The video for ‘Let’s Get Sandy’ by be your own PET appeared on MTV2 one day when I was eleven. Before I had enough time to digest what was going on, the song was suddenly over. This track is only 58 seconds long which blew my mind at the time. I didn’t think you were even able to have songs that last for that short amount of time. But alas, there it was. And it turned out to be a single as well. That music video may have been shown once or twice afterwards, at least that the amount of times I saw it again, and then it disappeared from rotation. It is above though, and sees the band members and random people in strange costumes playing a game of hide and seek in the woods.
‘Sandy’ is a ball of energy. Quite the cliché thing to say but if there was a song that saying applies to, it’s this one. 264 beats per minutes is what I’ve gathered from my calculation. That’s fast stuff. And something to look out for is drummer Jamin Orall’s performance on the kit; he’s thrashing away on the cymbals and snare like his life depends on it. It’s not told what the ‘big problem’ as listed in the title is, but singer Jemina Pearl tells us that she didn’t want to make ‘it’ one. And then afterwards goes on about not being let into the ‘news, film, and park’ and breaking a twelve year old’s arms in two places. It’s a bunch of nonsense really, but I still like it to this day.
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.
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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.
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.
The first song I heard by be your own PET was ‘Damn Damn Leash’, but that’s for a blog much later in time. But it was ‘Adventure’ that actually managed to get into the UK charts at a place of #36. That’s pretty sick. Barely anything credible would be able to get a spot like that nowadays.
be your own PET was the newest band around. Yeah Yeah Yeahs comparisons were slippin’ n’ slidin’ all over the media. And why not? They both have female lead singers, and they make rockin’ music.
‘Adventure’ was the first single of the band’s debut album, which was very well received by critics. The album itself is not one filled with solos, or intricate guitar playing, (you wouldn’t really expect that from a punk/indie band), but it is definitely one that should be blasted at full volume out of your speakers. Or at least into your ears. All of the songs are able to fit into that category. Screw your neighbours. Just do it.
The video for Adventure is quite weird. That’s what I thought of it when I saw it for the first time. But that is when I decided that Jemina Pearl was fit. So all in all it was fine.
be your own PET split up in 2008 after two albums 😦
But I will remember the band for the good songs that those albums provided, especially in 2006.
The Music in My Ears 