| 549- |
[May. 9th, 2008|09:26 pm] |
Time to get unreal. This new theme is all about real music from band who aren't. The first band up is one of the most famous bands that don't really exist- The Gorillaz. It's the brainchild of Damon Albarn of Blur and Jamie Hewlett, the creator of Tank Girl. Basically, it's Albarn collaborating with various artists including Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan the Automator, Tina Weymouth and Miho Hitori. They unified all these efforts by making them into one band. Hewlett drew up a group of anthropomorphic monkey rockstars named 2D, Russel, Murdoc and Noodles. There's waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much backstory to these characters and now they've grown to the point where they've appeared on MTV Cribs and are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most successful virtual band. Tomorrow, we'll look at one of the newest.
Song 549- "Dirty Harry" by Gorillaz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adcdbfIoeW4 |
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| 548- |
[May. 8th, 2008|09:33 pm] |
It's Day 5, the final day of my Supergroup theme and I'm going to end with a very different supergroup than the previous 4. I've covered Rockstar Supernova, Power Station, Down and Mad Season. They all have similar equations. This one has a very different equation:
Parts:
1 mega-successful rapper
1 mega-successful producer/rapper
1 up and coming rapper
What you get is Child Rebel Soldiers which is the mix of Kanye West, Pharrell and Lupe Fiasco. The group hasn't put out an album yet but one of their songs "US Placers" was released in the world of mix tapes. It caught on fire and a viral video was made for the song. It became a YouTube hit and the song landed on Rolling Stones best songs of 2007. Yet still there are many who don't know this exists, which is surprising for such a colossal collaboration especially with the addition of a Thom Yorke sample.
Song 548- "US Placers" by Child Rebel Soldiers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZehNoZH2yac
Tomorrow, we get unreal. |
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| 547- |
[May. 7th, 2008|09:32 pm] |
I posted yesterday and it weirdly didn't show up. But I was able to recover it. Now onto part 4 of my supergroups theme.
Parts:
1 drummer from Eyehategod
1 bassist from Pantera
1 guitarist from Crowbar
1 guitarist from Corrosion of Conformity
and 1 vocalist from Pantera
How can this mix be anything but kick ass? The resulting band is Down. It was the culmination of what happened when a bunch of good friends got together and decided to rock out toegether. My favorite part of the story is that they made a demo and then would give it to friends asking them if they had heard of Down. The band has been getting together since 1999 and are now about to tour their third album as openers for Metallica.
Song 547- "On March The Saints" by Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAvFTGVJuAo |
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[May. 6th, 2008|09:32 pm] |
I'm not feeling too good. So I'll keep this one short and sweet.
1 drummer from Chic
1 guitarist from Duran Duran
1 bassist from Duran Duran
1 solo artist
and what do you get....Power Station, headed up by the late great Robert Palmer.
Song 546- "Some Like It Hot" by The Power Station
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq6hY0Y3KGk |
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| 545- |
[May. 5th, 2008|10:13 pm] |
We continue on in our look at supergroups which another equation:
Parts:
1 guitarist from Pearl Jam
1 drummer from Screaming Trees
1 bassist from the Walkabouts
1 vocalist from Alice in Chains
What have you got? Mad Season. Led up by the late great Layne Staley, Mad Season was one of many supergroups that popped up during the grunge era. There was Temple of the Dog (the mix of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden), Class of '99 (Staley + Tom Morello + two members of Porno for Pyros), even Foo Fighters falls into that category (Part Nirvana, Part Sunny Day Real Estate). At the time, Mad Season was very special though. Like many other supergroups, they were more than the sum of the parts. They didn't sound like Alice in Chains as they brought out a more soulful side of his vocals. They didn't sound like Screaming Trees or Pearl Jam. It's a shame that Layne passed when he did because the band had a great sound that defies before explanation (or duplication as the band suffered with Mark Lanegan as replacement vocalist).
Song 545- "River of Deceit" by Mad Season
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClRfnUhVjmI |
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| 544- |
[May. 4th, 2008|06:38 pm] |
New theme time and it's time to look at the phenomena of the Supergroup. It's what happens when an establish artist gets together with some already established artists to create an entity that is often a quite excellent blending. In this strange new age, supergroups can come about in many different ways. More than one has been created through use of the reality tv game show.
Parts:
1 drummer from Motley Crue
1 guitarist from Guns and Roses
1 bassist from Metallica
1 singer who wins a reality TV singing contest...
What do you get? You get Rockstar Supernova, the band named after the show which helped to create it. I posted about the band all the way at the start of the 10kdays blog but I figured this was a good and familiar way to start off the theme. They weren't the most successful supergroup as they were quickly met with problems (Bassist Newstead was badly hurt and couldn't tour) and the band just couldn't get past a niche market mostly made of people who had watched the show; many of whom preferred Dilana, Toby Rand or Storm Large to winner Lucas Rossi. Nevertheless, the band went platinum in Canada (Rossi is Canadian) and had a decent tour. No one seems to know if the band is still together but we have a pretty decent single to remember them by.
