ANOTHER TEN UNCONVENTIONAL LOVE SONGS.

Hello there, Happy Valentines Day. As you may have seen, last year I did a blog post in honor of this money making scheme/day to celebrate love where I listed ten unconventional love songs. I don’t know much about regular romance, so I wrote about some songs I like that I guess come close enough to being love songs, but would probably no way ever be in a film like 500 Days Of Summer. Well guess what, I’m doing another. I’ll try think of something different for next year, but for now here’s some more songs to alienate your Valentine with.

Nine Inch Nails-Closer.

I was once drunk randomly asking people their favourite love songs (probably with this list in mind) and someone replied with this, to which I just laughed and he said “it gets to the point”. There’s no denying that Trent Reznor’s ode to sex doesn’t beat around the bush and of all the songs in this list, this is probably the crudest and least romantic. “I want to fuck you like an animal”, isn’t romantic in a ‘The Notebook’ way (or maybe it is, I’ve not actually seen that film). The way Reznor talks of how making love to this person makes him perfect and brings him closer to God, shows some softer sentiment. It’s just that it always comes back to THAT line and is surrounded by pulsing electronic beats that are seductive, but maybe not kind and loving. If sex is the be all and end all to you when it comes to romance, then perhaps this is the song to dance to at your wedding (like Gary Numan did).

Million Dead-Smiling At Strangers On Trains.

This is a sweet song, for the line “if I’d known you weren’t so far away, I could’ve rode this train smiling”, as if Million Dead frontman Frank Turner (you might’ve heard of him) is saying that he could’ve gone through all the bad things in life, being happy, just as long as he’d known that he’s one day meet the person he’s singing about. That’s cute to say that one person can erase all the negative things one has gone through in life. It’s the most melodic song on Million Dead’s debut ‘A Song To Ruin’, but it still has some roughness with fuzzed up guitar and wailing vocals, but all together the elements make for an excitable mood, which is exactly the kind of mood you tend to be in when first falling for someone.

Cave In-Jupiter.

This song opens with a bombardment of drums and  riffs, so it doesn’t seem like a love song at first sight and the Eastern feel that enters makes it more interesting, but not romantic. However the song gets smoother and more mellow with the instruments taking a chill pill and peaceful vocals come in to hint at some light and then the line “I’ll keep my seat on the edge of your mind” says that vocalist/guitarist Stephen Brodsky can be patient and even though his love me not be requited now, he has faith that they will always consider him, therefore he’ll always have a chance. It’s optimistic, which is always a good thing. It’s important to be hopeful as it’s not common that you’ll be with the one you love straight away, but you’ll have to wait. It’s worth waiting and you never know if that seat you have on their mind can become something more.

The Blood Brothers-I Know Where The Canaries And Crows Go.

“Why can’t we let our mouths devour each other? Why can’t we turn those miles into inches, letters into breath, years into seconds?”. So romantic. Blood Brothers vocalist Jordan Blilie wanting to spend as much time as possible, as close as possible with whoever he’s singing about. However he’s also screaming it like she’s just been murdered, so maybe not something you want to put on a Valentines Day mix. On top of that there’s the loud and jumpy elastic riffs that The Blood Brothers were pros at, slapping you silly and fellow vocalist Johnny Whitney joining Billie in a piercing scream-fest.

Aphex Twin-Girl/Boy Song.

This is unconventional because it doesn’t have any words/lyrics, so nothing to give away that it can be specifically described as a love song, but it just feels romantic. It’s filled with lush strings that are most joyful, kind of like you’re in love. To add why it’s not the most obvious love song in the world, it’s filled with rapid drum n bass shuffling, but that also adds to why it just feels romantic, as these breaks sound giddy, something you also may be when you’re into someone. The title hints that Richard David James, AKA Aphex Twin, intended it to feel like a love song, or that he was maybe even in love himself when he wrote it. The whole of the 1994’s ‘Richard D James Album’ feels like the soundtrack to a wonky, love fairy tale, but this song is where the album is at its most ecstatic, while being wonderfully weird, which is why it makes this list.

