Hey it’s 2022, which typically means lots of major music festival news in the first few weeks of the year. But, like last year, and the year before that., we are grounded in uncertainty as yet another strain of a deadly disease makes it way to the world.
Almost always Coachella, based in Indio, California, announces first, as per transition and also legal matters. This year that didn’t happen. In fact the lineup still hasn’t been released, and big surprise, people aren’t thrilled. Coachella has nearly always made up their own rules as they went along, while forcing other festivals to follow their rules as well, but without a lineup to announce, everything has been thrown into disarray as millions eagerly and often not so patiently wait to see where, or if they might be doing a fest this year. The lineup was expected to feature big names like Rage Against the Machine, and most recently, Billie Eilish and Kanye West were rumored as the additional headliners, but even that hadn’t been confirmed. Instead, tons of people are waiting to see. For reference, if you go on reddits Coachella page, people are losing their minds, and are frequently becoming tired of waiting to make summer plans. This is a problem for Goldenvoice, who oversees Coachella, but only until the lineup is announced. For the most part, these days, Coachella is less of a music festival and more of a rich kids weekend where the major concern isn’t seeing amazing musical acts but rather making sure everyone knows you’re at Coachella. Either way, people deserve fun. Regardless of Coachella, and what other fests have up their sleeves, the major question I’m hearing when talking to friends is, should we even get excited? With everything still being extremely fluid in terms of covid, and of what’s safe, it’s easy to wonder if making these commitments, planning, and traveling is all worth it. As a person who is desperate to see live acts but in no rush to do it indoors where the disease is faster, the answer is a resounding, yeah I guess? As an avid, hungry music fan, I miss live music so much, but as of now I’m not even tempted to go inside a venue to see a band, unless it’s outside. I want to dance, and laugh, and be free, but with plenty of bullshit still happening, being careful and safe outweighs every other desire.
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Since the beginning of the new normal,one of the biggest concerns in the world of music was how would bands navigate the new terrain of performing during a pandemic. Most took at least a year off, some still haven’t announced anything, but some, like Mastodon and tour companions Opeth found the right time (or perhaps just not as bad a time) to complete a quick three week run. A little over a month ago, during a particularly difficult time in my household (my wife has been fighting cancer and the after effects for nearly two years at this point) I decided to honor my commitment and head out for a concert. My wife was safe at home, being cared for by my sister, but honestly I barely even wanted to go. Opeth is great, but with them as the closer of the evening, I decided to head out, literally just for Mastodon (one of my favorite all time bands) before the snow and health issues came roaring back in the lives of my wife and I. So, formally, Opeth, I’m sorry, but I hope to see you again soon. Seeing Mastodon has become a highlight in my concert seeing history, and with this being the sixth time witnessing them live, it was with slightly filled excitement that I braved the 20 degree, heavy snow impacted weather to get out of the house and out of my mental health issues for roughly two hours to see the heavy as hell Georgia titans. This being my first time at Denver’s Mission Ballroom, I was really excited to see a show there, and the lay out of the club is pretty exceptional in my opinion, and right on schedule, at 8:00 sharp, the rowdy foursome of Dailor, Hinds, Sanders and Kelliher emerged and jumped right into new song “Pain with an Anchor,” with its thundering drums, and exquisite mythological guitar arrangements. The track, and the accompanying “Hushed and Grim” record aren’t as in your face as the band has been known to be, but the prog rock nature of this record lended itself brilliantly to a tour with Opeth, who basically perfected the genre. From there, the band delivered on some of that early intensity with hammering tracks like “Crystal Skull,” the gradual pummeling of “Megalodon,” along with soaring anthems courtesy of “Black Tongue,” which is Walt’s a treat to hear and chant to in a love setting. Mastodon as a whole is more in line with Black Sabbath and Zeppelin in my eyes than with the modern bands they often share stages with, but the modern aesthetics of Prog Rock, such as blindingly illuminating lights, and trippy visuals, all help to make the band feel like a singular being, with an excellent presentation to boot.
In previous years, I’ve seen the band open for huge acts, play fests, and play midnight shows on Halloween, but as a headliner, I feel bad for whoever plays after them. The massive crowd reaction to closer “ Blood & Thunder,” proved that even though they were technically an opener, many people got exactly what they wanted, which softened the pain of knowing I couldn’t say, but at least I got some metal in my system for a few hours.
HONORABLE MENTION:
BRUNO MARS & ANDERSON. PAAK: AN EVENING WITH SILK SONIC ROB ZOMBIE: LUNAR INJECTION… MAXO KREAM: WEIGHT OF THE WORLD WAR ON DRUGS: I DON'T WANT TO FLOATING POINTS: PROMISES 20 CONVERGE & CHELSEA WOLFE: BLOODMOON What happens when metal core heroes Converge decide to create an album that’s unflinchingly heavy but with the somber, chilling accompanying vocals of Chelsea Wolfe as an extra feature? The answer, otherwise known as “Bloodmoon,” captures the versatility of the band, while engaging in a sort of gothic presentation as Wolfe’s dark, ominous voice attempts to overcome the surrounding darkness. Maybe not one of the bands best, but the experimentation and the degree difficulty make it definitely worth a listen. 19 PARCELS: DAY/ NIGHT For a band from Australia, Parcels sure does sound like they could be of European descent, especially when you factor in the connection they have to Daft Punk. Regardless , on the bands new second album Parcels find themselves embracing even more the worlds of funk, R&B and even disco leanings into a stylish yet long album. It’s 82 minutes long, yet each track is so well sequenced and produced that you feel like you’ve just stepped into a band that’s made up of multiple different sounding bands, all rolled into one. 18 GASPARD AUGE: ESCAPADES As part of Justice, Gaspard Auge became one of the leading electronic musicians over the last fifteen years. With his proper self titled debut, “Escapades,” Auge took the skills learned and refined over the years and developed an album that sounds like Justice, but with a bit more soul from Auge, who conceptually was alone in the making of this record. Essentially, if you like Justice, I’d be surprised if you don’t find something worthwhile on this record 17 ORLA GARLAND: WOMEN ON THE LOOSE With her debut album, folk pop upstart Orla Garland has crafted a sincere, leaven at times too sincere and blunted wrapping her frustrations in delicate instrumentation that gives her soft voice room to grow. From the opening of “Things That I’ve Learned” all the way to the oddly upbeat finale of “Bloodline/ Difficult Things” you learn so much about the world Garland is living in, and it’s exhilarating to experience. 16 NATION OF LANGUAGE: A WAY FORWARD With only two albums under their belt, Nation of Language, helming from Brooklyn, seems destined at this point to be the next big indie infused pop band. The music isn’t really Pop, but it’s not entirely indie either. Instead the three piece decide to blur the lines between the dark dingy atmosphere of a dive bar and the illuminating brightness of a city’s skyline. 15 VALERIE JUNE: THE MOON AND STARS I talk to plenty of people about music, obviously, but Valerie June and her “Moon & Stars” record doesn’t make it into as many conversations as I’d like. With her natural, laid back approach , the Memphis late bloomer (this is her 6th album) seems finally poised to get the attention she should’ve been getting for years now. Her voice is smooth, often reminiscent of gliding air through a vivid garden, and over the course of a fourteen song record June shares a musical knowledge and understanding that’s more lustrous and beautiful than any garden. 