Yeah, it's once again not a Monday, I realise that. I can't help it that yesterday was spent in the presence of my girlfriend. Well, that's a lie, I can. It's just she is > than this blog, quite frankly.
Back to the post. It's undergone a name change, maybe. Musical Mondays (MM) or Mundane Monday's Music. Which do you think is better? Please say, or I might do something silly and rename it again, when I post the next installment of MM next week - most likely will not be a Monday either. Lord Phail is my title for a reason.
The bands: Army of the Pharaohs - Into the Arms of Angels
It's Hip Hop, yes, but it's deep. I want to offer a variance in the music I promote. But I'd rather let the lyrics speak for itself: "Y'all don't know what it's like bein' born with stress against you Only feelin' in this world is the life within you You'd have to be damn near dead to see the nights I been through Damn near dead to feel the wind beneath you"
...
"Still walk these hollow grounds, bein' lost but never found Say to the Lord, "I'll die for music" ..(silence).. but there's never sound..."
Both quotes from Verse 2. In my opinion, the best verse of the song. Crypt The Warchild really delivered with it.
Yes, retard. It's a Friday, well done. I'm not stupid, you know (but I apparently have a fetish for commas. It's not me, it's English. I Swear :( ... ). Anyway, I thought I would add a variety to my blog and change the direction of this blog to one of a more mainstream medium - I hate mainstream mediums... But, from now on, every Monday I will post videos/songs of bands I've lately discovered and want to share with you, dear Reader. No, you're not special, it's just these bands I choose are too awesome not to share. That means these bands are relatively unknown so they're not mainstream, so f*** being mainstream. I found a loophole. Anyway, enough about me and on to the music!
Rise Against - Survive
It's Rise Against, what is there to say? My favourite band. My favourite song by them (Maybe second favourite, but his voice is unique and will definitely not appeal to many; so I shall refrain from posting an acoustic song of theirs that I love too. If you're still interested it's called "Hero of War". A critical song about the war in Iraq,)
Not Forgotten - Waiting
This, dear Reader, is the band I searched for, for three years. This is the band I would not let go of. This is the song that I cherish. This is Not Forgotten.
Little side note: Ever since I first heard it, I've needed more. But alas it was merely a side-project by the musicians, who only collaborated on four tracks - only three of which are still available. If you know me, then you will know the elation I had two weeks ago after finally finding the band members. It took me three years of searching and I had to find the copyright details on this song to do it. Stalker, obsessive, call it what you want, I don't care. I'm happy. I received a letter back from the guitarist stating that he will get them all together again for a few more songs. I feel so blessed to be the reason for them reforming. It's true what they say. Hard work is always rewarded.
The Ataris - The Hero Dies In This One
Not too sure of the meaning behind the song, but what I gather is that it's inspired by two things - The loss of his mother (who cared for him as a single parent after being divorced) and (less so) for his daughter he hardly gets to see because of his own divorce. Even if you don't like the sound, I recommend you listen to the words. They're very deep and touching. (Note: Anderson is the town he grew up in)
"The hardest part isn't finding who we need to be, it's being content with who you are." One of the truest words you will ever hear in a song...
The Morning Of - Shine
Very soppy, I know. But what's more appropriate than inappropriate soppiness now that Twilight Eclipse is soon to be shown in cinemas? I love his voice... The sound reminds me of The Higher, just sans a slight Canadian accent. Though, with the female vocals on most of their other songs I can't help but feel this is the Skillet of the Pop Rock world. Though Pop Rock might be a bit of a misleading genre title when the band call themselves "Fourth-wave Emo". Lol wtf.
Skillet - Don't Wake Me
This is the band the previous blog post (and the previous song's background) alluded to. Much like Rise Against, his voice won't appeal to everyone, but like The Ataris I love the lyrics. They're amazing. Whether you've had your heart broken or not, the lyrics are powerful enough to portray the emotion behind the words.
We all have a favourite band, or artist, who's works we follow faithfully; never missing a release because each album impacts upon our life as each album is our own created - or more accurately bought (so yes, happiness can be bought. Guess I just ended an age-old philosophical debate with one sentence... Am I not amazing? Oh go on, yes I am. Admit it...) a personal release from the reality we face each day. A place where we can rock out in solitude to the concert within our imagination; a groupie in the comfort of our own bedroom.
But why do we continue to follow our favourite bands? Sure, they're our favourite band for a reason but, with each album, changes take place. Subtle differences in how the band creates their work. What keeps us hooked to them? Is this musical evolution the creator of improvement or are Heifetz words really true? So then why is it that bands always return to their roots after a few releases, to much critical success. You could attain this success to the 'survival of the fittest' in this musical evolution - but when has atavism been the survival technique of the superior? Atavism is what it is, a throwback to primal behaviour. Not a neo-evolutionary trademark.
While not every album - or band, for that matter - fits this 'evolutionary' pattern, it's safe to say that most do, and that we do follow a fanaticism whenever a new album is released. No matter how short the fanaticism lasts, we do.
The song that brought upon the requirement to debate this (with myself, seeing I have no readers) is currently playing; "Looking For Angels" by Skillet. An amazing Christian band, but with lyrics everyone can relate to and enjoy. It had always been my theory that the more recent an album was, the greater it was, and perhaps that's what caused me to begin on a path that would lead me here. It's because of that ideology that I focused, mainly, on their newest album, Awake. It wouldn't be until this very past Sunday that I would find the wonders of what really is their greatest album; Comatose - an album 3 years older than Awake. My three favourite songs still remain those from Awake but, overall, Comatose has everything I look for in an Alternative/Post-Grunge band. I'm disappointed in not having given the album more appreciation earlier, as I've missed out on many days of being able to lie back and zone-out to it's vibe.
So then is this not the "three days" Heifetz talks about? For the band always knows their greatest and worst works, the critics have no personal bias to the album they have bought, but we do, and that is why we take the longest to realise that the Evolution of the music we love is merely the de-evolution from what we love. The first album we hear from a band usually remains, subconsciously, our most favourite because of the fact that we fell in love with the band because of that sound, so, while the departure from that sound may appeal to us, it never lasts. But, it is because of the de-evolution that our love for our favourite band evolves. It gives us a fresh start in listening to its sound again. To enjoy it, to feel it...
Therefore music's evolution might be atavistic, but it is this atavism that creates the de-evolution of the evolution that is destroying our muse. In other words, we do need the old for the new, but it is the old that needs the new the most. God-bless the late Jascha Heifetz, he wasn't senile after all.
(Though I might be. That made no sense, did it... It's late...)
The views in this blog are totally fucked. They do not reflect the views of Blogspot.com nor of anyone with a sane mind. Although the posts within this blog border on insanity, the blogger does not condone racism nor does he condone illegality of any kind. Crime is for black people.
