THE DEATH OF THE MIX TAPE
​
Picture
  • Blog
    • Wordpress Feed
  • REACHING OUT:
  • SHOW PICS
  • MY TOP 100 SONGS OF ALL TIME

Destination Unknown(Or Good songs by Bands I Don't Like Volume 2)

1/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Awhile ago on my old page i wrote a thing about good songs by bands i thought weren’t really that good. That can be applied to quite a few different groups and songs, so i decided to do another post in that vein. The difference on this, and for post with this title from now on is that it won’t be a top ten, but rather a list of songs. Anyway, Here’s Part 2 of Good Songs by bad bands

311, Beautiful Disaster
I was a fan of these guys long ago, but somewhere along the way they lost me. Either way, this might be their best all around song. Nick Hexum’s voice is really crisp on the track, and the rhythm section gives the fixed point and from there on the song flows in a really positive way. For real though, there’s not enough that can be said about the layers and effect used on Hexum’s voice. Not that he doesn’t have a good voice, but for some reason I just really dig the production value of this song. I feel like if they did more songs like this, i’d dig them. To be honest though, they may very well have songs like this, but i haven’t tuned in in over a decade, so i would have no clue.

30 Seconds to Mars, the Kill
Another act that I simply lost track of along the way, but they do have some solid tracks. “The Kill,” their best known song, is a powerhouse of a track, and it sees the band becoming bigger as the song progresses. The strength of Leto’s voice is hard to beat when compared to other songs, and the soaring qualities he employs absolutely go hand in hand with the style of drumming exhibited here. The band hasn’t really been taken seriously, or as seriously as they should have, but this quality track is a stand out among modern rock radio, and it’s still  a very well known song. Among their catalog, “The Kill” is at the same time their most well known song and their best, most emotionally powerful song.

Bruno Mars, Locked Out of Heaven
I would have never touched I’d be saying this before it occurred, but his Super Bowl performance was one of the better one’s we’ve been treated to in the last decade. On “Locked Out of Heaven” you can see why. His voice has an old school soul vibe, and the backing band is tight in ways that most modern pop musicians aren’t. The whole song oozes fun and makes you want to dance the night away. Lyrically, the song goes back and forth between downright dirty and heartfelt, which is a thing not everyone can accomplish. A pure party song at it’s core, “Locked Out of Heaven” helped to bring Mars to a whole new level, and it’s well deserved.

Cheap Trick, Surrender
The opening of the song is drums! In the era they were in, this was a  pretty powerful song, and thankfully it’s stood the test of time. While the drums are the most stand out trait of the song, don’t discount the rest of it. The guitars are perfectly written, and the melody is the stuff of legends. I read an interview once where people talked about the combo of the two good looking guys with the two off kilter fellows, and how it was weird enough to work. Well, they ended up being one of the biggest bands of the era, and “Surrender” is still a track that people love to sing along to.

Disturbed, Prayer
There’s this video online called “The Greatest Hit of Disturbed” which is basically a joke about Draiman’s vocal style, and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen, but it got me thinking about what I consider to be their one authentically good song. “Prayer” is a anthem made only for the Ozzfest circa early 2000’s fanbase, but it is a good song. His voice especially on the chorus has this deep bellowing effect that makes the entire song worthwhile. Draiman’s voice has always been the best quality of the band, and when he’s actually singing and not doing that thing that he does, he is a good vocalist. They really should do more tracks with him singing more often, because they can be enjoyable.

Lady Gaga, Bad Romance
Apparently i just involuntarily put mostly pop songs on this list. For that I’m sorry. Anyway, I’m always written off Gaga as a musician trying to be as weird as she can because she thinks it makes her more interesting. In my opinion she essentially was an easier to get into version of the avant garde pop of “The Knife.” Either way, this is one of the best song’s under her umbrella. The beats work in a pure dancehall type of way, and her singing is impeccable. It’s really to bad that she seems more intent on being the “weirdest” person in pop music, as opposed to being a legitimate artist. That chance is likely long gone, as most fads fade, but if she could someway deliver more songs like this, there’s a chance.

