Blog #14: The Strokes

The Strokes are an American indie rock band. The Strokes are my favorite band of all time, I think that their music is great, and basically unbeatable. Each song has such a good song, and they really brought back punk rock to the modern age. The Strokes have a lot of the artists that I used for other blogs in them. Their lead guitarist is Albert Hammond Jr., the lead singer is Julian Casablancas, and of Little Joy their drummer is Fabrizio Moretti. However, their solo work were all side projects, they were all a part of The Strokes first. In the band’s history they have put out four albums, Is This It, Room on Fire, First Impressions of Earth, and their last and most recent, Angles. Of these four, Is This It is definitely my favorite it just has the biggest selection of great songs. Angles would probably be my least favorite album, mostly because it just has the smallest selection of songs that I like, and it was a disappointment in my opinion. My second favorite is Room on Fire, and third favorite is First Impressions of Earth. One of the biggest things I have to thank my dad for is listening to such good music. If you’ve read my other blogs, then you know that a lot of the music I listen to is thanks to my dad. I’ve known who The Strokes are for a long time, but I didn’t always love them. In fact, it was only about year ago, around the time Angles was coming out that I started listening to them a lot. I’m not sure what the first song I heard by them was, it might have been Last Nite, but I might be completely wrong. Last year when I started to get into them it was because my brother kept listening to the song Under Cover of Darkness, which had been released as a single before the album Angles did. Basically, my dad bought their first album and loved it, and he continued to listen to their music. Then my brother liked them, and he influenced me to listen to them. Finally, around a year ago, I was out to dinner and kept playing the beat of Under Cover of Darkness on the table, and singing it.

My favorite thing about The Strokes is that they’re so good, but most of what they do comes off of effortless. I like the irony of The Strokes’ songs, and that they have double meanings. My brother described it as, “they are what they’re not.” I agree with him because I think that when you first listen to the songs you think that they’re just apathetic, and not caring, but then when you actually pay attention it you realize that they’re all pretty deep, and emotional. I find this to be very interesting about their music. I think that they have really good catchy rock songs, and kind of redefined rock. The long list of my favorite songs by The Strokes goes like this: Is this it, Barely Legal, Someday, Last Nite, Hard to Explain, The Modern Age, Soma, and Alone Together. Then off of Room on Fire: Repitilia, The End Has No End, You Talk Way Too Much, 12:51, and Meet Me in the Bathroom. Then from First Impressions of Earth: You Only Live Once, Heart in a Cage, and On the Other Side. Finally, off of the Angles album: Under Cover of Darkness, and Taken for a Fool. One of my favorite songs by them was called New York City Cops, but because of sympathy towards 9/11, it didn’t come out on the Is This it album. I think this song is so good because it is a very punk song. It keeps itself going, and I like the fact that it is just rebellious. I like Is This it because it’s such a relaxed song that makes me feel good. It is also a very catchy song, and I like that it reflects his opinions in it. I like Hard to Explain because it tries to say that we are all different even though people would like to think we’re the same. I think it also tries to tell you to be yourself, and not try to blend in with the rest of the world, because it won’t work anyway. It also has a great tune, and is very catchy to me. I like how the chorus takes on a different tune than the rest of the song. I like The End Has no End because it speaks in such a great way, and is very catchy. I think that when he says, “two steps forward and two steps back” it signifies that you’ll l never be able to just keep going, and there won’t be a true end.  I also like when he sings the chorus the second time because he starts to sing it with different rhythm than he previously had. I like the song You Talk Way Too Much because it just kind of is an example of something that you always want to say, but it’s not okay to say it. Just like when he says “it’s only the end, you’re not supposed to say that.” That’s just another example of something that isn’t okay to say in our society. I like On the Other Side because it starts off kind of sad, but then it gets happier. I relate to the feeling of being sick of everyone around you, and not wanting to have to deal with them anymore. Then at another point he says, “I’m tired of being so judgmental of everyone.” I think that in my life I’ve made myself try hard not to care so much about what other people do, and judge people so harshly. By the end of the song instead of in the chorus saying, “Nobody’s waiting for me on the other side,” he says, “I know what’s waiting for me on the other side.” I think that he’s basically adjusting to what will come next in his life, even if it’s not something that he wants. I think this is relatable because I have to just openly embrace the future instead of runaway from it. I like the song Heart in a Cage because it is one of those songs that when you listen to it harder you realize it’s kind of deep. This song makes me a little sad, but that’s okay because it’s a great song. In the song I think that it’s saying that he’s so used to being sad, and being expected to deal with it. However, he can’t because he just isn’t how he wants to be when he’s sad. The second verse is partly I think about how people think they can relate to your feelings, but they really can’t because they don’t understand you at all. I like the song Under Cover of Darkness because it is so catchy, and you can tell that it wasn’t an easy song to make, just because there is so much going on in it. I think this song is another about how he is kind of sick of the world that he’s used to, and doesn’t want to live in it anymore. I relate to it for that reason, and also because he just kind of wants somebody to know that he’d do anything for them. He would wait as long as they would wait too, but I think he wants them to know that if they won’t do what he would, then they’re not worth his time. All these songs are truly great, and all have great things about them. I think that they all are very catchy. I love The Strokes so much, and they are my favorite band. Without them, I don’t know how I would have gotten through my sad times. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. I hope you have enjoyed all the music I have posted about.

