Music: Rate and Discuss

The Helio Sequence

I feel utterly defeated.

I pride myself in listening to weird, obscure music. When I know that other people are listening to the same weird music as me, I'm turned off from listening to it from then on. That might not prevent from listening to it ever, but there's a definite impact. But this goes beyond just all music. This usually applies to electronicish type music exclusively. I'll listen to Nine Inch Nails, Mute Math, Filter, Tool, etc. just swimmingly. They're in a different class as the weird electronic.

But then why do I feel guilty about listening to The Helio Sequence?

I recently came across this band when I searched Grooveshark (awesome SeeqPod replacement) for "Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles. Among the results was a cover of that by The Helios Sequence. It caught my ear. I love the original, and this wasn't that bad at all. It was good! Impressed that a cover of a Beatles song came close to the original, I investigated.

Their first album Com Plex could honestly be a future-Beatles album. It's almost plagiarism (like Tycho to BoC, for example). They share very similar elements and, hell, the lead singer even sounds like Paul. It's a loud album; lots of noise permeates through each song, smothering the vocals. It reminds me of the older recording style: open, less studioized. It's refreshing. One particular song, My Heart, starts with a rise of static noise, guitar wailings for a solid two minutes before progressing into a beautiful chord sequence. It's amazing in its simplicity and it works so well.

I grabbed another album, their newest called Keep Your Eyes Ahead. It's quite a change from their first. The singer apparently damaged his vocal chords and had to learn how to sing again. Gone is Paul junior, but what is left is excellent. It's different, but just as good. I like the album a little less than Com Plex, but it has some real gems. Hallelujah, which I was assuming was a cover, is really, really good. The vocals are dense, packed together, but he sings them flawlessly with such emotion. Overall, the album is more electronic than the previous, but it's still well sat in rock/indie rock/whatever.

The Helio Sequence's sound isn't really that unique. They're not really reinventing anything. But it's so damn good. It's so atmospheric. Maybe my music isn't that unique either. Millions listen to Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, Mum, BT, The Knife, Freezepop, RJD2 and Why?. Maybe it's not unique that I listen to them. But they're damn good. And The Helios Sequence just earned a seat.
 
Paramore - The Only Exception

paramore2009a.jpg


Quite a change of pace for the energetic quintet - a slowed down ballad with a mainly acoustic backdrop. I hate to say it, but it reminded me of early down-trodden Avril Lavigne tracks. That's probably a bad thing (but an inevitable comparison, given the nature of the song).

If you love Paramore, you’re going to love Brand New Eyes and buy it when it comes out regardless of what anyone says. Nothing they do is ground-breaking, but they've certainly figured out a critically and financially successful formula. If you're not into the band already, there's nothing here to "finally" convert you. Go about your day.
 
Foo Fighters - Wheels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_WH5Kfaj5Y

Okay, Foo Fighters are my favourite band, but this new song, well, it doesn't really do anything justice. It's just... a song. Like one of the songs from In Your Honor which nobody listened to. Foo Fighters tend to release the best songs as singles (with the exception of the last two albums), but this really isn't anywhere near their best. Even Long Road to Ruin was better than this.
It's by no means a bad song, but there's nothing interesting about it, nothing that makes you love it. It's just an unusually country - ish song with nothing but a cliche riff and exceedingly dumb vocals. Comparisons have been made to Tom Petty and they are understandable but there are still some people who say this is fantastic. Why won't they give us another This is a Call, Stacked Actors or Everlong? Something which is really defining?
And that's just it; there is nothing defining about this song. As I said before, it's just a song. The Pretender was more defining than this, and that's saying something.

Not a terrible song but sub par for the Foo Fighters. 6/10
 
Qonfused said:
The Helio Sequence

I feel utterly defeated.

I pride myself in listening to weird, obscure music. When I know that other people are listening to the same weird music as me, I'm turned off from listening to it from then on. That might not prevent from listening to it ever, but there's a definite impact. But this goes beyond just all music. This usually applies to electronicish type music exclusively. I'll listen to Nine Inch Nails, Mute Math, Filter, Tool, etc. just swimmingly. They're in a different class as the weird electronic.
Click to expand...

Haha, sometimes I feel the same way too although not so much anymore. Like I absolutely adore Explosions in the Sky, who were definitely in Obscuro-Land (at least in the real world, maybe not so much on the Internet) when I started listening to them. I actually got a few people to start listening to them. Then I moved to Austin where it's like everyone and their mother listens to them. It was a little irritating at first (especially at live shows where the show's sold out, but half of the people there are drunk "look-at-how-cool-I-am" idiots). But I still like them anyways which I suppose is a good thing.

