Land of Music and Indecisive Weather

[zolac_no_miko]

Today's weather went like this:

-Rain with some slush.
-HEAVY SNOWFALL.
-Snow melts. Sunshine!
-Overcast.
-Five minutes of HAIL.
-Light rain, a single gust of wind, and THUNDER. One thunder. One.
-Overcast.
-SLUSHFALL.
-Slush melts. Overcast.

...Wtf. Just, wtf, Portland. I don't even.

In other news... sirona_gs did this meme and I was like, OH RIGHT, I signed on to do this back in OCTOBER, ffffffffff. So, technically stolen from drownedcities, but Sirona bullied me into it.

1. reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.
2. list (and upload) 5 songs you love that begin with that letter.
3. post them to your journal with these instructions.

...Screw uploading. EFF YEAH YOUTUBE!


1. "June Hymn", The Decemberists, The King Is Dead. Had to start off with The Decemberists, duh. They are my favorite band after all. CONCERT THIS SATURDAY YES YES YES!! I've been meaning to do a thorough track-by-track review of this album, but I haven't had time, so this will have to do for now. This one's not one of my favorite favorites on the album, but I do love it. It's just... sweetly pleasant. And the chorus is catchy. And it contains the word "panoply". What's not to like?

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2. "Julien", Placebo, Battle for the Sun. HEY LOOK, NEVE, I BROUGHT PLACEBO TO THE PARTY! :D I <3 Brian Molko and I <3 Placebo. Battle for the Sun is one of my current musical addictions, and this is my second-favorite song off of that album. It's... it's just... SO DELICIOUS. Incidentally, I have a line from this song stuck to my bedroom door, written in Sharpie on electric flamingo-colored duct tape.

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3. "Jezebel", Iron & Wine, Woman King [EP]. Guh. One of my most favorite Iron & Wine songs ever. I don't even know what to say about this one, except that I just want to close my eyes and curl up in this song like a warm fuzzy blanket fresh out of the dryer. So beautiful. ...Also, banjo in the bridge. Instant win.

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4. "Jupiter", Jewel, Spirit. The artist on this list I've loved longest, for the nostalgia. Ahhh, Jewel. Your songs still hold up after all these years. And gods-damn but you can sing.

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5. "Jen Is Bringin'The Drugs", Margot & The Nuclear So And So's, The Dust Of Retreat. A great song from one of my favorite bands; there are songs I like better, but this song is beautiful in its pared-down simplicity. Of the artists on this list, Margot is my newest addiction. ...I think this band will always be, to me, a symbol of my time here in Portland. I acquired the habit from Dar when we came to live together in the Land of Port. The very first concert I ever went to in Portland was the Margot concert, and damn was it memorable. Among other adventures, we took one of the opening bands, Everything, Now!, home with us; they slept on our floor and Dar made them waffles in the morning. This concert introduced me to the joys of living in a city with a fabulous live music scene; I've been a concert addict ever since. Getting up close and personal with bands like Margot is one of the things I know I'm going to miss the most about living here.

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Comments

[shichahn.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I will take a letter. :)

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

A~!

[drownedcities.livejournal.com]

I'll be honest; I don't even remember this meme. FML.

GIMME A LETTER.

Please!

[drownedcities.livejournal.com]

Wait. Did she give you the letter J, too? Because I took a look at the meme from AGES AGO and that is the same letter I gave you.

~*~*~*~SPOOKY~*~*~*~

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

*facepalm* The J was your letter. I didn't bother asking Sirona for a letter because you already gave me one. However, it is an eerie coincidence that her letter was H, as was yours.

Your new letter is M. :D

[drownedcities.livejournal.com]

Oh.

LET ME PRETEND THAT THIS WAS A SPOOKY COINCIDENCE OKAY?

I will have my results posted shortly.

I FEEL LIKE I AM ON SO MUCH FUCKING CRACK RIGHT NOW. :D :D :D

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

YES SO THIS GIRL.

THE CRACK FEELING IS BECAUSE OF THE GIRL, YES?

[drownedcities.livejournal.com]

THE GIRL.

SHA LA LA LA LA I WANNA KISS DE GIRL.