Every Time I Die-Romeo A Go-Go

“There’s a delicate love song in this” Every Time I Die vocalist Keith Buckley actually needs to point out in the song, and there is. Under the turbo fretwork, crunchy guitar stomps and frantic vocals is a story of a man trying really hard to win over someone despite being completely broken, seemingly physically. “I got this new black eye just for you. Your hopeless romantic now helplessly rheumatic”, paints a picture of someone determined to get to his lover and impress them through any means necessary. He’s making his way through every adversity and that is what you need to be willing to do for the love of your life.

The Fall Of Troy-F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.

In the dating world you’re encouraged to play it cool and perhaps not let your feelings show, but here The Fall Of Troy say (albeit indirectly), suggest you wear your heart on your sleeve. “I don’t want to see the day my words cannot make it safe” and “too bad, no regrets”. Lyrics like this say that guitarist/vocalist Thomas Erak is fully aware of the risks in being forward and admitting your feelings, but he can’t help but let it known that he loves the subject of the song anyway. What do you follow, your heart, or what you think will win them over? As for why this probably doesn’t seem like a love song, there’s the vast technical guitar skills on display, which while thrilling isn’t as conventionally romantic as a piano or acoustic guitar, especially when it comes to the manic breakdown which collapses on itself at the speed of light, however after the chaos it comes back to the hook which delivers the killer lines that encourage you to be brave.

mewithoutYou-Bullet To Binary.

“When you laugh you’ll feel my breath there, filling up your lungs. And when you cry, those aren’t your tears but I’m there, falling down your cheek, and when you say you love him, taste me, I’m like poison on your tongue” these lyrics are intense, bitter and maybe even creepy even without Aaron Weiss ‘s pain stricken voice shouting them in a half spoken word, half yelling style. But underneath the madness is love. Love can make you crazy, and there’s definitely love in this song, it’s just coming across as obsessive, which is never a good look. However you can’t deny that the love is there, it’s just that it sounds like it’s ruined Weiss and sometimes you’ve got to be careful of falling too in love with someone. Here though, at least a great song has come out of heartache.

Swans-Volcano.

“I want to taste your breasts and know God” wow, maybe not as crude as Closer, but there’s still something rated r (or maybe just 12a) about that. However it’s kind of lovely at the same time and speaks for itself why, as if saying that spending a night with person would be like reaching a heavenly state. It also helps that Jarboe’s vocals are gorgeous, being tender and angelic. Also the music is danceable, bubbling yet hazy electronica, being the perfect twisted 90’s love song.

Team America: World Police-Pearl Harbor Sucked.

Last year I ended the list by putting a song from Final Fantasy VI, so this year I’m topping that by putting in ‘Pearl Harbor Sucked’ from the Satire comedy, ‘Team America: World Police’. It’s a love song and it’s definitely an unconventional one. Protagonist Gary Johnston sings about how much he misses and needs Lisa Jones by comparing his feelings for her to how much he dislikes Michael Bay’s ‘Pearl Harbor’, killing two birds with one stone. “I miss you like Michael Bay missed the mark, when he made Pearl Harbor”, “I need you like Ben Affleck needs acting school, he was terrible in that film”. These lines are romantic for Lisa and insulting to Mr’s Bay and Affleck. What film would you bash in a song, in order to profess your love to someone? I think I’m going to write a love song influenced by The Room (hi Lee). Maybe say I love how bad they are.

Thanks for reading. What are your favourite unconventional love songs?

To read last year’s list click here https://maxcussons.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/my-top-ten-unconventional-love-songs/

Greys live at The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds-support from Unwave, Pink Rick and Super Luxury, 28/10/2014

Hi. I thought it would be a good idea to post the work I’m doing for Contact Music on here. I may post some older ones, but for now here’s my latest review, Greys live at The Brudenell Social Club. Enjoy.

http://www.contactmusic.com/review/greysbrudenell-social-club-leeds-october-2014-live-review

Our Last Night, live at The Cockpit, Leeds, 04/02/2014 (support from Secrets and Empires Fade).

I’d never heard of Our Last Night until the night before this gig. I was offered the opportunity to get into this gig for free, so I went for it. I checked out some songs and thought they were okay, but I wasn’t exactly blown away, but I was by no means put off going. They’re very catchy and they’ve got some heaviness so could understand why people were into them, but at the end of the day, if they were going to impress me further this show had to be good and it was.

