Lyrics Part 4

Hey,

Welcome to the fourth and final installment of my series on lyrics. In the past weeks, I’ve highlighted the good, the bad, and the ugly, but I want to wrap all this up with a small spotlight on Ed Sheeran. Chances are, you’ve heard his song “A Team” or perhaps “Lego House.” Beyond the fact that he has a deliciously smooth yet raw set of vocals, he writes some of the most creative, deep, honestly, best lyrics. I’m willing to peg him as the best songwriter of our generation. I realize I throw out titles like that all too often, but take a few minutes and listen to his lyrics. They are mind-blowing. In a sense, they remind me of Jason Mraz’s old lyrics before he hopped on the hippie train and stopped pushing himself lyrically. Remember “I’m Yours”? Yes, it was kind of soapy ballad on the surface but there was a little something more to the lyrics, if you took the time to pick them apart. That’s kind of how Ed is, save for the fact that his syntax and diction alone win me over, no unpacking necessary. J

Let’s look at his song “U.N.I”

“I found your hairband on my bedroom floor
The only evidence that you've been here before
And I don't get waves of missing you anymore
They're more like tsunami tides in my eyes
Never getting dry so I get high smoke in the day then I sleep with the light on
Weeks pass in the blink of an eye
And I'm still drunk by the end of the night
I don't drink like everybody else
End up forgetting things about myself
I'm stubborn I'm forward head's just blocked
My head's still with you but my hearts just not

So am I close to you anymore if it's over
And there's no chance that we'll work it out
That's why you and I ended over U-N-I
And I said that's fine but you're the only one that knows I lied
You and I ended over U-N-I
And I said that's fine, but you're the only one that knows I lied

Everybody said that we'll be together forever but I know that
I never wanna settle down come around break up the love like Lego now
Never wanna turn into another like you
Sleep with my thoughts dance with my views
Everything's great but everything's short
But you live in your halls and I live in a tour bus
Now I'm in position to be another stalker
And everything I say seems to always sound awkward
Like our last kiss it was perfect but we were nervous
On the surface
And I'm always saying every day that it was worth it
Pain is only relevant if it still hurts
I forget like an elephant or we can use a sedative
And go back to the day we fell in love on first kiss

So am I close to you anymore if it's over
And there's no chance that we'll work it out
Oh you and I ended over U-N-I
And I said that's fine but you're the only one that knows I lied
You and I ended over U-N-I
And I said that's fine but you're the only one that knows I lied

Because if I was gonna go somewhere I'd be there by now
And maybe I can let myself down oh
And thinking I am unaware I keep my feet on the ground
Keep looking around to make sure I'm not the only one to feel low
Because if you want I'll take you in my arms
And keep you sheltered from all that I've done wrong
And I know you'll say that I'm the only one
But I know that god made another one of me
To love you better than I ever will

'Cause you and I ended over U-N-I
And I said that's fine but you're the only one that knows I lied
You and I ended over U-N-I
And I said that's fine but you're the only one that knows I lied.”

The title alone shows Ed’s forthright creativity. “UNI” is slang for university, hence the song takes place/is centered about a university and “U.N.I” can be read like “You and I.” The reason I chose this song is it’s more than just a relationship song. The two have broken up and he is devastated. Rather than taking the Taylor Swift route and calling someone “mean” or telling them they will “never ever be getting back together,” he simply details how is healing and dealing with the cessation of the relationship. He’s obviously unhappy about it and overcome with emotions as demonstrated with the line “I don’t get waves of missing you anymore/ they’re more like tsunami tides in my eyes,” yet, at the same time, he is trying to block the pain with drinking and the amazing line “pain is only relevant if it hurts,” a sad yet understandable maxim that seems to sum up the song quite nicely.

