Katy Perry - "Roar" [EDITOR'S NOTE - This discussion took place before the official music video was released and refers to the official lyric video posted below.]
WF: We both saw the Katy Perry documentary this summer I think.
WD: Yeah.
WF: What? Why so glum? You didn't like it did you?
WD: Eh.
WF: Yeah there were parts of it that were interesting. For whatever reason I was really into how good her dancers were. That was a big part of the movie for me. I also kind of liked how bad Katy Perry was at dancing. I think it's good for a few of our entertainers to show a lack of skill in a major area of entertainment, like a pop star who can't dance or an actor who can't sing. It's humbling and reinforces the idea, if only so briefly, that these celebrities are mortal.
WD: Jesus christ.
WF: So what about "Roar"? First let me say I really really REALLY loved "Wide Awake" which was released last year as part of the deluxe reissue of Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. I thought that was one of the best pop songs I'd heard in many years. Plus it made me want to reevaluate Teenage Dream again, which was an album I kind of liked but I think now I would love.
WD: I honestly liked "Wide Awake" but it's hit or miss for me. The movie was like very innocuous, very tame propoganda. The parts with the YouTubers...god that was fucking horrifying.
WF: Yeah
WD: Like it was way too on the nose. They really want you feel how "different" she supposedly is. But you know what? Everyone is different without going out of the way to tell you they're so different.
WF: What about Lady Gaga?
WD: The perfect counterpoint but I think there's more of an art to what she's doing and the directions she pursues. With Katy Perry on the other hand it feels like she's only going to commit to aesthetics so much but she's going act like she's going all the way. Ke$ha is kind of the opposite of Lady Gaga because I think people perceive her as being this total sell-out hack bullshit nobody who accidentally got successful. But have you watched her show?
WF: No.
WD: You should watch like two episodes. But I know you're probably not, so anyway, she, um, Ke$ha is like totally fucking crazy in that she believes the shit she says. I think she totally wants to get as fucked up and be as loose and easy as she says she does because I think she finds it fun or liberating or whatever.
WF: So you like that she's convicted.
WD: Yeah, exactly. I don't think Katy Perry is like that, especially after seeing the movie.
WF: The movie's goal was to prove otherwise.
WD: I know.
WF: Okay so what about "Roar"?
WD: What's with all the fucking foley art in all these pop songs? Like all these sound effects? Not everything is fucking "Thriller". They can't all be fucking movies.
WF: You mean the iPhone ring at the beginning?
WD: Yeah! What's the goddamn point of that shit? "Uhp! You got me! Man I love this song!" No, fuck that.
WF: I think like you said it's meant to set up context for the narrative the song takes place in.
WD: How about let the music establish the fucking context.
WF: These kinds of effects are quite prevalent in hip-hop. If you didn't credit the Beatles for this kind of songwriting device then you could definitely credit hip-hop. Maybe Micahel Jackson too.
WD: Yeah, I guess.
WF: I really like this song and am on the cusp of loving it. It's way better in headphones.
WD: Never tried it.
WF: The production is round and thick and modern but it really kicks your ass in the chorus, of cour-us. HAHAHAHHA
WD:
WF: Okay. Sorry. My only problem, if you can even call it that, is that live, acoustic, this song would be kind of boring. Maybe not but I just don't think the musical conceit of the chorus, the hook, is very appealing without the production. I hope I'm wrong.
WD: You haven't listened to the lyrics have you?
WF: Shut up.
WD: RAWR! RAWR!
WF: Maybe it's an allusion to Bottom in A Midsummer Nights Dream: "I will roar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me;
I will roar, that I will make the duke say "Let him roar again, let him roar again."
WD: Shut the fuck up. Seriously.
Miley Cyrus - "We Can't Stop"
WF: Quick: your thoughts on the VMA performance--
WD: I could care less. She didn't do anything anyone else did last year or two years ago
or five years ago or ten years ago. Nothing. There's no sense in discussing this at all. Please
don't make me. I've said too much as it is.
WF: No. I think you're totally right. You could argue that Britney laughing the
whole time because, besides writing the book for modern female pop stars, she had
already done EXACTLY what Miley did. Down to the almost-nude outfit. It would
have been boring if not for all the bears. I liked that.
WD: Of course you did. But yeah, we're on the same page. I don't know what it
will take to knock Britney Bitch from Best VMA Performer. God. I really don't care this much.
WF: Sure you do! I'm in a place where I could argue against any and
every negative opinion someone could have about this and prove them wrong.
Like I don't think anyone has any right whatsoever to be surprised or offended or
shocked or depressed or pissed or whatever. Like I get pissed thinking about people pissed about
this.
WD: Why waste your time?
WF: Don't you think it's beyond ridiculous for someone to find this to be obscene?
For instance, people who are supposedly surprised that Miley would have a song
like this and perform this way. Are you fucking kidding me? Wasn't the whole
point of Hannah Montanah to jump-start a sexual revolution in pre-teen, even
pre-pre-teen girls to generate higher revenues for the cosmetic and retail fashion industries?
