Alanis Unplugged - Alanis Morissette

It would be really surprising if one hasn't come across one of her songs before - Ironic, Hand in my Pocket, You Oughta know... etc are some of the most popular ones. This album as the title tells contains the unplugged versions of her best songs and simply put they are just brilliant!

The music and singing apart, whats really the captivating part is the Lyrics. The songs in this album are one of the best examples for some solid song writing! I always liked this album, but i appreciated it so much more only recently when I was in this weird mood and could so closely empathize with the songs. Guess, thats what actually makes a gr8 song, when you can get the listener to empathize with it.

These R the thoughts -

"These are the thoughts that go through my head

In my backyard on a sunday afternoon

When I have the house to myself and I am not

Expending all that energy on fighting with my boyfriend

Is he the one that I will marry?

Why is it so hard to be objective about myself?

Why do I feel cellularly alone?

Am I supposed to live in this crazy city?

Can blindly continued fear-induced regurgitated

Life- denying tradition be overcome?

Where does the money go that I send to those in need?

If we have so much why do some people have nothing still?

Why do I feel frantic when I first wake up in the morning?

Why do you say you are spiritual

Yet you treat people like shit?

How can you say youre close to god

And yet you talk behind my back as though I am not

A part of you?

Why do I say Im fine

When its obvious Im not?

Whys it so hard to tell you what I want?

Why cant you just read my mind?

Why do I fear that the quieter I am the less you will listen?

Why do I care whether you like me or not?

Why is it so hard for me to be angry?

Why is it such work to stay conscious and so easy to get stuck

And not the other way around?

Will I ever move back to canada?

Can I be with a lover with whom I am a student and a master?

Why am I encouraged to shut my mouth

When it gets too close to home?

Why cannot I live in the moment?"

Verdict: A definite must-have in your collection!

Tool

I'm sure Tool is quite popular in the knowledgeable circles, but when this song popped up on my playlist the other day, I couldn't get it out of my mind.



You gotta love any song that emphatically says "Fuck Hubbard"!

Fuck L Ron Hubbard and
Fuck all his clones.
Fuck all those gun-toting
Hip gangster wannabes.

Learn to swim.

Fuck retro anything.
Fuck your tattoos.
Fuck all you junkies and
Fuck your short memory.

Learn to swim.

Fuck smiley glad-hands
With hidden agendas.
Fuck these dysfunctional,
Insecure actresses.

Dilate - Ani DiFranco

The first time I came across Ani DiFranco was through madcap's Last.fm charts some two years back. I see 'Napolean' still tops his 'Top Tracks', so anyways on asking who is she, he asked me to listen to 'Dilate', but somehow i was never able to get that album, until last year when i went to US. That time i remember listening to 'Napolean' and falling in love with it but somehow never listened to the entire album.

The first time i 'Listened' to it was probably a few months back. But somehow never got around to blogging about it. Well today again was listening to it after a long time and heard so many things which i didn't remember hearing before. You know thats the weird thing, you have to be in certain moods to totally appreciate certain music. Beauty of a sad song may be totally lost or i may not be able to appreciate it as much, say if 'm in a gay mood. And your impressions 'n interpretations of the song to a great extent depends on your current state of mind. Well, anyways what the hell 'm i doing stating the obvious stuff.

Coming back, 'Dilate' is a brilliant "album". Notice the album in quotes? just to emphasize that all the songs in the record are good and not just one or two, in which case they may just have been released as singles. Darn i do keep shooting off on tangents. Anyways if you haven't listened to Ani DiFranco before, you should defi start with this one. She is an amazing artist with lot of guts 'n spunk which is reflected in her songs. For more info, you can check wikipedia as usual. And this time when i went to US, a colleague there who went to college in Buffalo, NY was telling me that his friends were designing/creating her website when in college.

Anyways, coming back to music, Her talking singing style is refreshingly different. It defi doesn't come under the universally likable category, so i can't say you will defi like it, you will have to just go listen and find out for yourself. An album can't be gr8 without some powerful songs, be it either the music or the lyrics. Pretty much all the songs in this album are great, so can't really pick top songs, but generally i think Napolean and Dilate are more popular.

