Temple

Temple Or Wonderland

Temple by Kings of Leon

Recommended by Kim

"After our talk I figured you needed to be able to name at least one more Kings of Leon song besides Use Somebody."

That's fair. Thanks. You would choose to help expand my knowledge of a band from Nashville.

Temple is a track from the sixth Kings of Leon album, Mechanical Bull, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2013. It actually peaked at #1 in Canada (x).

The title of this song is pretty clever, honestly. It makes me think of a building type of temple when I first hear the title - a structure used for religious or spiritual rituals (x) - which puts you in kind of a reverent mood.

But then you get to the chorus and realize that it's referring to the anatomical temple. The song is about taking a bullet right in the side of the head for the person you love.

Dramatic. But, like. Kinda romantic.

As far as the sound, it's a pretty standard alternative rock song. You've got steady drums, prominent but not overwhelming guitars, and a catchy melody.

Solid stuff.

Overview:

Genre:
Alt Rock

Favorite Lyrics:
I've got my hands in my pockets,
And I'm crossing my fingers
I just wanna be noticed.

Verdict:
similar to The Cure (x)

Change My Head

Shooting Star Summit

Change My Mind by Autolux

Recommended by Tim

I don't love the discordant bending of the notes during the instrumental segment that makes up the first 30 seconds of the song - "subtle guitar moans groaning underneath piano chords slowly plinking out like a barroom pianist at the end of the night" (x); however, most of the whiny noises fade out as the vocals enter.

The chorus "pops off slowly like exploding stars" (x).

I'm not sure exactly what the lyrics mean, but they combine with the music to form something vaguely unsettling in a way that you can't quite place.

Overview:

Genre:
Alt Rock / Dream Pop

Favorite Lyrics:
Now soar away and give up people.

Verdict:
modern and electronic but with surprisingly retro vibes

The Ghosts of Summers Past

Metal's Not Music, It's a Mindset

The Ghosts of Summers Past by Woods of Ypres

While not as long as the 9-minute video would have you believe (the last 3 minutes are silent), The Ghosts of Summers Past is still a behemoth of a song at 6 minutes.

The track resides somewhere between abysmal gloom and resignation to an ever-present but gentle melancholia. Somewhere between wallowing in misery and learning to cope with it.

It's about the end of a relationship, the end of an era - something that's gone forever.

I wasn't sure I liked the droning vocals that start the song, but it gets better. You have to give it a chance. Around 2:25, there's some more interesting guitar action, and it only picks up after that. We get layers on layers of vocals and some lovely harmonies. 

The title of the song is accurate to both the lyrical content and the haunting harmonies that fill in the second half of the song. The Ooohs that begin around the 5:15 mark can't be described any other way.

This is definitely one of those tracks where the lyrics are meant to be heard and understood and digested. It could be read as poetry, probably.

Funny, though, this is apparently a "blackened doom metal" band (x), and I was wondering how they were going to pull it off when they're from Canada of all places. I was mistaken. This blackened doom metal is surprisingly chill. I like it.

Overview:

Genre:

Black Metal / Death Metal

Favorite Lyrics:

I long for the way it used to be.

Verdict:

I need to reevaluate my interpretation of the word "metal."

Pink + White

And Not Plus

Pink + White by Frank Ocean

Recommended by Kim

"Can we just talk about how Frank used Beyonce for back up vocals? Back up vocals. He used Beyonce for BACK UP VOCALS. Only the legend could do that. Thanks for one of the most revolutionary albums of the year, Frank."

No shade at Amir Brandon and his beautiful cover, but the only reason I embedded his video is because Frank Ocean doesn't have a music video for this track.

I highly recommend purchasing Blonde, Ocean's long-awaited second album, or streaming it somewhere, such as Apple Music. The production by Pharrell Williams is  really something, and there's nothing like the emotion from a performance by the original artist (x).

The only thing I'm not crazy about is the second-long intro which honestly sounds like it's about to launch into the Mission Impossible theme song.

Maybe it's just because I haven't listened to Ocean in four years, but this song hits me with waves of nostalgia. I'm not sure if that feeling is created by the lazy piano accompaniment, which includes a section of the same note being repeated 8 times, or the lyrics.

