Tumgik
#(that has on the playlist that mike made that reminds him of me <33)
mel-loly · 7 months
Text
-He is so sweet☺️💞
Tumblr media
@alsomanple
17 notes · View notes
stranger-chichka · 1 year
Text
Mike is a character who we associate with the blue color the most, right? Also, blue is kinda associated with the Upside Down and Vecna because of that blue light we see there.
Tumblr media
Blue is the basic color of mlm pride flag. It was created in 2019. And you know what? In russian slang голубой (which is translated as “blue”) means “gay" and it originates from the '60s.
Tumblr media
Almost every outfit Mike wears in s4 is blue.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
credits to @lesbianmindflayer from your fellow subscriber who try not to miss any video analysis! <3 Also, I feel you'll be quite excited about the following thing, which is the origin and usage of that slang in relation to the gaybirdgate too.
The phrase “fly, doves, fly” used to warn gay men in russia reminded me of the moment when Dustin navigates Murray in s3. “Fly right, Bald Eagle. Fly right.”
The phrase “fly, doves, fly” used to warn gay men in russia reminded me of the moment when Dustin navigates Murray in s3. “Fly right, Bald Eagle. Fly right.”
Tumblr media
Mike is also associated with an eagle because of the poster he had in his basement and later gave to El.
Tumblr media
Eagle is a symbol of America. America -> Mike. I don't want to go in-depth here, because that's the whole other thing, but I'm adding the links on Nintendo and Americantendo theory, which I wrote based on @nadia-zahra 's observations and my posts about Erica ("you can't spell America without Erica") for those who're interested what is the connection. BUT the gaybirdgate is not closed yet.
Nintendo theory;
Nintendo 2.0 (Americantendo);
@doriandrifting 's post, connected to that theory.
Erica will take Murray's place in s5;
Erica is level 14 in D&D;
Erica & the spaceship;
Erica & "I Want To Break Free" easter egg;
Erica & opening the door;
Erica & Tina's Apple Jack's party (+Murray's The Bald Eagle poster analysis);
The phrase голубая мечта (translated as "blue dream") caught my attention. The expression appeared under the influence of the famous play (with a very fairy-tale-like setting -> "It looks like a fairytale") "The Blue Bird" written by Maurice Maeterlinck in 1908. The blue bird is a symbol of happiness that has been in the home all along; the children simply have not recognized and valued it.
Tumblr media
As we already know, dreams are one of the key themes and focus in ST, especially in season 4 with “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, but let’s not forget about “Never Ending Story.”
Tumblr media
Not only has it a line "fly a fantasy," but "dream a dream, and what you see will be." What is Mike’s blue dream? Of what is he dreaming secretly? Or better say, of who? It’s a rhetorical question for bylers. But the GA will find out too, with the help of Vecna and his mirror (aka the visions he shows to his victims of who they really are). The answer is upon a rainbow. Literally.
Tumblr media
In the picture of Mike's room I pinned above, you can also notice a heart with a heart, cloud, rainbow and something written on it.
"Rhymes that keep our secrets will unfold behind the clouds, and there upon a rainbow is the answer to a neverending story." "Without heart, we'd all fall apart." Will's words rhyme and Mike is Will's heart.
@angelwithnightmares 's guess is it may say If you can dream it, you can do it" (Walt Disney's quote) and doesn't it connect the dots? Taking into account @madwheelerz manifestation theory and how Mike (the writer and the DM) & Will (the artist) -- the duo with huge imagination manifested the events in ST because of their dreams nightmares feels very real to me.
PLUS, I'm tagging @there-was-a-hole-here-itsgonenow and adding links to her Disney’s Figment the dragon posts here and here, because HE IS IMAGINATION. We can spot him in the Bingham house below Suzie’s window. When we hear the birds are singing outside. Behind the yellow & blue curtain.
Tumblr media
What made me do this post may you ask? Listening to Mike's playlist. There are two songs with the word “blue.”
#12: “Can’t Shake That Feeling” by Grum
Tumblr media
#33: “Blue Monday” by New Order
Tumblr media
And plenty of songs about the dreams too. I counted seven of them.
#7:
Tumblr media
#13:
Tumblr media
#15:
Tumblr media
#17:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
#25:
Tumblr media
#27:
Tumblr media
#47:
Tumblr media
148 notes · View notes
flaine · 3 years
Note
Hey angel 💖
Am currently listening to my dance vibes playlist and thinking about that time Mike suggested a footloose marathon (the fact that he didn't get to perform footloose is just tragic smh 😔)... I haven't seen the original but I saw the more recent one a few years ago and Fake ID by big & rich is such a bop.... I guess it counts as country so sam and potentially finn (bc of his vocals in red solo cup lmao) are my obvious choices to sing it but id want Mike n britt as lead dancers.... idk it would be fun to have the whole glee club dancing n goofing around n just overall having fun
Also more vb au furtana hcs for a much needed serotonin boost... furtana + showing affection:
Finn is by far the most physically affectionate! He gives great hugs that both Kurt and Santana love, and also developed a habit of kissing Santana's cheeks 🥰 and despite Santana not being a huge fan of physical affection from people, finn one of her few exceptions. Also casual displays of affection!! Like slinging his arm over their shoulders, clapping their backs, etc, he does it all
Kurt loves gifts! He always buys these little trinkets that remind him of finntana and is generally great at picking out stuff for them.. and sometimes he'll hide lil handmade presents for them in random places so that they get cute surprises throughout the day... (finn and santana always buy each other gag gifts n dumb stuff for shits n giggles but when it comes to getting stuff for Kurt they both put in a lot more effort. It doesn't always work out, especially at first, but he knows they're trying and that's all that really matters to him)
Santana's the clumsiest at showing love unless they're not paying attention hdjsjfjs she's so used to throwing playful jabs at finn and she did spend a few years putting Kurt through a lot of shit so it takes a while for her to be upfront about showing genuine love to him... but eventually it starts by coming out in the form of compliments sandwiched between insults until she finally allows herself to put down that harsh persona and give both boys the sweetest compliments when they need it the most. Most of the time she sticks to affectionate insults tho lmao. She's 100% that person who goes "Finn and Kurt are my brothers and I will kick your ass if you say anything bad about them" but once they walk into the room she'll turn around and call them both dumb shits bc she's the only one who's allowed to insult them 😔💞
Wow look at that I just rambled on and on about them again hdnshfjs I miss drawing them 😔💔 it's your turn to ramble now so... tell me more about rutherchang pls I'm v curious....
