I am going to start this by saying that to your average person I have very very strange taste. I'll warn the more conventional of you that this list will not include your "Thriller"s or your "Smells like Teen Spirit"s. No, I am not interested in creating a MuchMusic-esqe list of pieces of artistic achievement but rather just sharing my favourite videos of all time (in no particular order) with all you regular readers of my blog (Lora).
So yeah without further ado...
Devo- Jocko Homo
I love this video so much mainly because it is so effing weird. And vaguely creepy for some reason. It doesn't make one lick of sense but I love watching it. That's generally the reasoning for what makes most of my favourite videos my favourite as you will see.
Kraftwerk- Trans Europe Express
This video was my very first introduction to Kraftwerk. I was about 15-years-old and when I first saw this video it totally creeped me out but at the same time I found it oddly fascinating. It took a few years before I finally got around to exploring the rest of Kraftwerk's catalogue but I am glad I did. And it was all because MuchMoreMusic randomly decided to play this on that retro boogie dance party show they used to have.
Kraftwerk- The Robots
I know. I know. Another Kraftwerk video. But I couldn't chose. I seem to love videos that I find awesome and also at the same time are vaguely creepy.
The Smiths- How Soon Is Now?
My first intro to The Smiths. I was probably 12-13 the first time I saw this and it instantly pulled me in. And now 10 years or so later The Smiths are my favourite band ever. I love everything. The song and how the imagery captures it perfectly. They couldn't have done a better job with this.
Alright so that's my first installment. I need to think of some more/ I don't want to bog down an individual post with too many videos. Holla.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
Legends? : U2
Before I start today's tirade, let me say something. I don't dislike every U2 song. I like a few. They are as follows: "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "New Years Day", "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "All I Want is You". The rest of it....well you'll see.
U2's first release was called U2 Three in 1979. Now I dunno if that was exciting for any one or not as I was still just an unfertilized egg in 1979. So yeah. But I do know that this particular release was never reissued on CD. So there's a a little fact for all you out there in internet land.
ANYWAY. It is unclear to me if U2 started out as a band with the intention to save the world. However I suspect they might have because even their early releases feature Bono screaming his guts out like he is the new messiah or something and dammit we better listen to his glorious message. In '85 he was at Live Aid pumping his fists in the air and displaying his proud and epic mullet. (If you have not seen u2's Live Aid performance, I suggest you seek it out. Watch on mute if you want but you have GOT to see his hair!)
Ok so what is my big problem with U2? After all they've managed to stay afloat for over 27 years and still have a wide fanbase and critically acclaimed work. What could possibly be wrong?
Well first of all, I can't stand Bono. You're a fucking rock star dude. Yes you have some powerful beliefs I guess and potentially good intentions. But it just seems so forced. Like those rich kids in university who don't wash, smoke a lot of weed and pretend that they've been oppressed their whole lives, Bono seems to be putting on a show because he feels guilty. Guilty to be making millions to make music when others are starving and living in war zones. So he gets on his soap box and lends his name to a cause or two so he can sleep better at night.
Next, I can't stand that ringing guitar sound they are famous for. It just gets so irritating after awhile. Once in awhile would be ok. But they overdo it and have for years and years. It's just so pompous to me as most their music is. It's like "Look at us! We are doing something important!" Gag me.
And strangely despite all their efforts to be important and epic, I find most of their music dreadfully boring. It just doesn't hook me in. I just kind of forget music is playing when it's on until it has been played so much that I want to shoot myself when I hear it. That's when it gets to the point where I wish whatever has to happen to just make them stop making music would just happen already and save us all from our misery.
U2's first release was called U2 Three in 1979. Now I dunno if that was exciting for any one or not as I was still just an unfertilized egg in 1979. So yeah. But I do know that this particular release was never reissued on CD. So there's a a little fact for all you out there in internet land.
ANYWAY. It is unclear to me if U2 started out as a band with the intention to save the world. However I suspect they might have because even their early releases feature Bono screaming his guts out like he is the new messiah or something and dammit we better listen to his glorious message. In '85 he was at Live Aid pumping his fists in the air and displaying his proud and epic mullet. (If you have not seen u2's Live Aid performance, I suggest you seek it out. Watch on mute if you want but you have GOT to see his hair!)
Ok so what is my big problem with U2? After all they've managed to stay afloat for over 27 years and still have a wide fanbase and critically acclaimed work. What could possibly be wrong?
Well first of all, I can't stand Bono. You're a fucking rock star dude. Yes you have some powerful beliefs I guess and potentially good intentions. But it just seems so forced. Like those rich kids in university who don't wash, smoke a lot of weed and pretend that they've been oppressed their whole lives, Bono seems to be putting on a show because he feels guilty. Guilty to be making millions to make music when others are starving and living in war zones. So he gets on his soap box and lends his name to a cause or two so he can sleep better at night.
