Arhive categorii: muzica

Review: 2CELLOS – On The Road

Posted on by
Răspunde

2cellosA long, long time ago, I was a Gleek, and this is how I stumbled upon 2CELLOS. At that particular moment I thought “man, these guys are awesome” and me, being the lifelong fan of everything about that bass (no treble!), was instantly hooked. This happened somewhere in January 2012, when Glee had that Michael Jackson special episode, and until now I almost gave up hope of seeing them soon.

Except only the fate had something else in stores for me, and that something else was a 2CELLOS concert in December 2014, after almost 3 years of constant listening and 2 albums released under the moniker.

Last night’s concert was rushed, and intense, young, and free, and old at the same time. Everything was filled with soul, and peace, and sadness, and completeness, and my heart was once again filled with music. And since I love music, beyond words and definitions and concepts, I’ll let the beautiful duo speak for itself.

As usual, Luka and Stjepan started with Benedictus. Maybe for some of you this might seem like an odd choice, but this song does the greatest thing ever: it builds up on emotion and raw cello, chasing away introspection while inviting curiosity in. This song will forever be one of my favorites.

I was never a big U2 fan, nor was I a Sting fan, but the covers for Where the Streets Have No Name and Shape of My Heart, respectively, are so hauntingly beautiful on their own, they deserve to be at least mentioned. Where the Streets Have No Name brings on an intense peace, while Shape of My Heart seems even darker and sadder than I used to know.

The Resistance is a great song on its own, but given the cello combination, it receives a little more depth and introspection and power, all the while keeping the same alert rhythm that Muse introduced us to.

I must admit I am not one of the biggest fan of The Magnetic Fields (I only started listening to them a few years ago), but The Book of Love has been long covered by other artists and it’s a well known piece. However, these boys manage to shape it into beautiful poetry, savage and free, and it’s such a pity that we missed this… And it’s such a pity we got to listen to Viva la Vida instead, which is a great song on its own, but I prefer The Book of Love better. Also, Californication was heard, but I was never a fan of this particular piece, and it fell kinda short next to the other songs.

Another U2 cover, this time With or Without You, the one that always screams “WE WERE ON A BREAK”, the one that always spells true love and the most beautiful U2 song I have ever heard.

The Michael Jackson duo – Human Nature & Smooth Criminal raised us all from our seats, and thank god for Welcome to the Jungle, Thunderstruck, Voodoo People, Smells Like Teen Spirit, You Shook Me All Night Long, Highway to Hell and (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction kept us all standing, dancing and clapping, because these guys know what they’re supposed to do, and they do it so god damn well.

For the encore, Luka and Stjepan got back on stage to unleash the monsters within us, with Back in Black (well, who’s a little AC/DC fan, huh?!) and finish with Fields of Gold, one of the best songs Sting has ever created.

A few comments on the side: I wish I’d see them recreating some Marilyn Manson (circa Mr. Tom Skold) or some good old fashioned KMFDM. Peter Gabriel, at the end of the concert, especially Don’t Give Up? Not bad at all. Somebody yelled several times Mombasa, but no one cared. Stjepan is the joker of them two, but Luka is the hard working guy I always imagined he was.

My final conclusion? Money well spent. But I still feel that something’s amiss – this year I haven’t seen yet the concert to end all concerts, except for Mr. Peter Gabriel. He’s always amazing.

Pic.

Review: Poets of the Fall – Jealous Gods

Posted on by
Răspunde

Oh, man! You know how much I love Poets of the Fall and their beautiful, awesome music! Their sixth album, titled Jealous Gods, is one of their best efforts so far, so excuse me for delaying this for so long! I was busy playing it on repeat.

