Welcome back to the Circle of Friendz, my never-ending joy ride across music history to talk about the many, many groups with ties to everyone's favorite cartoon band, Gorillaz. I realize that this project is one that's for the long-term. I mean, I'm only 8 albums deep into a 79-album experiment! Think of all the hundreds of hours of music that is! That's why I have always considered this project as, above all things, a journey. At least, that makes the idea of listening to all these albums and talking about them seem like a much more interesting prospect. In any great journey, the adventurer gets to see lots of different sights, each as distinct as the last, traveling what seems like a never-ending road. Here, I think that my experiences with this project are fitting to the idea of a great journey. It's been a great surprise to see just how diverse each album I've listened to so far has become. I mean, I've hopped from Welsh indie rock to ska to jazz, never content to settle for too long on one thing (Does that remind us of anyone?) I think this album is the first one I've reviewed so far that feels like a journey of its very own.
Who is this? The Syrian National Orchestra
What did they do for Gorillaz? Performed on White Flag for Plastic Beach (that will be brought up later.)
When was this performed? June 25, 2016
Where was this performed? The Southbank Centre in London
Why is this so good? Before I talk about the Syrian National Orchestra, I should probably talk about the man behind the animated mask, Damon Albarn. Damon Albarn is a man of collaboration and experimentation. For years, he's showed up not just on other's projects but also had many, many artists come home onto his home turf with his own records. While he mostly kept to his own band Blur during the 90's, occasionally reaching out to people like Phil Daniels for the landmark Parklife and playing keyboards for his girlfriend's band, Elastica, this changed heading into 1999. Damon had found interest in hip-hop and electronic music, the electronic influence seeping heavily into Blur's 13 as the Britpop sound Blur had eroded into the passage of time. While Blur got more experimental, Damon wanted to take that even further. It's because of these new influences and this new desire for a change in style that led Damon to make Gorillaz. While Blur leaned mostly into Britpop and alt-rock music, Gorillaz was much more than that. The constant genre-switching reflected Damon's new interests that he could never fully explore with Blur. One aspect of Gorillaz that also wasn't expanded on much was his focus on collaborations. Gorillaz was and still is a way for Damon and his wide array of friends to scrape off their egos and perform music without focusing as much on their own celebrity status. This was amplified by a project that released a year after the debut Gorillaz album, Mali Music.
Mali Music grew out of a trip to Mali in the early 2000's that fostered a love of Africa by Damon. This effort was a much more low-key affair than Gorillaz or Blur before it were. While new copies of the album have Damon's name on the wrapping, don't be mistaken for thinking that this would end up being a new effort from either of those bands. Damon only has vocals on two tracks on the entire album. Instead, he hands the reigns over to local Malian musicians for the vast majority of it while he acts more as an overseer. It was from this album that grew from it Africa Express. In 2006, after Demon Days had finished and The Good, the Bad and the Queen was finishing up, Damon Albarn alongside many other musicians began a project that would act as a meeting point between western music and African music. Several people who would wind up being involved with Africa Express also happened to work with Gorillaz at some point, from Kano to Faia Younan. The goal would be for African music to leave a greater mark on the worldwide musical landscape. Africa Express would a project that would go on and off over the years, and the album I'm covering today was one of their latest efforts, a spin-off of sorts it seems like.
On June 25, 2016 in London, a 50-piece orchestra of Syrian musicians had gathered at the Southbank Centre alongside a number of different guests, both Syrian and not. This had been the first time that the orchestra had been gathered together in the same place since the end of the Escape to Plastic Beach world tour from 2010. In that time, civil war had broken out in Syria. In the ongoing conflict, thousands had died and even more lost their places to live, fleeing all across the world in hopes of a place to stay. After that world tour, there was a chance that the group would never have seen each together, either from displacement or death. But on June 25, 2016, the odds were defied and the entire group that Damon Albarn (or Murdoc Niccals, whoever you want to believe) had called on to play on the third Gorillaz album had reunited in one spot for another show. In the opening speech that Damon gives at the start of the concert, I can hear the disbelief and amazement coming off of him that he was able to have this massive undertaking finally come to light. This show is a sight to behold. It's almost two hours of pure magic. I could feel this sense of warmth surround me when I was listening. Even my notes reflect this, or lack thereof for a few songs. Listening to some of these tracks, I just felt so caught up in the music to where I lost track of my surroundings! The show is primarily Middle Eastern orchestral and folk music with some western tracks thrown in the mix and given the amount of depth and wonder that only this show could provide. There are quite a few highlights throughout the show. As with other Africa Express performances, Damon takes a sideline to the array of musicians, but when he's there he absolutely shines. He pulls off a beautiful cover of Blackbird from The Beatles with Paul Weller. It's actually quite fitting that Blackbird was chosen for this event to be covered. Paul McCartney had given several reasons behind the tune's birth. The most common element of the stories involves taking a look at the civil rights movement of the late 60's. Having a song that could be about the black struggle could fit in well with the overall message of Africa Express. It's about being able to overcome any challenge and truly soar above the clouds, with this message being demonstrated through being able to make and play music as a group and overcome differences. Damon also comes in to play a special version of the Blur track Out of Time. Out of Time is my favorite Blur song, coming from my favorite Blur album, Think Tank. It's lyrics perfectly convey that sense of loneliness that comes from someone leaving and a lack of communication. The vocals are quite possibly even better than they were on the track as it's accompanied by the gorgeous orchestra that gives the song new life. I'll be talking more about the original song on another section of my blog sometime or another.
Moving on to the guest performers, there are lots here. Of particular note for Gorillaz fans is that Faia Younan and Eslam Jawaad show up here. I'll be covering both of them sometime later for Circle of Friendz. Faia has two wonderful songs here, Zayene el Marie and the folk song Ya mahla'l fus'ha. She's got a beautiful voice and stands as one of my favorite performers at this event. Speaking of standout performances, there's a very fun performance of the Gorillaz track White Flag here, swapping out Bashy and Kano's grimey verses and the synths for a more stripped-back instrumental relying purely on the strength of the orchestra. Plus Malikah drops some fucking fire, she's easily my favorite guest here. She's got enough energy for everyone there! But the best of the bunch was a track that isn't related to Gorillaz. That honor goes to Al Ajahleh. It's an 18 minute epic of an intermission, where what it lacks in vocals makes up for that in the incredible performances on display by the orchestra, Bassekou Kouyate and Seckou Keita. When the track started I thought it was just going to be a 2-minute interlude going into White Flag, as that was what happened with a portion of the track on the Gorillaz tour (OK so it does kinda tie into Gorillaz.) Then it became truly its own, as the track expanded farther and farther. Bassekou tears it up on his ngoni, which is this ancient West African string instrument that was used by storytellers every so often. I also really gotta give props to Seckou's kora playing, which adds a bit of unexpected funk to the song that I really loved. The track Bayat Samaei feels like a musical journey all its own with all the changes it makes in its run-time. It sounds like the score for a fantasy adventure movie and all its dramatic twists and turns.
If the goal of this concert was to get even one person to go home and try looking up some of the artists there, it worked for me at least. This was a pleasant reminder of just how powerful music can be, how it can tie together all of these distant people and cultures under one idea. It felt like, even if only for a moment, the world felt at peace as music filled the air. That's a pretty good feeling, don't you think? I give Africa Express Presents... a 9.5/10.
Showing posts with label gorillaz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gorillaz. Show all posts
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Albums I Adore (and Why You Should Too!): Gorillaz - Demon Days
Welcome to the third edition of a series where I talk about the albums I keep coming back to, ones I hold in high regard and are the best of the best. I can keep these records on repeat and never get tired of them. Last time, I had covered the latest Gorillaz album, The Now Now. This time we're stepping back into the animated band's universe for another go, this time for their sophmore outing (and magnum opus) Demon Days. It's certainly a grimmer affair compared to the summery Now Now or their debut album. Compared to the self-titled debut, everything also feels grander. It has more complex production, smoother animated music videos and boasting a larger guest list to match. The ideas and setting in place is also much grander than anything showrunner Damon Albarn had accomplished. Does the album crumble under this much more ambitious angle? Well look at the title of this post, that might tell you something. On to the track by track!
1. Intro - YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE HARMONIC REALM! I would love to see anyone propose a better way to start off an album. Seriously, I'm up for any and all challengers. This intro feels like a walk through a vicious hellscape. Just imagine that it's the middle of the night, and you're walking through a forest. This forest isn't like any you've seen before. The trees are all dead, the sky is grey and lifeless, and it's filled with demons crawling out of any corner. They are not quite on the attack but lurking patiently with their hateful eyes lusting for a chance to strike. It's perfect for setting the mood!
2. Last Living Souls - This album has just begun and already one of my favorite tracks from this band's entire discography shows up! The wind sample from the intro crossfades here very nicely as this track expands on the feeling of traversing upon a hellish land. I love it when the acoustic guitar kicks in towards the middle of the track and the piano works so well underlaying it before that amazing string section kicks in. It all feels just so natural and the production so layered as the strings continue on into a reprise of the hook. I am floored every time I listen to it, and I just stop doing whatever else I am doing when I'm listening to it just to take this track in. This is a song that encaptures you into the broken, jaded disaster of a world the album takes place in and promises to not let go. This paired with the instrumental intro is everything needed to prepare oneself for this experience, and it does this in such a captivating way.
3. Kids With Guns - One of the best basslines on the record is right here! Demon Days was a record made with the troubles of modern day society clearly in mind, as this tackles the violence seen in everyday life. The Columbine shooting was no doubt on Damon Albarn's mind as he wrote this tune of guns "turning us into monsters." Desire is a powerful thing, and it can turn even the cleanest of human minds into destructive beings, both for themselves and the people around them. This track drills into you by its chorus that desire can lead people down violent paths, even the youngest and most fragile among us. I love the huge explosion of a crescendo this song undertakes in the last minute too, but it will not be the last of its kind on the album.
4. O Green World - Can this be the theme song for that new Swamp Thing TV series that's coming out? But in all seriousness, this is Demon Days leaning on alt-rock, as the guitars twang along to 2D crooning about the polluted, deserted environment he finds himself within. It's another great piece that helps to truly flesh out the setting. This world is dirty, distorted, lacking of purpose as it screams to be cleaned up and brought back to a better place. I really dig the synths kicking it up a notch more and more as the song reaches its dramatic conclusion, changing up from noise to loneliness with only the lone bell playing.
5. Dirty Harry - In true Gorillaz fashion, it seems like it's time to bring in collaborators. While those last three tracks were 2D by his lonesome, with the exception of some backing vocals in the end of Kids With Guns, here in the album is where the collabs really come to the spotlight. This track is also one of the most explicit in its politics, with Bootie Brown's reference to George W. Bush's infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech. May 1, 2003 was when Bush made an announcement signaling what was supposed to be the end of the Iraq war. Little did the world know on that day that the war was far, far from over. Two years on from that speech, leaves Bootie Brown playing the role of a soldier who feels like he's been played for a fool and wants to return to his normal life. The use of the children's choir works nicely alongside 2D and I'm pretty fond of the catchy synthwork here. This song helps to ground Demon Days back to earth, to keep it feeling integrated with our reality.
