tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64332317894367108332023-11-16T06:21:12.316+11:00StringsJoshwithguitarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08957959073568517386noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433231789436710833.post-59540745630379421942009-05-24T16:28:00.004+10:002009-05-24T16:44:59.201+10:00One of the really exciting things about owning cds and listening to music and having opinions on everything is that it results in some fun *ahem* "discussions" at 2am with strangers at parties.<br />The debate I got into last night was about music videos, and I think worth continuing on to today's post.<br />When asked "name your favourite video...you have 10 seconds", my two aquaintances put forward <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_qMagfZtv8">"Just" by Radiohead</a> and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwu7ixmQk0c">November Rain" by Guns n Roses.</a> I, in a fit of bad memory, announced that the video for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ5Grncdjlc">Svefn-G-Englar </a>(Sigur Ros) was the greatest. I meant <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOuKdeZ2x-M">Saeglopur</a> (also Sigur Ros) although the Svefn clip is pretty fantastic. In fact, all of Sigur Ros' videos are rather awesome (.<br /><br />So what is it that makes a great clip? Not necessarily a message - that can just make it a bit wanky and lame. But perhaps ambiguity. Interesting visuals. Beauty. Something that conveys the message of the song without distracting us too much from the music.<br />For an example of the latter, check out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ6tKGFnemU">Yves Klein Blue "Polka" </a>- the lyrics are about drugs, and the video is a bit drugged out and early 70s film and hazy. It's fantastic.JessJesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10499591596699635254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433231789436710833.post-17571998785638952682009-04-21T15:48:00.000+10:002009-04-21T16:36:42.091+10:00Do you remember the first time?<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">First posts are always strange. Trying to promote what this blog is going to be about, trying to talk about yourself in a funny, endearing kind of way, all with the subtext of cool and READ ME!</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">So. Um. Hi.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This blog, written by me and JoshWithGuitar, is about music. It's about our love for music and our attempts to share this with the world at large.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">It's going to be part music blog, part gig review, part whatever-else-I-feel-like.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And for the first music post, I'm going to recommend a couple of bands that everyone should know about. I haven't quite yet figured out how to post mp3s for your listening pleasure so click the links for their myspace pages.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://b3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00324/37/89/324229873_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 229px;" src="http://b3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00324/37/89/324229873_l.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">1) </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.myspace.com/amplifiertheband">Amplifier</a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">. (Look up)</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I love these guys. It's kind of like what would happen if the 70's psychadelic rock went through a heavy prog phase with a little bit of shoegazer (the closest comparison would be </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.myspace.com/oceansize">Oceansize</a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> - close friends with and a big influence on the band I think, and another group you should hear if you haven't already). They opened for Opeth one tour. Don't think it's all growls and unintelligble vocals, though. Heavy guitars, some wall-of-sound stuff, and really </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >interesting</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> riffs. They are currently working on their third album, called The Octopus. From the teaser (on youtube), it looks like it's going to be as exciting as their self-titled debut, and the follow up Insider. Get on it.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">2)</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.myspace.com/thedodos"> The Dodos</a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I'm sure if you're the sort of person to be taking the time out to read a music blog then you have probably already heard of the Dodos. An accoustic guitarist experimenting with delay and loop stations meets a metal drummer experimenting with rhythm. I read somewhere (a comment written by someone rather grumpy) that they sound like a watered down version of </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.myspace.com/animalcollective">Animal Collective</a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">. Not true. Sure, they are similar, but because it's accoustic it keeps its innocent happy sound. </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.hypem.com/">Hype Machine </a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">decided that their album, the cutely misspelled Visiter, was the 20th best album release of 2008. I saw them live at Falls Festival, and it was probably the most joyous set I witnessed. Be happy!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Over and out.</span>JessJesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10499591596699635254noreply@blogger.com0