14 SHANNON & THE CLAMS: YEAR OF THE SPIDER In this current era, we’ve seen more than a few musicians take the most slog route in their instrumentations and music, but there’s very few who do it as well as the Shannon Shaw led Shannon & the Clams. Their sixth record, “Year of the Spider” glitters with olden sounds, at points experimental, trippy, or just down right groovy and seductive. Shaw’s voice has that smoky charm of old school legends like Joplin, but with the fine tune and an actually good voice. At 38 minutes it’s not a long commitment, but every minute is worth it. 13 THE JOY FORMIDABLE: INTO THE BLUE I think what I like most about Joy Formidable, other than their rhythm section, is how they’ve matured in their music and presentation of that same art. “Into The Blue” opens with the roaring title track, while other songs like “I Gotta Feed My Dog,” have drums that accompany Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan vocals in a haze of synth effect that make the track and album so enticing. 12 ZAHARA: PUTA In all the years of writing these lists, I don’t think I’ve ever been so moved to an album from a totally non English speaking creator as I was the excellent “Puta” from Zahara. This artist has been making records for nearly two decades overseas where he’s apparently very well known, but I never really heard the name until this year. Which is a shame, because the beats far overpower the need for understanding of the language. You can tell it’s sincere and emotional, and sometimes that’s really all you need when an album is this good. 11 GOJIRA: FORTITUDE EVERYONE WATCH OUT! IT'S GOJIRA! FROM… France? Yeah you read that right. One of the best metal bands of the last two decades is named after a terrifying Japanese creation. Even so, “Fortitude” is another in a long line of great, relentlessly melodic metal the band has been steadily releasing for 20 years. They’ve opened and played for enormous crowds, and like their predecessors, “Fortitude” had area anthems ready to be blasted, like “The Grind” for instance. If you like metal and don’t know about Gojira, then you probably like metal less than you think. 10 LIL NAS X: MONTERO In literally two years Lil Nas X has traversed the world of country and appropriately made them more woke and in line with the current world, while also captivating the world of Pop music in a major win for music but also acceptance. “Montero” captures X’s latest two years in a burst of music so energizing it’s hard, nearly impossible to avoid m. It’s positive in a way that few newer entertainers can match. The music is also better than most rap or pop music currently being made. I wasn’t a fan two years ago, but I honestly can’t wait to see where Lil Nas X goes next. 9 JUNGLE: LOVING IN STEREO On their third album as Jungle, lead guitarist/ vocalist Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland on lead bass and vocalist have redefined what modern funk and soul should sound like. This is probably the best album they’ve made, and frankly, it fills me with warm feelings as the gentle instrumentations whirl amid a sea of optimism and soul. 8 YOLA: STAND FOR MYSELF Mixing country with soul, and then slathering a thick lustrous voice on top of that wam goodness, Yola dominates the forty-six minutes of “Stand for Myself” with ease though would make Adele blush. I really fell in love with her vocals from the first listen, and the more I delved into the world of Yola and her addictive voice, the more in love I fell with her. This is a record perfect for early mornings, the park on a gorgeous day, or just something to blend into the background. 7 LUCY DACUS: HOME VIDEO Oh to be young. Naive and to learn the hard way. When listening to the sublime new record from Lucy Dacus, those are the thoughts creeping through my mind most often. Her soft, vulnerable voice beckons out over the mix as her guitar gently strums, only adding to the tension permeating from “Home Video.” Songs like album opener “Hot & Heavy” welcome you to Dacus’ universe, while “Brando” stands up against the best modern anthems regarding growing up and facing the real, often viscous world. 6 BLACK MIDI: CAVALCADE For a band that exploded onto the indie scene not even 3 years prior, Black Midi have already released two earth shatteringly loud, raucous records. The opening moments of “John L” crash like chaos, while many of the other songs, such as the foreboding uneasiness of “Diamond Stuff” show you just what they can do when pushed to perfection. Probably the best new band of the last 10 years, with two sublimely good albums under their belt. 5 NICK CAVE & WARREN ELLIS: CARNAGE For the last five or so years, Cave and Ellis, often alongside the rest of the Bad Seeds, have been making some of the most moving, somber music I've ever heard. This time around it’s only Cave and Ellis, yet it feels very much like an official NC & TBS record. It’s wildly imaginative with how the vocals are mixed, and sung, while the unique instruments presented offer a very dark but ornate collection of music. The best moments for me are the three song sections of “White Elephant,” “Albuquerque,” and finally “Lavender Fields.” All three are slower tracks with varying degrees of emotional turmoil, but Cave's voice almost always is able to make a person feel a certain way, which oftentimes Cave and company want you to feel. another raw album from this prolific living legend. 4 PINK SWEAT$: PINK PLANET The last of the R&B stylings to make this list, it’s also the best. I never really enjoy these types of records, but David Bowden and his record “Pink Planet” is way more in the vein of Prince than any other artist I can think of. He’s not totally comparable to the great one, yet, but this album is well mixed with the sound, backing tracks are spot on, and the overall message is one people should hear more often. Bowden’s voice is elegant, purposeful, and full of heart and soul in a way most singers not named Frank Ocean are capable of doing these days. If you want a record for a quiet, romantic evening with someone, I’d stop looking. I found it for you. 3 HALSEY: IF I CANT HAVE LOVE… For most, the name Halsey is enough to warrant a desire to listen. For me, a near forty year old music snob, the interest became existent with the addition of Trent Reznor & Attitcus Ross, currently known for Nine Inch Nails and multiple excellent created film scores. With the pair's help, Halsey imagined an album muddied on pop music as heavier industrial beats fight to change the scenery. A few of the songs are slower, more intricately built, while others, such as “Easier Than Lying” or “I am not a woman, I’m a god” soar with industrial tinges and Halsey signature sultry, indie ice voice. 2 CHVRCHES: SCREEN VIOLENCE Since the early days of their first album, all the way until now, Glasgow’s own CHVRCHES have rarely stumbled, with the limited exception of 2018’s “Love is Dead.” Instead, they’ve continued to make strong electro pop, but there’s something different this time around. Lauren Mayberry and her vocals, as well as her lyrical content, is far more open and strong than she already was previously, but “Screen Violence” finds the vocalist battling with the well known beauty standards of the word, her mistakes, her wins, and all the things she’s learned not to do as she navigates the brutal world of the music industry. Even with the help of legends like Robert Smith in the track “How Not to Drown,” the band doesn’t really do much wrong on “Screen Violence,” which lands at number three. 1 POND: 9 Another one from Australia, Perth's own Pond began as a side project for Tame Impala members, but on 9, the bands ninth album, Pond created a world free of hassle and full of inspired dance rock. Songs like “America's Cup” were made for dance floors, while more mid tempo tracks like “Take Me Avalon I’m Young,” bring the energy down a notch while focusing more on vocal performance. “Human Touch” is another one meant to get sweaty too as well. There’s plenty to unpack and get lost in during 9’s thirty-nine minutes, which is perhaps the most obvious reason it takes the number 1 slot for the Top 20 Albums of 2021.
