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Wednesday 31 October 2012

Deftones - Knife Party -- White Pony (2000)


Hola, first of all sorry for my absence the last ten days or something. I started working for six weeks, was sick and had problems with my electricity... If those things count as a good excuse i'm off the hook, otherwise sorry again. Not that I have any active followers that didn't know this, haha.

Today I will be posting a band from my youth. I believe I can say this although I'm only 22 years old because I'm listening to this band since age 9 or 10. Deftones was one of the first bands I really came to appreciate and that I still do appreciate. When we were kids few bands came along in our primary school class. Limp Bizkit, Korn, Linkin Park, Sum 41 and so on. Often we bought the albums as well because some other kid had them, no idea who started it though, I have to admit that I was one of the kids who jumped upon the bandwagon. Back then one of my friends had a pretty cool dad who was into this kind of hard rock or how the hell it would be defined, he had things like Sepultura, Prong and so on. Thanks to this friend and his dad I was pretty familiar with this kind of music at that age and I discovered Deftones as well, I know I had the White Pony album from that dad when I was pretty young for a week or two and I know I loved it. The first album I had off them was the Live ep though, I still consider Bored as one of the best tracks recorded live ever. When the kid lost his shoe is just epic in my opinion. 

The song I chose to post is Knife Party since it's my favorite by them, back then and now as well. Deftones is, like I said, one of the few harder bands from before I still listen to. On some nostalgic days I do put on some Korn or Sepultura, but this only happens once a year I think. Deftones I listen to more often and I will continue doing this. The video is fan made I believe, but is pretty well done if you ask me. So give him a like or a comment on youtube, enjoy!  

Friday 19 October 2012

Toe - Past and Language -- The Book About My Idle Plot On a Vague Anxiety (2005)


Next band on my blog is the Japanese band Toe. This is one of the few bands I discovered since I'm browsing the /mu/ board on 4chan, the site is pretty disturbing at times but has some really good music recommendations as well. This band I discovered in a Math Rock share tread, but to be honest I consider them more to be Post-Rock than Math-Rock. I guess they are a combination of both genre's but what counts is that they are a good band, so the label I'm trying to put on them doesn't really matter. 

The video for the Past and Language song is very cool as well, I like the concept of the small gig for a limited crowd. At least that is what I think the concept is... The song is my favorite by them, I'm still fairly new to this band so this might change in the future but for now this really is the one. I like how the song gets that little bit faster around a minute and a half, and how it sort of "explodes" (it's not really that drastic) at 2 minutes and 20 seconds more and less. Oh and how that one "woooh" scream comes from the crowd when it "explodes", haha. And the drummer, apparently named Takashi if Last FM is correct, is just amazing in my opinion. Of course it's the band as a total that creates and plays the songs, but this drummer actually is amazing, not that i'm an expert or anything when it comes to judging this matter, but just check him out. Anyways thank you 4chan and Koen for leading me to 4chan, and... enjoy! 

Official site
last.fm artist page

Thursday 18 October 2012

The Answering Machine - Lightbulbs -- Another City Another Sorry (2009)



Up next (I know I use those two words an awful lot to start a new post) is The Answering Machine. A Manchester based band which I'm very fond of since the debut album in 2009, Another City, Another Sorry. I had that album on repeat for quite some time while studying for my exams back then and the exams actually went quite well. The album is very catchy with easy to sing a long to songs, some very good melodies and of course British accents, how can you not like that. 

The later album I don't know that well to be honest with you, but this first one is still one of my favorite albums of the last few years and maybe in general as well. I loved that album so much that I even went to a concert because they were the support act, not that the main act was bad or something (Tokyo Police Club, which was one of the better live performances I ever saw) but I wouldn't have gone to that gig if it wasn't for The Answering Machine. After the gig I had the chance to talk to them for a few minutes as well, while buying the special Animals EP, or they at least made me believe that, and the album I'm posting about. I also got a free poster that they signed when asked which is hanging to my right while typing this. Like most starting bands they were, and hopefully still are, extremely friendly and cheerful people to the folks who came to support them with buying stuff after the concert. Which makes starting bands ever so lovely. The song is one of my favorites of the album: Lightbulbs. I hope you guys enjoy!

Official site
last.fm artist page   

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Austin TV - El Hombre Pánico -- Caballeros Del Albedrío (2011)


After posting for my first active reader I'll be doing the same as well for the second one today. For her I'll be posting my favorite Mexican band since she is from Mexico, If that ain't a good reason! If you were unaware of the music scene there, like I was until a few months ago... Then I have to tell you the following: Lots of good rock and music in general coming from there! But lots of the bands are singing in Spanish as well, obviously. Obvious or not this leads to me (and maybe some of you too) disliking them in the end because I have no clue what the song is about, although I'm still learning Spanish (sometimes, haha). If you can look past this issue, of not understanding the lyrics, the music itself is actually very good like I said.

