London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony! [A Music Bloggery Point of View]

1:34 am Angie 1 Comments

Now I don't usually blog about things that aren't really to do with music, but the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony had tributes to amazing things such as the National Health Service, the digital age, and music. now you've got to have music! The tribute was led by some dancers in some quite 'original' outfits and as the music played in the background and the music videos of various different artists were shown on the screen behind, it was showing the music of the different eras. For example, you had music spanning from the 60's straight to the present age. Songs such as 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'My Generation' and 'Tainted Love' were among some of the great chart-toppers. When the present age had arrived, the artist Dizzee Rascal popped up on stage and began to be clearly miming the lyrics to his hit song 'Bonkers'. Not something that really excited me, but the crowd seemed to be amused. However, the Queen did not. Have a look at the image above. While this great spectacle is going around her, she seems to be checking her nails!


The Opening Ceremony had performances from Arctic Monkeys, Dizzee Rascal, and even the frontman for the popular indie band Two Door Cinema Club, Alex Trimble. (right) who performed a good song really well! Overall, music was quite a big focus of the ceremony, as they had quite a long tribute for it and the digital age together.

The beginning of the ceremony was filled with a brief history of England, showing how the country turned from marshland to an industrial country and from there, how the war changed everything and a moment of silence was held. I found it quite interesting, however there was too many little things going on at once and not one big overall 'wow' factor that I found was at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. It forced too much history on the viewer and not enough entertainment. After this, there was a small tribute to children's literature with many characters coming to life such as Voldemort and Mary Poppins which was pleasantly surprising to see.

Overall, the whole thing was a pretty quaint spectacle, but it had something lacking, some sort of 'wow' factor, to make them stand out, rather than fireworks. We've seen fireworks a squillion times, please give up something new! Now have a look at this video of Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean at the Olympics! A great little clip.

Watch Out, It's Coming This Way! [Version Six!]

7:27 am Angie 0 Comments

I have two great songs from two pretty cool indie bands that have released this week. Firstly, the indie pop group 'The xx' announced that they're releasing their long awaited second studio album, 'Coexist' on 10th September 2012. They've released a new single 'Angels' in aid of this, and it has already got over a million views in four days. The band formed in 2008, and their debut album 'xx' was received with great praise.

 A few days ago, The xx wrote on their Facebook page to all their fans:

"It's been a long time since we've played you anything new. This song is called 'Angels', it is the first single from our new album, 'Coexist'. We've been playing this song live recently, so it feels good to share with you the version we've been working on for so long. We hope you like it. The xx."

When listening to the song I thought that perhaps it was coming off as a little pretentious? I mean, The xx have always had this kind of simple tone, but the tone seems a little too Nirvana-like for me. The songs on the previous album had the same sort of tone, but some of the songs were slightly more upbeat. Also, the fact that the music video for the single is the sea just moving around seems a bit pointless to me and trying to make something small into a great piece of art that has this deep meaning to it. Check out the video and let us know what you think!

[New Music Alert!] - Two Door Cinema Club - Sleep Alone

12:29 pm Angie 0 Comments

Two Door Cinema club have released a single for their long awaited second album 'Beacon' that's set for release September 3rd 2012. The band have made this new single 'Sleep Alone' available for free download on the band's website for a mere 24 hours, so you better hurry up and download it! Here's the link for the website if you need it: http://twodoorcinemaclub.com/. Here's to hoping you make it in time!

The single sounds to me almost like a sequel to a song on the previous album. What I mean by this is that bands usually experiment with different sounds and ideas, and it sounds like to me that they've stuck for the safe option and gone with what they know. Don't get me wrong, the song does sound good, it just sounds familiar to the songs on the previous album and could have more distinction. Make sure you have a look at the lyric video below, and we'll keep you updated on when the official music video releases, here on Music Bloggery!

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Brendan's Death Song [Official Music Video]

10:33 am Angie 0 Comments

Lana Del Rey - National Anthem Official Video!

10:18 am Angie 0 Comments

Coldplay - Princess Of China ft. Rihanna

3:43 am Angie 0 Comments

Music Bloggery's Song of the Week! [Version One]

1:35 am Angie 0 Comments

This is the first edition of our Song of the Week and we have a brilliant song for you this week! The band who brought you the hit 'Chevy Thunder' are out with a new single 'Celestine'! The band that have been said as bringing classic indie back are doing everything right with this single. With great lyrics that you can understand (which are brownie points for me), and a awesome melody that is quickly making this song become my summer anthem.