Somehow, this year outdid 2020 for crazier shit, but at least we had music? I can’t speak for everyone, but this was the year I felt like I gave much more time to detaching from real world stresses through music than anything else. Below you’ll find a collection of the songs that helped me to work through this crazy thing called life. Follow us for more content at @thedeathofthemixtape on instagram, facebook and Spotify. Thanks for reading.
10 GOJIRA GRIND: FORTITUDE It’s taken me too long to understand the excellence of Frances Gojira, but this year it finally made sense to me. Fortitude is full of future metal classics, but “The Grind,” which comes near the end of the record, has all the ingredients hardcore metal fans love. It has a bounce of energy circulating through it, and the voice of Joe Duplantier growls through the chorus like the best of the best. Gojira has steadily risen in the metal world for the last five or so years, and songs like “The Grind” are a good reason for that success. 9 SILK SONIC: BRUNO MARS & ANDERSON.PAAK LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN: AN EVENING WITH SILK SONIC I wasn’t born or even conceived in the 70’s, but goddamn does this song make me wish I was conceived to its glorious Melodie’s and vibes. I’ve never been huge into either of these artists, but there’s something so cool, confident and dare I say sexy about these two modern crooners making an album that’s as authentic and nostalgic as this one. If perfectly captures the romanticized idea we like to have of that decade, yet it never feels stale or redundant. 8 NICK CAVE & WARREN ELLIS ALBUQUERQUE, CARNAGE Dammit Nick Cave, why are you always making me cry? Anyway, if you’re a fan of Cave and longtime collaborator Warren Ellis, you probably know the last several years has seen the duo make compelling, deeply unsettling music. On this track, from their recent duet album, the pair continue to make somber, thought- provoking music that can make a grown man bend and break with the best of them. “Albuquerque” is unique in its instrumental approach, while Cave’s deep, smoldering voice does everything it always has, to extraordinary success. 7 MEGAN THEE STALLION THOT SHIT, SOMETHING FOR THE HOTTIES At this point there’s very little the public needs to know about Megan that we don’t already know. She’s fine as fuck, intelligent in a way much of the hip hop can’t seem to understand, not to mention her verses and word play are insane. Sure most of her tracks are about unadulterated feminism, the love of sex and being free in your own skin, but with those tracks come a women who is storming the industry, striking while the iron is hot, and flaunting her insane lyrical skills as well as her excellence visual performance skills. 6 GIRL IN RED SEROTONIN, IF I COULD MAKE IT GO QUIET Marie, otherwise known as Girl in Red, leaped into the indie pop pool this year, and while many hrs I rated towards her, “Serotonin” and its unflinching honesty certainly latched itself to my household. My wife and I loved this song, and while there’s plenty to enjoy from this album, there’s no song better than this one, which is why it lands at number six on the Top 10 songs of the year. 5 LUCY DACUS BRANDO, HOME VIDEO In the recent, more than welcome trend of heartfelt indie female performers, Dacus has become the next in the line of Mitski, Bridgers, etc in crafting thoughtful pop-ish rock that strikes the heart strings of many people, including myself. “Brando,” clocking in right at three minutes, exemplifies the burn of early love, naivety in the face of that love, and the knowledge of being a certain way for certain people, and how easy it is to get wrapped up in those emotions. Lucy’s voice is reserved but to the point,which makes the song all the better and emotional. 4 PINK SWEAT$ 17,PINK PLANET It’s only been in the last several years that I’ve gotten more into R&B, but Daniel Bowden, aka Pink Sweats can write a song that’s equal part love and loss, and “17,” is a perfect example of the type of swooning and seduction you get throughout the album. Borden’s voice is easy to get lost in, and the gentle instrumentals lifting up the song are easy going while still being emotionally impactful. I listened to this song and album many times this year, and I hope this type of output continues, because Pink Sweat$ might be the future of classic R&B making a big comeback. 3 BILLIE EILLISH HAPPIER THAN EVER, HAPPIER THAN EVER This album mostly missed the mark for me, but our number threetrack of the year, “Happier Than Ever” somehow makes up for the rest of the record. It starts slow and solemn, with Billie's voice cracking and desperate as she tries to escape the bullshit of her current scenarios. It’s a gentle ball upfront, but as the emotions explode so does the musical energy form the songs. The closing section is not quite arena rock, but it has everything that an emotional record finale needs to stick it’s landing, which it does brilliantly. 2 HALSEY EASIER THAN LYING: IF I CANT HAVE LOVE… It’s amazing what the addition of two excellent producers can do for a pop star looking for a sharp change in musical tone. With this record, Halsey, along with Reznor and Ross, created a classic collection of songs that play on her strengths. “Easier than Lying,” with its underlying tension and complicated relationships, brims with intense anxiety, uncertainty, and a killer instrumental section to boot. On an album consistently great and genre pushing, “Easier than Lying” stands out even among the best moments of the record. 1 JAPANESE BREAKFAST BE SWEET, JUBILEE As 2021 events began to become more clear and organized, the release of Michelle Zauner's second major Japanese Breakfast album was one of the things I was most excited about. Yeh album is good, not amazing though, but “Be Sweet” is a masterpiece and a truly triumphant song. The guitar and synth parts are perfectly shaded under the strength of Michelle’s voice, but the positivity and optimism of her voice is enough to make this the Top Song of 2021. TOP ALBUMS COMING SOON! In my opinion, the single greatest band of the last twenty years. What wrongly was assumed to be a no brainer one hit wonder band, the British powerhouses of nuance- Yorke, the brothers Greenwood, Selway, and O’ Brien have consistently been able to transcend modern music and make thought provoking music that’s not easily digestible but nonetheless has engrossed a massive following that is as fervent as the band is stubborn in pursuit of new exciting sounds and emotions. As another entry in our series of top five albums, I present to you the five best albums from the one and only Radiohead.
