Mini Island Master List, Part Two

[bono_212]

Glad you figured it out. As far as I know, there is no relation to "Power."

I wasn't talking about "Power", I was talking about "So Appalled" which it pretty much is a direct copy of, but clearly on purpose, and I'm sure with opposite lyrics, but I haven't got around to reading them yet.

 

[cobl04]

Well I didn't hate your list, reggo. I thought I might but I didn't. I don't think it had great flow or momentum, which would have made me enjoy it more given the subject matter, but maybe that was just me. No songs really stood out, I won't go back to most of them. Mainly liked the ones I'd already heard, Rollin in the Deep and The Chain. Would be good if there was a female artist like Aretha Franklin around today.

 

[onebloodonelife]

I wasn't talking about "Power", I was talking about "So Appalled" which it pretty much is a direct copy of, but clearly on purpose, and I'm sure with opposite lyrics, but I haven't got around to reading them yet.

Ah, and this is where my lack of listening to Kanye's latest album becomes evident. I had to go back and look at the lyrics to "So Appalled," and you're right in the fact that the intro/interludes are "copied," like the "Everybody put three fingers in the air," etc. But, when Kendrick is talking about "three fingers," he's talking about heart, honor, respect. For him, HiiiPower is a way of life and a philosophy, not just a song. (See this interview at about 4:00: [Interview] Kendrick Lamar talks J.Cole Production, his father, Hiiipower - The Come Up Show) "So Appalled," on the other hand, is all about braggadocio. In my opinion, "HiiiPower" is more about revolutionizing, whether that's a personal or political revolution. That's why he refers to Black Panthers throughout the song.

My guess is that Kendrick Lamar was using "So Appalled" as a signifyin(g) gesture and to put himself in conversation with a mainstream artist like Kanye. Doing so is a common theme in African-based musics and of course, hip-hop, by default. Hip-hop is often based on these types of conversations across songs, albums, and generations. It's an easy way to make it clear that you, as an artist, are familiar with current artists, as well as being well-versed in the genre's histories and past.

 

[cobl04]

Cassie it's a crying shame you don't post more often. I'm sure you have long since figured this out but you are one of my very favourite posters on this forum. I think I know at least some of the reasons you don't post more often though (and no, it's not because I think you're too baked to use a computer more often than once a week )

Well I didn't hate your list, reggo. I thought I might but I didn't. I don't think it had great flow or momentum, which would have made me enjoy it more given the subject matter, but maybe that was just me. No songs really stood out, I won't go back to most of them. Mainly liked the ones I'd already heard, Rollin in the Deep and The Chain. Would be good if there was a female artist like Aretha Franklin around today.

Haha how did I post this in the wrong thread.

 

[phanan]

Looking forward to starting these last four tonight.

 

[bono_212]

Ok...so...Glee version of "Defying Gravity"...yeah that was fine. I really do like that song. And it's the only thing I've heard a Glee version of that at least made sense for a Glee club to be covering. It still sounds WAY too polished and has far too much instrumentation going on to ever sound realistic, but whatevs, I'm over complaining about it.


And...hello jarring transition into "Spirit of the Radio"

Spoiler

I kid, it actually wasn't bad, just completely different

 

[IWasBored]

Ok...so...Glee version of "Defying Gravity"...yeah that was fine. I really do like that song. And it's the only thing I've heard a Glee version of that at least made sense for a Glee club to be covering. It still sounds WAY too polished and has far too much instrumentation going on to ever sound realistic, but whatevs, I'm over complaining about it.


And...hello jarring transition into "Spirit of the Radio"

Spoiler

I kid, it actually wasn't bad, just completely different

i made the mistake of listening to it with headphones on the other day, and the auto-tune made me want to puke. i still think that's the most evil musical invention of all time.

the instrumentation thing...that's one of the reasons i thought that the show was supposed to be a joke at first. they randomly break into song, somehow EVERYONE in the room 1) knows all the words, 2) has their choreographed dance moves down, 3) magically can play all the music, even on instruments their character doesn't commonly play in other episodes, and 4) in the blink of an eye, new sets, costumes, and props appear. come on, with all of that, how was i not supposed to think it was a parody?

 

[bono_212]

I've never actually watched an episode of the show, so I really didn't know that kind of stuff happens.

The thing with the show was, I was actually really excited to see it when it premiered (as GAF might recall) and I never could catch the premiere, and by the time the first season was available to watch, the backlash/fandom was so intense, I just couldn't get myself to want to see it anymore. But, when I was in high school, while I wasn't in choir, I had a great many friends who were, and it was a part of life I was quite aware and slightly involved in, so I was hoping to see a fairly interesting look at the high school world we don't often see.

But, yeah, nothing realistic at all, I take it.