ALSO I JUST DID THE MOST AWESOME CRACK THREAD ON DEAR MUN AND I AM POSTING THAT TOO MY LIFE IS AWESOME RIGHT NOW.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

YOU WILL HAVE TO TELL ME ABOUT THIS GIRL. :DDD

[drownedcities.livejournal.com]

I WILL. :D :D :D

AND MEME COMPLETE.

[look-alive.livejournal.com]

I think I've listened to Jen Is Bringing The Drugs like. One and a half times. Ever. BUT YAY MARGOT. And yay all of these sooooonnnngs.



Gimme letter. Gimme!

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

I actually really like that song a lot.

Your letter is B. :DD

[look-alive.livejournal.com]

Something about his voice and just, idk. Maybe I need to re-listen. I just felt like I was being vocally flogged.

:D Yay!

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Vocally flogged by PRETTINESS~! Plus plus plus lyrics:

'Cause love is an inkless pen
It's a tavern, it's sin
It's a horrible way to begin...

[look-alive.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know, but I have a really hard time stepping back and just listening to the song and not hearing Richard project the shit out of his problems through cheap metaphor. It's just... Ngh. But okay, yeah. It's pretty.

Shit, I have to cut my list down by half...

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Meh, Neve couldn't pare it down, so she just went and posted ten.

[look-alive.livejournal.com]

I had ten, too. YouTube helped me, though, by not having good uploads for a couple of my songs. And I have one I'm considering posting as a bonus track... XD

[magusronin.livejournal.com]

crazy weather,
Fun music,
Maybe I'll do two of these, :) if the letters are different.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Is that you asking for a letter? XD; How about the letter G?

[sirona-gs.livejournal.com]

I've finally gotten around to listening to these; I've been looking forward to getting the space to give them my full attention! What a lovely set of choices, m'dear! Though I wouldn't expect anything less from you! <3

#1 was really nice, sort of mellow. I don't think I've listened to The Decemberists much, tbh, but this was quite lovely!

#2 = ♥! I WANT TO GLOMP THIS TUNE SO MUCH!! I've not listened to this album nearly enough! I think I shall remedy that for the rest of the day! :D

#3 -- Oh, I've heard this one! Only I had no idea who performed it or anything. It's quite delightful! Very slow and sweet and relaxing. I see what you mean about the soft fuzzy blankie! <3

#4 is very sweet, really pleasant. It makes me feel nostalgic, too!

#5 is gorgeous! Never even heard of these guys, but I would love to hear more from them! I'm definitely going to look them up!

Thank you for introducing me to all this brilliant new music! <3

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Eeee! Thank you! ^_^

1. I adore The Decemberists so much, omg, you have no idea. And because I am more excited about them than usual (OMG CONCERT TONIGHT YAAAAAAY~!), I am going to spam you with Decemberists songs. ^_^;; Just a few! I mean, I could seriously spam you with almost their entire discography, I love them so much, but I think these are a few of their nicest. (Nice, as in... gorgeous, beautifully-written, but fairly straightforward. Colin Meloy has a tendency to tell weird stories and go all crazy grandiose and/or violent and creepy, and I LOVE HIM FOR IT, but we all know I'm a sick and twisted freak of nature.)

"Sons and Daughters". This is off of what is probably my favorite Decemberists album over all, The Crane Wife... incidentally, the album that made me fall in love with them. I just simply cannot listen to this song without becoming a happier person.

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"The Engine Driver". Probably one of their best songs, and one of my favorites. Beautiful music, beautiful lyrics, just... just lovely. Guh.

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"The Bachelor and the Bride". One of my all-time favorites. This one's leaning into slightly less friendly territory, but it's absolutely gorgeous and has some of the most amazingly beautiful lyrics. I've heard that it's inspired by Marcel Duchamp's "The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even". (I dunno what's up with that second bit of music at the end of the video, some of their friends having fun, maybe.)

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"We Both Go Down Together". Another of my favorites. I mentioned that Colin likes to tell stories, and this is an example of that. Under the surface, this song is kind of fucked up, but that's part of why I adore it. And again with the gorgeous composition and lyrics. Plus, set in England!

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...Okay I'm done now.

