Do you guys want to know how TV crazy I am? My current desktop is a giant calendar for the month of September. Now, if I were a good and a motivated student, it would have class times, stuff to help me study, important school dates, etc. But no. Instead, my desktop is full of premiere dates for every television show I could ever want to watch.
And now that (pretty much) everything has premiered for this TV season, let's get right into it. What I'm about to talk about will probably be nothing new to most of you, but I can't not talk about it.
The Black Keys. Good Lord, their music has been featured on anything and everything. That doesn't surprise me - their music has been used in TV and movies for years now, but with the amazing-ness of their latest album, Brothers, they've been everywhere.
Let's break it down:
1. "Your Touch" used in Private Practice premiere; everyone rolling around in bed together.
2. "Howlin' For You" used in Chuck; spying and sexting.
3. "Howlin' For You" used in Hawaii Five-O; Alex O'Laughlin and Scott Caan bantering.
4. "I'm Not The One" used in 90210; melodrama, making out, morals.
What I'm getting at is if you thought that The Black Keys were already popular...prepare yourself. I predict Bieber-Fever only...for The Black Keys?
Just when I think I've run out of content, it just shows up out of the blue, ready to receive my (succinct) commentary. Well, fine then. Let's do this thing.
I wrote about the Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack a few weeks ago. At the time, it was just my being a miserable music snob, talking about how depressed I was about Metric and Florence and everyone else being a part of that schmucky franchise. Now, I have the soundtrack, and I'll write about what it actually sounds like. You can stream it here if you feel so inclined. Or, the links will take you straight to the songs on YouTube!
Metric has the lead track, "Eclipse (All Yours)." Can I be honest and say that I'm already rolling my eyes? I love, love, love Metric (if you need proof, please see my live review in which I gushed over Emily Haines) but this track is just...lacking. But, then again, what else would you expect from anything Twilight related?
The Sia and Band of Horses tracks are exactly what you'd expect - which isn't a bad thing. It's just not Twilight-tailored. That's probably a good thing. Although, I'm waiting for a cringe-worthy emotional scene in the movie. I'm thinking Bella and Jacob in a will-they-won't-they situation (even though we all know they kind of do but ultimately don't, because Jacob is a pervert who imprints on a baby).
The Black Keys can do no wrong in my eyes, even if they wrote a song for this soundtrack. Although, now that I'm listening to "Chop and Change," I feel like what happened was this: "Oh you know what? We have a B-side that we weren't going to use. You wanna just..." and they did.
You know who else can do no wrong? Florence Welch. "Heavy In Your Arms" is so beautiful it's actually giving me chills
BECK AND BAT FOR LASHES. It's the track I've been waiting for for months and months: Mostly because Natasha Khan is all that is holy, and we haven't had any new material from her. The track has yummy percussion and Beck and Natasha's voices work really well together. In fact, they're kind of like the male and female versions of one another!
Vampire Weekend. I don't even want to know. You're stupid and overrated and I don't care that you're "intelligent." As far as I'm concerned, you island-indie rock guys can just suck it.
UNKLE's track, which features The Black Angels, is a sexy rock song. I predict a chase/running/driving scene for this one.
There's a bonus track called "Don't Mourn The Sun" on the album by someone named MiMi. I can't find anything on her (them?) but the track is kind of great, actually. It has a wonderful building beat, and she has a good voice.
So, out of all of these artists/songs to check out, make it MiMi.
I neglected to talk about the Almost Alice soundtrack because 13 out of 16 tracks are just awful. But I've recently happened upon the brilliance that is Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. I could just kick myself for ignoring them for the past few years. I offer my apologies in raving about them here.
They're not exactly my usual taste, but the lead singer - Grace Potter - has so much stage presence and an unbelievable voice. The band is a perfect mixture of blues, rock, and soul. And, even better news, they're coming out with a new album in June!
The song in question on the Almost Alice soundtrack is the band's cover of Jefferson Airplane's song "White Rabbit." It doesn't deviate much from the original, but it sounds a bit more ethereal, especially considering the fact that Potter's voice isn't quite as insane as Grace Slick's. Basically, their cover doesn't make me feel like I should have just dropped acid. I suppose that could be a good or bad thing depending on who you are.
For those of you who like the musical comparisons, the band is a little bit Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis, a touch of Neko Case, and a hint of The Black Keys. "Medicine," a track from their new album, is catchy as hell. "Ah Mary" is a great track as well.
Also, they're going on tour and will be in the Ohio/Pennsylvania area mid-June. Be sure to check them out if you're in the area!
In case my recommendations and commentary don't already make it apparent, I'll just go ahead and say it: I am a music snob. I don't like the general public becoming privy to the truly amazing bands that I enjoy so much. The general public likes trash like Nickleback, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and 3OH!3. So, when they start latching on to bands that have real talent and a strong, devoted fanbases that have been around for years, yeah, I get a little bit riled up.
And you know what isn't helping my irritation? The Twilight soundtracks. Today, the artists and track names for the new Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack were released one-by-one on the half hour. Here are all of the artists featured:
I am well aware that those are all relatively well-known bands. I am not stuck in a belief that they are little, independent bands that I can claim as "mine." But, for some reason, when
15-year-old girls who think that Twilight has Oscar-worthy writing and acting - a true love story for the times - start listening to them, it makes them sparkle a bit less (yes, that was an intentional play on the fact that the vampires in the realm of Twilight appear to sparkle in the sun).
That is not to say that I'm not looking forward to the soundtrack. It is comprised of new, original tracks from the artists, and I'm always excited for new music from some of my favorites. Beck and Bat For Lashes collaborating? I'm so there. The track is called "Let's Get Lost" and there is no way it won't be incredible.
But Twilight is a book/film series that glorifies a creepy, troubling, abusive relationship, portrays a heroine whose life hinges on whether or not some dead guy is around or loves her, and reduces grown women to having flighty pre-teen fantasies. I hate to be one of those people, but I just don't like the idea of bands that I cherish being associated with such a franchise.
If only this it a compilation/collaborative project like Dark Was The Night. But no. Naturally, it has to come from a series about vampires with glittery skin, young men who become buff and (I'm ashamed to say) kind of hot because they're actually werewolves, and a girl who has nothing of interest to offer as a human, and - yet - has at least three guys in love with her.
So, I'll be honest. I don't want to share a musical interest with someone who thinks that Florence Welch's voice is almost as good as Carrie Underwood's. But, any new material is a treasure for me. So, I guess I'll take it and just blog/whine about it/act like an arrogant fan.
People ask how Kings of Leon got to be so popular and on the radio 24/7. I have two words for them: "Gossip Girl." It’s amazing what a TV show or film can do for a band. The blog's author, Kaitie Firm, sifts through what’s worth listening to and which artists are sure to be big, thanks to the big or small screen. Keep your eyes – and ears – peeled.
