Category Archives: Music

Song of the Day: In The Air Tonight (by Phil Collins)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest “song of the day” arrives courtesy of Michael Mann’s Miami Vice. I speak of one of the best rock songs of the 1980’s: Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight”.

Phil Collins was already a major star as part of the progressive rock band Genesis. In the early 80’s he finally went out on his own and began a second successful career as a solo artist. His 1981 debut solo album, Face Value, would release it’s first single with what would turn out to be one of the 80’s iconic rock songs with “In The Air Tonight”. The song was originally recorded in 1979, but it was until Collins went solo did it see the light of day and once it made it to the mass public it instantly became a major hit. This song would end up Collins’ biggest hit ever and would be covered by rock bands and sampled by rappers in the decades to come.

Some of the younger generation would recognize this song because of a hilarious scene in the 2009 comedy The Hangover involving Mike Tyson and one of the most famous basslines in rock history. It’s a shame that it would be that scene people would remember since this song is more than just a punchline in a comedy. This song has become an integral part of my growing up during the 80’s and I still listen to it intently decades later…and yes I, too, consider that bassline to start the final chorus as the go-ahead to air drum the sequence in the privacy of my own room or car.

The one cover of this song I like just as much as the original is the hard rock cover done by the band Nonpoint for Michael Mann’s Miami Vice.

In The Air Tonight

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord

Well if you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand
I’ve seen your face before my friend, but I don’t know if you know who I am
Well I was there and I saw what you did, I saw it with my own two eyes
So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you’ve been
It’s all been a pack of lies

And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord

Well I remember, I remember, don’t worry, how could I ever forget
It’s the first time, the last time we ever met
But I know the reason why you keep your silence UP, oh no you don’t fool me
Well the hurt doesn’t show, but the pain still grows
It’s no stranger to you and me

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh lord
Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord
Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord, oh lord

I can feel it in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord
And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord
And I can feel it in the air tonight, Oh Lord…
I’ve been waiting for this moment, all my life, Oh Lord, Oh Lord

Song of the Day: Rogue Heart from Dragon Age 2 (by Inon Zur and Aubrey Ashburn)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest pick for “song of the day” happens to come from a game I just completed playing a first playthrough. The game is BioWare’s latest and the first sequel to their critically-acclaimed fantasy rpg game, Dragon Age: Origins. This time the song is what I would call the “Lelianna’s Song” of Dragon Age 2.

“Rogue Heart” is the song which begins playing once the end credits for Dragon Age 2 begins. The song is once again composed by the same composer who did the music for the first game, Inon Zur. Inon Zur brings back singer Aubrey Ashburn to handle the song. If there was ever a song which I say truly encompassed the relationship of the character I created and played through in the game, Lisamarie Hawke, it would be this song. It’s not just typified the character but the relationship she had with one of the party members that was recruited. The pirate rogue Isabela (the character artwork in the video is Isabela) would be Lisamarie’s companion the moment the two met and would see the game right through to its climactic and ominous ending.

It’s only appropriate that both Lisamarie Hawke and Isabela were rogues thus this song fit them like bodyhugging gear. The game was better than I thought and I would say the same to its accompanying soundtrack and “Rogue Heart” is another example why rpg soundtracks always typified the best of any game soundtracks.

Song of the Day: High Roller (performed by the Crystal Method)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

A few days ago, I used to the song of the day feature to highlight the Crystal Method’s Trip Like I Do.  And in that post, I mentioned that Trip Like I Do makes me drive too fast.  Well, there’s another song off of the Crystal Method’s Vegas CD that I always make it a point to listen to while driving and that is High Roller.  If Trip Like I Do makes me slam down on the accelerator, High Roller makes me slow down and watch the world collapse around me.

(Clicking on the video below will redirect you to YouTube and the acual song.  I apologize for that — usually, I hate elitist, communistic bullshit like that but I really like this song.)

Happy Paddy’s Day!

Posted on by necromoonyeti

I was going to write at length regarding Irish music for Saint Patrick’s Day, but, well-meaning admirer of Irish culture that I am, I have consumed far too many Guinness today to produce anything coherent. Instead I’m just going to post a few songs for the occasion. Perhaps if you are new to Irish music they’ll peak your curiosity.

If you don’t like the Pogues songs in this mix more than all the rest, just keep drinking and you will eventually understand. (My hero Shane MacGowan is displayed above.)