 

[IWasBored]

i still think to some degree it's supposed to be a not another teen movie/high school musical hybrid parody, and occasionally the song performances don't completely suck. did i mention the part about how when it came up on the netflix recently watched history page, my mother thought someone hacked her account and used it to watch the first season? because even though she knew i her the password, it seemed a far more likely scenario than me actually watching that show.

underneath my cozy rock, where i have no real knowledge of what's "cool" pop-culture-wise, i only checked out the show out of sheer boredom one day, and had only heard of it because some insane nurse at one of the hospitals here said i vaguely resembled one of the actors. ok, not vaguely, it was more of "i bet you get this all the time," which definitely is not true because prior to her bizarre ramblings i'd never actually heard of the show. and to be honest, i still can't figure out what the hell she was talking about. pretty sure i don't look like anyone in that show, male or female.

 

[bono_212]

that's awesome.


Well, I've about finished your list, at the point where I know every song left anyways. Great fun, I was almost afraid the punk love wasn't going to be present this time, but I missed the fact that I didn't recognize half of the bands on the list, so that should've been a hint .

 

[bono_212]

Axver, enjoyed very much, the flow was great and the music was right up my alley. Though I must say, that Joy Formidable track certainly took me aback. I thought to myself, "Surely, Axver can't possibly be listening to something so...so...so happy..."

Great list of songs man, had a nice good listen.


And with that...omg, I'm done. PM headed your way, Phan the man.

 

[cobl04]

I always forget Axver likes music that isn't death metal/14-hour prog suites.

 

[cobl04]

can someone reupload cassie's list plzzzzzzzzzz

 

[iron yuppie]

Just finished Axver's list. Like his previous entry, the flow on this was somehow more than seamless. The tracks all coalesced to the extent that I could hardly tell where one ended and the next began. Unlike the last DI list, however, I felt that this one was a bit too homogeneous in style and tempo to make a lasting impression. The Joy Formidable track, as others have noted, was a welcome interpolation, and the Malory track was so stellar that I had to take note of it. On the whole, then, the feeling and mood were strongly crafted but perhaps also at the expense of memorable songs.

 

[phanan]

can someone reupload cassie's list plzzzzzzzzzz

Yeah, it appears to be an invalid link now.

 

[phanan]

Had a great time listening to IWB's playlist. That beginning from Glee to Rush was certainly...different. But Rush into Zep redeemed you. And continuing after that, good stuff. Who would've thought there'd be two playlists that contained a Stray Cats song?

Some nice choice cuts from way back when with Buddy Holly and Otis Redding, and one can never go wrong with a Bruce inclusion. I was curious how it would end with Abel, but it seemed to be ok.

 

[onebloodonelife]

Sorry to everybody for the expired link. I'll get a new one uploaded today or tomorrow.

 

[IWasBored]

Had a great time listening to IWB's playlist. That beginning from Glee to Rush was certainly...different. But Rush into Zep redeemed you. And continuing after that, good stuff. Who would've thought there'd be two playlists that contained a Stray Cats song?

Some nice choice cuts from way back when with Buddy Holly and Otis Redding, and one can never go wrong with a Bruce inclusion. I was curious how it would end with Abel, but it seemed to be ok.

thanks for the kind words. yeah, "different" indeed. i wish i had written down somewhere why i thought they transitioned well, because i don't hear it anymore. i wish i could blame being drunk or high, but truthfully i was not. maybe sleep-deprived? can't remember. i do remember that abel was supposed to leave that sense of "damn, i need to listen to more rockin' tunes STAT!" and now that the list is over, you can go find the kickass songs of your choice and rock out.

while i certainly have no problems making lists without the dropkicks, it would be damn near impossible for me to in good conscience leave off bruce (or the clash, for that matter).

 

[phanan]

Had Ashley's playlist going this morning. On paper, it looked like one that I'd like, and that proved to be the case. Most of these songs are classics, and you just knew she was going to get Take Me Home Tonight on a playlist sooner or later. Some great old selections, although Rescue Me has to have a better sounding version available, I would think. I might have to investigate.

My only complaint is the trio of Year Of The Cat, Start, and Stars Shine Brightest, as they all get cut off and therefore it comes across a bit choppy. And I have Year Of The Cat, and it fades out nicely on my version.

Major props for The Working Hour's inclusion - awesome song.

 

[bono_212]

that's interesting about "Rescue Me" and "Year of the Cat". I'll go ahead and blame Travis for that one, as he got the MP3s together for me while I was at work (though he'll just blame me because I gave each song a quick runthrough before I submitted it XD)

I love that someone knows about my love of "Take Me Home Tonight" (or does everyone ). I've been trying to worm it onto a list for years, and finally, FINALLY, I had an excuse.

Start > Stars Shine was kind of a quick fix for the cutoffs, but, I had hoped the songs would overshadow the transition.

And yes, "The Working Hour" is a great song, isn't it? It had to fight it out with "Your Latest Trick" by Dire Straits, because they're both pretty long and have almost the same exact intro. That was a hard cut to make.

Anyways, I'm so glad you liked it .

