Records of the Week: 4/14/11

April 14, 2011 Leave a comment

Ok, ok.  I know I originally wanted to compile three of the best albums from the first nine weeks of Records of the Week, but I’ve been enjoying these albums a bit lately.  So maybe I’ll hold off on that idea until the twenty-fifth or fiftieth post or something.  I’d have a lot more albums to choose from, and most of you guys wouldn’t remember some of the earlier stuff.  We’ll see.  But in the meantime…onto this week’s albums!

PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

PJ Harvey is one of those artists who always seem to get glowing reviews from critics, but rarely receive any real mainstream success.  PJ’s music would probably sound great on rock radio and be an interesting change, so it’s a real shame that she isn’t bigger than she is.  This album Let England Shake is her first since 2007′s White Chalk, and it actually charted in the top 10 in many countries (although it only reached 32 in the US).  It’s hard to classify PJ as one specific sound, and this album is tough to put a label on as well.  In simplest terms it’s an indie rock record, but it’s so much more than the average album of that type.  It has really interesting melodies and great instrumentation.  “In The Dark Places” is my favorite song.  It has a really cool bassy keyboard sound and an amazing melody (check out the song to get a good feel of her sound).

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Nicklist #5

April 11, 2011 Leave a comment

Sorry for the lack of updates lately.  I haven’t been overly busy – put simply, there just hasn’t been things to review lately.  Fortunately a few great records are coming out this week, and after a little time with them I’ll post my reviews.  One way I’ve debated keeping the blog a little more active is reviewing older albums – but I feel like people have much more interest in newer releases.  Perhaps I’ll change my mind on that soon, though.  I want to remain as active as possible.

1.) “Dying Song” – John Frusciante (from The Brown Bunny soundtrack)

John Frusciante has always been one of my favorite artists, so its slightly surprising to realize that I haven’t mentioned him on this blog yet.  “Dying Song” is one of the most achingly heartbreaking things I’ve heard (in a beautiful way).  Frusciante has always utilized synths in unique and interesting ways, and this song is no exception.  The atmospheric, moody Rhodes keyboard and the little synth bleeps after each chorus add dynamics to what would just be a (very good) acoustic song otherwise.  The best thing about this song is the volume – despite the fact the song is acoustic, it sounds very full and is produced very well.  A lot of artists who record acoustically end up sounding thin or too sparse.

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Records of the Week: 4/7/11

April 7, 2011 Leave a comment

Television – Marquee Moon

It’s funny how some records just seem to gain steam years after their release.  While Television’s Marquee Moon was well received by critics upon its release in 1977, the album didn’t manage to sell well in the United States at all (although it did manage to reach #28 in Britain).  It’s quite a shame that it wasn’t regarded as one of the classic albums of the era until relatively recently, when sites like Pitchfork put it high up on “Best of the Decade” lists.  Marquee Moon is really one of the most interesting, polished, and well-produced records of the time and holds up extremely well today.  The guitar playing is some of the best ever.  The entire album is full of great riffs.  The post chorus riff in “Venus” (played by Tom Verlaine) is extremely pleasant to the ear, and the title track is an eleven minute display of fantastic guitar playing from both of the band’s guitar players.

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Nicklist #4: Five Songs from Free Rap Albums & Mixtapes

April 4, 2011 Leave a comment

One of the coolest things about the internet is the evolution of the “free album.”  It’s become such a common part of the current musical setting that it’s something a lot of us take for granted, but before the internet it was relatively impossible to distribute something for free, unless you were already a popular artist.  A genre that has embraced the internet is hip-hop music.  In between official releases for labels, artists of all popularity – from the mainstream to the underground – release free mixtapes online.  It’s an easy way to give fans something new, and an easy way to get stuff distributed without much trouble.

Today’s Nicklist features five songs from great rap/hip-hop mixtapes (with links to download said mixtapes).  Keep in mind that this isn’t a list of the best songs from mixtapes of all time – just stuff I’ve personally enjoyed.  And if you have any mixtape recommendations, leave a comment!

1.) “Us Placers” – CRS (from Kanye West’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing mixtape)

This is one of my favorite rap songs due to the sample alone (“Eraser” by Thom Yorke) and it’s used so well in the song.  Sometimes I hear rap songs that utilize samples in the wrong way and end up sounding boring or repetitive because of it, and this is song is the best example of something that just works.  It doesn’t hurt to have some of the best mainstream rappers (Kanye, Pharell Williams and Lupe Fiasco) on the track, either.  Lupe actually produced this track as part of what was going to be a mixtape with samples from Thom Yorke and Radiohead songs.  Sadly that project never manifested and it ended up appearing on Kanye’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing mixtape instead.

