Raging Contagion
Music so good it will make you sick!
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Huntingfield – To Sheila (Smashing Pumpkins Cover)
May 3, 2012
This song is rated: 1 Pill – entry-level for music novices
Hi there, Dr. Whuzzerface here!
Big things are afoot for tomorrow and my mind can hardly wrap around the upcoming events so I find myself needing to simmer down a bit and I recall a song I came across years ago on MySpace (I know, I try to forget about the site too). Back then, I had read that there was this Smashing Pumpkins tribute album being compiled by some big indie/alternative acts (as of a few years ago) and I was pretty jazzed because c’mon, the Pumpkins had some rather rad songs in their heyday. Somehow I downloaded this song from a band’s page claiming that it was a preview of what was to come on the album but lo and behold, nothing even close to this sound is on there. MYSTERY! Was it just some band claiming that to get more publicity? Possibly. Could it be that the song was made and not then didn’t make the final cut to represent on the album? Perhaps. Is it a crying shame that no one knows this song? Definitely!
To Sheila is so soft, so entreating, that you find yourself swept away before you even notice that a clock-like ticking beat and gentle snare drum has you hypnotized. The piano starts off small, almost music-box like and the unexpected progression of the second set of arpeggios is slightly unusual but quite delightful. Granted, the singer is no Pavarotti but his sincerity makes up in spades for the finesse in his timbre. This is the kind of song you’d see on a heart-wrenching interpretation of SYTYCD, it’ll pierce your heart that much. This is probably one of the most quality covers of really any song you will ever find. Enjoy it below!
Family Force 5 – Dance Or Die
May 1, 2012
This song is rated: 1 Pill – entry-level for music novices
Hi everyone, Dr. Whuzzerface here!
Bet you thought I’d fallen off of the face of the Earth, huh? Not a chance, suckas! Birthday celebrations last week were a little hectic (and extended well beyond the bday, hehe) but I’m back and rearing to go.
Raging Contagion has been up now for 30 days so I feel that, like my birthday, it’s time to celebrate with something extra special. I think we’re all comfortable enough with each other now to share some of our more treasured tunes. As such, I have the greatest pleasure in introducing to you Family Force 5’s “Dance Or Die”. The video below is, as I like to describe it, the love child of the movies Tron and Captain EO (if you don’t know Captain EO, it’s a vital piece of Michael Jackson history – you MUST watch it in order for your life to be complete). Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhh, chew on that for a bit.
A little about FF5: They are 5 fellas from down south Atlanta, Georgia, only 3 of them are actually family/bros (1 set of twins & brother Solomon, a.k.a SoulGlowActivator). They describe their music as “Christian Crunk Rock”, and it’s the truth too. 95% of all of their songs are extremely danceable which is why I think “Dance Or Die” is a good start to your soon-to-be FF5 fascination. CAUTION: Do not watch the following video unless you have a certified sense of humor. FF5 loves to do a lot of silly moves, jokes, and just generally have good fun together and they make sure to put a huge dose of that into every one of their songs and videos. I’ve seen them perform live and it is always a good time! That being said, you have to ask yourself, when it comes to this song, are you gonna dance…..or DIE????
Family Force 5 wikipedia
Santigold – Disparate Youth
April 24, 2012
— 1 Comment
This song is rated: 2 Pills – intermediate musicologist level
Hi there, Dr. Whuzzerface here,
There’s a distinct possibility that you may have never heard of Santigold. If that is the case the fastest way to describe her is as America’s version of M.I.A. (if you don’t know who that is, let me know, you might need to come in for some one-on-one clinical help). Santigolds’ new album hits shelves on May 1st and this song is a delicious taste of what’s in store. “Disparate Youth” has a rock-reggae feel to it with a accents of super-fast guitar hits that are reminiscent of a U2 song. My favorite lyric line is “Oh we said our dreams will carry us, and if they don’t fly we will run”.
The video below channels “Lord Of the Flies” in the Bahamas/Caribbean (sorry, I can’t tell the difference) with the chorus of boys joining in add the end of the song. I think this chill song is a good omen of an awesome album to come. Enjoy!
Crystal Fighters – Earth Island
April 20, 2012
— 1 Comment
This song is rated: 2 Pills – intermediate musicologist level
Hi there, Dr. Whuzzerface here!
I’ve been on a sort of folk kick recently in my personal music perusals (could be due to the fact that I went and saw Andrew Bird in concert) so when I came across a band with a style described as folktronic, I knew I had met the genre of my dreams. Folk AND electronic can exist in the same song? H yeah, and the Crystal Fighters are just the band to slay any reservations you may have about trying it out. The more I read about Crystal Fighters, the more I wish I could join their band. You see, although their name sounds sci-fi-aristic, it was actually a name inspired by one of the members reclusive grandfathers, who had written a partial opera in a secluded part of Basque toward the end of his life. When going through his belonging after passing away, she found this incomplete work and enlisted the help of her friends, and future band-mates, to finish it. Undertaking this endeavor, they also discovered folk instruments of the Basque region that they have since incorporated into their electronic brilliance.