I was trying to figure out whether it was about a breakup, romantic or otherwise, or if it was discussing the end of a certain period of your life. I guess it doesn't matter.

When Frank croons “It’s all downhill from here,” it sounds like a resignation, an acknowledgement that this will be as good as it ever gets. But the corollary is that right now, at this moment, you’re at your peak. For a generation that struggles to live in the moment, it’s an oddly reassuring statement. (source)

That, to me, is beautiful.

Last, we do have to talk about Bey singing backup vocals. This isn't the first time the pair have worked together, but it does mark the first time that Ocean controls the song despite her presence (x).

The queen sounds great, obviously, as she harmonizes over Ocean's melody. But she lets him sit alone in the spotlight.

Overview:

Genre:
Pop Ballad

Favorite Lyrics:
This is life,
life immortality.

Verdict:
"Revolutionary" but understated

Arabesque Etoile

Starry Night

Arabesque Etoile by Yousuke Yasui

Recommended by Jessica

"This is a piece by Yousuke Yasui, who composes electronic scores with a retro vibe for video games as well as some original pieces. I really like Yasui's music and enjoy this song for its bouncy beat and catchiness."

First of all, thanks for introducing me to another video game composer. I need wordless music for my attempts at studying, and optimistic pieces like this are the best at keeping me focused and driven.

Yasui says he aspires to write music that is "playful and creative" and I would say he succeeds (x).

A lot of what Yasui does is not creating his own melodies - thought he does that as well - but rather remixing the original game soundtracks, often for the next game in a series that has been on-going for years.

This piece, which pays homage to Hong Kong etoile from the game "Knucke Heads," Yasui evokes the retro or old school gaming style of music and creates something that feels familiar yet modern.

About this "remixing" facet of his work, Yasui says:

No matter how good, a remix is never better than the original. So I changed the feel entirely in order to create something that was good in a different way. I see it as an honor to be connected to the music that I respect. (source)

I really like that quote.

There's a great deal of humility shown in that deference shown to the original, yet there's still a sense of determination and pride in the idea of making something that's "good in a different way." You've got to find a balance between doing your own thing without coming across like you're trying to fix something that isn't broken.

Overview:

Genre:
Electronic

Verdict:
pretty cool, also worth noting - étoile is French for "star." arabesque is a ballet move...but more relevant to this track, an arabesque is "a form of artistic decoration consisting of surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils or plain lines" (x)
As such, a star arabesque (arabesque etoile, if you will) would look something like this:

pretty accurate, right?

Sort It Out Sharon

God, Sharon

Sort It Out Sharon ft. Wiley by Dusky

Recommended by Tim

Dusky is a London-based electronic music duo (x).

Wiley, a 37-year-old artist from Trinidad and Tobago, brings years of experience to the verses, which he raps at lightning speed. The "godfather of grime" delivers that perfect combo of "industrial techno, grime and '93 rave vibes" (x).

It's an uptempo, vocal-focused track that layers accented, rapid-fire rapping over sharp percussion over a barely-there electronic drone. There's a sense of urgency that you can never escape.

Get it together.

Overview:

Genre:
Techno / Synth Pop

Favorite Lyrics:
If there's a doubt in your mind,
better erase that.

Verdict:
"warehouse belter" (x)

Do You Wanna Build a Wall?

Debbie Just Hit It

Do You Wanna Build a Wall? (a Frozen parody)

Recommended by Sara

"Is your blog political?"

No, it's not. I mean not really. But sure, I'll give your song a listen.

This is basically the same thing as this guy's videos, where he edits clips to make the current POTUS, Obama, sing things like Call Me Maybe, Sexy and I Know It, or even The Pokemon Theme Song.

The difference is, of course, that this dub of Donald Trump actually changes the words of Do You Wanna Build a Snowman? Whereas, in barackdubs, he is manipulated just to sing the exact lyrics of whatever sing he's supposed to be "singing."

But, whatever. Everyone knows about Trump's plan to build a wall, and this silly little video isn't the worst thing through which Donald's name has been dragged.

**REGISTER TO VOTE**

If you live in Georgia, you can do it here.

Overview:

Genre:
Parody

Verdict:
all in good fun, probably