Study music continues. If the last one wasn't long enough of a youtube clip, well this one is almost an hour and a half long. Behold, Dmitri Shostakovich's glorious Leningrad Symphony! Conducted by the legendary maestro Bernstein. If you don't know who that composer is, shame on you, you uncultured ape. Now go to wikipedia and become a cultured chimpanzee like myself.
Originally, Shostakovich dedicated this piece to the life and deeds of Vladimir Lenin, so there's something for you Leftists in there too.
In any case this won't be the last Shostakovich post, so stay tuned. What? You didn't think this was a classical music blog? You must be mistaken. This is a music blog. Anything goes.
Okay so I'm going to keep this short and sweet. By short I mean sometimes I'll just literally have a sentence or two. Yeah, I can be lazy like that. For the next month. I'm going to do this thing called, the study music collection, where I will post youtube videos that are album lengths long. Often, they will be what I think, (mind the 'I' please) is good for studying. This will probably go on until exams are over, which is in June. So if one day I decide that Metallica's Master of Puppets album is a great study music, then for those who don't agree with that, tough luck.
So first up is Fennesz + Sakamoto. We've already had Mr. Sakamoto's music up here. He seems to have done a lot of collaborations with other artists, so he'll be coming back from time to time. Fennesz is an Austrian guitarist who does a lot of electronic music. What happens when you combine the two? See for yourself. Or I mean, hear for yourself.
The Best way, (that's right I capitalized the best. So you know this is the final deal) to know an artist's skill and prowess is to go to the live event. However, if you've got dust rolling in your pockets, like me, that might not be so readily available. Let alone in the day and age of where, let's say... Lil Wayne's several hundred dollar per ticket concerts draw drooling airheads from all around (that's right, I'm upping the rage measure. Offended? Get out of my little sanctuary of bias) the four corners of the world, it's hard to even see if a live event actually proves an artist's worthiness for my ears (if you have forgotten. This is MY music blog of extreme snobbery and stuck-upness).
That's why I often resort to checking out an artist first before even considering to go to a live event, which is also why almost all of the concerts I go to consist of reputed 'institutions' and pieces that are long classics. ENO can't mess up a Puccini even if Jesus prayed for that one. Or let's say, try to tell the London Philharmonic to attempt to be less than stellar. They probably can't even if they try to miss a few notes.
So what a god-almighty surprise it was when I saw Team Me last night. My friend had bought the tickets in anticipation of my visit to Bergen, since I noticed that great bands had come out of Bergen. There I was, waiting in this cave-looking pub/venue (seriously, it was a cave, no joke), talking to Maria, after the great opening band, when the main band erupts into this:
Imagine the Invasion of Iraq, except it's Canadians instead of Americans, and instead of bombs, they're dropping candies and jelly beans. That was the kind of sound ecstasy my ears got invaded by once they started booming through the crowd.
Holy, lord, of mercy. These guys, a six-piece band from Norway, were quite the artists. Besides the main drummer, they had another set of toms and crash (or ride?) which one of the front men beat down on without discretion for energy savings. There was the lead singer, who was on guitar, a female support vocal who was playing the keyboard, and then another male support vocal who played the aforementioned toms/crash (or ride? dammit) set and guitar depending on what song it was. These guys were the front men. Behind, there was the bassist, the drummer, and another on the synth and the mixer. In any case, the three at the front were going completely crazy at all times. Especially, the extra drum kit player was quite astonishing in his ability to hype the crowd, not that the hype wasn't well-deserved.
The drum beats were always full of energy, but they were not without purpose, unlike some indie bands that just spam bass drum and toms beats for no good reason. Then there was the depth and complexity of the harmonization itself. Sound effects and multiple melody lines came together without dissonance. The melodies themselves were unpredictable, but in a way that made for sensible transitions. It was great fun following along the melodic tones of the band and experiencing it diverging toward something I had not expected at all.
Lyrics are great. That is quite a simple way to say it so let me explain further. Sometimes I have no idea what they are saying. It's cryptic at points. However, it's much better that way. The lyrics should be left open to interpretation of the listener, to a point that is. Anyways, their video seems a bit more cryptic than their lyrics.
In conclusion, Norwegians are awesome, this band is awesome, Bergen is awesome, and my friend Maria who accommodated me and brought me to this concert, is definitely awesome. Kudos to Norwegia, I mean Norway.
And below is an evidence of that electric night of watching Team Me.
