Thursday, March 31, 2016
The best Alternative Taylor Swift covers on Spotify
Politics aside, it is a crying shame that I am unable to add Taylor Swift songs to my pop playlist on Spotify. Luckily, there are countless bands still trying to hit the big time by putting their own spin on an already popular song! In the first Punktual Media post in a long time - and our best journalistic work to date - here are some of the best (or worst, depending on your POV) alternative Taylor Swift covers on Spotify..
I PREVAIL - BLANK SPACE
Starting with the song that set me off down this rabbit hole, I Prevail chug their way through Blank Space at an enjoyable tilt. Not sure why they needed to change the pronouns etc around if I am completely honest, but maybe covering a pop song AND singing about a guy as a love interest would have been a step too far? Anyway, I love this cover, even if the guitarists look bored as all hell.
THE ANIMAL IN ME - I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE
You will probably see a pattern emerging here, folks.. Well, The Animal In Me have an actual ladywoman as a vocalist, as well as some nice production values that create the overall all effect of Tay Tay backed by a metalcore band. And only the most bitter curmudgeon of the scene could find fault with that.
ALEX GROOT AND FRIENDS - 22
The most adorkable group of adorable dorks you are ever likely to lay your jaded eyes upon, Alex Goot and Friends serve up a sugary version of 22 that fills me with equal parts joy and..it might be envy..distrust? They might be a cult, is all I am saying. Jokes aside, there is a reason this has 12.5 million views on Youtube. The pop punk band in the vid, Against The Current, are not going away any time soon either.
(img: http://hbnbm.com)
Friday, February 7, 2014
New Music Crush: The Friday Prophets + interview
Umeå, European capital of culture 2014, is famous in the alternative music world at least, for spawning Refused, Meshuggah and several hardcore punk bands who were very serious about social issues and probably weren't that fun to hang out with at parties. Luckily, a beacon of hope has emerged, in the form of The Friday Prophets, who retain the sense of social justice of their predecessors, while mercifully allowing for a sense of humour and personality to shine through their European-style punk devotion.
What I like about these guys is that they are both as earnest about punk and ska as Europeans can be, but they are also having fun with it. Punk Rock Flu is all a European punk rock song should be. Imagine if Billie Joe Armstrong was born in Sweden, away from American things such as 'sarcasm' and 'irony', in a town where punk rock is serious business. You're halfway to understanding The Friday Prophets.
Regardless of the words I spew out here, my new found love of The Friday Prophets is actually very simple to explain. They're just a bunch of relatively regular dudes, playing really good ska influenced punk rock. I spoke to singer/guitarist Mattias about the Umeå scene, punk rock and clichés! They have just released a slightly baffling video for their song 'Amsterdam' and apparently the band themselves aren't sure what the message behind it actually is. Check it out!
GDAC: Why do you think Umeå produces so many alternative bands?
M: I haven't really thought about this very much. But I think in the 90's Umeå had a wave of straight edge and vegan hardcore bands that stirred the pot and an important ingredient was the band "Refused". The punk- and hardcore scene became a popular subculture, probably because people where fed up with how the meat production industry was run and they wanted to make healthy and active choices about their lives. From what I know, Umeå has for a long time been a very democratic and egalitarian city (compared to other places) where most people embrace equality. And since the world is not equal (in many aspects) the struggle continues and it's reflecting in what's happening on the music scene.
What I like about these guys is that they are both as earnest about punk and ska as Europeans can be, but they are also having fun with it. Punk Rock Flu is all a European punk rock song should be. Imagine if Billie Joe Armstrong was born in Sweden, away from American things such as 'sarcasm' and 'irony', in a town where punk rock is serious business. You're halfway to understanding The Friday Prophets.
Regardless of the words I spew out here, my new found love of The Friday Prophets is actually very simple to explain. They're just a bunch of relatively regular dudes, playing really good ska influenced punk rock. I spoke to singer/guitarist Mattias about the Umeå scene, punk rock and clichés! They have just released a slightly baffling video for their song 'Amsterdam' and apparently the band themselves aren't sure what the message behind it actually is. Check it out!
GDAC: Why do you think Umeå produces so many alternative bands?
M: I haven't really thought about this very much. But I think in the 90's Umeå had a wave of straight edge and vegan hardcore bands that stirred the pot and an important ingredient was the band "Refused". The punk- and hardcore scene became a popular subculture, probably because people where fed up with how the meat production industry was run and they wanted to make healthy and active choices about their lives. From what I know, Umeå has for a long time been a very democratic and egalitarian city (compared to other places) where most people embrace equality. And since the world is not equal (in many aspects) the struggle continues and it's reflecting in what's happening on the music scene.
Did you get to see the famous Umea bands growing up?