New York City Cops

Is This it

Under Cover of Darkness

On the Other Side

Hard to Explain

Someday

The End Has No End

The Modern Age

Heart in a Cage

Blog #13: Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is an American Folk Rock singer and songwriter. He’s one of my favorite artists because he has influenced generations of music after him. I also wasn’t aware for a long time just how talented he was, but I now know he is extremely gifted. Bob Dylan isn’t just one of the best Folk Rockers of all time, but he is also a painter, and a very good one. The amount of awards that Dylan has won is astonishing, and the different kinds are also surprising. He has won an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe for best original song. He has had six songs inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and has won eleven of the twelve Grammy awards he was nominated for. Bob has won Album of the Year three different times, Best Contemporary Folk Album twice, and lifetime achievement award. In 1988 Bob Dylan was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and had five of his songs be honored in 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll. Clearly just from knowing that you would have to say that he must be very impressive. However, I didn’t know any of these things when I first heard him, but that didn’t matter because I still loved his music. Bob Dylan has released several albums. The first time that I heard his music, or at least the first time I remember hearing it was when I saw the movie Watchmen. The movie starts off with a fight, and then it goes into a sort of credit thing where it shows what has happened over the years.  While this is going on the song The Times They Are a Changin is playing in the background to show how much things have changed. This was the first song I heard by him, and it’s amongst my favorites.

My favorite thing about Bob Dylan is that his music uses instruments that are so simple, and his music still sounds so different and unique. Other than his music I don’t really listen to music that has harmonicas in them. I sometimes find them to be a little annoying, but something about them in his music sounds so good. My favorite songs by him are The Times They Are a Changin, Knockin on Heaven's Door, and All Along the Watchtower. Knockin on Heaven's Door is such a relaxed, but great song. It sounds like a song that comes from the soul, and it almost is like accepting that your time is up. In a kind of weird way this song is my image of growing old, dying, and that feeling of almost being able to knock on Heaven’s door. In the song he’s taking off the badge, and accepting that his time of being strong is over. I feel like if my death comes from old age, then I will remember this song, because I’ll feel tired and ready for what’s next. I like the song The Times They Are a Changin because it’s a very laid back and original song. This is where my admiration for the way he used the harmonica comes in, this is mostly because it just sounds so perfect with the song. The song is slow and soft, so to have the harmonica chime in at parts just adds to that effect. This song is also very appealing because it sounds so good to me. One of the best things about this song though is the message. The message is that times will continue to change no matter what, and there is no sense in trying to stop it because it must happen.  In the song he says, “Come senators, congressmen. Please heed the call. Don't stand in the doorway. Don't block up the hall. For he that gets hurt, Will be he who has stalled. There's a battle outside. And it is ragin'. It'll soon shake your windows. And rattle your walls. For the times they are a-changin'.” I like this verse because it’s like if you try and stop the change you’ll get hurt. When he says, “There’s a battle outside. And it is ragin’. It’ll soon shake you windows, and rattle your walls…” I think the battle is supposed to symbolize change, and that the change will come for you. Then you will have no choice except to embrace the changes that lie ahead, because it’s already right in front of you. Another line is, “…don’t criticize what you don’t understand,” I think this line speaks to the fact that most people don’t fully understand the change that comes ahead, and you shouldn’t criticize it if you don’t. The overall message is that the times are changing, and you have to embrace it instead of fight it. Bob Dylan is one of my favorite artists, and I think that you will find great joy in his music too. I believe that he is and inspiring artist, and that he will continue to inspire many generations of music. Hopefully, you will see what I see in his music too.

The Times They Are a Changin

Knockin on Heaven's Door

All Along the Watchtower-performed by Jimi Hendrix

Blog #12: Arctic Monkeys

The Arctic Monkeys are an indie rock band from England. Since their origin in 2002 they have put out four albums. They are called Whatever People Say I Am, That’s what I’m Not, Favourite Worst Nightmare, Humbug, and Suck it and See. Their first album became the fastest selling debut in album in British History, and remains the fastest selling album for a band in British history. The Arctic Monkeys are considered to be one of the first bands to get attention from the internet. This was a big deal, because most people thought that it would change the way new bands would promote themselves and market. I first heard The Arctic Monkeys because my dad liked them. He bought their music, and I would listen to it with him. Now, five years later, I’ve realized how great The Arctic Monkeys are. The thing that probably got me to listen to them again was that my brother kept talking about how good they were, and I would deny it. Eventually, I realized that I loved them. I think that I always liked the song I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor, but I never really listened to it enough.