This city never sleeps
I hear the people walk by when it's late
Sirens bleed through my windowsill
I can't close my eyes
Can't control what I'm into
This tower is alive
The lights that blind keep me awake
With my hood up and lace untied
Sleep fills my mind
Can't control what I'm into

London calls me a stranger
A traveler
This is now my home, my home
I'm burning on the back street
Stuck here sitting in the backseat
I'm blazing on the street
What I do isn't up to you
And if the city never sleeps
Then that makes two

The pavement is my friend
And it will take me where I need to go
I find it trips me up
And puts me down
This is not what I'm used to
The shop across the road
Fulfills my needs and gives me company
When I need it
Voices speak through my walls
I don't think I'm gonna make it
Past tomorrow

London calls me a stranger
A traveler
This is now my home, my home
I'm burning on the back street
Stuck here sitting in the backseat
I'm blazing on the street
What I do isn't up to you
And if the city never sleeps
Then that makes two

And my lungs hurt
And my ears bled
With the sound of the city life
Echoed in my head
Do I need this to keep me alive?
The traffic stops and starts
But I need to move along

London calls me a stranger
This is not my home, home
I'm burning on the back street
Stuck here sitting in the backseat
I'm blazing on the street
What I do isn't up to you
And if the city never sleeps
Then that makes two”

The other song I would like to feature is “The City,” a heartfelt masterpiece. Instrumentally, this song leads in with a strong guitar riff, but that’s not really what I want to focus on. J I love how he personifies the city, and then proceeds to identify with it (if the city never sleeps/then that makes two), even though he and London seem to be at odds (London calls me a stranger). The song is about when he went to London as a teen to pursue music, but instead of just laying it flat out there, you have to deduce a little. J One of my favorite lines is “Sirens bleed through my windowsill.” It’s just so creative. It sounds so different, so remarkable, you kind of have to stop and let it seep in. You’re not just hearing sirens from outside your window; they’re bleeding in, which serves as a bold image, like the rest of the lyrics.

That’s it for this week. Next time, it’ll be back to reviewing for a bit and if anyone else enjoyed it, I may do something like this in the future.

Have any comments, questions, or thoughts be sure to comment, e-mail, or tweet at me because I love to talk to y’all and any feedback is appreciated. I know someone out there is reading this and I would love to connect somehow. J

Until then,

Bella

Beacon Is a Solid Follow-Up Album

Hey,

This week Two door Cinema Club dropped their new album “Beacon.” Much like last week’s post, I am picking my top three songs. I realize I did five last week, but I’m doing three this week only because these three really stand out. Speaking of last week’s post, I was really excited to see that Imagine Dragons’ album is in the Top Ten on iTunes. I am so excited for that band. They are very talented and it’s great to see them get the recognition they deserve.

                Anyways, here are the top three songs from Beacon:

 

3. Sleep Alone. I realize I highlighted this song a couple of weeks ago, but it truly is one of the standout songs on the album. The distinct vocals, complex, poetic lyrics, and that guitar line I can’t erase from my mind all contribute to the track’s reappearance on my blog. J “He needs no army/ where he’s going/ cuz he knows” is such a great line. Their songwriting skills have truly improved—not that their debut album’s lyrics were poor—and it is always exciting to see an artist/artists mature.

2.  Sun- When a band opens a track with “Ocean blue/what have I done to you/cut so deep/yet growing through and through,” I think it’s fairly easy to see why it earns a special place on my playlist. J My other favorite line is 'Over and over many setting suns/ I have run, I have waited for the rain to come/ When through that mist I see the shape of you/ And I know, and I know that I'm in love with you.” Factor in that steady, bumping drum line and that bluesy riff, and I’m in love. Solid effort.

1. Pyramid- It was a difficult decision to decide who should get the top spot, between “Sun” and “Pyramid,” but the slightly darker lyrics, that guitar riff in the background, the percussion that refuses to settle into mediocrity, and the somber verses switching into the manic chorus. This song brings back beautiful memories of MuteMath. That is as high of a compliment as I can offer, truly.

So,  I am seeing MuteMath on Tuesday, September 18^th, so that means I will be giving a nice little summary of the concert, like I’ve done in the past. The week after that, I will do a post (like I have done for the last two weeks) about my favorite tracks from Minus the Bear’s new album.

                Thank you for reading!

                ~Bellla

I'd Like to Thank Twitter and Pandora For My Music Collection

Hey,

So, I realized it's been a while since I posted about my ever-changing music playlist. Without further ado....

