STEREOPHONICS PIMPAGE.
written: 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Apr. 30, 2008
Did I make myself clear? I cried. Tears didn't merely threaten to well up in my eyes; they welled up and rolled down my cheeks. I genuinely don't remember ever crying in response to a song before. Cookie brought me close to tears a couple of times (Music of the Night and Always Be My Baby), but not even his intrinsic ability to emo the hell out of a song can make me cry.
So colour me shocked that Stereophonics made me cry. They're the same band with lyrics like "You got your hair in a haircut" (Pedalpusher, Language. Violence. Sex. Other?), the same band who released Just Enough Education to Perform which I listened to twice last night but still think that it's their weakest album to date, the same band that embodies the opposite of 'critical acclaim'. They did get positive reviews for Language, which is still one of my favourite albums, but prior to that they had very little critical acclaim. I love Kelly Jones' distinct raspy voice, but I wouldn't call him a 'good singer' at all the same way I talk about David Cook being a good singer.
And yet, I can't stop listening to them. I've listened to Pull the Pin three times already today and I just cried listening to It Means Nothing. It's really such an amazingly hauntingly beautiful and touching song, it speaks to me, and it hit too close to home. I'll never forget what it felt like being in Fort Canning, listening to Kelly immerse himself completely in that song, and feeling chills all over my body when he went for that crescendo, the storm before the calm, and then brought it back down immediately after the climax and easing the song back into the melancholic vibe it started with.
I've also resigned myself to the fact that there's no way I can ever put the way this song makes me feel into words, so I'm not even going to try anymore. Instead, I'm pimping the shit out of my Phonics in this entry and I'm going to post YouTube videos of all my favourite Phonics songs...well, to the extent that I can find them, anyway. Yay!
It Means Nothing (Album version):
(The video is a fan video, not the music video.)
Pass the Buck (from Pull the Pin):
(This song is the opposite of It Means Nothing. It's upbeat and fun and and sooo catchy, and it was AMAZING live.)
(I can't imagine anyone not liking this song if my dad liked it. It's so accessible and melodious and so minor key-ish without being depressing. I love it. It's one of their biggest hits, and also one of my favourite songs. I know all the words to this song and I was singing along with Kelly for the WHOLE SONG at Fort Canning!)
Getaway (from You Gotta Go There to Come Back)
(A nice, casual, no-brainer song to relax to on a lazy afternoon. This song has no deeper meaning and it doesn't pretend to have any deeper meaning, and it takes me to a happy zone every time I listen to it. Love.)
I love You Gotta Go There to Come Back, which I bought for Maybe Tomorrow. The entire album is full of awesome songs, but I definitely think that Pull the Pin and Language. Sex. Violence. Other? are better. That actually makes sense, considering those two albums came out later than You Gotta Go There to Come Back.
Superman (from Language. Violence. Sex. Other?)
(This video is totally awesome because it's VERONICA MARS!!!! I haven't watched the video so I have no idea what goes on in it, but if it's Dick/Veronica, I'm gonna laugh my ass off when I watch it. Anyway, Superman isn't as accessible as Maybe Tomorrow, etc; it didn't do as well as Dakota on the charts. BUT I totally love it. Not only did it spawn the line "you don't know what it's been like meeting someone like you", it's also heavier than Stereophonics' usual sound which I totally dig, and it's arguably darker than most of the songs they've done. Awesome song.)
Dakota (duh)
(This song needs no introduction. I've gushed ad nauseum about it already.)
I'd post more songs from Language, but it's really one of those albums that you have to listen to from start to finish in one sitting. I'm not too fond of the last track and I usually skip it when my Creative shuffles to it, but when I listen to the whole album, I listen to the whole album. It's one of their best albums, in my humble opinion, and I can't really decide if it's better than Pull the Pin.
The thing about Language is that it has a very cohesive sound. It sounds like a complete album that tells a story, and I think it's probably Stereophonics' most serious and thoughtful album. Pull the Pin has great songs and it's also a fantastic album, but I think it lacks Language's overall cohesion.
But then again, if they'd came out with another Language, they would've got awfully boring. And Stereophonics is NEVER boring.
Okay, it's almost time for Idol so I'm going to stop the pimpage here.
Can I just bitch about something though? I sent a message to the guy on YouTube with all the live in Singapore videos, and he replied back saying 'thanks glad you like them', and then he went on to ask, "Did you stay after the concert? I stayed until 12 midnight and they came out. I got autographs and pictures. It was very surreal."
OH MY GOD FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. HAVE I MENTIONED FUCK.
OH MY GOD OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I AM HEARTBROKEN. ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN. WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT. WHY.
I COULD'VE MET THEM.
OH MY GOD I WANT TO DIE NOW.
I was also thinking that I might be able to catch them again in Europe so I went to check out their tour dates.