Dilate

Life used to be life-like
Now it's more like showbiz
I wake up in the night
And I don't know where the bathroom is

And I don't know what town I'm in
Or what sky I am under
And I wake up in the darkness and I
Don't have the will anymore to wonder

Everyone has a skeleton
And a closet to keep it in and you're mine
Every song has a you, a you that the singer sings to
And you're it this time, Baby, you're it this time

When I need to wipe my face
I use the back of my hand
And I like to take up space
Just because I can

And I use my dress
To wipe up my drink
I care less and less
What people think

And you are so lame
You always dissapoint me
It's kind of like our running joke
But it's really not funny

And I just want you to live up to
The image of you I create
I see you and I'm so unsatisfied
I see you and I dilate

So I'll walk the plank
And I'll jump with a smile
If I'm gonna go down
I'm gonna do it with style

And you won't see me surrender
You won't hear me confess
'Cuz you've left me with nothing
But I've worked with less

And I learn every room long enough, to make it to the door
And then I hear it click shut behind me
And every key works differently, I forget everytime
And forgetting defines me, That's what defines me

When I say you sucked my brain out
The English translation is I am in love with you
And it is no fun, But I don't use words like love
'Cuz works like that don't matter

But don't look so offended
You know, you should be flattered
And I wake up in the night
In some big hotel bed

And my hands grope for the light
And my hands grope for my head
The world is my oyster, The road is my home
And I know that I'm better off alone

plagiarism

'In interviews promoting Amused to Death, Waters asserted that Andrew Lloyd Webber had plagiarized themes from "Echoes" for sections of the musical The Phantom of the Opera; nevertheless, he decided not to file a lawsuit regarding the matter.

Yeah, the beginning of that bloody Phantom song is from Echoes. *DAAAA-da-da-da-da-da* [sic]. I couldn't believe it when I heard it. It's the same time signature - it's 12/8 - and it's the same structure and it's the same notes and it's the same everything. Bastard. It probably is actionable. It really is! But I think that life's too long to bother with suing Andrew fucking Lloyd Webber.[6]

Waters did, however, respond by adding a reference to Webber in the song "It's a Miracle" on the Amused to Death album:

We cower in our shelters, with our hands over our ears
Lloyd Webber's awful stuff runs for years and years and years
An earthquake hits the theatre, but the operetta lingers
Then the piano lid comes down and breaks his fucking fingers
It's a miracle'

source - wikipedia

Bloc Party

"Silent Alarm" is the first time I've heard Bloc Party and I think they're quite good. Music is energetic all the time without ever getting into the "noisy" zone and the lyrics aren't the worst you will come across either, thoughtful without becoming overly dramatic.

The song that caught my attention was "Helicopter" which many believe is a criticism of American life in general or in particular of George.W.Bush, although the band denies it.

For the last couple of days, I've been tripping on this song "Like eating glass"
Influences are cited as Blur, Smashing pumpkins, Radiohead, Depeche mode etc.

Like eating glass

It's so cold in this house
Open mouth swallowing us
The children sent home from school
Will not stop crying

And I know that you're busy too
I know that you care
You got your finger on the pulse
You got your eyes everywhere
And it hurts all the time when you don't return my calls
And you haven't got the time to remember how it was

It's so cold in this house (2x)

I can't eat, I can't sleep
I can't sleep, I can't dream
An aversion to light
Got a fear of the ocean

Like drinking Poison, like eating glass (3x)
Like drinking Poison, like eating

It's so cold in this house (3x)
It's so cold in this bed

Like drinking Poison, like eating glass (3x)
Like drinking Poison, like eating

Come and show me how it was

We've got crosses on our eyes
Been walking into the walls again
We've got crosses on our eyes
Been walking into the furniture
We've got crosses on our eyes
For richer, for poorer, for better, for worse
We've got crosses on our eyes
We've been walking into the furniture

Knight Of The Blue Communion - Peter Ivers Band

yesterday evening, was going through the albums list in my ipod, looking for something new to listen to, when i came across 'knight of the blue communion', wanting to check out whoz the artist, i went ahead. And the 1st note of the 1st track got me hooked. The last time i remember that happening was when i first listened to 'White Rabbit'. Incidentally both the songs are carried by some tremendous female vocals.

So, after listening to the entire album, couldn't wait to find out more about this brilliant band. But unfortunately google doesn't give much information. Looks like this was one of those brilliant one-off works, that happened by coming together of some amazing people, and it just clicked. While googling i found out that a certain 'Asha puthli' sang a couple of songs for this band. Imagine a famous singer with my name, well almost... :D Anyways the female vocalist i was talking about was not her, though even she is also brilliant, its 'Yolande Bavan', she is just freaking brilliant. Listen to 'scratch cat fever' or any other song in the album.

As far as the album, there is no comparable. It reminds me of a fair...all eccentric, wonderful, weird stuff coming together to make one heady experience. Blues,rock,psychedelia,classical,jazz,world music....it has everything. All i can say is listening to this album, is a trip unlike any other.