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Records of the Week: 3/31/11

March 31, 2011 Leave a comment

I really enjoy doing these Records of the Week posts, because it gives me a chance to be a little less analytical with my writing and a little more personal.  Since these are simply the albums I’ve listened to a lot and really enjoyed this week, I don’t feel the need to change my mindset from “music listener” to “music reviewer” so much.  I think it gives the blog a new dynamic as a whole, and I hope you guys enjoy these recommendations and actually listen to some of these albums (or even just songs).  Anyways, onto the records!

ABBA – ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits

This may seem like an interesting choice, especially considering the type of music I’ve reviewed on my blog recently – but I’ve always loved pop music.  And even forty years after the Swedish group started releasing singles, ABBA is still the cream of the crop when it comes to catchy and relatable mainstream music.  The songs are incredibly well composed, and it’s crazy how much more advanced they are compared to a lot of mainstream music released today.  ABBA was a group with four very talented people, and there was no real studio tricks to help them in those days.  My favorite songs on this greatest hits collection are “Knowing Me, Knowing You” and “S.O.S,” two songs that are very impressive for their musical dynamics and absolutely incredible backing vocals.  The contrast between the minor-key verses and major key choruses in the latter make each part of the song memorable in its own way.  I’m sure most people visiting this blog have heard ABBA before, but they’re worth a serious listen without a doubt.  (I know a few years ago, I would have called them corny pop music and never would’ve given them a chance).  Also, check out my friend’s humorous ABBA blog.

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Nicklist #3: Five Songs That Helped Me Get Through A Break-Up

March 28, 2011 Leave a comment

About four months ago, a few weeks before I turned 20, I went through a fairly painful break-up (my first one) and it really affected me for a while.  And although I’m not going to go into any personal details or anything like that here (and I’ve been doing well lately), what I will do for the weekly Nicklist is post five songs that I feel really helped me through what happened, or at least made the pain a little easier to bear for a while.

These songs have a lot of emotional significance to me, but aside from that I hope you guys enjoy some of these tunes (if you haven’t heard them already).  Maybe someone reading this went through something similar and it’ll help them a little.

1.) “Call Me On Your Way Back Home” – Ryan Adams (from Heartbreaker)

This album is reportedly about a break-up Adams had with one of his former girlfriends, and you can definitely hear it in the music.  Although there are a few more upbeat tracks, much of the album is in a similar vein to this one – very sparse with beautiful vocal melodies.  One of my favorite lines is “Oh baby why did I treat you like I did/Honey I was just a kid/bubblegum on my shoe.”  I feel like there’s a kind of immaturity in relationships, especially those that happen towards a younger age, and I love the imagery and feeling this song invokes through the lyrics and chord progression.

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Nicklist #2

December 21, 2010 Leave a comment

Hey there blog readers.  I’m a little short on time today, so I apologize if this seems a tad bit rushed.  I’m going to 1.) watch the Lakers vs. Bucks game with a friend and then 2.) go see a midnight showing of True Grit (which hopefully I will review tomorrow).  Once again I fulfill my promise of doing a weekly post.  I think the blog has gotten a lot more active the last few weeks, and honestly I’m loving it.  There is a feeling of obligation, I guess, but Nicklists and Records of the Week are so easy to do that there’s still that element of fun.

By the way this is something I’ve discussed before – if you have anything at all to say, please leave a comment.  It’s always fun to read them, and it’d also be cool to have some interaction involved with these posts.  Also, remember to like my blog on facebook (link in the sidebar).

1.) “Example” – Curren$y (from 2010′s Pilot Talk)

This is probably one of the most enjoyable rap beats I’ve heard this year.  Lyrically it’s not the most amazing song, but anyone could rap over this beat and make it sound good, even a nerdy white guy like me (ok, probably not).  The layed distorted guitar totally invokes 70s rock music, and it’s a really cool angle for a rap song.  Just when you get used to that  great sound, the guitar drops out and some soft synth comes in.  I’m a huge fan of variations in rap beats, and this song really does that well.  On the radio there’s just too much rapping over repetitive beats, and it’s refreshing to hear something like this.