My favorite thing about Arctic Monkeys is that their music is fast, original, exciting, and amazing. The songs all very, and they don’t sound the same. The way the songs are written is just amazing. My favorite songs are I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Brianstorm, Fluorescent Adolecent, and Cornerstone. I like I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor because it’s one of the songs that is fast, but still has a lot to it. It sounds great to me, and I like that it has so many different parts to it. One of my favorite parts is the ending of the intro to the song when it goes into a little mini solo. I like Brianstorm because it sounds more like a poem than most songs.  It goes fast and keeps itself going. I like how the song at some parts kind of takes itself apart. What I mean by this is that it will do something, and then it will go simpler, and simpler. I also like the title of it because it just sounds like how an English person would say brainstorm. I like Cornerstone because it doesn’t sound like all their other music. It’s slowed down and it goes simpler. I can relate to the feeling of seeing somebody who reminds you so much of someone you love. I know that I have definitely made the mistake of calling somebody by the wrong name, because they remind me so much of someone else. I think that this is because for just a few moments you wish you could be with that person, only so that you could feel happy. I’m not sure which of these songs is my favorite, but I know that it is between I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor, and Brianstorm. I think these appeal to me the most not because I’m able to form a connection with them, but just because they sound good to me. I like the fact that they’re fast paced, and have so much different stuff going on in them. I like that they are a good punk band that can keep themselves alive outside of the punk era. This is why Arctic Monkeys along with a lot of the other music I listen to is referred to as post-punk revival. I really like Arctic Monkeys, and I hope that you find the same satisfaction in their songs that I do.

Brianstorm

Cornerstone

I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor

Blog #11: Albert Hammond Jr.

Albert Hammond Jr. is an American rock musician. He is the rhythm and sometimes lead guitarist in my favorite band, The Strokes. Along with the lead singer Julian Casablancas, Albert has written some of The Strokes songs. In 2006, Albert Hammond Jr. put out his first album Yours to Keep, and then his second album in 2008, Como Te Llama? Out of these two albums I like Yours to Keep more, the reason being it just has more songs on it that I like it. The only bad thing about writing this blog is that I haven’t been listening to his solo stuff for very long and I haven’t really listened to all of it. The reason I know about his solo work is because my brother had me listen to it. My brother and I both love The Strokes, so that’s how we know about Albert Hammond Jr. It wasn’t any more than two months ago when I first started listening to his music. The first song I heard by him was In Transit, and that is still my most favorite song by him.

My favorite thing about his music is that it sounds so good to me. Basically all of his work is original, and it just has so much going on. I love the way the instruments he uses sound. He uses a synthesizer in a lot of his songs, and I love the way it sounds for some reason. It sounds kind of like a harmonica, but not really. My favorite songs by him are In Transit, 101, Hard to Live in the City, and Everyone Gets a Star. My favorite thing about 101 is the guitar riffs in it, they sound so catchy. My favorite one is the one that opens the song, and the one that is in the chorus. Everyone Gets a Star appeals to me because it’s just a good song. It’s slow and simple, yet it is still amazing. The chorus in the song just sounds so good to me. The instruments all get put together and sound amazing, and then when he comes in with the synthesizer it gets better. My favorite line in this song is, “Today, you came, now go, away.” My favorite song though, is In Transit. This song has such a positive message, and was put together so well. In the song’s first verse it says, “Free, from the world. I’m not gonna change, ‘til I want to.” I like this line because it’s just relatable, the feeling of not caring what people think, and not wanting to change unless you’re doing it for yourself. The want to be free from the judgment of the world is so normal too. The main thing about his music though isn’t as much the lyrics as it is the instruments in the background. It isn’t just the same four chords going the whole time, or your typical instruments. He incorporates things that aren’t heard as much, and he makes it sound good. His music makes me appreciate every little thing that goes on in the background of songs. I love these songs, and I hope you like it just as much as I do.

In Transit

101

Blog # 10: Drugs, Alcohol, and Music

If you aren’t a complete idiot, then you know that the majority of musical artists around have at one point, or another done drugs. If you listen to “popular” music these days, then you have to realize that more than fifty percent of it is about sex or drugs. I read a brief article about a book called Everybody Must Get Stoned: Rock Stars on Drugs, this article sums up a few of the points that the book makes. Most of it being, nearly all artists have or still do drugs, I always knew this before, but to read a couple of articles about it was kind of interesting. In this article it quotes the book saying that, “Lots of good music has been made by people on heroin.” I know that the music that I listen to was probably made while some musician was high, and I embrace that because I realize that the music most likely wouldn’t have been as good if they were sober. I have no problem with people doing drugs, but when it comes to musicians doing drugs, I just expect it.

 In today’s culture, the rappers that are famous are all high, and their songs are all about how they love to smoke weed. I hope you don’t think that I like that, because if you did you would be wrong. Musicians who do drugs so that they can be more creative with the music that they make, and see a whole new side to things is better than musicians who just worship drugs. Most articles suggest that musicians don’t just do drugs to make better music, but also to relieve stress. Kurt Cobain was a very famous grunge artist who was from the band Nirvana. When they became famous he realized he didn’t quite like it. He thought his music was misinterpreted, and that caused him stress. Cobain went to drugs to relieve his difficulties, but because he was stressed out by his fame, he commit suicide. This relates to one of the quotes from the same book which was, “Conversely, lots of good musicians have stopped making music (as well as breathing) because they took heroin." I feel bad for musicians like this, but at the same time I know it’s their fault. One of my favorite rap groups is Atmosphere, I like them because they don’t rap about what a typical hip-hop artist does. One of my favorite songs by them is F*ck You Lucy, Lucy is a theoretical person who represents alcohol. This song is a great song that has a good message, basically don’t let alcohol infect your life like the singer did, this could be said as well for drugs.

