Kings of Leon - Yes.. I Realize They Have Been Around A While

So.. for some reason I never really listened to Kings of Leon. I have no real reason for this, and honestly I can't think up a good excuse on short notice.. so.. deal.  These guys have been a favorite of my brother-in-law's for quite some time, but I just never got around to listening to them. (not cool of me.. ) haha

Well.. like any good Spotify user, I decided to throw some top tracks into my playlist.  Now, don't get me wrong, I had heard some of the songs before, I just think they resonated with me a little more this time around.  Maybe because I was paying attention.

KINGS OF LEON











Now again, I am not making excuses for myself, I simply must have had a filter up on these guys, and so yes this is old news (and probably out of "fashion" at this point).  However, this crew from Oklahoma has some really nice jams out that are well worth listening to, assuming you are as late to the party as I am.  Now, when I say late to the party, we are talking late to the party that started in 1999.  So yeah... that's late.  I will say though that they probably didn't really hit their stride until more recently (circa 2006 or so).

I have been told they have an incredible live show, and my guess would be that is inevitably true.  I figure if your band started in Nashville, then you probably have to be pretty damn good live.  There is tons of competition, and its not like they match the strong-arm genre.  I was specifically told that their show at Red Rocks was unreal.  So I am of course bummed I missed it.

So for a full family band... they are pretty doggone good.  They certainly smoke The Jonas Brothers or Hanson if that's what you were thinking.  They are three brothers and a cousin, and unfortunately they are currently on hiatus, or so it seems that way.  They ended up cancelling the remainder of their 2010 US tour, and finishing up their tour season in Australia.  I don't know this for sure, but my guess is that some people are built for that kind of road-work, and some people aren't.  Could be more involved than that, but I guess I'll never know.

Now for a few good songs to munch on.

-Pyro-
I absolutely love this song... Hands down my favorite right now, and one that I listen to with some regularity at the moment.  I love the really tight reverb on their guitar riffs, because it gives a light and airy sound to their top-end, and then the bass and baritone vocals really round it out.  Love the harmonies created in this one as well, and the keyboard work in the background (as it is kind of hard to hear but adds a ton of color).




-The End-
Another favorite at the moment.  And again you can hear that reverb on the guitar.  It is somewhat reminiscent of Coldplay in how they use it, but obviously a completely different sound.  Excellent song though.




-Closer-
 I really like the guitar work on this track..  It's repetitive in a way, but it is just a really intense and heartfelt sound.




-Sex Is On Fire-
I just like the title.........  Hah, no it's a great song.  And yes, I know we have all heard this one.




Those are my favorites at the moment, and would love some suggestions on some other songs (other than Use Somebody, because yes I have heard it).  Obviously Come Around Sundown  and  Only By The Night are both great albums.  So yeah... I've been a little lazy..  I found my four favorites that I listen to, and now I want all 2.7 of my readers to suggest a song of Kings' that isn't on this tiny, quickly produced list.

Thank you.

-CS

Modeselektor, Leila, Ital Tek, D'arcangelo, Djunya - Deep Downtempo Grooves

So I always like to bounce around from genre to genre as much as possible, and I wanted to highlight these guys, as I had just found them through some quality Pandora time.  I was over brewing some beer with some buddies, and a song came on a Pandora station we had playing in the background, and I wanted to know what it was.  Turns out it was Modeselektor, with a title called 'Edgar.'  I thought it was a pretty tasty jam, so I created a little Pandora station centered around it, and came across some pretty obscure but interesting stuff.  It is mostly electronic, and technically could be labeled as dubstep, but it isn't as intense, so it's probably a downtempo version of dubstep. (IDM/glitch)

MODESELEKTOR

I had heard of this group before, as I think they have some work that they did with Apparat, but I didn't know much about them and had not specifically heard their work before.  In catching 'Edgar' I think I found the only song of theirs that I legitimately like.  Now that isn't to say they don't have something else out there that might be worth listening to, but 'Edgar' was far and away my favorite.  They are a German group, which I think is where the Apparat connection came from, and they are mostly labeled as IDM/glitch in terms of their style.  I just really liked this song when I heard it, even though it can be pretty repetitive.  Either way, check it out!

-Edgar-




So what did this little diddy get me by putting it into Pandora?  Some of the jams you hear below are from exactly that.  You will again notice that this is actually some fairly dark, meaty, glitchy dupstep stuff.  I think the thing that I like about it all is how it sounds over the car speakers when I'm blasting down the highway.  So my guess is that this stuff won't resonate with most, but it could open some doors for others.

LEILA - Mollie

This is a pretty strange track, but as I said above, it sounded amazing when I was blasting it over the car speakers.  I like the composition of it, even though I know it isn't that spectacular in terms of its musicality.  See what you think..




ITAL TEK - Deep Pools

This is a really deep and dark track, with a tremendously slow tempo.  I was taken by some of the sounds they used in this track, but I will say I didn't like the little beep sound in the beginning, mostly because that is the sound that I hear when my phone is about to run out of battery.  No bueno.  I do however like how it tends to build on itself, even though it is repeating the same basic theme.  I also don't like the key change that happens in the middle.. was a bit over the top.





D'ARCANGELO -  H13

I think this track just sounds great.  I love the whole overall composition, the sounds he is using, and also his chord progressions.  Again, a slow tempo, but it sounds amazing when being blasted through some high-end speakers.