Dropkick Murphys – The Spicy McHaggis Jig (original)

Dropkick Murphys – Loyal to No-One (original)

The Dubliners – Spancil Hill (19th century)

Dropkick Murphys – Fairmount Hill (19th century)

The Tossers – Good Morning Da (original)

The Tossers – Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye (19th century)

The Irish Descendents – Come Out Ye Black and Tans (20th century)

Flogging Molly – Salty Dog (original)

The Pogues – The Sickbed of Cuchulainn (original)

The Pogues – Boys from the County Hell (original)

The Pogues – Streams of Whiskey (original)

The Pogues – If I Should Fall from Grace with God (original)

The Chieftains (with Sinead O’Connor) – The Foggy Dew (17th century)

Dropkick Murphys – Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced (original)

The Pogues – The Parting Glass (16th century)

Happy Paddy’s Day! Maybe next year I’ll actually write something before I’m too far gone. Until then, as Arleigh said to me, ” Good night and stay drunk!”

Song of the Day: When Your Mind’s Made UP (performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s St. Patrick Day!  Now, I can’t speak for everyone but for me, this is the only holiday that matters.  For one thing, it gives me a convenient excuse to show off some of my Irish Folk Dance moves.  For another, it gives me an excuse to say things like, “I’m just a good Irish girl,” in the closest I can come to an Irish accent.  (Admittedly, that’s not very close.  My own accent tends to be kinda twangy and country.) 

Oh!  And there’s another great thing about St. Patrick’s Day.  It gives me an excuse to wear green and I look really good in green.  Today, I’m green from my eyeshadow to my underwear.

Anyway, with all that mind, it was pretty easy to pick today’s song of the day.  One of my favorite films of 2007 was a wonderfully romantic and charmingly low-key Irish film called Once.  The film’s soundtrack, which I’ve been listening to all day today, is one of my all-time favorites. 

One of my favorite songs on that soundtrack — and my pick for song of the day — is When Your Mind’s Made Up, performed by the film’s stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.  As actors, performers, and as a real-life couple (awwwwwww!)*, Hansard and Irglova have this amazing chemistry and it’s on display in the video posted below.

(By the way, can I be like really, really sappy here without everyone rolling their eyes and getting all “Gaggggggg!” on me?  Sometimes, if I’m feeling really sentimental and silly, I think about how Jeff is like Glen Hansard and I’m like Marketa Irglova.  And then I start singing another song from the movie — the Oscar-winning Falling Slowly.  Or at least I sing a version of it because I have a hard time remembering lyrics.)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

——————-

*According to Wikipedia, Hansard and Irglova are apparently no longer a couple. 😦

Song the Day: Trip Like I Do (performed by the Crystal Method)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s song of the day is the original version of the Crystal Method’s Trip Like I Do.  I love driving to this song even though it’s been responsible for me getting pulled over a few times for speeding.  (Luckily, I’m a girl and I know how to make myself cry.)  This is also the song that, over the past few hours, has inspired me to leave a dozen or so “Oh my god, this is the best…” messages on my friend Evelyn’s voicemail. 

Song of the Day: Klendathu Drop from Starship Troopers (by Basil Poledouris)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest “song of the day” is chosen as I continue working on a particular film review about an alien invasion and war. I’ve chosen a particular favorite piece of film music from 14 years ago to be the latest song of the day.

“Klendathu Drop” is from the film soundtrack for the scifi/war/propaganda film Starship Troopers. This film wasn’t well-received when it first came out and it’s film score by Basil Poleduris was similarly dismissed. In the intervening years since the film’s release more and more people have begun to appreciate both film and soundtrack. Basil Poledouris’ soundtrack for this film has become a fan favorite of not just his soundtrack work, but of just fans of film soundtracks and scores.

Just listening to this particular track is quite invigorating and really does a good job into making one think about doing very heroic things. Poledouris’ really makes great use of both the brass and percussion section of his orchestra. The percussion giving the whole song a militaristic, martial tempo while the brass (once again an inordinate amount of French horns as Poledouris is fond of using) helps give it a swelling, patriotic melody. Halfway through the song we get the addition of strings to signify a calm to the storm that’s about to be unleashed (the song is used in the first planetside landing where the Mobile Infantry get its ass kicked every way til Sunday).

Even if you’re not a fan of the film this song at the very least makes for great listening.