Radioactive by Imagine dragons- If you watched the Olympic opening ceremony and saw the Chicago Fire commercial (I didn’t) or listen to the radio, you’ve probably heard of Imagine Dragons. Their big song right now is “It’s Time,” which I think is a good song, but I am head over heels for “Radioactive.” This song has everything I desire in music: a soft, twinkling guitar intro, equally quiet harmonies in the background, an attention-grabbing percussion section, a powerful vocalist, dark lyrics “this is it/ the apocalypse…/welcome to the new age…/I’m radioactive,” and a song that never quits, going full force right until the last second. One beast of a song. I’m impressed.

Green Grass by I Am Arrows- Pandora is a music lover’s best friend. Without that website, I would not have discovered this song. I know that this song is not exactly “new,” but, it doesn’t matter; it’s still fantastic two years later. The band is a side project of Andy Burrows, the ex-drummer of Razorlight, and I absolutely love it. I admire Andy’s vocal range, the simplistic (yet perfect) lyrics, and the rhythm section is great. Nicely done, dudes. J

Don’t Wake The Lion by Joy Valencia- Again, I really love twitter. Thanks to that helpful resource, I found out about Joy Valencia. This song is very pop-rooted and I could totally imagine this song being played on the radio. It’s crazy catchy and I’ve had the chorus stuck in my head all week. Infectious melodies coupled with poetic lyrics and Joy’s simply amazing voice makes for a great discovery. Super good. J As well, the music video is really cute. Check it out sometime!

Ten Cent Pistol by The Black Keys- I’ve started listening to these guys again. Unfortunately, I did not stay up on their tour schedule and they just came to Iowa, but I found out the day before. Shoot. Nonetheless, these guys make gritty blues relevant again. The guitar lick at the beginning lures the listener in, Dan Auerbach’s vocals never fail to make me fall in love, and of course, Patrick works miracles on his drum set. The right amount of distortion, when down in taste, can really complement a song. I think it’s safe to say The Black Keys have mastered that formula. Sweet.

 The Only Way by Gotye- This song comes from my favorite Gotye album, “Like Drawing Blood,” which is finally available on Spotify, for our listening pleasure. J I like this track because of Gotye’s warbling, distinctive vocals, that percussion (it’s amazing! It completely fits the tone of the song perfectly), the minor key, the various instruments in the background, and it’s slightly jazzy, r &b sound, melded with his omnipresent alternative roots. Great song!

Until next week,

Bella

Beecher's Fault

Hey,
Happy Friday! Granted, for most students like me, Friday is just another day of the week, but if you're working good for you. You survived another week. For me, I'm just happy I survived the heat; it's supposed to be 100 degrees this weekend. But I'm keeping cool, exercising indoors and listening to good music. :)

So, speaking of good music...

I love social media. It goes without saying that social media connects us, brings us together, and introduces us to new people/ new things we might never have found otherwise. I was slow to join twitter. I thought, honestly, I have an e-mail account, Facebook, and a blog. What else do I need? It turns out, I was missing out. In the past, bands tried to reach new ears by way of MySpace and now, they use Twitter. One day when I logged on my account, with my unbearably long e-mail address (thesoundtrackofmylife2012@gmail.com)  I saw I had a new follower. Usually, it’s just like one of my sister’s friends, but it turned out to be a new band I had never heard of (hence the word “new”) called Beecher’s Fault. Curious, I clicked on the link to their Facebook page and listened to their song “Misbehavior.” I am so glad I did.

          These guys are incredible. The band is comprised of three guys from Astoria, New York : vocalist/guitarist Ben Taylor, vocalist/keyboardist Ken Lamken and drummer Eric Levine. Their music boasts many features such as a beautiful indie vibe, some aspects of modern alternative sounds, and an unmistakable sound. When they come on my Spotify playlist I know automatically who it is. They are very distinctive and I like that. I find even in alternative circles that bands tend to get lazy and bang out a boring melody and some mediocre lyrics. Maybe it’s just me, but I like bands that put effort into their sound. With Beecher’s Fault, you never have to doubt that they worked at their music. All of their tender loving care really paid off.

