Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (June 11, 2008)

Coldplay is one of those bands that are meant to create definitely winning songs and definitely you're not gonna be able to resist them no matter whether you are listening to any kind of rock, pop, or jazz. They are irresistibly melodic, unbelievably soft and deep and are usually totally approved by musical critiques and fans. Seems this can only happen when you talk about a pop band. But what they have common with a pop band is their perfect ability to keep up with the current mood and musical preferences. In the meantime they remain unique and experimental, not primitive which is again justified by their latest album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. And of course Chris's velvet vocal has far not an insignificant role in all this success. Another reason for remembering this brilliant band is their recent "Strawberry Swing" wonderful innovative clip release on September 14.
The red line in their new album is historical spirit present in all of the songs both in terms of the music and lyrics: there is some pattern of majesty and "British Highness" in most of the songs. This is probably reasoned by Chris Martins' intensive reading of Dickens during the creation of the songs. There is also an evident influence of eastern culture on many songs such as Lovers in Japan, Yes. Yes has eastern solo parts performed by a violin that add an inner spice to the song besides you can feel Chris Martin's vocal change from high falsetto to sighing mumbling which is no less attractive and beautiful though. The song has a very different "whispering" outro. Death and all his friends is a really "chameleon" song that changes so often that in case you listened it part by part you would never guess these were parts of the same song. It is a very nice and despite the name positively sounding song with very surrealistic lyrics "I don't want to cycle or recycle revenge I don't want to follow death and all his friends".
There comes sweet, sunny, lovable, romantic flowery and ...Strawberry Swing. This song is so pure just like the source pouring in a green fine meadow bringing you the real feeling of a perfection and harmony. The guitar solo is so beautiful and all the song is so wonderful that in case i never heard Coldplay before i would ADORE them due to only this song.

Violet Hill, the "darkest" (if one can say so) in this album both in terms of the philosophical lyrics and "heavier" music is a song-masterpiece: a very strong and expressive, in terms of visual associations that are quite emphasized in this song particularly. Lost! is a very "dancy" with the African style drums and organ sound unusual combination. A very catchy song with again wonderful lyrics making you think and rethink...
Lovers in Japan is another oriental song with interesting effect of a "badly tuned" instrument's sound. The song suddenly stops in the middle and flows into a gentle piano solo.
42 has a changing nature as well: it starts in a rather Coldplay style manner: with a traditional piano playing softly in the background. Then it turns into a more aggressive instrumental solo and changes totally with Chris singing ironic "You didn't get to heaven but you made it close" managing to change back to the beginning part motives at the very end. Cemeteries of London sounds very similar to the "House of the rising sun" melody and to me it's the least appealing song in the album yet it is a great song taken as separate. Life in technicolor II is a very motivating, inspiring song with a cute video having the band members as puppets playing for the kids. It makes you feel a rush of thousands of imaginary colors penetrating in you together with the song's sounds...
Viva la Vida is very corresponding to it's name and being the first single totally transfers the album general mood. It has a "big" sound and medieval spirit with its chimes and orchestral swells it describes the tragedy of a person thrown out of a throne.
In general this album is very positive, optimistic and upraising having more "active" and less "sleepy, cold" songs as usually Coldplay albums do and is much more visual. It is a real proof of Coldplay's ability of always staying interesting, new and wonderful making their songs worth saying Long Life Coldplay, a.k.a. Viva Coldplay!

Tracklsit:
1. "Life in Technicolor"
2. "Cemeteries of London"
3. "Lost!"
4. "42"
5. "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love"
6. "Yes" (includes hidden track "Chinese Sleep Chant")
7. "Viva la Vida"
8. "Violet Hill"
9. "Strawberry Swing"
10. "Death and All His Friends"

And don't forget to fall into a fairy tale of Strawberry Swing ...

thenewno2 - You Are Here (August 1, 2008)

I believe I'm not the only person who started listening to thenewno2 just because one of the Beatles juniors was said to be involved in it. Back then the project had only a promo EP released, which consisted of four beautiful tracks and immediately found its place in my playlist for months. It was a real revelation for me - discovering that George Harrison's son wouldn't go playing some outdated old-fashioned music as many would have expected, especially after hearing what two sons of another late Beatle used to play. On the contrary, Dhani Harrison surprised me with contemporary sound and wonderfully up-to-date musical trends that may have been originally based on what his father has invented, but eventually evolved into techniques that mark the indie rock as we know it today.