Song of the day: Every Day Is Exactly The Same (performed by Nine Inch Nails)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Hearing “The Hand That Feeds” playing in the background of the trailer for Red Riding Hood inspired me to go to my CD collection and dig out Nine Inch Nails’ Without Teeth (released in 2005 but not purchased by tone-deaf little me until 2007).  Originally, I was thinking of doing a post about “The Hand That Feeds” but as I listened, I rediscovered my favorite song from Without Teeth, “Every Day Is Exactly The Same.” 

Every time I listen to this song, I feel as if I’m back in 2007 and I’m hit by deluge of bittersweet memories.  I was still in college but I had reached the point where, for the first time, I realized that I would soon be graduating and I would actually have to start living the life that all of this education was supposedly preparing me to live.  In the back of my mind, I was slowly starting to understand that everything I had always assumed would forever be in the future was now sneaking up on me.  I can remember driving to and from school, listening to this song in my car and promising myself that I would never let every day be exactly the same.  A part of me laughs when I think about how naive and innocent that sounds today.  It’s hard to believe that it was actually little less than four years ago.

I guess I should also admit that listening to this song inspired me to break up with my then-boyfriend because, as I told him, “It’s just that every day with you is exactly the same.”  Yes, for some reason, I thought that he would see my point if I phrased it that way.

Anyway, it’s still a good song.

Song of the Day: Suspiria (performed by Goblin)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Suspiria is one of my favorite films for many reasons: the pre-Black Swan combination of horror and ballet, Dario Argento’s pop art-influenced direction, the infamous close-up of that beating heart, the “s is for snakes” conversation, and Alida Valli’s ferocious performance as the instructor from Hell.  (That said, I would have gladly taken lessons from her because I think she would have inspired me to be more disciplined about dancing.)

And, of course, I love the music.  As many critics have pointed out, the film’s soundtrack (composed by Goblin) provides this film with a structure that it might otherwise lack.  Plus, it’s one of the few film soundtracks that’s actually scary if you listen to it around 3 in the morning with all the lights turned out.  I speak from personal experience.

So, in honor of one of my favorite films of all time, today’s song of the day is Goblin’s brilliant Suspiria.

(The Suspiria soundtrack is apparently out-of-print in the U.S.  However, it’s included in Anchor Bay’s 3-disc, 25th anniversary DVD.  The DVD also comes with a featurette about the making of the soundtrack.  It’s actually pretty interesting.  Goblin’s Claudio Simonetti proves to be a charming and interesting interview subject.)

Song of the Day: Lelianna’s Song (by Inon Zur and Aubrey Ashburn)

Posted on by Arleigh

My latest “Song of the Day” was chosen because this week also saw the release of one of the g ames which shall be ruling my life for the forseeable future: Dragon Age II. The song I chose is from the first game in the series, Dragon Age: Origins, and was sung in the game by one of the characters in the game once a certain relationship  level has been reached between the main character and the bard who sings the song, Leliana.

The soundtrack to this game was composed by Israeli-born composer Inon Zur and his work on the score captures the fantasy-theme of the game. In the soundtrack the song is called “Lelianna’s Song” (a misprint by the soundtrack publisher) but in the game the song is properly titled, “In Uthenera” and is sung by the singer, Aubrey Ashburn. I chose this song because of all the tracks in the soundtrack this is the one that stuck with me the most.

The thing about role-playing game soundtracks, especially those set in a fantasy setting, is that the music goes a long way in creating the world of the game. The game could be great but if the music sucks it ruins much of the game’s enjoyment. Luckily, Inon Zur didn’t fail in his task thus he made Dragon Age: Origins such a joy to play despite its flaws.

“Lelianna’s Song” just sounds so ethereal. I can hear late-medieval and early-Rennaisance bard influences in the music not to mention Irish ballad in how the lyrics were sung. This song I could listen to over and over. Below, right before the lyrics is the video of the scene in the game where Leliana sings the song to the group at rest in their camp.

Lelianna’s Song

Elven:

Hahren na melana sahlin
Emma ir abelas
Souver’inan isala hamin
Vhenan him dor’felas
In Uthenera na revas

Vir sulahn’nehn
Vir dirthera
Vir samahl la numin
Vir lath sa’vunin

Translation:

Elder your time is come
Now I am filled with sorrow
Weary eyes need resting
Heart has become grey and slow
In waking sleep is freedom

We sing, rejoice
We tell the tales
We laugh and cry
We love one more day