Song 544- "Headspin" by Rockstar Supernova
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dnSnssYGLc |
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| 543- |
[May. 3rd, 2008|10:59 pm] |
Well, the covers theme is over. It's been a long ass day and I don't know what to talk about. Then again, for the last few minutes, I've been watching the crazy f'n horse death. If you don't know what I'm talking about, today was the Kentucky Derby. And what happens? The horse that came in second, Eight Belles, suddenly broke both her ankles after the race and had to be killed immediately. Crazy. Shame.
Song 543- "Dead Horse" by Guns and Roses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxGejqxN2WY |
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| 542- |
[May. 2nd, 2008|10:26 pm] |
Now for a more unusual cover. Remember when Bobby Brown was on the top of the world. He was just on of New Edition. He was "good-to-go solo" and brimming with hits. That was before he was knee deep in drugs, all up Whitney's butt and watching his son stink up an MTV singing show. Well, so does the band Bedtime for Toys. They decided to dig up one of his songs for a cover. The obvious choice is to go for the big hit "My Prerogative". Britney did that one. But BFT, a multiethnic, multigender dance punk electronica band from Koreantown in Los Angeles, decided that on their new covers album "BFT iz Punk n' B" they would shoot for the first solo hit Bobby had, "Don't Be Cruel". The result is like BFT, a surprising blend of things.
Song 542- "Don't Be Cruel" by Bedtime For Toys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY64Ms11OXE |
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| 541- |
[May. 1st, 2008|11:01 pm] |
Yesterday, I talked about the Beatles and their cover legacy. I would take time to talk about the Stones and their cover legacy but I've been sitting around watching MST3K, letting the time flitter away. But it was worth it. Big McLargehuge. F'n Classic. But so are the Stones. There are ten trillion covers of Paint in Black out there and honestly two of them are good (Why Vanessa Carlton, why?). Sympathy For the Devil is another one but with a greater success rate. That Guns and Roses version is pretty swanky. But I wanna talk about "Wild Horses". It's got the best success rate including a version that surpasses the original.
Song 541- "Wild Horses" by the Sundays
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_CDuyw4nRE |
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| 540- |
[Apr. 30th, 2008|09:44 pm] |
When it comes to covers, people will always cover the Beatles until the end of time. They are in the eyes of many, the best band of all time. Covers will follow suit. I would list the covers but it's a tremendous list. Here, look at the list from The Covers Project.
http://www.coversproject.com/artist/beatles
And I bet that's only a partial. It's amazing to see for a band that only existed for a decade. There are a lot of very good covers like Fiona Apple's "Across the Universe" and Soundgarden's "Come Together". I have a partial penchant for this one:
Song 540- "Strawberry Fields Forever" by Candyflip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DjWpq8Oyoc |
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| 539- |
[Apr. 29th, 2008|11:13 pm] |
It's kind of hard for me to do this theme. Covers are second nature to me so its unnatural to get really hyped up about them. So I figure I'll talk about some of the musicians that are frequently covered. For instance, Britney Spears. First it was "Hit Me One More Time" that garnered cover after cover and now the song that gets them is "Toxic". It's the song that is widely accepted as Britney's song with the most crossover appeal to the alternative rock crowd. It's the Britney Spears song you can have on your iPod without getting chastised. So when bands started covering it, it wasn't a surprise. Hard Fi did it for the Live Lounge. Yael Naim has covered it unplugged. Boss Hoss did it country style. Nickel Creek added a little Bluegrass. Hurra Torpedo slowed it down into a sludge rock dirge. And Local H probably did the best job by just rocking the song the f out.
Song 539- "Toxic" by Local H
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYAIguDS1cE |
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| 538- |
[Apr. 28th, 2008|09:37 pm] |
Hmmm, this would be the time when I start up a new theme but I have no idea what to do for the new theme. Well, how about covers. Covers are a big part of my day in, day out listening so why not do a theme all about them. I am a firm believer in the idea that songs are not meant to be done by just one artist alone. Why should a song only be done by one band if another band can add a new perspective? Take for instance, the Zutons' song "Valerie". On it's own, it's an okay song. It's a rocker that doesn't light the world on fire. But what if you take that song and give it some soul. Make it feel kinda Motown. Add some horns and a female vocalist. Now that's the ticket and that's exactly what Mark Ronson did. I will say that I like Panic at the Disco's version slightly better but in the end, it's Ronson's version that set the tone for their version too. And both make the original pale in comparison.
Song 538- "Valerie" by Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmOWU8LkFY8 |
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| 537- |
[Apr. 27th, 2008|09:03 pm] |
Hey it's fellow Song-a-day blogger Rachael Layne's birthday. Happy B'day Rachael!