5 A MOON SHAPED POOL, 2016 Plenty of people didn’t fall in love with the previous “King of Limbs,” but “A Moon Shaped Pool,” brings it back to the layered, thoughtful, solemn sound that made the band so interesting in the last decade or so. Song after song finds it grove in ways only Yorke, the Greenwoods and company can. Many of these songs are familiar to hardcore RH fans, but it’s the new ways the band can change styles among the same song that make it sound so fresh. “True Love Waits,” the longtime fan favorite b- side finally shows up on a proper record, but it’s not what we were used to hearing. The music on the track and the larger album manages to be subdued but still instrumentally powerful. It’s wonderful all the same, but it’s in those ways that the band is able to spread their experimental tendencies and produce something that sounds way ahead of the curve in areas that would see other bands fall to the ground in defeat. 4 AMNESIAC, 2001 Released just one year after Kid A(we’ll get to that later), this record is weird, yet motivating, but also with a sinister undertone, like a foreboding apocalypse. “Pyramid Song” is a masterpiece and maybe their best song period, while closer “Life in a Glasshouse” is a solemn, worrisome track that whimpers passionately, under a cloud of horns and uncertainty. So much of the album is opposite of its predecessor, yet it still manages to be a poignant reminder of the potential of the band. I feel like it’s often overlooked when discussing the band's best moments, but if you’re a fan of the band through and through, it’s a classic album that deserves accolades. 3 IN RAINBOWS, 2007 Pay what you want, and get a record. I still remember the announcement of the bands seventh record, and definitely not understanding the angle. Either way, once you downloaded “In Rainbows” you were welcomed into a record that ended up being a landmark for the band. It has all the constructions and effects that a fan can recognize as being Radiohead, but it’s more casual and easy going then some of their more experimental records. It has the slow building moments like “Nude” and “Videotape,” but it also has measured angst and raucousness during segments like “Bodysnatchers” and “Jigsaw Falling into Place.” This record is hard to escape, even more than ten years after the fact. It shows a band maturing in gorgeous but painful ways, and sees the band enter a new landscape of musical direction. 2 OK COMPUTER, 1997 The album that changed everything. One moment they were a quite good but obscure band, and then the turn approached and the band went balls to the wall to break out of their earlier shell. The result is simple- the best album of the 90’s. In 1997 it was hailed as a masterpiece, which it is, but we hadn’t yet met this “new” Radiohead. Every track on “OK” works and sits nestled in comfortably with each other track. “Paranoid Android” is a whirlwind of sounds and energy, while “Let Down” is a thick mess of emotions and soundscapes. The point is, every song compliments the tracks before and after it while staying true to the theme of failing systems prevalent through the running time of the album. The fact that every song is an illumination of the band's strengths make the album that much more of a landmark. Even after 22 years it’s still often regarded as a perfect album, but that’s only because it actually is. 1 KID A, 2000 And now we come to the number one. Obviously this is just my opinion, but when a band does a complete and sudden 180 in regards to their sound, and it ends up being this goddamn good, you have to take notice. The cold electronic elements beaming through the record put the listener in a lonely, thoughtful place, but again, it simply works. “How to Disappear Completely” is a slow burn of emotion, with Yorke’s detached voice acting as a compass as you wander through the dark looking for safe passage. Note, this record is less about showing safe passage than it is opening up your subconscious in a way that’s measured but sullen. I could listen to this all day and still find new things to get excited over. “Idioteque” is more upbeat and energetic in instrumentation, but it still has the hunger and depraved moments the band is known for. If “OK Computer” was the best album of the 1990’s, than “Kid A” stands as the moment that the band not only made two of the best albums in different decades, but also the moment that the mass public really started to get hooked into the wondrous, illuminating sounds that make this band so timeless and engaging. Thanks for reading Some bands you listen to and enjoy but they never seem to latch on to you in a personal way. Tame Impala is not one of those bands. Since arriving on the scene in 2009 with “Innerspeaker,” the band, which is to say Parker himself, have gradually changed our perceptions of psyche rock and lovelorn melodies that can be at times infectious and daunting in terms of musical I.Q. Today we deliver the ten best tracks from the first four impeccable Tame Impala albums. 10 ONE MORE YEAR: THE SLOW RUSH “One More Year,” which opens The Slow Rush, has the kind of layered soundwave that Kevin Parker has become known for, but it's more mellow and beach centric than earlier works, but its the type of gradual change we should be used to by this point. What once was a full fledged indie rock psych project has turned into something more meaningful, more purposeful in their execution, and way more layered and dance oriented than anyone expected the band and its creator to embrace. 9 BORDERLINE: THE SLOW RUSH Plenty of folks apparently didn’t latch on to this record like Parker’s previous three, but there are plenty of great songs to go around. “Borderline” is probably the best track on the album, with its synth dance vibes and difficult to pin down lyrics. It’s a song about the dangers of contentment, and what may come out of that feeling. You can tell during the song that feeling of uncertainty even though he’s grateful to have found a worthy life partner. Again all of this is done on the shoulders of Kevin Parker, who’s mastery in songwriting is now very well documented. “Slow Rush” and its parts might not be masterpiece worth, but tracks like “Borderline” show no less skill or attention than what we’ve become accustomed to when it comes to Tame Impala 8 APOCALYPSE DREAMS: LONERISM Like a sun suddenly appearing in the sky at full strength, “Apocalypse Dreams,” roars into ears and explores the mind of Kevin Parker, and what he’s capable of. The track has this frollicking aspect to it that also renders the song in the best way possible. The lyrics, as well as the vocal harmony Kevin engages evoke some of the best moments of the record, but the real prize doesn’t hit until the second half of the song. After the slow strung guitars comes and goes, the track is propelled by the drums, all leading to a bright explosion of energy as the song heads quickly into a sundrenched, mind altering field of sound 7 EVENTUALLY: CURRENTS Songs like “Eventually” drill the notion home that mistakes happen and that everyone will “Eventually” make their way through the downsides of failed love. When Parker croons “But I know that I'll be happier and I know you will too,” you feel the relief of knowing that even though it sucks at this moment, it does eventually become better. I, for one, can fully understand the concept of moving on is easier if I never knew a person, but with all that hard work, you’re able to grow and set out on a new path with your remade self to attempt to make something work in this toxic, never good enough world. 6 LOST IN YESTERDAY: THE SLOW RUSH Much of the vibe surrounding the “the Slow Rush” revolves around tightly arranged dance notes, with more upbeat elements than on previous efforts. We already talked about this in some length earlier in this piece, but “Lost in Yesterday,” likely the best track of the album for my money, deals with lyrical content that's rooted in real life stresses and turmoil about the future that faces all of us. It’s easy to get lost (no pun intended) during the four minute run time, most likely because of the infectious beat, but seeing the song live, with a full band and a light show that would make Pink Floyd jealous, really is something that takes your breathe away. 5 ALTER EGO: INNERSPEAKER On early records Parker had to do more with less in terms of production quality, however, that doesn’t stop him from executing a song that can still draw you in. The song itself relies more on the vast musical labyrinth of styles and less of the lyrical aspects, but this is still something Tame can do very well. The lyrics are important, but by the time Parker’s voice comes in you’re already hooked in by the majestic nature of the dense, all surrounding instrumentation. It’s an early sign of what he’s capable of, and thankfully for us he hasn’t lost a single step on subsequent releases. 