Daze is their first song on the tracklist, and also the first single, and it has been quite the while since I found a lead single this good. Daze is filled with determination, it has rhythm, lyrics, spunk, sincerity, love, and fire, and it’s the perfect choice as a lead single. I just love the chorus – so gentle and sensible, so very opposed to the masculinity of the rest of the song. (9/10)

Jealous Gods is one of their best songs ever. OK, so it’s a ballad, but it’s a beautiful ballad, simple and honest, and it gives me chills each and every time I hear it. Marko, you beautiful animal, what are you doing?! Marko’s voice is the best safety blanket there is, how can I not love it? It has incredibile depths, stories to tell and kisses to share, and it mixes perfectly with the music and the lyrics. (10/10)

Rumors is somewhat of a filler, not really remarkable, to tell you the truth, but the song shows promise in the beginning, and fades away into boring oblivion after a minute or so. The start is a bit energetic, but the chorus is mostly trite and easily forgettable. I guess the instrumental for this one could have been a better fit? (7/10)

Brighter Than the Sun is exactly the opposite of Rumors. The start is a bit boring, and the rest of the song is quite engaging, thanks to pseudo-rapping from Marko. Oh well, it’s not that great, but the verse with „love never goes out of season” and the drums make it bearable. (7/10)

Love Will Come to You gave me the impression that it was written by someone that’s still in high school, so cheerful and simple and honest, and – OK, the song is not that special or complex, but it’s a nice song, very dancey, very lovey-dovey, the lyrics work perfectly through the melody and Marko’s voice is, as usual, sweet and sour at the same time. What’s not to like?! (8/10)

Rogue, because my Poets like to experiment. And when they do it, they do it very, very well. This piece is instrumental, and wonderful. Take it from a person that doesn’t really like instrumental stuff. The guitar is strong with this one, and I can only imagine me, on a motorcycle, going on a highway… This is Rogue for me. (8/10)

Rebirth HAS to be the best song off the album. It just has to be. I love absolutely everything about this song, starting with the beautiful guitar, going through the lyrics, listening to Marko – the whole song is just beautiful poetry, filled with fear, love and hope. The only other song from the Poets that I like this much is All the Way/4U – although I like that one more. However, Rebirth is a great song, for the romantics, and the hopeful ones, and the ones who still love love. (12/10)

Hounds to Hamartia is yet another great experiment, very well done and beautifully crafted through the obsessive use of guitars and metaphors. Rhythm, lyrics, creativity – this song has them all. (9/10)

Clear Blue Sky is just a typical optimist song, but nothing out of the ordinary. I do not skip it however, because it’s quite entertaining, with the fast paced rhythm and the drums and the guitars. (8/10)

Choice Millionaire, OMG! This has got to be one of their best songs ever! It has electronica accents, the lyrics are extremely witty and not only witty, and the chorus uses Markus full power, in the best way possible. His voice goes from deep to high, from serious to playful, all in just 30 seconds of beautiful music. Do not skip this one, if you want to see a different side of the Poets! (9/10)

Nothing Stays the Same somehow reminds me of the gothic bands from up North, with its guitars, and Marko’s voice so deep, and the very, ultra serious lyrics. The song is beautifully crafted, even though I cannot possibly take it seriously! It’s a good piece, nonetheless, so excuse my assholeness! (8/10)

Enjoy the album, I know I did.

Now, I can only hope that they’ll come back… Or that I’ll be able to see them live somewhere in Europe.

Review: Maroon 5 – V

Posted on by
Răspunde

The previous Maroon 5 effort was kind of a let down, since Overexposed didn’t manage to acquire the silent slickness of Hands All Over, so I was hoping for a change of heart (and beat too) from V.

I’ve been in love with the band (and Adam too, why the heck not?) for so long, 10 long years of love, hope, trust, mistrust, happiness and heartbreak, it was only fair that, 10 years after the first meeting, I should be hopeful about V (which is pronounced „five” y’all, my favorite number).

I wanted so much to like the album, so I’ve been listening for a few days now, on a continuous, happy loop, and I managed to find some forever favorites.

