It’ s almost been a decade since the start of their career, and the Arctic Monkeys have aged gracefully into their talentedly world-weary image with an established album ‘AM’. For a band whose lyrics in the early days were jam-packed with mischievous and sassy one-liners, we all wondered whether the Arctic Monkeys actually enjoyed being in a band, or if they were just socially awkward and not used to the fame with their hair covering their face and the really baggy brown hoodies that seemed about twice their size. At times, they also seemed very doubtful of their own fame, whilst their last two albums seemed to be not loved but taken very seriously.
The Arctic Monkey’s fifth album ‘AM’ is by no doubt the most outstanding album of their career. It manages to connect to all the different directions – the melancholy pop of ‘suck it and see’ and the powerful melodies of ‘Humbug’, with their rising energy and sense of excitement that boosted their initial tracks. From this point, the Arctic Monkeys can sound however they like, do whatever they want and will always be known as the Arctic Monkeys and just the Arctic Monkeys. But that’s all for another time during their ridiculously optimistic future so for now let us just celebrate this album for what it is, 42 minutes of pure perfection.
‘AM’ is so good that it may as well be the greatest album of the last decade. It’s the work of a band that is still continuing to grow. They’re learning, they’re experimenting and they’re perfecting. They won’t look back at this album and say that it was their career’s highest point, (as we can expect far more albums just like this, or even better), but they will look back to the moment when they will be no longer defined by their genre. No longer kn...
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...es the impression that he has moved on from telling stories of sleazy nightlife, to songs that more self-lacerating, with a sound that is so relevant to the subject matter, something the Arctic Monkeys have always been good at, sharing each and every one of their member’s talents, to make something spectacular.
‘AM’ goes beyond all the sweaty nightclubs and flirting, that the previous Arctic Monkeys albums have implied. It’s clearly a turn of direction for the band, instead they talk about scruffy hotel rooms, after parties and the bad decisions that can follow up from there. Like I said before, it’s the work of a band that’s growing rapidly but still experimenting with the marvellous talents that they have. And so they created their own artists who can do whatever it is they want, because by no doubt we all definitely know ‘Who The F**** Are The Arctic Monkeys.’’
Through creating such a distinctive approach to music, Rivers has developed a fan base that stands out from the mainstream crowd. For the most part, a Weezer fan has a distinct look, age, emotional status, and social status. The socially inept, clumsy nerds who sport black-rimmed glasses, and are between the ages of 17-28 are usually put under the category of being a Weezer fan. The main characteristic of th...
Listening then, I just thought it sounded nice, but analyzing it today I can truly appreciate the care that went into their work. There aren’t many songs that give me chills, but every time I hear their rendition of Landslide (written by Stevie Nicks), I can feel it head to toe. The pacing of the instrumentation and harmony coming in is simply perfect.
When listening to the song both reflectively and analytically did put a dapper on the initial meaning behind listening to the song, however, the song’s influence and history with my Child Hood prevented this assignment from completely taking my enjoyment and engagement of the song. Through this assignment I have found a new respect for the song and its simplicity and overall appeal with the vocaloid culture that I am involved in both as a listener and an artist. Through this assignment I have also been given a deeper insight into Deco*27 as an artist and how he effectively conveys his music as an art through both the vocaloid system and, in this case, through his own talents as a singer.
...egan to lure fans at the same time. Known for their catchy lines and unique sound, this band confidently released an EP titled “Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys” with two tracks on it – “From The Ritz To The Rubble” and “Fake Tales Of San Francisco” on May 30, 2005. The track “Fake Tales of San Francisco” was voted their best song in 2013 by NME Magazine.
It could be argued that ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ served exemplary as testament to the changing attitudes towards rock music and psychedelic acid rock of the time. The prevalence of the genre was tangible, even the AFVN (American Forces Vietnam Network) added a special channel in 1968 for those soldiers serving overseas who had reported an interest in the musical style (Kramer, 2006). Perhaps this song was indeed the natural progression of music in a time of so much uncertainty for an entire generation fraught with equal parts revolutionary ideals and Cold War paranoia. The track’s tone, ambiance were defined by an eerily dark otherworldliness unheard of up until that point in rock music and arguably not replicated again until Black Sabbath’s NIB
I say song lyrics are simple, but in this case I am going to attempt a feat of rhetorical analysis few have considered possible by analyzing the song “Once in a Lifetime” by The Talking Heads. I emphasize the difficulty of this analysis because I fear that I am about to embark on a journey to make sense out of madness; a 1984 documentary of the band’s music is entitled Stop Making Sense, for one example. For another more drastic example, songwriter David Byrne was one of the most intentionally abstract lyricists of his time; in an early episode of apparent madness, he took to the stage of his college and shaved his hair and beard in front of the faculty to the accompaniment of piano accordion and a showgirl displaying phrases in Russian. He was promptly ejected from that school. Regardless, his song “Once in a Lifetime” is symbolic of the introspective, neurotic, and post-modern approach he often uses to create his lyrical identity. Though I at first found it to be a rough fit, I believe the Pentad can be successfully applied to describe the motivation ...