The song has a similar tune to their previous single 'Chevy Thunder', which makes me slightly wary that their album will sound too similar. However, that doesn't mean they're not a good band! Secondly, I'm not sure if it's on purpose or by coincidence but the album art for 'Chevy Thunder' was a building in the shape of a dome and the artwork for this single is a curved shape which acts as a kind of frame for the dome? Comment your thoughts!

The music video for this song is not original, which they've made clear by the Anthony Kiedis (frontman for alternative band, Red Hot Chili Peppers) quote 'The desert - where all good music videos are made.'. The quote at the beginning and the little joke they make also at the beginning of the video shows the band has a good sense of humour and that they don't take themselves too seriously, unlike many pretentious bands nowadays. On their Facebook page, they wrote: 'Celestine is out now. Second best 99p you'll spend this week #mcflurry'. Musicians by day, comedians by night! ;)

Personally, the fact that in the video for 'Chevy Thunder' the frontman was reading Anthony Kiedis autobiography 'Scar Tissue' (which is an amazing book, by the way), and now in the video for 'Celestine' they've even quoted Kiedis, this makes me fall in love with them even more! This is because I'm a HUGE Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, if you didn't know already.

Anyway before I go all fangirl on you, check out the music video below, and comment your thoughts!

Metric - Youth Without Youth - Single Review!

8:48 am Angie 0 Comments

On 1 May 2012, Canadian indie band Metric released their new single 'Youth Without Youth' from their upcoming fifth studio album, 'Synthetica', officially releasing on June 12. According to Metric's frontwoman Emily Haines, Synthetica is about "forcing yourself to confront what you see in the mirror when you finally stand still long enough to catch a reflection. Synthetica is about being able to identify the original in a long line of reproductions. It's about what is real vs what is artificial."

'Youth Without Youth' is the story of a repressed child, and as the verses progress, so do the child's life. We follow the child through the teens and then being a young adult. I find the lyrics are compelling as they combine the idea of child games with destructive weapons. Lyrics like 'Hangman we played rubber soul with a razor blade' and 'We played double dutch with a hand grenade'. I find these two contrasting pairs work really well together. However, I find that the imagery would work better talking about perhaps a war-ridden country - how the youth are made to turn to war and violence at a young age, but that's just me. ;)

In terms of sound, the song differs from the style of the band's previous album, 'Fantasies', in which they received positive reviews from many different critics. 'Fantasies' is more of an acoustic sounding, slightly toned down album. However, the electronic, synthesized sounds of this album seem consistent to the title and theme 'Synthetica' while also being pretty damn catchy!

Check out the official lyric video and tell us what you think!

Marina and the Diamonds - Electra Heart - Album Review!

11:46 pm Angie 0 Comments

'Electra Heart' is the new 2012 release from Welsh singer-songwriter Marina and the Diamonds and by the mouth of Marina herself, Electra Heart is her response to rejection in love. Creating four 'archetypes', or characters (the Primadonna, Teen Idle and Homewrecker, to name a few), the whole thing is quite poorly constructed. She creates these characters but fails to actually achieve a effective end point. Most of the songs on the album contradict theirselves quite a few times - isn't an album meant to have a main, constant theme? For example, you've got songs such as 'Teen Idle', contemplating Marina's own youth (as stated in a previous interview) and then songs like 'Homewrecker', one of Diamandis' characters. For me, it just seems odd to be talking about little snippets of your life when you're meant to be creating a story, building characters if you will. Either write songs about your life or create a whole concept album. It's just inconsistent if you do both.

Also, I found that Diamandis has almost changed her morals completely. Her debut album, 'The Family Jewels' was about judging popular culture as well as promoting feminism (for example, on 'Girls', in which the lyrics are 'Not gonna bend over and courtesy for you.') and now she's talking about being a 'bottle blonde'. She's using the fact that she's aiming to portray the 70's type American dream as an excuse to completely change your image and sound. Honestly, I don't believe she's doing this conceptual album as a way to judge the types of love and personalities, she's just using this as an excuse to (as much as I hate using this term), 'sell out'.

I genuinely believe that the fame has caused Diamandis to change. When she released 'The Family Jewels', she looked like an ordinary, albeit beautiful person with an extraordinary voice, now she looks like she's walked straight out of a grandiose fashion show. You can't pretend music is not about the image as much as the sound, but her image almost overpowers her sound. She looked much more beautiful and natural in 'The Family Jewels' era. You can't be judging others when you look exactly like them.

Diamandis has stated that she wasn't happy creating music all by her stony lonesome, so she hired some top producers (who have worked with the likes of Katy Perry and Rihanna) to work on Electra Heart, which explains why her music sounds so 'poppy'. On her debut album, you would find that she had more simple, piano-driven melodies supported by her strong vocals. However, on Electra Heart, it seems like the music is doing all the work for her - which is why her vocals don't sound as quirky and strong as previously and the heavy beats and electronic sounds do most of the work. It seems to me these producers have perverted the sound of Marina.

