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Archive for November, 2010

One word describes the CD Third Eye Blind from Third Eye Blind… AWESOME!

Unfortunately, it’s not everyday that I get a CD for review that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Third Eye Blind. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

One of the nicer things about a CD like this is with this level of talent even if Rock isn’t your favorite style you still can’t help but appreciate the greatness of the musicians.

Listen to Third Eye Blind and I believe you’ll find there’s not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, the production is simply outstanding, and this is clearly the work of a group of musicians in top form. So much so that if you’re even mildly into Rock music you’ll enjoy this album.

While the entire album is outstanding some of my favorites are track 6 – How’s It Going To Be, track 13 – Motorcycle Drive By, and track 14 – God Of Wine

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 – Losing A Whole Year. It’s a great track!

Third Eye Blind Release Notes:

Third Eye Blind originally released Third Eye Blind on April 8, 1997 on the Elektra Entertainment label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Losing A Whole Year 2. Narcolepsy 3. Semi-Charmed Life 4. Jumper 5. Graduate 6. How’s It Going To Be 7. Thanks A Lot 8. Burning Man 9. Good For You 10. London 11. I Want You 12. Background, The 13. Motorcycle Drive By 14. God Of Wine

Third Eye Blind: Stephan Jenkins (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, drums, percussion, programming); Kevin Cadogan (vocals, guitar, auto harp); Arion Salazar (vocals, piano, bass); Brad Hargreaves (drums). Additional personnel: Eric Valentine (guitar, piano, keyboards, programming); Ari Gorman (cello); Michael Urbano (drums). Recorded at Toast Studios, Skywalker Ranch and H.O.S., California.

For a musician, sometimes the use of sheet music is not needed since music comes from the heart of those that plays it and also hears it. However, in the professional world of music, the use of sheet music is essential, it can work and used as a guide or as a mean to perform. However, in order to be able to understand sheet music, it requires certain skills and ability in reading music notation, not to mention the ability to write music in a form of sheet music. Sometimes it can be difficult to find certain sheet music about a specific song, in the old days you have to look for it in music books that do not come in small numbers; sometimes you have to look numerous music books before finding the one that you are looking for.

Today, the internet has eases our life, including the music world. Not only will you be able to download free music but also free sheet music. Even though sheet music is considered as the base for new music and used as a composition aid, it can also works as a visual record of an existing music. At first sheet music can only be found in printed form on a piece of paper, but today we can easily download it in a form of PDF format or other format.

“Cut Copy” is 3 piece band from Melbourne, Australia. Their music genres include Alternative Dance, Electropop and Dance Punk. Cut Copy consist of Dan Whitford (The Founder of Cut Copy), Tim Hoey and Mitchell Dean Scott. Former member, Bennett Foddy left Cut Copy in 2004 for further education. Cut Copy have toured with some indie big names like Franz Ferdinand, Junior Senior, Bloc Party and others. One of their hit single, “Lights and Music” was featured in FIFA 09. Hm, listening to Cut Copy while play FIFA, not bad at all.
In Ghost Colours by Cut Copy sounds very futuristic, think of 3 Daft Punks playing together, the result that you would get is Cut Copy!

Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours has a very lovely and poppy opener! “Feel The Love” will make you feel so light in a way that this song is very suitable if you’ve having a birthday party at your home, it’s just so friendly, so appeal to our ears. There are some ligh guitars, and the electro-pop genre can be clearly heard in this track. “Hey you….. (followed by some robotic voices)” is just so simple… Making you feel guitly if you’re not singing along.

“Out There on the Ice” continues directly from Feel The Love. This track is groovy in an electronic and electropop way. As Dan sings, there would be background vocals performed by Tim and Mitchell. Midway through the track, you would think that you’re in a live concert, seeing Cut Copy performing on stage. The only difference is that the sound recording sounds better here.