2. Oh man I am so obsessed with this album. I adore Julien, but my favorite is the title track, I just cannot listen to it enough. (Plus it is a perfect theme song for Jason Todd, like, creepily so, word-for-freaking-word perfect, so. That adds an extra level of love.)

3. GUH. IRON & WINE. GUH. Everything he does is so beautiful.

5. Yeah, Margot is kind of way, way underground. I only know about them because Dar lived in Chicago for a year, and that's right in their backyard. But they are fabulous... or they were. The band is gutted, just two original members left, and they're just not as fabulous as they used to be. Based on the gossip we picked up from talking to members of Margot and Everything, Now!, it probably had something to do with the lead singer's drug problems. This makes us sad. ...HERE I WILL SPAM YOU WITH MARGOT WHILE I'M AT IT. These are some of their best songs, probably.

"Quiet As A Mouse". This is the song that sucked me in. It got stuck in my head and just would not let me go. I adore it.

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"Skeleton Key". Guh. This song. So fabulous. Possibly their most popular song.

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"Broadripple Is Burning". This. This song. It just. It's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. I also have strong emotional associations with it, from listening to it on the airplane when I flew home for my grandpa's funeral.

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OKAY NOW I'M REALLY DONE SPAMMING, I SWEAR.

You're welcome! And thank you; I've still got your meme post open in a tab on my browser so I can listen to your music.

[sirona-gs.livejournal.com]

First of all, THANK YOU FOR THE SPAMMAGE!! XD I've not sat to listen to them properly before now, because, as you know, RL is EVIL and SHOULD BE PUNISHED, only it's the one doing the punishing RN, so. Today I have a day off, and BY GOD, I was going to listen to music goodness if it killed me!

So! The Decemberists, #1 is kinda gorgeous. Really uplifting, there's something about it that makes me so happy to just be alive, how strange is that? I think I know what you mean! My first smile of the day is dedicated to this song! :) WAIT, NO, I TELL A LIE, my first smile of the day was cracked over your and Tatoe's exchange on my journal, that was LOL-worthy IN THE BEST WAY. But my second smile? Is for that song. <3

#2 Oh my god. I'm 30 seconds into this song, AND I ALREADY ADORE IT. OMG. I AM SO GETTING THAT ALBUM NOW. BEYOND GORGEOUS. THANK YOU for bringing this song into my life, jfc. You know what? I'm gonna listen to it again. --Okay, so I've now listened to it five times in a row, AND I STILL ADORE IT, AND I'D LISTEN TO IT 15 TIMES MORE if I wasn't so eager to get to your other choices. So it's safe to say that I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH, HOLY COW.

#3 This one is really lyrical, although, yes, kind of dark. Still, such a lovely melody. I love the minor chords that rip through this.

#4 Okay, so, I LOVE songs that tell stories, in case that wasn't already clear. This one is just lovely, I love how dramatic it is, AND SET IN THE UK, YES, this one is totally a guilty pleasure! It reminds me a little of The Smiths, actually, in the way it's arranged, and the head singer's voice is almost the same tembre as Morrisey's, and the music has the same rhythm, only, you know, less 80s and more naughties. Loved it! <3

Margot, #1 From the start, this gave me a Bauhaus vibe, but that was just the very start. After it, this has such a unique sound, you can't mistake it for anyone else, really. I'm kinda sad to hear they're no more; I can see myself becoming a huge fan. OH WELL, I'LL JUST HAVE TO BE ALL HIPSTER-ISH in my regard! :)

#2 Wow, I can see why it's their most popular song! Whoo, that one walloped me over the head a bit -- I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't anything as purely awesome as this! Wow. Um. I'ma stop talking now and listen to this A BAJILLION MORE TIMES.

#3 Oh god, I have songs like that, that I've listened to after something traumatic and sad, that I burst into tears when I hear again. I just want to hug the stuffing out of you when I listen to this. It is kind of melancholy, isn't it? It's gorgeous. I don't know how to get excited about it, because it doesn't so much pertain to SQUEE as wanting a quiet, warm hug from someone, but I LOVE IT, I really do. Just. Beautiful. It would be perfect for a film soundtrack; I'm amazed that no one's used it yet, for real. This would be the moment after the two main characters (in love) have a huge fight and one of them is riding on the train back home, all wistful and melancholy. Or, as you said, after someone really important to the character dies. I see it as the song playing in Steve's mind on his way back to Hawaii after his dad's death. So sad, but so gorgeous in its sadness. Aaaand I'll shut up now. ;___;


Wow, that was a heady ride! :D I LOVED IT.