In musical culture drugs and alcohol are nearly impossible to get away from. The reason so much music is about them is because so many musicians use drugs and alcohol. I can’t say that I’m disappointed in the musicians who let these things destroy their lives, because they made their impacts on the world, and that can’t be taken away from them. I won’t say that drugs and alcohol are wrong, because who am I to say that? It’s your own choice, and your own life. I personally love many artists who have done these things, and when some of their songs are about drugs. I hope that you wouldn't judge a musician by their public problems, before listening to their work. Below is the link to the short article I read, and a couple of songs influenced by drugs/alcohol. I am going to end this post with a quote from the book Everybody Must Get Stoned: Rock Stars on Drugs that made me laugh, “It's not my intention to encourage or discourage consenting adults to use mind-altering drugs.... Have fun with this book, but not too much fun, unless you want to end up like that doper Paul McCartney—a healthy, vital, talented billionaire who was knighted by the Queen of England.”

http://reason.com/archives/2009/05/13/everybody-must-get-stoned-rock

F*ck You Lucy-Atmosphere

Cocaine-Eric Clapton

Marijuana-Kid Cudi

Blog #9: Kanye West

One of my favorite rap artists nowadays is Kanye West. There is something about him that makes me love him and his music so much. The fact that he isn’t like every other rap artist these days makes him good. In Kanye’s career as an artist he has put out five solo albums, The College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, 808’s and Heartbreak, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and lastly, his collaborative album with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne. I think that each one of these albums is good. I think the fact that Kanye West was a producer before he started to make his own music helped him a lot. I can’t honestly say that I remember when I first heard Kanye, or how I was introduced to his music. When I first heard it I probably didn’t like it, but years after I’ve realized that he is a truly good artist, and deserves a lot of recognition.

My favorite thing about Kanye’s music is that it doesn’t sound like everybody else’s, when he samples songs he doesn’t just do one type of music for it. In fact he has sampled more than ten different genres of music. Earlier I said that I think his experience as a music producer helped him to make good music later on in his life. I think this because it gave him more grounds to be creative, and learn how to make good, catchy songs. There are several songs that I love by Kanye, so I will try to narrow it down. Some of my favorites by him include Touch the Sky, Can’t Tell Me Nothing, Power, Good Morning, and Jesus Walks. All of these songs appeal to me in their own little way, and are all just very catchy. I like Touch the Sky because of the message it sends, it’s just simple, you can basically do whatever you want. All you have to do is put your mind to it, and you can make your dreams come true. I like the song Power because it just gets me kind of excited, a lot of his songs have this effect on me. They just get me pumped up, and I like it. I like this song just because it sounds so good when I listen to it; it just flows together so nicely. Off of his collaborative album Watch the Throne, my favorite songs are No Church in the Wild, Otis, and That’s My Bitch. No Church in the Wild is one of the songs that get me going, it pumps me up, and it gets me started. I think that it’s just a great song that is catchy, and speaks well. I like Otis because it’s just a good rap song, it seems more like a 90s’ sort of rap song. I think this just because of the fashion that it is in, where it’s two guys just kind of passing off between verses. My favorite line in this song is in one of Kanye’s parts where he says, “Luxury rap, the Hermes of verses. Sophisticated ignorance, write my curses in cursive.” This line just sounds so cool to me, and is probably his best line on the entire album. It’s tough for me to describe why I like rap songs, it just has to do with whether it’s catchy, has a good message, fun, or just amazing. I hope I did a good job in convincing you to listen to his music. If you listen to his music you’ll realize he is a little ignorant, and self-obsessed, but rightfully so. I think that all of that adds to his music and makes it better, the fact that he can rap about it makes it cool. I hope you will enjoy Kanye West’s music just as much as I do.

Good Morning

Otis

No Church in the Wild

Blog #8: If you can get it for free, why pay for it?

I believe that the SOPA movement is wrong, and isn’t necessary. There are some things that I take into consideration when I think about what SOPA is trying to have done, and I think that it might not be that bad. However, overall I’m against what they want. I like going on the internet and listening to music, a site that I might do that on is Youtube. If the SOPA movement is passed, I wouldn’t be able to do that. At the end of the day, it winds up being stupid, mostly because musical groups have contracts with Youtube, and are paid for how good their music does. Another site that would most likely wind up shut down would be Fandango. This is even stupider, because when I go on this site it is because I want to see when a movie will be playing, if I’m looking at show times it is because I want to pay to see a movie. Then that money will be distributed with the company that made the movie I’m seeing. Sites like these shouldn’t be shut down, as a country we need to continue to change from generation to generation, and make things easier on ourselves. If we begin to shut down sites like these, then we will strip ourselves of whatever revolutionary elements we have added to our lives to make them easier. Another site that I see would be shut down is Twitter, while I don’t care for Twitter I do think that it’s is stupid for it to be shut down. It would be shut down because many tweets would have relation to things that have already been copyrighted by others. I think this is dumb because lots of people are influenced by things that famous people do. If a teenage girl is following her celebrity crush on Twitter, and he tweets that he just watched a movie and loved it. Then that girl will most likely be stupid enough to go and out make sure she sees that movie just because the man she dreams about “loved” it. Now you see how this would be something that would help people trying to sell their ideas. Now, if you go further and think about somebody who has millions of followers on Twitter, then millions of those followers will go and out and possibly pay for that movie. I hope you see my side of the fight that what SOPA is doing is wrong, however I do understand partially why they’re right.

