Generally, Thursday’s are reserved for music news, but in viewing the stock of potential items I have decided that none of it is that exciting. Billy Joel’s memoir is coming out in June. That’s about it. So, instead of boring you all with unexciting news items, here is The Move performing my psychedelic song choice of the day, “Blackberry Way”
Yes, that is Roy Wood, who would form ELO after his stay with the Move. Wood wrote “Blackberry Way” as a response to the Beatles’ “Penny Lane.” As you can hear, it is gloomier and definitely more strung out. The singer is Carl Wayne whose accented voice works perfectly for the song.
Ever since first hearing this song, I have always liked something about it. It does not blow you away. It is very weak on the psychedelia, even though it does fit into the category of Psychedelic Rock. Perhaps, it is the song’s simplicity that I enjoy. It was The Move’s most successful single (reaching number one on the UK charts). I believe it garnered such attention because it was not an over-the-top release. It is what it is and what it is, is good.
As I drove home in the early hours of the morning it was already getting bright outside. I immediately began feeling extreme nostalgia for irresponsible summers of past. But this time I was not under the influence of any magic, simply arriving home from a tiring shift delivering food. But that feeling… maybe I was just tired… but I felt like I was under some sort of influence, my thoughts highly irresponsible in an animated fashion, yet that of a Buddhist-monk in caliber. Maybe it was a warm-flashback?
But it also was around 6am, the time when the human body ‘resets’. Whether it is due to our own internal mind clocks or some cosmic energy playing around with us, this time of the day is hands down the most psychedelic. It’s most noticeable if you haven’t gone to bed, which could explain some things, but I like to think that it’s the time when human thoughts or souls are synced up to destiny or reality, sort of like an ipod syncing to its itunes library. Basically, it’s the time when everything falls back onto track after a weekend night of debauchery. As I lay to fall asleep, my contact-less eyes were seeing strange fuzzy orbs of light. Although they weren’t as brilliant as geometric shapes I’d seen before, it made me realize that things like this are all around us and how much, as a people, we still don’t know about.
So basically today was the first time I woke up at 4pm in a long time. Definitely now considering a career change… or fewer hours anyway.
I’m not sure if the Radiohead hype has died down yet… I hope it has… because today I’ve got a real psychedelic treat for all of you. Shortly after listening to The King of Limbs, I heard Toro Y Moi’s Underneath the Pine, and let me tell you that I was thoroughly impressed, to the point where I can call it my favorite of the year so far.
Toro Y Moi is the stage name of Chazwick Bundick, a super chill fellow from North Carolina. He was one of the original driving forces behind the chill wave of summer ’10. I’ve already described chillwave thoroughly with my Washed Out review, and while Toro Y Moi’s older music was verbatim that, apparently his newer stuff has already departed that.
Talks on the internet have it that ‘Chillwave’ is already dying. That effing internet hipster who invented the damn term, Carles, is speculating that this might be so based on Pitchfork’s review of the album and their refusal to use the term.
I personally do not want chillwave to die. I think it’s a really chill and appropriate title for such music. Although it’s a sort of a half-bastard internet spawn, I feel like it has the potential of becoming the next psychedelic genre. It’s all about slow, vibacious, synth-saturated, chill-out tunes that make you feel like nothing matters in the world. 60’s psychedelia anyone? I honestly feel like this newest Toro Y Moi album is all of that, but it also adds a layer of rock, which in my mind simply completes the genre. I really see it going places in this current state.
The song above Still Sound is the single off the album, and isn’t it groovy? The bassline just tells you to grab a seat and relax, while the layered and echoed vocals coax you to sing along, despite the fact that they are unintelligible. The quiet synths flow and ebb like a pretty tide and that one tambourine or something just completes the beat for me. About halfway through a chill breakdown lets your spirit leave your body, albeit temporarily, before the beat snaps back and the song finishes. This song will grow on you quickly.
And the rest of the songs on this album are on the same level. I personally really like the song Go with you.
This song is much more relaxed than the previous, but similar in many ways as well. I really like the crunchy keyboard in the background and the tape delay on his voice during the refrain. It’s a very strange song but it makes sense in some sort of chill manner. I also really like the ending, the perfect groove, probably why I like this song so much.
