en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal The Last.fm journal for Delsaber. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2008/02/02/1q6d_hey,_spammers. Sat, 2 Feb 2008 21:38:14 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2008/02/02/1q6d_hey,_spammers. I don't care how kewl your music blog is or how fresh your beatz are, and neither does anyone else. Fuck off and leave me alone.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/10/19/1q6c_the_tragically_hip_-_world_container Thu, 19 Oct 2006 20:40:42 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/10/19/1q6c_the_tragically_hip_-_world_container A good, solid album. Does that really surprise anyone? Afterall, there's a reason why these guys are more-or-less unanimously considered to be the kings of Canadian rock. As Dr. David Thorpe might say, "that's not just an opinion, it's empirical." Really, go ahead and ask anyone up here about this. Sure, there are a few other contenders, but none of 'em are really ready to accept the throne just yet. Metric? Still greenhorns. The Trews? Too poppy. Our Lady Peace or Matthew Good? Essentially the training beer to The Tragically Hip's ice bok stout. Nickelback? Forget 'em. We as Canadians still owe the world reparations just for Chad Kroeger's vocals alone. Nay, at this moment The Hip are it and probably have been since Rush passed the torch. That's not to say that they've been resting on their laurels with no experimentation throughout the past 11 albums, mind you. Some of that can definitely be heard on World Container for those who have the ears to listen.

1: Yer Not The Ocean. If you've never heard The Tragically Hip before, here's a pretty solid example of their style without straying too far into extremes. Not too light, not too heavy. It's that nice little bowl of porridge in the middle. A fine intro, if not necessarily on Rob Gordon's list of "top 5 track ones, side ones." The kind of song I might toss onto a party CD; but not before The Darkest One or Twist My Arm.

2: The Lonely End of the Rink. A real stand-out for me. We're starting to drift into a harder style, but that's not all! The sense of experimentation I mentioned begins here with arguably the most uptempo drum backing I've ever heard from these guys (I'm talking upbeat in an almost Franz Ferdinand This Fire sense, somewhat unusual from The Hip.) Additionally, bits of the guitar work remind me strongly of The Clash (!) and there's even what sounds like a Spanish guitar in there somewhere. Huh! Definitely one of my favourites of this outing.

3: In View. The first single. Strong, but not the strongest; I definitely see the radio potential here, but I'm a little surprised that it was chosen first rather than the previous track. Then again, Lonely End of the Rink was featured on Hockey Night in Canada (or so I hear), so... whatever. On the subject of radio singles, I like this one better than 2004's Vaccination Scar. Take that as you will.

4: Fly. This was the weakest track on the album for me, although not for any glaringly awful reason or anything. The rest was just better. It seems to meander for too long before finding its groove. Also, there's that slight air of country guitar which I could do without. Maybe my sister would like this one?

5: Luv (sic). Odd title, but not really an odd song. More of a middle-of-the-road affair; this track and Fly could be considered a bridge between In View and The Kids Don't Get It. I'll probably have to give the album another few listens before I'm convinced otherwise.

6: The Kids Don't Get It. Another good one. If the guitar on Lonely End of the Rink didn't give you the same feeling of The Clash that I got, you'll probably hear it here. It's a new addition to their repertoire that I'd like to hear more of in the future. Great rhythm, should be quite danceable.

7: Pretend. The slowest, mellowest song on the album. Also one of my favourites this time around as it does a nice job of exemplifying The Hip's quieter moments. Put it in a set with Bobcaygeon and watch the crowd sway back and forth.

8: Last Night I Dreamed You Didn't Love Me. Don't let the title fool you into thinking this is some depressing emo song. Seriously kids, pull up a chair and listen while ol' Uncle Rossman spins his yarn: not everything which deals with themes of sadness or loss has to be a whiny explosion of unbridled angst. Go tell Simple Plan, go tell Dashboard Confessional, go tell Death Cab for Cutie. Here's how you do it properly. That said, here's a solid track which expertly dances the line between melancholy and depression while all the time remaining peppy.

9: The Drop-Off. Another of my favourites, probably between In View and Lonely End of the Rink. The tail-end of this track is especially rockin', perhaps a little like Gus revisited. Gord Downie's vocals are also completely crazy in parts. I love that. Y'all will probably just have to listen to see what I mean, 'cause I can't quite put it into words.

10: Family Band. I imagine that if Lonely End of the Rink doesn't become the second radio single, this one will. Good solid stuff. No wheels are reinvented on this one, but everything clicks as it should.