6. Feel Good Inc. - HAHAHAHAHAHA! This was my first exposure to Gorillaz, as had been the case for many around my age. My oldest sister played this track a lot on her computer back when the song was popular, and I heard it blaring on radios all the time during the mid-2000's. The music video was also immensely familiar to me when I first got into the band and watched all the videos, even if I'm not exactly sure how I saw it. Maybe they played it back when The N used to play music videos in-between shows? Was it online or on MTV? However I came across it, Feel Good Inc. became the first thing that many think of when they think of Gorillaz or even Damon Albarn or De La Soul. Mainstream radio isn't wrong in liking this though, this song is great! The transition is seemless between alt-rock and hip-hop, the bassline is sick, 2D is in top-form vocally and De La Soul pulls off a great performance as well. There's a great hook and the laughing feels like the perfect addition, because it helps add to that oppressive vibe the track has. As a centerpiece to the album, it's just about perfect. And who do I have to pay to get a flying windmill island of my own?
8. Every Planet We Reach is Dead - First of all, is this the best Gorillaz song name or what? The title feels like it would be for some post-apocalyptic psychological horror sci-fi film that becomes a cult megahit after doing mediocre in the box office that everyone who's seen it says that everyone else "just didn't get it." This is also the best use of the string section on this album, because they add so much gravity to this track, making it feel otherworldly and even theatrical. Ike Turner's piano feels very sporadic and the synths unorganized, leaving in its wake a cacophony that can be heard out in SPACE SPACE SPACE SPACE. It feels grand, it feels bold, it feels chaotic, and it feels fascinating. This is 2D baring his soul for what's left of the world to see. I can truly bask in this song's emotion, get myself lost in its world as I am swept up in its world. It gives me chills, lots of chills.
1. Intro - YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE HARMONIC REALM! I would love to see anyone propose a better way to start off an album. Seriously, I'm up for any and all challengers. This intro feels like a walk through a vicious hellscape. Just imagine that it's the middle of the night, and you're walking through a forest. This forest isn't like any you've seen before. The trees are all dead, the sky is grey and lifeless, and it's filled with demons crawling out of any corner. They are not quite on the attack but lurking patiently with their hateful eyes lusting for a chance to strike. It's perfect for setting the mood!
2. Last Living Souls - This album has just begun and already one of my favorite tracks from this band's entire discography shows up! The wind sample from the intro crossfades here very nicely as this track expands on the feeling of traversing upon a hellish land. I love it when the acoustic guitar kicks in towards the middle of the track and the piano works so well underlaying it before that amazing string section kicks in. It all feels just so natural and the production so layered as the strings continue on into a reprise of the hook. I am floored every time I listen to it, and I just stop doing whatever else I am doing when I'm listening to it just to take this track in. This is a song that encaptures you into the broken, jaded disaster of a world the album takes place in and promises to not let go. This paired with the instrumental intro is everything needed to prepare oneself for this experience, and it does this in such a captivating way.
3. Kids With Guns - One of the best basslines on the record is right here! Demon Days was a record made with the troubles of modern day society clearly in mind, as this tackles the violence seen in everyday life. The Columbine shooting was no doubt on Damon Albarn's mind as he wrote this tune of guns "turning us into monsters." Desire is a powerful thing, and it can turn even the cleanest of human minds into destructive beings, both for themselves and the people around them. This track drills into you by its chorus that desire can lead people down violent paths, even the youngest and most fragile among us. I love the huge explosion of a crescendo this song undertakes in the last minute too, but it will not be the last of its kind on the album.
4. O Green World - Can this be the theme song for that new Swamp Thing TV series that's coming out? But in all seriousness, this is Demon Days leaning on alt-rock, as the guitars twang along to 2D crooning about the polluted, deserted environment he finds himself within. It's another great piece that helps to truly flesh out the setting. This world is dirty, distorted, lacking of purpose as it screams to be cleaned up and brought back to a better place. I really dig the synths kicking it up a notch more and more as the song reaches its dramatic conclusion, changing up from noise to loneliness with only the lone bell playing.
5. Dirty Harry - In true Gorillaz fashion, it seems like it's time to bring in collaborators. While those last three tracks were 2D by his lonesome, with the exception of some backing vocals in the end of Kids With Guns, here in the album is where the collabs really come to the spotlight. This track is also one of the most explicit in its politics, with Bootie Brown's reference to George W. Bush's infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech. May 1, 2003 was when Bush made an announcement signaling what was supposed to be the end of the Iraq war. Little did the world know on that day that the war was far, far from over. Two years on from that speech, leaves Bootie Brown playing the role of a soldier who feels like he's been played for a fool and wants to return to his normal life. The use of the children's choir works nicely alongside 2D and I'm pretty fond of the catchy synthwork here. This song helps to ground Demon Days back to earth, to keep it feeling integrated with our reality.
6. Feel Good Inc. - HAHAHAHAHAHA! This was my first exposure to Gorillaz, as had been the case for many around my age. My oldest sister played this track a lot on her computer back when the song was popular, and I heard it blaring on radios all the time during the mid-2000's. The music video was also immensely familiar to me when I first got into the band and watched all the videos, even if I'm not exactly sure how I saw it. Maybe they played it back when The N used to play music videos in-between shows? Was it online or on MTV? However I came across it, Feel Good Inc. became the first thing that many think of when they think of Gorillaz or even Damon Albarn or De La Soul. Mainstream radio isn't wrong in liking this though, this song is great! The transition is seemless between alt-rock and hip-hop, the bassline is sick, 2D is in top-form vocally and De La Soul pulls off a great performance as well. There's a great hook and the laughing feels like the perfect addition, because it helps add to that oppressive vibe the track has. As a centerpiece to the album, it's just about perfect. And who do I have to pay to get a flying windmill island of my own?
7. El Manana - Best track on the album by far, and it's in my top 10 favorite Gorillaz songs (maybe I should post that somewhere?) It's a stunning piece of chamber pop and I'm really into how the string section accentuates the track. It feels kind of like a preview, alongside the next track, of the musical direction of The Good, The Bad, and the Queen that was recorded after the sessions for this album and released almost two years later. The odd time signatures make this track very feel unique. I really love the imagery that this song creates, one of stormy days and loneliness, of long nights of self-reflection, finding yourself trapped in thoughts and feeling lost and powerless. It envokes a man who's lost something, or everything he held dear, preying to some higher power and hoping to restore happiness or a sense of well-being to their life. It's truly a masterpiece that deserves to be mentioned among the greats in the animated group's career, and Danger Mouse's finest work on the record.
8. Every Planet We Reach is Dead - First of all, is this the best Gorillaz song name or what? The title feels like it would be for some post-apocalyptic psychological horror sci-fi film that becomes a cult megahit after doing mediocre in the box office that everyone who's seen it says that everyone else "just didn't get it." This is also the best use of the string section on this album, because they add so much gravity to this track, making it feel otherworldly and even theatrical. Ike Turner's piano feels very sporadic and the synths unorganized, leaving in its wake a cacophony that can be heard out in SPACE SPACE SPACE SPACE. It feels grand, it feels bold, it feels chaotic, and it feels fascinating. This is 2D baring his soul for what's left of the world to see. I can truly bask in this song's emotion, get myself lost in its world as I am swept up in its world. It gives me chills, lots of chills.
9. November Has Come - MF DOOM. That is All.
Ok, maybe that can't be it, right? Of any of the guests here, MF DOOM dominates the track he is on the most. With his staple flow and odd lyricism, he makes his presence on the album known without compromising anything. There's some pretty nice guitar here from Noodle and 2D delivers a fine hook, adding to the dark atmosphere, but all other aspects of the track just pale in comparison to DOOM doing what he does best on the track. Everyone's favorite supervillain doesn't disappoint with his dastardly deeds here.
10. All Alone - "I've finally found a place where I can be alllll..... ALONE." 2D takes a backseat here, even moreso than on the last track. Roots Manuva and Martina Topley Bird take up the majority of the track. May I say that Martina's part is heavenly? The hard hitting synth beat ceases, almost like a slew of lights are pointing directly at Martina during her voice as the string section plays and Noodle strums along. It almost feels like there was a faint glimmer of light in this bleak world, before harshly getting pulled away from it before the listener gets too comfortable basking within it and finding themselves trapped in darkness once more. Let's not forget the other collaborator, Roots Manuva. His bars are nothing short of passionate and fit really nicely into the groove from the synths. He's definitely one of the best performers on the record for sure.
11. White Light - So I read this comic a month or so ago called Buzzkill. It was a miniseries about a superhero who got his power from abusing drugs and, relevant to this next song, alcohol. This feels like the track that would be going through the main character's head as he fought crime. He became reliant on this alcohol, he needed it to generate his powers, even if it was destroying him. Now it's all I can think of when this song comes on. Otherwise, White Light feels like a throwback of sorts, going back to 1999 when Blur's 13 was released. It was an album that shocked fans, both newer and older. 13 had a sound much heavier, more abrasive and definitely less commercial friendly than anything the Albarn-led quartet had released before. It's sound leaned much more heavily towards punk rock and art rock, mixed with experimentation with keyboards and synths that would eventually lead to the experimentation found on the self-titled Gorillaz album. White Light calls back to this era with its wailing guitars and simplistic synths. It's not too unlike tracks like B.L.U.R.E.M.I. or Battle in a way, it's just given the Danger Mouse touch. It also has another "looking towards the light" moment like All Alone did, as the electric guitar is swapped out for an acoustic one and 2D is replaced by a lovely choir that slows things down for a moment before picking right back up where it started. The band is all around sounding great here, with Russel's pounding drums and Murdoc's bass sliding alongside.
12. DARE - I guess this album needed more singles? DARE encourages you to get up and dance along like Noodle is in the very well animated music video for it. It's an odd switch from the punk rock of White Light and an even weirder transition to the next track I'll be talking about, but that doesn't mean it doesn't serve a purpose. It's a lighter song on the album, one where you don't quite feel like you're trapped in the gloom and doom of a deserted dystopia even as the catchy lyrics might be saying something about peer pressure. It's got a pretty OK chorus and an alright instrumental to dance along to. Shaun Ryder is certainly a cool addition and bounces off of Noodle well. It's almost like this song lures you into a sense of comfort before the rag quickly gets taken from under you later on....
13. Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head - The instrumental hits hard on here. I mean REALLY hard. I'm pinning that one on Russel being on his A-game here in possibly his finest moment on the album. Dennis Hopper also completely nails it on the head with his spoken word tale of invaders intruding on peaceful creatures and bringing darkness into their lives. "There were no screams. There was no time. The Mountain called Monkey had spoken. There was only Fire and then... nothing." That line especially is delivered super well. This is one of the more politically charged tracks on the album, except unlike Dirty Harry the relations to the foreign wars for oil and resources is portrayed through tales of strange creatures. 2D after Hopper's last line talks about a small town in the USA to firmly ground the album back into reality. If it didn't before, it will now. Maybe this horrific, violent, polluted world isn't quite a sci-fi premise, but something very near. The demon days are now, in every town in America, and possibly the world at large as it succumbs to darkness. Brilliantly done, Gorillaz.
14. Don't Get Lost in Heaven - Corruption is everyone, and 2D notices it, from the cities to the mountaintops. A choir warns against going too far into the world of addiction, because it might be a world one may never return from, at least not fully intact. The piano is very lovely on here, but this song acts less as an individual chapter in the saga of Demon Days and more as part one of the final track....