Opening tonight are Empires Fade, who get people jumping, helped by very muscular guitars and growled vocals. They’re nothing new, but will fix you just fine up if all you’re looking for something to mosh to. Next are Secrets who are not much different to be honest. They’re more melodic, but meaty breakdowns are still present. Frontman Aaron Melzer is quite energetic, constantly head banging or twirling etc.

Our Last Night maintain and build-up of momentum created by the previous bands, with frontman Trevor Wentworth having strong command over the audience from the get go, dominating the stage. Newbie, ‘Dark Storms’ gets a strong reaction, with its downtuned, movement inviting riffs getting a fair amount of movement, something that continues for many of the songs the rest of the night. They’re far from a unique or original band. Their formula of poppy rock music with some beefy guitars and screaming thrown in has been done many times before, but they do it incredibly well and you can’t help but feel there is a little bit more to them than that, something yet to be discovered. There are electronic elements to their sound, sophisticated peaceful beats that enrich their sound, not obvious dubstep drops like many bands in Our Last Night’s scene. This is demonstrated well on ‘Fate’, strong with hooks the crowd sing passionately along to and fairly heavy riffs to bounce around to, as well as well executed samples of strings that help elevate the quality of the song. ‘Age Of Ignorance’ is introduced with a sample of Howard Beale’s politically charged ‘mad as hell’ speech from the film ‘Network’, something that I wasn’t expecting and threw me off guard (always a good thing). That hints that the band have a political consciousness and the song’s lyrics confirm it. Something else that many of their contemporaries are without and something else that makes them that little bit more impressive to me.

They clearly have their own fans who are clearly loving the show, singing most words back, moshing and  pogoing, but they throw in a rocking cover of Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ for the few (maybe only me) unfamiliar with the band. They close the main set with ‘I’ve Never Felt This Way’, but quickly return to for an encore to play ‘Elephants’, probably the heaviest song of the night with little clean vocals and much palm muted guitar chugging. It invokes the most crowd action of the night, getting some crowd surfing (no mean feat when the crowd begins and ends at the average length of a body).

So yeah, while I wasn’t amazed by this band’s music prior to this gig, but I really enjoyed the show. The band were lively and their songs conjured energy to those who knew them. If they were at a festival I was at or something, I’d see them again and if you’re a fan, I’m sure you’d love them live.

Rating 7/10.

Zeus!, live at The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 29/01/2014 (support from Monster Killed By Laser, Genius Of Germs and Muntjac).

I’ve been into Italian noise duo Zeus! ever since I saw them support Retox here last July. That show amazed me. They were loud, heavy and weird. I picked up their album ‘Opera’ on the strength of that show, and it matched the show’s strange brutality. Both that show and the album left me dying to see them again and luckily I didn’t have to wait that long as they played yet another excellent show this very night.

First off tonight Muntjac grace us with their first gig. They have a few things in common with tonight’s headliner. They just made up of drums, bass and vocals; they make a fucking racket and they slay.

Things get fucking weird for Genius Of Germs. Their spoken word injected no wave spooks for the whole twenty minutes of their set. I can’t tell if they just played one really long song or blended lots together. I’ll go with it being one song. The guitar’s squeal and drone. Painfully to conventional music fans, blissfully to noise enthusiasts, and  are the perfect soundtrack to their frontman wailing on dramatically as if this were a dark play.

Instrumental retro prog rockers Monster Killed By Laser, would be the weirdest band on almost any other bill, but they’re the most easy going one tonight. Their music is adventurous, even if in a way slightly similar to prog bands before them. The synth stands out as it makes the songs that little bit more out of this world, but the rest of the music does a good enough job of making this a great band.

When Zeus! take to the floor (no stage in the Brudenell Social Club’s second room by the way), they’re met by about twenty people. You feel they deserve a better turn out because they’re so good and here all the way from Italy, but that’s part of the beauty of this show, without trying to sound like a hipster. There’s an exciting underground noise movement happening right now, (really an ongoing one that’s been around for decades) and Zeus! are a part of that. It doesn’t matter if Zeus! aren’t playing to a ton of people, this is about people coming together as a community and enjoying music so unconventional and in your face that it pushes listeners away rather than trying to pull them in; yet for whatever reason us as individuals like it, something Zeus! provide us with tonight. But enough about me preaching the joys of underground music. How were Zeus!?

