This is probably the weirdest cover I’ve posted. Not because it sounds particularly zany or out there, but because it’s so far removed from the song it’s covering that it works kind of brilliantly.
After my Fez knock down, I wanted to prove that I like “chill” music. It’s good if it’s done right and makes for amazing writing music or just chilling as it were. I think the key to a good laid-back song is a simple melody, strong beat and nothing that sounds too abrasive. You don’t actually want a whole lot of sharp beeps and boops in a good chillwave song because it breaks up the vibe and forces you to listen too closely. I think that a strong, steady melody is the real key here, though. A good chill song can slowly bring me in and out of the water like a gentle tide. I know when the wave is going to sneak up on the beach, but I don’t totally know everything it’s going to bring up with it.
So, here’s the Iron Man song which has a chorus we all know. It has a recognizable melody that is generally pretty bad ass on it’s own. But, when you acoustic the song up and add some sweet, gentle electronic bits, it becomes a lullaby for a sleepy robot dragon. It reminds me a little of the elsewhere Marvel Fairy Tales stories (which I totally recommend!).
If this puts you in the mood for some sleepy time music, check out this, too.
I can’t believe I missed this back on Star Wars Day, but I’m hoping some of you have too so that I can share. Now, I’ve been quoted for saying that George Lucas is probably one of my top five least favorite people in history, but it comes from a place of love. Star Wars wasn’t something I grew up with like Batman, but it was a love that matured through high school and college. I can’t say I’ve liked a lot of things Lucas has direct connection with, but I love a lot of projects that came from other creative minds. I mean, you could make the case that my favorite Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back, was genius because of the Hollywood gold that worked on it.
Lucas might be an old fool, but I love everything that was built around him. The cosplaying Stormtroopers who visit sick kids, the amazing video games, the surprisingly gripping novels and even the new Clone Wars cartoon. Lucas didn’t make me care about the clones, but Karen Traviss sure as hell did.
So, this mix reflects why I love Star Wars as much as I do. It’s a collaborative effort of a couple electronic music artists who share a love of trip-hop and Star Wars. Don’t know what trip-hop is? Check this post out. It’s a genre that’s beloved in my apartment and something we like to put on when we’re cleaning or writing. There’s a lot of heavy Pogo influence here (even a Pogo track), but I don’t see a problem with that. Trip-hop is a great genre because it has the habit of speaking for itself in a calm, warm and inviting manner. Think of it like stepping into a comic book or video game store.
What are my favorite tracks? Well, I’ve got a real soft spot for Han and Leia, but who doesn’t? I love how both “I Know…” and “Han and Leia” have an almost Disney thread tugging the edges. There’s plenty of beeps and boops of science fiction, but the heart of their romance is floating around in the forefront.
My true love, though, is R2-D2. I’ll admit that my affection for the character is a remnant of my childhood where I had only a real basic grasp on what Star Wars was beyond it being super cool. I also just love robots. Isn’t weird how R2-D2 was a pretty funny, likable character that even kids could like, but adults dig, too? I can’t imagine people growing up and actually liking Jar Jar the way they like R2-D2. Anyway, the “Artoo!” track really stands out for me. If you listen to anything, listen to that one.
You can get the whole thing for “name your own price” over at bandcamp. Totally worth throwing these lads some extra cash if you’ve got it.
No mixed bag today. Instead, we’re going to try something new.
With the rise of indie games that lean on “retro” aesthetics for charm and nostalgia’s sake, we’ve seen a jump towards a similar trend in music. Best described as shoegaze mixed with chiptunes, these “ambient” soundtracks are becoming a bigger bore than yet another artsy 2-D platformer. A month ago, I had intended to work on a couple posts about indie game music since they are quite popular on bandcamp and youtube, but I simply could not get through it. I am aware that playing a game enhances your opinion of the music, but I believe that’s a cop out. I believe that the music used in a game should be great on its own and even better in the game. I mean, just look at Bastion. You could sell the game to someone just by linking them to the soundtrack. In fact, I think I’ve done that a couple times.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. I understand the need to make indie games look retro. For one thing it’s easier to make on a low budget, but also because we all have fond memories of the past. Most of us started gaming as kids and that means many of our first experiences involved a simple platformer with chip music to accompany it. Composers who had to create music for these games found themselves extremely limited to not only how much complexity they could put into a track, but how long it could be. This made it essential to write catchy melodies that wormed their way into our brains and made them just as memorable as the game itself.
My main gripe with indie games these days that use chiptunes as throw back to things we love is that they’re squandering their future technology. Do you really think Koji Kondo would have put together a snorefest like this if he was given the tools to do way more than create a simple melody? Of course not. There’s nothing memorable about that track, whereas this track from Zelda circa the fucking 1980′s totally is. The track from Fez simply circles the drain with a melody that does nothing, while the Zelda song is remarkably complex and engaging for its time.
I’m not saying the people who develop music for indie games shouldn’t try new things. Obviously, I’d be just as upset if we’d have a bunch of Zelda clones running around. But, Fez music is the definition of boring. It’s a damp fuzzy blanket on a chilly night. It offers up absolutely nothing, has zero direction and is the least engaging piece of shit I’ve heard in a video game. If the point was to unengaged, well congradufucklations, I don’t give a damn about your music or your game.
