I'm actually doing Cartwheels... My Song of the Month

Happy BRITISH SUMMER TIME! The time has come: my favourite time of the year, a time for steadily increasing prosperity... and a whole bunch of good times to come this summer- it's going to be the best summer of my life... So I've had a great weekend, so I'll have to celebrate by posting this very pleasant song indeed, which no guesses needed, came from one of the O.C. soundtracks... I picked it up on one of the episodes, and it's just perfect... so as the month closes, this is certainly my song of the month. have a great week everyone!



riotgrrrllivesx

All in a day's work

A MONTH TODAY. WE WAIT PATIENTLY.

WHITE LIMO, WHITE LIMO, WHITE LIMO!


Warning: features a very scary looking Lemmy and a very beautiful certain Grohl's wife.



"Wasted Light" is released on April 12th at all Good record stores.
Foo Fighters plan to record a 13-track record of covers for Record Store Day in approx a month.


Pray for Japan, pray for life,
riotgrrrlives|x

Arise, Sir Dave Grohl...

Dave Grohl has always been much more than the drummer from Nirvana. Maybe because of the fact that he has, actually, penned more hits than Kurt Cobain, and is the award winning Frontman of Foo Fighters, arguably the best rock band on the planet to the present day. Award winning.

As the reputation as the "Nicest Man in Rock" and simultaneously the "Hardest Working" one, he is quite a man indeed. This post is a kind of a tribute to the Man himself, as myself being one of Foo Fighters' biggest fans, and everyone who knows me well knows, he is one of my biggest inspirations in life.

So, naturally, Iwas thrilled to be casually looking through an NME Special issue tribute to Mr Davey when it stated clearly that Mr Grohl himself will soon be picking up the Magazine's iconic "Godlike Genius" award, where previous recepients have been Mr Roger Daltry and Mr Paul Weller. In my opinion, Dave Grohl is the perfect follow on from these. Not just a drummer: a impressive vocalist, beautiful songwriter, producer, member of many a supergroup (Them Crooked Vultures, I ask you!), generational inspiration and generally, a really nice, hard-working guy. Not bad for someone who started life learning drums by hitting his pillows. The awards were this week, and the YouTube vid of his acceptance speech has lots of hits. He has many grateful fans just like me supporting him in everything, you see.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Mr D.Grohl's and one of my favourite icons' acceptance speech...

"You guys realise you gave this to a drummer, right? OK... this one's for the drummers! No, but honestly, I remember twenty years ago I walked in the side door over there, it was the first tour I ever did with Nirvana, and we arrived adn we were so jet-lagged but the Pixies were playing Brixton Academy that night! And we begged and begged and begged to get in, but they were like 'No, we can't get you in' but finally someone snuck us in through the side door and I stood right there as the curtain came up and they played 'Debaser' and I was so incredibly moved, I thought 'I hope someday I can be in a band that's big enough to play fucking Brixton Academy!' So this one goes out to The Sir George Robey, and The Astoria, and the side tent at Reading Festival and Brixton and Wembley and... this one's for Kurt! Thank you very much."

Only an actual Godlike Genius like him actually deserved this award.

Thank you, Dave Grohl. I love you.

P.S. The NME Awards 2011 magazine in very good, features many Davey among others on the cover and beautiful pictures and words of their post-gig, too. A must read.

Have a great week, everyone, and let Dave keep inspiring you all!

riotgrrrllivesx

I like Punk Rock.

I like Mudhoney very much, you must know that.
I like Mark Arm even more- He's like 47 now and BY GOD has he still got it. That's all I'm saying.
So you can imagine how pleased I was to stumble across this track on the 'Roots of Nirvana' CD compliation I got with last month's Mojo.

This song, In'N'Out of Grace is probably the definition of the early Punk Rock/Grunge movement in Seattle in the early nineties. Mudhoney were destined for stardom and they were always considered to probably be bigger than Nirvana. Sadly, they never made it that far into the mainstream, but they are one of the BEST to come out of that era, with Mark Arm still managing stuff at Sub-Pop, which I find pretty cool. He's very reliable when it comes to staying himself. Through everything. Mudhoney didn't make any mistakes. They just weren't Nirvana.



Hear that scream :"JESUS TAKE ME TO A HIGHER PLACE!"

Have a good week folks,

riotgrrllivesx

The Ultimate Nirvana Skill- Improvisation.

I'm very agitated at this very moment at the stresses of modern life as a 15 year old teenager in Britain, so I think it's the perfect time for a blog post.

Okay, admit it, everyone has done it: Improvised.

