james_cfc's Last.fm Journal

New artists...

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:09:33 +0000

Bored. This is music I just started listening to. And its all awesome.

1. TV On the Radio

I just... didn't like them a few years back when Cookie Mountain came out... I thought they were too abstract and nonsensical, but I listened to Cookie Mountain again, and Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes and I got hooked. As you can see from my charts, they've absolutely hijacked my life in every way... and I've not even mentioned their best album yet. Easily my favourite album of the year so far, even though there aren't that many good albums so far this year that spring to mind. But yeah... these guys are easily my favourite band at the moment, and probably will be for a while yet. OK Calculator is obviously a bit mad, but a few songs on it are absolutely inspired. I'm going to see them on the 16th of November at the ABC in Glasgow. Should be awesome...

Favourite Song - Halfway Home or Say You Do.
Favourite Album - Dear Science

2. Weezer

I just... I don't know. I basically fell in love with them when I heard My Name Is Jonas (yes, in Guitar Hero. It doesn't mean I don't like the band, okay?). Then when I listened to the Blue Album it was like a fucking... revelation. I just instantly took to them, and admittedly over-played the Blue and Red albums. Oddly, I listened to Pinkerton... twice, I think, and I didn't see what all the fuss was about. But it was the third time through that something just... clicked. I don't know why or... whatever but... I just realised how brilliant it was. The lyrics, the riffs, the amazing, slightly ragged quality Rivers Cuomo's voice has throughout the album (except in Butterfly, obviously) it just all fits together perfectly, somehow. Honestly, listen to this album at least 3 times through, and if it doesn't change you in some way, you're not human. Obviously Make Believe is a bit of a dud, but Maladroit is growing on me, and The Green Album is a fucking solid album, if a little short. But yeah... they were very close to being my number 1... but they're still amazing.

Favourite Song - Tired of Sex
Favourite Album - Pinkerton

3. Bob Dylan

This was a toss-up between Dylan and Tom Waits, but Dylan wins it because of his classics. Much like TV On the Radio, I didn't like him at all when I first heard him. Maybe it was my musical naivety or contempt for anything that wasn't Arctic Monkeys (about... 2 years ago, ...ish), but I just couldn't get his voice. It didn't get through to me. And I hadn't heard Blonde On Blonde... I can honestly say its one of the best albums I've ever heard. Obviously there are classics such as Like A Rolling Stone and The Times They Are A-Changin' (they are, by the way...), but I think when you roll all the songs in Blonde On Blonde together, they make a... perfect album, in my opinion. I'll also note that I've only listened to a small portion of his work, so I can't preach Dylan to you as such, I just love what I've heard so far.

Favourite Song - All Along the Watchtower
Favourite Album - Blonde On Blonde

4. Tom Waits

I only first heard him a few weeks back, and the same applies to him as Dylan - I've not listened to most of his work, but what I've heard I love. I've heard Swordfishtrombones, Closing Time and Nighthawks at the Diner which is my favourite of what I've heard. Hearing how his voice changes from Closing Time to Swordfishtrombones is fantastic, and I like his voice when it is rougher, it seems more powerful to me. But his true mastery is best displayed in Nighthawks at the Diner in my opinion. The way he encompasses blues, jazz, folk and numerous other genres - a lot of that is down to his backing band on the album - is amazing, and he's a pretty funny guy into the bargain as well. I can't wait to indulge in the rest of his work, as there's plenty still to hear.

Favourite Song - Down, Down, Down
Favourite Album - Nighthawks At the Diner

5. Wilco

I heard Yankee Hotel Foxtrot a while back, about Christmas 2006... and again, I didn't really get it, as such. I knew it was good, but I just didn't feel it. Then around January of this year I gave it another go, and I realised how awesome it was. I was careful not to overplay it though, and I only listened to it a few times between then and now, but after getting Sky Blue Sky I just can't stop listening to them...

