The Crystal Method – Divided by Night

Electronic overdose


           TCM is an American electronic duo formed in Las Vegas in the early 90's. The duo consists of two members : Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland. They have published 4 albums so far, with their first one in 1997. When I heard about TCM I was looking up bands like Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim and so on, and I noticed that they all had the genre of music in common, which was Big Beat. I immediately searched big beat and whoa la and found that TCM was one of the founding groups of the genre.

           The first thing that attracted me to them was their name. I think that probably happened because of the drug reference (crystal meth), although I don't know whether the name was given because of the drug or something else. It doesn't matter though, it sounds good and catchy.
           Surprisingly, I was able to see true uniqueness in TCM music and style. Neither the too complex nor too simple music beats and melodies are present, but they are enough to drag you into another state of mind. The level of quality is never in complexity of one's work, but rather in the uniqueness and feelings it induces.
           

Cover art by Neil Ashby

Daniel Johnston - Hi, How Are You

Homemade ballads

            Daniel Johnston's Hi, How Are You is one of the most under-produced, low quality and childish album you'll ever, probably hear. Album on day-tape, but it easy to get lost in it. Don't think about the asterisk that come with Daniel Johnston and just listen to what is being played...

"Hi, how are you? What do you do?
What do you listen to? Where do you go?
Are you with them or are you with us?
How do you dress? Who are your friends?"

Own the album & Support the artist

Exams comming up

Music good for studying

          Some research I've read once said that listening to specific music while studying improves the grade average. Even though i prefer to sit and enjoy a song in peace, but for my studying this method is great. It loosens you up  So if you too don't like studying in silence and want to be entertained here's a playlist of scores from Studio Ghibli's movies etc. Spirited away, Howl's moving castles, My neighbor Totoro.... It's only downside is that it is only one hour long.

ghibli jazzy from kedu on 8tracks Radio.

Cream - Disraeli Gears

Best of the 60's crop

           Cream was a British band from the 60's that and was one of the first of it's kind. A mix of psychedilic rock, blues, hard rock and jazz rocketed them along with the flower movement. The legends that made the band were, Jack Bruce as bass and vocal, Eric Clapton guitar and vocal and Ginger Baker on drums.  
           More blues oriented on the begging as Clapton and Bruce are fresh out of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. They named their band “Cream” because they thought themselves as the “cream of the crop” of their respective instruments. The influence they had on the modern music, as admitted by: Jimmy Hendrix, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath... 

Milo - Things that happen at day / Things that happen at night

Obscure lyrics and mellow tunes



           Rapper, Rory Ferreira a.k.a. Milo has managed to make something new and fresh, again with the double ep album "Things that happen at day / Things that happen at night". This time he's bringing his regular philosophy in to the game with smoother beats and even more atmospheric backround. The amount of references, still large in quantity has been toned down compered to the last albums.
            Saying that his lyrics are originating from obscure thoughts is not really fair while his thought are so common that it is a bit too easy to identify with them. What is so obscure about them is that they are expressed. Most people are even to ashamed to express them and others can not compose them well enough to make it purely understandable to other people.

The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania

This Time With A Punch

'Oceania' - Sydney, Sydney Entertainment Centre

             Formed in 1988 by frontman Billy Corgan and the rythm guitar James Iha, The Smashing Pumpkins is often reffered to as one of the bands which made the 90's. We often forget that they are still here and here to remind us, with a big slap is Oceania. They have not ever stopped putting music and since the turn of the century they have realesed five albums. Lacking in energy, they did not satisfy the people and thus must of the previous has been bought without being listen to, as Corgan said.

The Black Swans - Change

Psychedelic Folk Unlike Ever Before

     
          Change back from 2007 is the second studio album of the indie rock band The Black Swans, of the five released. It was my introduction to theirs music and a violent one indeed. This album is something along the lines of Leonard Cohen on acid. The album ranges from alternative rock to experimental folk.
          It is the last album released before the death of Noel Sayre (violin, viola), one of the two core members, along with Jerry DeCicca (vocals, acoustic guitar).

"Here is my new face, wear it for you...."

Only On The Surface Is It Simple

          DeCiccia does not sing, he instead whispers and screams to convey the emotions of fear, grief and hope. He does not feel as the only vocal since the violin sounds as cracking voice which together with DeCiccia's vocals dance along the album.