But let's be fair though: thenewno2 is a project of two, not just Dhani. Oliver Hecks is a multi-instrumentalist who's also done all the art-works and designs for the project, came up with concepts for videos and had them filmed. Also, band's first album You Are Here was based on demos written by both Oli and Dhani. Several songs from the album were available as a free download on the Rock Band music video game series, the rest of them were sold via iTunes. One of the most remarkable tracks from the album is, undoubtedly, Another John Doe, which brings up social issues and would've been something late George Harrison would approve. This topic goes throughout the whole LP just like a thin red line, sometimes almost invisibly, but yet it's still possible to sense it on some level, while the visible one is full of casual words about love and relationship. Yomp, for instance, is one like that: 

I would also mark out Crazy Tuesday and Wind Up Dead as memorable songs, although the album is mostly written in the same style which makes it hard to pick out songs. However, I'd strongly advise to listen to the bonus tracks, too, with People being my personal favorite. And it's a real pity Choose What You're Watching never made it to the album, for it would perfectly fit into You Are Here. I do expect it to be included into thenewno2's next LP, hoping the latter will be released someday soon. But before that - there's a whole album to savour, so - let's! 

thenewno2 links: Official site | Myspace | Twitter | Facebook

Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off the Lavender Bridge (January 21, 2008)

Let's say that listening to music is like baking a cake. First you have to get the igredients so you go to the nearest "last.fm" store and get them. You see the Arctic Monkeys eggs and put them into your cart, because you know they are essential to prepare your cake. As you stroll around the shop you also grab Muse milk, Franz Ferdinand sugar, Oasis flour, The Strokes baking powder and they all land next to the eggs.
"I guess that's all..." you think to yourself as you make your way to the checkout.

But on your way you pass the fresh fruit stand and decide to make your cake more original. That's why the raspberries (Florence + the Machine), The Moldy Peaches (they're not really moldy) and Shout Out Louds strawberries get to your cart as well.

What I mean by this is that sure, the mainstream bands I mentioned required to bake the cake are really important for the indie/alternative genre, but you eventually get bored of listening to them all the time and hearing them on the radio over and over again. Many people are content with a plain cake, but some want to get something more refined. Therefore they remove blindfolds from their eyes (or plugs from their ears) and go just a bit deeper into the shop. And that's how they find "the fruits".

And so the fruit I'd like to tell you about is the Lightspeed Champion, a solo project of former Test Icicles member, Devote Hynes, who literally took my heart with the speed of light. The first time I got to hear about his solo act was when my friend played for me the "Stay the Fuck Away From Me" record by the man. I was expecting something noisy, hard and annoying, like I'd found the music of Test Icicles, but to my great positive surprise I heard a nice acoustic ballad-kind of song about being dumped. As it's my cup of tea, (not being dumped, but acoustic ballads) I decided to get further acquainted with Dev's project and so I found the "Falling Off The Lavender Bridge" 2008 album. With much softer sound filled with violins, acoustic guitars, nice female vocals provided by Emmy the Great, Dev definitelly cut himself off his musical Test Icicles past to reborn as the Lightspeed Champion.

The album was recorded in Nebraska with the help of Mike Mogis, an important figure who contributed much to the releases of the Saddle Creek label (most notably Bright Eyes records). Mike Mogis ended up playing on the album alongside The Faint drummer Clark Beachle, trumpet and pianist Nate Walcott (one of the permenent members of Bright Eyes) and of course the lovely aforementioned, Emmy the Great. They all created a rich, original, cinematic sound.

Ok, we already know, more or less, about the general sound of the album, but what about the lyrics? Now it's a little bit different here, as Dev sings of cold sweat, licking open wounds, chocking, vomiting into someone's mouth and other "jolly" things. Some of the titles are also very appealing ("Let the Bitches Die" or "All to Shit"). I generalized the sound, now i will generalize the climate of the album - it's depressing... very depressing and miserable, but probably as long as you don't pay attention to what he sings about, but how he sings this you may not get too blue, 'cause Dev's vocal is good. Not "Rufus-Wainwright-operetic-sort-of-way-good, but "in-his-own, interesting-way-good". Dev happens to sing out of tune, but you can tell he sings out of his heart which not always hits the right notes. There is quite a contrast between nearly, you can say, merry tunes and morose lyrics. But it's not flamboyant or flagrant. It's ironic. And as Oscar Wilde once said that irony is the highest level of intelligence (he didn't say this literally though).