Have a wonderful day ily and I'm sending u the good vibes my playlist is manifesting 💓💞💕
hey love!! <33
i KNOW mike deserved to do footloose.... i absolutely adore footloose gcv (sam and artie sound SO good i won’t get over it!!! and it just slaps!!) but still i do have footloose in my mike playlist bc he is the Footloose Fanatic ! he deserved a lil dance number to it and tbh i think it’s a song he’d sound great performing!!
but this song!! it definitely has the vibes of nd just having the time of their life n goofin off jamming together.... which is like the absolute best glee vibe possible, just them being a happy lil family 🥰🥰 i cosign on this 100%!!
(also i just tend to love 80s movies but i do recommend the original footloose!! and also dirty dancing if u havent seen it... i didn’t expect to love it sm but it’s my fav dance movie for sure :) )
and oh my gosh furtana 🥺🥺.... you rambling in my inbox is my fav gift to receive <33 i am going to MELT i swear.... theyre a lil family i love them sm... finn kissing santana’s cheeks 🥺 kurt hiding presents for finntana 🥺 and santana is absolutely that person but we all know she loves them sm <333 these made me so warm....
and i will gladly talk abt rutherchang since u asked <33 here is an assortment of hcs i have for them!!!
matt loves singing so he secretly rly wanted to join the glee club (wish we actually got to hear him sing </3) & he was kinda nervous to bring up the idea but as soon as he told mike, mike was also ready to join with him!!! even though he wasn’t much of a singer himself he was happy to do it for matt, plus he felt like it’d be a lot of fun n he’d get an opportunity to dance :)
matt’s favorite thing in the world is watching mike dance, there’s nothing he’d rather do. sometimes they’d stay after school and just hang out in the ballet room and matt would just happily watch mike practice, n sometimes matt couldn’t help but join him n they’d just dance together :)
i think mike is rly close with his mom, and one thing they love to do is cook dinner together :) she was happy to let matt join in when he was over the house, and to this day he tries to find takeout as good as what he made w/ mike but to no avail... 
matt is an artist!!! he was shy about it but he made a few pieces to give to mike as gifts, which mike adored. after he moves away, matt still looks at his paintings sometimes and realizes they’re about mike...
your recent art piece reminded me a lot of this thought i had for them - but basically at some point soon after they reconnect, they obviously have a lot to talk over (they’re prioritizing communication this time around!) so they go out to some emtpyish diner early in the morning and spend hours there just catching up and falling back into each other again, realizing that they are both very much still in love <3
in terms of music that makes me think of them... basically all of heartbreak weather by niall horan!! but if u wanted to listen to any specific songs, everywhere, arms of a stranger, & still are very rutherchang to me 🥺
thank u for letting me ramble abt them sfjksdlh <33 ily and hope you have an even more wonderful day!!!
5 notes · View notes
unicornery · 4 years
Link
For my own amusement, I started tracking how the songs from the Billboard Hot 100 from this week in 1974 have been used in movie soundtracks. Feature Films only people! As you read, you will see the “gimmes” that made me think of the idea, but I’m putting this behind a cut because there ended up being so many which had a soundtrack match. As a reminder, you can follow along as I do the Hot 100 each week corresponding to which classic AT40 and VJ Big 40 get played on SiriusXM ‘70s on 7 and ‘80s on 8 respectively with my ever-changing Spotify playlist. 
100. “Beyond the Blue Horizon” - Lou Christie. This one is a cheat because when I looked it up on Spotify it showed up on the Rain Man soundtrack. The only song I could have told you off the top of my head was in Rain Main is the Belle Stars’ version of “Iko Iko.” Rain Man marked the first soundtrack appearance for Christie’s version. 
98. “The Air That I Breathe” - The Hollies. Very memorable appearance in The Virgin Suicides, which had the score done by, wait for it, French electronica duo Air. The song would go on to be heard in other movies. 
90. “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. The Paper Lace version appears in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Both acts topped the charts with the song on opposite sides of the pond: Paper Lace in the UK and Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods in the US. [Update: the BD&H version may be in "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday"] 
87. “Hollywood Swinging” - Kool & the Gang. This oft-sampled track first appeared in a feature film in the 2005 Get Shorty sequel Be Cool. 
84. “La Grange” - ZZ Top. Armageddon first, followed by others. 
68. “Band on the Run” - Paul McCartney and Wings.  I didn’t search for this at first because I didn’t think there would be anything, but then Jet was on the chart at #27, so I did a twofer search on imdb. Jet has not been in any films (save “One Hand Clapping, a rockumentary on Paul, which I don’t count for purposes of this discussion) but “Band on the Run” appears in The Killing Fields, in a shocking scene that contrasts the light tone of the pop song with the horrors of the Khmer Rouge’s executions of Cambodian citizens. 
66. “For the Love of Money” - The O’Jays. Has been used many times, according to IMDb the first feature film use was the Richard Pryor roman a clef (if I’m using that right, I only know it from Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man) Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling. 
59. “Rock Around the Clock” - Bill Haley and his Comets. Notably used in Blackboard Jungle, the song is on this 1974 chart for its appearance in American Graffiti. 
55. “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” - Rick Derringer. First one that comes to mind is Dazed and Confused bc I had that soundtrack, but it has been in others.
49. “Love’s Theme” - the Love Unlimited Orchestra. The swirling strings of this song indicate that someone is indeed falling in love. That’s my way of saying, if you think you haven’t heard this, you have. Imdb has it in Mean Girls, among others. 
47. “The Way We Were” - Barbra Streisand. The titular song of the 1973 film The Way We Were, starring Barbra and Robert Redford. A little long, but worth a watch bc Barbra is amazing in it. At the 1974 Academy Awards, Marvin Hamslich won Best Original Song honors for this tune, and was awarded Best Original Dramatic Score for his other musical work on the film. I always think of Lisa Loopner’s big crush on him.  
44. “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” - Stevie Wonder. First feature film usage was the 1998 Eddie Murphy flop Holy Man, which surprised me as it’s such a good song, you’d think it would have been in something earlier. Notable given Eddie’s impression of Stevie Wonder he performed on SNL! 
42. “Rock On” - David Essex. Michael Damian’s cover (or remix as described by Patton Oswalt) was recorded for the 1989 2 Coreys classic Dream a Little Dream, and per imdb, David Essex’s original appears in the alternate-history comedy Dick, from 1999. 
37. “Oh Very Young” - Cat Stevens/Yusef Islam. Surprisingly, this sweet song appears in the gross-out bowling comedy Kingpin. 
36. “Jungle Boogie” - Kool & the Gang. This song may have been used in the most films and tv shows of any I’ve researched so far, but its first appearance was in Pulp Fiction. 
34. “The Payback - Part 1” - James Brown. First feature film appearance was in 1995′s Dead Presidents. A different James Brown track appears on the soundtrack for racist-ass Melly Gibson’s Payback from 1999. 
33. “Help Me” - Joni Mitchell.  Another why’d-it-take-ya-so-long shocker, this mellow tune first appeared in the 2018 sci-fi movie Kin, narrowly beating Welcome to Marwen from 2019. 
