Category Archives: Music

My iPod #97: Pezz (Billy Talent) – Bird in the Basement

“Bird in the Basement” is the title of this song by Billy Talent when they were in their Pezz phase, but the phrase doesn’t appear at all. It’s not sung by anyone, no one in the studio says it or anything. It’s the same for the rest of the songs on the album. Maybe it’s a phrase that only the members of the band are able to get. They probably won’t play any of “Watoosh!” any time soon though, so we’ll never know.

I mentioned how I came to own “Watoosh!” in my post for “Absorbed”, the last track of the album. However, I knew about the album since I was about ten years old. A Billy Talent fan uploaded the songs on their fan site but they were in terrible quality, and were eitther in wma or wav files. I just didn’t listen to this song until my sister bought the album for me in 2009. I think the link for it was broken.

As for the meaning of the song, it’s quite hard to say. I’m thinking it’s about a relationship where the couple feel that ‘everything is fake’ around them even though to other people, they are the problem. They are oblivious to the whole situation though, and look forward to sticking with one another when everything turns to crap.

This is my one hundredth post. Hooray! To anyone who reads this, thank you. You are the reason why I feel like I haven’t been wasting my time since February, when I started this thing.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #96: They Might Be Giants – The Biggest One

A short and sharp one by They Might Be Giants.

This song was originally released on the “(She Was a) Hotel Detective EP” from 1988, but it was released again on the compilation “Miscellaneous T” – a collection of B-Sides recorded between 1986 and 1989 – released in 1991 after the band’s success with “Flood”. Now I assume that B-Sides are those songs that bands consider to be sub-par to material released on commercial albums, but “Miscellaneous T” is a mighty fine album and no one should underestimate the songs on it.

I first listened to the album in 2011 when I was revising for my GCSEs, and “The Biggest One” was a track that stood out, just because it’s the most ‘hard rock’ song as it gets on the album, with blaring horns and a stomping drum pattern.

“The Biggest One” is sung by John Flansburgh, and is another track where he puts real gusto behind his voice. It’s got a real throaty approach to it. It’s described as an “unlikely song of self-pity” in the liner notes of “Then: The Earlier Years“, maybe because the band weren’t into writing a song about the subject matter. It is about a person who blames everything that happens around him on his ‘fat self’. That’s all there is to it, really. There’s also a small Gloria Gaynor reference thrown in there to for a bit of humour.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #95: Foo Fighters – Big Me

Amongst the loud, strong, and energetic songs by Foo Fighters is “Big Me” found on the debut album from 1994, one of the most softest and almost poppy songs released by the band. Look at how much fun the guys are having in the video, Dave Grohl even has pigtails for goodness sake!

I can’t remember how I first came around the song, which is pretty crappy seeing as this is what this whole blog is about. I can only think that it was using the LAUNCHcast thing years ago that I’ve talked about many times in posts from before. It was probably the video that made me like it even more. It’s funny as hell, the band clearly didn’t give a shit about how they looked and they’re all having a good time. That’s what life is about isn’t it?

It was released as the final single in 1996 from the band’s first album, and by this time Dave had recruited a full band. He recorded the whole first album by himself, playing all instruments except for a lead guitar in one song.

What is the song about? Who knows? The video doesn’t clear it up, for sure. What does it matter anyway?

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #94: Jimmy Eat World – Big Casino

Hey guys. I was at my friend’s house for about eight hours yesterday, and when I came back I was too tired to do anything. I couldn’t make a post, but I am awake enough today to make two.

I’m not a huge fan of Jimmy Eat World; I’ve never listened to any of their albums. Their singles are sufficient enough, they are very good. Songs like “Bleed American” aka “Salt Sweat Sugar”, “The Middle“, “Always Be” played on MTV2 when I was younger, and I liked those tracks but not enough to make me want to listen to more material the band made.

“Big Casino” was the first single from their sixth album “Chase This Light” in 2007, I was getting ready to start year 8 of secondary school. The music video was part of MTV2’s “New Singles” segment, and that was the first time I heard the song. It played a few times, and then it barely played again. “Always Be” was probably played more than “Big Casino”. I like the latter more, because it’s a much happier song. It’s got more oomph to it, the chorus is excellent too. I also like the triumphant guitar line that occurs at certain times during the song.

I’ve realised this ‘B’ series is going to be a long one. I’ve got almost 100 songs beginning with the letter. I am determined to get through this. Even if I may be in university still doing it.

Jamie.

My iPod #93: be your own PET – Bicycle, Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle

Ah… the joys of riding a bicycle. Something I can’t relate to seeing as I’ve never owned one. However, it’s an activity that be your own PET profoundly express their fondness in this song, and in just over two minutes.

The band are a force that ought to be recognised according to the track. The sky will turn brown, they’ll change the eye colour of every lady (which could only suggest that some violence may occur), the sleepyheads will wake up due to their presence, they’ll fuck shit up too! All this because they are on their bicycles, because cars are for idiots.

I didn’t even make that paragraph up, those are all lyrics in the song. These are backed up with a very aggressively shouted vocal by lead singer Jemina Pearl and the rest of the band, and a rapid guitar riff capturing the urgency of theme. The instrumental break fools you for a bit, starting off slow like a train pulling out of a station but it then gradually becomes faster and faster before returning back to its normal velocity and in regards to the song, the final verse and chorus.

They’re on two wheels, baby.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.