Whether you haven't got the appropriate lie set up for your parents to swallow, you improvise. When your music falls off the stand at a concert with whatever instrument you happen to play, you get pulled up for a speech at an awards ceremony at school/the oscars (delete as appropriate!), you have to create the perfect arrangement in a week and you've done hardly any work: You improvise. These may not be your desired situations, but when faced with the scary, the extreme, the unexpectable, the annoyance: you improvise it. Everyone's done it, and it's an essential skill that musicians derive over their lifetime: the improvisation. I did it this friday, in an own arrangement, usually solely modal scales and blues scales. I pulled it off, and apparently it sounded "Free and funky". Kudos for me!

The way it's used in Popular culture is interesting: Blues, R&B, even Dance Club Music...

But this is by far the best one I've seen, and it's relevant to the theme of Nirvana on this blog. The scream at 2:26 is singularly the best Nirvana moment I have EVER seen, so I thought I'd just share it with the world. The improvisation at 2:11 is certainly that of a real musician in a real band, where his guitar cuts out eventually (Note: this is French television they are all dressed up for) and he throws it down in a rage. The rest is his mind acting spontaneously, and if the scream at 2:26 wasn't already planned because it was in the song already, the sudden "Kurt Cobain does Jazz Solo Act" wasn't expected: the way he throws the microphone stand around is like something reminiscent of the jazz age.

A impeccably passionate performer, to say the least. And the sexiest (that tie and waistcoat- phwoarrr + anger at his guitar blowing)

riotgrrrlives|x

Happy New Year, Popular Music!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Hope you all had a happy Christmas and hope the music you choose to play today wishes you another great year of making memories..

Last year was pretty basic, on the blog front. My tags were either Hole or Nirvana... this may continue for the rest of the new year!

I am buying more into music that isn's the grunge era, and just the day before yesterday, I remarkably bought a CD from HMV that was actually produced in 2010!! A remarkable fate for me, and my close friends would even let out a shriek of surprise.

No Age's "Something Inbetween" is produced by Sub Pop and was the band was hopefully helped by Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe inviting them on his show and stating them as a "fine band". They were good, so I bought the album. That's how it should go! No downloading necessary, just make the effort, and for me definitely I feel that that is SO much more rewarding!

It's a great album, and I had a great year, plagued by the same music, always influencing me.

My Grunge Box is the epitomy of my obsession, and I hope it never dies anyway...

But now I move onto a new obsession: the music of the O.C.

The O.C. is, of course, A brilliant pinnacle of California dreamy drama, where there's loads of rich kids that somehow have more problems than you. But the commercial impact of this show were amazing; although it ended nearly 4 years ago now with Season 4, the producers brought out multiple "mixes" of music with the music featured on various episodes, depending on what series you were looking at. Mix 2 and Volume 2 were from the first series (which I successfully finished a week ago; known to be the best season, that was a full 20 hours of my life I spent watching that- time spent well, for me!) and these include some best music moments and the songs I favour at the moment. Thanks to these compilation discs, my iPod will now have more variety. Songs like South's "Paint The Silence", the Killers' "Smile Like You Mean It" and obviously the theme tune "California" by Phantom Planet are all, with the exception of The Killers, songs from pretty obscure bands. This is VERY CLEVER. The musical director of the show really knows her stuff, and by putting these previously unknown mainstream acts there's lots in it for her (You can tell I've been reading a book with a guide to the music industry and record labels, huh?) It fits the situation, makes the show look even more gorgeous than it already is, and it also means bands like Death Cab are known. Death Cab For Cutie practically made themselves on the use of their songs in Season 1.

So the main resolution for this year is new music. My music library is rapidly expanding, so your should too. Maybe just impulse buy an album because you're curious? Link bands with other bands you already like. It's the only way you can start on the million of unheard music in the USA alone.

Happy New Music!

P.S. Will post pics of the ever famous "Grunge Box" soon, or you can access them on Twitpic from my twitter shown on the top of the page on the left hand side :)

^ Mix 2 features the greats like The Killers, Death Cab For Cutie and a great cover of "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Jem, orginally from that of Paul McCartney. Enjoy!

The Best Riffs of All Time ... really.

Sooner or later, I would have to do this post. I've been compiling a mental list in my head after listening all week to Zane Lowe's "Masterpieces" show, where he unbelievably has been playing whole LPs (albums in other words) of some of the classic Popular music albums to ever grace this earth. The first; I was simply astonished that Radio 1 has such good tase (well, namely, Zane Lowe) with the White Stripes' classic Elephant. The next day was another enlightening experience for me- The Smiths' The Queen is Dead. Hearing both very established and beautiful pieces of work all the way through, no interruptions was a rite of passage. I recommend the programme, Radio 1 can be accessed all over the world, you have no excuse! Zane Lowe's cute. He's an indie snob, but aren't we all at times? If you're into that kind of thing. So, I'm in a mood for a list (I'm slighty OCD in certain things, that's why I'm a snob in certain things like riot grrrl and Pearl Jam- freaky)