31. “The Entertainer” - Marvin Hamlisch. The title theme from the Redford/Newman team-up The Sting. Hamlisch won a record-tying third Academy Award in 1974 for Best Original Score for The Sting.  It seems at this time Best Original Score and Best Original Dramatic Score were separate categories. Hamlisch would win Grammys for both this and “The Way We Were,” eventually becoming an EGOT winner in 1995.
30. “Eres Tú” - Mocedades. This Spanish Eurovision entry notably appears in the buddy comedy Tommy Boy when Chris Farley and David Spade’s characters sing along with the radio. 
28. “Midnight at the Oasis” - Maria Muldaur. Catherine O’Hara and Fred Willard perform their own rendition in the Christopher Guest film Waiting for Guffman. That should be all you need, but imdb has the first film appearance for the song as 1995′s Falcon and the Snowman. 
24. “Let it Ride” - Bachman-Turner Overdrive. This lesser-known but not less great BTO jam has appeared in a handful of films, the first being Ash Wednesday, starring Elijah Wood and directed by Edward Burns and not Garry Marshall. Note: it does not seem to be in the Richard Dreyfuss gambling movie Let It Ride, a classic VHS cover of my youth. 
18. “Mockingbird” - James Taylor and Carly Simon. Memorably performed by Harry and Lloyd in the dog van in Dumb and Dumber, later joined by a Latinx family on guitar and vocals.  Before that, Beverly D’Angelo and Chevy Chase’s characters also sang it on their road trip in National Lampoon’s Vacation. I couldn’t find an instance where James and Carly’s version played in a movie but I am sayin’ there’s a chance. That it could be someday. 
16. “Tubular Bells” - Mike Oldfield. This instrumental is best known for being the theme to The Exorcist, but I was surprised to learn from the Wiki entry that it was not written for the film. Tubular Bells or something that’s meant to sound like it has been in a ton of other things, generally uncredited. Of note: Mike Oldfield would go on to do the score for The Killing Fields. 
14. “Seasons in the Sun” - Terry Jacks. Now here is the type of song that ‘70s haters point to as an example of the whiny wuss rock that they feel over-dominated the era. It’s not one of my favorites but I appreciate it for how weird it is. I suppose being translated into English from a French/Belgian poem will do that to ya. Before I did my search, I imagined I would find it in a Farrelly Brothers movie or two, possibly the Anchorman sequel. However, the only feature film match I found was the 2002 indie flick Cherish, a movie I have never seen despite being confronted by the cover many times at rental places over the years. Before today, when I watched the trailer, I would have told you it starred Jennifer Love Hewitt and was about “a band trying to make it.” It turns out I am thinking of the 1999 film The Suburbans. Anyway Cherish seems aggressively indie and very of-its-time in a way that makes me want to watch it. 
13. “Dancing Machine” - The Jackson 5. The song appears in the Blaxploitation spoof I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, as well as the movie of Starsky & Hutch.
11. “Lookin’ For A Love” - Bobby Womack. This was in the movie of The Ladies Man starring Tim Meadows as his SNL character Leon Phelps. I almost skipped this one but I’m glad I didn’t because Tim Meadows rules.
8. “The Loco-Motion” - Grand Funk Railroad (the single and album it was on are credited to Grand Funk). We have our second song from the Kirsten Dunst/Michelle Williams movie Dick. Since that was satirizing Nixon and Watergate, well done to the filmmakers for including these 1974 hits!  It appeared in one earlier film, My Girl 2. 
5. “Come and Get Your Love” - Redbone. Known to modern listeners for appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy. [Sidebar: if you can find a way to listen to the With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus episode T.G.I.G.O.T.G.OST (Thank God It’s the Guardians of the Galaxy Original Soundtrack) with Sean Clements and Hayes Davenport, do it!] The song first appeared in Dance Me Outside, a Canadian film about First Nations youth, which is a cool parallel with Redbone being composed of Native American musicians. “Come and Get Your Love” is also in Dick! 
4. “Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” - Gladys Knight & the Pips. Another SNL feature pops up on our list, 1994′s It’s Pat: The Movie. 
3. “Hooked on a Feeling” - Blue Swede. ALSO known to modern listeners as being from the GOTG, but possibly only in the trailer? I’m fuzzy. The song ALSO also appears in Dick, and its first feature film appearance was Reservoir Dogs. 
2. “Bennie and the Jets” - Elton John. You know it, you love it, you cackle at the gag in Mystery Team. IMDb has this song down as first appearing in the low budget feature Aloha, Bobby and Rose, from 1975. It is ALSO in My Girl 2, with proper credit for Sir Elton. 
1. “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” - MFSB featuring The Three Degrees. IMDb says this appeared in the Al Pacino film Carlito’s Way, and I have no reason to doubt them because it means we are done! Thanks for readin’ and rockin’ along. 
5 notes · View notes
vinyloftheyear-blog · 6 years
Text
Vinyl of the Year 2017
It’s that time of year once again for a music recap! I know I’ve pretty much abandoned the “First Impressions” thing, but I realized that I prefer to let my opinions ferment for some time and serve them up all at once at the end of the year, so that’s what I’ll be doing instead from now on--and in lieu of those posts being reminders of what albums I like, I made a “Best of 2017” playlist out of selected songs from my favorite records of the year. You can listen to it here on Google Play.
I’ve done my album rankings a bit differently this year as well: I’ve compiled a Short List of every album that had at least one song I liked on it, and I’ll be going through all of them one at a time, getting a bit more descriptive the higher up the list I go.
Here’s the Short List, sorted roughly by release date:
Tumblr media
And without any further introduction, let’s do this!
36. Joji - In Tongues EP
Joji is George Miller aka Filthy Frank aka Pink Guy’s moniker for more-serious music, and his record debut is a collection of mellow, lo-fi beats with some shallow lyrics on top. I like some of the sounds on here, especially the ukulele sampling on Worldstar Money, but overall this just sounds like any other amateur lo-fi artist on SoundCloud.
35. Electric Guest - Plural
Electric Guest’s second album features more indie-pop tunes, most of which are completely forgettable in the sea of similar music--but Oh Devil and Back For Me are a couple of rare exceptions that return with the magic and groove of their much-better first record.
34. XXXTENTACION - 17
After hearing about how X seriously abused his ex-girlfriend, I pretty much gave up on liking him and instead hope his mental health improves. The 20-minute album he released is mostly some super-low-effort “I’m depressed” music, but the one stand-out track is Jocelyn Flores, and that’s much more thanks to the potsu song it heavily samples. So at least I can thank X for introducing me to potsu before I never listen to him again.
