Soundtrack to my Summer

Me on the left there with my buddy Raccoon, where you can find a link to her blog on my blog.. this was at a Hayseed Dixie gig and it just reminds me of the start of a very.. musical summer.

This may be a post a month later than originally planned.

Okay, nothing's planned anymore.
It seems that this writing regulary is escaping me with everything I've been doing this summer (and that's EXCLUDING the stuff I still have on my to do list; write a full arrangement for next week; get out and spend that HMV voucher instead of deliberating over a wide selection of albums for about 2 months; and broaden my musical horizons instead of continually listening to Hole, which, although they don't get boring, I am listening to Live Through This an average of twice a day, which could be seriously damaging to my health. (Effects- I can't sing without roaring and my guitar hates me for playing "Softer, Softest" one too many times.))

But yes, what I'm trying to say is I need to write a blog post about the music I have discovered this summer.

I believed that this summer (which weather-wise, started off good) would reflecting that, would be a long, restful and boring event with an Avi Buffalo soundtrack.

But; I went down a different path after I couldn't pluck up the courage to buy another artist that nobody my age actually has a clue about. (I think my boyfriend is getting rather annoyed at this

usual music town trip; I walk into HMV, I look for totally obscure artist, waste his time, moan to him when HMV don't stock it, stamp my feet, and then walk out of the shop in a huff before he can find the new Pendulum album. Yeah, I don't know how he puts up with me... )

But instead of reviewing a new album, which I really should do more, I couldn't get the album so I couldn't do the review.

But instead... another age-old discovery, in the name of the Screaming Trees.

Sweet Oblivion was on my birthday list and the other day, it just so happened to fund some pop theory essay writing that was particulary difficult and I had to get through.

The album on a whole is like sea waves... some songs like 'Nearly Lost You' are so huge they sweep you away and before you realise, and then dump you again after the song is finished.

Another veteran group of the 'Seattle Sound' scene, I believe this group is so effortless and the musicality sweeps out of them. With the traditional instruments and traditional style of that time and era, with the long hair and the look, it just makes me fall in love again and again with an era I have never witnessed, but yet that I still can empathize with.

But then, Mark Lanegan's voice comes sweeping at you like a hurricane above these waves. I believe his voice is the definition of ear sex. The deepness of his voice throws any song, but this is a pitch that you just can't stop loving, throughout the whole album.

Dollar Bill is a slow reminiscence song, full of eerie sentimentality.

More or Less is a painfully good one for driving, with it's seattle guitars and regular drumbeat, and a soaring climax of grunge...

Shadow of the Season is a tribal percussion journey of Lanegan waves.

Most of all, these songs all tell stories with their individual riffs and a great instrumental refrain of "It's sweet oblivion.....". Because it is.

Other songs that have made my summer complete and existing (some have also been quite special to me) :

Hole- Hit So Hard/Boys On The Radio/Best Sunday Dress (alternation between the three)

Oasis- Live Forever (voted by Q readers this year as the best song ever written- I think that's too far, but positively Oasis' best effort. My favourite from them.)

The Runaways- just anything.

Jenny and Johnny- Scissor Runner (a perfect teenage love song)

L7- Pretend That's We're Dead/Shitlist

The Maccabees- Toothpaste Kisses

Love Summer. Love the ultimate summer playlist that everyone compiles sub-conciously. It's personal, and that's what makes it so good.

Farewell summer, but now for the autumnal delights of the music world, like the Mercury Music awards!

Until Next Summer,

riotgrrllivesx

Summer Love for the Sub

This week has been especially summery and gorgeous, so the weather obviously reflects on my up-and-going iPod playlists. What has been cropping up again and again are songs from an album I recently downloaded, a tribute to the 'Greatest American Artists' around at the moment; something that's truly American; and embraces the inner American style.

The American lifestyle and summer is very in with Britain at the moment; and this brings me to one of my favourite little philosophies of life. I think one should embrace and talk, cherish and show the appreciation for (and this means every day!) the things that they really love; and if this so by means mentioning even a music label practically every time I post something on this blog, then so be it. So with the American lifestyle and the character and true feeling of a label like Sub-Pop, which I have to say is probably my favourite label ever, I have to pay homage to it for the kind of sun-kissed gorgeousness it is producing at the moment.

One of those bands frequently appearing on these Sub Pop playlists at the moment is the Foxes of .. the Fleet: Fleet Foxes.

