If only I could derive nutrition and energy from alliteration, I'd never need to sleep or eat again. Maybe some day science will catch up with my dreams, but for the time being I can glean only dorky satisfaction from chaining together words starting with the same letter or, as is the case with your Sunday song, the same letter sound. Yes, it's a wee bit of a cheat, but when you see it I think you'll let me off the hook.
After all, the "p" is silent, so technically giving you a Psykup Sunday is a perfectly cromulent thing to do (bonus points for anyone who gets that particular bit of wordplay). But who or what is Psykup? Well, they're French...and insane. The scattershot trio of influences listed on the band's page at the Season of Mist Bandcamp -- Strapping Young Lad, Primus, and Alice in Chains -- is as minimally descriptive as it is representative of the weirdness that is Psykup.
So let their madness do the talking and check out "Color Me Blood Red", the opening track from Psykup's 2008 album We Love You All. This one's as hard to nail down as Jello, so you should enjoy every minute of its fat, nearly ten minute running time. Go on, get messy.
Showing posts with label Alice in Chains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alice in Chains. Show all posts
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Sunday: Stone Sour - Creeping Death
Did you hear the one about Stone Sour becoming a cover band? Only it's no joke -- more anecdote, or fact even. Yes, Corey and Company have put together an interesting set of covers for the first of three EPs surely intended to give Stone Sour fans something to chew on until Slipknot's current album cycle wraps up.
The EP in question is called Meanwhile in Burbank... and the interesting set list in question draws cuts from the catalogues of Alice in Chains, Judas Priest, Kiss, Metallica, and Black Sabbath. Maybe not the strangest, most diverse mix in the world, but a decently respectable one nonetheless. For your Sunday song, however, there can really only be one candidate.
"Creeping Death" has been one of my favourite Metallica songs for years (as a historically-minded metalhead, what's not to like about a biblical metal song?) so for this past Sunday I'm going to suggest you check out the new Stone Sour version. It's not light years different or anything, but at the same time I think the guys managed to not fuck it up, which is worth a listen in itself.
The EP in question is called Meanwhile in Burbank... and the interesting set list in question draws cuts from the catalogues of Alice in Chains, Judas Priest, Kiss, Metallica, and Black Sabbath. Maybe not the strangest, most diverse mix in the world, but a decently respectable one nonetheless. For your Sunday song, however, there can really only be one candidate.
"Creeping Death" has been one of my favourite Metallica songs for years (as a historically-minded metalhead, what's not to like about a biblical metal song?) so for this past Sunday I'm going to suggest you check out the new Stone Sour version. It's not light years different or anything, but at the same time I think the guys managed to not fuck it up, which is worth a listen in itself.
Saturday, 25 April 2015
Friday: Alice in Chains - Junkhead
Your belated Friday song is also my alternate choice for a Throwback Thursday song this week, and considering its age, compared to the Machine Head song I did go with, perhaps I should have gone with this one after all.
I think few would argue the power of Alice in Chains' 1992 masterpiece Dirt, and one of my favourite songs on that record has always been "Junkhead". Seldom is such a stark and revealing glimpse into addiction also so sympathetic and, dare I say, relatable. And sonically, "Junkhead" is just so sludgy and grimy in its verses that the choruses can't help but cut through with extra force. Such a classic slice of grunge -- in fact, if ever anyone tries to tout Nirvana to you as the epitome of grunge, I implore you to put this one on and then proceed to look smug and triumphant. Argument: won.
I think few would argue the power of Alice in Chains' 1992 masterpiece Dirt, and one of my favourite songs on that record has always been "Junkhead". Seldom is such a stark and revealing glimpse into addiction also so sympathetic and, dare I say, relatable. And sonically, "Junkhead" is just so sludgy and grimy in its verses that the choruses can't help but cut through with extra force. Such a classic slice of grunge -- in fact, if ever anyone tries to tout Nirvana to you as the epitome of grunge, I implore you to put this one on and then proceed to look smug and triumphant. Argument: won.