If I were to quickly describe this song, I would say it sounds like a mix between Prince and Asteroid Galaxy Tour. Yeah, I just said that. Really though, it starts off with pizzicato strings, followed by the most riotin’ pitch-bended organ I’ve ever heard. I’ve probably listened to this song about 30 times today alone and the thing that stood out most to me in the lyrics is that, in a matter of speaking, this isolated planted we live on is an island, so yes, I do live an island-lifestyle. Boo ya.
Last thing…. last TWO things I will say. There is a specific instrument called the txalaparta I want to you listen for around 1:36 (it’s literally wooden planks on a sawhorse, but it’s another Basque folk instrument they utilize a lot). The second thing is to make sure your neck is loosened up because this song is a headbanger! There, have fun!!
Vacationer – Trip
April 18, 2012
— 1 Comment
This song is rated: 1 Pill – entry-level for music novices
Hi everyone, Dr. Whuzzerface here!
It’s around this time of the year that I start getting a traveling itch. Maybe it’s the fact that in the summer, it’s hot enough here to blister your feet walking in the grass, but really, there’s something about this particular location of Earth in the solar system that makes me want to hit the road and skip outta town. That’s exactly how I came across this song, I was prepping a playlist for a road trip and this song found its’ way to my ears. It was PERFECT!
While reading through a post, I saw that Vacationer himself had an accurate synopsis of the reason for the song, the way it will make you feel, and work behind it:
“Most people do not take vacations often enough, some not at all. Quality vacations let us recapture that feeling of childlike exploratory freedom, which we seem to experience less and less frequently as we age. We can have fun without worrying about the familiar consequences presented to us regularly in life. Taking a good amount of time away from our daily stresses allows us to return to our lives refreshed and better equipped to handle whatever comes next.
The eastern seaboard’s foremost relaxation specialists have teamed up to compile this unique collection of serenity-inducing sonic arrangements. The audio program you are about to experience was designed with the sole purpose of relaxing the listener and sending their mind on a well-deserved trip. No airfare needed, no reservations. Simply settle in, relax and enjoy; Vacation from anywhere at anytime.”
Couldn’t, can’t, and won’t say it better myself. And on that note, may listening to this song take you on a much-needed trip from reality!
Dr. Dog – Lonesome
April 13, 2012
This song is rated: 1 pill – entry-level for music novices
Hi there, Dr. Whuzzerface here!
It’s late so I’m gonna keep this short and mostly to the point. I’ve been a bit (enter song title) lately and I’ve been dwelling on it more than I should. Then while watching Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, I saw that a band as rad as Dr. Dog knows how I feel. This song has a gritty folk-rock feel and it’s rather uncomplicated with the beat, guitars and banjo but very pleasant to listen to. The lyrics are rather simple as well with the chorus shouting “What does it take to be lonesome? Nothing at all” and how true that is. On that “note”, I hope you enjoy it and that you are not feeling lonesome at all this weekend. Happy Friday!
Foxes – White Coats (download)
April 11, 2012
— 1 Comment
This song is rated: 2 Pills – intermediate musicologist level
Hi there, Dr. Whuzzerface here!
Have you ever heard a song that has accordion shout rock? Listen to Foxes “White Coats” and you can mark that off your bucket list. It sounds just like the description, a breathy vocal accordion repeating the words “Could have” over in different notes. The beat is basic with deep and an oscillating decayed synth and some good finger snapping action going on (akin to Rilo Kileys “Silver Lining”). Foxes voice enters in gently, it’s not harsh on the ears at all, which is on reason that this song is so enjoyable to listen to. Let me highlight my favorite (and the smallest) part happens at :34 – it’s just an electric guitar chord but it feels like it belongs to so many great songs of the 90’s that it makes my heart jump. Ok, gushing moment aside. Keep an ear open for when she gets the chorus, there are all sorts of great harmonies going on including a guy singing bass a few octaves below the melody. I thought that was a nice touch and if you heard it too, I’m sure you’d agree. For the second verse she even brings in harp and piano, playing in unison. She does scale it back a notch in the bridge with a vocal solo trailing off with the words “I need know that you’re around”, that bounce around in your ears until the beat picks back up.
My point: I like all the introspective and pleading lyrics, the epic shouted accordion elements are intriguingly different, and I’m excited to see how, especially starting off with such a great song like this, Foxes sound is going to blossom in the future.
