Indie,Folk,Rock and Alternative: Phil Collins

The first thing that comes to most people's minds on hearing "In The Air Tonight" is "The Hang Over" , or the Dairy Milk Advertisement and those with a fine taste in cinema may be reminded of the movie "American Psycho" or the novel it is based upon.

With so many references in popular culture throughout the 80s, 90s and the present time, its not easy to overlook the vast amount of talent that this artist possesses. (Collins is one of only three recording artists (along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson) who have sold over 100 million albums worldwide both as solo artists and (separately) as principal members of a band)

I first heard Collins on MTV one night, I was about 10 years old and came across the video for "Another Day In Paradise". That was it, been a Collin's fan ever since!


His most successful song,"In The Air Tonight" was revolutionary in terms of the style and sounds it introduced for the first time. It's a pretty depressing song, with its ominous sounds and restrained musical build up. Just check out the lyrics;

"Well, if you told me you were drowning I would not lend a hand 

I've seen your face before my friend 

But I don't know if you know who I am 

Well, I was there and I saw what you did 

I saw it with my own two eyes 

So you can wipe off the grin, I know where you've been 

It's all been a pack of lies"

The reason for this animosity was his divorce. Pain it seems, is an artist's greatest source of inspiration, besides, of course, love and all that jazz.

But all this fades when the drum solo kicks in, it breaks that long drawn out musical tension and just shocks the socks of your feet. And you cant help but do this every time you hear this song. Something like this;

When it comes to pain, I think one Phil Collins' song stands out: "I Wish It Would Rain Down"
When you combine Collins with Clapton you are bound to end up with gold!

"Against All Odds" is another great hit, with perhaps, one of his best lyrical performances.

    

Indie,Folk,Rock and Alternative: With a Little Help From My Friends

Those familiar with The Beatles would have guessed from the title what this post is about.
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed from here on are fictional and I am not responsible for anything that you do after reading this. (Devilish smirk)
For those who are not, the complete verse is "I get high with a little help from my friends"


Yes, its about that state of mind when one attains true enlightenment, the mind and soul become one, and one gets lost among the universal brotherhood of Marry Jane.

I believe that a "Trip" should start with something jovial and symbolic, and what could be better than the Beatles' classics, the ones that were obviously the result of an "enlightened" state of mind.
Like "Lucy in the sky with diamonds".
According to Wiki the genesis of the song was Lennon's son, "Lennon's son, Julian, showed his father a nursery school drawing he called "Lucy - in the sky with diamonds", depicting his classmate, Lucy O'Donnell." Lennon was obviously high at the moment.
(Just in case you didn't get it, think LSD)


"The Who" have a very good song which has just about the right combination of everything. One of their most famous songs "Baba O'Riely" also known as "Teenage Wasteland"


No "Journey" can be complete without a detour towards the land of "Pink Floyd"
Everyone has their own favourite, but mine is "Coming Back to Life"


While were here, we mind as well visit Led Zeppelin. Now this is where it gets weird, cause this song seems the same whether your "High" or not, such is the magic of Zeppelin (Jimmy Page, if you ask me.) Stairway to Heaven


Now, its time to meet The Man Who Sold the World. Although some prefer the original by Bowie, but I find Cobain's version more suitable for the "Tour".


When the Music's Over, all you can think about is Jim Morrison. Yes, the Doors' front man is perhaps the one person in history who would never be forgotten for putting on the best show that one can, after dropping Acid. You have got to see this unbelievable performance.



I'm afraid that this is The End, beautiful friend.

Indie,Folk,Rock and Alternative: Children's Day!!!

Since its Children's Day, I couldn't help but share this song by The White Stripes



reminds me of the good old days every time I listen to it.

Indie,Folk,Rock and Alternative: Old Memories

When I started listening to Rock, one of my first bands were, Weezer. Its an old band, they started in 1994, but I heard them for the first time in 2000, the song was Island in the Sun. A nice peppy alternative-rock-punk sound coupled with nice lyrics , made it quiet memorable!


The Weezer song closest to my heart is "Perfect Situation"
It introduced me to the world of Punk-Rock, also, it is a perfect reflection of  the hopeless looser searching for that special someone. the lines:

"Tell me there's a logic out there.

Leading me to better prepare

For the day that something really special might come.

Tell me there's some hope for me.

I don't wanna be lonely

For the rest of my days on the earth"

and the lead guitar riffs that follow were simply awesome ,at the time.