Wow, the next track is called “Lights and Music”. The bass will just get you up and make you put down everything that you’re doing and just focus on listening to this track. Really! Nice vocal teamwork by Cut Copy again. As Dan sings, the rest of Cut Copy will contribute their part, “aa aa ai..” & “woo hoooo…” Heck, even i can be a great background vocalist! Let this track show you how to chill in a club. “Lights and music, are on my mind, be my baby, one more time…”

“We Fight for Diamonds” is a prelude for the next track. From a distant soundscape, it evolves to an eventual loud sound and then gradually fades back and the real deal starts approximately the last 17 seconds.

“Unforgettable Season” starts straight after We Fight For Diamonds. It has the sound and atmosphere of the 90s music, and a bit of 80s. It’s more like a pop song rather than electronic. Perhaps this song will take you back to the past, rather than the future. A light tune on a cheerful note.. Not bad at all from Cut Copy.

Cut copy continues In Ghost Colours with “Midnight Runner”. Midnight Runner focuses on the music and it’s pure instrumental except for Dan singing, “It’s a secret I’ve been keeping from you..” Cut Copy made this song sounds so simple yet so attractive and addictive. Honestly, i find Midnight Runner such an enjoyable track, and if possible, i want this song to be longer and more.

“So Haunted” has a brief opener that reminds me of Muse’ “Take A Bow”. Throughout this whole track, the riffing of the guitar can be heard. And again, reminding me of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s “Whatever Happened To My Rock ‘n’ Roll”. Not a bad combination. When it gets to the chorus, “I get so haunted, I fall in your dreams tonight, I get so haunted, That I misunderstood tonight..” The whole song goes into another mode. It sounds lighter, and the music was just so good. Trust Me, you’ll like this song. Even the last 1 minute ends on a cheerful note.

Another instrumental, “Voices in Quartz” is over 1 minute long. It builds us up to the next track. Get our momentum running and ready to take on the next track.

So In Ghost Colours continues with “Hearts On Fire” (a re-recorded version). Dan expresses his feelings for a girl in this song, “There’s something burning up inside, I reach out for you and our hearts collide, with hearts on fire I reach out to you tonight…” Just looking at the lyrics, i thought that this song is going to be an eletropop and dance punk love song. And it proves just way too good. Everyone on the dancefloor will dance to Hearts On Fire. 2 in 1, romance plus dance punk, and the result is simply lovely. At some point, saxaphone can be heard to furnish the rhythm and atmosphere.

“Far Away” brings me back to the 80s and 90s again. The beat of this song is so catchy, repetitive of guitar and bass can be heard clearly on an infectious note. You can’t help but smile and slowly let your body sway to this cute and lovely track. And the lyrics goes, “And you could say, give your love to me, but I was far away, and you could be handing love to me, but I was far away” Could it be that long distance relationship is hard to keep?

“Silver Thoughts” is just 29 seconds long, it’s like Cut Copy is having a short break. Some electronic beats and background voices can be heard.

“Strangers in the Wind” has a very calming and lounge-feel opening. From the lyrics, it sounds that as if Dan is singing about a girl whom he doesn’t know much about. “These hands, like strangers in the wind, these eyes, float in the breeze”. Keep an ear for the music, there’s something about the music of this song that makes it stand out. With Cut Copy’s talent and experience in electronic music, it’s no surprise they can turn an ordinary song to one that keeps playing in your head.

“Visions” is the last instrument on In Ghost Colours. Only the last 30 seconds, instruments like bass and guitar can be heard. It won’t be long before the next track bites it off.

“Nobody Lost, Nobody Found” starts off with the immediate playing of guitar, bass, drum and other electronic beats and magic. The chorus got me away, when Cut Copy goes, “Burning in the face of love.. Burning in the face of love.. Ha ha ha..” They go so effortlessly but yet, i can enjoy this song so much. Oh boy, they put magic into their electronic music.

“Eternity One Night Only” has a slow opening, but gradually sound louder some time into the song. While someone’s voice is being played in the background, Cut Copy harmonized the song with some light vocals. Some movie would love to include this song in their movie, especially the part when two lovers are spending time together or recalling their lovely moments together, or even when the movie ends and the credits of the movie begin to show and appear. Cut Copy closes In Ghost Colours with a low and yet powerful note. Bravo!