Maps is not a powerful first single, I really thought they could have done it better, but hey! You get what you get or deserve or whatever, the song starts out weak and I remember not liking it at first, but now it’s quite catchy, even though it’s not a brilliant song. I guess Adam’s falsetto can be annoying and cute at the same time. (7.5/10)

I am under the impression that Animals should be the sexy song of the album – after all, preaches primal, sexy sex, so yeah. I guess that’s what they’re going for, even though the beat is predictable, the bass is sometimes boring, and Adam sounds bored too. It’s not a bad song, but not a great one, and I’m starting to sense a pattern here… (8/10)

Oh, Adam, It Was Always You! 80s’ sound?! Check! Adam’s falsetto? Check? Synths? Check! The song is the peak of the album so far, almost as if the slow start of Maps and Animals were building to this great 80s’ electronica piece. Just lovely! And I wanna see this more often, Adam! It suits you. (9/10)

And because Maroon 5 are really good at declaring stuff, romantic stuff, of course, Unkiss Me is that once in a lifetime declarative ballad. It’s perfectly mushy, with a barely there bass, with incredibly romantic lyrics and a sincere Adam on the lead vocals that makes my heart melt. You can almost hear the heart break… (10/10)

And because food is always a metaphor for sex – for Maroon 5, at least (remember Kiwi?), we have Sugar. Food and sex. Raw emotion, 80s’ sound, a white, sexier Prince. Awesome beat and sexy lyrics, and I can almost feel Adam kissing me. Ok, not kissing me per se, but still… (9/10)

Then Leaving California happens and I’m like „dude, WTF?!”. I’m not really sure what’s with this song, except that it’s a very dull filler. (6/10)

In Your Pocket. Ugh. I can’t even. Yeah, it’s dancey and stuff, but. Ugh. Jealousy and stuff. (4/10)

New Love must be my favorite song off of the album. It’s danceable as fuck, Adam abuses his notorious falsetto, also he makes quite the declaration of love, the 80s’ are uber strong with this one, and the lyrics are fun, enjoyable and sincere. (10/10)

And then there’s Coming Back for You. Is this Tears for Fears or something that the 80s’ rejected with vicious hate or what the actual fuck happened here? (6/10)

Feelings makes me want to go to the gym and perform the choreography from Physical. But that’s only until the chorus starts, because that’s when weird stuff starts happening and I wanna go out of here. (7/10)

My Heart is Open. Oh, the epitome of boring. Sorry, Ms. Stefani, your contribution on this song is awful, your voice is so masculine next to Adam’s, and… Oh, dear God, no. (5/10)

If you have the chance to listen to the Deluxe edition of the album, then you have three more songs that are actually quite interesting.

Shoot Love is not so great, but a whole lot better that My Heart is Open. The beat is catchy, I could move on this one if only it were more remarcable. I also find it really good for speeding on the highway. (7/10)

Sex and Candy, because sex and food. We already covered that part. But Adam wants a new approach. This song is a bit slicker, a bit dirtier, a bit subtle, but still ever so sexy, ever so 80s and awesome. The bass line makes me want to buy a strip pole and dance, but who cares, right? Mom, please don’t read this! (8.5/10)

Lost Stars the last song from the Deluxe edition and everyone who saw Begin Again (not me, unfortunately) knows it. I like the dreamy sound of it, the hopeful sound of it. It sends me so much love, I want to be in love. I almost forgot that Adam can bring me so much love in just one song… (9/10)

Throwback Thursday: The All-American Rejects

Posted on by
Răspunde

I remember a time when I was younger, when hopes and dreams crashed and fell onto the ground, when regrets were overflowing and when tears were ever present.

That was the time, the lonely time, when The All-American Rejects came into my life, with their not-so-emo sound, but oh-so-angsty lyrics.

Yes, Dirty Little Secret was the one that started it all, but yesterday I stumbled upon Dance Inside, something I tried so hard to forget, something that somehow still hurts, something that was never meant to be…

You don’t have to move, you don’t have to speak
lips for biting.
You’re staring me down, a glance makes me weak
eyes for striking

Now I’m twisting up when I’m twisted with you
brush so lightly
and time trickles down, and I’m breathing for two
squeeze so tightly.