Zeus! Are only made up of bassist/(slight) vocalist Luca Cavina and drummer Paolo Mongardi. They put a lot of bands with guitars to shame as they display more loudness and creativity with this very stripped down formula of rock music. I’m aware they’re not the first band with just bass and drums, but they do it so damn well and in such a unique way. Songs like ‘Bach To The Future’ and ‘Beelzebulb’ are absolute monsters of songs that punch like several guitars not just one bass and a drum set (although over a dozen guitar pedals helps this greatly), and their creators play them like psychos. Luca Cavina constantly has a manic look in his eyes and lips as he hammers out each devastating note and gives the occasional bark. Paolo Mongardi is one of the most entertaining drummers you will ever see, displaying amazingly fast and precise skill with the most menacing grin on his face as he hits as loud as humanly possible. They’re clearly in love with what they do and do it uncompromising, without the slightest care whether others will like it or not, but I’m confident the handful of people here tonight will have loved what they do too.

They came, they wowed, they might’ve scared some, but gave those lucky few here tonight an excellent gig and the rest of Leeds have no idea what they missed out on.

Rating 8/10.

Kylesa, Live At The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 31/01/2014 (support from Serria, Jagged Vision and Krokodil)

It’s a bit of a long story why I’m at this gig. I love Gallows and so I’ve been keeping an eye on their guitarist Lag’s new band Krokodil. They announced they were opening this show, so I checked out Kylesa and oh my I was sold. I listened to their amazing newest album ‘Ultraviolet’, which encouraged me to listen to the rest of their albums, which all blew me away. They seem to effortlessly mix every rock genre under the sun, be it punk, metal, prog, stoner, noise and even some indie/dream elements. So this show was a no brainer and here’s how it turned out.

Starting off we have Krokodil, the reason I’m here in the first place. The band features one of my favourite guitarists Lags from one of my favourite bands Gallows. I have no idea what to expect as they’re yet to bring out any music and this is only their third ever gig, so I’ve not seen them live. They impress. The songs sound super heavy and have so much groove that people are banging their heads even though they’ve never heard the songs. Simon Wright’s vocals are piercingly sharp, and he’s a great frontman always in someone’s face. They sound like Botch meets Mastodon. Keep an eye on these as their upcoming album sounds like it will slay.

Next is Jagged Vision. Who are the pleasant surprise of the night with their rock n rolled up hardcore.  Again, I didn’t know shit about this band, but they were super energetic with their bassist constantly leaping around the stage, insanely fast drum rolls and their frontman displaying high energy and metallic pipes. They throw in an excellent cover of Refused’s ‘Rather Be Dead’ that sits (should I say rages) alongside their own brutal tunes splendidly.

Then there’s the anti-climax in the evening, the band Serria. They’re good, but boy does their set drag on. They’re skilled musicians who make good stoner rock, but there’s nothing really new to their sound and doesn’t make anywhere as much as an impact as the previous bands.

Kylesa are the exact opposite though. Their set seems to finish too soon and have plenty that makes them a very interesting proportion, i.e. two excellent and loud drummers, a thermin and more guitar/bass pedals than the GB Olympic cycling squad.  ‘Unspoken’ crushes like nothing else. Laura Pleasants ’s vocals are dreamy, making the song an even more mind bending and wonderful sonic adventure. They don’t move very much, which is surprising given the fast paced and punk nature to many of their songs such as ‘Scapegoat’ and ‘We’re Taking This’ but it still feels like there is energy in the room. These songs are intense and strike something in you that makes you feel you’re under Kylesa’s dark possession. Diehard fans in the crowd can’t help but go mental to songs and I’m amazed the whole crowd aren’t bouncing off the walls at these devastatingly heavy groove of the songs, but sometimes a crowd just aren’t feeling it and that’s not really any fault of Kylesa’s.

They close the main set on the hypnotically brooding ‘Running Red’ which at this point is familiarly strange and brutal, which makes the appearance of their most melodic song ‘Don’t Look Back’ all the more special for the encore. The song that sounds like a joyous meeting of sludge metal, dream pop and melodic rock, with uplifting lyrics such as “Moments of challenged clarity, distorted effect on reality, keep moving don’t look back”. Then they close on ‘Said And Done’ returning to the crushing, and leaving us riffed out.

Great gig that left mine and surely everyone else’s heavy music needs satisfied. If Kylesa (or Krokodil or Jagged Vision) ever stop by in your town, be sure to see them, you won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 7/10.