11: World Container. Our titular track (hee, I love that word) is another great mellow piece with some really great catchy lyrics. The piano and guitar in the last half combine to form the perfect choice for an outro on virtually any rock album while the songwriting keeps it from feeling too stereotypical. As you might expect after reading this review, it's quite solid!

All things considered, World Container is roughly on the same high pedastal as everything else The Hip has done since as far back as Day For Night (or Music @ Work, or Trouble at the Henhouse, or half a dozen other examples depending on who you ask.) At least after a couple full listens, anyway. Older fans may have something else to say, but I imagine that this album will score well with pretty much everyone, north or south of the border. I'm left wanting more. Bring on 2008!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/04/11/1q6b_another_annoying_quiz-like-thing. Tue, 11 Apr 2006 22:35:08 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/04/11/1q6b_another_annoying_quiz-like-thing. I'm bored, sue me. Disregard it if you dislike it. In my defense, I will mention how I modified this one a great deal in order to replace all the repeat questions. Whoever wrote this thing originally should endeavor to be more imaginative next time.

Name your top 10 most played bands on Last.fm:

1: Gorillaz
2: Akira Yamaoka
3: Dead Kennedys
4: Nobuo Uematsu
5: The Tragically Hip
6: The Chemical Brothers
7: Yoko Kanno
8: Nightwish
9: Massive Attack
10: Bad Religion

What was the first song you ever heard by #6?

Let Forever Be, way back when I was in high school. By that, I mean I was still watching Much Music back then and it was the video more than the song which moved me to check out the rest of the Brothers material.

What is your favourite album of #2?

This was a tough one considering that I greatly enjoy his entire discography, save for some of his Bemani material (Space Flight and I Feel are great and all, but the rest is only slightly less annoying than everything else in that nebulous web of sub-sub-subgenres.) Anyway, to answer the question, I'd say that Yamaoka-san's soundtrack for Silent Hill 3 very narrowly edges-out... well, virtually anything else the man has composed over the years.

What is your favourite lyric that #5 has sung?

Fireworks exploding in the distance
Temporary towers soar
Fireworks emulating heaven
'till there are no stars anymore
Fireworks aiming straight at heaven
Temporary towers soar
'till there are no stars shining up in heaven
'till there are no stars anymore

How many times have you seen #4 live?

I've actually never been to a live show before, least of all anything featuring Nobou Uematsu. If memory serves, the dude has only played maybe one or two shows, and they were all either special concerts, held in Germany or someplace equally "not-here", or both.

What is your favourite song by #7?

Jade makes me smile. The wild guitar in the outro is particularly awesome. I also love the vocals and background wardrums on Moon.

Is there a song of #3 that makes you sad?

The only thing which I find remotely sad regarding Dead Kennedys are some of the tags people here have tacked onto the poor bastards. Classic Rock? Grunge? Metal?! Come on people, you're losing your heads!

How did you get in to #9?

Sometime in the late summer of 2004 I found myself experimenting with new artists and genres to help wash the lingering low-end Industrial taste out of my mouth (9 out of 10 dentists agree, Type O Negative is the leading cause of tooth decay.) Once I found myself flirting with trip-hop, Massive Attack was there with waiting arms, and so I rested my aching head upon their groovy busom.

What is a good memory you have concerning #1?

Either listening to the entirety of Demon Days for a full week following its release, getting a complete demokit for my birthday that one year, or all that time I spent exploring the previous works of Gorillaz contributors as a result of enjoying the fuck out of the debut album.

To the best of your knowledge, has #8 ever obliterated a village?

I certainly wouldn't put it past them, although I'm sure most people would tell you that even if Nightwish has brought ruin and damnation upon many villages, Lacuna Coil has done it harder and faster.

Artist #10: Great band, or greatest band?

I have to go with the former on that one, although certain elements of their work (songwriting!) could quite possibly qualify for the latter if the question were reworded slightly to read "greatest within their genre".

I'm done. You are dismissed.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/03/30/1q6a_suikoden_has_found_another_way_to_rule_my_life. Thu, 30 Mar 2006 02:53:17 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/03/30/1q6a_suikoden_has_found_another_way_to_rule_my_life. Yes, not only has Suikoden V rendered me a vampire over the last full week, but the franchise as a whole has now wormed its way onto my playlist as well. Anyone who for whatever reason glances at my profile now and then should expect to see giant surges from series composers Miki Higashino, Masahiko Kimura, Norikazu Miura, and Nobuko Toda on my next weekly chart.

Seriously, the only soundtracks I haven't touched yet are for Suikoden III (which I've barely played) and the Japan-only releases such as Suikogaiden (which I will unfortunately never get to play.) And there are tons of remix albums to track down as well...