I’ll be fine, you’ll be fine.
this moment seems so long
Don’t waste now, precious time
we’ll dance inside the song

[Chorus]
What makes the one to shake you down?
Each touch belongs to each new sound
Say now you want to shake me too
Move down to me, slip into you

She sinks in my mind as she sheds through her skin
touch sight tastes like fire
hands do now what eyes no longer defend
hands to fuel desire

I’ll be fine, you’ll be fine
this moment seems so long
Don’t waste now, precious time
we’ll dance inside the song

[Chorus]

Ooo, ah [x8]

And I’ll be fine, you’ll be fine
Is this fine? I’m not fine
Give me pieces, give me things to stay awake (stay awake)

[Chorus x2]

Move down to me, slip into you

Lady Gaga – Dope

Posted on by
Răspunde

It’s that time of the day again. Today is June 17, a day that proves to be shitty, because hey! It’s 17! And you know my problem with that. If not, proceed.

But today, on the 17th, Lady Gaga is a good distraction. Sam Smith does not work today. I have been listening to Dope for three hours now, and I still need that raspy voice to cover all the bad things that are inside me.

[Verse 1]
Cork’s off, it’s on
The party’s just begun
I promise this
This drink is my last one
I know that I fucked up again
Because I lost my only friend
God forgive my sins
Don’t leave me, I
Oh I will hate myself until I die

[Chorus]
My heart would break without you
Might not awake without you
Been hurting low, from living high for so long
I’m sorry, and I love you
Sing with me, „Bell Bottom Blue”
I’ll keep searching for an answer cause I need you more than dope

[Post-Chorus]
I need you more than dope
Need you more than dope
Need you more than dope
I need you more than dope

[Verse 2]
Toast one last puff
And two last regrets
Three spirits and
Twelve lonely steps
Up heaven’s stairway to gold
Mine myself like coal
A mountain of a soul
Each day, I cry
Oh, I feel so low from living high

[Chorus]
My heart would break without you
Might not awake without you
Been hurting low, from living high for so long
I’m sorry, and I love you
Sing with me, „Bell Bottom Blue”
I’ll keep searching for an answer cause I need you more than dope

[Post-Chorus]
I need you more than dope
Need you more than dope
Need you more than dope
I need you more than dope

I need you more
Need you more
I need you more than dope

Review: Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour & Nirvana

Posted on by
2

samsmithIt was bound to happen. You know how much I love music and how much I obsess over stuff like that and a simple search on my blogs will reveal the ugly truth: I am so enamored.

I just love the tenderness and the sadness and the loneliness in Sam Smith‘s gorgeous, full voice, and his album is exquisite, at least for a debut album that came out of nowhere.

As someone who felt pain at some point in her life, this album is spot on. The lyrics have a maturity I am not able to express when talking about love, the music is this great combination of orchestra, jazz, blues, soul and sincerity, and Sam’s voice is so overwhelming, I can’t seem to listen to anything else. It’s been almost a month since the release of In The Lonely Hour and it’s still the only thing I listen to.

Money On My Mind is so dancey, omg! The RnB beat is strong with this one. The blue eyed soul voice of Mr. Smith does great justice to this awesome beast of a song. The lyrics are simple, of course, but the emotions are never anything but complicated with Sam Smith, so the song is a great start of an awesome album. (10/10)

Good Thing is the second song from In The Lonely Hour and, as much as I can say that Money On My Mind is a great opener, and that I dislike La La La with all my ears, this one is the most meh song from the album. Yes, I like the lyrics, but the constant screeching of the guitar, and the hum-dum of the drum cannot hide the mediocrity of Good Thing. (5/10)

Stay With Me is probably the song I bugged you with the most. It’s so perfect in its simplicity and honesty, and I can see myself dancing at my wedding (lol) on this beautiful piece of love story. Hope, dreams, patience, respect. Love. It has them. (20/10)