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Records of the Week: 12/18/10

December 18, 2010 Leave a comment

I can’t believe this, but I’m actually posting a “Records of the Week” a week after I posted the last one!  Finally I stay on schedule.  Now let’s get down to business, folks.  This week’s “Records of the Week” are rather “indie/folk-y” at least to me.  By the way, I’m going to try to post a ROTW on Christmas, but I’m not sure how much time I’ll have due to family commitments.  If it’s not posted Christmas Day, it’ll be posted Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas.

She and Him – Volume One and Two


She and Him is best known for the fact that popular (and adorable) actress Zooey Deschanel is their lead singer and primary songwriter.  The fact that an actress is a singer may immediately discourage some from listening to the project, but both She & Him records, Volume One and Volume Two are pure pop bliss.  The reason why I decided to combine them is because they’re in the same vein musically, and I’ve been enjoying them both this past week. The “Him” in the band is M. Ward, who plays guitar and produces the record.  His playing style, which is sparse and not very intrusive, fits the music well.  And Deschanel is a more than capable singer.  Her voice fits in very well with the old-timey arrangements and musical structures.  Its very reminiscent of popular music from the sixties and seventies.  Her voice has a very “warm” feel to it, and it’s very pleasant to the ear.  “This Is Not A Test” from Volume One is one of my favorite tracks – it’s a good example of the catchy brand of pop that you’ll find on both records..  Volume Two is quite similar to the first record in almost every aspect, but it doesn’t end up sounding too “samey” at all.  The best analogy for it would be that they’re different “volumes” (see what I did there?) in the same series of novels.  Both albums also end with vocal only tracks – an excellent cover of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Sleep,” (a song penned by Deschanel) which really does sound like something you would listen to while going to sleep.  If you’re into the kind of poppy, 60s/70s era type thing, definitely check these albums out.

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NickList #1

December 14, 2010 Leave a comment

Just came up with this cool idea to do a weekly “NickList” of 5 or so songs I’ve been enjoying lately with a couple lines of text about each song and why I picked it. I’ll be looking for youtube videos for most of the songs to make it easier for people to listen without downloading, so excuse the bad quality on some of the songs.  (Also a small side note: I created a facebook fan page so you can “like” the blog and get updates on your News Feed…so like it if you’re into that kind of thing).

1.) “All of the Lights” – Kanye West (from 2010′s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy)

I reviewed Kanye’s new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy the other day, and this song “All of the Lights” is one of the best tracks.  It’s immense in sound – thundering drums and loud horns, and even a piano solo – and in scope.  The song features Alicia Keys, Elton John, Rihanna, Elly Jackson (La Roux), the Dream, Fergie, and a bunch of other artists.  Like him or not, only Kanye could get away with featuring extremely popular artists like Keys and John on a track in such a limited capacity.  This song really has the potential to be a huge hit based on the “star power” and the “huge” sound.

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Records of the Week: 12/11/10

December 11, 2010 2 Comments

Lets try this again, shall we?  I know I’ve been fairly lax with this blog lately – I haven’t been posting nearly enough.  But I’m going to have a lot of free time because of school ending and other stuff freeing up time, so I figured this is as good of a time as any to try and be more active.  The funny thing about this blog is that I’m getting 5-10 views a day without even posting anything.  It’s weird to have that kind of self-sustainability, and it makes me believe that if I keep posting I can increase my view count and make a lot of people happy with my musical recommendations and stuff.  We’ll see.

Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The 36 Chambers


Wu-Tang is one of the most unique rap groups out there, and 36 Chambers is the crown jewel of their career.  The production is incredible and sounds nothing like music that has been released since.  There’s a readily apparent dissonance to the beats – almost everything is in a minor key – and the instrumentation as a whole is very sparse, leaving room for Wu-Tang’s many talented members to shine lyrically. The lyrical style is also a lot different than average rap.  The Clan has a huge interest in Samurai movies and martial arts, and mix that in at almost every chance they get.  36 Chambers is pure Wu-Tang and is the perfect introduction to the group’s (and the member’s solo efforts) career.

“C.R.E.A.M”, one of the only songs in a major key, is a standout and rap classic.  Over a simple yet oddly beautiful piano line, Wu-Tang raps about how “Cash Rules Everything Around Me (them)”; how living life in the pursuit of money has led them through some tough times.  It’s message is the opposite of what is expected from rap – which is known for its glorification of “getting money.”  And on a record focusing on “Bringing the muthafuckin ruckus” and “Protectin’ ya neck,” (great songs, by the way)  “C.R.E.A.M” really shines.  If you’ve always heard of Wu-Tang and are into rap music but never checked them out, definitely use this album to begin your foray into the world of the Wu.

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