Without further ado, here is a list of the best riffs of all time, that make us feel ecstatic, excited, tingle, sad or crazy. They should all have the impact to make us dance like idiots. Chosen by sheer musical power they were selected by my mum, Last.Fm, any thing I've heard of people's opinions. and I, pretty much off the top of my head. Prone to disagreement, but see how many you agree on, or what I've missed out that's 'disgraceful'. It's all a matter of fun :D

The Oldies (from the beginning of time, into our hearts forever)

Derek and the Dominoes- "Layla"


No disagreement? I thought not. One of the only singe-able riffs, melody lines in the history of music. Makes us all feel good and scream as high and loud as we possible can when at a wedding or so "LAAYLAA!!" It's so god damn beautiful, it's makes my spine tingle with anticipatement.

Cream- "Sunshine of Your Love
One that every dad in the room can go : " da da da da da da da da daaaa da" to. A song that has that power is a song worth listing.


Blue Oyster Cult- "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"

My mum's suggestion... very, very ascetically pleasing.


Iggy Pop- "Louie Louie"


Yes. YES, YES, YES. Covered by many a thousand for its simplicity and absolute element of KICK-ASS. Plus, everybody knows that 'ay, ay, ay, AY' bit at the end of the progression, much loveable. I realise this isn't the original original, but there's been so many, and in my opinion, this one is the best.


The Kinks- "All The Day and All Of The Night"
Every radio station can play it like the world is coming to the end... perfect use of this track has to be on the film The Boat That Rocked ... greatest intro to a film ever.

Guns'n'Roses- "Sweet Child O' Mine"


Did I even need to confirm this? I think that guitar stabs everyone in the heart everytime with its beauty.

Guns'n'Roses- "Paradise City"

To feature on the list twice in one list means almost royalty. I think this song should be America's national anthem.
Okay, well Axl Rose is an idiot, but the music's good, and they made it twice on this godly list, so hell, they must be good.


Jimi Hendrix Experience- "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"


Words shall express little for this epic line. For Megan, and all those merry gentlemen and gentleladies who have a thing for Jimi. All hail Seattle, city of Gods.


Boston- "More Than a Feeling"


This used to make me feel so happy. Now it just makes me feel happier. That chord sequence! AHhhh!


Eagles- "Hotel California"


Once you've heard it once in a day, you're stuck. Melancholy feeling, summer music, great lyrics: it's got it all.



Sex Pistols- "God Save The Queen"

It's mean, cause it's keen. The power of this riff nearly threw a monastry apart!
'Cause "We mean it maaaaaaaaan" I mean this is epic.


The Undertones- "Teenage Kicks"

I would like to thank John Peel, that guitar, those vocals, my mum, the autobiography of John Peel and my CD player to which I discovered this beauty.

The Newbies- ( mid-90's onwards)


Nirvana- "Smells Like Teen Spirit"


Not the best Nirvana song arguably, but undoubtedly the the most recognized and iconic riff of the last generation. Rumoured to be taken from the Boston riff above. Kurt Cobain once said everything was recycled in Rock. He was right. To date, riffs are taken from 30 odd years ago, mixed and carefully hidden in a pop song. But the clever people of the public aren't fooled one bit.


Oasis- "Wonderwall"


Not just a riff. A wonder of humankind. We love you Noel!


Blur- "Song 2"

Obviously. Duhhh.


Hole- "Celebrity Skin"

Everybody's heard it. Not all actually know who it was by. One of the best, but most annoying simultaneously. Billy Corgan, thank you.


Muse- "Plug In Baby"


Painful. High. Slighty eccentric. All names for beauty.


Muse- "Supermassive Black Hole"


Not many have the oppurtunity to appear TWICE on the list, never mind once. Congratulations, Bellamy.

Arctic Monkeys- "I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor"

You're an explosion, you're dynamite indeed, Alex Turner. Thank You, dude.


Foo Fighters- "The Pretender"


Nice arpeggio, Davey G.


The White Stripes- "Seven Nation Army"


Again, another of those rareties that you can actually hum along to (thank you, Lowe) . Albeit, with a low voice like a man. Jack White has made the once thought impossible, posssible.




That was honestly one of the most enjoyable blog posts ever. And the longest. I just love the classics, the authencitity (which, on the day of my pop exam, I have written this term too much) and completely pure.
Comment if you've got any more to add. This is probably my last post until christmas, where my time is now consumed with Mock Exams. Maybe I should have an exam on this? Wait, oh yeah, I've already done one of those today.

Thank you.

Peace, Empathy, Love and phenomenal guitar riffs.

riotgrrllivesx