33. Migos - CULTURE
The Atlanta trap trio climbed to the top of the game with this album, and Bad and Boujee will be remembered for a long time for popularizing their flow and production style (provided by Metro Boomin), for better or worse. T-Shirt is another catchy track with a wonderfully unique flow throughout, but the album pretty much drops off after that for me.
32. SZA - Ctrl
SZA’s debut full-length album is critically acclaimed as a soulful and personal take on modern urban romance and the role she takes in it. I can appreciate the album for that, but it’s not really a concept that I can connect with personally, so this album doesn’t stick with me like it did others. However, the songs with more blatant concepts like The Weekend and Doves in the Wind are more replayable--especially the latter, with its hilarious Kendrick Lamar feature.
31. Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me
I really think this album should be labeled ‘FOR EMOTIONAL EMERGENCIES ONLY’. As the listener, you are taken through what is effectively just cathartic music-therapy for Phil Elverum after the very recent death of his wife, Genevieve. No deepy-contemplated lyrics or music here, just somber mostly-guitar ballads with very straightforward “lyrics” on top about his personal thoughts on various aspects of his life now that she is gone. It’s hardly music, but it’s not for the faint of heart--the first song, Real Death, however, is a good summary of the album’s aesthetic for those who don’t want to sob for 40 minutes.
30. Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
OME is very hit-or-miss in my opinion: he is capable of some excellent flows and lyricism, and can really knock it out of the park with the right production behind him. This album didn’t completely hit--it was mostly too slow, and I admittedly don’t like it when he sings sometimes--but Tldr (Smithing) and Brick Body Complex both had enough of a driving beat to keep me listening.
29. Pink Guy - Pink Season
I was honestly surprised when the In Tongues EP came out that it didn’t have production nearly as good as Pink Season’s: regardless of whatever offensive thing he raps on top, Pink Guy has several solid beats on this album, especially in the food-based songs where the raps are more typical and less off-the-wall raunchy. Adding a few comedic diamonds in the rough, like She’s So Nice and Small Dick, makes the album worth coming back to every so often.
28. The Shins - Heartworms
The Shins have really carved out their own bubbly-indie-rock niche in music and made themselves comfortable, and Heartworms is no departure from that in the slightest. The result is an album that’s both easy to enjoy but hard to really celebrate. A few stand-out tracks are Rubber Ballz, Name For You, and Mildenhall, which each have a slightly different tone, but belong well within the Shins’ signature aesthetic.
27. Portugal. The Man - Woodstock
It must have been one hell of a year for PTM since they’ve gone from a lesser-known indie-rock group to Top 40 hitmakers, since it’s been weird to hear Feel It Still on the radio even as a fan of theirs. Besides that song and a couple others though, Woodstock just feels like a more popped-up and watered-down version of the slightly-less popped-up and watered-down Portugal that I grew to like when Evil Friends released.
26. Alt-J - RELAXER
The indie-rock powerhouse returned this year with a woefully underwhelming third album, stuffed with nicely-composed but lullaby-worthy tracks following in the wake of the more ambient sounds from their second record. In Cold Blood is by and large the standout track, bringing back the punchy rock feel and dynamic shifts that made An Awesome Wave so catchy and groundbreaking. Deadcrush also lends to this with its tough drum beat, but beyond that, a strange and ill-fitting attempt at garage-rock, and a much gentler cover of House of the Rising Sun, this album can be missed with no regrets, even for an Alt-J fan.
25. San Fermin - Belong
The eight-piece baroque-pop outfit came to my attention when opening for Alt-J live, and their infectious stage presence and unique ensemble led me to find their studio recordings, which were good in concept but unfortunately poorly-mixed for the most part. Their newest record, however, seems to be mixed and recorded much better, with songs like Dead and Cairo bringing that live energy properly into my earphones. Many tracks are good enough but a bit poppy and smooth for my taste, like Belong, but overall this is a great album for anybody who wants more horns and violins in their pop music.
24. N.E.R.D. - NO ONE EVER REALLY DIES
N.E.R.D. finally explains their name on their latest album, which still brings the experimental genre-mixing hip-hop that got them their initial fame, but the experiments seem to be overcooked a bit: there are some interesting samples and beats here, even going so far as combining an 80s new wave style beat with a Future feature on 1000, but most of the songs drag the beats out too long for me to stay interested. Lemon is an exceptional standout track, with one of the bounciest beats of the whole year, and Rihanna with an unprecedented rap feature.
23. Mac DeMarco - This Old Dog
The New York indie-rocker popularized his own “slacker rock” genre with his excellent album Salad Days, and This Old Dog proves that Mac is still the master of his own domain. He branches out his song foundations on this record to include acoustic guitar and piano, among other things, but maintains the psychedelic guitars and wavy synths that characterize his style. His lyrics also get more somber and personal than usual, a rare side to Mac’s music that slows it down a bit too much for my liking, but not enough that this album should be ignored.
22. Gorillaz - Humanz
Pretty much all of the singles from Humanz were great examples of genre-defying instrumentals with fitting rap features on top--Vince Staples does an awesome job on Ascension, DRAM gives Andromeda a nice bit of depth, and Let Me Out is a wonderful gospel-rap-fusion track with Pusha T and Mavis Staples (and the album’s De La Soul and Danny Brown features are good too). Unfortunately, the rest of the album is overloaded with production so all-over-the-place you can never stay immersed for more than a little while before you’re either bored or confused.
21. Smino - blkswn
The underground St. Louis rapper’s debut album is full of wavy beats that have a neo-R&B feel to them, similar to Chance the Rapper or Noname’s recent work, and flows in his own slightly-off-kilter sometimes-singing-sometimes rapping style. The whole album is definitely worth a listen, but most of the tracks are a little too off-balance in their beats and rhythms to really stick; the flow overtakes the underlying rhythm and makes it sound messy. Some tracks, however, like Blkoscars, Innamission, and Spitshine, strike a much better balance--and the soulful final track Amphetamine makes a wonderful closer, especially with Noname’s feature.
20. Vallis Alps - Fable EP
The Australian electropop duo released another EP that is wonderful in every sense of the word, with the only true crime being its short length. As with their self-titled EP, Fable is loaded with glittering synths and Parissa Tosif’s beautifully-airy voice on the high end, with driving percussion in varying amounts to balance it out and change the tone. Sometimes the composition is a little samey, like the repetitive chords in East and Fading, but that doesn’t stop me from coming back.
19. Lorde - Melodrama
Lorde needs no introduction at this point, and her newest album chronicling a relationship and subsequent breakup brings more of her personal side out, which is a welcome change--but the tone of the album is much more poppy, and most of Lorde’s characteristic darkness is washed out. Tracks like Homemade Dynamite and The Louvre show how the production behind her has improved and diversified, filling in the gaps in her old minimalist music quite nicely, but it is a balance that not a lot of the album strikes.