Metronomy, A Thing for Me
The instant i heard this track, i was in love. Even about this spoke to me. The vocals are a perfect amount of high pitched perfection, and the indie keyboard adds a gloriously fun touch to the track. This is a song made the late night indie dance circuit, and even after years i still think it’s an excellent track. The issue is that the majority of their other material doesn’t bring out the fun that “A Thing for Me” manages to deliver in a very quick burst. It’s a shame too, because this song has remained a favorite of mine for years, even if the band isn’t that good overall.

Miley Cyrus, Wrecking Ball
One of the best song of the year it came out in, I think she really missed a great chance to became a truly iconic artist. The song is terrific, and I’m not ashamed to say i’ve listened to it multiple times. The sincerity and strength of her voice pulls you in and makes her pain your pain. The issue with me is the video. It could’ve been a cinematic achievement, but instead forever it'll be known as the video where she took off her clothes for a possible sexual predator(director Terry Richardson)?). Getting back to the strong points though, her voice had never been that strong, and it really drives home the fact that she is a legitimately good singer. The song works so well because we’ve all felt this way in various relationships. and it’s part of why the song was universally loved.

Rancid, Ruby Soho
Quite simply, i never liked Punk music as the whole. Except for Bad Religion, Pennywise,and a few others, it just isn’t my thing. For some reason though this song has always been a favorite of mine. The beats are quick and to the point, and while the vocals by Armstrong leave something to be desired, the chorus is where it kicks into full energy high gear. I remember it being quite popular at the time it was released, and for my money it’s still a pretty good track. I have no idea who “Ruby Soho” is, but the song remains fun even after the fact that it’s almost 20 years old.

Taylor Swift, Shake it Off
For some reason, the more song’s this girl write about her ex’es, the bigger she gets. I’ve been told she’s branched out a bit on her newest album, and on “Shake It Off” she seems to take all the ammunition against her and manages to turn it into a tongue in cheek song. The most shocking thing about her new found approach to pop music is that it actually works. The song is insanely catchy, and it’s hard not to get pulled in on the fun. Her voice is also really tight and works in ways it didn’t(at least for me) while she was a bona-fide country artists. This is Swift’s attempt to make a modern pop masterpiece, and if the reviews of the album and the sales are any indication, she succeeded admirably.

See you next week!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Landon Murray is a music connooisseur who craves sounds of all shapes and textures. He's seen over 2000 bands and looks forward to welcoming you into his world of sound, 

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    August 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    Categories

