Matenrou Opera - Otoshiana no Soko wa Konna Sekai

Last year I didn't really do anything spooky for my Halloween post, so this will probably be as spooky as it gets.  After all, what is more terrifying than visual kei?  I kid, because I do really enjoy today's selection, and wasn't really aware it was visual kei until I did some preliminary research the other day.  For those out of the loop, visual kei is a genre/movement in Japanese music that takes pride in being elaborate and androgynous.  They're doing a good job of it too, because I'm 95% the band is all-male and damn Sono sounds like a beautiful woman.  Without knowing what they look like, all you get is this strange variety of symphonic metal that comes through in "Otoshiana no Soko wa Konna Sekai."

"Otoshiana no Soko wa Konna Sekai" is what Nightwish would sound like if they were Japanese and if Floor was a boy.  That's how you can start out with this one, because it's complex to boot.  I don't think of it as visual kei, but an exotic subgenre of the symphonic subgenre.  Also, I have no idea what they're singing about, but it all just sounds amazing regardless.  The guitar work is stellar as well...something you'd see from Epica or even Sirenia.  It won't be long before you're saying Otoshiana no Soko wa Konna Sekai without having to check if you're saying it right.  Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to see what else visual kei can offer me.

Happy Halloween!

Little Green Cars - Big Red Dragon

Wednesday may be hump day, but a rough hump day is always cured by cheery indie music.  Today's selection comes from Little Green Cars, a Dublin collective that sounds more like English indie than the Irish variety, but I take what I get.  They're still good.  Their work kind of reminds me of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, but a little more alt-indie than they are.  "Big Red Dragon" is a catchy little number that will have you chanting oh my god along with the band members, and that guitar work has me drooling.  It's effortless instrumental work, but without it, "Big Red Dragon" wouldn't be the song that it is.  This makes me wish that I had a little choir following me around to sing along to my day....

The Orb feat. Lee Scratch Perry - Ball of Fire

I know that I've been dragging my feet through October, but I'll be damned if I don't post today, because I know that I can, and I don't want to keep things like "Ball of Fire" to myself anymore.  Here we have two great things coming together for something that may never have happened if you asked me ten years ago.  Ambient and reggae made a love child, and this is what it is.  We take The Orb, an ambient electronic duo that's a big name in the electro community, and add Lee Scratch Perry, legendary reggae great.  Together, there's no stopping them.

"Ball of Fire" comes off of their collaborative effort The Orbserver In The Star House, and that's an album I really need to listen to now that it's come up.  "Ball of Fire" may sound like dark reggae at first, but there are many layers to this one thanks to The Orb.  Lee Scratch Perry's doing this strange spoken-word-but-singing shtick that Ke$ha could never understand (sorry, my love), and it's all to something that sounds like a dark and twisted version of Rio's carnival, but slowed down and tripped up.  "Ball of Fire" takes place in a strange world, where genres blend and nothing is as it seems.  Well, this seems pretty good.  In fact, it is.

Kalmah - Seventh Swamphony

I've been sitting on "Seventh Swamphony" for a little while now, deciding when the right time to reveal it would be, but now is the time, my friends.  It comes from Kalmah, a Finnish melodic death metal (still riding that kick, it seems) band that kind of reminds me of Equilibrium, but less folk metal and more death.  Listening to the bridge that comes in about halfway through, it's Equilibrium meets Avenged Sevenfold.  It's nice, if you're into some good growling and heavy guitar work.  "Seventh Swamphony" is off of their last album of the same name, and it doesn't sound as swampy as some of the folk songs I'm currently obsessed with, but that good kick of melodic death is something that I can never say no to.  The guitar work is quick, but you can still appreciate it quite well, and the growling is spot-on.  I like being able to understand the words of the song now and then, and Kalmah's got it.  Oh boy, do they got it.

Even better, the video is pretty awesome too.  So you know...check it out already.

Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou - Spin Me A Rhyme

The husband and wife team of Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou named their duo after themselves, which is perfectly fine, because they're awesome.  The English duo have folk down pat, with a little indie twist to boot.  It's all good for me.  I've had "Spin Me A Rhyme" for a while now, and recently rediscovered it within my own collection.  Well, it's finally here and ready for you all to appreciate.  It reminds me of a folkier version of Fleetwood Mac, updated too, of course.  The acoustic guitar work is nice and sweet, and the vocal work from Hannah-Lou follows suit as well.  This could have done just as well in the seventies with that shaking tambourine in the back.  The best part is that "Spin Me A Rhyme" is hella infectious, crafted to get stuck in your head and brighten your day all in the same three-minute timespan.  I'm onto their plan...and it's working...maybe too well...