15. Demon Days - The crossfade is incredible and every moment of this song is absolutely breathtaking. Never has any piece of music since Kom Susser Tod stirred up so many chills in me, from the beginning strings to 2D's falsetto to the choir in its full intensity to the almost reggae influence in the beat change. This song is brewing with pathos. Everything comes to a head here, all the lessons learned from the album are wrapped up, telling tales of the world becoming worse with each passing day. How does humanity respond to all this horror? They don't. They numb themselves with mindless forms of escapism just for a day, an hour, a minute or even a sliver of a second away from things. If you find distraction, than the realities can become seem much farther away. But maybe, just maybe, it's not too late. What if there's still...hope? Maybe, just maybe, we can turn our heads around and see that there's a light. It's a light that's burning so brightly because it represents all the optimism and goodwill and pride and hope and happiness and humanity that can be found on earth. Even when it seems like the world is so hopeless, maybe we can all just look to the sun, observing just what exactly makes earth so great to begin with, and start to pick up pieces from there. It's a brand new day after all.
It's certainly been a great experience revisiting this album and being able to put my thoughts into words. It's works like these that motivate me to write, so that each and every day I can get just a little bit better, a little bit more wise in my use of words, to be able to truly convey my experiences and even understand myself more in the process. This album is simply a masterpiece that defies all genres and expectations to create something that's still just as groundbreaking and relevant now as it was in 2005, and I will never not be astonished by that fact. I hope that I did this album justice, and that the people who end up stumbling upon my blog who somehow never heard Demon Days do. It's a modern masterpiece of music and animation that cannot be praised more. Thank you for your time.
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Circle of Friendz - Human(z?)
Ok, so that was a minute. Haven't made anything resembling a proper blog post with proper structure since June 28th, when I tried cashing in on the hype of The Now Now with my own two cents on the album. Hopefully my writing chops, minimal as they are, haven't gotten weak. Back to business with the Circle of Friendz!
Who is this by? Rag'n'Bone Man
What did he do for Gorillaz? Sung on The Apprentice, found on the deluxe version of Humanz.
When was this released? February 10, 2016
Where was this recorded? somewhere in the UK during 2015-2016
Why is should you listen to this?
Rag'n'Bone is the most recent to the music scene of the artists I have covered thus far. Human is his debut, and so far only, full-length album. He also had some EPs, both solo and with collabs, but this is his first major outing. Damn, is it a great first impression! Speaking of great first impressions, the opening track Human certainly works as one for themes the album comes back to later. It's a song of, simply put, humanity. It's about how the narrator isn't some holy power that everyone can come to thinking that their problems can be solved, getting mad when he gets honest in his responses. This record seems to cycle through different parts of humanity, such has family on the tracks Life in Her Yet and Odetta and death in the tracks Lay My Body and Die Easy. The album seems the most focused on love and relationships, both ones that are failing or have failed like in Fade to Nothing or Skin or relationships that are on smoother waters like As You Are. I think this diversity in subject matter under the very basic premise of an album around humanity works well with the diversity in sound thanks to the several different producers. It all meshes well together for the most part, thanks to the almost divine voice of Rag'n'Bone Man. He's got this really deep, soulful voice that brings with it this power to each track. His vocals nail whatever emotion he's trying to envoke, be it loneliness, hope, anger or anything else.
I will say however that I'm not big on the track Wolves. It's just an OK track, certainly not one of my favorites on this record but it's not untolerable. I just feel like it's darker sound doesn't quite fit inbetween the smoother sounds from the rest of the album, particularly the two tracks it sandwiches itself inbetween, Lay My Body and Healed. I wouldn't mind seeing Healed and Lay My Body switch places after removing Wolves. Healed could work as a good way to complete a character arc for the narrator, finding a light in darkness and feeling, well, healed! Lay My Body would still work as a reminder that no matter what, all humans have to pass on, some in darker ways than others like a suicide. Healed would be like the Good End to Lay My Body's Bad End, like in a visual novel where two different routes lead to different results.
Even with this minor setback here, there's still a great album within this. So many great tracks about different parts of the human experience can be found here, and the instrumentals are all strong. Special props goes to Odetta, which gives me some Everyday Robots vibes from its beat (and it almost sounds like 2D is on backing vocals?) The effects on Skin are really cool in the first verse and bridge with that muffled effect to the instrumental. Be the Man is another one of my favorites here, having this really nice beat that doesn't leave your head and a nice message about having faith in a relationship to boot. He may just be a rag and bones, but he certainly has more than enough backbone and support to have a bright future ahead of him in the industry. I'll be cheering him on all the way.
I give Human by Rag'n'Bone Man a 9/10.
Who is this by? Rag'n'Bone Man
What did he do for Gorillaz? Sung on The Apprentice, found on the deluxe version of Humanz.
When was this released? February 10, 2016
Where was this recorded? somewhere in the UK during 2015-2016
Why is should you listen to this?
Rag'n'Bone is the most recent to the music scene of the artists I have covered thus far. Human is his debut, and so far only, full-length album. He also had some EPs, both solo and with collabs, but this is his first major outing. Damn, is it a great first impression! Speaking of great first impressions, the opening track Human certainly works as one for themes the album comes back to later. It's a song of, simply put, humanity. It's about how the narrator isn't some holy power that everyone can come to thinking that their problems can be solved, getting mad when he gets honest in his responses. This record seems to cycle through different parts of humanity, such has family on the tracks Life in Her Yet and Odetta and death in the tracks Lay My Body and Die Easy. The album seems the most focused on love and relationships, both ones that are failing or have failed like in Fade to Nothing or Skin or relationships that are on smoother waters like As You Are. I think this diversity in subject matter under the very basic premise of an album around humanity works well with the diversity in sound thanks to the several different producers. It all meshes well together for the most part, thanks to the almost divine voice of Rag'n'Bone Man. He's got this really deep, soulful voice that brings with it this power to each track. His vocals nail whatever emotion he's trying to envoke, be it loneliness, hope, anger or anything else.
I will say however that I'm not big on the track Wolves. It's just an OK track, certainly not one of my favorites on this record but it's not untolerable. I just feel like it's darker sound doesn't quite fit inbetween the smoother sounds from the rest of the album, particularly the two tracks it sandwiches itself inbetween, Lay My Body and Healed. I wouldn't mind seeing Healed and Lay My Body switch places after removing Wolves. Healed could work as a good way to complete a character arc for the narrator, finding a light in darkness and feeling, well, healed! Lay My Body would still work as a reminder that no matter what, all humans have to pass on, some in darker ways than others like a suicide. Healed would be like the Good End to Lay My Body's Bad End, like in a visual novel where two different routes lead to different results.
Even with this minor setback here, there's still a great album within this. So many great tracks about different parts of the human experience can be found here, and the instrumentals are all strong. Special props goes to Odetta, which gives me some Everyday Robots vibes from its beat (and it almost sounds like 2D is on backing vocals?) The effects on Skin are really cool in the first verse and bridge with that muffled effect to the instrumental. Be the Man is another one of my favorites here, having this really nice beat that doesn't leave your head and a nice message about having faith in a relationship to boot. He may just be a rag and bones, but he certainly has more than enough backbone and support to have a bright future ahead of him in the industry. I'll be cheering him on all the way.
I give Human by Rag'n'Bone Man a 9/10.
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Albums I Adore (and Why You Should Too!): Gorillaz - The Now Now
I'll admit it. I'm a pirate. As soon as I heard word of leaks, I got to them pretty quickly. That's how I'm able to write the post you're seeing now this fast, after all. I'll be repenting for my sins by buying the vinyl set soon (and who wouldn't, with all the cool art inside?) Maybe even the cassette, too, because if there's one thing I love, it's novelty. Although I'd snap up a physical release for this anyway, with just how damn good this thing is. I'm getting too ahead of myself, so I'm resetting myself and getting back on track to review the new Gorillaz LP, The Now Now.
1. Humility - Summer jam of the season confirmed! This album is starting off pretty damn strong, as this track is in my top three on the album, and surely one of my top 10-15 Gorillaz tracks of all time. Let's start by saying I love the guitar on here, provided by one of only three guests George Benson. It's just so damn groovy here, and it really slides in well with this bright track. Does anyone else think that this reminds them of Ghost Ship from The Magic Whip? This song seems like it could slip in perfectly on that album. Plus this song is easily one of the group's most replayable. I've heard this track close to 30 times by now and I still can't get enough of it. I had honestly been in one of the happiest moods I had ever been in thanks in part to this coming out. I felt like I was 2D in the video, happily skating along through life, finally being someone at ease with myself and not letting things get me too mad anymore, feeling almost invincible. If a song can make me feel like that, then there's really gotta be something to it, shouldn't there be?
2. Tranz - DO YOU LOOK LIKE ME? DO YOU FEEL LIKE ME? I see we're only two tracks in and already at the "punk" song. Looks like Murdoc may have had more of an influence on this album than he thinks. This song always gets me pumped up every time it's on and never fails to get me chanting along (however horrific I may sound in the process.) It feels almost hypnotizing, but I can't imagine why...
3. Hollywood - I thought when listening to this feature packed single live months before the album release that this was gonna feel more like several of the cuts off of Humanz, being a little faster paced and upbeat. What I got in this studio version was something a little more chilled out, and I honestly think I like this direction a little better after giving the studio version several spins. It's got a nice hook from 2D, some fun if not as polished verses from Jamie Principle, and a great verse from Snoop Dogg. It's always nice to have Snoop Dogg around it seems. Makes me wanna check out the real Hollywood for myself someday.
4. Kansas - The beginning of this one certainly reminds me of Every Planet We Reach is Dead. "I'm not gonna cry" was exactly was I was thinking listening to this whole album. It works as a pretty infectious hook by the way. This has a pretty great beat to go alongside it too! It's just so pleasant to listen to as 2D goes on this lonely journey through Kansas with a broken heart. Songs like this were exactly what I was hoping for in a purposed 2D solo album.
5.Sorcererz - This was my second favorite single off the album. I just love that Junior Dan from the self-titled album is back on bass here! It's got this super catchy chorus that's just absolutely infectious and it's gotta be the one that gets me dancing the most off this album (however horrific that may be in the process.) Did I mention that "Everybody mining their own inner vision" is such a cool lyric?
6. Idaho - When I heard the live version of this back in fall, it seemed like a somewhat straightforward country song done entirely though acoustic guitar. It was an intriging choice of song to play a few months after the very dance focused angle of Humanz and a fine and calming song in its own right, but not something I came back to much. This studio version blew that original performance out of the water. The production was what really made this song work in my view. It's a lot more atmospheric and feel almost otherworldly now in its fully finished stage. Plus I noticed how the lyrics got completely switched around for this, so sadly no Bruce Willis namedrop like in the live version.
7. Lake Zurich - It's a miracle! Somehow a transition from atmospheric country music to 80's synths works! It's the best instrumental Gorillaz has ever done, hands down! While I was a little weirded out as to exactly why any sort of instrumental got released as a single, it works as a great proof-of-concept to the album's direction towards 80's synthpop. The synths knock it out of the park on this track by the way. I love the weird mumbled chatter going on towards the middle of the song too.
8. Magic City - This one is very close to my top three on this album, like it's soooo close. I adore the beat here, the lyrics are so precious and I love the guitar here from Noodle. I have heard that Graham Coxon playing guitar here on this track, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was. The guitars feel ripped straight out of something like Lonesome Street off Blur's The Magic Whip. I love the imagery of having a billboard on the moon too, I'm just not sure why.
