Tag Archives: my ipod

My iPod #477: The Darkness – Growing on Me

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A song from Permission to Land and released as the album’s second single in 2003, “Growing on Me” contrary to popular belief is not in any way about genital warts or other sexual infections. It is more about the feeling one gets when coming across an attractive person that you can never truly understand, but you love them that much that after a while it doesn’t matter anymore. That is what Justin Hawkins said in an old interview, anyway.

And so in the track the lead singer with his trademark falsetto and high-pitched wails describes his pains and yearning for this person that he just can’t shake from his mind with a soundscape of dominant guitars and a steady rhythm section, as is the standard for any hard rock group.

I saw the video for this on the TV months after I first heard it on my physical copy of the album. It is a very low-budget production. But honestly at the age of nine or so, that didn’t matter at all. At that point the song had already become one of my favourites from Permission to Land, and to see its hilariously sub-par video didn’t put a dent in my feeling towards it. Sounds great today just as it did then.

My iPod #476: Pavement – Grounded

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“Grounded” is a Pavement song that can be found on the band’s third album Wowee Zowee, released in 1995. The album is loved many a fan of the band due to its complete randomness ranging from structured, melodic and accessible tracks such as this one to the bizarre, humourous, on the spot takes like “Brinx Job” for example. There are many reasons why it’s considered to be the band’s “White Album”.

“Grounded” is track five on Wowee Zowee after the silliness in “Brinx Job”, and after a slow count-in by Stephen Malkmus comes a beautiful twinkling guitar riff that makes use of only three notes but combined with Mark Ibold’s simple descending bass line (which interestingly doesn’t change one bit during the whole song) and Steve West’s drums makes for the most comforting and mellow musical moments on the whole album.

One thing that Stephen Malkmus tends to do is sing the same melody as a guitar pattern that repeats during a section of a song. Listen to “Unfair” or “Rattled by the Rush“. Well, there’s another instance of this occasion. This time during the verses where he sings in unison with the Drop-D tuned guitar. These then increase in intensity climaxing in the track’s climactic instrumental refrain, which slowly climbs up and up before falling face-first with an emphatic crash. These are all repeated once more, and the opening riff arrives again – this time faster and accompanied by the rest of the band – to close the song out for the last minute.

Love this song. One of their best. And one about doctors too if that does anything for you. An underrated indie anthem.

My iPod #475: Green Day – Green Day

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An old old old Green Day song today. “Green Day” is a track from the band’s first album 39 Smooth released in 1990 when they weren’t signed to a major label and didn’t have Tré Cool as their drummer. Weird to think, huh? But it’s very true.

You may think it a bit strange to have a song with the same name as the band itself. I know I did for a long time. But it was after realisation that the track was probably written whilst the band weren’t known as “Green Day” but by the name of “Sweet Children” initially. It’s known that the group changed their name to the former just because it sounded better – which I’m sure we can all agree on – and the context behind it is pretty funny too. When you smoke weed, it’s a green day.

And so, that is what this song is about. Smoking weed. Seeing strange things whilst under the influence. All set to an unpolished production of punk rock. Niiiice.

My iPod #474: Weezer – The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)

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“The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” is one of the most confusing Weezer tracks to exist. It can also be considered to be their most epic, depending on your taste. Lyrically, the song finds Rivers Cuomo at the height of hubris. In every line he is adamant on telling you he’s the best, no one can tell him he’s not the best, he will show that he is the best if you don’t believe him, he’ll mess with you if you get in his way leading into the final verse in which he defiantly declares that he is the song’s title, and it is his destiny to give to the world.

The other thing about this song is, for every verse that is delivered the band sing in a different style ranging from rap, to Slipknot, to Beethoven and Bach. Quite the mindfuck. Though it does make for an adventurous and unpredictable six minutes of your life. On listening to it years ago, I still have the thought that what happens in this just shouldn’t work. I shouldn’t like this at all. But it does. And I do. It is weird.

So either Rivers had just cracked during the writing of this, or it is the sign that the man is some sort of crazy genius.

My iPod #473: Happyness – Great Minds Think Alike, All Brains Taste the Same

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No post yesterday. Got back home from university. Was very tired as a result. Nice to be back though. Let’s carry on.

Happyness are an indie rock trio from South London who I first heard about through NME. Basically what you see upon clicking on that link is a very nice description of the band and the page where I listened to “Great Minds” for the first time. For some reason, I remember immediately dismissing it. Reading what bands NME considered Happyness to sound like made me think the band was trying too hard. Thought the title was a bit much too. What the fuck. That was shallow of me. Very poor.

Instead, I actually listened to the track and found out that it is actually a very enjoyable listen. It is a perfect blend of deadpan but relatable lyrics with sweet, sweet melodies and chill vibes that make for some easy listening. All executed under two minutes too. Somewhere I read the track ties with the album’s apparent concept of a person born on the same day as Jesus Christ….. You can look that up of you want, I’m just okay with listening to the music if that’s alright.

Happyness are still under the radar a bit; if you like what you hear here, check out their album released last year.*

*This link is dead. 😐