*Added bonus, she’s allowing you to download the mastered mix of this song free for a limited time, so get it while you can! (click the downward pointing arrow in the player below to download)*
Marina & The Diamonds – Primadonna (& Burns remix)
April 9, 2012
— 1 Comment
Track 1 is rated: 1 Pill – entry-level for music novices
Track 2 is rated: 2 Pills – intermediate musicologist level
Hi there, Dr. Whuzzerface here!
Marina Lambrini Diamondis must have been born under a lucky star. This singer/songwriter siren not only has a rad last name that was basically destined for stardom, but she has a killer set of pipes too. A sassy alto lass who hails from Wales, she has been on my music radar since I heard “Mowgli’s Road” back in 2009.
Her new album Electra Heart comes out on April 30th but singles from it have been trickling out and lemme tell you, I will be buying it a midnight for sure. Now you may notice that there are 2 tracks below for “Primadonna”. The first one is the original that will be on the album. I think the best description of this is an “I’m a woman, I’m in charge” type of pop song, exactly what you’d expect with from the title. Really though, Marina is poking fun the whole time at the type of girls that “get what I ask for, even though I don’t deserve it”. What I love most is that Marina is a mixture of Florence Welch (of Florence + The Machine) and Katy Perry in this song. This song is destined for top 40-dom and I guarantee it will get there in the UK at least, if not here in the states.
The second track is more of my typical flavor. It’s a remix off of the “Primadonnas” singles (which come out in a little over a week). The remix artist on this one goes by Burns and I honestly have diddly information on him. However, this rendition has some differing pros about it from the original. It starts off with an echoey vinyl record playing. On the other layers start building, vocals of “oh” “wow” and “yeah” are repeated with a HEAVILY Ratatat-esque beat and chord arpeggios. Basically, I love this version and couldn’t talk about the original without mentioning this “diamond” as well.
Darwin Deez – Bad Day
April 4, 2012
— 2 Comments
This song is rated: 1 Pill – entry-level for music novices
Hi all, Dr. Whuzzerface here!
I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit of a coward at times, especially when it comes to telling someone about how I feel. ESPECIALLY when what I feel towards that person goes beyond vexation, being miffed, irked, peeved, murderous, etc. Sure, about an hour after a confrontation I can think of several choice insults like “You were born of a motherless goat!” or “You vile reprobate!” but alas, in or around the moment, I fail miserably. That is why bands such as Darwin Deez exist, to help me think of the perfect song in my moment of need.
I first stumbled across these plucky ducks in 2009 and listening to “Bad Day” made many days afterward quite pleasant. This is not your basic “Yeah well this is what you deserve for _____” type of song. The very first bad day wish he gives is “I hope that the last page of your 800 page novel is missing” (for someone like me who loves reading, that is a huge diss). The insults get progressively harsher the further on in the song you get, but I hope that gives you a glimpse of the snarky lyrics. The chorus chimes in close to the beginning with “Every day oughtta be a bad day for you!” As for the beat, it’s surprisingly electro-pop which counter-balances the words rather well.
The gist? If you’re mad at someone, listen to this song. If the person in the fast lane on the freeway is going 5 under the limit and you’re late for work, listen to this song. If while at work your boss puts you to task for their mess-up, LISTEN TO THIS SONG. Wishing someone a “bad day” just got a whole lot easier. Enjoy!
Gotye – Learnalilgivinanlovin
April 2, 2012
— 2 Comments
This song is rated: 1 Pill – entry level music for novices
Hi there, Dr. Whuzzerface here!
I hope you all got a hint that yesterdays BabyMetal post was somewhat of an April Fools joke, right? (Although I must confess, when they switch over to the rap part, they were totally adorable!) That being said, I would like to introduce to you the first OFFICIAL music post of Raging Contagion. I was gretting all weekend about what would be the best foot to start off on and was so overwhelmed I finally just hit “Random” on my favorites playlist and what came up was so perfect, I can only attribute it to divine inspiration.
With a song like this in your arsenal, however, you can conquer AN-Y-THING (including those awful Mondays we just had to face)! The artist Gotye (pronounced “Go-tee-ayh”) has been a hot item recently from his oh-so-brilliant song “Somebody That I Used To Know” which was covered by, and succinctly went YouTube viral, Walk Off The Earth. “Learnalilgivinanlovin” from the album Like Drawing Blood is totally opposite of “Somebody”.
The song starts off with a motown drum intro combined with harmonized “oohs/aahs” (I can just imagine the backup dancers for this!), layering in tambourines, horns and then gets into the good stuff. This song is about learning how to give, how to love, and how to live. Don’t wait to play this and make sure to turn it up, it will get you moving!
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