9. Fire Flies - Really feeling some strong Everyday Robots vibes here in this slower, atmospheric track. It's nice that this track experiments with having different time signatures compared to the rest of the album, it really helps give this a unique sound. It's just ok during the first verse, but it really takes off by its chorus. "All you ever get from the sonnet is the court of the fallen man" is another beautiful lyric in an album in an album that seems full of them.
10. One Percent - I was floored when I heard this track for the first time. It's another track that carries with it echoes of Everyday Robots, but it's honestly better than almost anything from that album, as much as I love it. By far one of the most emotional tracks that Damon Albarn has ever written. The most impressive thing about it is how it can carry all this emotion and deliver it in just over two minutes, being the shortest of the record's eleven tracks. Everytime this song comes on brings chills all over me, bringing me the same otherworldly sensations that Idaho does on this record and tracks like Stop the Dams from D-Sides or A Soldier's Tale from The Good, the Bad and the Queen do at other stops in Damon's discography. The first time I walked away from this track, I knew that it was an absolute masterpiece and one of the best Gorillaz songs ever put on record. However, it somehow does not take my number one spot for being the best song on this album, settling for number two. Now what does?
11. Souk Eye - This may very well be the best song Gorillaz has ever made. There. Attack me in the comments all you want, throw negative karma at me on Reddit, it doesn't matter, I'll take it on! Never have I loved every facet of a Gorillaz track so much since Stop the Dams, the track that had up until this point been crowned the honor of best Gorillaz song. I love these lyrics, lines like "If loving you's a felony now, then I'm a renegade" are just so great. I absolutely adore the beat change, turning from a Latin-influenced ballad to incredible dance song all the while feeling completely natural. I love the piano clinking along throughout the ending. I love that Demon Strings seems to be back for this track, particularly for the outro. That fade out is giving me some serious Tracy Jacks from Parklife echoes and it sounds gorgeous. There couldn't have been a better pick for a closer than this, it's perfect in every way.
That ends The Now Now. At this point and time, it's equal to Demon Days as my favorite Gorillaz album, with so many highlights and gems that make up some of the best of the animated group's discography. Ace is a great replacement for Murdoc while he's out being a jailbird, he's really holding it down on these tracks. I seriously cannot thank Damon Albarn and James Ford enough for bringing this brilliant cycle of introspective tracks to fans, and to Jamie Hewlett for bringing some of his best live visuals and awesome artwork to the album and shows. I see The Now Now as what The Fall could've been with more time attached to the songs. All in all, it's Damon's best work since The Good, the Bad and the Queen all the way back in 2007, which i will be covering very soon. Well I gotta run soon, so enjoy the album! It's truly something special to me, maybe it'll be to others.
1. Humility - Summer jam of the season confirmed! This album is starting off pretty damn strong, as this track is in my top three on the album, and surely one of my top 10-15 Gorillaz tracks of all time. Let's start by saying I love the guitar on here, provided by one of only three guests George Benson. It's just so damn groovy here, and it really slides in well with this bright track. Does anyone else think that this reminds them of Ghost Ship from The Magic Whip? This song seems like it could slip in perfectly on that album. Plus this song is easily one of the group's most replayable. I've heard this track close to 30 times by now and I still can't get enough of it. I had honestly been in one of the happiest moods I had ever been in thanks in part to this coming out. I felt like I was 2D in the video, happily skating along through life, finally being someone at ease with myself and not letting things get me too mad anymore, feeling almost invincible. If a song can make me feel like that, then there's really gotta be something to it, shouldn't there be?
2. Tranz - DO YOU LOOK LIKE ME? DO YOU FEEL LIKE ME? I see we're only two tracks in and already at the "punk" song. Looks like Murdoc may have had more of an influence on this album than he thinks. This song always gets me pumped up every time it's on and never fails to get me chanting along (however horrific I may sound in the process.) It feels almost hypnotizing, but I can't imagine why...
3. Hollywood - I thought when listening to this feature packed single live months before the album release that this was gonna feel more like several of the cuts off of Humanz, being a little faster paced and upbeat. What I got in this studio version was something a little more chilled out, and I honestly think I like this direction a little better after giving the studio version several spins. It's got a nice hook from 2D, some fun if not as polished verses from Jamie Principle, and a great verse from Snoop Dogg. It's always nice to have Snoop Dogg around it seems. Makes me wanna check out the real Hollywood for myself someday.
4. Kansas - The beginning of this one certainly reminds me of Every Planet We Reach is Dead. "I'm not gonna cry" was exactly was I was thinking listening to this whole album. It works as a pretty infectious hook by the way. This has a pretty great beat to go alongside it too! It's just so pleasant to listen to as 2D goes on this lonely journey through Kansas with a broken heart. Songs like this were exactly what I was hoping for in a purposed 2D solo album.
5.Sorcererz - This was my second favorite single off the album. I just love that Junior Dan from the self-titled album is back on bass here! It's got this super catchy chorus that's just absolutely infectious and it's gotta be the one that gets me dancing the most off this album (however horrific that may be in the process.) Did I mention that "Everybody mining their own inner vision" is such a cool lyric?
6. Idaho - When I heard the live version of this back in fall, it seemed like a somewhat straightforward country song done entirely though acoustic guitar. It was an intriging choice of song to play a few months after the very dance focused angle of Humanz and a fine and calming song in its own right, but not something I came back to much. This studio version blew that original performance out of the water. The production was what really made this song work in my view. It's a lot more atmospheric and feel almost otherworldly now in its fully finished stage. Plus I noticed how the lyrics got completely switched around for this, so sadly no Bruce Willis namedrop like in the live version.
7. Lake Zurich - It's a miracle! Somehow a transition from atmospheric country music to 80's synths works! It's the best instrumental Gorillaz has ever done, hands down! While I was a little weirded out as to exactly why any sort of instrumental got released as a single, it works as a great proof-of-concept to the album's direction towards 80's synthpop. The synths knock it out of the park on this track by the way. I love the weird mumbled chatter going on towards the middle of the song too.
8. Magic City - This one is very close to my top three on this album, like it's soooo close. I adore the beat here, the lyrics are so precious and I love the guitar here from Noodle. I have heard that Graham Coxon playing guitar here on this track, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was. The guitars feel ripped straight out of something like Lonesome Street off Blur's The Magic Whip. I love the imagery of having a billboard on the moon too, I'm just not sure why.
9. Fire Flies - Really feeling some strong Everyday Robots vibes here in this slower, atmospheric track. It's nice that this track experiments with having different time signatures compared to the rest of the album, it really helps give this a unique sound. It's just ok during the first verse, but it really takes off by its chorus. "All you ever get from the sonnet is the court of the fallen man" is another beautiful lyric in an album in an album that seems full of them.
10. One Percent - I was floored when I heard this track for the first time. It's another track that carries with it echoes of Everyday Robots, but it's honestly better than almost anything from that album, as much as I love it. By far one of the most emotional tracks that Damon Albarn has ever written. The most impressive thing about it is how it can carry all this emotion and deliver it in just over two minutes, being the shortest of the record's eleven tracks. Everytime this song comes on brings chills all over me, bringing me the same otherworldly sensations that Idaho does on this record and tracks like Stop the Dams from D-Sides or A Soldier's Tale from The Good, the Bad and the Queen do at other stops in Damon's discography. The first time I walked away from this track, I knew that it was an absolute masterpiece and one of the best Gorillaz songs ever put on record. However, it somehow does not take my number one spot for being the best song on this album, settling for number two. Now what does?
11. Souk Eye - This may very well be the best song Gorillaz has ever made. There. Attack me in the comments all you want, throw negative karma at me on Reddit, it doesn't matter, I'll take it on! Never have I loved every facet of a Gorillaz track so much since Stop the Dams, the track that had up until this point been crowned the honor of best Gorillaz song. I love these lyrics, lines like "If loving you's a felony now, then I'm a renegade" are just so great. I absolutely adore the beat change, turning from a Latin-influenced ballad to incredible dance song all the while feeling completely natural. I love the piano clinking along throughout the ending. I love that Demon Strings seems to be back for this track, particularly for the outro. That fade out is giving me some serious Tracy Jacks from Parklife echoes and it sounds gorgeous. There couldn't have been a better pick for a closer than this, it's perfect in every way.
That ends The Now Now. At this point and time, it's equal to Demon Days as my favorite Gorillaz album, with so many highlights and gems that make up some of the best of the animated group's discography. Ace is a great replacement for Murdoc while he's out being a jailbird, he's really holding it down on these tracks. I seriously cannot thank Damon Albarn and James Ford enough for bringing this brilliant cycle of introspective tracks to fans, and to Jamie Hewlett for bringing some of his best live visuals and awesome artwork to the album and shows. I see The Now Now as what The Fall could've been with more time attached to the songs. All in all, it's Damon's best work since The Good, the Bad and the Queen all the way back in 2007, which i will be covering very soon. Well I gotta run soon, so enjoy the album! It's truly something special to me, maybe it'll be to others.
Monday, June 25, 2018
Circle of Friendz: Pauline Black/The Selecter - Celebrate the Bullet
Before I begin, I will be reviewing the Now Now very soon here. Leaks have come and BOY I have some things to talk about! Aiming for a June 29 release date for that post. See you then, and let's get to the review.
Who is this? Pauline Black, lead singer of 80's two-tone ska group The Selecter
What did she do for Gorillaz? Sang on an alternate version of Charger found on the Super Deluxe version of Humanz (which unless you want to shell out hundreds of dollars for the vinyl set, can only be found through less official means.)
When did this come out? February 27, 1981
Where was this recorded? Horizon Studios
Why should you bother? So far, I have reviewed five different albums for this so-called Circle of Friendz project. In each of these five album reviews, I had talked in very general statements about the music involved and how they made me feel. When I made those past reviews, I had focused much more on the instrumentals and how the lyrics can blend in with them. With this particular album however, it was the opposite to an extent. I wasn't very concerned with the instrumentals on this album as much as I was the lyricism found within. That's not to say that the instrumentals were unimportant or bland. The darker take on ska presented here works wonders with its lyrics (I guess you could call it Dark Pop?) I was just utterly fascinated by the songwriting here. I believe that a few, if not all, of this LP takes on some kind of narrative. While I only started thinking about a narrative around track seven, I could see elements of one looking back at my notes from the start of the record. First, let's set the scene.
The setting is sometime on late 70's-early 80's Britain. Britain is going a recession, and naturally people feel... uneased with themselves. They're growing poor and it feels like the whole world is crashing down around them. It's here where we find our protagonist. They're a somewhat typical person, devoting their life to work and their relationship. On the news, however, they see stories of financial crisis, of homes getting taken away, and maybe they're wondering if or when the very same could happen to them. Let's just say that it did. Track one opens up with a song about a failing relationship, (Who Likes) Facing Situations. The relationship is one frought with communication problems or maybe just a lack of sympathy for what the other is going through. The next track, Deep Water, was originally a reflection from Pauline about her frustrations on an American tour, but I saw it as a fictional character study. This song dives in deep, alongside the third track Red Reflections, into a person finding themselves in a personal hell. Their house has been sold off, a relationship has been shattered and they find that they have dark thoughts inside in a moment of self-reflection. The next track, "Tell Me What's Wrong," could be the person trying to talk to a friend they go back years with before avoiding them and asking why they were abandoned. This encounter sets off a further spiral towards madness. The next track could be seen as an aftermath of this meeting. With many relationships broken and being in serious financial trouble, the protagonist goes insane. The next track involves the protagonist making a bombscare (it's literally called Bombscare!), possibly as a way to stick it to the former friend that they talked to. Washed Up and Left for Dead feels like this character's entire situation summed up, as "nobody told him he was just not wanted," one left out by friends and never fitting in, feeling washed away by the world but hungry for fame. After getting jumped by thugs and nobody helps out, he's left out in the cold at night, able to reflect on how everything has gone to shit, signaling a change in themselves towards anger. They're fed up, and ready to burst. Side one ends there.
