So, it’s finally April. Except
April, like March, has been cancelled (except for rent and credit card
payments, of course). Everyone enjoying their quarantine? Got enough toilet
paper? I mean, a pandemic was pretty much inevitable. Like an earthquake or a
hurricane. Everyone acts like it’s never going to happen until it happens. Nothing
like a good pandemic to expose all of society’s flaws. Everyone’s got cabin
fever, people are getting laid off and evicted, losing their health insurance
when they need it the most, society is unraveling and everything we thought was
real is a lie. But, at least we still have music to stave off our existential
crises. Or at least, that’s what I’ve been doing.
I like to take the time during these
Songs of the Month entries to discuss my future plans for the next month or so
on the blog. The next thing I plan on posting will be 1986 in Music, which I’ve
already been working on. Already got the Spotify playlist up too. Those Years in
Music blogs will keep going for a long while if I’m doing like 3 or 4 a month.
Later this month I’m going to continue my Birthright Armenia series by
recounting the System of a Down concert in Yerevan and the 100th anniversary of
the Armenian genocide, which I was in Armenia to witness in 2015. Around May 8th
or so I’ll talk about my trip to the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh as well.
And my 34th birthday is this month! A quarantine birthday, woohoo.
So maybe I’ll write about that. I’ll probably write once more this month
about the coronavirus and my personal experiences during the pandemic. I may
even begin my Oz reviews this month. Hopefully. I’ve been rereading the first
book little by little, it just takes me forever to read books now. I also just
received a new Oz book by a new pal of mine, which might as well review it when
I’m done.
These
are the top 3 songs that have been powering me through these times, plus one
more honorable mention. SYZYGYX (which as you’ll remember is pronounced kind of
like “scissor kicks") and Lebanon Hanover have kept their iron grip in the top
two places that they’ve had for the third month straight, but I think I’m
likely going to start listening to other bands soon. Maybe with my stimulus
check I’ll get some new music!
SYZYGYX
– In Pieces
The music video for this song helps give it context, with scenes of busy cities and computer screens flashing. This is a song about modern society. Our attention is always divided, we’re always busy, we’re always bombarded with screens. If we’re not sitting in front of a screen at work we’re sitting in front of a screen at home. Our attention spans have been reduced to mere seconds. Our consciousness is in pieces. I’m as guilty of this as anyone. The song and its video seem to be looking at our society from the outside. It makes you question why things are this way. What exactly is normal? What is reality? The world is a strange place when you actually stop to contemplate it, but so few people ever do. It’s a good song to listen to during those bouts of depersonalization and derealization. I myself have, as of late, felt disconnected from my body and from reality itself, like a puppet growing aware of its strings. I discovered this song at just around the time this started, although it was released early last year.
Lebanon
Hanover – Avalanche
“No one likes each other, in the 21st century”. It’s another song about today’s society. I love the emotional guitar riff that plays throughout. Lebanon Hanover can do no wrong in my book, I’ve liked every song I’ve heard. I really only started listening to them last year although they’ve been around for a while now. Anyway, another reason I like this song so much is because it reminds me of the protagonist of my upcoming novel! A young girl from the Land of Oz who, because you can’t die in Oz, gets trapped under an avalanche and is stuck for twenty years before the ice melts enough for her to escape. This is set to be on the unofficial soundtrack. I’ll blog more about it when it gets closer to actually being published, for now I’m keeping the project mostly under wraps. But if you want to be a beta reader you can let me know.
Velvet
Kills – The Key
This song has one of the catchiest beats I’ve heard in a while. It’s infectious. This will get stuck in your head, be warned. The only downside to this song is it’s too short. I always want it to keep going when I get to the end. I’d love to hear an extended version. Velvet Kills is a band from Portugal which has had a few albums out by now. This song as well as the album it is on, Bodhi Labyrinth, was released just last month, making it the newest song on the Top 3 this month. You can check them out on Bandcamp.
Honorable
Mention:
The
Kentucky Vampires – Saint Vincent
The Kentucky Vampires are, as their name suggests, a goth band from Kentucky. I never thought I would hear a band I liked from there, but here we are. Last month, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, they made the very generous decision to make their new album, Crimson Curse, available on Bandcamp at a “name your price” rate, since money is tight for a lot of people right now. So really, if you find yourself liking the music on this album you have no excuse not to buy it. I’ve liked the album so far, although I need to give it a few more listens. The intro is a nice pipe organ piece, which reminds me of old metal albums I used to listen to like from Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir that have a dark, epic-sounding instrumental opener, but this music doesn’t go on to be nearly as heavy. It’s just gothic rock. I like the track Saint Vincent because it’s an ode to the late great Vincent Price, one of my favorite actors, and starts with a voice sample from him; thus joining the ranks of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Theatre of Tragedy’s “And When He Falleth” in making perfect use of Vincent Price’s voice. There’s a niche topic I should do a blog entry about someday, songs that sample Vincent Price.
No comments:
Post a Comment