Sunday, 15 February 2015
Alice in Chains - Over Now
Well, it's over now. Today's the last day of the first Loud Noises Unplugged week, a week of acoustic versions of some songs by some bands I dig, some well-known and others not so much, and I would probably be remiss if I didn't include a cut from one of MTV's classic Unplugged concerts back in the day.
But rather than go with the obvious (and, in my opinion, somewhat overrated) choice of a Nirvana track, I'm taking the "metalhead elitist" route and picking a song by what we all know was the better band, musically speaking at least. Nirvana fans may direct their defensive vitriol at the comments section below.
While they're busy doing that, the rest of you get to listen to "Over Now" by Alice in Chains, originally recorded for the band's 1995 self-titled third LP but heard here as recorded for the 1996 MTV Unplugged live album. "Over Now" has long been one of my favourite cuts from the Unplugged record, it's a haunting coda to Layne's time with the band, and it's a thematically fitting end to a week of acoustic-flavoured posts. If you can think of a song I should have chosen instead, I'd love to hear it.
But rather than go with the obvious (and, in my opinion, somewhat overrated) choice of a Nirvana track, I'm taking the "metalhead elitist" route and picking a song by what we all know was the better band, musically speaking at least. Nirvana fans may direct their defensive vitriol at the comments section below.
While they're busy doing that, the rest of you get to listen to "Over Now" by Alice in Chains, originally recorded for the band's 1995 self-titled third LP but heard here as recorded for the 1996 MTV Unplugged live album. "Over Now" has long been one of my favourite cuts from the Unplugged record, it's a haunting coda to Layne's time with the band, and it's a thematically fitting end to a week of acoustic-flavoured posts. If you can think of a song I should have chosen instead, I'd love to hear it.
Friday, 14 March 2014
Alice in Chains - Rooster
I'm doing my part to contribute to Throwback Thursday tonight, and while I'm not presenting anything tonight you shouldn't already be familiar with, I will hopefully spark a little debate -- or at least some contemplation -- along the way.
OK, so my girlfriend and I went for a little unexpected road trip today, for reasons unimportant to the discussion at hand, and while listening to the radio and talking about music, I uttered what many of my generation (and many other generations besides) may consider to be an unforgivable blasphemy: I like Alice in Chains more than Nirvana. Like, a lot more.
Of course, as a fan of music around the age of thirty, as a guitarist who grew up jamming Nirvana songs right alongside Zep and Rage and the rest, I fully understand and appreciate the impact Nirvana had, and in some ways continues to have, on modern music. I've just thought for a long time that Nirvana were, in a word, overrated, and the older I get the more entrenched in this opinion I become.
I know musical taste is subjective, but from where I'm standing Alice in Chains was just a better band (I say was because I mean Layne Staley-era Alice here). Kurt could write a good song, and he could definitely do a bit of darkly introspective lyrical content now and again, but the combination of Cantrell and company's musicianship and songwriting together with Layne's dark honesty and unique perspective simply produced more interesting material, and more material I still really dig to this day.
Like tonight's song, one of everybody's favourite Alice in Chains songs. "Rooster", from 1992's seminal Dirt, was written for Cantrell's father, who served in Vietnam. I don't know if it's my absolute favourite Alice in Chains song (though it is up there) but given the choice I'd put it on over virtually anything in Nirvana's catalogue. Let the vitriolic responses commence!
OK, so my girlfriend and I went for a little unexpected road trip today, for reasons unimportant to the discussion at hand, and while listening to the radio and talking about music, I uttered what many of my generation (and many other generations besides) may consider to be an unforgivable blasphemy: I like Alice in Chains more than Nirvana. Like, a lot more.
Of course, as a fan of music around the age of thirty, as a guitarist who grew up jamming Nirvana songs right alongside Zep and Rage and the rest, I fully understand and appreciate the impact Nirvana had, and in some ways continues to have, on modern music. I've just thought for a long time that Nirvana were, in a word, overrated, and the older I get the more entrenched in this opinion I become.