My real shameful confession is that, before I heard of Explosions in the Sky or post-rock or anything that wasn't played on mainstream radio, I first heard of Sigur Ros on YAHOO RADIO, of all places. I think I had stuff like Coldplay and Dido and Sarah McLachlan in my music preferences, and for some reason Yahoo Radio starts playing Sigur Ros's "Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa." At first I was like, "Oh piano that's nice," and then the singing started and I was like "Holy crap what's up with this dude's voice... and what language is this?" and then they got to that crazy dissonant breakdown at the end and I was like "What the heck is going on?!" That plus Liveplasma plus checking out Mogwai and Explosions cd's from the public library (for real) was what got me into post-rock.

Anyhow, I checked out Helio Sequence (again -- I've looked at their Myspace before but forgot what they sounded like). It's pretty decent. I find myself liking upbeat stuff more nowadays. I think I might be a happier person?
 
the Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant

speaks to a generation of teens who were sick of their portrayal in media at that time. this was a **** you to conformity. punk as it was meant to be, not the commercial shit that's put out today by bands manufactured by recording labels
 
Pietro Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo

I never really listen to opera (or much classical music, for that matter). There's a really long backstory as to why I'm actually listening to this song in the first place, involving classical radio stations going bankrupt, my dad liking classical music, moving into a new apartment, my radio being haunted, and having to set my radio to "music alarm" to make it stop playing music. Anyways, this song happened to be playing this morning, and maybe I was just really tired, but it was the most beautiful music I'd heard in a long time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HNw7vFHn2M
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BI_x8cenPY&fmt=18
[For better frequency response make sure it's in HQ.]

Another two-in-one track by the duo in 2001. Starts out with a pretty cool gamelan-type plucking synth, in likely some unusual scale. Soon its accompanied by a pretty plain bass, coming from Autechre. In fact, in my mind it sticks out the most, as it reminds me very much of jungle dives (albeit with the usual Autechrian syncopation). What makes it unusual is that it's literally just a loud sine--they almost never make synth-sounding basses, apparently preferring more subtle, acoustic-inspired ones (see '96 era stuff). It even goes into frequencies most speakers are going to fart out on (<60hz), another unusual move from these guys. The percussion's pretty standard fair for this era, just the usual short-decay, shaped-noise hits ('pucka-pucka-poom-pucka').

There's a bridge which is pretty forgettable (again, standard waveshape [I call them 'accelerating spikes'] amplitude modulation on the synth from 4:44-5:07; it's almost cliche at this point).

End is interesting in a evil-carnival way, but doesn't fit well with the beginning. The end-fade synth has the most plain use of bit crunching (post-'95, anyway) I've heard from them and it's pretty boring tbh.

Still, worth it for the beginning.
 
gd_ffdp092409.jpg


I love how Five finger Death Punch has matured as a group. I can understand their lyrics more and more now, the lyrics make more sense, and they sound utterly amazing. This is a true Metal album and I'm really enjoying this album. I also got Chevelle's new album Sci-Fi crimes and that is also amazing. I really hate the Fall of Troy though, I can't believe I bought this garbage....worst band I've listened to in a while. Maybe I'll give it another play through

SF%20Crimes.jpg
 
Coprofago - Unorthodox Creative Criteria 10/10

holy crap..this album is ****ing amazing. Pure Melodic Jazz Meets Metal, totally head-banger material too. If youre into very out of tuned and interesting power chord riffs, with lots of fusion solo's, keyboard and Meshuggah like Vocals, then well, this album is for you.
 
Silversun Pickups

An Indie rock band from California, I believe. A favorite of mine. There's not much I can say here, you have to hear this sound. Reminds me of MGMT a bit.

Here's an acoustic session featuring a single off their latest album 'Swoon':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvWzbHM94ks
 
SP is pretty good, I just wish the drummer knew a different pattern.
 
Time.Space.Repeat - 8/10

Haven't listened to much post-rock lately, so I'm listening to some new-ish bands. This one has kinda shoegazey vocals mixed in. It's not exactly the most exciting stuff, but there's some pretty sounds floating around. And the album's free to download which never hurts.

[edit] Just got to the song where the dude sings. Annoying singing and music on that one. Bleh. Marking down to 6 or 7/10
 
The Beta Band - Dry The Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsbR2dEmHGc

First heard this song in the movie High Fidelity. It is a mix of 90s Britpop, country and I don't know what else. I especially like the second part. Makes me think of the Stones in a weird way. It is probably the horns.
 