So here we have the track list:


1. "Number One"

2. "Galaxy Of the Lost"

Somehow I find this song the catchiest of all songs on the album. That's the one covering most of the happy topics like the open wounds, poison, being sick etc. Nonetheless that's my fave on the album. Florence + the Machine did a great cover of that song, which is worth mentioning.


3. "Tell Me What It's Worth"

Also a pretty good one, that one on the other hand is probably the deepest song. According to Dev, it's about the verbal abuse he suffers from people of his own race.


4. "All to Shit"

A short and definite one. A bit like a bridge I might say. Dev sings about a ruined relationship. Not a very bright song though.


5. "Midnight Surprise"

The longest one, but which is pretty surprising it doesn't get even a tiny bit boring.


6. "Devil Tricks for a Bitch"

I really enjoy that song, because of the lovely violin in the background and the calm climate, which doesn't really suit the topic of the song.


7. "I Could Have Done This Myself"

Nice change of pace in that track. Although the song's short it's a bit boring and the beginning to get more amusing towards the end.


8. "Salty Water”

I like the calm atmosphere of that song and the piano, but I'm not a big fan of this kind of echoed vocals.


9. "Dry Lips"

"Dry Lips" has a rather obvious meaning. I wouldn't say I don't like that song, but I can't say it's catchy and memorable. The music in the background annoys me a bit, but maybe it's just me.


10. "Everyone I Know Is Listening to Crunk"

My second favourite on the "Falling off The Lavender Bridge". It seems like it's personal and the lyrics are simple, yet beautiful. Love it.


11. "Let the Bitches Die"

that song differs form the others as its lyrics are actually happy, whereas the music is depressing.

12. “No Surprise (For Wendela)/Midnight Surprise)”


Plus the bonus CD with covers includes:

1. "Never Meant to Hurt You" (Good Shoes cover)

I like Dev's vocals much more than The Good Shoes's singer, who seems to shout a bit too much. Better than the original.

2. "Souvenirs" (Patrick Wolf cover)

I'm a big fan of Patrick Wolf, but once again I have to say Dev's version is better. Somehow I can never listen to that song till the end when Patrick sings it. This version seems to be a bit more "bright" then the original. All you Patrick Wolf lovers probably know what I mean.

3. "Flesh Failures" (from the musical "Hair")

Nice one, though i don't really like the female vocals. But the guitar makes up for that.

4. "Xanadu" (Olivia Newton-John cover)

Unfortunately I don't like either the cover or the original. The melody is too jolly and "naive".

I'm not going to further describe every track to you, as this is the best part of listening to new music - interpreting and discovering it by yourself. So feel free to dicover Lightspeed Champion. You have the green, or should I say, lavender light.

Pszyk xx

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul (October 6, 2008)

I am sure most of you spend lots of time digging out your soul trying to understand yourself and through understanding yourself try to grasp this unimaginably insane world surrounding us!

I am doing it in my own way, by listening to Oasis' Dig Out Your Soul!

For those who just start listening to OASIS wonderful feelings are waiting ahead! OASIS music is bringing such a feeling of freedom, self-confidence and belief in own abilities that it really resembles an oasis at a desert whispering that maybe it's gonna be the one to save you... The songs are about YOU, each and every one, texts are not a masterpiece but they are so close to what you feel right now, right here, that you just can’t stop feeling yourself a hero of each of their song which have already become talismans of your life! This is OASIS! Once you love them you can’t stop anymore!..

Well, of course Liam, no matter how often he rejects this, is totally “living” John Lennon and OASIS too could never refuse being too much like The Beatles sometimes. But this is not awkward: writing songs which are like songs you love most is natural! Of course, you can’t avoid similarities and associations! They are also blamed for being too self-enamored! But they are OASIS! They have the right to love themselves if the whole world does! Though I would dispute over Noel’s being the best songwriter in the world which he likes to repeat so often…J))))))

We can discuss these crazy brothers behavior for centuries but they have a better topic to be offered: their latest album, Dig Out Your Soul. This album was soooooo longed for that there were probably too high expectations and when it was released at last it got a huge pile of criticism-full reviews! In this album not only Noel but the band all members had a role in songwriting. The best song in the album, warmly accepted by the critiques, and of course, created by the Noel The Great, Falling Down, has a rich sound and ironic words that get stuck deeply in your mind:

If you won't save me please don't waste my time...

Liam's wonderful melancholic ballad I'm Outta Time is quite philosophical and deep ... These words are especially killing (though Liam took it from somewhere else, but still!)

If i'm to fall, would you be there to applaud, or would you hide behind the law...

