Category Archives: Music

My iPod #72: Bloc Party – Banquet

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What eventful hours I’ve just experienced. Let me tell you.

I had my prom yesterday. It was alright. It was a joint prom with my school (an all boys one) and our ‘sister’ school (an all girls one). It could have been much better. No one wants to arrive early to a prom, and my friends and I made sure we didn’t. We made it to the hotel; the music was playing, people were inside, but no one was really ready to dance yet. So we stayed outside the hall and chilled for a bit. For about an hour or so. Which was a bit of a waste of time. We ate food prepared by the hotel. Then we danced the night away. The hotel is also near Tower Bridge and The Shard, and I never knew how nice they looked at night until yesterday. It’s quite sad knowing that’s one of the last times I’ll see the friends I’ve made over the past seven years. I’ll still remember them. I’ll make sure of that.

Then today, my aunt only goes and calls the house saying that her flat was burned down. (It really wasn’t, it was just a bit of smoke and damage to the extractor.) But the way my mum reacted, and according to her the way my aunt said it, made it seem like the whole place had gone. She had to go to hospital for a few hours for a check up, ’cause she was coughing and everything. It wasn’t great. I’m glad she’s okay though. She’s fine.

Let’s get started on the song then.

“Banquet” is a song by the band, Bloc Party. It’s one of their most popular ones too, as it is on what is considered to be their best album “Silent Alarm”. It was released as a single too, reaching 13 in the UK charts back in 2005. That was a good time for music in the UK.

It’s about sex. That’s from Kele himself too. So you can’t argue. I’m not just saying that. I don’t have a dirty mind.

I can’t say much about this song. It’s not the one that introduced me to the band. That song was “Helicopter”. So you’ll have to wait until then.

Here’s an interesting fact. Kele Okereke, the lead singer, went to my school back in the nineties which is cool. My mum also spoke to his years ago when they worked in the same hospital. In a way, I know him very well.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #71: They Might Be Giants – Bangs

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Hi everybody.

Got to type this one quickly ’cause I’m going to my friend’s house soon.

They Might Be Giants are my favourite band. I’ve downloaded most of their albums. The only albums of theirs I own is “The Spine” and “A User’s Guide…” which is a compilation, and so doesn’t really count. So I only own one album.

“Mink Car” is the eighth studio album by the band. It was released on the same day as 9/11, so it may not have received as much attention as it could have.

I downloaded the album in 2011 because I had never heard the songs of it, and they weren’t on YouTube so I uploaded them.

“Bangs” is the first song on the album. I’ve got to say when I first heard the song I mistook the title as a euphemism for another part of the female body. (Two other parts to be exact). But it’s not. It’s about a good haircut that a girl has which impresses the narrator. Shows you how I think.

“Bangs” is one of my favourites. Good melody and stuff. I hope you like it too.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #70: Fall Out Boy – Bang the Doldrums

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Hi everybody.

Went and got my hair cut today. Looking fresh and clean. Ready for prom tomorrow. Can’t find my bow tie, but it’s okay. I’ll get through.

Today’s song is by Fall Out Boy. They recently released their new album entitled “Save Rock and Roll”, their first after a hiatus which started in 2009. I haven’t listened, but “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ’em Up)” is a good one. Listen if you want.

“Infinity on High” is the album where “Bang the Doldrums”. That’s the first album of theirs that I bought too. Another one from Woolworths in 2008. “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” was the first single released from it, and my sister went crazy about it when she saw that its music video was an exclusive on MTV2. She must have heard the song or something before the video was out, because I had no idea that Fall Out Boy were even about to release a new album, let alone a new song.

The band released three more songs from the album as singles, and I liked those sooooo much that I bought the album. I’m not being sarcastic, the songs are good.

I can’t tell you much about “Bang the Doldrums”. I have songs on my iPod where the melody and the beat is good, therefore making the song memorable and worthy for a listen when I’m not doing anything important. However, I will have no idea what the song is about because I haven’t learnt the lyrics but still able to join in with the chorus. “Doldrums” fits into that category.

From looking it up on the Internet though, the song is made up of phrases that were used in an old blog Pete Wentz wrote years ago, and quotes by a guy called Wesley Eisold.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #69: Hot Hot Heat – Bandages

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Bandages, bandages, bandages. Bandages, bandages, bandageeuuus. Bandages, bandages have advantages too.

Hey everybody.

“Bandages” was the first song I heard by Hot Hot Heat when I was nine or ten. It was around that time that I would get ot of bed at 6 o’clock in the morning, turn on the TV and start watching MTV2.

I think the song was one that appeared the first time that I had actually watched MTV2, and then I started discovering more and more music as time went on, which was much better than any of the chart music at the time. And that was when chart music was bearable.

I think the chorus is what got me hooked right away. Steve Bays, the lead singer, sings in a very strange way but that chorus is a belter.

This song is also noted for its varied mondegreens, ranging from “Panda jizz” to “Ban the cheese” and “Blame the jews”, instead of “Bandages”. He clearly says “Bandages”, but for people who don’t know the song title, he could be singing any of those options.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

P.S. Breaking Bad is amazing. Why did I not start watching it earlier?

My iPod #68: George Harrison – Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)

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Another song from “All Things Must Pass”.

“Who is Sir Frankie Crisp?” You may ask.

Well, the video above is a black and white picture of George Harrison sitting in a huge garden with four, quite large, garden gnomes. This was the original artwork for his debut album in 1970, before it was colourated for its 2001 remaster release.

It turns out that garden is the main lawn of only one of the gardens at his home, Friar Park, which he bought in the winter of 1970. Friar Park was originally owned by Sir Crisp, and this song is a tribute to him and to the estate.

Did you know that the song contains part of the melody of an original song of his called “Everybody, Nobody”. That song was about motoring and travelling on the road, but Harrison rewrote the words to make “Let It Roll”.

This song is one of my favourites. It’s very descriptive. It’s almost like reading a movie script: ‘Let it roll across the floor/Through the hall and out the door/To the fountain of perpetual mirth/Let it roll for all it’s worth …’

This song is quite a whiplash in mood on the album; after listening to “Apple Scruffs” which is one of the happiest songs on there, this song comes up with quite a dark tone to it. The reverb on the snare drum and the repeats of “Oh, Sir Frankie Crisp” in the background reinforce the mysterious atmosphere. It’s not sad though, in fact he throws in a reference to a Monty Python in the midst of it.

Listen to it. You might like it too.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.