    All
    30 Seconds To Mars
    90's Rock Bands
    ALIVE 2007
    Al Jourgensen
    ALL THESE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE
    Animal Collective
    Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavillion
    Anti-Christ Superstar
    Antics
    Arcade Fire Suburbs
    Arcade Fire Top 10
    Armenian Rock Music
    ART OF COMPOSING
    As The Palaces Burn
    Avalanches Since I Left You
    Badmotorfinger
    Beach House
    Beastie Boys Ill Communication
    Beck Odelay
    Best Albums Of 2015
    BEST ALBUMS OF 2020
    Best Albums Of The 1990's
    Best Albums Of The 2000's
    BEST ALBUMS OF THE 80'S
    Best Albums Of The 90's
    Best Bjork Songs
    Best Black Sabbath Songs
    Best Concerts Of 2015
    Best Converge Songs
    Best Driving Music
    BEST KILLERS SONGS
    Best Lamb Of God Songs
    Best Metal Albums
    Best Metal Albums Of The 2000's
    Best Slayer Songs
    BEST SONGS OF 2020
    Best System Of A Down Songs
    Bjork Homogenic
    Black Sabbath
    Bon Iver
    Bounce Music
    Canadian Music Duo
    Children Of The Grave
    Chris Cornell
    CHVRCHES
    Comeback Albums
    COURTNEY BARNETT
    Cradle Of Filth
    Daft Punk Great Album
    DAFT PUNK LIVE
    Dan Deacon Best Songs
    Dan Deacon Interview
    David Bowie
    David Bowie Guests
    Death From Above 1979
    Deftones
    Dimmu Borgir
    DISINTEGRATION ALBUM REVIEW
    EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
    FLAMING LIPS
    FOLKLORE ALBUM REVIEW
    Foo Fighters
    FOO FIGHTERS COLOUR AND THE SHAPE
    Great Albums Of The 90's
    Great Driving Records
    Great Interpol Tracks
    Great Southern Trendkill
    Halloween Weekend
    HANS ZIMMER
    Heartbroken Love Songs
    History Of Black Sabbath
    History Of Pantera
    Homogenic Songs
    Iceland Singer
    IDLES
    Interpol Best Songs
    Iron Maiden
    Jane Doe
    Jeff Buckley
    Joshua Homme Queens
    Judas Priest
    Kevin Parker Genuis
    KILLER MIKE EL-P
    Killswitch Engage
    LATERALUS ALBUM
    Liam Finn
    Loveless Great Album My Bloody Valentine
    M83
    MASSIVE ATTACK 100TH WINDOW
    Massive Attack Best Album
    Mastodon Leviathan
    MC HAMMER 2 LEGIT TO QUIT BAD VIDEO
    Mechanical Animals
    MEGAN THEE STALLION
    Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
    Meshuggah Nothing
    Michael Jackson Dangerous
    Ministry
    MUMFORD AND SONS BEST SONGS
    Muse Top 10 Songs
    Neutral Milk Hotel
    New Orleans Music Festival
    New Orleans Republic
    New Wave Of American Heavy Metal
    Nineinch Nails
    Nine Inch Nails Sad
    Nirvana In Utero
    Nothingface
    Nothingface Violence Review
    Outkast
    Ozzfest
    Ozzy Osbourne Vocals
    Panda Bear
    Pantera History
    Paranoid
    POLITICAL RAP
    Portishead
    PORTISHEAD DUMMY
    Post Rock New York
    Queens Of The Stone Age Great Albums
    Queens Of The Stone Age Top Ten
    Queen Triumphant Songs
    RADIOHEAD Best Songs
    Radiohead Ok Computer
    RADIOHEADS BEST ALBUM
    Radiohead Top Ten
    Rage Against The Machine Debut
    RAMING DJAWADI
    Randy Blythe
    Reign In Blood
    ROBERT SMITH
    RUN THE JEWELS
    RYAN ADAMS
    Salem Metal Converge
    Shaky Knees Festival
    Shaky Knees Music Festival
    Shameless Love Of Taylor Swift
    Slayer
    Smashing Pumpkins Best Songs
    Songs For The Deaf
    Songs For The Deaf Queens Of The Stone Age
    Soulfly
    Soundgarden
    STORY OF NINE INCH NAILS
    Superunknown Album
    Tame Impala
    TAME IMPALA LONERISM
    TAYLOR SWIFT
    The Beatles Driving
    THE CURE
    THE CURE BEST SONGS
    The Downward Spiral Great Album
    THE KILLERS TOP TEN
    The Physical World
    The Strokes
    THE WEEKND
    Thrash Metal
    Tony Iommi Guitar
    TOOL
    TOOL GREAT ALBUMS
    TOOL TOP TEN
    Top 10
    TOP 40 ALBUMS OF THE 2010's
    TOP SONGS OF 2015
    Top Ten Bjork Songs
    Top Ten Black Sabbath Songs
    Top Ten Interpol Songs
    Top Ten Lamb Of God Songs
    Top Ten Ministry Songs
    Top Ten Slayer Songs
    Top Ten System Of A Down Songs
    Toxicity
    TRENT REZNOR
    Triumphant Songs
    Turn On The Bright Lights
    Tv On The Radio
    Type O Negative
    Valentines Day Songs
    Vinnie Paul Drumming
    Voodoo Music Experience
    Warpaint
    Watch The Throne
    Weezer Blue Album
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs Best Songs
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs Top Ten Songs
    YOSHIMI

    RSS Feed


    Are you looking for the old Wordpress blog posts?
    Wordpress Feed

Background Image
Site by Shake&Blur
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.