Favourite Song - Impossible Germany
Favourite Album - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Also, its not music as such, but its worth a mention as well. The Conet Project is well worth your attention. Its a series of recordings from short wave radio stations across the world, usually used to communicate with spies behind enemy lines (or is it...?). It might just be me and my conspiracy-mongering, but it fascinates me.

There you go... also worth a mention are: Wolf Parade, !!!, Holy Fuck and Battles (I've been listening to them for a while now but I've enjoyed something of a Battles renaissance, after realising the genius of Tonto.

I'm finished, and I certainly hope this was of mild interest to you. If not... why did you read all the way down to here?

I'm away for a bottle of Red Kola and a few games of Halo.

Random...

Sun, 3 Aug 2008 21:37:03 +0000

1. Put Your Dukes Up John - Arctic Monkeys
2. Girls Like Mystery - The Cribs
3. Kill Rock n' Roll - System of a Down
4. Circle - Slipknot
5. Velvet Snow - Kings of Leon
6. Rebel Without a Pause - Public Enemy
7. Kick Out the Jams(live) - Rage Against the Machine
8. Hobo Low - Seasick Steve
9. The Lemon Song - Led Zeppelin
10. High and Dry - Radiohead
11. Venom Venom - Rocket from the Crypt
12. Microphone Fiend - Rage Against the Machine
13. Sulk - Radiohead
14. Time - Pink Floyd
15. Pieces of What - MGMT
16. Things Aren't Gonna Change - The Cribs
17. Nine In The Afternoon - Panic at the Disco
18. Up the Bracket - The Libertines
19. Dogs - Damien Rice
20. Bubbles - System of a Down
21. Alice in my Fantasies - Axis of Justice
22. Thriller - Fall Out Boy
23. Piano Concerto 1 - Sergei Rachmaninoff
24. Vegetable - Radiohead
25. Woman - Wolfmother
26. Cash Cow - We Are Scientists
27. Testify(live) - Rage Against the Machine
28. This Boy - Franz Ferdinand
29. Everything's Not Lost - Coldplay
30. Butterflies & Hurricanes - Muse
31. Love Explosion - Weezer
32. Morning Bell(live) - Radiohead
33. Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
34. Yellow - Coldplay
35. 4th Dimensional Transition - MGMT
36. Megalomania - Muse
37. Don't Believe the Hype - Public Enemy
38. Losing My Religion - R.E.M
39. Pink Triangle - Weezer
40. Know Your Enemy

1. Which song do you prefer, #1 or #40?: Number 40 definitely, one of my favourites songs ever.

2. Have you ever listened to #12 continuously on repeat?: Nope, I don't really do that.

3. What album is #26 from?: With Love and Squalor...

4. What do you think about the artist who did #15?: MGMT... awesome new band.

5. Is #19 one of your favorite songs?: Nope.

6. Who does #38 remind you of?: REM being one of about 3 good bands at Live 8.

7. Does #20 have better lyrics or music?: Music, I love that song.

8. Do any of your friends like #3?: I know one guy that likes system...

9. Is #33 from a movie soundtrack?: I don't think so...

10. Is #18 overplayed on the radio?: It's underplayed. The Libertines are underplayed...

11. What does #21 remind you of?: Tom Morello...

12. Which song do you prefer, #5 or #22?: I'd say 22, I like KoL more than Fall out boy, but Thriller is an awesome song.

