General Music Thread

JHM

Listened to the entirety of Om's Conference of the Birds recently. 'Twas a pleasure.

glennmagusharvey

Today is Chopin's birthday!  Have some Chopin:

fourteenwings

@glennmagusharvey: I think you know who Michelle Branch is?

She's collaborating with Rihwa (Tiger & Bunny OPs/EDs I don't know).

It's like the one time May J. did a thing with Craig David (Or was that BONNIE PINK?).

Blueeyedrat

Just got home from my high school's spring concert. (I play in the senior concert band, primarily the timpani.) Highlights include senior band finishing off with the above piece (a personal favorite of our music teacher, for damn good reason) and senior jazz band's lead-in to "Saturday in the Park". (The pianist began the intro before the rest of the group was even set up, but they jumped in without missing a beat.)

All Nines

Has anyone else here heard of Ne Obliviscaris? I saw stuff by them on YouTube a while ago, and they've apparently surged in popularity, but I only just gave them a chance. I'm really impressed. For me, they're a very satisfying blend of classical or folk tendencies and extreme metal, with both parts being well-executed, if with unsatisfying production values. I'm generally iffy on such blends, but I really like this. I normally hate songs longer than 6 minutes, but it's really easy to just listen through this.

lrdgck

Whoa. That's a good tune. Sounds like I recognise the style, but can't quite give any names, so you may disregard this sentence. Smaxone + Haggard + Moonspell?

All Nines

I've only heard Moonspell out of those bands, but I remember them being okay.

Can anyone tell me the name of that one progressive/industrial death metal band that has a female vocalist and a long name with roman numerals for "200[X]" in it? Never mind, found 'em. And I guess the name wasn't as long as I remembered, aside from the roman numerals.

Icalasari

Wondering exactly how to define electroswing



It seems to go all the ways from pure swing to electronic with barely any swing. Which is confusing to say the least

Kraken

IJBM: "Little Talks." I think I'd really like the song if not for the dumb little "hey!" that ends phrases.

That is like the best part of the song what are you talking about.

lrdgck

Another tune that this Obliviscaris band makes me think of: 

All Nines

So she did perform this at Anime Boston 2012. Can't fuckin' believe I missed it. (I got to see Itou in person, but I arrived near the end of her concert)

The original song. Listening to it now . . . I was gonna finish Girls und Panzer, but now I think I just want to lie down.

EDIT: Goddamn, I forgot how great Saya no Uta's soundtrack is.

Forzare

Yo All Nines, have you listened to the new Fall Out Boy album yet?

All Nines

Nope. I haven't bothered keeping up because I was really unimpressed and let down by the singles they put out, but I suppose I ought to give it a listen through.

Forzare

I really liked it, personally. More than I expected I would. A few songs that I didn't really like (The One With The Really Embarrssing Rap and The Second Song On The Album) but I loved shit like Save Rock and Roll and One More Yesterday.



I don't think I've ever been more conflicted on a song than I am with Rat A Tat though. Most of the actual song itself might be up there with What A Catch, Donnie for FOB songs. But the parts with Courtney Love are just uuuuuuuuuurgh.



I've only listened to it like maybe twice while I was also playing minecraft, though so



take that for what it's worth?

All Nines

Sure. I guess I can get into more detail about the singles, if you have anything to say about them.

"My Song Knows What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" (apparently The Second Song On The Album): Ugh. Slow stuff like this really doesn't suit them at all, and I know this doesn't have to do with the music, but what was the point of 2Chainz being in the video, exactly? Why were they burning shit?

"The Phoenix:" Not bad, and certainly not as bad as the previously-mentioned track, but it's pretty melodramatic in parts, especially for them. I also didn't like that Stump's vocals felt pared back, like with the chorus, which, as I recall, is exactly the same with each iteration. It's especially unexciting compared to things off of Folie a Deux, since Stump's wonderfully emotive singing was really the only thing that put them above other bands, in my opinion. Combining that with the Serious pre-choruses, I thought the song was just uninteresting. On the plus side, I did like the lyrics, especially in the chorus.

