Tunes and Trouts Vol. 2
- Jul 7, 2016
- 6 min read
Back at it again, with the second round of Tunes and Trouts. This time, a bigger, wider compilation of songs, ranging from pop indie-rock, drill, and even drone/noise music. Hope this little medley of melodies, this assemblage of art, tickles something in you.
Phrasing.
Right, the songs. I might have a lot to say about some and little about others, but that isn't a measurement of my interest. I write where I feel like there needs to be writing. Let's begin.
Artist: Blood Orange
Album: Freetown Sound
Song: Augustine
Dropping a video just recently on June 27th, 2016, Blood Orange sets an intimate stage like a love letter to the stars in the sky above. Dev Hynes, the creative mastermind behind the many of the artistic processes, shines like no other in Augustine. Following an alluring, mesmerizing introduction from another track "Thank you" on his album Freetown Sound, he lets loose on a simple but rich string of beats and notes. A beat machine. A guitar. A piano. Yet, instrumentally speaking, almost his entire album doesn't feel vacant at all. It's a version of minimalism that just doesn't cut the fundamental corners of musical artistry. If I know anything about minimalism, that's a masterful thing to do correctly.
He speaks softly on his verse. He speaks of finding himself. Not the self that he thought he was throughout the years. It's the exploration of the unknown, the infinite potential, the self that touches close to that. This, along with the following points, are all themes that many, many people can feel and relate to. I'll get into this more soon. First off, his lyrics are in layers. Right off the bat, first three lines, he recounts his experience of moving to London to New York City to his parents experience of moving to London from other places in the world (Guyana and Sierra Leone). With this, it builds a foundation. Despite differences in time, there'll be commonalities. They found themselves later in life as young adults. Perhaps they were itching for something else, some adventure or place of sanctuary. It begs the question of "What were they looking for?" and "What did they find that they learned about themselves from?", but it's not the centerpiece. It's not the centerpiece because that's really not what matters, what matters is that they found themselves. It's a big emphasis on it.
Another layer.
The parallels between now and the Christian saint, Augustine -- the backstory being that his ancestors were former slaves, now freedmen. Slavery. I believe that the topic, in general, doesn't produce a lot of conversation and plays too much on agendas and hate -- but I don't feel that from this song. I feel that it's an honest conversation. An earnest attempt at empathy, which yields that impassioned chorus we're treated to. It's s look between now and then, as well as now and way back then. A topic that arches over the entire album, not menacingly, but in a way that evokes beauty, compassion, and a message of love. The parallels that now and then, Christianity affects us whether it's for better or for worse.
Oh hey, is that another layer?
As an artist that identifies as queer, Blood Orange manages to weave that by infusing the St. Augustine's own writings through his own way. The transformation of passages into the homoerotic, yet another highly charged topic in today's age and the ages before. While the message may not resonate with those who are resolute on biblical teachings in traditional interpretations, it's still a conversation in which he's attempting to see through this religious lens. Not just see, actually, but to put himself in the middle of it.
Maybe there's a call-out factor to it. I think there is. I think what he's encouraging is that despite the differences that we, as people, have in beliefs and morals -- we can still stand to learn more about ourselves by trying to understand other people. And in these times, there's not a lot of that.
I haven't fully gotten to many songs on Freetown Sound yet other than "Thank You" and "E.V.P.", but Blood Orange hasn't disappointed me yet. While some aspects of certain songs can feel middling or barely tolerable, I still feel like it's part of the stylistic approach. It's not uncommon for artists to go for sounds that aren't the usual, frequent or even "mainstream" approach. We've seen it through Grimes, Opeth, and pretty much most musicians worth their weight in salt. Augustine is a lovely song, and I definitely have to check out the rest of Freetown Sound when I get the chance.
Artist: Montana of 300
Album: Fire in the Church
Song: Fighting Demons, Dropping Jewels
Similarly, "F**k demons, get money".
