Posts Tagged ‘Brit Pop’

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Album of the Week: Keane – "Under the Iron Sea" (2006)

2009/08/02

Track 2: Is It Any Wonder?:

I have been totally loving Keane these past few months. I knew of them before, but it didn't hit me until one day I was listening to "Everybody's Changing" off their first album "Hopes and Fears" a few months ago.

This album, "Under the Iron Sea" has really stuck out to me as exceptional. I listened to is obsessively until I tired of it, then removed it from my car, only to crave it again this month. I really connect with many of the songs personally. The existential themes of self doubt in many of the songs hit home, like they were written for me. e.g. from "Is It Any Wonder?"…

Sometimes
It's hard to know where I stand
It's hard to know where I am
Well maybe it's a puzzle I don't understand

But sometimes
I get the feeling that I'm
Stranded in the wrong time
Where love is just a lyric in a children's rhyme, a soundbite

Is it any wonder that I'm tired
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right

Keane is totally in my head. I am constantly questioning my actions, thoughts, & beliefs and the uncertainty is indeed tiring. I have to force myself to push the "Publish" button on these blog posts and not look back or else I would question my every word and take me all day to write anything at all. I'd swear that the older I get the less I feel like I really know and am certain of. At least it is comforting others feel the same way, and have put it into song!

Here are my 6 favorites from the album, with "Is It Any Wonder?" being my favorite… er… maybe "Leaving So Soon?". I can't decide. Both are so good!

Track 2: Is It Any Wonder?
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7pdsp

Track 4: Leaving So Soon?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo2wLUNaNO8

Track 5: A Bad Dream
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1iy4n

Track 7: Put It Behind You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXqNbeS91Ps

Track 9: Crystal Ball
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1akow

Track 12: The Frog Prince
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQKauYv9uZ4

Click here for other album suggestions!

Click here for more info on Keane – "Under the Iron Sea".

The MP3 album may be purchased here…

2 Comments | Posted in Album of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , ,

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Album of the Week: The Lightning Seeds – "Jollification" (1994)

2009/07/19

Track 1: Perfect :

The Lightning Seeds are an excellent and yet relatively little known band (at least in the US). Their sound and lyrics are perhaps too happy, light and fluffy for the typical rock and roll fan. They definitely appeal to my optimistic idealistic side… the side of me that thought wearing a blue sequin vest in a choir sounded jolly good. They do make me feel warm and fuzzy, though I am sure they are not for everyone. They are a must own in my book! In fact, years ago, one of my friends borrowed this album and never returned it and I ended up buying it again. That is truly the sign of a must own album!

Tell me why all the words will never come out right
Fumbling blind, I've been driving through the danger signs

…I love those lines from "Perfect".

Here are my 5 favorites from the album, with "Perfect" being my favorite.

Track 1: Perfect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Ds2Qk6dRU

Track 2: Luck You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqlE1nE-0Tk

Track 4: Change
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uwPL4wxSKA

Track 6: Marvellous
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPQbxd8mN_A

Track 7: Feeling Lazy
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Lightning+Seeds/_/Feeling+Lazy?autostart

Click here for other album suggestions!

Click here for more info on The Lightning Seeds – "Jollification".

The MP3 album may be purchased here…

Leave a Comment | Posted in Album of the Week | Tagged , , , , , , ,

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The Lightning Seeds – "The Life of Riley" (1992)

2009/07/09

This song was on my mind this morning. "We're certain, nothing's certain." So true.

G and I currently have a stray black cat with a goopy eyeball in our possession. I'm sure most people would count us as crazy to concern ourselves with strays, and especially sick ones, but I guess that is the kind of people we are. It seems to me a 50/50 shot as to whether we can find the owner or not, and if not, then probably another 33/34/33 shot as to whether we end up being his keepers, finding others who will take him, or just releasing him back into the world. He is young and friendly. He is also full of piss and vinegar, and very tired of being confined in our spacious bathroom. He'd much rather be out in the world doing things and getting into trouble. Wouldn't we all?!

Song Recommendations

If you like this song, I also suggest:

I also suggest the music genre:

Click here for more info on The Lightning Seeds – Sense – "The Life of Riley" .

