I'm in year six all over again.... I say this because it was released in 2005.... when I was in that year of education.
"Damn Damn Leash" was the first song I ever heard by be your own PET. It was on the band's first official release. I liked its video so much that I put it on my Piczo website I made. The members are chased and engulfed by a weird monster, which is clearly a group of people under a huge cloth with some material used to make the head. It has nothing to do with the lyrics whatsoever, I just think it's humourous.
The song had its own EP accompanied with two other songs. I was a bit disappointed to see that, when my sister borrowed their debut album from a friend of hers, the song was not on there. Looking at it now, there wouldn't have been much point to put on something that was recorded two years prior onto it.
I'm still not sure what this song is about after almost ten years (that frightens me a bit). I'll go with a guess that it is about being led on by someone to the extent that you have no clue what to do or how to act.
I'm very bored. I'm a bit upset too. I'm currently at home by myself and you would think "what's the matter with you, surely you could do anything you want?" Yes. I'm not that kind of person though. I have food in here, an eclectic choice of music on my iTunes library and a few games on my PS3. But it's not enough. The weather isn't great, and even if I wanted to go out there's nothing in my area that interests me. I may sound like a grouch, but it's true. This may be the sign that university will probably be the best thing I could have right now. Only ten more days to go.
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For today's song, it's be your own PET again. I didn't get a lot of views for yesterday's post. be your own PET haven't been a band for five years now which may play a part in that. It may have also been the way I outlined the song. There's a range of possibilities.
"Bunk Trunk Skunk" is the second song on the band's debut album. My sister had this on her Creative Zen Micro, but did not put it onto the Windows Media Player library that was on our old Windows XP computer. So when I snuck into her bedroom and took the Zen, I made sure that I listened to the song.
I realised why she may not have wanted me to listen to the song. Even though I was eleven at the time. It's basically about prostitution, or some sort of activity which involves sex. My sis was very much against my knowledge of that subject.
The song is a real rocker. Every instrument is loud, Jemina Pearl shrieks that she is an 'independent motherfucker with barely any effort. This track is definitely one to freak out to. Not dance. Just swing your arms around and lose control. Structurally, there isn't really a chorus because everything that is said is repeated more than once, but it's at the end when the band increase in tempo before not giving a shit what they're playing. The cacophony of noise ends with a drum roll which collides into the next song. It's better if you listen to both songs together just for that moment.
Jamie.
ARCTIC MONKEYS - "AM"
Oh, you thought I was finished? Oh, no. It was only the release of Arctic Monkeys' new album on Monday! (Or yesterday, depending on where you live).
I haven't bought it yet, but I listened to the exclusive stream on iTunes. I said in my "Brick by Brick" post that I haven't been very excited for an Arctic Monkeys release for some time, and that was very much the same for "AM" too.
"R U Mine?" was supposed to be the non-album single that wouldn't appear on another commercial release, but that ended up being the second track. I thought it was OK, when I first heard it. The song really relies on its scaly riff which plays throughout most of the track, and that applies to many other songs on "AM", including the first proper single "Do I Wanna Know?"
The one thing that annoyed me on this album were the constant high-pitched backing vocals which appear on almost every song but apart from that the rest of the album is very solid. You've got more of those observational lyrics that everyone loves to hear from Alex Turner. Most of the tracks are riff oriented as I've already said. It's an album to wear a leather jacket and sunglasses to, and then proceed to nod your head to the beat.
It is clear that these are not the same Arctic Monkeys from 2006. They have evolved into this new thing - I can't explain it, they've developed this new sound. It's a totally different band. It's similar to The Strokes. People look to "Whatever People Say I Am" and automatically compare the rest of their work to it. But Arctic Monkeys have grown, Alex Turner's voice has deepened into a smooth croon sufficient to make any lady weak at the knees. I think they've reached their stage of enlightenment.
"I Wanna Be Yours" is my highlight, it incorporates lyrics from a poem by John Cooper Clarke. It has a very dreamlike atmosphere about it. That's all I say. Get the album if you're interested.
ARCADE FIRE - REFLEKTOR
Goodness me. Arcade Fire too?
Uh-huh. Arcade Fire release their fourth album "Reflektor" this October, and this is the video for the title track.
One thing to notice is how bloody long it is. It's almost eight minutes! Don't let that stop you from listening. A lot of things happen in it. I can't remember enough to tell you everything, the word "Reflektor" is sung a fair amount of times and the legend that is David Bowie is in there!
It has a relentless disco 4/4 beat, similar to Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) and there may be a lot of fans who hate that. It is produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. I'm not sure but maybe that could have had something to do with it. We'll just have to wait and see how the rest of the album sounds.
This is a very promising release though. It's very adventurous.
The song is not called 'Blummer Time', the person who spelt that is dumb. It is 'bummer', to feel down, to be depressed, to be disappointed in something. A bummer.
For today's post, I'm going to change things up a bit. I will take you through the song, and analyse the lyrics with you. Let's go.