Since this is my music/thought pouring blog, I shall proceed to use it as a place where I write things that belong in a diary. Lately, it has come to my knowledge that I have been working myself to death. Now I don't know if that's a valid association between work and death since if that logic is true then everyone should just start relaxing. By the way, that's something called kidding there you know. Of course I know that's not what it means, but in any case, the modern path of personal growth is really a minefield of complacency. Finding your place in the world, through studying and self-improvement I believe requires much more generation of motivation than let's say, a rebel soldier in Syria. A bullet in the air is quite the motivation to haul ass than a cushiony chair in the Old Building of LSE campus.
In any case I will sound very extreme again, so let me cool my head a bit. Achime. Yes. 아침. That's Korean for 'morning', which brings me to the reminder that I do hope the morning is refreshing for me tomorrow. Haven't had one of those in ages.
Yes, don't tell me. That seems like a girl lifting her skirt there on the album cover. Not my decision, it was theirs. Aside from that, I really like this song. Funky alt-rock is always a treat. Speaking of which, here's another one.
By that second song I knew that I had found another unique K-indie band. Founded in 2008 was pretty much all I could find about them, as they are another one of those really elusive bands outside of Korea. Shame I'd say. Just for the music I'd go to Korea.
Here's a video with all their faces showing.
First of all, if you're Korean and into rock, you should totally try to get these guys' stuff on your smartphone/ipod/or whatever the kids these days carry.
Secondly, I ask, to people especially say they're 'into' Korean culture, why don't bands like these get focused in this K-pop craze that I hear about all the time? You knew any of these guys? I feel like all the boy bands and girl bands and the rest of the 'idol' crowd get unjustified attention in place of real talent. They're great to look at, but peel their faces off and they've got nothing but necks that aren't good for singing and barely any talent in their noggins. Oh, and don't forget those stick figure bodies that can memorize a few dance moves. Give me a face like theirs and a major production company sponsorship and I guarantee you, I could probably clone their 'success'.
Same things go for others. If you don't know who Jung Myung-Hoon is, you don't know Korean culture at all. Just because you know Justin Timberlake, you don't KNOW American Culture. Just because you know Celine Dion, that doesn't meant you KNOW Canadian Culture. So if I hear once more, about someone putting SNSD and Korean Culture, or like, Shinee and Korean Culture in the same sentence, I will probably do nothing but secretly hope to cause nightmares for you in your sleep.
In any case, I've diverged too far already. Let me get back to the point. These guys are fantastic, and yes, they do have some stuff posted on iTunes. I highly recommend them. With that note, I'll sign off by leaving you a fantastic clip of them playing live.
Okay. I usually don't flaunt national pride, but this time I have to. Glen Check, Korean Indie Band. I'm not even going to do any explanations, I'm just going to jump right into the point. You ready? You really ready? Okay here we go.
Holy awesomeness. I have not heard a band that I was crazy for as much as I've been for Glen Check since I found Nell five years ago, which is another Korean indie-band. There was a time two years ago when I fell in love with Escort, but that was because I was feeling disco craze. I'm a bit picky when it comes to bands. The coordination and the right amount of consonance/dissonance. So many times I'll hear some boring four-chord spamming band without even a solid melody and some really cliched lyrics that have been picked out from a random list drawn up by a mainstream radio station. The litmus test I do is whether I can guess the next chord or not. Sad thing is I usually do, and when I do I just crumple that band up in a ball and throw them in my memory trash can. These are about 95% of all the bands out there in the world.
Then there are some bands that try too hard, and they usually end up sounding like a cacophony of random notes with a direction that cannot be saved by a musical Indiana Jones with a compass. I am so desiring to name-drop some of those over-achievers but gosh, I won't. I'm not here to defame anyone.
These guys though. There is definitely dissonance, the uniqueness of seemingly separate notes that are coming together when you take a step back. Then again, there is balance. Just enough so that it doesn't turn anyone off.
I'm not getting the tennis balls but I will buy it from the seeming reference of the title, that there is 'racket' being caused. Anyways these guys are Koreans from abroad. One of them is definitely from UK, since the vocalist's voice has an accent and they've confirmed that one of them is indeed from UK. In any case, they are all about simple but cryptic-enough lyrics that complements their sound just right.