In general this album lyrics are much more mature making us hope that the Gallagher brothers have at last grown up! (though maybe it is better not?)

The Shock of the Lightning, the first single, from the album is very energetic with a huge drive and is just like a crazy traffic running in front of your eyes!

Waiting For The Rapture has very solemn drums and is one of «non-Noel» songs. It's quite different from OASIS music, very bluesy and you can hardly believe this is Oasis!

Bag It Up is the opening song which guitar riffs you make you feel you're riding a motorcycle taking you on a speedy tour! It has absolutely unsolvable lyrics pronounced with such a confidence by Liam that you think it's you that are probably out of your wits, not him! )))

The Turning is very rhythmic (all in all it seems OASIS worked hard and put a special accent on drums in this album!) with a “harder” vocal, a very good song that has drive and inner strength!

We live with the numbers,
Mining a dream for the same old song,
What hope for the turning,
If everything you know is wrong…

High Horse Lady deserves special attention due to its interesting vocal as if coming from a tube and wonderful claps making it so special! Ain’t Got Nothing is a very “I don’t care song” sooo characteristic for Liam (one of his songs in the album) and is actually based on a true story about Liam’s being caught and taken to prison though he hadn’t done anything.

The Nature Of Reality is another strong song with thoughts of dialectical nature that is coming from afar and attacking you with its repeating heavy guitar solos and rhythmic and somehow different form usual OASIS style besides that nice part with ay-I-ay-ay.

The most boring monotone song in the album that I personally hardly listen to is Soldier On. It has no melody even, very inert and nothing new.

I like especially To Be Where There’s Life lyrics which I wrote below!

Dig out your soul, cos here we go
We gotta move, it's what we do
Let me come through
Let me take you away to be where there's life
To be where there's life…

So let OASIS take you to where there’ s life…

The Notwist - The Devil, You+Me (May 2, 2008)

German bands, especially in Indie, are not a common thing and The Notwist can be a real discovery for people like me who perceive Indie mainly in a British "package"! The first associations with Radiohead are misleading; despite the seeming similarity between the psychedelic art-electronic-rock combination the bands are very different in the songwriting technique and in the way the songs evolve, Markus' vocal is much more stable and calm than that of the Yorke's. The Notwist songs are impossible to be predicted and you always fail in trying to repeat the melody in the beginning. But when you are getting familiar with their melody structure you already know that the Acher brothers will make the song rise until a certain top making you hold your breath and drop it down all of a sudden!
The song texts are generally minimalistic and concise without expressing a concrete meaning making you put any sense you feel like for any of the songs.

The Notwist latest album The Devil, you + me is a new experimental indie album birth expanding our musical horizons farther being so indie even among indie!
This album is a real chameleon suiting your mood perfectly: making you hope when you're positive and put you in a deeper depression if you are sad.
Hands on us is one of the songs that will feed your depression with it's monotone sighs and classical instruments playing on your inner nerves...

Boneless is a very light sounding, catchy song with it's infecting chorus you want to repeat all the time: "Booooone-less!" It is perfect to express the feelings of people in mess who want to run away from everything that surround them that is so fake!

Gone, Gone, Gone is a kind and lovely ballad you always have warm feelings while listening to. Consisting purely from guitar in the beginning it then stays minimalistic as well and can serve as a wonderful lullaby... It's the shortest and simplest but still a great song!

Good lies is one of the album best songs different from the rest if for no other reason than this deep philosophical note "let's just imitate the real until we find a better one..." sometimes it's better to live with good lies as it is a better reality that the one we have!..

Gloomy Planets is so cosmic with its space sounds singing of the cars on New York streets and the gloomy planets staying always, anyway no matter how locked up we are...
Aggressive drums and a suddenly huge electric guitar solo chokes you and after a while the percussion comes and all this in one song! Alphabet!...it's really a crazy song...!!!

Gravity begins very mysteriously taking you away from gravity to fly to the moon and stars while The Notwist prays for love and disbelief up on the roof!...

Another song which could be a good lullaby also because of its name is Sleep, a very "atheistic" song... Oriental mood comes with listening to On planet off which is a mad song with unbelievable ups and downs and electronically full of different effects. The texts again seem to be senseless repetition of the authors mad thoughts like in a nightmare...

The least remarkable song in the album is probably Where In This World that is nothing new and is hard to listen to.

The Devil, you+me is a really magic song; so pure, magnificent and high! Songs like this make bands irreplaceable in people's minds. The perfect melody and background beats get stuck in your mind bringing you such an idyll...