Why does this upset me more than say mainstream games with their belief that copying John Williams is a good thing? The same reason why I’m upset at Alan Wake creators for being a fan of a genre, but saying nothing interesting about it. Squandered potential. You assholes at Fez and games like it had the opportunity to make something interesting like Bastion or Super Meat Boy. You could have tried to make music an interesting and important part of your game, but you opted out for some blurry-eyed chiptunes that doesn’t mean a fucking thing.
Emulating past shrines is a mistake. I’m tired of indie games that want to be retro. It’s becoming worn out like a kitsch 50′s diner with terrible food and a bloated waitress stuffed into a pink dress and frilly apron. Maybe it was an easy way to get people in the door, but what else do you have for us? A single game mechanic that we’ve probably seen before in Nintendo games? A far cry from the glorious genius that we remember with our nostalgia glasses? A soundtrack that’s bored with itself and only gets by on chiptunes call backs? Fuck that shit.
If you actually care about the indie game world advancing not just in music but in quality, stop buying into these cheap tricks. Make indie developers actually do something to rock our world a little.
Lately, I’ve come across some really great alt-folk music that’s charming and I thought you guys might enjoy it. There’s a catch, though. It’s in a different language. Let’s just pretend it’s Monday, shall we?
First we have a French band by the name of Canailles and they are just a bundle full of weird. Like the crazy foreign cousin of Edward Sharpe. There’s a lot of what we’d call New Orleans style, but I suppose the ragin Cajun has a lot to owe to France, right? Canailles stomp, screech and “Reeeeeeeeeehiiiiiiiii!!!!” their way into my heart like Steamboat Willie rocking down the Mississippi. If you like high energy alt-folk with a wild twist, these guys are for you.
Lisa LeBlanc moseys over to the mic in her cowboy boots, takes a seat and proceeds to rock your socks off. This album has been called “folk trash” which is something I can totally get behind. The kind of folk you hear when you pull up to a dusty, roadside diner filled with locals just itching for a fight. There’s a more Western sound to her music that places it a little farther away from the almost gypsy Canailles. I hate Americanizing my descriptions for how cool this music is, but this stuff sounds like it’s rolled around in Texas dirt and ended up somewhere in the Nevada sand. I love the intricate guitar, her rough siren call and that rambling gunslinger sound.
Homestuck is the kid I wave to when I pass him in the hall, but we run in different circles so we don’t have time to hang out. I know stuff about him and I think we’d get along in another dimension maybe, but for now there’s just distant respect for the fellow weirdo with bright colors and funny logos on his shirt.
If you’re a fan of Homestuck, know this: a lot of music that comes out of your fandom is fucking rad and it’s what I turn to whenever I feel like absolute shit both physically and mentally. It’s beautiful, futuristic and sometimes lonely. And, I like that. So, I hope that I do it justice in this post even though I’m just an outsider to your worlds.
Now, I encourage all of you to listen to all of Universe B (weirdly stronger than Universe A), but here’s the tracks I liked the best. From what I understand, this is a collection of practically unknown musicians who really just love Homestuck? Well. If that’s the case, I think that’s fucking awesome.
Oh wait, also- remember that I’m looking at these tunes in a vacuum. I have no idea what context they’re in or how you guys know it. I’ve asked for Homestuck context before and I couldn’t make sense of it. The rabbit hole just goes too fucking deep.
First up we have “Cool Kid”, which sounds like a dubstep track that was dragged through Chuck E. Cheese and dropped off in an 80′s arcade. There’s more chiptunes than grime at play here, but if the pitch was lowered just a little it would actually be a typical Skrillex tune. I think it’s cute that it’s called “Cool Kid” for the obvious trendiness that dubstep has become and I like that the Homestuck musicians can do what Skrillex does, but weirder and a little better.
Next up is the singer-songwriter “Squiddle Song”. When I heard the first verse of this song I said out loud “oh hooolleeyy shit” and then started laughing. If you like Moldy Peaches sort of humor and sound, this shit is for you. The girl who sings it has a really pretty voice and the lyrics sound like something out of a dark children’s song.
Two songs that kind of have gimmicks but in a good way are “Emerald Terror” and “Dapper Dueling”. The first sounds like the beginning of a horror game made in 1995 and the second is a very minimal rendition of how you expect the Old West to sound. You know how Homestuck is a pretty simple concept, but then it sort of evolved into this weird, giant story with all kind of flash animations and browser tricks? I think tracks like these show how basic all of these songs are in production, but how their personality and execution take them to the next level.
I’d also like to point out the two prettiest tracks on the album: “Pale Rapture” and “Phantasmic Youngsters”. The first is nearly chillwave and reminds me a lot of the sort of “thoughtful” anime ending songs. Like the sort of anime about demon hunting teenagers who have a lot on their minds at the end of each episode. It’s relaxing, beautiful and takes its time like a tiny sailboat in a pond. Next we have the acoustic “Phantasmic Youngsters” that showcases a real talent with guitar. If you love strumming, twanging and that kind of American rock feel, you’ll totally dig this track. It’s got a traveling feeling to it that I really dig and if I had a road trip mix, I’d add it to it.
