Tag Archives: my

My iPod #273: They Might Be Giants – Dig My Grave

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This video is weird (bear in mind it isn’t the official one), but it’s the music we’re here for.

Opening They Might Be Giants’ fourth album “Apollo 18” is “Dig My Grave”, another typical rocker by John Flansburgh that lasts only for a minute and few seconds. Only They will know why it took four albums for Flansburgh to get an opening track, the first two were penned by Linnell and the previous one didn’t feature the Johns at all. This was Flansburgh’s time to shine. That time was used well. Even if it was very quick.

There is not a lot to say just because it is so short. Not even its page on the band’s dedicated fan Wikipedia site states a vast amount of information. Nevertheless, it is the perfect way to get things started. It’s a track that one doesn’t have to think about. The lyrics are from the perspective of a person who wants their grave to be dug when they see someone and when that same someone calls the person’s name. Whether it’s because the person hates that someone so much that they would rather die than be in contact with them or they’re simply too shy is the real question I have about ‘the meaning of the lyrics’. But I’m not so deep about that stuff.

I just like the song’s simplicity. The four chords accompanied with Flansburgh’s double tracked vocals and shrieks of the song title, the messed up ‘guitar solo’ which consists of the high guitar strings being plucked at a fast rate way up the fretboard and especially the last few seconds when the song speeds up and the cello and violin rise in volume before the song comes to a stop. Just a short and sweet way to start it all off.

I hold “Apollo 18” with very high regards; I feel as if it is a TMBG album that doesn’t get much love as it should do….. I love you “Apollo 18”. I think you’re better than “Flood”. I am not ashamed.

My iPod #269: Billy Talent – Devil on My Shoulder

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So yesterday I wrote about another Billy Talent track. One that starts off another of their albums. This one is about another devil but instead of it being in a midnight mass, it is now on a shoulder. The song’s narrator’s shoulder. It is the first song on Billy Talent’s third/fourth album, and was released as its second single.

This was the one that really got me pumped up for the release of “Billy Talent III”. “Turn Your Back” was the first new song that showed that the group had a new album in the works when a live performance of it at the Hurricane Festival in 2008 was uploaded onto YouTube. That was all well and good, but it would be almost a year until anticipation for the upcoming album really started rolling. “Rusted from the Rain” was released as the first official single, which I thought was okay upon first listen. It grew on me over time, but there wasn’t anything particularly striking about it initially.

Then….. this happened. A trailer previewing another new song from the album. A sneaky bassline joined by Ben growling the title of the song, then followed by an assault from the guitar and drums. This was what I wanted to hear. It sounded so cool. That was “Devil on My Shoulder”.

It probably should have been released as the first single. I wouldn’t have had the same amount of doubts about the album if it had been. The song itself is from the perspective of someone who has very bad luck, feeling nothing but self-loathing and self-pity. In terms of its sound, it was very different to anything else that Billy Talent had released. Brendan O’Brien – who has produced albums for artists such as Rage Against the Machine, The Offspring and Pearl Jam – brings a real studio atmosphere into the album, something that was not so obvious on the albums prior to it. This was a proper hard rock song. This was no longer a band who needed to scream, or were as angry as they used to be in previous songs. Billy Talent had…. matured (eerrrr).

It had to happen one day. But “Devil on My Shoulder” was the sign that showed me that the fire was still roared in the belly of Billy Talent.

My iPod #227: The Who – Cut My Hair

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“Cut My Hair” is the fourth track on The Who’s sixth album and second ‘rock opera’ “Quadrophenia”. It is sung by the main songwriter and guitarist Pete Townshend with lead vocalist Roger Daltrey providing melodies in the chorus.

“Quadrophenia” got me through some lonely times. Hearing it in Summer 2010 and being bored due to staying in my house all the time made me take pointless walks around the local area. Sometimes I would go to the shops or go to my aunt’s house around the corner and just chill there until I felt like I wanted to get back home again.

Weather-wise, I distinctly remember that summer not being very great. Rain or slight overcast that turned into dark and gloomy clouds, and I would sing this song all the time when I went on my excursions. It got me through it.

Townshend decribed the song as: “A domestic interlude. The boy recalls a row with his folks that culminated in his leaving home. We also hear a news broadcast mentioning riots in Brighton between Mods and Rockers, events at which he was present the previous week.”

I can say I cannot relate to any of that, I like my family a lot. The latter relates to the concept/context of the album which I won’t go into. It’s too much.

But yeah, the song’s good. Have a listen. I’ll be back tomorrow. 

My iPod #192: Eminem – Cleanin’ Out My Closet

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“Cleanin’ Out My Closet” was the bitter, and brutally blunt second single from “The Eminem Show” after the humorous chart-topper “Without Me” in 2002.

Up until the album’s release Eminem’s previous albums contained lyrics alluding to his mother’s incompetence as a parent and his crappy childhood, but this track is the culmination – basically a direct verbal attack at her. Do not worry though, it’s all for justifiable reasons which he makes very clear in the song.

He has now apologised for the song, and has confirmed that he won’t perform it at shows and cringes when it comes on the radio.

Every rapper really loves their mum.

My iPod #159: The Offspring – (Can’t Get My) Head Around You

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There’s not much I can say about “Head Around You”. I remember trying to watch the video on Windows Media Player from the band’s official website circa 2004. It was in terrible quality, which made the multi-camera concept much worse.

It’s a short but sharp song – only two and a bit minutes long – but it always feels a lot longer when I listen to it. I don’t know what it is about it that makes me feel that way. It’s probably the riff, it virtually plays throughout the whole thing bar two times. It is a simple punk rock song, that’s what it is.

I do also like the wah-wah effect during the instrumental break, that gets a special mention.

The song was released as the second single from the band’s 2003 album “Splinter“.

Jamie.