I think about the tons and tons of people who make music, and that is their job so they need to make money from it. I wonder sometimes how people are still able to make a living out of being a musician. More than half the people listening to their music won’t buy their whole album, and more than half the people listening to their music might not even pay to hear it. I’m not just talking about listening to it on Youtube, but also downloading music off the internet for free. If you can get it for free, why pay for it? I think about my own personal life, and I think about how if I were a musician how angry I would be that people are basically stealing my music. I've come to the conclusion that you shouldn't steal people's music, even if you don't view it as stealing. I’ve downloaded music off the internet, and I feel bad when I do it. Even if it’s somebody who doesn’t “need” those fifty cents they’re going to get from Itunes, I still feel bad. In my thoughts it went how do people still have albums going platinum? Then it became how do people still make a living off of music? I hope you will think about these things next time you listen to a song on Youtube, or download a song off of the internet. I’ve made up my mind about whose side I’m on in this fight. I’m not saying that you should never listen to a song on Youtube, or ever download a song off of the internet. I personally don’t care what other people do. All I’m saying is that before you decide that SOPA is stupid, try and think about both sides of the fight.

Blog #7: Little Joy

Little Joy is a rock band that was formed in 2007. It was formed by the drummer from The Strokes Fabrizio Moretti, and two other people. They’re also one of my favorite bands, for many reasons including that their music is just happy. They have only put out one album in their history as a band, seeing as they are both in other musical groups. I started listening to Little Joy because my brother showed me some of their stuff, and it just naturally appealed to me. I didn’t start listening to them right away though, for a little while I forgot about them. It was then that my brother and I were talking to my aunt, and we started talking about music. He brought up Little Joy, and she knew who they were, and I then remembered how much I had liked their music. The first song that I heard by them was The Next Time Around, this song is still one of my favorites by them. It was about the middle of the summer when he showed them to me, and anytime that I was feeling a little down, I would just listen to some of their music.

My favorite thing about Little Joy is that their music is so happy, and easy to listen to. Listening to their music can be very uplifting for me. When I listen to their music I have never gotten sad, or just felt a little negative which is nice. My two favorite songs by them are The Next Time Around and Don’t Watch Me Dancing. I love The Next Time Around because it’s a very happy song. I don’t even need the lyrics for the song to make me happy, just the Mexican guitar in it sounds so cheerful. One of my favorite parts in the song is when they start singing in Portuguese, now I know what you’re thinking, most likely that I’m stupid. I used to hate listening to music that was in a different language, I just didn’t get how it was appealing, especially since you don’t know what they’re saying. However, it took this song for me to not mind it as much, I think I just love the girl’s voice who starts singing, and then when Fabrizio starts singing too. Just the contrast of their voices going together sounds so pretty and I love it. It took a little while for me to start liking Don’t Watch Me Dancing just because it’s a very slow song. I wasn’t used to music like that when I first heard it, but I gave it a chance, and I eventually started to like it. I have realized that one of my favorite things about the song is that it is so slow, and quiet, yet it still is able to carry itself without being boring. I also really like the woman in the group’s voice, it is very soft and elegant. Once again this song is uplifting just like their other stuff. Although I like The Next Time Around the most, Don’t Watch Me Dancing is still a good song. If you’re looking for some happy music, then listen to the songs posted below. Hopefully you find it as easy and pleasing to listen to Little Joy as I do.

The Next Time Around

Don't Watch Me Dancing

Blog # 6: Hunter talk, with Hunter Griffin, special guest: The Beatles

Me: Good evening ladies and gentleman, I am your host Hunter Griffin. What a show we have for you tonight! The Beatles are here for an exclusive interview! Yes, that is right! George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr are in the building. Without further ado, let’s welcome The Beatles.

The Beatles: Good evening, thank you for having us on your show tonight.

Me: Don’t mention it! You’re doing me a favor! Especially John and George, I appreciate that on your one week to come back from the dead, you decided to come to my show.

John: I wouldn’t be anywhere else Hunter!

George: Me too!

Me: Ah, I do appreciate that George, after all you are my favorite Beatle.

George: Thank you.

Me: Anyway, I have a few questions if you don’t mind.

The Beatles: No, not at all.

Me: Good, so being one of the greatest bands in history, who were your greatest influences?

John: Without a doubt, Elvis Presley. The way I see it, if there wasn’t Elvis, there would be no Beatles.

Paul: Other than Elvis, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, and Chuck Berry were big influences. Before we were famous, we used to cover there songs.

Me: Wow, and what an influence they did have. Do you guys enjoy knowing that you’re one of the greatest influences in music history?