Yes, I am a geek. No, I don't care. Go listen to your cool-kid Bemani whatsit or whatever, I'll be here with my four versions of "Theme of Beginning".]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/03/19/1q69_morcheeba_makes_me_change_my_pants. Sun, 19 Mar 2006 23:16:23 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/03/19/1q69_morcheeba_makes_me_change_my_pants. I guess it's my fault for being so easily influenced, although part of the blame should rest on Morcheeba. Thing is, I almost always have a mug of some form of liquid in my hand, and once certain tracks hit their climax - such as The Great London Traffic Warden Massacre and especially The Dyslexic Porn Star Who Funked in Her Space - nothing can stop my strutting.

Edit: Damn, that's an ugly line break. Now where did that come from?]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/02/27/1q68_rossman_radio:_106 Mon, 27 Feb 2006 17:51:33 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/02/27/1q68_rossman_radio:_106 Once more unto the breach...

1. Flexus - The Joy Of X (Spotters Delight)
2. The Prodigy - Spitfire (FakeIDs Evolution)
3. Pharoah Sanders - The Creator Has A Master Plan (Trip Hop Remix)
4. Ornette Coleman and Prime Time - Happy Hour
5. Jah Wobble & Bill Laswell - Subcode
6. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Caterwaul
7. B. Dastardly - Music Pleeze
8. Miles Davis - Mystery (Reprise)
9. Hexstatic - Ninja Tune (Enter The Augmenter)
10. The Chemical Brothers - Believe (GHP Louder Mix)
11. The Pogues - Gridlock
12. William Shatner - I Can't Get Behind That
13. Funki Porcini - Dubble (Organ Swell)
14. Kovenant - Mirrors Paradise
15. Sonny Sharrock - Once Upon a Time
16. Mus-ok - Genius Theme
17. Ninja Cuts - Bruce Lee MC (Edit)

No new drops this month, so I went with a Ninja Tune theme for the intro, outro, and intermission. The rest is the usual crazy eclectic genre mash. Whee!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/02/27/1q67_rossman_radio:_best_of_2005 Mon, 27 Feb 2006 17:31:08 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/02/27/1q67_rossman_radio:_best_of_2005 This one took me fucking forever to finally settle on. Not surprising when you consider that 2005 brought over 2000 new tracks into my library. Probably would've been easier if I stuck entirely to music which was actually released in 2005... anyway, the following playlist pretty much sums up the best of the lot.

1. Intro - Jello Biafra's Offspring Disclaimer
2. Flogging Molly - Tobacco Island
3. Tricky - Hollow
4. The Chemical Brothers - Left Right
5. Blur - Out of Time
6. Fluke - Switch/Twitch
7. Metric - Empty
8. Nightwish - Ghost Love Score
9. Intermission - Jayne Cobb on Romance
10. Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
11. Black Sabbath - War Pigs
12. Dead Kennedys - Holiday in Cambodia
13. Akira Yamaoka - Rain of Brass Petals (Three Voices Edit)
14. Tegan and Sara - Superstar
15. Philip Glass - Metamorphosis One
16. Pink Floyd - Welcome to the Machine
17. Outro - Brad's Mabon Song

There we go, that's the cream of 2005's crop as far as what I listened to is concerned. Before I go, if you're wondering just what the hell my outro is, click here.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/02/14/1q66_my_last_bandwagon_post._really. Tue, 14 Feb 2006 06:50:22 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/02/14/1q66_my_last_bandwagon_post._really. Seriously. I mean it this time.

1. What are you listening to right now?
Massive Attack. Specifically, their cover of Joy Division's New Dawn Fades. The energy level on this track is fantastic, and that's high praise coming from me since I usually can't stand covers.

2. What song makes you sad?
Sleep Alone by Moby isn't merely sad, it also gives me the chills in some places.

3. What is the most annoying song in the world?
Narrowing this down to a single song would take me all night. I could throw in a lame copout reply, such as "anything by System of a Down or Insane Clown Posse", but these two groups (mostly the latter) frequently transcend "annoying" and flirt with "fucking retarded". Therefore, I'll simply choose something at random from The Great Barrel of Annoying Songs™... uh... what was that shitty radio single by Kylie Minogue a few years back? The one with all the la la la's? Okay, I'm gonna go with that one.

4. Your all time favorite band?
I'm not sure. I go back quite a ways with The Chemical Brothers. Gorillaz has been leading my top charts pretty much from day one, only falling briefly to Akira Yamaoka several months ago. I think I'd have more luck writing an "all time favourite band per genre" response.

