Rate The Song Above You

10/10: Patti Smith gives a garage rock classic her special treatment of poetic musing and cathartic release.

Stereolab - The Noise of Carpet

Another green world.

7/10. A nice song. It's catchy if a little repetitive.

The Smiths-What Difference Does It Make?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wikWQRmyIQo

edited 2nd Dec '16 6:46:31 PM by pointless233

One of my personal favorite Smiths songs and one of the first ones I ever heard when I started listening to them, gets stuck in my head all the time. I've always loved especially the lines "I've stolen and I lied, and why? / Just because you asked me to." This song might have one of Johnny Marr's catchiest guitar hooks too. Seriously, Johnny Marr's compositions are a criminally underrated component of what made the Smiths as good as they were. Ill (as in the word "ill", not the Roman numeral for 3)/10.

The Quick - "Big Chance" (should note that it's a demo from a rarities comp)

Insert witty 'n clever quip here.

5/10. I guess the instrumental is fine, but dat voice. The guitar solo is the only thing keeping this from being a 4.

Gato Barbieri - Europa

edited 3rd Dec '16 7:35:31 AM by PhysicalStamina

To pity someone is to tell them "I feel bad about being better than you."

A beautiful sensual jazz piece. The tone of the bass is on point, and the strings provide a soft background for the saxophone solo. A tried and true arrangement that still works perfectly in right hands. (10/10)

The Flying Burrito Brothers - Christine's Tune

Nonsense is better than no sense at all.

7/10. I'm not into country Rock but this was a nice tune. Pretty catchy.

ABBA-Fernando

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw6JO_l8NyQ

edited 3rd Dec '16 12:38:07 PM by pointless233

6/10 - I generally tend to prefer ABBA from Arrival onwards, but since this tune is part of the transition period (and was put in a re-release of Arrival, a few years later - originally, it was their first non-album single to be released) it shows that they were beginning to develop their melodies and harmonies in a slightly more intricate way. Quite fitting for this time of autumn/winter at night, curiously enough (but then again, they're Swedish). The instrumental bits are also quite evocative (the production certainly helps).

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "Souvenir".

edited 3rd Dec '16 2:14:17 PM by Quag15

Holy crud, nostalgia time. My dad is nuts for 80s music, so I remember hearing this song on a "Best of OMD" comp over and over again as a child to the point where these guys and other synth pop pioneers basically sound like childhood to me now. Even as a legal adult, though, I must say this song, sweet, genial and as pastoral as it's possible for an electronic song to be, has held up very well. 9/10

New Order - Temptation

Coincidentally, here's another band for whom I have a similar case of childhood nostalgia.

Tastes better on the way back down.

45/100 - Its mood infectious, its technique hypnotic, its melodies ear-worming, but stretching these out for seven minutes in flat thematic topography reduces this into the sort of mind-numbing background music you'd hear in the vague daydream of some 80's nostalgic.

Big Big Train - Mudlarks

Good song. These guys are definitely talented and the guitar solo was pretty neat. 7.5/10.

Weezer-Say It Ain't So

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo-x4PU8S6g

7/10 This might be sacrilege, but I'm not a huge fan of Blue Album era Weezer. I'm much more of a Pinkerton man, most of Blue feels a bit, I dunno, weightless. This song is one of the better ones though, I really like the crunchy guitar line that pops up in the chorus.

Revere - I Bet You Want Blood

Sing the song of sixpence that goes burn the witch, we know where you live

6.5/10 It's O.K., but I don't like slow-paced songs.

Billy Joel - I Go To Extremes

45/100 - This is one of those songs that felt like it started as a catchy melody that was then turned into a chorus but then everything else was added on a an afterthought, leading to it feeling like a bunch of boring dead space between somewhat overwrought raise-your-lighters-woooooo moments.

Cosmic Atrophy - Montis Ex Dementia

5/10. It's not a bad track by any means, I'm just not too found of this style of death metal. It sounds ugly, and not the good kind of ugly that makes it sound gritty or menacing, it just feels drab to me. IDK.

M.I.A. - Meds and Feds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7WYEHZK5To

"I am the table!"

Ah, been meaning to listen to M.I.A. for a while, heard her stuff is great. This is a lot more extreme than I expected (you could probably guess I only really know "Paper Planes"), this is like alternative club music here, blanking on the actual genre here, it's not quite breakbeat but I don't totally know for sure. I'm not sure exactly if I like it or dislike it, I'd probably need to listen to it more and read the lyrics (what few there seem to be) to get a better feel for it. It's definitely interesting, but it's also at like 90 miles an hour the whole ride. Probably works better in a club setting than just listening to it on headphones. Clipping/10.

The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Puff Dady and Mase - "Mo Money Mo Problems"

edited to replace the video version with the album version because the video actually interrupts the song, ugh

edited 6th Dec '16 5:40:53 AM by Odd1

Insert witty 'n clever quip here.

First thing's first, that funky ultra-syncopated beat is indisputably a classic of hip-hop production. Mase's verse is... a lot less classic. It's so mumbled and slurred you can barely make out what he's saying even with Rap Genius open in the other tab. The artist formerly known as Puff Daddy puts in a more decent performance - certainly a more comprehensible one - but then Biggie gets his verse and you wonder why the other two bothered to turn up. 6/10

Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity

Tastes better on the way back down.

...A BIG song named "more money, more ploblems" is so ironic it's scary. >.>

Oh hey, Jamiroquai. I remember hearing that song all the time when it came out, and I'm still fond of it. The funky yet slightly melancholic music complements his awesome voice pretty well. I like the lyrics too, now that I can understand them.