Alright so, I've been following Montana of 300 for a while now. It's not often that I like many trap or drill type music, but I recognize it's worth and appreciate the level of realism it brings to a world of fantastical, almost perfect storytelling music climate. Beyond that, I believe Montana of 300 has what it takes to be considered a brilliant, lyrical powerhouse. Why? It's not the rehashing of the same formula which made that style of music popular in the first place. He has knowledge of actual storytelling, the elements which make it work. The elements which make it work well. It's coherent, the songs have great vocabulary, and the sheer emotional impact that he can bring to the table.
It sets him apart, which he tears other artists apart. Well, hopefully not too literally.
If you're familiar with Montana of 300, you'd probably already know that his covers of songs are straight genius. He's pretty much undisputed when it comes to those types of things. He makes those songs his own, that's how good it is. "Chiraq". "White Iverson". "Try me". Personal favorites of mine. If you ever want to get a good pump at the gym, listen to his cover of Chiraq. Trust me, it's perfect music to get pumped up and brazen.
So, how is his new album Fire in the Church? It's a bit different. The storytelling aspect is still there. The lyricism is still there. I straight up enjoy many of the songs, especially "Fighting Demons, Dropping Jewels". Early in the song, the lines: "I am the revenant, I done been through those cold days / Fighting demons, trying not to turn to my old ways" Oh my goodness, it's poignant but very much robust. There's even a Dragonball Z reference later on regarding Piccolo. Hahahaha, this guy's great, and he knows it.
With that said, my main (but small) gripe would be the production quality on some of the earlier tracks on the album. I feel like maybe the backing tracks weren't well fitting, and perhaps the delivery on those could serve better if there were more switch-ups, both beat-wise and through the vocals. But that's only a minor concern. The later songs seem especially good in comparison, which more than makes up for it.
If you play this in church, one could consider it "fire in the church".
Artist: Stereopony
Song: Hitohira no Hanabira
A catchy Japanese tune from 2008 by Stereopony, a now (sadly) disbanded rock group from Okinawa. Some people might recognize this as the 17th ending song for the anime, Bleach. It's the first song they created as a group, meaning "A Single Flower Petal" in English. Hmm... While the chorus falls a bit flat in my opinion, everything else seems rather remarkable. Especially worthy of a mention...
Starting around the 0:40 mark of the video, that lead-in and beginning of the first first. That's catchy. That's earworm catchy. Not to mention the whole visual of them pretty much cookin' out the performance. They've got it in the pocket for sure. The delivery of the first verse is cool too. The whole "TEEBURU no mukou kurai kao shiteru / kiridasu KOTOBA ni obietenda" (As you put on a gloomy face across from the table, I become fearful of the words you're about to say) - from animelyrics.com. The way the singer Aimi delivers that is so melodically righteous. It's precise, it's fleeting, it's got those moments that slide together well despite the variety. It's kinda almost bluesy-rock, the way it's conveyed.
Also, I'm really jealous of that 60's Fender Telecaster that Aimi has. I'm more of an Ibanez fellow, but that guitar is a candy apple red bombshell.
Anyways, this single remains one of the more memorable experiences I've had as an anime-watcher. They later on went to make more hits, making it on the airwaves multiple times over. Their second single "Namida no Mukou" was used for Mobile Suit Gundam 00, their fourth single was used for a film, the fifth was used for Darker than Black -- They were seriously a rock force to be reckoned with. They even collaborated with YUI, a legendary female singer/guitarist. It's a shame the group had to part ways in 2012, I would've loved to hear more from them as a whole.
More to come with the next issue, where I hope to keep on adding more material each week as I get more and more comfortable with blogging. While I added one more song in comparison to the previous post, I still feel like it's not enough. There's so much to cover. So many genres. So many different places where music comes from.
I'd like to capture that as best as I can. But hey, for now, it's progress. Tune in next time!
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