fancy work fun
There are some basic rules or requirements, of which you're probably already aware (no, no password nonsense involved). These songs are intended to be samples; meaning, by most countries' laws, you should delete them after a day or two. Support the artists by purchasing their albums of magical sound! They need foodfor more music, raid the archive.
august 24 2008
ACO - Spleenschool food punishment - you may crawl
school food punishment create such invigorating, refreshing music. This song makes you feel as if you're flying or swimming or spinning through a rainbow vortex. So fast, and so many magical noises! Then there's also that quiet, suspended moment at 1:30 or so where Yumi sings her heart out. A very colorful, windy song. school food punishment also always have such beautifully vivid album covers.
Namie Amuro - What a Feeling
Namie Amuro's something like my guilty pleasure. (on second thought, scratch that; Perfume is my guilty pleasure.) Here, Namie samples Irene Cara's 80s song, "What a Feeling." Yeah, it's 80s dance music, my friends. But actually it sounds something along the lines of eurobeat or eurodance, and although neither of those sound appealing, this song's fatally addictive and surprisingly empowering. You could also even argue that Namie returns to her roots, e.g. 181920/a walk in za park, with this song. The video features breakdance-fighting disco robots.
Yutaka Ozaki - Driving All Night
One of my all-time favorite musicians, and personal role model, Yutaka Ozaki was a revolutionary for Japan's youth in the '80s. Live fast, die young; he was the embodiment of it. To me, this song is something of a theme for summer, for escape from ordinary life -- it just screams freedom.
Cocco - Countdown
Cocco, hailing from Okinawa, is another admirable and strikingly honest musical rebel (though you can argue that she's transformed from badass rage machine to super-friendly hippie, what with her latest album, but hey, that's still revolutionary). This is quite literally a homocidal love song, loaded with violins, piano, distorted guitar, and Cocco's raging voice. To me, it's a musical embodiment of internal anger that has been confined for too long; it's something like a schizophrenic yet symphonic explosion.
Fukuyama Masaharu - niji
If you don't know this song, well then where have you been living all your life, Charles?! Okay, I suppose it's forgivable. This is the opening music to the j-dorama, Waterboys. Quite the uplifting, springtime melody, overflowing with pleasant acoustic guitar, violin, and so many other string instruments I can't identify. And of course, there's Fukuyama Masaharu's deep, confident voice. There's a reason this guy's middle-aged and still beating those hip youngsters on the music charts (not that I care much about those charts, but still); he's a great musical artist. Surely, this song will lift your spirits; it is like the sound of flowers blossoming.
Ikue Asazaki - obokuri~eeumi
Ikue Asazaki is a classical Japanese singer, her voice such a beautifully manipulated yet controlled instrument. This song is melancholy and intricate, with little but delicate piano chords and Ikue's otherworldly vocal delivery. It reminds me of rain and heartwrenching sadness.
Lonely China Day - Thou
Lonely China Day is a lo-fi, ambient, downtempo, progressive, pseudo post-rock, etc, indie band from (gasp) China! Most of their songs clock in the double digits, but this one's just over 3 minutes long, and oh what a peaceful, beautiful 3 minutes that is. With the drawn-out syllables, as if the vocalist were chanting some ancient prayer of relaxation to you, along with the slowly resonating instruments and the random noises (personally it sounds like there's a happy dolphin somewhere in here), this song makes you feel the peace of the morning ocean waves at dawn. Or perhaps it's more that of the rainforest. Either way, this is good meditation music.
Adolescents - Amoeba
Let's get some anger in here, come on, I'm too much of a mellow fruitcake, don't you think? Here we have some fast, energetic hardcore 80s punk, full of thrashing noise, some lyrics about telephones and scientists, a few sweet guitar solos, and of course, the wonderfully addictive chanting of the word 'amoeba.'
Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven
Oh, what a delightful title! Makes you think of flying dead monkeys, doesn't it? Regardless, this song presents a wonderful rendition of misery. Black Francis breaks out with desperate vocals in the verses, screaming about how the devil is six and man is seven (yes, I don't understand either), while Kim Deal joins in on the hopeless lullaby of a chorus. It's reminiscent of a thunderstorm, with the dull comfort of fog and the sudden outbursts of rain and thunder. The first Pixies song I heard, and still one of my favorite pieces of music. Good for gray days.
Seabear - I Sing I Swim
Radiohead - Idioteque
TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Y Control
rip it up
"Throw me a dream please, it's been a dreamless sleep for such a long time, such a long time." To me, this song induces a warm wave of nostalgia. That isn't to say that it's an old song at all, or even that it has much sentimental value to me. It just seems like the type of song that would play while you're on your deathbed, experiencing childhood flashbacks. It encompasses such an innocent yet bittersweet feeling. 'I Sing I Swim' is a pleasantly intricate combination of ukelele, acoustic guitar, piano, drum machines, xylophones, little firework-like explosions, bell chimes, what sounds like bird chirping noises, and the gentle vocals of Sindri Mar Sigfusson, the creator of this Icelandic lo-fi indie-folk band. I want to smile and cry at the same time, listening to this. Even the video is nice.
I'm definitely not a hardcore 'omgosh In Rainbows is the most magnificient collection of music to ever grace my ears!' Radiohead fan, but I consider a few certain songs of theirs to be bizarrely beautiful masterpieces; this is one of them. Just check out that hypnotic beat. But no, really (though there is quite a beat), this song encompasses a desolate feeling -- a feeling of complete alienation from the world. Listening to this, I feel like I'm lifeless, sinking to the bottom of a calm, dark ocean.
Loud, fast, nocturnal, animalistic -- these are the first words that come to mind when I hear this song. Interpret the lyrics as a werewolf curse, if you'd like... but to me it's more like he has the curse of a super high libido. I mean, come on, even if you steal a car, you won't get very far. He'll show you tricks that will blow your mongrel mind. But okay, regardless of all that, the addictive quality of this song definitely lies in the fast paced and simultaneous chanting of the multiple vocals. 'Hey, hey, my playmate...'
I honestly can't come up with a label for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, though the consensus seems to agree on 'art punk.' Their style is inconsistent and just as the masses experience difficulty pinpointing their genre, I experience difficulty describing their music. So, I probably can't do this song justice. 'Y Control' is intoxicating in the amount of positive mental stimulation it brings your brain. Karen O's voice, with all her random repetition, is bound to get stuck in your head (though unfortunately, you don't get to hear any of her wild roaring and cat noises here). Don't expect a parade of sound though; there's just enough energy in this one, adequate for a brisk afternoon or other such sunny occasion.