Art is the music we make from the bewildered cry of being alive. ~Maria Popova
27 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: dido, no freedom
Dido: “No Freedom” (2013)
The honey-voiced English singer-songwriter Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O’Malley Armstrong makes a welcome return in 2013 with Girl Who Got Away, and its standout lead track, “No Freedom”.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2015/09/05/songs-you-may-have-missed-547/
27 Mar 2013 3 Comments
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: barenaked ladies, upside down
Barenaked Ladies: “Upside Down” (2003)
Another anthem of cynicism from one the foremost practitioners of the subgenre, Steven Page. I’ll say it again: no one since ABBA makes romantic dysfunction sound so damn catchy.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/08/02/songs-you-may-have-missed-158/
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/06/23/songs-you-may-have-missed-432/
27 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: biffy Clyro, opposite
Biffy Clyro: “Opposite” (2013)
From the Scottish band’s sixth LP, 2013’s Opposites, which was released in both single and double-album versions. There’s something to like about this band whether your taste leans toward nerd rock of Weezer, the blustery neo prog of Muse, or straight-up melodic pop rock (formerly more common in this country before folk, noise pop and chamber pop influences recently became predominant strains in indie pop).
“Opposite” is an atypically mellow moment for a band whose metal influences are commonly in evidence.
25 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Best of the Blog, On a Lighter Note Tags: autotune, the beach boys
Did you know the Beach Boys relied heavily on autotune? Here’s how they sounded without it…
25 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: big star, the ballad of el goodo
Big Star: “The Ballad of El Goodo” (1972)
The problem with coming in late on an artwork lauded as “influential” is that you’ve probably encountered the work it influenced first, so its truly innovative qualities are lost. Thus, if you are hearing Big Star’s debut album for the first time decades after its release (as, inevitably, most people must), you may be reminded of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers or R.E.M., who came after — that is, if you don’t think of the Byrds and the Beatles, circa 1965. What was remarkable about #1 Record in 1972 was that nobody except Big Star (and maybe Badfinger and the Raspberries) wanted to sound like this — simple, light pop with sweet harmonies and jangly guitars. Since then, dozens of bands have rediscovered those pleasures. But in a way, that’s an advantage because, whatever freshness is lost across the years, Big Star’s craft is only confirmed. These are sturdy songs, feelingly performed, and once you get beyond the style to the content, you’ll still be impressed.
(Reprinted from Allmusic Guide‘s review of Big Star’s #1 Record album)
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/11/16/songs-you-may-have-missed-238/
25 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: great big sea, here and now
Great Big Sea: “Here and Now” (2008)
A clear reminder to those of us starting to see the birthdays and anniversaries piling up, to start living in the here and now:
The hardest part of life/Is to live while you’re alive, my friend…
We’ve already started dying and our time is running out
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/03/19/songs-you-may-have-missed-56/
Every Moment Has A Song 