Raging Contagion
Music so good it will make you sick!
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Broken Bells – The Ghost Inside
April 12, 2012
Dr. cheerlubber here.
Since I probably frightened some people with BABYMETAL and then a classical piece–two extremes–as some of my first posts, I thought I should share something a little more moderate this time around. I promise I won’t just be giving you guys obscure stuff all the time. Like I’ve said earlier, I just have a much wider taste in music than most people; not trying to brag or be hipster about it, it’s just a fact you should understand. I simply will try giving you something really new to your ears from time to time, just for kicks. Give your musical comfort zone a bit of a quick stretch. At least so you can show it to your friends and say “Check out this crazy bizarre song that this crazy bizarre chick posted” and laugh about it. As an analogy, Dr. Whuzzerface will be giving you a taste of good home cooking–something not always easy to come by but still familiar enough to soothe your taste buds–and I’ll give you new tastes from around the world (quite literally sometimes)–unique flavors you never knew existed that may sometimes shock you. You may end up liking it, you may not. It’s all about trying. I’ve found many times that giving a song a good two or three fair listens can sometimes make it my next favorite. We like to keep an open mind around here and hope you can try too.
Now enough blabbering, give us the music already!
This song is rated: 1 Pill – entry-level for music novices
Broken Bells is an indie rock band formed by Danger Mouse (the producer behind Gnarls Barkley) and James Mercer (lead vocalist and guitarist for The Shins). Formed in 2009, they haven’t released much given that they’re both simultaneously involved in other projects as well, but I certainly look forward to what more they’ll produce. I’m a fan of both of their respective original groups and a fan of this collab. Dunno how good I am at breaking down the elements of a song (diagnosing–ah ah ah, get it?) like Dr. Whuzzerface, but I s’pose I’ll give it a try. The pining lyrics and the thin, whining falsetto gives the song a touch of melancholy. The choir that chimes in in the chorus further adds to the mournful atmosphere, but the steady, continual guitar (?) twang throughout the whole song keeps it moving. The claps contrast to lighten the mood a bit however, turning the song more into a warning than a straight-up lament. I initially feel like I should close my eyes and feel the gloominess of the song, but I can’t help but tap my toe and bob my head at the same time.
Whew, my brain hurts. Not sure if I want to do that again! Let’s just let the music speak for itself!
Check out their website here: Broken Bells
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.
Gabriel Fauré – Mi-a-ou
April 8, 2012
This song is rated: 1 Pill – entry-level for music novices
Happy Easter Sunday! Dr. cheerlubber here.
Since it’s Sunday, we’re gonna do something a little different here. I know this post is a bit late in the day, but what better Sunday to start the tradition than Easter Sunday? I think you’ll come to find as we post more and more that whenever I post it’ll be a wildcard. I’ve got…an eclectic taste in music, I s’pose you could say, just because I like so many different genres. On Sundays I’m going to start providing some more easy listening for your ears since I’m a huge fan of classical music, and I always like to dedicate my Sundays to listening solely to classical. The rap, electro, rock, and pop can come elsewhere in the week.
Today’s track is by the French composer Gabriel Fauré from his Dolly Suite. Whuzzerface and I were actually just attempting a piano duet of this song earlier today and I happen to have a lovely version arranged for orchestra as well. I figured this sweet little tune would be perfect for a relaxing Easter Sunday. Enjoy!
A-Trak, Kimbra & Mark Foster – Warrior
April 6, 2012
— 5 Comments
This song is rated: 2 Pills – intermediate musicologist level
Happy Friday everyone, Dr. Whuzzerface here!
This song was just released yesterday so it is hot off the press and FREE for you to enjoy. Did I say free? Oh yeah! Converse commissioned 3 epic artists to do a collaboration and the result can be summed up in 3 amazing words: synthesizers, luchadors, & Kimbra. I’m a such a sucker for synthesizers, they just get my digital soul moving. What do I mean by luchadors? Do I mean costumed Mexican fighters? I do, and that is exactly what the music video (down below) is focused on. It even starts getting to a point where the fighting starts to look like it came straight from the movie Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, which I adore. And Kimbra is such a doll, I think she deserves special mention.
Let’s not forget the other 2 fellas who helped on this. A-Trak is one of my favorite remixers around. I’m 95% sure that all the synth work and basic song structure of this tune is result of his genius. He can take the lamest of top 40’s songs and make it listenable to my sensitive ears. As for Mark Foster, you might know him better as the frontman for a group called Foster The People who hit it big last year with the song “Pumped Up Kicks”.
If you love the song, I was serious when I said it was free. Free things on Good Friday = an awesome weekend! All you have to do is follow this link to the Converse page, click “Download Track” and it will be yours to love and cherish without any cost.
Enjoy the video! (And don’t forget to subscribe or comment! I’d love to get your feedback.)
http://www.journeys.com/pluginto/
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!
Raging Contagion 