DJUNYA - Uprise

This is an incredibly dark tune, and one that almost sounds like it should have been on the soundtrack for the movie The Devil's Advocate.  It spends a lot of time in looped drum patterns, and some boring interludes, but the main thematic chorus is a great set of sounds.  It takes about 40 seconds to get into this version of it, and it spends a lot of time in a looped dubstep drum progression.  I don't know if many folks will like this one, but I thought it had some pretty cool parts.




So again, this may not be everyone's cup of tea, but there is some cool stuff in there.  I figure the more you branch out, the more you have influencing your own musical decisions.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and keep warm now that the weather is going south on us :)

Thanks for stopping in.

-CS

Radiohead - Oldie But A Goodie (or Bestie?)

So I took a little hiatus for the month of October, as that seemed like the smart thing to do given the amount of stuff that needed to occur within one month.  Alas, I am back to business, promoting bands you have no doubt already heard of.  I wanted to do a little spot on Radiohead, mostly because they are probably my favorite of all time, and I have been cruising their latest album a lot lately.

RADIOHEAD

I don't think there is any other band on the planet that I have listened to more throughout my life.  Thom Yorke has wailed into my ear more than any other singer, and Jonny Greenwood has... well you get the picture.  I think the biggest thing about Radiohead is that they are ALWAYS good.  As I was telling a friend the other day, they may not always be perfect, but they are always good.  That is something that is amazing considering the careers these guys have had.  They have been around for what seems like an eternity.  They have released so many albums at this point, that I have a hard time keeping track.

I do however not lose track of any of my favorite tracks of theirs.  I have at least three or four from each album, which is again a testament to how talented Radiohead is.  Not to mention, they always seem to reinvent their sound with each new album.  It is still a dark yet satisfying retreat into Thom Yorke's psychoses, but somehow they change the way they approach each album as though it were a painting.  Everything feels tied together, as though there is an overall theme, and not just a random smattering of works.

Apparently they are on tour at the moment promoting their new album, which is by the way a great work.  They have again remained consistent... and I remain a huge fan.

So let's check out some of the favorites in no particular order.

-Wierd Fishes-

An absolutely haunting and beautiful tune that I have listened to maybe 5,000 times.  It never gets old... The harmonics, the eerie overlays, the tight guitar work, solid drums.. I just never seem to get sick of it.  The first verse "Your eyes... they turn me."  I for some reason am not only affected by the amazing key change at that point, but the thought of looking into someones eyes and it "turning" you... I don't know, I get a chill.  Anyhow, pay attention to the video as well.. pretty cool idea swapping in some Planet Earth footage!

-All I Need-
This song is a slow starter...  But the end of this song literally gives me chills every time I hear it.  This is again off of In Rainbows, which is truly an incredible album all the way around.  This song though has been my favorite off of the album, and I cannot get enough of it.  It somehow evokes some serious pensiveness every time I turn it on.  When the piano kicks in at the end, you will know what I mean.  Yup.. just got the chills.




-Let Down-
Again, slower tempo, and just a gorgeous piece of music.  This is off of the OK Computer album, and it was the song that really put me over the edge on Radiohead when I was in sixth grade.  I remember being on a ski trip to Michigan, which was a 10 hour trip mind you, and I listened to it on repeat for maybe half of the trip.  Not necessarily healthy, but it is just incredible.

-Paranoid Android-
Yeah.. I know.. No brainer.




-Electioneering-
I love this tune.  Total change of pace from their slower stuff, and just an overall very sweet jam..  This is also of course from OK Computer.







-Sit Down. Stand Up.-
I don't know that I could put my finger on this one.  It is just the right level of Radioheadesque eerie, and I love the deep piano lines.  It isn't the best song on the album by any stretch, but it is something else either way.




-Backdrifts-
Very cool soundscape going on here.  Not sure how they did this, but it is pretty incredible stuff.  Also a bit more electronic, which was at the time a little bit of a departure.  They seemed to beef up the electronic stuff in Hail to the Thief.




Now onto the new album..  It is called The King of Limbs, and it seems to have some old influences, and some things that they have never really tried before.  I have been incredibly impressed.  I would never say that Radiohead has any "filler" songs.  Or any throw aways.  I don't love every song, but I am getting there.

-Bloom-
This song is incredibly interesting, because they have this sort of off-beat/down-beat thing going on that I thought would bother me.  Alas, it doesn't bother me in the least, and instead I am drawn to Thom's vocals.  It's of course a slow paced song, but one that I have become quite fond of after listening to the album a couple times (ok.. 20 times).





-Codex-
This is another slow song, but I just really like the piano work, and again the vocals.

-Separator-
I like this understated track, and not sure what it is that does it for me, but my guess is the harmony in the chorus.  Just another example of the range that Radiohead has.




Overall.. I think you get the picture.. These guys are an incredible band, and though I know that everyone has heard of them, maybe you haven't had a chance to dive into the new album.  If you haven't... may I make a suggestion??

Listen to it a few times before you make a decision.  I found that it took me a couple times to find the little elements floating around in here that reminded me just how amazing these guys are.

On another note.  I will be making time for, and getting back into production.  As a great friend told me.. you have to make time for the things you love, or you will never do them.  Absolutely correct.

Until next time :)

-CS