4 LET IT HAPPEN: CURRENTS When I first heard this song, honestly, I was not a fan. The music didn’t remind me of what had come before, and the more dancey, electronic vibe turned me off. Not that it was bad, but it wasn't the Tame I had fallen in love with on the previous two albums. But, after multiple listens, and hearing the album presented in full, it suddenly made sense. This album, and this track especially was Tame Impala opening themselves up and rising in the world of thought provoking music. The success of the albums rides on the popularity of the first track, and “Let it Happen,” with all of its meandering and chasing of holes, comes through in a big way, and shows the band is capable of so much more. 3 ELEPHANT: LONERISM There’s so so so much amazing happening in this song it’s hard to figure out a starting point. Obviously, a big part of the song is the fact that it very much lives up to its title. As a track,”Elephant” hurdles through the wild, violently and strongly pushing limits, with full sets of lumbering giants pummeling through whatever gets in its way. The live version also has a wicked cool instrumental section that only elevates the energy of the song. The drum roll through the verses is also brilliantly laid out, while Kevin’s vocals sound as pure and fun as they ever get. The best lines though come toward the end of the bridge, making its way to the song conclusion. The word pay during the segment about pulling off the mirrors of his Cadillac (YEAH!), are some of the best lines in any song I’ve ever heard. 2 FEELS LIKE WE ONLY GO BACKWARDS: LONERISM
For many people, this was the song where they suddenly became aware of the majestic mode of storytelling that Impala lays out. The dinging opening, the lush overlaid guitars and bass, and the minimal but effectiveness of the drumming all make the song one of the best by the band. When Parker bellows the chorus, and various other sections you can grasp and understand the weariness permanent in the song structure. So many of their songs go hand in hand with raw emotion, of guilt, second thoughts, and other feelings that it eventually becomes your song too. It’s amazing, and it’s a song that still gets all the love it deserves. 1 THE LESS I KNOW THE BETTER: CURRENTS The argument could be made that without this song this record wouldn’t have been nearly the juggernaut it was, and while that may be slightly true, “Current is full to the brim with incredible songs.” However, this song has so much working for it that it’s nearly impossible to ignore. Let’s start with the 70’s stylings on guitar as the depth of the song opens up into a strange disco vibe, but it’s the lyrics that pull you in and embrace you. It’s a sad song that we all can relate to, the moment when your brain syncs in with your heart and you’re aware that the end of whatever you had with a person is over. It’s important to stress that anxiety but also to embrace it in hopes of getting better. Parker’s voice is top notch 100% here, and with this gorgeous balance among his word play and juxtaposition between trying to be free of the pain but also to learn from it, the song is able to transcend all modern music and make a song that you can feel as part of your soul. Thanks for reading! Remember when this band was the biggest band in the world? I was only ten but still aware of their massive popularity. That was one of my first memories of an artist truly being larger than life. The epicness of the music, the soaring vocals of Axl Rose, and who can forget the sincerity and craftsmanship when it comes to Slash’s guitar playing. The best representation of this is the once classic, now pretty laughable video for one of the band’s biggest hits, “November Rain.” This isn’t an overview of the band, but it might as well be, since I think of this video as a perfect example of a once great thing that just kept getting more and more extravagant and how it ultimately killed what was once an incredible band.
The video opens up with Rose chugging some pills in a blue, stormy room. The next scene quickly goes to a very nice theater and the band is flanked by a full orchestra. Oh look there’s a wedding with a little black girl throwing roses, even though there’s no other black people around. It’s very easy to understand… Then we get a crying jesus. My god, there’s so much happening at once I can’t even keep up. Anyway, we then cut again to a very hot Stephanie Seymour walking down the aisle to meet an Axl Rose that looks equal parts bum on the street and fencing instructor to royalty. Trust me, it’s even sillier than I’m explaining. Also, why does Rose have all 4 other members of the band as groomsmen but Seymour only has one woman. This makes no fucking sense. Next we get to see thet “hanging out being pals” part of every rock video of the time. The bands at a local bar, sucking down smokes like the world’s about to end. I’m assuming this is meant to showcase the happy times before it started raining once upon a time in November. So yeah the video isn’t even half over but you can tell things are gonna go bad soon enough, much like they did within the band. Ok so back to the wedding where a drunken Slash can’t find the wedding ring, and everyone just snickers as if to say “ Oh that silly Slash! Always losing stuff.” Then I guess after feeling so bad about almost losing the ring, Slash walks out of the wedding and starts immediately playing guitar in a desert, even though moments earlier we were just in sunny downtown Los Angeles. While the video has aged horribly, the song is still really good. They’re all around good musicians, and a craptastic video from the early 90’s isn’t likely to change that. After the epic guitar solo, the bride and the groom run out of the church and into a really nice Bentley, but something is going on with Stephanie Seymour. There’s pain behind her eyes, but we don’t quite know what yet. Is it lupus? Is it the fact that she’s acutely aware that she’s just married a soon to be washed up rocker who has a history of incredible instability? Time will tell…. So then, and this is one of the dumbest parts of the whole thing: Axl Rose is walking all forlorn in a deserted town from something out of Deadwood or Blazing Saddles. Why is he here? How’d he somehow find out about this abandoned western town? Back at the wedding, which is happening in a vacuum of time and space, Bride and groom are cutting the cake. Everything is going great! That is until the Rain part of the song title shows up and just shit’s on everyone’s lovely day. C’mon rain, things were going so well too. Suddenly people are falling over, things are breaking, and all hell is breaking loose, because apparently no one in SoCal has ever seen rain in their goddamn lives! To top it all off, some colossal asshole decides he can’t take the rain anymore and jumps THROUGH THE WEDDING CAKE!!! Did you read that? This douche just leaps right through a wedding cake that probably cost thousands of dollars. I know this because I just got married recently, and the amazing cakes we got were not cheap at all. If someone would’ve jumped through our cake, the world would have literally stopped while 20 people took turns ruining that person’s life for the foreseeable future. Seriously we would’ve gone the route of Marsellus Wallace and gone “Medieval on his ass.” Alas I digress. So now that that’s all over, the song takes a turn for the darkness and sees Rose’s bride dead in a very nice casket. I wonder how much that cost. So yeah she’s dead, and no explanation is given, but I’m gonna assume it was lupus. Axl is seen crying while looking up as if to say “ Why God?!, Why Me?!” Anyone else picturing Nancy Kerrigan on the ground right now, or is it just me? The other thing to mention is that this church that was full for a wedding just 3 minutes ago is now half empty. What kind of friends are these people? Thanks everyone for coming to my wedding and celebrating but for leaving me in the cold “November Rain” when my wife dies 3 minutes after we say I do!! Of course it starts raining at the funeral, and Axl Rose is left mourning his incredibly hot wife who just died. The video ends with him bolting up in bed, I guess to portray sadness, and his kneeling by her coffin as a rose that was once red slowly turns white and the video fades to black. All in all, it's a pretty ridiculous video and one that will go down as one of the worst examples of a work of art truly nuanced in the world of nonsensical things. A few years ago I shared my list of the top ten Nine Inch Nails songs. Well, as it is bound to happen from time to time, it’s time to revisit the list. Some songs are off the list, others are added, and new entries are worked and squeezed in alongside modern classics. This list is short on obvious hits, so if you’re expecting it to be a countdown of their biggest hits, you’ll end up mistaken. Either way these songs are all just as relevant to a nin fan as some of the other more obvious ones. Today to celebrate the upcoming three night Saenger stand by Reznor and the boys, I give to you the Ten best nin songs. Enjoy!
