The Burning of Rome - Norman Bates + Butthole Surfers Mix

Death pop?  I can dig it.  The genre belongs to San Diego quintet The Burning of Rome, and today they let us take a look at a song inspired by Mr. Hitchcock's Psycho.  With a title like "Norman Bates" what else could it be about?  The original is a quirky track with fun lines like won't you please stay in my motel and don't be afraid, mother means well.  I've liked using the word cacophony a lot lately, and I think it's fitting here.  You have creepy vocals mixed with a score you've never heard the likes of before.  Also, I'm very partial to the remix by alternative veterans Butthole Surfers.  "Norman Bates" turns into something a little more horror movie and, if it's possible, it's a bit quirkier.  And if you know me, I love things with quirks.

I realize now I could have saved this one for Halloween, but why save something for another fifteen days if it's worth sharing now?

Envy on the Coast - Starving Your Friends + LYRICS

It's one of those days, you know?  The sky is overcast, rain looms on the horizon, and the geography library is as dead as a doorknob in the afternoon.  I'm the one at the far end of the room, eating a barrage of citrus fruit and listening to today's featured song.  Let me introduce Envy on the Coast.  They're an alternative band from New York, so based on geography, they must be good.  And they are.  I came across them in the twelfth grade, when I bought CDs based on the band name and waiting patiently for boxes to come in from Amazon.  Lucy Gray is a good album.  Really good.  It has a mix of bread-and-butter alternative along with a few slow songs that, in my opinion, make the album.  "Starving Your Friends" has been playing on my ipod for the last four years, and with good reason.

"Starving Your Friends" relies on the piano for all instrumentals, and emotional-laden vocals courtesy of lead Ryan Hunter.  I'm including the lyrics today because I think they're all worth sharing.  Facebook statuses waiting to happen, as much as I hate to admit that.  But just like Underoath, they get an award for writing one of my favourite lyrics.  I'm just like me, so who the hell are you?  So do me a favor today.  Slow it down, get into the mood for delicate piano mixed with some powerful words, and enjoy it.  Enjoy every damn moment.

Thanks a lot.
I've been disadvantaged from the start.
He constricted the veins heading straight to my head,
Rerouted the blood to my heart instead.
Rerouted the blood to my heart instead.

I am braindead,
Think in strictly in blues and reds.
Oh I'm in enough trouble man...
Oh man, I'm in trouble again.
Cause everyone's ears are watching me,
But I never, ever felt that this would be
Anything more than a makeshift personal IV.

I fall three times as hard.
If it's for nothing at all
You all seem twice as tall as I will ever be.
And I feel terribly small.
When my head works too hard.
When you think with your chest,
There's not a thing that you don't see.

I'm hardly capable of half the damage that I would like to do.
I could swear that I don't care,
But you know I'm too full of shit to think this through.
So Look at me,
I pray to God
But curse too much to be considered true.
I'm just like me.
So who the hell are you?

I'm but a boy,
Just like the rest of these thieves.
And I borrow phrases, from dusty, faded, record sleeves.
The story is the same.
I've just personalized the name.
But if it's all you need,
Then I'd be more than happy to confess my shame.

I know you think you know,
But these eyelids are windows that shut you out
from all the things that I don't want you to know.
And I refuse to tell you one single secret I own.
'Cause you'll find I'm petrified of your eyes.

I'm hardly capable of half the damage that I would like to do.
I could swear that I don't care,
But you know I'm too full of shit to think this through.
I've read the book,
I prayed to God,
But cursed too much to be considered true.
I'm just like me.
So who the hell are you?

Lana Del Rey - Ride

Miss Lizzy Grant is definitely one of my favourite recording artists right now.  She grew on me, what can I say?  It's something about the soulful pop that gets me every time.  Born To Die is being re-released now, including her new EP Paradise.  Obviously, the lead single of the EP is "Ride," and I can't blame the producers and record label honchos for picking it.  It begins a bit like a church hymnal, leaning on the piano for instrumentals.  Lana begins to croons I've been out on that open road, you can be my full time, daddy, white and gold, but don't worry.  The pick-up always comes.  "Ride" rises to an orchestral-sounding soul ditty by the time the chorus comes.  Now, fair warning, "Ride" is a slower song, but if you're already listening to Lana's older stuff, then you shouldn't have a problem with this.  Hell, if you have problems with slower songs, you might as well exit the page now.