Paul: Yeah, I suppose it’s pretty damn cool.

Me: I would have to agree, do you mind that lots of people use basically the same tune, chords, and rhythm on their songs that you guys did on your songs?

John: Not really, the fact that we have inspired generations, upon generations of music is cool. As a co-songwriter, I don’t mind it at all.

Paul: Neither do I. I completely agree with John.

Me: Well that is quite nice of you, I have always wondered that. What are your guys thoughts on the movie Across the Universe?

John: We all loved it! We were actually talking about it earlier, we just think it is so cool that we inspired an entire movie!

Me: Well, I'd have to agree. I for one loved the movie. Now John, this question is actually for you. What the hell was going through your head when you wrote Imagine?

John: I think it’s a good song, and it has a good message.

Me: Maybe it has a good message, but I don’t think you understand how annoying it is to have to hear that song at school, all the time.

John: Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t believe it’s a bad song.

Me: Well, I guess I can’t stay mad at you for it. After all, you did write amazing songs before that. Do you guys have any questions for me?

Paul: Well yes, we were actually wondering what your favorite songs by us are.

Me: Well Across the Universe, I just think it’s such a good song. It really touches me for some reason. It also seems like your guys’ saddest song. I like I’ve Just Seen a face, Something, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Revolution, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, A Hard Day’s Night, , and many more. I’m sorry, but there are just too many to name.

The Beatles: Well thank you for the compliments!

Me: Don’t mention it! Well I’m afraid we’re out of time, so thank you for stopping by, and I hope you have a great week!

The Beatles: Thank you Hunter, we hope you have a good week too!

Across the Universe

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Artist #5: Bon Iver

Bon Iver is an indie folk band. In French, Bon Iver means good winter.  The band was founded by Justin Vernon who is the lead singer, and writes all the songs for the band. They are one of my favorite bands, aside from The Strokes. I actually have an ongoing debate with myself to decide which band I like better, Bon Iver or The Strokes, it is still undecided. In the band’s history they have come out with two albums. The first one is called For Emma, Forever Ago, and the second is called Bon Iver. If you don’t think that you know who they are, you might’ve heard songs with them in it. He was in the song Monster, by Kanye West, and off of the Watch the Throne album with Jay-Z, the song That’s My Bitch. I like both of these songs, but I like That’s My Bitch the most. I discovered this band by watching The Colbert Report. Back towards the beginning of the summer, Justin Vernon was on the show promoting the new album. Justin and Steven Colbert talked for a little, and then later he performed. When I first heard them, I wasn’t sure if I liked them. Their sound was so different and amazing. They have such a unique sound, and it was unlike anything I had ever heard. During the interview, I learned the story behind the band. Before they had put out their first album, and it was just Justin Vernon, he got sick. Since he didn’t have healthcare, and needed to be away from everyone, he went to his father’s cabin in Wisconsin. It was there that he wrote the entire first album, it is a pretty interesting story. Anyway, by the time the performance had ended, I had made up my mind. Since then, I have loved Bon Iver for their amazing music, and original sound.

My favorite thing about Bon Iver is their sound. They don’t sound like anybody else, and Justin Vernon’s voice is amazing. Their two albums are very different though, For Emma, Forever Ago is basically a guitar and Justin Vernon. Where Bon Iver is several different instruments, several different harmonies, but both albums are still great. My favorite songs off their first album are For Emma, and Skinny Love. For Emma is a very relaxed song. I like this about his first album, they’re all fairly relaxed songs. It has a good catchy tune, and his voice is good, as usual. Skinny Love is an amazing song, the guitar in it is phenomenal, and I like the lyrics. The song is basically about his and a girl’s love wasting away. “Skinny Love” refers to the love that is growing smaller. In a line in the song it says, “Come on, skinny love just last the year, pour a little salt, we were never here." Salt helps to heal things, so I think it means he wants to heal his love with a girl, and if they got past the year they’d be fine. Skinny Love is my favorite of these two songs. On the newer album, Bon Iver, my favorite songs are Holocene and Calgary. Holocene goes a little simpler than most of the album, the main instrument is a guitar, and it doesn’t have that many random instruments in it. However, there are still little things going on in the background that I like, it takes a little to pick up on it, but once you realize it you appreciate it. Calgary is a very catchy song. There is just something so hard to explain about Bon Iver’s songs, they’re so good, but they’re hard to explain. They sound magnificent, and the lyrics make you feel good. I like the meaning of the song Calgary though, in an interview Justin Vernon explained it, "Having never been to Calgary, you tend to beautify it or put it into some form in your mind. When I think of Calgary, I think of an isolated capital city. I think about the Rockies. I think about high places. I've always sort of dreamt about it. So Calgary became this place that true love comes from." It has a deep, and beatiful meaning to me, and if I hadn’t read this, I probably would’ve never understood it. This is why song comprehension is so important to me, if you don’t understand a song, then you don’t understand the music. Calgary is definitely my favorite song by Bon Iver. It just sounds the best to me, I can’t explain why, so I won’t try to. I think that you should listen to the songs below and formulate your own opinion. I love Bon Iver, and I hope you will too.

