To those who’ve followed Musicalis Eclectica I thank you! It’s always so much more fun blogging when you know someone’s actually reading it xD.
This is the end of Musicalis Eclectica as my creative endeavours with my new media startup are taking all my focus now – however, I’ll be blogging regularly and posting video content on a regular basis at the official Pixelati blog, currently situated at: http://pixelati.com.
Thanks again and I hope you had a fun time reading my rambling views on music : ) (there’ll be more mindless waffle at the Pixelati blog but I’ll be waffling about videos, film, animation and videogames as well xD).
Howdy y’all! I’ve been busy on version 2.0 of DJCXL’s dot com – and it’s finally gone live!
We’ve still got a bit to do but we’ll be rolling with regular video content and free mixes over the next short while. I guess this is as good a time as any to link to the new video by CXL’s boy – J Williams – who is signed to CXL’s label, Illegal Musik. Enjoy it yo!
No one likes to hear half-hearted excuses and apologies for why a blogger hasn’t bloggified so this is neither xD. I’ve been busy on something I’ll post a link to as soon as I’m done! (due sometime during the coming week.)
I’ve been keeping up on friend’s blogs (if a little sporadically) and I notice I’ve been tagged! (by the excellent At the Lighthouse.) Gasp… must update and reply xD.
I feel it pertinent to point out that Australia and NZ are two completely different countries – much like Canada and the US – only we’re separated from Australia by an entire ocean! : ) (never mind, all is forgiven – it’s a common perception out there beyond our shores xD).
I’ve been busy with musical-ness – finally back into creating it, more than just writing about it, so I’m hoping to have more of that to show around soon too : ).
“Let It Rock” by Kevin Rudolf appeals to the shameless pop consumer in me. The vocal melody hovers around a single note for the verse and chorus and yet the chord progression underneath works with the melody to create melodic tension. This song has a magnetic hook worthy of a great 80s jam!
Hellsongs are a “lounge metal” band from Sweden and their covers album “Hymns in the key of 666″ features a plethora of classic metal cuts of which this one, in particular, presently intrigues me. They may skirt the line somewhat when it comes to my “Rules for making great Cover Songs” (the musical link to the original songs can be tenuous at best) but someone in the band is clearly an old school metal fan and Hellsongs brings enough of their own charm to win me over xD.
The Iron Maiden original brings back memories of bad metal covers bands from a misspent youth and the entire album is full of ‘em! If this tickles your fancy be sure to check out the Black Sabbath, Megadeth and Slayer covers. There’s something quite wrong about the way lead singer Harriet Ohlsson sings “frozen eyes stare deep in your mind as you die” xD. Thanks fOo!
Whoa! Sorry for the prolonged absence, friends. I came down with a severe case of Spore so I’ve been down for the count (and falling asleep at my desk during the day because of it ; ).
I’m back onboard now, though (not that anyone cares) and my NZ music post is back on the agenda xD. Here’s a great cover of “By This River” by Brian Eno (‘the father of ambient music’) from his album “Before and after Science”. (Brian is responsible for the procedural music in Will Wright’s “Spore”.) It’s nice to be reminded why a tune is beautiful after so long.
∞ Random Interest Snippet: Brian Eno is responsible for the Windows 95 startup sound. Brian says: “The thing from the agency said, “We want a piece of music that is inspiring, universal, blah-blah, da-da-da, optimistic, futuristic, sentimental, emotional”, this whole list of adjectives, and then, at the bottom, it said: “and it must be 3¼ seconds long”. I thought this was so funny, and an amazing thought, to actually try to make a little piece of music. It’s like making a tiny little jewel. In fact, I made eighty-four pieces.”
I don’t have a TV – I haven’t had one for years and my family never had one when we were kids. Dad used to read to us and we’d listen to the Sunday morning radio show which had fare ranging from Bad Jelly the Witch to the Matchstick Girl (such a morbid tale for kids).
Anyway! The point of that rambling nostalgia trip was that the only thing I miss about TV are the music channels; I had a TV for years after I moved out of home and it was always set to the music stations (except when certain people wanted to watch Shortland Street >_<). NZ’s had some great channels (yay for Max and C4!) – not all MTV pop – and I discovered great music during the years that I had a TV.
Now that I don’t, I have to rely on my main Eye on the Choob – Grunter. A man of varied tastes, Grunter’s given me the heads up on songs from Disturbed’s latest metal anthem to the alt-pop of the Ting Tings. After checking out their latest video I found this acoustic version of “Great DJ” (which I prefer), performed on Yahoo’s music channel. (Thanks Grunter!)
It’s an oldie, but brother and sister duo Angus and Julia Stone are Aussies and I’m gearing up to my NZ music post with some neighbourly action xD (and here’s an interview wherein you can hear their charming aussie accents : ).
The quiet, folky, acoustic number really appeals to me and they do it so well; both are singer / songwriters and each has their own style but their writing method (each composes alone, then brings the song in for help with structure and harmonies) ensures they retain a cohesion to their sound. I like it, yo.
Joe Dolce’s classic 80s song “Shaddap You Face” is the most successful Australian-produced single in Australian music history for 28 years straight with sales of over 350,000 copies. It brings back memories of a crowded house full of cousins, uncles and aunties all singing the chorus punch line: “Aaah shaddap-a you face!” at the top of their voices xD.
Style-wise it’s a bit of a departure from the norm but it proves the efficacy of a sing-a-long style with a funny, universal concept xD. And whilst this live version from Countdown is a good enough performance, Samuel L. Jackson’s “spoken word” version is better, if you ask me ; ).
Since I’m on the subject of New Zealand music (or soon will be ; ), I thought I’d take the opportunity to pimp a workmate’s band (not that they need it): the stonkin’ breakbeat electronica wizards Antiform.
This track – featuring Tiki Taane of Salmonella Dub fame – is a balls out, breakbeat, rock-fest with warm and dirty analogue synths and a moving bass line of phat proportions.
If I’d had Musicalis Eclectica back when Josh gave us the “sneak preview” of this video I could’ve been one of those elite “insider” blogs and lorded my advance knowledge over you all as if anybody cared what I had to say <— see? that’s my effort at doing it after the fact xD. Nevertheless, the track rocked and blew my head off when I first heard it: it’s electronica breakbeat with a very rock heart that appealed directly to my Prodigy and Chemical Brothers tastebuds.
Antiform are playing a gig at Zen and Fu on Saturday the 6th of September; I’ll be there, lighting up the dance floor with my awkward old guy moves – hopefully I’ll see some of you there!