Song 537- "House in my Head" by Rachael Layne f/ Glenn Case
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Res4JrDiWKI |
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| 536- |
[Apr. 26th, 2008|06:52 pm] |
Today is the last day of my new to the playlist theme. Every once and a while I go to a record companies website and just start digging around in search of new bands to listen to. Recently, I did that with Century Media because I was in the mood for some blistering metal. No sooner do I go into their media section did I find the band The Agonist. They have the melodic sections which I actually appreciate. But all the grittiness and growling that you expect out of a Century Media band is there. It's like you took Otep (The Agonist has a lead singer) and mixed them with Lacuna Coil. That may not be the best comparison as there's no Evanescence to be found in the Agonist but that's why I include the YouTube links. Listen and come up with your own comparisons. Maybe Crisis...Gosh, I miss Crisis.
Song 536- "Business Suits and Combat Boots" by The Agonist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZo4bOZf3B4 |
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| 535- |
[Apr. 25th, 2008|09:00 pm] |
I have to rush through this post because I'm about to go out to the movies. Woo hoo Jet Li and Jackie Chan! So another band that has recently been added to my jukebox is MGMT (aka the Management). I didn't wanna like this band simply because there is just so much hype around them and after Vampire Weekend (yuck), I was very pee-shy to get into another band which is so heavily beloved in Alternative Press and in the blogosphere. But I heard the song "Kids" and had to kowtow. They are quite enjoyable with their keyboard rock style. I would say more but I've gotta go...
Song 535- "Kids" by MGMT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A47s-SVtTaE |
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| 534- |
[Apr. 24th, 2008|10:32 pm] |
Who else has been rocking the jukebox? Hmmm, there are a new bands to my player but I worry that they are just one hit wonders. Many other recent additions have already gotten their day in the sun on 10kdays (like Kayo-Dot and To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie). One band who is getting a lot of play that I never thought would is Shiny Toy Guns. Why the lack of faith? "Le Disko". That was the band's breakout single and it left me quite flat. The chorus was such uninteresting stuff. There was just nothing there for me in the song. So when I heard the song "Rainy Monday" which features male vocals instead of female and a sound that harkens back to my new wave roots, I didn't believe it was them. But it was. I don't know if the band isn't a one hit wonder with me but they have scored more than a few spins.
Song 534- "Rainy Monday" by Shiny Toy Guns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvsoRDvKgi0 |
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| 533 |
[Apr. 23rd, 2008|08:58 pm] |
The current theme is bands that are new additions to my playlist. The first was the band Die So Fluid. The next band got on my playlist in a similar fashion- through a strong female vocalist. Unlike Die So Fluid, I had never seen Cruel Black Dove before I heard them. All I had to do was to hear the amazing voice of Anastasia Dimou to be enthralled. The band has a great dark rock sound that Dimou's voice drives to great heights. The more I learn and hear about Cruel Black Dove the more I like them. They are fellow Brooklynites. They have a great bassist in Shirley Ho. They are just an all around cool band in my book. They are a little Denali meets Interpol meets She Wants Revenge in a fist fight with Kidney Thieves. All good stuff. Plus their name is a Tori Amos reference!
Song 533- "Love Song" by Cruel Black Dove
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJPTRTumU6Q |
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[Apr. 22nd, 2008|09:52 pm] |
New theme time. This time I'm going to take a look at 5 bands that have recently been added into my musical rotation. First up, Die So Fluid. I was going through Rock Sound magazine which is a UK music magazine that is often filled with bands that I've never heard of. So I'm flipping through the pages and was stopped dead in my tracks by a picture of the band.
For someone named Grog, the lead singer of Die So Fluid is strikingly beautiful in her gothic sort of way. That was enough to get me to the listening part and wow, I was blown away. They fit right into my musical scheme, filling in the space lift when Drain STH broke up, except that they are far better. It's like Drain STH mixed with NY Loose with some Deftones. It's all good.
Song 532- "Existential Baby" by Die So Fluid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q4nqu-2vVU |
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| 531- |
[Apr. 21st, 2008|09:30 pm] |
It's day 5 of my mashup theme and how should I finish this one? Well, there are some songs that get more mashed than others. For instead they love mashing Amy Winehouse right now. There are so many versions of Rehab out there. Back at #428, I talked about ToTom's "Mr. Rehabside". There's Detox which is the mashup of "Rehab" with Britney Spears' "Toxic". DJ Topcat made a pretty good version which mixed "Rehab" with Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Folks". There's even Amy Winehouse vs. Queen in "A Crazy Little Thing Called Rehab". But the one that probably garnered the most notice is a mash of Amy Winehouse and the Four Tops that brings Amy's soul roots to the forefront. Plus you can't beat a name like:
Song 531- "Rehab (Can't Help Myself)" by Party Ben
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeHFVZr5HnM |
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| 530 |
[Apr. 20th, 2008|12:42 am] |
Yesterday I talked about multiple song mashes. Well, what happens when you mash up 25 songs? That takes a very precise hand. Luckily DJ Earworm had that. He took the top 25 songs of 2007 and turn them into one song. That's impressive and speaks for itself.
Song 530- "United States of Pop" by DJ Earworm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwaNiikdQ8E |
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