Anyways with Austin TV this language problem doesn't occur, since they are mainly instrumental and are actually a very good band that leans towards Post-Rock sounds at times, which explains why they are my favorite no? This song right here doesn't lean to Post-Rock though. Never the less it is actually my favorite song by them, it's a very energetic and short instrumental song with a catchy sound, and I have to mention the song has some words in it. But even without knowing Spanish you'll be able to follow these lyrics, trust me! so the earlier arising problem with Mexican music really doesn't apply for this song and band. Oh to end, I know the costumes look crazy but you better get used to it, it seems they actually wear them live as well. Enjoy!

Monday 15 October 2012

Florence + the Machine - Dog Days Are Over -- Lungs (2009 | live)


Post number 13 on my blog here, which happens to be the favorite number of one of my two main readers (Koen and Miriam). If you want to visit them you can go check their tumblr's out at: Koen and my girl. So for the first of those two I will be posting this song by Florence and the Machine, where I rarely listen to, to be frankly honest with you all. She is amazing I know that, but I'm afraid the music isn't really my cup of tea. I enjoy to listen to her occasionally but only for a few songs and then I put on something else. 

Anyways since Koen and I have different music tastes most of the time, with rarely any overlaps at all, it seemed the most logical choice to make to post this song. The reason for this is simple: we both think this is an extraordinary live video. The video is from back in 2010 where they played on Glastonbury and she gives the best of her self on the Dog Days Are Over song, she and the crowd are just amazing in my opinion and both seem to love to be there as well.

Florence Welch and the song are very well known to you all I assume and even this video has nearly two million views upon posting this. Everybody of you is aware of the Lungs album as well. So I think there is nothing more to say about the band by me, since I don't listen to often to her and her machine, and she is so well known already by everyone with a decent music taste. But I hope at least some of you people here didn't see this amazing live video yet, or well you could at least re-enjoy the video.

Sunday 14 October 2012

Flashguns - I Don't Not Love You -- I Don't Not Love You (2010 | single)



Next up is a band I listened to a lot the last year or two, I'm not sure when I discovered them. Not that it matters really. I do remember when I quit listening to them, it actually was when I found their first album. The day I found the album (pretty late due to university work) was the day I stopped listening to them to be honest with you. The reason for this is their split they announced right about when I found the album. The one moment I was excited of finally finding the album I've been waiting for so long, the next moment I read they announced they would split up. Never the less the band was excellent and the album probably is as well. I still have to listen to it properly, it's on my winamp player while I'm writing this post though. But really it just makes me sad that I won't ever see them live, but hey it's not the first and it won't be the last band I will have this problem with.

The song is the I Don't Not Love You track and it was released on a single with a radio edit of the song and a second track alongside it. It was not included on the later album, Passions Of A Different kind released in 2011. On the one hand I support this vision, namely: only new work on the album. On the other hand some of the earlier songs were really good and deserved to be on the record. Anyways, the track is still my favorite track by them if it's on the album or not. I really played it over and over again until the day I read the bad news. I hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I did, and maybe one day they'll come back together. Never loose hope!  

Official site
last.fm artist page

Friday 12 October 2012

Joy Wants Eternity - Above The Clouds Lies Eternal Sun -- You Who Pretend To Sleep (2007)



You could have guessed after me mentioning them in my previous post about The Joy Formidable that the next one would be about Joy Wants Eternity. Like I explained in that post this two bands introduced me to Post-Rock although one of them clearly isn't Post-Rock at all, but I advice to read the other post as well if you want to understand it all. 

Nowadays I don't often listen anymore to Joy Wants Eternity, not because the album isn't good or anything but I listened a bit too much to them when I first came to appreciate it I think. If you only have one album then you end up being a bit bored after re listening it over and over again, or at least I do most of the time. Back then I couldn't find the earlier EP, which has an amazing title if you ask me: Must You Smash Your Ears Before You Learn To Listen With Your Eyes. But maybe I have more luck tonight since I will be looking for both the old one and the new record that came out in may apparently. Hopefully it gets me to listen some more to this excellent band. Oh and like always I will buy the album if I see it in stores here or if I can get it at a decent price online, but I don't pay for downloads I want at least hard copies for my money, sue me... 