"Young Volcanoes:" I think I only listened to this one once, because it kinda confused the hell out of me. I didn't really know what to think about it.

If there's a full album stream on YouTube or something, I'll probably give it a go at some point, but, well, those are my thoughts on the singles. They're just lacking in energy and unexciting compared to their older stuff.

Forzare

My Songs Blah Blah Blah Long FOB Title is one of the ones I definitely didn't like as much. Not much to say there.



I really liked The Phoenix, actually. It was different, but not in a terrible way. And I mean I feel like FOB has kind of always been kind of melodramatic? I thought it was fun.



I don't have much problem with Young Volcanos. I dunno. Wasn't one of my favorites, but I like it. One of the ones that didn't make much impression while I was listening the first time.



but idk



i don't really think about my music like that so much when i listen to it



i just kinda listen to it and go



yeah



that's pleasing to my ears



or not

All Nines

And I mean I feel like FOB has kind of always been kind of melodramatic?

Lyrically, sure, but "The Phoenix" in particular was sort of moody in the riffs, too, and that's not usually how they're melodramatic. They're generally more upbeat, or maybe bittersweet, I suppose? I dunno. "The Phoenix" just felt different, and I didn't think it worked as well as if they had just kept progressing from Folie a Deux, since they really hit upon something great there. Though I like the edge in Stump's vocals in the verse, if not the lyrics in those parts.

But I'm about to go listen through it. I'll post my overall thoughts later, I'm sure.

All Nines

Got up to the beginning of "The Mighty Fall" (after deciding that "Young Volcanoes" started very obnoxiously and then got good), and skipped to "Rat a Tat." It's real nice so far, aside from Courtney Love's presence, like you said. Seriously, what happened to Brendon Urie co-starring on their albums? I liked him.

But, overall, the album feels rather radio-pop-ified compared to their other stuff, and I don't think it works. But it's not bad. Dunno how high up on my purchase list it is, but probably at some point.

lrdgck

You guys know how power metal is divided into US power metal and Euro power metal. I've been thinking if we can't divide Euro further, into what I've personally like to think of as the German and Italian branches, after the geographical distribution of some notable bands. The German branch is kinda harsher and (relatively) closer to Earth. The Italian focuses on "epic" or "fantasy" feel foremostly (think Rhapsody). 

As I think of it, it seems to be partially a matter of generation. What I think of as the "German" branch seems to me to be mostly the older and better-known EuPM bands, and the fact that they cropped up in Germany and Scandinavia is relatively irrelevant.

So, you may consider this some rambling to liven up the thread.

glennmagusharvey

@fourteenwings: In the music video of ELISA's "REALISM", why is the singer smiling?  It doesn't seem to match the mood of the music...

glennmagusharvey

glennmagusharvey

ヒトリワラッテ is kinda growing on me.

fourteenwings

And then Gwyneth Paltrow covered an Eddie Murphy song (Which are apparently a real thing).

Also One Republic get the award for best Glee cover (Even though by virtue of Glee it's mashed up with another song to produce nonsense).

glennmagusharvey

I'm liking Burst the Gravity.  It is sounding to me like fripside, with a dash of hip-hop.  (This is not necessarily a bad thing.)

glennmagusharvey

@Unknown_Entity: that Orange Range song "City Boy" sounds like they're singing "Shitty Boy".

RedEyedAbyss

 

Otherwise known as "Confused Loser Zoolander Tries to Steal Award". Works so well when someone says something stupid, tries to pass it off as a joke, but lacks the self-awareness to realize they are the punchline (e.g. Rush Limbaugh towards Sandra Fluke). Bonus points if it involves "butthurt" or its synonyms.

fourteenwings

A multi-thread event! fourteenwings talks about the Disney Channel!