IAM - L'Empire du côté obscur (The Empire of the Dark Side)

(there's another version where Shurik'n isn't completely off-beat in the first verse, but I don't like it as much)

The dark monarch descends and expands his strength. The power of the shadows settles in.
No, do not resist, do not struggle. Do not look away from the hand held out to you.
Or I shall explore the kingdom of your fears, and become its ruler to better dominate you.
There, you're becoming reasonable, that's good. Yes, fall under the charm for a better tomorrow.
For the rebels, the Force is too strong. I sweep away the little Ewoks like the wind blows away the dead leaves.
Those hesitating are warned: beware of the only star that melts into the night.
The stronghold of the countries' ghettos is set in motion. The generated energy creates such an attraction
That all start to look towards him, only to realize that hope emerges from the dark.
The Force manipulates a small part of every man. A small push is enough for the being to waver.
For the blind's eyes to open, so that he gazes at Mars from the dark side and its temple.
Don't be afraid, come to the Emperor, and feel the warmth of darkness. For you its time
To join the army of the shadow's warriors. Can't you see your light side succumbing?
That's your destiny. Why try to resist it? I shall easily break the lock of your will.
Be the host of the Emperor's purest blackness, and sport the colors of the Dark Side.

Obscure, the Force is black, like the castle where floats our flag.
Be sure that under the light, the truth is hidden. Come and fall to our side.

I am the son of Jaffar, the cursed reject of Darth Vader. Master of the mic, I love
To adapt my technique like a chameleon, mercilessly, to bring down the rebellion.
Millenary, a poisoned saliva and a bitter tongue, a pilot V5 as my lightsaber.
My consciousness as only medal, I chase and remorselessly slaughter all the Jedi knights.
Hatred is boiling inside you, I know it, I can see your black-gloved hand.
It's hopeless, the mutation has started to the nature you try to hide, the dark side of the Force.
Come to me, cross the bridge and join my home in the black moon.
Mars is my Empire, I launch troops to the ground to erase this silly Jean-Claude Gaudin Skywalker.^note JCG was the mayor of Marseille 20 years ago... and he still is, actually

Little arrogant, can't you see the numbers deployed, the shadows' army? You shall be obliterated.
In the name of the mystical forces residing in my brain, I don't give you much longer to live.
The wind of the Force blows inside me. The mic crackles, spitting flames on the wooden soldiers.
The son of God trembles but fights with his own weapons and topples beliefs
That he sees as wrong, breaks the traitors from the skull to the fibula. The enemy stands paralysed by fear.
Long live the Reign of the Night, of a theory that reverses established dogma.
Luke! Help me! Fool, it is too late. You belong to the black-clad sinister lord.
Helmet and ragged breathing under an armor. This is the harshest soldier of the Dark Side.

edited 6th Dec '16 2:02:51 PM by Lyendith

Flippé de participer à ce grand souper, je veux juste m'occuper de taper mon propre tempo.

EDIT: damn sniped i need to do too now gimme a few min, I'll put it between here and my original post

---

Interesting how the sampled the Star Wars sound effects there. Beat is interesting and dark, but doesn't really grab me like it probably should—feels a bit too much like a lot of hip-hop beats I've heard before. His flow is far more engaging, though. *reads your translation of the lyrics* ...oh, so this song is basically "Star Wars metaphors, the song", that explains all those samples. Now I'm just kinda wondering why they didn't go all the way and sample some of John Williams's score, unless it was just that expensive to do. Decent track, though I'll admit I expected better since I've heard rave reviews of this group (guy?) in the past. Padawan/10.

---

ha, that's a pretty apt analysis, tbh.

Had to go with a different upload since that one was blocked in my country, but anyway. This is super solid. Those piano chords are so elegant, transitioning into that super funky beat. This kinda feels to me like Supertramp filtered through a New Jack Swing-esque groove with some funk thrown in there (and I just listened to the new Gambino album, so any funk is good in my book). His voice feels a bit too Justin Timberlake for my liking at times, but overall, solid track. Groove/10.

Brenyama - "Inhuman"

edited 6th Dec '16 2:12:13 PM by Odd1

Insert witty 'n clever quip here.

They did sample John William's theme in the alternate version. And there are two people rapping, yes.

Flippé de participer à ce grand souper, je veux juste m'occuper de taper mon propre tempo.

Ah, gotcha.

so it's still Brenyama's "Inhuman" as in my last post for the next song then

Insert witty 'n clever quip here.

7/10 - Pretty good! It's not the best song I've ever heard but it's not too bad. The lead singer could be better, though.

Culture Club - Karma Chameleon

edited 6th Dec '16 10:35:08 PM by YasminPerry

7/10: Happily, giddily 80s. Fun!

Solange - Cranes in the Sky

Another green world.

Merely calling this ethereal wouldn't be doing it justice. It almost feels as if it's made of ether, drifting listlessly through the universe on a cobweb-thin layer of haunting strings and gently caressing basslines. Unlike some songs that reach this level of gossamer sweetness, though, there's a definite sense of progression and emotional grounding. In short, it's her sister meets the Cocteau Twins at their most fey, and that's a good thing. 8/10

Juçara Marçal - Não Tenha Ódio no Verão

In Portuguese. This is a cover version of a song by the cult Brazilian musician Tom Ze.

Tastes better on the way back down.

7/10. I started to get into Tom Zé a few months ago, but I haven't heard this tune yet (but, being a Tom Zé song, I already dig the lyrics - the song being an anti-hate song). As for the cover in itself, I quite dig the interplay of guitars, which remind me of a sound somewhere between Gang of Four and Wire (minus bass and drums). Her voice is allright (though part of the screaming felt a bit over the top to me).

The Jam - Going Underground

edited 7th Dec '16 3:51:04 PM by Quag15

6.5-7/10.

This is a decent song.

The Eagles-Lyin' Eyes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx3kpa51EyY