John Vanderslice - Radiant with Terror
I've heard this man's name somewhere before. I love the build here, the hypnotic sway of "back and forth back and forth" lends to a greater swelling, punctuated by the slightly distorted acoustic twang and those...glockenspiels? That takes courage, to use glockenspiels. Great sense of rhythm to grow, it's understated but very very grand. Nice chords, I guess. Why double-track those lyrics, really? Still, to get so much flow and build out of such a simple, radiant (ha) intro is quite the feat. Percussive weirdness is sorta strange, not as effective as he'd like it to be. Still, this song soars really really far. Wow, he's tight, those quickstops are nice. I'm glad it's as short as it is; he knows that you can't drag that on too long. The brightest star must flash for the shortest time, right? Unless you're a quasar or something. But this is wonderful! Great, hypnotic build, quite a lot of variation on a simple theme.
Mando Diao - The Wildfire (if it were true)
To be honest, Mando Diao is awesome and wonderful when I manage to not listen closely to it. I love his grooves death, and this song is no exception. The synth part, stretching past everything, really rounds out the song. But the acoustics and drums make a fine set of percussion. I wish the rhythm electric did more then arpeggiate chords; it's those kinds of things that could give his songs the variety and inspiration which I'm looking for in him. Really nice bass notes in the pre-chorus part. The chorus soars really well, and from a non-analytical perspective this is fantastic. But it's not fulfilling, sorta like a chocolate cake with crusty frosting. The drums could be fit better into this particular groove, it doesn't flow as smoothly as some of his other things. More onbeats, more melody, etc. Great pop writer, just enough for me forgive the saxophones on the chorus (hehehe). Basslines are really inventive, that's a plus, but not appropriate in many parts.
Manic Street Preachers - Be Natural
Accordion unfolding of a strange jazzy chord, then switching into that guitar progression...I use that one one a lot, I to iv, it creates a sense of sighing and opening. The drum use is sorta typical late-80s use, but they're pretty inventive I guess. Very subtle use of synth. Wow...once things get going, the drums are a huge asset. Occasional subtle doubling of the guitar melody, which is in itself wonderful. Great bass/drum work on the verse part, I like the swirling lyrics especially because they contrast with the guitar line really effective. Is that an accordion? It's a strange but wonderful addition. Nice guitar arpeggiations on the second verse, used in a really growth/melody method. Drums compliment everything perfectly. Woah, beat driven breakdown is surprising and well-executed...this is like the typical epic rock without all the crap about it. It feels more sincere, even a bit smaller. Guitar/vocal/rhythm guitar interplay for this song will be the thing I take away; it's able to soar only because there's such an unfolding and shrouding of a melodic line. It's not really my style, as it sort of borders on classic rock stylings (clearly influenced by the more modern stuff), but I like it a lot for what it is. They just toss in this wonderful bits of brilliance. They know how to vary dynamics too, which is good, hehe.
Mew - Snow Brigade
Oh, sweet, a chance to get into these guys more like you asked . Sonic rumblings and unstated sorts of things going on. There's an interplay in this noise which I like, is all their music so abstract. Those are chords. What's coming ne- OH. Violins and then these guitar lines again INCORPORATING those noise bits. Holy shit, that is fantastic drum work, making a perfect groove. The guitars don't need to overstate anything. They round it out really nicely on the prechorus. They make some strange choices for chords, and it's a bit harsh when that monster groove comes back in, which even the floaty lyrics and the echoey pizzicato can't fix. There's a...self-indulgent sort of melancholy in the lyrics, but whatever. Wow. That's fantastic breakdown, great guitar work and intervals, perfect use of drums to contrast while the guitar does its lyric weirdness. Good hits on that synth, nice swelling noise. They have the best sensibility about noise and what the ear hears that I've heard in a while. I wish they rounded out the vocals a bit, but that's just me. They're good! Am I correct in hearing the Norwegian / northwestern european influence? This song goes on a bit long, and it can't wholly fit together for me. But it's a great tune, great tune. Ahhh, fadeouts. Classic.
Mission of Burma - This is not a Photograph
My dad got me into these guys, they're wonderful. Great basswork, especially with the drums. Great guitar groove, but the groove of the whole feels a bit halting until we get farther in. Wow, great use of noise to keep things going. Very good punk work here. This is not a photograph, etc. Like a lot of punk, all I have to say is that I like it and it's fun and exciting, and in this case pretty artful.
American Music Club - Myopic Books
I love the atmopsheric quality. Very plaintive lyrics, simple acoustic works, quietly glowing, evoking. Like the piano atompshere to...hell, this sorta borders on ambient, or at least has roots there. I love the Dino Jr. reference, but as funny as it is, the guy manages to be almost dull, but not quite. Anyway, nice out there piano intervals. The hand drums fit in really nicely, because hey, we're just walking around this street praying and thinking. But it's ok, I'll find a bookstore. The chords on the acoustic are really nice, getting all the right intervals. There's no chance music going here, just a sort of pure musing, arcing up. Maybe the worst is over...these guys remind me of Bell Orchestre somewhat. Like the breakdown, like a point where you stand still and don't look at anything while your thoughts go everywhere. What is the nature of happiness, is the point, I guess. Flashes on, flashes off, like being visited. I really like this, my girlfriend would really dig this.
Atmosphere - Panic Attack I think I heard some asshole on /mu/ saying good things about this or something, plus a good friend recommended it. I like the groove alright, it's a bit weak in parts. But it's building and getting momentum. Wow, I like his rhymes and sonorities. He knows how to vary things, make syllables shorter to create a tension, all while the guitar held note soars over. He pays a lot of attention to what he's doing. His chorus looses some power for me, because I don't really like the beat as much as other grooves. Drums aren't meant to be that subtle and offbeating in this kind of pattern. Love the noise flying through things. He's making a real statment, trying to make things real. Yeah! He's good. Nice changes under the samples. Um, yeah. Cool.
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