Tag Archives: my ipod

My iPod #555: Bloc Party – Hunting for Witches

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Kele Okereke was interested in the media reaction to the 9/11 and London 7/7 terrorist attacks. The lead singer of Bloc Party felt that the media had earned their trade through scaremongering and using fear to control people. His observations aided him to create “Hunting for Witches”, the second track on the band’s sophomore effort A Weekend in the City, released in 2007.

The violent ringing at the end of “Song for Clay (Disappear Here)” fades right into “Hunting for Witches”, but it is almost a minute into the latter that you hear Kele’s voice. The introduction starts with chopped-up radio samples that scatter around your ears before being overlapped by a panning alien-spaceship sounding guitar riff, the drums of Matt Tong, and finally the song’s spindly guitar riff delivered by Russell Lissack with dagger-sharp execution. The track reminds me a bit of “Helicopter” due to the interplay of guitars, particularly during the instrumental break before the final chorus, and the busy rhythm section, but with more of a processed sound and a fuller vocal performance from Okereke.

Released as the album’s third single, the song received a music video which features the band performing the track in a dark room. There it is above all of this. It probably would have been the last single too, had it not been for “Flux” which arrived a few months later.

My iPod #554: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Hump de Bump

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“Hump de Bump” was the fifth and final single from Red Hot Chili Peppers’ double album, Stadium Arcadium. Released in Spring 2007 the song was accompanied by a video directed by Chris Rock, depicting Anthony, John, Chad and Flea at a block party on the Everybody Hates Chris set. The video was played a lot; the song stayed in my head. Though it is a mystery as to what Anthony Kiedis is singing about. He has this thing where he can make up random phrases or take these abstract ideas and make them fit with the music. ‘Hump de Bump’ is a prime example. I think it is safe to assume that it is about sex somehow. Most songs by RHCP are.

The track is funky, I give it that. The verses are carried by the alternation of abrupt bass chords and picky guitar lines which eventually come together during the choruses. There’s a particular part during those where Flea and John play the same melody in unison that makes for smooth listening. Flea also plays the trumpet during the last few choruses and the track also features a ‘tribal’ instrumental break using percussion with a sound similar to that of the trash can lids and scrap metal in “Breaking the Girl“.

Though it isn’t one of the best Chili Pepper singles, it is still a good track. The video makes it a better listen. Where else will you see Anthony Kiedis wearing ‘grillz’? Won’t happen ever again.

My iPod #553: Michael Jackson – Human Nature

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What a blunder. This wasn’t meant to be published yesterday. A complete error on my part. To those of you who saw two posts up and were expecting two good reads, I’m sorry I could only provide you with one. Though in the end, you did get a sneak peek of what was coming.

“Human Nature” was released as the fifth single from his Thriller album. It is one of the four songs that were not written by Jackson himself, having initially been a rough demo by Steve Porcaro of Toto given to producer Quincy Jones in hopes of being included on the album. Jones loved the music, the original lyrics not so much. And so lyricist John Bettis was asked to write some new ones. “Human Nature” was finished in its entirety in a matter of two days, and was the last song to be included to Thriller‘s track-list.

The song is, what can be described as, an ode to New York City – the city that never sleeps – an its enticing scenery and vibrant atmosphere during the nighttime. Jackson sings of abandoning the four walls of his room to take full advantage of what the city has to offer from the ‘electric eyes’ of streetlights to the beautiful ladies he can’t help but stare at. The morning after sees him back in his room, looking out to the city with the urge to do it all over again later.

Upon Jackson’s untimely death in 2009 his music videos were played non-stop on almost every music channel. Of course it was a sad time, but I had seen/heard all of those songs before. I had not with “Human Nature”, and it was when it played on the radio a few weeks after that I could comprehend that he was gone. Was such a sad time and he continues to be missed.

My iPod #552: The Killers – Human

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After deciding to enter Bruce Springsteen-ish arena rock territory on Sam’s Town, the band decided to more or less go further down that road on their third album Day & Age, but took out the guitars, implemented a lot more synthesizers and gave every song a ‘boom bap’ beat to which someone somewhere would be able to dance to. “Human” was released as the album’s first single and proceeded to become one of the band’s most popular tracks.

Brandon Flowers wants to know if we are human or dancer. Six and a bit years later, the lyric still confuses many. Though really it is a question simply asking whether we hold more significance to what meets the eye. Brandon wants the answers, so much so that he is on his knees, but knows that it will be a long time before he gets a result. As mentioned earlier, the song mainly uses synthesizers and keyboards to create a soaring sonic landscape on top of a clicky, palm-muted guitar lick that continuously fades in and out of the mix as time goes on. My personal favourite section of the track is the “Pay my respects to grace and virtue” verse, in which a lone synthesizer plays to the right along the driving bass and drums by Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci. Something about that specific part is just perfect to me.

My iPod #551: Carpark North – Human

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Carpark North is an alternative/electronic rock band from Denmark comprising of members Lau Højen, Søren Balsner, and Morten Thorhauge. Six years after their initial formation in 1999 came the second album All Things to All People, on which “Human” can be found as the second track. “Human” was a hit in Denmark and became the band’s first top ten single. It was to gain wider recognition when it was on the soundtrack of FIFA 08. That’s where I heard it the first and many more times as I continually played the game whenever I got the chance.

Like the other FIFAs that came before it, 08 had its share of highlights that I would always sing along to when playing Manager Mode and duds that I would skip and eventually disable them from playing because they weren’t any good. “Human”, clearly, was one of those highlights for me. A break up song of some kind, it depicts a narrator annoyed with this self-centred and arrogant being who cannot admit when they are in the wrong. It’s all there in the lyrics. With a hard-hitting beat that mimics that of “My Sharona” by The Knack and a melody that has something ever so sly about it, “Human” is a good listen. I will probably never listen to the rest of the band’s discography though; it will always only be a FIFA song to me.

Being a game that’s rated PEGI 3+, EA censored the part where the phrase ‘damn right’ is sung in the chorus. Can’t have the kids cursing so badly.