                My favorite songs are Leftover People and Conductor. Leftover People is cool because the piano intro leads into the song perfectly, the drum line fits perfectly, and the overall beautiful simplicity with a touch of chaos. Simplicity and chaos, though they might be antonyms, work well with each other. And Conductor stands out because of the emotional lyrics, simple instrumentation, and the vocals give me goose bumps.

They also have really cool music videos. I especially enjoyed the music video for Liars, which uses shoes to tell a story. Very creative. I loved it. J

So, in the end, I really enjoy their music. I like the polished yet slightly gritty sound. They embody alternative music and I hope nothing but success comes their way.

If you want to connect with these guys, their music is available on iTunes, Spotify, and their website. You can find them on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and their official website.

Here are the links:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/beechers_fault

Website: http://beechersfault.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeechersFault

MySpace:  http://www.myspace.com/beechersfault

YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/beechersfault

If you are in an undiscovered band or if you are a fan on an undiscovered band and would like a review on my blog, please leave a comment, e-mail me, or tweet me at twitter.com/tsoml2012

Until next week,

Bella

5 Music Videos That You Should See

Hey!

This week I am reviewing my top five favorite music videos, at least for right now. J I kid you not, my opinion changes like every day. It’s ridiculous.

So, here we go.

In no particular order…

1.       This head I Hold by Electric Guest- Alright, it’s not exactly a secret that I love this band—I’ve only had two whole posts about them—and I think this music video is a good explanation for “why.”

(for the record, this post refers to their music video with a  running time of 4:28, not the 2:20-something one)

What makes it amazing: the plot. Okay, so Asa, the brunette guy, in case you didn’t know, shows up and it’s like a big audition for something. He’s all like super nervous and stalling and there’s all these rude people who keep pushing him out of the way. Chill people. Seriously. So, he gets out there, panics, and runs. My God, does he ever run.Then, he wanders around the desert, runs into a lady, makes a baby, grows a Little House on the Praire beard (he doesn’t look ½ bad with it either) and eventually runs back to the auditorium to find that it’s time for him to audition and guess what? He can do it! And all the judges applaud. Hooray! As you can see, that is one heck of a plot. Kudos to whoever wrote that. The special effects/or lack thereof: spinning the chair, a magically switching suit, falling forward with a rope, the lazy Susan, plastic arms, the trampoline and others.

 

2.       Prytania by MuteMath

This music video just came out several weeks ago and instantly caught my attention. How could it not with that color scheme? This video is very in your face and not to mention, unforgettable. If any other band tried to do this, I’d probably laugh at them and be like, “Ha, it worked in the 70’s, but now it looks dumb.” Not MuteMath. Those guys can take what seems like an overdone throwback and change it into something cool and current. With the doubling effects, bright lights, making all of the members look like black shadows, and putting as much emphasis on Darren King as possible, MuteMath turns a potential epic fail into an epic win. As well, the fact that these guys made the music video themselves just makes it even better. J

3.       Heart’s A Mess by Gotye

Okay, so Gotye is no one knew, but I’d venture to say his old music is just as good, if not better than his new music. His music videos, for sure, were much more artistic, very organic, and downhome. Not to say I didn’t like “Somebody That I Used to Know.” That was a good music video; they must have spent a fortune on body paint. Wonder if they still have the receipt? Anyways, this song, “Heart’s a Mess” is from Gotye’s second Album Like Drawing Blood. That album was/is a beautiful masterpiece. But, back to the music video. It is essentially animation with Gotye’s face pasted on one of the “people,” (is that what they are??). It sounds trippy, but it’s not. The Animator, Brendan Cook, did a phenomenal job, creating, what I assume to be a futuristic world with dancing robotic people that matches the song’s melancholy tone:  “Your hearts a mess/ You won’t admit to it/ It makes no sense/but I’m desperate to connect/ but you can’t live like this.”

