” was the first song to be released to the world to be given the reception of “Why the fuck is Julian singing so high?” and “Am I listening to “Take on Me” by A-ha, what’s going on?” Then most people were very excited when “All the Time” was revealed as the first official single. A lot of talk on how the band had ‘returned to form’ erupted; a lot of people dismissed it as boring.

Then the album was actually released and received very mixed reviews. Though it was unfairly judged in comparison to “Is This It” and on how the band just didn’t sound the same anymore. In an earlier post I merely dismissed it as an “Angles Part II”, but I haven’t even listened to that album in full anyway, so I didn’t know what I was talking about.

That was when I had just heard the album when it was available on Pitchfork. After multiple listens I finally came to the conclusion that it is not as bad/disappointing as reviews made it out to be. Sure it’s different, this song clearly shows one of the reasons why, but I see that it is wrong to assume that a band’s sound will always stay the same. You’ve got to change things up a bit. Look at Arctic Monkeys. Look at Alex Turner! That’s just the way it is; things will never be the same.

“Call It Fate…” is the last song on the album and is one that I did not like for quite some time. It’s like the soundtrack to a silent 50s film. It did take a while for me to understand whether Julian was singing, or what instruments were being played. The falsetto was a bit too much too.

It’s one of my favourites from it though. It’s so mellow and quiet. Close your eyes as you sail away on a tropical breeze during the chorus and then be scared as your boat drifts the wrong way and you end up surrounded by a menacing jungle when the coda begins and Julian starts wailing “I neeeeeded someoonnnnnnne….” It’s very creepy, and unnerving. It ends the album on quite a menacing note.

Jamie.

My iPod #155: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication

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The title track from the band’s seventh album in 1999. It is a very serious and observational song, detailing the ‘dark side of Hollywood and the export of culture through the movie industry’ according to Wikipedia. Its minor key does not make things sound better either. Especially when the Frusciante’s guitar and Flea’s bass play off one another in the breaks between the verses and the chorus. It sounds very lonely and bare.

With that being said, have you seen the video for this track? It is so amazing. The first time I saw it I did not take in the message of the song at all because I was so immersed in the animation. I want a game like this. I want to play as a Chili Pepper and swim through seas, fall through the earth and watch the world pass me by on a giant dragonfly. One can only dream.

Of course it may not seem as cool now, but I imagine that when the video first came out a lot of people were impressed. Kudos to Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who have directed many other videos by the band.

Bye.

Jamie.

P.S. Check out my radio show! I hosted a new one today.

My iPod #154: Interpol – C’mere

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For a long time I was unsure on how to pronounce this song’s name. I once thought it was the letter ‘C’ and then the word ‘mere’ which I knew didn’t make any sense. I thought it was a french term or something. That was until my sister told me that it’s simply “C’mere” as in “come here”.

Hi everyone. My iPod is back. For the third series. The Cs. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. But don’t be scared. Join me on this journey.

I believe this is the first Interpol song that I have “reviewed”, so let me just give you some details on how I started listening to them. You can find out about them for yourselves.

MTV2. That’s about it. I was nine/ten, and “Slow Hands” was playing. I had never heard anything like it before. Not just because it was the first time I had heard an Interpol song, but it sounded so mysterious and conveyed quite an eerie atmosphere. I would go on about how much I like it, but this is the post for “C’mere”; let’s talk about that.

“C’mere” was the last single to be released from Interpol’s second album “Antics” in 2004. I’ve never actually listened to the in full which is probably a major boo-boo, but I’ve always had the opinion that I never really have to because I already like the singles released from it. I’m digressing again.

“C’mere” is from the perspective of a man who has feelings for a girl already in a relationship, and basically figuring out how to get her for himself (Hence the term, ‘c’mere’). It’s a great track. In comparison to those like “Slow Hands” and “Evil” which are quite haunting, “C’mere” is one that you can just casually listen to, courtesy of Carlos Dengler’s wandering bass line and Paul Banks’ relaxing vocals.

Listen to it.

Jamie.

My iPod #153: Red Hot Chili Peppers – By the Way

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Well, here I am. The end of another letter. It’s the end of ‘B’. I’ve been doing this since the day I finished my A-Levels, and now I’m in university. That’s crazy. It’s weird to think about. It seems very fitting for it to end on this note.

When will ‘C’ start? God only knows. I wouldn’t say this is the end of “My iPod”, but I can’t see a point in the near future when I’ll start writing about my favourite songs in alphabetical order. It’s a shame. It will be back… soon. Hopefully.

———-

The video for this song is now censored when it plays on “MTV Rocks” in the UK. It takes out all the best scenes too. Why?! I don’t get it.

“By the Way” was the Chili Peppers’ first single and title track of the band’s eighth album in 2002. The song proved to be very popular in the USA and the UK reaching number one in the many charts they have in the former, and number two in the latter.

The music video features Dave Sheridan (Officer Doofy) who kidnaps Anthony Kiedis with his taxi, a lot of other shit happens, Anthony escapes and Sheridan picks up Chad Smith at the end. It’s action-packed to say the least. If you haven’t seen it, it’s probably one of the best videos that accompanies the tone and mood of the song.

The song initially trolls you with its quiet, Scar Tissue-esque introduction before launching into a pumping combat/style instrumental break driven by Flea’s bass and Anthony’s rapping before launching into the uprising chorus. It’s brilliant stuff to listen to.

I guess that’s it. I’ll see you when I see you. I hope you’ll be waiting for……… me.

Jamie.

My iPod #152: Nine Black Alps – Buy Nothing

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I leave for university tomorrow, and I can’t wait. So many opportunities waiting for me…. But wait.

Where does this leave “The iPod Times”? Is this finished will I ever get back to this. You’ll have to wait for the last song of the ‘B’ series. Which is also tomorrow. I really don’t know what I’ll do.

——-

“Buy Nothing” was released as a free download from the band’s website, and was the first taste of new material in two years after their second album “Love/Hate”.

I wasn’t a huge fan of that album. The band had completely dumped their post-grunge/hard rock approach they had on “Everything Is” and replaced it with – what I think was supposed to be a more radio friendly sound – which just didn’t work for me. It’s an okay album, but that’s really it.

“Buy Nothing” was the sign that everything had gone back to normal. It has a hell of a riff which drives the song along as lead singer San Forrest tells us to forget about the government, advertising and consumerism are meaningless. BUY NOTHING.

That’s all there is to the song.  It’s one of the heavier songs on “Locked Out from the Inside”, it’s one of my favourite songs by the band too.

Jamie.

(Sorry for the late post. I’m packing, you see.)