Moist - Ophelia

Ah, sometimes I miss late-90s-early-2000s alternative enough that I have to watch a really bad teen movie to listen to it.  Well, not anymore, though.  A while ago I found the very first Big Shiny Tunes album at Value Village, which I bought mostly for the nostalgia and also for it being the first.  Until I bought that album, I had never heard of Moist, a four-piece Canadian group that is apparently back again after a record thirteen-year absence.  Well, well, would you look at the things you learn from Wikipedia searches.  Since buying that Big Shiny Tunes album, I also bought Creature and Silver, and from the former comes the great "Ophelia."

"Ophelia" is some lovely late-90s alternative, which reaches its peak at each instance of I'm letting Ophelia die.  The lyrical work is a little dark upon research, but understand that it's a bit of a sour love story, tinged with regret and a but of yearning for the past as well.  The guitar work is solid...some of the best I've heard from this era of alternative music, and obviously, we have to have a collection psychedelic sounds before the guitar solo in the bridge.  "Ophelia" is pure nostalgia for my generation, and by god, what beautiful nostalgia this is.

Kanye West feat. KiD CuDi and Raekwon - Gorgeous

Simply put, Kanye is one of my forever faves.  I say this every time that I write about him, but it still has to be said.  You can't name another rapper who's done what he's done, I'll tell you that.  Today we'll look at something off of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and album that has been growing on me for the last three years, to be honest.  Kanye went over-the-top for the sound, and sometimes, like with the case of "Gorgeous," it pays off.  He's also got help from Kid Cudi and Raekwon, both rappers that I love and respect.  Cudi and Kanye are a bromance that was meant to be, sure, but he's got just as much chemistry working with Raekwon.

"Gorgeous" is an electric-guitar tinged track that has a certain swagger to it, which is a good thing in this case, don't worry.  Dare I say it, the guitar work sounds a little bit like Daft Punk.  Kanye's in charge once again, sending some slick rhymes our way.  Cudi and Raekwon are as perfect as featured artists can be; they're awesome, but don't overshadow Mr. West.  There's a reason that "Gorgeous" has been in and out of my head since this album came out.  It's got something that keeps you coming back for more, the same something Kanye's been using to keep me around for this long.  Let's hope that it lasts even longer.

CHVRCHES - Recover

It's true, sometimes itunes does give you some great free music on Tuesdays.  A few weeks ago, the catch of the week came from CHVRCHES.  The Scottish three-piece is a group that I'm very glad to have encountered, because they sound like a sugary, less-club version of Dragonette.  Gah, I'm in heaven.  "Recover" is my weapon of choice, and it sounds like something like a hymnal in a stained-glass church mixed with sharp electric David Bowie-esque synths.  It's a lot to take in at first, sure, but it's heavenly.  Lead Lauren Mayberry is angelic, and Iain Cook and Martin Doherty on the instruments compliment her voice to a T.  "Recover" is beautiful and overwhelming, and hell, you're going to need a moment to recover after this one.

Nightwish - Dark Chest Of Wonders

It's been a while since we've had some Nightwish here....so....Nightwish!  They made a semi-big announcement recently, though I kind of expected it.  Floor is now the permanent lead singer, and they even added another band member for good measure.  I'm still a little iffy about how I feel about her, but she does sound a little more like Tarja than Anette did, if that's something.  She's a goddamn beast too, but that's beside the point.  The point today is that I've been getting more and more into Once lately, the last album that Tarja recorded with the band.  Well, I've already featured "Planet Hell," "Ghost Love Score" and "The Siren," so now it's time for...something else.

"Dark Chest of Wonders" gets stuck in my head a lot, because first and foremost, it's the kind of symphonic metal song that can get stuck in your head and stay there.  The guitar work is surprisingly heavy, and Tarja's vocals are less crazy opera and more refined opera.  She can't sing without sounding like she's on stage belting out her heart, but she's scaled back a little with "Dark Chest of Wonders," and that's what I like.  It kind of has a similar sound to what you could find on Imaginaerum...Anette could take this one on just as well.  All in all, it's a solid track from a band that stays solid no matter who's at the helm of the ship.  I guess we'll see what Floor can do with it now...

Wild Child - Tale Of You & Me

Noisetrade has been fueling a good indie kick for me lately, and I blame the really good mix of songs I got from Austin, Texas' Wild Child, a seven-piece indie folk pop dream team that made quite the leap onto my radar in the past few weeks.  They just released The Runaround a week ago, but today's selection comes from the amazing Pillow Talk.  Seriously, before we can get any farther, look these guys up and get downloading now.