Side two picks up on an explosive start, the title track single describing just how the anger felt throughout the album manifests itself. The protagonist turns violent, and the track acts as a warning from Pauline to the protagonist that using violence won't bring back everything that they had lost, their money, their friends or their relationship. Selling Out Your Future shows the protagonist going into hiding after committing the crime, complacent in the fact that they're selling out their future for a peace that may never come. The narrative I find with this album seems to come to a pause with the next track, Cool Blue Lady... or does it? The character in that track is one who gives others everything despite never getting it in return, one who's shut out by society. This isn't exactly unlike our main character, and in fact I read Their Dream Goes On as an intersection of these two characters done from the main's perspective. I took the line "I look at you turn electric blue" as The Cool Blue Lady and the main character see each other on a street corner, if only for a quick glance. Maybe they could have found things to share in common, finding some strength in each other. The final track doesn't add to either character's narrative, but instead focusing on the world those two live in. Bristol and Miami tells a tale of two places on entirely different parts of the globe suffering the same thing. Both are in states of ruin, the people within them turning to music, possibly as a means of escape. To "listen to the echo of the street" is to hear out about the troubles people are facing, and to go help them at a time for need. Even if they're from different countries, they still go through many of the same struggles.
Celebrate the Bullet is a great representation of the troubles found not just within members of The Selecter themselves, but also within the world at large. It's got some fascinating stories to tell, with a moving way of doing so. I encourage anyone to give this disc a spin or six, just to see what they can take from it. It's just as relevant now as it was back in 1981, in my eyes.
I give Celebrate the Bullet an 8.5/10.
Who is this? Pauline Black, lead singer of 80's two-tone ska group The Selecter
What did she do for Gorillaz? Sang on an alternate version of Charger found on the Super Deluxe version of Humanz (which unless you want to shell out hundreds of dollars for the vinyl set, can only be found through less official means.)
When did this come out? February 27, 1981
Where was this recorded? Horizon Studios
Why should you bother? So far, I have reviewed five different albums for this so-called Circle of Friendz project. In each of these five album reviews, I had talked in very general statements about the music involved and how they made me feel. When I made those past reviews, I had focused much more on the instrumentals and how the lyrics can blend in with them. With this particular album however, it was the opposite to an extent. I wasn't very concerned with the instrumentals on this album as much as I was the lyricism found within. That's not to say that the instrumentals were unimportant or bland. The darker take on ska presented here works wonders with its lyrics (I guess you could call it Dark Pop?) I was just utterly fascinated by the songwriting here. I believe that a few, if not all, of this LP takes on some kind of narrative. While I only started thinking about a narrative around track seven, I could see elements of one looking back at my notes from the start of the record. First, let's set the scene.
The setting is sometime on late 70's-early 80's Britain. Britain is going a recession, and naturally people feel... uneased with themselves. They're growing poor and it feels like the whole world is crashing down around them. It's here where we find our protagonist. They're a somewhat typical person, devoting their life to work and their relationship. On the news, however, they see stories of financial crisis, of homes getting taken away, and maybe they're wondering if or when the very same could happen to them. Let's just say that it did. Track one opens up with a song about a failing relationship, (Who Likes) Facing Situations. The relationship is one frought with communication problems or maybe just a lack of sympathy for what the other is going through. The next track, Deep Water, was originally a reflection from Pauline about her frustrations on an American tour, but I saw it as a fictional character study. This song dives in deep, alongside the third track Red Reflections, into a person finding themselves in a personal hell. Their house has been sold off, a relationship has been shattered and they find that they have dark thoughts inside in a moment of self-reflection. The next track, "Tell Me What's Wrong," could be the person trying to talk to a friend they go back years with before avoiding them and asking why they were abandoned. This encounter sets off a further spiral towards madness. The next track could be seen as an aftermath of this meeting. With many relationships broken and being in serious financial trouble, the protagonist goes insane. The next track involves the protagonist making a bombscare (it's literally called Bombscare!), possibly as a way to stick it to the former friend that they talked to. Washed Up and Left for Dead feels like this character's entire situation summed up, as "nobody told him he was just not wanted," one left out by friends and never fitting in, feeling washed away by the world but hungry for fame. After getting jumped by thugs and nobody helps out, he's left out in the cold at night, able to reflect on how everything has gone to shit, signaling a change in themselves towards anger. They're fed up, and ready to burst. Side one ends there.
Side two picks up on an explosive start, the title track single describing just how the anger felt throughout the album manifests itself. The protagonist turns violent, and the track acts as a warning from Pauline to the protagonist that using violence won't bring back everything that they had lost, their money, their friends or their relationship. Selling Out Your Future shows the protagonist going into hiding after committing the crime, complacent in the fact that they're selling out their future for a peace that may never come. The narrative I find with this album seems to come to a pause with the next track, Cool Blue Lady... or does it? The character in that track is one who gives others everything despite never getting it in return, one who's shut out by society. This isn't exactly unlike our main character, and in fact I read Their Dream Goes On as an intersection of these two characters done from the main's perspective. I took the line "I look at you turn electric blue" as The Cool Blue Lady and the main character see each other on a street corner, if only for a quick glance. Maybe they could have found things to share in common, finding some strength in each other. The final track doesn't add to either character's narrative, but instead focusing on the world those two live in. Bristol and Miami tells a tale of two places on entirely different parts of the globe suffering the same thing. Both are in states of ruin, the people within them turning to music, possibly as a means of escape. To "listen to the echo of the street" is to hear out about the troubles people are facing, and to go help them at a time for need. Even if they're from different countries, they still go through many of the same struggles.
Celebrate the Bullet is a great representation of the troubles found not just within members of The Selecter themselves, but also within the world at large. It's got some fascinating stories to tell, with a moving way of doing so. I encourage anyone to give this disc a spin or six, just to see what they can take from it. It's just as relevant now as it was back in 1981, in my eyes.
I give Celebrate the Bullet an 8.5/10.
Friday, June 15, 2018
Circle of Friendz: Sweetie Irie - DJ of the Future
Yahallo! So somehow it's been the longest amount of time between Circle of Friendz posts (one week.) Well I did say that there isn't a schedule (at least I'm pretty sure I did...) However, I wanna try to make these posts somewhat frequent. Don't wanna seem like I'm slacking after all, and there is lots of material to get through with this project. There's just one more thing before I start. That new Gorillaz track, Fire Flies? It's great. Like, really great! I'm a big fan of Everyday Robots, Damon's solo album, and the track really gave me some Everyday Robots vibes, or maybe like a tidied-up version of a track meant for The Fall. At the same time, I could also see it going on the latest Blur album, The Magic Whip, as it could fit well alongside tracks like Pyongyang. Now with that gushing out of the way, let's get on to the review, taking a look at another less-known and discussed collaborator with Gorillaz.
Who is this? Sweetie Irie
What did he do for Gorillaz? Rapped over the Ed Case remix of Clint Eastwood on the self-titled record, as well as on the rare track Dub Dumb, found on the PS2 game MTV Music Generator 2.
When did this come out? Sometime in 1991, haven't found much info about an exact date.
Where was this recorded? Pavilion Studios and Easy Street Studios
Why should you care? It's a pretty ok summer album, so it's the perfect time to reviewing this! It's got some bright, summery instrumentals to it to listen if you just wanna chill out a bit. However, Sweetie Irie's vocals were a little rough on the ears for me at first, even if I started to settle with them somewhat quickly. Speaking of quick, this record is a pretty quick listen, or at least it felt that way. It's ten tracks long, but it felt like maybe 5. I really dig the piano on Winery, even if I didn't care that much about the rest of the track. My favorite tracks come towards the album's end, with Sweetie's best deliveries on Good Understanding and having a nice contrast to Aswad on the album closer On and On. Speaking of that, the guests all do a pretty good job on this one. They all seem to bounce off of Irie well here, the aforementioned Aswad and and the guest on the track Call Me being the most notable among them. All in all, it ended up being an OK listen, even if I won't be particularly reaching for this much in the future or slotting it into playlists.
I give Sweetie Irie's DJ of the Future a 6.5/10.
P.S. For those still reading, I have another new "segment" of the blog I'm adding in soon, alongside my other new segment Talking Too Much About Cartoons, which you can check out here. I'm doing another music related series of posts called Albums I Adore (and why you should too!) AIAWYST is gonna be about, as the long title says, about the albums that are near and dear to me, those 9's and perfect 10's that I keep reaching to listen to often. It's about the albums I can't stop thinking about, those whose songs have been buried deep into my brain and cannot leave, making a great impression on me. The way the reviews are structured will be somewhat different to Circle of Friendz as well, but will have some albums very related to Gorillaz and its close friends along the way, alongside whatever extra unrelated goodies I wanna share (spoiler: expect lots of J-pop.) It's a series I'm already feeling really good about, and I haven't even written any of the things yet! My first post in this series will come directly after my next TTMAC, which I will keep secret. I will say to think of the first album post as almost a companion piece to the next cartoon post I will be doing. Be on the lookout for both those segments, and of course more Circle of Friendz and anything else that comes to mind soon!
Who is this? Sweetie Irie
What did he do for Gorillaz? Rapped over the Ed Case remix of Clint Eastwood on the self-titled record, as well as on the rare track Dub Dumb, found on the PS2 game MTV Music Generator 2.
When did this come out? Sometime in 1991, haven't found much info about an exact date.
Where was this recorded? Pavilion Studios and Easy Street Studios
Why should you care? It's a pretty ok summer album, so it's the perfect time to reviewing this! It's got some bright, summery instrumentals to it to listen if you just wanna chill out a bit. However, Sweetie Irie's vocals were a little rough on the ears for me at first, even if I started to settle with them somewhat quickly. Speaking of quick, this record is a pretty quick listen, or at least it felt that way. It's ten tracks long, but it felt like maybe 5. I really dig the piano on Winery, even if I didn't care that much about the rest of the track. My favorite tracks come towards the album's end, with Sweetie's best deliveries on Good Understanding and having a nice contrast to Aswad on the album closer On and On. Speaking of that, the guests all do a pretty good job on this one. They all seem to bounce off of Irie well here, the aforementioned Aswad and and the guest on the track Call Me being the most notable among them. All in all, it ended up being an OK listen, even if I won't be particularly reaching for this much in the future or slotting it into playlists.
I give Sweetie Irie's DJ of the Future a 6.5/10.