18. Foster the People - Sacred Hearts Club
Foster the People went much more electronic for their newest installment, bringing to the front lines what was once just some background effects. In many ways the change is great for the dancey energy of the band’s music, like in Doing It For the Money and Pay the Man, but other times it just makes the songs less interesting. The rare punk-rock track Lotus Eater also brings the band’s typical energy with a welcome new style that I hope to see more of in future albums.
17. Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, James McAlister - Planetarium
Stories of eponymous Roman myths with Sufjan’s poetic twist are sung through several effects on top of grandiose and often-overwhelming production throughout this technically-huge album. The main setback of this record is its length and overindulgence in its composition, like a musical all-you-can-eat that just keeps coming (and it’s a slight thorn in my side that the track order seems meaningless). In moderate doses though, tracks like Jupiter and Mars serve up lots of beautiful soundscapes with interesting dynamic shifts throughout.
16. 21 Savage, Metro Boomin, Offset - Without Warning
The back end of 2017 saw the release of several collaboration albums between various trap artists and producers--and this surprise Halloween-themed album is the only one worth coming back to. Metro Boomin provides beats that are as spooky as they are sticky for 21 Savage to rap on, but Offset is the true star of the album, bringing crazy flows that amplify the groove of the whole record, especially on Ric Flair Drip and Ghostface Killers.
15. Tame Impala - Currents B-sides & Remixes
The remixes on this album are okay, but it mostly has this rank because of its bonus material from my 2015 Vinyl of the Year. The three tracks sound from a time between Lonerism and Currents, where real drum beats dominate the driving percussion but synth leads take over the instrumental. List of People (To Try and Forget About) and Taxi’s Here are both excellent tracks that are better than some that actually made it to the real Currents, but I’m happy they hold their own separately, too.
14. Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up
Fleet Foxes continuously push the boundaries of folk music to new heights, and this album is no different, featuring an impressive amount of dynamic switches (especially in I Am All That I Need / Arroyo Seco / Thumbprint Scar), strange time signatures, and of course the characteristically-angelic harmonies and ambient guitars. Third of May / Ōdaigahara is the best blend of complexity and accessibility that Fleet Foxes has yet produced, with the rest of the album leaning a bit heavy toward the former, but I’m excited to see what they’ll do next.
13. Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
The ex-Fleet Fox brings another dose of well-composed irony to the record press, this time focusing the negative energy of Americans everywhere in 2017 into a concentrated mass of pure sarcastic cynicism. The theatrical compositions Father John is known for get even better on this record as he places it in the modern age by singing about having VR-sex with Taylor Swift and updating his status one last time before dying. The result is a wonderfully relatable and over-the-top message about the folly of man and just how funny it can all be sometimes.
12. Jaden Smith - SYRE
I still can’t take Jaden seriously after this album came out, but the production on it is so good it makes me almost wish I could. Lido’s beats and instruments, especially in the opening medley BLUE, are impressive enough that they bring up the album quality by themselves, and while Jaden’s lyrics range from platitudinous to cheesy to insane, his flow is usually a pretty good fit with the beats, so not all is lost--though he could stand to use the triplet-style a little less.
11. Richard Dawson - Peasant
If Lord of the Rings is high fantasy and Game of Thrones is gritty low fantasy, then Peasant is scraping the bottom of the barrel. Dawson’s folk songs each discuss a different story from 6th-century Britain, most dealing with brutal subjects like a child prostitute or a poor beggar losing his dog. The compositions are also period-authentic with amazingly erratic guitar work and some modern production scattered throughout, for a wonderfully unique and just-accessible-enough blend of old and new.
And now, on to the Top 10!
10. The National - Sleep Well Beast
Tumblr media
I heard rumors that this album would be more electronic before it came out, and I was hoping for more of a 22, A Million-type situation combined with Matt Berninger’s characteristically deep and smooth vocals. That did not happen (yet) but this album is still a great addition to the National’s catalogue, bringing their downtempo slow-burners like Guilty Party alongside more traditional tracks like Day I Die--a welcome change from their slightly-too-mellow previous record. The National also had their own foray into faster rock music with Turtleneck, which gives the album a nice dynamic change.
9. Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Tumblr media
Quick disclaimer: I have yet to listen to Vince’s earlier and more-acclaimed album Summertime ‘06, so I can’t really discuss comparisons to it--but in a vacuum, Big Fish Theory is a grimy, groovy rap record in all the right places. Dirty industrial beats carry Vince’s top-notch flow while he raps about darker perspectives on fame and his current position. A lot of tracks are repetitive--sometimes making the song catchier and increasing overall bump-ability, other times dragging it out into a monotone--but both are seemingly by design, which shows that the producers really know their stuff, though I hope that Vince branches his sound out somewhat in his next (or previous) records.
8. Sampha - Process
Tumblr media
This album is a real masterpiece of electrosoul: lyrically founded on Sampha’s personal struggles and tragedies, and musically ranging between punchy drums and soulful piano, the one-of-a-kind compositions on this album are still seriously impressive, and vary enough that there’s something for everyone to enjoy, from the trap-head to the chorus singer. What’s more, the production fits the mood of each song to the point where you’re joining Sampha on his cathartic journey across the record--and that immersion only makes Process more memorable.
7. Rapsody - Laila’s Wisdom
Tumblr media
Rapsody entered my radar with her features on To Pimp A Butterfly and Malibu, and I’ve been waiting for a project from her ever since--and now that it’s here, it satisfies pretty much every expectation I had. The raps are personal and candid but also inspirational and confident, showing how Rapsody lets her past strengthen her present. She also hosts a huge variety of features that all fit very well where they’re placed, including a strong verse from Kendrick Lamar, a couple of choruses from Anderson .Paak, and a slightly-discomforting love rap from Busta Rhymes. The production is also top-notch, making great use of tempo shifts, sampling, and sound effect transitions. The thing that keeps me from really bouncing to these tracks though is Rapsody’s casual, off-tempo flow--it’s enough to make the raps sound more genuine but it also throws off their rhythm. That’s a small gripe for an overall-solid project, though.
6. Everything Everything - A Fever Dream
Tumblr media
One of my favorite indie rock bands released their fourth album this year, and it did not disappoint. Like their past records that have a loose theme, this one roughly revolves around the crazy society that seems to have developed in the past year or so (as a lot of music this year also focuses on). Unlike their past records, however, the quality seems to be more in the slow-burner tracks than the energetic ones, which are seemingly more under-written than ever. That isn’t to say I don’t like them, though--the louder songs really punch with amped-up guitars, a driving rhythm section, and the band’s characteristically choral vocals. However, the mellower tracks have much more interesting and introspective lyrics, as well as instrumentals that are unique to the group’s discography and make for a unique tone in each song.