Two years in the making, countless hours of songwriting, guitar tracking, recording, then multiple lawsuits by record companies and the end result is the masterpiece that is A Day To Remember’s Common Courtesy album. To most people, the entire genre of metal, hardcore, or punk music is all just one big idea of devil worshipping and ignorance, these misconceptions are so false it’s almost unfair. The detail and progression of the music in these genres is so advanced that it is devastating to musicians that most people don’t consider it music. A Day To Remember is the pinnacle of what melodic hardcore, or “pop-mosh” music is, they are the best musicians and make the biggest impact on the scene and the world. In a world that only focuses on what Miley Cyrus is doing and in a genre that is mainly only heard by angry heartbroken teenagers, ADTR has been able to solidify themselves into the musical world and that is what makes their new album “Common Courtesy” an iconic part of hardcore music.
This album is a million different moods at a million different times; Kanye is subdued and tortured on “FML”, triumphant and raunchy on “No More Parties In LA”, and engagingly honest on “30 Hours”, where he spends the last half of the song throwing out sentences in a stream-of-consciousness manner. It’s this diverse array of moods and textures, arranged in such a haphazard way, that might draw criticisms of a lack of cohesion; in reality, it’s West’s most personal album in a while. With no grander concept to hide behind, West is free to air out his laundry, both the dirty and the
The music industry today seems to have taken a step into two different directions, rock and R&B a.k.a. rap music. Rock has taken on the form of a derelict ship floating amongst a monstrous sea of rap. Even the most hardcore of rock bands have incorporated a hint of rhyme into their music. For better or worse, Korn is one such respectable rock band who has partially retreated to the refuge of the rap style of music. In the song Freak On A Leash Jon Davis, the lead singer in the group Korn, describes the torment of his band by the sinking ship that rock has become.
True to the mysterious character of their name, Midnight Voices opens the album with a curious chant titled “If You Knew Us.” Beginning with a gradual fade-in, the group chants the puzzling phrase “If you knew us, then uh . . .” repeatedly and without any musical accompaniment. A steady rhythm is maintained throughout, even when the Voices modify their chant by including their names. After the chant is repeated a few more times, the group throws in yet another mysterious line, which further heightens the listener’s curiosity. The line, “If you knew the voices, then uh . . . you would know the world and uh . . .” provides a hint to the listener of the social commentary to come. The chant then returns to its first verse, and slowly fades out. This short piece serves as an introduction to both the group and the general message of their music and album.
Earlier this year (DATE???) alt-rockers Cake topped the Billboard 200 chart with their first album in seven (???) years, Showroom of Compassion. The album sold 44,000 copies the first week of its release, a record low for the number one hit. At the same time, Britney Spears' single “Hold It Against Me” scaled the digital song chart with 411,000 copies sold. The two charts illustrate the change in the way we listen to music. The Internet—as it did for almost everything—has radically affected the way people get music.
The disc player drones on as I recline peacefully on the pure white sands of my very own desert island. I am the only human being on this island. Ah, peace at last, but as the days turn into weeks and the weeks to months and the months to years I wonder; why have I not gone completely insane? Sentenced indefinitely to solitary confinement on my paradise prison. Yes, it has been a struggle to maintain my sanity, but I have one very special companion; the Violent Femmes album Add it up. Every time I listen to this album I am reminded of the last time I ever saw all my friends together; before we all went our separate ways in life.
Being on the cutting edge of bizarre, alternative music is an elite privilege, complete with buzz words to exclude the mainstream. The music makes or breaks the scene. One rave deejay explains to Rosen and Flick (1992), "A great rave or techno record is like a religious experience. A bad one will give you a headache
Emotional intensity, infectious melodies and passionate lyrics make for extremely compelling music; this album definitely had all three. The album’s melodic and lyrical magic that exuded from Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks left me mesmerized. When these sincere artists combined their vocal harmonies and surreal songwriting with their emotionally driven revelations of love, loss, heartbreak and turmoil, one of the ultimate classic albums emerged.
These tunes make known the downside of the enjoyable, glamorous, and dangerous drugs that people of all classes of society use everyday. They give off vibes of hopelessness and emphasize painful words and phrases. They describe how quickly something can go from a little relaxing self medication to a full out need. These songs help us to realize the consequences of losing control over our actions and help us to appreciate consciousness and life without addiction.