WD: Ehhhhhhhh...
WF: It's platued though! Sales are actually going down now because we've
been over-exposed to it so that this same culture is hyper-aware of it.
WD: Please cut this. For your sake.
WF: So what about the song. What about just this song, and maybe the video, but mostly
the song, what do you think?
WD: Well first, whenever I think of this video and this song, I think about the
new Pill speakers by beats by Dre. Only $199 at your nearest beats by Dre retailer!!
WF: What?
WD: There at the beginning in the video. It's unironic product placement.
WF: [watches beginning of video] Oh. I see.
WD: Yeah, it's ridiculous. It's semiotics. They want to sell speakers but
they also want you to associate the urban appeal associated with beats by
Dre with Miley to make her appear more credible as a "dangerous" artist. Ooooo. Scary.
WF: What about the song itself though?
WD: It's kind of like what you were saying about the Katy Perry song ["Roar"]
about how you're not sure how awesome it would be to hear acoustic. The hooks are
built into the production more so than the song structure or instrumentation or whatever.
Outside of that I think it's pretty good.
WF: I like the "la la da di da di we likes to party" section. That was really good. I think everyone in
the world attempts to repeat that chorus and 98% fuck it up.
WD: Haha yeah you're right.
WF: The key is the pickup "la" and the down beat starts on the second "la". It's hard
to hear because it's so fast.
WD: So you've practiced it? Well of course you--
WF: Yeah. Of course. It's not as dramatic as the Katy Perry song. There's nothing to it.
WD: Yeah, pretty much.
WF: How many times does Gwen [Wes' girlfriend] play this song a week?
WD: At least once. It was as much as 10 I think.
Pixies - "Bag Boy"
WF: Let's go to something we're both a little more familiar with. I think we both
heard this when it came out, the new Pixies song?
WD: Yeah. Okay so I get that Frank Black has always kind of done the sing-talk
thing in Pixies songs but was it more than I remember?
WF: So you don't like "Bag Boy"?
WD: No, I do. I like it a lot. More than I would have thought. That chorus man--holy shit,
it makes the song.
WF: So you just don't like the verses?
WD: No, I do, kind of. I just don't remember the sing-talking being so prevalent.
I listened to "Indie Cindy" which was released this week I think and it's the same
exact thing, only slower. The music is fucking amazing and the chorus is fucking
amazing but there's the sing-talking. I don't get it.
WF: It's kind of like that one band we had a similar issue with. Um.
WD: Yeah? Ummm
WF: The Hold Steady. That's it. More sing-talking, but highly acclaimed.
WD: Yeah. I think we both really really want to love The Hold Steady right?
WF: Yeah there's something visceral about them that seems to appeal to people
but it's like I can't hear it.
WD: This "Indie Cindy" song is better than "Bag Boy". It's sweeter, but also more
melancholy somehow.
WF: I need to listen to it more I think.
WD: I bet you miss the shit out of Kim. Don't you find it odd that they started releasing new material
as soon as she left?
WF: I do like Kim. I feel bad I haven't checked out the new Last Splash reissue.
I do think it's odd, though I don't know how we're supposed to feel. I mean I wasn't there
at the beginning of the Pixies so I feel like I don't have any room to judge whether
her departure was good, bad, warranted, a blessing or what have you. How much a part of
the process was she involved in? I know we watched the documentary [Pixies, a Pixies
documentary released in 2004] in 220 but I don't remember many specifics.
WD: Listen to the chorus. It's sounds like Dave Grohl singing.
WF: [listening] Haha yeah, I can hear that. That's weird. Speaking of, can we talk about
Wasting Light?
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
WF: I know it was released in 2011 but we both revisited it this year, thanks to me, and I don't
remember what you said about it.
WD: I think we were on the same page about it about how we misjudged it at first.
WF: Yeah. I totally did.
WD: Yeah, it's way better than that first listen. Like with most albums you kind of have to throw
everything you want or expect and just absorb whatever comes at you.
WF: I'd say that about every album. You know we shouldn't really project our expectation of what
an album should be onto--
WD: Yeah onto the artist. Shut up.
WF: When I went back it sounded like sort of a return to their debut with a light mix of all of their
newer stuff. So, I guess it's kind of like a sum of all things thing really.
WD: Yeah I'd say that's right. Just this first song ["Bridges Are Burning"] is like debut meets
One By One meets a faux-metal Tenacious D kind of. You could say that if this song ["Bridges Are
Burning"] were slowed down, it would be a Them Crooked Vultures song and I would know
any different.
WF: Hahaha! Yeah. Let's play the next one ["Rope"]. It's so fucking good.
WD: Yeah. The drum part and the bass parts are great. They do like, jazz flourishes.
[We listen to "Rope" almost the whole way through. It's really good. Check it out.]
WF: Does it get any better than to be Taylor Hawkins playing the drums to this song? It's got
to feel like sex just how incredibly tight the sections are and how tight the band plays. Geez.
