Evening everyone - hope you're all well!
I've got lots of music stuff swirling around in my head (and not only those songs you hear in your head - yes, worryingly, those hang around every so often...this morning's was definitely a Duran Duran track for no particular reason), so in haste let me chuck a couple of them down here...:
* it's my birthday on Wednesday and I have no idea which CDs I'm going to get, or I want?!
THIS is very unlike me! Maybe it's because I started a new job this week, and new music has (oh, this is paining me to write it' let alone think it?!) been shelved somewhere at the back if my head... Blurgh, this sucks!
* we have to come up with a remedy to this particular "blurgh" - could this be Spotify Premium???
Still very much up in the air for me, but a definite possibility for purchase later this week. How about positives and negatives:
GOTTA HAVE IT
• let's be honest - Spotify is cool, so Premium will be even cooler
• freedom to listen to tonnes of stuff on the iPhone
• the current "blurgh problem" disappears for a bit...
Oh, I'm not sure, I'm so indecisive?!
• currently commuting to Londinium, and from what I can see, Spotify will be crap on the train - it'll keep cutting out as the 3g is sporadic
• I'm not that fussed about the ads
• with the job, and a new baby, I don't get as much time on the computer with the ol' Spotify as I would normally crave...
So, it's a quandary!!!?
* should I STOP shuffling ALL the DAMN time!?
I've been thinking about putting some playlists together, plus working on a new top 100 tracks - I know all of this takes time, but I'm keen!
I think the playlist idea (I would then post them on Spotify as collaborative playlists) is a fun one...ideas???
> music to cheer you up
> tracks by artists that might surprise you
> in your head to stay, but for good reason (haha, as I write this, "Wild Boys" started playing - thank you shuffle?!)
> music if you're just too damn happy (Mmmm, I like this one - bring people down a peg or two)
But it's a serious question about shuffling - I've got to stop, and get some solid album/playlist time in!!!
* lastly, I think I might have found one of thx coolest cafes on the planet - bagels, music, Walls covered in CDs, music magazines to read... And, all of this....25 paces from my new office!!!! Yes yes yes!!! Brill Cafe in Clerkenwell!
Right, as Eva Cassidy sings about valuable pastures, I'll sign off! If anyone has any thoughts on the above, you'll find me on Twitter (Menace2Music) most mornings and evenings!
Menace2Music signing off - listen to a track today that reminds you of someone, that will make you smile...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, 8 March 2010
Monday, 1 March 2010
Why I love Movie Soundtracks, and I'm back...
I won't dwell on why or how, but Menace2Music returns with a vengeance from today!
Musically, today, I've shuffled on the iPod, and hit the following albums for some sustenance:
Gattaca OST - Michael Nyman
Hospice - The Antlers (yes, I just had to buy it!)
Unplugged - Eric Clapton (looks like a dodgy old CD downloaded, as it was skipping, so abandoned)
...and now I'm listening to The Dark Knight OST - Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard
The primary reason I like listening to movie soundtracks is that I find the music can be so emotive.
What I mean by this is that you can be strolling along, minding your own, or sitting on a train (like I am now), and a track from a movie hits your ears... Suddenly, for me (depending upon the track), blood begins to boil, or I feel as light as a feather, or I look around me and everything is just wonderful (or scary - depends upon the movie/song)!!!
I don't see the movie in my head very often at all - this is mainly because I have a lot of OSTs where I've either never seen the movie, or have seen it once (Gattaca, for instance - bought this for Nyman's music).
I know I've harped-on about OSTs before, but it was either talking about this, or what "shuffling on a iPod really means to me" or "To Shuffle, Or Not To Shuffle...". Yeah. Exciting stuff to come, huh!?
I think I'll review a classic album tomorrow, and might try and do this in the morning...we shall see!
Have a fab Music-filled Monday!
Menace2Music
Find me on Twitter - Menace2Music
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Musically, today, I've shuffled on the iPod, and hit the following albums for some sustenance:
Gattaca OST - Michael Nyman
Hospice - The Antlers (yes, I just had to buy it!)
Unplugged - Eric Clapton (looks like a dodgy old CD downloaded, as it was skipping, so abandoned)
...and now I'm listening to The Dark Knight OST - Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard
The primary reason I like listening to movie soundtracks is that I find the music can be so emotive.
What I mean by this is that you can be strolling along, minding your own, or sitting on a train (like I am now), and a track from a movie hits your ears... Suddenly, for me (depending upon the track), blood begins to boil, or I feel as light as a feather, or I look around me and everything is just wonderful (or scary - depends upon the movie/song)!!!
I don't see the movie in my head very often at all - this is mainly because I have a lot of OSTs where I've either never seen the movie, or have seen it once (Gattaca, for instance - bought this for Nyman's music).
