I didn't always love Björk. Less than ten years ago I was still poo-pooing her with great abandon. One morning everything changed. For a reason unbeknownst to me, I awoke with the song Hyperballad weaving through my consciousness with perfect clarity. As though in a zombie-like trance, I stumbled to the family computer and hit up Kazaa (remember Kazaa?) and downloaded the song immediately. From then on, I had nothing but infinite praise for this incredible artist.
This song is such an important piece of music for me. Such a compelling story that resonates deep within. And it's really striking home at the moment. Damn it, I love Björk.
I would like to acknowledge the moment that I believe my love affair with BEATS really took hold. At an impressionable fourteen years old (but with a staunch love of alternative rock and metal, mind you), I purchased the album Surrender shortly after this single started getting very high rotation on JJJ. It was instant love. The Chemical Brothers at the top of their game, arguable kings of modern dance music.
Title lyrics taken from The Chemical Brothers - Out Of Control
Between the Buried and Me's album Colors is a progressive metal masterpiece. This song is a standout amongst standouts and my absolute personal favourite of the genre. The word "epic" is well overused but in this case, perfectly just.
I still recall my brother giving me a copy of this album, and he'd earlier forced me to listen to their previous offering Alaska. In typical Mel fashion, their true appeal fell on deaf ears until some time later. Same old song, maybe I'm just supposed to discover amazing music at a time right for me, which was on the money in this instance. Anyway... I dare you to sit through this near fifteen minutes of awesome, because if you can it might just blow your brains out!
Recently via team effort, another staff member and I have managed to get our DJ to play this song at work (job number two, obviously). Any patron who gets served a drink by me during these gorgeous couple of minutes is lucky indeed because this tune still makes me go a bit giddy.
I posted a track the other day (Ms Mr - Hurricane) stating that the song to me is reminiscent of Screamfeeder's Stoples. Now I have had Stoples wandering through my head all week. Such a beautiful track and has instigated a mini Screamfeeder revival for me.
I love this song, it temporarily takes me out of this world.
When aussie indie/punkrock whatever was about kids just having fun and the way it all came together seemed almost accidental
.
And my fave Screamfeeder moment, another completely tireless moment in music for me. To be fair, this song actually deserves its own blog post. Soz. But I saved the best for last!
Worst case scenario, great song though. And once upon a time I would have never thought I'd like Alexisonfire, yet here I am with big love for them. Whatever.
The awkward moment when an evening walk around the neighbourhood unwittingly becomes a profound experience?
Yesterday I went for a long stroll by myself, something I haven't done for a quite some time. Yeah, I go running (recently far less often than I should) but it's not the same as an epic hour and a half of sweet, sweet solitude at sundown. As I was on my way home under a sky of molten gold, I looked back through the canefields whilst listening to Parkway Drive's Romance Is Dead (3:44 to be precise, have a listen and you might get where I was at) and this amazing image; it will be burned into my retinas forever. I wasn't even game to whip out my phone and take a picture. When something is that beautiful, photos are cheap.
I guess I've been going through one of those limbo-like patches in life when not much seems to be happening, yet below the surface there's some pretty big stuff going on. I am sure you can relate.
There have been some situations lately that I've realised are little lessons in accountability. In short, you can't control how other people treat you, but you can control how you choose to deal with it. Am I unnecessarily offended, or have harsh words struck a nerve? Is it a little ego bruising or is there a deeper issue? Am I upset with this person when really it's a me problem? Each time I struggle within these moments, I am taking another step in the right direction and ultimately learning not to take things personally, and if I take something on board, it's for the right reasons.
During my walk, I also found myself in a state of reflection. Not uncommon for little Melly, I know, but looking back over the decade just passed is different now. It's no longer a regression, pondering a barren wasteland. Ten years working full time, partying full time, nothing to show? I've grown to see what fruits were truly borne from days I once thought lost. It turns out that I love being me and I'm proud of what I have achieved thus far, success unable to be measured or counted or awarded bits of paper. I have a kind of happiness that mortgages and degrees simply cannot buy (although I do plan on attaining the latter, at my own pace, when the time is right).
Yep, it certainly was the awkward moment when an evening walk around the neighbourhood unwittingly becomes a profound experience. Don't judge!
Edit: I just checked the clip and it's more like 3:35 on this cut. Whatever, you'll know it when you hear it.
Title lyrics taken from Pendulum - Hold Your Colour
To anyone who missed this, do yourself a favour and witness the beauty that was City and Colour live in the JJJ studios for Like a Version. I haven't gone this ballistic over my favourite Friday segment since Owl Eyes was in last year, so this was rather spesh. To be honest though, his cover of Kimbra although totally gorgeous, was not the show stopper. The absolutely stunning rendition of an original City and Colour song was the golden moment.
