Bad News.

Unfortunately, I have exams coming up soon, so I will have to retire Song of the Day. I will continue to post, however updates will be far more sporadic. Thanks to anyone who has read my blog in the past and hopefully will in the future.

Song of the Day - Lucky Number Seven

Today's song of the day comes from French soul singer Ben L'Oncle Soul. Though most of his songs are in a foreign language (French, would you believe it), he has some songs which will appeal to English music fans. He has done two covers of well known songs - one of Soulman, and one of today's song Seven Nation Army, made famous by The White Stripes.

This is Ben L'Oncle Soul's version:

So What's So Good?

 

Everybody knows Seven Nation Army. Right?

 

Everyone loves that infectious guitar riff. As soon as it kicks in, everybody knows what's coming.

 

Then you hear The Goddamn Uncle of Soul's (TM) version and it blows it out the water. It's jazzier, sassier and funkier - everything from the riff to Ben's unique soul voice, which just shouldn't work with this song but it does.

 

Even if you don't like soul music or covers, you should listen to this. It's a fresh take on a classic rock song, but it's superb. It's even catchier and more upbeat than the original, which is a great song in it's own right.

 

Ben L'Oncle Soul is a talented singer with an eye for a clever cover, displayed by this brilliant cover of a song which shouldn't work as a soul song.

Song of the Day - I Believe I Can Fly

Today's song of the day comes from solo artist Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. Despite the quirky name, he actually makes seriously good music. He is a fairly stereotypical man with a guitar, but a bit more... hipster. He has released two albums - one of which was self-released, though he hasn't really 'made it' just yet.

This is Find The Time:

So What's So Good?

 

Anyone who loves Frank Turner or similar artists will feel instantly at home with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.'s indie-rock style. He combines fragile lyrics with a fairly strong voice and simple acoustic music. It isn't incredibly innovative, but it's easy to listen to and he has a really cool voice.

 

The riff sounds quite simple but it's complex and catchy if you listen close enough. GCWCF is a talented musician and lyricist, but his real stand out feature is his superb voice, which adds depth to the otherwise slightly generic man-with-an-acoustic-guitar sound.

 

GCWCF is a quirky musician who makes some decent music, so make sure to check him out.

Song of the Day - A Milestone

Today's song of the day is the 50th (!) that I have written. As my first proper milestone, I decided to write about my favourite song.

It's by Placebo (who else?), who are an English-based alternative rock band who started making music in the '90's. 7 studio albums later and Placebo are still going strong, evolving with each album but still retaining the sound that made them so big.

This is Post Blue, from their fifth album Meds:

So What's So Good?

A rippling bass line with an ominous guitar riff set the atmosphere for Molko's distinctive eerie and haunting voice. Molko's voice isn't to everyone's taste (I seem to say that a lot. Hmm.) but I absolutely adore it. He has an androgynous image and a nasally, whiny voice which transcends your ears and goes straight for the soul.

 A vibrating drumbeat drives the song along and pulses through the verses, which ominously repeat the words 'It's in the water, baby' like a ghostly ritual. I think it's a reference to pregnancy, hence 'Post Blue' (i.e after a positive pregnancy test). However, there a number of drug references ('golden brown') which give the song a possible darker theme; one that is typical of Placebo, so much that it's almost a cliche.

Anybody who likes dark music, anything that is haunting or creepy should check out Placebo. This song is, for me, perfect, with a superb riff and gloriously unusual vocals. This is my favourite song and a worthy choice for my 50th song of the day.

Song of the Day - Bear With Me

Today's song of the day comes from the wondefully named American indie rock band Minus The Bear. Not content with possibly the greatest band name of all time, they have some equally bizarrely titled music. For example, on their debut LP, Highly Refined Pirates, they have a song called Get Me Naked 2: The Electric Boogaloo. Yeah.

Checking out the names of their discography is well worth the time, but most of it isn't quite up to the standard of their naming. However, today's song My Time is actually quite good.

So What's So Good?

Minus The Bear are like a band of uncles, both through their image and their slightly unorthodox playing style. What is surprising is their skill. They are very skilled musicians who are superb at creating complex music.

My Time is incredibly complex, due to the intelligent guitar work. It's slightly overproduced but it sounds really impressive. Minus The Bear are a very clever band and the hooks are catchy and fun, yet they're pragmatic and brainy. It's hard to articulate without listening to their stuff.

Minus The Bear are an incredibly unique band who are intelligent but make some slightly bizarre music. You may love them, or you may just shrug your shoulders at them.

Song of the Day - If You Can't Eat 'Em

Today's song of the day comes from American alternative rock band Jimmy Eat World. Despite the funky sounding name, Jimmy Eat World play punk-ish rock, akin to the likes of Green Day and Blink-182. I know those bands aren't everyone's cup of tea, but they had a lot of success with that style of music. Today's song, The Middle, reached number one in the charts, and those of you who played Guitar Hero may be quite familiar with it.

So What's So Good?

Is this a great song? Probably not, no. Do I care? Not one bit.

The Middle is a fun song. Between the name of the band and that fun riff, the song starts on a (figurative) high note. There's nothing special about Jimmy Eat World; this song in particular is just punk-pop by numbers, but if a formula works, then why change it?

Behind the fun pop rhythms and guitar, there's lyrical cliche's all over the place. It's clear that the lyrics are aimed at people who are down. It's a feelgood song about being yourself and all those cliche's that plague movies, but somehow, it's still great. It's still great to listen to. There's a sense of nostalgia to this song, even if it's the first time you've heard it and you were born in 2003 (this may or may not be true).

The vocals are surprisingly softly spoken, but I suppose that's to give the feeling of advice. It's like what a motivational relative would sing to you if you were a bit down and they were a bit tipsy. But somehow it works.

I'm not sure why I love this song, but it's cool. Listen to it. Maybe it'll change your life. Who knows?

Song of the Day - Video (Voyeur) Killed the Radio Star

Today's song of the day comes from Lovestarrs, formerly known as The Good Natured, who are an English indie-pop band. They first came to my attention when they supported Imagine Dragons on their UK tour a few years ago. They were a very decent live band, full of energy and intensity, so I decided to check them out. They have released two EP's but as of yet have not released a full length album.

This is Video Voyeur:

So What's So Good?

It's quite rare that I find a female singer whose voice I really enjoy listening to (I'm not really sure why) but Sarah McIntosh has a really different voice. It could fit into a punk rock band, but it doesn't feel out of place in an indie band. It's quite bizarre. She has a voice that most people will enjoy listening to though, whereas a lot of distinctive voices are a bit more marmite.

Video Voyeur is insanely catchy, with a synth-driven chorus that is instantly memorable. You'll feel yourself  tapping your feet or singing along before the end of the song even if you don't particularly like it. Be careful singing it though; it's lyrically a little creepy. There's a reason it's called Video Voyeur - you don't want to be telling friends that "you will follow them wherever they go", especially not "naked in the dead of night".

Video Voyeur is a creepy song hidden beneath layers of infectious synth-pop and impressive vocals. Lovestarrs/The Good Natured have a strange universal appeal, despite being such a unique band.