13. What album is #17 from?: Pretty Odd.

14. When did you first hear #39?: A few weeks when I legally obtained all the Weezer albums.

15. When did you first hear #7?: About a year ago.

16. What genre is #8?: Blues! I love Seasick Steve...

17. Do any of your friends like #14?: A few folks...

18. What color does #4 remind you of?: Red.

19. Have you ever blasted #11 on your stereo? Yes. it must be blasted.

20. What genre is #37? Rap... old rap.

21. Can you play #13 on any instrument? Yeah on guitar.

22. What is your favorite lyric from #30? All of it.

23. What is your favorite lyric from #23?: Its lyricless. I love it all though.

24. Would you recommend #24 to your friends?: All Radiohead is good...

25. Is #2 a good song to dance to?: It's good to get mashed in a gig to...

26. Do you ever hear #16 on the radio?: Nope.

27. Is #32 more of a “nighttime” or “daytime” song?: Night time.

28. Does #36 have any special meaning to you?: Yeah it's one of the first songs I learned on piano.

29. Do any of your friends like #31?: Dunno. Ask them.

30. Is #25 a fast or slow song?: Fast and awesome.

31. Is #35 a happy or sad song?: I'd have to say happy...

32. What is one of your favorite lyrics from #9?: I don't know any...

33. Is #34 better to listen to alone or with friends?: Friends...

34. When did you first hear #27?: When I seen Rage's comeback at Coachella in 2007.

35. Name 3 other songs by the artist who did #29: Politik, Yes, Life In Technicolour.

36. Do you know all the words to #6?: Nope I've just started listening to them...

37. Does #28 have better lyrics or music?: Music...

38. What album is #10 from?: The Bends... my second favourite Radiohead album behind Kid A!

My music...

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:01:57 +0000

Bumped off NME !

Right now I'm loving...
System of a Down - System of a Down

My big influence is...
Muse - Origin of Symmetry

Everyone should hear...
Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin

I wish I'd made...
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

Bands should hear... actually, they should see
Muse - Any Muse gig is phenomenal

My guilty pleasure...
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

I've just discovered...
Seasick Steve - Dog House Music

A record by my hero (Tom Morello) is...
The Battle of Los Angeles - Rage Against the Machine

Top 20 again!

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:40:00 +0000

1. Muse
First heard: Sunburn
Fell in love with: New Born
Current Favourite: Stockholm Syndrome

2. Rage Against the Machine
First heard: Killing in the Name
Fell in love with: Know Your Enemy
Current Favourite: Testify

3. Arctic Monkeys
First heard: I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Fell in love with: Fake Tales of San Francisco
Current Favourite: Old Yellow Bricks

4. Queens of the Stone Age
First heard: No One Knows
Fell in love with: No One Knows
Current favourite: I'm Designer

5. Radiohead
First heard: Airbag
Fell in love with: All of Ok Computer
Current Favourite: Idioteque/Myxomatosis

6. Bloc Party
First heard: Helicopter
Fell in love with: Like Eating Glass
Current Favourite: The Prayer

7. The Strokes
First heard: Last Nite
Fell in love with: Last Nite
Current favourite: NY City Cops

8. Kanye West
First heard: Jesus Walks
Fell in love with: Jesus Walks
Current favourite: Celebration

9. The View
First heard: Wasted Little DJs
Fell in love with: Superstar Tradesman
Current favourite: The Don

10. Kings of Leon
First heard: Red Morning Light
Fell in love with: Red Morning Light
Current favourite: Fans

11. Led Zeppelin
First heard: Stairway to Heaven
Fell in love with: Rock and Roll
Current Favourite: Kashmir

12. The Libertines
First heard: Can't Stand Me Now
Fell in love with: Time for Heroes
Current favourite: Don't Look Back Into the Sun

13. LCD Soundsystem
First heard: Daft Punk is Playing at my House
Fell in Love with: Beat Connection
Current favourite: All My Friends/Get Innocuous!

14. System of a Down
First heard: Chop Suey
Fell in love with: Radio/Video
Current favourite: Revenga

15. The Cribs
First heard: Men's Needs
Fell in love with: Our Bovine Public
Current Favourite: Be Safe

16. Milburn
First heard: Send in the Boys
Fell in love with: Send in the Boys
Current Favourite: Well Well Well

17. Fall out boy
First heard: Dance, Dance
Fell in love with: Thriller
Current Favourite: Thriller

18. Interpol
First heard: Mammoth
Fell in Love with: Pioneer to the Falls
Current favourite: Slow Hands

19. Coldplay
First heard: Yellow
Fell in love with: In My Place
Current favourite: Yes

20. Audioslave
First heard: Cochise
Fell in love with: Cochise
Current favourite: Out of Exile

A top 50 quiz...