I know I've harped-on about OSTs before, but it was either talking about this, or what "shuffling on a iPod really means to me" or "To Shuffle, Or Not To Shuffle...". Yeah. Exciting stuff to come, huh!?
I think I'll review a classic album tomorrow, and might try and do this in the morning...we shall see!
Have a fab Music-filled Monday!
Menace2Music
Find me on Twitter - Menace2Music
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Why I can't stop buying music!!!
I can't believe 2010 is already so old, and I've only written 5 entries on my blog - shame on me!!?
You might be interested to know that at some point next month, I am going to be getting Spotify Premium for my iPhone, thus ending the arguments that have been going on in my head for ages!!? Why? Well, it's a birthday present first-and-foremost, but I think it is a worthwhile "musical consumer experiment". Is it going to stop me buying so many CDs?
Well, just having a few adverts scattered over albums hasn't stopped me so far! But, I like to think I've been the kind of music consumer that Spotify and the labels respect - I use Spotify a lot, I playlist any albums I like, and if (after around 3-5 listens) I like the album enough, I go out and buy it!
Is that going to end when the adverts stop? When all I have to do is click on Spotify anytime I like, via my iPhone, and I can listen to anything I like! Will I need the CD anymore?
There have definitely been periods of my life where I just collected music. I could say this happened a couple of years ago - I just bought CDs because it was enormous fun!!! But, as I filled iPod-after-iPod, something a year-or-so ago changed in me. I realised that MUSIC was a lot more important to me than any collection.
I've begun to listen a lot more...
I've read a lot more about the music industry...
I've remembered a lot more track names, artists and albums - I've been able to talk a lot more to friends and family about what I'm listening to...
Will I still buy CDs, when I have Spotify Premium? Fuck yes! But for one vitally important reason - if I love an album, I mean TRULY love it, I have to own something tangible. Owning the virtual space just isn't enough! You want something you can hold, open, and see on your shelf! OK, I might not put a CD in a player much anymore (well, if ever, to be honest - sadly), but that ownership is vital! It is a link with the artist. A link with your passion for music. Collection, and their artistry.
I'm looking forward to Spotify Premium - I cannot wait, to be honest! But, it won't end my collection of music. It will, if anything, create a new beginning - I am hoping it will lead me to listen to more, More, MOre, MORe and MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you're all well - currently hitting my Spotify Playlist of songs I've found on there over the last 14 months-or-so! It's a collaborative playlist - check it out on:
New Songs I Love!
New Songs I Love!
Have a great day, wherever you are in it - let music rule a few minutes of it, for me, OK!
Take care, and all the very best, Menace2Music
menace2music@googlemail.com
http://twitter.com/menace2music
You might be interested to know that at some point next month, I am going to be getting Spotify Premium for my iPhone, thus ending the arguments that have been going on in my head for ages!!? Why? Well, it's a birthday present first-and-foremost, but I think it is a worthwhile "musical consumer experiment". Is it going to stop me buying so many CDs?
Well, just having a few adverts scattered over albums hasn't stopped me so far! But, I like to think I've been the kind of music consumer that Spotify and the labels respect - I use Spotify a lot, I playlist any albums I like, and if (after around 3-5 listens) I like the album enough, I go out and buy it!
Is that going to end when the adverts stop? When all I have to do is click on Spotify anytime I like, via my iPhone, and I can listen to anything I like! Will I need the CD anymore?
There have definitely been periods of my life where I just collected music. I could say this happened a couple of years ago - I just bought CDs because it was enormous fun!!! But, as I filled iPod-after-iPod, something a year-or-so ago changed in me. I realised that MUSIC was a lot more important to me than any collection.
I've begun to listen a lot more...
I've read a lot more about the music industry...
I've remembered a lot more track names, artists and albums - I've been able to talk a lot more to friends and family about what I'm listening to...
Will I still buy CDs, when I have Spotify Premium? Fuck yes! But for one vitally important reason - if I love an album, I mean TRULY love it, I have to own something tangible. Owning the virtual space just isn't enough! You want something you can hold, open, and see on your shelf! OK, I might not put a CD in a player much anymore (well, if ever, to be honest - sadly), but that ownership is vital! It is a link with the artist. A link with your passion for music. Collection, and their artistry.
I'm looking forward to Spotify Premium - I cannot wait, to be honest! But, it won't end my collection of music. It will, if anything, create a new beginning - I am hoping it will lead me to listen to more, More, MOre, MORe and MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you're all well - currently hitting my Spotify Playlist of songs I've found on there over the last 14 months-or-so! It's a collaborative playlist - check it out on:
New Songs I Love!
New Songs I Love!
Have a great day, wherever you are in it - let music rule a few minutes of it, for me, OK!