5. Your newly discovered band is?
Lacuna Coil, one of my prefered results from my recent explorations of the metal subgenres.

6. Best female voice?
I can't easily decide on a single pick here either, so I'll give you handful. Victoria Lloyd of Claire Voyant, Beth Gibbons of Portishead, Emily Haines of Metric... Björk and Teagan and/or Sara of Tegan and Sara also rock once you get over a slight learning curve.

7. Best male voice?
Damon Albarn of the aformentioned Gorillaz et. al, Greg Graffin of Bad Religion, Gordon Downie of The Tragically Hip, Tricky. Jello Biafra is too crazy to not include as at least an honorable mention.

8. Music type you find yourself listening to most?
That's hard to answer since I keep my playlist of over 2500 pretty diverse tracks on repeat 95% of the time. I also go through phases of different lengths as I experiment with new music. I suppose that if I added it all up, I've possibly spent the most time with various electronic subgenres; Trip-Hop, IDM, Darkwave, whathaveyou.

9. What do you listen to, to hype you up?
Aggressive punk rock works very well, as does almost anything with a pounding beat or wicked guitar riffs of some kind.

10. What do you listen to when you want to calm down?
Post-Rock works decently, Sigur Ros in particular. Most Jazz in the vein of Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman is good too. Reggae and Dub are also great.

11. Last gig/concert you went to?
Actually, I've never been to one. What's up with that?

12. Band you find yourself listening to the most right now?
Again, I have the shuffled playlist thing going on, so it's a little hard to say.

13. Most hated band?
I mentioned Insane Clown Posse before, and that pretty much holds up pretty well now.

14. Song that makes you think?
Usually anything with a political or social bend will do this, in varying degrees. This pretty much covers a great deal of the Bad Religion or Ani DiFranco catalogues, or almost anything written (or spoken) by Jello Biafra. Some music with strong imagery or metaphorical quality to the lyrics also counts, including the likes of Pink Floyd.

15. Band that you think the world should love as much as you do?
Not enough people have even heard of Sonny Sharrock, let alone heard his music. A case could be made for The Tragically Hip who are probably still relative unknowns south of the border. A lot of people behind the scenes of more popular works could stand to see more lovin', such as Dan The Automator or DJ Shadow.

16. Coolest music video?
Atom Bomb by Fluke, for the wicked Wipeout XL/2097 connection. The Darkest One by The Tragically Hip, for bringing together The Trailer Park Boys and Don Cherry. Flat Beat by Mr. Oizo for being fucking hilarious. Da Funk and Fresh by Daft Punk for being so damned weird.

17. Music video with the most babe watch?
How about Windowlicker by Aphex Twin?

I'M KIDDING.

18. What do you play/would you play in the bedroom to spice things up?
Lovage, perhaps? Whatever works for Chest Rockwell should work for anyone.

19. Can you play a musical instrument?
Not so much.

20. Ever been in a mosh pit?
Not yet. Not sure how long I'd last.

21. Are you in a band?
Nah.

23. Ever dated a musician?
That would be kinda cool.

28. Do you wish yourself that you were a musician?
I wouldn't mind giving it a shot.

29. Best chick band you know of?
Were Luscious Jackson completely female, or did they have male members somewhere in the background?

31. Last song that you heard on the radio/cd...etc...?
Flogging Molly - What's Left of the Flag.

32. What do you think of Classical music?
I like the stuff which hasn't been bastardized by marketing and overplayed. Gustav Holst, Erik Satie, and Igor Stravinski, for example.

33. What do you think of Country music?
I'm down with The Man in Black, but the rest can be loaded onto a rocket and fired into the sun for all I care.

34. What do you think of Death metal?
I'm with Strong Bad.

35. Last BIG band that you saw live?
See #11.

36. Are you a groupie?
Are there such things as male groupies?

37. Do you listen to music in foreign languages?
I still have some J-Rock artists on my playlist, and a bunch of world music. I'm not even sure what languages some of that stuff is in.

38. What famous musician would you like to fuck!?
I'd probably do just about any of the singers I mentioned in #6, provided that my swingin' cod doesn't damage their voices or anything.

39. Worst concert moment?
40. Funny concert moment?
41. Sad concert moment?
Obey #11.

42. Best local act you can think of?
I've heard tales that Gob came out of my high school, but I guess the keyword in that question is "best".