5. Big K.R.I.T. - 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time
Tumblr media
There isn’t a lot about this album that really breaks any molds, or pushes any boundaries--it’s just a very, very solid rap project. The production is some of the best on any album this year, and most of it is done by Big K.R.I.T. himself, and his flows are marvelous whenever he raps. Tracks like Subenstein and Big Bank bring the hard beats on the first disc of the double-album without being overbearing, and the second disc has more melodic tracks like Miss Georgia Fornia (with some excellent vocals from Joi) and Bury Me in Gold (a wholesome wrap-up for the whole project). 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time is a mighty long album, though, so anyone listening might want to split it up into its two discs so they’re not too tired of it before it’s even finished (both are self-titled, the first his rap name, the second his real name). Oh, and the two skits are both hilarious.
4. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Tumblr media
The legend returned this year with an album that is equal parts evocative and enigmatic. Ignoring the lyrics/narrative for a moment, the production is very different from any prior project of Kendrick’s: he brings in instrumentals founded on guitars, ambient and/or erratic samples, and even U2, with the vocal effects varying across the album, matching Kendrick’s own vocal virtuosity. He even tries singing a few times, which is more fitting on some tracks than others. Lyrically, it feels like Kendrick is also getting more repetitive, but he uses that repetition to his supreme advantage when conveying ideas he wants to stick in your head, like his feelings of anxiety with fame and his worst fears throughout his life. The album’s narrative also takes different directions depending on how you listen, which is an amazing feature of this album that shows Kung-fu Kenny’s genius storytelling once again and reminds everyone why he’s staying on top.
3. BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION trilogy
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Out of nowhere, this fourteen-person boyband collective hailing mostly from Texas saturated rap music with three full-length albums in the past six months, and they’re all insanely good. Mostly produced by Romil Hemnani, the instrumentals are incredibly eclectic and use an insanely wide variety of sounds, drums, and effects, that somehow blend really well together into a solid beat. Each of the rapping members of the group then use that beat to its maximum potential with their own characteristic style, akin to boybands of the past: Kevin Abstract gets passionate about his homosexuality and leads the group, Ameer Vann discusses his drug-dealing past to solidify his tough-guy persona, Dom McLennon brings fast, rhythmic, and candid bars, Matt Champion raps with infectious confidence and bravado, Merlyn Wood adds a not-usually-serious energy to the mix, and JOBA is a wild-card that can go from singing beautiful harmonies on one track to screaming about breaking necks on the next. I am confident that this type of prolific, eclectic, and personalized rap is where the genre is headed, especially now that this group is around, and I can’t wait for their next album--already slated for early 2018.
(The albums themselves are pretty similar, but I would rank them 2, 3, 1 (descending), which is really just based on the number of less-memorable tracks they have.)
2. Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Tumblr media
Lots of musicians had their take on the current events of the past year or so, but I don’t think anybody had a political message that was as focused, thought-out, and powerful as Joey Bada$$ did on this album. For starters, the instrumentals are really immersive, with triumphant horn sections and choirs leading some of the more confident tracks and grimy samples backing the more passionate and angry beats--and it’s all mixed pretty much perfectly, leading to a combination that keeps you moving to the beat. On top of the stellar production, Joey raps about what it’s like to be a black man in modern America, taking perspectives on fear of the police, gang violence, and hatred of the current government, all with the incredible rhyme schemes and flow that he is known for, even singing a few of the choruses pretty well. The overall theme is a duality between anger and disappointment at the current system and an inspiring call to action to improve the future, which is a large chunk of why I think this album is both firmly rooted in the present and timeless in its quality.
1. Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy
Tumblr media
Tyler has always been one of my favorite rappers in the abstract, with his lyrical schemes, unpolished production, and unconventional narratives being the driving force behind his work--but Flower Boy is a newer, more mature Tyler than the one that’s been heard before. Both his lyrics and his production have stepped up so much on this album that it’s hard to even believe it was all done by Tyler himself. The lyrics are incredibly candid and rooted in Tyler’s own anxieties about fame, friends, and relationships, with his uniquely dynamic, almost chaotic rhyme schemes adding to the fittingly-awkward aesthetic of the lyrics. The production is also butter-smooth and usually based on laid-back, jazz-like piano or psychedelic guitar chords, with soulful vocal performances from Tyler, Frank Ocean, Rex Orange County, and Estelle to name a few--all of this culminating in a sound that’s just as much chill psychedelic rock as much as it is hip-hop. Tyler’s talent and maturity have really bloomed with this album, and its message connected with me personally: in a year that was filled with worries, loneliness, and shifting friendships, I could put this on and find peace in the moment--and that is why Flower Boy is my Vinyl of the Year for 2017.
That about wraps it up! If you liked what you read and are interested in any of these albums, remember you can listen to most of the music I just talked about in my Best of 2017 playlist. I’ll see you again this time next year with another playlist, countdown, and Vinyl of the Year.
Thanks for reading, and happy listening!
3 notes · View notes
styczniowy · 6 years
Note
okay questions 1-70 ily babe
there's a lot of twenty one pilots in this...
1. A Song you’re ashamed of likingthat terrible valentines day song from jacksfilmstbh im ashamed of even liking jacksfilms
2. Favourite lyrics"but there's hope out the windowso that's where we'll go"
3. Favourite band/artisttwenty one pilots
4. Top 5 Favourite songs at this momentalt-j - bloodfloodfall out boy - hold me tight or don't run the jewels - downthe neighbourhood - you get me so highflatsound - sleep
5. Latest song that made you smileboyinaband - spectrum (ft cryaotic and minx)idk i just like this songand i also like dave and cry so
6. An overrated bandfifth harmony
7. An overrated songdua lipa - new rulesit's not that good.
8. Latest song that made you cryode to sleep by twenty one pilots because i accidentally played the live version and i wasn't expecting the feels
9. Artist/band that saved your life twenty one pilots
10. If you could see any band/artist live, who would it beeither twenty one pilots again or adele
11. What song/album/band/artist always brings back memories for youamerican authors - best day of my life
12. saddest song you knowtyler joseph - literally the whole npi album
13. Favourite song to sing in the showerjon bellion - all time low
14. If you played an instrument in grade school, what was iti didn't
15. What song would you like to have your first dance to at your wedding elvis presley - can't help falling in lovepreferably with tyler joseph singing it live but that's just a detail
16. 5 Songs to have sex tothe weeknd - oftenthe weeknd - earned itthe weeknd - where you belongbeyonce - crazy in love (50 shades version)frank sinatra - witchcraft(i know almost all of these are from 50 shades of grey thanksan yes, i like the weeknd a lot)
17. One band you’d have get back together/bring back from the dead@my chemical romance when's the reunion tour
18. You’re forced to listen to only one album for the rest of your life, what album is itvessel by twenty one pilots
19. A song that gets you through shittwenty one pilots - guns for hands (and also truce)these two got me through a lot of shit.
