Look at that! Our first review, and it's already a day late. Off to a great start. <3 Hey, guys! Jaron here. Clark and I have come to the collective decision that, to keep this blog updated as well as to just make public something we’ve been doing passively for a while, we’re going to be posting reviews on our blog. Each week, Clark and I have elected to choose three songs and one film for the other to review. The reviews will be compiled between the two of us, and then posted here for you all to read, comment on, and consider freely. We’ll be posting our Three-song music reviews on Wednesday, and our film reviews on Friday. We’ll be rating each piece on a 1-6 scale using “QWERTY” as our scale. A low score would simply be a “Q,” and a high score would then be a full “QWERTY” slide. This week, Clark gave me a solid piece from a youtuber we used to follow back in the day, Julian Smith. You might remember him from his “Jellyfish” days, or his “Malk” skit. Either way, hilarious dude. Great hair. B STORY’s “Back Then” is such a fantastic song, especially for nostalgia addicts like Clark and I. I had the blessing of watching the official video for the song on Julian Smith’s official youtube channel, and let me tell you, I was impressed from a visual standpoint as well as an audio standpoint. This is my maiden voyage into the sea of B STORY, and I’m nothing but happy that Clark sent this to me. The songs rhythmic strumming stacked on top of a chord progression reminiscent of The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind” carried me through a journey from present to past in mind and heart, and the occasional sonic explosion of a carrying chorus really wrapped me into Smith’s refrigerator spaceship. His voice is, to me, almost unrecognizable from his earlier video works (which, for me, it’s been a few years since I’ve heard his voice). Regardless, a fantastic song. On our QWERTY scale, I’d definitely give it a full QWERTY score. === Bear Hands’ “Agora” was a great experience for me. The semi-lazy vocals remind me a bit of the effortlessness of 90s grunge music, and the manbun the lead vocalist bares (pun) is nothing short of a great modernized interpretation of the grunge movement for today’s generation. Audibly, the song is fantastic. It elicits a cool sensation for me, a sense of sort of darkness with some very real driving percussive elements behind it. Visually, the video I watched was also very well done, though there were moments I felt the vocalist’s performance was only slightly lacking. I do wish the song was longer, but only so I could enjoy it for longer without looping it back over. Definitely a QWERT, lacking one point because of its abrupt ending that left me wishing I had something more to hang onto. === To wrap up my three hyperhipster song reviews, I listened to Yellow Ostrich’s “WHALE”. I thoroughly enjoyed the opening to this song, and the accompanying video (directed by Eric Gross). It sets the mood of slight suspense with a finely tuned vocal harmony which ends up leading into and carrying the rest of the song through and through. I really, really enjoyed the song structure of this, both instrumentally and vocally. The high pass filter on the lead vocals left me waiting for the song to bloom into a full crashing moment, and I was slightly dismayed (and I really do mean only slightly) when the crash came through, and the high pass filter stayed. That, I would say, is the only drawback for me in this song. I’d definitely give this one QWERT, once again, simply for the high pass filter. Needless to say, my music library was expanded this week. The video was stunning, as well; particularly the underwater portion of the video, which occurs about halfway through. As the song concludes with it’s instrumental carry-off, I felt really satisfied. I felt like I’d been told a folktale in the form of song, and it brought to mind how our current generation’s storytelling is very much a matter of mixed media rather than campfire stories. We communicate ideas through film, through music and self-expression. It becomes a method of communication in itself, where we use it as a categorization and pre-screening process when we meet new people. I like that idea - “are we artistically compatible?” - it serves to remind us that art is not dead, and will not die. Hola! Mi nombre es Clark. I would like to put a disclaimer that I in no way consider myself a musician, but rather a lover of music. The reason I state this is because in my reviews I will not be discussing musical theory or really what went into making the song. Mainly because a lot of it just goes right over my head haha. What I look for in a good song is a unique sound combined with thought provoking lyrics. So, that being said, let’s get started.
Artist: Default Genders Song: Sophie Source: http://tinyurl.com/dgsophiesong Ok… So, first off I would like to confess something. Jaron and I are calling these reviews “The Blind Reviews.” This is because we are supposed to enter each suggestion without any knowledge of it prior to listening/viewing each piece. Go in “Blind.” Well… I already broke that rule on our first attempt haha. I had heard this song a few months back while visiting Jaron. I’m pretty sure I had heard it in passing from Jaron’s laptop. Oh well… Even though I had already heard this song briefly, I did not realize how amazing this song truly is. After listening to it several times and analyzing the lyrics, I have come to the conclusion that this song is breathtaking. Its ambient dreamlike sound automatically draws you in within the first few seconds. Its dreamy sound is very fitting given the lyrical content. Part of the reason why I love this song so much is I feel I can relate to the lyrics in a ridiculous way. The singer seems to be struggling with feelings of regret, loneliness and change. Which are things we all struggle with (Myself definitely included.) He repeatedly speaks of how he dreams that he could go back in time and change past events. But, he also speaks of people in his life that want him to go back to the way he was. This creates a very interesting conflict that takes place throughout the song. His continuous want to change his past versus his peers desire for the “old him.” These lyrics combined with the amazing dreamlike synths create a song that is truly phenomenal. I’d say this song definitely gets a full QWERTY. Artist: The Faint Song: Fish In A Womb Source: http://tinyurl.com/fitwsong This was my first introduction into the musical world of The Faint. And I would say that it was a pretty solid first meeting. It definitely has a very unique and cool ambient sound. The lyrics, although out there, are very interesting. I definitely listen to some trippy music, so this was right up my alley. I don’t believe that I have a full grasp of the meaning behind the lyrics, but I’ve only listened to it twice so far. My only gripe with the song is that it is pretty repetitive. But, it is definitely possible that this is done on purpose given the lyric ”Every day is like the first, but with a harder head.” This repeats several times throughout the song. So, it could be said that the repetitive nature of the music is fitting to the lyrics. In conclusion it is a solid song. Although as of now I am not the biggest fan of the repetitive nature of the song. But, that may change upon further analysis of the meaning behind the song. Final Score: QWERT (Although, that may change in the future.) Artist: Names Song: November Source: http://tinyurl.com/nnovembersong So, the song is titled “November” and one of my wants/needs from an artist is that they convey a feeling/emotion through their music. I must say that this band brilliantly conveys the feeling of November. I feel like when I listen to this song I am instantly transported to a quiet, cold, and rainy day In November. That is the best way I can convey the state of mind this song puts me in. It’s so quiet and peaceful. When you play it you can’t help, but forget about everything and just live in that 2 minutes and 54 seconds. No, it is not the most musically or lyrically daring. But, that doesn’t make a good song. In my opinion, a good song is one that forces you to stop and listen to what it has to say. This song accomplishes that in spades. Final score: Full QWERTY. Truly a beautiful piece of music.
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