P.S. For those still reading, I have another new "segment" of the blog I'm adding in soon, alongside my other new segment Talking Too Much About Cartoons, which you can check out here. I'm doing another music related series of posts called Albums I Adore (and why you should too!) AIAWYST is gonna be about, as the long title says, about the albums that are near and dear to me, those 9's and perfect 10's that I keep reaching to listen to often. It's about the albums I can't stop thinking about, those whose songs have been buried deep into my brain and cannot leave, making a great impression on me. The way the reviews are structured will be somewhat different to Circle of Friendz as well, but will have some albums very related to Gorillaz and its close friends along the way, alongside whatever extra unrelated goodies I wanna share (spoiler: expect lots of J-pop.) It's a series I'm already feeling really good about, and I haven't even written any of the things yet! My first post in this series will come directly after my next TTMAC, which I will keep secret. I will say to think of the first album post as almost a companion piece to the next cartoon post I will be doing. Be on the lookout for both those segments, and of course more Circle of Friendz and anything else that comes to mind soon!
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Circle of Friendz: Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Man, the last few days have been fun for Gorillaz. The new chat bot to talk to Murdoc has been hilarious to play around with, seeing his many different well-written responses. His answer when people ask about Ace Gangreen would be very interesting to delve into, since the two of them apparently go way back (maybe this could be in the TV show?) Little fun things like that make the Gorillaz project feel more immersive for its listeners, especially with the Alexa add-on featuring his voice actor. The musical side of the project has had some nice discoveries too. The summer festival tour has begun, and with it has come several new tracks from The Now Now. Sorcererz, Tranz, Magic City and Souk Eye all got revealed, and I heard them from the livestream of the Rock am Ring show. However, I will not review these tracks until the studio versions release, but I'm very excited to talk about them soon. Speaking of the new album, I must have gotten real lucky here, with the subject of this post being one of three guests on The Now Now. As with last time, I'll be doing the 5W format, like with the Bashy.com review.
Who did this? Snoop Dogg
What did he do for Gorillaz? Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach, a live rendition of Clint Eastwood, and the upcoming track Hollywood. Gorillaz also gave back to Snoop by appearing on Sumthing Like This Night on his album Doggumentary.
When did this come out? November 23, 1993
Where was this recorded? In Los Angeles and North Hollywood, recording at The Village Recorder, Complex Studios and Larrabee Studios North and West.
Why should you listen to this? Snoop Dogg, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Calvin, Snoop, Snoop Lion. Whatever you call Snoop Dogg, you have certainly seen him on TV or heard one of his hit singles on the radio at some point. When I just started getting into Gorillaz and music in general, he was one of the few names I had recognized beforehand. With this debut album, I can certainly tell why he became one of the most iconic figures in rap music, even extending way beyond rap. First off, Snoop Dogg makes some very entertaining verses here, spinning tales of sex, violence, weed and gangs, doing it in a way that can put a smile on people's faces with his iconic smooth deliveries The next reason is definitely the hooks. The hooks here are all great and feel specially engineered to get into your mind and make damn sure that they and the man behind them stays in the public mind. Gin & Juice, Serial Killa, Who am I, lots of these tracks have killer hooks attached to them. The beats and production are pretty great, these classic groovy beats headed up by Dr. Dre, coming off an album called The Chronic where Snoop had been a major guest on. This teamup definitely bounces off each together well on these tracks, Snoop's lyrics being well fit for Dre's style of G-funk beats. This is another album on the Circle of Friendz with a revolving door of guests, and all of them lay out some great deliveries here that are utilized well with Snoop. My personal favorite of the bunch here has gotta be Lady of Rage, she did awesome on For All My Niggaz and Bitches! All the tracks here are pretty good, although I'm still not quite sure if Pump Pump was the strongest way to end the album on. It's a decent track, but it isn't as memorable as the work that comes before it. Another problem is found not quite with the album itself, but later pressings of it. The track Gz Up, Hoes Down is taken off of later pressings and not available on streaming services because of clearence issues. It's a damn shame because it's one of my favorite tracks on the album. Even if it falls short time-wise, it certainly doesn't fall short musically, because the sampling is great and the track is just sooo smooth.
Snoop Dogg's debut outing is an absolute classic hip-hop album, filled with tracks that have defined rap for the decades to come. Dre and Snoop have a powerful relationship here that I can't hate. I give it an 8/10.
I know lately that I have been pretty heavy on the music posts lately. This is mainly because the Circle of Friendz project is one that will take me a while, as i still have 70 something albums to get through. However, there will be some anime posting down the line soon. Spring is ending and summer is starting, so it's definitely a good time to start planning some end of season thoughts about the spring anime season. This will still take a few weeks however, since nothing has finished just yet. Expect those and some other fun surprises on here soon!
Who did this? Snoop Dogg
What did he do for Gorillaz? Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach, a live rendition of Clint Eastwood, and the upcoming track Hollywood. Gorillaz also gave back to Snoop by appearing on Sumthing Like This Night on his album Doggumentary.
When did this come out? November 23, 1993
Where was this recorded? In Los Angeles and North Hollywood, recording at The Village Recorder, Complex Studios and Larrabee Studios North and West.
Why should you listen to this? Snoop Dogg, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Calvin, Snoop, Snoop Lion. Whatever you call Snoop Dogg, you have certainly seen him on TV or heard one of his hit singles on the radio at some point. When I just started getting into Gorillaz and music in general, he was one of the few names I had recognized beforehand. With this debut album, I can certainly tell why he became one of the most iconic figures in rap music, even extending way beyond rap. First off, Snoop Dogg makes some very entertaining verses here, spinning tales of sex, violence, weed and gangs, doing it in a way that can put a smile on people's faces with his iconic smooth deliveries The next reason is definitely the hooks. The hooks here are all great and feel specially engineered to get into your mind and make damn sure that they and the man behind them stays in the public mind. Gin & Juice, Serial Killa, Who am I, lots of these tracks have killer hooks attached to them. The beats and production are pretty great, these classic groovy beats headed up by Dr. Dre, coming off an album called The Chronic where Snoop had been a major guest on. This teamup definitely bounces off each together well on these tracks, Snoop's lyrics being well fit for Dre's style of G-funk beats. This is another album on the Circle of Friendz with a revolving door of guests, and all of them lay out some great deliveries here that are utilized well with Snoop. My personal favorite of the bunch here has gotta be Lady of Rage, she did awesome on For All My Niggaz and Bitches! All the tracks here are pretty good, although I'm still not quite sure if Pump Pump was the strongest way to end the album on. It's a decent track, but it isn't as memorable as the work that comes before it. Another problem is found not quite with the album itself, but later pressings of it. The track Gz Up, Hoes Down is taken off of later pressings and not available on streaming services because of clearence issues. It's a damn shame because it's one of my favorite tracks on the album. Even if it falls short time-wise, it certainly doesn't fall short musically, because the sampling is great and the track is just sooo smooth.
Snoop Dogg's debut outing is an absolute classic hip-hop album, filled with tracks that have defined rap for the decades to come. Dre and Snoop have a powerful relationship here that I can't hate. I give it an 8/10.
I know lately that I have been pretty heavy on the music posts lately. This is mainly because the Circle of Friendz project is one that will take me a while, as i still have 70 something albums to get through. However, there will be some anime posting down the line soon. Spring is ending and summer is starting, so it's definitely a good time to start planning some end of season thoughts about the spring anime season. This will still take a few weeks however, since nothing has finished just yet. Expect those and some other fun surprises on here soon!
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Circle of Friendz - Bashy - Bashy.com / other random gorillaz related things
First off, before i start this next post, I have to apologize. In my post introducing the Circle of Friendz, I posted a link to a Google Doc that included a link that should have led to my list of albums that I was planning to review for the Circle of Friendz music project. As it turns out, I had left the link on private. I'm not exactly sure if I'm cut out for this whole blogging thing. But that link is fixed, and includes two more albums included thanks to recent news regarding the new Gorillaz album.
Check out the link here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h0g9igOh1MBj9lQjmpnMLjpuxsBR25GJaP-mhgXGIb8/edit?usp=sharing
Onto some brighter news, it seems to be a busy day for Gorillaz fans. Let Me Out collaborator Pusha T dropped a pretty brutal diss track against Drake days after dropping his latest album, Daytona. This heightened an already longstanding feud between the two going back the past 5 years. A new group featuring two members of the Gorillaz live band, bassist Seye Adelekan and guitarist Jeff Wooton, is releasing a track with November Has Come collaborator MF DOOM later today. This new group, known as Youth of the Apocalypse, has been around for only a year and are already knocking it out of the park with their first feature being such a revered name like DOOM. Most importantly, a clip of a conversation between Damon Albarn and Zane Lowe have revealed some very tantalizing details about the upcoming Gorillaz album. Damon revealed that the new album only has two tracks with collaborators, as the track Hollywood features Jamie Principle and Snoop Dogg and opening track Humility features George Benson on guitar. Otherwise, it's all 2D. He also noted that James Ford produced the album, who also work on several Arctic monkeys LPs and the latest Little Dragon album. Humility is also getting released tomorrow before the album itself! I have heard the leak of the track, but I wanna wait on forming full opinions until I can get my hands on a studio version (and possibly accompanying music video.)
I wanna switch things up for this next review, since lord knows I don't exactly have a flood of things to say about this one compared to my last review, Squire for Hire. I decied to use the entirely original and honestly never before used 5W system (I'm copyrighting that), using Who made the album, What the artists did for Gorillaz, When the album was recorded and released, Where it was recorded, and Why you should or shouldn't give the album I am reviewing a spin or six.
With all of that out of the way, let's get into the next album on the Circle of Friendz project.
Who made this? Bashy, also known as Ashley Thomas
What did they do for Gorillaz? Rapped on White Light and on live versions of Clint Eastwood.
When did this album happen? November 17, 2008
Where was it recorded? somewhere in the UK, can't find a recording studio.
Why you should care? Well, the mixtape certainly has a sense of humor. Lines like "I'm gonna go vandalize a phone booth" on the track I See People are pretty good. Most of the beats and the production are decent. Not just that, but the majority of deliveries by Bashy here certainly got some power and energy to here, such as the live cut Rampage Set. Some highlights of the beats on this tape include the track Hype on the Road and the electronic beats of Mind Out. My favorite track on this album has to be Feelings, a song fast both in length and in its pounding drums. The beat here feels like it would have a home on an old school Toonami commercial. I honestly wish this track was a bit longer, so I can stick with that great beat and have more time for the horns. The track Superheroes is another favorite of mine, not really because of any impressive beats or standout production, but because it hits a soft spot with me with its fast flying verses about the superheroes of Marvel and DC. No surprise that a comic nerd would like a track like this. However, the tape as a whole doesn't exactly go beyond a 6.5 or maybe a light 7.
If you like Myspace references and late 2000's grime, you might love this. For others, you might be able to get a few laughs out of this thing. You'll still get annoyed by the constant repeated samples and sound effects.
This album gets a 6.5 out of 10.
Check out the link here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h0g9igOh1MBj9lQjmpnMLjpuxsBR25GJaP-mhgXGIb8/edit?usp=sharing
Onto some brighter news, it seems to be a busy day for Gorillaz fans. Let Me Out collaborator Pusha T dropped a pretty brutal diss track against Drake days after dropping his latest album, Daytona. This heightened an already longstanding feud between the two going back the past 5 years. A new group featuring two members of the Gorillaz live band, bassist Seye Adelekan and guitarist Jeff Wooton, is releasing a track with November Has Come collaborator MF DOOM later today. This new group, known as Youth of the Apocalypse, has been around for only a year and are already knocking it out of the park with their first feature being such a revered name like DOOM. Most importantly, a clip of a conversation between Damon Albarn and Zane Lowe have revealed some very tantalizing details about the upcoming Gorillaz album. Damon revealed that the new album only has two tracks with collaborators, as the track Hollywood features Jamie Principle and Snoop Dogg and opening track Humility features George Benson on guitar. Otherwise, it's all 2D. He also noted that James Ford produced the album, who also work on several Arctic monkeys LPs and the latest Little Dragon album. Humility is also getting released tomorrow before the album itself! I have heard the leak of the track, but I wanna wait on forming full opinions until I can get my hands on a studio version (and possibly accompanying music video.)