However, Diamandis really comes into her own on the calmer, more acoustic sounding songs of the album. Songs such as 'Starring Role', 'The State of Dreaming', 'Hypocrates' and 'Buy The Stars' (Deluxe edition) offer a much slower-paced, simpler side to the album. If you get a chance to listen to her acoustic versions of tracks from the album on Youtube, you'll see it's stripped free of any heavy electronic beats. When listening to it, I found it's more like her than the actual album. I sure hope she releases an acoustic album, because it's definitely better than the original. You can compare the acoustic and original versions of her first single 'Primadonna' below.

Thematically, Diamandis' theme is definitely not original. There have been hundreds of artists singing about love, and Diamandis doesn't offer something new to the table. She even borrows The Beatles' 'Lonely Hearts Club' idea. I just wish she would have thought of a theme much more original and outlandish, like before.

Lyrically, Diamandis could have done much better. The lyrics on 'The Family Jewels' were much more memorable and effective. Yet, on Electra Heart, her lyrics seem to cater more to popular music. She sings 'when you're around me, I'm radioactive.'. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a billion other pop songs out there. It seems like Diamandis is catering to the pop genre and completely abandoning the quirky, indie style that she had introduced us with. Why introduce it to us if you're going to completely take it away from us? Fans expected an album much like the debut, yet they were shocked to find it's nothing of the sort.
 
Overall, because all of the reasons given, I am awarding Diamandis 3/5 musicos! It really disheartens me to offer her only 3 out of 5 as I am a big fan, but part of the reason I am offering her this score is because of the fact she completely changed and not in a good way. I want the old Marina.  Comment your thoughts below!


Music Bloggery Recommends: 'Lies', 'Homewrecker', 'The State of Dreaming', 'Hypocrates', 'Lonely Hearts Club' (Deluxe edition only), 'Buy The Stars' (Deluxe edition only)

Jim From The Moon - I Am Going to Steal You - EP Review!

1:01 pm Angie 0 Comments

There's no doubt that this EP is good, however, there were some kinks that I found when listening it a few times. I found that the music was well refined, yet it sounded quite generic. The album offers nothing new or exciting to music. If you think about it, there are a billion other acoustic artists struggling to make it. You need to offer something unique and outstanding to make you stand out from the crowd - what makes your sound different?

There were good riffs, but the hooks failed to be memorable. Perhaps if the hooks were repeated more then it would stay more in the listener's mind and become more catchy. This could be achieved by just making the songs a lot longer. However, I did like how not all of the songs sound completely the same which is a problem for many a musician. For example, the track 'Thanksgiving Day' offers fast-paced melodies and vocals which makes for an interesting song. Yet, I find that the songs lack potential. They need that kick to make them something extraordinary. I would like to see a harmonious beginning with a almost demonic-like ending to a song for once - like the styles of Damien Rice (Irish-born folk rock singer).  It seems like 'Jim from the Moon' tries to be an artist similar to Rice but perhaps is struggling to do so. Have a listen to the tracks from the different artists and check out the similarities below. I would definitely suggest experimenting with different themes and sounds to get a broader feel for different genres of music.

Another thing, I found the lyrics fell weak at times. You get poetic lyrics like 'My days are filled, busy finding God or busy rotting away', but the consistency is ruined when you contrast them with such blunt words like 'But I still said some dumb shit to you': It just ruins the poetic flow and seems out of place.

I did find that some songs were similar to other artists, but then again I always do! The last track on the EP entitled Esqueleton, I found that the intro was ridiculously similar to Coldplay's Sparks from their debut album, Parachutes. Check out another resemblance below!

Overall, I would give this EP a 3/5 stars! I believe that with those problems sorted, Jim from the Moon would be a great musician with a lot more success coming his way! It is a good EP, but I believe this EP has the potential to become something much bigger.

Have a listen to Jim from the Moon's music here, and then check out the similarities to the other songs below.

Warrior Official Video - Mark Foster, A-Trak, and Kimbra

8:56 am Angie 0 Comments

Check THIS Out!

9:43 am Angie 0 Comments

Hola, fans of Music Bloggery! I've created a new Youtube channel, to promote my new style of lyric video! Some of you may know already, I previously created a special lyric video for a Weezer song, 'Put Me Back Together' (You can find the video below). Now, I have decided to make this a regular thing, and create a special lyric video for all of my favourite songs! My new obsession is a song called 'If You Wanna' by British indie band, 'The Vaccines'! What I basically do is to write the lyrics to a song on paper, with my own special drawing, and put them in sync to the music. Check it out!

