Category Archives: Music

My iPod #146: Lostprophets – Burn Burn

 

I owe a lot to EA Sports and their FIFA series. Not only because they made me more of a football (soccer…) fan, but because the music they had on their soundtracks was amazing! If I wasn’t playing FIFA, I don’t know what music I’d be listening to now. I definitely wouldn’t have my diverse taste that I have in music, if I do say so myself.

It’s going to be ten years since I’ve started listening to Lostprophets, and it’s all because this song was in FIFA 2004. Oh wow. Remember those times when the whole year was in the title instead of the last two numbers? Yep, I have been playing FIFA for that long.

“Burn Burn” was released as the first single from the band’s second album “Start Something”, which is my personal favourite and what I consider to be their best. It was one of the songs on that particular FIFA game that I learned the words to and would sing-along to whenever it came on, just because it was so energy-inducing.

It’s all about rebellion, which ties in with the theme of “getting up and doing something” which is present throughout the album. There’s plenty of “gang vocals” too, and is a good song to yell to whilst on a drunken night out with your mates. I’m not speaking from experience, I’m just saying you may want to do that if you’re into those activities.

Jamie.

My iPod #145: Tyler, the Creator ft. Hodgy Beats – Burger

Wolf. Gang. Wolf. Gang. Wolf. Gang. Wolf. Gang.

Whilst lying in bed after finishing GCSEs, Tyler, the Creator appeared in an interview on Channel 4. I was left perplexed at how he behaved, it was like watching a six year old in an adult’s body. I’d never heard of him before, but I certainly became eager to hear the music he did.

Mostly everyone knows him for “Yonkers” and its video where he eats a live cockroach and proceeds to hang himself. I won’t talk about that anymore though, you can observe that in your own time. This post is dedicated to “Burger”, ‘a pretty cool track’ according to Tyler himself.

It can be found on the extra disc of the deluxe edition of “Goblin”, and probably for good reason. “Goblin” by itself is a clusterfuck of an album where Tyler raps about relationships, killing people, burning shit and fucking school whilst under the watch of his ‘psychiatrist’ Dr. TC. “Burger” does not fit in the album’s concept whatsoever and would have been out of place if included on the original tracklist.

“Burger” is a song which you can sit, relax, and possibly take an illegal substance to as Tyler, with Hodgy Beats in the chorus rhyme about what they do best….. writing down lyrics on paper and busting them out on the microphone.

Hope you like it.

Jamie.

My iPod #144: The Tallest Man on Earth – Burden of Tomorrow


There’s something about an album in which the songs have a musician playing their acoustic guitar with no other instruments. It’s very bare, vulnerable, naked, and yet so beautiful. It’s lovely to take a break from a continuing barrage of instruments and relax, turn off your mind and float downstream.

“Burden of Tomorrow” is the second track on “The Wild Hunt”, the second album by the Swedish folk artist The Tallest Man on Earth. This song was not the first I’d heard by him, but the track I originally listened to really stayed with me for some time that I had to hear the rest of the album.

I am not able to sing along to it. I do not know the lyrics. I just really admire the music, his voice and the chords he plays. I could only wish to produce something like this. It’s very uplifting.

Take some time out to listen. It was a very short post, I know. I’m sorry.

Jamie.

P.S. As my posts have only just become visible on my profile page, I’d like to say hello and check out my other posts too.

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


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

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.