4.       Ready To Go (Get Me Out of My Mind) By Panic! At the Disco

Yes, my least favorite live musicians know how to make cool music videos. It’s funny, Brendon doesn’t know how to control himself when he’s in front of an audience and I leave feeling emotionally used—I’m a teenage girl…I reserve the right to be overly dramatic—but when that side comes out in a music video, through his acting, it works really well.

Thing I hate: nothing.

Thing I love: Brendon’s military jacket (hey, I like fashion too), how hard he is strumming that guitar (he’s trying to kill it. I think. It works. My punctuation sucks.), that “oh” line, that glowing musical note that looks like it came from a Disney movie (it’s like National Treasure, but for legit muscians), how Spencer slowly gets up from his drums (“Oh, boy, another door. Are we ever going to finish practicing?”) rapid costume changes, Brendon’s glasses (so hipster, but so cool), “hey, look, there’s a microphone! Time for band practice,” the backup dancers (um, when they all have time to rehearse if he just found that door), Spencer playing drums in an argyle sweater  (only he could probably pull that off), Alright, yes! Mary Poppins throwback time! (hey, it works), the fact that Brendon looks like the could have played an amazing Bert (the chimney sweeper guy who takes Mary and the kids she was nannying to a world of carousel racing and penguin waiters. Yep, that guy), pretty cool choreography and I don’t usually approve of coreography, the string section,  Brendon’s determined look as he walks towards the cannon (“I’m gonna do this. Yeah. Time to put on my goggles and swim cap.”), Okay, I hate to keep making references to National Treasure, but Spencer looks like Nick Cage holding the torch like that, how it swtiches to animation, the clock that says 9:00 and I’d say it’s fair enough to assume it’s in the afternoon, dancing in the street with umbrellas, yep perfectly normal, I wonder if Spencer just wanted to sit there and drum instead of dance, Well, aren’t we all dapper with our little hat tip, and another music note; is there going to be a sequel?

5.       50 Ways To Say Goodbye by Train

Yes, I understand they are not alternative, by any means, but I saw this music video the other day, and it has forever been cemented in my memory. And here are the ten reasons why:

12. Imagine if Pat Monahan—lead singer—was at a grocery store. I don’t think he would just be left alone to examine his tomatoes. I think every crazy thirty-something woman would be throwing themselves at him. Maybe this is his dream grocery trip.

11. David Hasselhoff is in it. I mean, I know he used to be super big, but now…is this what it’s come to? Believe me, it’s different, but I like it. His appearance in the video kind of gives it a sense of “oh, this is going to go viral in a day or two.” Celebrity appearances have that effect. Not to mention, singing into corn while laughing at the utter stupidity of it should do it as well.

10. The mariachi band. Want to bump up your cool status? Get a mariachi band.

9. That butcher. What an awesome guy. They always look so stiff and unfriendly at my grocery store. Time to switch stores…I mean, it’d be cool if they’d let me high-five my meat before buying it.

8. The storytelling lyrics acted out. Never looking at a tanning machine the same way again. J

7. Every time he tells someone what “happened,” they always look so concerned. That’s cool.

6. That guy with the sign, coupled with Pat’s facial expressions (The “Rack City B*tch” one was hilarious.)

5. Why doesn’t The Grim Reaper shop in Iowa?

4. That old guy. Enough said.

3. The crazy ways his girlfriend “died.” Creative to the max.

2. Pat’s dance moves

1. The kids playing soccer with her “head.”

0. Awkward ending…can’t beat ‘em.

 

That concludes this week’s post. Hope you enjoyed it! If you did (or didn’t, it’s okay, I can take it) comment, e-mail me at thesoundtrackofmylife2012@gmail.com, or tweet me at twitter.com/tsoml2012

Until next week,
Bella

 

I'm NOT A Hipster; I Swear On My Vinyl Records Because MP3s are Too Mainstream

Hey!

before I get to my promised post, I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who is reading my blog. It means the world to me, truly!