I give this album a 7.08/7.25
A perfect album for just hanging out and enjoying the times.
I am also very anxious to see what the rest of this year will harbor for chillwave. The possibilities are endless! Talks of new Washed Out and Neon Indian are turning the rumor wheels. Maybe even my solo LP will be finished. lol
And going back to this whole morning business, (I am on the verge of passing our right now, too much chillwave) I will leave you with a challenge of sorts. About a year ago my Uncle told me that if at the moment of sunrise you are looking north and that there is a mirror placed at the corner of your eye you will see crazy things in your peripherals. I haven’t tried it yet because it sounds scary and peripheral hallucinations are a proven thing (and i have them them often enough as it is). But one day I will try this and most likely I will be listening to chillwave to calm my anxiety.
I traversed the old and treacherous forest path with careful footing and a steadfast swagger. While other human souls did exist every now and then along the path in this preserve, none of them where tuned into the show, not that they were fly enough anyway. With my random assortment of color, complemented by the length of my hair and the aviators covering my eyes, I stumbled with precision on the haphazardly placed stepping planks. I also was the only one, I think, who was aware of the festivities. All around green party-animals were getting drunk off sunlight and dancing to the beat of the breeze. I would stop to socialize, but I was an important guest. Like a peacock feigning bliss, I took the turn off the main path and climbed my way up the mountain, god knows what assumptions would be made if anyone saw. As I entered the hall, familiar bark faces greeted me, and as I made my way up to the majestic giant oak which resided in the center I was greeted by his booming voice. “Finally!” a brief chuckle, “The witness has arrived!!! Now let’s turn this party into an epic!!!” bellowed the Tree King.
* End Brief Intro *
And I thought I was the only person who talked to trees. It seems like Radiohead has proven me wrong, with their latest album The King of Limbs. I guess I’m going to have to find something else which is alt (alternative).
The title of the album is named after a tree which is located somewhere in the Savernake Forest in England, and according to the internet is one of the oldest tree’s in Europe. My tree is more gangster though. But I guess all woods have their respective kings and queens, and since now its the cool thing to do *sigh* get acquainted with your local forest king/queen today! Magic will help.
The sign's gotta be legit.
Apparently the whole album has been put up free to listen by the band HERE
So listen to it while you read. Aren’t they a bunch of nice guys?
Basically, this album is amazing, and not like listen to it a few times and you get into it amazing. By my second listen, I’m sitting here typing this and rocking the heck out. It’s everything you loved about their previous albums, but in the future.
What I mean by this is that Radiohead is using cutting-edge elements of dub-step and even trip-hop in their songs. A friend of mine pointed out on facebook that it seems very Flying-Lotus influenced. I completely agree and it makes sense considering how they are on the same label and Thom Yorke has been featured in a Fly-Lo song. And the dub-step makes sense since they are British.
The very first song on the album, Bloom, showcases the Fly-Lo influence perfectly. While it opens up with some traditional Radiohead sounding synths, it quickly introduces a beat that normally would make no sense, but because of the way it is looped fits very well. Thom Yorke’s vocals then finish the song, with beautiful layering and harmonics, a trend that will continue throughout. A very experimental first song which pays off heavily.
The next song, Morning Mr. Magpie, goes in the completely opposite direction with a most basic dub-step beat, which is only truly revealed half-way through. At this time, the band chooses to implement what I like to call a chill-down (As opposed to a Hardcore Breakdown). The beat continues, while most of the other instruments cease playing, resulting in a sort of dreamlike sequence or bridge. This is very masterfully done, and, with a name like Morning Mr. Magpie, I’m pretty sure this song also is alluding to the British psychedelic era.
That is until you listen to the next song, Little by Little. The song sounds like something that was made in the 60’s and ripped entirely. The singing is actually the only thing that exposes the song’s true time period. It’s a modern day take on a 60’s style, absolutely proper experimentation on Radiohead’s part.