Next, I can't stand that ringing guitar sound they are famous for. It just gets so irritating after awhile. Once in awhile would be ok. But they overdo it and have for years and years. It's just so pompous to me as most their music is. It's like "Look at us! We are doing something important!" Gag me.
And strangely despite all their efforts to be important and epic, I find most of their music dreadfully boring. It just doesn't hook me in. I just kind of forget music is playing when it's on until it has been played so much that I want to shoot myself when I hear it. That's when it gets to the point where I wish whatever has to happen to just make them stop making music would just happen already and save us all from our misery.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Life Ruiners: Diane Warren
Even if you think you have no idea who Diane Warren is or why she's a life ruiner, you do. She has found a way to sneak into our everyday lives and ensure that she will always be a part of the pop culture landscape. And there is nothing we can do to stop the apocalypse. Nothing.
For those of you who don't know, Diane Warren is a hit-making machine. She writes sappy love songs that have been performed by everyone from Aerosmith to Milli Vanilli (haha performed) to Celine Dion. Her songs are everywhere. And they almost always suck. There are 25 pages of listings on the All Music Guide of songs written by this woman. Ugh. Why? I have never been more inclined to vehemently wish writer's block on someone.
Not only are the songs formulaic, sappy, lame, over-produced and over-blown but the lyrics are appalling. Diane lives in a world where romantic love is everything. To have it takes over your life and to lose it takes over your life. Either way there is nothing else we should care about other than matters of the heart.
This is the woman responsible for probably just about every song played at weddings for the couple's first dance. It sickens me. The sentiments are so false and unrealistic. It's Diane Warren's fault that we all grow up with such unrealistic ideas about "love" and what it entails. Well Diane Warren and Disney. Disney gets us before we even know love exists and then Diane Warren finishes the job.
Think of all those sappy songs in your teen years that gave your 13-year-old self hope that you would finally meet your soulmate someday. Diane Warren wrote em. Think of the songs played at school dances that caused all the girls to cry in the bathroom. Diane Warren wrote em. Think of the song played as the last dance at your prom (if you stayed that long, I know I didn't). Diane Warren wrote it. Think of all those American and Canadian and god knows what else idols singing their hearts out to total shit. Diane Warren wrote and INSPIRED it.
In short, I don't think there is any disputing. Diane Warren is single-handedly responsible for all suffering on this earth.
For those of you who don't know, Diane Warren is a hit-making machine. She writes sappy love songs that have been performed by everyone from Aerosmith to Milli Vanilli (haha performed) to Celine Dion. Her songs are everywhere. And they almost always suck. There are 25 pages of listings on the All Music Guide of songs written by this woman. Ugh. Why? I have never been more inclined to vehemently wish writer's block on someone.
Not only are the songs formulaic, sappy, lame, over-produced and over-blown but the lyrics are appalling. Diane lives in a world where romantic love is everything. To have it takes over your life and to lose it takes over your life. Either way there is nothing else we should care about other than matters of the heart.
This is the woman responsible for probably just about every song played at weddings for the couple's first dance. It sickens me. The sentiments are so false and unrealistic. It's Diane Warren's fault that we all grow up with such unrealistic ideas about "love" and what it entails. Well Diane Warren and Disney. Disney gets us before we even know love exists and then Diane Warren finishes the job.
Think of all those sappy songs in your teen years that gave your 13-year-old self hope that you would finally meet your soulmate someday. Diane Warren wrote em. Think of the songs played at school dances that caused all the girls to cry in the bathroom. Diane Warren wrote em. Think of the song played as the last dance at your prom (if you stayed that long, I know I didn't). Diane Warren wrote it. Think of all those American and Canadian and god knows what else idols singing their hearts out to total shit. Diane Warren wrote and INSPIRED it.
In short, I don't think there is any disputing. Diane Warren is single-handedly responsible for all suffering on this earth.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Burnt CD Vault Volume #3
So I've made my triumphant return to update the blog no one reads. Aren't you excited, oh blog audience of 0? I know I am.
Alright our next burnt CD comes straight to us from sometime in the summer of 2002 or maybe in the spring, I dunno but anyway...it's old. The CD is entitled "90% Ska" although judging by the track listing it's more like 79.6% Ska but whatever. And then there is the debate over whether half of that percentage is really considered ska. Hey, my 17-year-old small town self had to discover all non-top 40 music on my own relying on allmusic.com and Rolling Stone magazine, so cut me some slack. Anyway moving on to the tracks.
1. INXS- "Never Tear Us Apart"
Wow good move. Let's start a cd that is supposed to be mostly ska with a song that's not ska. Anyway this is a really good song. I always loved that line "If we could fly, cuz we all have wings but some of us dunno whyyyyyyyyy" I'm not sure why but at 17 it really spoke to me. Sweet sax solo. There's the ska connection. Just kidding.