Everybody still speaks of Neon Golden, the most popular album of The Notwist but this album is definitely fascinating and is worth filling another important part of the unique music diggers memory. All in all very kind due to the magnanimous and hypnotizing vocal of Markus Acher and such a beautiful way of feeling the music...

1 Good Lies 5:24
2 Where In This World 4:41
3 Gloomy Planets 4:50
4 Alphabet 3:03
5 The Devil, You + Me 3:39
6 Gravity 3:56
7 Sleep 3:46
8 On Planet Off 5:07
9 Boneless 2:57
10 Hands On Us 4:29
11 Gone Gone Gone 2:09

Late Of The Pier - Fantasy Black Channel (July 30, 2008)

Probably you have heard this band for the first time at the disco. The DJ surely did the right choice becuase the music of this band won't let your body stand firm but will rock every single cell of it!

But before you get the wrong impression, let me introduce Late Of The Pier to you!

These guys started the band when they were only teenagers. Labled as dance-punk they would seem the most funny figures in indie rock you have probably seen on YouTube recently.. Well, at least judging from Hearbeat and Focker videos.

But they are not only for entertaining on the dancefloor. Fantasy Black Channel will amaze you with its deep but not complicated (aka Arctic Monkeys) lyrics talking about not easy life. Exactly! I mean, literally!

Easy life is it an easy life?

No It's HARD

The Enemy Are The Future

Suicide is in my blood

It always was

but it doesn't evaporate in the light any more

And this world is no place

For a mind or a thought

No its not

Space And The Woods

Also the band likes to repeat the lines, like in Heartbeat. This line will stuck in your mind for a long-long time!

It's just a line

It's just a line

It's just a line

....................

Heartbeat

The most part of the album has been recorded.. guess where? In Sam Eastgate's (vocalist) bedroom. Probably this influenced on the mood of the album. It's more sincere and unpredictable. Leaving alone the fact that they used distorted guitars, dirty bass, synths, Sam also did quite a lot of experiments with his voice, sometimes using hip-hop style, sometimes getting much like the vocal of Matthew Bellamy from Muse. Quite often you have the feeling that Mr. Eastgate's voice is what makes you fall in love with this music. But it's not only mechanical waves in the air but also the electrical impulses. Songs sometimes get weird. Take The Bears Are Coming as an example. The song itself is an electronic work, but sometimes it becomes blues, punk then whatever. But it doesn't make you step back in surprise but feels so natural! Remember the bedroom stuff?

All the songs in the album are a subject of long talks and attention. And depending on your mood/location/ocupation you can choose the appropriate ones!

1. If you are a DJ, pick Space and The Woods, The Bears Are Coming, Heartbeat, Whitesnake, Focker.
2. If you like much of instrumental stuff, then go ahead! Hot Tent Blues, VW!
3. For thinking - Broken, Mad Dogs And Englishmen.
4. For evening listening - Random Firl, The Enemy Are The Future, Bathroom Gurgle.

But no matter what you choose the innovative sound of Late Of The Pier, easy-to-remember tunes, repeating lines and the crazy true-English accented vocal of the frontman will help you discover another cool and perspective British band!

Yours truly, Gaya

We Smoke Fags - Eastenders EP (June 16, 2008)

If you are deep into New Rave, probably you will always face the problem of having not enough music. It's a newly born music style and many bands are just starting. And while we wait for the second album of Klaxons, you can listen to newly created bands. And imagine, they are just starting and you can follow them now, from their very first record! What a luck!

We love you, UK! We Smoke Fags - this is the name of another british band that surely could appear in the headlines of all New Rave content. In 2008 they released their first EP - Eastenders.
Consisting of only 2 songs, it promises a great debut album. The single Eastenders is what dance-punk lovers need. With unexpected lyrics, it's a song that you can easily sing along and no doubt can be the hit in the clubs.
Too much money
Not enough intellect..


I sympathize I sympathize
with you
I made my mind, i made my mind
on you
With the lyrics they will surely never win Arctic Monkeys, but you can not call them stupid or senseless. And the band shoot a really rocking video on the song. Bravi!


There is one more song in the EP called Canape Of Love. It's not too impressive, although easy to remember. Comparing to Eastenders, you will probably ignore this song in your playlist of favourites.
Unfortunatelly, the band doesn't have an official web page and there is no content on Wiki, so I guess the band is not active now. But you can find their profile on MySpace.
So, if you are new to New Rave, Eastenders will probably be added to your favourites after you hear it! Waiting for the debut album..
Yours truly, Gaya