Tag Archives: nine black alps

My iPod #210: Nine Black Alps – Cosmopolitan

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“Cosmopolitan” is the second track from Nine Black Alps’ first album “Everything Is”. It was one of the first tracks to be recorded for it too. It was the first single by the band, and was released a year earlier in 2004.

Now I had known of Nine Black Alps when their videos for “Unsatisfied” and “Just Friends” started appearing on MTV2. I never really gave “Unsatisfied” a chance because every time the video started and Sam Forrest had such a glum look on his face, I was never sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for what would come next. “Just Friends”, I liked but it was a little too short. YouTube didn’t exist and I wanted to hear more of their material. How could I? When would the next opportunity arrive when I would another one of their tunes?

Christmas 2005 when I got FIFA 06, that’s when. “Cosmopolitan” was one of the tracks that EA had selected to be in their yearly football release. Something that’s quite strange looking at the tracks they have for FIFA 14. They would never choose something as hard-hitting as this again.

I love FIFA. Been getting it since 2002. So if an artist’s song is in there, if it is good, I will be able to decipher the lyrics and sing along to it all the time. “Cosmopolitan” was no exception.

With a lone guitar playing the riff for the first few seconds, the track then explodes into life. Brilliant guitar playing in the left and right channels while Sam Forrest really sings from the stomach – it’s almost like melodic shouting. It’s cool.

It’s very dark. But that’s no surprise. I say ‘dark’ all the time when I talk about this band but I can’t help it. They write dark stuff. “Everything Is”, lyrically, is especially dark. That album’s great.

P.S. Um… hello Hatch Records. If you see this, thank you for following me on Twitter. If you like this post could you comment below…. or favourite my tweet. It’s really awesome to know that one of my most liked band’s label has noticed me.

My iPod #200: Nine Black Alps – Coldhearted

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Merry Christmas! I hope you are all having a wonderful day.

It did not feel like Christmas was coming for the past few days. There has been terrible weather over in the UK, along with no snow (but we are used to that anyway). Christmas television hasn’t been so great, surprisingly. Except for a few Pixar films.

But now I’m with my family and I have opened my presents and stuffed myself with food. I can definitely say Christmas is here.

After that sentimental start I can now talk about today’s special song to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. “Coldhearted” by Nine Black Alps!

Yeah, that was dumb. It has nothing to do with Christmas or Jesus.

No official studio version of this track exists. It has only been released on the EP the band released after their debut “Everything Is“, and it was recorded live at a performance the band did in France. That explains the “Merci beaucoup” that is said when the band finish and the audience claps with appreciation.

There is a demo of “Coldhearted” that is available on Nine Black Alps’ website, which may mean that it was in contention to be a track on their first album. I can only assume this did not happen because they could not get a good take that was good enough. But don’t believe me on this, it is just a theory.

This is a great performance of a track which is one of the lighter songs that the band has ever done. No mentioning of weapons, or bodily harm. Just a simple rock song about nothing important in particular.

My iPod #198: Nine Black Alps – Cold Star

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Skip to 10:07 of the video. It’s the whole album if you want to hear it! But 10:07 is when the song starts.*

So I was out yesterday. Went to my friend’s house to play a bit of FIFA and watch the Arsenal match (which was terrible). I was out for almost half the day, and so could not do my post.

But here is the first one coming today! I have plenty of Nine Black Alps songs on my iPod, and I could talk endlessly about all of them. This one I’m not so sure about. I’m only kidding! Let’s go.

“Cold Star” is another track from Nine Black Alps third album “Locked Out from the Inside” which was released in 2009. I’ve made it clear on two occasions before that it was a return back to form after the somewhat disappointing “Love/Hate”, and “Cold Star” only made things so much better when I was listening to the full thing for the first time on the Internet.

Instrumentally, it’s another three minute shock of loud and relentless, crunchy guitars and a stomping rhythm section. This and violent, depressing imagery such as ‘tired faces’, ‘bleeding’ and’ ‘amputation scars’ altogether combine to make a song about hopelessness which is over before you even realise. All of this is done with a Beatles reference in the chorus too. Unbelievable.

A bit unrelated… but good news is that they have a new song out! “Novokaine”. Hopefully, a sign of a new album to come.

*11/06/2020: I changed the video so it’s just the song.

My iPod #152: Nine Black Alps – Buy Nothing

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I leave for university tomorrow, and I can’t wait. So many opportunities waiting for me…. But wait.

Where does this leave “The iPod Times”? Is this finished will I ever get back to this. You’ll have to wait for the last song of the ‘B’ series. Which is also tomorrow. I really don’t know what I’ll do.

——-

“Buy Nothing” was released as a free download from the band’s website, and was the first taste of new material in two years after their second album “Love/Hate”.

I wasn’t a huge fan of that album. The band had completely dumped their post-grunge/hard rock approach they had on “Everything Is” and replaced it with – what I think was supposed to be a more radio friendly sound – which just didn’t work for me. It’s an okay album, but that’s really it.

“Buy Nothing” was the sign that everything had gone back to normal. It has a hell of a riff which drives the song along as lead singer San Forrest tells us to forget about the government, advertising and consumerism are meaningless. BUY NOTHING.

That’s all there is to the song.  It’s one of the heavier songs on “Locked Out from the Inside”, it’s one of my favourite songs by the band too.

Jamie.

(Sorry for the late post. I’m packing, you see.)

My iPod #87: Nine Black Alps – Behind Your Eyes

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Hmmm….. so Nine Black Alps. I briefly touched upon them on a previous post – one that was quite rushed, seeing as I had forgotten to do a post on it in the ‘A’ series.

I always go on about my favourite bands on here. There’s They Might Be Giants, and Billy Talent too. Well, Nine Black Alps are another. Let me tell you why.

Why, I must have been ten years old or something when I first saw their video for “Unsatisfied” on MTV2. I always changed the channel when it came on, because the introduction sounded so depressing….. and the lead singer never smiled or anything. He just looked bored all the time. I didn’t wanna watch that. They then released “Just Friends” as a single, and that was a song I didn’t care for much either. For me, it was a much better song but it’s 2 and a bit minutes long, and it goes by quickly. Nope. Nine Black Alps weren’t the band for me

That was until the advert for their album “Everything Is” started airing on the television. It showed a few seconds of the two music videos for the songs I already mentioned. But it was the one for “Not Everyone” which really caught my attention. That’s for another blog. Then their songs started showing up on every EA Sports releases. First, “Cosmopolitan” was part of the EA Trax in FIFA 06, and then another of their songs, “Shot Down” appeared on Burnout Revenge.

Long story short, I got the album as a present for my eleventh birthday. It’s one of my favourites. “Behind Your Eyes” is a song from there.

“Behind Your Eyes” is one of the two acoustic songs on “Everything Is”. It comes after five songs full to the brim with hard-hitting riffs, loud guitars and various lyrics about dying, obtaining weapons and other morbid subjects. The album as a whole has quite a war-like concept to it. I’m not sure whether it’s a concept album or not. It could be.

Anyway, “Behind Your Eyes” introduces a sense of hope. A light, not quite at the end of the tunnel, but one  that shines for a few minutes until it flickers out. But you still manage to find a way through the darkness. That is until the light goes and then everything is dark again. I say that because as soon as “Behind Your Eyes” finishes, it’s back to the guitars and dark lyrics.

Yeah, it’s a pretty song amongst the madness.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.