Anyways lets focus again after my short plea for illegal downloads, haha. The band is Texas based and produces pretty decent post-rock. Since it's been a long time I listened to the album it's hard to tell you how good they actually are, but they made me want to hear more from the genre so they can't be bad no? I remember the song From Embrace to Embrace being pretty excellent as well as the Yet Onward We Marched to be one of my favorite songs of the album. But I wanted to post one of the first two songs of the album since they made the switch between The Joy Formidable and this Post-Rock band sound so natural. So in the end it became this one, Above The Clouds Lies Eternal Sun. Which is like the complete album a very good song if you are into the genre. Or lets hope that it can inspire you to dig into the Post-Rock genre like it did with me if you are not into it the genre, anyways... Enoy!

Wednesday 10 October 2012

The Joy Formidable - Cradle -- A Balloon Called Moaning (2009)



Up next is the band that introduced me to Post Rock, strange you might think considering they aren't anything like a Post Rock band. Well back in 2009 I really enjoyed this record by the Joy Formidable. I put it on an awful lot back then, and the album right underneath this one was the You Who Pretend To Sleep album of Joy Wants Eternity. If I listen to music I hardly search my library I just scroll and put something on so it doesn't stop after my selection is done, it just continues playing music. This was the case back then as well and I found myself listening a few times to the Joy Wants Eternity album, without me realizing at first. It sounded good as well and just seemed like a very long outro of the album I guess. Anyways that's how I got rolled into Post Rock to be honest.

Back to the Joy Formidable then, which is one of my favorite bands with female vocals. I'm not usually into this, but with this Welsh band it's a completely different story, Ritzy Bryan is just an amazing talented woman, not only musically on record but as well how she performs it live, how she is able to entertain the crowd while playing the songs I mean (whilst looking a bit crazy at times though, haha). Combine this excellent vocalist with a good drummer and bassist and you have a trio that is able to create some excellent indie rock. Which they did with this record back in '09, and later on repeated with the Big Roar that contained some new songs. Hopefully they will do the same when the next album comes out early next year. Enjoy Ritzy and the rest of her band!


Saturday 6 October 2012

Placebo - The Bitter End -- Sleeping With Ghosts (2003)



When I first started to develop my music addiction around 2004/2005 this album was one of the first I bought. Placebo was one of the bands I knew from before and which I liked a lot, obviously otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. That the album was at a low price, since it came out at least a year before maybe even two, was a nice bonus of course. Around that time I bought a lot of albums some of them I regret or just don't listen to anymore some of them I still love. Everything was new to me so I bought some things without listening to it first, a mistake! One I don't make anymore luckily. Anyways with Placebo I found a gem, until this day this is still my favorite album by them, probably only because it was my first but I really don't care. Sleeping with ghosts is just brilliant in my opinion except for the song something rotten, never found myself able to like that, probably as well because I didn't like it from the start...

Maybe because this album is so brilliant this blog is here, maybe without this album or this band my life wouldn't be so much about music, it isn't as freaky as it used to be, but for a few years I was really obsessed with finding new things and more and better. So I guess I should thank this band for making that album and thank the record store for having it on sale back then. 

Oh and if you were wondering, yes I'm still fond of Placebo, except for Without You I'm Nothing I have every album already and I will buy this last one eventually too. I like both the new and older material and they are amazingly good live in my opinion. So thank you Placebo and enjoy the song! I chose The Bitter End for the simple reason that I remember watching this video as a kid and developing a liking for Placebo which lead to me buying the album eventually and all the rest of what I just said. Again enjoy!

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Fuck Buttons - Surf Solar -- Tarot Sport (2009)



Like for every band we know now there was a time we didn't know anything about them. For me this is still the case with Fuck Buttons to be completely honest with you. The only reason for making this post in the first place was scrolling trough my media player and stumbling upon this gem. It actually has been months since I listened to them. How come I'm posting this then if I know so little about them and rarely listen to it? Well few years back I saw a show off them on a festival here in Belgium and they blew me away. After the festival I got this album and I enjoyed listening to it but never took the time to look up more of them or follow them up. Earlier this year I found a hard copy of the album in a small shop and paid up immediately and again I enjoyed rediscovering it (since I had forgotten about them). So the reason is obviously that it is an excellent album if you are into this type of music, not sure how to describe it though, so you have to listen to it... and the band deserves more attention as well (even from me).

So truth to be told, posting this right now is me rediscovering this for the second time this year. In my defense I enjoy this type of music a lot more live than on album, if that counts as an excuse for forgetting over and over again about an album you really like a lot. And maybe just maybe I have too much music on my computer, nah never too much am I right? Anyways because of this in my opinion excellent album I will look up more of them tonight and try to follow up better on them.   

I'm sorry for so much ranting and so little talking about the actual music, but it's really hard to describe it for me. A problem I have with a lot of things I hear actually... Just give the song a chance, it's the opener of the album and if I really have to give a genre or something I'd say it's some experimental/electronicish music. Enjoy people!