Music Shout Out (M.S.O.)

Hey guys,

So I am ending the segment of my blog entitled "Music Shout Outs" or M.S.O.  I decided to make a whole other site for on tumblr because pictures would be easier to acquire and I can get more readership through that.  That does not mean I am transferring this blog to tumblr as well.  I like having it on blogspot.  But the URL for the music critique is: Music Shout Outs.  I hope you guys enjoy it!

Hugs,
Jo

Halloween: Music For Fright Night (M.S.O.)

Photo taken from iStockPhoto

At the lovely Cornell campus, people have been celebrating Halloween since Thursday night.  Yes, we are well aware that a) Halloween is on Sunday and b) weekend technically slash usually starts on Friday.  But it's a whole lot of fun.  Since I am working all day today before I go to a party tonight, I think it'd be appropriate to give a shout out to the artists I listen to for Halloween.  Some of them are corny and a bit embarrassing, but it fits the holiday.

Marilyn Manson

From Photobucket

 To me, not Halloween anything is complete without the Prince of Darkness himself, Marilyn Manson.  It's not even that his music fits the theme of vampires and ghouls, but no matter how stoic you try to be, he is downright scary.  Plus, songs like "Disposable Teen" and "Rock is Dead" are awesome pump-up tunes for going out.

Danny Elfman

Photo from Transcription: Edward Scissorhands - Ice Dance - Danny Elfman

Now, most people don't think of him as the artist, but he is the mastermind behind the music of The Corpse Bride and A Nightmare Before Christmas.  Jack Skellington and Sally have become iconic figures for kids my age.  With tunes like "This Is Halloween" and a film about a bride murdered by her husband who has returned from the dead, how can one not get in the mood for the holiday?

Schoolyard Heroes

Taken from Parents Lash Out Against Schoolyard Heroes (article is pretty amusing)

Schoolyard Heroes' lyrics are straight out of Saw and any zombie horror film.  They sing about botched plastic surgery, pretty corpses, killing boyfriends...lots of things that would make a good plot for a horror movie to watch on a night in.

Aiden

Taken from LayoutSpar

It's not even about the music.  The music fits more to the tune of my friend's Halloween costume of an emo kid.  But just look at Wil Francis.  He's the one that looks like he stepped out of Halloween.  And having that image in my head while listening to the music rounds off my Halloween playlist.

What do you guys listen to?

Beartrap (M.S.O.)

Borrowed this pic without his permission from Facebook

Not sure if it would be safe to post my friend's full name on the internet so people can stalk him.  If you really must know, his first name is really Paul.

Anyway, he writes music and stuff.  It's pretty good.  If you like acoustic stuff with grungy-sounding lead singers, he might just be the guy for you.  My fave song has to be "Forty Dollars."  He also writes some techno...on his gameboy, which is cool.  But definitely check him out.

http://8bc.org/music/P4ulJTechno/Positron/ <--Gameboy music

http://www.youtube.com/user/CrackedWhistle <--Random stuff with music

3oh!3 (M.S.O.)

I apologize for the crappy original photography from when I saw these dudes in May 2010.  SO GOOD LIVE.  But anyway, their latest album, Streets of Gold, came out today, and being the good fan that I am, I downloaded it immediately.  I even paid 10 bucks for it on iTunes. And I think it was totally worth it.

These guys have really really fun pop-electro-rap party music.  If you're looking for a deeper meaning, there isn't any.  Well, except for when they talk about how kids are just really messed up on sluts, drugs, and reckless behavior.  When they first came out with the self-titled debut, the music definitely had hip-hop roots.  And then they hit fame with "Don't Trust Me" off their second Want album.  That song definitely had a more pop feel but it was definitely a better direction.  Sure, some may argue that it isn't anything original, but it is definitely the cream of the crop in terms of that kind of music.  I mean, J Bigga and Jeffree Star follow a similar genre, but these guys' voices are way less annoying and the lyrics make sense.  Somewhat.

Plus, who doesn't love an adorable vegetarian and a hot ridiculously tall dude rapping?

Sonisphere (M.S.O.)

All images credit: Sonisphere Official Website (would've been easier to find a pic if I spoke Bulgarian)

As many of my friends know, I do not really listen to metal.  Sure, I'll venture into the occasional Atreyu or System of a Down (I don't think they count).  But I can appreciate good music when I hear it.  Last night, Mulbolt took me to see the Sonisphere Festival in theaters which featured the Big Four of metal: Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica.  It was a lot of fun and had me thinking that more bands should do that kind of thing to reach out to more fans, instead of having unknown DVD releases.  Either way, it was a load of fun and I am commenting on each band.

By the way, I will only be talking about the performances and not the actual music.  Even though it was fun, it will not turn me into a metal head any time soon.