Jel - "Live In The Boiler Room Los Angeles"
WD: Hey, I saw this today and I ended up watching all 30 minutes of it. It's pretty incredible.
WF: Whoa. [let's video play for a few minutes] Is he triggering everything himself?
WD: For the most part. The box on his right side is pre-recorded stuff but he's playing over it. Either
way, it's pretty incredible.
WF: Geez. Wow.
WD: Yeah, I know right?
WF: Yeah. It's like that Korg DS game I have only you can load samples. That's all I can think about.
WD: I could listen to this a couple of times a week. This is really good right? Whether it's live or
not really it kind of doesn't matter.
WF: Yeah, no, you're right. This is fucking insane. Wow. This is kind of an album right here.
WD: Yeah exactly.
Big Sean - "Control (Featuring Jay Electronica and Kendrick Lamar)"
WF: Let's talk about this super controversial HAHAHA Kendrick Lamar verse that people won't stop
talking about.
WD: Poor Big Sean. Or lucky ass Big Sean I guess.
WF: Yeah, I would say poor Big Sean. No one listens to this for his verse even though it's
pretty good.
WD: Takes a loooonnnnnnnnng time to get to Kendrick. It's not worth it really.
WF: I guess. It is a b-side, right?
WD: I dunno.
WF: The very end is the best if only because I like less pauses in his verses. Outside of that, since
when has hip-hop or music in general not been a competition? Isn't there part of everyone that wants
to be better than everyone else?
WD: But every rapper says they're better than everyone else, and that goes for 40PF too.
WF: True but what makes this different?
WD: I'm not sure it is. I think the media thinks it is because he calls out so many people who we have
assumed were his peers, maybe even friends.
WF: I think that helps the argument that Kendrick is somehow more convicted about being better
than everyone but doesn't explain all of it. I think another part of it is how descriptive he is with how
he wants to carry this plan out. He wants the "core fans" to completely forget they exist. That's kind
of specific and well articulated but I still don't understand what the big deal is.
WD: Me neither really. It's kind of a forgettable track for me.
WF: Oh well.
WF: Anything new coming out this year that you're excited about?
WD: There is but you first. I think I know where this is going.
WF: You got it!
Sleigh Bells - "Bitter Rivals"
WF: This is the debut single for their upcoming album of the same name. Starts with acoustic
guitar but that's just the intro.
WD: Oh god.
WF: What? You don't want to change your opinion from last time?
WD: Shut up.
WF: What then?
WD: Nothing. [listening to song] I don't know. I think I like it lyrically more so than how it's executed.
WF: What does that mean?
WD: I mean, I think the aesthetic sounds kind of forced now. It doesn't sound as effortless as their
debut. I don't know.
WF: Like it's just kind of treading the water of their last two albums?
WD: Yeah kind of. I don't know. I like the lyrics. It's super positive.
WF: Haha that's true.
WD: I'd like to hear the album before I say something definitive.
WF: Come on! Whuss!
WD: Shut up. Fuck you.
WF: Okay, what are you looking forward to?
WD: Okay, the new Janelle Monae album comes out next week. That's priority number one but
I don't want to hear anything from it.
WF: Yeah that's going to be good.
Los Campesinos! - "What Death Leaves Behind"
WD: I love Los Campesinos! Make sure you type the exclamation point.
WF: I will and I love them too. But no one cares about them.
WD: Um, okay? I didn't know that was a prerequisite, you fucking tool.
WF: Okay, sorry. I was just saying is there anything else our reader (kidding?) would be more
familiar with?
WD: Seriously they should at least play that song once.
WF: Okay. Please press play on this song. Okay what else?
Tegan And Sara - Heartthrob
WD: This album front to back is great. It's so good it's almost boring to listen to.
WF: I agree 100%. I like the '80's aesthetic but how they make it their own.
WD: I think it's more early '90's, which people confuse with the '80's.
WF: Ahhhh! Yeah! I think you're right!
WD: It's like that Cut Copy album Zonoscope--did you ever listen to that?
WF: Yeah
WD: Yeah well that album is what I would imagine a dance club in Melbourne, Austrailia would
sound like in 1990. This album sounds like an amazing adult-pop contemporary station for an hour
in 1991 in America on the way home from school.
WF: Haha. Okay.
WD: Plus it sounds like Tegan And Sara. It's not dissimilar from the rest of their catalog, which is what
usually happens to bands who attempt to make a genre album.
WF: Ween is good at that.
WD: Yeah. One of the few.
WF: Well this was fun!
WD: Yeah. I guess. We need to do this again when Prism or whatever it's called
[new Katy Perry album] comes out.
WF: Sure. It's a date.
WD: Like I need one.
WF: Hi-yo!!!
You can follow Wes Delaney on Twitter at @earinfexions. You can follow me, Wyatt, at
@wyattfurtherton. Please stay tuned for more information about the new @40PF album
and other fun news and stuff! i fucking hate blogger!
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