ArmA: Combat Operations Soundtrack

This is surprisingly good. Starts out with 2 remixes of tracks from the original Operation Flashpoint, which is great as that game had a great soundtrack too. Mostly heavy rock type tracks, with some synth and other things mixed in, but the cheese level is quite low. In OpFlash it felt a bit midi-ish but in this the sound is quite good. The music feels like it's from a really high quality hollywood action movie.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qb1VqScu5I

This is off of a trance compilation I bought used at a store something like five years ago, and it always stuck out to me. It's nothing more than the most generic of club trance, but somehow... I love it. You guys know me, I'm generally not one for mediocre dance dance dance get ****ed up and dance type heavy trance but this song really does it for some reason. Same with Sasha/Digweed's collab work, I really dislike mainstream trance but on occasion it can grab me and take me wherever it is I want to go.

Next up: something infinitely more obscure, hip and edgy to appease all of you elitist electonica types, not that you guys aren't already aware that I can hold my ground in that regard... but open-mindedness is everything. Love it and feel it is all I'm trying to say :3

Next up: CBL, HIA, Biosphere, or something that's not BoC ambient in order to appease you rabid sunzabitches. No really, I'm totally hip and rad. You know. But chyall ain't herrrrd o dis. Aint. I can get so obscure you ****ers are asking me.... WHO THE **** IS KAISHIWA DAISUKE? Well, stop listening to whatever kind of stupid shit you've got pumpin thru your speakers and find him (you'll need to look real hard... PM me if that's too deep for your pathetic lack of e-nettin' ass)
 
Ah, the Sunshine music is good stuff. I heard about the music before I heard about the movie and ended up watching the movie because of that. Lame but true.

Currently listening to Explosions in the Sky - The Only Moment We Were Alone - John Peel Session 1/28/04

Haven't listened to this song in a while. This recording is really superb -- everything is clear and nicely balanced.
 
I more or less peed myself with joy while I was watching Sunshine for the first time soaking in all the atmosphere. What a movie.
 
Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra featuring the Clark Sisters - On The Sunny Side Of The Street

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxz8NPUqtq0

On of my secret vices is big band music from the 40's and 50's. Early Sinatra, Glenn Miller, corny stuff like that. This is probably my favourite song from the era. Tommy Dorsey can even make a down tempo song like this swing.

Get hip, don't be afraid :)
 
Fanfarlo - The Walls Are Coming Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7LxBIBfoDo

This song is great. It's full of such joy. Also, TRUMPETS... I love trumpets in songs :D. I'd describe this band as kinda like a mix between Coldplay and Arcade Fire... except a little less hyper than Arcade Fire.

Playing here December 12... will probably go if I can find someone to come with me so maybe I won't be horribly murdered in the middle of the night. Do Make Say Think is playing here too but I don't think anyone I know here listens to them. Argh!
 
Do Make Say Think - Say

I think this is my favorite off their newest album. Lyrical throughout, some interesting rhythm, music swells with trumpets, changes up quite naturally halfway through to some nice tight guitar, last few minutes are super chill with the wind instruments and soft vocals tailing off at the end. All pluses for me. I can't think of anything I don't like about it.
 
joule said:
Paramore - The Only Exception

paramore2009a.jpg


Quite a change of pace for the energetic quintet - a slowed down ballad with a mainly acoustic backdrop. I hate to say it, but it reminded me of early down-trodden Avril Lavigne tracks. That's probably a bad thing (but an inevitable comparison, given the nature of the song).

If you love Paramore, you’re going to love Brand New Eyes and buy it when it comes out regardless of what anyone says. Nothing they do is ground-breaking, but they've certainly figured out a critically and financially successful formula. If you're not into the band already, there's nothing here to "finally" convert you. Go about your day.
Click to expand...

Brand New Eyes is by no means a bad album, but I feel like it definitely pales in comparison to their previous two releases.

As you said, there's definitely nothing here to finally convert someone new.
 
Dark Dark Dark - All the Things - 9.5/10

Very nice song. It has accordion and piano which is cool, but the best thing is definitely the vocals. The (female) singer has a very interesting voice. I don't know how to describe it. Probably "smoky" but I hate that term for some reason. All the songs performed here are worth listening to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r27SIo1bM7g
 
Nutrocker by Transiberian Orchestra - 9/10

From their new album. It kind of reminds me of Beethovens 5th, the way it just makes the song rock, it doesn't add any stupid sweeping or dragonforce-esque bullshit (it does at the end a little bit). Their whole new album is awesome. December 26th (maybe 28th, can't remember) I'm seeing them I can't F*CKING WAIT.
 
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