Calgary

Skinny Love

Artist #4 Julian Casablancas

Julian Casablancas is the singer, and songwriter in the band, The Strokes. In between albums, Julian put out a solo album called Phrazes for the Young. He is one of my favorite people in music, mostly because The Strokes are my favorite band. The music on his solo album is like alternative, rock, electronica, and new wave. Some of this album winds up being too weird to appeal to me, but some of the songs are right in between and wind up sounding amazing. If you’re not quite sure who The Strokes are, don’t worry, you probably still know Julian Casablancas. If you’re like me, and you watched Saturday Night Live before it started getting horrible, then you might know the song Boombox. Well there are two people in that video who sing, Andy Samberg, and the other guy is Julian Casablancas. Now that you hopefully know who he is, we can move on. It is pretty simple how I learned about Julian Casablancas, I listened to The Strokes a lot, and soon enough I listened to Julian’s solo work. The first solo song I had heard by him was 11^th Dimension, which is still one of my favorite songs by him.

The thing I love most about Julian Casablancas is that he is awesome. The thing I love most about his music is that there is so much different stuff going on in the background. His music is so creative and well put together. When I listen to it I’m just amazed, he doesn’t play the same beat the whole time, and he changes keys constantly. There are four songs by Julian that stand out for me, 11^th Dimension, Glass, Out of the Blue, and I’ll Try Anything Once. 11^th Dimension is a very happy song to listen to for me. The rhythm seems so happy, and you can tell by the way that he’s singing that he’s happy too. When I listen to this song I feel confident, and happy. This song is a good example of when there is so much going on in the background. I also like the little techno solos there are in it. Glass doesn’t really make me feel like anything, it’s just fun to listen to. This song also is an example of when there is a lot going on, and when the beat doesn’t stay the same the whole song. The song Out of the Blue starts off with a little beat, it almost reminds me of rain drops. Then it goes into something completely different which I love. It’s almost like energetic, and like he can’t keep doing the same thing because it’s boring. Julian makes a stab at songwriters, and basically says that all they ever do is tell how they’re feeling at different times. This is pretty cool because he includes himself with them. I’ll Try Anything Once is actually just the B side of You Only Live Once, which is a song by The Strokes. This just means is that it is played in a different key. I like this version of the song more than I like the actual song, just because it sounds good to me. I like it because it just kind of says you could do this, or do this. It’s not a complicated song at all it just gets to the point. Julian shows his views basically, and I like when songwriters do that. I’m not sure which of these songs is my favorite, I love them all. Sometimes I’d rather listen to one or the other, but then I realize they’re all good. There is something I love about Julian’s voice so much I’m not sure what it is, but it just comes off so appealing to me. Sometimes it seems like he doesn’t have that much range, but then you listen some more and realize that his voice is truly tremendous. This is all why Julian Casablancas is one of my favorite songwriters. Whether it is for The Strokes, or his solo work, he is always able to write amazing songs with originality.

I'll Try Anything Once

11th Dimension

Artist #3 Death Cab for Cutie

Death Cab for Cutie is an alternative rock band, and a fairly good one. The band has put out seven albums to date, even though they’re not all horrible, they aren’t all great either. However, one album stands out, this album is called Plans. Death Cab for Cutie is one of those bands that puts out a really amazing album, and then after that burns out. While there are still songs on their newer, and older albums that seem like they could have been on Plans. It’s usually only one or two songs out of probably fourteen. The first time I heard Death Cab for Cutie was once again because of my dad. He bought the album, and whenever I was in the car with him, I would hear it. It took me until around a year ago to realize that the same songs had stuck in my head for a few years. It was amazing to listen to their music again, and hear something that I had once loved, and once again did. After that, I can go in and out of fazes of listening to their music a lot, then not listening to it, but then I do again and I remember why I love it so much.

The things I love about Death Cab for Cutie are that the lyrics are so good, and his voice sounds so good with the instruments. I love that basically all it takes to play one of their songs is a guitar, and yet it comes out sounding great. All of my favorite songs by them come off of their 2005 album, Plans. The songs I chose are Crooked Teeth, Someday You Will Be Loved, Soul Meets Body, and I Will Follow You into the Dark. Someday You Will Be Loved, which is played with the same melody as House of the Rising Sun by The Animals. I like this song because it seems so dark, and is very catchy. It almost seems like it could be in an old horror movie. I think that Soul Meets Body is such a happy and once again catchy song. When I listen to it, it makes me feel good. I like I Will Follow you into the Dark, not because it is my dream to have it sung to me, but because it is an extremely powerful song. It makes me feel good, and is a very romantic song that isn’t just telling a girl how pretty she is. Instead, it takes more of an approach about him wanting to be with her. One of the special things about this song is that when I listen to it I understand exactly what is going on, at every part of the song. When I know what is going on it is much easier to appreciate the genius behind the song. Lastly, and most likely my favorite song by them is Crooked Teeth. This song is remarkable for so many reasons, it was very well written, and put together greatly. One of the lines that I feel like I can relate to in the song is, “I’d build you a hole in my heart, made of rotting wood, made to cave from the start.” I think this line means that he would basically let a girl into his heart, yet he would know that at any moment it would all collapse. I think this line is relatable because I get what he means with this line. Because I know sometimes that I do things, and let certain things into my life. Even though I know it will wind up backfiring, and hurting me. This is one of the many reasons this song is so incredible to me. The song is catchy, and I can’t help instantly loving it every time I hear it. Hopefully, if you wind up listening to this band, you will listen to some of the songs posted below. I expect you will feel the same as me, but if you don’t it is okay and I anticipate that you will like some of the music posted over the next few days.

