Lately, it seems like almost all music has sexual and drug related inuendos. Although most genres allude to it to some degree, some are much more blatant. The most prevalent examples I could see were in rap, and some of the songs following.
1. Milkshake by Kelis. When I first heard this song, I was to young understand any of its suggestions. Its pretty straightforward now though.
2. "Secret" by Maroon 5. This sings about sex, and little else.
3. "Purple Pills" by Eminem. Drugs seem to be a running motif in his songs. This one glamorizes several drugs, particularly ecstacy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC9M_6gW7Yw
4. Peacock by Katy Perry. Its blatantly sexual, but done in a way meant to be funny, not vulgar.
5. Get U Home by Shwayze. "Take me in the bathroom, take my clothes off.." Enough said.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Evolution of my Taste in Music
As a kid, music carried little weight with me. It was merely a background noise in the car, or something that they put in movies. My parents were a part of this lack of interest; my mom only played the occasional Christian station in the car, and my dad only turned on the Beatles in long car car trips or the Christmas CD's around the holidays.
I felt this lack of interst throughout most of grade school; while my friends were developing interests in the mainstream bands I felt that I couldn't relate to music. This was characteristic with a lot of media for me, especially TV, (I didn't watch tv more than once a week until my junior year of high school).
When I got to high school however, it changed. I started to be more interested in things like boys and romance, a rather big topic in music. Thus, I started to listening to Maroon 5 cause of their easy beat and mushy lyrics. I branched a tad bit by listening to bands with similiar beats, but my taste was overall the same. One day, I stumbled upon The Killers and I was addicted, even though I had little idea what any of their lyrics were about. I was all about the sound that appealed to me, for reasons I didn't care to even analyze. As I got a little older (i.e. sophomore year of high school), the same kind of music suddenly seemed less appealing. I was more interested in examining life than listening to music, and my old favorite bands couldn't really contribute.
One day, my friend sent me lyrics to a band called The Spill Canvas. The lyrics made sense (unlike The Killers, unfortunately), and read like a poem. The lead singers voice is clear, so I could focus on the lyrics when I listened to them. I've been hooked ever since. They don't stop me from branching out though, I've listened to even more bands since I found them. Now when I go to listen to music, I keep a sharp ear for the lyrics, and it's surprising what you can find when you're looking for it.
I felt this lack of interst throughout most of grade school; while my friends were developing interests in the mainstream bands I felt that I couldn't relate to music. This was characteristic with a lot of media for me, especially TV, (I didn't watch tv more than once a week until my junior year of high school).
When I got to high school however, it changed. I started to be more interested in things like boys and romance, a rather big topic in music. Thus, I started to listening to Maroon 5 cause of their easy beat and mushy lyrics. I branched a tad bit by listening to bands with similiar beats, but my taste was overall the same. One day, I stumbled upon The Killers and I was addicted, even though I had little idea what any of their lyrics were about. I was all about the sound that appealed to me, for reasons I didn't care to even analyze. As I got a little older (i.e. sophomore year of high school), the same kind of music suddenly seemed less appealing. I was more interested in examining life than listening to music, and my old favorite bands couldn't really contribute.
One day, my friend sent me lyrics to a band called The Spill Canvas. The lyrics made sense (unlike The Killers, unfortunately), and read like a poem. The lead singers voice is clear, so I could focus on the lyrics when I listened to them. I've been hooked ever since. They don't stop me from branching out though, I've listened to even more bands since I found them. Now when I go to listen to music, I keep a sharp ear for the lyrics, and it's surprising what you can find when you're looking for it.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Five Songs I Hate
The whole reason I listen to music is for the lyrics; I love lyrics with a meaning that isn't directly put out there. Bands like the Spill Canvas have songs that at first glance are about love, but looking deeper there meanings extend far past simple romance. Thus, songs that shallowly advertise their meaning carry little appeal with me. Examples of such songs are as follows:
1. "Story of a Girl" by 9 Days. The beat is repetitive, and lacks any musical complexity. Worse than that, its lyrics lack the poetry that makes some songs so good.
2. "Sadie Hawkins Dance" by Reliant K. Again, the lyrics and beat are droningly repetitive. The lyrics don't even attempt to possess meaning beyond being literal.
3."Dinosaur" By Ke$ha. Horrible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRW9AM9sGxY
4. "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse. I love her voice, but she used it as the only focus of the song. RIP.