I was born in 1988 so I was too young to understand what was
going on in Umeå in the 90's. But now in my later years I sometimes enjoy
seeing local bands like "Lesra" and "Håll Det Äkta", and
about a year ago I saw Refused play their last gig here in Umeå. That was
probably the best show I've ever seen.
What drew you to punk and ska?
The mentality of it. Many punk rockers challenge authority
and question conventional beliefs and ways of being. It may sound like a
teenage rebellion cliché but the fundamental philosophy of it is just as
accurate as ever to me. I may not display it by wearing provocative clothing
and a mohawk, I think it's more reflecting in what I do and what I believe. You
can rebel on the inside without having the devil-may-care exterior.
How did the band get together?
The Friday Prophets started in 2010 and I had been
playing punk/rock with our bass-player Isac since 2007 I think. We met through
his sister. Simon, the drummer joined the band in 2011, I believe. And Edvin, our
lead guitar player just started showing up when we rehearsed and wanted to
join the band. He wouldn't take no for answer, luckily neither would we. I
realized he was viciously more talented than me when it came to playing guitar.
Is there a story behind the name?
I wanted the band to be called something with "Friday" in it because then the plan at first was to play party oriented punk. So we typed in Friday in one of those band name generator sites and suddenly there it was: "The Friday Prophets". I love the band name, I think we all do even though it may not represent what the band is about.
I wanted the band to be called something with "Friday" in it because then the plan at first was to play party oriented punk. So we typed in Friday in one of those band name generator sites and suddenly there it was: "The Friday Prophets". I love the band name, I think we all do even though it may not represent what the band is about.
What are your influences? Are there ska-punk bands in
particular you like, or do you like bands dedicated to each specific genre?
There are so many influential components and they do not
only come in the shape of music. I take inspiration from people, books, articles, movies, philosophy, relationships etc. It's
hard to find a common denominator for all of these things and at the risk of sounding cliché I would say everyday life
is the biggest influence. When something inspires me a creative switch is turned on within me. Then of course there's a reason why
our sound is the way it is and those reasons are Bad Religion, The Bouncing Souls, Green Day, The
Descendents, Against Me!, Rise Against and NOFX. Our ska-punk influences comes from bands like Streetlight Manifesto and Less Than Jake.
I get the impression, and I could be wrong, that the band
is an escape from everyday life for you guys, is that the case?
I can only speak for myself, but yeah when I was younger it
sort of was. That was when I started to write songs about apathy and feeling detached from society, which later became songs
like "Good Things", "Daffy's Futility Routine" and
"Wasted Days". But I wouldn't say that that's the case now. I enjoy
everyday life most of the time and the band is an valuable part of it. Not because I have to escape from it, rather because I wanna
add one more meaningful ingredient to it.
What are your goals and plans as a band?
We don't have any grand plans or goals, we're all studying
so we try to find time for the band when we can
because we all enjoy it very much. We sort of have a
"let's take it step-by-step attitude" and time will tell
where that will take us. My goal is to try to keep The Friday Prophets
alive for as long as possible simply because I love writing and playing music.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Dodgy Film Club: Thankskilling
Thankskilling is a low budget, self aware horror comedy about five college students on a road trip home for Thanksgiving, who are set upon by a murderous, eh, fowl-mouthed (sorry) Turkey.
Where has this movie been all my life? As much of an homage as a satire, it features a classic set of horror characters, including:
- The Jock (comes with football)
- The Redneck (comes with chin beard)
- The Nerd (comes with health issues)
- The Dumb Slut (comes with sex puns)
- The Good Girl (comes with additional 'Sheriff Dad' character)
- The Weird Old(ish) man (comes with ability to show up at any time)
- The opening shot is of an exposed breast, belonging to an inexplicably topless mom-aged blonde woman, in, we are told, 1621.
- Soon after we are introduced to the turkey, who can not only wield an axe, but can also deliver one liners like an anachronistic action movie star. (e.g. the line 'Nice tits, bitch', which is totally the language turkeys in 1621 would use, should they be able to talk)
- Surprisingly little nudity, given the open shot
VagueIncreasingly strong homo-eroticism- A punk and metal dominated soundtrack for some reason. I mean, it's sweet, but why would these 5 people be listening to it?
- 'Turkeyologists'
- Awful puns!
- Graduates of the Alan Bagh school of acting
- A lead character named Johnny (reference or no?)
- The line 'Gobble gobble, motherfucker'
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
There was a SCOOTER version of Tony Hawk's
I thought Aggressive Inline was a stretch, barely clinging on by its fingertips to Tony Hawk's coattails... It seems that the money and trends people in video game HQ thought that skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX and yes, even rollerblading games weren't enough. There was also Razor Freestyle Scooter.
