#2BAD2BEARABLE & Mainstream songs of the week!

Hello again

This is a bit embarrassing, turns out in the last New Releases post I didn't actually listen to all of them... yeah, sorry about that (I'm blaming digitalspy for mis-information)

And I missed last week, sorry about that too. The only excuse I have for that though is fatigue and absent-mindedness

Let me try to make amends with a similar weekly post which I'm calling 2BAD2BEARABLE

Basically I'm going to listen to all the new songs and decide which 2 are the least favourable and which 2 are the most digestible to the ears, or dare I even say it... possibly even 'quite good'

But lets not set our hair on fire, dance with a pot plant and go slightly mad just yet. First let's see what this week has to offer and I'll write a short bit on each song before we come to the final 4, reasonably short I say but it all depends just how many tangents I find myself going of on.


So what do we have this week?



Crooked Smile - J Cole

Crooked Smell? Crooked Sell? Whatever it is it sure doesn't sound like Smile
At times it even sounds like cooking smell. Is the Rock in the kitchen?
I don't have major complaints with this very 'safe' track but the song certainly outstays it's welcome by the end. Hey Jude you are emphatically not. Heck even the crowd seem to be mumbling the words at times, almost like they don't really know what they're actually singing, or even doing there

The backing music is pretty varied though with a lot going on so it does have an interesting sound at times though it seems to take it just a bit too far. Like that acquaintance of yours who can do a great party trick but every time you see them they want to keep doing it over and over again and you begin to imagine what their head would look like in a remake of Lord of The Flies


Roar - Katy Perry 

Eye of the Tiger? Dance through the fire? Rock the boat? I am a fecking champion?!!
Jesus this song should be called 'Reference'

Nothing wrong with giving a subtle nod to everyday phrases and lyrics of infinitely better songs to give body and purpose to your own work. But this is not so much as a subtle nod as it is a full on head butt into the encyclopedia of pop-culture and clichés, so hard that the words 'I Love Rock'N'Roll and 'Nothing Compares 2 U' get permanently inked onto her skull.

I suppose the song is fairly catchy if anything, just a shame that Katy Perry is singing it. I'd rather listen to Geraldine from Britain's Got The Pop Factor


Show Me The Wonder - Manic Street Preachers

What the feck am I listening to? A unreleased single from The Mavericks? Where the hell has your edge gone Bradfield?

I'm truly shocked; I love Manic Street Preachers but this just makes them sound old and out of ideas. James Dean Bradfield still has got 'that' voice but he does nothing memorable in this saccharine song. If this is the direction they're going for I've got a feeling I'm not going to like their next album much. Such a shame and waste of genuine talent. I still remember the last big new single from a few years ago 'Postcards From A Young Man' and how different this sounds. That song may have copied the melody of Michael Jackson's 'Ben' but it still rocked at least.
This doesn't even pebble


Strong - London Grammer

Chord sequence reminds me somewhat of Massive Attack but without the hauntingly beautiful ambience they are known for. This is not so much Massive Attack as it is Gentle Swotting but that;s not a bad thing, it's just... calmer

Very relaxing in fact with a soaring vocal performance that would be great is it wasn't trying just a bit too hard to impress. It's good, don't get me wrong, it just sounds ... forced but in a very adept fashion.

Overall a fairly decent tune with a nice message, if a bit confused. Just misses out on my pick for 2BEARABLE not being very memorable.



Kids - Mikky Ekko

I have no idea what to write. All this song made me do is want to listen to Kids by MGMT. Which I did. Much better song, Listen to it


Flatline - MKS

Sugababes are back and they sound... well completely different. Very 80's sounding intro and then on to a fairly forgettable chorus which sounds like something Eternal wound have turned down. The song is upbeat but the context is very depressing (in a dead relationship and the hopless feeling of imprisonment brought on by love) I like the idea but the execution is medicore at best. This song should be thought provoking and instead just gets lost in the ether.




And so the 2BAD of the week are...

 

All Gold Everything - Trinidad James (explicit lyrics, please don't listen if you are over sensitive or have decent taste in music)

 

 

So he has gold everywhere and in his watch. But he doesn't believe in it? Why wear it then? Who is this song for? Himself? This level arrogance should be punishable by the stocks and a big pile of easily compactible fertilizer

I don't know who this guy is but ... he likes gold. A lot

I can't say much more than.... I hate this song. A lot

Neon Jungle - Trouble

 

 

Not a great start, checked out the video on Youtube and the advert before it started was for 'Trouble' by Neon Jungle. I'm waiting to listen to your song and you play an advertisement of the song I'm about to listen to? You are already ticking me off by your persistence and lack of patience. Stop twisting my nipples and get the hell on with it!

From what I did hear in the brief advert... I don't hold out much hope for this

*sigh* These are going to get very annoying VERY quickly

Autotuned past the point of Steven Hawking so the question is; can these girls sing? Probably not
Which means they have been selected thanks to their image. God help us all

No real melody, words are shouted out ala Icona Pop but actually manages to sound out of key, that's impressive

Trouble has been waiting on the corner since you were 17? You could discuss the numerous connotations of this line for days and the result will never be favourable for whoever said it. There's not even any catchy hook, it sounds unfinished almost. Like they ran out of the ideas and decided to finish off with a few hey heys





finally, my 2BEARABLE of the week are...

Kinda Fuzzy - The Eels

 

 

Fairly decent toe tapping beat (seriously I was unable to stop through the entire 3mins 54) Fuzzy vocals (is that deliberate?) and synth intro reminds of Mr Oizo, which is never a good thing
On the whole it sounds ok but disjointed. The song sounds full of static, like I'm hearing through the cb radio of my local taxi firm.

After a few listens though my head is feeling kinda fuzzy.

Too Many Friends - Placebo

Molko you better not let me down...