They must have been around for quite a while now, but this true american heritage sound that has appeared on the music rounds lately has to feature them and their gorgeous single 'Mykonos', centerpiece of the the Sun Giant EP. From the name, this song itself is paying homage to the small Greek party island, although it doesn't sound what that description brings to mind. It's tribal chorus harmonies and beautiful swinging acoustics may make you sway away in the summer evening. Those softly pounding drums is something quite soothing, and it's a dose of relaxation I highly recommend. A Grecian relaxation treatment.

How do Sub Pop turn out this revolutionizing artists like it's natural?

Because it's Sub-Pop.

And it's probably the truest, most natural American Alternative Rock you will ever hear.

Next Post will hopefully be another Sub Pop band that is hitting the high times lately. That is, If I can get the whole music package on their part before it's the end of summer! The next band are a band I definitively believe in, and I do think they'll be even more successful by the end of summer.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Stay safe; and don't spend too long out in the sun listening to The Drums. Maybe a little Foxes wouldn't go amiss?

Guitar Lust... I mean, Love of course.

Okay, well today in Britain it is BOILING outside (obviously not as gorgeous as L.A or something like that, just another thing to complain about when you're on english turf), my iPod has run out of power and there's nothing I'd really like to do more than post on my blog. Just looking for some inspiration.

Today, is Pearl Jam day. Any

one? Okay, I made that up but some days- most days- I have a themed music day according to how I'm feeling. And if Pearl Jam floats your boat on a summer's day then Pearl Jam it is. Can't beat a bit of Eddie Vedder.

And that brings me back to what I want to write

about.

Recently I've been 'exploring' this site: www.gear4music.com and it's really amazing what you can find. But....

What seems like forever now I've been totally after a Fender Squier Venus that "Love" actually co-designed:

So, I guess, the closest I can get to this is Squier Model by Fender Bullet Stratocaster in Rosewood Daphne Blue, which I absolutely ADORE:

.... and is surprisingly cheap.

The Venus Model < is a mix of strat, squier and others...

It all makes for good Guitar Lust, but I'm

quite happy saving up for a beaut like the one below.

... all to fulfill the promise I keep telling mother when I have to borrow money: "Well, Mum, when I'm a rich and famous rock star with heaps of money... I'll buy you anything you want.. so for now.. a strat please?"

So.. while we're at it...

Shall we purchase a Fender Artist Billy Corgan Strat.... ?

In "Olympic White" .... ?

I could be so lucky.-

riotgrrrllives| x

I hate myself and want to have revenge on Seattle

Even knowing that every moment of forever I will love and cherish Nirvana and Kurt Cobain, there is no way in the world that anybody- myself included- will begin to understand the actual music technicality of Nirvana. How did Kurt write songs for a generation? How do we even begin to understand what any of the songs dark depths and actual meanings are? This is something that is starting to seriously evoke curiosity based on a post I read on the ‘Nirvana Formula’ on a pop theory website about song-writing. To even begin to understand is quite difficult but to question if this sculpturing that happened was on purpose or just the genius’ subconscious mind working is another thing. It talks of all the technical stuff, about how many of the chord transitions Kurt works are Minor 3rds and how the basis of his songwriting relies so much on supertonics. If you listen to the little extracts and read the post here:

http://www.midside.com/2007/02/18/nirvana_supertonic/

You may even start to understand a song writing world of a true genius. Kurt Cobain may have just fooled everyone with his way of music.

But to the interesting thing. Some see a description of patterns in songs and tastes in rock stars’ choices of power chords overly confusing, but with a visionary aid, I may seem to prove my point better.

I stumbled across this lovely thing by complete accident, and it filled me with complete joy. Maybe Kurt Cobain is just like any other song writer, not of ‘rock royalty’ or whatever, but paired with this complete formulaic love of power chords (mostly because they’re easy and it’s straight there, straight back) and his gorgeous voice, it was gonna happen that some die-hard fan is going to listen to these songs so much she does start to see similarities.

Check these two songs out. The choruses are particularly things to focus on. This world of his is clever, eh?

‘I Hate Myself and Want to Die’ is a song they specifically recorded for Beavis and Butthead- true 90’s cartoon heroes – and was going to be the title of Nirvana’s 3^rd album for years, until others suggested to Kurt that perhaps it was a bit too bleak.

‘Frances Farmer will have her Revenge on Seattle’ is from In Utero, and it is one of Nirvana’s hidden gems of that particular discography.

If you were a world famous rock star by this time with a full-blown heroin addiction, I think you would start to recycle some chord/melody patterns. And THAT's what made that guy so special. Three cheers for Kurt! Oh, and it's the 4th of July, Three cheers for where I always am in my imagination- America! Hip hip hooray for Alternative Rock!