Bummertime! Bummertime! - The song's name is "Bummer Time" It's bummertime! BUMMER! - Why is it called "Bummer Time"? We don't know. We'll see soon. (x4)
I'd think about you all week long - She'd think about who? My mind constantly singing your theme song - Oh, so it's like a character in a cartoon or something? And did you know i looked up to you? - I've felt that way people on the TV at some point in my life. I wanna be just like you! - Like a superhero kind of thing. No one knows how it was for me - She was a true fan of this person. No one else cared. No one knows what you meant to me - She loved this person/cartoon? A bit weird. Everyone talks about it like they were there - Self explanatory. All this nostalgia but nobody cares! - Talking is cheap. Narrator is stunned at people's ignorance. Everyone talks about it like they were there All this nostalgia but nobody cares! - So stunned, she had to repeat it twice. I woke up early just for you - Understandable. I waited all week long for you too - Any child does that if their favourite programme is weekly. And there you were on my TV - Yep. It's like you were there just for me! - Yeah! Bummertime! Bummertime! - Still don't get why there's a bummer involved. It's bummertime! - It is annoying when someone doesn't appreciate greatness. BUMMER! - What more could possibly happen? (x2)
When the time came I'd play along - Like Dora the Explorer? Man, I hate that shit. I didn't know that you'd soon be gone - Show got cancelled. Narrator gets older. And now you're back what can I say? - Show comes back on TV. Person she admired is older. I can't even look at you the same way! - He looks like crap. Narrator is disappointed. No one knows how it was for me No one knows what you meant to me Everyone talks about it like they were there SHE CARED SO MUCH FOR HIM. All this nostalgia but nobody cares! ALL THOSE TIMES WERE IN VAIN. Everyone talks about it like they were there All this nostalgia but nobody cares!
I woke up early just for you! I waited all week long for you tooPERSON SHE ADMIRED WAS NOTHING SPECIAL. And there you were on my TV HER CHILDHOOD WAS A LIE. It's like you were there just for me! BUMMERTIME! So that's why the song's called "Bummer Time".
"Bummer Time" is on be your own PET's second album "Get Awkward". It's short and sweet, and totally encapsulates that feeling of disappointment when your favourite TV show returns when you're older and you can barely look at it in the same way you did with amazement when you were a child.
Well, I never thought that I would ever be locked out of my own house. And yet, I'm typing this to you from my aunt's house because that is exactly what has happened. My sister has my mum's key - I didn't know, my mum didn't know, my sister didn't tell my mum, mum and I went out shopping and now I'm here.
It's fine though. It's fine. Sometimes you just have to laugh about these things. It's just another day, that we'll laugh about in the future. Maybe just me, I don't know about Mum.
So, the song. "Black Hole" is the second song from be your own PET's sophomore and final album "Get Awkward" in 2008. During the time between then and their first album, the band's original drummer left and was eventually replaced by another. I never thought such a small change could affect a band's sound so much, but it apparently did. The songs on the album had clearer melodies, Jemina Pearl drops her singing-talking-wailing delivery that she used for most tracks on the band's debut, only using it for some on "Get Awkward". The band still had the same energy, but there was a clear maturation in their sound.
"Black Hole" is the song for someone who loves violence, hates being bored and loathes the town they reside in because there's nothing to do. When there is something to do, they always end up repeating the same routine. And this sucks for the person in question. The song's not on the international release (it's only found on the UK version) due to 'controversial lyrics' and was instead released separately alongside 2 other songs on the "Get Damaged EP". That's pretty dumb, if you ask me. Sure, 'wanna choke myself on a telephone cord' is a bit rough, but people know that it's not a cool thing to do. Don't they?
Ah... the joys of riding a bicycle. Something I can't relate to seeing as I've never owned one. However, it's an activity that be your own PET profoundly express their fondness in this song, and in just over two minutes.
The band are a force that ought to be recognised according to the track. The sky will turn brown, they'll change the eye colour of every lady (which could only suggest that some violence may occur), the sleepyheads will wake up due to their presence, they'll fuck shit up too! All this because they are on their bicycles, because cars are for idiots.
I didn't even make that paragraph up, those are all lyrics in the song. These are backed up with a very aggressively shouted vocal by lead singer Jemina Pearl and the rest of the band, and a rapid guitar riff capturing the urgency of theme. The instrumental break fools you for a bit, starting off slow like a train pulling out of a station but it then gradually becomes faster and faster before returning back to its normal velocity and in regards to the song, the final verse and chorus.
The first song I heard by be your own PET was 'Damn Damn Leash', but that's for a blog much later in time. But it was 'Adventure' that actually managed to get into the UK charts at a place of #36. That's pretty sick. Barely anything credible would be able to get a spot like that nowadays.
be your own PET was the newest band around. Yeah Yeah Yeahs comparisons were slippin' n' slidin' all over the media. And why not? They both have female lead singers, and they make rockin' music.
'Adventure' was the first single of the band's debut album, which was very well received by critics. The album itself is not one filled with solos, or intricate guitar playing, (you wouldn't really expect that from a punk/indie band), but it is definitely one that should be blasted at full volume out of your speakers. Or at least into your ears. All of the songs are able to fit into that category. Screw your neighbours. Just do it.
The video for Adventure is quite weird. That's what I thought of it when I saw it for the first time. But that is when I decided that Jemina Pearl was fit. So all in all it was fine.
be your own PET split up in 2008 after two albums :(
But I will remember the band for the good songs that those albums provided, especially in 2006.