Take care, and all the very best, Menace2Music
menace2music@googlemail.com
http://twitter.com/menace2music
Sunday, 17 January 2010
D is for Delphic, but only because I love too many bands that begin with the letter D!!?
Apologies for the delay on this blog, but have been extremely busy - music has passed me by a little lately, but I have a couple of nice journeys ahead of me soon, where I can maximise some listening time!
In the meantime, I'm listening to the Delphic album on Spotify - I'd seen a load of hype around this, and a fair amount of media coverage! Plus, the album has been splashed over phone boxes and billboards too. Weirdly, the last album that did this so much was White Lies, a year ago, and it sold a lot of records. Is the same going to happen here?
HTTP/Spotify link for the album:
Delphic – Acolyte
Delphic – Acolyte
Although you can hear the New Order influence upon Delphic, there is a lot more to this band and album - you can at times feel a mature sensitivity to it (check out the title song, at a wonderful 8mins.51secs), as well as some wonderfully pure electronic vibes!
I'm not sure, however, whether this is on my list of albums to go out and purchase? I think it is definitely worth a few more listens to see, for sure.
I tackled a look at Delphic for a couple of reasons:
(i) because my Dad said he'd listened to the album, and recommended I give it a look - this is a man who discovered Arcade Fire before me, so I give him his dues on musical taste (plus, I owe a lot of my taste in the musical arts to him)
(ii) because I just like so many bleeding bands that start with the letter D:
Dodgy
Dire Straits
Dr Dog
Def Leppard
The Divine Comedy
The Doors
The Doves
I mean, wow!? Each of these is worth a huge mention, as part of my musical collection - I own practically everything by them all (apart from The Doors, where I have only begun to scratch the surface)!!!
Off the letter D, I heard a great song today - Change by Marc Bolan and T Rex - unfortunately not on spotify, but I will keep an eye out for it!
Right, I'm now going to start thinking about the letter E, and promise to write something a lot sooner! Hey, I'm on one of my journeys tomorrow, so might just have to hit a few keys on my iPhone - watch this space!!!
Signing out, Delphic-stylee - Menace2Music
In the meantime, I'm listening to the Delphic album on Spotify - I'd seen a load of hype around this, and a fair amount of media coverage! Plus, the album has been splashed over phone boxes and billboards too. Weirdly, the last album that did this so much was White Lies, a year ago, and it sold a lot of records. Is the same going to happen here?
HTTP/Spotify link for the album:
Delphic – Acolyte
Delphic – Acolyte
Although you can hear the New Order influence upon Delphic, there is a lot more to this band and album - you can at times feel a mature sensitivity to it (check out the title song, at a wonderful 8mins.51secs), as well as some wonderfully pure electronic vibes!
I'm not sure, however, whether this is on my list of albums to go out and purchase? I think it is definitely worth a few more listens to see, for sure.
I tackled a look at Delphic for a couple of reasons:
(i) because my Dad said he'd listened to the album, and recommended I give it a look - this is a man who discovered Arcade Fire before me, so I give him his dues on musical taste (plus, I owe a lot of my taste in the musical arts to him)
(ii) because I just like so many bleeding bands that start with the letter D:
Dodgy
Dire Straits
Dr Dog
Def Leppard
The Divine Comedy
The Doors
The Doves
I mean, wow!? Each of these is worth a huge mention, as part of my musical collection - I own practically everything by them all (apart from The Doors, where I have only begun to scratch the surface)!!!
Off the letter D, I heard a great song today - Change by Marc Bolan and T Rex - unfortunately not on spotify, but I will keep an eye out for it!
Right, I'm now going to start thinking about the letter E, and promise to write something a lot sooner! Hey, I'm on one of my journeys tomorrow, so might just have to hit a few keys on my iPhone - watch this space!!!
Signing out, Delphic-stylee - Menace2Music
Friday, 8 January 2010
C has been a toughie!
I didn't want to write about Coldplay, despite being a fan (though their last album still disappoints in comparison to "Rush of Blood").
I thought about writing about Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - the 7+ minute version of "Almost Cut My Hair" always sends shivers down my spine...
I've never let "Mmmm Mmmm" put me off collecting music by The Crash Test Dummies albums (though I can't say I've been an avid listener on the iPods to the Dummies - I just buy the albums if I see them).
Cranberries - no.
Creedence Clearwater Revival - love 'em, but not enough to have more than a Greatest Hits.
It was through discussing this on Facebook that one of my friends mentioned a band I have always loved, buying album after live album - Counting Crows!
I think it shows a lot of confidence as a band that you can release live albums so regularly, and them not dissolusion a fan base waiting for more-and-more studio material.
They're just a very solid band, with great foundations (question: will they ever better their first album, "August and Everything After"). Their live albums also show they have a human side, often having charity tables outside their gigs.