Rivers Coumo did a song "Heart Songs". Its like a tribute to all the artists and songs that were a part of his life and which eventually inspired him to make a Rock band, its the story of his life. Its probably one of the most intimate songs i have ever heard. Check out the lyrics:

Gordon Lightfoot sang a song about a boat that sank in the lake at the break of the morning

A Cat named Stevens found a faith he could believe in

And Joan Baez, I never listened to too much jazz

But hippie songs could be heard in our pad

Eddie Rabbitt sang about how much he loved a rainy night

Abba, Devo, Benatar were there day John Lennon died

Mr. Springsteen said he had a hungry heart

Grover Washington was happy on the day he topped the charts, these are the songs

These are my heart songs

They never feel wrong

And when I wake for goodness sake

These are the songs I keep singin'

Quiet Riot got me started with the bangin' on my head

Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Slayer taught me how to shred

I gotta admit though, sometimes I would listen to the radio

Debbie Gibson, tell me that you think we're all alone

Michael Jackson's in the mirror, I've gotta have faith if I wanna see clear

Never gonna give you up, wish me love or wishing well

It takes two to make a thing go right, If the Fresh Prince starts a fight

Don't you worry for too long 'cause you know these are the songs

These are my heart songs

They never feel wrong

And I wake for goodness sake

These are the songs I keep singing

Back in 1991, I wasn't havin' any fun

'Till my roommate said "come on and put a brand new record on"

Had a baby on it, he was naked on it

Then I heard the chords that broke the chains I had upon me

Got together with my bros, in some rehearsal studios

Then we played our first rock show and watched the fan base start to grow.

We signed with David, gave us dough to make a record all our own

The song come on the radio, now people go: this is the song

These are my heart songs

They never feel wrong

And when I wake for goodness sake

These are the songs I keep singing

These are the songs I keep singing

These are the songs I keep singing

These are the songs I keep singing

These are the songs I keep singing

(Have fun, clicking on the links!)

This comment i read somewhere, depicts exactly what I too, feel about this song.

"Holy fuck this song resonates deeply with me. This is exactly how music should go. I'm in love with music. It's becoming my life as of late. The Nirvana reference is golden. Talking about a cd that finally pushed his liking of music into a love. Very powerful. A passing of the torch for musicians everywhere. I have to wonder if this is the end of Weezer though for that reason.
"These are my heart songs
They never feel wrong
And when I wake for goodness sake
These are the songs I keep singing"

I do this all the time. Go to bed with a song in my head and wake to listen to it more. Thank you for this gift Weezer. "

Indie,Folk,Rock and Alternative: Easy Listening

I never really understood what constitutes easy listening, but I suppose its anything that is easy on the ears, or just plain soothing. Not too loud, but neither toned down to the point of becoming boring.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Alexi Murdoch, A Scottish artist who shot to fame in mid 2000s (but never really made it to the mainstream) remains largely undiscovered. Most of his hits have featured in American T.V. series and in some movies. He did a major part of the soundtrack for the movie "Away We Go"

I have this habit of pinning songs to "imaginary-real-life-scenarios" (like, sometimes you wish life had background music to it) and strangely, his songs fit pretty well.

Like  "All of my days", apt for the moment when  you finally get what you were looking for.


Here is one, that might never come to realize, considering my present predicament. But since we are talking of  "imaginary-real-life-scenarios" it doesn't really matter.
Imagine you have this amazing girl in your apartment ,or room ,or whatever, and you also happen to own this amazing Bose surround sound system then this is the song most befitting the moment.


For that occasional, now a days rare family get together, we have "Orange Sky"


Now, this is a very special song for those in longterm-long distance relationships, "Wait" 

Lovely lines:

"And if I stumble And if I stall 

And if I slit now 

And if I should fall 

And if I cant be all that I could be 

Will you, will you wait for me "

Indie,Folk,Rock and Alternative: Heart and Soul

Heart and Soul, i think these are the attributes that separate Rock from Pop,(Nirvana from Lady Gaga) the latter is more widely and aggressively promoted by major music companies,  for obvious reasons.(Cause they are Ass-Holes who don't know shit about real music.)

Here are are few songs, which I think, have a lot of Heart and Soul!!!

Outside has got to be one of Aaron Lewis' best performances, It happened Eleven years ago, when during a concert he first officially performed the song and finished it then and there, Live!!!

The lines, the chorus, cut right through you and you cant help but feel the pain in him. I think its one of the most "raw" videos ever made for a song.

"I’m on the outside
I’m looking in
I can see through you
See your true colors
Cause inside you’re ugly
You’re Ugly like me
I can see through you
See to the real you"

This is another one, "Its Been a While" another heart breaker. I like to think of it more as a redemption song.

"It's been a while since i could say that i wasn't addicted and
It's been a while
Since I could say I love myself as well and
It's been a while
Since I've gone and fucked things up just like i always do
It's been a while
But all that shit seems to disappear when i'm with you
But everything I can't remember as fucked up as it may seem
the consequences that I've rendered
I've gone and fucked things up again"

A very powerful song, and to sing it live, only goes to show how much raw talent is required if you don't sing using extensive voice modulation. (Like Gaga or Bieber, for example)

Now, for one of my absolute favourites.

"Broken" by Seether, not the one with Amy Lee.

I think, its enough, to win back any girl, with this song!!!