Follow us for more content at @thedeathofthemixtape on instagram, facebook and Spotify. Thanks for reading. 10 LESS THAN: ADD VIOLENCE Clearly a newer song on the list, and perhaps a surprise to those reading, but trust me the song deserves a spot on this list. It has everything a nin fan could want. The beats are as great as the production value, but the magic lies in the lyrics. Initially thought to be a rebuke of our current trump issues, the song instead revolves around the general attitude of right and left wingers, who thrive to push their agenda, whether good or bad on the mass population. I imagine the heat coming from the pot when listening to this song, and the dialogue throughout is genuine and also heartbreaking. I believe the moral of the song is not to force our wants on opposing viewpoints, but to instead try to be the best we can be, and to of course not be Fucking assholes to those if there’s another way around it. 9 IN THIS TWILIGHT: YEAR ZERO One of my favorite time periods of being a nin fan was without doubt the YZ ARG campaign. Finding new clues all over the internet, looking at images in a post apocalyptic United States was the perfect way to get fans pumped. This song is more hopeful again, but in its hopefulness there's a certain amount of hesitance. The album is about a very close future that we could see ourselves involved in if we keep on with our current lack of priority and care for our system and care of our environment. It’s a grim fucking place. I always imagined this song as an amazing opener, but for people who saw the “ Lights in the Sky” tour, it also is an amazing closer. 8 RUINER: THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL I really don’t know what this song is about, but it reminds me again of dominance. TDS album as a whole is about a man slowly losing his sanity and seeking destruction, in many different forms. The great part about the album is that you’re never sure exactly at what point his mind betrays him, and if you’re even hearing the same person. As the album progresses (This song is right in the middle) you can clearly see the forces working against our main character, but he simply is no match for whatever he’s facing. Some albums slow down towards the middle. It helps to give listeners a rest. For this album, a rest is simply not an option. There’s a reason this album is still one of the best from the 1990’s. Reznor brought us, and showed us a place that was cold, and wretched, and we loved him for it. 7 1,000,000: THE SLIP From the moment of the second track, “1,000,000” you feel right back inserted into the world the band fans have grown to love. It's not the best regarded album per se, but the tour that came with it was one of the best productions I've ever seen. Multi- layered screens filled the “Lights in the Sky Tour,” along with two full hours of chaos, and tracks from every album. It encompassed all of what Reznor wanted the band to be on the road. Honestly, seeing it the three times I was fortunate to was something I'll never forget, and I'm willing to bet a lot of other people feel the same way about that stage production. 6 GAVE UP: BROKEN Of all the songs on the violently fast paced “Broken,” “Gave Up” is likely the most powerful. Again using an ever aggressive beat as the backing track, the track is pushed forward by the early minimum usage of classic Reznor whispered spoken word. By the chorus though, the track is operating on all cylinders, using the drum machine in conjunction with the overall beat and Reznor's “steady systematic decline” of anger to propel the song. On this list it comes in at number six, and proves an early indicator of the kind of layered, noisy brilliance Reznor is capable of. A true classic track. 5 SOMEWHAT DAMAGED: THE FRAGILE Of all the great opening songs in the Nin catalogue, this certainly has to be among the best. The rising drums, accompanied by the ever evolving synth beats makes for a marvelous beginning track for the phenomenally deep “The Fragile.” The song signifies tragedy at the realization that the world isn’t what it’s supposed to be. That we can always try to posses the best qualities and be the best people we want to be, but sometimes it doesn’t happen that way. We’re all “Somewhat Damaged,” and because of that knowledge we have, the song is all the more powerful and regrettable in its content. 4 HURT: THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL Probably the best known track off “TDS” also happens to be the track that concludes the record. To this day “Hurt” remains a poignantly tormented song, with Reznor singing more clearly and vulnerable than he has throughout the record. The chorus also happens to be infectious, and very easy to sing along to embrace the pain this man is feeling. It’s a cathartic song on the record, but it’s also cathartic to the listener who has been put through a myriad of person torment on their journey through this very good, but very deeply troubled record. Thanks for reading. 3 MARCH OF THE PIGS: THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL March of the Pigs,” to this day, remains a rabid favorite among fans and it’s inclusion during shows has become the standard by which you measure the intensity of the crowd, and the band overall. It’s a shorter, more intense song than many of their others, but in this immediacy the song is able to move like a beast, exacting it’s revenge on those who have spurned it. It’s wildly chaotic with no give, but it’s because of that quality and it’s placement in the tracklisting, it provides its best assets to use. You get crazy vocals, gut wrenching beats and drums, and the wild brutality that is nine inch nails in its most raw form. 2 WISH: BROKEN Another angsty song, I see a pattern. This is always a sure fire killer at the concerts. I may be wrong, but for this song I believe they have consistently used similar lighting patterns at every show I’ve seen. It’s a whirlwind, and the video, set in a very dark, slavery like cage, is appropriate. Also, seeing them perform this song alongside Dillinger Escape Plan at Bonnaroo 2009 was the perfect amount of destruction. Dillinger clearly has learned well how to wreck instruments 1 WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER: THE FRAGILE This album suffered from what I call the Pinkerton effect. It’s a brilliant album, but for the more casual fans wanting a Downward Spiral 2, it simply wasn’t enough. Having said that, the Fragile builds on the sounds and technologies of TDS and goes further. For one, this song is one the first time we hear anything even remotely positive and reassuring. It’s not a mellow song, but it accomplishes its tasks. I’ve probably heard this song two thousand or so times, and it still makes me smile and giddy like a child. It overshadows all of the other songs on the album, yet still it’s one of the least played songs in the NIN live catalogue. Years ago I remember an interview where TR said it was the best song he ever wrote, and he knew he couldn’t do it justice in concert, so he let it be. Maybe one of these days I can stop spending endless amounts of money seeing them live. But first, I must have my WITT live. If you aren’t aware, the National aren’t a very lyrically happy band. In fact they aren’t even the slightest bit optimistic. In the end though, that’s what makes them so effective and amazing to listen to. For me it really is true that the music that makes the most difference in someone’s life is the music that evokes emotion, and the National are clearly one of those bands. After seeing them for the first proper time at Bonnaroo (I heard them at Lollapalooza 08 across a field) I can at least at the power the music has in a live setting, and how much inspiration I got from the increasingly dark content of the songs. Here’s a list of my ten favorite songs. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it. 10 TURTLENECK: SLEEP WELL BEAST By the time the band got around to making “Sleep Well,” the experimentation had grown leaps beyond what we heard off the early albums. They embraced their rock side more here, as well as taking some cues from the Grateful Dead, which members had mentioned listening to during the making of this one. The song itself is loud, with a great but chaotic vocal section. With a runtime of just under three minutes, “Turtleneck” quite possibly might be the band's most in your face, rock oriented track. 9 SORROW: HIGH VIOLET The opening line is depressing, and it’s the kind of depression that sticks with you. It reminds me so much of my high school years. For those who aren’t aware, I have stuttered all my life. It was particularly bad in high school. Taunting, fights, and depression were the notable things going on during this time. Quite frankly it was terrible. This song reminds me of that. Of the hopelessness you feel at a young age when you have little or no control over your emotions. Speaking on the music, I love that the song never fully gets going. Berninger’s vocals are always low, and with the instrumentals swaying peacefully under him, it helps make the song a cathartic, emotional release. 8 I SHOULD LIVE IN SALT: TROUBLE WILL FIND ME So much of Berninger's vocals relay feelings of discomfort and pain that it’s hard to know when he’s trying to be romantic, or simply not dark. “I Should Live in Salt” has tons of regret filled into its spirit and energy, with Berningers trademark soft but harsh voice disowning his pain and feelings for the clarity of regret at the difficult but ultimately wrong choices that have been made. 7 GRACELESS: TROUBLE WILL FIND ME The song starts in a rush and keeps up the pace the entire song. I imagine a person racing endlessly through a giant, unmarked drug store, trying to find the perfect pill to fix whatever ailment he needs fixing. I always wonder if the members of this band are religious, because those themes come up pretty often. Part of me thinks that yes, because so much of the allure of this band is hope in a hopeless place, and of the redemption you can find in whatever happiness you seek. The other part of me looks at it like maybe the characters in these songs resent whatever higher power is actually around, because of the pain they’ve inflicted upon them. 6 APARTMENT STORY: BOXER Again, I have no idea what this song is about. But I know I love it. The drumming, vocals, and the guitars all blend in perfect unison. Not only are the guitars so in sync with each other that it’s ridiculous, but it makes perfect sense once you know the guitar players are brothers. For those wondering, the bassist and drummer are also brothers. The chorus of “ Stay inside til somebody finds us, do whatever the TV tells us” also clearly explains the want of a man who is both fine with being controlled by the outside world, but someone who also wants to be saved from that same world by someone who understands him. This is just my opinion, but that’s some pretty deep, impacted feelings right there. 5 LITTLE FAITH: HIGH VIOLET Little Faith,” is a remarkable song that unfortunately is rarely played live. The chaos and thickness of the opening falls right into an almost still like orchestral piece, and Matt’s voice paints a picture of a character walking through “New York and the rain’s coming down.” It never really takes off musically the way you think it might, but that’s where the charm of the song lies. Once again the drums are on point, but the instrumentation mvp on the track really belongs to Dessner brother’s. What Aaron and Bryce do here is elevate the emotional in the musical sense while allowing Berninger and company to put forth energy that improves the track. It’s one of the better tracks on “High Violet,” and it’s well placed in the structure and order of the record. 4 MR. NOVEMBER: ALLIGATOR So many of their songs harken back to highschool pains, and I completely understand. That is a difficult time for many of us. I completely understand the concept of having a clear idea of what is going to happen, then when the moment gets there it ends up being totally fucked. The simple, quick chorus of “I won’t fuck us over” is a chaotic entrance by a person who has absolutely no idea what is actually happening. Seeing this live, it’s rough, and tight, and emotionally draining. Berninger has said in interview that most of the character’s in his songs are just variations of what is happening in his head, so that makes the songs a little difficult to understand, but as far as fast paced National songs, this is easily the best one for my money. 3 TERRIBLE LOVE: HIGH VIOLET The first song off the album, and it sets the pace for the rest of the record. It’s just a bad ass song that opens with a flourish of singing by Berninger and color brought to you by the remaining band members. It’s lush, and poignant, and has a lot of emotional weight to it. It’s fucking amazing. Once again, I have little idea of what it’s actually about, but this is truly a song that just stays with you, and in my case, there’s no other song by this band that resonates so much in my soul. The last rambles by Berninger of “ It takes an ocean not to break” showcase a strong person who is trying very, very hard to stay afloat in a world where it’s hard to understand. But in the end, that’s why it’s so important to stay positive. You can’t let it get you down, or you’re a goner. 2 FAKE EMPIRE: BOXER First song I ever heard from this band, and it’s easy to see why I was drawn to it. So often in “ballads” the message is rough at the start, but gradually it brightens up. That doesn’t really happen here. The piano and the very low key guitar playing help to make the song more intimate, while still bringing in every member of the band. Not every band can do that. The horns at the end remind me of the brilliant way Neutral Milk Hotel uses horns. I don’t think the National were trying to evoke NMH in any way, but I’m just saying more bands should try to incorporate horns.in making “Fake Empire”, the National collected all the unknown sadness of our society and bottled it up, in the process making an eye opening song even more thoughtful. 1 VANDERLYLE CRYBABY GEEKS: HIGH VIOLET For the record let me just state that High Violet is so far the best album of this band’s career. It’s basically perfect. It’s the magnum opus of this band. This song, the final and climactic anthem of this album, is as powerful as it is confusing. Music doesn’t always have to be explainable though. It’s better to let the audience decide what the song is about, and enjoy the song from their own perspective. That’s what I love about the National. They aren’t quite the Inception of the music world, but so much is unexplainable and it still works. I always think of the Katherine Dunn book “Geek Love” and how those characters are vile, unlikable, and are all just trying to geek out a decent, comfortable life surrounded by all the shit and vomit of the world in which they were created. Now it’s likely no one else has made that connection, but that’s OK, because everyone in the world draws from different events. In the summer of 1999, the concept of downloading and album leaks were things that didn’t play into my everyday thinking. Along with Dennis and Miles, my two best friends at the time, we would head over to our favorite music store everyday to hang out and listen to music. One day we popped in and an employee, who was a really awesome dude actually, was blaring this album. It wasn’t slated to be released for like two months, but somehow he had the album. Apparently it had “ leaked,” and knowing we were all giant Deftones fans, had made copies for us to take home.