Apparently the storyline was that you are a scooter kid whose friends are kidnapped by an evil robot. Okay, that actually sounds cool. But we have to bend our interpretation of reality and believe that someone who chose freestyle scooter as an extreme sport would have any friends.
Anyway, let's get to the important part: the soundtrack!
I'm not sure where they found these D-list skate punk bands, but it's quite fitting that the songs got the general feeling of skate punk, without the company having to pay for the best of skate punk. Shades of Montgomery Burns looking for a 'non-union, Mexican equivalent'.
Some of the songs sound like they were recorded off the TV onto a handheld tape recorder..
The full album is only 28 minutes long, which is kind of sad. There are definitely some songs that teenage me would have consumed on repeat. In an alternative universe I might have played Razor Freestyle Scooter and listened to Never Too Late and Ex Number Five instead of Bad Religion and Alkaline Trio.
Apparently the storyline was that you are a scooter kid whose friends are kidnapped by an evil robot. Okay, that actually sounds cool. But we have to bend our interpretation of reality and believe that someone who chose freestyle scooter as an extreme sport would have any friends.
Anyway, let's get to the important part: the soundtrack!
I'm not sure where they found these D-list skate punk bands, but it's quite fitting that the songs got the general feeling of skate punk, without the company having to pay for the best of skate punk. Shades of Montgomery Burns looking for a 'non-union, Mexican equivalent'.
The full album is only 28 minutes long, which is kind of sad. There are definitely some songs that teenage me would have consumed on repeat. In an alternative universe I might have played Razor Freestyle Scooter and listened to Never Too Late and Ex Number Five instead of Bad Religion and Alkaline Trio.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Symphony of Distraction Interview
Symphony of Distraction are, for my money, the best skate punk band of the modern era. Guitarist and vocalist, Jay, talked to me about the band, the shape of punk today, and what it's like to be an aging punk rocker.
What are SOD doing these days, are you writing any new material?
Mr Sparkle! |
What are SOD doing these days, are you writing any new material?
Nothing specific
right now. After we finished the last record and did a short tour, I moved to
New York City, so I live across the country from everyone else in the band.
We’ve had some conversations about doing some recording in the not too distant
future, but as of yet nothing specific is planned.
What is the song
writing process for you guys?
Steve and I split
the song writing. When we had some song ideas, we’d get together and get right
to recording guitar parts. We found that being able to listen to the guitar
tracks helped us really hear the songs better than just playing them over and
over. We were pretty much writing the songs all the way until they were done.
The whole writing and recording happened in parallel. There weren’t any songs
where I finished the lyrics more than a few minutes before I started recording
the vocals. It’s a much better process for me than trying to write a whole
record up front and not really hear any of it until I get into the studio.
There’s so many times that I thought I had written a really great song and
didn’t realize it sucked until I started recording it. Recording as you write
helps avoid that situation
Some of your lyrics
deal with frustrations and insecurities of every day life. Are your lyrics an
important part of a cathartic process or do you just need to fill in the songs?
For me the lyrics
definitely come secondary to the music, but I still consider them an important
part. Bad lyrics can ruin an otherwise good song, so I always keep that in mind
when I’m trying to rush through lyric writing. I think Steve takes it more
seriously because a lot of his songs relate to what’s going on in his life when
he writes them. I usually have a couple of lines of words that I find work well
with a melody and then write around them. It creates for some random topics..
Speaking of which,
'New Cliches' struck a particularly loud chord with me. How
are you finding becoming an adult and an adult punk guy?
I kind of relate
getting older in the punk scene to the stages of grief. At first you’re in
denial, then you’re angry and finally you just have to accept it. You get older
and there’s nothing you can do about it. Punk rock is definitely a young
person’s game but that doesn’t mean you have to stop listening to it or stop
going to shows. For me growing older just meant that I didn’t have the urge to
throw it in everyone’s face all the time anymore. I don’t need to have blue
hair and piercings and wear a Sex Pistols shirt so that some stranger can tell
how cool I am. The best part of aging is that you truly, honestly just stop
giving a fuck what anyone thinks.
In terms of new
music, personally I don't really get the whole hipster, retro, cassette tape
trend, but I know that older people at the time hated bands like Nofx and
Strung Out so I try not to get overly concerned about it..
Yeah, I had a conversation with someone not too long ago that was trying to tell me that cassette tapes sound better than CDs. I wanted to slap him in the face. I could see cassettes being cool from a collector’s standpoint, but to say they sound better is just stupid. But you’re right, everybody thinks that their generation of music is better than the next so it’s gets really hard to judge what’s legitimately appealing to the youth as you get older.
What are your
thoughts on the future of the music industry and how do you feel about
piracy?
Piracy is a bummer.