NO SUCH LUCK. They're playing in Normandy on June 1. I'll still be in Singapore. They're also playing in Germany and I'm not going to Germany.
WHY STEREOPHONICS WHY. I AM A VERY SAD FANGIRL NOW.
Oh my god, so tempted to go to Spain in July to see them play Rock in Rio on July 4. (Note: WTF? Why is Rock in Rio in Spain when Rio refers to Rio de Janeiro which is in, like, Brazil? And I only know this because Silverchair played Rock in Rio way back in like 2000 and I was obsessed with them then.) I'm also tempted to go to the States in July to catch the Idol tour to see Cookie, but if truth be told, I'd rather see Stereophonics! I love Cookie, but bloody hell, I have no interest in seeing the other 9 contestants! And I think a Stereophonics concert, even if it's a set among a bigger festival (i.e. Rock in Rio), is so much more worth flying overseas for than...Idols Live.
(If I DO see the Idols tour though, I'd catch the last show, which is in Tulsa. Which is where Cookie moved to. Which means all his friends will be there. And if he wins - which is a definite possibility - the Tulsa show would be WICKED AS HELL. But oh, I can only dream.)
I think I'm becoming obsessed with Stereophonics. I can't stop listening to their music and evidently I can't stop talking about them and I want to see them live again. They're so amazing and their songs are wicked awesome.
I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T THINK OF STAYING BEHIND AFTER MONDAY'S GIG TO WAIT FOR THEM TO COME OUT.
I MEAN YEAH AT THAT POINT I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I'D SAY TO ANY OF THEM, BUT AT LEAST I WOULD'VE HAD THE CHANCE TO FAINT WHEN KELLY JONES STANDS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. AT LEAST I WOULD'VE HAD A PICTURE.
Now, though, I know exactly what I'd say to Kelly (something along the lines of OMG KELLY IT MEANS NOTHING MADE ME CRY AND DAKOTA GOT ME THROUGH THE WORST BREAK-UP OF MY LIFE AND YOU ARE MY HERO AND I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MOVE TO SINGAPORE AND LIVE WITH ME PLEASE) and I'm just so dghsghrsghsjkg!!!!!! that I totally did not think of lingering behind! I'm so stupid omg someone kill me now. :( :(
Thank goodness for Idol. Cookie will so totally cheer me up!
Okay now I'm all excited about Cookie, who is apparently the best of the night again, as usual. Bwahahaha. I haven't went all fangirl over his song choices this week because it's Neil Diamond week and I have no idea who he is, so Cookie's song choices don't mean anything to me. BUT he did bring out his LES PAUL!!!!! That's his electric guitar, by the way. The last time he rocked out was on Day Tripper, Top 11 week, which was exactly 6 weeks ago, and needless to say, I have TOTALLY missed Rocker David.
Oh I love David.
Oh I love Stereophonics.
How am I supposed to split my heart two ways for these two acts that sound completely different?
David should listen to Brit rock. I heard that he listed the likes of My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, Muse and Foo Fighters as his favourite music on his Facebook. Yay to the Foo, no comment on Muse, but MCR and JEW? YUCKS. DAVID, I AM DISAPPOINTED. THIS IS ANOTHER REASON WHY YOU SHOULD TOTALLY COME TO SINGAPORE AND HOOK UP WITH ME; I'D HOOK YOU UP TO SOME GREAT BRIT ROCK AND IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER.
(Why do I keep typing in caps? It's so obnoxious. Sorry, will try to lay off.)
David's also obsessed with Our Lady Peace. Every question he gets that he can fit the words "Raine Maida" into his answers, he'd answer "Raine Maida". Who's your biggest influence? Who would you like to duet with? Who would you want to sing lead vocals in your dream band? Raine Maida, Raine Maida, Raine Maida.
I mean, yeah, the guy's got a freaking unique voice, and by 'unique' I mean it GRATES. I actually do like OLP's songs like, you know, Clumsy and 4 AM but I absolutely CANNOT listen to Maida's voice. I am really amazed that David can stand it, considering his own voice is so so so SO much better.
To give him credit though, he fell in love with OLP when he saw them live and he said that Raine Maida's stage presence was amazing. But still. The only reason Innocent is accessible is because Raine changed up his vocal style, they got a new producer, and that album - forgot what it's called - has been widely deemed a sell-out by OLP fans. That's also kind of why I refuse to buy the album even though I like Innocent and Raine's voice is actually human on that song.
Anyway, David's studio recording of Innocent totally kicks the original version's ass, and that's enough for me.
OKAY SIX MINUTES TO IDOL OH MY GOD I'M STOPPING THIS HERE.
LISTEN TO STEREOPHONICS!! THEY MADE ME CRY!!!!!!
before sunrise // before sunset
Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010