Bored at work again
Apr. 26th, 2004 03:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flyinbutrsSo, I just started at this company a few weeks ago, and so far, I train about half of the time, and the rest of the time I sit at my desk and surf the web, and listen to music (I worship my iPod). While this might sound like a dream come true, let me tell you something. Even when you're getting paid, there is only so much time you can spend browsing the internet. Especially when you've been unemployed for months before your started your "job". Anyway, as a way to pass the time, I've decided to share my thoughts on the 5 albums (and their key tracks) that I've been listening to most often over the past week.
1. Radiohead -- Amnesiac
2. Portishead -- Dummy
3. Muse -- Bliss EP/Absolution
4. Queen -- I
5. Starlight Mints -- The Dream that stuff was madeof
1- Can't possibly say enough about Radiohead. Best band currently playing. Rarely does any time go by where I don't listen to them at least a little, and picking Amnesiac here is sort of arbitrary, because it happens to be playing right at this moment... ok, I'm officially rambling. Anyway, I love this album, but I've also been listening/watching the Arte Music Planet 2Nite concert from French TV. If you have a broadband connection, I highly recommend downloading it form EMule or Kazaa. As far as I can tell, it's not available on DVD. It's a great show, small crowd, and it's just Thom and Johnny playing, mostly acoustic. Very different, and very cool. It has a version of Fog that they apparently like better (who am I to argue?). If you haven't checked out Amnesiac, I recommend all of it, but the songs I like the most are Knives Out, Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box, I Might Be Wrong, and Dollars and Cents. Ok, I know that was like... half the album. Sue me.
2- Essential. I love this album with a passion. Brooding bass lines, nice, syncopated drum/drum machines, and the best vocals you're likely to hear anywhere. Beth Gibbons is without a doubt my favorite female vocalist. She has such a range of expression in her voice. She understands the nuances of how to use the tone, timbre, and volume of her voice to amplify the effect of her lyrics. While Portishead's other albums are very good as well, they don't compare to Dummy. An incomparably brilliant album. Favorite songs... lets see... Wandering Star, Mysterons, Glory Box. The rest of the album is enchanting as well, but these are the best.
3- I honestly don't know all that much about Muse, my roommate introduced me to them, and all I'm just working my way through their discography. I started with the Bliss EP, and those 4 songs are good enough to convince me of their skill. The crashing drum track, driving guitar, and lilting keyboard parts come together with the aching, slightly Julian Casablacas (the Strokes) like vocals brilliantly, in what I can only imagine was a heroic effort in the studio. Past the Bliss EP, I've been listening to Absolution a whole lot. "Time is Running Out" is one of my favorite songs now. A great throbbing bass line, is mixed creatively with percussion (drums, Clapping, snapping fingers), and a touch of keyboard. When the lyrics start, they start in almost hushed tones, building to a fever pitch during the chorus, accentuated by the guitar riffs. The second part is a pained, bitter tirade about a failing relationship, accented by the harsh, but extremely controlled drum lines, followed by an impassioned, rising chant, almost lamentful in nature. A brilliant piece of music. I also highly recommend "Endlessly," which is a much more subdued song. I would describe it as an elegiacal techno track. It's at once haunting, captivating, and hypnotizing.
4- I don't know how I missed this. Until the last 2 months, I've regarded Queen with disdain. Mostly because I despise "we are the champions". I admit it, I was wrong. A great classic rock album, on par with the works of Led Zeppelin and others from that era. "Great King Rat" is a great song, but since I don't have the album with me at the moment, I can't go into more detail on this album. Maybe a little later on I'll add some more stuff to this one.
5- Just a helluva lot of fun. I saw them in Boston back in December, and, in spite of playing in front of only 20 or so people, they put on a great show. Rollicking fun, a great mix of quality instrument playing, and hilarious lyrics. It's a great pick me up after all of the depressing music I listen to. I highly recommend you go to their website starlightmints.com) and check out the video for Popsickle. It's one of my favorite Videos, and it's a great song to boot. They're very good at blending together an odd variety of instruments into a coherent song. My personal favorites from this album are Sir Prize, Submarine #3, and Valerie Flames.