Goodbye and Hello - Tim Buckley

Just realized when i typed out da above words - 'Goodbye and Hello'.....so apt to my life right now, in so many ways.... bitter-sweet, thts what it is... hmm...though it can be 'sweet-sweet' or 'bitter-bitter' as well depending on situations...
yea i know da above sentence was bad...'n dont think this is the blog 4 such stuff neway...
So, coming back to 'Goodbye and Hello', yes its this brilliant album by Tim Buckley. Kinda re-discovered it on my ipod yesterday. Tim Buckley was highly recommended to me by one of my friends and i would do just the same now :)



Its one of the best psychedelic albums 've listened to. But psychedelic is just one of the sounds in the entire album. The album is much more. than that, the outstanding part is of course Tim Buckley's singing. And lyrics is like poetry... just checkout 'Goodbye & Hello' or 'No Man Can Find The War', and you will know what i mean...and that too coupled with his singing...its just amazing...
My Fave songs.....hmm...will probably be 'Hallucinations','Goodbye & Hello' 'n 'Once i Was'...

Once I Was

Once I was a soldier
And I fought on foreign sands for you
Once I was a hunter
And I brought home fresh meat for you
Once I was a lover
And I searched behind your eyes for you
And soon therell be another
To tell you I was just a lie

And sometimes I wonder
Just for a while
Will you remember me

And though you have forgotten
All of our rubbish dreams
I find myself searching
Through the ashes of our ruins
For the days when we smiled
And the hours that ran wild
With the magic of our eyes
And the silence of our words

And sometimes I wonder
Just for a while
Will you remember me

Modest mouse

Another band from the "alternative rock" movement, the first song I came across was "float on". Brilliant song, which was a conscious attempt on the group's part to make upbeat music after the band lost a couple of friends
"Bad news comes dont you worry, even when it lands,
Good news will work its way to all them plans."
is a such a reassuring thing to tell yourself when you're having a bad time that one immediately takes to this song.

I believe that modest mouse are one of the smartest artists out there. They perform on themes as varied as Love, Death, God, Social causes etc, but most importantly whatever they say, they say it well.

You gotta hand it to them for coming up with lyrics like
"We were aiming at the moon, we were shooting at the stars,
But the kids were just shooting at the buses and the cars" ( Bury me with it).

and later in the same album

"Jaws clenched tight, we talked all night,
Oh! but what the hell did we say?
The good times are killin me"

To anyone who's not heard them before, "Good news for people who love bad news (2004)" would be a great album to start with. (Don't you just love ironic themes?)

I Came as a Rat

Well I ain't sure, but I been told
He's baking cakes inside our souls
Stayed awake, took a nap
Got myself my bottles back
I'm breakin' them out on the street
Walkin' around in my bare feet
I do not need you to tell me that I am not a cat

I caught a ride, we caught some air
He's never gonna cut his hair
It takes more time to make a fake
We night swam down in the lake
Washed the dirt off our intentions
Prattle on 'bout bad inventions

I came as ice, I came as a whore
I came as advice that came too short
I came as gold, I came as crap
I came clean and I came as a Rat
It takes a long time, but God dies too
But not before he'll stick it to you

Well I don't know, but I been told
You never die and you never grow old

Uh oh!

I came as a call, I came as flat
I came too soon so I came back
I came as flowers, I came as nice
I came as dirt and I came as its price
It takes a long time, but God dies too
But not before he'll stick it to you
I don't know, but I been told
You never die and you never grow old
Uh Oh!

Poets of the Fall (POTF)

Poets of the Fall are an independent rock band from Helsinki, Finland that was founded by Marko Saaresto and Olli Tukiainen in 2003.


heres wiki's take on them.

i remember getting on to this band in my frst year, being introduced to by a friend. i was on the lukout fr gud music then. i needed it :).
i remembr spending most of my frst summer break listening to them. they are relatively new and relatively gud.
some songs that i'd suggest you listen to are:
1. Lift
2. Late Goodbye (this also happens to be the ending song of Max Payne 2)
3. Carnival of Rust

among others.

theres another reason for me mentioning them. we are having them perform live at our college cultural festival this year(if nothing goes wrong.so far so good). it was suposed to be a surprise, but i spilled the beans.

heres a link to lift

R.E.M

Although "Loosing my religion" is what most people would think of when they think R.E.M, they go much further. As legend has it after numerous attempts at arriving at a name, Peter Buck decided to open the dictionary and name the band after the first word his finger points to.

A Band that was at the top of its game in '87-'93 period, they were well known for taking up social and political causes, be it "First we take manhattan.." or "The end of the world as we know it" and "Welcome to occupation" and ofcourse the definitive "Loosing my religion".