My Latest Obsession.....

12:25 am Angie 1 Comments

Recently I've had quite a few obsessions. I had decided to take a big 'ol nostalgia trip and get songs from when I first got into rock music. Music from The Wombats, Franz Ferdinand and even the first Friendly Fires album have been played constantly! However, there is one exception to this. I had always heard the band name 'Foals' thrown around quite a bit, but I had never got down to actually listening to them. So, I decided to break the trend and buy one of their albums - the 2008 release, 'Antidotes'.

I have to say, this album is one of my favourites now! Their music is the epitome of indie. It's just so catchy and the fact that it's not extremely upbeat is even better. I am now officially obsessed! Everyone should listen to two of their great singles - 'Cassius' and 'Olympic Airways'. I think 'Cassius' is just too cool for school and 'Olympic Airways' is just simply beautiful and heartfelt. I've also thrown in another single in there just for fun. Check it out and tell us what you think of Foals!

Twin Berlin - There Goes My Virtue - EP Review!

5:47 am Angie 0 Comments

I personally like the artwork as I feel it is colourful and quirky, which is completely different to the bands' previous albums, such as Youth Scenes, which were much more darker in both colour and sound. I actually like the way that the brightness of the artwork contrasts with the theme. For example, when listening to this album, I got the feeling that the theme is quite negative. Just reading the titles of the song gives the jig up. Songs like Don't Hang Around and Give Up On Me aren't necessarily about frolicking through the meadows on a bright summers day.

When listening to the actual album,. I was surprised to find that the vocals of Lopez and the sound of the band sounded ridiculously similar to The Strokes. Then, when listening to it further, I thought that the vocals sounded similar to the vocals of Australian alternative rock band, Jet. There's nothing wrong with this, but perhaps the band need to develop more of their own individual sound, something that makes them set them apart from the other bands.

Nevertheless, the fast-paced rhythms and repetitive hooks are very effective and it's not long until these songs have wormed their way into your head. While the first two songs on the EP are The Strokes meet Jet, the latter song has a slightly different sound. The intro has a slightly ambiguous feel to it as the guitar starts up and the bass joins in a few seconds later.

Overall, I would award this EP 4/5 stars! The music of the band itself is very good, however, like I've mentioned, the music does sound very similar to many other bands and I would suggest perhaps being a bit more experimental and try out different sounds and see which one works best. Check out their single from the EP and their thoughts on working with Travis Barker below!

Music Bloggery Recommends: Can't Take, Take, Take, Don't Hang Around, Give Up On Me

Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History - Album Review!

9:32 am Angie 0 Comments

Tourist History, the début studio album from the Northern Irish indie band, Two Door Cinema Club, was released February 2010 and it was not without positive reviews. The indie band sky-rocketed to quick fame with the release of singles such as I Can Talk and Undercover Martyn.

When listening to this album, I thought that it was a vibrant, eclectic mix of fast-paced bass and guitar. Their music gives off quite a pop-punk, upbeat, techno sound. Especially when listening to the Deluxe Edition of the album. The normal edition of the album is comprised of 10 normal songs. However, the Deluxe Edition comprised of 11 remixes, more songs than on the actual album! I found this not only overwhelming, but slightly repetitive and pointless. Most bands usually feature a separate album for remixes, but I was a little surprised to find they would have all the remixes on the same album. That in mind, there's only one remix on there that I really loved. Come Back Home (Is Tropical Chilla Black Edit Remix) has a real Dubstep style to it, and it instantly makes me want to get up and dance. If you know what's good for you, check out the link below and give the remix a listen!

The songs on the album are all really fast paced and there's no doubt about it, they're all pretty catchy too! However, when listening to all of the album, I found that it started to get a little repetitive. They used the same instruments in the same style and for some songs, you couldn't really tell them apart. Although, there were a few exceptions to this. Songs like Something Good Can Work and Kids sound slightly different from the rest of the album. Something Good Can Work has a beach pop sound to it, and Kids sounds much more powerful as opposed to the rest of the album.

So, because of the reasons given, I am awarding this album a 4/5 stars! The sound of the band sounds very original and unique, however, given the fact that a lot of the songs sound the same slightly ruins the experience for me and it therefore becomes a little repetitive.

Music Bloggery Recommends: Something Good Can Work, Kids, I Can Talk, What You Know, Undercover Martyn, Come Back Home and Do You Want It All?