Crooked Teeth

Soul Meets Body

I Will Follow you into the Dark

Artist #2: Arcade Fire

If you’re looking for an indie rock band to blow your mind, then your search is over. If you continue to read this blog you will understand why Arcade Fire is an amazing group. Arcade Fire has put out three albums in the band’s history. The first album Funeral, the second Neon Bible, and the third and most recent would be The Suburbs. The most famous of these three albums is The Suburbs. In 2011, this album won the Grammy for Album of the Year, the Juno award for Album of the Year, and Brit Award for Best International Album. As you can see, Arcade Fire is a very talented group. The two main people in the group are a husband, and a wife, accompanied by several others. I discovered this band mainly because of my father. He had listened to them before last year, and wanted to buy their new album The Suburbs. However, it took me a while to adjust their sound. It was new to me, but I eventually warmed up to them, and all it took was one night of actually listening to the whole album to get me hooked. I did my homework and listened to their album at the same time, when I was done I couldn’t help but have every song on the album stuck in my head. Since then, I have loved Arcade Fire.
I think that my favorite thing about Arcade Fire is that they have so many different sounds, and all of them are good. One of their songs could be a punk song, the next would be a soft rock, the next an alternative rock, and the next an almost techno sound to it, but all of them would be great songs. The fact that Arcade Fire doesn’t just stick to one sound is amazing. It allows me to appreciate many different genres of music, while adoring just one band. My favorite song off of their first album would have to be Wake Up. The song is so elaborate, and has so much going on in it that it makes it amazing to listen to. Although it is a little depressing, I put up with it, and let it bring me down because of how pleasing it is to listen to. Although I love every song on The Suburbs album, my favorite would have to be Sprawl ll. Sprawl ll is sung by the wife in the group, she has an amazing, and strong voice. This song is another one where when I listen to it, I just become instantly happy. I have never listened to this song, and NOT been amazed by it. Everything that goes on in the background is amazing to me, and when I hear it, I feel alive. One of my favorite parts in the song is when it starts to fade out, and just before it goes completely silent, the song comes back in the same tune but with a higher pitch. This part of the song is so artistically pleasing and genius to me, and always seems to make me smile. I think that music like this is for all to enjoy. If you don’t like a song by Arcade Fire, you will most likely love the next one.

Wake Up

Sprawl 2

Artist #1: Coldplay

If you’re looking for an alternative band, who is more than amazing, look no further. One of my favorite musical groups is Coldplay. When you think of them, I hope that you aren’t thinking of the album they put out recently. If you were to compare Mylo Xyloto, (Coldplay’s most recent album) to any of their music before, it would be like comparing coke zero to regular coke. There are people who say they like coke zero better, but they are wrong. Their most recent album is crap compared to anything they put out prior to 2011. I heard them originally because their music was in a movie that my parents thought had an amazing soundtrack. The movie, Garden State did have quite a good soundtrack, and if not for that movie, I might not have ever realized how good they are.

The thing that I like most about Coldplay is that their music is very good, and at the same time original. Lots of music that I hear nowadays could be played side by side with a Beatles song and you might not see the difference. While I don’t mind this, it is so nice to hear more and more music that doesn’t sound strangely familiar. It’s remarkable that a band that has been around for over ten years can still come out with music that doesn’t sound the same as songs they or other people have already made. Two of my favorite songs by them are from their first album Parachutes. The songs are Don’t Panic, and Yellow. Don’t Panic just simply makes me feel good. When I listen to that song I feel happy, and like I am so fortunate.  “We live in a beautiful world, yeah we do, yeah we do,” is probably one of my favorite parts of the song, and what makes me feel so good. The song Yellow is just such a mellow song, it too makes me feel good. It almost sounds like a love song…about a love song, which makes it so good. The fact that it is basically a love song, and it doesn’t suck makes it a great piece of work. Lastly, my favorite song by Coldplay is The Scientist. This song came off of the album A Rush of Blood to the Head. This song makes me feel like I have to be grateful, it is such a catchy song, and isn’t about nothing. The song is about a scientist who spends all his time working, and he realizes that all along he has been neglecting his girlfriend. He is supposed to be singing the song to her, so he can show her how much he regrets what he’s done. This song teaches me to not get caught up with whatever I’m doing, so much that I wind up neglecting the ones I love. I can relate to how the scientist feels, because sometimes I feel like I'm not showing people love, and the main reason is because I'm busy. I hope that whoever reads this will listen to these songs, and I hope that you understand what I mean when I say how it makes me feel. Coldplay is a great band, and all should know just how good they really are.

The Scientist

Yellow

Dont' Panic