http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GanNE5LWF4
And they say I live in the past. It doesn't get more '60s than this, people.
And they say I live in the past. It doesn't get more '60s than this, people.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Something Going Wrong/Chickenfoot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_hcCZb9Z84
The latter half of the song is when they really drive it in. Satriani doles out the licks in old-school fashion.
The latter half of the song is when they really drive it in. Satriani doles out the licks in old-school fashion.
Friday, January 27, 2012
All I Ask Of You/Skrillex feat. Penny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzEgrNigZdw&ob=av2e
When in doubt, go with some good old fashioned house.
When in doubt, go with some good old fashioned house.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
What The Water Gave Me/Florence + The Machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiFQ_cPFOSs
My favourite track off Ceremonials. In an increasingly indie music landscape, she's one of the great proponents of the anthemic sound. Kudos.
My favourite track off Ceremonials. In an increasingly indie music landscape, she's one of the great proponents of the anthemic sound. Kudos.
Society Is My Friend/Kurt Vile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82JRn-5Kn6M
Fantastic instrumentation. The vocals are spot on as well.
Fantastic instrumentation. The vocals are spot on as well.
Somebody That I Used To Know/Gotye feat. Kimbra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aZHNe36eoY
Awesome voice. Kinda like Peter Gabriel meets Ozzy Osbourne.
Awesome voice. Kinda like Peter Gabriel meets Ozzy Osbourne.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Thought: My favourite studio albums of the early '80s
In a way, the early '80s represented a renaissance for the music industry. After the avant-garde '60s and '70s, bands (both new as well as existing) realised that their music couldn't continue to sell on composing genius alone. Gone were the days when a fan would hear you at a concert and then rush starry-eyed to the nearest record store. The focus was shifting to sound quality. The best songwriters couldn't hope to stay in the business if they didn't spruce up the recording process. Session musicians were regularly called to assist in recording. Studio technology became more and more sophisticated.
However, the aim wasn't to create or synthesize new effects. Indeed, it was intended, through the recording process, that the listener hear exactly what the artists heard. New methods of mastering were introduced to minimise muffling and 'open' the record's sound.
It was in the midst of this change that some truly beautiful sounding records were created. A few of my favourite albums from the era are listed below.
Gaucho/Steely Dan
Year : 1980
Donald and Walter's final studio album before a 12 year hiatus. The recording process employed more than 42 musicians and took over a year to complete. It resulted in one of the most sonically perfect albums ever produced. The song "Babylon Sisters" from the album has been previously featured on this blog. The album won the Grammy award in 1981 for Best Non-Classical Engineered Recording.
Toto IV/Toto
Year : 1982
Toto was formed in 1977 by two session musicians who had played on enough albums to know their way around a studio. Toto IV is the band's magnum opus, a collection of catchy, R&B inspired tracks that employed some of the best in the recording business, including arranger James Newton Howard and backing vocalist par excellence Timothy B. Schmit. Drummer Jeff Porcaro's half-time shuffle on "Rosanna" is the stuff of legend. The album won six Grammy awards that year, including Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Producer Of The Year.
90125/Yes
Year : 1983
By far their most poppish work, both musically as well as thematically. Fans of their prog-rock days might have been disappointed, but there's no denying that the album packed quite a punch. The song "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" remains their biggest chart success to date. The vocals on "Leave It" are simply fantastic. "Changes" and "Cinema" are vintage Yes, with extended instrumental parts and complex rhythms. All in all, a contemporary sounding album that introduced the band to a whole new breed of listeners, rather than just playing to the existing fans.
Brothers In Arms/Dire Straits
Year : 1985
From the drum crescendo on "Money For Nothing" to the tonal complexity of Knopfler's Les Paul guitar on the title track, the album's sound was grander and more polished than any of their albums recorded thus far. The band's beat-music sensibilities were left intact, however, and are evident on songs like "So Far Away", "Walk Of Life" and "Your Latest Trick". "Why Worry", my favourite track off the album has been featured previously on this blog.
However, the aim wasn't to create or synthesize new effects. Indeed, it was intended, through the recording process, that the listener hear exactly what the artists heard. New methods of mastering were introduced to minimise muffling and 'open' the record's sound.
It was in the midst of this change that some truly beautiful sounding records were created. A few of my favourite albums from the era are listed below.
Gaucho/Steely Dan
Donald and Walter's final studio album before a 12 year hiatus. The recording process employed more than 42 musicians and took over a year to complete. It resulted in one of the most sonically perfect albums ever produced. The song "Babylon Sisters" from the album has been previously featured on this blog. The album won the Grammy award in 1981 for Best Non-Classical Engineered Recording.
Toto IV/Toto
Toto was formed in 1977 by two session musicians who had played on enough albums to know their way around a studio. Toto IV is the band's magnum opus, a collection of catchy, R&B inspired tracks that employed some of the best in the recording business, including arranger James Newton Howard and backing vocalist par excellence Timothy B. Schmit. Drummer Jeff Porcaro's half-time shuffle on "Rosanna" is the stuff of legend. The album won six Grammy awards that year, including Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Producer Of The Year.
90125/Yes
Year : 1983
By far their most poppish work, both musically as well as thematically. Fans of their prog-rock days might have been disappointed, but there's no denying that the album packed quite a punch. The song "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" remains their biggest chart success to date. The vocals on "Leave It" are simply fantastic. "Changes" and "Cinema" are vintage Yes, with extended instrumental parts and complex rhythms. All in all, a contemporary sounding album that introduced the band to a whole new breed of listeners, rather than just playing to the existing fans.
Brothers In Arms/Dire Straits
From the drum crescendo on "Money For Nothing" to the tonal complexity of Knopfler's Les Paul guitar on the title track, the album's sound was grander and more polished than any of their albums recorded thus far. The band's beat-music sensibilities were left intact, however, and are evident on songs like "So Far Away", "Walk Of Life" and "Your Latest Trick". "Why Worry", my favourite track off the album has been featured previously on this blog.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Cold Desert/Kings Of Leon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWkYu-hYTZs
Chilling melody. Love the driving guitars and the half-time beat.
Chilling melody. Love the driving guitars and the half-time beat.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Lost In My Mind/The Head And The Heart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL9n1dLcT7k
One of the more promising folk-rock bands to come out of 2011.
One of the more promising folk-rock bands to come out of 2011.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Trends: The Return Of Dance Rock
(Happy new year, all. So this is a new section called 'Trends' that I'm introducing this month. Many of my friends have accused me of being stuck in a time warp and focusing on music before my time. I agree. I don't listen to enough of today's music, or even music of this decade for that matter. What I hope to achieve through this section is just that. I shall be needing your help initially, and would love it if you could keep suggesting me stuff. It could even be a local band you're trying to promote. Anything I particularly like, I shall feature on the blog, with due acknowledgement to the sender. Thanks, and happy listening.)
Honestly, if there ever was a strong sign that dance rock was making a comeback, it was the past year's catalogue. Listen to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "I'm With You" with its fist pumping grooves, or Radiohead's "The King Of Limbs" with its techno-beats, or Foster The People's "Torches" with its catchy rhythms, and you'll know what I mean. Dance rock has never seen such a mainstream presence since the glorious days of Elvis & Co. Let's hope it sticks, though. It's nice to see rockstars shimmying again.
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