 

 

 

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! Wow, this song is great. The message, the sweet sounding guitars the unmistakable vocal. It sounds like Placebo, they haven't sold out but it's got a fresh sound to it too. I really like this song and the video is probably one of the most creative I've seen for a decade.

Buy this song!! Get it to number one!! Ruin Katy Perry''s day and show the world that good music can still get to the top of the charts.

If Gotye can do it then then Placebo should be able to do it, damn it! 

#MusicMonday

Did you have a good weekend lovelies ? I certainly did. But it was just too short, don't you think?

I did have a great night on friday night with my girl Gina B. Little bit of peach snaps and lemonade, last day of carbs overload in form of a pizza, great chat and incredible music. And we got to listen to and dance to this week's artists. 

I have been obsessed with this song since I finally bought the album . This DJ duo has been taking over the world and the dance charts  since the beginning of the year. Their debut album is a hit on the dance scene. They played various festivals this year and even co-hosted a christmas show with Annie Mac, where they presented her with their own mix. 

No further introduction needed. DISCLOSURE. I can already hear the beat. And since listening to their album every day on my way to work and home, I have become particularly obsessed with one track. It's literally stuck in my head and doesn't want to go away. Even when I try to replace it with different tune. As soon as I hear the first cords I am on the dance floor (most of the time my red carpet in my room) and I am dancing my troubles away. 

WHEN A FIRE STARTS TO BURN by Disclocure

When a Fire Starts To Burn has been my choice for this week's #MusicMonday. I found the video hilarious. It's energetic. It's exciting. It makes you want to throw the stuff away and dance!

Disclosure's debut album SETTLE is out now. You can get the normal or deluxe version on iTunes (like me) or other various dealers. 

You can check more about these two guys on their website http://disclosureofficial.com, check out their facebook page or follow them on twitter @disclosure or instagram @disclosuremusic . 

Also this song has maybe two lines together so Andy cannot rip into to pieces in his LYRICAL CRICKETAL post. Thank God!

Let me know what is your favourite tune by these DJ duo. And if you have a spare ticket for their Leeds show in November, do give me a shout. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK LOVELIES xXx

Jay Asher : THIRTEEN REASONS WHY

What would you do if you would receive a shoebox packed with cassettes recorded by your first love? Oh don't jump to conclusion just yet. Let me re-phrase it. What would you do if you would receive a shoebox packed with cassettes recorded by your first love, who actually committed suicide two weeks ago? There are clear instructions to follow with one destination! There thirteen stories, thirteen people, who have an influence and were reasons why your first love committed this unforgettable act. 

And here is where we are meeting Clay. Clay's first love Hannah, a girl he always fancied and would love to get to know better, unexpectedly committed suicide two weeks ago. But Clay finds a strange package sitting on his doorstep. Firstly excited, he takes it home and unwrapped with it a horrifying discovery. The box is full of tapes which Hannah recorded just before she took her own life. And the tapes explain thirteen reasons why she did it. And this is where the book starts. We follow Clay on an emotional journey of finding who and why had an influence on Hannah's decision to take her own life. 

THIRTEEN REASONS WHY is a debut novel written by American author Jay Asher. It was published back in 2007 and instantly became New York Times Bestseller. 

I have only discovered this novel couple weeks ago while browsing through Instagram. (Good old social networks, ey?) Straight away the plot caught my attention and the book found its place on my TO READ BOOK LIST. And two days ago I purchased this novel and started to read it immediately. 

First impression counts. Lovely silver book cover with picture of a sad girl (Hannah) on front. Back is even more interesting as it's a brief summary of the story, which immediately causes to get your attention. 

The story. Amazing. Emotional. Wonderful. Remarkable. Tremendous. Definitely make-you-cry story. We are listeners of Hannah's sad story and we slowly discovers why she made the hard decision to leave the world on her own. Clay is a such wonderful character who is on the journey on his own trying to find out why Hannah included him on the list of people who caused her decision. As you read on, you will start to discover your own feelings and evaluate everything you have ever told or done to other person. 

Mr Asher takes up on a very difficult subject which is even now a tabu in public. SUICIDE. Bullying. Gossip. We don't even realise how much we can hurt a person with one word, one action. Or we don't pay enough attention to see the sighs that something is not right. That the person is begging us for help, but instead we kick them even further. 

I love Asher's style of writing. We follow Clay's story and the journey he is on while listening to Hannah's tapes. And in the same time we are listening to Hannah's story. All the way through you just want to scream : "Someone, please, help her!" Even when you know that we are too late. Even Clay is late. 

One this I also find very interesting is that you can actually listen to Hannah's tapes online on hannahsreasons.blogspot.com . I have listened to couple of them and to be honest I do not like the voice and the tone the girl who recorded these tapes. She sounds to happy. Not melancholic at all. The girl doesn't sound like a girl who is prepared to take her own life. I think that needs fixing. So it's more believable. 

This book is captivating. I was not able to put it down. All I wanted was to finish Hannah's and Clay's story. I wanted tofind out what reasons made her to take her own life. I wanted to find out if Clay is one of the reasons. He seems like a such a nice guy and he truly liked Hannah. What has happened there? Why did she send him those tapes? Why is he on the list? I have read this book within two days. And at the end, once I finished the last page, I just sad in silence and thought about everything and nothing. I thought about my life. My friends. My family. I thought about the possibility that maybe I had hurt someone the same way. Maybe not on purpose. But as Hannah said: "EVERYTHING EFFECTS EVERYTHING."

I love this novel. It touches up on subject we so scared to talk about it. It takes you on very emotional journey which makes you evaluate everything in your life. 

Please, do me a favour, and read this book. It will open new horizons for you. As the back of the book says:

"You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the is secret....... is to press PLAY."