I wanna switch things up for this next review, since lord knows I don't exactly have a flood of things to say about this one compared to my last review, Squire for Hire. I decied to use the entirely original and honestly never before used 5W system (I'm copyrighting that), using Who made the album, What the artists did for Gorillaz, When the album was recorded and released, Where it was recorded, and Why you should or shouldn't give the album I am reviewing a spin or six.
With all of that out of the way, let's get into the next album on the Circle of Friendz project.
Who made this? Bashy, also known as Ashley Thomas
What did they do for Gorillaz? Rapped on White Light and on live versions of Clint Eastwood.
When did this album happen? November 17, 2008
Where was it recorded? somewhere in the UK, can't find a recording studio.
Why you should care? Well, the mixtape certainly has a sense of humor. Lines like "I'm gonna go vandalize a phone booth" on the track I See People are pretty good. Most of the beats and the production are decent. Not just that, but the majority of deliveries by Bashy here certainly got some power and energy to here, such as the live cut Rampage Set. Some highlights of the beats on this tape include the track Hype on the Road and the electronic beats of Mind Out. My favorite track on this album has to be Feelings, a song fast both in length and in its pounding drums. The beat here feels like it would have a home on an old school Toonami commercial. I honestly wish this track was a bit longer, so I can stick with that great beat and have more time for the horns. The track Superheroes is another favorite of mine, not really because of any impressive beats or standout production, but because it hits a soft spot with me with its fast flying verses about the superheroes of Marvel and DC. No surprise that a comic nerd would like a track like this. However, the tape as a whole doesn't exactly go beyond a 6.5 or maybe a light 7.
If you like Myspace references and late 2000's grime, you might love this. For others, you might be able to get a few laughs out of this thing. You'll still get annoyed by the constant repeated samples and sound effects.
This album gets a 6.5 out of 10.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Circle of Friendz: Nathan Haines - Squire for Hire
It's late at night. Rain is pouring onto the streets as you park your car and walk inside a dingy bar. Neon lights glare both outside the building and within, posters placed throughout advertising some free poetry jam. It even has a jazz band accompanying it! You walk inside, sit down, drenched in rain, as you get you drink and the lights dim. A woman comes upfront on the tiny stage. She's talking about some "squire for hire", telling people to run on down to see him if he's in their town. You’re not exactly sure what this girl is talking about, but you start to feel funny. From then on, you feel hypnotized. You're not sure if that's just drowsiness from your long day at work finally settling in, or something else entirely. In that moment, you aren't so much concerned with how and when you started feeling they way you did, but just the simple fact that you are feeling this way wraps up your thoughts alongside the soothing melodies being performed. Looking up at the dimly lit stage, it transforms into a revolving door of different acts, strolling on and off the set as the night wears on. The guests come from all walks of life, and you could even swear that one of those guests was some blue haired cartoon character. You chalk that sight up to the drowsiness, of course. No matter what you think you’re seeing, that doesn’t matter as much in your head as the wondrous sounds you’re hearing as they slowly drown out your thoughts. Then, as soon as you realize it, it’s over. You snap back to reality and leave the bar, having a much clearer head as you notice the rain has stopped.
This is the setting I had in mind while listening to the 2003 jazz album Squire for Hire by Nathan Haines. Nathan teams up with Phil Asher on production to bring with them on this musical journey an absolute smorgasbord of acts, hopping from Rich Medina to Vanessa Freeman. 2D shows up on this album on track six, FM. It’s not too surprising that 2D made it onto this record, as this album focuses heavily on collaborations just like his own project does. In addition to jazz, the album also dabbles into electronic beats and many a spoken word piece. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS. I am two albums into my project and I may have found one of my favorite albums ever. That’s pretty amazing by my standards! After a really fun intro, the album dives into several long easy listening pieces with multiple different guests, all of which pull out solid jobs here. The variety certainly works in the album’s favor here. My favorite performer on here was surprisingly not from everybody’s favorite animated singer (as good as FM is), but Rich Medina. He plays a part on two tracks, Springtime Rain and Let it Go, knocking it out of the park on both of them. On Springtime Rain, Medina plays as a narrator describing the seasons outside. The portraits he paints through his words are incredible, describing winter “like a jaded party girl, cold, short on trust and jaded for attention.” He then comes back later in the last fourth of the album in Let it Go, but transforms from narrator to almost father figure, giving tough love to the listener (maybe this so-called squire for hire?), asking if they “really got the brass between [their] legs to stand up and be counted as relevant..” Another favorite of mine is Doot Dude, as I love how the song comes to a gentle halt (can I live this day again?) before picking back up for its second half. Lyric L has a very nice performance here and the beat kinda reminds me of Garage palace some! The 2D feature, FM, covers a Steely Dan song and mixes things up by adding a more guitar focused track to the mix. I adore 2D’s performance here, hitting his falsetto heard before on tracks such as Man Research and Sound Check. If it’s one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s for a Damon Albarn falsetto.
This album really made me want to look in deeper into Nathan’s other albums, which I’ve heard also lean towards collaborations with a whirlwind of different artists. Every track felt smooth and cool, and I didn’t even notice the length thanks to the longer tracks of the bunch changing things up to keep the track interesting, such as the instrumental Folk Rock. So next time a squire for hire comes to your town, run and meet him! Be taken away by the music in the process.
I give Squire for Hire a 9/10.
Favorite tracks: Doot Dude, Springtime Rain, Let it Go
This is the setting I had in mind while listening to the 2003 jazz album Squire for Hire by Nathan Haines. Nathan teams up with Phil Asher on production to bring with them on this musical journey an absolute smorgasbord of acts, hopping from Rich Medina to Vanessa Freeman. 2D shows up on this album on track six, FM. It’s not too surprising that 2D made it onto this record, as this album focuses heavily on collaborations just like his own project does. In addition to jazz, the album also dabbles into electronic beats and many a spoken word piece. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS. I am two albums into my project and I may have found one of my favorite albums ever. That’s pretty amazing by my standards! After a really fun intro, the album dives into several long easy listening pieces with multiple different guests, all of which pull out solid jobs here. The variety certainly works in the album’s favor here. My favorite performer on here was surprisingly not from everybody’s favorite animated singer (as good as FM is), but Rich Medina. He plays a part on two tracks, Springtime Rain and Let it Go, knocking it out of the park on both of them. On Springtime Rain, Medina plays as a narrator describing the seasons outside. The portraits he paints through his words are incredible, describing winter “like a jaded party girl, cold, short on trust and jaded for attention.” He then comes back later in the last fourth of the album in Let it Go, but transforms from narrator to almost father figure, giving tough love to the listener (maybe this so-called squire for hire?), asking if they “really got the brass between [their] legs to stand up and be counted as relevant..” Another favorite of mine is Doot Dude, as I love how the song comes to a gentle halt (can I live this day again?) before picking back up for its second half. Lyric L has a very nice performance here and the beat kinda reminds me of Garage palace some! The 2D feature, FM, covers a Steely Dan song and mixes things up by adding a more guitar focused track to the mix. I adore 2D’s performance here, hitting his falsetto heard before on tracks such as Man Research and Sound Check. If it’s one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s for a Damon Albarn falsetto.
This album really made me want to look in deeper into Nathan’s other albums, which I’ve heard also lean towards collaborations with a whirlwind of different artists. Every track felt smooth and cool, and I didn’t even notice the length thanks to the longer tracks of the bunch changing things up to keep the track interesting, such as the instrumental Folk Rock. So next time a squire for hire comes to your town, run and meet him! Be taken away by the music in the process.
I give Squire for Hire a 9/10.
Favorite tracks: Doot Dude, Springtime Rain, Let it Go
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Circle of Friendz: Gruff Rhys - Yr Atal Genhedlaeth
Welcome to the first edition of the Circle of Friendz project, made possible by inspiration from ImNotAnEffigy on Reddit. As mentioned in my last post, I have (now 76) albums on a numbered list, those numbers put through a randomizer, and listening to the album attached to the number I land on. For my first attempt, I landed on number 33, the debut album from Gruff Rhys. Gruff Rhys, known to Gorillaz fans for his appearance next to De La Soul on Plastic Beach's Superfast Jellyfish. Before his appearance, Gruff Rhys had let his name out there through being involved in several different bands. First, Rhys had been the lead singer and guitarist in Welsh rock band Ffa Coffi Pawb during the mid-1980's, releasing three albums before the band broke up in 1993. From there, Rhys became a part of his most popular project, Super Furry Animals, the first album of which marked his first foray into singing in English. After the release of the subject of today's post, he also formed Neon Neon two years after the start of a side solo career.
So what of that solo career? If the first album from it is any indication, it went of to a pretty good start! His first solo release, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth, released in 2005 to fairly quiet praise. I only wish that this release got more attention than it ended up getting, because it's a nice little release! The first thing that stuck out to me was the language, because the entire album is sung in Welsh. It was my first Welsh album, but that never felt like a challenge or a problem to me. It sounds sooo nice here, although part of that certainly could be contributed to the soft vocals provided by Rhys here. I'm loving the deliveries from him here, although I'm sure that's because his singing voice reminds me of 2D. I also noticed just how fast this album flies by, coming in and bowing out in just under a half hour. Not a second of this half hour feels wasted. It's a brisk ride of guitar driven tracks, with synths and keyboards added to the mix as well, coming to the forefront in tracks such as Caerffosiaeth, a track that could feel right at home on D-Sides. I also really loved the sunny Ni Yw Y Byd, the second to last track. The instrumental feels like it would be in the background of some kids slice of life cartoon. Honestly, I wasn't exactly flooding with notes and thoughts on Yr Atal Genhedlaeth. What I can say was that it was fun, light and I definitely wanna dive into the discography of both Rhys and his various bands. Not a bad way to start off my project, if I do say so myself. Next up, I dive into jazz album Squire for Hire, the 2003 album from Nathan Haines. I think I have more to say about that next album, and it's certainly a treat. See ya whenever.
I give Yr Atal Genhedlaeth a 7.5/10.
So what of that solo career? If the first album from it is any indication, it went of to a pretty good start! His first solo release, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth, released in 2005 to fairly quiet praise. I only wish that this release got more attention than it ended up getting, because it's a nice little release! The first thing that stuck out to me was the language, because the entire album is sung in Welsh. It was my first Welsh album, but that never felt like a challenge or a problem to me. It sounds sooo nice here, although part of that certainly could be contributed to the soft vocals provided by Rhys here. I'm loving the deliveries from him here, although I'm sure that's because his singing voice reminds me of 2D. I also noticed just how fast this album flies by, coming in and bowing out in just under a half hour. Not a second of this half hour feels wasted. It's a brisk ride of guitar driven tracks, with synths and keyboards added to the mix as well, coming to the forefront in tracks such as Caerffosiaeth, a track that could feel right at home on D-Sides. I also really loved the sunny Ni Yw Y Byd, the second to last track. The instrumental feels like it would be in the background of some kids slice of life cartoon. Honestly, I wasn't exactly flooding with notes and thoughts on Yr Atal Genhedlaeth. What I can say was that it was fun, light and I definitely wanna dive into the discography of both Rhys and his various bands. Not a bad way to start off my project, if I do say so myself. Next up, I dive into jazz album Squire for Hire, the 2003 album from Nathan Haines. I think I have more to say about that next album, and it's certainly a treat. See ya whenever.
