My iPod #152: Nine Black Alps - Buy Nothing

I leave for university tomorrow, and I can't wait. So many opportunities waiting for me.... But wait.

Where does this leave "The iPod Times"? Is this finished will I ever get back to this. You'll have to wait for the last song of the 'B' series. Which is also tomorrow. I really don't know what I'll do.

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"Buy Nothing" was released as a free download from the band's website, and was the first taste of new material in two years after their second album "Love/Hate".

I wasn't a huge fan of that album. The band had completely dumped their post-grunge/hard rock approach they had on "Everything Is" and replaced it with - what I think was supposed to be a more radio friendly sound - which just didn't work for me. It's an okay album, but that's really it.

"Buy Nothing" was the sign that everything had gone back to normal. It has a hell of a riff which drives the song along as lead singer San Forrest tells us to forget about the government, advertising and consumerism are meaningless. BUY NOTHING.

That's all there is to the song.  It's one of the heavier songs on "Locked Out from the Inside", it's one of my favourite songs by the band too.

Jamie.

(Sorry for the late post. I'm packing, you see.)

My iPod #92: Lostprophets - A Better Nothing

This was originally going to be the fourth single from "The Betrayed", but "For He's a Jolly Good Felon" didn't do very well commercially. That's a shame; for me this song is a lot more satisfying and probably would have been a good single.

Unlike "Felon", there's no story to tell in "A Better Nothing". It's much more introspective, and sure to affect many a person who probably feel like Ian did when he wrote the song. I will take lyrics like "My chest tightens, it brightens the light of the stars, revealing the scars, all the times that were ours," over "Mikey, where'd you get the Nikes?" any day.

I don't what to make it a song vs. song post though. It's all about what's in the title. "A Better Nothing" is a highlight from "The Betrayed". It's not a happy song, and yet it's not a sad song either. It's one that's about determination and finding yourself. I'm no lyrical analyst, so I can't provide you with anything more than that and, like other songs on the album, the track is full with shrieking guitars and a vocal delivery to admire by Ian Watkins. Even the backing vocals, which I believe are done by him, are good too. Too bad he's not so good when singing live. That's always something that's puzzled me.

The song also seems right into the next song on the album "Streets of Nowhere", which is more of a Liberation Transmission outtake than anything. Too poppy and cheerful for this album.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

Ooh, and also congratulations to the Royal Family. Whatever the baby turns out to be.