20. A song to shut everything outfall out boy - the phoenix
21. A song that’s a joke between you and your friends i don't have friends bye
22. A song to jam out to at 4amliterally any song by jinsang
23. A song that punches you in the gut every single time my chemical romance - welcome to the black paradei don't think this is a suprise
24. A song that calms you downthe deli - 5:32pm
25. A song that makes you feel alive twenty one pilots - trees
26. If you could get any lyrics tattooed, which would you choose"stay alive, for me."i'd tattoo the all over my body if i could.
27. What band/artist would you get your children addicted to at an early age ALL OF THEM, MAKE THEM SUFFER FROM FANDOMS
28. Can you play any instruments, if so, which no, but i want to play the drums ((:
29. If you could be a member of any band for one show, who would it bei'd be josh dunso i could play drums, look hot, and look at tyler's butt for an hour
30. CDs or Vinyls cds because i'm poorbut i wish i could have like 9284957 vinyls
31. 25 songs to play at your funeral HOOO BOY GET SOME POPCORN1. (i was going to list all of my favorite twenty one pilots songs but that's more than 25 so just play all and count them as one.)2. troye sivan - heaven3. alt-j - deadcrush4. alt-j - in cold blood5. my chemical romance - cancer6. dodie - i have a hole in my tooth (and my dentist is shut) (this song is so dumb i love it)7. dodie - 6/108. adele - set fire to the rain9. patrick stump - spotlight10. panic! at the disco - girls/girls/boys (a song about a threesome? why the fuck not)11. mike bliss - the disconnect (mike is a blessing to this worls and i love him)12. jesse cale - the saddest panda (because i love jesse too much)13. fall out boy - the phoenix14. fall out boy -i don't care15. fall out boy - the last of the real ones16. imagine dragons - demons17. run the jewels - down18. run the jewels - panther like a panther (only bc it makes everyone uncomfortable)19. run the jewels - early20. alessia cara - scars to your beautiful 21. thirty seconds to mars - up in the air22. thirty seconds to mars - kings and queens23. sia - breathe me24. sia - cellophane25. depeche mode - where's the revolution
32. What are some song titles that you love"nothing good comes from being gone" - flatsound"it's thursday, january 12th and this is the last time i'll talk about drowning" - flatsound"our lawyer made us change the name of this song so we wouldn't get sued" - fall out boy"i'm like a lawyer with the way i'm always trying to get you off" - fall out boy"the only difference bteween martyrdom and suicide is press coverage" - panic! at the disco"lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off" - panic! at the disco
33. If your life ended today, what song would you choose to represent itidubbz - i'm gaybecause this song is dumb and i am gay.
34. Give me a random 10 song playlist 1. fall out boy - dance, dance2. the 1975 - if i believe you3. quebonafide - bollywood4. boyinaband - christmix 35. royal blood - little monster6. pierce the veil - circles7. harry styles - kiwi8. muse - madness9. lp - tightrope10. idealism - a moment of silence
35. A heart wrenching songtyler joseph - drown
36. A band/artist you’re proud ofbry. MY BOI IS POPULAR
37. A song that has a lot of meaning to youfor the 100th timetwenty one pilots - guns for hands
38. A song that reminds you of schoolleathermouth - 5th period massacre
39. A song not sung in your native languagelil' kleine - krantenwijk(i could've chosen any song in english, but i thought that's too boring so this one's in dutch :))
40. An instrumental songflatsound - consciousness
41. A classical songuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
42. A song with no percussionsayuw - see you
43. Something you’ve heard performed livedo you want the whole twenty one pilots ers setlist or..?
44. Something you’d give ANYTHING to hear performed live5 words: twenty one pilots dual drummers
45. A song from a band/artist that’s from your town/city/state/province i don't listen to any so idk
46. A song made suddenly precious because of a special someonethe neighbourhood - wiressuddenly i like it more than i should
47. A song made suddenly painful because of someone specialeeeeh idk
48. A song that demands lip syncing and a makeshift microphonepanic! at the disco - miss jackson
49. A song from a band/artist you met/knowi have never met any artist really??
50. A song that you would rock at karaoke fall out boy - i don't carei can't sing but i'm ready to fuck your ears up
51. A song you can’t help but dance topatrick stump - run dry
52. A song that makes you want to dance on a table panic! at the disco - don't threaten me with a good timethis song is wILD
53. Your 10 song stripper playlistcan i skip this question?i can. NEXT!
54. Favourite Disney song hakuna matata!!!
55. A song that starts with the first letter of your namechristina perri - jar of hearts
56. A song from an artist still alive dillon francis - love in the middle of a firefight
57. A song from an artist who’s deadfrank sinatra - chicago
58. A song you love by an artist/band you hate justin bieber - love yourselfi despise him as a human but this song is really nice so hsjfhksjf
59. A song you love with a colour in the titletroye sivan - blue
60. A song you love with a number in the titlefall out boy - 27
61. A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget abouti don't think i really have one???
62. A song that needs to be played LOUDfrnkiero and the cellabration - .blood infections.
63. A song that makes you think about lifehonestly just most flatsound songs.
64. 15 Songs that get stuck in your head easily alt-j - breezeblocks  little mix - shout out to my exadele - rolling in the deepportugal. the man - feel it stillmajor lazer - get freetwenty one pilots - polarizeparamore - hard timespanic! at the disco - golden daysfall out boy - jet pack bluespatrick stump - spotlightfoxes - youthvesperteen - insanej balvin - tranquilacamila cabello - havanakaty perry - e.t.