As for my meme -- your friend Neve is a GIANT DORK, OKAY, if you didn't know this yet. I get 'F', 'F', ffs, and I'm so focused on songs starting with 'F' that I COMPLETELY FORGET TO INCLUDE MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE MONKEYS SONG, BECAUSE IT STARTS WITH A 5, WHICH, AS WE ALL KNOW, TRANSCRIBES TO FIVE. *facepalm* God, I'm so ridiculous sometimes. DDDX

So -- let's just ENJOY THE FUCK OUT OF IT OVER HERE INSTEAD!

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

-Engine Driver - I think it's just a fact, or possibly a Law of the Universe, that everyone loves this song. IT'S JUST. IT'S JUST SO WONDERFUL. In fact, it's my bff roomie's absolute favorite Decemberists song. I love the way Colin writes; he has these lines that just, well, sing to me for whatever reason, make my soul happy, and this song is a good one for that. There are power lines in our bloodline... ♥ ...Incidentally, I know a really good Sirius/Remus fic inspired by this song.

But yeah, this album is excellent. ...Well. They're all excellent. But. "The Engine Driver", "We Both Go Down Together", "Eli, The Barrow Boy", "On The Bus Mall", "The Mariner's Revenge Song", "Of Angels and Angles"... SO MUCH FABULOUS.

-The Bachelor and the Bride - This music is gorgeous in this one, but for me this song is all about the lyrics. Just. Colin. GUH. The poetry of his lyrics appeals to me in the way the words sound, the way they feel and taste in my mouth. Clever rhyme and rhythm and alliteration and all that. This song has some of the most beautiful lyrics ever, especially in the verses. Hear the corncrakes, and the deer hooves, and the sleet rain on the slate roof... Just. GUH. It does things to me.

-We Both Go Down Together - This song is SO FREAKING GORGEOUS I have to love it despite how it sketches me out more than a little... and then, actually, because I'm me, I love it more because of how much it sketches me out.

But yeah, they do a lot of sort of Victorianish, Englandy things... "The Chimbley Sweep", "A Cautionary Song", "The Mariner's Revenge Song"... in fact, that's part of the point of their newest album, "The King is Dead"... the king is dead because this album is a dramatic departure from their habitual Englandyness in that it has a very strong American folk sound.

-Skeleton Key - YEAH, ISN'T THIS THE MOST AMAZING THING TO HAVE EVER AMAZINGED? Margot really does have a very unique sound. They use a lot of instruments in really interesting arrangements, and they use really weird instruments, too. Like, that flat sort of percussive sound peppering the chorus? Dude in the back hitting sheet metal. A lot of fun to watch live. They are also fond of suitcases and water jugs.

-Broadripple Is Burning - Ahhhh, yes, this would make an excellent soundtrack song! Heh, my associations with this song are kind of accidental, although the wistful melancholy definitely fit my mood. My iPod was on random, I think... I was on the plane, and I heard the line I wrote this on an airplane where the people look like eggs and I thought, "Ha! They totally do!" and since the airplanes make me think of this song and this song makes me think of airplanes, but specifically that trip.

I haven't listened to Margot's new album at all... maybe they're still good? I dunno, my roommate went to see them and she was just so heartbroken by the change in the band and the change in the music that haven't quite been able to bring myself to do it.

-505 - HEY. HEY I ACTUALLY KNOW THIS ONE! Yes, that is a great song. ...Aaahhh, I love the Monkeys' sound... the sound of their guitar and the echoey vocals, like they escaped from the 1950s. Definitely need to get me some.

I. I could easily keep Decemberists!spamming you indefinitely. ^_^;; And other excellent bands as well! ...I think I'd better leave it up to you. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO KEEP THROWING YOUTUBES AT YOU, OR ARE YOU ALL SPAMMED OUT?