For the following months this was our go to album. Driving around, being young kids with the world before us, the album seemed to changed our lives. I can’t speak for my two friends, but this album had a monumental impact on my life. It changed the way I thought about music, and exposed me to a different set of sounds than I had primarily been listening to at the time ( Korn, Limp Bizkit…) The Deftones had already been a band I loved, but this album was the one that stuck with me the most at the time. From the opening track “ Feiticeira,” you can sense that these guys were trying to make an album to branch out of the already tiresome genre of Nu Metal. By this point, bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit were big time names, and others like Orgy, P.O.D., and Papa Roach were heading up the ladder. The sound wasn’t difficult to master. Throw in teenager angst, crunchy, or “hard” beats and you basically have an album. It’s clear, even now, why most of those bands are long gone, and why the Deftones are still getting bigger with each release. Since turning the corner with this album, they’ve consistently made amazing albums that merge all kinds of genres. Yet before WP, the band seemed to have perfected the brand of heaviness they would later become known for. WP, again, is where the template opened up to allow more. It’s still extremely aggressive at times, but also shows a certain beauty and delicateness to it. Songs like “ Digital Bath'' are just beautiful, while still having a heavier overall tone to them. “Bath” is also one of the first times you heard Chino Moreno aim for types of range out of his vocal cords. While not a traditional voice, it’s still one of the most recognizable in music, to me at least. Track three, “Elite” has more of the Deftones fans of the first two albums would be familiar with. It’s very heavy, and the guitars of Stephen Carpenter, and the drumming of Abe Cunningham are ultimately what makes this a stand out track. I’ve always wondered why this song isn’t played more live, but I guess that’s how it goes sometimes. It just seems like a perfect song for the live setting. Anyway, even with this track you can tell that the band is really trying to branch out and make a truly unique album. “RX Queen,” written about Moreno’s at the time wife, opens with creepy, low lying bass lines courtesy of Chi Cheng, and it’s those wandering bass-lines that help give the song focus, as well as guide it further into a more industrial, beat driven area. The record also showcases the sampler, or DJ in the band, Frank Delgado, for the first time. He toured with the band on the Around the Fur tour, but White Pony was his first proper recording with the band. You could say in many ways this is Delgado’s album. The lush layering, interesting mix of background sounds, as well as just a darker undertone makes this record stand out. Frank Delgado may have not made the Deftones what they currently are, but without his involvement it’s hard to say what the following albums would have ended up sounding like. “Street Carp” is next, but honestly I think it might be the weakest of the tracks on the album. It’s still good, and the placement on the record is brilliant, but maybe that’s what makes it so difficult. Coming after “Rx Queen” and before the massively underrated “ Teenager” it’s dose of heaviness but just feels overshadowed by the surrounding songs. “ Teenager” arrives next, and it’s likely one of the calmest, trippiest, most beautiful songs the band has in their catalog. I always picture this song as a sort of time capsule of what kind of love was once present in your life, and also a journey of self exploration. I nearly always imagine this song being in the film “ Blade Runner.” Rachel, played by Sean Young, staring out on the post utopian world, raining running down the windows. It’s a perfect example of a science fiction love song, and for me, it’s one of the major revelations of the band's career. “Knife Prty” then expands with density , and one of the best things about this is the lyrics. Moreno has the skill in writing that a lot of other vocalists simply don’t. He can write about real, passionate things, while also venturing into completely unknown territory. The female vocals at the end are a dream come true. Most bands wouldn’t dare to venture this way when they already have a built in fan base, but they really really should. After the female vocals spill out of control, the mythological undertones of the song erupt in a beautiful, organized mess of sounds. “Korea, ” which was included in most of the bands “OzFest” sets from a year before, is easily the heaviest, most angry song on the album. That’s not to say it’s a bad song. On the contrary, it’s a really fucking good song. This is the Deftones how they sounded on the first two albums, with a little glimmer into where the band is headed next. The samples and turntable work by Delgado also give the song an interesting contrast to Moreno’s screaming, crazy vocals, sweeping in and out of the intensely heavy guitar and drum work. The last three tracks are all amazing and important. They perfectly wrap up a brilliant, landmark album and remind you why this is one of the best modern rock albums of the last twenty years. “ Passenger,” featuring that guy from A Perfect Circle, follows “ Korea.” If you read my list of my favorite Deftones songs, you remember this higher up in the list . If you love the band, likely you think the same way. After nearly fifteen years and probably a thousand listens to not only the album, but the song, it still stands out as one of my all time favorites . It’s just a level of mastery that’s rarely seen. Also, Maynard very rarely contributes to the work of other bands, so it’s still quite a feat that they got him to take part in it. The song is just colossal on all fronts. It’s Still one of the songs I can play all the way through then go back and listen to it all over again. Following that isn’t easy, but they clearly knew what they were doing with the sequencing of the album. “ Change,” the first single and likely one of the few songs general music lovers will recognize, follows “ Passenger.” I still remember seeing this video for the first time. The whole house party vibe, and the band playing as the house slowly burns, still stands out in my head. The song itself is perfect, and it’s a clear choice for the song that introduced the world to what to expect from this album. Now, putting the song so late in the album is tricky, especially when it’s the first single. Most bands just simply don’t do that, but I guess that’s the risk you have to take. For me, the momentum of the last four songs on this album is what makes it so brilliant. The strength behind every song is clear, but those last songs are the cherry on top. The proper album comes to an end in a beautiful, emotional ride called “ Pink Maggit” Two special editions would later come out, one with a different opening track ( “ Back to School” ) and a song that follows this one ( “ Boy’s Republic” ) but for the purpose of this article we won’t be discussing them ( Check them out though if you haven’t, they’re equally awesome). Anyway, this song quietly builds for the first two minutes, then breaks into the signature Deftones sound, while at the same time releasing all the tension that has built up over the previous ten songs. Once again the lyrics are one’s that suggest growth and hardship, but it’s this ending that ties up the amazingness of the album. Once again, it show’s what the band has learned, as well as gives you a glimpse to what roads the band might be venturing down with subsequent releases. The remaining seconds float by with a dissonant array for layers, textures, and feedback, but it serves its purpose wholeheartedly. Even with the album drawing to a close I can understand why it’s only gotten better over time. Rest in Peace, Chi Cheng. |
AuthorLandon 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, Categories
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