"Ride" is indicative Lana Del Rey.  Lush Americana soul pop, for the forties babes in all of us.  With a genre name like that, where can we go wrong?

Fleet Foxes - The Shrine / An Argument

We've made it!  It took a little less than a year and a half, but we finally made it to the awesome 400-post mark.  Perhaps not as awesome as 500 posts will be, but we'll have to see, won't we?  Every hundred posts, I make a point of sharing an epic.  Joining the ranks of "Small Boxes" and "We Are Young" (as well as a good Top 10 list) is an eight minute masterpiece from Fleet Foxes.  They've been riding a kick with me lately, so sue me.

I got "The Shrine / An Argument" when my sister gave me a $15 itunes card for my birthday this summer.  Of course, I used to to support my favourite folk band.  There's just something about the way they go about things that is utterly beautiful.  Lead Robin Pecknold's voice is one that I wouldn't mind putting on repeat for the year.  My favourite line of his?  I'm not one to ever pray for mercy, or to wish on pennies in the fountain or the shrine.  He makes this a folk epic.  Then there's the sweeping acoustic guitars, the vocal harmonies, the cacophony of instruments at the end.  Brilliance.  There is no other way to do folk, people.  As long as the acoustic guitar never stops sounding this good, then I'll keep on listening.

Janina Gavankar - Waiting For Godot

It's time to get philosophical on the eve of post 400.  Did anyone else have to read Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot in high school?  Unfortunately, during round one of English, I had to, and coincidentally, my brother is reading it right now for the same teacher.  While I can't admit that my family has a penchant for the absurdist play, I can't rule out that others will find inspiration from it.  Enter Janina Gavankar, who some of you might know from True Blood (I don't watch that show; no cable).  She doesn't only act, she sings too, and her electro-dupstep isn't bad at all, even if it does remind me that I had to retake a course in high school.

"Waiting For Godot" makes the comparison, friends may come and friends may go, but still I say, if I wait for love am I waiting for Godot?  Huh.  If you're slow (no problem, it is 7:30 here as I write this), then you see she ponders if it's worth it to wait for something that will never come.  At least we know disappointment won't come.  You won't be able to call this dubstep, don't you worry.  It's more or less haunting electro, with a slower tempo and an atmosphere worth noting.  Miss Gavankar is well on her way to being a triple threat.

So what do you think?  I'll admit to being an impatient person, but some things are well worth waiting for.  Godot has to come around eventually, right?

Skeletonwitch - Within My Blood

Last year, around this time if I'm not mistaken, I first got into Athens, Ohio thrashers Skeletonwitch, after missing their descending upon the homely city of Kitchener.  Sad face.  Y I no get into things sooner?  But it's okay.  It always is.  Flash forward to now.  My Christmas-excited roommates have prompted me to think about what I want this year, and it now includes each and every Skeletonwitch album.  I've just gotten more into their unique thrash-black-shredding-guitars genre.  Blame Youtube.

Today's "Within My Blood" comes from their first studio album, At One With The Shadows.  Sure, it's from all the way back in 2004, but who cares?  Certainly not my twelve-year-old-self, who back in 2004 was just getting into Alexisonfire.  I've saved the best music for when I'm ready to appreciate it, and "Within My Blood" is worth appreciating.  The guitars aren't too heavy, and just thrash enough, and overall, the song is surprisingly catchy.  Well, catchy if you like this kind of stuff to catch onto you.  Why shouldn't it?  There are worse things you could catch than thrash fever.

Can I escape what is within my blood?

Dominic Lord - Wrong For Right

Yesterday I got my one-in-396-posts heavily personal blog post.  I'm allowed to have one, people, but don't worry that I'm getting soft on you all.  The prospect of breaking 400 posts has me excited and eager to blog, and today, it's back to melancholy rap.  This time it comes courtesy of former A$AP crew member Dominic Lord.  His EP Fashion Show is rife with modernized rap; there's nothing too gangster here, and that's how I like my rap on days like this.

On "Wrong For Right," Mr. Lord chooses toned-down rhymes over the aggressive variety, and I'm quite a big fan of it.  While melancholy rap may not be right for this particular track, the subdued qualities keep it out of in-your-face-territory.  The chorus is what got me into this, with the looping you need the wrong for the right, right?  Hell, how will you know you're right if you don't know what's wrong?  This is in no way wrong, people.  "Wrong For Right" is right every time, right?