Favourite song: pick anything from "August", which is an album of hits
Really looking forward to tomorrow, and the letter D. Getting used to writing this blog on the iPhone now!
Enjoy your weekends, everyone - let some music flow through those ears of yours...
Menace2Music
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I thought about writing about Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - the 7+ minute version of "Almost Cut My Hair" always sends shivers down my spine...
I've never let "Mmmm Mmmm" put me off collecting music by The Crash Test Dummies albums (though I can't say I've been an avid listener on the iPods to the Dummies - I just buy the albums if I see them).
Cranberries - no.
Creedence Clearwater Revival - love 'em, but not enough to have more than a Greatest Hits.
It was through discussing this on Facebook that one of my friends mentioned a band I have always loved, buying album after live album - Counting Crows!
I think it shows a lot of confidence as a band that you can release live albums so regularly, and them not dissolusion a fan base waiting for more-and-more studio material.
They're just a very solid band, with great foundations (question: will they ever better their first album, "August and Everything After"). Their live albums also show they have a human side, often having charity tables outside their gigs.
Favourite song: pick anything from "August", which is an album of hits
Really looking forward to tomorrow, and the letter D. Getting used to writing this blog on the iPhone now!
Enjoy your weekends, everyone - let some music flow through those ears of yours...
Menace2Music
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, 7 January 2010
B is for The Beach Boys
I'm working my way through a Greatest Hits, but could quite easily have sat here listening to Pet Sounds.
I remember the first time I heard that album - it featured at #1 in a UK newspaper (thinking The Sunday Times) chart of top albums, published in the very early '90s. Sgt Pepper was #2, and I had no idea how anything could better The Beatles masterpiece that I had listened to so often!
I've been fortunate enough to see Brian Wilson perform live, and he was amazing - he performed the above album from start to finish at The Royal Festival Hall in London.
Favourite track by The Beach Boys = Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
Rather morbidly, I've said I'd like this played at my funeral - this is one of those songs where the lyrics just reached out to me, and dragged me in...
Tomorrow is C - it's going to be one of:
Clannad
Coldplay
Creedence Clearwater Revival
or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
One for me to mull, while I enjoy a Little Deuce Coupe..."you don't know what I got!"
Menace2Music
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I remember the first time I heard that album - it featured at #1 in a UK newspaper (thinking The Sunday Times) chart of top albums, published in the very early '90s. Sgt Pepper was #2, and I had no idea how anything could better The Beatles masterpiece that I had listened to so often!
I've been fortunate enough to see Brian Wilson perform live, and he was amazing - he performed the above album from start to finish at The Royal Festival Hall in London.
Favourite track by The Beach Boys = Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
Rather morbidly, I've said I'd like this played at my funeral - this is one of those songs where the lyrics just reached out to me, and dragged me in...
Tomorrow is C - it's going to be one of:
Clannad
Coldplay
Creedence Clearwater Revival
or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
One for me to mull, while I enjoy a Little Deuce Coupe..."you don't know what I got!"
Menace2Music
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
From A to Z... Menace2Music style
I'm going to spend the next 26 days (roughly what we have left in January) discussing some of my favourite bands through the alphabet!
Today = A
The Arcade Fire
Firstly, there probably isn't another band around at the moment that I am looking forward to their next album more! Neon Bible was fab, and a terrific follow-up to their superlative Funeral.
And it is Funeral that I find myself listening to now, as I write this. The harmonies and instrumentation make this album so individual, but so wonderfully accessible.
My favourite song of all time by them is 'My Body Is A Cage' which concludes Neon Bible. I've seen Arcade Fire live twice, and was gutted when they didn't play it either time?!?
Tomorrow is, rather predictably, the letter B. Not sure what to go for yet....tune in to see! It definitely won't be my fave band of all-time (The Beatles), but won't be Billy Ocean either...
Right, 'Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)' just kicked-in......time for me to rock out to T'Fire!!!!!
Menace2Music
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Today = A
The Arcade Fire
Firstly, there probably isn't another band around at the moment that I am looking forward to their next album more! Neon Bible was fab, and a terrific follow-up to their superlative Funeral.
And it is Funeral that I find myself listening to now, as I write this. The harmonies and instrumentation make this album so individual, but so wonderfully accessible.
My favourite song of all time by them is 'My Body Is A Cage' which concludes Neon Bible. I've seen Arcade Fire live twice, and was gutted when they didn't play it either time?!?
Tomorrow is, rather predictably, the letter B. Not sure what to go for yet....tune in to see! It definitely won't be my fave band of all-time (The Beatles), but won't be Billy Ocean either...
Right, 'Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)' just kicked-in......time for me to rock out to T'Fire!!!!!
Menace2Music
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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