 

[phanan]

Your Latest Trick would've worked as well. Great tune.

 

[Axver]

Axver, enjoyed very much, the flow was great and the music was right up my alley. Though I must say, that Joy Formidable track certainly took me aback. I thought to myself, "Surely, Axver can't possibly be listening to something so...so...so happy..."

Great list of songs man, had a nice good listen.

Glad you enjoyed it! I was wondering if you made much of the alternate version of Something More that I used.

Confused by your (and iron yuppie's) comments about Cradle though. I think the only thing resembling "so happy" is the band name; the lyrics aren't happy at all. Sure it's uptempo, but I wouldn't call it upbeat ... the next track, You Find It Everywhere, I think is far more uplifting, probably the most of the list.

I always forget Axver likes music that isn't death metal/14-hour prog suites.

Haha, I don't listen to that much death metal these days (really, my main metal interest at the moment is blackgaze - shoegaze-influenced black metal), and I haven't listened to prog in years. I'd say at the moment I'm mostly listening to shoegaze, post-rock, jangle pop, and some post-punk.

Just finished Axver's list. Like his previous entry, the flow on this was somehow more than seamless. The tracks all coalesced to the extent that I could hardly tell where one ended and the next began. Unlike the last DI list, however, I felt that this one was a bit too homogeneous in style and tempo to make a lasting impression. The Joy Formidable track, as others have noted, was a welcome interpolation, and the Malory track was so stellar that I had to take note of it. On the whole, then, the feeling and mood were strongly crafted but perhaps also at the expense of memorable songs.

I suppose this was the risk of doing a single-genre list, in that it has the risk of excessive similarity. And in my own opinion I kind of blow my list's load straight up with Leave Them All Behind, which I'm fairly convinced is the best shoegaze song ever. I toyed with it as the final song, but it's just too perfect as an opener.

I'm very glad you thought so highly of the flow, because I was questioning just about every transition by the time I submitted it!

 

[Joey788]

I've been running behind on these lists but I hope to have all four done by this time next week.

 

[cobl04]

Finished your list cassie. LOVED IT. /surprise.

Strawberry Swing was a good opener (I can't love that track though, I just love Coldplay's version too much and I don't feel Frankie adds much) which led brilliantly into Mathematics, which fucking ruled. I seriously have to chase down Mos Def asap. (The beat reminded me a bit of the one in Bad Boys For Life by Diddy.) Doomtree track was terrific. Was blown away by this tongue-twisting rap:

Synchronized syncing a single – sided dye attire fire
I’m sick of this sickness I want to signal the symbol the signs
The sinners are seeking asylum, sedative seconds deny them
The sun at the center is dimming, spinning in silence
Synapses sing where science
Sitting inside a citizen’s sinuses ring with sirens of singing is violence
It goes thanks TS, but the world ends like this
Not a bang, not a whimper, but a silibant hiss

Unbelievable.

Now contained an incredibly fast rap, even faster than some of the Busta tracks I've heard, and was pretty good. Wugazi literally blew me away. I can't believe how good that sounded. If the rest is that good..? I've gotta check it out pronto. Dessa track was fantastic, she has awesome vocals. Untouchable Freestyle I'd never heard but it was probably the best track, again it shows everything why I love Tupac so much and consider him probably the best rapper I've ever heard. Enjoyed the Yeezy aping in HiiiPower. Why? intrigue me, I see they're listed as indie rock/alt hip hop on wikipedia, which is cool. Great song, I'd have to go back to the lyrics to see what you were getting at though.

 

[phanan]

So I'm thinking we wrap this up by the end of next week or so. I know I've been going slow and only have two playlists left, so I'm thinking most everyone else has heard the majority of these lists as well.

Let's shoot for everyone to submit their rankings by Friday, September 16, and then we'll do the results thread somewhere around the following Monday.

 

[cobl04]

Cool with me!

Finished your list Axver, and I must say it was quite tremendous. A few of the tracks wore a bit thin (Gravity Grave in particular annoyed the shit out of me), and it was definitely homogenous, but that didn't bother me too much given it was only a mini DI. I was quite surprised at how many of the tracks I really loved. Leave Them All Behind was sensational, though it was much too long. I liked Floating quite a bit. The Alcest song was really good (are they a metal band? I thought they were). My favourite song of the list (which would have fallen to Leave Them All Behind if it finished after about five minutes) was Cradle, by The Joy Formidable. Have I heard them before? The lead singer had a familiar voice. My only other complaint was that a lot of the tracks didn't feature strong vocalists, and as a rule I've never liked when the vocals are hidden under a swathe of guitars. It's like the singers are admitting they suck, so they should just hide their voices under a wall of noise. But otherwise, very nice

 

[bono_212]

So b asically what you're saying is you don't like shoegaze?

 

[cobl04]

I like the guitars!

 

[phanan]

Listening to Ax's list today. I hope.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

(Gravity Grave in particular annoyed the shit out of me)

/ban