Watch Out, It's Coming This Way! [Version Five]

7:10 am Angie 2 Comments

This week has been a great week for music. We've had the release of M.I.A.'s new music video, and now sees another one! That's right, if you hadn't guessed already, Coldplay released their video for the upcoming single 'Charlie Brown' from their 2011 release 'Mylo Xyloto'! The video features two young loves having fun and strolling the town. In the midst of all of this, Coldplay are playing in what seems to be a brightly coloured club. It's all a bit of old-fashioned fun, really. Accompanied by a peacefully beautiful song. Check it out!

Watch Out, It's Coming This Way! [Version Four]

2:41 pm Angie 1 Comments

M.I.A. released her first single 'Bad Girls' from her untitled new album, to be released later this year. The artist, famously known for her 2008 hit 'Paper Planes' is planning on releasing her album in 2012. The video was officially released on the 3rd February 2012 and received popular ratings by the public, quickly gaining over one million views on YouTube. The song has influences from Asian instruments and has a middle eastern sound to it. With a great repeated hook ('Chain hits my chest when I'm banging on the dashboard'), it's hard for the song not to get in your head and with just one listen of the song, you're immediately hooked.

Watch Out, It's Coming This Way! [Version Three]

8:44 am Angie 0 Comments

Bombay Bicycle Club have just released the video for their upcoming release from their third, most recent 2011 album, 'A Different Kind of Fix'. The track is called 'How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep', and it is the first track on the album, with hits such as 'Shuffle' and 'Lights Out, Words Gone', soon following after.
    The video is a short animation film, created by director Anna Ginsberg, the video follows a little clay animation boy and his journey onto the moon and back. The way it's constructed is really quite beautiful and it works really well with the song. When I actually watched the video, the animation reminded me of the video for the song 'Bedshaped' by the British indie band, Keane. Check them both out below and see the similarities! Anyhow before I go on one of my classic tangents, I definitely recommend giving it a watch and going out and buying the album.

Exclusive: New Red Hot Chili Peppers Video!

8:34 am Angie 1 Comments

That's right, earlier today, the legendary Red Hot Chili Peppers released their long awaited music video for their great track from the new album, 'Look Around'. This song is a fast paced uplifting song, which is quite synonymous of the band. The song is a typical concert song. By that, I mean that it's a great song to get the audience pumped up - the clapping in the chorus really proves this.
     In terms of the video, it's a really cool, artsy style video that really outlines each band member's individual personality. The video features each band member in their own room. For example, there's Flea doing his signature crazy dance moves with an equally crazy lady, in one room, Anthony with his actual son, Everly Bear in another, Chad drumming and boxing away in a different room, and finally, Josh, the latest addition to the band, simply sitting in a darkly lit room, reading with a lamp.  I love how they've brought all of their personalities together, by Anthony running through each room (2:30).
     If you didn't know already, I'm a hardcore RHCP fan, or as I call it, THE RHCP fan! Although I agree it's no 'By The Way', the video itself is very interesting and inspiring in it's own right and I definitely recommend giving it a watch. If you're really interested in how it was made, make sure you check out the official making of video below the official music video.

Where'd They Go?! [Version One.]

12:54 pm Angie 3 Comments

Thought I'd add a new segment for the blog. This segment simply discusses various rock artists and their seclusion from the music industry. Hence the title - 'Where'd They Go?!'. The idea for this segment came to me while I was thinking of the New Zealand born indie musician, Ladyhawke. I was introduced to her quirky, odd style of music when I first began listening to rock music. Made famous by her hit song, 'My Delirium.' and other acclaimed songs such as 'Paris Is Burning', 'Dusk 'Till Dawn' and 'Magic', this Kiwi girl is just getting started.

Ladyhawke's been away from the music scene from quite some time. Ever since she released her debut 2008 album, she's been out of the limelight for a while. It got me to wondering where she went to, and don't you worry music fans, Ladyhawke's planning on making her comeback this year! That's right, Ladyhawke's is planning on releasing her follow-up album on the 19th of March, and us fans can't wait!

If you've been living in a cave all of your life and don't know who Ladyhawke is, you should start by listening to her self-titled, 2008 debut album. Every song on the album is a new burst of synthesiser quirkiness. Check out the video for 'My Delirium' below. A real female equivalent to MGMT, I would say.

Watch Out, It's Coming This Way! [Version Two.]

11:29 am Angie 4 Comments

Okay, so I'm going to be pretty busy this month because I've got tons of school work and exams coming up, so I have to at least try to revise, therefore I might not post as much as I have been recently.
So, before I go on my little break for a while, I'd like to show you a song has recently grown on me. Now, I remember hearing it when it first came out, and I did like it. However, when I heard it more and more on the radio, I fell in love with it. This song is by new British alternative soul artist, Michael Kiwanuka, and it was released this year in 2012, as his second release. It's a truly beautiful song, stripped of any falsities. It's really just an  acoustic song with a simple melody and simple lyrics, but the way Kiwanuka has brought them all together is really amazing. I know it's been done before, but I don't think it's been done quite like this.
     Kiwanuka is definitely an artist to look out for in 2012. I can just tell this year is the year for him - when he will rise to fame.