[sirona-gs.livejournal.com]

I love that the Monkeys seem to ahve taken the last 50-odd years of music and COMPLETELY SUBVERTED THEM so that there's this unique sound that borrows from all sorts of genres and styles. I heart the Monkeys so damn much! *____*

DUDE, YOU CAN SPAM ME FOREVER IF YOU'RE SO INCLINED. I adore listening to strange new music -- two of my favourite soundtracks are (500) Days of Summer and Garden State! My favourite radio station is BBC 6 Music (I listen to it online), which is this totally hipster-ish station that showcases indie music from all sorts of walks. I've not heard of at least 70% of the bands they play, but I still adore it, because I'm all for that sort of sound, and I've picked up so many favourites from there -- Florence and the Machine, MGMT, Adelle, La Roux, Owl City... I can go ON AND ON. So, you know, EDUCATE ME about the bands all the cool kids listen to! :D

Florence and the Machine and MGMT! <3! High five!

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

I did not forget about this, in case you were wondering. I WOULD NEVER FORGET ABOUT SPAM.

"The Crane Wife 3" - The first song off of the album The Crane Wife. This is not the first Decemberists song I ever heard, but this is where I started paying attention. This is the song that made me fall in love, from the album that made me fall in love hard; it's one of their most beautiful songs and still one of my favorites. It's the companion piece to "The Crane Wife 1 & 2"; when played in order they tell Colin's version of the classic Japanese folktale.

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"On The Bus Mall" - I feel like you must have heard this one at some point, since it's popped up on Riverside, but now that you're paying attention, here it is again. This is the Star/Jaime theme song. And gorgeous and emotional in its own right, and one of the kind of unusual stories Colin likes to tell. I mean, seriously, who else writes songs about teenaged male prostitutes living homeless in the city?

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...Let's wade into somewhat stranger waters, shall we?"

"The Culling of the Fold" - The fact that this is my favorite Decemberists song is solid proof that I am a disturbed individual. But Colin does villains so well! And I really cannot get enough of the discordant piano and wailing violin. Also, how much do I love that the song promotes equal opportunity? A sexist Colin is not. Anyway, I kind of think this is the sexiest song ever, wtf is wrong with me. This is the song that makes me want to do filthy filthy things to Colin Meloy.

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"The Mariner's Revenge Song" - Sometimes The Decemberists do a sea shanty. I mentioned Colin likes to tell weird stories? This is one of their most popular songs; it's the most ridiculous, amazing, epic song ever and it makes me so very very happy. It fills me with dark glee and makes me want to dance around the living room with my cat. It is also epically fun to see live, omg.

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"Dress Me Like a Clown" - Another excellent Margot song, for posterity. Erik, you do amazing things with a violin. And that is not even mentioning the creepy creepy noises you make with a lap steel.

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And since we're on the subject of bands with really unique sounds that you've never heard of (I specialize in Bands You've Never Heard Of)... meet Menomena! ...These guys are kind of weird. My love for them is all about their interesting style of musical composition and the cool instruments that they use in very effective ways.

"Evil Bee" - This is a good example of what I like about this band. Their sound is so pared-down and clean, simple but arranged beautifully. They make very effective use of their piano and saxophone. They've got a bit of a dark, creepy sound.

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"Air Aid" - Another favorite Menomena song. Again with the dark and creepy sound, and excellent use of piano and sax, now with excellent bass.

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"Muscle 'n Flow" - Great piano in this, as usual, plus excellent organ, bass, guitar, and steel guitar. Ffff, I dunno, I just find these guys so musically interesting.

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"The Pelican" - That piano again. Hrrrrrr. Great guitar, too. This one's all full of discordant crashes and booms, it's very satisfying.

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"Weird" - This one's got a very... gritty sound? Guh, that saxophone. And what sounds like a lap steel. And is that a dulcimer?

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...That's probably enough of that for one spamming. ^_^;;

[mithen.livejournal.com]

That's funny, I thought I commented on this! LJ must have consumed my comment, boooo! I love your taste in music--I knew all of these but the Margo, and I liked them too after listening to them. Mmmm, Iron & Wine!

I'm in the mood for a meme, if you still want to hit me with a letter!

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :D Haha, yeah, Margot's way obscure, nobody's heard of them, trufax. Which is a shame.

I give you the letter N!