43. If you were a musical instrument what would you be?
Probably a horn of some kind. Heh, I think we all know why.

44. Do you listen to the radio?
No traditional radio, no. Some 'net radio stations, sure.

45. Do you watch music TV?
Not since Much Music killed R U Receiving years ago.

46. Do you follow the music charts, like the top 40?
I don't follow any industry charts, actually.

47. Have you met any famous musicians?
Not that I know of.

48. Are any of your friends/family/etc. musicians?
I don't think so.

49. Song that best describes your feelings right now?
I don't really feel like anything, so... Blank Expression by The Specials, I guess.

50. Song that describes your life?
Lebanese Blonde by Thievery Corporation.

51. Do you know the names of all the band members that you listen to?
I doubt it very much.

52. Does a musician’s physical attractiveness play a role in the music that you listen to?
Not really, no.

53. What famous musician do you want to marry?
I'd probably have to actually get to know one.

53. Favourite movie soundtracks?
The Fifth Element, Reservoir Dogs, Boondock Saints, Clerks.

55. Any musician pet hates?
I can't stand whiny voices.

56. What do your parents listen to?
My mom listens to all the soft celtic stuff and Enya albums which every mom on the continent seem to own, as well as terrible opera dirges. My dad listens to a lot of reggae, dub, ska, world music, trip-hop, and jazz.

57. What are you listening to right NOW?
End of Small Sanctuary by Akira Yamaoka.

58. Do you wear band etc T-shirts?
I have an old Gorillaz shirt somewhere.

59. Do you cook to music?
Usually. Never with any set preferance, though.

60. Do you sing in the toilet?
In the toilet? While I suspect a toilet bowl might have some pretty decent acoustics, no, can't say that I have.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/01/27/1q65_rossman_radio_1205 Fri, 27 Jan 2006 06:22:17 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/01/27/1q65_rossman_radio_1205 This one took way more tweaking than I usually like. Still, I imagine my Best of 2005 playlist will take even longer to settle on. But whatever.

1. Intro - Bitch, Be Cool!
2. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Could You Be Loved
3. The Smashing Pumpkins - Rhinoceros
4. Amon Tobin - Four Ton Mantis
5. The Herbaliser - More Tea, More Beer
6. RJD2 - Ghostwriter
7. Cybotron - Clear
8. Lyrics Born - Bad Dreams
9. Duck Soup - The One
10. MF DOOM - I Hear Voices Pts. 1 & 2
11. Intermission - Torgo's Theme
12. Cosmos - Take Me With You 2002
13. The Untouchables - Be Alright
14. The Herbaliser - Gadget Funk
15. The Tragically Hip - At The Hundredth Meridian
16. Burning Spear - Man in the Hills
17. Lyrics Born - Stop Complaining
18. CoLD SToRAGE - Cairodrome
19. Therion - Son Of The Sun
20. Swollen Members - Deep End
21. Outro - Fruity Oaty Bars

"Outside of the box is where I live." - Starbuck

Classic Sam Jackson kicks things off this month. The intermission drop comes from Manos: The Hands of Fate, a movie so painful that TV's Frank had to apologize for inflicting it upon Mike and the bots. Finally, a message from our sponsor "Fruity Oaty Bars"...]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/01/08/1q64_yet_another_bandwagon_post. Sun, 8 Jan 2006 22:45:16 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Delsaber/journal/2006/01/08/1q64_yet_another_bandwagon_post. Favourite songs by letter, artists can only appear once each, go.

# – Deltron 3030 - 3030
A – Massive Attack - Angel
B – The Tragically Hip - Bobcaygeon
C – Delerium - Consensual Worlds
D – Daft Punk - Da Funk
E – Bob Marley & The Wailers - Exodus
F – The Prodigy - Firestarter
G – Nightwish - Ghost Love Score
H – Dead Kennedys - Holiday in Cambodia
I – Quannum - I Changed My Mind (Stereo MCs Remix)
J – Yoko Kanno - Jupiter Jazz
K – Cibo Matto - King of Silence (Dan the Automator Remix)
L – Thievery Corporation - Lebanese Blonde
M – Gorillaz - M1 A1
N – Sigur Rós - Njosnavelin
O – Blur - Out of Time
P – Claire Voyant - Pieces
Q – Hmm, I have no Qs.
R – Dropkick Murphys - Rocky Road to Dublin
S – Fluke - Switch/Twitch
T – Flogging Molly - Tobacco Island
U – Yasunori Mitsuda - U.M.N. Mode
V – The Future Sound of London - Vertical Pig
W – Groove Armada - Whatever, Whenever
X – Sasha - Xpander
Y - Akira Yamaoka - Your Rain
Z – The Smashing Pumpkins - Zero

Wee.]]>