5. "Never Say Never" by Justin Bieber. His ability to make teenage girls swoon is beyond me. If empty lyrics and high pitched voice equal success, then good music must be more obscure then I thought.
1. "Story of a Girl" by 9 Days. The beat is repetitive, and lacks any musical complexity. Worse than that, its lyrics lack the poetry that makes some songs so good.
2. "Sadie Hawkins Dance" by Reliant K. Again, the lyrics and beat are droningly repetitive. The lyrics don't even attempt to possess meaning beyond being literal.
3."Dinosaur" By Ke$ha. Horrible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRW9AM9sGxY
4. "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse. I love her voice, but she used it as the only focus of the song. RIP.
5. "Never Say Never" by Justin Bieber. His ability to make teenage girls swoon is beyond me. If empty lyrics and high pitched voice equal success, then good music must be more obscure then I thought.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
My Five Favorite Songs
Like the times, my taste in music has been inconsistent and as constantly changing as fad diets. Despite this, some songs went beneath the surface and embedded themselves in my heart and mind permanently (and are still stuck in my head.) They go, in order, as follows;
1. "Saved" by the Spill Canvas. At the height of my pop music faze, the simplisitc beat caught my attention, but the simple, sweet yet somehow deep lyrics struck a deeper note. This song eased me into The Spill Canvas, for whom I now have a love affair. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgIEvn0Xl8Y&ob=av2e
2. "Californication" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. This song manages to capture all the feelings about the Golden State that proud members feel, even the discord, without even really using very many words. The lyrics evoke nostalgia and reminds of the less glamorous side of California. Most importantly, the soft rock beat is as quintessensial to me as the Beatles were to my father and other die hards. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlUKcNNmywk&ob=av2e
3. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers. I fell in love with this song before I even really knew what its about. The lyrics about intense jealousy (even if its in one's head) manage to capture all of my teenage angst and all the romance of bitterness about young love. The beat is never slow and sad, much like how little actual sadness was present in my angst. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdGFtwCNBE&ob=av3e
4. "Wasted" by Cartel. The fast pace and high voice of the lead singer is misleading; the song follows stories of people with impending saddness. The message follows how people inapproriately live their lives and diverge from happiness. The message it sends might be reduced to a cliche, but if you listen for the careful sincerity in its simplicity, you've already bought into it by the end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3weE4Kq7kY
5."Time to Pretend" by MGMT. The beginning of the song uses unusual, weird sounds, then delves into the beat, which is a unique blend of upbeat and randomness. The songs lyrics epitomize the glamour of living fast and dying young, but touches on loss of innocence from it. Like MGMT's other songs, Time To Pretend creates its own pychadelic-esqu world.
1. "Saved" by the Spill Canvas. At the height of my pop music faze, the simplisitc beat caught my attention, but the simple, sweet yet somehow deep lyrics struck a deeper note. This song eased me into The Spill Canvas, for whom I now have a love affair. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgIEvn0Xl8Y&ob=av2e
2. "Californication" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. This song manages to capture all the feelings about the Golden State that proud members feel, even the discord, without even really using very many words. The lyrics evoke nostalgia and reminds of the less glamorous side of California. Most importantly, the soft rock beat is as quintessensial to me as the Beatles were to my father and other die hards. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlUKcNNmywk&ob=av2e
3. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers. I fell in love with this song before I even really knew what its about. The lyrics about intense jealousy (even if its in one's head) manage to capture all of my teenage angst and all the romance of bitterness about young love. The beat is never slow and sad, much like how little actual sadness was present in my angst. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdGFtwCNBE&ob=av3e
4. "Wasted" by Cartel. The fast pace and high voice of the lead singer is misleading; the song follows stories of people with impending saddness. The message follows how people inapproriately live their lives and diverge from happiness. The message it sends might be reduced to a cliche, but if you listen for the careful sincerity in its simplicity, you've already bought into it by the end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3weE4Kq7kY
5."Time to Pretend" by MGMT. The beginning of the song uses unusual, weird sounds, then delves into the beat, which is a unique blend of upbeat and randomness. The songs lyrics epitomize the glamour of living fast and dying young, but touches on loss of innocence from it. Like MGMT's other songs, Time To Pretend creates its own pychadelic-esqu world.
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