I don’t know the name Feral, or the ruthless trip-hop beat, but I’m pretty sure that this next song is my favorite off the album. This song captures perfectly that sort of mystic and eerie vibe which I have come to absolutely love. Something between the non-existent vocals, the unrelenting drums, and that one short synth riff that plays only a total of three times, absolutely sells me. Oh, and when it ends with that bass riff, even if but momentarily, just forget it. I’m going to write a whole post one day about the merits of outros, regardless the length.
The next song Lotus Flower, I personally believe is a reference to Fly-Lo. What I believe stands out in this song, while hard to notice since they are not the focal points, are the guitar and the background vocals. I enjoy the small things in music. Another very good song by all standards. Oh, and there’s this…
I cannot stress enough how much those dance moves speak to me. They are awe-inspiring.
The next two songsCodex and Give up the Ghost I refuse to review, the reason being that I have always been traditionally biased against Radiohead’s slower pieces. I have nothing against the quality of the music, it’s just my own personal preferences don’t allow for a sincere positive review. Basically they bore me to death and tread towards depressing. The only redeeming part in my book is the bird noises transition between the two songs. But don’t let me sour them for you; I’ve heard from a few online sources that people actually consider the last three songs to be the best off the album, so it honestly depends on your tastes.
And in that case… moving on to the last song Separator, the drum & bass line seem promising off the bat. The vocal’s teeter on falling into the same category as the previous two songs, but once the guitar comes in I’m thoroughly pleased to say that this song is an amazing, chill, vibe-out tune. A pretty synth kicks in and the album ends on a very light, mysterious, and optimistic note.
One word: Professional.
I said earlier, but just to re-iterate, the album is amazing.
If I had to scale it I would give it a 6.84/7.25
This has been my first ever song-by-song review of an entire album. The rating scale is here to stay and I might explain it at some point in the future, but right now I need to stop listening to this album on repeat before I kill it for myself.
Happy listening! And don’t forget to talk to trees now that it’s mainstream… conformists.
&D
P.S. Apparently there is crazy amounts of conspiracy that this is only half the album and that the psychical LPs have two records in them. I mean, the last line of the last song is “If you think this is over, you’re wrong”. This post might have a part two… just saying.
I walked down a long, wide corridor. I knew that it stretched down infinitely, but I walked down it anyway because it was interesting. Every now and then there would be a window. I wouldn’t look out it; I would just knew that it was there. The corridor seemed to twist, yet from my perspective it was perfectly straight. It was also inhabited by familiar faces standing at random places not moving at all. As I walked farther, holes began appearing in the ground. I paid attention to these until I found the one. It was a staircase leading down to a pulsating purple portal of sorts. As I walked through I just saw just white, yet I heard the most amazing music I have ever heard. The drum beat rocked my soul, imbibing in me the strength to live eight lives, the synthesizer capturing the mystery of my dream perfectly.
The first time I heard this song I was woken up to it by my iHome sometime back in high-school. Let me just say that I stayed in bed until the song finished, and continued the day with a sort of unnatural energy and an air of bliss.
This song scales pretty highly on my personal psychedelia scale for that same reason. Everyone has their own personal psychedelia scale, the reason simply that everyone has had different experiences throughout their lives, and different memories act in their own unique ways. Ever hear a song from your childhood which you haven’t heard in a while and upon doing so you relive long-lost memories and forgotten feelings from ages past? That is the most simple of psychedelic experiences and it can happen with any song, psychedelic or not, and can be negative or positive.
Something as terrible as Justin Bieber could even have this effect on someone if they were listening to it at a significant point in their lives. Granted a Justin Bieber flash-back would most likely be terrifying, I’m warning all young girls to limit their exposure to it before their minds make irreversible connections and we hear on the news that someone got murdered while this song was playing. I ain’t kidding either. That would be a terrifying way to go out. “Baaaby Baaby Baby Ohhh, Baaaby Baaby Baby Nooo…. I thought you’d always be mine” and some crazy woman with a knife stabs you.
The future’s gonna be a scary place.
lol
How’d we get here? Let’s get back to the car now and continue this post.
And let me play you the actual song so that you completely forget what happened back there in those woods.
