Tag Archives: bands

Music Recommendations: Radiohead

Posted on by
2

Radiohead is one of the most influential bands of all time. Most of Gen Z only knows Radiohead from that Katy Perry song but they revolutionized the sound of alternate rock/ indie music to make it what we have today. With four decades worth of music, it could be overwhelming where to start. So here are some of Radiohead’s best songs.

Bangers + Mash: This song comes from the B-side of In Rainbows, one of their best albums. Not many people know this song, but it is personally one of my favorites. It is reminiscent of other early 2000’s alternative rock bands like The Killers, and The Strokes. There is an upbeat guitar throughout the track. The lyrics are about the different ends of the power pyramid. The people at the top look down at the ones below and vice versa. 

Burn the Witch: One of Radiohead’s most unique songs from one of their most underrated albums, A Moon Shaped Pool, “Burn the Witch” has a fantastic orchestral production. The violins and strings are unlike anything I have heard before. The lyrics are almost haunting depicting a metaphoric/fiction witch, with the incredible refrain “It’s a low flying panic attack.” The entire song has a peaceful and grand mood.

You And Whose Army?: The song starts very gently and slowly, with angelic vocals. But the ending is a phenomenal, passionate, vocal performance, as the production seems to reach a triumphant ending. The song covers political themes, similar to “Bangers + Mash,” this person abuses their power. 

Karma Police: Arguably Radiohead’s best-written track, “Karma Police,” lyrically depicts this fictional character called the Karma Police. Essentially if someone had done something wrong Karma Police would come get them. The chorus’s refrain “This is what you get when you mess with us,” followed by the ending refrain of “I lost myself,” perfectly tells how we only regret things when the punishment comes. The production is done in Radiohead’s signature style, and the lead singer, Thom Yorke, gives passionate vocals at the end.

No Surprises: This is the most streamed song from their Magnus Opus record, OK Computer. I am sure some people have heard the iconic glockenspiel melody in this song’s instrumental. The lyrics depict fear and anxiety, as the singer pleads “No alarms and no surprises”. This somewhat contrasts with the gentle, lullaby-like production, but still adds to the meaning of not wanting things to turn bad.

Many artists cite Radiohead as an influence, so I am sure you would love the original. I hope you listen to some of these tracks.

Whiplash

Posted on by
Reply

Whiplash is a 2014 movie about a drummer named Andrew Neiman, who studies jazz at Shaffer Conservatory in New York. Neiman has one goal in mind, which is to be the best jazz drummer in the world. While at Shaffer Conservatory he meets a man named Terence Fletcher, who has a very frightening teaching method but is effective towards the right person. Neiman can use Fletcher’s method of teaching to make him a better musician. This movie has one of the best endings I have ever watched and has very impactful scenes that will be some of the most entertaining things you will see.

Near the beginning of the film, Fletcher chooses Andrew Neiman to join his jazz band. Fletcher manipulates Neiman into becoming a good enough musician to be a core member of the band. As the film continues, the audience watches Fletcher use his odd teaching method to make Neiman the best. The audience is also able to learn what Terence Fletcher’s goal is. His goal is to bring out the greatness in all of his students, but he was never able to achieve this because his students usually get demotivated because of his teaching method. As the movie ends, Fletcher reaches his goal and Neiman gets closer to his.

Whiplash is easily one of my favorite movies that I have ever seen. What I enjoyed most was the mix of heartbreaking and thrilling scenes. Seeing how much Andrew Neiman was being affected by Fletcher, either in a good or bad way, was very entertaining. For example, as the viewer continues to watch the film, they can clearly see the effect that Fletcher has on Neiman. It was also fun to watch Neiman change throughout the movie. For example, the audience can witness Neiman do actions near the end of the film that he wouldn’t have done at the beginning. With this, Whiplash becomes a very meaningful and engaging movie.

Overall, Whiplash is a great movie to watch, which I recommend for anyone to watch when they have the time. My favorite part of the movie was the variety of scenes that can instantly change your mood throughout the movie. Some scenes will make you sad while others fill you with excitement. Another notable part of the movie that I enjoyed was the character development that the audience is able to see Andrew Neiman go through. I can assure anyone that this movie will not be a disappointment but instead will be a great experience.

-Matthew R.

Whiplash is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Let Me by Zayn Malik

Posted on by
Reply

This is a perfect song to set the summer mood. It is by ex-One Direction member Zayn Malik (who was the second most talented member and the second most successful member).  Whilee the song is such a carefree, fun song, it has a much deeper meaning.

In case you didn’t know, Zayn dated model Gigi Hadid for 2 years before splitting in March, this song was written before then, and for her, he states,

“I was in love—and I think that’s pretty evident. I was aspiring to be in love with someone for the rest of my life and the rest of theirs, as we all do.”

Here’s a bit of lyrics from the song:

Baby, let me be your man
So I can love you (I can love you)
And if you let me be your man
Then I’ll take care of you, you

For the rest of my life, for the rest of yours
For the rest of my life, for the rest of yours
For the rest of ours

You can really hear what a huge range of vocals Zayn Malik possesses. He is one of the few male singers that can actually hit a high note and it is very evident in this song.

A cool part of the song is the music video for it, it serves as a thriller. It is actually part two of a series of videos, part one being the music video for Dusk Till Dawn. In part one, Zayn is on the run with a suitcase, yet we aren’t sure what is in it, there is a huge explosion and a car chase. Zayn is much past his boyband One Direction days and anyone would enjoy seeing the video.

But now onto Let Me. In part two Zayn has finally reached a destination, but he is still on the run. I won’t spoil it for you, but there is a lot of action but the meaning of the song still hones true in the video (you have to watch it to see)

It is such a bop! It is sure to be a huge chart topper. Don’t believe me? Go and listen to it yourself, you’ll be glad you did.

2017 American Music Awards

Posted on by
1
Last night was the first time I watched the American Music Awards (AMA’s). The lineup for the performances was incredible. Some of the amazing artists that performed were Demi Lovato, Shawn Mendes, Niall Horan, Selena Gomez, and international k-pop sensation BTS. The awards were held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angelos, CA. There were awards given out like “Artist of the year,” “Favorite male and female artist,”  “New Artist of the year,”  and many more. Also last night, Christina Aguilera honored Whitney Houston singing the songs, “I Will Always Love You,” “I Have Nothing,” “Run To You,” and “I’m Every Woman”.
Selena Gomez performed for the first time after her kidney transplant surgery. She sang her newest song “Wolves,” which was a collab between her and Marshmello, released only three days ago. Shawn Mendes performed his hit song “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” which got the crowd jamming out with him. For me, one of the most shocking performances last night was P!nk’s performance. She performed her song “Beautiful Trauma” on the side of the JW Marriot Hotel… at a 90-degree angle!! I remember watching the performance in fear that something might go wrong. Lastly, the boy-band that’s taking the social media world by a storm- BTS. BTS is a South-Korean band consisting of seven members, each having their own personality and style. They performed their song, “DNA” from their latest album Love Yourself: Her. The audience went crazy when The Chainsmokers announced that BTS would be performing. This was BTS’ very first performance on American TV, and they absolutely killed it! Watching the awards made me excited to watch next year’s American Music Awards.