So I listened to Disney Channel Play It Loud, which is what happens when Disney doesn't care enough to give everyone their own albums (And I guess it's a convenient place to stick Shake It Up and ANT Farm songs that weren't released because those properties have already been officially put to bed).

I'll divide this into artists:

• Dove Cameron, promising voice, definitely better than what I listened to when I thought the Disney Channel was decent. The arrangement of I'm On Top Of The World is super disappointing since the entire point of that song is STRAIGHT WHITE HIPSTER CIS MEN SHOUTING (Which she's not but still) and she's straining her voice a lot on all three of her songs like she's already trying to be [insert professional non-pop American R&B singer that fourteenwings does not know here]. She's still finding her niche I guess, so by her first album she should be listenable. It turns out that the next generations' songstress will introduce them to decent music.


• Zendaya, only has one song on this album and it's easily one of the best when compared to the rest. She's found her thing and she can do some great inflections, but either Remember Me is a cover of a song I've never heard of (And that Google has never heard of) or the Greek chorus is the most pointless thing and kind of makes it sound Christmas-ey when it's a pretty solid piece otherwise.


• China Anne McClain, this girl had promise until her sisters ate away at her stage presense and here she does show it off. The arrangements are paint by numbers, but Dancin' (ow) By Myself is fun and romanticizes that entire MoTown sound which is good, DNA is really really paint by numbers and the lyrics are dumb.


• Bella Thorne has two songs, one by herself which is an obnoxious song about getting her girls to dance or something (Actually called Ring Ring (Hey Girls)). It hurts. The other is with Roshon Fegan (Shake It Up costar) and makes no sense musically but I guess it's just hip hop and I don't understand that. Bella Thorne cannot sing, you will notice this any time you listen to her songs, and she doesn't rap either, which made it super hard for them to promote her as MC of Shake It Up since it's a show about singing and dancing and only Zendaya can do either.


• Debby Ryan has one song that I'm pretty sure everybody involved in the recording process hated. I've heard her compared to Selena Gomez, but Debby Ryan can actually sort of do something that resembles singing. She sounds so bored singing that I'm impressed my computer didn't accidentally go into sleep mode assuming I was doing nothing, the backup singers are even worse. To top it off, the song is from Jessie, known for being the worst thing.


• Oh wait, Austin and Ally is the worst thing. I remember now because not only is every song by Ross Lynch and Laura Marano bad and uninspired but one of Marano's continuously repeats a super anti-feminist lyric (To paraphrase: She can't do anything until [Austin/Ross] tells her she's good enough, really). Ross Lynch cannot sing, and he doesn't even Bella Thorne "talk", he's just autotuned to Mars and back. He has three songs on this album, seemingly arranged from least to most annoying. The Glee Club Mash Up is both disappointing and dumb and I'd like to not even bother trying to discuss it beyond the fact that they pretend it's a Capella while autotuning everybody but Marano (Since apparently the two other actors on the show can't sing, even though Raini Rodriguez once released a single).

glennmagusharvey

sali

crefetch

 

Also, I love how Cliff Edge's idea of making a song not composed solely of my favorite chord progression is making it composed solely of my favorite chord progression but in two different keys.

glennmagusharvey

fripSide and ALTIMA both seem to share a similar musical niche.

Both are Japanese pop artists doing anisong with prominent melodies sung by female vocalists, relatively traditional (i.e. similar to western classical conventions) harmony, and high-speed techno-y/trance-y beats (or whatever is the right term for them).  The main difference seems to ALTIMA's taste for some rapped bits.

examples:
ALTIMA - Burst the Gravity
ALTIMA - I'll Believe
fripSide - fortissimo -the ultimate crisis-
fripSide - LEVEL 5 -judgelight-

glennmagusharvey

Anyone know the artist behind this track?  I found it while looking for Cliff Edge stuff but I don't think it's a Cliff Edge song...but I don't know how to check either.