Whenever I hear The Tales of Las Negras I still can feel that one morning in all of its tranquility and happiness.
If you asked almost anyone what genre of music Mice Parade was, I doubt that anyone would give you the answer ‘psychedelic’. Most likely you would get indie and possibly shoegaze. I personally would go further and call it good music, but even I wouldn’t say its psychedelic per say. It doesn’t have the weirdness that we all come to expect from psychedelia.
Nonetheless, I feel like anyone could appreciate this song. The Tales of Las Negras opens in one of the dreamiest ways possible. The drummer is really good and makes one of the coolest beats ever in this song. The synth/keyboard in the background creates that sort of mysterious yet uplifting sound you would expect in the turning point of some sort of moody indie film.
The singing is relaxed and gentle, sort of like a lullaby about some sort of fairytale which you know isn’t real but you listen anyway because it intrigues you. It serves to distract you while the song ever so slowly and continuously builds and gathers strength. By the end the song is like a refreshing spring breeze that would prepare you for the day ahead. And before you know it stops playing and you are left planning a successful day for yourself, or another listen, and definitely not murder.
This song would however make for an excellent song to play during the love fueled murder scene of some moody indie film… and only if it turns out that the act based on some sort of false pretense. And then it all turns out to be a dream.
lol
Any directors out there?
This beautiful song is off of Mice Parade’s self titled album Mice Parade.
Seeing as no one did, we seem to be in a room full of hipsters. Give me a second while I put on my ironic glasses. My scarf is already tied firmly around my neck so now just let me adjust my stance ever so nonchalantly. And now I will lecture to you, my impartial audience, about music and honestly I care more about the drink in my hand.
The only thing keeping us all here anyway is this chillwave that’s playing.
What IS Chillwave?
Many great minds have pondered this and the general consensus thus far is ‘cool’ or ‘whatever’.
Most heavily I think it is the nostalgia of 80’s synth-pop, but it incorporates many modern day styles such as shoe-gaze and lo-fi. And it is very chill. Just an idea anyway.
The term itself was coined by Carles of the blog hipsterrunoff.com… I’m sure no one’s heard of that. Regardless, the name itself I see as a sort of a reflection on the times and culture of places like Williamsburg. Now while the Hipster’s of this area tend to listen to all sorts of good music, chillwave will always have a special place in their impartial hearts. I mean it would be cool.
And it has a really high success rate of good bands compared to other genres, especially seeing how there’s only like about a handful. Basically something like 4/7 anyway.This band is one of those few gems, and rightfully so.
Washed Out is the stage name of Georgia-based Ernest Greene. One day Pitchfork stumbled upon his myspace, and now he’s famous, having attended every Pitchfork Festival Since.
His style uses ample amounts of effects processing, looping, sampling, synthesizer, and heavily filtered melodic lyrics. Then again all chillwave uses this style. And it works. The sound that is created can be described as a warm and blurry fuzz which is held together by an 80’s work-out video-esque beat and baseline.
This particular song is from the Adult Swim singles project, which also seemed to have jumped onto the band wagon. It features a Caroline Polachek, someone whom I have never heard of before and who nonetheless has a very chillwave worthy voice. The song is also free to download off of Adult Swim’s website.
I also definitely recommend indulging in magic while listening to this. It will be the most relaxing and chill thing you could possibly do. The lyrics will drag you ever so slowly over a pile of warm and slightly tingly pillows. Although you will be powerless, the bass line will make your heart dance in a sort of slow-motion sepia sort of way. Meanwhile your thoughts will realize what the 80’s would have been like if coke wasn’t around. It truly is a musical and magical experience that will change your life.
Get Washed Out’s debut album entitled Life of Leisure, you won’t be disappointed.
That’s all I have to say, not that any of you actually cared.
Generally, Thursday’s are reserved for music news, but in viewing the stock of potential items I have decided that none of it is that exciting. Billy Joel’s memoir is coming out in June. That’s about it. So, instead of boring you all with unexciting news items, here is The Move performing my psychedelic song choice of the day, “Blackberry Way”
The Music Court 