The Maccabees - Given To the Wild - Album Review!

2:34 am Angie 0 Comments

'Given To The Wild' is the new 2012 release from British indie rock band, The Maccabees. This is the
third studio album release from the London based band. The whole sound of the album was quite a transcendental, eerie sound. The band's first single from the album, 'Pelican' is fast paced, repetitive and just too damn catchy! I personally like the meaning of the song. How I interpreted it as was that we grow older, holding more and more responsibilities on our shoulders until we die. What's your interpretation? Have a go in the comments below!

The album starts off with a two minute instrumental, then immediately carries on into the second song, Child. This song is one of those songs that starts off beautifully harmonious, and continues doing so until it reaches the last minute or so, where it becomes more louder and builds into a crescendo-style instrumental. There's quite a few songs in the album that use this same technique which becomes a sort of motif of the album. The album itself is a much more refined version of the band. If you have a listen to their older stuff on their album 'Wall of Arms', you'll find that it's quite a mish-mash of different ideas and I find they don't work as well as 'Given To The Wild. With better piano melodies on songs such as 'Ayla' and much more experimental, emotional lyrics, it makes for a much more pristine album.

However, there are a few things that didn't really stand out for me. For example, the title of the album is Given To the Wild, and as the album artwork suggests (a picture of a bushfire in a deserted area), you would think the sound would be more similar to the sound of their first album Colour It In, a more 'wild' sound, yet it is more peaceful and toned down. How can you be given to the wild if the sound is completely the opposite?

If you know me well, you'll know that I hate when you can't hear the lyrics of a song properly. With such a good sound, the fact that vocalist Orlando Weeks doesn't make an effort in actually enunciating his words and making sure that they're clear to the listener ruins the experience for me. It's only when I actually research the lyrics that I understand what he is saying fully and therefore enjoy the song a whole lot more. I just don't understand why there is such a style in indie music of having distorted vocals and not singing like a normal person.

Another point is that a lot of the songs have a habit of sounding similar to one another. I know this is bad of me, but it usually takes me a while before I become completely used to an album, and can be trusted to remember the song fully when I haven't listened to it recently. With this album, it took me about 10 listens before I remembered most the album off by heart, which tells you something really. I found that songs like Glimmer and Heave (to name a few), were too similar to one another, and I just hoped that they would have more experimental songs on the album, with it being called Given To the Wild.

So, for the following reasons, I am awarding The Maccabees' Given To the Wild a 4/5 stars! A very good effort, but for me, still needed a but more something. There's potential for more chart-toppers, but there are no actual hits there.

Music Bloggery Recommends: Pelican, Child, Feel To Follow, Glimmer, Go, Slowly One, Grew Up At Midnight

7 Days of Blink-182! [Day Seven - Sunday!]

4:07 am Angie 0 Comments

Here it is, the final day of our '7 Days of Blink-182' segment. I've been saving this song for the last day as it is one of my favourite Blink-182 songs. It's simple, emotional (as always!) and it's sombre tone just leaves you in a morbidly pondering state.

The bass riff in the intro sways with your soul, and when I first listened to it, I became captivated by the song. The thing I love about it, is that it's not a quintessentially Blink-182 song and the fact that on the same album, you've got upbeat songs like 'All The Small Things' and 'What's My Age Again?' contrasts really well with this song.

The song marks the first step in Blink's road to maturity, later achieved on their 2003 self-titled album on songs like 'I Miss You' and 'Always'. With Hoppus' dark vocals and the strings on the guitar turned a step down, it's a song that delves much deeper into the thoughts of the band. With the rest of the album (Enema of The State) being quite upbeat and in quite a toilet humour style, this song runs away from that idea.

Once again, the lyrics are synonymous of Blink-182. You've got your simple yet effective lyrics which are poetic in their own way. (They should be, considering Mark Hoppus is an English Literature major!) The reason why I emphasise on the band's lyrics is because usually with a punk-rock band, they're more on the fun side (as Blink-182 are most of the time), however, they rarely delve into the more emotional side. The great thing about this band is that they're not scared of doing it, and they do it, is the main point I'm making here!

Anyhow, before I end up on a tangent, this song is definitely a song you've got to listen to. It's 'Adam's Song', if you non-Blinkers out there didn't guess already. Check it out below.