Sun, 4 Nov 2007 16:41:55 +0000

1. How did you get into 10?:
Bloc Party
I heard 'Helicopter' on the radio, bought the album, and now I'm a fan!

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 12?:
CSS
CSS Suxxx.

3. What's your favorite lyric by 2?:
Arctic Monkeys
'Anticipation has the habit to set you up'

4. What is your favorite album by 14?
Enter Shikari
They only have one...

5. How many albums by 3 do you own?:
Queens of the Stone Age
All 5 of them !

6. What is your favorite song by 21?:
LCD Soundsystem
'Tribulations'

7. Is there a song by 17 that makes you sad?:
Klaxons
No.

8. What is your favorite song by 15?:
Kings of Leon
Fans (or maybe Red Morning Light...)

9. What is your favorite song by 13?:
Auto Escape
Not What I Had In Mind

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy?:
The View
Same Jeans

11. What is your favorite album by 35?:
Tenacious D
I don't really know any of their albums... just random songs.

12. What is your favorite song by 28?:
Panic! At The Disco
The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage... I really wish they'd called it something else though.

13. What is a good memory you have involving 5?:
Rage Against the Machine
Singing along at the school rock concert to a 'Killing in the Name' cover. I hope I actually get to see them though...

14. What is your favorite song by 50?:
Blur
Coffee & TV.

15. Is there a song by 23 that makes you happy?:
Jimi Hendrix
Yes - All Along the Watchtower.

16. How many times have you seen 9 live?:
Kanye West
0 - I'd look out of place at a rap gig, lol.

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 27?:
The White Stripes
Seven Nation Army - shock...

18. What is your favorite album by 11?:
The Strokes
Is This It? - not surprising really.

19. What's your favorite lyric by 1?:
Muse
Ahh its too hard. Probably 'No one's gonna take me alive ' etc. or 'Wash me away, clean your body of me'

20. Have you ever seen 30 live?:
We Are Scientists
No.

21. What is a good memory involving 42?
Radiohead
Listening to Ok Computer when my dad played it in the car and shitting myself because it was freaky and weird. (I was only 7...)

22. What is your favorite song by 16?:
The Libertines
Probably Time for Heroes, it has to be really.

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 34?:
SHITDISCO
I think it was Reactor Party.

24. What is your favorite album by 29?:
Foo Fighters
There Is Nothing Left to Lose.

25. What is your favorite song by 4?:
Radiohead
Just. Or maybe Everything in its Right Place. Too hard to decide...

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 38?
Damien Rice
Cannonball...

27. What is your favourite lyric by 3?
Queens of the Stone Age
'Battery acid in my brain' - I mean... what the fuck?

28. What is you favourite song by 2?
Arctic Monkeys
Got to be Teddy Picker I think.

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32?
Nirvana
Smells Like Teen Spirit.

30. What is you favourite song by 8?
The Killers
All These Things That I've done, definitely.

31. How many times have you seen 17 live?
Klaxons
None, I'd quite like to see them though.

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy
Beck
E-Pro is a great song, I love that.

33. What is you favourite album by 12?
CSS
They've only got one as well...

34. What is the worst song by 46?
The Nightwatchman
It's Tom Morello! That would be like shooting a kitten, all his songs are great.

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 36?
The Mars Volta
I think it was 'The Widow' it might have been Inertactic ESP though.

36. What is you favourite album by 42?
Eagles of Death Metal
Peace Love Death Metal

37. How many times have you seen 39 live?
Coldplay
Once, at Live 8, does that count?

38. What is you favourite album by 36?
The Mars Volta
De-Loused In the Comatorium

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28?
Panic! At The Disco
Build God, Then We'll Talk

40. What is you favourite album by 7?
Fall Out Boy
Infinity On High, I don't know any of their other albums.