You know, now that I think about it. I haven’t made any mixes in a long time…
The worst part of having a music blog is that I’m not totally sure if you guys will love the same stuff I do. It’s soul crushing to really love a song and have it torn down by your friends. The good news is that this is the internet and I don’t have to see your looks of disappointment. So, here’s some new music that I totally love, but I don’t know if you guys will. Music is a weird monster that way.
First is Theophilus London and Asap Rocky with what I like to call “Kanye Era Rap”. It’s about money, it’s kind of playful and it samples a song you otherwise probably wouldn’t listen to. I love how this song just rolls down the hill, stops for a moment and then blasts off to the fucking moon. The main reason why I was hesitant to share is because rap isn’t for everyone. Most people like hip hop because the beats are super cool, but rapping is kind of a whole different beast. I think these guys make their rhymes sound both lyrical and fun, but there’s a lot of it packed into a song. I personally think it’s super rad since I just love a good rap song, but I know my readers don’t always feel the same.
Next is a song that sounds like it’s from the 1970′s. Now, I was raised on classic rock and I personally really fucking dig this old sound. The kick ass guitar, pounding drums and hard hitting vocals is such a nostalgic missile for me that I just can’t help but rock out. The ironic thing about this is that he sounds a fuckton like Paul McCartney circa Sargent Pepper and I’m not the biggest Beatles fan out there. There’s some lyrics I really dig like “I can see you through my ruby reds” that smartly exerts how rock and roll this song is. My hesitation in posting this was mostly in that I don’t really know what’s nostalgic for you guys or how hard hitting you like your rock and roll.
Hospitality’s “Betty Wang” is a song that really grew on me. At first it seems like a typical twee song and on the surface it certainly is. You have that retro swing, sweet vocals and a love song sort of tone. But, it kind of unravels itself and moves in a couple different directions like its skipping through a meadow. I’m also a sucker for songs about people. I like character profiles, I like hearing about the kind of people that the band can fall in love with. Betty Wang seems like the kind of nice Asian girl who doesn’t bullshit, but also doesn’t say the word bullshit. It’s a lovesong to a clean, nice girl who makes a good friend. And, though I’ve posted twee on here before, I don’t know if you guys like it as much as I do.
This last one. Fuck. Really like I might be the only person who likes it. The blog I found it on even admitted to not enjoying the remix. There’s a lot of repetition, music that sounds like it is related to Passion Pit and it’s fucking long. But, I LOVE it. There’s something really sweet about the song and I dig the indie pop sound it’s been remixed with. It’s an old track that proceeds the rise of dubstep and honestly it’s a breath of fresh air in the midst of Skrillex and Deadmauss22see or whatever the fuck.
I missed the mixed bag this Monday due to wedding-related illness, but I’m going to make up for it in a big way. You know what’s funny? I hate going to live shows, but I love listening to the recordings of them. I know there’s a disconnect when the audience sings along too much or shouts out requests, but that really only happens at like Springsteen concerts. I love stuff that sounds like it was recorded in a claustrophobic bar where people are dancing up near the stage while others knock back watered down beer in the hazy darkness. Something like Jeff Buckley’s “Live at Sin-e” or Hold Steady’s “A Positive Rage”.
This collection has the intamcy of those albums, but the variety of an Easter basket. There’s a lot of really cool bands that know how to fucking ROCK AND ROLL that will totally scratch that itch if you have it. Honestly, it brings me a certain kind of hope to see some real rocking bands in such a huge collection. On the internet and among blogs, you usually just find florescent indie pop or typical dubstep and it constantly makes me thirsty for the kind of jangley, dirty rock that I grew up on. I was pleased when I almost instantly realized this was the kind of show hardcore fans of old school punk circa 1978 can appreciate. You’ll also notice a lot of these bands sound like they dragged in sand from their surfer rock influence. And, honestly? That kind of combination plays straight to my heart guts.
Okay, so I think you should listen to the whole thing at once like you’re eating a table full of junkfood, but here’s my favorite stuff:
The Fresh and Onlys: If you’ve been following my blog for a while, I think you’ll recognize pretty fast why I like this band. Cool vocals, California sound similar to the Hold Steady and a sweet tip of the hat to retro punk rock like this was Mountain Dew Throwback.
Shannon and the Clams: HOLY FUCK THIS GIRL CAN JAM OUT WITH CLAM OUT. I love her underwater vocal stylings mixed with feverish dancability that makes this song instantly charming. I can’t understand a fucking thing she says beyond “flowers”, but this is rock and roll. Who cares.
Tyler John Tyler: What’s that? You want a little 80′s in your rock and roll? Tyler John Tyler has got that shit for you right here. This song is a diversion from the rest of the stuff if only because I think the era of influence is a little different. I really like it though and her voice plus kicking guitar makes it special.
Overall, this is just a cool thing to listen to while working on something or if you’re looking for a new band to love. The whole digital album is only five bucks and, of course, you can listen to the whole thing on bandcamp.