7 Days of Blink-182! [Day Six - Saturday!]

5:01 am Angie 0 Comments

The penultimate day and yet another amazing great Blink-182 song. This song, 'Down' is released from the band's self titled 2003 album, which some people regard their best album (including me). I find the song quite similar to 'Feeling This'. Nevertheless, it is still a great song.

The repetitive singing of the word 'down' as the hook works really well, and doesn't fail to get into the listener's head straight away. According to guitarist Tom DeLonge, the song came from a picture he had in his head about a girl and a boy in a car with it raining outside (hence the repetition of the word 'down' in the chorus). The song is on the same album as 'I Miss You', but I find that it's still a great song and it's too underrated. It did feature on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, but quickly fell off, therefore the song received mixed success. The song begins with a great punk rock riff that is consistent throughout the song.
    
The video features the actor Terry Crews who you may recognise as playing the father in the TV sitcom 'Everybody Hates Chris' as a policeman entering a backyard party (in which the band are attending), in search of a gang member, resulting in a chase. It's another one for the books, so make sure you give it a watch!

7 Days of Blink-182! [Day Five - Friday!]

9:01 am Angie 0 Comments

The video for today's song, I find hilarious. The video is like 'All The Small Things' part two, seriously. Today's song is 'First Date', from the 2001 release 'Take Off Your Pants And Jacket' and it features a parody-style video with the three band members.

It's got an awesome guitar hook which makes the song completely memorable. Once again, it's a song completely synonymous of Blink-182, and I believe it works so well. I personally like the contrast between the meaning of the song and the video itself. The song is quite a sweet song talking about new love. 'When you smile, I just can't wait, to take you out on our very first date.', yet the video is completely the opposite, and it's a nonsense video really, which is expected of this fun band. The video itself is hilarious and I love how the band just have fun without the need to make money. Anyhow, I won't bore you any longer, it's a great song, so listen to it! (That's an order, not a request!)

7 Days of Blink-182! [Day Four - Thursday!]

8:52 am Angie 1 Comments

So we've had two of Blink-182's biggest hits, and now it's time to feature an equally good, but less known single. It's taken from the album 'Take Off Your Pants and Shirt' and it's a great rock classic. The video itself is really well done. Although the concept's been done before, it hasn't been done quite like this. It's your typical punk rock skater music video with a twist. Blink-182 get some cash from the record company, and the video is following them around showing us what they do with it.

The chorus, yet again, is catchy and the lyrics are simple yet effective, which is quite synonymous of the band. The fast paced, upbeat tempo will leave you jumping for more (even if you are jumping in your imagination).If you hadn't been on the ball, the song is 'The Rock Show'! Yet another great Blink song that's well worth listening to!

7 Days of Blink-182! [Day Three - Wednesday!]

9:26 am Angie 1 Comments

This is the third instalment of our '7 Days of Blink-182' segment and we've already featured one massive hit - time for another one! Today's song is one of the band's biggest hits, selling more singles than 'All The Small Things'. Although 'All The Small Things' gained more radio play,  this song had more sells through singles. The song was a top ten hit single in the UK, peaking at number eight in the charts in 2004.

 This song defines the new-found maturity of the band and it is the first of many heartfelt romantic Blink-182 songs to come. With a catchy chorus and beautifully simplistic lyrics which still manage to capture the raw yearning of love, this song is most definitely one of the band's most iconic songs and will be remembered for a very long time. If you hadn't guessed already, today's Blink-182 track is, 'I Miss You', and even if you think you haven't heard of it before, trust me, after listening to the chorus, you know that you've heard it before.

7 Days of Blink-182! [Day Two - Tuesday!]

9:17 am Angie 0 Comments

For day two of our '7 Days of Blink-182' segment, we're featuring one of the most popular Blink-182 hits which gave them more credibility, gaining popularity for their irrelevant sense of humour and catchy songs. That's right, if you hadn't guessed already, it's the 2000 release, 'All The Small Things'! This song is a great punk-rock classic, and the video is a great parody style which highlights the band's great sense of humour. Released from the band's 2000 album release 'Enema of the State', it is the band's highest-charting song of their career to date, teaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100.
Make sure you check it out!

7 Days of Blink-182! [Day One - Monday]

9:48 am Angie 6 Comments

Okay, so to pay tribute to one of my favourite punk-rock bands who have been consistantly good throughout the years, we're feauring one outstanding song everyday this week by the wonderful, Blink-182! TNext week, who will it be, no-one (apart from me, really) knows! If you would like to request a band, feel free to comment below.