Leave Your Lover is my current obsession and the song that made me want to write the review. I must’ve listened to it 100 times yesterday, on my way back home. This plea is so full of hope, yet so realistically sad, so sincere and depressing, it will forever send chills down my spine. Sam Smith‘s vocals on this song are truly amazing, he makes me see that orange sunset-y color all around me whenever I hear this song. (12/10)

I’m Not The Only One – I never know what this song is about. I guess Good Thing has competition in a mediocrity contest with this one, but for me, it’s just „skipskipskip” whenever this song is on. (5/10)

I’ve Told You Now seems to be the spoiled kid’s response to the one thing he cannot have. The beat of the song blends with the bratty voice Sam Smith employs on this piece, and I gotta say I love the determined attitude on I’ve Told You Now. (8.5/10)

Like I Can comes with the 90s vibe, with a guitar that never breaks the rhythm, with a drum that follows a secret road inside the singer’s heart with such accuracy, it’s heart warming. I just love the song for all the positive vibe it sends me and I can imagine some matured Spice Girls singing this one with great success. (9/10)

Life Support will forever be a favorite of mine. The dependency, the kleptomaniac feeling this song induces me is overwhelming. This is the dark side of Sam Smith and it is gorgeous as ever. Also, the hip hop beats blend with his cries for help and love so perfectly, I feel like crying just thinking about Life Support. (10/10)

Not In That Way – I’ll come back after I’m done crying. This song will bring you to your knees, believe you me. Not In That Way is exactly what it appears to be – a ballad about an unrequited love story. It has raw emotion, raw sadness, sincerity, and when Mr. Smith says „You will never know that feeling / You will never see through these eyes” it’s truly gut wrenching and it makes me stand still waiting for the sorrow to stop.(11/10)

Lay Me Down is one of my favorite songs of the album (I know it feels like I’m saying this about every song from In The Lonely Hour, it is not true!). Another request, a sensible request, of course, from Mr. Smith. Got to love his vocal mastery on this piece. His voice conveys hope and hurt and a plea for happiness, all the while trying to hold it together. (10/10)

Restart – so 90s, so dancey and groovy, can’t help but loving it! I dunno what makes me love this song – its simplicity, or the vintage vibe it sends, but I never skip it. (9/10)

Latch – this is, I guess, the third Sam Smith song I heard, the Disclosure version, of course, and I was forever hooked. The acoustic version, however, is so much better. It has pure emotions and Sam Smith has this eerie voice, like he’s in another plane, where only love and happiness exist. That plane must be awesome, because this song, with its violins, is so beautiful, it can only spell love. (12/10)

La La La – oh, well, I must admit I hated this one. So badly! Omg, I can’t even listen to it now. Yes, Mr. Smith has an awesome voice, but the La La La part just brings me down. The La La La part sung by the kid, of course. I also don’t like the video, so that adds to the sum of factors that make me skip this patience challenge of mine. (7/10)

Make It To Me is, again, one of the most beautiful live songs of the album. Simple, this piano driven tune is so frickin’ gorgeous and hopeful, and Sam Smith’s voice is so conveying, carrying the emotion beyond ear buds and stereo speakers and into my achy breaky heart. (10/10)

Safe With Me – because Mr. Smith experiments also and because why not. I am unsure how to describe this one, even if it’s intoxicating and so RnB, I can’t even begin to describe the whole feeling to you! It’s like Timbaland came and put his little Midas finger on Sam Smith and stuff happened. (12/10)

Together – because Disclosure is always a good idea. I gotta say I love this combination of soul and funk and electro, I only see green neon lights whenever this song hits my ears. (10/10)

Nirvana is the second song I heard from Mr. Smith, and I’ve been hooked on him ever since (the first one was La La La and you already know my opinion on it). So slick, so 70s, so reactive – so addictive! And the vocals – oh my god the vocals are so truly sexy and sensual and promising! Very good job, Mr Smith! (12/10)

The whole album, along with the Nirvana EP, brings me peace, and love, and hope. Sam Smith’s voice is a sweet medicine that mends broken hearts, and his lyrics, while simple, are sincere and upfront. I will never tire of listening to his music, I can tell. If only I could see him live…

Pic.