Rating: Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours is a rare electropop and dance punk album that scores straight away from start to finish. Every song has its uniqueness and flavour. Personally, i’m not much of an electropop or electronic music fan, but with Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours, i think i’m starting to like it. I have to add one more indie genre to my account. For birthday parties or other relevant parties, Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours would serve awesomely well. From dancing to chilling out, from romantic dance to romantic talk, it all can be done with Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours. Beautiful and perfect electronic music stuffs, i can’t help but give it 8 out of 10.

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Feel The Love, Lights and Music, So Haunted, Hearts on Fire, Unforgettable Season and Strangers in the Wind.

Cheers!
Darren Tan
Avid Indie Music Fan

Perhaps more than ever before, the 1980’s were a time when popular music was used to make political statements.  From the reaction in the UK to Thatcherism and to a lesser extent to Reaganism in the US, to generation defining moments such as Live Aid in 1985, the 80’s were a time of activism.  However, whilst there were the protest songs of bands like The Specials and The Jam, artists still found time to write and record songs about love.  And of course, the great British record buying public went out and bought 80’s love songs by the bucket load.  This is my review of 5 of my favourites.

The Style Council was Paul Weller’s next big project after The Jam.  This song, You’re The Best Thing, charted in 1984 in the UK as a double A side with The Big Boss Groove and rose to the heights of number 5.  Weller was perhaps the original angry young man of 80’s pop music, so this came as a bit of a surprise – a gorgeous love song.  It’s a song in which Weller tells his love that he’s been tempted, but that nothing could move him from her – ‘I might shoot to win and commit the sin… I’m content just with the riches that you bring.’

Say Hello, Wave Goodbye was Soft Cell’s third UK hit single making number 3 in 1982.  It followed on from 1981’s towering hit Tainted Love and Bed Sitter a number 4 effort, also from 1981.  Taken from the album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye gives a nod to the Beatles Hello Goodbye.  The singer is relating his story of a failed relationship  – due to the inability of his girlfriend to remain faithful to him, ‘you were a sleep around, a lost and found…’.  It’s a delicious, perfect piece of British Synth Pop and to my mind is a better all round effort than Tainted Love.

If you’re only going to have just one or two hit singles, best make them good ones.  That’s the creed by which Cutting Crew lived their short moment of fame in 1986.  (I Just) Died In Your Arms was the group’s first single and made it to number 1 on the US Hot 100 and number 4 in the UK singles chart.  Their follow up single, I’ve Been In Love Before also hit the US top 10, getting to number 9 and managed a respectable number 24 in the UK singles chart.  But then that was it.  The lyrics to Died In Your Arms are allegedly a reference to sexual fulfilment but the lyrics themselves seem to tell a tale of regret with two phrases, ‘I should’ve walked away, I should’ve walked away’, and ‘I followed my hands, not my head, I know I was wrong’ giving us this impression.  No matter, this was a top moment of 80’s pop.

Madness has got to be THE band of the 80’s.  Others no doubt have equally valid claims to the title, but for me-and-my-bruvver these cats were the business!  From 1979’s The Prince through to (Waiting For) The Ghost Train in 1986 Madness scored a total of 23 UK Top 40 hits.  Of all of these my favourite is, was and will forever be their cover of Labi Siffre’s song It Must Be Love.  From the moment I first heard it I was taken, I used to write the lyrics and send them to the girl up the road – she never got the message, or perhaps that was me, I never got the message?!  Released in 1981 the song got to number 4 in the UK and even managed a number 33 placing in the US Hot 100 – one of only 3 Madness singles that did.  But then I suppose that just made them ours, all ours!

Phyllis Nelson’s 1985 hit, Move Closer made her the first black woman to top the UK chart with a self-penned song.  It also makes her a genuine one hit wonder on the UK chart as it was her only single released as well as being a number one.  It tells the story of her love for a white man, with whom she brought up her two children.  The song is an honest appraisal of their differences and the attendant pressures likely to destroy their relationship, but it also takes great solace in the opportunity to live in the present and to enjoy each other before it ends.  I loved this song from the moment I first heard it; it’s a beautiful, haunting ballad perfectly capable of moving me to tears at the drop of a hat.