2. Save Ferris- "I Know"
This song is pretty lame but it makes me wanna jump. "And I know. Know! Cuz you said so and I can't just let chu go" Wasn't this song in one of those late nineties teen movies?
3. Inner Circle- "Bad Boys"
COPS! Haha I remember when I was a kid I used to sing this to my brother and my mom got mad because she said it would confuse him because he would think he was being bad when he wasn't or something.
4. Fishbone-"Ugly"
I think I always skipped through this one for some reason because I don't remember this song at all. Oh well.
5. Nelly Furtado- "Hey Man"
I hated Ms. Furtado at the time. But did I ever love this song for some reason. It's still a pretty good song actually.
6. Less Than Jake- "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts"
I remember I used to think this song was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Mostly because of the title/chorus. Sweet song though.
7. Madness- "Baggy Trousers"
Ahh the classics. Weird song though. Reminds me of funhouse mirrors for some reason. Always has even though it has nothing to do with funhouses at all.
8. Madness- "Our House"
Madness's "big" song. And by big I mean some people outside of England knew it and it was in some commercials.
9. Pavement- "Fame Throwa"
For the longest time I thought this song was called "Flame Throwa" probably because I mislabeled it on this CD. Even though I've owned Slanted and Enchanted (the album it's on) since shortly after I made this cd I still thought this song was called that until a couple months ago. Sometimes I can't read. Or listen. Since he clearly says "FAME throwa" in the song. Regardless I have no sweet clue what this song is about. But then again, it's Pavement, you're not supposed to know what it means.
10. Reel Big Fish- "Thank You For Not Moshing"
My roomate and I have pretty different taste in music. While we have some things in common the rest of what she listens to I generally don't know and vice versa. Well one day she was randomly listening to this song and I started singing along from down the hall. She was like "How do YOU know this song?". Well because either allmusic suggested it as ska or WinMX (hahaha winmx!) brought it up under ska. I guess I'm just full of surprises.
11. Madness- "It Must Be Love"
This song is pretty lame. "Nothing more, nothing less. Love is the best." haha
12. No Doubt- "Move On"
I loved this song when they performed it on the MuchMusic 1997 Intimate and Interactive (see previous entry). I think it was the only song they did on that that wasn't on Tragic Kingdom.
13. Operation Ivy- "Knowledge"
A little bit of Socrates' wisdom summed up for us all in 1:42. Haha the first time I read Socrates I was like "Man it's like that Operation Ivy song"
14. Pavement- "Stop Breathin'"
Summer of 2002 was the summer of Pavement. I was obsessed. Hmm this is a good song. Might be time to dust off those Pavement albums. :)
15.Reel Big Fish- "Sell Out"
Man this music really makes me want to jump up and down. That would be ill-advised as it is 3:00 AM and I live in an apartment building.
16. Reel Big Fish- "Kids Don't Like It"
No. No they don't.
17. Shania Twain- "You've Got a Way"
SHANIA TWAIN!!?? This song reminds me of weddings since it seems to be every couples first dance. Not mine! Kinda makes me want to be in love though...haha. Was it written by Diane Warren? I bet it was.
18. Pavement- "Starlings of the Slipstream"
Oh Stephen Malkmus I want to marry you. Too bad you are taken.
19. Less Than Jake- "All My Best Friends are Metalheads"
Not a damn thing wrong with that.
20. The Specials- "Too Much Too Young"
You tell that slut Terry Hall!
21. The Specials- "Little Bitch"
Oh The Specials. I bet their live shows were sweet.
22. Sublime- "What I Got"
UGH UGH. This song has been forever ruined by my first year university. Everytime someone had a guitar out they played this and anyone within a 1 km radius started singing along to the whole thing and we all knew all the damn words. Sickening. Oh well at least it's not that terrible "The General" by Dispatch which I haven't heard since first year thank god.
23. Yaz - "Don't Go"
Fuck you Shawn Desman for sampling this synth-pop gem and making it a auditory weapon of mass destruction. In all seriousness I own the Yaz album this came from and it's pretty damn sweet.
24. Talking Heads- "Radio Head"
Allegedly the name sake for a famous band...
Wow that was fun. It made me want to listen to Pavement and Yaz and continue to stay as far from "The General" by Dispatch as I can.
Alright our next burnt CD comes straight to us from sometime in the summer of 2002 or maybe in the spring, I dunno but anyway...it's old. The CD is entitled "90% Ska" although judging by the track listing it's more like 79.6% Ska but whatever. And then there is the debate over whether half of that percentage is really considered ska. Hey, my 17-year-old small town self had to discover all non-top 40 music on my own relying on allmusic.com and Rolling Stone magazine, so cut me some slack. Anyway moving on to the tracks.