I like writing music reviews. Maybe I'll do this more often.
1. Radiohead -- Amnesiac
2. Portishead -- Dummy
3. Muse -- Bliss EP/Absolution
4. Queen -- I
5. Starlight Mints -- The Dream that stuff was madeof
1- Can't possibly say enough about Radiohead. Best band currently playing. Rarely does any time go by where I don't listen to them at least a little, and picking Amnesiac here is sort of arbitrary, because it happens to be playing right at this moment... ok, I'm officially rambling. Anyway, I love this album, but I've also been listening/watching the Arte Music Planet 2Nite concert from French TV. If you have a broadband connection, I highly recommend downloading it form EMule or Kazaa. As far as I can tell, it's not available on DVD. It's a great show, small crowd, and it's just Thom and Johnny playing, mostly acoustic. Very different, and very cool. It has a version of Fog that they apparently like better (who am I to argue?). If you haven't checked out Amnesiac, I recommend all of it, but the songs I like the most are Knives Out, Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box, I Might Be Wrong, and Dollars and Cents. Ok, I know that was like... half the album. Sue me.
2- Essential. I love this album with a passion. Brooding bass lines, nice, syncopated drum/drum machines, and the best vocals you're likely to hear anywhere. Beth Gibbons is without a doubt my favorite female vocalist. She has such a range of expression in her voice. She understands the nuances of how to use the tone, timbre, and volume of her voice to amplify the effect of her lyrics. While Portishead's other albums are very good as well, they don't compare to Dummy. An incomparably brilliant album. Favorite songs... lets see... Wandering Star, Mysterons, Glory Box. The rest of the album is enchanting as well, but these are the best.
3- I honestly don't know all that much about Muse, my roommate introduced me to them, and all I'm just working my way through their discography. I started with the Bliss EP, and those 4 songs are good enough to convince me of their skill. The crashing drum track, driving guitar, and lilting keyboard parts come together with the aching, slightly Julian Casablacas (the Strokes) like vocals brilliantly, in what I can only imagine was a heroic effort in the studio. Past the Bliss EP, I've been listening to Absolution a whole lot. "Time is Running Out" is one of my favorite songs now. A great throbbing bass line, is mixed creatively with percussion (drums, Clapping, snapping fingers), and a touch of keyboard. When the lyrics start, they start in almost hushed tones, building to a fever pitch during the chorus, accentuated by the guitar riffs. The second part is a pained, bitter tirade about a failing relationship, accented by the harsh, but extremely controlled drum lines, followed by an impassioned, rising chant, almost lamentful in nature. A brilliant piece of music. I also highly recommend "Endlessly," which is a much more subdued song. I would describe it as an elegiacal techno track. It's at once haunting, captivating, and hypnotizing.
4- I don't know how I missed this. Until the last 2 months, I've regarded Queen with disdain. Mostly because I despise "we are the champions". I admit it, I was wrong. A great classic rock album, on par with the works of Led Zeppelin and others from that era. "Great King Rat" is a great song, but since I don't have the album with me at the moment, I can't go into more detail on this album. Maybe a little later on I'll add some more stuff to this one.
5- Just a helluva lot of fun. I saw them in Boston back in December, and, in spite of playing in front of only 20 or so people, they put on a great show. Rollicking fun, a great mix of quality instrument playing, and hilarious lyrics. It's a great pick me up after all of the depressing music I listen to. I highly recommend you go to their website starlightmints.com) and check out the video for Popsickle. It's one of my favorite Videos, and it's a great song to boot. They're very good at blending together an odd variety of instruments into a coherent song. My personal favorites from this album are Sir Prize, Submarine #3, and Valerie Flames.
I like writing music reviews. Maybe I'll do this more often.