Fragile Bird totally just got promoted to my (too-extensive) "Favourite Songs of Ever" list. Sigh.
I have been a long term fan of Nine Inch Nails and an avid follower of anything Trent Reznor. One of my favourite moments, is this stark piano piece from 1999's epic double album The Fragile.
I was tempted to post a great live clip of The Frail/The Wretched, though decided against it (obviously). The transition between the two songs is in my opinion, one of the best, however I also believe that The Wretched actually detracts from the beauty of it's precursory track.
Just when I think I have turned away from this type of music and that my longstanding love of metal is petering out, this song comes on. And that's when I realise I am dead wrong.
Old school alert, but this is one of those songs that at the right moment can make you feel as though life is perfect. Even when flawed, everything is wonderful. I have a pocketful of these songs. This one in particular reeks of freedom and adventure, open minds. For me it evokes the memory of breaking away from Chennai on that battered old train, South India in all its lush rice paddied glory.
Square one ain't so bad. In fact, I'm loving it. I finally feel in control, and I can tell you that it's better late than never. Truth is, I have been quite shit at life and up until recently I have flat out refused to take responsibility for it. In denial, I would blow a fortnight's pay in the Valley on a Friday night and somehow made it to every festival each season. Yes, I was having fun but wasn't exactly enamoured with my situation. This festival season I have made it to none. I could have been going to Future this weekend, but instead I am putting last week's hard-earned $$$ in an envelope I'll be handing to Mum and Dad on Thursday (twenty-seven and owing my parents money? Embarrassing, and that alone is motivation to remove oneself from a rut!). Boring indeed, however ultimately a heck of a lot more satisfying in the long run. I've had to make sacrifices and I hate making sacrifices! Festivals of all things! So, I know I deserve the sense of achievement that comes along with it. As a reward I treated myself to a new pair of shoes today, $10 flats from Big W... What a splurge, ha.
There have been times when I have heavily doubted the validity in my motives to move here. When you move back to the town you grew up in, it's hard not to feel like you've taken a step back. It's taken time (and a thick skin to shirk the attitudes of some) to realise that I have actually taken a big step forward. I loved my old life, and I miss it. But that's okay, because I also love this life. And at least this time around I am finally accountable for where I am and where I am heading. I'm going to stop to making excuses for my position in the world as at last I am becoming okay with it.
Lessons learned:
+ Patience is a virtue. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen and only if you work for it.
+ Everything happens for a reason. I already had this figured out, but damn the universe works in interesting ways. I continue to be astounded by this, sometimes these wonders are easily missed while others are colossal moments in time with jaw-dropping results. Best to avoid impulsive temper tantrums then? Refer to lesson one, my friend.
And because the title lyrics are from this song and it's all kinds of awesome (who doesn't like Faith No More? Er, Get off my blog!), I shall leave you with an old-time favourite:
This song doesn't even need an introduction. I don't need to explain why I love it or feel the urge to post it because I'm quite confident you agree it's a classic for all of your own reasons.
So I woke up to some great news in the music world this morning, yes, word on the street is that At The Drive In have reformed. The other word on the street is that Refused have also reformed. Both acts are big names on the Coachella lineup which was also released overnight. Both acts also each released an album that has been hailed as one of the most influential of its time. I am a huge fan of these two records, but particularly of Relationship Of Command. Listening to it takes me back to a time when music reigned over my life. I am back in high school, back in my old bedroom on Walker St with the stereo I'd bought with my own money and was somehow allowed to play at a ridiculous volume for a sixteen year old still living at home. I went on to learn that in the real world, no one plays their music that loud, unless you want the cops on your doorstep.
When I first purchased Relationship Of Command, I didn't quite understand it. A few listens in however and it became one of the best purchases I had ever made of the plastic disc variety.
This particular song I am is my favourite off the album. The massive ending just blows me away every time I hear it.
And everyone knows the story about Refused's The Shape of Punk to Come, how they were scoffed at for releasing a title so conceited. Critics quickly ate their words. Refused are fucking dead? Apparently not! Bring it!
Oh and the Shins are playing Coachella too. Anyone want to place a wager on whether they'll be one of the headliners at Splendour? I hope so. Side show please!
We have a little joke in our household and none of us are sure where it came from but when you wish to proclaim your love for a song that comes on you shout "Dubstep! Dubstep!" All of these songs are a huge dubstep for me. My initial shortlist was over eighty songs in length and I admit that I had a rather hard time making the inevitable cull (we all know I take the Hottest 100 a tad more seriously than I probably should!) however I am happy with my choices. I try to choose songs that I will find to be personally enduring, and I'm proud to say that I'm quite certain I will dubstep this fantastic little selection into the future and beyond.