Their first studio album, Haute Couture, has been out since 2012. Buy it. Seriously. I've only ever bought from iTunes twice in my life. Once for Escort (a simply sweet disco band led by a korean-american), and Glen Check. They are worth supporting. I want them to give me more. I want them to play wherever I am. I want to go and watch them play wherever they are. This was the Dreaming Jukebox and I will sign off because the blogger is currently going through technical difficulties by the means of musical seizures in his brain.
Okay I'll admit it. I've failed to find anything new for the last four or five days? So you knew this was coming. Reposts!
Then again, you wouldn't even know this was a repost, since The Koxx was, let's see how far back was it....
Okay not too far. Still, a year is a long time. I say I bring them back since they've got some new stuff since the old post. Like this one:
Just to let you know if the English lyrics have masked their Asian-ness, The Koxx are a Korean indie-band (a bit of that hipster-indie in there). No wikipedia article of them exists so I shall skip the biography.
One thing I really like about them is their style. It's punchy, tangy, and my god it's unpredictable. Usually for most chord-based songs I can guess the progression, especially if it's in G. Here though, The Koxx just does whatever they want, seriously.
I have no idea where that beginning progression popped out from. It's all so, daring. That's a word I'd take if I only could dispense one word for it. Even after that, the chord progression sections are kind of in dissonance, but they work actually.
This one is a bit more calm compared to the above two, but my god is it atypical. Especially that bridge. You'll hear what I mean.
In terms of the lyrics, I like his English vocals actually better. His accents give a special tonal element to the singing. Tonal element, what ambiguousness is that eh. Never mind my rambling.
Here's one with a great message too.
Anyways I think I've stayed up enough. Here they are. Can't believe I'm posting K-indie stuff again since I vowed that I would try to make this blog a bit more diverse. Though I do understand why I used to fill this site with Korean stuff. Swear to Confucius, Koreans are some of the most musical Asians out there, including myself. Yes, shameless self complements.
This was the dreaming jukebox, and is still the dreaming jukebox, and will still be the dreaming jukebox. I'm out for now.
Pretty much a dead give away that my music bank has run dry when I start giving movie soundtracks. What the hell though, I love them. Especially Hanz Zimmer. He gets musical soundtracks like Joe Hisaishi gets Ghibli. Don't worry I'll probably reboot that to give everyone a reminder.
Anyways, without further introductions, since they are overrated, here's the man who gave you the music of many epic films you ever enjoyed.
Most people think Elton John did the Lion King soundtrack. Please though, his music is more appropriate for the musical portions of the movie, not that I did not enjoy them. I actually love all of Lion King's music, but the instrumentals do get me, and they were done by none other than Hanz Zimmer. Moving on.
Okay now, whatever you say, Pearl Harbor was still a good movie in my opinion. I enjoyed it to the fullest damn it. Seriously, what more could you ask for than tons of explosions mixed in with cliched cheesy romance?
Even now, Tom Cruise was the best non-Asian Asian I've ever encountered in a movie. You think that doesn't make sense? It's Asianception, accept it you people. Speaking of which....
Great movie, but Hanz Zimmer's music made it even better. Hanz really has a knack for that low growling sound in the music, hard beats (without what the kids these days call beats, those crazy kids), and a really strong momentum that gives any movie an epic feel. Try going to the bathroom listening to the Inception soundtrack.
Lastly but not certainly not the least, the Dark Knight.
It is iconic. Now when people think of Batman, they will certainly have this soundtrack ringing in their minds. They better have Zimmer for the Superman vs Batman movie, or I swear I will execute a precious Stradivarius right in front of whatever orchestra they hire (this is such a music-nerd statement that you have to have been in an orchestra once in your life to get it).
Once again, speaking of which, he also did the Man of Steel soundtrack.
It is a sombre turn for Superman I'd say. However, I love what they did with Man of Steel. It portrayed Superman as more than just a hero. He was a Super'man', in that he was still an individual, a person who is trying to cope with having to adjust himself to a world he was not born into, and yet still so physically different, that he has to become detached from the society he longs to be within. This soundtrack perfectly captured that emotional conflict he had going on inside him, and it really put Superman in a more relatable light.
Anyways that's a little heavy isn't it? I do like the heaviness that Hanz's soundtrack brings sometimes. It really adds to the weight of a movie.
So I'll conclude for now here, and next time I'll probably do an overview of his video game soundtracks when I run out of stuff again (to my utter glee of course).
This was, not a movie review post, but still the Dreaming Jukebox. Have a good night you people.
