The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time...?

In the interest of broadening my knowledge of music, I happened upon this list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, according to Rolling Stone magazine. I thought I'd have you gentlemen weigh in on this list:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080622145429/www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs

Nerdcore

I don't really have a good understanding of nerdcore, (is it even a thing?) but this is a free sample that is a decent representation, I think. I've only listened to the first bit so far, but I've been enjoying what I've been hearing - although I think it is a bit cheesy.

http://www.nerdcorenow.com/vb/content/230-Nerdcore-Now-Volume-1

Article on how the brain interprets music

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/01/the-neuroscience-of-music/

NY Times article on "Cultural Elite"

I stumbled across this article, questioning the role of cultural critics in modern America, and found it intriguing:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/movies/16scott.html?_r=1&ref=movies

Sequels galore!

So I was recently reading through a collection of interviews by George Lucas, and in one he addressed the accusation that Star Wars was bad for Hollywood because it elevated the blockbuster formula above all else.

That got me thinking about series and sequels, and I realized just how modern the concept of film sequels is. I've been trying to think of notable film sequels pre-1970s, and the only things I can think of are the James Bond films and sort of the Planet of the Apes franchise.

Does anyone know of any series comparable to Star Wars or Indiana Jones or anything like that pre-1970s?

Intense music video

Check out this music video by Example. I like the dubstep for it's own sake, but even if you'r not a fan of dubstep, watch this video. It's easily one of the most intense five minute videos I have seen. In the video there is parkour, romance, anger, fighting, and, I think, redemption. The colors just pop right out. The action of the video compliments the intensity of the music, and vice versa.

http://salacioussound.com/2011/01/example-kickstarts-bar-9-remix-video/

Also, the original music video (linked to in the top left of this video) provides a little bit more context.

Minimal Techno

I've been digging a lot of electronic/minimal techno stuff lately. Here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about:

Classic

So I got my dad a Looney Tunes 2-disc set for Christmas, and we just watched 14 of the cartoons in sequence. And I've remembered how much I love Looney Tunes--the best cartoons ever, I swear.

This one stuck out in particular. It's all there--the color palette, the matching of sound to motion, the exaggerated facial expressions, the insane violence. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pccO1RBJZL8

Ronald Jenkees

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O2aH4XLbto

Not a Christmas song, but merry Christmas nonetheless.

Boo!

(It's high time I actually make a contribution to this blog, so here's something I've been ruminating on for the past couple months...)

For the most part, a "good" horror film is hard to come by. When I say good, I mean a film that stands on its own two feet as being artistically credible; whether it actually elicits jumps or shrieks from the audience, is a different matter.

But I think we ought to differentiate between "horror" and "shock". Mind you, I scarcely ever watch "horror" films, but of the ones I have seen, I've discerned kind of two working categories.
1.) Films that startle you, but which you really can't admit are that great.
2.) Films that really leave an impression, regardless of how startling they are.

The first example of horror that I always come to is Ridley Scott's Alien (1979). The movie is nerve-racking the first time you see it, but in all honesty, the startling moments have lost their touch after the second or third screening.

The thing that gets me about the Alien (and its sequel, Aliens [1986]) is the sense of dread. The music over the opening titles is evocative of something solemn and ancient and the slow pan of black space, tiny stars, and an alien planet establishes a sense of isolation. You know there's something out there, and that it's been waiting for hundreds, thousands of years. It will stop at nothing to kill you, and there's nothing you can possibly do to kill it. Even if you don't encounter it personally yourself, the knowledge that it exists and that you may cross paths with it, is unsettling. It undermines a basic sense of security.

This atmosphere is replicated in The Shining (1980), by the bizarre music throughout, the foreboding titles, and the isolation conveyed through the cold cinematography and the sets of the hotel. It's not the shocking encounters--it's the dread leading up to them.

Another thing that's spooky about Alien is the feral nature of the alien and its utter disregard for human life. It has no motive and no objective--it just wants to kill. The same is true of the shark from Jaws (1975), only this critter eats you. Just think: how much would it suck to be eaten? For the shark, you are no more meaningful than a meal; for the alien, you are no more meaningful than a repository for an alien embryo.

I also found this same effect during the opening credits of Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), which features footage of South American mummies against a foreboding score (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxE4yITfRLo). While these images don't pertain to the story, they set the mood rather nicely.

I've mentioned opening titles twice, but seriously, it's often the case that opening titles tell you volumes about the film to come.

Favorite Christmas Songs

Traditional, cliché, or nostalgic.

Post 'em.

Mellowstep?

Assuming both genres and sub-genres are real, here's a mellowstep track: http://www.salacioussongs.com/audio/Clare%20Maguire%20-%20Aint%20Nobody%20(Breakage%20Remix).mp3

Yes, the beat is still of a dubstep pattern. However, this is a pretty chill song, without any crazy drops or wobbles. Furthermore, I really enjoy the vocals, although I think they're much better in the second half of the song.

Fixed Link? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8TbZvy2msQ

It's going to be OK.

My favorite Simon and Garfunkel song. Of all times.



Lyrics:
April come she will
When streams are ripe and swelled with rain;
May, she will stay,
Resting in my arms again

June, she´ll change her tune,
In restless walks she´ll prowl the night;
July, she will fly
And give no warning to her flight.

August, die she must,
The autumn winds blow chilly and cold;
September I´ll remember.
A love once new has now grown old.

Some DM

I hardly ever listen to metal anymore, but when I do Death (yes, that's a band name) is one of the first bands I turn to.

Death - Bite the Pain

Listening To Rap For The First Time, With A Book Critic

Whether you sympathize with this guy or not, this article is an interesting read.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2010/11/04/131063935/listening-to-the-anthology-of-rap

Duplicity 'Kipster Remix' by Silent Descent {NEW SONG ONLINE!}

Trance metal: Is this even a thing?

Duplicity 'Kipster Remix' by Silent Descent {NEW SONG ONLINE!}

RCRD LBL - lots of free interesting downloads.

Check out this blog. It's legit.

http://rcrdlbl.com/

-Jacob

Hardcore

I'm aware this might not go over well, but this song acquaints us with another style of music we haven't really heard this year or last. This sound is usually genre-lized (I know Dave, your favorite) as "hardcore." It's usually characterized by short, heavy-hitting songs with emotive, almost tortured vocals and "do-it-yourself" production. The song I'll post here is a fairly good example of all of these characteristics. A couple of things to notice: the aggression in the music/vocals, the brevity of the song (what's the point?), and the "build-up" dynamic evident in the song (does it make the "heavier" sections even "heavier"?).

Or you might just hate it.

When you click on the link it will take you to the last.fm page for the song. On the page it will say "Play direct from Departures (2:09)" with a play sign to the left of that. Click it.

Departures - Weak Before Winter

The French Horn

Sometimes one instrument can make all the difference. See if you can tell where in this piece: Finlandia by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

Genres

I am almost completely convinced that 90% of all genre-lization is bogus. It seems to me that if you just keep going with the mentality of the whole category/sub-category method of defining, you end up naming genres after individual bands (which just seems silly). I'm not trying to say that most bands don't have a unique sound, because they do, but I really don't think they'd mind if they were grouped more generally.

Am I wrong?