65. A song that you think everyone should listen to twenty one pilots - gonerat least once.
66. A song that makes you want to fall in lovei'm already in love sooo
67. A song that makes you think about ‘him/her’troye sivan - talk me down
68. A song that you remember from your childhoodi had a shakira phase, i guess any song from she wolf shdhdhdgddb this is embarrasing bye
69. A song that reminds you of youa what
70. Okay what’s the real answer to number 1trippple nippples - lsdI HAVE NO REGRETS
3 notes · View notes
musicdish · 6 years
Text
Second Year In A Row Bongo Boy Has Released A Holiday Album That Will Spread Christmas Cheer
New album release on Bongo Boy Records LETS HAVE A ROCKIN CHRISTMAS VOL 2 by Various Artists include Holiday Season songs by the following artists: Wayne Olivieri, Jody Quine & the Big Mr. C (Dan Berggren), Mike Peacock, Clifford Curry, Katie Garibaldi, Ricky Persaud Jr., Charles Brown, Paul Michael Tondreau, Ruth Weber and Chapman SoundCheck, Bobby Rue, Spyder Darling, Diana Barash, Big Chris & D'Bare Bones Band, Yona Pax and Ray Powers. Release Date: 11.21.17 WORLDWIDE (Physical and Digital) WebSite: https://bongoboyrecords.com/holidaysvol2/ ALBUM REVIEW Ho Ho Ho America! It is I, the Grouch who stole Christmas here with a review of the second Bongo Boy Christmas album which is aptly entitled "Let's Have a Rockin' Christmas Volume 2" This album has 16 tracks which are sure to get you into a festive mood. 1. Wayne Olivieri - I'm Glad It's Christmas Time Again 3:31 - This song starts out with some very appropriate bells. In fact, it isn't until the middle of the first verse when Wayne's voice really takes off that the listener realizes this is, in fact, a rock and roll song. The words are hopeful and make one want to believe that the world is not such a bad place after all. Musically, the band does a good job, but it is the vocals that are front and center on this track. 2. Jody Quine & the Big Mr. C (Dan Berggren) - Got My Eye on You, Santa 2:21 - I dig it. The song starts out with a funky groove and I really like the sound of the big cymbal crash. It sounds to me like he is smacking a ride cymbal. Aside from the piano which really swings, I find myself memorized by Jody's voice and wishing that I had a Santa suit. 3. Mike Peacock - Christmas Smile 3:33 - Mike has written nothing short of a beautiful song. The mellow vibe coupled with his voice make an absolutely infectious song that has massive earworm potential. I really like Mike's voice. His voice, with the piano in the background remind me of Bruce Hornsby, which in my opinion, is a complement. 4. Clifford Curry - Christmas Ain't No Time for The Blues 2:56 - Sweet! Man, I dig that harp. Clifford has a killer Blues voice and the band has all the lightning necessary for a massive rant. This song lasts just under three minutes, but could easily be extended to 20, and never get old! Well done guys! 5. Katie Garibaldi - Tomorrow Is Christmas Morning 3:48 - I really like the melodic guitar at the beginning. However, it is Katie's voice that immediately grabs my attention. She sings so well; it is a pleasure simply to listen to her. This is a beautiful, mellow, sweet Christmas song if there ever was one. 6. Ricky Persaud, Jr. - It's Christmas Time Again 4:13 - Ricky is a young cat who is working on a degree from the Berklee College of Music. He is also one of the most talented musicians I have heard in a long while. Right from the start Ricky has my attention as he takes a soft, yet catchy little run augmented with bells and morphs it into a jam! The thing is that even though the mood gets heavy and the guitar starts to blister, the melody is never lost. I have to admit that I find myself really enjoying the bells played in the background. Ah, but then Rick opens up on his guitar and my thoughts of quaint percussion sounds are GONE. This song alone is reason enough to purchase this album. 7. Charles Brown - Greensleeves 3:05 - Charles gives us a rendition of a classic Christmas song. I am utterly stunned and amazed. Charles is a fantastic guitarist. The best way I can describe this track is by referencing the movie Crossroads. Do you remember when Ralph Macchio's character beat Steve Vai, and thus saved Willie Brown from eternal damnation, by playing classical music? The way Charles Brown plays Greensleeves reminds me of the way in which when Ralph Macchio's character slew the mighty Steve Vai. It is beautiful and masterfully played. 8. Paul Michael Tondreau - Christmas Morning 3:09 - Paul has written a catchy tune that is sure to have the listener humming along. Paul's unique vocal style is accentuated by the background musicians. I am reminded of crooners from days gone by. 9. Ruth Weber and Chapman SoundCheck - The Dreydl Sing Along 1:52 - Man, I dig the harmonies on this track. This is a swinging tune. I have never heard the dreydl (or dreidel) explained in such an infectious way. Who knew Chanukah rocked so much? I would love to this band live. I bet they put on one outrageously fun show! 10. Bobby Rue - Oh Christmas Time 2:05 - I have been a fan of Bobby's for a while and was saddened to read of his passing. I am so glad that this song is included on this album. Bobby was a very good musician and I wish I had had the chance to jam with him. Rest in Peace Bobby. This song is a perfect example of Bobby's music. It is basic, raw, emotional and hits the listener right in the gut. When Jack Kerouac went on the road to find America, it was people like Bobby he was looking for. 11. Spyder Darling - Citizen Kane Christmas 3:44 - I like the way the song starts. It is heavy with a melodic, yet intense lead guitar. Aside from the music which is very well played and Spyder's voice which is haunting as well as compelling, I like the theme of the song as Citizen Kane is an excellent film. (Oh, and the lead guitar simply rocks.) I would very much like to see Spyder's live show! 12. Diana Barash - Christmas Time 3:54 - Now, this is different, and I like it! I have never heard a Synth Pop Christmas song before. The thing that is really cool is that Diana has an old school R&B voice that oozes soul. I find myself grooving to the beat as I smile that goofy smile I get when I really like a piece of music. Man, she can sing! 13. Ricky Persaud Jr. - Reggae Christmas 4:04 - Ricky is back, and you have to listen to his voice. Man, this kid can sing (as well as play any instrument he chooses…well). The whole idea of a Reggae Christmas is kind of cool. I like the lyrics as well as the music. When Ricky sings about not wanting to deal with the snow and walking around the Christmas palm tree all I can think is how nice that would be! Ricky has written a song that is sure to get inside your head. Good job Ricky. 14. Big Chris & D'Bare Bones Band - You'll Shoot Your Eye Out 3:31 - Okay, when I read the title of this track the first thing that came to mind was the movie A Christmas Story and the phrase "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye." Musically, I dig what they are doing. I love Texas Blues and I hear a definite ZZ Top vibe in this song. I swear there is an Alice Cooper influence when Big Chris snarls the chorus "You'll shoot you eye out!" All in all, this is one of the most rocking songs on the album and one that will be on my personal playlist! (I dig the Cheech and Chong style spoken word ending - Big Chris you made me laugh out loud.) 15. Yona Pax- Merry Christmas 3:14 - The wind sound effects at the beginning are kind of cool. Then a synthesizer dominated French reggae vibe kicks in. I have to say, I am really enjoying this song even though I don't know French. The music is good, and her voice sounds so joyful, how could one not like this song? 16. Ray Powers - Christmas Miracle (Live) 4:37 - The last song on the album is a live track, which is nice. Ray has a really good voice and the music is much more than simply pleasant. It sounds, to me, like Ray and his band are just having a lot of fun while they are playing this song. Personally, I cannot think of a better way to conclude a Rock and Roll Christmas album. When this song is over I am going to give my daughter a hug. Listen to the song and you will understand. So, what is the bottom line? The bottom line is that for the second year in a row Bongo Boy has released a holiday album that will brighten anyone's day and spread Christmas cheer to anyone within earshot. -The Grouch Source: http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=200961
0 notes