Tonight, I would like to explain, on behalf of moderate hipsters everywhere--like myself--what we are trying to say when we--mostly they--make seemingly stupid comments. To clarify, I am not a hipster when it comes to clothes, speech, or who I associate with, but I do share similar ideals when it comes to music. Remember: not a hipster, just agrees with them on music from time to time. :)

For example, I find myself saying this a lot: "Mainstream music sucks."
You're probably thinking "Put a sock in it. This is my jam!" Fine, it can be your "jam," but number one, I don't think anyone has said that since like 1990 and number two, your "jam" maker has no talent. By saying that mainstream music sucks, what I'm saying is that artist has no talent, really, like I just said. If their voice is pumped full of auto-tune, does that mean they are a good singer? Nope. Mainstream music, any more, is dominated by idiotic rappers and "singers" who get high on the love they have for themselves. That's why mainstream music sucks.

Next, I will say "This band should be famous, not that one." That, readers, is jealousy. I am so jealous that bands like Maroon 5--who are a shabby excuse for a band--and The Wanted--can you believe that people consider them a band?--are making millions of dollars each year, selling tickets at ridiculously inflated prices, and have sold so many songs on iTunes, while more talented, "real" bands are making a little money here and there, but if you asked a random person on the street who MuteMath was, they'd probably just stare at you. Ask them who Bieber is, though, and they'd be able to tell you. It's just wrong. Many people--hipsters, maybe--listen to other bands with more talent who deserve the appearances and sponsorships. It's just kind of sad, for us, I suppose. That one is explained by jealousy and sadness.

Then, we say "I liked this song before it was popular." yes, I know everyone has heard someone say this before and you're probably annoyed by it. Let me explain it with a fantastic simile, let's pretend that you love searching for treasure--bear with me here--and you find a huge one, with trillions of dollars in it and you're just super rich and happy and everything. But then, the word gets out about your treasure and pretty soon everyone wants a piece of that treasure and they go back to where you found it and start taking all your money and pretty soon, you only have like, five hundred thousand. You're probably pretty sad at this point. Okay, get it? No? I'll explain. the treasure is the music, the people stealing the treasure are the dopes who are too lazy to find the music on their own and bum off your discovery and then claim it for themselves. Understand now? here's another way to look at it: I'll give you an example from my own life. "We Are Young" by Fun. is an incredible song and I discovered it because I have been a huge Fun. fan for the last year or so and I downloaded it back in September or so and loved it. I showed it to a friend of mine who loved it just as much, though for different reasons--I was drawn to the drum patterns and Nate's vocal range while she liked how sing-along-ready it was--and then a couple of months went by and BOOM! That song was huge. I had to transition from learning the lyrics on my own--most lyric websites do not post new lyrics very quickly, especially from alt/indie bands--to reading every 12 year old with a YOLO agenda posting the lyrics every hour. I get it, kids, it's really exciting to be 12 when you can't drive, drink, or smoke. How I envy you. Not. Anyways, that's why I like songs before they reach massive success.

Finally, I sometimes will say "I liked this band before they got big." You're probably shaking your head, thinking, "didn't you just say you wanted some of your alt bands to blow up?" Not really. I want my bands to have the type of success that Linkin Park or bands similar to them have had, success where they do not change their sound. Mainstream success often leads to some fancy producer or manager or greed taking over and trying to change the band. they land on the cover of magazines, start relying on a computer to do all the musical heavy lifting for them, and/or change their style completely. That only hurts their fans, the people who followed them when they had 50 Likes on Facebook, the people who went to their concerts, and bought their tee-shirts. But, when it comes to money and fame, they tend to forget that. And that is terribly unfortunate. I wish bands would stick up for themselves more often and stick with what works. Sadly, these producers/managers/greed will want them to change their stuff so that it is more appealing to 12 year old girls and 21-year-old party freaks. That's stupidity, in its finest form.


Next week, I will post about different bands/singers/people I've found on YouTube, all music related, though. :)

Until next week,
Bella

Twitter Account

This has absolutely nothing to do with music, but I wanted to give a quick update.
You may have noticed that the blog looks a little different. I added a swanky new banner and background. Just trying to freshen things up a bit. As well, I caved, big-time and I got a Twitter. This way I can talk with my readers and hopefully tweet at various musicians, etc.
So, follow me!
https://twitter.com/#!/tsoml2012