1. INXS- "Never Tear Us Apart"
Wow good move. Let's start a cd that is supposed to be mostly ska with a song that's not ska. Anyway this is a really good song. I always loved that line "If we could fly, cuz we all have wings but some of us dunno whyyyyyyyyy" I'm not sure why but at 17 it really spoke to me. Sweet sax solo. There's the ska connection. Just kidding.
2. Save Ferris- "I Know"
This song is pretty lame but it makes me wanna jump. "And I know. Know! Cuz you said so and I can't just let chu go" Wasn't this song in one of those late nineties teen movies?
3. Inner Circle- "Bad Boys"
COPS! Haha I remember when I was a kid I used to sing this to my brother and my mom got mad because she said it would confuse him because he would think he was being bad when he wasn't or something.
4. Fishbone-"Ugly"
I think I always skipped through this one for some reason because I don't remember this song at all. Oh well.
5. Nelly Furtado- "Hey Man"
I hated Ms. Furtado at the time. But did I ever love this song for some reason. It's still a pretty good song actually.
6. Less Than Jake- "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts"
I remember I used to think this song was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Mostly because of the title/chorus. Sweet song though.
7. Madness- "Baggy Trousers"
Ahh the classics. Weird song though. Reminds me of funhouse mirrors for some reason. Always has even though it has nothing to do with funhouses at all.
8. Madness- "Our House"
Madness's "big" song. And by big I mean some people outside of England knew it and it was in some commercials.
9. Pavement- "Fame Throwa"
For the longest time I thought this song was called "Flame Throwa" probably because I mislabeled it on this CD. Even though I've owned Slanted and Enchanted (the album it's on) since shortly after I made this cd I still thought this song was called that until a couple months ago. Sometimes I can't read. Or listen. Since he clearly says "FAME throwa" in the song. Regardless I have no sweet clue what this song is about. But then again, it's Pavement, you're not supposed to know what it means.
10. Reel Big Fish- "Thank You For Not Moshing"
My roomate and I have pretty different taste in music. While we have some things in common the rest of what she listens to I generally don't know and vice versa. Well one day she was randomly listening to this song and I started singing along from down the hall. She was like "How do YOU know this song?". Well because either allmusic suggested it as ska or WinMX (hahaha winmx!) brought it up under ska. I guess I'm just full of surprises.
11. Madness- "It Must Be Love"
This song is pretty lame. "Nothing more, nothing less. Love is the best." haha
12. No Doubt- "Move On"
I loved this song when they performed it on the MuchMusic 1997 Intimate and Interactive (see previous entry). I think it was the only song they did on that that wasn't on Tragic Kingdom.
13. Operation Ivy- "Knowledge"
A little bit of Socrates' wisdom summed up for us all in 1:42. Haha the first time I read Socrates I was like "Man it's like that Operation Ivy song"
14. Pavement- "Stop Breathin'"
Summer of 2002 was the summer of Pavement. I was obsessed. Hmm this is a good song. Might be time to dust off those Pavement albums. :)
15.Reel Big Fish- "Sell Out"
Man this music really makes me want to jump up and down. That would be ill-advised as it is 3:00 AM and I live in an apartment building.
16. Reel Big Fish- "Kids Don't Like It"
No. No they don't.
17. Shania Twain- "You've Got a Way"
SHANIA TWAIN!!?? This song reminds me of weddings since it seems to be every couples first dance. Not mine! Kinda makes me want to be in love though...haha. Was it written by Diane Warren? I bet it was.
18. Pavement- "Starlings of the Slipstream"
Oh Stephen Malkmus I want to marry you. Too bad you are taken.
19. Less Than Jake- "All My Best Friends are Metalheads"
Not a damn thing wrong with that.
20. The Specials- "Too Much Too Young"
You tell that slut Terry Hall!
21. The Specials- "Little Bitch"
Oh The Specials. I bet their live shows were sweet.
22. Sublime- "What I Got"
UGH UGH. This song has been forever ruined by my first year university. Everytime someone had a guitar out they played this and anyone within a 1 km radius started singing along to the whole thing and we all knew all the damn words. Sickening. Oh well at least it's not that terrible "The General" by Dispatch which I haven't heard since first year thank god.
23. Yaz - "Don't Go"
Fuck you Shawn Desman for sampling this synth-pop gem and making it a auditory weapon of mass destruction. In all seriousness I own the Yaz album this came from and it's pretty damn sweet.
24. Talking Heads- "Radio Head"
Allegedly the name sake for a famous band...
Wow that was fun. It made me want to listen to Pavement and Yaz and continue to stay as far from "The General" by Dispatch as I can.
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