Review: Peter Gabriel – Back to Front

Posted on by
2

Peter Gabriel is one of the greatest things that ever happened to music and me, so it was only natural for me to attend the greatest sermon that ever graced my eyes. Yes, I tend to use hyperbole when talking about gods, so please bear with me.

The Back to Front concert hosted on the 8th of May of this sweet year (joking, this year has been everything but sweet to me) was met with great expectations by me, and I am happy to say that these expectations were surpassed by Mr. Peter Gabriel.

I tend to Google the plot synopsis before I watch movies and TV shows, but I never look for set lists online, because I want my live experience to be virgin and genuine. So, except for one video of In Your Eyes, I didn’t know what to expect from Back to Front.

Mr. Peter Gabriel is very punctual, fortunately, and I did know that, but I didn’t expect to see him at 8:00 on the stage, announcing the beautiful Jennie Abrahamson & Linnea Olsson, who served as his backing vocals too.

I was glad to see that this great artist I have loved since I was little was still full of energy, with his raspy voice somewhat changed – it has a deeper, more serious tone, but it’s still sweet and full of hope. Whenever I listen to him I managed to drift away and dream of home, and dream of dreams, all the while I’m dancing and floating in space.

I tried several times to tell you about this experience, but I never had the full dictionary available. I am so sorry for being so poor with regards of words, and I am sorry I lack the imagination to tell you about one of the most awesome experiences I had when it comes to live music.

I remember the crowd, that special crowd you see only when live „old music” is playing. The crowd that suffered the limitations of the old regime, the crowd that found liberation in music, the crowd that still has values and still dreams while having its eyes open.

I remember not fitting in that crowd, because I am too young to fit in there, but not fitting in the Tiesto crowd either, because that doesn’t make me feel safe or warm, but I also remember Mr. Peter Gabriel making me feel at home with his music, so I guess there’s no greater achievement for an artist.

I remember feeling quite unsure of how to dance and act during O But, but I remember feeling full of home while listening to Come Talk To Me. Shock The Monkey was great, of course, and innovator, but then Family Snapshot followed, and I was left WTF?!

Digging In The Dirt was there to remind us of Perter Gabriel’s eclectic taste in music, as were Secret World, and The Family And The Fishing Net. No Self Control was awesome, musically and visually, and with Solsbury Hill the Master touched old fans and new ones alike. This part of the concert ended with Why Don’t You Show Yourself?, a song that’s part of the soundtrack for a movie that’s a part of a trilogy about drugs, prostitution (I think) and religion. The song has a message, but I think its concept was lost somewhere on the way, because the public was very bored during the performance.

The peak of the concert was, of course, the reiteration of So, the 1986 album. Red Rain started this session with red visuals, and everyone singed along with Peter Gabriel. Sledgehammer followed up and everyone was already high on music, but when Don’t Give Up started it was clear that this is the best version of the song. I am sorry, Miss Bush, but Linnea Olsson beat you at your own game. That Voice Again and Mercy Street slowed down the people, but thank god for Big Time, whose only purpose was to renew everything in anything. This song is truly so much larger than life, even after all this time. We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37) is so underrated, and I really don’t understand why, and so is This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds). These two should’ve been taught in music classes, because stylistically they are so out of this world, I can’t even begin to…

The concert should have ended with In Your Eyes. Where else can I see 40+ year old guys singing songs that belong on teen flick soundtrack? But no, the next two songs pushed the public away, at least here in Romania. The Tower That Ate People and Biko ended in a distant note what should have been left at awesome.

The whole concert was a great experience, and I must admit that the crowd was even more engaged in the show than I expected. Even though some of the songs were a little bit too artsy fartsy for their own good, Peter Gabriel pulls that off, so kudos for him. I’d love to see him again!