"Tale Of You & Me" is a song in two parts.  In the first half, we have an Americana-gypsy-folk-fest in the form of a conversation between lead singers Alexander Beggins and Kelsey Wilson.  I kid you not, they sound like Mumford & Sons dueling with a banjo and a folkified Hayley Williams all at once, and it's beautiful.  It's a great start, and it gets better.  There's a switch about halfway through, where "Tale Of You & Me" becomes like a less gospel-ish version of Blood Warrior, where a chorus repeats sleep good and hold tight, just know I'll make it right.  All the while, you still get the folky elements that drew you in from the beginning.  I don't throw the word perfect around very often (well, I might, but who cares?), but this here is simply...perfect.

Protest The Hero - C'est La Vie

It's been enough time since the last Protest The Hero post, so it's that time again.  Their new album release is fast approaching, but I'm still listening to Scurrilous until my heart is content.  I still remember finding it by surprise at Wal-Mart a few years ago, wondering why I'd been so out of the loop that I didn't know they had a third album coming out.  This year I'm on the ball, though.  I'll be the first person in town to own Volition.

"C'est La Vie" jumped out to me at first because it's the first track on the album, but what an opener, let me tell you that.  It's some coarse and crazy progressive metal, perhaps a mathier sound that what you could find on Fortress, but still refined enough that it's not over the top.  It's a complex track, but when is anything from Protest The Hero ever exactly what you think it is?  The lyrical content is suicidal in nature, with lines like stepped off a building to find some concrete evidence that he'd ever make an impact (holy shit, that's good) and stepped off a platform and he briefly made the news and even stepped off a bridge so he could make a splash.  My highlight is Mr. Walker's gritty another lamb that chose the slaughter.  In a nutshell, "C'est La Vie" is a strong dark ditty that shows PTH's growth as a band.  I can't wait to see what's next.

St. Lucia - Before The Dive

Alright, alright, I'm back, and I've brought some nice poppy alternative music with me from Noisetrade, which has been giving me some great material for the next few weeks.  St. Lucia is Jean-Phillip Grobler and the gang jamming with something that sounds like a delicious tropical version of Passion Pit, though not too island-y at the same time.  He's a transplant from South Africa, if that helps to explain the differences in sound.  He's got an album out now, but I got his Elevate EP for free, and am enjoying the hell out of it.

"Before The Dive" is the highlight of an EP full of highlights, with the help of a female vocalist I can't really identify.  But we've got everything we need for something magical to happen.  The synths are lovely, the keyboard makes me want to travel into the jungle just to dance, and the vocal work is delicious electro-alt that reminds me a little of Everything Everything.  Delicious seems to be the word of the day for this one, and seriously, if you at least like Passion Pit, you'll love St. Lucia and "Before The Dive."

Lana Del Rey - American

Lorde may be talking smack about my girl Lana lately, but I'll never have anything bad to say about her.  who cares about that lush opulent feeling from her music?  That's what gives it its edge, people!  Lana gives everything she does an rich depth, just like our very own gangster Nancy Sinatra should be.  We've got the short film Tropico coming out soon, which is something to look forward to, and a third album that may or may not happen to boot, but at least we've got a lot of older work that makes the up-in-the-air notion of her future a little better feeling.  Take her Paradise EP for example, and a nice good song like "American."  That's all we need, right?

"American" has that old-world Americana charm that always gets me drooling when I listen to Lana's work.  This woman is nothing but an artist, the world is her muse, and our ears are her canvas.  "American" could have been in The Great Gatsby movie just as much as "Young and Beautiful" was, if you ask me, but it also has a hint of the Born To Die sound in it too.  This EP was serious growth from her major label debut, and "American" is that delicious cherry on top of a cherry sundae.  Opulent?  Lush?  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Deftones - Romantic Dreams

I've been getting more and more into Deftones lately, and last night, I had an epiphany as to why.  In a nutshell, they're the alternative metal version of Chevelle.  A lightbulb has gone off, and now my entire life makes sense.  Well, maybe not, but it's pretty cool to realize things like this.  Now, you remember that lovely track "Swerve City" that I featured a while ago, right?  Well, why don't we take another look at Koi No Yokan, the album it came from, and see what other gems we can find, perhaps "Romantic Dreams"...

"Romantic Dreams" is a lovely lush sounding piece of alternative metal, that's kind of like a longer, more angsty version of "Swerve City," and if you know how much I love that song, then you can imagine how I feel about this one.  We can sum up the lyrical content by the line I wish this night would never end, and that's because it seems to be about that lovin' feeling, and it should be when the song is called "Romantic Dreams."  But is it a dream?  I'm hypnotized by your name could suggest so.  The instrumental work is very lush and organic-sounding too.  Everything just flows together, the exact way that it should.

