Tag Archives: city

#884: The Wombats – My Circuitboard City

Leave a reply

In the spring of ’09, The Wombats released ‘My Circuitboard City’ as a standalone single. The track itself wouldn’t have been out of place on their debut album, which was their most recent one at the time. I assume that it was not included, A) Because they didn’t feel the same way as me, or B) The song just wasn’t fully completed at the time. It’s about going out in the town, making a fool of yourself and feeling like a loser afterwards. Something I’m sure everyone can relate to. I’ve definitely had those moments. I think it’s fair to say that its relatability plays a part in why I like it. But when I was 14 and hadn’t gone through those experiences yet, the music and melody covered the majority.

It wouldn’t have fit on that first album just because of the topic it covers. There are a lot of musical traits common throughout that record that pop up on here too. Catchy refrains that are repeated endlessly, ‘doo-doo’ melodies and vocal harmonies, that youthful tone to Matthew Murphy’s vocals. All the works. But because it wasn’t included on any album, and I don’t think the Wombats have a ‘greatest hits’ compilation or anything like that, it’s probably a tune that a lot of people either don’t know about, or thought they had a dream that it existed and went on to forget about it. But hopefully this post works as a reminder that this song is out there, and has been around for 12 years now. Whoever may be reading this, go out there and spread the word.

And with that, I’ve now covered every Wombats song that I personally enjoy in this long, long series. For now at least. Another one could arrive way in the future. Though I must admit, I like that first album a lot and didn’t follow them that much from their second onwards. But tell me if I’m missing out on anything. If you’re a Wombats person, revisit those tracks I’ve written about by clicking on these individual words. Thanks again for your time.

My iPod #420: Nine Black Alps – Ghost in the City

Leave a reply

“Ghost in the City” closes out Nine Black Alps’ third album “Locked Out from the Inside“; after ten tracks of murky guitars and brutal rhythms, “Ghost” arrives as the slow comedown to bring it all to an end.

Maybe one of the softest Nine Black Alps songs with Sam Forrest’s vulnerable and gentle vocals, “Ghost in the City” also creates an eerie and barren atmosphere helped along by a siren-like wailing that appears at various points throughout and its overall production in that it sounds very natural. For instance, in parts where the guitars stop playing or just by listening to the song’s depressing guitar lick, every sound you hear echoes and reverberates around your headphones. It feels like everything’s moving in slow motion, though you’re right there in the studio with the band while they play the song to you.

Just short of five minutes, “Ghost in the City” carries on the themes of alienation and isolation that are noted to within the album though rather than using those themes to make another headbanger, “Ghost” brings to the forefront how miserable and frustrating feeling alone can be.

My iPod #226: The Fratellis – Cuntry Boys & City Girls

Leave a reply

And that’s not me being vulgar. That is the title of the track.

You’ve gotta love a bit of wordplay. The boys are from the country, but are also obsessed about the the female sex organ, you see.

What it’s all about is basically all in the title name. Girls from the city goes to the country, boys see them and are attracted, girls find themselves ‘strangely’ attracted to them…. good times occur.

I honestly can’t sing along to this because the lyrics aren’t embedded in my head, even though I’ve had “Costello Music” for yeeeears so I have to come to the conclusion that I put it on my iPod because it sounded really good.

Americans probably don’t know the song because it was removed from the US version of the album, probably to censor the rude word within the song title, so here it is! After seven years of it being released I am very sure that you’ve heard it anyway.

My iPod #191: The Clash – Clash City Rockers

Leave a reply
 

British punk rock at its very finest. Not much should have to be said about The Clash. I will assume you already know what it is, who the members are/were, the importance of their music. If you don’t I can’t elaborate enough on how much you are missing.

“Clash City Rockers” is… obviously a track by The Clash. It came out as a single in 1978, but was not originally released on an album. The United States sorted that out by putting it as the opening track on the country’s version of the band’s debut album.

The first and numerous following times I heard it was when it played randomly whilst I was playing the DS version of “Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground”. That’s a good game. Very addictive. Got that for my 13th birthday. The DS version actually got better ratings then the previous gen consoles so don’t judge me.

I always think of the track as the band’s ‘theme tune’. Even though they grew out of the ‘simple’ punk and went on to explore further sounds and influences, it just captures the whole essence of what the band is.

My iPod #190: Arcade Fire – City with No Children

1 Reply


“City with No Children” came at a point in my life where I had no idea what my future held in store for me. I’ll tell you more, I just have to state the basic information first.

Ahem… The song is on Arcade Fire’s third album “The Suburbs” from 2010, and was released as a single too.

So as I was saying earlier, “City” came at a time when I was… quite depressed actually. I hadn’t done so well in my AS levels but did well enough to get back into the second year of sixth form. Every day I went into school wanting to be somewhere else. It was not fun anymore. My friends were the only thing that made the sixth and three quarter hours bearable. I was always thinking towards the future because of uni and everything else. Times were bad.

I’d known the song was on “The Suburbs” and I downloaded the album right when it came out three years ago, but it was in September last year when I decided to listen to the album the whole way through again. The track was the one that caught me on that second listen, just because it was so calming and relaxing. It took me away from everything, you know? You know.

To a lesser extent, the song felt great as the seasons changed from autumn to winter. It seemed to fit the atmosphere perfectly.