It hurts the musicians, and I think it hurts the listener too. You can
definitely have too much of a good thing. I’ve heard people brag about how they
have 50 thousand songs in their mp3 library. Almost all of which are pirated.
What’s the point of having 50 thousand songs? You can’t ever listen to them. It
just perpetuates the short attention span that everybody has. So now you
basically have access to all music and don’t give a shit about any of it. That
being said, I’ve pirated some music that I was excited to hear and didn’t want
to wait til the release date. So I’m not claiming innocence, but I’d happily
give up access to free music if it meant that everybody else did too.
Who are your biggest
influences and favourite bands, past and present?
As I’m sure you can
tell by the music, we’re mid 90s skate punk nerds. Fat Wreck, Epitaph, Vagrant
bands. Bands like Weezer, Green Day and Ben Folds Five. Really anyone that
could write a great melody is what I was into in my most obsessive music phase.
These days it’s more rare that I feel like a band would be a huge influence to
me when I’m writing punk music. My writing habits are too hard wired at this
point. I can still get inspired by a song, but it’s much more random how that
happens now. It could be a Britney Spears song I hear in a movie that triggers
a melody idea for me. Then I take that and just throw it over my old
influences.
Had you guys got a
set sound in mind when you started the band, and how did the band come
together?
Steve was in
SecondShot when it first started. We always wrote well together, but it just
wasn’t working out at that point for other reasons and Steve got kicked out and
went on to do some other projects. We didn’t talk for a couple years. When we
finally did, we got drunk and talked about the idea of trying to record an EP
by ourselves. Neither of us had any recording experience and I never really
thought we’d do it. Some time later, I decided I wanted to demo out some songs
and bought some cheap recording gear. After learning a bit, we got together and
recorded the guitar parts to a song that Steve was messing around with, and we
thought it sounded good. So we decided to go for it. Steve had been in a band
called Allergic to Idiots that had Jimmy and Pat in it. We just recruited them
to fill out the band and made the EP.
As far as the sound,
we were pretty specific. All fast. We weren’t going to try to bother with
making the record balanced. We wanted to do all fast songs, and that’s how the
EP ended up being. There are a couple mid tempo songs on Call It Off, but it’s
still generally a really fast record.
How did the name
come about? Are you all just fans of Dave Mustaine and his work?
No. It’s a terrible
band name and we came up with it when we were really drunk and thought it was
funny.
To me, your music is
exactly how punk from California and West coast America should sound. So, I gotta say,
it's pretty weird that you guys seem more appreciated in Asia than at home.
What was your Asian tour like and why do you think skate punk is still so
popular there?
Yeah, when we first
moved to the Bay Area, we thought that since it was the home of Fat Wreck, that
people would be crazy for that style of music, but it just wasn’t the case at
all. I think maybe southern California would have been better for us, but who
knows. Asian tour was awesome. I love going over there. They have great fans.
They come to the show before the first band starts, and don’t leave til the
show is over. I don’t have an answer to why skate punk still does well over
there.
What is it about
this kind of punk that attracts you? Is there any other genres that you listen
to or would like to play?
The attraction to
punk music for me has always been that the songs are more streamlined than a
lot of other types of music. You have a good melody and some good music behind
it, you repeat it 3 times and you’re done. Obviously that’s a huge
generalization and not many of our songs actually do that, but I’ve always
loved how punk songs eliminate a lot of fluff from a song so that the core idea
of a is the most important thing. As far as other genres, I tried to learn
piano when I was young and failed miserably. So now I actually play a lot of
jazz piano. I’m not sure if I like it or It’s just a personal challenge, but
lately, that’s where most of my musical energy has been going. Once I’m good
enough, I want to have a band that plays old punk songs in jazz style. No idea
if that will ever happen.
(Image source: Symphony of Distraction Facebook)
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Zero Charisma: Compact Movie Review
A games master in need of a good therapy session loses what little control he has on life when a hipster joins his table. Role-playing games provide the background to a dark comedy-drama about mental illness. 8/10.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Holly Would Surrender: a study in pop punk keywords
Good Days
and Clichés is a confusing name for some.
It’s an in-joke based around paying tribute to and making fun of pop
punk bands. I love pop punk, but have loved it for so long that I see the same
lyrical themes/style of names/fashion sense come and go and come again.
Through the Skatepunkers forum I think I’ve found the most cliché-drenched pop punk song ever!
Holly Would Surrender are more than a clever name. I’ve listened to this song
on repeat all day because it is 3 minutes, 10 seconds of joyous pop punk. And besides the glaring emission
of ‘pizza’ the boys have hit every keyword about Summer pop punk available.
That’s it folks, they’ve used up all the keywords!
So, want to start a pop punk band? Here is a handy guide to the lyrical keywords you should include!
So, want to start a pop punk band? Here is a handy guide to the lyrical keywords you should include!
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