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Screemo: Not Just for Pissed Off People

14 Jun

Towards the turn of the Millennium came a new kind of music, and that was Screemo.  Many people don’t even consider this a legitimate form of music but I am here to advocate for it as an avid listener.  To start off many Screemo bands these days aren’t actually as angry as they sound, they usually get their bad reps from the fact that their harsh tones imply that they are generally angry at the world but that is usually not the case, but in reality a good amount of them are christian bands at the core and their lyrics generally reflect that.  The best example of this is the Dayton, Ohio band “The Devil Wears Prada” who on the surface might be deemed as angry but their lyrics are actually somewhat peaceful.

 

 

One last thought that I had I would like to bring up is that screaming has been present in rock since the beginning.  From The Who to Led Zeppelin there was always a little rock scream in their songs, even The Beatles had Paul belt out a mesmerizing screech in their 1968 hit single “Hey Jude”.  All these bands do is take the intensity of those short bursts of screaming and try to incorporate it into all their music. Yes, sometimes screaming can be a bit much if it is used all the time, but, in my opinion, if the back up singers have great melodic voices and they have a good back and forth dynamic the band can usually be quite enjoyable.

Lyric of the Day #16: “Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head,” Gorillaz

13 Jun

As my first post to lyric of the day I thought I would do something a little different, this isn’t so much a song as it is a spoken narrative by two-time academy award winning actor Dennis Hopper (best known for his role as a burnt out hippie in the 1969 cult classic “Easy Rider”) with  two short melodic breaks by Gorillaz and ex-Blur lead singer Damon Albarn.

 

 

 

“Once upon a time at the foot of a great mountain, there was a town where the people known as Happyfolk lived.  Their very existence a mystery to the rest of the world, obscured as it was by great clouds. Here they played out their peaceful lives, innocent of the litany of excess and violence that was growing in the world below. To live in harmony with the spirit of the mountain called Monkey was enough.  Then one day Strangefolk arrived in the town. They came in camouflaged, hidden behind dark glasses, and no one noticed them; they only saw shadows. You see, without the truth of the eyes, the Happyfolk were blind”

The first verse is a very metaphorical story in which the Happyfolk represent a very naive culture living alongside nature in peace and harmony.  the Strangefolk seem to represent a foreign invader that coerce themselves into the midst of this tribe.  

 

 

“In time, the Strangefolk found their way into the higher reaches of the mountain, and it was there that they found the caves of unimaginable sincerity and beauty. By chance, they stumbled upon the place where all good souls come to rest.  The Strangefolk, they coveted the jewels in these caves above all things, and soon they began to mine the mountain, it’s rich seam fueling the chaos of their own world. Meanwhile, down in the town, the Happyfolk slept restlessly, their dreams invaded by shadowy figures digging away at their souls. Every day, people would wake and stare at the mountain. Why was it bringing darkness into their lives?  And as the Strangefolk mined deeper and deeper into the mountain, holes began to appear, bringing with them a cold and bitter wind that chilled the very soul of the Monkey. For the first time, the Happyfolk felt fearful for, they knew that soon the Monkey would stir from its deep sleep.  Then there came a sound. Distant first, it grew into castrophany so immense it could be heard far away in space. There were no screams. There was no talk. The mountain called Monkey had spoken. There was only fire. And then, nothing.”

 

The second verse shows that the intruders into the community start destroying the mountain by digging it for recourses while the natives start to become disturbed by the unbalance with their usual harmony and symbiotic relationship with nature.  At the end the mountain decides it needs to do something and utterly destroys everyone in sight.  

 

 

 

This story is very interesting because it reflects a lot of events that have happened throughout human history mostly regarding industrialization into untouched areas such as our oil race now a days.  At the end the lyrics seems to say that Earth will soon start defending itself against it and take everyone with it.  This song is the first of a trilogy of songs on the “Demon Days” album that includes “Don’t Get Lost In Heaven” and “Demon Days” (the last three tracks on the album). 

Introduction

12 Jun
  • Hello,

My name is Josh Baum and I am here to keep everyone updated on the music scene that has been developing since the beginning of the 90’s and after.  I mostly will be talking about the music coming from rock bands and anything stemming off from that but every so often I will delve into other genres but no matter what I can assure you the music will be great.

-JB

Song of the Day #15: The Killers: “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine”

12 Jun

The Killers blew up in 2004 with the release of their debut album Hot Fuss, which was propelled by such singles as “Mr. Brightside”, “Somebody Told Me” and “All These Things That I’ve Done”.  But to whomever bought the album and listened to it through I’m sure they have heard this mesmerizing song that brings out The Killers electronic influences.  In this story a man is in a police station explaining to the officers that he wasn’t responsible for the death of his girlfriend.  He admits that he got angry with her when she broke up with him but swears that they parted ways after that, the name of the song is his defense that the victim was his friend and he would never have harmed her.  My favorite line in this song is towards the end of the vocals when Brandon Flowers (Lead Vocalist) says, “And then you whisper in my ear, I know what you’re doing here” I find it very ominous because in the story the cop is saying to the suspect that they don’t believe his story despite his cries that he is  innocent.  

 

 

The Killers formed in Las Vegas which attributes to their videos very theatrical vibes, and their very show-manlike appearance on stage.  Hot Fuss went Multi-Platinum but the bands success also brought out some of the bands ego which showed when the lead singer Brandon Flowers commented that other bands such as The Bravery and Fall Out Boy are only gaining fame because The Killers opened the door for them which caused a nasty exchange between both bands and a bitter rivalry.

 

Give it a listen and enjoy.

Song Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlOqXcPkUis&feature=related

-JB

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