Anthrax

I know Anthrax, honestly, because of VH1.  Scott Ian is on most countdowns, commenting on stuff like hard rock music and fads of the decades.  But honestly, I though Anthrax was one of the better performances at the event.  The lead singer was really enthusiastic and the songs were good.  I mean, they each had variety so it was easy to tell when the song changed.  This one happened earlier in the day, so crowd action was not too exciting, except for those random dudes trying to start a mosh pit in an open area (mosh pit fail).

Megadeth

This was my first time listening to Megadeth.  It was nice to see that they are relatively normal looking and not like...those cartoons in Dethklok.  It is a silly comparison, I know. The lead singer must have been high or something because he could barely open his mouth or sing into the microphone.  I thought that was a bit disappointing.  The guitarists were very chilled out, not as much thrashing as Anthrax.  But perhaps they are the chill metal band...who knows.

Slayer

They really remind me of System of a Down.  Clearly, I am getting any embarrassing comments out of the way first.  Oh, not musically, physically.  Their music was really monotonous.  The intros were good, but I guess it is rather difficult to put variety into shredding on a guitar.  To start with, it is fairly hard enough to play such fast notes live on stage without messing up.  My favorite part was the fan reaction in the theater.  My other favorite was Jeff Hanneman's Heineken-esque logo on his guitar.  I want one.  It would go great with my Jägermeister hat.

Metallica

They are so good live!  I was most impressed with their performance.  There was lots of shredding, but also tons of melody.  Melody is my favorite thing in songs, unless it is minimalist techno.  The lead singer showed much enthusiasm.  One of the more memorable things from their performance was the bassist's epic crab-walking.  I have a feeling he can barely stand up straight on his own.  In that picture, he is leaning against a pillar.  That does not count.  The highlight of the night was when Metallica asked the rest of the Big Four to come out and perform a cover of "Am I Evil" by Diamond Head together, which was, as they said, "history in the making."

Fuck Buttons and Foals (M.S.O.)

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a fan of bands with really freaking bizarre or inappropriate name. Fuck Buttons fills my inappropriate quotient. Foals...they're named after baby horses. Decide for yourself.

Anyway, Fuck Buttons is really nice, minimal techno. But they are really good for working out at a gym. If you like "Flux" by Bloc Party, there is a chance you might like their latest album, Tarot Sport. But they have many clever musical moments which convey the title and the imagery of the song.

Foals make great study music. Earlier today, I actually timed the free response portion of my practice test with the Antidotes album. I thought they were going to b unoriginal, but they are really clever. Whoever knew math rock would be cool?

La Roux (M.S.O.)

Androgynous, electronically pop, gorgeous...those are three words to describe the awesomeness that is La Roux. Even though people are more familiar with Elly Jackson, the band is actually made up of her and Ben Langmaid. Their music is just great. My favorite track so far is "Bulletproof." Her voice is incredible and her style is really sharp. The makeup work in the video is amazing. Their lyrics are so simple and the electro-synth riffs are danceable, but also easy to listen to. I really recommend them.

Tegan & Sara (M.S.O.)

These Canadian twins are AWESOME. They have the cutest harmonies going on, almost as cute as Simon and Garfunkel's. Except less politicized with much shorter songs. My favorite album of theirs is The Con, partially because it is the first album of theirs that I downloaded. Their hooks and lyrics awesome with really interesting verses such as "I just want back in your head/ I'm not unfaithful but I'll stray/ When I get a little scared." Another favorite of mine is "All I want to hear is that your not mine." But they're really fun, especially that song they wrote with Tiesto, "Feel It In My Bones." It is so beautiful and amazing. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Deerhoof (M.S.O.)

Welcome to the realm of the completely nonsensical. I actually love this stuff because the songs are short enough to hold my attention span, but catchy enough that I'm not like "damn, that was it?" But the music is pretty chill and easily gets caught in the head. I've been humming "Panda Panda Panda" for the past hour instead of doing my bio homework. Haha, whoops. These guys are really good considering that I am usually not that huge a fan of indie music.

Infected Mushroom and VnV Nation (M.S.O.)

These two "bands" are absotively addictive. VnV Nation is awesome futurepop stuff. I discovered them through Mindless Self Indulgence, but originally I didn't think much of them. And Infected Mushroom is just WOW. Their music is made of crack. It's amazing though and sort of an acquired taste thing. But I'm into anything innovative and slightly bizarre. Definitely check these guys out though!

Trance (M.S.O.)

What trance music is: music so steady and consistent that three songs could go by and you won't notice. It's quite awesome for studying. Think Tiesto and stuff. I went on a downloading rampage and added about 100 songs to my iPod. I might turn into one of those crazies that has maxed out their iPod Classic's memories. Nah, I'm not at that point yet. But seriously, this stuff is teh awesomez.