I give Yr Atal Genhedlaeth a 7.5/10.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
The Circle of Friendz Project: Or, Becoming One with Music
Before I begin to describe the project said above in the title, I have to be honest. I am musically dumb. Almost all of the many different musical artists and styles mentioned these days I have no real idea about. This could be blamed on the fact that until fairly recently, I haven't really cared much about music as a medium.
Going back to when I was super young, my family has been very tuned in musically. All of them had artists from a variety of different genres that they admired, as my brother started getting into rap during middle school alongside expanding into many different genres into high school, and my other family members seemed to love whatever came out of Fueled by Ramen in the mid 2000s, as well as a myriad of different artists from different time periods and genres. But whatever they listened to, they always seemed invested in the world of music. I seemed to be the odd man out. While I did have CDs of my own, they were of cartoon soundtracks, and unlike the other family members I wasn't really interested in searching for anything outside of that strict comfort zone. In middle school and into high school, that interest shifted towards anime music. My MP3 was flooded with opening and ending songs from the different shows I was watching, in whatever quality I could find on youtube. I could have stayed the course and only listened to anime singles had it not been for two bands in particular that would change the way that I listen to and consume music.
The first was Asian Kung Fu Generation. During the run of the anime Boku Dake ga Inai Machi, also known as Erased, I became addicted to the theme song to the show, known as Re;Re. I had some history with the artist before, with their tracks submitted for Naruto, Bleach, and the live-action adaptation of Solanin. This time, when seeking out the theme song for the show, I used a different source for finding an mp3 of the show's theme. Instead of finding lower quality uploads via Youtube, I instead used the site NyaaTorrents, a site I had heard of from imageboards used for files of anime, manga, visual novels and, most importantly for this post, Japanese music. I found there the album carrying the original version of Re;Re, Sol-fa. I downloaded the album, burned it onto a blank CD-R, and heard the whole thing through an old Sony Discman. I adored it. Every track was catchy, had great vocals, and great guitar work. It was an enchanting experience for me, and as I dove headfirst to the discography, my method of listening to music changed from individual tracks by certain artists, to going through an artist's body of work as a whole, staying content with full albums than just scattered singles. This also led me down a path of finding more j-rock and j-pop groups go in-depth to (although this could make up another post entirely.)
The next, possibly more massive change to my music habits was my introduction to Gorillaz. This was another band I had heard of before diving into their backcatalog, but was less attached to than with Asian Kung Fu Generation. Feel Good Inc was one of the first pop songs I remember constantly hearing played on radios around the house and on the computer my oldest sister used. I have faint memories of seeing its iconic music video as well, even if I had no idea where and how I saw it. As my older brother started getting deeper into music in middle school, Gorillaz was one of the bands he first found himself attracted towards, alongside artists like Daft Punk. It was around this time I remember him playing the music videos from their self-titled album, and I thought the idea of an animated band seemed cool, even if I never even bothered to go back and listen to the albums proper then. Flash forward 3 years, and I found myself cruising online and stumbling upon an old VHS recording of a Toonami special called the "Midnight Run Special Edition." The one hour special included music videos from Kenna, Daft Punk, and Gorillaz with Toonami music videos. Of the videos on display, I loved Gorillaz the most. The blend of hip hop and electronic music mixed with artwork and animation similar to the output from Cartoon Network in the early 2000's was mesmerizing to me. I watched the videos several more times and soon I heard the three main albums and two B-side albums throughout the summer of 2016. I noticed that there was an even deeper mix of genres then what I saw in those early videos, and this curiosity soon turned to obsession. The next year, I soon dug into the music of Damon Albarn, finding an appreciation in projects such as Blur and what I believe to be his finest work in the 2007 album The Good, the Bad and the Queen. I also within the last year been diving into the discographies of several of the artists who collaborated with Gorillaz, such as Miho Hatori and Del the Funkee Homosapien.
This brings me to the next subject, the so-called Circle of Friendz Project. So not too long ago, I came across a reddit post from user ImNotAnEffigy throwing out a list of recommended albums from Gorillaz collaborators for the people who want to dive in a little deeper into the people who make the magic happen, so to speak:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gorillaz/comments/8ipjwp/circle_of_friendz_recommended_works_from_gorillaz/
I took that list, added more collabs who only appeared in live shows or who saw Gorillaz collaborate on their own albums as opposed to the collabs appearing on the Gorillaz albums,then renumbering them. I also swapped out certain albums that I had already heard, as I wanted to place emphasis on albums I have not already heard, so no Deltron 3030 or any Blur albums or whatever. I then put the numbers into a generator and whatever pops out, I review first. This was inspired by Digibro videos on youtube where he numbers off anime to watch first after randomly generating a number. This method of randomization I found keeps me excited and on my toes as I never quite know what to expect next. After that I write down my thoughts on the album track-by-track in a notebook and post a cleaned up version of my findings to the internet. So far, it's actually gone very well, as I have listened to and scribbled down my thoughts on two very well done albums and will be working on a third in the next few days. Of course, these findings will be uploaded to this very blog soon enough. There's not a specific schedule for these posts, but the writings are easy to make, so expect them fairly often. And you can do it too! If you're just as insane as I am, and want to discover some newfound artists or reconnect with albums you haven't heard in a while, here's a link to the Google doc with every album I will be covering, updating it often to link to blog posts I have already made. The whole point of this little exercise is for me to learn more about music through my favorite band by far, a way for me to expand my horizons and for me to try things out that if it wasn't for Gorillaz, I never would've picked up or in many cases would have even heard of. Shoutout to ImNotAnEffigy again for providing me the inspiration to start this project.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h0g9igOh1MBj9lQjmpnMLjpuxsBR25GJaP-mhgXGIb8/edit?usp=sharing
Going back to when I was super young, my family has been very tuned in musically. All of them had artists from a variety of different genres that they admired, as my brother started getting into rap during middle school alongside expanding into many different genres into high school, and my other family members seemed to love whatever came out of Fueled by Ramen in the mid 2000s, as well as a myriad of different artists from different time periods and genres. But whatever they listened to, they always seemed invested in the world of music. I seemed to be the odd man out. While I did have CDs of my own, they were of cartoon soundtracks, and unlike the other family members I wasn't really interested in searching for anything outside of that strict comfort zone. In middle school and into high school, that interest shifted towards anime music. My MP3 was flooded with opening and ending songs from the different shows I was watching, in whatever quality I could find on youtube. I could have stayed the course and only listened to anime singles had it not been for two bands in particular that would change the way that I listen to and consume music.
The first was Asian Kung Fu Generation. During the run of the anime Boku Dake ga Inai Machi, also known as Erased, I became addicted to the theme song to the show, known as Re;Re. I had some history with the artist before, with their tracks submitted for Naruto, Bleach, and the live-action adaptation of Solanin. This time, when seeking out the theme song for the show, I used a different source for finding an mp3 of the show's theme. Instead of finding lower quality uploads via Youtube, I instead used the site NyaaTorrents, a site I had heard of from imageboards used for files of anime, manga, visual novels and, most importantly for this post, Japanese music. I found there the album carrying the original version of Re;Re, Sol-fa. I downloaded the album, burned it onto a blank CD-R, and heard the whole thing through an old Sony Discman. I adored it. Every track was catchy, had great vocals, and great guitar work. It was an enchanting experience for me, and as I dove headfirst to the discography, my method of listening to music changed from individual tracks by certain artists, to going through an artist's body of work as a whole, staying content with full albums than just scattered singles. This also led me down a path of finding more j-rock and j-pop groups go in-depth to (although this could make up another post entirely.)
The next, possibly more massive change to my music habits was my introduction to Gorillaz. This was another band I had heard of before diving into their backcatalog, but was less attached to than with Asian Kung Fu Generation. Feel Good Inc was one of the first pop songs I remember constantly hearing played on radios around the house and on the computer my oldest sister used. I have faint memories of seeing its iconic music video as well, even if I had no idea where and how I saw it. As my older brother started getting deeper into music in middle school, Gorillaz was one of the bands he first found himself attracted towards, alongside artists like Daft Punk. It was around this time I remember him playing the music videos from their self-titled album, and I thought the idea of an animated band seemed cool, even if I never even bothered to go back and listen to the albums proper then. Flash forward 3 years, and I found myself cruising online and stumbling upon an old VHS recording of a Toonami special called the "Midnight Run Special Edition." The one hour special included music videos from Kenna, Daft Punk, and Gorillaz with Toonami music videos. Of the videos on display, I loved Gorillaz the most. The blend of hip hop and electronic music mixed with artwork and animation similar to the output from Cartoon Network in the early 2000's was mesmerizing to me. I watched the videos several more times and soon I heard the three main albums and two B-side albums throughout the summer of 2016. I noticed that there was an even deeper mix of genres then what I saw in those early videos, and this curiosity soon turned to obsession. The next year, I soon dug into the music of Damon Albarn, finding an appreciation in projects such as Blur and what I believe to be his finest work in the 2007 album The Good, the Bad and the Queen. I also within the last year been diving into the discographies of several of the artists who collaborated with Gorillaz, such as Miho Hatori and Del the Funkee Homosapien.
This brings me to the next subject, the so-called Circle of Friendz Project. So not too long ago, I came across a reddit post from user ImNotAnEffigy throwing out a list of recommended albums from Gorillaz collaborators for the people who want to dive in a little deeper into the people who make the magic happen, so to speak:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gorillaz/comments/8ipjwp/circle_of_friendz_recommended_works_from_gorillaz/
I took that list, added more collabs who only appeared in live shows or who saw Gorillaz collaborate on their own albums as opposed to the collabs appearing on the Gorillaz albums,then renumbering them. I also swapped out certain albums that I had already heard, as I wanted to place emphasis on albums I have not already heard, so no Deltron 3030 or any Blur albums or whatever. I then put the numbers into a generator and whatever pops out, I review first. This was inspired by Digibro videos on youtube where he numbers off anime to watch first after randomly generating a number. This method of randomization I found keeps me excited and on my toes as I never quite know what to expect next. After that I write down my thoughts on the album track-by-track in a notebook and post a cleaned up version of my findings to the internet. So far, it's actually gone very well, as I have listened to and scribbled down my thoughts on two very well done albums and will be working on a third in the next few days. Of course, these findings will be uploaded to this very blog soon enough. There's not a specific schedule for these posts, but the writings are easy to make, so expect them fairly often. And you can do it too! If you're just as insane as I am, and want to discover some newfound artists or reconnect with albums you haven't heard in a while, here's a link to the Google doc with every album I will be covering, updating it often to link to blog posts I have already made. The whole point of this little exercise is for me to learn more about music through my favorite band by far, a way for me to expand my horizons and for me to try things out that if it wasn't for Gorillaz, I never would've picked up or in many cases would have even heard of. Shoutout to ImNotAnEffigy again for providing me the inspiration to start this project.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h0g9igOh1MBj9lQjmpnMLjpuxsBR25GJaP-mhgXGIb8/edit?usp=sharing
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)