Peace, Love and Empathy,

riotgrrrllives|x

Fly away to Malibu...

Well, it's been a long time to say the least. Life has been crazy busy, so I guess neglect of a blog was in order. Good news is that my 'busy break' was entirely musical.

On Sunday, I won my local music school's competition title for 'Musical Performer of the Year'. It took a load of hard work and dedication, but somehow I pulled it off! As a result, I will probably never listen to any Blondie ever again, as I have incredibly worn it out so much so to win the competition with some of the best Blondie songs known to mankind :)

To celebrate, I will post one of my favourite songs at the moment, and a song that will remain one of my favourite songs for eternity. Obviously being songs at LEAST 15 years old, for crying out loud. You didn't think anything different, did you?
From one of my personal favourite musical eras, I shall display. Riot grrrl is something I've been interested in for a while now, so when I hopefully get to write about in my Grade 6 onwards Pop Music Theory examinations, I'll post some of those thoughtful writings on here.


Next Post will be more thought-provoking... perhaps. But for now a break, and an insight into my mind.



Peace, Love, Empathy [...]





Bikini Kill's 'Rebel Girl'. This kicks ass.


And my favourite music video of all time, it has to be said. Why do I always keep looking it on YouTube, when I can have it here right on my own blog? Simple. Now convenient and lovely.
There is something undeniably beautiful about Courtney Love dancing, setting fire to palm trees and wearing a beautiful dress all at the same time. Enjoy.

Music Video of the Month

Hm... well I'm not sure if I like this video.. or the song. BUT I love Tiffany's style and other music so here. The video has got lots of that sun setting- guitar, chevy thing that I just can't get enough of.

This single was Fearne Cotton's 'Single of the Week' a couple of weeks ago. Says it all really.

Enjoy.

Another record created with extreme Love...

Courtney Love has made a full, fledging comeback.

She rioted her way through the rest of the nineties as a widow and ultimately, a single mother, and didn't dampen down the way she was feeling at the time. She battled through grief, drug overdoses and the media displayed her who was spinning out of control wildly.

The only great point after 2004 for her came when Celebrity Skin received good reviews, with a new drummer, a new bassist and a different sound. Many cite this as the only shiny gem in Hole's back catalogue, and I agree, but not with the only bit. Sometimes these records made with pain, fury and complete anguish turn out to be the best of one's career. After all, they're true to the bone.

So she's returned and she's done exactly the same thing, hitting us with a record so powerful, even without Eric Erlandson and missing the rest of the original Hole line-up. (Which quite honestly, saddens me. They can't even get to grips with things and make the classic line-up Celebrity Skin era [...])

Nobody's Daughter was released last Bank Holiday Monday, to mixed reviews. Many said that with the works of Billy Corgan and a new vocal sound, now aged 45, the record is not only completely true and real, but a matured Love sound, something obviously her, but with something that not even Celebrity Skin had. It has experience.

It's a whooshing 11 tracks of pure Alternative American bliss, careful producing and help from the likes of Billy Corgan, and the brave and heroic approach of her favourite subjects, which even now after the nineties flourish and middle aged songwriting, are not stale yet, remarkably: "Someone Else's Bed"is a tall of well, waking up in someone else's bed; she revisits her scarred soul in Nobody's Daughter where she growls a epic Love line, crafted so obviously by her where she says exactly what we've all been trying to say for years that she sums up in one painful, reaching line: "Asphyxiate all your pain away..."

Obviously, the sensitive subject of nobody but her husband "I met a boy, he came from the sea, he was the only boy who ever knew the truth, about me" crops up in "Pacific Coast Highway" among others screeching revenge and on the other hand, gorgeous tributes. It is something she can only sing about, when in other songs she just feels she should just lament her anger with him for leaving her ('Someone Else's Bed': "Were you there when I'm ready to top myself? Were you there when I'm all alone? Do you even know why I am suffering? Are you down to your bones..." is quite a painful reminiscence with her) She also expresses her anger, jealousy or perhaps sarcasm in how people are portrayed in "Skinny Little Bitch", the press in 'Letter to God' : "I never wanted to be some kind of Comic Relief" and abandonment are all featured from a true life, first-person angle.

From the world's shattered whore, as she puts it so aptly herself, it's a great journey over great waves of a scarred and troubled soul.

"It's glorious, its terrible god I need it.

It’s beautiful, it’s ravenous..." as Miss Love puts it herself, soaring to a climax on and as Nobody's Daughter.