The CD may be purchased here…

Leave a Comment | Posted in The Illustrious G | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

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Keane – "Leaving So Soon?" (2006)

2009/06/27

Work has made me super late in all my plans for the day. It is 5 PM, and I'm doing things I thought I'd would've started at 11 AM. Things like this post…

Although I have been mostly careful not to post songs by the same artists over and over, I kind of have two playlists in my life. One is my song of the day and bonus song that I've been posted as matches what is stuck in my head or fills my fancy at the time. The other are the "new to me" songs that I play over and over. There always seems to be one. These new to me songs give me chills (in a good way), but only for so long. Then it usually isn't long until another song takes its place.

I would post them all as "my song of the day", but my fear is it would make it quite dull, to hear about the same artists over and over for a week and then never again for months. I might just have to create a new category or something?

For today though I am going to cave to my desires, and post the song I am obsessing over by Keane even though I have recently posted a song by Keane. I think it might be the fun drum part that lures me, but I do like to belt out the lyrics in the car. (Yes I sing in the car, doesn't everybody?)

PS: The album cover for Keane's – "Under the Iron Sea" (2006) is surprisingly similar to The Sounds' – "Crossing the Rubicon" (2009) cover, don't you think? Hmmm. (Listen to "The Sounds" here!)

The Sounds - Crossing The Rubicon

The Sounds - Crossing The Rubicon

Song Recommendations

If you like this song, I also suggest:

I also suggest the music genre:

Click here for more info on Keane – Under the Iron Sea – "Leaving So Soon?".

The MP3 may be purchased here…

1 Comment | Posted in Song of the Day | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

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Travis – "Driftwood" (1999)

2009/06/19

I love this song.

As G pointed out last week, some of Keane sounds like Travis. Yet I seem to recall reading an article 10 years ago when their first album came out that said something like "Travis is the most contrived band you're gong to love." I suppose that might make Keane, doubly contrived, but from my point of view I don't care. I don't get caught up with whether a band or artist is contrived or manufactured. I have certain preferences sure (e.g. no auto-tune please), but I hold each song on its own and if there is something I like about it, then I embrace it.

Who influenced who is always interesting (e.g. I'm sure Keane should be listing Travis, and perhaps Coldplay, Muse, and Geneva while they are at it), but so what if they are not the most original band. If they make songs that can stand up on their own, then I will listen to them! And really Travis came before most of the bands they sound like so I think THEY are the influence.

By the way, I'm looking at the genres that Travis, Keane, Coldplay and Geneva are in, and there should definitely be some heavy overlap, but there isn't. I think I discovered the need for a new genre. I would name it "Bob" (like Canada's "Northwest Territories" could've been named… yes I am serious… click the link!), but "Bob" isn't very descriptive. It is a softer kind of rock, but definitely not to be confused with "Soft Rock". They all seem to come from England (or at least most) and it is similar to Britpop, but not quite the same, so I will dub it "Brit Soft Pop"… oh crap someone already used it. Oh well. Good enough!

Song Recommendations

If you like this song, I also suggest:

I also suggest the music genre:

Click here for more info on Travis – The Man Who – "Driftwood".

The MP3 may be purchased here…

Leave a Comment | Posted in Song of the Day, The Illustrious G | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

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Pulp – "Disco 2000" (1995)

2009/05/29

As the millennium approached this was the song my friends and I played to mark the occasion. At least that is how I remember it. It also happened to be the night G and I decided we were more than just friends. (Makes remembering the anniversary easy.) It makes this song a fantastic keepsake, though it is also an excellent song to run and exercise to.

Click here for more info on Pulp – Different Class – "Disco 2000".

The MP3 may be purchased here…

Leave a Comment | Posted in Song of the Day | Tagged , , , , ,

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Keane – "Everybody's Changing" (2004)

2009/05/13

A couple months ago my sister gave me this album and I listened a few times, unimpressed. But today this song hit me over the head. A few others on the album "Hopes and Fears" have caught my attention too.

I have noticed before that some albums need to sink in for me before I realize their value. I'm sure others have had the same experience. As I recall from my music theory classes in college, one aspect of what we consider good music is familiarity, and thus simply listening to the same song a few times may make it more endearing and likable in the future. I wonder if I should stop what I am doing to buy their two newer albums, "Under the Iron Sea" and "Perfect Symmetry", or not. I think I'm going to give "Hopes and Fears" a few more listens first and then decide. They do remind me of Geneva and perhaps Muse, so it is promising.

Click here for more info on Keane – Hopes and Fears – "Everybody's Changing".

The MP3 may be purchased here…

2 Comments | Posted in Bonus Song of the Day | Tagged , , , , , , ,

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