Disturbed - Pain Redefined

I remember when I bought Ten Thousand Fists, my first Disturbed album in a collection that would soon grow very rapidly.  There was something about it that simply spoke to me, just as the band's music still continues to do to this day.  If it wasn't for this album, who knows when I would have gotten into Disturbed?  I first saw the "Land of Confusion" video on TV, fell in love, heard "Stricken" by chance, and fell in love enough that I got the album with money from my tutoring job.  Who knew that the shiniest gem of them all was waiting for me there?

I have fallen again, this is the end.

"Pain Redefined" simply sounds like nothing else.  It's indicative Disturbed, the kind of song that you hear and think yeah, this is what nu metal is supposed to sound like.  Mr. Draiman slays it with vocals, sounding a bit like he used to on the good tracks of The Sickness, and the instrumental work is spot-on with a hint of technical-sounding samples.  It gives "Pain Redefined" a little (just a smidge) flavor of 80's rock that we can see in the original "Land of Confusion."  The lyrics are freaking amazing too; many MSN statuses came from this, and back then, that's how I knew a song was amazing.  I still know, with this one.

Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me

Remember when Mike Posner was a thing a few years ago?  He had a good run, but most of his music wasn't as thrilling as I would have liked it to be.  Don't even get me started on that one song he did with Lil Wayne that I can't remember the name of, the one where he wore an afro in the video.  We had our fun with Mike, but then it was time to move on.  Well, putting the dark parts of the past aside, there is one song by him that I can't help but love, and by now, you should know what that would be.  "Cooler Than Me" is a soft hip-hop song that never ceases to be stuck in my head after giving it a listen.  I like the Daft-Punk-esque electric guitar at the beginning, and the light club thumping that dominates the rest of the song.  It's never too much, but just right.  At the same time, it's nothing too pretentious either.  I like it.  So forget the rest of his stuff, this is where the money is.

Michael Bublé Feat. Naturally 7 - Stardust

I don't care what you say, the biggest Michael Bublé fan in the world is my sister.  When she turned seventeen, I got her his Crazy Love album (probably his best work, I think), and before I knew it, I was falling in love too.  He follows the same scheme that ABBA does in my heart: you can't listen to him and not be happy.  It's a requirement.  It's also very hard to pick one song that really defines Mr. Bublé, but I have to go with his cover of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust," which comes with some help courtesy of the acappella Naturally 7.

"Stardust" takes you a land of yesteryear, where jazz was simply the smoothest, and there were no worries of crazy albums that were a departure from the artist's original work.  Michael Bublé's covers are always wonderful, and this one is no exception.  It would have succeeded back in the time that the music and lyrics were written, just as much as it succeeds today.  I wouldn't mind slow dancing to this one at all, just as it should be with any good jazzy love song.  He's done it again, people!

The Birthday Massacre - Calling

Well, what do you know?  Last year I got both The North and The Birthday Massacre's Hide and Seek for Christmas, and here they are together again, one blog post after another.  It's like they were meant to be this whole time.  Well, synth rock is always meant to be, and it's hard to find anything wrong with The Birthday Massacre.  I've been in love ever since I heard "Down," and the whole album keeps the ball rolling.  Lately, it's been "Calling" that's got me reeled in for good.

"Calling" is pure alternative synth.  Let's think of it as Metric meets Evanescence, a drool-worthy combination that has me picturing Emily Haines and Amy Lee together on stage.  But I digress, as this is about The Birthday Massacre and their infectious synth rock.  "Calling" is a little dark and a little spooky with some images of being pulled alive into an open grave, perfect for this month, and black ice, I hear you calling out for me tonight, no rest for the soon departed is bound to be stuck in your head by the time the three and a half minutes are up.  So what are you waiting for?  Get on it!

Stars - Lights Changing Colour

Stars is really a Canadian treasure, and if you haven't heard of them before now, failing to read far enough back in my blog to notice, you need to give them a listen.  Indie has never sounded sweeter from another five-piece out there.  Now, In Our Bedroom After The War is hands down their best work, but I've been getting more and more into The North lately.  I got it for Christmas last year, and even though I've found that lately I'm not as good at listening to an entire album as I used to be, it's all amazing.  There are no faults to be found here.

"Lights Changing Colour" is a sweet and somber little thing with Amy Millan in charge of all of the vocal work and the background music reminiscent of something you'd hear on a Sarah McLachlan album.  There is a real feel of despair, like the scene of a movie where the main character sadly walks through dark streets on their own.  Good music should inspire images, and that's what "Lights Changing Colour" does.  Now I've just got to get another album out of them soon...