"Document"(1987) is their breakthrough album. Although "Out of Time"(1991) put them right on top, "Automatic for people" (1992) is perhaps their most accessible album.

One of the most influential bands from the 80s, influencing alternative bands like Modest mouse, Sonic Youth, Pavement, Live and so on. (Modest mouse citing R.E.M as their inspiration is what made me sit up and take a fresh look at R.E.M. beyond loosing my religion)

Shiny Happy People

Shiny happy people laughing
Meet me in the crowd
People people
Throw your love around
Love me love me
Take it into town
Happy happy
Put it in the ground
Where the flowers grow
Gold and silver shine

Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing

Everyone around love them, love them
Put it in your hands
Take it take it
There's no time to cry
Happy happy
Put it in your heart
Where tomorrow shines
Gold and silver shine

Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing

Trivia: This song was based on a poster "shiny happy people" protesting the killings by Chinese government to suppress the Tiananmen Square uprising.

John Barleycorn Must Die - Traffic

This is again a re-discovery so as to say, listened to this album a lot when i was in US, 'n saw it today again in my ipod...

One of my friends suggested this album, along with coupla other albums from Tim Buckley as a must-have, and thats how i came across it...
Its a brilliant album...one which you not only like it @ first hear...but one which keeps growing on you as well...the opening track 'Glad' is my fave, along with 'John Barleycorn', 'Every Mothers Son' and 'Sittin' Here Thinkin' of My Love'.
btw 'coz of this came across this nice trivia/story of 'John Barleycorn'.


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Now playing: Can - Mushroom
via FoxyTunes

Freedom - Neil Young

this was more of a rediscovery...i think coupla days back...was just browsing thru' the albums in my ipod 'n happened to see 'freedom' in there...'n started listening to it...'n man i had so forgotten how good it is! just fabulous 'songs'....
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Now playing: Warren - I Won't Pick Up Your Phones
via FoxyTunes

Minutes to Midnight - Linkin Park

patético!!!



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Now playing: Lata Mangeshkar - Raina Beeti Jaye
via FoxyTunes

MTV Unplugged [LIVE] - Korn

Brillante!!!! estupendo!!!



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Now playing: Kishore Kumar - O Saathi Re
via FoxyTunes

Echoes - Camel

Another prog rock gem...'n again the only album of the band i possess... :(
if you haven't listened to Camel, this is a nice album to get introduced to their music...just listen to 'Lady Fantasy', 'Rhayader', 'Rhayader Goes to Town', 'Echoes'....they r just so freakin' good...me right now waiting to catch hold more of their albums...

Caravan - Caravan

hmm...thought will get rid of some backlog... :)




The only one album of Caravan i possess....its a real nice album....have listened to it many times since my 1st hearing....My suggestion go get it....you won't be disappointed...

The Greatest Hits - INXS

Ah well....been a long time since i posted ne here 'n to think the plan was to post one everyday...hmm...indeed sad...
neways listened to this album on my way back...its not da kind of music i usually listen to...but yeah i did...well 1st time i hrd INXS was way back in my +2 days, when i had just started listening to eng music...'n song was ofcourse the 'Suicide Blonde'....'n next i rem nething of INXS was when i got to know tht Bono wrote 'stuck in a moment' for Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of INXS. hmm....dont know wht to write next...so thats it....'n yeah its pretty good... :)

Abraxas - Santana

Hitherto had only few famous hits 'n this was the 1st complete album of Santana which i downloaded 'n it makes me want to get more...
The album is a masterpiece with a nice amalgamation of diff musical styles. 'Oye como va' is one you would have most prob heard, in case you havent u shd!
'n the album cover is again not ur typical one...

The Godfather: Trilogy 1, 2 & 3 [SOUNDTRACK] - The City of Prague Philharmonic

Do i need to say anything at all?


pls: in case you are wondering WTH you can check this review

The Departed [Original Score] - Howard Shore

today on my way back, was shuffling ard for quite some time, unable to settle on one album, 'n thats when i saw this album in my collection. Its something which i had downloaded there, 'n was nicely surprised to see it in my ipod. Needless to say its not the first time i am listening to it. Its an awesome album! More so if you have watched the movie(which i may add is a must-see for anyone) 'n of course i needn't have to go on abt Howard Shore...do i? He's just an absolute genius. Just love his music 'n this album is again no exception. 'Cops or Criminals' sets the mood 'n it just continues from there. 'Billy's Theme' is another really amazing track. But then again, you can't just listen to one track, you gotta listen to the entire soundtrack to really enjoy it.

Pls: you can check out this review, its exactly what 'n how i would have said, if only i was a bit more articulative 'n knowledgeable... :)