Today we're featuring the new Blink-182 track off the new 2011 release 'Neighborhoods', entitled 'After Midnight'. The reason this song is featured is because it's simple Blink-182 at it's best. The lyrics are similar to that of 'I Miss You'. Travis Barker (drummer) has actually stated how this song is his favourite of the new album and the band have agreed that it's like 'I Miss You' part 2. The song shows a much more mature Blink-182, as does the video. If you look at the band's older stuff, such as the video for 'Dammit', one of the band's first singles, you'll see the complete transformation from boys to men. The video features a boy and girl, both in a Youth Psychiatric Ward, both clearly have feelings for each other and they're just letting loose and having some fun, even if it is for a short while. It's quite sweet really. A very good song too, make sure you check it out in our first installment!

Orange Juice - Rip It Up - Album Review!

1:48 am Angie 3 Comments

Orange Juice was a Scottish post-punk, new wave band, first formed in Glasgow, Scotland. Rip It Up is the second studio album by the band, and it was first released in November 1982. This album features the self-titled song Rip It Up, which was the first and only song to feature in the UK Top 40 (It featured at no. 8).

When you first listen to the album, you'll be confused yet intrigued as I was, simply because of the collaboration of odd, slightly dark vocals with upbeat synthesisers and extended saxophone solos. The modulated vocals of frontman Edwyn Collins work really well with the fast-paced guitar and rhythmic drums. Part of the reason I believe this album works really well, is because of the mash-up of upbeat, constantly changing melodies and almost unrealistic vocals with the poetry of the lyrics. The sound of the band is quite a nonsensical one, however, if you take a look at the lyrics, they are quite poetical in their own way. 'When I first saw you, Something stirred within me, You were standing sultry in the rain'. Yes, it's no Shelley or Poe, but they are beautifully simple in their own way.

The album is a giant boiling pot of completely different songs, yet they all go together perfectly. For example, songs such as Breakfast Time, (a perfect nostalgia song by-the-by) is incredibly slow paced, and literally on the next track, it's the polar opposite and the pace is much faster on I Can't Help Myself and Flesh of My Flesh. 

'Rip It Up', is not a quintessentially indie album, so I came to discover. When listening to it fully, it reminded me of the African sounds of the modern American band, Fool's Gold. It seems to me there is some sort of African language being spoken on A Million Pleading Faces and Hokoyo (correct me if I'm wrong), which made the tracks much more interesting and I think it's great how the band are so in tune with other cultures.

In terms of themes, the album is very consistent. The title, derived from the self-titled first track on the album summarises the whole album and what it is inevitably all about, and the title for the track is taken from the lyric in the song 'Rip it up and start again'. Rip what up exactly, I don't know. It could be ripping up the time vortex to start again, or ripping up anything, really. It's all open for interpretation. (So make sure you share your interpretation in the comments section!). But initially, the album is about love and the loss of it. To be honest, I'm quite bored of the topic of love. I understand why people choose to write about it, because it is raw, human emotion, and because of various experiences, but to be honest, I'm tired of artists singing about love. It's a matter of opinion, but I'd like to see more artists talk about death and a completely opposite theme. It's very rare that music artists choose to do so, which is why it would be interesting to see. 

However, I did get the feeling that the band were trying too hard to come across odd and quirky when they're not at all. Collins' vocals seemed too staged and slightly melodramatic to me. For example, on the track Turn Away, Collins' vocals sound completely different to his vocals on songs like Breakfast Time, and to be honest, I much prefer his vocals on Turn Away as they sound more natural. 

So, for the reasons given, I am awarding 'Rip It Up, a 4/5 stars! Don't get me wrong, Although I did enjoy the album, there were a few negative things that stood out in my mind. The great thing about this album and the band in itself is that there's no one genre that you can define them as. The frequent use of synthesisers on Hokoyo would make you think 'electronica', yet the extended saxophone solos on songs like I Can't Help Myself make you think 'jazz'.

Share your views in the comment box below!

Music Bloggery Recommends: Rip It Up, A Million Pleading Faces, Turn Away, I Can't Help Myself and Hokoyo

Music Bloggery's Song of The Week - Week One!

4:04 am Angie 0 Comments

We've introduced a new feature here at Music Bloggery, and it's our song of the week! A song that pushes all the boundaries and is outstanding in our minds will be featured on the blog every week! This week it is 'Pelican' by the British indie rock band, 'The Maccabees'. This song is the first single off the band's new January 2012 release 'Given To The Wild', which will be released this Monday (9th January)! (I will be getting my hands on their new album and will be reviewing it soon, so watch this space!)

Pelican is a great song, with such a quintessentially indie chorus that it will leave you singing for more. The video itself is pretty odd, but it is pretty cool, if you do ask me. The Maccabees are definately a band to watch out for in 2012, so make sure you check out this great indie song!