I know musical taste is subjective, but from where I'm standing Alice in Chains was just a better band (I say was because I mean Layne Staley-era Alice here). Kurt could write a good song, and he could definitely do a bit of darkly introspective lyrical content now and again, but the combination of Cantrell and company's musicianship and songwriting together with Layne's dark honesty and unique perspective simply produced more interesting material, and more material I still really dig to this day.
Like tonight's song, one of everybody's favourite Alice in Chains songs. "Rooster", from 1992's seminal Dirt, was written for Cantrell's father, who served in Vietnam. I don't know if it's my absolute favourite Alice in Chains song (though it is up there) but given the choice I'd put it on over virtually anything in Nirvana's catalogue. Let the vitriolic responses commence!
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Ethersens - To Live is To Forget
We call things "post-hardcore" to broadly connote that in some way they've been influenced by the impact of of hardcore, perhaps even moved beyond it. Ditto for "post-metal". But has anybody ever heard of "post-alt-rock"? Yeah, didn't think so.
Maybe because it's not really a thing? Maybe, but the opening minutes of the epic "To Live is To Forget" from last month's Your Wandering Ghost by France's Ethersens remind me so much of 90's alt-rock and alt-metal that I'd be willing to coin the term.
If, however, that sounds like the kind of thing that makes you want to click away to some other page as fast as possible, know that Ethersens are not just rehashing anything from the most formative decade of my musical youth. Their big melodic sensibilities are filtered through a proggier, more modern lens. I hear flashes of Alice in Chains and I Mother Earth in "To Live is To Forget", but I'm also getting hints of The Ocean or even Mastodon.
Ethersens might not be earth-shattering if this kind of sound isn't your cup of tea, but if nothing else, it's certainly tasty enough that Your Wandering Ghost warrants further investigation. Meet me back here when you're done.
Maybe because it's not really a thing? Maybe, but the opening minutes of the epic "To Live is To Forget" from last month's Your Wandering Ghost by France's Ethersens remind me so much of 90's alt-rock and alt-metal that I'd be willing to coin the term.
If, however, that sounds like the kind of thing that makes you want to click away to some other page as fast as possible, know that Ethersens are not just rehashing anything from the most formative decade of my musical youth. Their big melodic sensibilities are filtered through a proggier, more modern lens. I hear flashes of Alice in Chains and I Mother Earth in "To Live is To Forget", but I'm also getting hints of The Ocean or even Mastodon.
Ethersens might not be earth-shattering if this kind of sound isn't your cup of tea, but if nothing else, it's certainly tasty enough that Your Wandering Ghost warrants further investigation. Meet me back here when you're done.
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Alice in Chains - Down in a Hole
I know it's the kind of thing that gets flippantly labelled "#firstworldproblems" in our modern Twittersphere, but I'm going to share it with you anyways: my internet was down all morning today. GASP!
Sure, it's a tremendously minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, but when a good chunk of what you do in a day (like blogging about music) happens online, it's an inconvenience nonetheless. Today's song encapsulates how I felt before the ISP gods smiled upon me, and generally how I feel any time technology fails me.
Your song this evening is "Down in a Hole" from Alice in Chains' classic 1992 album Dirt. Yup. You read that right. Melodramatic much? When I get cut off from my technology, I feel like I might as well be in a cave or something. You may commence your most creative nerd/geek epithets at me whenever you're ready.
Sure, it's a tremendously minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, but when a good chunk of what you do in a day (like blogging about music) happens online, it's an inconvenience nonetheless. Today's song encapsulates how I felt before the ISP gods smiled upon me, and generally how I feel any time technology fails me.
Your song this evening is "Down in a Hole" from Alice in Chains' classic 1992 album Dirt. Yup. You read that right. Melodramatic much? When I get cut off from my technology, I feel like I might as well be in a cave or something. You may commence your most creative nerd/geek epithets at me whenever you're ready.
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Song of the Day (26th): Alice in Chains - Man in the Box
The Christmas season continues, but here in Canada it's Boxing Day today, so we leave Christmas music behind and embrace...box themed music?
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