Post #17 - "Lost Cause"

Just heard this song by Beck from the Scrubs episode "My New Game" and I'm in love with this song because of how it sounds. It's a sad song, but if it sounds good, that shouldn't stop someone from listening to it just because it'll make them feel down.

"Lost Cause" is from Beck's 2002 album Sea Change, which marked a departure from his style in favor of a folk rock sound (I'm taking this from Wikipedia, though this will be my first Beck album to listen to when I get the chance). The album's theme centers around that of deteriorating relationships, and that is visible in the song's lyrics (coming up soon). Rolling Stone magazine gave Sea Change a five star rating and placed it number 440 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The song itself is sad, accompanied by an finger-picked guitar, so acoustic indie girls, eat your hearts out of this one. It obviously fits in with the album's theme, in this song he admits that he is tired of a relationship that is headed south. I like the entire song, most of all its verse lyrics (here's the first):

"Your sorry eyes, they cut through bone/They make it hard to leave you alone/Leave you here wearing your wounds/Waving your guns at somebody new."

The music video off YouTube I've included is, well, entirely in slow-motion, with Beck's head attached to some type of humanoid torso and sparks and stuff. Well, hope you enjoy this song as much as I did (the video, meh).

Post #16 - "Vertigo"

So I was watching the new episode of South Park a few nights ago, the one with Bono and the world record for most fecal matter produced by a human, which is measured in Katie Courics. Anyway.. throughout the episode Bono sings the lyrics to "Vertigo", i.e. answering his cell phone with "Hello, hello!" and dancing around while singing "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" So every time I think of this song now, I think of that. Let's get down to business.

The song is the first single off U2's album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, which is the band's eleventh studio album. The album has been successful, selling more than three million in the U.S. alone. Bono describes this album as being their "first rock album."

Out of the entire song's lyrics, I probably like the verses best, although the counting straight to 13 from three is rebellious in a way that would turn the world of Sesame Street upside-down (my favorite is Cookie Monster, because he's the euphemism for a crack addict in the minds of children). Anyway, this is how the first verse goes:

"Lights go down/It's dark, the jungle is/Your head can't rule your heart/A feeling is so much stronger/Than a thought/Your eyes are wide/And though your soul/It can't be bought/Your mind can wander."

The following YouTube video is the official music video, where the band is playing and singing in some otherworldly desert with a bullseye that can shift elevation instantaneously (and U2 is flying through it as trails of black dust fall behind them!). Enjoy!

Post #15 - "The Sound of Settling"

Aside from the Shins, Death Cab for Cutie is my other favorite indie band. There's something about their music that I like, I can't put my finger on it though. It's one of the most melodic music you'll ever hear from a band today, and they rarely miss the target when it comes to musical satisfaction.

"The Sound of Settling" is off the album Transatlanticism, which has sold approximately a quarter of a million copies. The album as a whole is easy for me to listen to in one sitting, so if you can survive 30 minutes driving in a car listening to songs on the radio concerning "supermanning that ho," then I'm sure you'll survive this, and come out all the better for it. The album art is interesting too, with a bird seemingly wrapped in yard (someone call PETA!).

The song itself is cheery and upbeat, it's hard to feel down while listening to it. The lyrics are great (although the chorus does get repetitive if you listen to it on repeat) and I really like these lines:

"I've got a hunger/Twisting my stomach into knots."

"Our youth is fleeting/Old age is just around the bend/And I can't wait to go gray."

All in all, a great introductory song to the great band that is Death Cab for Cutie. The video off YouTube I've included is the official music video that has the band and some other people singing the song in a trippy frame with a frame effect. Enjoy!

Post #14 - "Don't Speak"

For the past day I've had this song running through my head for God-knows-what-reason. I admit that I'm no ska fan and have never listened beyond the singles on TV of No Doubt (maybe I should get into it sometime), but I'm sure that this song is great music.

Off their album Tragic Kingdom, this is the song that elevated No Doubt to popularity in 1996. The album was ranked number 441 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and has sold approximately 16 million copies worldwide since its release. It was also nominated for Best Rock Album at the 1997 Grammy Awards.

The song itself was co-written by Eric and Gwen Stefani about the ending of a seven year relationship between the latter and bassist Tony Kanal. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for 16 weeks, a testament to its power and a validation of No Doubt as one of the greatest bands of the 90s. What I really liked about the song was the raw honesty in its lyrics, without the need for any sugar-coating as the dark atmosphere of the song is what makes it great. Here's the chorus:

"Don't speak/I know just what you're saying/So please stop explaining/Don't tell me cause it hurts."

"Don't speak/I know what you're thinking/I don't need your reasons/Don't tell me cause it hurts."

The video I've chosen off YouTube is the official music video with the band, among other things, performing in a garage. It's a nice video, so I won't delay you any further and let you hop off to watching it. Enjoy!

Post #13 - "Bad Day"

I admit, the only R.E.M. songs I've heard of are "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" and this one, but they are one of the many artists on my to-listen list. If all R.E.M. songs are as good as this, then I think I've been living in a hole for most of the 90s (can you blame me though? I was only 5 when "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" charted) and I need to run out to buy some.

I heard the song back in 2003, when it was included on their second compilation In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003. Too bad the compilation didn't receive rave reviews (think I might pick it up sometime as a starting point).

Anywho, I really liked the lyrics in this song (I'm pretty sure some of the hardcore R.E.M. fans are hunting me down as I type this), particularly in the bridge leading up to the chorus, although the two lines following the first two differ as the song progresses:

"Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord,/Count your blessings./We're sick of being jerked around./We all fall down."

As for the video, I've used R.E.M.'s YouTube (at least I think it's their YouTube site, it looks official enough) to locate the music video for the single (and they allow embedding!). I really liked the music video, with the band acting as newscasters and a whole bunch of graphical eccentricities that would seldom be found anywhere else. Anywho, hope you enjoy!